Zero charged headlong into the horde of monsters. From the timer crystal on his forehead, he fired two sharp beams of light, blowing apart a pair of flying creatures in the sky.
Without pause, he threw himself into close combat. Every punch and kick flowed seamlessly into the next—proof of the long training he had endured under the Combat King, Ultraman Leo. Leo's teaching bore fruit now; Zero fought as though the monster swarm was nothing but shadows.
Some monsters were shattered in a single blow. Others, unable to withstand even his kicks, were sent flying before exploding midair.
After carving through the horde for a while, Zero leapt back, creating distance. The twin head-fins on his helmet—resembling rabbit ears—detached and spun like deadly blades, arcing through the air.
Shua! Shua! Shua!
Wherever they passed, monsters split apart and burst into flames.
Still, more monsters surged forward. Zero raised his hand and unleashed his finisher beam, sweeping through them in a flash of destructive light. His head-fins returned, and this time he gripped them as if they were short blades. He dashed into the thick of the swarm, slicing through in a blur of sparks. When he finally emerged from the other side, a thunderous explosion erupted behind him, fire roaring skyward.
"This is… way too strong!" Rei's teammates gasped as they watched the battlefield transform. Entire groups of monsters were annihilated the instant Zero appeared.
But before awe could turn into relief, Belial crashed down in front of Rei and his companions, sending the ground shaking. Instinctively, the humans retreated.
Tiga stepped forward, grabbed Belial, and hurled him aside. His crimson eyes then shifted toward the small Earthlings, his expression grim.
"What is he… trying to do?!"
Seeing Tiga's face twisted in hostility, Rei and his squad tensed in fear.
With a deafening crash, Tiga raised a massive fist and brought it down toward them. The humans froze, certain it was the end—
—but at the last moment, Zero rammed into Tiga, shoving him off balance. Tiga was knocked back, skidding across the battlefield, but quickly steadied himself. His gaze locked on the one who had pushed him aside.
"Yuzhou, wake up!" Mebius staggered to his feet, shouting desperately.
"Senior! What's wrong with you?!" Dyna cried, panic written all over his face. This wasn't the Tiga they knew—his light had been stripped away, leaving only darkness and madness.
"If only Daigu were here…" Dyna murmured, suddenly remembering Tiga's other host, Daigu. Daigu had always shared a close bond with Yuzhou. If anyone could reach him, perhaps it was him.
But right now, there was no choice. Zero squared his stance, ready to fight Tiga head-on.
At that moment, Belial rose again, jamming the Ultimate Battler Device into the ground. A dark aura rippled outward. Above the Monster Graveyard, countless souls materialized, drifting in circles before being drawn into his body.
Under their fusion, a colossal beast began to take shape—an amalgamation of monsters fused into a grotesque giant.
The Fusion Monster—Beryudora!
"Hahaha! Do you really think you stand a chance against me now?" Belial's laughter thundered as his figure appeared atop the monster's head.
Tiga's eyes narrowed, fixing directly on Belial. Zero, too, lowered his guard against Tiga for the moment, shifting his gaze to the monstrosity.
Just then, two streaks of light descended. Leo and Astra had finally arrived.
"You're all still alive?" Leo glanced at the fallen Ultramen, concern in his voice.
"Barely," the Original Ultraman said weakly from where he leaned against the wall. "The rest is up to you."
Leo nodded, but when his eyes fell on the black-and-silver Tiga, his expression hardened.
"That's… Dark Tiga?! Why is he here?"
"Belial forcefully stripped Tiga of his light," Mebius explained, breathing heavily. "He's lost his consciousness… he's not himself anymore."
"So he's fighting without reason." Leo frowned.
With the situation clear, Leo and Astra launched themselves at Beryudora alongside Zero. Rei summoned Gomora to aid them, while his teammates scrambled aboard the Panlong, their transport ship, to provide fire support.
Astra struck first, his fists hammering the giant. But one of the fused beasts within Beryudora retaliated with a beam, blasting Astra from the air.
Beryudora's body was a grotesque patchwork, the individual monsters still visible in its flesh. It wasn't so much a fusion as a brutal stitching-together.
Zero and Leo, flames bursting from their feet, struck in unison, their combined kicks slamming into the beast and igniting sparks.
"Don't underestimate me!" Belial roared from atop Beryudora, unleashing four crackling bolts of yellow lightning. Zero and Leo were struck down, crashing to the ground in smoke and flame.
Gomora charged but was swatted aside, the damage echoing back into Rei's own body. He collapsed, clutching his chest.
The Panlong rained fire on the monster, but its weapons barely scratched Beryudora's hide. The beast didn't even bother countering.
"Let me send you all to hell!" Belial sneered, raising his arms.
Beryudora's body lit up—every fused monster acting as a cannon. Hundreds of beams erupted in a blinding storm, scattering in all directions like a deadly rain.
There was no escape. The Ultramen and Gomora were blasted relentlessly, forced to the ground. Even the Panlong was struck, its tail section torn apart—thankfully, the crew inside survived.
Rei struggled to his feet, his eyes falling on the massive weapon still embedded in the ground.
"The Ultimate Battler Device…" he muttered. He compared it to the one he held. "If they're both battle devices… then maybe my power can control it too!"
He raised his own device, preparing to act—
—but a massive silver-and-black hand closed around the weapon first, wrenching it free.
"What?!" Rei's eyes widened as he looked up at its wielder.
"Tiga?!"
Tiga hefted the Ultimate Battler Device and, without hesitation, charged straight toward Belial perched atop Beryudora.
"What?!" Belial's smug grin vanished as he realized Tiga was coming for him.
With a roar, Tiga swung the weapon down in a crushing blow.
BOOM! Sparks exploded across Beryudora's head. The monster screamed in unison with Belial, the pain reverberating through its patchwork body. Belial was its head—its brain. Any damage to him rippled through the entire creature.
But Tiga didn't stop. He raised the weapon again and slammed it down, sparks showering everywhere. Belial staggered, dazed and reeling.
Four more beams of yellow lightning lashed out, but Tiga planted the Ultimate Battler Device in front of him, blocking the attack in a storm of light.
The battle was far from over.