I Became Spider-Man's Cousin in Anime Crossover

Chapter 398 [3 Chapters Combined into 1] "The Guinea Pig" Chapter Returns to Section 3

Although Kenjiro Shinichi had no idea what complex thoughts Riley had gone through before asking that question.

But after hearing Riley's words clearly, his body trembled slightly, and he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

However, unlike Kenjiro Shinichi, who laughed out loud, Riley's pupils suddenly contracted, and his heart skipped a beat.

Because what Kengo Shinichi just said was merely a smile, correcting Riley's mistaken guess about "Dad's" identity and clearly telling Riley that his dad was not Hikari, but someone else.

However, from beginning to end, Kengo Shinjū's mental responses did not deny in any way the other core question raised by Riley—"Is the system related to the Land of Light?"

There is no "no".

There is no "you guessed wrong".

There is no statement like "This has nothing to do with the Land of Light".

Yes, but it's a denial of the specific association between "Dad = Hikari" and a selective ignoring of the issue of the system's origin.

For Riley, who was adept at reading people and had a meticulous logical mind, this reaction was almost tantamount to admitting it in a roundabout way!

"As expected...!" Riley felt a huge weight lift from his heart, accompanied by a complex mix of emotions—a sense of relief that "just as I thought," a subtle feeling of being used as an experimental subject, and an indescribable sense of immense peace of mind—as if a heavy stone had been lifted from his heart.

Ultimately, compared to unknown evil gods, or cunning, shrewd, and unassuming conspirators hiding behind the scenes plotting a grand scheme...

The entire nation is filled with "saintly" attributes (not in a derogatory sense). Even with superhuman strength, they have no ambition to rule the universe. Instead, they regard protecting life and peace as the noble mission pursued by the entire race. Moreover, the Kingdom of Light, which generally possesses the virtues of "loving the weak," "respecting life," and "upholding justice," is simply the epitome of "reliable" and "trustworthy"!

So much so that Riley's current identity is, in a sense, no different from that of a lab rat.

However, as long as the observers belong to the Kingdom of Light, their safety and security are far better than if they fall into the hands of other forces!

At least, you don't have to worry about being betrayed by the system, transformed into an emotionless biological weapon, or having your soul stolen and used as a sacrifice to an evil god.

Having figured this out, Riley's long-tense nerves were finally able to truly relax.

Although in the future they may still face various "tests" and "observations" from that mysterious "father," and may even be recorded in some kind of "Ultraman observation file."

But at least he knew he was on the side of "Order of Good," backed by the Kingdom of Light, which dared to defy the Dark Forest Law of the universe and proclaimed its coordinates everywhere...

This feeling... is surprisingly not bad?

At the same time, seeing that Riley was deep in thought, but his emotions did not show any changes such as fear, resistance, disgust, or aversion, Kenjiro nodded slightly and spoke again.

"Ahem, anyway, remember this: I didn't say anything. This is entirely your own conjecture and has nothing to do with me..."

He paused, and as his figure became transparent, he gradually dissipated into particles of light. With a hint of amusement and expectation in his voice, he bid farewell to Riley.

"Well then, I'll take my leave first, Mr. Riley. Carry the blessing of this 'light' and your own will as you walk your future path! I look forward to seeing you fight alongside us through your own efforts! Smile! Smile!"

The moment the words fell, Ultraman Triga's final outline of light completely disintegrated, turning into countless warm golden particles of light.

These light particles did not drift randomly, but rather, as if summoned by the distant stars, spiraled upwards, converging into a slender and dazzling golden stream of light. Within the spacetime tunnel, a gap opened, allowing them to enter the universe connected to the other side of the exit.

As Kenjiro Shinaka departed, the "Trigger" Memory, which had been shining with a warm light, gradually returned to calm, leaving only a trace of warmth on its surface. It lay quietly in Riley's outstretched palm, silently telling that the miracle just now, in which the Giant of Light answered the call and confronted the laws of death, was not a fantasy he had before his death.

After witnessing Kenjiro Shin's departure, and even the entrance to the Ultra Universe completely closing as if it had never existed, Riley didn't rush back. Instead, he stood there for a full minute.

