"I'm fine," Daigo assured Rena and Captain Megumi, who had rushed to support him.
Relieved that his injuries weren't serious, the two women turned their attention to the stranger in the motorcycle helmet.
"And this is…?" Rena asked curiously.
Yu Zhou stepped forward before Daigo could speak. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Yu Zhou, from Huaxia. Just now, Daigo was battling an alien, and I lent a hand to drive it off."
Rena gave him a polite smile. "I'm Rena. It's nice to meet you."
"And I am Megumi, Captain of GUTS."
The introductions barely finished before the entire tunnel trembled violently. The women exchanged a sharp glance. Wasting no time, they ushered Daigo into the vehicle and gestured for Yu Zhou to follow.
Naturally, Yu Zhou didn't object. He climbed in, and the car sped out of the dim tunnel.
Moments later, they pulled onto the open road—only to screech to a halt. Above the city, thick black clouds churned, veined with purple lightning. Within the roiling storm, a colossal stone gate slowly emerged.
All four stepped out of the car, staring upward with grim expressions.
"The Gate of Hell…" Megumi's voice was heavy. "With only GUTS, we can't stop it. Perhaps even Tiga cannot win."
Daigo clenched his fists. "No! We mustn't despair. Ultraman is strong, yes—but without humanity's belief in him, he cannot become light. If we don't have faith, he cannot fight."
"Light…" Megumi murmured, her eyes thoughtful.
Yu Zhou, meanwhile, eyed the gate with wary curiosity. This wasn't how the original script went. In the show, the god never actually comes out. The gate itself, along with the second Kyrieloidian, gets blown away by Tiga. Better not let this escalate beyond that…
Victory team jets streaked across the sky. Megumi barked orders into her communicator: they mustn't let the gate open. The jets dove in, unleashing missiles at the massive doors—but the blasts barely scratched the surface.
Megumi and Rena jumped back into the car to head to the front lines, leaving Daigo behind due to his injuries. Yu Zhou remained as well—he wasn't about to tag along with the official team when, on paper, he was just a random civilian.
After a brief farewell, the car sped off, leaving Yu Zhou and Daigo standing together.
"Daigo," Yu Zhou said quietly, eyes on the storm. "Go. That gate is opening."
Daigo nodded solemnly. "Take care, Yu Zhou." With that, he sprinted toward the darkness.
"Good luck," Yu Zhou muttered after him. I'll only intervene if things go wildly off script. The last thing I want is to accidentally butterfly-effect this god into reality.
Moments later, a brilliant light burst across the night sky. Tiga soared upward, landing directly before the colossal stone gate. He pressed against the doors, straining to slow their movement. The effect was minimal—but even slowing the opening bought precious time.
Then a voice thundered across the heavens:
"Those who defy the God of Kilielord shall suffer punishment!"
Twin bolts of searing energy slammed into Tiga, hurling him from the sky into the city below.
"You will suffer in agony before these foolish humans, and die a pitiful death! Hahaha!"
Scarlet smoke erupted from the ground, coalescing into a towering figure over fifty meters tall—the second-generation Kyrieloidian.
Tiga rose, squaring his stance. The monster wasted no time, swinging a clawed arm. Tiga's fist whooshed past its head, but the Kyrieloidian countered, seizing his arm and yanking him off balance.
Tiga rolled with the momentum, springing up to deliver a spinning kick that landed cleanly. The monster staggered—but dragged Tiga down with it. Both crashed hard into the earth, sending dust plumes rising.
Yu Zhou had followed at a distance, watching intently. Stay calm. Only step in if the script really derails.
The two giants clashed savagely, trading blows that shook the skyline. Suddenly, the Kyrieloidian hurled Tiga over its shoulder, smashing him into a skyscraper. The building collapsed in a spray of concrete and glass.
"Tiga!" Rena cried from the GUTS vehicle, her heart wrenching at the sight.
The Kyrieloidian didn't relent. It vaulted forward, locking its bony claws around Tiga's throat, squeezing relentlessly.
"Support Tiga!" Megumi ordered.
"Understood!" Rena aimed the car's Spiral Beam Cannon and fired.
A spiral of blue light struck the monster's back, forcing it to loosen its grip. Seizing the chance, Tiga pried himself free and flung the creature aside.
With a burst of determination, he crossed his arms at his forehead, sliding them outward—his body shifting into the silver-and-red Power Type.
Yu Zhou smirked approvingly. That's right. When in doubt, muscle it out.
But the Kyrieloidian wasn't about to be outdone. It crossed its arms as well, a sickly green glow flaring as its body swelled with new strength.
Yu Zhou's expression darkened. So it's going straight into the "reinforced" form. And if I recall correctly… Power Type or Sky Type, neither was enough to beat this guy. Tiga only won because humanity gave him light.
Sure enough, the enhanced Kyrieloidian hammered Tiga relentlessly. Blow after blow landed, forcing him back. Inside the giant, Daigo's desperation mounted. Even with the Power Type's might, he was still being overpowered.
Driven against a crumbling building, Tiga gasped for breath. Though his Color Timer hadn't yet flashed red, fatigue gnawed at him. The monster's bone blade sliced down—he barely rolled aside, watching another skyscraper cleaved clean in half.
Tiga retaliated with a sweeping kick, only to meet the Kyrieloidian's own. The impact rattled the ground. Tiga staggered, dropping to one knee, while the monster seemed hardly affected.
It pounced, slashing deep across Tiga's back. Sparks exploded as the giant crashed forward.
This time, the Color Timer blazed crimson.