Author: Michael Zamar | Banner: Vincent Rodger

When one was thousands of years old, they were no stranger to losing those they loved. But that didn’t necessarily mean witnessing death got any easier.

The concept of death was one Ultraman knew ever since he was a child. It was no secret that heroic Ultras could fall in battle while protecting their kind and others across the cosmos. Nor was it any secret that allies could very well perish while trying to protect the ones that survived. He had been told that ever since he had started training, and in his many years he had witnessed hundreds, if not thousands, of funerals both big and small.

Yet, whenever it was one he had grown closer to, he couldn’t help but feel a long-lasting pain in his heart. One that wouldn’t truly fade until years down the line, no matter how much he thought about the times they had shared, or tried to stop thinking about the “what could have been”. It reminded him that life was fragile, and that even the mightiest titans could fall. His current thoughts had led him back to Earth, where he had shrunken down to the size of a regular man, hidden away from civilization to be alone with his thoughts.

He watched the skies. And it reminded him when one of the world’s finest heroes once flew across them… As well as the time where it was shrouded with shadows.

******

1995

Soaring through the skies, Ultraman tried to hit an ever moving target, the bioengineered destroyer moving faster than lightning. Hordes of winged beasts had suddenly sprouted across Japan, and he had been enlisted to investigate. A threat from centuries’ past had come back to haunt the modern world; planning to go forth until the entire planet became their personal buffet.

The Gyaos. Beings created by the people of Atlantis to clean up their trash, only for their appetites to become outright hypervorous and uncontrollable. Turning on their masters, they single-handedly led to the empire’s fall, the first round of resistance not enough to stop their constant assault. Turtle-based lifeforms who acted as guardians, the protection that they had set up for themselves, fell in the midst of battle. Now, it was up to the current heroes to finish what they had started.

Or, at least, so he thought.

The winged creature shot out its Sonic Scalpel, piercing the Ultra’s hand. Crying out in shock, he nearly fell flat on his face. Blood pulsing out of a silver palm, he tried to ignore it as a call rang through the sky and a 60-meter tall being landed on the nearby bridge. Red scales brightened by the sunset, the Gyaos gazed at him with hungry eyes as it prepared to dive down and finish the job. Another beam readied to fire in its mouth, trying to slice open the neck muscles.

Someone else struck first.

A fireball shot through the sky, barely grazing Ultraman’s head fin before striking the overgrown bat in the chest, scorching flesh. It withered around in pain, trying to get back on its feet, its eyes darting to find the source of the attack. Footsteps rang across the forest, signaling something else was near. But there wasn’t any malevolent presence, something Ultraman could sense from the minute it had arrived.

Turning around, he saw a rather giant shape just beyond the horizon. A massive fortress covered the new arrival’s back, tusks protruding from each side of his mouth. In the shape of a massive tortoise came the Atlantean’s Last Hope.

Gamera, last of his kind, against the remaining dozens of sworn enemies.

By the time Ultraman had got to his knees, Gamera had nearly not paid him any mind. He was no stranger to looking at massive humanoids in his past; but something about the biology of this one seemed rather strange. He had been granted the ability to tap into the Earth’s energy, along with knowing all the lifeforms that were born within it. Yet the silver giant appeared to be an outsider.

Though, had it been a threat, what was stopping it from attacking the turtle where he stood?

His muscles had begun to untense, and instead of rage, he looked at the Ultra with a newfound sense of wonder and curiosity; emotions he had not felt for eons. Ultraman had replied in kind. The patterns laced across Gamera’s stomach told him the newcomer was one created by the likes of bioengineering instead of birthed by Mother Nature. Whatever tensions between them had shimmered down, giving way to a sense of understanding.

This was no destroyer. Rather, a defender.

And now, they had a common foe. The Gyaos had begun to recover and got back to its feet with an ear-piercing shriek. Its wings were sore from such a rough landing, but it still managed to fly. It dove down, trying to strike two targets at once.

Ultraman, however, caught it in his tracks. His fingers completely straightened, thin, yellow beams caught the winged beast by the head and chest, keeping it still to the point only the eyes could continue to move. Not wasting even a second, a razor disk of blue energy emerged from his right arm, and he sent it forward, easily cutting straight through the skull and the rest of the body.

Once the psychokinesis had worn off, the Gyaos fell to the ground, each half of its body crashing to the ground with a rather nauseating squelch.

With some surprise of how quickly the humanoid had handled the situation, Gamera found himself revisioning his future steps. Suddenly, his one man fight suddenly had grown to have another by his side. If he could have another in his fight against the Shadow of Evil, the odds of him coming out victorious were sure to have gone up. Plus, could he really say he wanted to bear this task all by himself?

All of his brethren were gone, but the task they left behind lived on through his soul. And they certainly wouldn’t want him to be alone in his journey. It was the least he could do.

So, in ways only beings like him could truly understand, Gamera had asked Ultraman for any future aid he could offer. And the extraterrestrial had agreed. Just moments after they had arrived in the forest, they had set out towards wider pastures, and to take care of a now common enemy.

And that was just the beginning. What started as a crusade against the darkness had grown into something that would last for years to come. Together, they had fought the parasitic marauder Legion, the ancient sea dragon Dagahra, and even put a stop to the celestial Dogora. Gaining allies from both Earth and beyond, they were seen as the finest symbols of hope, and the finest Guardians of the Universe. Gamera and Ultraman hadn’t just become partners in crime, they were friends. Ones who seemed fit to continue working together till millennia to come.

…If only that was how history truly unfolded.

******

2000

The night skies of Tokyo were filled with the cries of war and screams of horror. Those who had not found a safe haven were likely to be nothing but a feast for the vicious vampires that swarmed the heavens. The Gyaos were thousands strong, and the streets were packed to the brim with bones, limbs, and blood. Many of Earth’s guardians had risen to fight them, but so too had many fallen in the midst of warfare.

Gruesome sights were strewn about, creating a horrible scene. Battra’s torn wing laid next to Mechagodzilla’s top half. That was only the beginning of it all, barely accounting for all the bodies that laid across the streets and on top of destroyed buildings. The famed Tokyo Tower was cut in two like a knife through butter, the remains of the upper half broken into pieces once it hit the earth beneath.

