Archive of Our Own ^beta

Twas a silent night, but far from a holy one. The red giant smashed into a building draped in snow, with heaps of nature's white blanket swirling in disarray afterwards. There was an eeriness to it. The snow that the red giant had touched on its descent would turn a pale and sickly gray. A stark contrast from the warm expectations of the holidays. The red giant willed himself to stand up, his legs wobbly but his spirit ever-firm. Particles of warm embers flushed past his body while he took steps. They were small, he was making barely any progress, but they were steps nonetheless.

The city they were battling in was like a ghost town. There was just the night sky, with the light of the moon ever faint, obscured by the density of swirling snow. It wasn't just a matter of him falling down, but what had caused him to. Up ahead, as the torrid snow snaked past his gigantic body, there was a monster of similar proportions stomping towards him. It could be said that it was in a similar state to him, but the giant could barely recollect that. At this present time, he could barely recollect anything.

Between the sounds of its sharp, nail-on-chalkboard roaring, and the rapid flashing of the light on his chest, his ears rang too much from the situation to properly do so. This meant that when the monster of such size spread its arms, the intensity of the snowfall made things more difficult. A stance already on such weak foundation was poised to fall, with the giant's only means of a defense being defiant stomps in the ground, and the raise of his arms as some sort of shield. However, his vanguard against the cold wouldn't last forever.

What could have happened?

That was the only thought besides fighting here and now, that was allowed to go through his head. The intensity of the onslaught limited the amount of thoughts he had, emphasizing this one pertinent question.

Fighting in a silent town, assailed by violent hails and snow. Battling a monster strewn together from hate and worthlessness. Draped over it all wasn't the weather, nor was it the glow of the moon, but a zone that encompassed all of Earth, fixating on the decisive duel between the two.

And the center of it all, was the giant's memory. Despite his inhuman traits, he had a very real heave-ho breathing reaction. His chest rose and fell compulsively, as he briefly dropped his guard. The blizzard kicked up in power, nearly blowing the giant off of his feet. However, rather than balk in the wake of such intensity, he was comforted.

His blue eyes had an azure glint to them. The giant rose his right arm particularly, opening the palm of his hand as he honed in on the monster's visage. What happened to cause such a thing?

What was the source of this violence and hatred on such a peaceful holiday?

And, with both combatants at their lowest, who would claim victory?

The answers lie in the monster itself, as it did the giant's eye. Memories flowed from his mind into a galaxy-like ether, illuminated by countless stars in an indigo-blue combo. The memories flowed so these questions could be answered, the memories flowed so that the giant could understand. And now, so will you.

It was the day before Christmas, where all were filled with cheer and merriment. Despite the events of the past year, its intensity subsided with the persistent snowfall. No amount of hot breath from the kaiju below, nor the growing warmth of the atmosphere could prevent such an omen. It was an omen of the goodwill to come. From the nastiest scrooges, to the most charitable of saints, it was a time of the year where they were equals. They had an equal incentive, equal reason, and equal place to give back to the people and places around them. All across the world, the holidays meant something to everyone and in Japan's case, it was no different.

The goodwill to come however, was more than just the year's standard. There was a special variable that allowed for this to be a special Christmas, but I shan't say anymore than that, or else, that would spoil the fun. This goodwill began early that morning, when the snow augmented the clouds, and gave the skies a faint magenta hue in accordance to the sun's rise.

This was a morning where the salarymen where just about getting ready to clock in for work, this was a morning where school children were just about waking up to get ready, hot chocolate in hand and quite cheerful. But, in the hours of dawn you had a paragon in the face of this routine. A man driven with a particular joy and fascination with the world that was infectious to see. He always bore a smile in fascination with the littler things in life. And this season was the prime example of that. Those driving or trudging through the snow at this hour, passing by the Taiyo Warehouse Company could see that clearly.

A man was flaunting his arms in the thicker patches of the snow, waving his arms and legs in similar motions. This is what he knew to be the Snow Angels, bastions of the land that children molded from the curious phenomenon. The long haired man was a strange sight to behold for certain. In an era where it was at its easiest to blow through the snow with an almost instantaneous defrost in cases of expensive vehicles, it was certainly interesting to see an adult playing in the snow with the whimsy of a child, sticking his tongue out in pauses to see what the snowflakes descending tasted like.

The funny thing was, the minutes and cars passed by, with the latter being a bit more infrequent at this hour. However, they could all tell that while the man's whimsy was well-placed (even if they found it a little embarrassing), the shovel set aside in haste for these occasions became more and more of an eyesore. An eyesore to any bystander that indicated there was a responsibility to be upkept, and that this whimsy was actively getting in its way. Such an eyesore was brought to the man's attention, when the swing of a door caused him to briefly stop his fun.

He casually looked over to the source of the noise, having an 'Oh?' face curious as to who it was. Towering over him from his perspective, a young man in a thicker variation of the blue Taiyo Warehouse Uniform. This winter season accommodating design also featured a hoodie he had swung over his head, suppressing his well-groomed hair. Although, the season was kind of causing it to unfetter a bit.

"Ohh, Kosei!" greeted the man in the snow with a smile.

However, Kosei did not reciprocate the same level of warmness. Instead, he replied with a scolding tone, saying "Sorato! What are you doing...?! You're supposed to be clearing the snow around the warehouse! Not-"

He surveyed the area briefly, seeing that the Snow Angel Sorato was in the process of making was not his first. There was another, and another, another and another. Four lay in the snow, with the first looking shabbier, but the impressions getting better with each time. Seeing this, Kosei kind of averted his gaze, not wanting to show his appreciation in regards to Sorato's attempts and improvement. However, there was that infectiousness again.

"Hey!" Sorato said cheerfully. "Wanna join me?" He motioned with the wave of his arm, causing Kosei to sigh, not having as averse a response but still wanting to maintain responsibility.

"Come on, Sorato....!!!" he groaned. "We have stuff to be doing! The holidays are about the busiest time for the Warehouse yet! B-Besides...."

He glanced down, seeing that Sorato was in fact, just wearing his regular get up. He nearly did a second take, before jumping up a little and explaining "Besides why are you playing like this in the front where everyone can see?!! Don't you think people'll find it suspicious you can just endure the cold in a light jacket?!"

Sorato and him engaged in a passive staredown, as a car trundled by. After it left, Sorato gave one nod out of consideration for Kosei's concerns.

"Umm....I guess you have a point."

"Right....?!"

Sorato then brightened up again, saying "I guess the mountain just breeds stronger folk!"

"AAHHHH!!!!" whined Kosei mockingly, while squatting down to get near Sorato's level. "They're not gonna buy that mountain folk stuff if you keep making it obvious!"

"Ahh, it'll be fine, it'll be fine!" shrugged off Sorato with the wave of his arm. His grin then widened, gaining the hint of child-like mischief he had a tendency to display. "Hey, hey, wanna join me?"

"I can- We can't I mean!" rejected Kosei with a wanton slip-of-the-tongue. "We have stuff to be doing! And....in the front here, I think I'm a little old to be doing that."

With the push of his arm, Sorato insisted with a light "Come on...."

"No..."

Kosei's grin grew as much as Sorato's did with each try, with the latter insisting again with "Come on...!"

"No....!"

"Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on....!!!"

"AHHHHHHH!!!!!" exclaimed the Taiyo Warehouse employee, seeming as though he was going to smother Sorato in the snow more than anything.

Appearances were deceiving. In this winter morning, a few minutes had passed since such appearances. And because of this, another someone in the warehouse decided to step outside to see what the progress was on clearing some of the snow. What she ended up finding was the two shovels intended for the job put up to the side outside, leaving her to then go out back to see what the deal was. However, what she ended up finding was the exact opposite of what one would expect, given Kosei's air of responsibility back there.

There were now two Snow Angels embedded in the back as well, with more winter wonder on the way. Sorato and Kosei were rolling up balls of snow respectively, with Sorato using his enhanced physical capabilities to rush across the snowy landscape as fast as he could. He gained momentum pretty quick, being able to accumulate a good ball of snow to use as a basis. Assisting him was none other than a small and robotic tiger he and Kosei knew to be Trigaron. Trigaron for now was literally a palm-top tiger, but that didn't stop his heart and his effectiveness at gaining snow like Sorato was. His speed and propensity to play with yarn balls was a huge endeavor in compensating for his size.

On the other hand, you had Kosei more reserved since it felt colder to him, and he wasn't superhuman in the same way his friend was. He rubbed his gloved hands together as bits of smoke peppered from his mouth with each breath, emboldened to roll up a moderately sized ball of snow. As he was working his way up, he was aided by a scary-looking blue reptile, that had the ferocity of a dragon and build of a dinosaur. Him and Sorato knew the blue beast by the name of Rekiness, who was rather meek in comparison. He was chill around the snow, but hated accidentally getting caught up in Sorato and Trigaron's incessant rolling.

He opted to emit a field of blue energy around himself, accumulating a smaller ball of snow that would be a good fit for the head.

The person walking in on this whole situation didn't say anything at first, as Sorato & Trigaron ended up leaving the base ball of snow where they last up it. This let Kosei stack his portion on top, with Rekiness using his psychokinesis to put his contribution at the top, forming a head. This just left a blazing pheonix type monster they all knew as Valgeness, soaring above and, carefully using a light application of his wind manipulation to whisk a carrot from a fridge in the warehouse. In addition, he took two buttons from Kosei's bunk.

The carrot stuck square in the middle, being the nose, and the button being the eyes. Sorato and Kosei took a step back, unaware that a certain someone was behind them. Like painters, no, sculptors marveling at their work, they both stood contemplatively and reflectively. Sorato stroked his chin like an intellectual, nodding to himself before nodding at Kosei, his counterpart doing the same.

"Hmmm...." pondered Sorato. "It needs...."

"Yes, yes....indeed...." concurred Kosei. "I do believe it does, my colleague."

"Then....shall I?" asked Sorato for confirmation with the raise of his eyebrow.

"Yes, indeed my compatriot, you indeed shall..." boisterously chuckled Kosei, mimicking a bit of the warehouse owner's laughter.

With that in mind, Sorato looked ahead with a determined glare. All of the Meteokaiju below got to the side as he chopped forward. In a flash of light, his Omega Slugger appeared from his head and swirled around him, with him then pressing it forward with another chop. This second one caused it to zoom past him faster than anyone could perceive. With another flash of light and a deep cutting noise, the slugger returned to his head in no time.

And the deed was done. The cut Sorato had made gave their creation a good smile, causing him to look at Kosei with the two of them sharing a smile before going "Yeah!!!!" They then saw that the Meteokaiju at this point were recoiling back, with Trigaron immediately rolling over in repentance, Rekiness trying to hide in the snow like an Ostrich plunging his head in the ground, and Valgeness kneeling with fealty like he was a dishonored knight returning to the queen he shamed.

"Huh....what's wrong?" asked Sorato, a bit confused. Kosei had a similar reaction, going "Y-Yeah, is something the matter?"

Then, the two of them heard the loud trudge of footsteps in the snow. And they were motionless. Each passing stomp was a beat on their hearts, telling them they should've stayed on task. By the time two hands slapped their shoulders, and a woman around Sorato's seeming age appeared between the two, it felt like she didn't need to say a thing. It was already conveyed through the sheer aura alone.

"A-Ayu...." trembled Sorato, chuckling a little. "W-We were gonna go back and s-shovel snow, in fact-"

Kosei interjected "I-In fact we were gonna shovel triple, quadruple the amount of snow in compensation! T-There's gonna be so much snow shoveled this quarter that-"

Sorato interjected "T-There won't be anymore to play with! So we really wouldn't be slacking off at all!!!" him then gesturing with the big swings of his arms. Still, Ayumu kept her hands on their shoulders, with her tone being calm, a bit quiet, and concise.

"Do you really think that's enough to make up for it...? Huh....?!" she asked, jokingly mimicking the tone of a loan shark, ready to collect debt no matter whatever form it took.

Even if she was kidding around with them, there was still a way with which she patted their shoulders in conclusion that told them: 'get back to work'. However, there was something to that threatening aura that completely backfired as well. The Meteokaiju though they picked up on the cues of everyone, were ones who above all else wanted to protect Kosei and Sorato from the dangers of the world, even if they had their own fears. And sometimes, instinct just slipped out like that.

A stray snowball, not even that big, struck Ayumu right in the face, causing the world to stop. Sorato and Kosei blinked, turning their gaze to see a shivering Rekiness, arm outstretched, probably having used psychic energy to do such a thing. And it looked like he had realized the gravity of what he had done as well, shivering even further and trying to bury himself in more snow.

This was the shot that rang around the world. As the snow descended from Ayumu's face, Kosei naively asked "Ayu....Ayu.....Ayu?" In contrast, Sorato slowly stepped back from the expressionless scientist, instead creeping over to the ground to collect let's say ammunition for what happened next.

Kosei himself was starting to realize what Sorato and the Meteokaiju had noticed along ago. But, it was already too late. Before he could say "Hang on, Ayu, we-" he was soon pelted with a snowball of his own, falling to the ground as the one who threw it was none other than Ayumu herself. She grabbed a ton more after that, determinedly saying "I'm the last person you want to get into a snowball fight with!"

A heat erupted around her as she shouted "Bring it on! Go all out!!!!"

With that, the snowball battle began. Everyone ran back to their own respective spots in the snow, building up their own forts, forming their own alliances and such. The Nation of Sorato stood strong with the powerful ally of Rekiness, who sought comfort and salvation from the wrath of Ayumu's Kingdom. Sorato used his practice with tossing sluggers to throw snowballs precisely and cleanly, with Rekiness taking a more rapid-fire, artillery type approach with his shots.

Conversely, the Kingdom of Ayumu was headed by her and Trigaron. Now, Trigaron wasn't that good at dishing snowballs out, but he was a godsend at making them. And Ayumu's prior experiences throughout childhood, of being made to enter snowball fights and then proceeding to win them was put to excellent use here. She tossed them out like a machine, rivaling Sorato's precision and Rekiness' barrages. She was a dangerous opponent to be sure on the battlefield.

In a daze and wobbling around, Kosei was almost like a sitting duck, with the two nations seeing him as a free target since he wasn't really siding with either of them. Thus, Valgeness showed up in the nick of time. He saved Kosei with a makeshift mini-fortress of snow that featured snow cannons helmed by Valgeness himself. Volleys of snow wrought themselves upon the respective forts, causing the Nation of Sorato and Kingdom of Ayumu to feel it important that they had to properly team up.

"Alright, Ayu!" announced Sorato bravely. "Cover me!"

"RIGHT!!!!" she shouted. "MORE!!!!" she then beckoned Trigaron to do. Given Trigaron's preferences, it was no surprise he took the command seriously and obeyed the strong convictioned woman's orders. Trigaron's compliance allowed for Ayumu to have a surplus of snowballs tossed to at the cannons, rivaling their prevalence greatly. This was doubled by the power of her own rival in the form of Rekiness, who erected barriers to elevate her fort and utilized less advanced, but still mighty cannons in their own right to assail the fortress.

This cover allowed Sorato to make a mad dash for the fortress, using his speed to avoid the snowballs for the most part. And it was fair for him to make this quick, given the tyrant that stood behind the walls of such a place. Kosei had now become a mad king. Not even bothering to throw any snowballs himself, he folded his arms and laughed maniacally.

"Hahahahaha!!!! Cower before my might, before my darkness, you weak dregs! I'll whip you into shape with Valgeness' power!!!! Muahahahaha!!!!!"

