Volume 1, Chapter 10: Within the Ultra-Eight World

Although the Evil Heart King’s psychic powers were formidable, his body at this moment was merely a small avatar, completely incapable of sustaining the full extent of his prime strength. Facing Lin Yu’s assault, he was utterly unable to defend himself.

Though he utilized his psychic abilities at maximum power to resist, his defense collapsed after only a few seconds. His avatar was swept into the hurricane, its body subjected to frantic shredding under the intense wind pressure. However, because the Evil Heart King was a manifestation of negative energy without a true physical form, these seemingly sharp winds caused him no substantial harm.

Lin Yu’s eyes narrowed as he released a terrifying wave of freezing cold. The chill surged directly into the wind pressure, instantly transforming the gale into an icy tornado. The Evil Heart King, caught in the center, was frozen into an ice sculpture in an instant. Such was the terror of absolute zero; even in an energy state, one could not escape the fate of being frozen. Ultimately, the frozen Evil Heart King was shattered by the wind’s cutting force, his body collapsing into countless specks of dust.

After eliminating this avatar, Lin Yu was not attacked by any others. He surmised that the Evil Heart King understood that a mere avatar was no match for him. To unleash his full power, he would need to gather the strength of all his avatars, but humanity was not yet sufficiently desperate. It was not yet time for the final showdown, so the Evil Heart King temporarily ceased his attempts to trouble Lin Yu.

Meanwhile, not far away, behind the wall of a nearby building, a figure stared wide-eyed at Lin Yu. She had witnessed everything that had just transpired, her worldview severely shaken to the point where she doubted if she were dreaming.

Hideko Goh was filled with immense shock. She had never imagined that a simple stroll would lead to such a supernatural event. Two mysterious and terrifying beings had battled using powers she had only seen in movies. One of them didn't even seem to have a physical body, appearing translucent and weightless, like a ghost, only to vanish into dust upon death. Her worldview had completely collapsed. Panicked and fearing that the victor might silence her, she attempted to flee, but as she turned, she found the very figure who had just won standing right behind her.

"Watching for a while, aren't you?" the figure asked, scanning her with a thoughtful gaze. "What is your name?"

Hideko was terrified. She wondered if answering would subject her to some curse that would leave her at his mercy. Given his incredible, supernatural powers, who knew what dark methods he possessed? Yet, if she refused, would he fly into a rage and kill her? Her blood ran cold, and her skin crawled. Trembling, she looked up at Lin Yu and stammered, "Goh... Goh Hideko—no, Goh Hidemi! That’s it, Goh Hidemi!" She secretly congratulated herself for her cleverness; surely, giving a wrong name would be safe.

In truth, Lin Yu had sensed her long ago; nothing in the vicinity could escape his powerful perception. However, as he looked at her, he felt a profound sense of familiarity, as if he had seen her somewhere before. When he asked for her name again, he watched her facial expressions shift with acrobatic speed until she confidently claimed to be "Goh Hidemi."

*Goh?* Lin Yu’s heart stirred. He paid little attention to her name, but her surname caught his interest. *Could this be the daughter of Hideki Goh?*

He knew that in the "Superior 8 Ultra Brothers" world, the Ultra Brothers were merely ordinary humans living mundane lives. Hayata was a bicycle shop owner, Dan Moroboshi ran a restaurant, Hideki Goh operated a mechanical repair shop, and Seiji Hokuto managed a bakery. They had formed their own families and lived happy lives. Hideki Goh did indeed have a daughter, and in Lin Yu's memory, her appearance seemed to match.

Lin Yu looked at her and said, "I advise you to find a place to hide. What is coming next will not be fun."

Hideko was fearful, yet surprised. He was actually advising her to leave? She had assumed someone with such powers would view commoners as mere ants.

At that moment, Lin Yu’s gaze shifted. "Has it arrived?" His powerful perception had already sensed a familiar light energy descending upon this world. If his guess was correct, it was undoubtedly the light of Mebius. He immediately headed toward the source.

