Daigo's eyes sharpened after hearing Yuzhou's advice. Crossing his arms over his chest, the crystal on his forehead flashed. With a sweeping motion, his form shifted—silver and crimson spread across his body.
Tiga had transformed into Power Type.
This time, when he charged, the tide of battle turned instantly.
The clash was brutally straightforward—punches, kicks, raw force. No tricks, no beams, no elegance. And the false giant simply couldn't withstand it. Every collision pushed him back further, every impact a reminder of Tiga's overwhelming strength.
With a clean, crushing blow, Tiga sent the impostor hurtling through the air. The giant slammed into the ground like a fallen bird, dust exploding around his body.
A sharp ding-dong echoed as the timer on the giant's chest blinked red, flashing in alarm.
Daigo, within Tiga, hesitated. He raised his hands, light gathering for a Delacium Light Stream. One shot could end this right now.
But then Yuzhou's earlier words echoed in his mind.
Don't destroy the giant's body. Drain his energy instead.
Daigo let the light fade from his palms. "If I can't kill him outright… then I'll just burn through every drop of strength he has left."
Tiga lunged forward, pinning the impostor to the ground. His fists hammered down in relentless rhythm, each strike aimed at the giant's chest. The red light on Masaki's timer flickered faster and faster, like a dying heartbeat.
The false god struggled violently, but against Power Type's brute force, it wasn't enough. Daigo too began to tire—the timer on Tiga's own chest started to blink. But victory was close.
"Man, this pose looks… oddly philosophical." Yuzhou muttered from the rooftop, arms crossed, half-smirking at the sight of one giant straddling and pummeling another.
Still, the tactic was brutally effective. Just before Tiga's strength ran out, the false giant's energy collapsed. His body shimmered—and then dissipated into nothing.
"Beautifully done!" Yuzhou called out, giving Tiga a big thumbs-up.
Tiga glanced back, then returned the gesture with a shining Ultraman thumbs-up of his own, before dissolving into light. The glow descended to Yuzhou's side, and Daigo emerged, visibly fatigued but smiling.
"Yuzhou-kun, your reminder saved me."
"You're welcome," Yuzhou chuckled, patting his shoulder. "Though I've gotta ask—why didn't you think of your 'musclehead mode' earlier? It's usually your favorite."
Daigo twitched at the phrasing. "…Musclehead mode? Really?" He sighed. "This time, I was too impatient. Didn't think straight."
Then he remembered. "Oh, right—your Shining Stick." He pulled it from his coat and handed it back.
Yuzhou nodded, slipping it away, then returned Daigo's own Spark Lens. After leaving the cave earlier, Yuzhou had discovered how to disable the electricity and retrieved both items. Masaki's Light Particle Converter, however, he quietly stored in his dimensional bracelet.
Daigo studied his Spark Lens carefully. It looked identical to the one Yuzhou had lent him. He said nothing, but his eyes grew sharper, more questioning.
Yuzhou noticed. He smiled faintly. "Go ahead. Ask. I'll answer honestly this time."
Daigo didn't hesitate. "Yuzhou-kun… who exactly are you? Why do you have a Shining Stick? And the Ultraman who defeated the Dream Monster that day—was it you?"
"Yes," Yuzhou said evenly. "I am also Tiga. That day, the one who fought was me."
Daigo's breath caught. He had suspected, but hearing it confirmed was another matter. "I see… That explains what Tonino said, about your heart being shielded by light. I didn't realize you were truly Tiga."
He paused. "But… are you the same Tiga from thirty million years ago?"
"No," Yuzhou shook his head. "I come from another parallel universe."
Daigo fell silent, stunned. "…Parallel universe. So that's it."
His thoughts turned to Yuzhou's earlier warning. "Then, the powerful enemy you mentioned—the one even giants should not destroy. Who is it?"
Yuzhou's gaze hardened. "The ruler of darkness. Gatanozoa. When it arrives, the world will drown in eternal night."
"Gatanozoa…" Daigo whispered the name, tasting its weight. "Even if we fight together, we can't defeat it?"
"Not with just the two of us," Yuzhou admitted. "That's why Masaki matters. If he changes, if he gains true light, then maybe… we'll have a chance."
Masaki himself, unconscious after his collapse, was soon discovered by the Victory Team. They detained him immediately—believing him guilty of stealing from TPC and building artificial giants.
This time, events had diverged from the "original." The stray dog never became Gaid, because Daigo had transformed early to stop the false giant.
Later, when Yuzhou and Daigo rejoined Victory Team, Captain Megumi gave them both a strange look. She studied Daigo, then Yuzhou.
Both of them felt uneasy under her gaze.
But she only smiled and said softly: "Welcome back, Daigo. And you as well, Advisor Yuzhou."
For Daigo, the weight on his shoulders felt lighter than ever before. Because now, he wasn't carrying the burden alone. If he faltered, Yuzhou would stand.
And so, their bond deepened.
Spring arrived. Blossoms filled the air, sunlight bathed the earth, and life stirred beneath the warmth of the season.
For once, Yuzhou allowed himself a day off. He strolled through the park with a cup of milk tea, enjoying the breeze and the floral scents drifting on the wind.
"This is the life," he sighed.
Petals swirled. The fragrance was intoxicating, but then…
"Ki~mo~chi~," a passerby moaned blissfully, clutching an orange blossom.
Yuzhou frowned. The man looked drunk on the scent, face slack with ecstasy. And he wasn't the only one—everywhere he looked, people held the same flower, smiling in a daze.
Snatching a blossom from one of them, Yuzhou examined it. His expression darkened. "No… this is Gijera."
The Gijera flower—an ancient, cursed plant. Its pollen lulled humans into euphoric bliss, only to lead them into death. In the ancient past, it was Gijera's bloom that caused humanity to lose itself, abandoning reason.
The Giants of Light had faced this choice once: destroy the flower, or let humans choose their own ruin. They refused to decide for mankind. They left instead, returning to their homeworlds, their empty husks remaining on Earth.
Gijera… the Flower of the Apocalypse.
The entranced man whose flower Yuzhou had seized suddenly shrieked in fury, lunging at him.
Yuzhou didn't even spare him a glance. His fist snapped out, sending the man sprawling unconscious.
Clutching the cursed blossom, Yuzhou turned and sprinted toward base.
The world was about to fall into crisis again.