Valgeness was quick to erect pillars of snow using his wind powers to try and stop Sorato's progress, but it had the opposite effect. It merely obscured the battlefield just well enough for there to be no friendly fire and only a minor guarantee that that he would be hit. And hit he was not. He leapt into the air and reached an extraordinary height, appearing as a giant bird ready to do away with the tyrant's plans.

Kosei's whole expression changed at this point, with him stepping back and waving his hands to try and disarm the situation.

"W-Wait Sorato! I give! I give! I give!"

Valgeness briefly use his wind powers to mold an all-white flag from the snow, freezing the base so that it could be stable enough for Kosei to wave.

"I surrender! I surrender!"

"Noooo cannnnn doooo!!!!!" was all Sorato said in response. He smashed into the fortress spectacularly, dispersing the snow everywhere. Some of it blew the other forts down, and got some snow in Ayumu, Trigaron, and Rekiness' faces. This included him, Valgeness, and Kosei as well, with the aftermath being that the quaint winter wonderland they had created was now in ruins. Dreams molded by snow tattered by snow. The war had even taken away the Snow Angels.

In the aftermath of this hectic conflict, the survivors all popped their heads out of the snow. First Sorato, then Kosei, then Ayumu, then Rekiness, bursting with a squeal using his telekinesis. This was followed by the swirling of Valgeness, elegantly emerging with a nonchalant touch. The final one was the scrappy clawing of Trigaron, who spat out a heap of snow after his emergence.

There was a brief pause that distilled in the air. Each Meteokaiju followed by Ayumu looked in Sorato's direction. Nothing was said, only fervent laughter. Rekiness started off with a snicker, but soon that snicker kicked off a chorus of laughter. Sorato tilted his head in confusion turned to Kosei, wondering if he had a comment on the matter. Only for Sorato to see that Kosei had his face shut tight. Eyes firmly shut, lips puffed to their maximum like max-security gates holding in whatever could come out. And his cheeks sucked in slightly.

"K-Kosei? What, Is there something wrong?"

"Mmmmmm.....mmmmm.....mmmm...." was all Kosei could do with the state he was in.

"Kosei! Kosei!"

"MMmmmmmmmm......"

"It looks like you're trying not to laugh!" noted Sorato, swaying from one side of Kosei's shoulder to the other. "Why are you trying not to laugh Kosei?!"

This forced him to straighten his gaze, keeping his eyes closed, but now turning into an egoless smile. You'd think Kosei was a monk with the way he looked. As the chuckles persisted, Sorato tried to get answers from the others, but found so such luck.

"Hey, everyone! What's going on he-"

The origin of the new voice came from the back door, with an older woman in a dark-green winter jacket standing in the doorway. It was suprising that the one in the world to witness any of this nonsense would be the acclaimed-award winning scientist, Sayuki Uta. She was initially going to comment on their behavior, but when she saw Sorato's face, she snickered. She covered her mouth with a fist, not wanting to fully show that she found it funny.

"If you all are quite done....would you like to come inside for some hot chocolate, Sir Okida?"

Sorato then blinked, finally realizing what it was. His face felt heavier for some reason and looking down, touching his face, he felt that there was an entire moustache of snow under his nose. It made him look like a dandy from the 1800s. Below that, he had an illustrious and majestic beard of snow on his chin. And furthermore, he had a monocle of snow over his eye.

"So that's why it felt weird...."

"BAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" burst out Kosei with laughter, him having reached his limit. Everyone, Sorato included gave it a hearty laugh. The Meteokaiju graciously took Sayuki's offer, hopping past her and into the warehouse proper, whilst Ayumu got up, wiping the snow off and getting in quickly. Though, she had enough time to see Sorato trying to lick the snow off to see what it tasted like, only for Kosei to go "Don't lick that stuff, it's dirty!"

"Bhatt isss ethentally watta!" is what Sorato countered with.

"Just don't!"

Sayuki just smiled at the sight, with Ayumu giggling at it herself. This time of year was really something else, wasn't it?

More minutes passed into the morning. The magenta hue was slowly being filled with a more rich-blue color, now that the sun's arrival was getting into full swing. As some flowers and plants still active in winter slowly rose, so too did that of their city. And so too, did the KSCT team within Taiyo Warehouse. The place that was a blend between a work office, an actual warehouse, and a living room was filled with warm steam and the sound of bubbling hot cocoa.

Sorato held his cup with two hands, recoiling back from how hot it was initially, but touching it again in the same span of a few seconds. He had a heft batch of marshmallows to satisfy his appetite set to the side. He'd take a sip and then eat four to five marshmallows at the same time. Kosei was sat on the other side of the table, drinking his with some more sugar mixed in. He liked his sweeter.

Ayumu came back with her own cup, holding hers with two hands and gently placing it down. She also had some marshmallows with her, plopping some of them into the drink. Sorato looked at this and hit a curious 'Ooh' like he just discovered fire. Doing the same thing immediately, he plopped them in his drink and then took a sip, swallowing some of the few he put in. He chewed a little bit before going "Ohhh, this is something else....do you always do this when you drink hot cocoa, Ayu?"

Ayumu nodded with a smile, replying "Yeah. I've been doing it since I was little."

"Nice, nice!" complimented Sorato, swinging his right arm and concluded with a thumbs up. "It's good!"

He then turned to Kosei, suggesting "Hey, hey, Kosei, you should try this marshmallow cocoa Ayu has going on! It's delicious!"

Kosei shook his head after taking a sip of his own. By this point in time, Rekiness had hopped next to him, levitating a smaller cup of cocoa and sipping it, before setting it to the side.

"I've tried it before, it's not my thing."

"Aww, really? It's pretty good though....I think."

"Yeah, yeah, but I hate swallowing food in my drinks." added Kosei, swinging his hand near his throat and cringing a little. "It reminds me of the protein shakes back when I was training for the Olympics."

"Ahhh...."

"Well, I hope our Olympian is able to keep up with the busyness of today~!" said Sayuki in the back, cheerfully. She had just poured the final cup for Trigaron and Valgeness, who were off to the side taking sips of theirs, the former of the two being a bit wary due to it being water in a way. She paced past them as she continued with "Today is going to be a really busy day for the KSCT!"

Ayumu raised an eyebrow, clarifying "But wouldn't winter be a slow season if anything? Not too many kaiju like the snow."

Sayuki waved the notion off with her fingers, answering "No, no nothing like that. I have a special-special for our Monster Tamer and Monster Professor."

Sorato's eyes twinkled with wonder. After taking another sip of the legendary marshmallow and cocoa combo, he set the cup down with conviction, his mind already made up for whatever it was.

"Alright! Let's go, Kosei!"

"W-Wait...." replied Kosei with a light chuckle, setting his cup down. "We haven't even gotten it yet!"

"I know but, special-special already makes me excited for it."

Regardless, both were prime and ready for whatever Sayuki had to throw at them. They looked at her, leaning back on the respective couches waiting for what she would say. But still, everyone was surprised at what she ended up saying.

"I need you two to be Santa Claus!"

"Huh....?!" the trio exclaimed in both surprise, confusion, and excitement respectively.

Further explaining after taking another sip, Sayuki went on to say "Mr. Akaji upstairs runs a pretty popular shopping website, so during the holidays stuff is going to get busier for him and naturally you all as well. Because of that, I ended up talking it over with him last month and we agreed that you and Kosei with your wonderful abilities, can be the best Secret Santas Ohito City has ever seen!"

She pointed a finger extravagantly at the two of them.

"You are the two that'll light up the city and light the hope of the youth! Tonight, I need you two to shine bright and take those presents to our friends and fellow folk! Eternally! For glory~!!!!!"

With those final words, Sorato and Kosei looked at each other. Together, they said "We'll do it!" with them standing up shortly afterwards. After setting her cup down, Sayuki clapped her hands as she approached them, celebrating with a "Wonderful! Wonderful! Get some rest in-between your work, gentlemen! You have a busy night ahead of you!"

With that, the two walked away to take care of business while Sayuki turned to Ayumu, winking at her.

"Come on, let's go...." she said under her breath. Ayumu picked up on this, with her nodding. She didn't know exactly what it was, but her mentor was always a crafty one. Perhaps there was more to this Christmas gesture than what met the eye.

It was now night. With the sun having set, the city took on a different atmosphere. It was cold and it was dark. Yet, it wasn't really a scary place. Lanterns illuminated the darkness, as did the bright signs and businesses on the street. Young people out at night partying their hearts out, while some children kept the lights on, trying to stay awake as long as they could in order to see Santa. But even so, a cup of milk before they went to bed, eventually set them to sleep.

As for Santa? He was just getting ready. Or, should I say they? On Christmas Eve, the two Santas were already going to leave Taiyo Warehouses shortly. Sorato and Kosei wore Santa's signature uniform and cap, being lent a car that had all the boxes and presents in it. Their directive from Sayuki was that they were to leave it in a safe place near people's homes, but that they should probably not go too-too far, lest they end up breaking the law. And that would cause trouble. Kosei sat in the driver's seat while Sorato was shotgun, with the Meteokaiju in their stationary sleep mode, keeping watch over the many-many presents they had to deliver.

There was Ayumu and Sayuki seeing them off, with Sorato and Kosei waving back at them. With that exchange of smiles out of the way and the clock striking 8, the duo of Santas was ready to go. The turn of the key, the start of the ignition, and off they went into the snow. As snowflakes gently rained down, the duo zoomed into the depths of Ohito City, determined to give the land they protected the best Christmas yet.

Of course, in zooming past, they weren't to notice something odd. In the gentle snowflakes raining below, they couldn't see the small pieces and fragments of plastic dispersed between them. And who would? They were so small and unnoticeable anyway, that they were unwanted to begin with. They smacked into the snow with only light patters, the green and pink coloration of such trash slowly but surely accumulating. It built up and budded in the snow as did the Christmas spirit for the night, under the noses of everyone.

Still, for now, it was time for Sorato and Kosei to spread joy tonight. And did that they did. First, they stopped by a few houses in a quiet neighborhood, certain to have everyone asleep. It was the perfect time to start off the night with.

"You ready for this, Kosei?" smiled Sorato, as his friend was putting the car in park.

Kosei nodded happily, replying "More than ready."

The two looked back in the backseat, seeing the various Meteokaiju awaken from their sleep forms.

"Are ya'll ready?" asked Sorato. "We have a big night ahead of us."

They all squealed enthusiastically, and that was as good as a yes could get from them. And so, it begun. The nightly run of the Ohito City Santas, Kosei & Sorato. The first house they hit was certainly a toughie. They had to deliver the newest game system that a trio of brothers had wanted, but were unsure of how to properly deliver it. It didn't help that when Sorato took the box, he used his superb jumping height to take himself and Kosei onto the roof, but made a loud thud that woke up the family. In order to salvage their mission, Sorato was forced to gently drop the box in the backyard, where one of the boys eagerly snatched the present. All under the chaos his parents were in over the sudden noise.

After that, there was still trouble. Trigaron ended up being detected by someone's dog, a German Shepherd no less. He was chased about the backyard, which had a little pool and ended up plunging into the water. Sorato had to calm the dog down while the poor Meteokaiju was levitated out of the water by Rekiness, who cooed with its sympathies alongside a concerned Kosei. Valgeness on the other hand was just silently disappointed. Still, they made progress.

In another neighborhood, they had made more deliveries in a far more efficient manner. There weren't many chimneys to slide down and of course they still had to operate without....breaking the law as much as possible, so they opted to have the Meteokaiju expedite the process. Unfortunately, while Kosei and Sorato were able to assist to the best of their ability, mishaps still persisted. Rekiness' telekinesis was a powerful ability, but with snow everywhere, it meant that it could backfire. He tried to levitate a great bunch of presents to different places, and succeeded. But, shortly after collapsing from exhaustion, was drenched in snow alongside Sorato.

It turns out, it had a resonate affect on some snow from above. Expediting the process of not only deliverance of gifts, but the sleet as well.

Even the formidable Valgeness was not safe from these sorts of mistakes. When they had cleared out most of the neighborhoods and surrounding places, they decided to make deliveries into the deeper city before looping back again. Well, it was here that Valgeness proved useful. His flight and manipulation of the elements allowed him to clear snow at a greater pace, and greater travel of some of the presents. While he was delivering some much-needed presents and orders to salarymen, animators, and other such busy individuals in the winter night, he looked to the left, and there was a pigeon.

Valgeness looked to the right, and saw there was another pigeon. Initially, he paid it no mind and carried on his way. However, he soon found that he was being followed by an entire flock of them. He tried to shake them off by doing various spins, alternating his run in different ways, before zooming back to the group to try and avoid them. However, when he came back to get more packages from Sorato and Kosei, there they were, expectantly waiting and following him again. First they chirped and cooed at him. Then they began to peck and hoot. Then, they started to get more physical than Valgeness would've liked, particularly with his cargo.

In an attempt to blow them away, the Meteokaiju unleashed a brisk tug of wind. This did have the intended effect, warding them off for now. However, this also meant that the disturbance would attract more attention from below. On a building, some gruff man was polishing a telescope, when he noticed Valgeness flying in the air. The gruff, dirty, man wiped his eyes, wondering if he was in fact witnessing what he was witnessing. He looked through the telescope again, before taking out his phone to confirm his suspicions.

"I knew it...." he affirmed himself with a growl. "That's one-a those kaiju types, right?! Y-Yeah, it's right here! It's right here!"

The proof in question, on his phone, was a video of the giant of light: Ultraman Omega. And it was footage of his former battle with Valgeness. However, there were key differences in the broadcast. Firstly, Omega's hands briefly melded with his weapon, then when he kicked Valgeness his foot phased into the Meteokaiju's body. The third bit of proof, most damning, was the two holding each other and smashing their heads in a weirdly romantic mess, while some dark-alien thing was maliciously laughing in the background. To cap all of it off, a middle aged man with a receding hairline was speaking over the situation with such confidence.

"As you can see right here! This is proof, unfathomable, invaluable proof that Ultraman Omega is a destroyer, that is behind the Kaiju. In fact, Omega goes so far as to be passionate with them, as seen here! We know for a fact that they're slaves to-"

The man turned his phone off. The situation escalated as quickly as the fire did in his heart. He picked up an old rifle that was on the roof with him, one that probably hadn't been used since the Meiji era. He pumped the rifle in the air, shouting "WOLFIE WAS RIGHT!!!! I KNEW IT! I KNEW YOU WERE IN ON IT, OMEGA!!!! I'LL DEFEND EARTH FROM THE LIKES OF YOU!!!!" Through exceedingly rapid breaths, he cocked the rifle, took aim, and fired. The blast blew through the air, as Valgeness was none the wiser.

Just as Valgeness reached his destination, he was hit with an abrupt 'splat' so-to-speak, that sent him freefalling into a patch of sleet and snow on a roof. The source of such a fall? It wasn't the likes of a bullet. Instead, Valgeness when he came too found out that it was none other than old egg yolk. As he heard Sorato and Kosei calling for his name, he groaned dreadfully. The present was safe, but the smell was noxious and the yolk was so sticky, he wanted to scold it off with fire.

But he couldn't, not quite yet. The flock of pigeons from earlier fluttered back to their old comrade, embracing his newfound state by gathering around the sight and picking at the remains on top of him. And all Valgeness could do for the next few minutes, was accept it.

The next roar was too low to scare off the pigeons; which it couldn't have been. In translation, it could be best described as an "Uggggggh...."

