章節 429: Untitled
As expected, the final scene of Episode 5, featuring the conversation between Tōno and Gamu, revealed that the two walked entirely different paths.
To Tōno, humanity's reckless consumption of Earth's resources and pollution of the environment was unforgivable.
Ultramen weren't obligated to protect humans—they existed to safeguard the Earth itself.
Tōno even urged Gamu to quit the Lightning Team and join him.
"That's... actually not wrong," murmured Fatty's father as he stroked his chin while watching the episode at home.
Tōno's words struck a chord, not just in the show's context but in real life. Humanity had been recklessly exploiting the Earth for centuries—polluting the atmosphere, melting glaciers, raising sea levels, and overmining resources.
Even worse, some countries exploited these resources irresponsibly, selling them at ridiculously low prices. Recently, Japan's decision to release nuclear waste into the ocean, claiming it met "safety standards," was a hot topic of outrage.
If it was so "safe," why didn't they handle it domestically?
It was easy to imagine a scenario straight out of Ultraman Tiga, where mutated sea monsters rose from the depths due to nuclear contamination.
"Absolutely not!"
Fatty, who had been listening to his dad, immediately shouted in protest.
"Ultraman fights to protect humans! He is both the light and a part of humanity!"
"Yes, yes, you're absolutely right."
Fatty's father, Liu Lei, knew better than to argue with his son about Ultraman. The kid was stubborn about anything involving his favorite show. If Liu Lei dared to contradict him, this little rascal would argue for hours. For the sake of peace, he decided to humor him.
Online, the episode sparked a heated debate.
"So, Agul is definitely the villain, right?"
"Villain? I don't think so. Agul isn't wrong—this universe's setup is different from Ultraman Tiga. Gaia represents the Earth's goddess, Gaia, so it's logical that his role is to protect the planet, not just humans."
"Exactly! Humanity has been way too careless, destroying the environment and thinking only about themselves."
"This setup is brilliant. Two Ultramen with opposing ideals clashing—it's such a fresh take. I really hope it doesn't go down the route of Naruto, where Gaia 'talks no jutsu' Agul into submission. Let their differences be resolved through actions, not words."
"Totally agree. Naruto was great, but Naruto's legendary Talk no Jutsu convincing Nagato was a bit much."
Fans were thrilled by the philosophical conflict between Gaia and Agul.
Would the two reconcile, like Naruto and his rivals? Or would their differences lead to a climactic battle, like in Kamen Rider Amazons?
Either way, the two episodes this week had stoked massive excitement, pushing Ultraman Gaia's popularity to new heights.
At the same time, the World Cup was underway.
Even people who typically didn't follow soccer found themselves drawn into discussions, thanks to the tournament's hype.
However, most conversations weren't optimistic about China's chances.
"They'll never make it past the group stage," was the consensus online.
Ren agreed with this sentiment. But that didn't stop him from watching.
Late at Night
Ren's bedroom was pitch black, with only faint moonlight streaming through the curtains.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes and glanced at Jada sleeping beside him. Moving quietly, he got out of bed and tiptoed to the living room.
Jada hadn't forbidden him from watching the games outright, but she wasn't thrilled about it either. His loud reactions during past matches had disturbed Yueyue's sleep, leading to a scolding from her teacher the next day.
Ren grabbed his tablet, plugged in his earphones, and settled on the couch to watch the match.
"Tonight, China faces Turkey! The Turkish team has adopted an aggressive offensive strategy, repeatedly pressing towards China's goal. However, the Chinese team, as always, has opted for a defensive counterattack, focusing on shoring up their backline before looking for opportunities to strike... Oh! The captain, Zheng Tao, has stolen the ball!"
"Beautiful! A nutmeg! Amazing move—Zheng Tao's skill and experience caught Kamali completely off guard!"
Ren clenched his fist, his excitement boiling over.
"Yes! Good job!"
Soccer's universal appeal was undeniable. Even though he tried to keep quiet, the sheer intensity of the match made him lose control.
But moments later, Ren slapped his thigh in frustration.
Zheng Tao's clever pass had reached Jiang Haiming, but instead of making a decisive play, Jiang attempted a flashy feint. The opposing defender wasn't fooled and easily stole the ball.
"Come on! Stop messing around!"
As Ren grumbled, he felt a sudden tap on his shoulder. Reflexively, he waved the hand away, but then he froze. Slowly, he turned to see who it was.
Standing behind him was Jada, wearing her nightgown, arms crossed, and glaring at him with a disapproving look.
Beside her was Yueyue, rubbing her sleepy eyes. "Daddy, you woke me up again..."
"Woke me up!" echoed Little White, parroting Yueyue's words.
"I told you not to watch!" Jada said, exasperated. "Do you have any idea how loud you are when you watch soccer?"
"Uh... haha..." Ren scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "But it's the World Cup! And it's China's game! Just this once—Yueyue doesn't even have school tomorrow!"
"What do you think, Yueyue?" Jada asked, turning to her daughter.
"...No! I want to sleep..." Yueyue mumbled, but her eyes soon drifted toward Ren.
Ren smirked and pulled out his secret weapon: a bag of Yueyue's favorite snacks.
"Look, these are all your favorite treats! If you let me watch the game tonight, they're all yours!"
Yueyue's eyes sparkled as she stared at the snacks. Without hesitation, she nodded.
"I agree! Daddy, watch as much as you want!"
Jada sighed, defeated. "You and your bribes..."
Ren grinned victoriously, tossing Yueyue the bag of snacks and turning back to his tablet, ready to enjoy the rest of the game.
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