Ultraman: A good pilot doesn't choose his own Ultraman.

48. Nexus, the Light of Bonds

Inside the ward, Da Gu looked at Jiang Yu, whose face was contorted in pain, and felt a pang of guilt.

If he had transformed earlier, things probably wouldn't have turned out this way.

Jiang Yu's injuries were even more severe than before.

If they hadn't still been alive, all the members of the winning team would have thought they were going to lose their teammates.

"Ha! Faust!"

Suddenly hearing a low growl, Daigo, who had been lost in thought and blaming himself, was startled and looked at Jiang Yu, whose face was contorted with struggle.

"Jiang Yu, are you awake?"

Daigo asked cautiously, afraid of disturbing Jiang Yu, who was still weak.

"Daigo? Has that guy disappeared?"

Jiang Yu opened his eyes, and the world gradually returned to normal from a white blur.

However, he was still not fully conscious, and his mind was constantly preoccupied with Faust and Onoda, who had been turned into a puppet.

Faust's targeting of Onoda must have been because of him; he should have realized it sooner...

The thought that Onoda's peaceful life had ended prematurely because of him made Jiang Yu feel even more pained.

He didn't want it to be like this; he just wanted to protect himself and live a good life, and he didn't want to drag other people's lives down with him.

But it's too late now; it's too late to undo the damage.

"Who, that black giant?"

When we found you, you were all alone.

Daigo explained that he looked around afterwards but couldn't find a single clue.

"Is his name Faust?"

"That's right, that guy is Faust, he came with me."

Daigo, I'll be leaving for a while in a few days. With me drawing attention away from you, he shouldn't be targeting you.

I will resolve the trouble I've caused.

Jiang Yu's gaze gradually hardened as he made his final instructions.

Daigo is still in his infancy, and Tiga's power cannot be fully utilized yet. Being targeted by Faust is definitely not a good thing.

There was one thing Jiang Yu wasn't sure about: whether Faust would or could devour Tiga's light.

In that case, we absolutely cannot let Faust continue to grow stronger...

"Jiang Yu, there is nothing we cannot overcome together, as long as we don't give up hope."

Daigo tried to stop Jiang Yu's extreme ideas, but it was clear that Jiang Yu was no match for Faust in this one-on-one fight.

"No, Daigo, you don't understand. I can't continue to be a burden to you."

Jiang Yu shook his head and slowly sat up from the bed.

"You have things you have to do, and I have things I have to do."

I am just an ordinary person with many flaws, and I only had the opportunity to become a giant because of good luck.

I have always cowardly run away from difficulties, but this time I can't run away anymore.

"What I need to do now is rely on myself. Daigo, your job is to eliminate any monsters that might appear."

Jiang Yu silently checked the panel of the Paragi Gemstone; he now only had two transformation attempts left.

After two times, I'll probably die...

Jiang Yu was uncertain. In fact, he could choose to escape; he still had one more chance to travel through the world.

If he's lucky, he'll end up on a relatively peaceful and stable Earth, where he can live for another three hundred years and have a chance to regain his giant powers.

But if he runs away now, he will never forgive himself!

Living like that would be meaningless.

"But I..."

Daigo was about to argue when he suddenly heard a series of rapid footsteps coming from the doorway.

A group of fully armed soldiers jogged to the ward door in an orderly fashion. Before Da Gu could make a move, they all pointed their dark gun barrels at Da Gu and Jiang Yu.

Of course, the main target was Jiang Yu; this was an order that had been conveyed before they arrived.

"Hey, what are you doing? This is a hospital ward."

Daigo, unusually, lost his temper and picked up his Victory Hyper rifle to confront the soldier in front of him.

At the same time, he had already gripped the magic wand tightly in his hand. If he really had to make a move, he didn't care about his identity being exposed; he had to ensure the safety of Jiang Yu and himself.

Jiang Yu frowned, already guessing what was going on based on this situation.

Neither old man Sawai nor old man Yoshioka would do such a thing, so this must be another trick played by the lower levels of TPC?

The solitary walk of the lower and middle classes is a truly disgusting and tiresome tradition.

Thinking of some unpleasant memories of Japan from his past life, Jiang Yu felt even more agitated.

The reason is not hard to guess. He was seriously injured twice, and giants appeared twice. Anyone with a discerning eye would have some guesses, not to mention those guys who are always thinking about evolution.

The allure of the giant's power is simply too great.

"Daigo, if I were you, I would give up now."

"You're not our target, please don't get in our way."

A middle-aged, sinister-looking man in a TPC uniform walked to the ward door and offered seemingly kind advice, but his greedy gaze was fixed on Jiang Yu and couldn't be looked away.

This is the guy. If we get him, we'll have the code to evolution, and we won't need to keep researching those Ebloon cells with those other guys.

This example of Ryosuke Sanada proves that such evolution is unreliable.

Daigo's heart sank, but he showed no intention of putting down his gun, only silently expressing his opinion.

As long as Megumi and the others can come, everything will be resolved.

