Chapter 106: The Second Giant's Awakening
The Emperor said nothing, his golden gaze fixed upon horizons that stretched beyond the boundaries of any single world.
Their concealment was nothing more than a simple smokescreen, just enough misdirection to maintain their mysterious image.
"This universe has already suppressed my power," the Emperor observed with clinical detachment, "and now he has gained the authority over that mysterious power. It's good enough that I can obscure his perception."
"You're getting lazy," Raven said, flapping a wing against the Emperor's head with theatrical disapproval. "A few words of effort, and you want to quit? How can you achieve great things like this!"
The Master of Mankind gave Raven a look of mild exasperation, an expression that would have terrified entire star systems, yet only seemed to amuse his irreverent corvid companion.
"What are we doing now?" the Emperor asked.
"Of course, we're going to continue changing the predetermined fate and then get paid," Raven replied with obvious satisfaction. "Now, we're going to find another guy with ancient warrior genes and then create a group of Giants."
When their Giant army took shape, every monster would recall the fear and humiliation of being dominated by Giants. If ten Giants couldn't defeat Evil God Gatanothor, then it would be a hundred, or a thousand.
Kumamoto City sprawled beneath modern towers of glass and steel. Inside the executive offices of Cytech Corporation, Keigo Masaki, acclaimed as both a research genius and business prodigy, looked with impatience at the two people and one bird who had somehow appeared in his office.
"If you have something to say, hurry up," he said curtly. "My time is very precious, millions per minute."
'The moment these idiots leave, I'm firing every single security guard. What's the point of paying them if they can't keep random people out of my office?'
"Keigo Masaki."
Raven's words made the scientist's eyes widen.
"A talking raven? Is it some circus act?"
Masaki stood up and walked closer to examine Raven with the intense focus of a researcher.
"Does my speaking surprise you?" Raven looked up, staring intently at Masaki. "There's something even more surprising waiting for you, Keigo Masaki. You will forever remember this day, because this was the day you changed your destiny."
"Incredible! A bird with actual intelligence!" Masaki's voice got excited as he studied Raven like a valuable specimen. 'This could be worth billions if I can figure out how it works.'
"Are you some alien? Or did someone enhance you with technology?"
He turned to the Emperor with obvious greed in his eyes. "I'll buy this raven from you. Name your price. I want to study precisely what makes it tick, may even have to do some dissections, and see what's different about its brain structure."
Raven fell silent for a moment, his black eyes darkening even more, his heavy breath indicating heavy retribution.
"You FUCKING mongrel, you dare talk like that about me!!"
Damn it! He had been preparing to offer this scientist a position in their Empire, maybe even command of their future Ultraman army. But instead, the man wanted to buy him with money and dissect him?
Valdor couldn't care less about such insults, but Raven could not.
"Valdor, beat this little shit", Raven commanded, his eyes slits as narrow as ice spikes, in a predator's eyes.
The Emperor's most loyal servant needed no further instruction. One step brought him within striking range.
Masaki barely had time to register movement before steel-strong fingers grabbed his wrist. The punch that followed drove all air from his lungs and doubled him over, his face flushing red with pain.
Valdo's follow-up kick targeted the scientist's knee precisely, sending him crashing to the polished floor.
"Aaa, haah, cough cough," Masaki gasped, his body succumbing to waves of pain that overwhelmed his senses. He couldn't even scream, as it hurt just to breathe. For the first time, Kiego truly experienced what death was.
Raven hopped down from the Emperor's shoulder and landed in front of the fallen scientist.
"This is a small lesson for you, Keigo Masaki. If there's a next time, I'll have someone throw you out the window."
"I was wrong!" The words tore from Masaki's throat as desperation overrode pride. "Please don't kill me, please"
"From now on, you will address me with the honorific, Lord Raven, understood?" the corvid said with absolute authority.
"Yes, yes, Lord Raven, I'm very sorry, I was wrong," Masaki replied through gritted teeth as he battled with pain in his knee and stomach, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Let him go." Raven told Valdor to stop. Only after Masaki struggled back to his one feet did the corvid continue.
"Keigo Masaki, I know you have the genes of an ancient warrior in you, that you can foresee the future of Evil God Gatanothor destroying the world, and that you have been diligently training to prepare to transform into an ancient warrior."
Masaki stared at him in shock. "How do you know all of that?!"
"I know everything," Raven replied with supreme confidence. "I'm only here to recruit you."
"Recruit me?" Masaki pointed to himself. "Who are you people?"
"Allow me to introduce you." Raven landed back on the Emperor's shoulder. "The one in front of you is the Emperor of the Imperium of Man, the Great Master of Mankind, the one destined to lead humanity to dominate all universes, the Omnissiah who controls all machinery and truth, the absolute nemesis of Chaos."
As Raven spoke, the Emperor's body began to glow with brilliant light, incredibly sacred, as if a true deity had walked into the present world. The very air seemed to thicken with a presence that defied normal understanding.
Masaki felt tremendous mental pressure that made him involuntarily fall to his knees under the sacred aura of the Emperor.
"Will you pledge allegiance to me, Keigo Masaki?" The Emperor's voice carried harmonics that seemed to resonate through dimensions.
"Are you willing to offer everything for humanity? Are you willing to do everything to protect this world from being destroyed by evil?"
In the Emperor's profound gaze, Keigo Masaki perceived truth, boundless wisdom, and compassion, eyes that had seen millennia yet still harboured hope for mortal souls.
