"Ugh!"
The flame pearls belonging to Queen Tortoise detonated against Cosmos' azure body. In an instant, his frame was engulfed in fire; the raging inferno completely wrapped his towering azure form, and soon, a series of heavy thuds echoed from within the flames.
The fire came quickly and left just as fast. Cosmos was half-kneeling on the ground, appearing injured and exceptionally weak. The black smoke rising from his body told the story of exactly what he had just endured.
"Kuang~~~"
King Tortoise stood up, his blood-red eyes fixed on Cosmos. A cluster of lightning erupted from the single horn atop his head, striking Cosmos' body with a brutal force that sent him flying.
Thud—
Crashing to the ground, Cosmos lay there struggling. Looking up, he saw Queen Tortoise descending with another barrage of crimson pearls. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Cosmos thrust his arms out, expanding a Luna Barrier to meet the massive explosion.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
After releasing the pearls, Queen Tortoise flew back to her mate's side, her limbs and hornless head retracting and then emerging as they stood side-by-side.
"Kuang~~" x2
The pair let out a long howl toward the blast zone. When the thick smoke finally cleared, Cosmos managed to stand straight. Before the two could react, he blurred into a series of afterimages, striking them both back. He followed up with a close-quarters assault, repeatedly flipping them over.
King Tortoise and Queen Tortoise were not discouraged; they scrambled up time and again to engage him, only to be upended repeatedly. In melee combat, they had fallen into a clear disadvantage.
After several minutes of skirmishing, Cosmos' hands were seized—one by King Tortoise and the other by Queen Tortoise. Taking advantage of the situation, Cosmos exerted immense strength to pull them both toward him. At the moment of impact, he channeled energy into his palms and delivered a powerful thrust to their chests, blasting them backward.
'Their strength is too much. Even if I can block them, I won't be able to hold out much longer.'
At this point, the disparity in energy levels became apparent. The King and Queen Tortoise possessed energy infinitely close to SS-Class. Their natural defense and physical power were significantly augmented. Even so, Cosmos' current energy level was infinitely close to S-Class. Despite his lower raw energy, he was able to hold his own against the couple through superior combat techniques.
However, once a battle drags on, even with perfect technique, the body eventually tires. As time passed, even if Cosmos had the tactical answers, his physical form began to fail him. Otherwise, his hands would never have been caught by the Tortoise couple earlier.
The pushed-back Tortoise couple showed no sign of retreating; instead, they moved to flank Cosmos on both sides, clearly plotting something.
"Hah..."
Cosmos' gaze shifted back and forth, observing every movement of the couple to guard against a surprise attack. Soon, Queen Tortoise opened her mouth, fire energy churning within. Simultaneously, King Tortoise's horn discharged lightning. Both attacks fired at Cosmos in the center.
Though Ye Feng found it strange that the two monsters had different attack patterns, he wasn't stupid. If he could dodge, he wouldn't tank it. He leaped high into the air.
BOOM—
The fire and lightning collided, causing the surrounding air to distort and carving a massive crater into the ground. Having dodged the attack, Cosmos lunged from the air onto Queen Tortoise, sending her rolling across the ground several times. Quickly rising, Cosmos seized one of Queen Tortoise's legs and began spinning on the spot.
"Kuang~ Kuang~"
Queen Tortoise's limbs flailed wildly in the air. Seeing this, King Tortoise rushed to save his mate, charging forward with heavy steps. Unexpectedly, Cosmos let go, hurling Queen Tortoise directly at King Tortoise. The couple collided head-on and collapsed into a dazed heap on the ground.
'Now's the chance.'
Seeing them finally still, Cosmos stood tall. He slowly raised his palms as Full Moon energy began to converge. Though Ye Feng didn't know what was influencing the Tortoise family, he didn't believe Cosmos' Luna Extract couldn't force it out.
"Hoh~~~"
"Heng—"
Cosmos raised his palms, extending his arms to the sides to guide the Full Moon energy out before converting it into a gentle beam from his right hand. The beam shattered into light particles, flying toward and enveloping the fallen Tortoise couple.
"Kuang~ Kuang~"
As the purification energy was injected, it immediately clashed with the power inside the Tortoise couple, sparking an internal struggle. The collision caused the pair to let out agonizing wails. The sound alone made the crews of the Beta and Gamma units, as well as the GUTS members in the forest, flinch with pity.
"Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!"
The timer flashed, but Cosmos ignored it. Seeing the struggle of that internal energy, he increased the output of Full Moon energy, making the scattered particles dense as he tried his hardest to expel the possessing force from the two monsters.
"Captain, according to the data, Ultraman Cosmos' energy is nearly depleted," the Vice-Captain on the Beta unit reported, looking at the data on his small computer and requesting instructions from the Captain at the Yingtian base.
"Wait. Being able to save even one monster proves we gain an ally for humanity. Although the origin of this King and Queen Tortoise is unknown, historical records show they belong to the class of monsters that can help us. We must do our best to win them over."
With the order given, the Vice-Captain could only command his team to stay on alert while he continued to observe. To be honest, he had participated in the "Savior Plan" before, but it had been shelved due to the appearance of the Chaos Header. Encountering berserk monsters now, his first instinct was to destroy them. But he hadn't expected that after looking up Ultraman Cosmos' profile, the most important note was his ability to eliminate the frenzy caused by the Chaos Header and return monsters to their original state. It was because he saw this that he requested the Captain's orders; otherwise, he would have ordered an attack long ago.
However, he wouldn't just stand by. He ordered: "Prepare suppression rounds. Once King Tortoise and Queen Tortoise break free from the control, fire the rounds to soothe them. Gamma unit, prepare the laser protection net."
"Understood!"
Upon receiving the order, the two downed pilots from the Alpha unit drew their Hyper Guns and loaded suppression rounds into the chambers. Above, the undersides of the Beta and Gamma units opened, revealing special barrels—the laser net launchers. Although the Savior Plan was on hold, it didn't mean this equipment had been stripped from all GUTS fighters.
"Ahh~~~"
Cosmos increased his energy output. Full Moon particles continuously entered the two monsters, but for some reason, that dark power showed no sign of receding.
'Could it be that my energy intensity isn't enough to eliminate it?' Ye Feng thought, his hands never ceasing their output. His energy intensity was only Class A, while the Tortoise couple was infinitely close to Class SS. It was a distinct possibility.
"Kuang~~~~"
Amidst his thoughts, the heart-wrenching wails of King Tortoise reached Ye Feng's ears. Suddenly, flashes of imagery appeared in his mind.
It was an island. Queen Tortoise had laid a clutch of eggs, and the two monsters were celebrating. Even though they were monsters, Ye Feng could clearly feel their immense joy. But then, a bizarre black vortex appeared in the sky, and a massive figure wearing what looked like a cloak emerged.
'That's... the Evil Spirit King, Dark Shadow Master!!!'
Gazing at the Dark Shadow Master, Ye Feng finally understood why King Tortoise and Queen Tortoise harbored such violent, negative emotions. The Evil Spirit King drew evil energy from malice, fear, and other negative feelings. It seemed he could harvest this not just from humans, but from monsters as well. In a sense, he was a literal manifestation of negative emotions.
'If this is a memory, then what happens next... No, stop it!'
In the memory, the Dark Shadow Master spoke unknown words before placing two clusters of negative energy into the two monsters. Under its influence, their strength surged, but their personalities underwent a catastrophic shift. They began to destroy their own newly laid eggs with their own hands.
How much agony must it be to destroy your own children? Yet, at the very last moment, King Tortoise lay on the ground, doing something hidden. Ye Feng tried to grasp the image, but the vision vanished, returning him to the present.
'I have to clear the negative energy. I can't let them suffer anymore.'
"Hoh—"
Cosmos let out a low, rising growl. At this moment, the Luna Extract particles in his hands became increasingly dense.
"Kuang~~~ Kuang~~~"
'It's not enough! Not enough! This power is nowhere near enough!'
Ye Feng knew that even though Cosmos possessed purification power, the light within himself was too weak to expel the negative energy left by the Evil Spirit King. Suddenly, from within the light representing the Full Moon in his body, a streak of crimson radiance shot out. Unlike the gentleness of the Full Moon, this was violent.
'Power... Power... I need more power! If I have stronger power, I can save them!'
Ye Feng's heart had never craved power as much as it did at this moment. If he had enough strength, what did the Evil Spirit King's influence matter? What did the Chaos Header matter? The desire for power erupted in Ye Feng's heart, magnifying until he became almost crazed!