If an Ultra could produce tears, Ultraman would have likely wept. But he couldn’t stop just to tend to his feelings. Not when there was still a battle to be won. But with his Color Timer beginning to flash red, he knew he had only so much time until he either made a hasty and temporary retreat, or was possibly even forced to face his own demise.

But if this was the end, he wouldn’t go gently into the night.

With a running start, he raced back into the fray and joined his remaining allies against the war. Mothra cried out as her Prism Beams punctured the skin of the Gyaos swarm, destroying the wing membranes as the overgrown vampires fell to the ground. King Kong’s entire body was covered in blue electricity, the shocks rattling bones and surging into black hearts until they ceased beating. The cacophony was almost enough to make his ears bleed, but his fist held steady as three of them had caught his sight.

Each Gyaos was following their now dead master, a mutant of their kind. However, with the Ryuseicho dead, they had gone rampant. Only continuing their feeding frenzy until there was nothing on Earth to satisfy their carnivorous needs. Everything that had resisted was seen as a foe, but they were miniscule compared to their last true enemy, and the one who led the charge.

But alas, Gamera’s time in the battlefield seemed like it was just about ready to come to an end.

In his previous conflict, he had been gravely injured. His right arm had lost every nerve in its system in his battle with the mutant, forcing him to self amputate. Yet even with waning strength, he persevered till the very end. His rockets acted as a light in the night sky, signaling his presence as fireballs blew members of the horde into charred chunks. They merely fell to the ground below, lifeless as could be, but there were still hundreds left to go, and no one was really sure how much more he could truly take. Especially against “the big one.”

Larger than the rest, and with skin white as snow, the eighty meter beast eyed the chelonian with hunger. He was her main target; and all of Gamera’s allies were his bodyguards. Sensing an attack coming her way, the Albino Gyaos flew upwards, narrowly dodging an atomic ray that shot into the sky. Looking back down below, she quickly saw Godzilla beckoning her for a fight. She didn’t want to lose her target, but she realized the radioactive mutant was simply too dangerous to be left unchecked. She moved down, ready to fight the King of Monsters head on.

But she was intercepted. Ultraman had slammed into her with his shoulder, knocking her into one of the few remaining buildings standing. In a daze, the white vampire tried to stand, only to nearly be knocked down again when a fireball scorched her back. Rodan had also joined the fray, having finally shook off the smaller brethren of the Gyaos leader.

It was clear this battle was going nowhere fast, so she opted for a different way to settle the conflict. Her head snapped upward, shrieking to the sky. A call to arms.

Encircling the skies, many smaller Gyaos eyed the tortoise with an enraged gaze. They flew in in a pattern, attacking his unarmored scales relentlessly. He fended them off, some of them having their wings torn asunder while others were merely slapped to the ground, but they simply kept on coming.

Quickly attempting to save his friend, Ultraman leapt back into the sky, but he too was overwhelmed. He was rapidly losing sunlight, and barely had any time to find an exit to recharge. He was forced to make a split decision, trying to ensure a friend’s survival while not sacrificing his own.

Cutting through the crowd with an Ultra Slash, he aimed it upwards just as he shot towards outer space, three Gyaos starting to follow. Good.

Soaring past the clouds, the bats followed as they tried to pierce the skin with their sonic scalpel. Ultraman rapidly dodged, feeling the light of the star already piercing his skin and recharging his Color Timer. All he had to do was reach a bit farther…

Soon enough, he had breached Earth entirely, and the Gyaos had run out of oxygen. Passing out, they fell back to the ground and disappeared into the clouds. Having taken care of some of the threats, he brought himself a minute to recover and breathe, ragged breaths turning into more controlled ones as he felt his strength slowly return. But alas, he did not have all the time in the world; especially not when one he cherished was still at stake.

The second his Timer had finally returned to its blue tone, it was straight back to the battlefield. But the moment he eyed the Earth, he had noticed something that rattled him to the core.

The last remnants of Earth’s mana were fading…

After spending so many years on Earth, he too learned the importance of Mana, the energy that had fueled the world. Alas, in the fight against Legion, Gamera had been forced to use a vast majority in order to defeat the extraterrestrial. That was exactly how the Gyaos had reappeared in such vast quantities to begin with, and arguably even led to the reawakening of the mutant. Now, the only new bits of energy the Earth had received were when a lifeform on it eventually passed on, the energy they had left their shells and returned back to the core.

So why was it fading away?

No, it was not fading. It was being absorbed. Gamera was using up whatever was left to fuel himself! An attempt to keep himself in the fight as long as he could… But one with a devastating cost. If he lived, the mana would almost certainly be returned to the planet, but if he met a grizzly fate, it would likely be gone for good. With haste, Ultraman raced back down towards the blue planet, his form surrounded by fire as he reentered the atmosphere and broke the sound barrier three times over. Landing so hard he nearly broke his knees, he raced to find his friend, only to find them still struggling in the sky. He tried to race after them, only to have his chest cut open by a round of sonic scalpels that stopped him in his tracks from the piercing pain.

It was a terrifying scene as both ancient colossi continued to tear apart the other, their forms covered in both purple and green blood. Having specifically led her underlings to distract every other giant in the vicinity, the Albino Gyaos had decided to settle the rivalry all on her own. Neither had a true advantage, but it was obvious they were not giving in. A duel that was destined to go until their dying breaths.

Trying to end it as fast as he could, Gamera used every last bit of Mana for one final Plasma Fireball, the orange energy charging in his maw. The lead Gyaos, however, wasn’t having it. Charging back in with a horrifying shriek of rage, her wings folded into a v-shape as she dove down to deliver what she too hoped would be the final blow.

It was a move neither side had fully calculated.

The moment the white Gyaos met her longtime foe, her speared tongue shot out to pierce his neck. When Gamera reared his head back to fire his ultimate attack, he failed to notice her ongoing speed, and to fire before disaster struck. The moment the speared organ shot forth, it had pierced his neck, only to be immediately scorched the moment the superheated Mana touched it, burning the tongue to a crisp.

