Malrick was slightly surprised that Delecion had even bothered to ask him a question.
After a moment of thought, he answered calmly, "I am also an Earthling, though from another Earth. That alone is reason enough. An Earthling should protect the Earth."
The deeper truth, of course, was tied to the mission Leijedo had given him.
Before he could say more, a radiant light surged from Leijedo, enveloping the vast figure. The divine being split apart, returning to his two halves—Ultraman Cosmos and Ultraman Justice. One embodied order, the other justice.
Delecion's inquiry hadn't been ignored, but rather redirected. Leijedo's silence was intentional; he allowed Cosmos and Justice to answer for him.
Both Ultraman stood firm, declaring their belief in humanity. Their conviction was clear.
At last, Delecion spoke again, his voice resonating through the stars. He would also place his faith in the Light Warriors, and in humanity's persistence in hope. With that, he turned and withdrew, his massive fleet vanishing beyond the edge of the Solar System.
Malrick wasn't surprised. Humanity's warlike nature had drawn Delecion here, but the unyielding hope humanity clung to even in despair had convinced him to leave. Of course, the real reason was Leijedo's appearance. And Leijedo's arrival was only possible because Cosmos and Justice had sustained fatal injuries at the same time.
Malrick stroked his chin, remembering online discussions from his previous life. Once those two Ultraman learned they could summon Leijedo, they began recklessly throwing themselves into danger. He wondered if, when he returned to the Ultraman Universe one day, he might see Leijedo again.
For now, however, his focus was elsewhere. He was eager to return and begin cultivating his clone.
"Farewell, both of you," Malrick said with a nod.
"Eh?!" Cosmos looked back at Earth, flustered. "You're leaving already? Did we… not treat you well? Or maybe—uh, wait, what should I even call you?" The voice clearly belonged to Musashi, Cosmos' human counterpart.
Malrick only smiled and waved. "Earth is safe now. We can trade names next time we meet. Goodbye, Cosmos, Justice."
And with that, he activated his crossing ability and returned to the Marvel Universe.
Only Ultraman Cosmos lingered, regret heavy in his voice. "What a pity… I wanted to invite him to Earth, to introduce him to everyone. A human who can defeat Giga Endra with his bare hands…"
…
Malrick reappeared on a familiar rooftop, time unchanged since the moment he had left.
Crossing his legs, he immediately began nurturing his clone.
Within his inner World, the process mirrored the creation of his Black Light Clone. His clone talent flared to life, the World's power enveloping Leijedo's light, carefully analyzing his biological information.
Leijedo's power was beyond comprehension, and the complexity of his genetic structure was staggering. Ordinarily, analysis could have taken centuries. But Leijedo had already decrypted everything, leaving Malrick only to read it.
Within a single day of inner World time, the reading was complete. The energy left behind by the Source Will of the Starry Sky World emerged, transforming Leijedo's light into a form compatible with the clone talent.
Malrick waited anxiously for feedback.
But instead of success, the talent halted abruptly.
"Failed!?" His breath caught.
The nurturing process had collapsed entirely.
Malrick hadn't ruled out the possibility of failure, but when it came, the sting of disappointment hit harder than he expected. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to calm down. Leijedo's power was overwhelming, and Malrick knew he had placed too much weight on this.
Still, his will was iron. He steadied himself and analyzed the situation again. Probing his inner World, he checked the reserves of its power and observed the light he had been given.
Then it struck him.
"Of course… Leijedo's light aura is like mine, at the World Master level. But his genetic level… ten thousand and eighty-one. Perfect genes."
10,081—an absolute number, the mark of perfection. In cosmic terms, any perfect sphere required at least 10,081 faces. Likewise, a perfect life required this threshold.
A perfect life had no flaws, from the cellular level to physical form. It was as if the universe itself had sculpted them. In the Starry Sky Universe, such beings could reach bodies tens of thousands of kilometers tall and wield innate secret techniques granted directly by the Source Will.
That was why Malrick's attempt had failed.
"My genetic level is too low."
He thought quickly. "I can nurture a life up to twenty times my genetic level. My current level is two hundred… which means four thousand at most. Leijedo's is far beyond that."
Even this was likely Leijedo holding back, deliberately weakening his light. Otherwise, the number would have been unfathomably higher.
"It's impossible now, but not hopeless."
In the Starry Sky Universe, genetic modification was only possible at the level of a Law Master, suppressed by the Source Will. But here, in Marvel's universe, that restriction didn't exist.
"I can modify my own genes. But if I rely only on the samples my Black Light Clone has devoured, it will take too long. Too long to reach the level I need."
His eyes narrowed, determination hardening. "If I want to raise my genes quickly and find the best references… there's only one place. The DC Universe."
…
"What? You're going to DC!?"
Tony Stark shot upright, his chair clattering to the floor.
"You couldn't resist, huh? You're planning to hunt Kryptonite, aren't you?" He jabbed a finger at Malrick, his voice rising. "Tell me the truth! Were you going to sneak off on your own, only to get skewered by Joker, stabbed by Batman, or blasted by Superman? You brat! If that happened, I'd have JARVIS play your most hated song on repeat at your funeral!"
Anxious, Tony slammed his armor into place and grabbed Malrick's arm. "You're not leaving me behind. We agreed—you take me with you!"
He switched tactics, pulling the emotional card. "What kind of little brother runs off to another world to have all the fun, leaving his older brother behind? Are you even my brother?"
Malrick shook his head, half helpless, half touched.
"Relax. I told you because I want you to come with me. Go get ready. When you're set, we'll leave together."
Tony finally exhaled, still visibly tense. Malrick was glad he had chosen to tell him. If he had gone in secret and Tony had found out afterward, the man would have been furious for weeks.
____
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