I really didn’t want to lead Ultra Star astray
Chapter 11 - Husky Zero

Chapter 11: Husky Zero

Hearing Mu Yang’s words, Zero gave a wry smile. “You got stronger during the fight? Boss Ultraman, I, Zero, acknowledge you!”

“Thanks!” Mu Yang extended a hand to Zero.

Zero froze, as did the other Ultramans. Zero wasn’t exactly popular. He thought other Ultramans were weak and, with his rebellious nature, didn’t make friends easily, even if others didn’t outright shun him.

After a moment’s thought, Zero grabbed Mu Yang’s hand and stood up, saying, “Boss Ultraman, I’ll reluctantly agree to your request to be friends.”

Zero’s words stunned Mu Yang. Friends? Did I say I wanted to be friends with Zero?

But after thinking it over, he held his tongue. Pointing that out might make it hard to be friends later, right?

Zero was such a tsundere. Maybe he wanted to be friends himself? Well, this could be a way to repay Seven. If he didn’t guide Zero properly, this guy might actually end up stealing the Plasma Spark.

The other Ultramans watched in shock. Holy cow, Zero was willing to make a friend? That was unbelievable!

“By the way, Boss, why haven’t I seen you before? With your talent, you shouldn’t be unknown!” Zero asked curiously.

“Uh, I’m not from the Land of Light. I just evolved!” Mu Yang said awkwardly. As expected of Zero, blurting out whatever’s on his mind. Other Ultramans might feel too shy to ask.

“Is that so? Just evolved and already this strong!” Shock points from Zero: +4,396!

Not just Zero, but the other Ultramans were stunned too. This was too outrageous, even if they’d heard Seven mention it earlier. They didn’t reject Mu Yang—the Land of Light already had many alien residents, and since he’d evolved into an Ultraman, he was one of them.

Truly, the pure-hearted Land of Light!

“You probably haven’t explored the Land of Light yet, right? Let me show you around!” Zero said, turning into a hyperactive whirlwind.

“Alright, sounds good!” Mu Yang agreed after a moment. Zero was his first friend in this universe, so it’d be rude to refuse. Plus, he was curious about the Land of Light. He’d watched plenty of Ultraman shows, but the Land of Light was either getting destroyed or on the verge of it. A peaceful, serene scene like this? He’d never seen it.

Soon, though, Mu Yang realised why Zero was so eager to drag him around. Turns out, Zero was curious about these places too but had no one to explore with before. Now that he had a friend, it was different!

With a friend, Zero was like a husky, dragging Mu Yang all over the place. Mu Yang felt exhausted. Indeed, this immature Zero was just a talented young guy, not yet the mentor of the new-generation Ultramans.

…

The next day, while Mu Yang was reviewing some basic cosmic data Seven had given him, Seven walked in with another Ultraman.

This Ultraman was shorter and stockier than Seven or Mu Yang, a bit chubby. As an Ultraman fan, Mu Yang recognised him instantly—Ace Ultraman.

Ace was one of the first Ultramans Mu Yang encountered, leaving a deep impression, especially his words before leaving Earth: A passionate heart must never fade. Show compassion to the weak, help each other, and befriend people of any nation. Never lose this feeling, even if it’s betrayed hundreds of times.

Old-school Ultramans were so philosophical, unlike later ones that seemed to focus on borrowing powers with little else to offer.

As a longtime Ultraman fan, Mu Yang felt that after Mebius, there were no “real” Ultramans. Post-Mebius, the company was sold, and later, with more funding, it relied on selling toys. The Ultraman essence was lost.

Of course, he still watched those newer Ultramans to some extent.

Ace was a meme-heavy Ultraman: the Melee Mage, the Dismemberment Maniac, or the Team-Wipe Prince. In Ace’s story, the Ultra Brothers got screwed over multiple times—turned into statues or nailed to crosses.

“Boss, this is my brother, Ace! He’s a beam expert in the Land of Light!” Seven said, now even warmer toward Mu Yang. His son had made his first friend, which thrilled Seven, who now saw Mu Yang as a true disciple.

“Hello, Ace Ultraman!”

“Hello, Boss!”

“I’ve invited Ace to help you develop your beam techniques. He’s an expert in this!” Seven continued.

“Thank you!” Mu Yang felt a surge of gratitude. He’d met such good people here. In some novel plots, he’d probably be dissected by now, right? But here, he’d encountered genuinely kind Ultramans.

Screw those Ultraman conspiracy theories! These were cosmic saints, not scheming masterminds. Ultramans were all about promoting truth, goodness, and beauty. Why muck it up with nonsense conspiracies?

(Please send flowers, collections, muah, love you all!)

Footnotes:

• 二哈(èr hā): Literally “second husky,” a Chinese internet slang term for someone energetic, chaotic, or silly, likening them to a hyperactive husky dog. Here, it describes Zero’s excitable, carefree behaviour.
• 人来疯(rén lái fēng): A colloquial term meaning someone who gets overly excited or hyper in social situations, like a “social whirlwind.” It captures Zero’s sudden enthusiasm when he has a friend to hang out with.
• 分尸狂魔(fēn shī kuáng mó): Literally “dismemberment maniac,” a fan nickname for Ace, referring to his beam techniques like Ultra Guillotine that slice enemies apart. It’s a playful exaggeration of his combat style.
• 团灭小王子(tuán miè xiǎo wángzǐ): Literally “Team-Wipe Little Prince,” a humorous fan term for Ace, referencing how the Ultra Brothers often got defeated or incapacitated in his story arcs, like being turned into statues or crucified.