But it was too late.

Jammed inside of a body with nowhere to go, the fiery mana began to force itself out of any exit it possibly could. Gamera’s missing hand began to glow a mystical orange as similar lights began to burst through his iron fortress. As the Gyaos shouted in pain and the loss of her lingua, she had failed to notice the scene amongst her oncoming agony. And with most of the resistance on the ground, none of them could alert anyone else on what was about to transpire.

At last, with every bit of power trapped in his body escaping at once, Gamera had exploded.

Almost immediately, the albino Gyaos was completely incinerated, with not even bones remaining. Many of the others still in the air were next to go, skins bursting at the seams and melting until only slag was left. Mothra quite nearly became a victim of the inferno herself, had Rodan not swooped in and carried her to a place the fire could not reach. But the heat as a whole definitely could, the sweltering temperatures reaching to the ground and forming blisters on the skin of kaiju as night began to turn to day. The sound echoed all across the globe, the low-droning noise being torture on the ears.

Yet, it only lasted mere minutes before it all died down, along with the rest of the noises surrounding the battlefield.

His eyes clearing up, Ultraman yet again eyed the darkness, seeing a plume of smoke surrounding the sky and drawing out even more of the darkness. All was silent, with only the sounds of labored breathing rushing through his ears. But it didn’t take long for him, alongside everyone else, to notice something was terribly wrong. They could feel something missing from the planet, sending a sense of dread straight to their core. The leader of the Gyaos had been vanquished.

But there was no sign of Gamera, and the Mana he held.

Hearts collectively sank, but sadness gave way to unbridled rage. The moment of silence had given way yet again to the sounds of war the moment the defenders of earth got back on their feet and looked towards the heavens shrouded in shadow. And with hands clenched into a fist, one particular champion felt his wrath boil over.

With a howl of anguish, Ultraman had restarted the conflict by shooting into the sky and nearly tearing off a Gyaos’ fist with a powerful punch, causing the rest to follow suit. Soon, Tokyo was free from the winged terrors, and the rest of the world had followed suit in the months that would follow, until the Gyaos were confirmed to be one hundred percent extinct.

It was a hollow victory, however. Especially for the Warrior of Light.

A friend had perished, and nothing had remained of him to even give a proper burial. And while many men and monsters both came along to pay their respects in quite a few different ways, his presence was still sorely absent. While the Gyaos were no more, the lack of Mana had given way to many other threats to try and take the Earth under their tyrannical domain. From the reawakening of Desghidorah, to the advent of the Garogas and their Terror-Beast, the guardians of earth had been working double time to make sure everything was on track.

Two decades had gone by, and things had only marginally improved. Some of the mana had returned via the passing of lives, especially considering the life cycle of the Guardian Moths, but not enough to truly fuel the planet again. Even on a rather clear, sunny day like the one the Ultra was currently bathing in, the temperature felt cold. As if the lack of energy had zapped the world of its warmth. It was obvious at this point there was no easy fix for the Earth.

But in the previous decade, something had made itself known. And it had given the hero new hope.

******

After a battle between Mothra’s son, Leo, and a cephalopod named “Viras”, the world’s governments had begun investigating the conspiracy of a mysterious company called the “Eustace Foundation”. Uncovering a plot that revolved around sacrificing the innocent in order to “purify” mankind, many other genetically engineered lifeforms they had planned to use were discovered. Most of them were either incomplete or still in hibernation. But one, however, was taken from its nest for a study.

Lacking the RNA that would have made the other monsters mad, some had wondered if, with a good enough role-model, it could become another defender of the planet. No x-ray could see through it, so exactly what lifeform it could have been was a mystery for everyone.

Until, about four months later, it hatched to reveal a familiar face. Another Gamera, whose birth had taken the world by storm.

No one knew if this was coincidence or another creation of the Atlanteans, but that mattered little in the face of such a monumental event. Earth’s most beloved guardian would return, sailing the skies to protect the world and save the children once more. Nobody could see him for quite some time, not until the new Gamera was finally ready to begin his career.

When he finally did, the world was awash with conversation, particularly from those who were shielded by him and got to see the new Gamera up close. Others could only watch from a distance, news reports and social media posts their only view of the reborn friend to all children.

Ultraman had fallen into the latter camp. It wasn’t that he was unhappy, but it was clear more time was needed for the chelonian to truly improve his skills. Become the fighter he was meant to be. But finding the right moment to meet with him was tricky. He had plenty of duties outside of Earth after all, and a random entrance certainly wouldn’t be a good first impression if he wanted to gain trust. But the more time passed, the more he realized he couldn’t continue to sit on the sidelines. Forcing himself away because of the past was far from ideal.

Although confronting it head on was even harder…

It was only then he realized his hands were starting to shake, and he had to take a few deep breaths to calm himself back down. In an attempt to recollect his thoughts, he yet again looked towards the horizon.

The chance for him to help continue the legacy of a fallen friend was not one that came often. In most cases, their tales were simply passed down to the next generation. Now, he was staring at said next generation. Training them in general was a part of his duties, but when it came to a situation like this one, and a world itself still feeling as bleak as it could ever be?

“It is the least I can do.”

Making up his mind simply by saying those words out loud, he raised one of his hands to the air. Transforming into his true, 85 meter height, the Warrior of Light shot towards the sky, deciding today would be the day. The Earth had a second chance; and perhaps, he did as well.

******

Borneo Rainforest

Amongst the quiet island, the Child’s Guardian slept.

Gamera loved residing around the cities of the world, but he knew at this point it was impossible for him to live amongst mankind. He at least tried to stay as close as he could, making a home in the Indonesian Archipelago. It was makeshift, but it became home. So much so that the local wildlife had long since gotten used to his presence, the orangutans occasionally using his shell as a playground.

Today, however, it was quiet. Almost too quiet. The howls of wind that were abundant the last few days had calmed down and turned into a simple breeze. The sun had disappeared into the clouds, making today a rather shrouded afternoon. One where Gamera couldn’t help but feel like something was about to happen.