Hideko, still processing his words and debating whether he was a friend or foe, followed him on a whim. "Where are you going? What is going to happen?"

Lin Yu ignored her. She would know soon enough; now that both he and Mebius had arrived, the Evil Heart King would surely stop waiting and begin his attempt to destroy this world. Lin Yu followed the signal to the other side of the city. From a distance, he saw Mebius, now in his human form, Mirai Hibino. Mirai was wearing his GUYS uniform—an outfit clearly out of place in this city—and had become the center of attention, surrounded by a group of children who mistook him for an actor.

Mirai was flustered, unsure how to handle the situation, until a young man in a suit stepped in and pulled him away. Lin Yu nodded; these events were unfolding much as he remembered.

"Do you know those two?" Hideko asked suddenly. "That one in the strange clothes I haven't seen, but the one next to him seems to be Daigo, right? Do you know Daigo?"

"I suppose I do," Lin Yu replied, glancing back at her. "You're still following me. Aren't you afraid?"

Hideko shook her head. She was still scared, but not as much as before; she sensed that Lin Yu did not have malicious intent.

"I advise you to go back and prepare," Lin Yu said. "Something bad is going to happen here."

"What bad thing?" she asked.

"Monsters," Lin Yu replied casually. "In a world without them, the appearance of real monsters will plunge everything into chaos."

Monsters? Hideko was stunned. If anyone else had said this, she would have called them crazy. Monsters only existed in television dramas, didn't they? How could they appear in the real world?

Lin Yu did not explain further. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"To find a place to drink something and wait for the monsters to appear," he said, stepping into a street-side cafe.

Hideko’s mind raced with conspiracy theories. *Why is he so certain? Is he involved in their arrival?* For a moment, she imagined Lin Yu as a great demon king intent on destroying the world. Yet, she eventually followed in the direction Daigo had taken, hoping to learn the truth from the young man in the strange clothes.

***

"Are you really an Ultraman?" In a quiet corner, Daigo looked at Mirai.

"Yes," Mirai nodded, introducing himself. "I am Mirai Hibino. I was investigating an abnormal spatial distortion when I saw a girl in red shoes..."

As Mirai recounted his story, Daigo understood the chain of events. After meeting the girl in red shoes, Mirai had entered this strange world, met Daigo, and set the wheels in motion.

"Eight warriors?" Daigo mused. His eyes lit up. "Please, come with me. I might know four of them!"

Excited, Mirai followed him. Hideko, trailing behind, caught up to them. Seeing Mirai, she asked, "Daigo, is this your friend?"

Daigo felt awkward, unsure if he should reveal Mirai's identity as an Ultraman. He didn't know if such things were meant to be kept secret. He didn't realize that Mirai had no such concerns; in his world, his identity was common knowledge.

"I am Mirai Hibino," Mirai introduced himself to break the tension.

Hideko nodded, trying to appear calm. She suspected Mirai was also a super-powered individual, possibly linked to Lin Yu. She didn't dare ask, fearing she might provoke him.

"Please take me to see the four warriors," Mirai urged.

Daigo, glancing at Hideko, decided to set his concerns aside and led Mirai to meet Hayata and the others. Throughout this, Hideko followed, desperate to uncover the truth.

As in the original events, Mirai’s earnest claims that Hayata and the others were actually Ultramen left them bewildered. They had lived as ordinary humans for decades; hearing someone claim they were alien heroes sounded like the ravings of a lunatic. Daigo had to constantly intervene to smooth things over.

Witnessing this, Hideko was secretly shocked. *Ultraman? The kind from the television shows I watched as a child? How is this possible?* Yet, after seeing Lin Yu’s powers, the existence of Ultraman didn't seem quite so impossible—though in some ways, it was even more absurd. After all, Ultraman was a fictional character, while "superpowers" felt like something that might one day be achieved through advanced human technology.