Presently, they had made good work. It was now about 11 PM and they had nearly delivered every present in the city. By this point, the Santas of Ohito were heading off to any houses they might've missed, with the last one being in one of the neighborhoods they fumbled in earlier on. They were tired, but they felt revitalized with each present delivered, and that went for all of the Meteokaiju as well. As they remained in their sleep forms, Kosei and Sorato ended up discussing what they'd be doing after the fact.

"You know...." brought up Sorato, leaning back in the car seat. "We've made deliveries all over the city, but we haven't been to anyone we know."

Kosei briefly glanced in his direction, before returning his attention to the road. He gave a slight nod of acknowledgement, replying "Uh....I guess you're right."

Sorato sort of had a stare that seemed like he looked beyond what he was actually looking at. Kosei could only describe it as 'eyes that were looking beyond', 'eyes that could stretch beyond the universe' if he wanted to be esoteric about it. And he had that same sort of look as he counted with his fingers, each person they ended up missing.

"Nothing from Miko, Wolfie, the Ghost Riders....Eiichi too, even though he'd probably want something for Christmas, being a kid and all."

Sorato then folded his arms, remarking "I'm kinda surprised Inspector Raionji didn't want anything either, I hear he's in town for the holidays....Maybe it's the Lionell Method to hold off on getting gifts!"

Kosei and him then laughed at the notion. The notion of that man giving instead of getting was laughable, unless his way of giving was shilling his book to high schoolers during presentations, or to his underlings. After that, Kosei glanced at Sorato again, adding "Buuut, I don't know. One of those isn't like the other."

"Who?"

"Wolfie of course!" exclaimed Kosei with a chuckle. "What makes you think he's a friend of ours- yours for that matter?"

Sorato shrugged.

"I don't know. But, I did see something funny while packing some stuff up in the warehouse."

"What was so funny?"

With a little grin, Sorato explained "I saw something about hair-growth gel. I thought he'd might like that for Christmas at least."

"Pfffft- I'm trying to focus on driving!" laughed Kosei, keeping steady at the wheel. With the shake of his head, he recomposed himself and responded "But seriously, I guess you have a point with Eiichi, Miko, and those Ghost Riders....they all seem like the type to order stuff, but maybe they already got that covered. Besides, Miko doesn't live in Ohito proper anyway, so her family probably doesn't order much."

"Hmm, still....I want to do something for them at least."

Sorato gave a slight smirk, adding "Even for an interesting guy like Wolfie."

"Yeah, yeah, I see your point there. This is gonna be our last stop, so....maybe we can do something for them tonight....maybe even tomorrow if you'd like."

"That'd be great." finished Sorato with a nod. It was here that they stopped. The car that was chalk full of presents of all shapes and sizes only had one box left, a box so isolated that the Meteokaiju snuggled around it, guarding it with their all. With their stop, they Meteokaiju hopped forward into Kosei's possession, returning to their sleeping forms.

Sorato looked back at the last present, reaching back and grabbing it, as opposed to just getting outside first and going through more trouble. With the unbuckling of their seatbelts and the swing of the doors open, and then shut, it was time for the final delivery. Both men shuddered, not out of fear, but a sudden wave of the cold and excitement to fulfill their duty. So, they carried on.

As they did so, the accumulated fragments continued to bud in the snow. Bits of plastic tailing the car remained there, almost as if turned to the fuzz of static the moment it noticed them. Whether it were shuddering from tears of its own situation, to boiling rage at its abandonment didn't matter. What would be fulfilled would be fulfilled, at any cost. Anything was better than its current existence.

And this house, it was the perfect place to enact that. A wave of mysterious darkness overcoming the whole area, and emboldening the discarded plastic to continue in its own goal. Set with a dark determination.

Sorato and Kosei left the car, slinking to the side, out of sight of any cameras. Valgeness like usual, made sure to subtly augment both the winds, earth, and water, with cumulates of dirt and water obscuring their view for the most part. Kosei with an eager grin whispered "Alright Sorato...we're gonna try and have Rekiness lower the presents in there and we'll be done for tonight..."

But there was no response. Kosei blinked, turning over to his partner-in-delivery, repeating "Sorato? Sorato?" With the third one being a concerned "Sorato..." Sorato was staring at nowhere in particular, at least from Kosei's point of view. This was the same vigilant glare he had when detecting the presence of Kaiju like Eldeghimera. It felt like as if he and Sorato were to avert their gaze in that moment, they were certain to die.

Preparing himself for the inevitable, Kosei prepared the Meteokaiju, deciding to select Rekiness, seeing as he'd be a good first option for a fight. Next, he asked "Sorato? What is it?"

"Unbalance..." was all he could mutter.

"Unbalance...?"

For the next few minutes or so, the two remained like this. Patiently waiting for whatever threat to come. But, Sorato eventually relaxed his shoulders. The tense feeling eroded as Sorato stood up, letting out a minor sigh of relief. Kosei's was louder, with him then asking "What was all that about...?"

"It beats me, for now...." was Sorato's only reply. "I guess....I felt a familiar presence, but, it might be nothing."

"Oh..."

"Let's go inside."

"Huh...?!" exclaimed Kosei, picking up the present in a huff. "We can't do that...! We'd be breaking in...!!!"

However, Sorato's look told him all. It was one of a worried expression, something about this 'Unbalance' wanted him to personally deliver that present. Something about it was so compelling. Kosei understood this, after all, Sorato's gut was pretty infallible when it came to these things. It probably was for the better, even if he was unsure of how to proceed.

But, perhaps it was better than a more dangerous outcome.

On this night, it ended up being the best choice. Even, when it still led to carnage. Valgeness and Rekiness worked together to mold a lockpick. With the security down, it didn't take long for the combined efforts of Trigaron picking it while holding the thing in its mouth and Kosei holding him up to creak the door wide open. It was dark. And on a chilling night like this, a faint breeze blew in.

But a faint breeze also blew out. Sorato's hair flowed in the wind, somewhat unsettled by the double-flow, just as much as Kosei, despite not being bothered by the winter season before. The Meteokaiju returned to sleep once again as the Ohito City Santas walked in, closing the door behind them. Shrouded in a darkness they couldn't understand quite yet, but understood all too well about themselves.

That is why it was here, after all.

"Hmm...?"

It was a pretty nice day today. He got to do so many things, though now he couldn't really remember any of it. It was night of course and like his mom told him too, he had to stay asleep the best he could. If he was good, then maybe Santa Claus would visit him. Him opening his eyes, going out and trying to catch Santa meant that he'd just get coal and that was no good.

Still, he couldn't help but toss and turn over in excitement. He was forced to stare up at the ceiling, whispering to himself. That's how hard it was to contain himself on the matter, he needed someone to tell about this stuff.

"Man...!!!" he exclaimed aloud. "I really-really-really wanna see Santa...!!! Year after year....and it still feels like I haven't gotten to see him yet...."

It was no good though. All he could do was turn over to the other side of his bed, pouting as he asked "Does Santa hate me...? Maybe...Maybe he only cares about all the good kids..."

But the thought was blasphemous. He immediately course corrected, exclaiming "Wait...! Wait...! No, I'm a good kid...!"

But all there was waiting for his declaration was silence. But that was weird...usually, silence didn't have a faint hum. It sorta did, but it wasn't like an air conditioner or anything. For some reason, he felt like something was breathing on him, despite no one being with him. He shivered a little bit, but otherwise was just focused on Santa.

"Tch...." he resolved, biting his thumb. "Maybe I gotta go see for myself..."

"Do you really want to know?"

"Hmm....yeah, I do, I really want to!"

"Do you...?" asked the voice once more. It had a gentleness to it. Normally, he would've been at the very least shocked to hear it but....for some reason it registered as something like one of his imaginary friends when he was younger. "Often times in life, we find ourselves too captivated by these sorts of things."

"By...what?"

"Little things. To you, these presents seem grand. The presence of someone who cares enough, to give you what you have not been given for most of your time here. Compensation in other words. But, is that kindness?"

"I dunno...." was all he could be bothered to say in response. "I never really thought about it like that."

"That's because, my dear Yuta, you are worthless."

It was a strange phenomenon. Yuta always felt like tears would build up in his eyes out of fear, but not in the traditional sense. It was like his senses were overwhelmed to where tears were forcefully pushed out, even if he didn't feel like crying. And here, he felt that same phenomenon. He could feel the breathing on his neck feel heavier, a warm embrace that resembled arms coating his body.

Yet he felt like he couldn't move at the same time either. Not because he was actively being restrained, but like he was sleeping in, he just didn't feel like it. His heart felt tense, each passing beat growing faster and faster. Yet as rapid as it was, Yuta felt calm all the same.

"T-That can't be right.....there's Mom, there's....Dad....there's-"

"Hush, my child. I travel far and wide, meeting many like you. Neither destitute nor astute, your plain existence is treated as an inconvenience. And only during these times, is it convenient to give you attention you deserved a while ago."

"But-"

"A mother who's so busy she can barely stand, a father who's far beyond the eye could reach. All you had little one, is yourself. And all you have now, is me."

As Yuta shivered, he felt his body stopping. The best way to explain was, he tried rolling over to one side, but then the other. Maybe falling hard on the floor would wake him up, or better yet wake up Mom. He hadn't the voice to call her name anymore. Even then, it was still in vain. Just as he felt himself teetering over the edge of the bed, he never actually fell. Instead, he felt more comforts of the bed.

On this silent night, all he heard was the voice. On this silent night, all he felt was the comfort of the bed and the embrace of the voice, cooing nothings into his ear.

"I'll grant your wish, Yuta. As the Saint of The Forgotten, that is my will. In doing that, allow me to obtain yours....so I can save more souls, such as yourself. That is my only condition, Yuta."

Words such as 'Worthless' and 'Forgotten' pounded into the boy's mind. But they weren't the voice's. Distinctly, they were of his own mind's voice, if that made any lick of sense. But he could tell they weren't his. They were figments and fragments, parroting his speech to further hammer it home, while the voice did its own work.

"Submit....Wander further into the fog of your own mind and accept your wish. Accept this kindness, not out of convenience, but care and caution. Sweet dreams, Yuta...." As the voice commanded, Yuta could almost imagine himself being immersed into a dark woodland. One surrounded by fog. Sure, there was his Mom, what he could remember of his Dad in brief instances appearing beside him. But they were faded. Pale humans, more like dolls if anything only extending their hands as far as they could manage.

Limitations of the strings manipulating their will, just like puppets. The only beacons peaking through the mist and cold, were that of glowing eyes. They matched the voice's cadence, they matched the voice's lulling tone. A puppet in his own right, Yuta abandoned the ones beside him to join the soothing voice into the fog. Not because of any intrinsic connection.

But merely the promise of a wish not out of obligation, but tender care. Such desirable, tender care. Yuta traveled into the unknown, prepared to go on this journey with the voice that compelled him so. A prisoner of his life and of his own body, his soul was to be set free. The Saint of The Forgotten was a liberator of such souls and Yuta was but a footnote in its honorable endeavors.

Meanwhile, another two were traveling into an unknown of sorts themselves.

Each creak felt like the stomps of a giant. The two men quietly tip-toed in the dark house, careful to make even make as much as a single breath, too extraneous. No unnecessary noise was to be made. Kosei particularly had the feeling that if he even blinked enough, it would be a loud enough noise to alert those in the home. But, weirdly enough, that wasn't what he and Sorato were worried about in that moment.

Kosei clutched the gift nervously, bringing it inward to his chest as he whispered "Sorato...Where do you think we should leave this...?" Sorato didn't immediately respond, instead moving forward almost robotically. It was like instinct was overtaking him, compelling him to walk away from the living room and eke his way into the hallway, where there were three rooms.

Kosei could only follow, opting to gently set down the present under a nearby Christmas tree placed at the edge of the room, before doing so. Sorato blinked when he stepped into the hallway, looking left and then right, his chest shuddering each time he turned to a new direction. Under his breath, he told an arriving Kosei "Up ahead is the bathroom....the parents' bedroom is to the left, the kid is in the right room..."

With another shudder, Kosei quietly asked "Why are we heading to the kid's room...?" But, Sorato didn't give a proper response. His answer to his friend was simply making a right and pressing his palm against the door. He felt an ephemeral connection to it almost, eliciting a brief grunt almost in how he detected things. He went for the door and twisted the knob, Kosei jumping slightly out of shock that Sorato would cross that line. His mind was gonna run with a million other thoughts of how to explain himself to the angry parents should they arrive; however, that would be out the window once the door was wide open.

With a creak, Sorato and Kosei stood shoulder to shoulder, both witnessing the same sight.

A normal kid's bedroom. There were no anomalies previously detected. Just toys strewn about the room, a video game console that was last gen turned off. The TV was flickering on and off from different stations, probably because the remote was pinned over something in the mess. Kosei gave Sorato a petty side-eye, annoyed that all this trepidation seemed to be for nothing. However, Sorato didn't pick up on his slight, instead carefully approaching the bed where a sleeping child lay. Kosei followed suit, opting to see what was the matter as well. They were this far in, right?

Well, Sorato's eyes widened with what he saw next. He had managed to get to the bed, gently placing a knee and peering his eyes over the boy. Due to his unique biology, Sorato in a way was like a cat creeping through a field at night. If he wanted to, his eyes could refract light and glow like one as well, not that he needed them to in order to see. He knew that it meant he would probably scare off others, but even when he was peering over the boy and sniffing the air above him, he was completely unbothered. Nothing seemed to disturb the child, causing Kosei to take a step back.

He ended up finding the remote, pinned over some random anime character's action figure. This allowed him to fix the TV to one program, with the frequent back-and-forth switching between the Tokusatsu Project: Shine and some mecha anime finally being settled to the former. With a satisfied smile, Kosei whispered "See...? It's nothing, Sorato..." But, even he lacked confidence in making that statement. It still felt like there was something off in the room, even if he couldn't fully detect it.

Sorato's eyes were fixated on that boy. It was like that thing he heard of while scrolling on the internet, 'uncanny valley'. A normal occurrence and depiction of a human, ever-so slightly off. And these differences added up to an unsettling picture. He looked perfectly peaceful, but....he was motionless. His chest wasn't rising up and down, he couldn't even detect the boy's eyes rapidly moving underneath the lids. So that meant he wasn't in REM.

Yet, Sorato thought ("I can still detect it....") He reached out his hand, almost on instinct. ("His life....") During this, Kosei's eyes widened, a little shocked at what Sorato was doing. He was going to ask for clarification, but what happened next was far too fast for any of that.

Sorato suddenly grabbed the boy by the chest, yanking his body and jumping back-first onto the floor with a thud. Kosei in the confusion could notice the faint flashing of Sorato's palm, a blue in a sense, that overlapped over the boy. In that moment, Sorato's back was against the wall, with the boy's eyes flashing wide open. He didn't know what was going on, kicking and trying to scream, only for it to be muffled with the Ohito Santa's palm.

"MMMMMM....!!!" he shuddered, looking up to see would-be rescuer. Kosei at this point was utterly bewildered, surprised at both the boy's parent not waking up and Sorato's behavior. Yet he couldn't chew him out. It was like any interaction they could have in terms of clearing things up, arguing, or anything else was interrupted by this disturbed air brewing in the room.

"This energy...." Sorato mumbled. "It's...it has such a-"

The hairs stood up on the back of Kosei's neck, him shaking with a "Y-Yeah....it's a monstrous intent I...I can feel too..."

This caused Sorato's hand to slack as well, allowing the boy to mumble "Saint..." Sorato picked up on this, looking down in surprise and exclaiming "That's it...!!!"