Mere minutes later, he found himself proven correct when he heard something flying across the horizon.

Slowly getting up and disturbing the avian wildlife in the process, the young tortoise had stood to his full one-hundred and twenty meter height. Looking to the sky, he saw a shape burst through the heavens. Humanoid, covered in colorful red and silver skin, he stayed strangely still as he got closer towards the chelonian. Suddenly he began to descend, slowly lowering to the forest floor, almost as if he was carefully trying not to land on any life smaller than him.

He stood up tall, but failed to reach nearly as high as Gamera himself, the turtle effortlessly towering over the alien. This was something the humanoid himself seemed well aware of from how he nearly stepped back in a hint of fear. But soon, regaining his bearings, the new arrival looked up towards the one he hoped to call a friend….

And in a move that shocked the bioengineered beast, he spoke to him.

“Greetings, Gamera.”

He knew his name; and that was enough for the monster to turn apprehensive. Snarling with a clenched fist, one could have almost sworn Gamera’s tusk had grown several lengths as he looked towards the extraterrestrial with fire in his eyes. The ethereal being, however, did not fear, merely raising his hand.

“There is no need to be afraid; but forgive me for the sudden intrusion.” He said to try and explain his stance. “We have much in common, but I had decided to put off any potential meetings until today. Now, I believe it is the perfect time.”

Having gained some understanding of human speech via his interactions with them, the Ultra’s words were arguably even clearer to the tortoise than most others who could understand the dialect. His nerves had calmed down, but he still looked at the alien with a level of suspicion.

“My name is Ultraman,” The extraterrestrial continued to explain. “I have heard much about you, Gamera. Your resolve to defend this world is strong, and you have the prowess to match. But you have never been trained in combat, and because of that, your strength lacks focus. I believe now, you are the appropriate age to begin proper training, and I would like to begin as soon as possible.”

Now with his attention fully caught, Gamera found himself in thought. Admittedly, not every challenge he had put himself in had been a rousing success. Pride clouded his judgment and allowed foes to get away, and the death count from his battles were much higher than he would have liked. While a piece of his mind still wondered if the humanoid in front of him was telling the honest truth, he sensed no evil in his gaze. And if it was the honest truth, what did he have to lose?

Making up his mind, the chelonian nodded his head in approval, and his now-mentor responded in kind.

“Very well then. But before we begin, I believe it is time for a change to scenery.” Ultraman said matter of factly. “I will not risk any innocent lives for what is ultimately a sparring session; but I have a much preferable place for us to use in mind. Come.”

With that, Ultraman had taken off into the air again, flying to the east. Following suit, Gamera wasted no time. His legs disappeared into his shell as his arms outspread like an eagle’s wings; jets forming beneath the holes where his feet once were as he too shot into the sky. A piece of the kaiju’s mind wondered if he was in for a lengthy trip.

Turned out, however, it was one they would make in mere minutes.

******

Letchi Island

Even as decades went by, it seemed the explosions that rattled the one lush island had seemingly destroyed it for good. A massive battle had taken place here once; involving a terrible terrorist organization, their mind control of the horrors lurking the deep, and how it drew in both the King of Monsters and Goddess of Peace. Not wanting to go down alone, the leader of the Red Bamboo detonated every nuclear weapon they had to offer. Had it not been for Mothra rescuing all of the captives the terrorists had enslaved, many innocents would almost certainly have perished. And while it was only one of millions of battlegrounds on Planet Earth, it was a reminder of what would happen if power fell into the wrong hands.

For that alone, it was perfect for what Ultraman wanted to teach first.

As soon as he saw a large patch of dry ground, the Warrior of Light landed, and Gamera was not far behind him. The tortoise looked at his surroundings with a grimace, a sense of dread creeping into his soul.

“Long ago, this isle had become the hideout for those who only wished to do harm.” Ultraman began to explain. “And they were not above the concept of trying to control nature itself to do so. The organization has long since been defeated, but sometimes, the damage is simply too powerful for mother nature to bring a landscape back to life. That is why we should defend everything with our life.”

He took another step forward, his foot dragging itself through the dust.

“Alas, we can never be everywhere at once, and even what is most important to us can be lost. Letchi Island was still ultimately the birthplace to many. Even after all the survivors migrated towards Infant Island, it was hard for them not to reminisce on what they had lost. I still wish I would have been there, but my duties require my aid to be leant to every galaxy in the cosmos. I cannot focus on this planet every day. That, I believe, is where you come in.”

Gamera tilted his head in confusion, but seemed to still gotten the overall gist. A piece of Ultraman felt like he was going too fast, so he tried to cut to the chase.

“Improving your strength will be the first step in ensuring you grow into one of the greatest guardians this world has ever known. For my first trial, you shall learn the techniques that shall help you grow as a warrior; and bring an extra ounce of power to every punch and kick. You do not need to worry about harming me. I’ve been at this much longer than most of this planet could dream of!”

Dropping his chest, the superhero fell into what could only be seen as a wrestling pose. Realizing it was time for the duel, Gamera did the same.

Only the howls of wind accompanied the heroes as they readied themselves for what would be the start of a new era.

“Ready…. BEGIN!”

And with a trumpeting roar of determination, Gamera rushed right into the fray! Planning to meet him, Ultraman did the same as the two closed the gap in seconds. Their wrists met in a lock, the force only temporarily stalling them both as they tried to overpower the other. While Gamera had the edge in raw strength, he had underestimated just how tactical his opponent could be. Suddenly, just as he had appeared, the extraterrestrial had vanished.

Gamera quickly received an answer on where he went with a resounding WHACK.

Getting kicked right in the back of the head, Gamera cried out in a mix of both pain and surprise. He couldn’t tell if the Ultra had done that through legitimate teleportation or sheer speed, but it had hurt. But if he was to win this, he’d have to deal with the pain, and shoot back twice as hard. And he had just the right tool to do so. Using the heat that rummaged inside his body, a bout of fire began to build inside his maw with a glorious orange glow.

