Robbing a child? No way. Even Yu Zhou had his bottom line.
I'm the incarnation of light now, carrying the mission of protecting Earth. What kind of grown man steals from a kid? That'd be pathetic. He convinced himself shamelessly.
If he couldn't snatch it, he'd just have to use another method.
"Hey, little guy, you're called Yuto, right?" Yu Zhou squatted down beside the boy who was busy rummaging through the grass for odd stones.
"That's me!" Yuto lifted his head cheerfully, not the least bit shy. "Look, this might be an ancient stone!" He proudly presented a broken shard in his palm.
"That's a piece of a porcelain incense burner." Tsukasa, standing nearby, adjusted her glasses and calmly corrected him.
"Wow, Yuto is really amazing!" Yu Zhou played along, deliberately coaxing him. If he wanted that Spark Lens, he'd have to win the kid over first.
But Yuto's big eyes blinked innocently, and he said with disarming honesty: "Big brother, your Japanese is terrible."
Yu Zhou: "…"
He was actually roasted by a grade-schooler.
Tsukasa quickly bowed apologetically. "I'm so sorry. He speaks without thinking. Please don't mind him." Then she scolded Yuto gently: "Don't be rude!"
"But it's true, Mama. His Japanese really is bad." Yuto tilted his head in confusion.
Yu Zhou: "…This brat is begging for a beating."
Suppressing the urge to throttle him, Yu Zhou forced a smile and pointed to the boy's blue backpack. "Say, Yuto, all those things in your bag—those are your treasures?"
"Yep!" The boy's eyes lit up. Showing off his collection was his favourite thing.
He eagerly unzipped the backpack and spread his "treasures" out across the ground one by one.
"This came from an alien spaceship long ago."
"These are jewels from the Inca Empire."
"And this…"
Yu Zhou didn't hear the rest. His gaze was locked on a certain stone rod among the pile.
He reached out, picked it up, and his heart skipped. As expected…
This was no ordinary relic. This was the Spark Lens of this world—the key to becoming Ultraman!
"I think… this might be an ancient hammer." Yuto scratched his cheek, uncertain of its origin.
"Perfect timing," Yu Zhou deadpanned, "the hammer at my place just broke. This one will do."
The boy tilted his head. "Big brother, you really like this stone, don't you?"
"Cough, cough…" Yu Zhou hadn't expected the kid to see through him so quickly. Time to improvise. "Well, you see, I've always admired ancient artefacts. I never had a real treasure of my own, but when I look at your collection, I can't help but envy you." He put on his best performance, eyes full of admiration.
Tsukasa chuckled softly. "Yuto, since big brother likes it so much, why not give it to him as a souvenir?"
What a perfect assist! Yu Zhou mentally gave her a thumbs-up.
"Alright then, big brother," Yuto said brightly, "you can have this hammer as a keepsake!"
Yu Zhou took the Spark Lens with feigned calmness, bowing slightly. "Arigatou, Yuto-kun."
Inside, though, he was ecstatic. Spark Lens, secured!
Just then, voices called out from the distance.
"Are you the ones who reported the abnormal electromagnetic waves?"
Two figures approached—one male, one female—both clad in black and red uniforms with caps bearing a large silver "X."
Yu Zhou's eyes sharpened. XIO team members. That means… the guy is Ōzora Daichi, Ultraman X's host. The woman must be Asuna Yamase.
Tsukasa stepped forward politely. "Yes, I'm Tsukasa Tamashiro, professor at Tōto University."
Yu Zhou followed suit. "I'm Yu Zhou, from China."
The two XIO members nodded in greeting. "I'm Asuna Yamase.""I'm Daichi Ōzora. Nice to meet you."
Before they could exchange more, a booming, flamboyant voice echoed across the valley.
"Ladies and gentlemen! What you are about to witness is the greatest archaeological discovery in human history!"
A man in brown attire appeared, trailed by cameramen, sound crew, and lighting staff. Clearly live streaming.
Yu Zhou squinted. Carlos Kurosaki… the idiot who blows up ancient ruins for clout.
Tsukasa ran toward him in alarm. "Kurosaki-san! What are you doing?!"
"Professor, and even the XIO team! What a pleasant surprise!" Kurosaki beamed at the camera, unfazed.
Yu Zhou muttered under his breath. "Guess I don't count as a person, huh?"
Before anyone could stop him, Kurosaki lifted a detonator. "Sesame… open!"
With a thunderous explosion, the mountain wall collapsed, revealing a massive cavern filled with dust and echoes.
Tsukasa's face paled. "You used explosives on an ancient ruin? Outrageous!"
Kurosaki only spread his arms wide, grinning. "There's a saying in China: 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained!' Now, let's go!"
Yu Zhou snorted. "Hah, didn't expect this clown to know Chinese proverbs."
But his focus wasn't on the man—it was on what lay inside the cavern.
The pyramid. The seal of Segorg, the Enma Beast. The green stone that transforms into Ultraman's power… and most importantly, the stone statue of Ultraman Tiga himself.
The group moved forward into the shadowy passage. Yu Zhou tightened his grip on the Spark Lens.
Whatever awaited them inside, he was ready.