Moroboshi Dan rushed to Tokyo Bay as soon as he received reports of the abnormal tsunami.
After landing his aircraft in a safe area, he stepped out and climbed a nearby hill, leaning heavily on his cane.
His eyes were red.
Below him, Tokyo's coastline had turned into a battlefield.
Two raging monsters stomped through the flooded city. Buildings collapsed around them. Waves tore through the streets.
Dan clenched his teeth.
"So it really happened…"
His voice trembled.
"If this keeps going, all of Japan could sink."
But there was a problem.
Ultraman Seven was gone.
Dan stumbled forward a few steps, pain written across his face.
If I could still transform…
Then something strange happened.
A faint vibration spread through the light inside his body.
Dan froze.
"What…?"
He looked toward the ocean.
Something was happening in the water.
A red glow spread across the waves.
The monsters' terrifying presence suddenly weakened.
Crackling bolts of light appeared in the air and slammed down between the monsters. The electricity pushed back the raging sea.
Then a warm light burst outward in every direction.
It flooded the ruined coastline.
"What powerful light…" Dan whispered.
The warmth spread through his body.
Even the pain in his injured leg seemed to ease slightly.
"What is this?"
The same light reached the refugees fleeing through southern Tokyo.
People stopped running.
The fear that had gripped them moments ago faded away.
They looked up in confusion at the glowing sky.
"That light… it feels warm."
The glow slowly faded.
Then something appeared.
A giant.
A red giant stood between the monsters and the city.
He held one arm toward the sky as if pushing back the storm itself.
From behind, his figure looked incredibly powerful.
Omura stared in shock.
"A giant… a new giant!"
The giant's appearance was unusual.
Two sharp horn-like shapes extended from both sides of his head, almost like wings about to spread.
A strange symbol rested on his chest.
He looked both majestic and mysterious.
Moroboshi Dan narrowed his eyes.
"A new Ultraman…"
If this giant had come to fight the monsters, Earth might still have a chance.
"But where did he come from?"
Dan felt the light within his body growing more active.
"And why do I feel a connection with him…?"
Dan watched the giant carefully.
Hope filled his chest.
"Light particles activated successfully."
The electronic voice still echoed in Ryan's ears.
But Ryan barely noticed.
Everything felt strange.
The world around him looked smaller.
And right in front of him stood the two monsters.
Ryan's brain struggled to process what he was seeing.
"What is going on…?"
The monsters stared at him with bloodshot eyes.
Ryan's heart pounded.
He wanted to run.
But his body still refused to obey.
Am I dreaming?
He tried to remember.
The tsunami.
The city collapsing.
Was this some kind of hallucination before death?
Ryan's thoughts spun wildly.
Skyscrapers only reached his chest.
Cars looked like toys under his feet.
The monsters that could once crush him with a single step were now only slightly taller than him.
Ryan slowly looked around.
The ruined city below was clearly southern Tokyo.
Realization hit him.
"…Did I become Ultraman?"
Before he could think further, the voice in his head spoke again.
"Preparation complete. Target locked."
"Warning. Energy level low."
Ryan's body suddenly moved.
His fist clenched.
Then it launched forward.
His punch slammed into one monster with explosive force. The impact created a shockwave that echoed like a roaring lion.
The monster's massive body flew backward.
Time seemed to slow.
Ryan saw the monster's open jaws as if it wanted to scream.
Before it could make a sound, Ryan's body moved again.
In a blur, he appeared in front of the monster.
His leg rose.
Then crashed down into the creature's stomach.
The monster slammed into the ground.
The entire southern part of Tokyo shook.
Everything happened in seconds.
In the blink of an eye, the monster was already down.
Ryan stared.
"…That was insane."
The fallen monster finally released a thunderous roar.
It looked badly injured.
Then the voice returned.
This time it sounded frantic.
"Warning. Warning."
"Energy critically low. System overload."
Ryan's chest tightened.
He didn't fully understand the warnings, but it was obvious.
That attack had cost a lot of energy.
And one monster was still standing.
Ryan looked nervously at the remaining creature.
It lowered its head.
Growled.
But then something unexpected happened.
The monster hesitated.
After a few uneasy roars, it grabbed its injured partner and slowly retreated.
Ryan let out a breath.
"Thank god…"
But the relief didn't last.
A crushing exhaustion suddenly flooded his body.
His vision blurred.
"What's happening…?"
Ryan tried moving his arms and legs.
He could control them again.
But the weakness spreading through him felt overwhelming.
A red warning light on his chest began flashing rapidly.
Just before losing consciousness, Ryan heard the voice again.
"Protection sequence complete."
"Combat evolution mode unlocked."
