Chapter 104: The Giants' Awakening
The Emperor came out of his laboratory and walked to the equipment room. The Armour-bondsmen helped him put on the familiar golden battle armour with practised skill.
The peaceful ruler had once again become the warrior leader.
"Just like sunlight breaking through the night," Raven hummed as he tore open a breach in reality, allowing passage for the Emperor and Valdor.
Tzeentch had sensed their movement through the Warp, but this time, the Architect of Fate did not rush to do anything. His previous fight with the Cursed One had taught him hard lessons - he would not risk a direct fight again.
Instead, he decided to get others to help him. If he alone could not deal with this new problem, then he would get everyone who could to join him.
The chaos gods were not just enemies of all living beings in the real world. In fact, they fought among themselves as well, in what is called The Great Game.
Their wars were fought in the heart of the Warp, with areas divided among four Chaos Gods. The Warp has always been caught in an endless battle, fought every single second of this timeless space and has never stopped.
Until this moment, the endless war on the battlefield suddenly stopped. The crazy followers, terrible demons, and scary horrors capable of destroying even the strongest civilizations were left shocked as their Gods made the battle stop.
It was as if the puppet master suddenly stopped moving the strings, leaving the puppets hanging in midair. None of these many Warp demons understood why such unexpected peace had settled over the war zones of Warp.
And so they looked to their gods for answers, standing quietly waiting.
But the Warp Gods didn't pay them any attention.
Khorne, the God of war and destruction, the oldest of the four, the bringer of chaos, looked up from his Skull Throne. Slaanesh, the prince of pleasure, wild behavior, hedonism, and raw excess beyond any lifeform's imagination, paused in his maze-like pleasures, and The Great loving Grandfather Nurgle lifted his gaze from the Garden of Decay.
All four Chaos Gods focused their attention on the Cursed One.
The Emperor and Raven instantly felt their evil stare. For a moment, the Gods of Warp and the Gods of Mankind just stared at each other across the vast empty space. Then, with his usual dislike for being called Gods, the Emperor and his ally disappeared into the void, leaving Chaos Gods confused and shocked.
When the twisted space settled, they found themselves inside an impressive building. Clean lines and advanced materials showed a civilization that had reached considerable progress.
"Fortune favours us, my Friends", Raven announced with satisfaction. "It seems we have arrived at the headquarters of TPC."
In the Ultraman Tiga Universe, the Terrestrial Peacekeeping Consortium represented humanity's latest attempt at unified leadership, an international organization born from UN support and backed by nations worldwide.
The TPC organization was first created for Global peacekeeping purposes. However, over time, it has grown into a powerful, military force capable of facing threats beyond the stars.
TPC, as the Earth's strongest military force dedicated to defending Earth, had a special elite squad called GUTS that served as its top operational team.
The Emperor looked at his changed appearance. His golden armor had disappeared, replaced by civilian clothing right for this time period. His tall height had shrunk to just two meters - still impressive by local standards.
Valdor had gone through similar changes, his superhuman body now appearing as that of an extremely tall, well-built person.
"This isn't the Marvel universe," Valdor observed with resignation, noting their powers were again suppressed.
"Stop right there! Identify yourselves!" Two security guards came around the corner with weapons drawn, their training clear in their quick response.
The Emperor raised his gaze to meet theirs. Despite his reduced power, something of his true nature still burned in those ancient eyes. The guards found themselves staring into depths that had seen the rise and fall of civilizations.
Confusion covered their faces like morning mist. When clarity returned, hostility changed into something close to respect. The weapons seemed suddenly foolish - how could they have drawn arms against someone so clearly their superior?
"We apologise for our actions," one stammered, putting away his gun.
"Drawing weapons is a serious matter," the Emperor replied with quiet authority. "Do not repeat such recklessness."
The guards left with bowed heads.
"The Big Guy remains the Big Guy," Raven muttered with admiration. "Mind tricks come as naturally as breathing to him."
"Minor psychic adjustments," the Emperor replied with characteristic understatement. "Nothing noteworthy."
As they moved deeper into the building, staff found their attention strangely drawn elsewhere, their minds editing out the presence of the intruders as though they belonged there.
"This way leads to GUTS command," Raven indicated, his senses having mapped the facility's layout.
The operations center proved impressive by local standards. Rows of monitoring equipment lined the walls while massive displays showed real-time global data feeds. Though basic by Imperial standards, it showed admirable advancement for a single-system species.
Only one person remained - a young man in GUTS uniform standing before a cone-shaped device of ancient make, speaking to himself with frustrated tones.
"What's wrong with this machine? How do I revive the giants?"
"Daigo Madoka," Raven spoke the name with casual familiarity.
The young man turned, expecting a teammate but finding two tall strangers and an unnaturally smart corvid.
"Who are you? How did you get in here?" Daigo's hand moved instinctively to his sidearm. "And am I going mad or is that bird talking..."
"You are not mad, young Daigo?" Raven's voice carried amusement. "And are you sure you want to know who we truly are?"
"Just answer the question!" Daigo pointed at the speaking corvid. "Who are you people, and how did you get in here?"
"I am the Raven Lord," the bird proclaimed theatrically, "herald of shadow and destruction. We've come tonight to eliminate the troublesome GUTS organisation."
His cackle filled the chamber, while Daigo looked ready to pull his gun, the Emperor and Valdor just looked at their companion's new drama.
"Prepare for doom, Daigo Madoka! Your team will never interfere with our evil schemes again!"
Daigo's expression shifted from confusion to alarm as instinct took over. His hand moved toward his weapon with practiced speed.
