Last time in Japanese class, Yuzhou lost a few daily marks, but with his exam score being so high, passing was never a problem.
During the following month, he crammed more Ultraman shows and scoured the internet for background lore.
"So Gatanozoa's prototype comes from the Cthulhu Mythos?"
He stared at a forum post, stunned, then opened another page to verify.
"Because of a misalignment of the stars, Cthulhu is sealed in the sunken city of R'lyeh in the South Pacific, locked in a deathlike slumber. Once the stars align again, Cthulhu will awaken and rise along with R'lyeh, bringing humanity's destruction."
Reading this, Yuzhou remembered what Norui had once said about stellar shifts.
Gatanothor, the prototype of Gatanozoa, was kin to Cthulhu.
That meant on the Earth of the Tiga world, there could be more eldritch gods slumbering beneath the seas!
"If Gatanozoa hadn't been defeated… the consequences would've been terrifying," Yuzhou muttered, shivering at the thought.
He found another post claiming there was an entire Dark Zoth System full of Gatanothors. But thankfully, that world was more or less "cleared." Whether these claims were real or fan speculation didn't matter much to him now.
Thirty days passed in a blink. Since he still had class on the morning of his scheduled crossing, Yuzhou had to request half a day's leave.
The night before the transfer, as usual, the little girl in the red dress appeared in his dreams, hugging her red sphere.
Seeing that orb, Yuzhou remembered Final Odyssey: a similar red ball had appeared in the movie.
That orb was no ordinary prop — it was a ridiculously overpowered artifact, said to grant any wish.
Of course, Yuzhou never fully bought that claim. In the film, when the little boy wished for all monsters to disappear, it didn't work. They still had to summon Ultraman to deal with the threats.
He eyed the red ball in the girl's hands.
"That red sphere of yours… lend it to me?"
"No."
"…."
"Alright then, can you at least tell me which world I'm going to next?"
"Also no."
The girl hugged her sphere tighter, her voice calm but firm.
"Young man, you still have plenty of time to sharpen your strength. So—keep working hard."
She floated upward, fading into nothing.
Yuzhou sighed. "Every time you show up, it's just vague pep talks. Not once have you agreed to any of my requests."
The next morning, he woke on time, ate a quick breakfast, then sat on his bed waiting for the spatial vortex to appear.
Soon enough, it swirled open in his shabby rental room. Yuzhou exhaled deeply and leapt in.
Space twisted high above the sky — and Yuzhou was spat out midair.
"Wha—?! Oh, crap!"
He had been dumped from over fifty meters up!
His body dropped like a stone. Heart racing, Yuzhou reached into his clothes for the Shining Stick, ready to transform before he became pavement.
Then a massive hand reached out of nowhere and caught him gently.
Yuzhou scrambled upright, his eyes widening at the giant who had saved him: a warrior with a crystalline ice-axe crest, a green-lit forehead timer, and a flowing red cape.
"Ultraseven!"
He recognized him instantly — one of the legendary Ultra Brothers.
"Did I… just cross into Seven's world?"
He glanced around. Everything was built of crystal-like structures, shimmering with the radiant energy of light itself.
"An Earthling?" Seven peered at him curiously. "How did you appear here?"
"Uh… I don't really know," Yuzhou admitted, staring up at those enormous orange eyes. "A space vortex suddenly sucked me in and dropped me here."
Of course, he didn't dare reveal his true origin, only that the vortex had brought him.
"Then… where exactly am I?" Yuzhou asked. The dazzling city was unlike anything he'd ever seen.
"This is the Land of Light, headquarters of the Space Garrison," Seven answered.
Yuzhou froze. The Land of Light itself?!
Seven set him down gently, still scrutinizing him.
"You don't seem like an ordinary Earthling. You can withstand the radiation of the Plasma Spark Tower. Most humans cannot."
Yuzhou blinked. Plasma Spark Tower? That meant this wasn't Earth at all, but the homeworld of the Ultras.
His mind raced. So this is a parallel world? Not the Tiga timeline, not the Ultra Eight Brothers version I saw before… Another independent universe entirely.
Also, that vortex was getting more reckless by the day. Dropping him fifty meters in the air? If Seven hadn't caught him, he would've splattered before even pulling out the Shining Stick.
Yuzhou dusted himself off. "Thanks, Taro."
"I'm Seven."
"…Right. Slip of the tongue. Thanks, Seven."
Seven merely nodded.
Two more caped Ultras approached from behind him.
Yuzhou's jaw nearly hit the floor. One had a chest insignia glittering with decorations of valor — the captain of the Space Garrison himself, Zoffy. The other… the Original Ultraman.
"Shaf… Shafurin?!" Yuzhou blurted out.
Zoffy tilted his head. "What's a Shafurin?"
"Uh—nothing! Nothing at all."
Original asked the same question as Seven.
"How did you appear here?"
Yuzhou repeated the explanation. Seven confirmed it with a nod.
Zoffy's eyes narrowed. "You're no ordinary Earthling. The Plasma Spark's radiation would usually mutate or destroy a human. Yet you stand unaffected."
"Mm. I'm not an ordinary human," Yuzhou admitted calmly this time.
Then, under the gaze of the three Ultra Brothers, he drew out the Shining Stick and pressed it.
Light flared. When it faded, silver and crimson armor gleamed under the Land of Light's glow — Yuzhou had transformed into multi-colored Tiga.
He glanced down at his chest timer. Green. Good.
"An ancient giant warrior… Tiga?!"
Seven, Original, and Zoffy all widened their eyes. A human… turning into Tiga?
Yuzhou scratched his head sheepishly.
"Uh, probably not the Tiga you're familiar with. I might be… the parallel-universe version."
Zoffy considered this, then nodded. "A parallel Ultraman… that explains it."
"Exactly! Captain Flamehead lives up to his title — sharp as ever!" Yuzhou gave him a thumbs-up.
"…Captain what?"
"Flamehead! Your spirit burns like fire, your fighting will never extinguished! That's what the whole universe calls you!"
Zoffy paused, and though skeptical, couldn't help but feel… oddly proud.
"But just now, when you first saw me," Zoffy pressed, "what was that about 'Shafurin'?"
Yuzhou froze. "…Uh… well, that's—"