That familiar pull washed over him again. A portion of his energy slipped away, and Malrick crossed beyond the Marvel Universe.
He passed through another thin membrane between worlds and arrived at his target.
"There really are beings that meet those conditions…" Malrick thought to himself, feeling the familiar weightless drift that told him he was in deep space.
He opened his eyes. Before him spun a massive azure planet.
"Earth? Am I outside of it this time?"
Malrick focused, activating his heightened senses. A flood of sounds rushed into his mind—chaos, despair, shouts of fear, and cries of determination. Despite the looming disaster, many voices were filled with hope.
"Come on, Ultraman! The future of humanity depends on you!"
Malrick frowned. Ultraman? So this world belonged to them.
"Could it be…?" He listened harder.
Somewhere below, a voice trembled in conflict. Musashi… enough, you've done enough. Ultraman, why do you keep fighting so hard for this Earth?
And behind Malrick, the vacuum of space thrummed with strange energy waves, each transforming into audible bursts in his mind. Grunts of exertion, desperate cries, and the straining echoes of combat.
Malrick turned and saw it.
In the void stretched a colossal machine, disk-shaped, nearly a kilometer wide. It pulsed with destructive energy, unleashing beams of blinding light toward Earth. Malrick's trained senses measured it instantly—the heat was at least ten million degrees Celsius. If it touched the planet, the surface would be scorched into extinction.
Two giants were holding it back. Their titanic forms—one crimson and blue, the other crimson and black—stood firm against the beam.
"Ultraman Cosmos and Ultraman Justice…" Malrick muttered in surprise. "And that machine—Giga Endra."
Recognition dawned. He had seen this before: the climax of Ultraman Cosmos: The Final Battle.
In this story, Delecion—the cosmic enforcer who believed humanity endangered universal peace—had sent his ultimate weapon, Giga Endra, to erase them. Only Cosmos and Justice stood in its way. But even together, they were losing ground.
At the darkest moment, Malrick remembered, the two fused and summoned the will of the Great Universe itself—Ultraman Legend.
Malrick floated aside, keeping his distance. He knew this was the turning point. The two Ultras would fall… then be reborn.
If his traversal ability had chosen this world for his third clone, then perhaps Ultraman was the answer. The keyword he had entered was cosmic affinity. Who better embodied that than Legend, a being of pure universal will?
Cosmos and Justice cried out, their strength faltering. The blast consumed them, drowning their forms in searing light. Earth's defenders cried out in despair.
Then, from the explosion, a radiance erupted—sacred, vast, overwhelming.
Malrick's breath caught. He remembered watching this scene long ago on a screen, and now he was standing in it.
"When two forces converge, the Universe itself answers," he whispered.
The light parted, and Ultraman Legend descended. His form shimmered in silver, blue, and black, as if forged from the cosmos itself. He was the miracle of universal will, a being spoken of as omnipotent.
Malrick's heart raced. "Could I… really nurture a clone of this?"
Legend was no ordinary warrior—he was a cosmic entity, a godlike figure. Could such a power be shared? Borrowed? If he asked, would Legend grant him a fragment of his light?
The thought seemed absurd, yet as Malrick stared, Legend turned. Their eyes met.
Malrick stiffened. Legend's gaze was vast and unfathomable, yet gentle. He gave the faintest nod.
Malrick blinked. Did… did he just agree?
His own words earlier came rushing back to him. Even though sound didn't travel through space, Legend must have heard. Or perhaps, more accurately, the will of the Universe itself had.
Malrick swallowed, then spoke with quiet reverence. "Ultraman Legend… could you grant me a ray of your light? My world faces a crisis. With your power, I can nurture a clone that may stand against it."
Legend did not speak. Instead, he lifted an arm and pointed toward the colossal machine. Giga Endra's core glowed once more, preparing to unleash its reset beam.
Malrick understood. This was the condition. To receive the light, he must first prove himself by facing the weapon head-on. Legend could destroy it in an instant, but this was not about power alone. It was about equality—meeting the light without being indebted to it.
The Giants of Light had always been protectors, not tyrants.
A smile tugged at Malrick's lips. "Understood."
He returned Legend's gesture with a respectful nod, then clenched his fists. His body blazed with solar energy as he surged forward, streaking toward Giga Endra.
The trial had begun.
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