With his brain working at lightning speed, Riley quickly sorted through and digested the massive amount of information that had flooded him in that short period of time—from the despair of facing the Goddess of Death, to the shock of Triga's arrival, to the contract negotiations with the Goddess of Death, and the astonishing conjectures about the origin of the system and his own identity as a "guinea pig."

Ultimately, his heart, which was extremely complex due to the violent impact, was like the surface of a lake with a stone thrown in.

Although the ripples have not completely subsided, at least a basic calm and clarity have been restored.

He gently stroked the "trigger" memory, feeling the lingering warmth, as if he could still touch that pure and unwavering "light" that belonged to Kenshin Shinichi... or rather, to Ultraman.

Then, without further hesitation, he used his mind to communicate with the system and carefully retrieved this extraordinary memory, along with the Lost Driver at his waist, into the system's storage space.

"Silly girl, let's go back. Location: District 13, back to three seconds after 'I' left."

Riley said in a low voice.

"Okay, Riley!"

As the exquisite crystal doll appeared on his shoulder, emitting a clear and melodious sound, a soft stream of data light enveloped Riley, precisely anchoring his spatial and temporal coordinates at the time of his departure.

In terms of the time flow of the underground base in District 13, only three seconds had passed between Riley leaving the summoning dimensional wall, unexpectedly arriving at the final battle timeline of "Demon Slayer," and returning to this moment.

Therefore, from Sheriff Black's perspective, who had been staying put, this is how things went.

He had just watched Riley's figure disappear into that strange, grayish-white "wall," his heart still heavy with grief for the fallen agents. Even as he subconsciously reached for the monitoring room to check on the other areas, before he could even turn around…

After the dimensional barrier disappeared, the space, which had returned to calm, began to ripple once again.

Immediately afterwards, Riley's figure appeared out of thin air and stood firmly on the cold metal floor of District 13.

The whole process was so smooth and fast that Sheriff Blake even wondered if he was hallucinating from the stress, or...

Without realizing it, I have already experienced the trials of countless years!

"What the—?!"

Sheriff Black abruptly stopped turning around, his eyes widening as if a series of visible question marks instantly appeared above his head.

He subconsciously looked down at the precise tactical watch on his wrist.

The second hand definitely only ticked three times!

He rubbed his eyes hard again and looked at Riley in front of him.

That's right, it's him!

Even the way he stood was almost the same as when he left!

You see, although Riley often demonstrated powerful abilities beyond the realm of science to Sheriff Black—such as the ability to teleport dimensional walls at will, the elusive Shadow Legion, and the twelve powerful talismans—it was truly the first time Sheriff Black had ever witnessed Riley effortlessly complete a time travel in just three seconds, as if he were taking a stroll!

This caused Sheriff Black, a materialist who had always believed in science, to feel that his worldview had been shaken like never before in those three seconds.

Even in Sheriff Black's eyes, which was absurd enough, science fiction movies about time travel—like the classic *Back to the Future*—required extremely complex, massive, and sophisticated time machines before any actual time travel could take place. It wasn't like Riley, who made it seem like he was just going for a stroll and easily made his way back and forth!

But no matter how turbulent his heart may be, Sheriff Black was, after all, the ruler of District 13 who had weathered countless storms and dealt with countless bizarre incidents.

He quickly suppressed his turbulent thoughts and focused his attention back on the most crucial issue.

Now that Riley is back, and so quickly, it means those agents are definitely saved!

After all, based on his understanding of Riley Parker's personality, Riley, though sometimes eccentric and fond of joking, could be more villainous than a villain when he seriously schemed against someone...

But when it comes to serious matters, he is never ambiguous and his efficiency is astonishing.

Since he chose to come back instead of staying there to deal with it for a longer period of time, it means that this matter has already reached a clear conclusion.

Of course, whatever the outcome, given that the agents have already sacrificed their lives, it can't possibly get any worse, right?

With this thought in mind, Sheriff Blake breathed a sigh of relief, while at the same time, a strong sense of anticipation rose in his heart.

He couldn't afford to dwell on the extent of Riley's power, given that he was still underage (by his actual age?). He temporarily pushed aside his shattered worldview. Almost instinctively, he rushed to Riley's side.

"Riley! You're back!"