Distortion. A distortion field of sorts overlay the entire room as it rumbled and shook. Brilliant magenta and purple energy lined the walls, shifting their color and the people inside the room's perception of color completely. Like the proteins inside an amoeba, the holiday colors of red, while, and green slid across the lined walls with a slack slowness to them, that only added to their uncanny feeling. And it magnified when the voice finally took shape.

Sorato kept a firm hold of the boy whilst Kosei rolled back, reuniting to the former's side. In that same motion, the voice's shape was finally revealed. Glowing white eyes, with a body subtly developing in the background, popping like bubbles in a heated pool.

"Yuta...!!!" growled the voice with envy. "You find yourself in the embrace of that charlatan?!"

"W-What's that...." was all he could afford to reply with, briefly descending into a coughing fit.

Kosei gave a brief glance at Sorato, asking "Who is this? What is this?!"

Sorato stood up, gently placing Yuta down from his grasp and shielding him with his arm. As himself and Kosei were a firm barrier between the boy and the voice, he gave a wanton reply, the kind you'd give about an old bully at school.

"Zanryenki...I think. They're like aimless wanderers of space, bound to the vows of their own demise....Unable to pass on, only able to pass others on to their own path."

"T-That's horrible....!!!"

Zanryenki though unable to emote, growled with contempt, shouting "As if! I am more than just a wayward soul, Omega!!! I am the spirit that will liberate all of the forgotten, all of the abandoned! I will ensure this holiday....retains its true objective: granting the desires of the deserving!"

Briefly, a clawed finger struck out from the void, with Zanryenki declaring "And it'll start with your demise, Omega!"

All of a sudden, the room began to shake and shift like a massive earthquake was hitting. Kosei, Sorato, and Yuta braced themselves, with Sorato holding the lattermost tightly to ensure he wouldn't fall. They briefly buckled down as the field warped from the room, a haunting shriek screaming into the night. After that moment, the three were left in the room in a brief silence. A calm before the storm, so-to-speak.

However, that calm was soon to pass. A powerful thud rumbled throughout the land, sending another shockwave throughout the room. With that in mind, it was clear as to what had happened. Sorato ended up opening the door, swiftly running out of Yuta's room and leaving Kosei to catch up. Since the both of them were preoccupied with what was going on, it was only a given that Yuta ran behind in their ignorance. When they got outside, a torrid wave of snow blew in their faces briefly, before suddenly dropping in intensity. Kosei gasped at the sight while Sorato gave the presence of the new creature, Zanryenki, a cold glare.

Launching itself in the snow, Zanryenki had taken a new physical form. He was an imposing 60 meters, a bipedal freak assembling itself through the bits and pieces of fragmented plastic embedded in the snow. Hulking thighs supported by five-toed reptilian feet, short-ish but muscular arms sported with simian-like fingers, ending in unkempt claws a cat would have without proper grooming. Amongst his murky red-green coloration, it was diluted with a pale white along his back, sporting bumps and lumps that looked like osteoderms. The only difference was: they bore faces. These haunting faces looking as gentle as Yuta was when he was asleep.

Finally, Zanryenki had forward-face of a dog, with the canines and fangs of a super-sized one to boot. Blank eyes guided by a circular bright-red nose. These eyes and this face were somewhat obscured by flowing brown hair. It was akin to the mane of a lion, only it was longer and matched the consistency of a woman's. So long was it that it even trailed down some of his shoulders and back.

As the monster hissed to the heavens, the snowfall seemed more permanent in its dominion over Ohito. It rained heavier, as a faint purple aura cast the entire city in more darkness than just that of the night. With the further intensity of the blizzard, Sorato stepped forward, but not before taking a brief glance at Kosei.

"Is that Zanryenki's true form...?" asked Kosei, briefly quaking in the cold.

"Yeah." confirmed Sorato with a nod. "But...he's evolved, somehow."

"How so?"

Briefly, Kosei remembered those words Sorato said earlier, when they felt that chilling aura. When that happened, his eyes widened, with him pressing "Is that the 'unbalance' you mentioned?!"

"Oh- Yeah. An Unbalance Zone....and he's cast one over the whole city...."

"What does that mean? Is he going to destroy it?"

Sorato shook his head, replying "The Unbalance Zone comes and goes, this guy was just hitching the ride. Maybe....that even caused him to gain a physical form. It's not destructive, but it does mean only us six will be able to act against him."

Yuta, who wasn't all the way out and more or less peaking through the door, saw things like pigeons suspended in mid-air. Some people walking in the street, completely stuck in one frame of their life. Unable to realize the danger they were in. He cowered in fear, briefly whimpering as he whispered "Mom....does that mean Mom is-"

Kosei and Sorato both took note of his presence, with Sorato giving a nod to Kosei. With that, Sorato ran off whilst Kosei moved his hand to usher the boy into the house. However, Yuta pushed the door a little bit, asking "A-Are you guys gonna stop him...?"

With an affirming smile, Kosei said "Yeah, we will. Stay inside and....and...."

"How will I know it's okay to come out...?"

"Umm, a star will shine really bright in the sky!" promised Kosei on the fly, raising his finger. "Yeah! So don't worry about it at all, kid! We've got this!"

"O-Okay..." said Yuta, a hint of doubt in his tone. He closed the door, silently praying that the Ohito City Santas would make quick work of Zanryenki.

The kaiju in question stomped abruptly into the ground, causing torrents of snow to shoot out violently in the form of sharp pillars. They were headed straight for Kosei and Sorato, who were running towards the monster in the middle of the city. The lattermost chopped forward, knocking off his Santa hat in the same motion. This allowed for his Omega Slugger to come flying out, slashing through the projectiles with utter ease. Kosei and Sorato then came to a sudden stop, with the latter catching the slugger and nodding.

Surrounded by an ethereal blue energy field, Sorato pulled his necklace from under his Santa costume, inserting a blue gem into his slugger. Pulling down on it, the slugger opened up to form a brilliant crest with the gem shining bright in the middle. He then lowered his hand holding the device, swinging it in an arc before thrusting it skyward. This allowed for the true transformation to begin. The brilliant crest and chest-piece in the middle was armor and a gem of light respectively, attaching themselves to Sorato's chest as he was enveloped in a scarlet light.

Rotating around, this red giant of light, Ultraman Omega, finally took form! Blue particles from the energy field drew towards his body, before he shot into the skies, rising from an azure nebula. His right palm was pushed forward, open to grasp at whatever it could.

In the sky, Zanryenki looked up to see the red giant leaping into the air, a similar size of 50 meters. He managed to arch his landing into a jumping kick, crashing down towards the malicious spirit monster. Acting quickly, Zanryenki crossed his wrists, guarding against the kick and causing Omega to rebound back. Narrowly avoiding crashing into any buildings, he did a roll mid-air before landing handily on his feet, slapping his palm onto the ground as well. In that same moment, he looked up to see Zanryenki hissing and spraying a violent combination of scolding plastic and hard-sleet from his mouth.

However, before it could hit him, a strange field generated around the projectiles. They were only a mere meter away from Omega's face, but were kept in place completely. This caused Omega to slowly turn around, seeing that another giant had arrived in the city: Rekiness. He looked down further to see Kosei all the way back, giving him a smile of encouragement and nodding. Omega naturally returned one back, before turning to face the kaiju ahead of them.

"Verrry wellll...." slithered Zanryenki. "It looooks like youuuu haven't been idle either, Omega."

Rekiness then growled, surging his arms forward and launching the projectiles back to the malicious spirit. However, Zanryenki countered, stamping his feet in the ground and prompting an explosion of snow and concrete to surge from the ground itself. The chaos promptly guarded the attack and caused another explosion, one that forced Omega and Rekiness further back. When the smoke from all the carnage cleared, the duo were utterly perplexed. Zanryenki had completely vanished. All 60 meters gone, just like that.

Cautiously, the duo decided to go back to back, Rekiness keeping watch of one side, and Omega the other. They slowly paced around and around, waiting for when the beast would show itself.

"Druhh...?" grunted Omega in confusion. During one of these shifts, he could feel something bubbling beneath his feet. Rekiness did as well, growling with worry. However, it was already too late to reposition. Springing from the ground like a crocodile from water, Zanryenki lunged at the two of them, wrapping an arm around each of their necks. Omega and Rekiness tried to pry him off for dear life, but it was no good. With a spiteful hiss, the vile spirit had them both smashed into two buildings parallel to each other.

Omega and Rekiness quickly recovered, rolling further back and getting up once more. They both tried to rush Zanryenki again; however, the beast was quick to focus on the Ultra, seeing as he was first. Omega came in trying to swing on him, only to be curbed with a swipe. As his arms were misdirected, Zanryenki's palms lit up with a torrent of snow that launched the giant of light back. He flew through a few buildings, smashing their roofs mostly before nearing a large skyscraper in the middle of the city.

Just as Omega was bracing himself for the worst, he felt weightless. It was Rekiness! He had swished his tail to slash Zanryenki back before focusing his attention towards his comrade, levitating Omega in place and keeping the countless frozen people inside the tower safe. Unfortunately, this meant that he was wide open for various attacks. The spiteful spirit was mostly unbothered by his prior attack, rushing towards the blue drake and stomping him in the back. Rekiness briefly stumbled, but maintained his hold, carefully lowering Omega. During this process he was punched, kicked, and kneed along the spine. Zanryenki took extra care to coat his hands in some of the debris, grinding it into the Meteokaiju's back for more pain.

It didn't matter though. Rekiness had a strong resolve, finally setting down Omega on his feet. After this, the gloves were off. Rekiness spun back just as another kick was going to be launched, deflecting it with one of his own. Settling it the only way two monsters knew how, they interlocked clawed fingers and growled at each other. With another hiss and another mighty roar respectively, they arched their heads back and smashed theirs together. They took the head-to-head term literally, head butting each other with all of their strength.

During one of these violent exchanges, Zanryenki bashed his head against Rekiness' neck, throwing it upward briefly. This however, inspired Rekiness to smack the taste out of the spirit's mouth, tilting his head upwards as well. Rekiness then followed up by swinging his horn down like it was a mighty blade, slashing the throat of the vicious kaiju. Sparks shot off of the affected area and forced Zanryenki to stumble back with an irritated growl. In response, he took hold of the Meteokaiju's exposed neck, clamping his jaws around it and pushing the rest of Rekiness' body down with his muscular arms. He squealed and shrieked in pain, all the while his attacker stomped around, maneuvering the good-natured monster's body however he wanted to.

No matter where Rekiness tried to go or move, Zanryenki was simply too dominant. And with his head pointed down, it allowed him to kick up snow in Rekiness' eyes, further disorienting him.

Luckily, Rekiness had someone to return the favor. Zooming in the sky was Omega, detaching his slugger from his head and swinging it down to slash Zanryenki on the side of the throat. The suddenness of the attack prompted a hiss in pain, also allowing Omega to capitalize and further free his friend by his attack in the back. Whilst Zanryenki stumbled away, Omega briefly nodded to ensure Rekiness was okay before charging forward and swinging his slugger at the ghost kaiju again. Zanryenki countered by summoning a small barrier of snow to delay the attack.

Omega stumbled back in response, swinging again only to be met with the same result. The recovering Rekiness, head still lowered, subtly assisted Omega in his next endeavor. Bit by bit, he would levitate Omega with each slash, so that when Zanryenki tried to make a bigger snow barrier to block it out, he could come down with a powerful cut that sliced through it completely, also slashing down on his chest. With that, Rekiness properly raised his head, and him and the Ultraman kicked Zanryenki back, smashing him into an empty building and returning the favor for his earlier disrespect.

Immediately after, Zanryenki leapt into the air, coming down with a kangaroo kick towards Omega; the Ultra guarded against the attack but just barely, rolling back while his partner looked back in shock. Landing on his feet, Zanryenki got to business and tried to smack Rekiness, only to get countered by a similar smack, the two now pressing arms against each other. They had a brief exchange of blows, with the victor being the spiteful specter, who shoved Rekiness back.

The Meteokaiju was more than happy to, rushing back to Omega, who got up once again.

"How quaint....you 'fight' so hard for the sake of others, Omega. That is your supposedddd kindest trait, yet, in defense of such a holiday, you have found yourself in direct conflict with true kindness! That is your downfall!"

The Saint of the Forgotten's eyes briefly lit up as he spread his arms. Suddenly, Omega, Rekiness, and even Kosei could feel the ground shaking and rumbling with an intensity they had never experienced before, one they couldn't comprehend. Before they knew what happened, a series of sharp icicles shot from the ground, while the rest of it broke and shifted, shooting up to hundreds of meters into the sky as giant pillars. One was going to strike Omega and Rekiness, had the former not taken hold of the latter's arms, shooting off into the sky in order to avoid them. Still, they hunted after them like heat seeking missiles, spiraling further and further along with the pillars.

To make matters worse, this frozen castle of sorts was now shooting spikes from the pillars as well. Not extending, but outright projectiles that sprayed in their direction. Rekiness did his best to not only lighten the load with his powers, but also using them to redirect them. However, it was still troublesome. Omega wouldn't be able to attack and defend himself anyways.

This was all something Zanryenki could get behind. The pillars were forming pillars of doom, the spines and projectiles all closing in on his enemies. He further used the snow and ice to elevate a throne supported by a pillar of similar magnitudes, just so that he could see the show properly. The Saint of The Forgotten cackled with joy at the sight of Omega and Rekiness in such a pinch, as one of the higher pillars shot out extending spikes downward, ones that would pierce them from above. Coupled with the ones from below and the projectiles from the side, it was a guaranteed kill.

That is, if Kosei wasn't there.

With the pull of his hand, Rekiness condensed into a blue light, flying all the way back to his master. In that same motion, the words "Trigaron!!!" echoed into the winter night. That was when Omega turned and saw it. Just as doom was enclosing him in so many different directions, the monochrome color of the ice and snow was briefly illuminated by an aurum glow. When the roar of a golden tiger echoed into the night sky the same way, that was when he nodded. He knew there was nothing to worry about.

A golden blur whizzed into the oncoming spikes coming upward; further dashing through the ones coming downward as well. In one instance, the golden blur had sliced through all of them, causing them to shatter and fall to the ground. Omega and the blur moved out of the way, avoiding the rising projectiles through sheer speed or flight until they had made it atop the pillars. When all was said and done, Zanryenki found two challengers to his throne; Omega, and the aforementioned Trigaron. The only thing being, that now he had Kosei on his back, giving the tyrannical 'saint' a determined glare.

"We won't let you destroy Christmas!!!" he shouted, his words bellowing across the chasm of ice. "Not ours, not anyone's!"

Zanryenki slumped into his throne, slightly excited by such determination. He waved a claw back at Kosei, doing it in the same way a showgirl on Broadway would to an adoring fan. "You're in league with Omega, right? You are aware that if anyone's ruining a Christmas, it's going to be him..."

"What do you mean?! You can't mean-"

Cackling, Zanryenki nodded as he stamped his feet down, retorting "Of course! Do you think a Space Gazer like him knows what kindness is?! Omega's kindness to you is another experiment!!! Zanyahaha!!!"

Recomposing himself, Zanryenki stopped moving, only motioning with a finger for them to come at him already. He could see Omega looking at him, fists balled up and ready to fight, while Kosei had lowered his posture, riding Trigaron like a horse jockey.

"It only makes sense after all. Me and Omega were supposed to be like that anyway."

