Chapter 135: 131 Exploiting the Enemy

Inside the Hakuetsu, Yamana made up his mind, his voice slightly trembling:

“Since we can’t escape, we might as well accept our fate.”

“If we do nothing, the Hakuetsu will collide with the airliner, and everyone on both sides will die.”

“At least let my death mean something—activate the self-destruct device to blow up the Hakuetsu and save the four hundred people on the airliner.”

Though he suffered from intermittent madness and constant spasms, before the stakes of life and moral duty, he remained true to his duty as a member of the Victory Team.

Yamana took a deep breath: “Vice Commander, even though we’re on a mission, may I speak with my fiancée and my parents?”

He was preparing his final words.

Nami Nishijo: “I… approve it!”

Moroboshi immediately turned to Qi Ming, signaling with his eyes for him to transform and break this dead end.

Qi Ming: “There’s no need to be so desperate.”

His tone was calm, his serene emotion spreading to the others, instantly shifting the previously heavy and oppressive atmosphere of the command room.

Emi exclaimed in delight: “Qi Ramen, you have a plan, don’t you!”

Qi Ming: “Soldier Yamana, is the Megs propulsion system on the Hakuetsu still functional?”

Yamana: “The Megs propulsion system was only recently installed as an independent system—it hasn’t been interfered with—but the problem is I can’t change its course!”

Upon hearing this, Qi Ming once again covered the Ultraman Arbitrary Key with his long sleeve.

As long as it works, that’s enough.

Qi Ming: “You can guide another force to help you alter your course. Now, activate the Megs propulsion system.”

Yamana and the others first thought they had misheard.

Activate the Megs propulsion system? Was he trying to make the Hakuetsu crash into the airliner even faster, ensuring a more complete death for both sides?

Qi Ming: “What, are you going to ask if I’m sane again?”

“No,” Yamana took a deep breath: “You may be arrogant, but you wouldn’t joke with the lives of four hundred passengers on that airliner… I believe you!”

With that, he gritted his teeth, pushed the lever, and activated the Megs propulsion system.

Rainbow-like streams of light flickered across the thrusters, propelling the Hakuetsu to full speed!

“Thud-thud-thud.” But just three seconds after the Megs propulsion system began operating, it shut down.

The Hakuetsu seemed gripped by an invisible hand, its hull tilting off the death trajectory set by the Kananians, veering erratically into space.

Kishida cried out: “Yes, it worked!”

Emi: “Now the two aircraft won’t collide head-on!”

Yamana’s voice grew urgent: “I didn’t control it—something with stronger gravity is pulling the Hakuetsu… I saw it—it’s that mechanical island!”

The next moment, a seam “opened” above the mechanical island, swallowing the Hakuetsu and imprisoning it, then sealing shut again.

Exactly as in the original Ultraman Tiga episode—the moment the Megs propulsion system activates near the mechanical island, it is drawn inside.

Although the immediate threat of collision had been averted and the airliner’s passengers were now safe, Yamana had been trapped inside the enemy’s fortress.

Nami Nishijo looked at Qi Ming: “Was this within your expectations? Did you foresee this turn of events?”

Qi Ming: “More or less.”

If the Megs propulsion system had failed to activate, or if the mechanical island’s gravitational pull hadn’t overcome the Kananians’, he would have spent one Star Gift to transform into Ultraman Tiga and use his teleportation ability to intervene.

Now, there was no need.

Moroboshi called out: “Soldier Yamana, report your status!”

No response.

Qi Ming: “The mechanical island absorbs radio waves—he can’t hear you.”

Soon, Counselor Kento and Dr. Yagi arrived in the command room.

It was a relief that Yamana’s life was preserved, but why had the mechanical island drawn in the Hakuetsu?

Qi Ming wasted no time and laid out the truth directly.

“That mechanical island, and the robot [Gobnyu] it deploys, came for the Megs propulsion system.”

“Once they detect a civilization capable of activating the Megs propulsion system, they eliminate that civilization.”

“So they’re highly sensitive to it—any activation near the mechanical island triggers immediate containment.”

Counselor Kento: “Like how nuclear-armed nations desperately prevent others from acquiring nuclear weapons?”

Qi Ming clapped his hands—this analogy was perfect: “Exactly.”

Dr. Yagi struggled to accept it: “How is this possible? The Megs propulsion system is my life’s work—twenty years of research!”

Qi Ming thought back to how Dr. Yagi had repeatedly aided him and always cooperated well—he owed him some support now.

So he asked: “Dr. Yagi, who do you think was the greatest human in history?”

Dr. Yagi froze.

Qi Ming gave his answer outright: “I believe it was the first human to learn how to use fire. What do you think?”

Dr. Yagi nodded: “Indeed, fire provided warmth and light, enabled cooking, repelled wild beasts, and aided in illumination and heating—it greatly enhanced our ancestors’ ability to adapt to nature.”

Qi Ming: “But do you think, if that first human had never learned to use fire, our civilization’s flame would never have been lit?”

Dr. Yagi: “Of course not—it was inevitable… I see what you mean!”

He understood.

Qi Ming: “From a materialist historical perspective, humanity would inevitably have learned to use fire, and inevitably invented the Megs propulsion system.”

“But that doesn’t diminish the greatness of the first human to use fire, nor does it diminish the greatness of your invention of the Megs propulsion system.”

“Without you, the Megs propulsion system might have taken decades—or even centuries—to be discovered.”

“Your research still holds epoch-making significance; your name will stand alongside Einstein and Newton, remembered for eternity.”

Hearing this, Dr. Yagi’s grim expression gradually softened, and finally he nodded with frequent smiles.

Kishida whispered, as if discovering a new world: “Qi Ming can actually be this eloquent?”

Emi wasn’t surprised—she’d always gotten along well with Qi Ming and had seen this side of him before.

Moroboshi: “So how do we rescue Soldier Yamana?”

Qi Ming: “Simple. Just reverse the Megs propulsion system on the surface of the mechanical island—it will reopen the sealed door.”

This was the solution from the original series.

But Dr. Yagi, hearing Qi Ming casually state the very solution he’d agonized over for so long, couldn’t help but exclaim: “Genius!”

Counselor Kento was deeply astonished—he wondered if Qi Ming, besides his formidable combat skills and uncanny foresight, also understood advanced physics.

This was too incredible; even the geniuses of the Alchemy Star seemed inferior to him.

“Ahem.” Counselor Kento cleared his throat and issued a new order.

The entire Victory Team deploys aboard the Atlantis, heading for the mechanical island to rescue Yamana and find a way to destroy the mechanical island.

(End of Chapter)