"ROAR!"
Seagorath's agonized cry tore from its fanged maw. On the other side of its twisted head, the orange-yellow glow of its eyes flickered and went out completely, plunging into darkness.
The Ultramen pulled back a safe distance. Seagorath, blind and disoriented, thrashed in a berserk frenzy.
Scarlet energy surged across its back, and three jagged spines suddenly jutted upright. With a violent shudder, the spines launched in all directions like deadly missiles.
"Stop those spines!" Yuzhou shouted, urgency sharp in his voice.
He couldn't help but notice—this time, only three spines had fired. In the original history, Seagorath had unleashed countless spines that rained across the globe, each spawning new monsters.
So it's because I destroyed most of its spines at the start? Yuzhou thought, relieved. Good. That attack wasn't wasted after all.
At his warning, the First Ultraman and X immediately split off, chasing after two of the flying spines. Tiga shifted into his Sky Type form, his body streamlining for speed, and darted after the third.
In seconds, all three Ultramen caught up with their targets and destroyed them before they could fall.
Meanwhile, the blinded Seagorath flailed in place, smashing buildings apart in its rage. The XIO team's fighters fired on it repeatedly, but their weapons only inflicted superficial burns—little more than irritations.
The three Ultramen regrouped overhead. Exchanging firm nods, they began to charge their finishing moves.
Tiga shifted back into Multi Type, raising both arms. Light gathered at the gem on his chest, already flashing red. His arms swept out in a wide arc before forming the familiar L-shape.
"Zepellion Ray!"
"Specium Ray!"
"Xanadium Ray!"
Three brilliant beams converged into a single torrent of destructive light, joined by XIO's virtual-monster weapon system, which fired its own energy barrage.
Seagorath, blind and disoriented, never even sensed the storm descending. The beams struck its head directly—a normally forbidden target. But without its eyes, its head had become its fatal weak point.
The monster's massive body began to swell, cracks of light splitting across its form.
BOOM!
The explosion rattled the sky, scattering fragments of Seagorath in all directions.
The Ultramen exhaled in relief.
We didn't even need X to fuse with the powers of Tiga and the First, Yuzhou thought, genuinely surprised. For a moment, I worried even three beams wouldn't finish the job—but clearly, I underestimated us.
Of course, in the ancient past, just Tiga and the First together had been enough to seal Seagorath away. With X added to the mix, victory was inevitable. After all, could a fusion form really outshine the real bodies of two giants?
The danger passed, Tiga dissolved into particles of light, revealing Yuzhou's human form as he descended.
"It was him all along—he was Tiga!" The XIO members gasped, staring in disbelief.
Nearby, Daichi also floated down, wrapped in light.
But something was wrong.
"X… why aren't you reverting?" Daichi asked in confusion. He stood on the ground, yet X remained standing tall above them, his Color Timer flashing red.
"Daichi. I must say farewell… for now." X's solemn voice rumbled.
"What do you mean?" Daichi's face tightened.
"My mission is not finished," X said, pressing one hand to his chest. His words were heavy, formal.
Before Daichi could press further, the First Ultraman clapped a hand on X's shoulder. Their gazes met. The elder warrior gave him a knowing nod, then turned and soared into the sky without a word.
"…Interesting," Yuzhou muttered from the side. So the First doesn't want him to explain everything.
X looked down again at the humans. "Our duty is to safeguard balance across the universe. If balance is lost, Earth too will suffer."
Yuzhou rolled his eyes. "That's basically saying nothing."
"X…" Daichi's voice wavered. His heart was heavy. X had been his partner, his comrade in every battle. To lose him so suddenly was unbearable.
"Daichi. Even if you cannot see me, even if I'm far away, we are still connected. Never forget that."
Daichi's eyes softened. A smile broke through his sadness. "I'll never forget."
"…This is getting awfully sappy," Yuzhou muttered, clicking his tongue.
"When Earth faces crisis again, I will return. I promise!" X declared, raising a clenched fist.
"Don't worry too much—we still have Yuzhou-kun with us," Daichi added, patting Yuzhou's shoulder.
"Uh… about that…" Yuzhou grimaced. Buddy, I might get yanked out of this world any second. Don't bet on me.
"What's wrong, Yuzhou-kun?" Daichi asked, puzzled.
"I probably won't be staying either. You know I come from another universe," Yuzhou said with a helpless shrug.
Daichi's face fell. "You too…?"
"Don't be so down. Maybe we'll meet again," Yuzhou said, surprised at how deeply Daichi seemed to value him. We only fought together once, and he already considers me a close friend… this guy's really something.
"Then we'll both keep working hard," Daichi said, smiling again.
"Yeah—together." Yuzhou flashed a grin in return.
The XIO team offered their own heartfelt farewells to X. At last, the giant lifted into the sky and vanished in a trail of light.
"…Maybe I should drop by that Venton doctor again before I leave," Yuzhou thought aloud, scheming. The translation earpiece and storage bracelet had been useful, but what he really wanted was a proper weapon. Imagine drawing a sword mid-battle. That would be badass.
"Daichi, let's—"
But before he could finish, a spatial vortex suddenly swirled open beside him, pulling at his body with irresistible force.
The XIO team reacted instantly, weapons raised, but Daichi leapt forward, grabbing Yuzhou's hand to keep him from being sucked away.
Yuzhou sighed. "Figures. Just when I was planning to collect a few more toys." He looked at Daichi and gave a small wave. "Don't worry. It's time for me to go back."
"In less than a day…" he thought, marveling at how fleeting his visit had been.
"Yuzhou-kun… farewell." Daichi's grip loosened, his eyes heavy with emotion.
"Goodbye, Daichi. Goodbye, everyone."
With a final smile, Yuzhou let himself be pulled into the vortex.
The XIO team stood in silence, watching as the portal snapped shut.
"Farewell, Tiga!" their voices echoed into the still night sky.