Chapter 126: 122 Teach People, One Lesson and They Understand

Nishijo Nagi told Yamanaka that many more incidents had occurred last night.

A passenger jet crashed from the sky, several people on the ground died under bizarre circumstances, and their corpses looked extremely strange.

The Metropolitan Police Department found the latter case highly suspicious and requested Victory Team’s assistance in the investigation.

Qi Ming went alone.

Upon arriving at the scene, Qi Ming saw a black humanoid shape.

“A living person turned to ash?” Qi Ming said.

Even if the weather was unnaturally hot, it couldn’t cause spontaneous human combustion.

The policeman said: “He was killed while using a hairdryer; the previous victim was killed while using an electric shaver. Their friends said they had no troubles and wouldn’t commit suicide.”

Qi Ming: "Even if they did commit suicide, they couldn't have died in such a bizarre way—this sounds like something from 'Approaching Science'."

After searching the scene, a lipstick half-eaten away caught his attention.

“The victims burned to ash, died while using hairdryers and electric shavers, the bitten lipstick, plus the meteor I saw last night… Is it that thing?”

“This thing could be caught and kept as a ‘Pokémon’—it might come in handy later.”

Qi Ming deduced that the serial killings were caused by a “beetle.”

It was the [Nokochirin] from the original ‘Ultraman Jack’ series, a cosmic beetle that arrived on Earth via meteor.

It enjoys eating lipstick and perceives any source emitting motor noise at the same frequency as its enemy, attacking targets with laser beams from its antennae.

That’s why those using hairdryers and electric shavers were attacked and killed.

In the original series, MAT executed Nokochirin, but the special laser gun’s energy was absorbed by Nokochirin, causing it to grow giant and destroy the city.

In other words, its size could be controlled at will by exploiting this trait.

“That’s all I know. Did everyone understand?” Qi Ming told Victory Team.

Nishijo Nagi: “You plan to capture this insect, lock it in a special cage, and when you face a tough enemy, shoot it with a light gun to trigger its gigantification?”

Qi Ming: “Exactly.”

Moroboshi Dan: “But how do you control its movements?”

Qi Ming: “Attach a speaker playing motor noise to the target monster—it’ll be instinctively driven to attack that target.”

Nishijo Nagi thought the plan feasible and asked if Qi Ming needed help.

“No, I have a way.”

Qi Ming remembered that in the original series, the roar of a motorcycle could also attract this cosmic beetle.

“By the way, the [Luo Qiesi] I mentioned earlier is also sensitive to sound, just like this beetle—maybe that’s why both are active on Earth simultaneously?”

Nishijo Nagi: “Explain in more detail.”

Qi Ming: “[Luo Qiesi] usually moves at night and despises noise—that’s why the ocean yacht was attacked.”

Moroboshi Dan: “So the passenger jet that crashed last night? Its engine noise startled [Luo Qiesi], and it collided with the plane midair?”

Both incidents occurred at night, matching Qi Ming’s description of nocturnal behavior.

Qi Ming: “Most likely.” This was already established in the original series.

But for safety’s sake, Qi Ming advised they still verify it through standard procedures.

So Emi retrieved the recording from the crashed jet and played it over the communication channel:

“What’s that?”

“It’s a bird—a huge black bird!”

Then came screams and the roar of an explosion.

Emi sent photos of the jet wreckage to everyone’s PDI; all agreed it was the result of the jet colliding with something.

Kishida: “It killed so many people on the jet—this [Luo Qiesi] is definitely an enemy. We can kill it, right?”

Qi Ming affirmed: “Of course we kill it!”

In the original series, the [Biken] that also attacked the jet was “enlightened” by [Ren Long] in this world and became docile.

But [Luo Qiesi] still acted as it pleased, retaining the cruelty of a carnivorous creature, proving it does not belong to Earth’s monster defense line.

So like the earlier [Golzamirba] and [Gudun Shuangwei], it is an enemy threatening peace—definitely must be eliminated.

Moroboshi Dan: “When will you rejoin us to search for [Luo Qiesi]’s nest?”

Qi Ming: “After I catch the beetle.”

…………………………

After the communication meeting ended, Yamanaka drove to the hospital where Yuriko was staying and found his fiancée Maya there.

Maya: “Yamanaka, you’re here too. Did you hear? Matsumoto Saburo escaped from prison!”

Yamanaka: “?”

Just hours ago they were discussing how Matsumoto Saburo would be locked up for at least ten years—now he’d escaped in less than ten hours?

Too surreal.

Maya said she was worried about Yuriko and came to check on her; she also asked if Yamanaka had any way to recapture Matsumoto Saburo.

Maya was such a kind girl—Yamanaka had once said in the original ‘Ultraman Ace’ that she’d feel sorrow even if he stepped on an ant.

In the past, Yamanaka would have comforted his fiancée properly.

But concerning Yuriko, the thought of his fiancée having such a friend was anything but pleasant.

Kishida spoke first: “Victory Team’s duty is to eliminate monsters—we can’t take over the police’s job.”

Yamanaka said: “Don’t worry—this is a large hospital with many guards.”

“Besides, the police must suspect Matsumoto Saburo will seek revenge—they’ll surely station forces here and at Yokogawa Hiro’s side.”

He changed the subject:

“My friends here—Kishida is a scientific genius, Emi is a super-hacker… and you’ve seen Qi Ming’s skills yourself.”

“But your friend Yuriko has poor character. As the saying goes, ‘near vermilion, one gets stained red; near ink, one gets stained black.’ You should avoid her in the future.”

In the original series, the relationship between Gō and Akiko was never confirmed, but Yamanaka was already Maya’s fiancé—caring about his fiancée’s social circle was perfectly reasonable.

Maya sighed and said Yuriko wasn’t truly materialistic—she’d merely lost her way in Tokyo’s glitter.

Yamanaka shrugged, unconvinced.

Maya: “Then why are you here?”

Yamanaka: “To ask her to assist with the monster investigation.”

If Yuriko could recall which direction the monster bird flew from or any other details, it would greatly help them locate it.

He told Maya to wait outside, then knocked and entered.

Upon learning Yamanaka had arrived, Yuriko, lying in bed with her eyes covered in gauze, became agitated.

“Mr. Yamanaka, is that you? I’m scared—I’m afraid I’ll be killed. Saburo escaped to kill me, didn’t he?”

Yamanaka comforted her: “A large force of police will wait here for Matsumoto Saburo to come and turn himself in—you’ll be safe.”

“I need to ask you about the details of the monster bird’s attack. We must eliminate it quickly to prevent more victims.”

Yuriko seized Yamanaka’s hand like a lifeline: “Please wait, Mr. Yamanaka—don’t leave! Stay by my side, please!”

Outside, Maya saw this and her face darkened.

Kishida cleared his throat, trying to ease the awkwardness: “She probably just feels safer with you—after all, you’re a Victory Team member who can take down monsters. It’s nothing.”

But after this explanation, Maya’s expression grew even darker.

Single Kishida felt drowned, utterly at a loss.

Meanwhile, Yuriko’s nominal fiancé, Yokogawa Hiro, appeared outside the ward at some point.

He watched the scene, his face equally grim.

(End of Chapter)