Chapter 1161
, 6th Division, Yiyuan Hall: No! Yes! No way!!
Meanwhile, on the other side, Rokufen Gigendo was already on the verge of collapse, in extremely bad condition! He exuded a desperate and violent aura, his eyes were bloodshot, and his hands were gripping his hair tightly, his knuckles white, almost tearing the hair off.
"Yui! Yui!!!" he roared, his voice hoarse and broken, filled with heart-wrenching pain, "How can I live without you!!!"
He knew better than anyone that the person he held dearest in his heart, the one he had cherished his entire life, had been taken away by Cui Ming. What did this mean?! It meant that his only hope, his only pillar of support, had completely left him!
"No!!!! Yui! You can't!!!!" Rokubungi Gendo collapsed to the ground, pounding his fists on the floor, his forehead pressed against the cold floor, his voice filled with desperate pleas, tears mixed with resentment streaming down his face.
He knew perfectly well that the Yui who followed Cui Ming was not the Yui from his world, not the lover he cherished so deeply and could never forget. But even knowing this, he was still completely overwhelmed. That face, that aura, even if it was just a resemblance, had already been etched into his very bones and become an obsession he could not let go of.
"Why! Yui! Why did you leave me?!" He raised his head, his eyes empty and obsessive, roaring at the air as if Yui were right in front of him, "Look at me! Look at me!!! I've been waiting for you, I've been looking for you!"
Despair and resentment overwhelmed him like a tidal wave. He curled up on the ground, trembling all over, with only heart-wrenching howls and pleas left. The pain that penetrated to the bone was almost consuming him completely.
Meanwhile, Cui Ming had already calmed down the agitated Misato, and the argument in the living room gradually subsided. He looked at Ritsuko and Yui, whose eyes still held shock and a hint of bewilderment, and knew that everything that had happened today had greatly impacted their worldview—monsters, Ultraman, unknown powers, each one beyond their comprehension.
Cui Ming sighed softly, pulled up a chair and sat down. His tone softened, and he spoke with a self-deprecating smile: "Alright, stop looking so absent-minded. Let me tell you some of my unlucky stories from the past. After you hear them, you'll probably think that what happened today isn't so outrageous."
He thought that rather than letting them remain trapped in the confusion of their collapsing worldviews, he could use his own embarrassing experiences to help them relax and gradually return to normal—after all, compared to those terrifying monsters and unknown threats, his own unfortunate experiences might make them feel a little better.
Upon hearing this, Ritsuko raised an eyebrow, her previous slyness vanished, and she looked over with curiosity; Ikari also loosened her grip on Choi Myung's wrist, sat up straight, and the confusion in her eyes faded, replaced by a hint of anticipation; Misato leaned against Choi Myung, huffing angrily, but did not interrupt him; Zeppelin sat to the side, smiling gently, waiting quietly.
Cui Ming cleared his throat, his previous joking tone replaced by a hint of self-deprecating humor, and slowly began to speak: "Alright, let's not talk about anything else. Let me tell you a story about the Earth Defense Force—in the story there's an unlucky guy who was just an ordinary person, but was inexplicably caught up in a world-class crisis that he couldn't escape."
He paused, looked at the curious group of people in front of him, and raised an eyebrow slightly: "And then, well, I had no choice but to bite the bullet and join the Earth Defense Force. I thought I would have teammates to look after me, but guess what? In every battle, I ended up alone."
“No matter how fast I get to the battlefield, by the time I arrive, my teammates have already been scattered by the monsters. They are either injured and forced to retreat, or trapped somewhere else. Every time, I am alone, guarding the empty battlefield and enduring all the dangers.” Cui Ming’s tone was flat, without much emotion, as if he were talking about someone else’s affairs. “And that unlucky guy, you can guess without me saying it—it’s me.”
“Back then, I had no power to transform, no Ultraman, no monsters to help me, and no trump cards. I could only rely on my own hands and my own courage to survive step by step on the battlefield. Even though I was covered in wounds, I could only grit my teeth and continue fighting.” As soon as Cui Ming finished speaking, Zeppelin, who was sitting next to him, smiled and gently added to his story, her tone tinged with heartache and helplessness: “Let me add a few words. He was even more unlucky than he described. He saved Asuka and me, and his body was covered in wounds from the monsters’ attacks. He didn’t even have time to catch his breath or treat his wounds. After receiving the news, he rushed to the next battlefield without even having time to accept the medicine we offered.”
"Another time, to cover the civilians' retreat, he single-handedly held off a monster. By the time his teammates arrived, he was barely able to stand, but he still insisted that he was fine." As Zeppelin spoke, he glanced at Cui Ming gently, his eyes full of tender smiles.
Cui Ming waved his hand with a smile: "That's all in the past, don't mention it. The worst was yet to come—back then, a super imperial metropolis, even bigger than the entire city, appeared, causing destruction everywhere. I used all my strength to dismantle that behemoth bit by bit, and just as I breathed a sigh of relief, I was hit by the falling debris of the metropolis. When I opened my eyes, I had been transported to another world. It was from that time that I slowly gained the powers I have now."
The living room was silent. Ritsuko and Yui sat there, their curiosity long gone, replaced by blank stares, wide-eyed, and slightly agape mouths, unable to utter a word for a long time.
They originally thought that the monsters and Ultraman they encountered today were outrageous enough, but after hearing Cui Ming's story, they realized that what was truly outrageous was Cui Ming's life.
Cui Ming... his life is truly tragic.
Miri also put aside her previous temper and looked at Choi Myung with more heartache in her eyes, gently tugging at his arm; Zeppelin held Choi Myung's hand, silently comforting him, her eyes filled with even more tenderness.
"Alright, it's all over now."
Zeppelin gently stood up, opened his arms, and tenderly hugged Cui Ming, his tone full of comfort and heartache, hiding all his care in this embrace.
"."
A brief silence fell over the living room again. Ritsuko looked at Choi Myung, who was being held by Zeppelin, and subconsciously touched her chin. The curiosity in her eyes gradually turned into understanding. She thought to herself: Looking at it this way, Choi Myung is actually quite nice.
Despite having gone through so many unlucky and difficult things, he can still talk about them with a smile, and even try to comfort them with his embarrassing stories. Shedding his fierce Ultraman persona, the gentleness and responsibility hidden deep within him truly gives people a great sense of security. (End of Chapter)