Chapter 1358: NO．262：End of the Finale IV：But Ought to Rush Forward Now

NO. 262: End Stop IV: However, one should be rushing about now.

How many regrets does a person have in a lifetime?

When faced with so many regrets, what kind of hope has once arisen in your heart?

In the Ultraman universe, monsters are born from the human heart, born from society, yet are not accepted by society.

Those that have not encountered a monster controller will only shrink in their birthplace, hiding in a corner, until they are discovered and attacked by people.

Is it retaliation or escape? Obviously not only monsters must face this problem; rather, after you witness the aforementioned situation, wouldn't you even feel a hint of familiarity?

The so-called monsters are precisely those extraordinary, abnormal aspects that you are unwilling to expose, daring to show only within your own little world.

They are a microcosm, a facet, of countless people's hearts.

And that microcosm and facet, which are always repressed, rejected, and denied, will one day rebound and also long for understanding and response.

It's fine if there is no response; if there is never a response, then you must respond to others yourself!

The monster of joy and sorrow responds to all joy and sorrow, making you face those unforgettable past events, right here on the Uma Musume racetrack!

The runners on the field, the spectators watching the runners, that intensely genuine emotional guidance directs all those regrets toward a single word that appears extremely frequently.

【Dream】

Dream is a blessing, especially so for those girls with horse ears.

Those who possess a dream will have miracles sprout beneath their feet.

But dream is also a curse, making you expend all your strength, exhausted from running for it; only those who achieve it can break free.

On the long road called dream, what myriad regrets do people have again?

In the pursuit of fulfilling wishes, how many times have you again hoped for a fresh start?

"InstanceDomination."

Unlike someone with an ear ailment who always can't hear what others say, and even their own Bankai is always shouted at top volume, the proxy death god who assists the girls in chasing their dreams, Trainer Lindun, speaks in a consistently flat and calm tone, sometimes even softly.

Even the incantations for controlling monsters are recited quite smoothly, without a trace of hostility.

This is a habit, originating from a monster that has lived all its life in society yet never been discovered; even if it had the chance to trample everything, it would still retain the scar society nailed upon it.

That scar is the trace of civilization.

Legal systems, political institutions, social conduct norms—civilization is such a thing; throughout your entire life from birth to death, it binds you, educates you, and shapes a person in a far deeper way than genes.

Without a doubt, it hinders the outward expression of bestiality, yet it cannot truly suppress the bestiality in the human heart; thus the development of civilization is always accompanied by war, by crime, and by various processes of destruction.

Aomo Lindun once thought it was like a vaccine, a release after diluting toxicity, allowing society to continue operating stably, rather than an internal catastrophe sweeping through the entirety of civilization.

Therefore he never had the wish for 'world peace', nor did he ever have the whimsical thought of 'eliminating all crime'; his regrets are always rooted in the present and himself, in some trivial trifles and some major matters involving those around him.

"Having made psychological preparations doesn't mean there will be no disturbance; I reviewed a lesson again—how about you, badger? I hope you also gained something."

A shattered world, a pitch-black open space; turning one's head, one can see a tall, slender silhouette, and with that silhouette looking up, gazing upon three thousand worlds.

Countless fragments reflect countless scenes; countless scenes piece together to form the worlds of countless people—like a vast, shattered mirror, yet in fact it is the monitoring screen of the central control room; at a glance, how could it be only three thousand?

Considering the number of spectators at the entire racetrack, you can realize that Aomo's earlier words were actually a double entendre.

"What harvest?" The badger, who only turned his head to look when Aomo approached from the side, still had lingering confusion from the previous second, "Is it the experience of being eaten by the monster under one's own control?"

"For others, it is generally making a decision, seeking an opportunity for change; but for you, I think it should be self-knowledge."

"Self-knowledge?"

"I believe everyone should enhance their self-understanding, and a person's regrets often reveal their character, pursuits, and even their social life."

"But what if there are no regrets at all?"

"That would probably be your greatest regret." Aomo said while likewise gazing at the countless lives.

With his current interference in the joy-and-sorrow monster, retrieving the desired pattern from that dazzling kaleidoscope also requires several seconds of processing time.

Then he could see Sai Luo of the Land of Light, Lipiya in the woods, Xiao Lu in front of the observatory, Hong Kai before the giant tree, Xi in front of the dessert shop, Huoerhaiya before the bench, Chazuo in the activity room, Suzi gazing at Aomo's back, Aizhi sitting before the computer, and Jie Si Ti Si in a strange city, etc.

Some people's regrets appear major, some appear trivial, and some are especially sharp—referring to the cosmic beings standing before the legion and before Ultraman.

Also, some people's regrets are especially heavy.

For example, the Qianming representative and Celenina each in the rain curtain, the Ludaofu Xiangzheng beneath the childhood house eaves, the Bai Ren Narita at the stadium gate, and the Gechengwangpai with the agreement placed before them……

Some people are perfectly lucid, yet unwilling to step out, not knowing how to step out; others are truly immersed, reluctant to give up the vitality of their golden age, indulging in another option they once hoped for.

