Realizing he couldn't overpower the enhanced Kyrieloid II, Tiga quickly shifted into Sky Type and shot upward into the night sky.
"Running already?" Yuzhou frowned. He knew the plot would develop this way, but watching it unfold in reality made him uneasy. Daigo's combat skills seemed far clumsier than his own. Then again, Daigo had just taken a beating in the underground tunnel and was still injured—maybe that explained it.
The Kyrieloid roared, emerald light flashing across its body. Two massive, purple-black wings unfurled from its back, propelling it skyward in hot pursuit.
"Commander, the Kyrieloid has taken flight!" Inside the car, Captain Megumi reported urgently over the comms to Munakata aboard the TPC base's Heron jet.
Munakata saw it too, and ordered Hori to prepare to fire. But Hori looked pained.
"No good—the target's speed is incredible. At this rate, the Heron can't keep up!"
"He's flying even faster than Tiga!" Shinjo exclaimed from another jet, staring in disbelief.
Indeed, the winged Kyrieloid was not only matching Sky Type Tiga's speed—it was surpassing it.
Sensing the enemy right behind him, Tiga glanced back just as a flash of lightning split the heavens. In the next instant, the monster slammed into him. The Ultraman's chest timer flared red as his body crashed to the ground, unconscious.
The Kyrieloid didn't bother finishing him off. Instead, it soared into the swirling black clouds, landing before the massive stone gate and forcing it open with brute strength. Dark mist poured forth, spilling down to wrap Tiga's fallen body in shadow.
"Tiga!" Rena cried as she leapt from the car, watching in horror. "He's disappearing into the darkness!"
Megumi froze, recalling Daigo's words earlier: If humans lose faith, Ultraman cannot become the light.
"Give him light."
The calm voice came from behind. Both women turned in surprise.
"Yuzhou?"
He nodded. "Yes. But right now, what matters most is this—give Tiga light. He needs it to rise again."
Megumi's eyes widened. Without hesitation, she raised her communicator.
"Commander! Shine the light on Tiga—give him everything we can!"
"Understood!" Munakata barked, ordering the Heron pilots to descend. Both jets swept their high-beam searchlights onto Tiga's body.
Yet it wasn't enough.
Rena gritted her teeth, dashed back into the car, and flipped on the headlights. Twin beams cut through the night and joined the others, shining on Tiga.
"Still not enough…" Megumi whispered. She grabbed her communicator again, this time connecting to Noris at headquarters. "Patch this broadcast through to the national TV networks. Now."
Within moments, the airwaves shifted. Across city squares, the giant screens once displaying the so-called "angels" flickered. Instead, a determined woman appeared.
"I am Megumi, captain of GUTS," her voice rang out. "Citizens, wake up! Those who call themselves angels—they are demons! Tiga Ultraman has fought with his very life to protect us. But now he needs our strength. Please—I beg you—all of you, give your light to Tiga!"
Her plea echoed across the nation. She shut off the comms with a weary sigh. Whether people would listen or not… she could only hope.
But then—one by one, headlights blazed through the darkness. Cars rolled into the square, forming a glowing wall before Tiga's body.
Crowds surged in from every street, carrying flashlights, phones, lighters, glow sticks—anything that shone.
"Tiga!"
"Stand up, Tiga!"
"You can do it!"
"Wake up, Tiga!"
Their voices thundered in unison.
Yuzhou too pulled out the high-powered flashlight from his storage bracelet, its beam piercing into Tiga's shrouded form.
Suddenly, every building lit up at maximum brightness, flooding the city with radiance. Yuzhou remembered—this was the doing of Megumi's son, Tsubasa.
And then it happened.
Through the chants and the light, Tiga stirred. Like Michelangelo's Creation of Adam, his hand slowly reached out, fingertip pointing toward the glow of humanity.
Yuzhou's eyes widened. He saw what others could not: particles of light, flowing from the people themselves, streaming into Tiga's hand.
It's not the physical light… it's their hearts.
It was the light of humanity.
Tiga rose. His body gleamed faintly with a golden shimmer, almost like a prototype of Shining Tiga.
"So… this is where it begins," Yuzhou murmured.
With renewed strength, Tiga switched back to Multi Type and signaled the Kyrieloid to face him. Enraged, the monster abandoned the gate and dove down to fight.
The clash was instant. But this time, Tiga was unstoppable. A kick toppled the Kyrieloid; he seized its head and hurled it across the battlefield. When the beast lunged again, Tiga caught its fist effortlessly and hammered its chest with relentless blows.
A flurry of kicks, a spinning roundhouse—the Kyrieloid collapsed, utterly overwhelmed.
"This is slaughter," Yuzhou muttered, shaking his head. "Like killing a pig with a sledgehammer."
Seizing the moment, Tiga flung the monster skyward, slamming it against the stone gate. Crossing his arms, he charged his signature attack. White energy surged between his hands as he formed the familiar L-shape.
"Zepellion Ray!"
A blinding torrent of power engulfed both gate and monster. The heavens themselves erupted in fire, and when the light faded, nothing remained—only clear night sky.
On the ground, people cheered wildly, waving their lights in triumph.
Tiga turned, raised a glowing thumbs-up to the crowd, then soared away into the stars.