Chapter Ninety-One: Look at the Rising Dawn

The changes that had come over Gaia were seen by everyone in XIG, especially by the Lightning Team, who were right there on the scene, and by Tono and the others aboard the Peace. Up close, the impact was even more profound.

On Lightning One, Kajiio cried out in astonishment, “Gaia’s color has changed.”

“It feels incredibly powerful,” Ogawara muttered in agreement.

Aboard the Peace, Tono had watched the whole process and now wore a thoughtful expression. “It seems this is a new form. Gaia is growing as well.”

Only, no matter how he looked at it, the manner of this increase in strength still felt like . . . how should he put it? As though the one who had just fought was not Gaia at all, but some jojo.

After dealing with the monster, Gaia turned his gaze toward the Lightning Team. He nodded once at Kajiio and the others, then spread his arms and rose into the sky.

With the battle over, Tono ordered the Lightning Team to stand down and return to base.

While the Peace moved in to recover Lightning Two, I dream returned to the EX and contacted Tono through the communicator. “Chief Tono, I still have something to discuss with Jojo. You all go back first.”

“Just mind the time,” Tono said, without pressing the matter further.

The operation had begun before dawn, and by now it was nearly daybreak. None of them had rested.

Tono was much more lenient with I dream now. As long as he could take part whenever a monster invaded Earth, he no longer asked questions at other times.

After all, whenever I dream slipped out of the aerial base, it was either to find Jojo or to see Fujimiya.

Since Stone Chamber had already said not to bother with it, Tono simply let I dream do as he pleased.

Having ended the call, I dream guided the EX to a landing atop a tall building.

This time Jojo had not transformed to fight, but seeing I dream’s growth still filled him with quiet satisfaction.

What he did not know was just how much the brand-new form of Gaia had strengthened him. Jojo felt it had to be considerable.

I dream, stepping down from the EX, was all excitement. “Jojo! I did it!”

Even after coming to stand beside Jojo, he was still visibly worked up.

“And I feel like I’ve fused with the light of the earth!”

As he said this, I dream looked at Jojo with eager anticipation. “Jojo, do you think I’ll become like you, and have my body begin to evolve?”

“It looks like you’re no longer quite human either,” Jojo replied, giving the line back to him with only the slightest lift of his brow, as though it were nothing unusual.

The Ultraman of this Earth was different from the others. As I dream and Fujimiya transformed more and more often, and as their wills grew stronger, they would slowly and completely merge with Gaia and Agul.

By then, the two of them would have gone from human beings to true Ultramen.

I dream blinked at that, then shook his head in denial. “No, I want to keep being human while also being an Ultraman!”

The sun was rising on the horizon, and its light fell across I dream’s face, making his expression especially earnest.

Jojo placed a hand on I dream’s shoulder, then raised his other hand and pointed toward the ascending sun. “Good. Look at that, I dream.”

“You’re like the morning sun itself now, full of life and vigor. But your light is still not dazzling enough. Keep a heart like an Ultraman’s. Strive to become even better!”

The scene was so much like the words Ultraman Seven once said to Fubuki.

But I dream swallowed the “soulful advice” whole and nodded forcefully. “Yes! I understand!”

“Go back and get some good rest,” Jojo said, patting his shoulder. The Blue Ring appeared on his hand.

Then he vanished by means of teleportation.

Since the invasion had taken place in the middle of the night, no reporters had come rushing in to stir up trouble.

Reiko Yoshii and Renbun had both been roused early that morning by Tabata.

Last time, because the interview assignment had been handed to that man named Umezawa, Tabata had been chewed out by his superior. Now he had to make some amends as quickly as possible.

The battle between XIG and the monster had ended long ago, and no one had managed to film the situation at the scene.

After learning that two survivors had been rescued safely, Tabata brought Reiko Yoshii and Renbun to the hospital.

The footage of their interview was broadcast.

It happened to be seen by Fujimiya, who had gotten up early for his self-disciplined morning workout.

Seeing Reiko Yoshii on television, his hands paused.

“She’s already out of the police headquarters.”

With those words, Fujimiya took a towel from the side, wiped away his sweat, and walked over to the computer.

He effortlessly hacked into the Tokyo Television employee database and found Reiko Yoshii’s phone number.

At that same moment, inside the hospital, the interview with the two survivors was finished, and Reiko Yoshii and the others were packing up their equipment, preparing to return to the car.

The car they had been using last time had overturned, and many of its systems had been damaged when it crashed. That was part of the reason Tabata had been scolded.

But since the three of them were so competent at their jobs, the station had assigned them another vehicle.

Naturally, Fujimiya probably had something to do with it as well.

At present, the identity of the Blue Ultraman was unquestionably the hottest topic of discussion.

Reiko Yoshii looked especially listless at the moment.

Being woken up so early had left her with almost no sleep.

Her phone began to ring in her pocket. Taking it out, she pressed answer, her eyes heavy with drowsiness. “Hello?”

“You did a very good report,” came Fujimiya’s voice over the line.

That familiar tone jolted her awake instantly.

She glanced at the caller ID. It was an unfamiliar number.

“Who are you?”

Reiko Yoshii was uncertain for a moment. She remembered the time she had been on her way to the restroom and noticed a man following her.

“Your memory really is terrible,” Fujimiya said with a light laugh, as if reminding her of something. “It’s only been a few days since I last looked for you—”

“You sick freak! Go to hell!” Reiko Yoshii shouted furiously, and hung up at once.

Now she was certain. This was the same man she had run into before.

The call was cut off, and Fujimiya stared at his phone in bafflement. “What’s wrong with that woman? What does she mean by this?”

Unhappy at being insulted, he called again, only to discover that he had been blocked.

But such a thing was hardly enough to stop him.

Meanwhile, the words Reiko Yoshii had blurted out drew the attention of Tabata and Renbun, who came over.

“What’s wrong?” Renbun asked curiously from the side.

Remembering what had happened last time, Reiko Yoshii said angrily, “I ran into a pervert before, and he actually got my phone number!”

“Could he be a fanatic fan?” Tabata guessed aloud upon hearing this, then warned her, “Maybe you should move somewhere else.”

“If he got your number, he might even know your address.”

“That’s dangerous. I’ve heard in extreme cases those kinds of things can happen.”

Hearing that, Reiko Yoshii thought of that possibility and immediately panicked.

The phone rang again. She picked it up and looked at it—only to see that it was the same number as before!

“Didn’t I block him?” That only made her even more frightened.

Renbun said from the side, “Answer it. We’re here. Right now it’s best to make this guy show himself.”

Reiko Yoshii pressed answer and turned on speakerphone.

Fujimiya’s voice came through the call. “Listen! I am Hiroya Fujimiya!”

As soon as the call connected, Fujimiya directly stated his identity.

“Now I’ll give you an address—”

He briefly explained what was going on, then hung up very abruptly.

Tabata and Renbun exchanged a glance, then both looked toward Reiko Yoshii.

“Reiko, when did you get to know the Blue Ultraman? You kept this from us so well!” Tabata said in grievance.

Renbun’s gaze was dark and drawn-out. “No wonder you hardly ever pay me any mind, Reiko. So you already had someone you liked.”

“?”

The two of them left Reiko Yoshii covered in question marks. Her face was a picture of total confusion. “I have no idea!”