Daichi clearly didn't buy Yuzhou's casual claim of "just being from Huaxia." Still, the man hadn't shown any malice—if anything, he'd stopped Kurosaki from stealing the emerald stone.
For now, Daichi decided it was best not to make an enemy of him.
"Alright then," Asuna said after a pause, "we'll report this ruin to XIO for research and containment. Better that than risking another incident."
Since the emerald stone hadn't been taken, the monster should remain sealed. Yuzhou relaxed a little—surely the XIO wouldn't be reckless enough to tamper with the stone.
But just as the group prepared to leave, the entire ruin shook violently.
"What's happening?!" Asuna gasped. Weren't they told that leaving the emerald stone in place would keep the seal intact?
Yuzhou's face darkened. Strange. The stone hasn't been moved, so why is the monster still breaking free?
Then his eyes darted to the entrance Kurosaki's team had smashed open earlier. Understanding hit him like a bolt.
"Damn it—the pyramid itself was part of the seal. Breaking it opened a breach!"
Without hesitation, he grabbed the emerald stone and shouted, "Move! Get out before this whole place collapses!"
"Yuzhou, didn't you say the stone mustn't be moved? Why are you taking it now?" Tsukasa demanded as they ran.
"There's no choice! The monster's already breaking free. This stone might be our last hope!" Yuzhou shot back.
They burst out into the open fields just as the ground roared.
"Wait—where's Kurosaki and his team?" Tsukasa scanned around.
"They bolted in their SUV," Asuna pointed at a trail of exhaust smoke on the horizon.
Then—BOOM!
A deafening explosion tore the air. The pyramid burst apart, blood-red light flooding upward as debris scattered.
From the rubble rose a colossal prehistoric beast, its body shedding soil and dust as it emerged.
"Seagorath… the Demon Beast Enma," Yuzhou muttered grimly.
The monster loomed fifty meters tall, with two jagged horns, triple-yellow eyes on each side, a mouth full of tusks, and a spiked back. Its left arm ended in claws, but its right was a massive mace-like appendage, swinging wildly. In its chest glowed a blood-red core, pulsing like an Ultraman's timer twisted into evil.
"Run!" Asuna ordered, dragging Tsukasa and Yuuto toward their waiting craft.
Yuzhou thrust the emerald stone into Tsukasa's hands. "You take it! I'll only get in the way holding it."
But Tsukasa staggered. "Ah—my ankle! I twisted it earlier. It's acting up now!" She winced, pain in her voice, and passed the stone to Yuuto.
"…Seriously?" Yuzhou nearly rolled his eyes. In the original storyline, she always trips at the worst moments. Now it's the ankle? You couldn't mention this sooner?
"Take Professor Tamaki and get out of here!" Daichi shouted, dashing off into the brush.
Asuna didn't argue. She hoisted Tamaki onto her back and fled with Yuuto. She knew exactly what Daichi was about to do.
Yuzhou, instead of following, slipped into another hiding spot at a safe distance. His eyes locked on the battlefield, ready to intervene.
A rainbow-colored light burst across the sky. From it, Ultraman X emerged, his form rippling with digital waves as he landed between the monster and the humans.
"ROOOAR!"
Seagorath's guttural howl turned into a horrifying, mocking laugh. Its mace-arm swung in a brutal arc.
"WHAM!"
X, caught off guard, took the full blow. The giant crashed into a mountain wall, showering the field in rubble.
"…Pathetic," Yuzhou muttered, shaking his head at the sight.
X scrambled up, visibly shaken, but steadied himself. Slamming a fist into the ground, he lunged forward, grabbing Seagorath by the horns and driving a knee into its jaw. The beast reeled, only to be met with a flurry of kicks.
But the monster barely seemed hurt.
With another vicious swing, the mace-hand smashed into X's torso, slamming him flat to the earth again.
X barely had time to rise before the next blow came down. He crossed his arms in defense, but the sheer force broke through, hammering him back into the dirt.
Seagorath howled with twisted laughter, raining down strike after strike until one final blow sent X flying across the field.
The monster then beat its chest and arms in savage triumph, mocking its opponent.
Yuzhou exhaled sharply. From his coat, he pulled out the Spark Lens, still encased in hardened mud and stone. With a firm tap, the crust shattered away, revealing the crystalline device within.
It gleamed, pure and flawless, now pulsing with golden light as if resonating with the moment.
"So, even in this world, the Spark Lens responds…" Yuzhou whispered.
But X was faltering fast. If I wait any longer, he'll be finished.
Yuzhou raised the Lens high, pressing the trigger.
A crystalline chime echoed across the plains, like countless bells ringing as one.
Golden light streaked down from the sky, enveloping the battlefield.
In an instant, a towering giant appeared—red, purple, and silver flowing across his form, golden lines gleaming on his chest, a cerulean timer shining bright, and a jewel-like crystal crowning his forehead.
Ultraman Tiga.
From the safety of their craft, Tsukasa stared in awe. "The Ultra Warrior… Tiga…!"
Daichi, inside X, froze mid-transformation. "Tiga?! Here?!"
Seagorath, oblivious, prepared to crush X once more.
But Tiga moved first.
Without a word, he swept his arms wide, pulling in countless particles of light. The energy gathered before his azure core, condensing into a searing beam.
His arms formed an L-shape.
"Zeperion Beam!"
The white-hot ray lanced forward, slamming into Seagorath's exposed back.
Yuzhou hadn't planned to open with his strongest move, but how could he pass up such a perfect ambush? And besides, his energy felt stable—his timer glowed a steady blue.
The blast tore through Seagorath's spines, half its back blown apart. The beast shrieked, spinning around, its eyes burning with rage.
It had just realized there was not one, but two Ultramen on the field.