Chapter 115: Zaki, Look at This 'Cake'—So Big and Round

“That Joe Zhe-san.”

Maki felt it necessary to steer the conversation toward the main point. “Is there really no way to stop it?”

He looked at Joe Zhe with eyes full of hope. Since this man had returned and bore the power of Next, surely he could stop it, right?

But Maki had completely misunderstood. Noah had already left Joe Zhe’s body; now it was up to Joe Zhe himself.

Noah had run off somewhere unknown, but Joe Zhe wasn’t foolish enough to tell others. Even if he no longer had the light of Next, that didn’t stop him from pretending he did.

Facing Maki’s expectant gaze, Joe Zhe’s expression turned grave. “At present, I have no means.”

“How can that be?!” Maki’s face shifted abruptly upon hearing this.

Joe Zhe then briefly explained.

“The alien beast factor is spreading globally. Every alien beast carries TheOne cells. No one knows when they might reactivate.”

“Moreover,” he said, turning his gaze toward Sara Mizuhara, “the Lethe you TLT created has probably accumulated a lot of negative memories, hasn’t it?”

“These memories generate immense dark power, and they also contain alien beast factors, which are TheOne cells. That could be one of the reasons for their possible revival.”

Sara Mizuhara was startled upon hearing this. How could this man know such details so clearly?

She looked at Maki, but he was unaware of this information.

Only TLT’s upper echelons knew the secret of Lethe.

“Putting TheOne aside for now, since this enemy hasn’t appeared yet, the most important thing,” Joe Zhe paused, then looked at Maki, reminding him, “Maki, you should go pick up your wife from work.”

His unspoken meaning was clear: since he didn’t intend to get involved, perhaps it was best for Maki to step away now.

Knowing too many secrets wasn’t good.

Maki was momentarily stunned but then remembered that he now had a family, and a peaceful life no longer allowed him to be involved in these matters.

“That’s true. I’ll go then.” Maki smiled with relief and turned to leave.

Seeing this, Sara Mizuhara realized that Maki knew too much.

Instinctively, she pulled out a special phone from her pocket. “Wait!”

She was about to use it to erase Maki’s memory.

***

But at that moment, Joe Zhe raised his hand and snatched the phone away. “No need for that. Maki will keep it confidential.”

Seeing that familiar phone, Maki’s face darkened with anger.

That very device had once made him forget Next!

“I don’t know why TLT wants to erase humanity’s memories of Ultraman, but Sara Mizuhara!” Maki’s tone was restrained but firm as he stared at her. “Memories are how we humans convey emotions!”

“If we had no memories, we’d forget the people around us, forget the beautiful moments!”

At this, Maki turned his back, unwilling to be hunted later by those men in black. “I’ll keep today’s events secret!”

With those words, he walked to his jeep, opened the door, and got in.

Maki’s words made Sara Mizuhara recall Yukifumi Arioki.

Perhaps for Maki, the memories of being one with Ultraman were incredibly precious.

Thinking this, she said no more and then reached out to Joe Zhe. “Give it here.”

Joe Zhe had no interest in the memory-deleting phone. Returning it to Sara, he turned to business. “Sara, there’s someone in your TLT Night Raid squad. He’s the Unknown Hand.”

“What?” Sara’s expression shifted slightly upon hearing this. She didn’t even notice the change in Joe Zhe’s phrasing and hurriedly pressed, “Do you know something? Who is the Unknown Hand?”

***

In the Night Raid squad’s office area.

Kazakura sat on the sofa, sipping coffee while flipping through a magazine on the table.

For the Night Raid squad, there was no real mission—only members from Group A were dispatched.

Group B hadn’t been completely wiped out and could still handle some alien beasts.

Mitsuhiko Ishibori was diligently analyzing data, appearing perfectly normal on the surface but secretly plotting how to corrupt Gou Rumu.

However, Mephist had completely died, and not even darkness had spread from it.

If they wanted to continue, they’d have to create another one, which would consume energy.

“Useless, so easily influenced!”

Thinking of Nagi Saijo, Ishibori cursed silently.

If Gou Rumu kept going like this, the darkness in Nagi Saijo’s heart would soon vanish!

Ishibori couldn’t understand how being in a relationship could erode hatred.

Human emotions were incomprehensible, but Nagi Saijo was a crucial pawn.

That was why he needed to guide the troublesome Gou Rumu down the path of corruption to continue provoking Nagi Saijo’s darkness, making her more extreme.

***

Yet, Zaki didn’t know that without any suitable candidates, it couldn’t obtain Next’s light.

Joe Zhe himself hadn’t evolved yet, and he wouldn’t choose any suitable candidate. Who could compare to himself?

At this moment, Ishibori looked at two empty seats nearby with a pang of displeasure.

Gou Rumu and Nagi Saijo had surely gone out training together again.

“I can’t let Nagi Saijo be influenced by that guy anymore!”

Ishibori thought, preparing to create a dark giant again. Though it would consume energy, Nagi Saijo was a tool that couldn’t be compromised.

Just then, Night Raid’s administrator Matsunaga entered.

“Ishibori, there’s a mission you need to take.”

Matsunaga stood politely beside Ishibori, smiling, though only he knew what was on his mind.

“Ah, understood,” Ishibori said, acting as if he had just noticed Matsunaga, and quickly stood up.

His acting was flawless.

Kazakura approached and asked, “What’s going on?”

“There’s an alien beast in the desert,” Matsunaga said calmly, explaining to Kazakura, “It looks like a corpse but emanates a suffocating power.”

“Like...” Matsunaga paused, feigning deep thought.

“It’s hard to describe, but it feels like facing an abyssal darkness.”

Ishibori’s face showed curiosity, but inside he was suddenly alarmed.

An abyssal darkness—that was the dark power.

At a time when he lacked power, he wondered how much darkness it contained.

Kazakura asked, “Do we need Group A to deploy?”

“No,” Matsunaga denied the suggestion, looking at Ishibori. “Ishibori, prepare quickly. Take your equipment and collect samples for analysis.”

“Understood,” Ishibori agreed immediately, secretly delighted.

(End of chapter)