The dim streetlights cast a hazy and faint glow, illuminating the desolate streets. The piercing cries of a cat cut through the silent night sky. Even in relatively bustling commercial areas, the number of pedestrians on the streets dwindled to almost none.
A red-and-silver suit of armor silently skimmed across the dark skies of Gotham.
"All systems in the new battle suit are running normally, and energy efficiency has significantly improved," Pal said in his ear.
"Great. How's the bracelet's scan positioning?"
"It's marked on your display, sir."
A map of Gotham appeared in the corner of Shen You's field of view, clearly pinpointing a coordinate between the city's blocks.
"Any energy frequency matches?" Shen You asked.
"Yes, sir."
As Pal spoke, the display pulled up a frequency band recorded from a previous battle and compared it with the currently detected energy frequency. The two overlapped perfectly.
"Based on previous combat record monitoring, this seems to be some sort of magical frequency energy. It bears similarities to the magic used by those demonic spirits we've encountered several times in the past."
"Oh, I was wondering who it was—turns out it's those little darlings again."
Shen You had quite a positive impression of these demonic spirits. So far, whether they were alone or in groups, they had given him quite a bit of experience. Seeing these demonic spirits felt almost as endearing as slashing through dozens or hundreds of slimes during the newbie stage in some games.
Following the directional scan, Shen You flew into the sewer, slowing the armor to maintain a hover as he navigated deeper through Gotham's intricate sewer system.
"The spatial fluctuation response is getting stronger," Pal marked new readings on the display. "It's some kind of space-altering magic, seemingly creating a temporary magical space within existing reality. It can't be seen because it's in a different phase from reality."
Shen You nodded in understanding. "Like the 'Meta Field' that the seniors talked about."
The Ultraman race wasn't unfamiliar with such techniques, and Shen You wasn't a stranger to them either.
"The principle is somewhat similar," Pal said. "The scan data suggests this space hasn't formed just today; it might have been here for a while."
"So why didn't we notice it before?"
"Previously, the energy in the Hyper Spacetime Bracelet was too low, and the scan range and accuracy were insufficient to detect this anomaly."
Shen You suddenly realized—it was because he had leveled up these days, which had led to an upgrade in his equipment level as well. The enhanced functionality had allowed him to spot this hidden anomaly.
In terms of spatial technology, the great Noah was the real expert; Shen You wasn't particularly skilled. But that didn't matter—he had the bracelet.
The advanced technology of the Land of Light was vast and varied, and different kinds of bracelets were definitely among the highlights. Take, for instance, the famous "Bracelet Launcher" wielded by Senior Jack, who even joked that "without the bracelet, he's just a salted fish." The funniest part was when, in one episode, his bracelet got hacked by aliens, and he ended up fighting his bracelet in unmanned mode—and lost. That was awkward.
Since then, the title of "Bracelet Rack" had been practically cemented. Of course, Shen You only dared to think this in his heart; when meeting the senior in the Land of Light, he still had to respectfully address him as "Senior." Referring to him as "Bracelet Rack" was just a tease; he knew full well that the Police Force's big shot could still punch out a little Ultraman rookie like himself without any trouble.
The Hyper Spacetime Bracelet activated, and soon, a ripple appeared in what seemed like empty space within the underground sewer.
The magical subspace began to show signs of disorder. Shen You seized the opportunity, lifting his palm as the light energy, aided by the bracelet, transformed into spatial attributes, pouring continuously into that faint spatial rift.
At first, that space resisted. The crack was narrow and tight, with tremendous resistance.
But as the saying goes:
Resistance only lasts for a moment.
Move it back and forth a few times, and it'll naturally open up.
Sure enough, after being forcefully infused with the overwhelming power of light, the rift finally deformed, becoming wider.
Judging by eye, it seemed about wide enough, so Shen You stopped his output.
With a swift movement, he squeezed himself inside.
---
The Scorpion Spirit followed behind the Owl Spirit. They passed through the dark hall and arrived at the deepest part of the magical space.
The darkness was suddenly illuminated, giving a sense of sacred and solemn ambiance. On both sides of the narrow stone corridor hung statues and paintings, and the light cast down, creating a play of light and shadow that added to the solemn atmosphere.
The light came from the surrounding braziers, enveloping the space in a layer of golden-yellow halo. The majestic stone pillars and murals flickered with dark glimmers in the firelight, adding to the mystery. The ancient altar was engraved with ancient symbols that no one recognized today—some were evil and intricate, with meanings so maddening they could drive people insane.
"Aaaargh!"
The Scorpion Spirit let out a sharp scream, convulsing all over. The flickering yellowish light projected its twisted shadow on the wall, creating ever-changing images like some sort of distorted monster.
Half-kneeling on the ground, panting for a while, the Scorpion Spirit looked incredulously at its hands.
"Oh, oh, oh, what powerful strength!" It exclaimed with excitement, turning to the Owl Spirit beside it. "This power, could it be..."
"That's right."
The Owl Spirit's eyes also betrayed a hint of excitement.
"The power of 'The Great One' has already manifested in this world," it said. "However, it still cannot directly operate in the physical realm and can only intervene temporarily through our magical fields.
Or, as you just experienced, bestow upon us powers far greater than before."
"I feel that there's no longer any need for The Great One to act personally. I'm so strong now that I even scare myself!" The Scorpion Spirit was still immersed in the power it had just received. "I feel that soon, I'll be able to avenge my brother Yusack! If I face that Ultraman now, all I need is to slide tackle..."
"Forget the slide tackle; snap out of it."
The Owl Spirit mercilessly doused it with cold water.
"Think about that giant's stance, the way he punches, and that world-ending light. Now reconsider yourself; what do you think?"
Hearing this, the Scorpion Spirit did calm down. It carefully felt its newly enhanced magic power and then compared it with the memory of that giant's previous strikes.
"If I go in with a slide tackle, I'd probably die," it said calmly.
"Exactly." The Owl Spirit nodded. "So our plan remains unchanged. We must avoid confronting him for now. No matter what, we must find a way to bring The Great One down.
The Great One has stated that this 'Batman' is an exceptional sacrifice among humans. With him, the progress of the summoning ritual should accelerate."
"Alright then."
The Scorpion Spirit nodded and then put on a resentful expression, sighing toward the sky.
"Brother Yusack, if you can still hear me, bring that damned Ultraman before me! I swear I will avenge you..."
Boom!
Just as the words left its mouth, there was a loud explosion. The two turned their heads in unison to see that one side of the hall had been blown open from the outside by an energy blast. A red-and-silver suit of armor emerged through the dust, the crystal on its chest refracting a brilliant blue light through the haze.
The two spirits were momentarily stunned.
Half a second later, the Scorpion Spirit weakly spoke up.
"Actually... I was just saying..."