Yu Zhou entered the Plasma Spark Tower. The first thing he saw were fallen warriors: Ultraman Eddie, Ace, and Jack, all groaning on the ground, clutching their battered bodies. Clearly, Belial had already torn through them.
"Di… Tiga?" Ace, pale and weakened, lifted his head in disbelief. Before him stood the silver-purple-red figure of Tiga.
Of course, none of them knew Yu Zhou had come to the Land of Light. To see Tiga appear here was beyond their expectation.
Yu Zhou simply nodded and helped the three of them against the wall. He said nothing more—his eyes turned upward, toward the ceiling, where the core of the Plasma Spark was housed.
From above came the sound of combat. As Yu Zhou guessed, Belial was battling the Father and Mother of Ultra, just as in the original storyline.
Suddenly, a figure burst through the entrance. It was Taro—the chief instructor of the Intergalactic Defense Force and son of Father and Mother of Ultra. Belial had just hurled him away, yet somehow, through sheer willpower, he forced himself back on his feet.
When Taro noticed Tiga, his expression flickered with surprise. But there was no time to ask questions. Hearing the fight overhead, he immediately shot skyward.
"Stop!!"
Yu Zhou could only hear his shout, followed by a pained scream.
Right… if memory serves, this is where Taro throws himself in front of Father to block Belial's attack.
Moments later, Mother of Ultra also cried out—a sure sign she too had been struck down.
The Plasma Spark radiated immense energy, its light reflecting off Belial's black-and-crimson armor, making his hulking frame look even more monstrous.
"This time, nothing will stop me."
Belial's hungry eyes locked on the Plasma Spark. He reached out and gripped the torch that contained it—then wrenched it free.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"At last! It's mine!"
But before he could savor his triumph, a silver hand clamped down on the torch's handle. With a violent yank, it was torn from Belial's grasp.
"What?!"
Belial spun, stunned.
"…Tiga?!"
Father of Ultra, half-collapsed on the ground, widened his eyes at the sight. "Well done, Tiga!"
Taro, also lying wounded, managed to shout: "Run! Don't let him get the Plasma Spark!"
Belial's rage exploded. To have his prize snatched away at the final moment—unthinkable! "Give that back!"
Yu Zhou didn't need to be told twice. The instant the Plasma Spark was in his hands, he bolted out of the tower.
"Don't think you can escape!" Belial roared, giving chase.
But the moment the Spark left its cradle, a chilling wave spread from the tower across the Land of Light. Without its energy, the entire world began to freeze over.
Belial was right behind him, closing the gap. Yu Zhou grit his teeth. No choice. He drew a hand across his forehead, shifting into Sky Type. His body turned slimmer, faster—and he managed to widen the distance.
"Damn you!" Belial thundered, pushing harder. His fury was palpable, each strike shaking the air as he hurled blasts after Yu Zhou.
Yu Zhou circled back around. In a daring maneuver, he dove into the tower and jammed the Plasma Spark back into place. Instantly, the spreading frost halted, the Land of Light beginning to thaw.
Belial stormed in right behind him. Yu Zhou yanked the Spark free again and shot out. The chase resumed.
Freeze.
Thaw.
Freeze.
Thaw.
Over and over, Yu Zhou played a desperate game of cat-and-mouse: insert the Spark, pull it free, lure Belial away, then circle back again.
Father, Mother, and Taro—watching from the ground—were utterly speechless.
"…Tiga, you don't have to keep doing this!" Father of Ultra finally called out. "Take the Plasma Spark and fly to Planet K76. Find Leo and his brothers!"
"K76?! Where on earth is that?!" Yu Zhou wanted to scream. But with Belial breathing down his neck, he had no time for explanations. Clutching the Spark, he burst out of the Land of Light entirely, streaking into the void.
Belial followed, relentless. Behind them, the Land of Light froze solid at last. Taro, burning his very life, guarded the final spark of light within the tower, while only Ultraman and Seven managed to raise a barrier to protect what remained.
"Me—bius!"
Out in space, Yu Zhou suddenly spotted Mebius, still bound by energy chains, drifting helplessly.
"Yu Zhou?!" Mebius gasped as he saw him coming. His eyes locked onto the blazing torch in Yu Zhou's grip. "Is that… the Plasma Spark?!"
"Move aside, Mebius!" Yu Zhou shouted, forgetting entirely that sound shouldn't even travel in vacuum.
"I can't! I'm tied up!"
Too late. Yu Zhou streaked past him, and in the next instant, Belial slammed straight into Mebius, furious at the obstruction.
"You brat!" Belial smashed him aside with a vicious swing before resuming the chase.
The impact shattered Mebius's chains, at least, leaving him free but dazed. He watched Yu Zhou vanish into the distance, Belial hot on his tail, then turned back toward the frozen Land of Light with a sinking heart.
"What… what happened here?"
Landing amidst the ice, his despair only deepened at the sight of the crystalline wasteland.
"Mebius."
A familiar voice rang in his mind. The Original Ultraman.
"Are you all still alive?!" Mebius cried.
"…Not for much longer," came the grave reply.
"Surely we can still fight? Even with so many of us—how could we not defeat him?"
"No," Seven's voice answered. "Not with our power alone. But there is… another."
"Another?"
"The human," Original explained, "with the same genetic code as Belial. A Reionics. One who carries Alien Rayblood's bloodline—the power to command monsters."
"If he joins us," Seven said, "then perhaps there is still hope."
"…Where is he now?"
Mebius's question hung in the cold air, but no answer came.
Meanwhile, Yu Zhou tore across the cosmos, weaving through Belial's relentless blasts. By sheer luck—or perhaps thanks to the agility of Sky Type—he evaded them all.
Behind him, Belial's roar shook the void. "If I catch you, I'll make you wish you'd never been born!"
Yu Zhou didn't look back. Catch me and I'll suffer a fate worse than death? He flapped his wings of light harder. Then I'd better not get caught.