Slowly, without Ye Feng realizing, a shroud of crimson light emerged on his body, suppressing the gentle Full Moon energy!
"Power... Power... POWER!!!"
"HOH— HAH—"
Suddenly, Cosmos' azure body erupted with crimson light, burning like a raging fire across his surface. Even his steady, gentle voice became fierce and powerful. As the crimson light covered him, the Luna Extract in his hands slowly lost its mystical purification properties, transforming into an intensely chaotic energy akin to the sun!
Simultaneously, the crimson light fully enveloped his azure form, changing his appearance entirely. As the light dissipated, a giant primarily red and silver, radiating a sense of raw power, stood before everyone!
"Wh-What is happening?!" The Vice-Captain on the Beta unit was shocked and confused by the change. He felt that the current Ultraman Cosmos was wrong—he had lost his gentle radiance and become entirely manic!
But the most shocking thing was yet to come. Cosmos, now fully in Corona Mode, did not stop the beam in his hands. Instead, it underwent a massive transformation!
"Hah—"
Ye Feng was completely oblivious to his own change. The beam in his hands had been replaced by a destructive ray of solar power. The light particles, once filled with the potential for miracles, were now dyed crimson, condensing into a rushing torrent of solar energy that blasted toward the Tortoise couple!
As the crimson torrent surged forward, King Tortoise, having regained a sliver of consciousness, sensed the danger. In less than the blink of an eye, he stood up, using his remaining willpower to move in front of Queen Tortoise, shielding her with his shell!
The beam hit its target. The violent solar energy slammed into the shell, dealing a devastating blow!
BOOM—RUMBLE!!!
In an instant, King Tortoise was engulfed in the explosion of solar power! When the smoke cleared, King Tortoise stood there once more, his shell shattered.
At that moment, Cosmos froze. Despite the hit, King Tortoise didn't die immediately. He slowly crouched down and opened his closed mouth. A spotted, patterned egg was gently spat out onto the ground.
The GUTS members on the scene were stunned. Why was there an egg in King Tortoise's mouth?
But Ye Feng, having seen the vision, regained his sanity in an instant! He remembered King Tortoise lying on the ground in the memory, and how during the fight, the King had only used his horn to attack while the Queen used her mouth.
Now, everything was clear. He had been protecting their only remaining child!
After spitting out the egg, a hint of tenderness appeared in King Tortoise's blood-red, violent eyes, and a single tear fell. The next moment, he slowly closed his eyes and slumped to the ground. His exposed shell was a bloody, mangled mess—horrifying to behold.
"I... what have I... what have I done?!"
Cosmos looked at his hands, and only then did he notice the change in himself. He realized that at some point, he had switched to Corona Mode.
'No... this isn't what I imagined. Why? Why did this happen?'
A true Corona Mode isn't just red and silver; it should have blue patterns as well. Why didn't he have them?
"Kuang~~~"
Queen Tortoise stood up. Whether the purification had worked or something else had shifted, her eyes were now clear, as if she were no longer controlled. She looked at her fallen mate and the egg at her feet, seemingly understanding everything. She suddenly let out a piercing howl toward the sky.
"Kuang~~~"
"It's... it's crying? Is a monster crying?!" The GUTS members who had readied the suppression rounds felt their resolve falter upon hearing that mournful cry.
"All things have spirits... even monsters. Sigh..." In the Imperial TPC meeting room, Lin Jing sighed while watching the satellite feed.
"Ye Feng..." In the Yingtian Airport VIP lounge, Qin Yuxin used her student status to watch the satellite footage of the battle. Seeing King Tortoise's sacrifice and Cosmos' bewildered state, she began to worry for Ye Feng.
The cry of Queen Tortoise pulled Cosmos' mind back to reality. 'Was I wrong? Was I wrong?!' Hearing that mournful sound, the heart of the giant—of Ye Feng—was in turmoil. He was utterly lost.
In his panic, a flash of red light pulsed across his body, and as it vanished, he reverted directly to Luna Mode.
•
Yesterday updates! Shoulda update it like last night but I fell asleep working on my Patreon, you can found advanced chapter on my Patreon here—↓
patreon.com/EBBYRITH.
—I've revamped it a bit, feel free to visit it!↑