I might be a fake Ultraman.

Chapter 5239

5233 Higashi Kotaro: Let's go!

"Stop looking, stop looking! It's not time to eat rice cakes yet. Let's go back."

"Sorry to bother you."

The bald-headed director rushed over and took the children back.

Baili Yuan and his group followed out of curiosity.

Only then did they realize that these children came from the mother-and-child dormitory.

The term "Mother and Child Dormitory" is short for "Mother and Child Living Support Facility." It is a social welfare facility similar to an orphanage, but it does not house orphans.

The purpose of the mother-and-child dormitory is to support women who are unable to support themselves and their children. It houses mostly single mothers raising children alone, and most of these single mothers lack the ability to live independently.

In other words, none of the children have a father.

While orphanages evoke sympathy for children in adoption facilities, mothers and children in foster homes often attract strange looks from others.

Simply put, there's always trouble around a widow's door, let alone a group of widows.

Divorced or widowed single mothers are better off; the outside world is more tolerant of them.

Many of the residents are unmarried mothers, making it difficult for them not to be viewed with strange eyes.

If the child is of mixed race, they will be looked down upon even more and will inevitably be gossiped about behind their backs.

Some single mothers who give up on themselves may go astray.

Over time, the outside world developed a serious prejudice against the mothers and children living in the mother-child dormitory. Living in the mother-child dormitory was seen by outsiders as a failure in life and a model of laziness.

It can even affect children, causing them to be treated differently.

No wonder the older man chased these kids away; normal people wouldn't want to associate with a family with such a bad reputation.

But it was his sweeping generalization that affected Saori.

Kotaro Higashi didn't handcuff the old man because... the Seth team didn't have law enforcement authority.

Kotaro Higashi, Tadao Nanbara, and Saori didn't look at the children in the mother-child dormitory with any strange eyes.

Not all single mothers are hateful. Some single mothers also suffer hardships.

Although it was the New Year, there was no festive atmosphere in the mother-child dormitory, and there were not many single mothers there.

Even during the Lunar New Year, most single mothers are still working outside, hoping to become financially independent as soon as possible and move out of the mother-and-child dormitory with their children.

The bald-headed director of this mother-and-child dormitory is an elderly man who is not young.

The atmosphere inside this mother-and-child dormitory is quite nice. Although the living conditions are still limited, the children are in good spirits.

The few single mothers who were not working due to their annual leave also respected the director.

Seeing the children's longing eyes for the mochi, Kotaro Higashi had an idea and decided to stay and make mochi for them.

The children outside no longer like to eat rice cakes.

However, rice cakes are a rare delicacy for the children of Muziliao.

Kotaro Higashi realized that he had to do something.

Tadao Nanbara: "But what about the patrol mission?"

Kotaro Higashi: "I will contact headquarters. The captain and vice-captain will understand."

Tadao Nanbara: "Alright, I'll help you then!"

Hokuto Seisaku's eyes reddened with envy.

Saori also decided to stay and help.

As expected, the Seth team gave Higashi Kotaro and Nanbara Tadao a day off.

The bald-headed dean excitedly brought out his treasured rice cake pounding set, which he had kept for many years.

"Old buddy, let's pound it one more time!"

As he washed the dough, a glint of light appeared in the bald dean's eyes.

……

Looking at the tools and ingredients for making mochi in front of him, Higashi Kotaro couldn't help but swallow.

It wasn't that I was craving it, it was that I was a little nervous.

Because Kotaro Higashi hasn't forgotten how he almost got solo killed by Mochi.

Japanese mochi uses the same ingredients as mochi, but the processing method is different.

There are also cases where rice cakes are made into mochi.

If Nanbara Tadao hadn't gone to find him to patrol together, he might have actually used the resurrection coin. The director prepared the tools and glutinous rice.

The bald-headed dean decided to personally pound rice cakes for the children.

The dean twisted his back as soon as he hit it.

"Dean, stop! Stop!"

The single mother standing nearby quickly helped the hospital director up.

The hero is past his prime, and the dean is both unwilling and helpless.

Finally, he placed the dough pestle in Higashi Kotaro's hands, looked at him expectantly, and said earnestly, "Higashi-san, I'm counting on you for everything!"

The children all looked at Kotaro Higashi expectantly.

Saori and Tadao Nanbara both nodded to Kotaro Higashi, their eyes showing encouragement.

Kotaro Azuma gripped the pestle tightly and solemnly accepted the heavy responsibility.

"I won't let the children down!"

For the children—let's start harvesting!

"Heave-ho! Heave-ho! Heave-ho!"

Baili Yuan stood speechlessly to the side, watching, "So what exactly are you guys so excited about?"

Suddenly, Baili Yuan looked up at the sky.

Before anyone knew it, a bright moon appeared in the sky.

The issue is--

"It's noon now, is it time for the moon to rise? And isn't the light emanating from the moon a little strange?"

It's obvious that something happened on the moon.

Everyone on Earth saw the unusual moon, but no one took it seriously, simply assuming it was some kind of unusual phenomenon.

After all... the Set team didn't issue a warning.

Bai Liyuan glanced at Dong Guangtaro and the children, who were busy with their own affairs, and then silently turned and left.

"Well, let's help Taro one more time."

While other children their age were enjoying the festival and making rice cakes, Baili Yuan was quietly turning around and protecting the lively festival. You know what I mean?

Baili Yuan: His heroic spirit soars to the heavens!

……

A monstrous figure came from the moon and entered Earth's territory.

Its name is Rice Cake Monster, Mochilong.

Or perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it the Mortar Monster.

Because its shape is that of a mortar and pestle used for pounding rice cakes.

Legend has it that there are rabbits pounding rice cakes on the moon, so people offered dumplings to the moon. Their feelings were transmitted to the moon and formed a monster.

And so Mochilong was born.

It has a face shaped like a wooden mortar, hands and feet around its body, can speak, and has the ability to breathe high-temperature flames.

In addition, Mochiron also has the "mortar" as a weapon, which can retract its limbs, head, and tail into its body to cause impact and destruction.

As soon as Mo Qilong entered Earth, he was pulled into the home space by Baili Yuan, where he was given a good beating and then witnessed Mo Qilong's abilities.

"Tell me, what are you doing on Earth? Have you come to invade it?"

Bai Liyuan's Zanpakuto was already at Mo Qilong's neck.

To be honest, Mochiron is practically a demon by now. Killing it could actually grant my Zanpakuto new power.

The reason it is said to be "almost the same" is because Mochilong still has positive human willpower within him, and is not entirely a monster.

It is constructed entirely from the positive aspirations of humankind and will become a deity like Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

Those born from resentment and malice will become monsters.

Mochilong is somewhere in between.

So Mochiron possesses reason and intelligence, yet appears as a monster; fundamentally, Mochiron is not evil. However, he doesn't seem particularly clever either.

Baili Yuan hesitated.

One reason is that Mochiron isn't very strong, and killing it might not grant the Zanpakuto much power, or even pollute its skill pool.

On the other hand, it's because Mochiron has a certain connection with the moon, and killing it would affect the moon, requiring a cleanup afterwards.

Therefore, it's not too late to figure out Moqilong's purpose before deciding how to deal with him. (End of Chapter)