In an instant, red and yellow blurs blasted off from their pillars. Their speed and passion melted the tops, causing Zanryenki to briefly jolt from his throne in excitement. This was going to be interesting.

Omega came flying in first, launching his slugger at the specter. However, Zanryenki erected a barrier of snow in response, causing it to bounce off. When Omega arrived shortly after, he caught it in his hand and swung down sharply, only to be repelled once again. Buds of spikes poked from the wall of ice and snow, shortly turning into weapons for execution.

The Ultraman backflipped in the air, avoiding the projectiles and giving way for Trigaron's entrance. The golden blur tore through the construct with ease, shattering it and further coming in with a swipe at the Saint of the Forgotten. Unfortunately, he was swatted away with the flick of the tyrant's tail. The golden tiger plummeted below much to Omega's horror, prompting the titan to spin around and rush the kaiju before him. The two exchanged blows as the tyrant made his way off of the throne.

Omega launched a series of right hooks that were deflected with ease. When he came in with an extra-powerful straight, Zanryenki had already launched a cross-counter punch to his chin, sending the Ultra slumping back. He lowered himself, trying to attack with a spin kick next only to get blitzed by another barrier of ice. This time, it curved the motion of his kick, slumping him down further and making him kneel.

"When you come at the king Omega-"

"Gruhh!" interrupted the giant, launching up and striking Zanryenki in the face once more. Briefly stunning the beast, Omega took the opportunity to launch a series of punches at his face. Constantly and consistently, blue energy coated his fists as he built up more momentum. However, it became apparent that only the first punch changed Zanyrenki's position. Solid as a rock, the blows felt weaker and weaker on Omega's end, until it felt like he wasn't hitting anything. Just smashing his fist against dense space, thick air, an impediment to all movement.

Omega cocked his fist back for a more powerful punch, only for it to be caught in the phantom's palm. The creature whipped his mane forth and cackled at the giant's feeble attempts.

"As I was saying. When you come at the king, come correctly!!!!"

Omega tried to snap-kick him in the stomach, but looked down in horror to see smoke already rising off of his. Zanryenki already beat him, and now, he was set to fall off of the throne pillar. But as he did, Zanryenki wasn't finished. He took the plunge after the Ultra, seemingly wanting to have this head-on clash. Though weirdly, Omega could sense other intentions in mind. Whatever the case, he had to fight then and there.

Omega and Zanryenki were free-falling between the giant pillars now, continuing their bout. In this phase, the two titans exchanged projectiles. Omega positioned his hands on his chest like a certain Older Brother, before launching blue blasts from his palm. On the other hand, Zanryenki launched more slag & sleet from his mouth, just in controlled bursts. They tilted their heads and bodies to the side to dodge; results of such attacks blasting through chunks of ice or melting them away entirely. Being the flier, Omega spun around to avoid an extra-powerful beam, pivoting to launch a kick to the face; he launched Zanryenki back with the attack, the beast slamming his back against a nearby pillar.

The phantom stamped his feet, giggling as he outstretched his hands and launched bulky pole of snow at his foe. Omega flew up briefly, avoiding it entirely. Surprisingly, the pole was really a bridge, connecting the sides of the two pillars and giving Zanryenki somewhere to stand. Omega landed on the bridge, briefly cautioning to test his weight before charging at the beast. His foe attempted to lead with a tail strike; however, Omega weaved and punished with a series of floating kicks. Landing, he continued with a straight kick and then an uppercut. Zanryenki wasn't a slouch either, he assembled snow from one pillar to the other, launching a spray of snow to overwhelm the Ultraman while he slapped and scratched him into submission.

At the end of the day, it was a stalemate on the bridge. Zanyrenki could only use his superior weight as a kaiju, and Omega could only use his willpower as an Ultraman to push that weight back.

"It's strange, isn't it Omega?"

"G-Gruhh...."

"Just like then, you lied to Yuta about his worth....as if this world, or you as a Space Gazer were to care for him. Only I can do such a thing, only I can enact this will; above the jurisdiction and presumption of your kind, that is!!!!" Zanryenki began to cackle as his mouth glowed a bright red. Omega noticed that the shoving contest turned into his foe forcefully grabbing him by the wrists and twisting them. So desperately, Omega wriggled back, trying to free himself, but it was no good.

"G-Gruhhh!!!!"

In that moment, Omega didn't see his past. He didn't see Zanyrenki, or even ever-glowing scarlet of his maw. No. Instead, he saw a golden flash of light whizz past them both before his enemy could even get another word in. The moment he didn't see it anymore, Zanryenki was gone. Omega could only slump with a minor sigh, grateful at the reliability of his partner.

"Acccckk!!!!" was all Zanryenki hissed in the moment. Trigaron slammed into his chest, smashing him into a farther-away pillar. The weight of such an impact did three things: Stun the beast, said pillar to crack away and crumble, and Trigaron to get the momentum to bounce back and land towards the side of another ice-pillar. In the descending blue smoke of the cracked ice however, Zanryenki rose once more. Messier hair, a more growly disposition, but otherwise alright.

"Ever-the-troublesome one!" he growled, with Kosei replying "Let him have it, Trigaron!!!"

The golden tiger roared happily in response. Omega dashed below, witnessing streaks of white and gold ping-pong around the field of pillars proliferating Ohito. Trigaron through raw speed and power was able to compete with Zanryenki's constructs. The phantom utilized them well to skid across the aerial battlefield, whisking by like a flying ice-skater of death, and spraying out projectiles of hard sleet and ice at the Meteokaiju, who would bounce left, right, up, and down anywhere, avoiding them like he was in the circus.

During one of these swift exchanges, Zanryenki positioned himself on the side of a pillar, charging up another beam of energy. This time, he was able to launch it at Trigaron. However, the Meteokaiju didn't dodge. Kosei merely clutched around its fur tighter as the beast glowed a bright yellow. The scarlet slag made contact, but rather than destruction, it was met with full-on resistance. The mighty tiger erupted forward and pushed the beam back in the same stroke, blitzing Zanryenki in the face with his own attack and his sharp claws, erupting in an explosion of red and gold. Trigaron managed to zoom past the dazed 'saint' completely.

The phantom tilted upward, utterly shocked as smoke rose off of his snout. His red-nose began to flash with shock with what he saw next. Omega was flying at him just as Zanryenki was falling down back-first, the Ultra hitting him with a full body slam and accelerating the plummet. He scored deep punches into the kaiju's gut before placing a palm to choke him in place, grabbing his slugger with the other hand. The Ultraman scored a slash that let sparks blast off of his enemy's skin; however, Zanryenki was able to score a mean back-hand to launch him through a pillar and into another one, cracking it.

Intent on not falling, the Saint of The Forgotten generated another pillar directly beneath him. It was inferior in size to the others, but just enough for him to see a recovered Omega hovering in the air on one side and a crouching tiger positioned on the other. Spreading his arms, he waved them around in paddling motions as he roared at his opposition.

"Come at me then!!!!"

Trigaron and Omega dashed towards him, with Zanryenki doing the same. All that could be seen above was an intense blizzard the likes of which couldn't be seen on Earth. From Greenland, to Antarctica, to the countless Ice Ages, none of it could compare to the storm blowing through Ohito. Snow and hail curled around the pillars, projectiles blending in as bridges of ice erected themselves erratically. They transformed into arrows, wrecking balls, constructs of all sorts. At the speed they multiplied, they were cut down viciously. A golden tiger tore through maces with his teeth, shattered axes with his claws, and donkey-kicked pillars down to crush turrets. A red giant of light hit the brunt side of his phantasmic foe, the two exchanging coordinated-blunt strikes in the haze of snow. All to be separated by eruptions of blue energy and walls of white winter respectively.

But in the chaos of it all, it happened once again. Buds of plastic fell from the skies abruptly, attaching themselves to an ice-filled road. Slowly but surely, they advanced. It then became faster, faster, slowly turning to swiftly and surely. The plastic bound with the snow rushed like a certain chariot in the night sky, but rather than for the dreams of children around the world, said plastic was fixated on the dreams of one.

And that one, Yuta, couldn't have seen it coming. Not with all the ruckus outside.

Shuddering in the living room, Yuta held his hands close to his chest. This was world was like that of models that he used to see. The ones at exhibitions his parents would take him to, model trains driving around while a static world lay around them. His mother, completely still. It wasn't just the world, but his world that was as frozen as the ice.

And all he could do in this static place was pray, all the while enduring the loud clashes above. The hiss of snow, the giant creaking and smashing of pillars. It was like documentaries on climate change or whatever, hearing the loud smashes of glaciers plunging into the ocean. Only, this ocean was one of carnage, as he could hear the grunts in pain of Ultraman, his companion monster's outcry, and hissing of that spirit. That so-called Saint of The Forgotten.

Hopefully, he would forget about him just like everyone else, right?

Unfortunately, that was far from the case.

At first, Yuta thought the tapping he heard came from the window. And he was right, only, he assumed it was stray snow or hail from the fight. He shivered a bit, letting out a cough before standing up. He didn't want to be motionless, to just close his eyes and silently pray. But at the same time, he felt it was the only way he could help. The key contradiction, the factor here was that noise.

That odd tapping noise just kept at it. It kept at it and at it and at it, until Yuta's mind was filled with nothing but the tapping.

"W-What's going on...?!!" he shouted. "Mama...?"

He knew all and well his mom was frozen but, surely it was just her getting up, right? He slowly began to take a few steps back from the windows in the front. He receded further and further into the comforts of the hallway, hoping it was just his mom making that noise.

"Mom...Mom...M-Mom?"

His voice became more strained as the tapping turned into cracking. "Mom...!!! Mama!!!" Tears built up in Yuta's eyes. It was something overwhelming to him, but, he didn't feel said. It was like being scared, being found in this unknown, strange situation, just brought that out in him again. They appeared in his eyes, yet they dared not leave them.

Suddenly, a sharp ping burst through the room, followed by the loud shattering of glass. Yuta instinctively ducked down to cover himself, screaming "MAMA!!!" at the top of his lungs. Yet even the pain he put into his voice couldn't overcome the noises outside, nor howling winds bursting into his home. Like a turtle of sorts, he kept his head down, knees under his stomach, and arms folded, shuddering like a mess.

"E-Eh...?!" was all he could say. There was that tapping again. But it was more frantic, more consistent, more constant. He looked up, seeing that it was none other than that plastic. He hadn't seen it before, but he felt it in his soul what it was. In comparison to those dolls, it was who he decided to take that walk with. That journey souls had in the dark wood, that right there, was the ferryman.

The saint.

"Yutaaaa....!!!" he slithered. Tears in his eyes, Yuta tried to scurry back, rush to his mom's room. However, it was no good. The plastic imbued with snow and ice was amorphous. It was hard-ish blob that bounced from wall to wall, before pouncing on the boy. Yuta's muffled screams were just white noise to the saint, with his only response being "Now, let's see about your wish. I'll see to it you understand what realll fulfilled dreams look like."

Outside, the intense snowstorm subsided. While it coated the majority of Ohito in a thicker bout of snow, most of the people and animals at this point were already nestled within some sort of shelter. The pillars of ice were waning in the aftermath of the intense duel, smoke rising off of them as they began to slowly melt, even if they were in the cold. They began to recede in an orderly fashion, reduced to the mere range of 90-75 meters in height. On the ground, there was Trigaron and Omega, prepared to continue the bout.

Zanryenki on the other hand was acting strange. Rather than going on the offensive, the monster merely stomped forward before stopping.

"Zanyahaha!!! Are you sure you want to continue, Omega?"

Omega was going to charge in, but briefly stopped. Buckling down his Christmas hat, Kosei stared the strange-beast down.

"What are you playing at now...?!"

But they soon got their answer. Slithering from a certain home, a piece of Zanryenki was elevated into the skies before bursting into fireworks abruptly. In the aftermath, a giant Christmas tree appeared in the middle of Ohito City, one that rivaled the biggest and shiniest buildings in sheer brilliance. And at the top, was no star. But rather-

"Gruhh!!!"

"Yuta!!!!"

Indeed, at the top of the Christmas tree was none other than Yuta, kicking and screaming "Heeelp!!! Help!!!!" while a piece of Zanryenki made him stay put at the top. Turning their attention back to the foul saint, Kosei shouted "You let him go, you bastard!!!"

"Gruhhh!!!"

"Ohh, but I don't think I willl...." hissed Zanryenki, beginning to step forward as snow surrounding him began to rise. It compounded and compounded, forming mounds that were rivaling him in height, whilst ice was freezing over him. Akin to sun roofs on cars. "I intend on fulfilling Yuta's dreams! And his'll be the first of many!!!"

With that, Zanryenki shoved his arms forward, launching the mounds of snow as a tsunami, and the ice a sea of daggers. Omega and Trigaron charged in without any hesitation. Regarding the tsunamis, Omega's hands flashed a bright blue as he slammed his palms against them. In that instant, he melted the snow, but now there was the daggers to worry about. No worries there though, Trigaron dashed above and sliced a good chunk of them apart in one dash. This left the Ultraman to snap kick the rest away before tossing his slugger at the phantom kaiju.

Zanryenki smacked it with his backhand; Omega caught the slugger in hand, rushing in with an upward slash that stunned the beast. As he stumbled back, Omega kept up the assault, slicing across his body before launching a spin-kick that stunned him. With that, he reattached his slugger and put Zanryenki in a headlock, holding him down and letting out an eager "Gruhh!!!" He unleashed as many knees and kicks as he needed to to keep him down. Even if it meant his sides were getting sliced and tore at with tooth & claw alike.

For, up above, Trigaron was still soaring. With a trusting nod, Kosei said "Alright, Trigaron, return!" Trigaron retracted into a golden light, sending Kosei into freefall. However, he was calm as ever, this being like his 5th time mid-air. So, he grabbed a red object, shouting "Alright, I'll save you Yuta!!! Let's do this, Valgeness!!!!"

In no time, a red light burst into brilliant flames, clearing away any dreary snow falling near him. Yuta's eyes lit up in wonder as he saw the magnificence of the scarlet dragon: the Meteokaiju Valgeness. Triumphantly, the beast soared right for the Christmas tree. However, Zanryenki below wasn't going to have that. With a growl, he locked his arms around Omega's waist, with the Ultra unable to do anything to stop it. Futile elbows weren't enough to stop the beast from lifting him in the air before chucking him like a pro football (American) player into the skies.

Omega came shooting towards Valgeness like a missile. He was thrown with such a force he could barely reposition himself. And to make matters worse, a powerful wave of ice and torrent of slag was heading right towards him. Without much of a choice, Omega grunted and spread his arms, generating a faint-blue barrier of energy that shielded against the attacks. However, all it could do was that. With a "GRUHHHHH!!!!" he was sent flying even further back. Kosei and Valgeness by then had noticed, with the former gasping in surprise.

However, Valgeness wasn't going to let that happen. Effortlessly, he spun around and proudly flapped his wings. Omega was putting every fiber in his being to stop the projectiles, but it was Valgeness who eased that burden for him. The scarlet drake powerfully dispelled the slag, disassembling it with flames from within to turn it into nothing but stray embers. As they rained below, he then condensed the snow with green winds he conjured up, flinging shells of it at Zanryenki like he was an artillery cannon.

With the fling of his tail, the beast slashed them apart with ease via thin ice daggers. As snow gently rained beside him, he began to stomp forward. At that moment, Omega ceased his barrier and turned to Kosei, just as he was listening to Valgeness' deep grumbles. Turning to Omega, Kosei said "Valgeness wants to settle things with Zanryenki....I guess it's a matter of pride for him too- So, w-we got him covered! You can take care of Yuta!"

