Wash your hands first when you get home, and remember to gargle."
"Okay~"
Kara obediently followed the instruction, her small steps light and careful. The little girl seemed in a surprisingly good mood on her first day out, her eyes wide with wonder as if everything on Earth—every car, every streetlight, every passerby—was something entirely new, completely fascinating.
After returning home, Liam went straight to the basement again, leaving Kara to her own curiosities upstairs.
Meanwhile, the battle armor was mid-system update, its sensors and modules humming quietly. Liam connected the Ultra Spacetime Bracelet directly to the armor's internal system, hoping it could share some of the bracelet's functions. Spatial wave scans, previously critical in detecting the entrance to the Eternal Rock and the rift that had ejected Kara's spaceship from the Phantom Zone, now had full integration.
Then there was the negative phase wave setting, finally online after days of painstaking tinkering. This was advanced tech straight from the Land of Light's Science and Technology Bureau. In the Ultraman worldview, their civilization occupied the peak of the universe. Few works of fiction gave the protagonist's family top-tier combat power for generations. When strength grew, moral and mental stability became a critical concern; Belial and Tregear had proven that. The negative phase wave was designed precisely to monitor that darkness.
In simple terms, it could detect any "darkness" opposing the Ultraman definition of light. A hero showing signs of corruption, an ancient demon stirring in some hidden corner, or even intense malice growing in a person's heart—these could all be picked up. For Liam, it was practical. Eliminating darkness was equivalent to collecting light, a useful tool to scan missions and gain experience while safeguarding the city.
"Armor energy 94%."
"That's enough. Activate stealth, Pal. Let's go out and test the effect."
The red-and-silver Mobile Ultra Armor fully powered up. Indicator lights glowed brilliant blue across its chest. Exhaust flames ignited beneath its feet as it lifted off, ascending skyward.
"Negative phase wave scan, activated!"
The internal display shifted rapidly, radar icons popping into view. The main interface brightened, resembling an infrared scan but with a warm background. Detected darkness was prominently highlighted.
Liam looked out.
Dark clouds pressed down across the city, a suffocating, oppressive blanket.
"…"
Perhaps I'm doing this wrong, he thought.
"Pal, is the system okay?"
"System operating perfectly normal," came the calm reply.
Liam nodded. "Hmm, I thought so too."
What he was seeing wasn't a failure; it was natural. This was Gotham. Maple Street.
A dim, neglected apartment, filled with strange smells and clutter, a place seemingly abandoned like a thorny bush in a forgotten garden. Old wallpaper peeled and cracked, yellowed like aged newspapers chewed by time. The bed was unkempt and threadbare, its softness long vanished. Smoke lingered in the air, mixing with scattered trash. Every detail shouted failure.
Yes. A loser.
Nelo Cabezas. The man sprawled amidst the mess, half-slumped in despair. A half-eaten raspberry jam pie lay discarded on the bedside table, beer cans littered the carpet. An almost-empty case of beer sat nearby, while pill bottles on the counter remained untouched. Antidepressants, prescribed a month ago, ignored. Beer had been easier.
His phone, left on speaker, played a voicemail on repeat. A young girl's voice filled the room:
"…I'm so sorry, but we can't continue like this. I can't see a future if we keep going like this. I have to plan for tomorrow's future. You're a good person… we're just not compatible."
"…F*ck."
He threw the phone. It hit the wall, landing in the trash heap, cutting off the voice mid-word. Nelo clutched his head, fingers tangling in greasy, unwashed hair.
Not compatible. Meaningless. It just meant he had no money.
Job lost. Rent unpaid. Eviction looming. And now this.
"Pathetic…"
A voice echoed from the shadows.
Nelo jumped. "Who?"
No answer. Only a sneer. "So weak. So pathetic. Losing everything, unable to even protect the smallest piece of happiness you had…"
"Stop talking! Stop talking!" he yelled, head in hands.
"But… you still have a chance to reverse it all."
"Do I?"
"Of course. Because you met me."
The words slithered like a demon whisper, seductive, coercive.
"I can give you power. Everything you desire can be yours. Those who bullied you? Repay them a hundredfold. Those who trampled you underfoot? Humiliate them to your heart's content!"
"You will become king of this world, possessing unparalleled power. Do as you please. Dominate everything!"
"I can… do as I please… dominate everything…"
Nelo's breathing grew heavy, eyes burning with anticipation. The vision of conquest enthralled him.
"Yes," the voice continued. "And then… how hard would it be to make that girl change her mind?"
"No." Nelo shook his head.
His aura swelled, chest out, head high. He imagined himself emperor of the world, supreme, unchallenged.
"By the time I'm that strong… would I still want her?"
The voice faltered briefly, then regained composure. "Exactly. By then, beauties of the world—won't you be able to have as many as you want?"
"So, are you ready to sign a contract with me?"
Nothing to hesitate about. Nelo had nothing left to lose. Power—even at the cost of his soul—was irresistible.
But just as he reached out…
A beam of light cut through the window, piercing the room with unsettling brightness.
"Apologies if I'm disturbing you."
Red-and-silver armor hovered outside.
The shadow in the room's pupils shrank instantly. Life-sized, perfectly formed, iconic red and silver. Powerful light fluctuations danced across its surface.
"I need to check your soul-selling license," said the calm voice from within.
Nelo: "?"
Confusion froze him. The shadow vanished, streaking away like black mist into the distance. Its shriek, only spirits could hear, followed:
"Help! Help! Help! I've been ambushed by Ultraman—"