Haru finds himself once again in the depths of his dreamland, where a timeless battle of light and darkness unfolds before him. This recurring dream has haunted him since the fateful Onogoro attack that he miraculously survived.
"This dream again… I wonder why I keep seeing this scene. Hmm?"
The figures of light and darkness suddenly become more distinct, an unprecedented development. Haru's eyes now discern two colossal beings locked in battle, with the radiant figure bearing a striking resemblance to Ultraman.
"Is that Ultraman?"
The creature in the darkness bears a striking resemblance to Ultraman but with fierce, menacing eyes and a dark red color timer. Its body is adorned with numerous shadowy spikes, and a maniacal grin twists its face.
The two giants, their immense forms filling the dreamland, battled fiercely. Each strike they unleashed was a cataclysmic event, causing their bodies to disintegrate. The dark giant's body shattered into countless fragments, while the light giant's form slowly faded away. In that fleeting moment, Haru witnessed a glimmer of light descending towards a distant planet, a beacon of hope signaling the end of an intense struggle.
Before Haru could process what happened. He was suddenly standing in an unfamiliar location "I haven't seen this before…"
The atmosphere was unsettling and lifeless. Countless massive, unfamiliar creature bones littered the area, giving it the appearance of an enormous graveyard.
"Where am I?"
Haru was engulfed by a sudden chilling sensation as a black orb materialized before their eyes. The orb began pulsing, releasing waves of dark energy that coalesced into a towering, monstrous figure.
"RAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH"
"Isn't that Chandlar!"
Chandlar gazed intensely at him and slowly lifted his enormous foot, preparing to bring it down on top of Haru.
"Waaah!"
As the colossal foot loomed overhead, Haru suddenly jolted awake to find himself back in the familiar confines of his room aboard the Minerva. A wave of relief washed over him as he realized that the harrowing experience had been nothing more than a dream.
"Just a dream… thank goodness. But, that orb looked the same after I defeated Chandlar in Armory One. Is that the reason why it appeared?"
Haru doesn't have the answers and can only guess. "That giant looks like Ultraman…"
He looks at the UltraRiser and thinks about its Origins. "Was that you?" he asked, but he did not have an answer.
…
It's the next day at Cagali's place. She just woke up feeling tired after yesterday's government meetings. As she walked into the room, she noticed Athrun sitting at the table, focused on his computer.
"Morning, Athrun!"
"Morning, Cagali. How was the meeting yesterday?"
"It went on forever. It was quite a chore."
"Does the Orb government not have any problems?"
"None. Other than appeasing the panic from Junius Seven. There were no problems."
"I see, that's good."
"Hear this! The alliance requested us for any information about Ultraman, saying he is a threat! The nerve of those people! He saved Earth! Even though he may be an alien, that doesn't mean we should assume he is a threat!"
"Right. But they do have a point. We don't know anything about him. At least we need to gather some information."
"Well… I guess you're right. But, just remembering him stopping Junius Seven felt like a godsend. If it crashed, another war might have happened."
"Yes, you're right…"
Athrun is haunted by memories of the people who were affected by the Junius Seven incident. It weighs heavily on his mind, and he can't help but worry about the possibility of a similar tragedy occurring again. It's difficult for him to come to terms with the fact that his father's actions played a significant role in these events.
"Cagali…"
"What?"
"I'm thinking of going back to the PLANTs."
"Huh!? Why!?"
"I just can't help but worry that there are still some people who are swayed by my father's… his words. If there are more people who think the same. Another disaster might happen, and we can't expect a miracle to stop it."
"Athrun…"
"If there is anything I can do to help… Whether it be as Athrun Zala or as Alex. I will definitely answer your call."
Cagali did not want him to leave, but she saw the determination in his eyes. So she can't stop him.
"Alright, when are you leaving?"
"In a few days."
"I see. I'm going to miss you…"
They hugged and tried to spend time together while they still could.
…
Everyone who wanted to explore off the Minerva got approval, except for Shinn and Rey who decided to stay behind. Haru was a bit bummed that he couldn't convince Shinn to join, but he, Meyrin, Vino, and Yolan are all set to go. Luna opted to stay back because she's concerned about Shinn, and Haru is starting to wonder if she might have a little crush on him.
"So, what should we do?" asked Meyrin.
"Let's go eat. I'm starving." said Vino.
"I heard there is an amazing restaurant that specializes in seafood. How about we go there?"
"Agreed!"
"It is a shame the other could not come."
"Leave them be. It is their loss. Let us have some fun."
"Oh!"
…
Deep in the forest of Orb. A cancer seed landed. A nearby patrol guard noticed the seed and decided to inspect it.
"What is this? It looks weird."
He got closer until the seed started to move. "W-What!?"
As the dark energy poured out, it coalesced into a monstrous form. The creature appeared to be a grotesque, disfigured snail with writhing tentacles emerging from its body. Towering at approximately 6 meters in height, the guard was overcome with terror at the sight of this otherworldly being.
"Ah! Monster!"
He started shooting at it in fear but the bullets did not harm the monster.
"SCREEEECH!"
"AH!"
