Chapter 46

“Huh, what’s this…”

At that moment, Qi Ming saw a familiar figure from behind a half-shattered window in the factory.

It was a Kaiterian!

At the same time, Lucia’s body trembled involuntarily—she sensed the Muzhenians ahead.

“How did these guys end up here… Surely not to visit relatives?” At that moment, Qi Ming spotted the blue Ababas.

How did all these aliens end up gathered together, and why aren’t they attacking each other?

Have they allied?

Qi Ming observed for a long while with his infrared night-vision device, confirming his deduction.

This is problematic…

In his original plan, the entire Victory Team would storm the Crowmen’s nest; with proper preparation, he wouldn’t even need to transform to eliminate them all.

But plans change—now all the aliens have allied, and even the full Victory Team would struggle to defeat them… No.

At that moment, Qi Ming made a new discovery.

He noticed that both the Crowmen and the Muzhenians were on high alert.

Could they know their position has been exposed and are guarding against possible external attacks?

No—based on their positioning and subtle body language, they’re wary of each other, wary of these “allies.”

Seeing this, an idea formed in Qi Ming’s mind.

“Command Room, this is Command Room, situation has changed…”

Instantly, he pulled out his PDI communicator.

In the Command Room, everyone looked dazed, utterly disillusioned.

When Qi Ming had claimed he’d use divination to find the Crowmen, those raised in a scientifically advanced environment had dismissed it outright.

Had Qi Ming not demonstrated such formidable abilities before, they’d have seriously suggested General Tachibana strip him of his Victory Team uniform and send this delusional fool to a psychiatric ward.

Yet, Qi Ming had actually found the right place—divination worked!

Yamada: “How is this possible? Am I awake?”

Kishida: “Science lost to mysticism—how could I have such a dream?”

Emi thought long and hard: “Do you remember? Teammate Qi Ming said he was—a historian!”

Nami Nishijo: “That explains it—he’s a historian, so he must have unearthed many ancient Eastern secrets.”

Faced with undeniable facts, the group began fabricating explanations to rationalize it all.

“Command Room, this is Command Room, situation has changed…”

At that moment, Qi Ming’s voice echoed again through the comms channel.

“The abandoned factory isn’t just the Crowmen’s nest—it’s also where all the aliens we’ve encountered have gathered.”

Tachibana’s heart tightened: “All the aliens?”

Qi Ming: “Yes—Ababas, Muzhenians, Kaiterians… I even saw the Tantanians. Perfect—this gives me a chance to eliminate them all at once.”

Nami Nishijo: “Teammate Qi Ming, stay put and maintain observation. We’re on our way.”

Qi Ming gave an excuse: “I’m going in first—catch them off guard.”

After speaking, he immediately turned off the communicator.

“Teammate Qi Ming, don’t act on your own!”

“You can’t possibly fight that many alone, Qi Ming!”

Tachibana and Nami Nishijo shouted desperately—but received no reply.

“He hung up?” Emi could no longer sit still—this was too dangerous, it was suicide.

Yamada muttered in amazement: “He always manages to shock me—is he just overconfident?”

Kishida: “Maybe recent successes made him feel invincible—he’s lost his cool. Commander, we must go save him now.”

Tachibana nodded—he was ready to deploy personally, using his life-draining Ultraman psychic power to aid Qi Ming.

Five alien species allied—this demanded everything they had!

But just then, the Command Room door opened, and Counselor Kento entered.

“So many aliens running rampant in the city, the public is furious—haven’t you done anything yet?”

Public pressure had grown so intense he was forced to show up and take charge.

Especially after the Defense Force officer killed a Crowman and the media sensationalized it—this had to be taken seriously.

In this world, Japan’s TPC and the Defense Force had a relationship somewhat like America’s “donkey-elephant rivalry.”

Publicly, they claimed to cooperate fully to protect citizens and maintain peace; secretly, they vied for dominance—some speculated they’d eventually fight to the death, leaving only one survivor.

In this stalemate, both sides must compete for public support.

Kishida stepped forward to report: “Earlier today, we rescued Chrismaya from the aliens.”

Kento’s expression softened: “That famous female singer? I know her—good, commendable work.”

If such a celebrity publicly endorsed TPC, the benefits would be immense.

He immediately asked Tachibana where she was, whether she’d been treated well, and whether they could “accidentally leak” the news to the public.

Tachibana pulled Kento aside and told him about the recent clash between Minister He and Qi Ming, hoping he’d mediate.

Kento’s face darkened—He Zhì had the nerve to come to the Victory Team and seize Qi Ming?

“I believe Teammate Qi Ming did nothing wrong. We Victory Team can properly host alien guests—we don’t need their interference.”

He had no intention of mediating—he’d gladly see He Zhì push Qi Ming into his own camp.

As he spoke, he suddenly noticed Qi Ming wasn’t in the Command Room: “By the way, where’s Teammate Qi Ming? Don’t slack off just because you’ve achieved something.”

Emi stood up: “Teammate Qi Ming… he’s already left!”

…………………………

Before the abandoned factory, Lucia, seeing Qi Ming prepare to fight alone, panicked and grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

Qi Ming: “Don’t worry—I won’t be harmed.”

Lucia still wouldn’t let go, gesturing frantically—she wanted him to gather more help and insisted on joining him in battle.

“Unnecessary—not more people means stronger.” Qi Ming spoke with double meaning.

After convincing Lucia, he slipped quietly into the factory, then tapped the arbitrary key button, activating the core.

“If I can eliminate them smoothly, Star Gifts will reach 10 points—I can Star Gather again!”

He turned the dial—a dolly-shaped silhouette appeared on the screen.

“The alliance is about to collapse.”

His finger pressed the dial, activating the core—his body transformed into the disc-shaped creature he’d drawn earlier: Nova.

Qi Ming first shrank into miniature Nova—appearing as nothing more than a red dolly.

He drifted slowly toward a Crowman armed with a rifle, then unleashed a massive jet of crimson mist, engulfing it.

This was Nova’s [Crimson Madness Gas]—when sprayed, it drove creatures into violent frenzy; in the original plot, it drove countless citizens into mindless destruction.

The Crowman shrieked—a crimson chain appeared around its neck, signaling it had been affected.

It went berserk, firing its miniaturized ray gun and knocking down another patrolling Crowman.

“Hey, are you insane?”

Compared to the fully frenzied opponent who no longer cared about bodily damage, the normal Crowmen were clearly outmatched.

At that moment, nearby Kaiterians rushed over upon hearing the commotion.

Without hesitation, Qi Ming sprayed them with Crimson Madness Gas.

“Ugh…” After struggling briefly, the Kaiterian’s neck also bore a crimson chain.

It, too, became “completely insane.”

“Roar!” The Kaiterian let out a bestial growl, wielding a short blade, slicing the nearby Crowman in half, then began slashing at anyone in sight.

The show has begun.

(End of Chapter)