Chapter 1384: Afterword of Volume Seven (also a one‑day leave request)

Afterword of Volume Seven (also a one‑day leave request)

In one's life, one must set a lofty struggle goal; to achieve this great goal, one must start from one's current position, from what one is doing now, and exert the utmost effort.

One should pour hard labor and devotion into the career one loves.

—— the fierceness of an arrow

Doing one's best is his motto, and also a phrase that leaves some impression on all fans of 'Ultraman'.

Although times have changed, lofty ambitions are no longer a necessity for everyone; daily necessities are what people must consider more in today's fast‑paced, high‑pressure society.

Just like the various mediocrities Zhouri Ningjing experienced in the URA Association.

Mediocre bureaucracy, mediocre handling thinking, mediocre thought inertia produce those regrettable outcomes time and again.

This is the evil of mediocrity, more inconspicuous and ordinary than extraordinary evil, present everywhere in life, appearing to some degree in everyone's experience.

It is hard to shake off; it not only shows up in others but also lurks in your laziness, grabbing your ankle when you try to step forward, making you despise it yet unable to grasp its substance.

This is the world as seen by the vast majority of people.

Such a world makes people dream conservatively, even imposing various rule‑based restrictions on themselves, as if that would seem more reasonable, and causes words like 'dream' and 'wish' to shift from grand goals to more material concerns, leaning toward wealth itself.

This is not only reality but also a historical excerpt from many places in the federation within the book, just as mentioned earlier—a fast‑paced, high‑pressure society that cannot escape such macro‑environment evolution.

That is why we need more relaxing entertainment, and why we need more spiritually meaningful pursuits.

Horse girls, mercenaries, various officially registered superhumans, even criminals—those various legends that can still be written in contemporary society—are the backdrop that makes countless people leading dull lives yearn to pursue, and also serve as milestones that gradually shift societal trends, rekindling memories of ideals.

——Here, after countless years, becomes the stage where this book's story begins.

Just as real‑world Japanese society once had a Qianming representative during its decadent period, who, despite repeated defeats before the emperor, still held high hopes from countless people in life's lows, maintaining enduring popularity, the horse‑racing sport here likewise bears the weight of dreams.

This makes the overall trend of the Jiemen district lean toward the second‑dimensional, toward idol fandom, while also letting the dream‑chasing wind prevail.

This is the city's temperament, and also a temperament that makes countless transmigrators (especially paper‑people) feel close, yet here too exists the evil of mediocrity—where there are people there are disputes, and there is no ideal paradise gathered by cute folk.

Everyone has their own tasks, everyone has their own goals to pursue; as the saying goes, 'running side by side,' which is also the origin of this volume's title 【Side by Side】.

【They run tirelessly until they behold the same scenery】

Although the object of pursuit may be illusory, the same landscape offers different focal points, yet this does not prevent everyone from running on their own tracks until the moment they run side by side.

From battle, to competition, to the pursuit of personal emotions, this volume aims to show a phenomenon where everyone is taking action; even Miss Xie Huaiya, who has always been an innate auspicious mascot holy body, became the initiator of the second Martial Arts Assembly, obtaining the most practical entry slot, namely uh……

The fact that she wasn't at the party that night was like something—cheering, champagne, and screaming downstairs, then being stared at by the 123 people on stage as a meme.

Cough, having secured a spot in the finals, there's no need to quibble over so much; regardless, daring to break free from that stifling, suffocating work environment to chase the faint hope that ought to be grasped is not only the background aim of horse girls, but also the spirit that countless tokusatsu works encompassing monsters hope to convey.

Even the so‑called monster itself is intended to tell a tale of extraordinary weirdness that defies common sense.

As for this, there happens to be a noteworthy piece of trivia.

The original starting point of the Ultraman IP series, 《Ultraman Q》, actually had no Ultraman present.

It is a work featuring only monsters, aliens, and humans.

It successfully sparked the 1960s Japanese children's monster craze, etching humanity's challenge to the unknown and their battle of wits and courage into sci‑fi and satire, recounting a rift between the human heart and society.

Of course, the reason for bringing it up is not to promote it; after all, even if its core is timeless, the artwork is terribly outdated, making it still hard to watch today.

The author's main reason for mentioning it here is to say that monsters are both monsters and a medium for extending the human heart.

Thus, the author has long felt that the monster designs related to Ultraman and Electroman Ultraman Tiga under Tsuburaya are a highly specialized, straightforward inheritance of this original intent.

And this has become a core connection of this book.

The obsessive pursuits that run through life, monster‑like hearts achieve their own ends while also drawing them to each other.

Just as like attracts like and people gather in groups, monsters ought to be neighbors to monsters.

At the same time, the existence of conflict cannot be avoided.

Confrontation, competition—when different tracks meet, they jointly pursue in that instant, which is also the norm of horse racing; thus the next volume will be the final one.

With entirely new track rules and a fresh race development, not only concerning interpersonal matters but also the reality of the racetrack, the next volume will therefore be written considerably longer.

As the concluding final volume, finishing it before the year counts as success; it might even exceed 300 chapters.

In short, whether in interpersonal relations or as a trainer, the extravagant lineup of Aomo, who stands out explosively in any field, is due to face the final trial he has chosen.

Next volume: Also Shining

Look forward to it!

But I'm taking a day off, so let's meet tomorrow!