After leaving the hospital, Ryan grabbed Takeshi before he could leave.
"Takeshi, can you teach me karate?"
Takeshi looked at him for a moment.
"…Sure," he said slowly. "Honestly, your condition right now is pretty rough. If you ran into an alien or a monster, you probably wouldn't survive."
He paused.
"But don't expect miracles. Training takes time. You might not see results right away."
Ryan grinned.
"That's fine. As long as it works."
Inside the club's dojo, Ryan changed into a training uniform and stood across from Takeshi.
"Just one thing," Ryan said nervously. "Please don't hit my face."
His nose still hurt when he remembered Ayumi's kick.
Takeshi laughed.
"Relax. I'm not Ayumi. And this isn't a sparring match."
He chuckled again.
"She treats you differently from everyone else. Other than Momoko, she barely talks to people."
Ryan snorted.
"That's not talking. That's her acting like a spoiled princess and picking on me."
He waved his hand.
"Anyway, forget about her. Teach me."
"Alright."
Takeshi stepped forward and demonstrated a stance.
"First, plant your feet. Lower your center of gravity. Then throw the punch. Like this."
Ryan copied the movement.
Takeshi blinked.
"Not bad, Ryu."
Ryan felt his face warm.
He couldn't exactly admit that he'd secretly practiced with the kids the past few days.
He had no intention of getting kicked around by Ayumi again.
After demonstrating several basic moves, Takeshi nodded in approval.
"You've got a good foundation. We can move on to light sparring."
Ryan wiped sweat from his face with a towel.
Just practicing for a few minutes had already exhausted him.
He suddenly remembered Gen Ootori's brutal training sessions with Ultraman Seven.
How did that guy survive that?
But Gen was an alien.
His body was naturally stronger than a human's.
Ryan had seen scenes where Gen jumped several meters into the air.
No normal person could do that.
Maybe that was why Seven had been so strict.
Thinking about it carefully, Ryan realized something.
Seven probably wasn't trying to torture Gen.
He was simply pushing him to his limits.
And in the end, Gen had grown into a powerful Ultraman warrior.
Maybe that was how the Land of Light trained its fighters.
Ryan hesitated.
If he wanted to become stronger, Seven's training would probably be the best option.
Learning karate from Takeshi would take far longer.
But Ryan was also afraid.
He doubted his body could survive the kind of training Seven had forced on Gen.
And if Seven discovered Ryan could transform into Ultraman…
Then every future monster fight would become his responsibility.
Win or lose.
Ryan was just an ordinary person.
The system had already made that clear.
He wasn't a natural host.
He had only gained Ultraman Leo's light by accident.
His transformations were limited.
And there might even be hidden side effects.
Considering how little the system explained, Ryan wouldn't be surprised if it was hiding half the truth behind "insufficient permissions."
Ryan took a few drinks of water.
Just as he was about to continue training—
Knock.
Knock.
The sound of a cane tapping the floor echoed through the dojo.
The rhythm was slow.
Steady.
But each step felt heavy.
Ryan's heart skipped.
That sound…
Sweat rolled down the side of his face.
Ultraman Seven.
Why was he here?
The door opened.
Moroboshi Dan stepped inside.
He wore his MAC uniform.
A cane supported his injured leg.
His expression was calm as he looked straight at Ryan.
Neither of them spoke.
They simply stared at each other.
Takeshi finally broke the silence.
"Uh… who are you?"
The sudden appearance of a MAC officer made him uneasy.
Usually MAC only showed up during monster incidents.
Dan didn't answer.
He looked at Ryan.
"Come with me."
Then he turned and walked out.
Takeshi blinked.
"…Wait. Was he talking to me?"
He pointed at himself.
Ryan shook his head.
He knew exactly who Dan meant.
He just didn't know what Dan wanted.
After a moment of hesitation, Ryan followed him.
Tokyo Bay felt unusually quiet.
The disaster had changed everything.
Few people walked the streets.
The ones who did wore heavy expressions.
The towering buildings that once filled the skyline had been reduced to rubble.
Walking through the ruins felt like wandering through the end of the world.
Ryan felt a weight settle in his chest.
Dan stopped walking when they reached a hill overlooking the ocean.
The sun was setting.
Golden light spread across the waves.
"Humans are very fragile compared to space monsters," Dan said quietly.
"One attack nearly sank Tokyo."
He looked at the horizon.
"Losing family… that pain never goes away."
Ryan stepped beside him.
Below them, the ocean moved gently.
The sunlight reflected across the water.
It was beautiful.
Dan raised his hand slightly.
"The sea should be beautiful," he said.
"But monsters turn it into something terrifying. It becomes a place that swallows countless lives."
Ryan shook his head.
"I'm just an ordinary person, Captain."
He cut Dan off before the conversation could go further.
Ryan wanted Seven's guidance.
But he didn't want to reveal the truth.
He couldn't even beat Takeshi in a fight.
How could he carry the burden of saving humanity?
He was just a regular human.
Dan fell silent.
He studied Ryan carefully.
For a moment, he wondered if his instincts had been wrong.
The light inside his body had reacted when he first saw the boy.
But now…
It remained quiet.
Still, Dan couldn't ignore what he had sensed before.
Ryan carried a faint trace of hope.
And right now…
Ultraman Seven was gone.
The monsters still threatened Earth.
Dan felt lost.
The boy standing beside him looked young.
Fragile.
Completely human.
Was it really right to place the future of Earth on someone like him?
Dan closed his eyes briefly.
Then he turned away.
"…We'll see."
He left after saying those three words.
Ryan watched him go.
"I'm sorry… Seven."
Only now did Ryan realize how much pressure Dan must be carrying.
The former protector of Earth had lost his power.
Yet the monsters kept coming.
Maybe that was why he had pushed Gen so hard in the original story.
If he still had the ability to transform, he never would have needed someone else.
Ryan sighed.
If he could transform into Noah—
Or even reach the level of the Ultra Brothers—
He wouldn't hesitate.
He would fight without thinking twice.
But right now?
Ryan was just a regular guy with borrowed power.
He stared at the quiet ocean.
A sense of urgency settled in his chest.
Running from the fight wasn't an option anymore.
Monsters would keep appearing in this altered world.
And Ultraman Leo…
Didn't exist.
Or rather—
Leo had become him.
The future suddenly looked much more dangerous.
Ryan walked slowly along the beach.
Children were playing nearby.
Their laughter filled the air.
But one girl stood apart from the group, staring at the ocean.
"Akemi?" Ryan asked gently.
He recognized her from the club.
The girl turned.
Her eyes were red from crying.
"Ryu… will my mom come back?"
Ryan froze.
"…Of course," he said softly. "If Akemi stops crying, your mom will come back."
"I won't cry," she said quickly.
She wiped away her tears and forced a small smile.
"Akemi!" the other kids called. "Come play!"
"Go on," Ryan said.
The girl ran toward them.
Ryan watched the children play.
Something twisted inside his chest.
This was why Ultraman protected Earth.
A middle-aged man walked up beside him.
"This girl's mother died during the monster attack," the man said quietly.
"Thank you, Ryu."
Ryan turned.
"You are…?"
"I'm Akemi's father."
The man looked exhausted.
"We're planning to move away soon. But Akemi keeps coming to the beach to wait for her mother."
Ryan said nothing.
Losing family was one of the deepest pains a person could face.
That night, Ryan sat alone.
"001," he called softly.
"Are you there?"
Silence.
Ryan clenched his fists.
"What do I need to do to gain real power?"
"Please… tell me."
Still nothing.
Ryan looked toward the dark sky.
"System 001!"