Simply, Omega graciously nodded with a "Gruh!" Neither party wasted any time. As Omega was flying for the tree, Valgeness tore through the winter air at his enemy. A mighty dragon was what he was, crashing into the chest of Zanryenki with his feet and sending him to the ground immediately. When the Meteokaiju landed, he didn't hesitate to launch a series of fireballs from his chest. However, the recovered phantom merely dove under the snow and burst from it like a croc, snapping at Valgeness' throat.

But just in time, the Meteokaiju had caught him, smashing his face between those gaudy wings of his. When Zanryenki was stunned, he unleashed a maelstrom of wind and snow from the ground to shove him back. However, he was countered with the raw heat of his slag. Yet, when it burned through the wall of snow, Valgeness was able to disassemble it again with fire. Smoke rose in the air between them as they stared down each other. A complete stalemate between the strongest kaiju on Earth, the elementals.

And because of who they were, they couldn't keep it that way. Valgeness' body immediately surged in heat, emitting a powerful flare of fiery energy only enhanced by the winds he churned up. Meanwhile, Zanryenki did the exact opposite, creating the coldest front he possibly could. The two elements swirled around their respective conjurers before reaching a cumulative apex. This apex was engulfing the creators in their respective elements before launching themselves at each other full force, creating a thick pressure of that weighed down on the very Unbalance Zone. Meteokaiju, the man fighting alongside him, and the spiteful specter all roared at the same time, a collective "AAAAAAAAAA!!!!" breaching beyond the initial clash.

Grinning the best a creature like himself could, Zanryenki declared "No matter what you do, Yuta's dream will be achieved!!!"

"Whatever....dream it is...." barked Kosei back through gritted teeth, clinging onto Valgeness desperately. "All you're doing is twisting it without compromise! I-Is that what dreams are to you...?!! They're more than that!!!"

Implanting his feet in the ground, Zanryenki moved like a sumo wrestler, inching forward to exert his power, his aura over Valgeness'. The blizzard that surrounded him intensified as did his words.

"And who are you to say...?!! You're not one of the forgotten! You've realized a purpose and a dream, haven't you? Not everyone has the luck to catch the gazer's fancies, leeeet alone others' you foolish-foolish human!!! Dreams are absolutes that must be grasped no matter the cause annnnd, that's what the holidays are allll about!!!"

Just as it seemed like Valgeness was on the losing end, he stiffened. No more than a brick wall in Zanryenki's ambitions, the Meteokaiju cocked his wings back, before unleashing a powerful flap to even the odds. The surge of heat energy equalized things, prompting a "Woaaah!!!" of caution from the specter as Valgeness stepped forward, his passion burning as bright as Kosei's heart. His tempest as resolute as Kosei's will.

"You don't have a right to say that about my dreams or anyone else's! Not everyone gets to achieve what they want at first....but sometimes, sometimes you meet the right person, it's the right time, and....things end up the right way!!! No one's alone and Yuta won't be anymore, so no matter what wish you granted him...."

"Buuut don't you want to know? Don't you want to know what unattainable crushing dream he had?!"

In response, Kosei clenched onto Valgeness' back tighter, slowly scaling up the neck further and further in order to meet Zanryenki directly in the eye. No matter the storm, no matter the heat, he was going to look him right in the eye and tell him what for!

"No!!!! Because no matter what wish he had, no matter what you'll grant him, that wish won't make him happy!!! Gifts and wishes aren't what make people happy this time of year!!!"

"Then what is it then, tag-along?!! It's a load of rubbish I'lllll bet, Zanyahaha!!!!"

"I'LL SHOW YOU, HUAAAAAAAH!!!!" roared Kosei in response, pupils shining a bright red. In return, Valgeness' roar reached the heavens, uniting with Kosei's declaration in full force to match Zanryenki. Not one to be outdone, he moved forward as they did, the only thing separating their bodies being such a violent clash of elements. A clash that pressurized and scorched any stray trashcans, cars, poles, and even buses when they were sucked in the vortex-like middle.

This storm was so confined to this one specific part of town, yet its results caused each element to ascend higher and higher. While at the bottom the elements clashed as their users did, the very top was where the elements combined, forming their own pillar of energy and bursting further. This battle was no different than the Great Wall of China, a landmark even visitors from space could see.

Omega was already close enough to the tree, briefly impeded by the strong winds both powerful opponents were giving off. Yet he gave a nod of acknowledgement, before reaching the tree. He had no issue hovering above, gently reaching his hand for Yuta. Yuta, exclaiming "Ultraman!!!" excitedly. The giant carefully reached his hand towards the construct binding Yuta, his palm shining an ethereal blue. Like a spy movie Sorato watched one time, he had to be as careful as possible. As absolutely careful as possible.

He inched further and further, Yuta looking away and closing his eyes. He hoped that whatever happened, Omega would succeed. He had to.

"ACKKK-GRUHHH!!!"

Yuta opened his eyes to see Omega rebound back, smashing into the frozen streets of Ohito. It was a dreadful sight. When Omega got back up, what occurred was as clear as day. A dark energy was warping around Yuta, and it was one that repelled Omega's attempts to save him. However, rather than being much of a physical barrier, what it was really was also apparent. Yuta looked away again, tears in his eyes in the realization it couldn't be hidden.

From them. And from himself.

"Gruhhh..." grunted Omega softly. "Duhh..."

"Zanyahaha!!! See?!" shouted Zanryenki from the clash, causing Omega to turn back. "This is just as much my desire as it is Yuta's!!!"

Even Kosei was briefly distracted from the clash, his pupils fading back to a normal color when he saw Yuta's face. It was a look of total and utter defeat. He wanted to be saved but, darkness was bound across his body and the binds themselves. And, this momentary slip, only made things worse. Omega could tell as much, letting out a "Gruhh!!!" to alert Kosei, and running over, but it was far too late for that.

The spiteful specter shot his hands up, causing his side of the clash to shoot up at a higher rate, and effectively taking Valgeness' heat up with it. When all was said and done, the energy was dispersed into the skies above, disseminating in an almost-blood moon effect. The shock in that moment gave Zanryenki the momentum to swing his arms down, causing nearby pillars to bend and twist into sharp objects, contorting and twisting their way so that they skewered Valgeness in the sides.

The elegant dragon grunted in pain, trying to remain strong for Kosei. However, before he could even counter, Zanryenki already stomped over to grab him by the neck. The specter lifted his whole body up with one arm, choke-slamming him into the snow. Not finished, he violently ripped Valgeness from his pillars and dragged his body across the snowed-in roads. With all his might, he chucked him into the main city again.

"You all say the same thing! But what good does anything mean when you can't have your dream the way you want it?!! It means nothing!!!"

"Ack!!!" spat Kosei, clinging onto Valgeness for dear life. A combination of sleet and debris smothered Valgeness' back, but otherwise, he was able to recover somewhat. However, Zanryenki wasn't giving him the chance. The beast rushed towards him like a quarterback, unconcerned with whatever could be thrown at him. When the Meteokaiju unleashed a flurry of meteoric fireballs his way, a makeshift shoulder pad of ice bounced them away. A stumbling Valgeness was met with a kangaroo kick in the face. Sparks violently burst off of his body as he was flung further back into the city, much to Omega and Yuta's horror.

Valgeness' body skid across the streets as Omega tried to rush in and help, only for a barrier of ice to get erected between the two suddenly.

"Yuta's dream, the first wish I'll grant on Earth, is one that's most important! It's a testament to the forgotten! The invisible!"

The Meteokaiju still managed to make a stand. Even when rattled like that, he managed to spread his arms, spinning around rapidly before unleashing an emerald tornado. Zanryenki though was able to see through this. He launched another bout of his vile breath, the beam precisely bursting through the tornado without incident and heading straight for its sender.

But, Valgeness was a Meteokaiju. In that moment, he wasn't thinking of himself. He wasn't thinking of the overall situation. Not about his personal pride, what-with Zanryenki's environmental powers. No. He was thinking about four people:

Omega, Sorato, his comrade. Kosei, his master. The boy they were so desperately trying to save. And, Ayumu, who would've wanted him to do a job well done.

Spending so much time giving to the people of Ohito, he only thought about furthering that wish. He spread his wings triumphantly, generating winds and heat around the beam as it made contact with his body. Like it was an act entirely on the flow state, he flowed the attack to the construct of ice separating him and Omega. He melted it apart completely, even if some of the attack still exploded off of him. Content, he fell back, hoping Kosei would hop off before then.

However, as he was there for Omega, Omega was there for him. The giant wasted no time in catching the Meteokaiju, helping him up with a concerned "Dyuhh!" Still, the trio had more pressing matters at hand. Zanryenki continued to stomp forward, cackling with his signature "Zanyahahahahaha!!!!" into the night. They looked above to see the moon, forever transfixed on one night, and they looked to see Yuta, who silently cried in defeat.

"Now I'll stop you interfering Space Gazer!!!" commanded Zanryenki. "I'll fulfill Yuta's wish of being at the top of the world and kill you in one move!!!"

"Dyuh!"

Shivering, Kosei looked back at Yuta, exclaiming aloud "You must've done something to him back in the room!!!"

"I did nothing!!!" replied Zanryenki happily, snow and ice accumulating around him. "I merely did what no one else did for him on this world. That is what it means to be the Saint of The Forgotten, don't you see?"

"T-To rob children of their souls so they can destroy their worlds?!!"

With a chuckle, Zanryenki countered "A common wish for the forgotten, which is why I wanted to snatch his up quickly before I accumulated the rest. But no matter. I went through twelve other Space Gazers in search of him, so I'll wait no longer. I'll fulfill everyone's dreams here and now!!!"

Omega, Valgeness, and Kosei braced themselves. The wind was blowing erratically. In an almost biblical turn of events, these strange winds lifted the snow from their slumber. It ripped the ice from their resting places. It awakened maelstroms of sleet and hail the likes of which never seen. And all began to accumulate around Zanryenki as he rose. Ever higher, ever higher, he ascended into the skies themselves, and his body began to retract within the mountains of snow forming. Hundreds of meters into the sky beyond even his original thrones, it was the violent tear of the wind coupled with his laughter that boomed in the souls of everyone present.

"I'm sorry!!!" was all Yuta could spit out in-between sobs. And as desperate as they were to comfort him, they couldn't anymore. For, he could call himself a saint all he wanted. But the opponent that arrived when the torrent of snow vanished, was no saint. Hell, he was no monster. Standing at hundreds of meters tall, each laugh a cannon launched into their eardrums, was Zanryenki alright, but in a different form.

Feet like that of an elf, a body that had countless swirls and lumps on it. Curled fingers for grabbing and crushing, tusks of ice sprouting from rolls of the body, and candy-cane like tendrils shooting from outside the head. Slit eyes that shone a bright red. Zanryenki was within alright, that much Omega could assess. But this was like this form was a fully piloted mechanism. A mecha of snow and ice ready to bring terror to the holiday season for the sake of dreams.

So, suffice to say. This wasn't a monster. It was the devil himself.

"I'm sorryyyy!!! I'm sorrry!!!!" snorted Yuta in-between bouts of crying. "I'm sorry, Ultraman!!! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!!" Yet, they couldn't answer his wails. The terrifying thing was, the snow, the noise died down completely. It was just the soft lumbering of all these giants and Yuta's crying.

That was all.

If Omega was capable of speech, his "Dyuuuh....!!!" of caution, surprise, and even slight anger would've been "Alien Terrorist". For that is what they were dealing with now, mecha or not.

"ZANYAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!!" laughed the giant Terrorist, his voice causing Omega and Valgeness to falter. It was a miracle that Kosei wasn't reduced to nothing with the sound alone. "THE POWER TO STAND AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD!!! THAT IS WHAT YUTA WANTED!!!!"

"I-I'm....s-s-orrry...."

Yuta's apology felt like the gong of a bell. For what happened next, was the deadly part. Omega and Valgeness shot off into the skies immediately, avoiding a massive punch that nearly blew a hole in the middle of the street. The gigantic creature swung his enormous arms about, merely wafting them closer to another punch just off of air pressure alone. Valgeness manipulated it the best he could with his hurricane, allowing him and Omega to narrowly avoid it. They dashed back, regrouping and exchanging a nod, Kosei included, before diving back in.

This had to be coordinated, perfectly. Omega came in first, unleashing a powerful azure beam in the + sign, tearing across the body of Terrorist. He dove up and down while continuing the beam, ensuring attention was primarily focused on him. When the titan was distracted, Valgeness flew above spinning around rapidly and creating a thunderstorm in the sky. However, Terrorist noticed this. He briefly ignored the annoyance of Omega's beam, shooting into the sky with just a mere jump. Looking like a pro basketball player, he caught the cloud in the sky.

With the crush of his hand, he dispersed it entirely and conducted any lingering electricity through his body. A Valgeness that dodged by the skin of his teeth and a shocked Omega were forced on the backfoot after this. They flew away from the main city and tried to get away to the forests, now flying over the more suburban areas. However, the Terrorist merely vanished in a flash. Kosei looked back, shouting "Wait! Where did he go?!!" To which, his question was answered in the form of the super-sized Terrorist appearing in front of them.

Before either could react, he outstretched his hands, launching a series of explosive ice missiles from his finger tips. The sheer barrage was unrelenting, an assault that was never ending. Not because it was difficult to avoid, but because the duo was hellbent on ensuring not a single one hit the frozen town. Omega after getting tired of shooting blasts tossed his slugger out, but kept it steady, spinning in the same place. The constantly rotating slugger flashed an ever-present scarlet, allowing him to dish it out like a permanent buzzsaw of energy. It sliced up the projectiles, with Valgeness only bolstering efficiency through streams of fire, cutters of wind, and erected stone-snow pillars near blind spots to withstand damage.

However, this at the end of the day was just a rhythm. One they had been effortlessly lulled into. Omega fired another beam in the + sign the same time Valgeness unleashed hurricane cutters, getting rid of the last batch. They prepared for a bout of more, only to see Terrorist's fists clenching.

They tried to dash back, Kosei screaming "Look out-" but it was cut short. In an instant, hundreds & thousands of tons slammed into the bodies of Meteokaiju and Ultraman alike, flooring them completely. Nothing kick up when they fell, no. Instead, snow and hail fell upon them, and they merely lay there. Like the swatted flies they were, they slightly twitched here and there, a disgusting sight for their swatter. Feeling satisfied after hearing the glorious flashing of Omega's timer, he began to walk back to the Christmas tree.

Even if Yuta was sniffling, he knew at the end of the day, he'd be grinning ear to ear at a fulfilled wish. Within, Zanryenki sang "It's theee most wonderfuuul tiiiime, of the yeaaar!!! It's....the mooost wonderful time~!!! Offff theeee year~!!!!" Projecting outwards, the song was a booming and horrifying cry of victory. The saint was ready to perform his duties at last.

A wall of winter closed everything else off. Not with the same intensity as before, but it made it difficult to see. Once again, Zanryenki, even in the form of Terrorist resorted to the same tactics. Yuta could feel his soul wavering with each earth-shattering step. The motioning of the titan’s hands was another string attached to it, beckoning him to come closer to his dream.

But, he shut his eyes. As tears streamed down his face, he refused to even look at him. But, it didn’t matter. His acts of defiance didn’t offend in the slightest. Instead, it only caused his ‘saint’ to let out another booming laugh. Gently, he pointed a giant finger at Yuta, and that was something the boy could feel. No matter what, no matter if he steeled his heart or closed his eyes, the spirit already found his foot in the door.

