Gotham, downtown.
"Look, a shooting star!"
A girl in a halter-neck, backless top, holding a cup of milk tea, nestled in her boyfriend's arms and pointed to a streak blazing across the night sky.
"It really is! Make a wish quickly."
They both closed their eyes, silently voicing their desires.
Boyfriend: God bless, I hope this year brings me a young, beautiful, rich woman.
Girlfriend: I wish for a rich, handsome man who treats me well… preferably someone on the level of Bruce Wayne, please, please.
They opened their eyes, smiling at each other.
"What did you wish for?" the girl asked.
"Do you even need to ask?" he said, kissing her tenderly. "Of course, I wished for us to grow old together, never to be separated."
The girl giggled. "Really? Not something like wanting a rich woman?"
His heart skipped a beat. He quickly swore, "I swear to God, if there is half a lie in what I just said, may I be struck dead by a shooting star!"
The girl blushed, lowering her head. "My wish is the same."
"Baby…"
"Darling…"
Their faces drew closer like magnets, the world narrowing to the warmth between them.
Then came a sudden whooshing sound. The shooting star—the burning streak across the sky—was heading straight for them.
Boom!
The impact was tremendous. The ground erupted into a crater, mud and debris splattering in every direction.
They sat frozen, faces pale, staring at the gaping crater, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Oh my god… did making a casual oath really trigger that?!
From the pit, a charred claw emerged.
The Demon Spirit, coated in dust and ash, looking like a burnt, overcooked chicken, struggled upward. Black smoke curled from its body, thick and oppressive.
Must escape… quickly… escape.
There was no mistaking it. That was Ultraman. He wasn't as massive as before, and this time he wore some kind of artificial armor—but Buzzshock's presence was unmistakable.
That strange, overwhelming energy—like world-destroying light magic—had already carved itself into the Demon Spirits' memory, an unmistakable Ultra signature. The squad that had raided the Eternal Rock had been annihilated; even a superior Demon Spirit like Pitts was crushed as easily as a mosquito.
The footage of that despair-inducing scene, transmitted magically back to the remaining Demon Spirits, left them stunned. They could feel their comrades' suffering through the magical link.
So, when this Demon Spirit sensed Buzzshock's fluctuation, it ran—desperate, without looking back.
He can't be beaten. I must make it to that place…
But even that was difficult.
The mobile suit's aerial combat performance far outpaced the Demon Spirit's flight. Within ten seconds of a fierce skirmish, it was blasted by a palm cannon, tumbling head over heels to the ground.
The boy, terrified, turned pale. "I was wrong! I'll be honest, I lied just now! It's not my fault! The doctor said my stomach was bad… I can only eat soft food…"
Before he could finish, a sharp buzzing filled the air. A blue beam shot down from the night sky like a spear, piercing the Demon Spirit's chest. Dust exploded outward.
A tragic wail echoed. The creature collapsed, its body disintegrating into a puff of black smoke, carried away by the wind.
Liam hovered in his Ultra armor, propulsion flames igniting beneath him. The blue glow of his energy cannon had just faded from his open right palm.
"Sorry to disturb you. Please continue," he said calmly.
He surged upward, the armor vanishing into the night sky with a sonic boom.
The young couple sat dumbfounded in the crater, exchanging stunned glances, speechless.
Far above, in the dark currents of space, a strange energy stirred. It coalesced into a sinister figure resembling a standing Poison Scorpion Demon, eyes glowing an eerie green.
It perched atop a stone pillar. Around it, similar pillars bore other bizarre figures, forming a hidden council.
The Poison Scorpion Demon appeared, and one of the humanoid figures—an Owl Demon-headed entity—spoke.
"Is everyone here?"
They were Demon Spirits, among the leaders of the awakened forces. This space, deep within Gotham's underground, was enchanted exclusively for meetings. A specially crafted barrier, researched by multiple leaders, concealed the room. Each Demon Spirit contributed their expertise: illusion magic to erase traces, aura concealment, spatial shielding.
Even more, Gotham was naturally infused with demonic energy, particularly in its sewers. None of the Demon Spirits knew why, but they exploited it, strengthening the barrier so humans—or weak wizards—could not detect them.
"Another compatriot has been eliminated," the Owl Demon said gravely. "And it's that guy again."
Silence followed. They all knew who "that guy" was: Ultraman. His strength was absurdly high. The raid on the Eternal Rock had failed entirely, their operation ruined. Even Pitts, the strongest among them, had been obliterated instantly.
The Poison Scorpion Demon gritted its teeth. "After all these years, we waited until the wizard was weakest… and now this monster appears again."
"Too arrogant!" another Demon Spirit hissed. "Does he think we can't do anything?"
The adjacent Demon Spirit narrowed its eyes. "Can we?"
The question silenced the speaker.
"This cannot continue," another intoned. "If the Lord discovers our failures, if we keep losing subordinates… we'll be destroyed."
All nodded in grim agreement.
"Makes sense."
"To be fair, indeed."
"Let's teach him a lesson!"
"Let him feel despair!"
"Let him fall into the abyss!"
The Demon Spirits quickly reached a consensus, fueled by shared hatred, eager to crush the hated enemy.
The Owl Demon nodded. "The main reason I convened everyone is to organize the operation code-named 'Ultraman Must Die.'"
"So… who is willing to lead the charge and execute this plan?"
Silence.
Finally, one Demon Spirit spoke. "Yusake has the greatest strength among us. He is best suited for this task."
Yusake bristled. "You want me to die?"
He quickly composed himself. "This opponent is extraordinary. His strength is evident. We should outsmart him, not confront him directly. Yurick's mind is more flexible; he should strategize, not me…"
"Nonsense! That's trivial cleverness. How can I bear such a responsibility? Pizzas is better…"
After a heated argument, they fell into a stalemate.
The Owl Demon pondered briefly. "I sense Demon Spirit Amonhotep has arrived. Yusake, open the door."
Their barrier functioned like a locked door, only opened from inside. Even allies needed someone to temporarily disable it.
Yusake groaned. "Why me…?"
The Owl Demon's expression was neutral.
"…Fine. I'll go."
Yusake's form transformed into black mist, vanishing into the darkness below.
Within a minute, he returned, solidifying atop his pillar.
"I checked. No one is outside."
"Hmm. Perhaps I was mistaken."
The Owl Demon nodded, then continued.
"The organization has decided unanimously: you will lead the execution of the 'Ultraman Must Die' plan."
Yusake's face twisted in disbelief. "What the f*** @#$%&"