Valdor's reflexes, even weakened, far exceeded normal human ability. Before Daigo could draw, the Captain-General took the gun from its holster with casual ease.
"Calm down, Boy, Raven tends to display a quirky sense of humour," Valdor explained with calm assurance. "We are travellers from beyond your dimensional boundaries, and we mean no harm to you or your world."
"Travellers from other dimensions?" Daigo was confused as he looked at Valdor holding his gun. "Is this some kind of a joke?"
Daigo looked at the other two. 'Did I just get baited by some chunnibyos?'
He took a deep breath to calm down and then spoke, "Okay, it doesn't matter where you come from. But tell how you got in here, and what are your intentions?"
"How we got in here is no matter of concern, Boy. What should concern you is our purpose, the complete annihilation of GUTS, HA-HA-HA," Raven replied, taking wing to settle on Daigo's shoulder, laughing like some villain from a comic.
Daigo glanced at the corvid, then turned to Valdor and the Emperor, who was studying the ancient machine behind him as if to verify what the corvid had said. Their expressions told him otherwise, so he turned to Corvid and said. "But you seemed to be joking. And I don't sense any danger from you, or your friends."
"Because there is none," Valdor confirmed. "We cannot reveal our true purpose for now, but know this well, we bring no harm to you or humanity."
Before Daigo could ask anything, the ancient machine started up with a harmonious hum. A 3D projection appeared, showing a ghostly woman whose posture showed nobility and sadness.
"Greetings to everyone receiving this message. I am Yuzare, commander of the Terran Defence Team from an ancient civilisation. Dark times are coming that will challenge humanity's survival."
The monsters Golza and Melba are about to awaken. Golza, the earth-shaking monster, and Melba, who tears the sky, will destroy your world. Only the Giants of Light sealed inside the pyramid can save it from this disaster.
"These giants served as our protectors long ago, but when our civilisation fell to darkness, they transformed into stone statues within the pyramid before their light returned to the stars."
"People of Earth, you must revive the giants and defeat Golza and Melba. This is the only path to salvation."
Raven flew from Daigo's shoulder to examine the time capsule with appreciation.
"Yuzare looks ethereal in this footage, but this time capsule," he mused admiringly. "Even after thirty million years, its surface does not have a single blemish on it. This Ancient Giant Civilisation possessed material science that would demolish even the finest Imperial tech-savants."
"You actually recognise this?" Daigo's voice carried excitement as he finally met someone who could tell him what this was.
"Of course, I recognise this," Raven replied smugly.
"Please," Daigo's tone shifted to earnest supplication, "you must tell me. What is the connection between us and this Ancient Giant civilisation? What are these giants Yuzare speaks of?"
"Knowledge bears a price, Child" Raven's voice carried serious weight. "Are you prepared to pay it?"
"What do you want as payment? Money?" Daigo asked, thinking maybe this talking bird would ask for money.
"Ha! I, the great Raven Lord, don't need some crude currency," the corvid replied with theatrical disdain. "You only need to show your sincere devotion to the God of Fries and Ketchup to receive the wisdom you seek."
Raven's grand proclamation was followed by silence as all three looked at him.
Daigo found it too hard to accept that there exists a God of ketchup and fries. Nothing in his training had prepared him for a deity whose job basically centered on fast food.
Daigo took a steadying breath, and he forced himself to remain professional despite the absurd claim of this talking bird.
"Then how do I show devotion to this God of Fries and Ketchup?"
"Now you ask the right question. Hmm. Listen carefully, child. You need to recite the sacred words along with the proper offerings. "Repeat after me: 'O God of Fries and Ketchup, who exists beyond space and time, guardian of the eater, guide to the most delicious fires...'"
Raven kept making up what was obviously a made-up ceremony, his voice barely hiding his amusement.
Valdor struggled to hold back his frustration. Raven's obsession with these food items had gone beyond mere preference, nearly becoming a religious devotion. If this continues, the Imperium could end up with a new, unexpected addition to its complex pantheon.
The Emperor kept a calm face. Years of experience had hardened him against his companion's dramatic behavior and complex pranks.
After finishing the made-up prayer, Daigo realized there was an issue.
I don't have the fries and ketchup right now; can I give them to you later?
"Acceptable, though your debt doubles for the delay," Raven replied with evident disappointment.
Now, can you tell me the truth about this machine, where it comes from and why?" Daigo asked, gesturing urgently toward the time capsule.
"This archive was made thirty million years ago," Raven explained, his tone steady and instructive. "Back then, the ultra-ancient civilisation let themselves fall to the Zejireh Flower's narcotic pollen. They abandoned the Giants of Light, chasing a false paradise. Because of that, Gatanozoa awakened and destroyed everything."
He tapped the capsule lightly. "It's here now because your world faces the same danger. If humanity makes the same mistakes, Gatanozoa will win again, and the result will be the same, complete ruin."
Daigo felt his chest tighten. "You mean… our world will end?"
Raven gave a single, grave nod. "Unless the Evil God is stopped, yes. Your civilisation will collapse, and they'll be thrown back to the primitive age, if any survives at all."
Daigo clenched his fists. "I won't let that happen. Tell me how I can defeat the Evil god."
Raven pointed toward the capsule. "The answer's right here. Bring the Giants of Light back into this world, and you'll have the strength to stand against the darkness."
"But where are they? And how do I bring them back?" Daigo pushed, too focused to hide his urgency.
Raven's expression - as much as corvid features could show - suggested mischief of the highest order.
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