Negative energy monsters can strengthen themselves by absorbing the negative energy released from human ugliness and hatred.
But Jigjil was different.
It had just arrived on Earth from outer space and hadn't absorbed any negative energy yet before X intercepted it at the doorstep. The intense space travel had already exhausted its internal energy, and then Taichi, piloting X, landed a few fierce blows, blinding it in one eye.
Without any energy to replenish itself, Jigjil was nearly exhausted. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been unable to even catch up to Ultraman X. It wasn't an Ultraman; it didn't consciously control its flying speed out of concern for the Earth's environment.
After a few wails, the now-blind Jigjil flapped its wings, whipping up a fierce storm, and spewed a powerful heat ray from its mouth. The forest immediately caught fire, and the storm and scattered burning trees spread the flames in other directions. A massive wildfire was now unstoppable.
"Now's our chance!"
Under Mordred's direction, Taichi flew through the edge of the storm and appeared behind Jigjil.
Ultraman X Cross Hand Blade—!
Ultraman X's glowing arms crossed in an 'X' shape, delivering two chopping blows. Jigjil's weak spot was critically hit, causing it to stumble and fall to the ground. The storm immediately ceased, and the burning trees rained down. The wildfire intensified.
"Now!" X, Taichi, and Mordred yelled in unison. "Zanadium Ray—!"
The light beam, imbued with special particles, slammed into Jigjil's body. With an explosion, a Spark Doll flew out and into Ultraman X's body. The doll passed through him with a special technique and landed in Taichi's hand.
"The monster is defeated. Now... extinguish the fire!" Taichi glanced at Jigjil's doll and stuffed it into his jacket pocket.
He flew into the air, struck a specific pose, and streams of water shot from X's fingertips. When it came to extinguishing fires, Ultraman was top-notch, but his efficiency was definitely no match for professional firefighters. After all, he only had less than half a minute to put out the fire.
By the time the fire department arrived, the fire was out, but the risk of embers remained, so their work continued. By then, Ultraman had long since disappeared.
Right after them, the first-responders from the Special Monster Countermeasures Office arrived. They were ordered to search for any remaining cellular tissue from the monster.
"So because it's a cell phone, the Armor Electronic Card became a phone card," Taichi said, raising an eyebrow at the Mordred Armor phone card in his hand. "X, can this phone card be used with any phone?"
"Yes, it can... Why? Are you planning to get a new phone?" X asked, sounding a little excited.
He was feeling quite cramped in this phone with its limited storage, having to clean it several times a day just to stretch his legs—even though he no longer had a physical body.
"Once I sell that gold, the first thing I'll do is buy a new phone. You can pick whatever phone you want then," Taichi promised, patting his chest. After all, he was choosing a "dorm" for X, so it was only right to let X choose.
"By the way, X, did you find any clues about my predecessor, 'Taichi Naruto,' online?" Taichi asked. It was normal for a young person to leave some traces online. Although his predecessor didn't have much money and probably didn't have a very comfortable life, he likely didn't have many opportunities to go online.
"I have some clues, but not many," X replied. "There are very few traces online, but I did find a record of him buying a train ticket. The starting point... was Shimane Prefecture, but I can't find a more specific location."
"Shimane Prefecture... I remember that used to be Izumo... the land of the dead where the fierce gods live?" Taichi raised an eyebrow. "I only have this tiny bit of memory and no impression of any relatives. I'm starting to wonder if my predecessor was even a real living being in this world."
After all, this world was so "stitched together." Taichi had reason to believe that his predecessor might also be one of the creations of some "conspiracy." Otherwise, he wouldn't have inexplicably awakened his Persona without going through a rebellious awakening after entering the Palace, and he wouldn't have gotten connected to a "Heroic Spirit" that shouldn't exist in this world.
Taichi recalled something a certain witch once said: "There is no such thing as coincidence in this world, only inevitability."
If that was possible, then X being forcibly pulled from another Earth's cyberspace into this world and making his home in Taichi's phone was likely also part of the "conspiracy."
Taichi moved his shoulder and looked down at his jacket sleeve. It was April; the weather should have still been transitioning from cold to warm, with a refreshing breeze. Yet, he had been wearing a single layer this whole time and never felt cold.
"X, have you been keeping the temperature around my body constant?" Taichi asked.
"No," X replied.
'A great deal of strength,' 'wearing a single layer in spring without feeling cold,' 'awakening a Persona without going through a rebellious awakening.' He couldn't think about it anymore. His instincts told him to avoid thinking too deeply. Inevitable cold sweat broke out on Taichi's forehead.
"You're the one, aren't you? The Ultraman X from just now."
As Taichi walked on, lost in thought, a figure stood in front of him, blocking his path. She spoke a single sentence that sent a shiver down his spine.
He looked up at the person blocking his way, his pupils constricting. She had short, ear-length purplish-pink hair, wine-red eyes, and a jacket that hung casually off her arm.
"...Akane Shinjo." Even though this was their first meeting and she looked a little different from her animated counterpart, Taichi instinctively uttered her name.
"You know my name? I just got to this world," Akane looked startled. "Did Ultraman X tell you? Is he an old friend of Gridman?"
"Gridman! I've heard that name before. The legend says he's a warrior who can travel through dimensions and the multiverse! Who is this girl? How does she know about Gridman's existence?" X couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"No, X doesn't know Gridman. He's only heard the name," Taichi said, shaking his head.
Akane Shinjo's timeline was around 2018. Ultraman X aired in 2015, so of course, she would have seen it. So Taichi wasn't surprised that she knew X's name. He was just shocked that the girl had appeared in this world in the first place.