Chat Group Crossover: My System Simulates Infinite Anime Worlds — Chapter 44

Chapter 44: The Mentor’s Fury

To the world of O-50, he might not have been a qualified candidate. But to Noah, a warrior like Jugglus Juggler was the perfect instrument.

Juggler felt the deep changes coursing through his body. A silver and black device, the Evoltruster, materialized in his hand, accompanied by a sleek energy blaster. He also understood the cost with chilling clarity: if the Ultraman he became was injured, he would suffer the very same wounds.

The Juggler of this era had not yet become the solitary wanderer who had traversed countless worlds. He had no grasp of the sheer weight of legacy the Evoltruster represented.

He approached you, bowing deeply in a gesture of deep gratitude.

You simply waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t thank me. Thank my black-hearted boss. Just remember his name: Noah.”

Juggler listened, nodding with a thoughtful expression as the key information registered: his new boss was, in fact, black-hearted. A moment later, a sharp impact struck the back of his head, and his world went dark as he collapsed to the ground.

At that same instant, Kurenai Gai, as Ultraman Orb, had unleashed his beam. His earlier manipulation of the Eight-Part Light Wheel had been a spectacle of cool precision, but no one could have anticipated the colossal mess he was about to make.

This was only Gai’s second transformation. Having just become an Ultraman, he had completely underestimated the violent recoil of his own finisher. Caught off guard, the immense kick of the beam threw his aim wide. Instead of vaporizing the monster, he ended up carving a perfect, glowing silhouette of the Bezelb into the cliff face behind it.

A wave of mortifying embarrassment washed over Gai.

Seeing its unexpected survival, the Bezelb, which had been resigned to its doom, hocked a glob of viscous, purple venom. The projectile flew true, striking Orb’s color timer dead center.

Gai’s light didn’t even have time to blink. The impact forced him out of his transformed state, and he crashed heavily to the ground in his human form.

You brought a hand to your face, pinching the bridge of your nose in exasperation. Your gaze fell upon Juggler, who was just stirring, his face a mask of livid fury.

‘Gai,’Juggler’s thoughts were practically dripping with venom,’your performance has disappointed me beyond measure. Just you wait. I will personally forge you into a true warrior.’

He drew the newly acquired Evoltruster. As a surge of heroic music swelled from nowhere, he transformed, becoming the silver giant known as Nexus in his Anphans form. A Serpent-Heart Sword was already sheathed at his waist as he settled into a combat stance.

Feeling the raw power of Nexus coursing through him, Juggler immediately drew the blade. With a single, powerful slash, the Bezelb was cleaved in two. It was over.

You silently tucked away the Legend transformation device you had been about to use.

Reverting to his human form, Juggler appeared directly beside the still-shocked Gai.

Smack!

Juggler’s hand connected sharply with Gai’s face. “What kind of pathetic fighting was that? From now on, I’m going to train you properly.”

Your eyes darted between them. The old ‘chase him with a jeep’ training method seemed ill-suited for Gai; this was a man who could scale the Warrior’s Peak with his bare hands. With a physique that was practically superhuman, you felt a Dinosaur Tank might be more appropriate. A pity you hadn’t become a Reionics.

While you were lost in these thoughts, Juggler and Gai had already begun to spar, the sharp cracks of their blows echoing in the clearing.

Your attention turned to the couple who had been injected with the puppet toxin. You retrieved the Legend transformation device and, with a gentle wave, neutralized the alien substance in their bodies. Looking at the device, you had to admit, the power of the Great Will of the Universe was truly convenient.

After accepting the couple’s heartfelt thanks, you decided to intervene in Gai’s training. Under the combined, grueling pressure of a two-on-one “sparring session” with you and Juggler, Gai’s combat skills improved at a visible, rapid pace over the next half-day.

O-50 might be a black-hearted employer, but the candidate it had chosen was undeniably talented.

