Hello, you must be Obik who lives in Hikono Street?

"Alright, everyone."

Captain Megumi stood up, and the crisp sound of her clapping invigorated everyone. She glanced around at her slightly tired team members, but her eyes remained sharp and determined.

"With the recent spate of monster attacks, TPC's top brass has approved a comprehensive strategic plan. We will be upgrading the armament of all our bases around the world, and the 'Second Generation' project has officially begun."

She paused, then spoke with a firm and resonant voice.

"Our Victory Team also needs to expand! We'll add more equipment and personnel to cope with the increasingly severe monster threat!"

"Lina, a member of the team; Xincheng, a member of the team."

Megumi's gaze fell on the two ace pilots. "The Max Propulsion System has passed combat testing, and the new fighter jets equipped with the system have officially entered service and will soon be deployed to our unit. At that time, all combat units will have to relearn how to fly."

"in addition."

Her words carried a hint of excitement, "A brand-new heavy space carrier, the Agdis, is also about to be delivered to our Far East headquarters. Everyone, we must not let Ultraman fight alone!"

Mothership!

This word made Xincheng's eyes light up instantly.

Great, now we can fly big planes.

Yagdis: Buhou!

"Once the second-phase training is complete, they will be immediately deployed to the front lines of combat. Regarding the selection of new recruits, if anyone has any recommendations, please let me know now."

Upon hearing this question, Daigo immediately thought of Lin Yu.

But then he thought about it again. Lin Yu was already taking on almost all the battles. He was either fighting monsters or on his way to fight monsters every day.

If he were to participate in the Victory Team's training and daily duties, it would be like giving him no chance to breathe at all.

Thinking of this, Daigo silently suppressed the thought, then awkwardly scratched his face, feeling that he was being a little shameless, and smiled sheepishly.

Lina glanced at the dazed Daigo and pursed her lips.

Daigo, what are you thinking about?

On the other side, Lin Yu had deactivated his transformation and returned to human form. After traveling for some time, he arrived at a city next to a small mountain.

He walked along the streets of Hikono in the evening, feeling the breeze brushing against his cheeks, and took a deep breath.

There was no gunpowder smoke in the air, only the enticing aromas wafting from nearby snack shops.

He looked around and realized it was still early.

In that case, let's wait and see.

He found a bench on the street, stretched comfortably, and then turned his gaze to the ancient shrine at the end of the street.

The monster he was waiting for was "Obik," who had always protected this street.

Time slips away quietly.

Night fell like deep blue ink, slowly staining the sky above Hikono Street.

One by one, the streetlights lit up, casting a warm orange-yellow glow that lengthened and shortened the shadows of people returning home from get off work.

"call……"

Lin Yu woke up from his light sleep on the park bench and let out a long breath.

Three consecutive days of intense fighting had pushed him to his limit, and the relaxation he was experiencing now brought waves of fatigue.

A rich aroma, carrying the scents of soy sauce and bonito flakes, wafted over on the evening breeze.

It smells like buckwheat noodles.

He followed the aroma and saw a quaint wooden handcart parked under a streetlamp not far away, with a lantern hanging on it that read "soba" (buckwheat noodles).

A slender, bald, middle-aged man with a beard was skillfully working in front of a pot, the rising steam obscuring his slightly worried face.

As expected, Obik appeared.

It's just that your human-shaped face looks like a monster's face, both of them are suffering. It's too distinctive.

Lin Yu stood up, stretched, and walked towards the noodle stall.

"Boss, a bowl of noodles, please."

"Okay."

The owner's voice was a little hoarse. He scooped the noodles out of the boiling water, shrugged them dry, put them in a bowl, and then poured hot broth over them.

"Please use it."

Lin Yu took the steaming bowl of noodles, thanked him, and sat down on a small stool in front of the stall to eat heartily.

The noodles were chewy and the broth was delicious. A warm current spread from my stomach to my whole body, dispelling the last trace of fatigue from days of fighting.

"Boss, your cooking is really good."

Lin Yu exclaimed sincerely, "This broth has a very aged feel to it; it tastes just like it did many years ago."

The stall owner paused in wiping the cutting board, looked up at Lin Yu, and the faint sorrow on his face seemed to ease a little. "Yes, this is an old recipe passed down from our village. Nowadays, young people rarely taste this old flavor anymore."

His voice was a little hoarse. "This village has changed too fast."

"Yes, as more and more high-rise buildings are being built, the traces of the past are becoming less and less," Lin Yu agreed.

Sure enough, the stall owner started talking. He put down his work, walked outside his stall, pointed to a brightly lit construction site in the distance, and his eyes were filled with sadness and nostalgia.

"This place wasn't like this before. This... is our village."

"Right there."

He raised his thin hand and pointed to a construction site not far away, where the outlines of several abandoned excavators could be vaguely seen. "That used to be the watchtower at the entrance of the village. Every day, you could see the sun rise over the other side of the mountain. Behind the watchtower, there was a stream. In the summer, the children loved to go there to catch fish."

"Once you cross the stream, you can see the entire lotus pond from above!"

As he spoke, his emotions gradually intensified, as if those scenes were unfolding before his eyes. "But now, nothing is left. They've all forgotten what they were going to do here—build a commercial center, a health center! They've forgotten everything!"

The stall owner became more and more agitated as he spoke, and his body even trembled slightly.

He longed for someone to remember, to remember what the village used to look like, and to remember him.

"To be completely forgotten is to die in the true sense of the word," Lin Yu said softly, putting down his empty bowl.

Like an ancient civilization, when the last person who knew it turned to dust, that glorious history was reduced to cold ruins, devoid of any warmth.

These words were like a key, instantly unlocking the last gate in the stall owner's heart.

He looked at Lin Yu with eyes full of recognition, as if he had found his only confidant.

"If everyone forgets, what's the point of the so-called past?" Lin Yu said, as if talking to himself, or perhaps asking him.

"That's why we can't forget!" the boss said excitedly.

"Boss, another bowl, please."

Lin Yu didn't say anything more, but just lowered his head and ate his noodles.

The second bowl.

The third bowl.

The fifth bowl.

When Lin Yu neatly stacked the tenth empty bowl next to him, the noodle stall owner finally couldn't sit still any longer.

He looked at Lin Yu's calm face and his posture that seemed ready to fight another three hundred rounds, his eyes filled with unease and vigilance.

This man was strange from the moment he appeared; he didn't seem like an ordinary diner.

"Who...who exactly are you?" The boss's voice trembled slightly, and he subconsciously gripped the soup spoon beside him. "What do you want from me? Do you...want me to give up?"

He took a step forward, his hunched body seemingly straightening slightly, a faint glint of ferocity in his eyes, attempting to intimidate the human before him with his monstrous aura. "I'm telling you, I won't leave! This is my home! No one can drive me away!"

Lin Yu put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a napkin, looked up at him with clear eyes, and said, "Obik."

The boss, who was also the monster Obik, suddenly shuddered, and the disguise on his face vanished instantly, replaced by utter shock.

I'll blanch it, box!