It was too late. Sniffling in defeat, yet mumbling in rebellion, the confused boy spat out “Go away…”

“Why now…” replied Terrorist gently. His voice was no longer booming to him, but a softer cadence catering to his wavering spirit. “You’re so close to your dream. It’s in reach, Yuta. Don’t tell me you actually believe them…theyyy aren’t even fighting for you.”

“Go away!!!” shouted Yuta. He kept shouting, “Go away! Go away! Go away!!!” he didn’t care about the logic of their deal, about the saint’s desires. About that of his own. The euphoria he felt of a nearly realized dream was nothing to the dread at what had caused it.

He could make out Omega, face-down in the snow, the warning light on his chest flashing faster and faster. Valgeness had long since vanished.

“Yuta…”

“Go away!!!”

“Yuta…it’s over. Omega is a thing of the past, your troubles a thing of the past. I’ve ended twelve of him already, and I’ve saved countless more souls than even thousands.”

Stretching his hand out, the monster within the mechanism finished “And it’s your turn to be saved. Now, Merry Christmas, Yuta.”

The dark binds grew tighter and tighter around the boy. He wanted to scream, he wanted to kick, he wanted to throw a whole fit. But he couldn’t. Try as he might, he felt too comfortable, too lulled in his own securities to even wriggle once.

Was this the end?

Well, Yuta had no control. The only thing he could control was his memories and his mouth. He had to overpower the overwhelming sensation of good, the overpowering feeling of freedom. All so he could use these two things.

Ultraman. A red giant that was the talk of the town globally for quite a while now. A hero that stood in the way of whatever traumas, past, present, or future that stood in the way of humanity. Of life. He cut at evil, he endured sadness, he enacted kindness, he wielded strength.

He remembered seeing him with classmates, smiling at the sight of such a powerful giant enacting good. Fighting with trusted allies, he carried these burdens in an awe inspiring way. In a way, Mom was kind of like that, right? Even if she wasn’t always there, he could tell she had a similar endurance, a similar strength.

Even if she hadn’t, wouldn’t he be super weak for giving in? Biting his lip, his tears long since dried. The beat red face of Yuta gazed upon Ohito City for what felt like one last time. Taking a deep breath, he only could say one thing.

“Ultraman!!!”

And that was that.

Terrorist briefly paused, Zanryenki within staring at the boy. That title, that name…it was odd. The repetition of a name with such false promises attached to it. No different than Space Gazers. This window of time he took to ponder it, was ultimately his undoing.

Concurrently, a red giant and a human lay next to each other in the snow. Omega and Kosei. Former on his stomach, head slumped to the side, the other cut-up on his back. Yet, in the chill of the cold, the roughness of the hail that swirled around them, it was nothing. Kosei coughed, having just heard Yuta’s cry for help.

Rather than be angry, sad, Kosei bore a smile, turning to Omega as if it was any other day.

“Y-You heard it…didn’t you, Sorato?”

Just barely, Omega moved his head up and down in the snow.

“Hehe…” chuckled Kosei through a hoarse cough. “You know what…that means…even if it hurts…”

Despite not being Ultraman himself, Kosei could see it clearly. He wasn’t seeing Omega at that moment, but Sorato Okida. And Sorato nodded slowly once again, adding “We have to stand up again…”

Together, they did so. Kosei’s recovery was just the same as Omega’s. Placing their palms in the snow, they slowly rose in the unforgiving cold. Injuries be damned, caution to the wind, they stood up once more.

“W-We hear you, Yuta…” declared Kosei softly. “That’s why…”

“We can’t stop. Even though it feels like my body’s raddled, my insides feel like mush…I can’t stop moving.”

“Neither of us can.”

To them, they were just two friends. Two humans. Side by side, Sorato and Kosei walked into the city shrouded in snow, each titanic footstep a war drum in opposition to the saint’s wishes.

Turning around, what a sight it must’ve been for the saint. Let alone the boy. A human and a 50 meter giant walking side by side somehow. The giant didn’t take extra care in his steps, nor did the human seem shaken by any humongous quakes. A small smile lit up on Yuta’s face when he saw them, while Zanryenki’s twisted in contempt.

Together, Omega and Kosei walked, stopping just a few meters away from a Titan among titans. You’d think he was a god of this world, but they didn’t care. Terrorist turned around fully, a growl in the pilot’s voice as it stared them down. “I THOUGHT I KILLED YOU!!!” The words prompted a gust of wind to blow them down, but both Omega and Kosei remained firm, neither shaken for even a second.

“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, SPACE GAZER?!!!”

Clenching his fists, he further bellowed “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, HUMAN?!!!”

It went without saying…

“Kosei Hoshimi…the partner and friend of-“

“Sorato Okida. Ultraman!!!”

“AND TOGETHER!!!!” they bellowed back. “WE ARE THE OHITO CITY SANTAS!!!!!”

The sheer force of their voice, responding to one crying out in terror was nothing short of astounding. They forced Terrorist in all its might to stumble back, Zanryenki fighting for control the best he could. The very fact this happened, it seared through his mind like a seizure as he struggled to comprehend it.

(“Just how are they able to…still stand…Ultraman, huh?”)

At that same time, even though he was red in the face, Yuta’s smile shone bright like a star. In a sense, he was the miracle Kosei and Sorato were fighting for. And as his smile shone bright, so too did Omega’s body, so too did Kosei’s eyes.

In a flash of cobalt light, a slick and sharp armor attached itself to Omega’s body, bearing an elongated blue crest and a jagged azure sword he held in his right hand. Together, just as Terrorist prepared himself, those Ohito City Santas stared him right in the eye. They told that hundreds of meters tall spirit, that enormous bully to “PREPARE YOURSELF!!!!”

And he had better. Those boys were Overtaken by the Christmas Spirit.

Power beyond power, strength beyond strength, there was no way they could stand up to his overwhelming might! Yet, they stood firm in front of the Saint of The Forgotten. All of a sudden, Omega pressed a button on his blade, holding it for a short moment before suddenly releasing it. Shortly thereafter, a blue psychic field surrounded Kosei, lifting him up before outright launching him into the air. For Terrorist, he was a gnat, but a gnat that was still very much swattable.

However, Omega came in at the last moment. When Terrorist tried to punch the flying Kosei into paste, Omega appeared and performed the same move, stopping the punch with a powerful field of psychic energy. Even if he was exhausted, he was still putting everything he had into stopping it. And this gave Kosei the chance to fly past the two titans, landing at the top of the tree next to Yuta.

"Thanks, Sorato!!!" he shouted from above. With that, he turned to Yuta, saying "Hang tight, we'll get this sorted."

"T-Thanks...." the boy murmured, unsure of how to convey his gratitude.

On the other hand, Omega's psychic hold over Terrorist couldn't last forever. Using the last of his time wisely, he yanked the blade back, and in doing so, caused Terrorist to lurch forward and almost lose his balance. With that, Omega saw the opportunity to fly upwards, coating the caliber in lightning as he dug across the titan's body. He sliced and diced, cutting up and down as he flew higher and higher, until he was face-to-face with the snow-mecha. After recovering, Terrorist attempted to clap his hands together in order to smush the Ultraman into paste; however, he had already avoided it and strafed to the side.

"Gruh-Gruhh!" taunted Omega with the wave of his hand, prompting a loud "HOW DARE YOU!!! ARROGANT CHARLATAN!!!" to boom throughout the land in response. In an instant, the titan vanished. And then, he appeared directly in front of Omega, his other fist wound back to the fullest. Regardless, Omega already had come prepared. He pressed the trigger on his blade, halting Terrorist's fist briefly. And brief was just enough. Omega held the trigger of the blade down while his foe's fist was in stasis. It emitted an azure heat that couldn't be quelled any longer.

Omega swung with angular yet precise movements next, cutting through the still fist like a knife through butter. No, not a butter knife, a steak one. He just kept cutting and cutting with those high-speed slashes, leaving the ginormous hand in static pieces. When all was said and done, Omega spun around and dashed back, narrowly avoiding a giant explosion that blasted whatever was left of Terrorist's left fist.

"AAGAGGGGH!!!!" shrieked Zanryenki inside. As hot embers of melted snow fell down, Omega gently landed in the business district of Ohito. He cocked his blade back while his superior-sized enemy seethed with rage.

"Let's gooo!!!" cheered Yuta. "Awesome!!!"

"Right?" replied Kosei, somehow managing to cling onto the treetop. His eyes then flashed yellow, while him and Omega exchanged a brief nod from afar.

When Zanryenki had finished mourning the loss of Terrorist's left fist, he had the mecha leap into the air with a growl. "I'LL KILL YOU AND BURN THIS CITY TO THE GROUND, OMEGA! FOR YUTA!!! FOR THE FORGOTTEN!!! FOR ME!!!!" When he stopped flying, he cocked his fist back preparing to unleash the rain storm straight from hell upon Ohito. However, when the ice-missiles sprang from them, rather than hitting any of their targets, a familiar yellow blur blitzed across the city within the span of seconds, cutting them to pieces. The golden blur reduced all of the terror to nothing more than a few stray icicles. When Zanryenki finally saw the visage of who was doing this, it was already too late.

During one of these instances of a golden blur, Omega opted to stand on top of a building. He now had a golden claw on his right arm, currently carrying on Trigaron's penchant for speed. And the explosive power of that tiger as well. For when Zanryenki roared "NOT THE DAMN TIGER AGAIN!!!!" with a spiteful hiss added at the end, Omega dashed in the air almost immediately. For him, everything might as well have been stopped time. The icicle missiles that were spraying from his finger tips had barely come out and all he did was twirl around in the air with the agility of a ballerina.

Not to dodge, no. Instead, the claw slashed one way, then the other, forming a giant cross formation. He jabbed the X-shaped projectile forward; it launched at unprecedented speeds at Terrorist's right hand. Just as he boomed "NOOO! NOO!!!", the cross phased into his palm before abruptly bursting apart into countless pieces. More unintended snowfall yet again. Rolling his head around in agony, Terrorist reflected its pilot's fury, sorrow, and frustration. Further ascending into the skies, a scarlet hue was worn across the whole of its body.

Zanryenki was assembling everything he had and more into the mecha of snow. That is to say, super-heating it with slag in one last ditch effort to obliterate Omega and preserve Yuta's sought after dream. No words, only a spiteful "ZANYAHAHAHA!!! HAAAAAA!!!!" as he matched Valgeness' own heat during his initial clash with the Meteokaiju, turning into a Dynamite of spite and sorrow. Speaking of Valgeness, Omega enshrined himself in a flaming armo, spinning a newfound halberd about before ascending to meet the so-called saint in combat. The rivaling heat of passion. The contentious exchanged of passions. And their mutual sense of justices, calling to action.

And of course, Zanryenki and Omega having those combinations of theirs. The question stood as to whose would be stronger in the end.

Wielding the power of Valgeness, he braved through the contradictory powers his foe unleashed out of desperation. Hail, snow, wind, and the intense flames of melted plastic, turned to slag and torrid mud were nothing to Omega's powerful swings. In one stroke, a wave of fire would burn all away, in another, wind would blow back attacks. In the next, the power of Earth would guard against counters. And the power of water would undercut all assaults to have Omega respond with ones of his own. This distant battle of the elements was reminiscent of gods of old, with only Kosei and Yuta bearing witness to it. One having complete trust in his partner, while the other maintained his faith in Ultraman.

The skies rumbled, new clouds taking form and being ripped apart in the same instance. When all was said and done, both parties were tired of this cat & mouse game. Omega charged with his halberd as Terrorist rushed in head-first, diving as some sort of kamikaze attack tipped in red & black colors. They eventually smashed against each other, the skies rippling apart before suddenly breaking out into a miniature hurricane. Whether it was stray objects or the snow below getting sucked in, or random elemental after-effects getting spat out, this clash did it all. Omega weaved back from further advances or assaults, each time assembling a different element with the twirl of his halberd.

Earth, Water, Fire, Wind.

All elements orbited around the halberd. Holding the power cumulative of the planet in his hands, Omega didn't waste it one bit. He cocked the weapon back, giving the diving Terrorist more leeway to smash into him, and then the city, leaving it nothing but a charred stain in the Japanese countryside. However, that would never happen. As the moment he cocked it back, he thrusted it forward with all elements imbued into the weapon, a clash for the ages beginning. Black lightning zipped and zapped about the place. Clouds engulfed them before vanishing, then suddenly distorting into horizontal twisters.

These horizontal twisters struck both combatants, further harming them before vanishing themselves. Water in the air froze into ice, falling down in the form of diamond-like pearls. Particles of dirt hardened into rock, before the clash did away with them via advanced erosion. Sometimes the heat would alter these newly created rocks and turn them into makeshift pottery; perfectly crafted too even if unintentional.

"GUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!"

"ZANYAAAAAAA!!!!!!!"

Countless colors, countless elements funneled themselves into the clash until. Until....that was it. The armor certainly burst to pieces, that much could be discerned. So much in fact, it was practically snowing normally like the beginning. And....Omega lost his armor. The screams of "Sorato!!!" of "Ultraman!!!" certainly rang through his head, that much he was certain. Wait...that was it, wasn't it?

Now, he understands, and so do you.

Omega had seen everything he needed to see. He had just the right amount of power to defeat Zanryenki. One beam. Just one beam, could take him down for the count. The issue was, he couldn't see him. The blizzard swirled about the place, to where even the giant tree was invisible to him. The screams of his comrades were drowned out in the ever-present roars of the specter. No matter how he tried to sense things, even if he could hear and....perhaps 'see' Zanryenki ahead of him, that still felt like it wasn't the case.

It was if-

It was as if everything from the smallest snowflake to the entire blanket that covered Ohito was the beast. Every breath he took, every step he made, all of it was a step closer. But, there was none he could take back. As the warning light on his chest flashed and flashed, all Omega could do was stand there and contemplate his options. Even the toss of his slugger to reveal him at this point could sap him of half of his strength.

That was how vulnerable he was.

There was nothing he could do, was there? No, no. Even if he couldn't see, even if he couldn't know for sure, he would still try. He motioned his arms towards his chest, then spreading them as an array of particles surrounded his body. Omega then swung one arm above and one slightly below, forming a pentagon shape before slowly condensing the particles in one place as he had his arms meet in the + pose once more. And he waited, accumulating more and more energy, just for the right time to strike.

Yet, with stomps and steps about the place, he wasn't sure. He wasn't sure if shooting ahead would get him killed, or hell, if he would've shot Kosei and Yuta instead, obliterating the tree. He wasn't sure of anything at the moment. The blizzard continued to isolate and isolate, making every sound more and more like Zanryenki's presence, whilst limiting the presence of the environment. Buildings became as worthwhile as ants. They were inferior to every growl, every hiss. Every word.

"Don't you remember, Omega?"

"I bet you don't, do you?"

"That's the only logical explanaaaation for thissss Ultraman act!"

"Well, I remember you! We were like you and Kosei, you know! We should'veeee been!"

"But, Space Gazers never interfered...."

"They never wanted peace in the immediate...."

"The war against monsters continued and continued, and all your kiiiind did was waaatch! Humanity will pray to me as its new saint, its new god giving gifts to alllll of the forgotten souls like us!!!"

"Really, Omega, you are the original sinner! The original one to leave the fallen to sink in the cracks and die! And I'll kill you, I'll kill you to ensure you know what it feels like to be forgotten! I know your race won't care when you dieeee....they let me get away with twelve of you already-"

"What's a number thirteen, eh? Zanyahahaha!!!"