'This is absurd,' Masaki thought, his scientific mind clashing with instincts that acknowledged a fundamental truth. 'But why do I still wish to serve him? Am I such a weak man? No, it's HIM! He cannot be a man. How can someone like him be like us?'
"Yes, I am, Great Master", Keigo finally spoke.
As his words reached the Emperor's ears, a prompt appeared that only the Master of Mankind and Raven could see.
[Predetermined fate changed by 5%, obtained Genetic Light Factor Conversion Technology, obtained Spark Lens Principle Technology, obtained Genetic Map of Ancient Warriors]
In a few breaths, the Emperor had assimilated all this knowledge. Knowledge flooded his consciousness like data streams, genetic sequences, energy conversion principles, and transformation matrices.
A pleased smile appeared on his face, and Valdor noticed it. Regardless of his thoughts about the Raven, it was undeniable that since his appearance, the Emperor had smiled more in a few years than he had in centuries.
He wouldn't voice his thoughts, as what he thinks doesn't matter, for he is the Emperor's Spear, but it still brought him warmth to see that even the master of all kinds felt like a man.
The Emperor, after going through all knowledge, looked towards kneeling Masaki. He walked closer to him and gave his hand to help him get up, healing his wounds in due process.
Masaki couldn't fathom the honour he had been given; having the Emperor himself assist you in standing up and healing your wound was an achievement that could define an entire dynasty's legacy.
"Now, let us begin researching how to recreate the ancient warriors."
For several months, the Emperor took Masaki and dedicated himself to the project of researching the Giants of Light. Their efforts achieved breakthroughs that would have taken decades of conventional research to accomplish.
Raven, meanwhile, spent his time harassing Valdor daily and going around convincing others to believe in the God of Fries and Ketchup.
"As long as delicious fries and ketchup are offered to Him, one can receive His protection."
His efforts led to this cult gaining an unexpectedly large following. Most believers were ordinary people tired of society, bored, or simply disillusioned with life. They eagerly praised the great God of Fries and Ketchup, especially since it meant free food, shelter, and a community that didn't mind if you liked anime girls instead of real ones.
During this period, GUTS remained highly active, efficiently responding to monster incidents worldwide. Daigo, now named Ultraman Tiga, made frequent appearances, repeatedly defeating monsters that threatened humanity and earning recognition as a saviour.
However, there were also voices opposing Ultraman Tiga in society. Several fringe groups claimed that Tiga was not humanity's saviour at all, asserting that he would only provide false hope and ultimately lead humanity toward extinction.
Several months passed like this.
On this day, inside the laboratory, Masaki shouted excitedly, "It's a success, it's really a success!"
In front of him was a complex pyramid-shaped mechanical device. The top of the pyramid crackled with light and electricity. A spherical device floated above the pyramid's tip.
This was the transformation device the Emperor had created using his wisdom and knowledge, capable of activating the ancient warrior genes within the user, allowing them to transform into light and merge with Giant stone statues.
"Masaki Keigo, try it," the Emperor said calmly.
"Yes, my lord." The Emperor's power and wisdom completely won over Masaki. Without him, he wouldn't even have the qualifications to glimpse such ultimate truths.
Masaki reached out and took the transformation device. He walked to an open space and pressed the activation button.
With a shout, he transformed into a beam of light, merging with a Giant stone statue and bringing it back to life.
"Can you adapt to the Giant's body?" the Emperor communicated with Masaki telepathically.
"It's too powerful, my lord," Masaki replied through their mental link, struggling to contain his euphoria. "I feel like I've become a god, omnipotent."
"Remember this, Masaki, there are no Gods, only Man. Now go outside and test its power, see if you can fully control it," the Emperor instructed.
"Yes, my Lord," Masaki nodded with his imposing figure, then leapt up and landed near the suburban mountains of Kumamoto City.
Various detection systems quickly registered the anomaly in Kumamoto City, causing a stir. Many media outlets simultaneously began live broadcasts, creating huge public attention.
"Is this a new Ultraman?" commentators speculated excitedly.
"Another Giant of Light, is it also here to save humanity?"
At the TPC GUTS Command Centre, team members looked at the Giant on the screen, shocked at the appearance of a new Giant.
Daigo looked at the Giant active in Kumamoto City and frowned. Its appearance was very similar to one of the two Giant stone statues that Raven had taken away.
"Have they already mastered a way to revive the Giants of Light?" Daigo muttered.
"What are you saying, Daigo?" Horii, who was nearby, asked.
Daigo quickly shook his head, "Nothing, I was just curious about the reason for this Giant's appearance."
Before Horii could ask more, Captain Iruma rushed in.
"GUTS, all units deploy! Find out the situation of that new Giant in Kumamoto City."
"Yes, Captain." All the team members stood at attention, saluted Captain Iruma, and then filed out to the hangar to pilot GUTS Wing EX-J.
GUTS Wing EX-J quickly arrived in Kumamoto City. At this time, Masaki was in the suburban mountains, systematically testing various light beam skills and combat techniques so the laboratory could collect data about Ultraman's combat capabilities.
"Why does this guy look like he's testing skills?!" Horii looked puzzled.
Tetsuo Shinjo nodded in agreement. "As an Ultraman, is he not familiar with his own power?"
"Perhaps he slept for too long and just woke up, so he forgot some things," Horii suggested from the base, providing logistical support and intelligence analysis.
Vice-Captain Seiichi Munakata offered his assessment. "Horii makes a lot of sense. Tiga was also a bit rusty when he first appeared."
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