Pure plasma shot out in the form of fireballs, three launching in a row as Ultraman blocked the attack with his arms protecting the rest of his body. Even with him blocking a major chunk of the assault, however, his arms stinged with a powerful burning sensation. ’So that’s how it felt to be on the receiving end of those’, he thought. Still holding an abundance of energy, Ultraman attempted to strike back as he formed a spinning saw in his hands. The Ultra Slash aimed to cut into Gamera’s chest, but the tortoise’s arms shot up. The blade harmlessly bounced off his skin and dissipated in the air, his armor holding strong.

Now, it was his turn to attack. Rushing in akin to a football player, Gamera tackled Ultraman and forced him back, almost to the point of tossing the superhero into the ocean had the Ultra not recovered from the strike in time. He tried to wiggle out of it without resorting to a past trick, not wanting to have the chelonian catch onto a pattern. He wrestled one arm free, and chopped the turtle in the neck, but the strike wouldn’t do much in the long run, so he still had to plan ahead.

With his other arm, something small formed in his palm and expanded only when he knew his opponent was entirely distracted. Catch Rings, which quickly expanded and encircled Gamera’s remaining arm as well as the rest of his body… At least, they tried. But the sheer girth of his shell meant it wouldn’t last for too long. Even then, that was enough for Ultraman.

Blue energy racing through his arms, the power of Spacium was what fueled the hero’s next attack.

“HYAH!”

And with a determined cry, the bound Gamera was helpless the moment the famed Spacium Ray shot him right in the chest, shouting to the sky right before he was slammed into the mountainside with a nigh earth-shattering impact.

By the time the Catch Rings dissipated, Gamera was caught in such a daze that he could barely manage to stand.

“Ah… I believe I see what the problem is now” Ultraman said. “Your methods are straightforward, but that won’t always give you the advantage in a fight. Enemies will try to pull out any trick in the book to reign victorious; especially if they’re on the backfoot. You need to always stand on guard.”

Nodding, albeit still with a rather unsure face, Gamera attempted to restrategize. Regaining his balance, the turtle focused back on the battle. It was obvious the Ultra had many more tricks up his sleeves than expected, and he wouldn’t have any chance at victory if he failed to take note. It was time to improvise.

Thankfully, he had another trick or two that might catch his master off guard.

Disappearing into his shell, Gamera lifted into the air like a flying saucer and shot forward. Ultraman narrowly dodged as he ducked to his knees, only to see that the bioengineered beast was circling back around. Trying to counter, he shot out another Ultra Slash.

Only to see it suddenly be split in two before it had a chance to land.

“Huh?” Was all the Ultra had managed to say before he suddenly faced a massive bash to the chest, hurtling him off the ground. Recovering and landing on his feet, he suddenly noticed the small waves of electricity that were still encircling his body as a result. That was definitely something the turtle’s predecessor had never done.

Just before Gamera could race in again, Ultraman flew into the air himself and met the flying fortress head on. He grabbed it, stopping Gamera from spinning at the cost of soreness running up and down his limbs. He tossed the shell away, but the turtle threw out both his head and arms to stabilize himself before he could strike the ground. The new guardian soared right past the alien hero, keeping an eye out for any sudden movements as the paladin from beyond stood oddly still in midair.

Then, Ultraman waved his hands in a circle before thrusting them forward. White spirals raced out, falling over the hundreds of rocks below. Like a conductor before their orchestra he swung his arms, psychically lifting the rocks into the air and coalescing them around him like an angel’s halo. He pointed at Gamera. Like machine gun fire they smashed into the earth, creating dozens upon dozens of craters as the relic of an ancient civilization avoided the onslaught.

“Ah. Very good…”

Deciding to dispense with fun and games for a time, Ultraman charged in head on. He tackled his student’s arms, taking the plane-like wings and holding them still. Without proper propulsion, Gamera would be sent hurtling back to the ground, but he wasn’t through yet. His limbs reforming into normal shape, Gamera’s legs suddenly burst out of where the jets used to be and threw his body weight with such force that his left leg kicked the Ultra straight in the chin with the force of an overgrown baseball bat. The force nearly knocked Ultraman straight on his head, until a transparent, blue shield blocked the miniscule distance between him and the ground.

Turning himself around, Ultraman raised the shield just as Gamera threw down his arms in a sledgehammer position, the impact forming a massive shockwave and a notable crack in the wall of energy. With it clearly being unable to hold up, the extraterrestrial decided to improvise.

CRACK!

Splitting it in two with his bare hands, the Ultra used the former shield as dual blades. In a mock swordplay, he shot them forward like spears as Gamera narrowly dodged all the attacks. There was no denying the superhero was much faster than the kaiju, so every time he failed to dodge he received what felt like the sharpest pinches. Had this been a true fight, it almost certainly would have certainly ended with the makeshift blades piercing his skin and likely ending his life. He had to get rid of them now.

The split second he found an opening, Gamera caught one and blew it to pieces with another fireball, and rammed his head right into Ultraman’s gut immediately after. Still holding a lone “sword” in his hand, Ultraman took it and chopped it into smaller crystals with a move that would have made the finest karate masters proud. He tossed them towards the tortoise, who raised his hands to block them all and met the Ultra with another fireball ready to shoot in his maw. But it never had a chance to land, as Ultraman grappled him by the neck and raised his head towards the sky, letting the flame shoot off and disappear into the distance.

Grasping Ultraman’s shoulder, Gamera pulled off the grip with his other arm, and formed a massive wave of electromagnetic energy across his entire body. With every bit of energy in his body, he channeled it into another trick he usually never tried. With no escape, the Ultra was faced with the full brunt of a powerful electromagnetic shockwave, which tore through mountains and hills even miles away. And while electricity itself had never hurt Ultraman, the sheer force of the blast itself certainly made up for it. It was as if a grand weight slammed into his chest, knocking the breath out of him as he just barely managed to land on two feet.

