"Lebrandon Star People?" Charija muttered, the name clearly foreign to him.
"You don't know them?" Yuzhou tilted his head, somewhat surprised.
Charija shook his head. "Not really."
That was unexpected. The Lebrandons had once ruled the universe for tens of thousands of years. If Charija didn't know of them, then perhaps in this version of Tiga's universe, such a history never happened.
"Well, I've told you everything I can. Whether you actually gain those monsters is up to you."
Yuzhou left it at that, and with Daigo beside him, turned to go. Charija didn't press further. He had received his "information" and that was enough for now.
"Lebrandon Star People… Lebrandon Star People…" Charija muttered twice under his breath before dissolving into a wisp of white smoke.
Back at Victory Team headquarters, Daigo reported what had happened: he and Yuzhou had slipped back to 1965 and encountered an Ultraman from Nebula M78.
The revelation stunned everyone. They trusted Daigo implicitly, and Yuzhou's earlier data files suddenly carried even more weight.
"So Yuzhou's mention of a Land of Light… it's real after all," Munakata murmured, brows furrowed.
Captain Megumi nodded. "The existence of such a place is… monumental."
Of course, with Earth's technology still far from interstellar travel, visiting Nebula M78 was impossible. But simply knowing such a world existed was enough to stoke humanity's hunger for exploration. Efforts to develop spaceflight only grew more urgent.
Meanwhile, Yuzhou knew darker things loomed. Preparations had to be made—because the age of darkness was about to awaken.
Lately, Daigo had been tormented by dreams: visions of the ancient civilization's fall, from the monster Killiera to the endless blackness that swallowed all. Each time he woke drenched in sweat.
When he finally asked Yuzhou about it, Yuzhou didn't hide the truth: Gatanozoa would soon revive.
Time was short. Yuzhou had done everything he could, but even with all his foresight, it felt woefully insufficient.
"I should've told the First Ultraman to bring reinforcements," Yuzhou groaned, smacking his forehead. "If he had come with the entire Ultra Brothers, maybe… just maybe, we'd stand a real chance."
At four in the morning, an urgent message arrived:
"Marine Patrol to Victory Team. Abnormal seabed upheaval detected off the coast of New Zealand."
Everyone scrambled from their bunks, gathering in the control hall. Even Yuzhou abandoned sleep to sit with them at the table.
"Put it on screen."
Norui worked quickly, pulling up the live feed from the patrol submarine Ryugu.
The video showed the dark seabed lit by the sub's lamps. Rising from the ocean floor was something eerily structured—ancient architecture revealed by the sudden upheaval.
"Looks like… an ancient city?" Horii leaned closer.
"It's man-made… no, wait," Megumi frowned.
Ryugu's captain confirmed: "We're transmitting the scan data now."
Norui read the report aloud: "Exact dating unknown, but estimated to have been constructed thirty million years ago."
The murky footage, even under floodlights, looked like a glimpse into hell.
"Ruins of R'lyeh," Yuzhou said quietly. The day had come at last.
Everyone turned toward him, expectant.
He nodded. "Yes. Thirty million years ago, the place where Darkness slumbered."
"There lies a god of evil—one capable of plunging the entire world into night."
The others were stunned into silence.
Then Yuzhou's eyes widened. "Ryugu! Withdraw immediately!"
His urgent voice carried through the live comms. Though the crew didn't know who had spoken, the sheer weight of the warning made them pull back at once.
And just in time.
On the screen, two blood-red eyes pierced the deep darkness. A monstrous presence stirred. Instead of striking the sub, it surged upward, bursting through the waves and into the sky.
"Zog has appeared," Yuzhou declared grimly.
"A giant bird?" Megumi asked, staring at the image.
"Yes. The Hell Bird, Zog. But it is only the vanguard of the darkness to come."
He paused, then added heavily: "And there isn't just one. In those ruins lie thousands of Zog. Soon, they will all take flight."
The color drained from Horii's face. "That's… the end of the world."
Reports poured in. Norui tracked Zog on satellite feeds. "It's heading straight for Australia!"
"Unit One, sortie immediately!" Captain Megumi ordered.
Rena strode out wordlessly. Daigo followed close behind.
"Yuzhou, aren't you going with them?" Megumi asked.
He shook his head. "Not this time. Something's off with Rena."
He had already guessed the truth. In the original flow, Rena had learned Daigo was Tiga—likely from overhearing his dream-talk during late-night shifts. Hurt by his silence, she would act recklessly. And her recklessness would sabotage Daigo's chance to transform.
Sure enough, half a day later, word came back: Daigo had been forced to eject, surviving only by parachute.
"Rena was completely out of line today," Horii muttered.
Yuzhou said nothing, only shook his head and left for the washroom.
When he stepped out, he crossed paths with Captain Megumi. They exchanged a small smile.
But her eyes lingered on him. "Yuzhou… do you really believe humanity can survive this crisis?"
They walked the corridor together. Yuzhou's reply carried no hesitation. "As long as people carry light in their hearts, every crisis can be overcome."
"Light in their hearts?" she echoed, thoughtful.
"Do you remember," Yuzhou continued, "when Tiga was struck down by the Kyrieloid?"
"I do. Everyone gathered, shining their lights on him. That's how he rose again."
Yuzhou shook his head. "No. It wasn't those beams of light. What lifted him was the light in people's hearts."
He met her eyes, speaking with solemn weight.
"That is what will make Tiga rise again."