Chapter 972: with translation of title line

NO. 95: Meet-up

Dujuan Tai High School.

As the sole high school in Dujuan Tai, a small city in Tokyo Metropolis, it boasts an astonishing number of students and staff, as well as a large campus area.

The latter is obvious at a glance, while the former is reflected in the scattered numbers of students seen after class.

That's why, in this monotonous high‑school break scene, the two youngsters' meeting seems unremarkable—until you notice they're behaving furtively.

In other words, it's basically the blue‑green‑haired boy sneaking over, while the blond, red‑eyed boy just gives him a casual glance.

"Any luck? I can only move for ten minutes."

"I stole the student list of Class 2‑E—have a look."

"Rikka Takarada, Akane Shinjo, Masaru Utsumi, Yuta Hibiki… Yuta Hibiki hasn't reported in?" The boy's brow furrows slightly—a rare display of emotion.

"Given his connection with Gridman, he might have woken up right away." The blue‑green‑haired boy sighs.

"And Pong?"

"Which one do you mean? Rex‑san's side or your teammate? Rex‑san's Pong hasn't woken up, while your teammate's Pong‑san…"

"He seems to have just been absent."

"If he isn't like Koban, Jutta, or Shitsuma, then he's using monster power to resist the world and hiding somewhere—just like me."

"That's something we can look for, but there's one thing worth mentioning," Utsumi said, rubbing his chin. "Rex‑san's Pong may have no memory of the monsters, yet he can spill plenty of gossip about Gridman and Akane's relationship."

"……" Chin fell silent.

For a moment, he didn't know how to react.

But Utsumi will react for him.

"It's hard to judge, right?"

The rumor that Akane is dating a foreign college student spreads everywhere, even dragging in talk of an early engagement, which reminds me of the similar rumor about Rikka half a year ago that scared Yuta half to death… In the end, it was Gridman who cleared up the misunderstanding.

"But is this just a misunderstanding this time?" Chin asked pensively.

"Uh… it doesn't seem fake." Utsumi faced the fact that the girl he once had a crush on now likes someone else—or someone he knows—calmly.

And Chin, not grasping the complexity, suddenly asked: "What about Yuta Hibiki and Rikka Takarada?"

"I asked around indirectly, and they're not dating." Utsumi shook his head regretfully.

"Then it's not the kind of world where wishes come true." Chin mused.

Having witnessed the 'Dream‑Weaving' power of the sorrow‑and‑joy monster Gernix, controlled by Mujina, and once having this side's tangible‑and‑intangible monsters construct a 'Beautiful Dream,' Chin isn't unfamiliar with this situation.

But Utsumi, who has likewise experienced the tangible‑and‑intangible monsters creating a beautiful dream, proposed a contrary guess:

"Hard to say."

"After all, Yuta probably wasn't brainwashed from the start, so even a Dream‑Weaving wouldn't involve him—though it could just be a simple evolution."

"Can a simple evolution summon all those things?"

Chin turned his head and gazed at the distant sky.

He looked at what seemed like overcast clouds, but each mass of 'cloud' was actually swaying and wavering, even faintly projecting red light.

That's not clouds at all—it's clearly a horde of monsters surrounding this world!

Even though they haven't launched a direct attack, appearing like a projection from another space merely observing this world, they still make Chin feel a deep pressure.

"Those things… are you sure Gridman's monsters are in there too?"

Utsumi has no close connection to the monsters; looking at the sky, he simply thinks today's weather is poor and can't make out the clawing silhouettes above.

But Chin did indeed tell him that.

The aura of Gridman's monster cards lingers up there—given his sensitivity to monsters, Utsumi isn't doubting Chin's words; he just can't see them himself, which is hard to believe.

"He's been stripped of those monsters' power and the corresponding emotions, making him the worst off among us—have you found out where he lives?"

"Yes!" Utsumi nodded quickly. "He's living with Akane, and her place should still be next to Rikka's."

"But what do you mean by saying his emotions have been stripped away as well?"

"Joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure—he's used those monster cards too much, and the monsters reflect his inner state."

Chin said, today might be the day he's spoken the most.

"The result of that deprivation is likely to turn him into the most empty existence in this world."

"So what about the rainbow serpent that wanders between the cities?"

Utsumi suddenly recalled that the other party had mentioned such a unique existence.

It's not in the sky but on the ground, and it seems to be wandering aimlessly.

"I don't know."

"Huh?"

"It's a monster, but not entirely."

Chin turned his head and gazed far off at the towering, over‑fifty‑meter strange entity.

That entity looks like a single being, but in Chin's eyes its massive body reflects two overlapping figures, and it possesses a weighty grandeur that even his long‑lived self cannot attain.

"I can't connect with it using my monster‑controller abilities, nor can I hear its voice."

"It's not a manifestation of Gridman's emotions and desires, but I'm not sure what exactly it is."

"So, is it okay to let it wander back and forth like that?"

"No problem—it hasn't attacked anyone."

Chin said, handing the paper to Utsumi: "Let's wake Pong as soon as possible, and I'll decide whether to take Koban and the others with me depending on the situation."

"Then should I, following Gridman's earlier instructions, try to look for Ultraman and the others?"

"…… I don't know." He kept repeating the high‑quality answer.

Chen, although the purest monster tamer in the team and also the team's pillar when they were at their wits' end, truly isn't good at commanding others, nor at defining them.

After all, he himself is still in a period filled with many misunderstandings, still trying to understand, trying to learn.

"But we must awaken Aomo, otherwise, as he said, we need to be wary of all Aomo Lindun."

"What do you mean?" Neihai froze.

"Those monsters, every monster that was once under his control, are now him."

"They are all Aomo Lindun."

"...... Could this be similar to... the relationship between Ultraman and the junior high students of the new century?"

Neihai, who once impatiently interrupted when the latter mentioned his identity, now still specially seeks opportunities to make up for the information he ought to know.

"That's right, he's been torn apart into pieces…… a bit strange……"

Chen said, as if sensing the remaining time, he turned and strode forward, while Neihai watched his receding back, yet couldn't help jogging a few steps to catch up with the figure that didn't wait for him.

"Strange?"

"He has been thoroughly targeted; this scene shouldn't have appeared, the source of the chaos should lack self-awareness and emotion."

"Um… even without emotion, the act of wanting to eliminate threats is natural, right?"

"Indeed, but in that case, you need to pay attention to Xintiao Qi."

"Pay attention to Xintiao Qi? Why?"

"She is a god, she is the second most impossible-to-suppress self after Hibiki Yuta."

"If she never takes the initiative to do anything……" Chen's steps didn't stop, but his words paused, not very certain.

But Neihai, who is more familiar with the other party than he is, will affirm it for him.

"Does she also have her own plans over there? Or is it intangible support? Either way, we need to hurry and awaken Aomo; this situation leaves us completely uneasy."

"That kind of thing, me going is enough; you must hurry to awaken Peng."

He said, having already walked to the edge of the school gate, in Neihai's astonished gaze he transformed into an ever larger silver giant beast, stepping out with huge feet that could give the asphalt road a strong test.

Despite such a shocking sight, the other students near the school gate acted as if they hadn't seen it.

Only at the windowsill not far away on the fourth floor, Xintiao Qi was boredly echoing the conversation about backpacks between Rokka and Mayu, witnessed the monster's departure, then turned back to look at the phone in hand.

On that screen, the data fluctuations of the entire world were clearly visible.

The joint internal-external observation from the two labs gave her an even clearer macroscopic view.

The largest values were concentrated on her and the little snake, making it clear she had already arrived at the school, yet she couldn't help but turn back amid the sudden palpitations.

"Rokka, can you help me ask the homeroom teacher for a leave?"

"Huh?"

Just as the sudden request left Rokka stunned, she saw Qi already dashing toward the classroom exit at an astonishing speed.

"People at home need me to take care of them! Tell them for me!"