"Two conclusions: first, it indicates that up to now you have never truly taken anything to heart, so you have seen nothing; second, your regret is not in the past but in the present—you regret lacking the scenes they have," Aomo raised his arm to display those screens, then turned back to look at her face still gazing at the group portrait, "That regret leaves you not breaking free but standing here, witnessing everything others possess."

"If that is the case..." The badger turned his head to look, locking eyes with him, "Are you also an illusion crafted by Gnix?"

"If your regret requires a commentator." Aomo shrugged, then lowered his gaze to the Beta Magic Blade he had lifted.

Although it is inside Gnix's body, the tactile feel of the actual object is very real, the sensation of its power is also very actual, and even the fatigue from prior battle naturally returns with restored perception.

In that case, the stamina recovered by taking advantage of the moment to catch one's breath should also be sufficiently actual.

Although he believes giving these people more time would allow even those currently immersed to likewise reflect, this moment is ultimately not the time for tempering the heart.

"Sorry, no matter what insights you have, I have to interrupt you for a moment, badger," he patted the metal guard of the Beta Magic Blade in place of a clap, drawing the other's doubtful gaze, "Do you still remember the plan we are executing?"

"The battle hasn't ended yet; perhaps you can pour all your worries into the present..." He hadn't finished when he suddenly heard a subtle familiar sound, turned his head, and saw a spiraling, winding golden ahoge, with a deep blue texture inside.

"Sephirah!" Seeing his new universe raise both hands, appearing very happy, although nothing could be seen on his face.

"Long time no see~" Aomo likewise raised his hands to press against her palms, smiling, then gently patted her little head, "But now is not the time for greetings; later you can stay with this older sister, okay?"

"Received, is it 'CETI'?" The girl asked, looking up at the two of them.

The badger tilted his head, somewhat not understanding, but Aomo already nodded: "That's right."

Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence/CETI/Communicating with extraterrestrial life, at this moment undoubtedly conforms in every sense.

After saying that, he then looked at the badger: "So let's return to the previous topic."

Speaking, Aomo raised his left hand, fingers curled like claws, toward the distant kaleidoscope.

"Help me, badger; we need to pull out all friendly forces, including police officers, soldiers, special agents, association mercenaries, and the Security Bureau's Executor."

"Also including Gui She and Sai Luo and their group."

"...? Can you do it?"

She had controlled the Joy-Sorrow Separation Monster twice; each time she herself was also caught up in it, never daring to hope to control its operation, interfering with others' worlds.

"And I don't even know anyone!"

This is now a more realistic problem.

When many official teams were subjected to cold violence 80 by group actions at the Lindun office, He, as a member of the office, didn't even realize this, because she had never cared about those people.

"It's fine."

Still maintaining the gesture of five fingers loosely clenched, the dragon head of Jierbalisi flashed across his face.

"I've already locked on and completed it, but to unify and break these people's hopes requires the full activation of Genikesi, even an instant overload."

"……Destroy hope…"

Although the boss seemed to have said something extremely significant, He's sensibility focused all her attention on those harsh words.

"Yes." Aomo straightforwardly affirmed her hesitation.

"They could never let go of those outdated hopes, until they received Genikesi's response."

"Although I'd like to say the world of illusion isn't so bad either, our enemies might not be willing to indulge in it."

Ma Zhongpeng had already demonstrated the correct operation, but despite the strong will of that love‑obsessed high‑school boy, it's hard to replicate among a group of criminal aliens.

But speaking purely of strong will, or simply put—obsession, substitutes for this are certainly not lacking in the hearts of a group of avengers.

"For the present, we need to drag them out of the past…"

For someone with no past, should it be resentful excitement or ashamed fear? He had not yet formed an unconscious conclusion when she heard the boss exclaim in surprise: "What are you thinking about?"

"Who gave them permission to daydream during work hours!"

"Um…"

That sentence, revealing capitalism's cruelty, was like cold water poured over a mix of emotions, leaving He unsure how to react, and she instinctively glanced at the minor beside her leg.

Yet the minor met her gaze without flinching or dodging, asking: "Is 'Fliament' not connected yet?"

"Blessings, hurry, 'FELT'."

This minor seems even more eager than she is to exploit employees.

Fliament/lamp filament, fiber—He understands the meaning of this word, but what is it here?

Still she doesn't understand; the only thing she grasped was "blessings," but…

Is this a blessing? As for what comes next… He couldn't quite figure it out, but seeing Aomo's left hand shift from claw to pincer, aligned with his field of view in a pose she knew all too well, she stopped worrying about it.

She likewise raised her hand, but her right hand, forming a V with her middle and ring fingers to create a one‑sided field of view, then without guidance, just as she was already controlling the monster's sensory band, she felt a synchronous pull, allowing her to easily follow his lead and chant together the incant that syncs two hearts.

"INSTANCEDOMINATION!" ×2

In the instant red light burst from his pupils, He still held her controlling posture, stabilizing each soul's own world, while Aomo Lindun suddenly raised his hand and twisted his fingers, as if crushing something, instantly clenching tight.

Boom!!!

An incredibly crisp shattering sound, yet with an unusually heavy feel, stemming from the moment nearly a thousand hopes were united and shattered.