Sheriff Black's voice was strained. As he shouted, he pressed his hands firmly against Riley's somewhat thin shoulders (compared to his own, a well-trained, muscular adult agent). His eyes were fixed on Riley's face, trying to glean the good news he had been waiting for from any subtle change in expression after Riley voluntarily removed his mask, revealing his true face.

"How's it going, Riley? Those...those agents, are they...?!"

As he finished speaking, Sheriff Black, who was highly focused, could feel that Riley's shoulders seemed more relaxed than before he left. But a faint sense of helplessness and...something deeper contemplation lingered between his brows, something he hadn't seen before.

This fueled his expectations, yet he dared not be too optimistic.

"..."

Faced with Sheriff Black's almost tangible gaze, filled with tension and expectation, Riley took a deep breath and furrowed his brow even more.

How should he answer?

According to his most optimistic conjecture, which is based on existing clues, those agents who have died may have been rescued by "Future Riley" from the future, who has obtained Omnitrix assistance through the system.

However, speculation is just speculation.

Having just faced the Goddess of Death, who wields one of the ultimate laws of the universe, and personally experienced how insignificant and powerless he was in the face of such a being who has mastered the supreme laws, and having signed a contract that strictly restricts his behavior of "arbitrarily altering the past," Riley's mentality has undergone a subtle but profound change.

Once, after collecting all twelve talismans and obtaining various powerful items, he became somewhat arrogant. He felt that in this universe, even if he wasn't invincible, he was at least one of the top powerhouses, capable of handling most crises. He even considered himself a "god among men," believing that even if some accidents occasionally occurred, he could easily resolve them by traversing time and space, and gradually neglected to guard against unknown dangers.

Even now, the goddess of death has taught him an incredibly profound lesson.

His seemingly powerful abilities are as fragile as a child's toy in the face of the true embodiment of cosmic rules.

The faint, chilling aura of the Goddess of Death that Riley could feel within his body at that moment clearly told him that his fists weren't strong enough. If he were to encounter the truly top-tier figures in this universe, he would still be no different from an ant on the roadside, let alone have any say in anything!

Therefore, Riley no longer dares to make 100% promises as easily as before, especially on extremely heavy topics such as life and death or timelines.

He knew he was far from being able to disregard beings like the Goddess of Death and manipulate the strings of fate at will. The reason he had been able to act smoothly in the past was simply because he hadn't caused much of a commotion and hadn't yet attracted the attention of the Goddess of Death.

Unfortunately, Riley "resurrected" far too many people during this time travel, which was nothing short of a blatant provocation to the Goddess of Death!

So much so that even if the Goddess of Death really wanted to turn a blind eye, there was no reason for her to continue letting Riley do nothing.

Furthermore, having already attracted the attention of the Goddess of Death, and unsure whether she was still secretly observing him, Riley couldn't even be sure if he would truly live long enough to have enough power to carry out the "future rescue."

After all, dangers can be found everywhere on a journey.

Putting aside Kenjiro's parting words, which confirmed Riley's belief that he couldn't summon Ultraman Triga to help him every time he encountered danger...

The next one you encounter might not be someone like the Goddess of Death, who, for the sake of the responsibilities she bears, is willing to resolve conflicts through peaceful negotiations.

This understanding leads to a more sober and prudent approach, as well as a profound awareness of the limitations of one's own abilities.

So, faced with Sheriff Black's urgent questioning, Riley remained silent for two seconds, avoiding his burning gaze, and looked at the cold metal wall beside him with a slightly complicated expression.

He then spoke slowly, enunciating each word carefully and cautiously.

"Sheriff Black, regarding this matter... the situation might be a bit complicated now."

He looked up at Sheriff Blake again, his eyes still clear, but no longer filled with the same omnipotent confidence as before.

"I have...good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"

These words made Sheriff Blake's heart sink.

Good news and bad news...

This means things aren't entirely going well, but it's not utterly hopeless either.

"Let's start with the bad news."

After a brief silence, Sheriff Blake took a deep breath, bracing himself for the worst, and responded in a low voice.

"I need to know, what is the worst-case scenario? Does it mean the world is about to end?"

"It's not that bad..."