‘Then again,’you mused,’Noah’s black-heartedness is truly on par with O-50’s.’

The moment the thought formed, an unavoidable slap smacked you squarely on the back of the head.

You refused to yield, instead raising two defiant middle fingers to the sky. In response, you could have sworn the clouds above momentarily formed into dozens of massive, vaporous hands, all returning the gesture.

Noah was clearly learning. To defeat absurdity, one must become even more absurd. It was like using magic to defeat magic.

Right in the middle of your heated special training session, a Bemstar suddenly descended from the heavens. Its eyes were a bloody red, a clear sign it was infected with the puppet toxin. Just as the creature was preparing to roar and show off its might, three pairs of eyes locked onto it.

A chill shot through the Bemstar’s entire body, making it shiver involuntarily.

Determined to wash away the stain of his earlier humiliation, Gai immediately drew the Orb Slugger Lance. After the transformation was complete, he condensed an Eight-Part Light Wheel in his hand. With a sharp whizz, he hurled it at the Bemstar, neatly severing the poison-secreting horn from its head.

Gai looked at the severed horn and felt a deep sense of satisfaction. He remembered your lesson well: never use beams against a Bemstar; you have to use the Eight-Part Light Wheel to dismember it.

The Bemstar wanted no part of this fight. Though its mind was clouded by the puppet toxin, a primal sixth sense screamed of mortal danger. A powerful will to survive temporarily overrode its programming, and it frantically flapped its wings, flying rapidly toward the edge of the atmosphere.

Seeing the monster flee, Gai leaped into the air, giving immediate chase.

You and Juggler looked at the stubborn young warrior, exchanged a glance, and sighed in unison.

You drew your energy blaster, fired a single shot into the sky, and summoned the Stone Wing. The living aircraft swooped down, carrying both of you into the air in pursuit.

Following the trail of Gai and the Bemstar, you soon came upon a ship being attacked by the monster. It was the vessel carrying Miyabi and Tachibana.

Ultraman Orb was already on the scene. His eyes glowed with focus as he charged straight in, an Eight-Part Light Wheel spinning in each hand.

If Ultraman Ace could see this, he would undoubtedly give Gai a thumbs-up. This was the true way to use the technique. His own brothers never understood; they would only ever throw the light wheels like simple projectiles.

You and Juggler transformed into streams of light, materializing inside the ship’s cockpit.

Miyabi and Tachibana were so completely captivated by the spectacle outside that they failed to notice your arrival.

Outside, Orb was a whirlwind of destruction, his hands crossed as he held the twin saws of light. He was frantically carving into the Bemstar, and you could almost hear the high-pitched screech of the rotating energy blades from inside the cockpit.

You patted Tachibana on the shoulder to get her attention. Thinking it was Miyabi, she waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t move.”

Juggler nearly burst out laughing beside you. Feeling a bit awkward, you cleared your throat lightly.

Only then did Miyabi and Tachibana realize two strangers had boarded their ship.

You began your self-introduction, and after a brief but intense explanation, they understood the purpose of your presence. Just then, Gai reverted to a stream of light and arrived in the cockpit as well.

Miyabi and Tachibana began to explain the dire situation on their home planet of Kanon.

After listening to their tale, you stated bluntly, “This Queen of yours has a problem.”

Juggler nodded in agreement. “A big problem.” Why else, he reasoned, would the Tree of Life create a War God if not to protect itself from a threat?

Gai remained silent, listening intently off to the side, nodding from time to time as if committing every word to memory.

Miyabi immediately raised an objection, beginning to defend Queen Amaterasu with idealistic fervor.

You felt your patience snap.

CRACK!

The sound of your palm striking his face was exceptionally loud in the confines of the cockpit.

You pointed a finger directly at his forehead, your voice low and cold. “Is that a Queen? Is that a ruler? No. That is a traitor! If the previous Queen could see what she has become, she would claw her way out of her own grave just to slap her twice—and that would be getting off light!”