A giant of silver, violet, and crimson streaked across the sky, one arm firmly supporting the Snow White aircraft.
The crystal on Tiga's forehead pulsed, and his body shifted into the sleek, silver-and-violet Sky Type. With a burst of acceleration, he shot after the airborne menace—Zog.
"Thank you…"
Inside the cockpit, Rena's lips trembled as she whispered her gratitude.
Tiga gave a brief nod, then gestured forward, where Zog flapped desperately ahead.
As the distance closed, Rena locked on. With a squeeze of the trigger, the Snow White spat a bolt of blue lightning that tore into Zog's wing. Sparks burst, flesh ripped, and one wing shredded apart, sending the monster lurching toward the ground.
Without the ability to defy gravity, Zog plummeted. From thousands of meters up, it slammed into a lush green grassland with an earthshaking crash, gouging a crater deep into the earth.
Tiga descended as well, gently setting the Snow White on solid ground.
But before they could regroup, a screech split the air. Zog, impossibly, had survived the fall. It opened its maw and spat a barrage of black-and-red fireballs.
Inside Tiga, Daigo's first thought wasn't defense but protection—he spun around, using his own back to shield the Snow White.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The flaming projectiles burst against his body, black smoke curling skyward. Pain seared through him, but the aircraft remained unharmed.
Tiga turned again, ready to counterattack.
Across from him, Zog let out a harsh cry. Gripping its remaining wing, it ripped the limb free in a grotesque act of self-mutilation, green blood spilling down its side. It had torn off its own wing to balance itself in battle.
Daigo was stunned—this bird fought with ruthless resolve.
The fight resumed in a blur. Zog sprinted forward, then vaulted high. In a flash, it appeared behind Tiga, driving a spinning kick into his face. Claws followed, raking across his chest, sending the Sky Type staggering back.
Daigo grimaced. He barely ever used this form, and his lack of experience showed. Sky Type was meant for speed and agility, but in his hands it had become nothing but a punching bag form.
A brutal spinning kick smashed him down, and Zog pounced, talons closing around his throat. The timer on Tiga's chest crystal flared red as he struggled for air.
"Daigo!"
Rena's cry from within the Snow White pierced his haze.
Whether it was love, desperation, or the bitter realization that he only truly mastered one form, Daigo crossed his arms over his forehead.
Silver gave way to crimson—Tiga transformed into the Power Type.
With a surge of strength, he grabbed Zog's arms, twisted, and hurled the beast over his shoulder. He followed in a fury—left, right, fists pounding into Zog's avian skull.
What had been humiliation only moments ago turned into catharsis. Daigo's heart roared with every blow.
A roundhouse kick launched Zog sprawling across the grassland, dirt spraying in its wake.
Tiga prepared to finish it, gathering energy for his Diradium Beam.
But Zog rose again, spitting two more black-red fireballs. As the vanguard of darkness, it would fight until its last breath.
This time, Tiga didn't evade. He caught the projectiles in his hands, muscles straining, then hurled them straight back.
The explosions rocked Zog's head, leaving it reeling. Tiga seized the moment, pulling his hands apart, drawing radiant energy from all directions. Light surged, converging into a brilliant sphere at his chest.
"Diradium Beam!"
The sphere erupted, slamming into Zog with cataclysmic force. The monster's body disintegrated in a storm of fire and ash.
Victory.
Tiga's glow faded, his massive form dissolving into motes of light. Daigo, bathed in their glow, landed gently on the grassland.
"Daigo…"
Rena had already disembarked, her eyes glistening as she looked at him.
The breeze carried across the plain, ruffling his hair as he smiled back.
"Welcome home," she whispered, her gaze shining like starlight.
Daigo's helmet slipped from his hands, forgotten on the ground, as he stepped closer, his face nearing hers—
In the TPC command hall, alarms cut through the moment. Daigo's communicator flickered back online. Captain Megumi reached for the line immediately.
"The Zog swarm has begun moving. They're attacking across the globe!"
But before the signal connected, Yuzhou's hand stopped her.
"Advisor Yuzhou?" Megumi looked at him in confusion.
"Captain, give Daigo three minutes," Yuzhou said calmly. "After that, you may call him. For now… let him have this."
Megumi studied him, then gave a small nod.
Yet scarcely a minute later, Daigo himself broke the silence, reporting grimly that the Zog had swarmed in full force.
Over the prairie, the sky was filled with wings. Countless Zog scattered in every direction, blotting out the sun.
Far away, in the South Pacific, lightning slashed from a once-clear sky, striking the ocean surface again and again.
The sea churned violently. Beneath the waves, the ruins of Lulueye began to rise. Ancient, broken structures breached the surface, as though dragged up by the storm itself.
And deep within that ruin… a colossal shadow stirred.
Scarlet eyes snapped open.
The heavens darkened instantly. Black mists poured out, spreading from Lulueye like poison, rolling across the seas.
Darkness had come.
"Captain, something strange is happening."
Yazumi frowned at his monitor.
"What is it?" Megumi asked.
"According to satellite footage… the stars themselves are moving in a pattern."
"Celestial movements?" Megumi's brow furrowed. "Could it be tied to this disaster?"
Suddenly, Yazumi's screen flared red. Sirens wailed across the base.
"No… no, this can't be!" Yazumi gasped.
"What is it?" Munakata pressed.
"Something has infiltrated the base!"
"What?!" Director Sawai paled.
"Alert Security immediately!" Bureau Chief Jinguji barked.
But Yazumi shook his head, scanning frantically. "No breaches. No systems disabled. No mass-energy reaction either. It's… it's impossible!"
Confusion swept the control room.
Then Yuzhou spoke, his voice calm and heavy.
"It is darkness."
Everyone turned to him.
"The darkness born of Gatanozoa," Yuzhou continued. "If I am correct… Gatanozoa has awakened."
The words hung like a death knell.
Darkness had returned.
The end had begun.