Omega tried to focus. But, even when honing in on the voice, the noise, trying to tune in and see the beast, it was no good. It seemed that on this eve, this night, there would be no such gifts given. The only satisfaction being given to the spiteful souls, as it were.

Whilst Zanryenki continued to toy with his prey in the blizzard, there was something twinkling above. Normally, on nights like these, a star is something that isn't uncommon. Far from rare. Yet, this star was unique. It shined brighter than any other ever could. They say that when a certain star shines, a new light will certainly, definitely appear. When a star of that magnitude shines bright, you know just the kind of star you've encountered.

Across universes, across the stretches of time, the simple wishes of a boy to do right by everyone, they transcend all. Across universes, across the stretches of time, the simple wishes of a man to do right by everyone, they transcend all.

As long as there are wishes to do good by your fellow man.

As long as there are wishes to do right by others.

That star appears every single time, without fail.

"Omega!!!"

Suddenly, a thunderbolt struck directly in front of Omega. It's power rumbled throughout the city, making the Ultraman feel like his body was going to get blown back. But, it didn't. For the kind of power he felt in the thunderbolt, it was controlled it was...kind. That was when Omega looked up, witnessing something he'd never thought he'd see. Breaking through the field of Unbalance, breaking through the smoke and mirrors of the blizzard, he saw something that he never knew to be real.

Yet he still believed.

A giant of light like him, yet....he had large horns. Something Omega had never seen before. He wore a red mantle, extravagantly waving his hand forward and ushering a command. No....that's not right, it was more like, help.

"Use your eyes, Omega! See beyond the stretches of Zanryenki's tricks, and strike!!!"

As soon as he had assisted, he had vanished. With that, Omega nodded as he continued to focus. He remembered when he gave Zanryenki that analysis, he honed in on visions of that. He honed in on those, honing in on those words that other Ultraman told him. He honed in on Kosei, Yuta, Ayumu, Professor Sayuki, every friend and acquaintance he wanted to see after, and then, he realized it. Eyes that stretch beyond the likes of those tricks.

"ZANYAHAHAAA-"

The blizzard ceased. In that moment, Ultraman Omega's Reticulute Beam tore through the chest of Zanryenki, just as he was charging ahead, prepared to stab him with a dagger of ice. Said dagger dropped to the snow with an unceremonious thud. Kosei and Yuta's eyes widened, now able to see the result of the battle from where they were. The shifts, the turns, the weirdness of the Unbalance began to go away. Whatever weird warping or distorted colors vanished, with everything now honing in on these two giants.

A saint of the forgotten. And a warrior of light. It could be said that this silent exchange lasted eons, eternities, or even hours, but it didn't. It probably wasn't even a second or two before Zanyrenki let out a "ZANYHA- ZANYHA- ZANYHA-" In an attempt to contain the beam's power, it exploding out of his body, before he used ice and snow to reform to try and keep it back in. Reminiscent of some kaiju Omega dealt with before called Live King. However, he eventually blew up into thousands of pieces as he let out one final "ZANYAHAHAHAAH!!!!!" into the night.

And that was that.

Omega, warning light flashing ever faster turned to Kosei, nodding. Kosei, all the way up on the giant tree, did the same. With that, the giant of light leapt into the air, landing in front of it. What happened next was an almost instinctual reaction on the part of Omega. He opened his palm, using his free hand to break Yuta free of his binds and hold him carefully with Kosei. The opened palm let out a flash of energy, unveiling a brilliant blue star of energy just like that light on his chest. It shone brilliantly, with the two humans in hand beaming with pride.

With that, Ultraman did what Ultraman does, taking off into the night sky. To all a "Dyuwatch!" and to all, a good "Dyuwaaaatch!!!" as they say.

"Ahhhh, don't you think it's strange where that tree came from? Ultraman Omega kind of just put it there in the middle of the city and we still don't know why!"

"Don't be such a stick in the mud, Masaru! That star's really pretty, isn't it?"

"Hmmm....I suppose you're right....it really is something...."

Driving home, Sorato and Kosei were completely beat up. They were tired, they were hungry, and while they finished all their deliveries, they still had to make sure Yuta was alright. Strangely enough, he seemed comforted by something, singing praises of Kosei being right, but he didn't quite get that. Honestly, if they didn't have the energy to make food, they'd probably drop dead in the warehouse and wait until next morning.

However, that was when the half-asleep Santas noticed something. They could hear all sorts of rumbling and noise from the warehouse. Which was strange, considering that it was never active at this hour. Honestly, it was usually just them there at this time of night. Or morning, give or take. The Santas kept an air of caution, Kosei parking off to the side and shutting the radio off. He silently motioned for Sorato to get out, the two of them opting to sneak in. Perhaps Zanryenki had a few remaining bits and pieces left.

They quietly shut the doors, tip toeing. They had to be quieter than any mice stirring. When they made it to the door, they pressed their ears against it. Bump! They jolted back. Pressing against the door again....thud! They jolted back. Almost certain their was trouble, they did so again just to confirm, but also clenching their fists too, getting prepared for a fight. That's when they heard "Hey can you pass the chicken?"

"Wait, aren't you that old guy who posts AI videos of Omega all the time?"

"AI? Nonsense, that's raw footage!"

The two Santas exchanged a silent 'Eh?' before standing up straight, Sorato taking the lead and opening the door. A wave of golden light blasted outside, nearly blinding the two. Slowly, they opened their eyes as they took in all the noise and sights that blindsided them. And needless to say, they were something else.

The warehouse was illuminated with festive lights. Assorted with wreaths, candy-canes beyond the eyes could see, hot cocoa cups lining tables where people eagerly took them up, grabbing marshmallows if they so chose. Gumdrops galore, and a warm smiles to compliment the whole look. Kosei and Sorato stood both dumbfounded and happy at the familiar faces present. You had the Masaru and Remi hosting a live radio broadcast off to the side, sharing hot choccolate and laughing together. It looked like they turned on the radio too late to get the indication of the where.

There was Captain Taira discussing various topics with Raionji. While the latter had a very condescending air, a glare or two from Ayumu when she'd walk by the two of them kept him in check. Something Taira very much appreciated. He was already eating strawberry cake, there was no need for a strong personality to dampen the mood. Speaking of strong personalities, in another corner of the room, there was the chanting of "Yippie-yi-aie, yippie-yi-oh!!!" echoing throughout. It was a little obnoxious, but the Ghost Rider's enthusiasm was still admirable.

"Ahh....youth...." marveled a certain elderly woman to herself. "What a wonderful thing it is to have." She had every right to happy after all. Her niece was pretty lively throughout the whole celebration, though she couldn't understand all this AI stuff going on, not bothering to confirm one thing or the other regarding the man said niece was talking to.

"Listen, listen....young lady....I am no fabricator of information....I merely.....sniff out the truth! That's why they calll me Wolfie!"

He pointed to the ceiling and arched his head back, cackling like a madman. The niece, Miko, slightly cringed at his brazen lack of shame. However, he soon turned his attention to the partying Ghost Riders, calling "We're still up for that collab, right?!"

They briefly stopped their conga line of Yippie-yi-aie's to turn and say "Only if you join!" in unison. With a sigh, the middle aged man took a KFC drumstick from a nearby box, quickly taking a bite and taking a walk of shame over to the conga line. Once again, they let out their signature infectious chant. Only, it now had an internet personality with a mid-life crisis getting in on the fun. Sorato and Kosei just had to take a moment to marvel at the chaos before them, but sooner or later they'd start to notice them. Or at least, the winter air blowing in the doorway.

"Boys, boys!" called a voice from afar. They looked to see Professor Sayuki walking from the kitchen in a full Santa outfit just like them. She gave the two a warm smile, already picking up on how weary they were. It...wasn't really something they could hide. Whatever the reason, she waved them in, telling them "Come in! Come in my Santas! You're the guests of honor here! Just....one at a time, yeah? I put some mistletoe up there!"

The Ohito City Santas let out a sigh of relief. They looked at each other, they exchanged a nod, and then they walked in together.

It didn't take long for them to acclimate to the atmosphere of the party. After walking away to freshen up and get a new change of clothes, the two reclined and rested, all while catching up with the different people they had connected with one way or another. They had all sorts of snacks, ranging from strawberry shortcake, to fried chicken freshly ordered from KFC, to all sorts of meals prepared with vegetables Miko and her aunt brought from their farm. The two Santas relished in their good deeds for the night, as they did the food, as they did with their friends. It was a given that they spent time with them too.

Of course, not everyone could've been in attendance. A certain businessman was too busy, instead making donations to different charities. In the newspaper, he noted a certain someone inspiring him to do so, but he didn't elaborate any further. Still, when they brought said article in, Kosei and Ayumu could pick up on who, laughing and pointing at the polaroid at the top featuring the man's bashful expression and teasing Sorato about his friend in high places. Pigmon wasn't exactly at liberty to show up, but Taira and Raionji weren't just there on the goodwill of Sayuki. They had shown Sorato and co. a painting that Pigmon had made of them.

It showed Sorato, Pigmon, Kosei, and Ayumu all holding hands on a big green island. It wasn't the most....beautifully drawn piece, but it was still worth something. They would've appreciated it more, had a certain Ghost Rider's AI not flipped out over him standing too close to Ayumu, wherein radio hosts smelling blood in the water decided to host a live marriage counseling session. Between Minakata and the Ghost Riders' trusty AI system. It made for a lot of laughs. Speaking of, the party got extra additions as well.

"Boss!" exclaimed Kosei. "W-What are you doing here?"

"HOOOHOOOO!" laughed the Warehouse Owner, also in a full Santa outfit, beard and all. "I was just walkin around hoping to surprise ya, but I caught two people tryin to get in on the festivities!"

Coming in at around this hour were two big fans. One was the biggest fan of his senior, Ayumu, and decided to swing by and bring some presents along the way. On the other hand, the other was the biggest fan of Ultraman Omega herself. She was already in awe of his feat with the star and wanted to ask around for any extra comments on that. She had presents in mind and everything, but there was just something so compelling about Omega. It went without saying that the party plan went without a hitch.

Sayuki was in the background of all this celebration, smiling on as everyone got along well. Even if it was like, really-really late at this point. That was really the only notch in the plan but, counting on Kosei and Sorato's ties with everyone, it looks like they were the sort to inspire parties like these late into the night, early into the morning. And so, the Christmas party continued, nearing the point where presents would be exchanged.

It was around this time that Kosei and Sorato decided to step out back, into the cold. They simply excused themselves while the party roared on. They were the guests of honor, so their own well-wish for everyone to continue on, was granted. The two men shivered as they stepped outside, Kosei gently closing the door. Sorato ended up leaning near a box of crates stacked up around his height, relaxed as ever. Kosei could never really understand Sorato's comfort in the weather, even if he could understand why, if that made sense.

But, that was how Sorato was. That was the kind of guy he was. ("You really is something else- Tch- Now you got me saying it!")

Kosei was wearing a thinner jacket than the one that morning, but still enough to fend off the cold. Sorato on the other hand, same old, same old, calmly looking at the sky.

"Ahh...this is something else...." began Kosei with a sigh. "It feels unreal, you know?"

"Mmm..." nodded Sorato. "I think he'll be fine."

Kosei perked up, tilting his head slightly as he went "Huh?"

Looking back at Kosei, Sorato paused his stargazing to clarify "Yuta'll be fine. He won't be alone anymore....even after everything."

"I just meant....us doing all of that. Even you managing to win. For a moment, I didn't think you'd be able to."

"But I was."

"Yeah." smiled Kosei. "You were able to."

Returning a smile, Sorato replied "Only because of all of you. You, Kosei. Yuta's courage.....and him."

Confused yet again, Kosei went "Hm? What do you mean 'him'?"

Before Sorato could answer, the door creaked open, causing Kosei to turn and see. It was Ayumu, who whispered "We're going to be handing out presents now actually..."

"Oh...okay, we were just getting ready to go back in anyway...."

Ayumu smiled, closing the door with a thumbs up, something Kosei reciprocated. When the door shut, Kosei turned to see Sorato staring up at the moonlight once again. He remembered Sorato being distracted by things before, but his face was tranquil. It wasn't a serious look like with the Unbalance, that had truly passed. Such tranquility eased Kosei's mind.

He let out a minor "Phew..." before he saw Sorato smiling and pointing above.

"See, Kosei! There he is!"

Kosei looked up at the moon. Even if obscured by the snowflakes dancing in the air, that's all he could see. Nothing else. This caused him to laugh a little, saying "I don't see anything...!!! Who's this guy you're talking about?"

Sorato turned to Kosei, replying "A guy just like you. A really kind guy."

"Awwwww....." whined Kosei bashfully. He took it as a compliment, which it was, and said "L-Let's just go back inside now!" with some laughter. Kosei opened the door and returned to the golden glow of the party. And Sorato, he would be soon to follow.

Just, not before giving the moonlight one last look. One last smile. In the moonlight, he could see things for what they really were. The look of the Santa Claus. Not someone in a costume, not some alien disguising himself as him, the Santa Claus in the flesh. Saint Nick returned a smile to Sorato, giving him a nod of acknowledgement for his good deeds and such. This look of acknowledgement assured no such battles would happen the next day.

On Christmas, Ultraman Omega wasn't needed. There was another, watching over even him.

Sorato, content, gave one last nod, before returning to the party. With the shut of the door, the time of the Ohito City Santas was done.

And in its place, was the real Santa's work.

A bright light shone over the likes of Ohito City in the moonlight. The Ohito City Star, courtesy of the one and only, Ultraman Omega.

They say you could see it.

Specifically, Yuta knew he could see it too, it wasn't just heresay.

When you looked to the moonlight and the Ohito City Star twinkled a certain way, you could see a triumphant chariot flying in the sky. Seven Reindeer pulling a sleigh chalk full of presents and Christmas cheer to all. Whether they be human, animal, alien, kaiju, or even the robotic. First and foremost, was a giant of light helming the sleigh. To humankind he was Santa Claus, but to the observant, his true form was similar to Omega's. A beard, a glorious mantle, elaborate horns. But both Santa Claus and this form, this Ultra Father were one and the same.

This wasn't some alter ego, but an extension of his own kindness, his own goodwill.

And next to him was a woman of the Moon. She fought to protect a planet not her own, she fought against demons who were against the very ideals of Christmas spirit. Of Christmas kindness. And though she wasn't fighting that fight anymore, this woman of the Moon was still content to send presents down to the children of the Earth. In that way, she could still do what she did with her partner, what she did with Ace.

Together, they dashed through the snow, they flew into the night sky triumphantly. Seeing them assured the forgotten, the supposed 'worthless' like Yuta that everything was going to be fine.

Because, their kindness transcended the idea of 'universes'. A certain man from SKaRD could probably report the same thing. Just as, a man from SKIP could attest to these same happenings.

And that is because, the idea of 'Christmas' isn't even invested in the word itself. It isn't invested in one particular place, but rather, a concept that trascends worlds, dimensions, and even time as sappy as it is to say. It is only simple kindness. It is only simple appreciation.

And even in the darkest days, those bits of that light, of that spirit, still manage to find themselves there.

And that is why, as long as he draws breath, the Father of Ultra will dash across the stars.

As long as there are eyes that stretch beyond the universe, there will be a kindness that does the same.

Merry Christmas, everyone! And Happy Holidays! I hope you enjoyed reading!