The monster seized the guard and inexorably drew him closer to its body. Despite the guard's desperate pleas, the monster callously ignored him, absorbing him into its form to feed on him. Within moments, a pool of liquid began gushing from the monster, writhing and reshaping itself back into the original creature.
"SCREEEECH!"
…
As the day came to a close, Haru spent a beautiful day with his friends. With the sun starting to set, he made his way to the cenotaph, carrying a bunch of flowers. Along the path, he passed by fields of flowers, each one a thoughtful tribute to those who had passed away. It was a poignant reminder of the lives lost, and it filled his heart with a sense of solemnity and respect.
Haru arrived at the cenotaph and carefully placed the flowers. As he stood there, gazing at the monument, he felt overwhelmed with emotion.
"Is this your first time visiting?"
Haru heard someone speaking behind him and spotted a young man of around the same age. He had lovely brown hair and striking purple eyes, and he gave off a kind, compassionate, and selfless vibe.
"Yes, it is my first time. How about you?"
"It is also my first time too... I have been living here for a while but this is the first actually making an effort to come here."
"Did you lose someone you know here?" Haru asked.
"...Yes, you too?"
"My parents…"
"I'm sorry, for bringing that up."
"No, it's okay…"
As they gazed at the monument, a peaceful silence enveloped them, and they found solace in each other's company. Suddenly, Haru was startled by the sound of distant singing.
"A song?"
"A little light shined~ I watched as you dreamed~ You laughed like a child~ So dear, and yet so far— Oh."
The person singing was a girl around the same age. She had lovely light pink hair, a golden hairpin, and striking pale cerulean eyes. She looked very pretty, and her presence would captivate many. She was holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers. She seemed very familiar to Haru, but he couldn't quite place where he knew her from.
"Is this your friend, Kira?"
"We just met, Lacus."
"You two know each other?"
"Yes, let me introduce myself. I'm Kira Yamato."
"Ah, hello. I'm Haru Yasu."
"It is nice to meet you, Haru. My name is Lacus Clyne."
"I as well Lacus-san. Lacus… Clyne… Lacus Clyne!"
Haru was quite surprised to encounter her here. Lacus Clyne is highly regarded and widely known as an idol in the PLANTs. She leads the Clyne faction, which is known for advocating against the anti-Natural and Coordinator supremacist policies of Patrick Zala's Radical Faction. Furthermore, she played a significant role in the First Alliance-PLANT War.
"A-A-Are you the Lacus Clyne!?"
"Ara, you recognize me? Yes, I'm Lacus Clyne, the leader of the Clyne faction."
"No wonder you look so familiar. What are you doing here?"
"I'm working at an orphanage here in Orb with Kira."
"I see."
Lacus places her flowers beside Haru's flowers on the cenotaph. "The flowers are pretty." said Lacus.
"Yes, they are." responded Haru.
"It is too bad. They have already bloomed but unfortunately, they will wither because of those crashing waves." said Kira.
"Then, all we have to do is protect them."
Lacus and Kira look at Haru curiously. "If we build a wall around the area or elevate the ground. The flowers won't wither."
"Huhu, you're a kind person, Haru." said Lacus
"Well, I just want to help as much as possible."
"Are you part of the Minerva crew, Haru?"
"Ah, yes! I guess you have heard of it. Our ship is currently being repaired. So we will be here for a while."
"The Minerva stopped Junius Seven, right? How was it?" asked Kira.
"I wasn't out there fighting. I'm only part of the technical staff, but from what I have heard from the pilots. It was pretty severe. If it wasn't for Ultraman, Junius Seven might have fallen."
"That giant, is there anything you know about him?" asked Lacus.
Haru thinks back to his dream. "...Ultraman is a being of light."
"Light?"
"He fights the darkness to protect the light. I hope you be careful, Lacus-sama. Darkness is coming."
"What do you mean?"
"You have seen the attack on Armory One, right?"
"Yes, it was in the news. A giant monster appeared and started attacking. Ultraman defeated it."
Haru looks serious, which caught Lacus and Kira's attention. "I have a feeling. This is only the beginning."
Kira becomes alarmed. "Are you saying more might appear?"
"Yes, those Kaijus symbolize the darkness. I don't know where they came from, but more would soon appear."
"Kaiju…" Lacus will remember this word.
Haru noticed he was just rambling, and all of this speculation came from his dream. "Ah! This is all just feeling, Lacus-sama. I don't have any proof if any of this is true."
Lacus kindly smiles at him. "It is okay. I'm thankful for sharing your thoughts and for the warning."
Haru meekly nods his head. "Yes! Thank you, Lacus-sama."
"Lacus is fine. You don't need to add the sama."
"Yes, Lacus. It is getting late, so I should be leaving now. It is nice meeting you, Kira, Lacus. If I have the time, I might visit the orphanage to help out."
"Hmhm, we will await your visit."
"Goodbye!"
Haru leaves, leaving Kira and Lacus standing on the cenotaph.
"He is like you, Kira. But has more drive to help people."
"You're right. I hope we meet again."
"I'm sure we will. He did say he would visit the orphanage."
They both enjoy each other's warmth, chatting about their new friend.