Charija's suitcase could actually open a gateway to another universe—something Yuzhou had never considered before.
That meant he now had a way back to the Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends universe. More importantly, it meant he could return to Hikari to finish forging his incomplete weapon.
As for the dimensional vortex, it still hadn't shown up. Yuzhou guessed it wouldn't appear until a year later, when Daigo and Rena traveled to Mars—the final arc of that storyline. After all, that was when the plot reached its conclusion.
Meanwhile, with TPC's support, Camearra and her two companions were reconstructing the super-ancient city much faster than expected. Camearra even accepted the favor, promising that if TPC encountered difficulties in the future, she, Hudra, and Darramb would lend their strength whenever possible.
And because things hadn't followed the "original story," there was no fierce battle between Daigo and Camearra at the ruins of R'lyeh. That also meant Daigo didn't vanish mysteriously for a long time before returning.
Instead, Daigo and Rena carried out their original promise. They got married.
Yuzhou was honored to attend the wedding. Sitting in the audience, watching the happy couple, he couldn't help but feel a little sentimental.
"Our wedding back then was far grander than this," Camearra murmured, sitting beside him. She noticed his expression and spoke with a trace of nostalgia.
"You and Tiga's wedding?" Yuzhou perked up with curiosity. "What was it like?"
Camearra narrowed her eyes mischievously. "What's this? Want to experience it again with me?"
"Forget it, forget it, I'm not asking anymore!" Yuzhou waved his hands frantically, earning a sharp glare from her.
The wedding went smoothly. Had it been the original plot, Camearra could never have sat calmly through Daigo's marriage. But now, she felt almost detached, as if it had nothing to do with her. At most, the only connection was that the groom was using her husband's body.
Strange? Yes. Unbearable? Not really.
Seeing Camearra so composed, Yuzhou felt relieved. Clearly, time had mellowed her heart.
…
Of course, before returning to his own world, Yuzhou had to revisit the Ultra Galaxy Legends universe. Otherwise, who knew when he'd see Charija again?
Maybe it was because of the Zog eggs Yuzhou had given him, or maybe it was just the lure of endless soda—either way, Charija had developed the habit of popping into the R'lyeh ruins to snack and chat.
"Charija, if you like soda this much, why don't you just buy a few crates and take them home?" Yuzhou asked, looking at the pile of empty cans beside him.
"Why should I buy them?" Charija replied matter-of-factly, clutching another can. "I can drink them here for free."
"…Fine, forget it." Yuzhou shook his head. Snacks and soda were a trivial expense to him anyway.
"By the way," he asked while cracking open sunflower seeds, "can your suitcase still take us back to where you met Belial last time?"
"As long as I set the same data, yes." Charija answered casually, one hand holding chips, the other his soda.
"Good. Then take me there. I've got some business to finish." Yuzhou leaned forward. If nothing else, he wanted to use this chance to visit the Land of Light and finally complete his weapon.
"No problem." Charija agreed quickly, but then hesitated. "Uh… but can you give me a case of this soda? So I'll have something to sip while you're gone."
"Of course." Yuzhou didn't even blink. He pulled a crate of soda from his dimensional bracelet and handed it over.
Charija beamed and tucked the entire crate into his black umbrella. Then he set his suitcase on the ground and began adjusting its parameters. A moment later, he gestured. "All set. We can leave anytime."
White light shimmered from the suitcase, twisting into a glowing wormhole.
Yuzhou placed the Spark Lens against his chest and pressed. Light surged around him, transforming him into human-sized Tiga. Who knew where the wormhole would spit them out? Probably straight into space. He wasn't about to test if his human form could breathe there.
"Let's go." Yuzhou nodded. He and Charija stood before the vortex.
"I'm departing!" Charija announced with solemn dignity, then leapt in with Yuzhou beside him.
A moment of vertigo later—
In the vastness of space, a wormhole tore open. Two figures shot out: Charija, and Tiga—Yuzhou.
They landed on a small asteroid. Yuzhou scanned the desolate surface, frowning. "Where is this?"
"Shh! Don't talk!" Charija hissed, yanking him behind a boulder.
Yuzhou was about to ask why when a massive shadow swept overhead.
"That's—!" His eyes widened. "Belial!"
He could never forget that form. Belial, who once chased him relentlessly, intent on his destruction. Yes, Yuzhou had eventually destroyed him with the dark Tiga form—but if they fought again now, that newly earned Light might be spent all too quickly.
Belial halted mid-flight, turning his head as if sensing something. His burning eyes swept across the asteroid. Finding nothing, he flew on.
"Phew… that was close." Charija exhaled in relief.
But Yuzhou had caught a clear glimpse. Belial held the Ultimate Battlenizer in his right hand… and the Plasma Spark Torch in his left.
"What?!" Yuzhou's heart lurched. "Didn't the Battlenizer shatter into pieces? And the Plasma Spark's core—how is that in his hands again? Could it be… something happened in the Land of Light after I left?"
He clenched his fists. He had to see for himself.
But before he could act, someone emerged from behind a nearby rock—moving stealthily, dressed in a black tailcoat, black top hat, and carrying a black umbrella.
"Charija???" Yuzhou blinked, then looked from the newcomer to the Charija standing beside him.
"Wait. Why are you over there?"
"This…" Charija looked equally stunned. He stared at his other self and muttered, "Must be a… time offset."
"Time offset?" Yuzhou caught on instantly. "You mean… we've arrived at a point before Belial was defeated?"
"Seems that way." Charija nodded grimly. "If I recall correctly, this is right around the time I left this universe."
As if on cue, the other Charija raised his umbrella and declared loudly, "I'm departing!" Moments later, he was sucked into his own wormhole and vanished.
"So that means…" Yuzhou thought aloud. "We're in the window where Belial had just stolen the Plasma Spark and was heading for the Monster Graveyard."
Charija considered it, then nodded. "Sounds right."
"If that's true…" Yuzhou felt a chill crawl up his spine. "Then there's another me running around in this universe right now."
He was about to meet… himself.
"What's your plan?" Charija asked, eyeing him. "Want to try again?"
He placed the suitcase down, already preparing to reset it.