"The base has already been sealed in black mist!"
At that moment, Daigo and Rena rushed back into headquarters, their boots echoing through the hall as they entered.
"What did you say?!" Director Zei's face froze with disbelief. Could the darkness truly wield such overwhelming power?
Before anyone could respond, the entire hall was plunged into pitch darkness. Every electronic device flickered out; the lights died. The hum of machinery stopped completely, leaving only silence.
Norui frowned. He didn't need much guessing to know what this was: the invasion of darkness. Quickly, he switched over to the auxiliary systems, coaxing the equipment back to life in a pale, sputtering glow.
"Everyone must be evacuated onto the Artdis at once," Director Zei said grimly. "The TPC base cannot withstand this doomsday darkness."
No one argued. In a situation like this, retreat was the only choice.
But Chief Jikō was about to speak when Yu Zhou's sharp words cut him off.
"Chief Jikō, don't tell me you're thinking of leaving the Police Bureau behind to guard this place?"
Yu Zhou knew this man too well. In the "original script," Jikō stubbornly insisted that his Police Bureau stay and defend the base—even speak of perishing together with it. But when the black mist proved overwhelming, he shamelessly abandoned that stance and fled to the Artdis anyway.
Jikō straightened, as if steeling his resolve. "Yes. I and the Police Bureau will remain. The rest of you should go first."
Yu Zhou gave him a look that could only be described as pure disdain. "Old man, you really are something else. If you want to throw your life away, fine. But why drag your subordinates with you? What do you expect them to do against the Darkness—sharpen its teeth?"
Captain Megumi stepped in, her tone firm but conciliatory. "Chief Jikō, Advisor Yu Zhou may be blunt, but he's right. Staying here accomplishes nothing. Give up that thought."
…
Meanwhile, the city above was already in ruins. Buildings lay shattered, blood-red flames still burning in the wreckage—the scars of the Zog attack.
Most citizens had been herded into the underground shelters, but overcrowding brought suffocating despair. Many whispered that the end of the world had already arrived.
At the entrance of one such shelter, a man in black-rimmed glasses waited. His voice was calm, deliberate:
"You came."
The man he addressed wore a blue uniform—Captain Hayate. Victory Team had already recalled him from the lunar station as soon as Zog appeared. This time, he had returned earlier than in the original chain of events.
On his flight back, a voice had inexplicably appeared in his mind, guiding him here. Though wary, he obeyed.
"I'm Kirino," the bespectacled man introduced himself, extending his hand.
Hayate accepted the handshake, though suspicion lingered. "Where do you want me to take you?"
Kirino smiled. "Advisor Yu Zhou asked me to contact you. He wants you to go to the TPC detention block and find someone."
"Who?"
"A man named Masaki Keigo."
…
The detention block, built near the coast not far from headquarters, had not yet been consumed by the black mist.
Masaki stood by the barred window, gazing into the suffocating darkness outside. In his ears echoed strange sounds—a blend of beastly roars and alien whispers.
"It's exactly like my dreams…" His breathing quickened. He had seen this scene countless times in his visions.
Only those born with the genes of light could foresee the coming of darkness.
"Masaki, someone's here to see you." A guard swung open the door.
Captain Hayate and Kirino stepped inside.
Kirino spoke first. "You see the world outside, swallowed by darkness. Tell me, do you still think your actions were wrong?"
Masaki's eyes flickered. He clenched his fists. "What I did… it was right all along." His voice trembled, then steadied into conviction. "In a world suffocating in shadow, someone must guide humanity with light!"
Kirino studied him, then spoke with quiet weight. "I know what you seek. But you must understand the true meaning of light. In humanity's darkest hour, you must remember—you are human too."
His words struck directly at Masaki's heart. As a psychic, Kirino could see the threads of a man's inner doubts and tug at them.
"If you can recognize where your heart strayed and let go of your obsession, then perhaps one day you could truly become light."
Masaki faltered. Ever since his failed experiment and the berserk giant, he had lived in torment. He could not comprehend why, with all his inherited genes and superior physique, light had rejected him—choosing Daigo instead.
Kirino pressed on. "Light does not serve personal ambition. It answers only those who carry the world in their hearts."
Masaki trembled, his defiance faltering. "You're right… I should not have wanted more."
He recalled Daigo's words at the ruins: "I'm only doing what I can, for humanity." Suddenly, he understood why Daigo had been chosen.
…
Far across the South Pacific, the ocean boiled with thunder and lightning. The ruins of R'lyeh broke free of the sea, jagged spires thrusting skyward as black fog poured forth.
From the abyss, the ancient beast awoke. Its elephantine roar shook the heavens, red eyes blazing with a madness born of eons. Towering at least 130 meters, its armored bulk rose from the waves, water cascading off its fanged maw.
"Monster sighted in the Pacific!"
Norui fed the satellite images to the main screen. On it, the colossal beast loomed, saturating the seas with its black miasma, sending it racing across the globe.
Captain Megumi's composure cracked, her eyes wide. "The ruler of darkness… It means to drown the entire world in shadow."
Daigo's hands curled into fists. "So it's you. You're the one spreading the mist!"
Suddenly, sparks erupted from the control panels. Alarms blared, red lights flashing as the screens went dead.
"What's happening?!"
Rena gasped. Strange, seeping matter oozed across the floor.
"It's the black mist! It's here already!" Daigo seized her arm, pulling her back.
Captain Megumi's command rang out, sharp and decisive. "By authority of Victory Team, all personnel—evacuate to the Artdis immediately!"
Even Chief Jikō gave in instantly. "Y-yes… of course." His bravado dissolved in a heartbeat.
Yu Zhou sneered. Moments ago, the man wanted to die a martyr. Now he couldn't run fast enough.
The hall filled with frantic footsteps as everyone rushed out. But Daigo remained where he stood, staring at the encroaching fog.
Yu Zhou, too, stopped, showing no intention of leaving.
"Damn it… Where is Kirino?" he muttered. "Why is he taking so long to bring Masaki?"
"Daigo!" Rena turned, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Daigo! Advisor Yu Zhou!" Captain Megumi's voice rose above the chaos when she saw the two of them still inside.
Daigo glanced at Yu Zhou, a smile tugging at his lips. "I'll go first. If no one stops it, the world will be devoured by darkness."
Yu Zhou's gaze hardened. He knew Daigo was right. Masaki and the Ultra Star still had their roles to play, but for now, someone had to hold the line against Gatanjieu.
"Daigo, hang on. We'll be right behind you." Yu Zhou's voice carried quiet weight.
"No!" Rena's cry cracked, filled with desperation. She couldn't bear the thought of him going alone.