Upon hearing this, Riley scratched his head, responding somewhat awkwardly. The look he gave Sheriff Black was one of grievance, as if to say, "Do you think I'm such a troublesome brat who can easily mess things up?"

Sheriff Blake did not respond, but instead turned his head away somewhat guiltily.

Riley resignedly slapped himself in the face and continued weakly.

"Sheriff, do you believe in... the possibility of the future? Or do you believe that some things, even if they seem irreversible now, might still have a chance to turn around on a broader timescale?"

Sheriff Black paused, then frowned. "Rieley, you mean... time travel? Parallel worlds? Those theoretical things?"

"That's one way to put it, but it's probably more... complicated." Riley sighed. "The bad news is that, with my current abilities and the... well, some 'rule restrictions' I face, I can't go back to that point in time and erase what has already happened like wiping away words on a blackboard, so that the sacrificed agents can be brought back to life and stand here unharmed."

He spoke slowly and clearly, allowing Sheriff Blake to fully understand his meaning. This wasn't an excuse for incompetence, but rather seemed to stem from some higher-level constraint.

Sheriff Black's eyes dimmed for a moment, but his years of training prevented him from losing his composure. He understood Riley's unspoken message: "It's impossible now," and "the rules restrict it." Did this mean that there was still hope?

"So... what's the good news?" Sheriff Blake's voice was slightly hoarse with anticipation.

Riley watched the faint spark of hope rekindle in the sheriff's eyes, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He couldn't offer false hope, but he also didn't want to extinguish this last glimmer of expectation. He chose to present his "guess" based on the clues in a relatively objective way, leaving ample room for interpretation:

"The good news is... in the process of handling this incident, I came into contact with some... higher-level information and forces. I also discovered some... deeper 'connections' that may exist behind myself and the whole incident."

He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts to make his words sound less like a fantasy.

"I've obtained some clues, very, very indirect clues, suggesting... that in the long river of time, there might be another possibility of 'correction.' Not that I, in the present, forcibly change the past, but rather... a kind of 'compensation' or 'continuation' that is more in line with the 'rules,' and may occur within a grander chain of cause and effect."

Riley spoke cryptically, but he believed Sheriff Black understood the core message: things might turn around, but that turnaround wasn't in the present, nor in Riley's hands at this moment, but in the future, within some more complex mechanism.

"I can't guarantee anything right now, Sheriff. I can't even tell you exactly what this turning point will be, or when it will happen."

Riley's tone was incredibly honest, and tinged with a hint of apology.

"All I can say is that, based on some information I unexpectedly obtained during this time travel... if my guess is correct and everything goes smoothly, those brave warriors who sacrificed their lives to protect my parents will one day reappear before us."

Looking into Sheriff Blake's eyes, a mixture of disappointment and confusion, yet also a glimmer of hope that had been rekindled by his last words, he solemnly added:

"Of course, this is not a promise... This world is vast, and there are many unknown areas waiting for us to explore. I need time to grow, to unravel more mysteries, to truly understand the 'rules' that limit me, and to find ways to act within those rules. And until then..."

Riley paused slightly before his gaze hardened.

"We need to deal with the 'present' first. Are my parents safe now? What are the follow-up plans for District 13? We must give the families of the fallen agents the highest level of compensation and respect. That's what we can and must do right now."

He steered the conversation away from the vague "possibilities of the future" and back to the weighty reality.

Sheriff Black listened quietly, his expression shifting from initial urgency to heaviness upon hearing the "bad news," then to complexity upon hearing the "possible speculations," and finally settling into a deep, weary calm.

He understood what Riley meant.

There was no miraculous immediate resurrection, but there was also no despair of being sentenced to utter death.

Hope was suspended, placed in a vague and uncertain future.

It was cruel, but for Sheriff Black, who had served as the 13th District Sheriff for so many years and had experienced countless life-and-death situations, it actually made him feel much more relaxed.

The reason this emotional upheaval was so intense was not only because the number of casualties was far too high, exceeding Sheriff Blake's expectations...

More than anything, Sheriff Black realized that District 13, which he had always been so proud of, was gradually falling behind the times, and thus fell into a state of self-anxiety.

After calming down, Sheriff Black pondered Riley's words repeatedly, his brows slowly furrowing.