"Stubborn to the end, take down Daigo first."

The middle-aged, sinister man instructed his two sharpshooters that they could guarantee no one would be killed.

"Yes."

The moment the two fired their guns, Daigo was about to take out his Spark Lens when he was stopped by a powerful red and silver arm.

"Leave it to me, Daigo. This is the last thing I can do for you."

Daigo stared blankly at the life-sized Nexter, unsure of what to say or what Jiang Yu was going to do for him.

"Shoot! Shoot!"

Seeing that Jiang Yu had truly transformed into a giant, the middle-aged, sinister man felt a mixture of excitement, fear, and incomprehension.

The power of the giants is undeniable; they are capable of destroying monsters, and their destructive power is so great that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they could sink a base.

But this guy is still seriously injured, so why is he still able to fight?

Countless bullets struck Jiang Yu, but in the end, they only sparked a burst of fire on the armor behind Nexter.

"I didn't want to do this, but you forced me to!"

He can now clearly perceive the sinister man's inner intentions: to use him for research in an attempt to transform him into a giant.

Jiang Yu almost experienced the same treatment that Zhun Ge received.

Unfortunately, Jiang Yu is not a good person like Brother Zhun.

It's simply impossible for someone to not fight back when being hit.

In order to survive, these people have no choice but to suffer the injustice of dying.

Jiang Yu gathered energy in his arms and unleashed an evolutionary beam, "Torrent," amidst the horrified gazes of Daigu and the sinister man.

A moment later, only a pile of ashes remained at the door of the ward, and a red light shot out from the TPC base.

Before Daigo could even react, the PDI alarm went off urgently.

"Daigo, what's going on over there? The command center is showing an abnormal energy reaction."

Also, Chief Yoshioka said that the police department forged a transfer order and sent a squad of soldiers there. Nothing bad happened, right...?

Before Megumi could finish speaking, Daigo interrupted her.

"They're all dead. They're all dead."

"Dead?"

Jujian Hui exclaimed in surprise, somewhat unable to believe her ears.

The police force soldiers were wiped out at the TPC base, that's just too much...

"Could it be that Jiang Yu...?"

Thinking of the unusual energy reaction, Megumi couldn't help but think of Jiang Yu.

"Jiang Yu has left, and he may never come back."

Daigo quietly looked out the window at the calm sea, and he understood what Jiang Yu had ultimately helped him with.

The deaths of so many people were enough to stop him from worrying about anyone coming after him.

This is already a declaration to all those who are interested: studying the power of giants comes at the cost of one's life.

But Jiang Yu, what are you going to do?

How could someone with such a physical condition fight to the death against an enemy they could never defeat?

Didn't Jiang Yu himself say that he was most afraid of dying...?

……

Flying at full speed, Jiang Yu returned to the Onoda family home.

The wine bottles were broken all over the floor, and the living room was a mess. Only the sofa was still usable.

Jiang Yu deactivated his transformation and collapsed weakly onto the sofa.

This time it wasn't like last time; it wasn't just physical weakness. Faust had truly swallowed up the light.

With his eyes closed, Jiang Yu could almost feel Onoda's resentment towards him that day, and the ecstatic joy he felt when darkness extended an olive branch.

Darkness is nothing compared to saving one's beloved.

Of course, when he finally realized it was all a lie and lost consciousness, Onoda must have felt regret.

Sheena, who was once one of Hyranos's puppets, became Faust's puppet and never truly came back to life.

"Mr. Onoda, it's all my fault. If I hadn't shown up, you would be alive and well right now."

Jiang Yu felt a pang of regret; if he could, he would rather he had never shown up at all.

The only thing we can do now is to eliminate Faust, avenge Onoda, and prevent more people from dying because of Faust.

In that instant, Jiang Yu had a similar experience to his brother Zhun. Perhaps this was atonement?

Jiang Yu was suddenly enveloped in a burst of light, as if a voice was calling to him.

Jiang Yu opened his eyes and saw the Stone Wing Ruins he had seen in his dream. He was surrounded by a dense forest and heard birds chirping in the sky.

Unlike last time, that feeling of rejection is gone.

There are no more problems in going to the distant ruins.

"Are you eligible now, Noah?"

Jiang Yu muttered to himself, but his steps did not stop; he slowly but firmly made his way towards the ruins.

What you say you'll do, you must do. If you decide to fight to the death, you absolutely cannot back down.

Upon entering the ruins, Jiang Yu skipped over the murals depicting the passing down of the Light of Nexus and went directly to the winged stone statue that represented the power of inheritance.

Sweating profusely, Jiang Yu did not hesitate and placed his palm on it.

A jolt of electricity jolted him away, but the stone statue immediately burst forth with a dazzling white light, drawing Jiang Yu inside.

In a dreamlike scene resembling a starry sea, Jiang Yu's vision gradually returned to normal, and his gaze involuntarily fell upon the enormous, god-like figure before him.

Nexus, the light of bonds!

P.S.: Today's update is two chapters totaling 6,000 words, still six chapters a day.