In a ward at Hangzhou First Hospital, Ye Feng's upper body was wrapped in bandages. Medicated patches were plastered across his arms and face, evidence of severe injuries. Yet, he paid these wounds no mind, lying silently on the hospital bed with his gaze fixed on the window, staring blankly at whatever lay beyond.
Qin Yuxin tilted her head, looking at the man beside her who shared a similar facial structure but was several years older. "Brother, Ye Feng... he'll be alright, won't he?"
The man she addressed as "Brother" was Qin Tianyi, who had rushed over from Diaoyu Island. He gave his sister a suspicious look, then glanced at Ye Feng in the resting area. He felt an ominous premonition in his gut, but spoke truthfully: "The injuries on his body aren't actually that severe. It's just his spirit... that seems a bit unwell."
Qin Tianyi had arrived shortly after Cosmos reverted to Luna Mode. Upon his arrival, he found Queen Tortoise seemingly lost in a frenzy; she had scooped the egg into her mouth and launched a manic assault on Cosmos. Faced with her attacks, Cosmos acted as if he hadn't fully woken up, allowing her to strike him repeatedly until he dissipated into light particles and vanished from the field.
Seeing this, Qin Tianyi immediately fused with his monster. When the Class SS energy fluctuation appeared, Queen Tortoise realized the situation was dire and fled instantly. Since Qin Tianyi's fused monster lacked flight capabilities, he had to give up the pursuit and instead focus on retrieving Ye Feng. After locating his sister, Qin Yuxin, in Yingtian, he brought them both back to Hangzhou.
The reason he claimed there was a spiritual issue was that Qin Tianyi had watched the playback of the entire battle. Though he didn't understand why the kid had suddenly unleashed a destructive ray to kill King Tortoise, he could tell everything from how Ye Feng stood there and took the beating afterward. Ye Feng clearly felt his life wasn't worth much; he realized too late what he had done and allowed Queen Tortoise to vent her rage, which led to his current state.
"Then Brother, is there any way to help him?"
"It's useless. He has to walk out of this on his own, otherwise... sigh~"
Glancing at the vacant-eyed Ye Feng, Qin Tianyi turned back to his sister. "Alright, hurry up and go home. Mom and Dad are waiting for you. Something this big happened and you haven't even reported that you're safe; what are you doing staring at this kid?"
He had a bad feeling—he couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew he had to get his sister away.
"I'm Ye Feng's classmate, I should watch over—"
"No!"
"Classmates are one thing, but your parents are worried sick. Get back home right now!" For some reason, the more his sister mentioned Ye Feng, the stronger that ominous premonition became. Fearing complications, Qin Tianyi quickly ushered his sister out of the room.
"Stupid big brother, you just wait!" Forcibly sent out of the hospital, Qin Yuxin huffily hailed a taxi and headed home.
"Hmph. As long as I don't go back, what can you do to me?" Qin Tianyi watched the departing taxi provocatively before opening his PDI to establish contact. "What's the status? Where did Queen Tortoise go?"
"Satellites have found no trace of Queen Tortoise. Unless she actively exposes herself, we can't track her."
"Is that so..." After a moment of thought, Qin Tianyi continued, "Then keep a twenty-four-hour watch. We must find her. Once the location is confirmed, notify me immediately."
"Understood, Captain Qin. However..."
"However what?"
"It's like this: while recovering King Tortoise's corpse, a bizarre black vortex appeared and took it away."
Hearing this, Qin Tianyi's brows twitched. "So, even King Tortoise's body is gone?"
"Correct. The origin of the black vortex is strange; it's very similar to how the Chaos Header appeared years ago. Also, according to our observations, King Tortoise and Queen Tortoise were possessed by a substance similar to the Chaos virus, which caused their extreme aggression."
"I see..." Qin Tianyi rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. "You're not trying to tell me that another lifeform similar to the Chaos virus has appeared, are you?"
"According to the results of the observation report, that is exactly the case." On the other end of the line, the operator offered a rare, grim attempt at a joke that made Qin Tianyi's mouth twitch.
Hanging up, Qin Tianyi looked back at the hospital, specifically at the private room where Ye Feng was staying. 'I hope you recover quickly. Otherwise, we might not be able to handle this new lifeform...'
Recalling how even Ultraman Cosmos couldn't fully purify the Tortoise couple, Qin Tianyi felt a wave of anxiety. To think that just as the problem of the Chaos Header was being resolved, a new unknown lifeform had appeared. It felt as if the world simply didn't want the Earth to have peace, throwing one crisis after another at them.
By the hospital window, Ye Feng stood silently, admiring the bright full moon in the sky.
"Am I really suited for you... Cosmos?"
Raising the Cosmos Stone in his hand toward the moon, Ye Feng suddenly let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Just as I thought. Being an Ultra Warrior or whatever... it doesn't suit me at all. I am not that 'Warrior of Kindness'..."
Because the Light of Cosmos resided within him, Ye Feng had instinctively assumed he was the incarnation of Cosmos. But thinking of the battle today—how he couldn't even save a monster infected by negative energy—what kind of kind hero was he? What kind of Ultra Warrior?
A hero?
Ha. Just an ordinary person who happened to get lucky with the Light...
He tossed the Cosmos Stone carelessly onto the bedside table, lay down, and as a wave of exhaustion hit, he silently closed his eyes.
However, Ye Feng's sleep was anything but peaceful. As soon as he drifted off, he saw himself from a third-person perspective. The beam that should have been Luna Extract began to fluctuate along with Cosmos' body, slowly becoming enveloped in a crimson glow. Then, as the red and silver Corona Mode appeared, the purification power transformed into a devastating ray of destruction.
A conscious King Tortoise stood up, protected his mate, spat out an egg, and died with a tear in his eye. The moment the dream reached this point, Ye Feng became Cosmos again. The mournful wail of Queen Tortoise echoed in his ears, and Ye Feng was gripped by terror. Queen Tortoise began to walk toward him; with every step she took, his fear intensified until...
"Don't come any closer!"
Ye Feng sat bolt upright. His shout startled the nurse who had come to check on him, and she froze, too afraid to approach.
Pant... pant... pant...
Gasping for air, Ye Feng realized he was drenched in sweat. Looking at the sunlight streaming into the room and the timid nurse standing aside, he knew he had just had a terrifying nightmare. He felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion. Glancing at the trembling nurse, he waved his hand dismissively. "Go out. I don't need any care for now."
"O-okay..." The nurse's voice shook. Clearly, Ye Feng's sudden shout had scared the wits out of her. Now given permission to leave, she scrambled out of the room.
SLAM!
The ward door shut heavily, leaving Ye Feng with a bitter smile. He must have looked quite terrifying just now; otherwise, he wouldn't have scared her off like that.