"Please select evolution path."
Then everything went dark.
Ryan woke up with a splitting headache.
He opened his eyes.
All he saw was white.
An endless white space stretched in every direction.
A faint electronic buzzing filled the air.
"Where am I?"
Ryan walked forward cautiously.
He stretched out his hands, but couldn't find any walls or boundaries.
It felt like standing inside an enormous empty world.
Then the voice returned.
"Beep. System upgrade in progress. Please wait."
Ryan blinked.
"What system?"
As the voice echoed, the white space began to change.
Images formed around him.
First came a vast star-filled universe.
Then a blue planet floating in space.
Next, an ancient ruin.
Then a futuristic city Ryan had only ever seen in movies.
The scenes shifted quickly.
Ryan felt dizzy.
When the images stopped, he found himself standing on a massive white platform.
It stretched endlessly in every direction.
"What is this place?"
"Beep."
"System upgrade complete. Combat evolution selection mode activated."
Suddenly, enormous pillars of light appeared across the platform.
Inside each pillar stood a giant figure.
Ryan walked closer.
His breathing slowed.
"…Ultraman."
Inside the pillars were countless Ultraman figures.
Ryan stepped closer.
"That's the original Ultraman… Seven… Taro…"
His eyes widened further.
"Tiga… Dyna… Gaia…"
He kept walking.
More and more pillars stretched across the endless platform.
Ryan finally realized something.
These weren't living Ultraman.
They were statues.
But each statue still carried a faint trace of light.
The same kind of light he had felt when Ultraman Seven saved him.
Ryan stopped in front of one towering statue.
"…Are these real?"
He looked up.
The massive stone form of Ultraman Tiga rose dozens of meters above him.
Ryan felt exactly like the members of the Victory Team discovering the giant statues in the ruins.
Except here…
There were dozens of them.
Maybe even hundreds.
"This is unbelievable…"
"Of course they're real."
A voice suddenly spoke behind him.
Ryan jumped.
"Who said that?!"
He spun around.
No one was there.
"Hello, host," the voice said calmly. "I am your guide. Combat Evolution System 001."
Ryan's eyes widened.
"A system?"
His heart started pounding.
Did he just get the legendary cheat ability every isekai hero had?
"The Combat Evolution Device has suffered severe damage," the voice continued. "Currently only System 001 and the system space remain operational. You are now inside the system space."
Ryan scratched his head.
"Are you a person?"
"I am an artificial intelligence responsible for guiding the host."
Ryan took a breath.
"Then tell me where this thing came from. And why I'm here."
"Permission denied. Host authority level insufficient."
Ryan's eyebrow twitched.
"…How do I increase my authority level?"
"Permission denied. Host authority level insufficient."
Ryan's face darkened.
"…You're not very helpful."
"My function is to guide the host and repair the Combat Evolution Device."
Ryan sighed.
So far, this system felt pretty limited.
Ryan looked back toward the glowing pillars.
Every Ultraman he had ever loved stood here.
Seven.
Tiga.
Taro.
Even newer ones.
Then Ryan stopped.
"…Is that Zero?"
Another statue stood nearby.
And next to it—
"Nexus…"
Ryan knew that one.
Ultraman Nexus was connected to a legendary being.
Noah.
One of the mysterious Four Ultra Gods.
A cosmic guardian who had protected the universe since ancient times.
Noah possessed countless abilities.
He might even be the strongest Ultraman ever known.
Ryan's heart raced.
If he could become Nexus…
Then maybe one day he could reach Noah.
The thought alone made him excited.
Ryan turned back toward the voice.
"You said you guide me. So what do I do now?"
"Because the host's ability values are extremely low, the Combat Evolution Device should not have activated," System 001 replied. "However, the host unexpectedly obtained light particles and triggered activation."
Ryan frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"You have successfully revived the first Ultraman. Please turn around."
Ryan slowly turned.
A loud crack echoed across the platform.
A new pillar of light appeared behind him.
Inside stood a red giant.
Ryan's eyes widened.
"Leo!"
As if responding to his voice, the giant's body trembled.
Light burst outward.
The pillar surrounding him shattered.
Ryan felt the same power he had experienced during the battle in Tokyo.
"Wait… so earlier…"
Ryan's heart pounded.
"Was I fighting as Leo?"
He couldn't hide his excitement.
Leo was famous as the King of Martial Arts among the Ultraman.
And the version Ryan had just seen felt incredibly powerful.
System 001 spoke again.
"Host should not celebrate yet."
Ryan blinked.
"This Leo currently exists in system condition only. If the host transforms into Leo, his strength will drop to approximately the level of a young Ultraman."
Ryan stared.
"…You're kidding."