Ambush Predator

Ten minutes before dawn, the Earth was enveloped in absolute darkness, devoid of starlight, atmospheric scattering, and the rays of the rising sun.

The newly hatched Twin-Tail rampaged through the densely populated residential district, first smashing through an overpass and then crushing two houses to the ground.

Some people, deep in sleep within the buildings, forever lost the chance to open their eyes.

"Whoosh..." At that moment, a streak of red light flashed across the horizon, rapidly expanding.

"Boom!" A red giant flew in and landed heavily, causing the ground to vibrate violently as dust swirled into the air.

Some individuals slept so soundly that even the prolonged commotion caused by the Twin-Tail failed to wake them.

Yet, the very instant the giant touched the ground, the shockwave jolted them awake.

What was happening? Was it an earthquake?

The giant strode forward, charging toward the Twin-Tail. With every step it took, a massive crater was left in the earth, keeping the ground in a state of continuous tremor.

"Good heavens, it really is an earthquake! Hurry, get to an open space!"

"No, look out the window! It's a monster, and there's a new Ultraman!"

In the pitch-black night, the silvery-white eyes of the Ultraman and the blue-glowing Color Timer on his chest were extraordinarily conspicuous. The two "eyes" on the upper body of the Twin-Tail were also radiating blue light.

The newcomer was, of course, Gaia Ultraman, transformed by Qi Ming.

He stepped forward, grabbed the two whip-like appendages on the Twin-Tail's head, and hurled it with immense force toward a nearby sprawling football field.

"That's great! The Ultraman dragged the monster to an open area to fight. We're safe."

"This new Ultraman is afraid that fighting in the residential area would destroy our homes, isn't he? Much better than the last one!"

For Qi Ming, since victory was already assured, exerting a little extra effort for such a effortless gesture was entirely unproblematic.

"Winning is certainly guaranteed, but it will probably take some trouble..." Qi Ming thought to himself upon facing the Twin-Tail.

The Twin-Tail was not a humanoid monster; the combat techniques he had learned previously were poorly suited for dealing with it.

He had to contend not only with its two upper whips but also beware of the crushing bite from its massive lower mouth, temporarily preventing Qi Ming from launching an effective offense.

On the other side, the GUTS members observed the shifting battlefield through nearby surveillance cameras.

Kishida: "Captain, there's another new Ultraman!"

Rena Yanagi remained suspicious: "Will he be on our side?"

Rena: "This is already the third Ultraman. Why don't they all attack together?"

Moroboshi Dan's expression turned somber at these words. If he were still able to transform, Qi Ming would not have to work so hard.

He said: "Trust him, Rena. Trust this Ultraman who is stopping the monster from destroying the city. Go and support him!"

Rena Yanagi: "We are arriving immediately."

At this moment, Qi Ming, possessing extraordinary adaptability, had already cracked the Twin-Tail's "upper and lower joint attack" strategy.

He stepped onto the Twin-Tail's head, seized its two tail-whips, and tied them into a tight knot.

The Twin-Tail instantly plummeted to the absolute depths of misfortune. Qi Ming gripped the tail-whips on its head so fiercely that it struggled to shake Gaia off, its head nearly being crushed flat.

The outcome was decided; Qi Ming could take the Twin-Tail's life at any moment now.

Yet he did not, choosing instead to kneel heavily upon the Twin-Tail, suppressing it until it could barely breathe.

"Bang!" The next instant, the earth split open, and Gudon, who had previously vanished, reappeared, drawn by the Twin-Tail.

It had finally appeared. You were the one I was waiting for!

Qi Ming immediately leaped off the Twin-Tail's back, preparing to sit back and watch the tigers fight.

Go ahead and fight; I'll act as your referee, and by the way, I'll flip through Gaia Ultraman's skill list to see if he possesses space-time travel capabilities.

To his surprise, however, upon seeing the scene before him, Gudon roared in fury and charged toward Gaia, brandishing his twin whips.

"?" Qi Ming grabbed Gudon's twin whips while feeling utterly perplexed.

Didn't you come here specifically to eat the Twin-Tail? Now that I've packed it up neatly for you, what do you mean by coming over to attack me?

Do you not like the knot I tied?

Qi Ming retaliated without hesitation. After elbowing Gudon aside, he unleashed a flurry of fierce blows to the head and face, sending the previously ferocious Gudon into a series of shrill screams.

Taking advantage of the time Qi Ming spent dealing with Gudon, the Twin-Tail finally mustered the energy to untie its knotted tails.

A two-versus-one situation instantly formed.

Ultraman Jack fought two against one in the setting sun; am I going to fight two against one in the morning glow?

No, they will definitely not live to see the sun before dawn... Watch me slay two sheep with the prowess of a tiger!

When the two GUTS Wing aircraft arrived, they were greeted by a jaw-dropping spectacle.

Qi Ming had used Gudon's two whips to tie up the Twin-Tail, and the Twin-Tail's two tails to tie up Gudon, finishing it off by tying a secure knot at the intersection.

As two mortal enemies bound by a hunter-and-prey relationship, the traditionally incompatible beasts were now plastered against each other like Siamese twins, temporarily unable to break free.

"Such... such a work of art," Kishida couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"Finally resolved." Qi Ming clapped his hands, a wave of satisfaction welling up in his heart. Achieving this degree of perfection had required a fair bit of effort.

The next instant, Gaia spread his arms, settled into a squatting horse stance, and gathered a massive amount of photon energy at his head, forming a colossal banded red light blade.

He began charging the Photon Edge.

Yamanaka: "Is this the new Ultraman's finishing move? Interesting."

Rena's expression was less than pleasant: "Is it over? There's nothing left for us to do."

Moroboshi Dan, inside Giver One, felt a great sense of relief seeing Qi Ming neatly dispose of the two monsters while minimizing damage to the city.

Yet the next second, his Ultra-vision swept across an abrupt figure at the edge of the battlefield.

It was a woman in white robes, with long hair and an eerie expression.

Far from seeking shelter, she walked step by step toward the battlefield, gazing at the three behemoths with a playful look in her eyes.

The next moment, purple radiance flickered around the woman, transforming her into a fourth colossal entity that joined the fray, appearing right behind the finishing-move-charging Gaia Ultraman.

Flashing ferocious yellow eyes, complex patterns of grey and red, and wings resembling a blood-sucking maw.

The High-Dimensional Predatory Organism—Bojgour, made its debut.

"What!" Qi Ming perceived the movement behind him instantly, but it was already too late.

Bojgour's attack was fierce and its sneak attack decisive.

Its tail lashed out like lightning, wrapping around Gaia Ultraman's upper body as purple current discharged, sending a wave of paralysis through Qi Ming.

The energy charging was interrupted, and the light whip condensed from massive energy dissolved into tiny particles of light that scattered in all directions.

"Not good! A new monster!"

"Quick, support Ultraman!"

Guts Wing 1 and Guts Wing 2 opened fire immediately, sending two laser beams crashing into Bojgour, causing her body to jolt in pain and loosen her tail's grip.

Qi Ming seized the opportunity to break free, using a roll to put distance between himself and Bojgour.

"This fellow is... Bojgour from Ultraman Mebius!" Qi Ming recognized his opponent instantly.

Simultaneously, the cloud bank inhabited by the Lightning People and Bekon arrived.

Bekon descended from the clouds, walking leisurely toward Bojgour.

"So that's how it is, it was you all along!" Qi Ming understood everything in that very moment.