Wasting no time, Gamera threw his arms up for another attack, only to have his left arm held above the Ultra’s head as silver arms took hold of the scale-toned one above him. Using all of his strength, Ultraman lifted Gamera off the ground, and tossed over his shoulders. Bending his knees, the intergalactic paladin shot one foot forward as he launched off the ground with a powerful roundhouse kick. But recovering in time, Gamera used his jets to shoot himself back in the hero’s direction, an arm and leg hole blazing as his other foot stuck out. Both closed the distance in mere seconds and struck each other in the neck with the force of overgrown wrecking balls.

Coming to a sudden stop, both giants laid on the ground as they decided to catch their breath.

Rolling over on his stomach as he simultaneously picked himself up, Ultraman feebly grasped his sore neck as he got to a knee. Gamera attempted to rise up on his shell, getting to his feet as he shakily regained his balance. Eventually, the two of them were finally eye to eye again, albeit still rather worn down.

“Mere minutes, and already a lot of improvement!” Ultraman started with glee. “I’m quite impressed, but I think we could keep this going a bit longer. I think there’s some things you still need to be taught about before we move forward. Remember, treat this as if it were an actual battle; don’t hold back!”

Gamera just barely managed to nod before he suddenly received a sudden strike with a punch he couldn’t manage to see coming. His gut hadn’t even had a chance to register the pain before a knee slammed into his chin and sent him reeling, the Ultra deciding to turn up the heat by tossing out multiple hits in a row. With speeds so fast they were unblockable with his arms, Gamera had to figure out some other way to break the combo. Haphazardly shooting a fireball at the ground, the flames rising up had made Ultraman stall long enough for the tortoise to land his next hit. He grasped his teacher’s arm and threw him to the ground like a ragdoll. The moment the Ultra landed, the turtle’s fist soared down to strike the alien in the chest, only for the smaller warrior to teleport away. But having sensed this trick before, Gamera flew out of the way right before a sledgehammer fist hit him on the head. Then he too tried to get an attack from behind.

Then Ultraman, then Gamera, then Ultraman, then Gamera… It was a strange back and forth, each one seemingly trying to wreck the other’s spine (or shell) to no avail. Eventually, the back and forth broke, only to lead to another. As Gamera tried to go in for another punch, Ultraman had circled back around and met with one of his own. The powerful parry of punches created a sonic boom, one able to be heard across all of the Pacific Ocean. Trying to overpower the other’s fist, the two stayed awfully still save for the shaking of their arms. They pulled back, gaining their bearings for only a second. Gamera tried going for another one with the same fist, only for it to be caught in Ultraman’s palm. The silver hero kept his grip on it steady, then going into a punch of his own; only for the turtle to quickly learn from his mistakes and catch the punch himself!

Caught in a duel lock, the sudden shift in weight to overpower one another had left flight to the wayside, both touching down on the ground square on their feet. The ground cracked open almost akin to an earthquake, with the air around them suddenly growing tense. Alas, the constant back and forth was going nowhere fast, and Ultraman knew that. Trying to strategize, and realizing brute forcing the problem wouldn’t work on someone who was simply too durable, he once again tried to catch him off guard. Teleporting away and landing on a mountain nearby, he swooped back in with a massive kick, nearly breaking the sound barrier while doing so.

Ironically, this was exactly what Gamera was preparing for. Now with both hands free, he raised them high and blocked the hit, then threw them forward with another burst of electric energy, grabbing the leg with jolts of lightning and tossing the hero into the air! Taking to the skies again with a determined howl, Gamera’s arms spread as his jets propelled him forward, circling his mentor like a vulture. Said mentor was still reeling from what had just taken place, only now noticing that his leg actually had a few puncture wounds as a result. He had no time to dole over it, however, as the circling Gamera spat out fireballs, twelve of them shooting down and surrounding him at all angles. Acting fast, he put his arms in a cross shape and shot a quick Spacium Beam, twisting his legs around so that he could strike each plasma ball before they had a chance to scorch his hide.

Shooting past the explosions, Ultraman raced straight towards Gamera, the Ultra Attack Ray shooting from his right fist in a ring formation, his speed catching the kaiju off guard and leaving him vulnerable. The green rings hit, making the tortoise squirm, but not enough to make him yield. His arms and head going back into his shell, he formed a massive shield as he continued to spin, forming a “shield” of sorts as he raced towards the Ultra himself. Barely ducking the beast, Ultraman raised another shield, even if he knew in the long run it wouldn’t do much good. The tortoise bounced off it like a living, spinning pinball, slowly breaking it with each impact until it could take no more. Eventually, Gamera burst through, albeit taking down the shield while doing so to not cause any more damage than need be. He had slammed into Ultraman with such force his master had slammed into a mountainside, forming a giant crater.

Zooming back in for another strike, the turtle just barely missed the Ultra, who had soared upward to narrowly dodge a strike which added another mark to the already roughened mountain. Turning around and throwing his head back out, Gamera shot out another Plasma Fireball into the air. Ultraman harmlessly exploded it with a karate chop, both giants disappearing into the mass of fire.

Having wasted mass amounts of energy in minutes, both were forced to take another breather. Blood flowing down their hands, the both of them took long, exasperated breaths while simultaneously trying to plan their next moves. Gamera had used almost every major move he had, and was afraid that he wouldn’t have been able to keep up with the superhero for too much longer. If he wanted to win this, he had to hit the Ultra with something hard enough that would make his master yield.

But before he could, something else had taken place.

Ultraman’s Color Timer had gone from blue, to blinking red. The sound emitting from it a constant buzz, the warrior from afar could only sigh as his time on Earth was about to come to an end.

“It appears we’ll have to continue our training at another time” The hero had lamented, some disappointment obvious in his voice. “When my timer turns red, it’s a sign that I need to return to outer space and recharge. The Earth’s layers block the solar energy my people need to survive. I suppose we’ll have to finish this portion some other day… Unless…”

Looking towards the sky, suddenly a plan had formed in his head. Perhaps, one that could also be beneficial for his teaching endeavors. The only problem being, it was rather dependent on one specific theory.

“Say. How far can you fly?”

******

As it turned out, even further than either of them could have ever imagined.

