Yuzhou raced ahead, while Belial pursued him like a shadow.
To be honest, Yuzhou had never felt himself flying this fast before. The sensation was exhilarating, almost intoxicating.
In his grip, the Plasma Spark Torch pulsed with overwhelming energy. He could feel waves of power constantly flowing into his body, reinforcing his strength.
"This Plasma Spark… it really is something else," Yuzhou muttered in awe.
Just holding the torch's handle was enough to strengthen him to this degree. He couldn't even begin to imagine what wielding its core power directly might do.
No wonder Belial was desperate to claim it. The temptation was irresistible.
"Still, in the original timeline, Belial did touch the Plasma Spark once… and it nearly tore him apart."
Yuzhou briefly considered trying it himself—but quickly shook off the thought. He wasn't ready to gamble his life on curiosity. One wrong move and he'd be done for.
"Belial's a pitiful one too," Yuzhou reflected as he glanced back at the raging figure chasing him. "Zero was punished with training when he sought the Plasma Spark's power… but Belial? He got banished outright. Even that fusion with the Reiblood—he never wanted it."
Perhaps, if Belial could be freed from that corruption, his heart wouldn't be so twisted.
But that was only theory. The reality was that right now, Yuzhou was running for his life.
"Sympathy doesn't change the fact he's trying to kill me!" Yuzhou shouted bitterly. "I'll be the one who dies first at this rate!"
Belial finally roared in frustration. Unable to close the distance, he seized a massive asteroid floating nearby and hurled it like a spear.
Yuzhou twisted his body and narrowly avoided it—only for Belial to immediately fire a beam that shattered the asteroid mid-air.
The explosion sprayed countless shards across space like shrapnel. They tore into Yuzhou, slowing him down.
"Crap…!"
The instant his flight faltered, Belial rammed into him from behind like a freight train, slamming him onto the surface of a small planetoid. The impact gouged out a massive crater.
Gasping for breath, Yuzhou still clung desperately to the Plasma Spark Torch. His body screamed with pain, but he forced himself to roll over.
Belial descended with grim satisfaction, Ultimate Battler in hand, stalking toward him like an executioner.
Yuzhou's limbs refused to respond. He couldn't run, couldn't fight. This was it.
"What's wrong? Run. Weren't you running so well just now?" Belial sneered, reaching down to tear the Plasma Spark Torch from Yuzhou's grip.
With the artifact now in his possession, Belial raised the Ultimate Battler high, ready to crush Yuzhou once and for all.
But then—
A sudden white ring of light shimmered beside them, forming a glowing portal.
Both Yuzhou and Belial froze, their attention drawn to it.
Yuzhou tilted his head, staring weakly at the strange wormhole. It wasn't the same spatial vortex that had brought him here… but it felt oddly familiar.
From within, a figure stepped out.
A pale man in a black top hat and tailcoat, carrying an umbrella in one hand and a briefcase in the other.
Yuzhou blinked in shock.
"Charija?!"
The gentleman stopped and blinked as well.
"Tiga?" he said with equal surprise.
Of all the places to emerge from his journey, he'd stumbled right into another Tiga?
Belial's eyes narrowed.
"So… you had reinforcements waiting!"
He swung his weapon toward the newcomer.
Charija reacted instantly—his body burst into smoke, reappearing on Yuzhou's other side unharmed.
"And who the devil is this supposed to be?" Charija asked, eyeing the towering, black-and-red figure before him. "Looks like an Ultraman… but doesn't feel like one."
"That's Belial," Yuzhou coughed out quickly, seizing the chance to explain. "The strongest warrior of the Land of Light—corrupted beyond reason. And what he's holding is the Ultimate Battler, an artifact that can control monsters."
Charija's eyes gleamed with sudden interest.
"The Ultimate Battler…?"
He remembered well—someone had once told him about a place called the Monster Graveyard, filled with creatures that could be revived and commanded by that very device.
A wicked smile curved his lips.
"In that case, I'll help myself."
Raising his umbrella, he unleashed two orbs of energy. They struck the ground and took shape as two unfamiliar monsters, which immediately lunged at Belial.
Yuzhou didn't wait. Summoning what strength he had left, he launched into the air, fleeing the asteroid. He knew those two beasts wouldn't hold Belial long—it was only a temporary distraction.
Belial snarled in rage as Yuzhou escaped, but the summoned monsters blocked his path. With an enraged swing of his weapon, he smashed them aside one after the other, obliterating them in seconds.
Then his attention snapped back to Charija.
"You too… DIE!"
The Ultimate Battler came crashing down—but Charija once again vanished into smoke, leaving only a crater where he'd stood.
…
Meanwhile, Yuzhou fled as fast as his battered body allowed, maintaining his Sky Type form for speed. Soon, he returned to the Land of Light.
The once-proud world was now a frozen wasteland. Everywhere he looked, Ultramen were trapped in ice. Yuzhou's heart sank.
"In the end… I still couldn't protect the Plasma Spark."
A voice called behind him.
"Tiga."
Turning, Yuzhou saw two elderly men standing calmly amidst the ruins. He recognized them instantly—Hayata and Dan Moroboshi, the human hosts of Ultraman and Seven.
They had survived, just as in the original history, thanks to raising the Ultra Barrier in time.
"The Plasma Spark… Belial has taken it," Yuzhou admitted bitterly.
Dan shook his head gently.
"You did all you could. That alone was more than enough."
Hayata nodded.
"To survive Belial's pursuit at all is already a miracle."
Then Yuzhou remembered.
"Before the end, Father of Ultra told me to seek help on Planet K76. Do either of you know where that is?"
At the mention, Dan sighed.
"Yes. It's time for them to return."
But Hayata's tone grew grave.
"We cannot go ourselves. Our strength is spent. To recover, we must enter the Plasma Spark Tower and draw upon the last remnant of light Taro is holding back."
Yuzhou nodded.
"Then let's go."
He lowered a hand, allowing the two men to step onto his palm. Carrying them, he flew into the frozen tower—toward the last flickering light of hope guarded by Taro.