"Consultant Yu Zhou, what's your take on this monster?" Megumi asked, eyes fixed on the live feed Noris was transmitting from the base.
"I've never seen this creature before," Yu Zhou replied calmly.
The subterranean shark was, after all, an artificial creation. It was entirely mechanical. Once Tiga confronted it, the Victory Team would naturally discover this on their own. If Yu Zhou revealed prior knowledge, questions about its creator and his sources would inevitably follow.
"Rare indeed," Rena commented with a smile. "Other than that dream-monster you observed closely, this is the second time we've encountered a monster you don't have information on."
"Victory Team, move out!" Megumi ordered.
The squadron mobilized immediately. Daigo piloted Hyphen One alone, Horii took Hyphen Two, while Rena, Shinjo, and Munakata boarded the red-and-black Hyphen EX-J.
"What about Kumamoto City's ground defense?"
At that moment, a middle-aged man entered the hall. It was Director Sawai.
"It's too late," Megumi said without turning. "The Victory Team is already en route."
Sawai nodded, then glanced at Yu Zhou.
"Consultant Yu Zhou… you have no data on this monster either?"
Yu Zhou shrugged. "None. I don't know its origins."
"Hyphen One has reached Kumamoto City," Noris reported from the base's control station.
"Target is stationary. Should we attack?" Daigo asked via comms from the cockpit of Hyphen One.
"Scan it first. We need to understand its true nature," Megumi instructed.
Daigo positioned Hyphen One over the shark, preparing to scan.
Suddenly, several blue rings shot upward from the monster, passing through Hyphen One as if scanning it, then dissipated into the air.
"What's happening?" Daigo frowned, though no harm came to the aircraft.
He felt something vibrating in his jacket. Opening the zipper, he drew out the Sparklence. It trembled slightly, emanating a faint white light.
"What… what's going on?"
Looking around in confusion, Daigo noticed that all data on Hyphen One's screens had disappeared.
"Crap! The system's completely down!"
The jet began to plummet. Daigo frantically tried to reboot the system, but nothing worked.
"Daigo, don't fall!" Shinjo's voice crackled through the comms from Hyphen EX-J's beta unit.
Suddenly, the data returned as the aircraft moved out of the shark's immediate range. Hyphen One's systems rebooted, and Daigo regained control, ascending into the sky.
Shinjo attacked the shark from above, while Horii launched a tracker from Hyphen Two. The creature dived back into the earth, escaping their assault.
In the control room, Director Sawai observed the retreat. He paced briefly before sighing.
"This is connected."
"What's the matter?" Megumi asked.
"Lately, the secret container has been showing strange vibrations," Sawai explained.
Yu Zhou raised an eyebrow. The container held a fragment of the Ultraman statue from the first episode, the one Golza had shattered. It had been taken to TPC headquarters for study by Dr. Tango.
Yu Zhou recalled that Dr. Tango had secretly betrayed TPC, siding with Keigo Masaki and stealing the container.
Megumi frowned as well. The container had always been stable—these vibrations were undoubtedly related to the Ultraman.
"Consultant Yu Zhou, do you know about the other two Ultraman statues?" Megumi asked.
"They're also relics from the ancient civilization thirty million years ago," Yu Zhou explained. "Their combat bodies were left behind."
"Combat bodies?" Megumi considered. "So Tiga is… one too?"
"Yes," Yu Zhou nodded. "Tiga's statue is likewise a combat body from thirty million years ago. The original Light Giants have long returned to their home."
"That's strange," Megumi muttered. "When Golza and Melba appeared, only Tiga revived. Why?"
Yu Zhou pondered briefly. "Tiga's statue received light, allowing it to awaken. The others didn't—so they remained dormant."
"Light?" Megumi nodded slowly. "Right… you said the power of Ultraman comes from light."
"Exactly. But where Tiga received that light… is unclear."
Yu Zhou fell silent. Revealing more now could inadvertently expose Daigo, and it seemed Megumi was already beginning to suspect something.
Meanwhile, the Victory Team continued to track the monster.
Daigo flew Hyphen One through the surrounding mountains. Suddenly, the Sparklence vibrated again. Curious, he drew it out to inspect.
A projection materialized before him—a man appeared.
"So it's you… you've inherited the light."
Daigo's eyes widened. "Who are you? Do you have telepathy?"
He had seen such powers with Kirino. This sudden projection made him suspect the man was a psychic.
"I don't need such trivial powers," the man said arrogantly. "What I possess is intellect. And you… you have something in common with me. Hurry. Show me how you became light."
Before Daigo could reply, the projection vanished.
"Wait!" he called out, but Hyphen One suddenly began to descend. He struggled to regain control.
"Daigo, head north! The shark has appeared!" Rena's voice crackled in his comms.
Daigo's expression hardened. With no time to hesitate, he directed the jet toward the north.
At Mitsui Amusement Park, the Victory Team evacuated civilians as the monster sped toward the site. Despite their efforts, many people remained trapped on the roller coasters and ferris wheel.
Rena fired from her jet at the shark's dorsal fins, but the creature pressed on relentlessly.
Daigo switched Hyphen One to auto-landing, ejected, performed a midair flip, and transformed into Tiga, blocking the shark's path to the park.
"Tiga's here!"
Everyone exhaled in relief—now the crowd could safely evacuate.
Yu Zhou, accompanying Megumi and Director Sawai, watched from a plane en route to Kumamoto City, while Noris stayed at the base.
"Captain, after Tiga appeared, the region's ultra-shortwave signals show abnormal fluctuations," Noris reported.
"After Tiga appeared?" Megumi murmured, glancing at Yu Zhou.
"I don't know either," Yu Zhou said, raising his hands.