The frigid temperatures of space had no effect on Gamera, but he admittedly had never known that until today. He had never flown this far away from planet Earth, shot past the moon and absorbed the beauty of the stars. It was a beautiful feeling, and the tortoise had relished every minute of it. Specks of space dust bounced off his skin like sparkling water, feeling cool to the skin. Ultraman merely looked at him with awe.

The Gamera he knew could never fly this far into the depths of space without losing his breath and risking his life, but deep down, the Ultra knew it was always something he had dreamed of. It was a luxury only so many beings in the universe could truly be blessed with, and soaring into the cosmos for the first time was a memory one could never forget. He wondered what Gamera would have done, watching his successor achieve that dream.

In fact, the more he thought about it, the word “successor” was truly the only way to describe him. Many had wondered if Gamera was a full-blown reincarnation, or perhaps some remnant of Atlantis unbeknownst to even the previous Guardian of the Universe. Regardless of the exact origins he held, what he had grown into was definitely not the same individual. He had grown into his own monster, and one he seemed quite proud to be.

Perhaps, that was all the Ultra could have asked for.

Together, the two heroes soared ever closer to Earth’s star. They shot past Venus, the golden planet being only a blur to their vision, until they finally reached their desired destination. The closest planet to the Sun.

Mercury.

Before he even had a chance to land on it, Ultraman felt his strength return. The Color Timer had returned to its blue hue, and his prior exhaustion had dissipated like it had happened years prior. Landing on the small planet, both colossi took hold of a crater and made it their standing ground.

“Now, this is a chance for me to show you how combat works on other worlds,” Ultraman explained. “Growing up on Earth automatically makes you accustomed to its gravity, but if you wish to save other civilizations that are in danger, you’ll have to learn to move along with their own gravity first. Take a step forward, if you please….”

Gamera did as such, only to immediately realize something was off. His foot felt a lot lighter than it did just moments prior on his home planet. He took another step, and quite nearly lost his balance as he did so.

“Mercury’s gravity is approximately 38% less than Earth’s. Your ability to fly gives you an advantage, but you will also want to conserve energy during your battles. If you wish to move around properly, I would suggest moving forward with a powerful leap. Like so!”

Just a millisecond later, Ultraman had leapt towards Gamera and nearly punched him right in the stomach, but the tortoise had caught the hit at the last second. Getting back in the fray, a fireball silently charged in his mouth, almost certain to land at such point-blank range. Unfortunately, Ultraman had teleported out the way again, trying to strike Gamera in the back of the head, but the leg was caught in an iron grip. Even with a lot less weight in his wrist, his strength hadn’t wavered.

Throwing his other arm back, the back of his palm slammed into Ultraman’s face, knocking the hero to the ground. His foot kept the Ultra pinned, making sure he couldn’t move, but that was just what the alien was counting on.

With his arms free, Ultraman shot out a short Spacium Ray at Gamera’s arm that became fundamental to his freedom. He bent his knees and shot himself up in the air, the low gravity of Mercury carrying him high off the planet. Looking right back to the ground, he decided to use a move he seldom ever tried.

Rather than the signature plus shape, Ultraman put his hands in the form of an L, signaling the advent of a much different ray. Rather than the power of Spacium, he tapped into a technique much more modern, and even more powerful.

The Colorium Beam.

With no time to counter, Gamera could only retreat. He raced into his shell and spun away just as the awe-inspiring beam fired. Living up to its name, the Colorium formed a rainbow colored ray that easily lit up the entire planet, especially as Gamera raced around it in a full 360 with the Ultra following suit. The blast carved a massive crevice into Mercury; one that would remain for millennia to come.

Eventually, Gamera decided to go on the offense once more, and he had the perfect idea on how to do so. His shield had formed again, and it had collided full force with the Colorium Beam. Yet, it was not evaporating upon contact like the Spacium before it, the much tougher properties holding strong, leaving only a fight of endurance. Clouds of rainbow waves covered Mercury, leaving a dazzling display over a usually barren world.

And when Ultraman had finally cut off the attack, it showered the Sun’s closest planet as if it were the Aurora Borealis.

Halting his spinning, Gamera shot right through the kaleidoscope and met Ultraman with a punch to the face. The two of them slowly fell back amongst the multihued rain, letting gravity take hold once more. Their hits were slower, but every one of them that landed still very much counted. They punched, they kicked, they chopped; in what was certain to be the final phase of their battle.

Just as they landed, Ultraman used two punches in quick syndication, but Gamera countered swiftly. He headbutted the superhero, disorienting him long enough for him to kick the hero away and prepare one final attack. A final move that he had been saving for just the right opportunity. The heat of the sun fueled his own as he channeled his inner energy, molten power rushing throughout his body.

Eventually, however, it had all rushed into his right hand, the limb burning bright with orange light. With the last bits of his own heat, Gamera prepared himself for one last move that would almost certainly give him a victory.

The Scorching Hand.

******

Ultraman watched in awe, the fiery light almost blinding. It was obvious this was Gamera’s last attack, but the Ultra was running out of tricks himself. Teleporting took energy, and he was sure the turtle was catching on. Being so close to the star gave him a ton of energy, but no regular punch could match the energy Gamera was mustering in so little time. He had already used up the Colorium Beam, so that was out of the question.

… But the energy of it still remained.

Using what was left of it, the extraterrestrial relished bits of the rainbow energy and used it once more, also channeling it into his right fist. The spectrum of color was beautiful, lighting up the sky even more than the Sun itself. It spiraled from red, to yellow, to orange; and then transitioned to cooler colors like green, blue and purple. The pattern kept going, moving between each color faster and faster.

Hearing anything in space was nearly impossible, but if one listened closely, they could have heard both charged fists humming with power.

Thinking about all that had led them to this point, both had begun to reflect…

It was all in the name of saving lives, but they couldn’t deny how it felt to befriend them as well. Where would they have been had they shut themselves off from the rest of the world, they wondered? Would they have still even been heroes for so long? Or would the darkness that had entered the minds and hearts of so many other beings across the universe come for them as well? Corrupting them until they were just as bad as the forces they were so intent on destroying?

