When Belial hurled Taro aside, the gathered Ultramen erupted in fury. Dozens surged forward at once, and the battlefield instantly descended into chaos.
The first to strike was Ultraman Max, famed as the fastest and strongest. Yet no sooner had he closed the distance than Belial smashed him down with a single brutal swing of his Giga Battlenizer.
Next came Seven 21 and several others—some familiar, others Yu Zhou didn't even know by name. They rushed in together, forming a desperate melee. Belial, however, moved like a rampaging demon king. He swung left, swung right, spun in wide arcs, and knocked them down one after another—like Sun Wukong wreaking havoc in heaven.
Max climbed back to his feet and charged again. But Belial's response was merciless: another crushing blow hurled him against a wall. This time, he did not rise.
Yu Zhou, hidden in the shadows, had no thought of joining in. If this many Ultramen can't bring him down, what good would I be? I'd just be cannon fodder.
"Try this!"
Belial suddenly leveled his weapon toward a cluster of fighters. A pulse of destructive energy blasted forth—boom!—and an entire squad of Ultramen were hurled through the air.
From a distance, Ultraman Powered fired his ray. He was cautious, smart enough not to close in for melee. But Belial seized a female warrior—Ultrawoman Beth—and held her up as a living shield. Powered's beam struck her directly, and Belial tossed her aside like broken glass.
Yu Zhou winced. "That's cruel… Beth's a known name too, and she got used like a prop."
Belial retaliated immediately. His weapon flared, launching another blast that engulfed Powered and several nearby Ultramen in fire and smoke.
"Pathetic," Belial sneered.
Even when Mebius and Hikari arrived wielding their energy swords, they fared no better. Belial met their blades with casual ease, parrying each strike, then shoved them away with a single push.
They regrouped, flew into the sky, and fired beams while charging again. Belial caught Hikari's ray with one hand, brushed off a kick to the chest, and let the recoil send Hikari flying. Mebius too was subdued—pinned to the ground, then entangled by a lightning arc from the Battlenizer. With a flick, Belial hurled him clear out of the Land of Light.
"Mebius!" Seven shouted as he saw his junior vanish into the void. Rage burning, he joined Zoffy and the Original Ultraman, rushing Belial together.
Yu Zhou almost wanted to yell at them. Why didn't you coordinate earlier? If everyone blasted him at once, maybe he'd crack. But like this, you're just feeding yourselves in one by one…
Yet he had to admit—the Giga Battlenizer was terrifying. It wasn't just a tool for reviving monsters. Its defense nullified most beams, and its raw attack power was overwhelming.
Zoffy, the Original, and Seven circled Belial in unison, their red capes whipping behind them. But their strikes never landed. To Yu Zhou's eyes, it looked less like combat and more like a bizarre dance routine.
Belial vaulted onto a towering crystal wall, defying gravity as he stood upon it with ease. His opponents followed, capes flaring, and battle resumed on the shimmering surface.
For a moment, the Original found an opening, hammering Belial's gut with several solid punches. The dark warrior staggered back—but only slightly. Belial countered with a crushing swing, scattering the Spacium Beam with a mere strike.
Seven lunged in but was swatted aside, slammed face-first against the wall, pinned by sheer force. A moment later, both he and the Original were smashed down to the ground, leaving craters in the crystal streets.
Zoffy pressed forward, unleashing fierce kicks to Belial's chest. They landed cleanly—but had little effect. Gathering himself, Zoffy unleashed a signature ray from his forehead gem.
Belial rotated his weapon, dispersing the attack as he advanced. Then, with a vicious kick, he sent Zoffy plummeting to the streets below, shattering the crystal floor.
Yu Zhou had half a mind to check on the fallen warriors—until he realized Zoffy too had been struck down. He quickly ducked back into hiding. If Belial spots me, I'm done for.
"Beep! Beep! Beep!"
Zoffy's Color Timer flashed red. His body went limp—consciousness fading.
"I'll reduce this city to rubble!" Belial declared, standing over Zoffy. He raised the Battlenizer high, arcs of lightning bursting forth. Crystal towers shattered, raining fragments while panicked civilians fled in all directions.
Belial stomped down hard on Zoffy once more, then strode laughing into the Plasma Spark Tower. Soon after, the sound of combat echoed from within.
"The mighty Zoffy… even he's fallen."
Yu Zhou crept out cautiously, sighing at the sight of the unconscious commander. "Master? Captain Safurin? Flame Head?" He tried shaking Zoffy, but there was no response.
Moving on, he found the Original and Seven lying battered but still conscious, propped them against the wall.
"Ultraman, Seven—are you alright?"
With a trembling hand, the Original reached for him. "Diga… please, save the Land of Light."
"You may not be one of us," Seven added weakly, "but… we beg you to help."
Yu Zhou froze. Against Belial, when even a mass battle failed, what could he do? Yet he owed the Original a debt—for fighting alongside him against Gatanozoa, even if it wasn't this exact version. That favor weighed heavily.
"…Alright. I'll try."
The Original grasped his hand. "The Plasma Spark must never… fall into Belial's hands."
"I understand." Yu Zhou nodded firmly. Turning toward the towering beacon, he steeled himself and entered the Plasma Spark Tower.