Gamera was far from Ultraman’s first friend, Earth or otherwise. But his passing had reinforced an important lesson he had seemed too keen on forgetting: that their lives could always manage to be cut short. But even then, that never meant the memories of them would fade away. The advent of another of his kind wouldn’t always be the way how, but the times they helped save the world together would always remain. And those would be cherished for the rest of his days.

And as for Gamera himself, he reflected on his upbringing again. He recalled the first time he got too big to be kept in captivity and was set free amongst the world. He couldn’t truly describe why he had become a defender between then and now; only that it simply seemed like the right thing to do. Even if there was truly no rhyme or reason behind it all, it was something he wanted to do for as long as he could. He cared for every bit of life, from the largest animals to the smallest of amoeba. And when it came to the juveniles, he would always fight to see them live their lives to the fullest.

There was a reason many people on Earth had begun to call him “The Child’s Guardian” after all.

So, when granted an opportunity to hone those skills till he reached a level of mastery most could only dream of, it was only fair to give it his all!

With a determined smirk, Gamera followed his master’s lead and leapt forward, as Ultraman did the same. They closed the gaps in seconds, rearing their fists back for the final hit. And at once, they collided.

The aftermath was effectively immediate.

As the Scorching Hand continued to increase in temperature, its meshing with the already effective Colorium energy proved hazardous. Waves of energy shot out in droves, moving across the entire solar system within minutes. Fiery orange mixed with so many other colors, some not even visible to the naked eye, shot across the atmosphere of every nearby planet. They brought color to Venus’ dreary skies, danced across the Earth, and even reached Mars before finally fizzling out. The blast on Mercury was even more intense, the combination of energy forming a massive sphere of energy that consumed both heroes, until not even their silhouettes were left behind. Growing in size, it almost appeared as if the Sun’s closest companion had a rainbow toned zit growing on the gray, rocky surface, and it had continued to grow in size like a star.

Until finally, the sphere of energy burst, becoming only harmless specks of light, leaving the planet quiet once more. Just like that, the hard-fought battle came to a very sudden end…

******

Floating amongst the void, Gamera woke up amongst the unknown.

He pushed himself up to his feet, even though he felt like it was thin air. Standing upright, he watched as a clear blue sky was above him. Yet, he didn’t see anything beneath him beyond an ocean that was far below. And if he looked close enough, he could have sworn he even saw spiraling towers shooting from the sky, along with many smaller buildings below.

Suddenly, something had begun to form in front of him, growing arms and legs and forming a wide body that slightly resembled Gamera’s own. Was it supposed to be some sort of clone?

If it was, the differences in its design were starting to throw him off. Not to mention how it was quite a bit shorter than he was. Entirely conformed out of soft, puffy clouds, the smaller Gamera walked up to its living brethren. For a while, they merely looked towards one another, not moving an inch.

And then, the cloud merely nodded, and a pattern began to glow gold on its chest. The glow expanded, soon covering the living Gamera and all that surrounded them, bringing the kaiju back to reality.

******

“Gamera…. Gamera….”

Slowly opening his eyes, the tortoise received a familiar sight. The Sun still beamed down on his face, showering him with a heatwave. Two, bulbous eyes stared at him down, but he felt no fear once he saw them.

“Ah, you’re awake!”

Ultraman slowly pulled Gamera to his feet, both standing up with bruises and scorch marks amongst their bodies, but ultimately didn’t face any major injuries. Yet, what had transpired had zapped them of whatever strength was left, leaving their training slightly unfinished. Yet, they still felt rather fulfilled at the end of it all.

“Well…” Ultraman began. “I believe that we’ve had a bit more excitement than I had planned. I do apologize for going rather overboard… Still, I must say; only minutes have passed, and I’ve already seen quite a lot of improvement. Well done, dear friend! I’m proud of you.”

Gamera was sheepish from the compliment, the subtleties of his embarrassed expression fortunately hidden by the blazing sunlight. Still, he tried keeping a cool head and merely nodded in appreciation.

“I suppose next time we’ll have to do the opposite of what had been done today. I’ll take you to a planet where gravity is more than your own. But you deserve rest after such a hard fought conflict; just as anyone else. Why don’t we head back to Earth for a while? I believe I will still be needed elsewhere amongst the universe soon, but I believe there’s still time for a proper farewell.”

Without another gesture given, Gamera used all the energy he had and spread his arms once more, the makeshift wings and jet engines having him take off back home. Eyeing a bright light in the distance along with a smaller twin, he recognized it as Earth and its Moon, making a straight line towards it at speeds nearly fast as light. Although, he had left out a notable little detail.

He wasn’t too sure how to describe his dream to the Ultra, and frankly, wasn’t entirely sure if it was worth mentioning. Sure it was a bit odd, but he was surely far from the first being to have odd dreams. Still, it seemed a bit more surreal than a typical dream, yet oddly more peaceful. What could that cloud have represented, he wondered? Himself? Who he could be in the future?

Or, perhaps some sort of predecessor?

Whatever the case, he kept it to himself for now. But he hoped it was the last one. The idea of another of his kind watching over him from above? It felt nice. And reminded him that if he truly was the last living member of his kind, he would never be truly alone.

******

Not too far away, the Ultra warrior looked proud. He looked forward to what was next, knowing what had been accomplished in such little time.

There were still some questions he had left in his head, of course. Gamera’s origins were still a mystery, and his potential ties to Atlantis were certain to be investigated; but looking into the past wasn’t what mattered the most, building his future was. He was still young, and needed friends and family to seek guidance with. He was certain the rest of the Ultra Brothers would love to be that family, and he was sure that many of the creatures of Earth would as well. After all, it took a village to raise a child.

But most of all, he felt a newfound sense of hope. For himself, and for the Earth. The Mana crisis had yet to be resolved, but he could help raise the one, and all of the next generation to come, to keep fighting for what’s right until it finally would be. It was what his old friend would have wanted, and was the least he could do.

Knowing the first Gamera could rest well, Ultraman followed the second Gamera back to his home on Earth, knowing the future was bright.

Draw: Ultraman (Showa), Gamera (Reiwa)