Yu Zhou nodded and carefully stored the Ultraman Cosmos Capsule.
"I don't even have a Fusion Riser right now. I can't use Ultra Capsules anyway," Zero shook his head.
"I understand."
Still, Yu Zhou couldn't help but wonder. If Zero had both Cosmos's capsule and Dyna's capsule, would that mean… Saga?
But then again, had Hikari already dragged Dyna into the lab and turned him into a capsule too? Knowing Hikari's obsession with handing out power-ups like candy, it wasn't impossible.
"Saga only forms when Zero, Dyna, and Cosmos fuse together," Yu Zhou thought. "Relying on capsules alone shouldn't be enough… If it were that easy, Zero could just carry two capsules into battle and call it a day."
Even so, he was curious. If the three combined via capsules, could their energy still merge perfectly and grant Zero a pseudo-Saga state? If the chance came, Yu Zhou definitely wanted Zero to try.
Then another thought crossed his mind.
"My own Tiga Capsule… what kind of new form would it create if combined with another?"
Drawing from Orb's power system, maybe Tiga's capsule fused with the First Ultraman's would produce Jeed's Solid Burning–like "Shining Form." But that assumed the systems were even compatible: Orb used cards, Jeed used genetic capsules.
"Still… it might be worth letting Riku experiment. After all, Orb showed us endless combinations."
Yu Zhou smirked at the idea of having Jeed fuse Zero with Jack, Taro, or Mebius. Heck, even… Belial? That would be something.
Later, in Nebula House's underground base, Yu Zhou handed Riku the Cosmos Capsule.
"This was given to you by your brother Zero," he explained.
"Wait—you know Zero?" Laiha frowned, puzzled.
"I've been to the Land of Light, remember? Of course I'd know him." Yu Zhou replied smoothly.
"Oh, right," Laiha nodded, accepting the explanation.
That night, Yu Zhou turned on the TV. News broadcasts were full of Ultraman coverage.
"Every time a monster appears, an Ultraman emerges to save us," the anchor said.
"First came Geed, who looks similar to Belial from the Crisis Impact. Then two more—one handsome and dashing, the other aloof and cool."
"Comedian Takashi Arai, in an interview, called the dashing one Zero and the aloof one Tiga. Those names have since stuck with the public."
The program cut to street interviews.
"I think looks matter most—Zero is so handsome!" a woman gushed.
"Zero's the best! Look, we drew him!" three boys proudly showed their sketches.
"But Tiga is super cool too!" another woman's eyes sparkled.
"Yeah! He's so cold and reliable," her friend chimed in. "Every time he shows up, he cleans up Geed's messes."
"It feels like having a dependable senior watching over him."
Yu Zhou couldn't help but chuckle at their comments. He had only appeared three times—once against the DarkLops Zero copies, once when Eleking stomped down, and once freezing Astron. Three times, and already people were calling him cool and reliable.
"Guess appearances do matter," he mused. Though honestly, he thought Geed's glowing eyes looked pretty stylish too—public taste just wasn't with him.
The next day, Riku invited Leito to Nebula House. Curious, Yu Zhou also descended into the underground base.
"So, thank you again for giving me this capsule," Riku said, showing Zero's projection on the screen through RE.M.'s device.
"No problem. You're the best one to use it right now." Zero folded his arms across his chest, striking his usual confident pose.
"Oh—Yu Zhou, you're here too," Zero greeted when he spotted him.
"Yeah, Zero," Yu Zhou waved casually, then nodded toward Leito. "And you too, Leito."
"Hello, hello!" Leito grinned back.
"Zero… do you think I could keep being an Ultra Warrior forever?" Leito asked nervously.
"What?!" Everyone turned to stare at him.
Leito looked timid, an ordinary office worker whose body Zero usually piloted during fights. Yet here he was, saying he wanted to stay an Ultraman.
"These battles… they've made me feel alive. For the first time, I feel like I'm doing something meaningful," he admitted with a peaceful smile.
"Hey, don't underestimate what it means to be an Ultra Warrior!" Zero jabbed a finger at him from the screen. "This isn't child's play."
"If Riku can do it, so can I," Leito stepped forward, eyes firm.
Riku bristled. "Wait a second! What do you mean by that? Are you saying even someone like you could do it?"
"Well, can you handle being a salaryman?" Leito pushed up his glasses, looking smug.
"At least salarymen get paid! Being an Ultraman is volunteer work!" Riku shot back.
"This isn't about money!" Leito snapped.
The two glared at each other, then simultaneously turned their heads away, neither willing to back down.
"Why are they fighting?" RE.M. asked, confused.
"It's what humans call 'the grass looks greener on the other side,'" Pega explained wisely.
Yu Zhou and Zero both sighed, half-amused. Who would've thought Leito, of all people, had such a childish streak?
"Not true at all!" Riku and Leito shouted together, denying Pega's explanation.
"Then why don't you two swap roles for a few days?" Laiha suggested.
"What?!" everyone exclaimed in shock—except Yu Zhou, who just smirked.
"Now that… would be interesting," Yu Zhou muttered. Leito had a wife and child. Did that mean Riku would live in Leito's house? And since Zero shared senses with Leito, did that mean… Zero would, awkwardly, feel everything too?
Showers, bedtime… even lying next to Leito's wife?
"Wait a minute—wouldn't that mean Zero's basically stealing Leito's life?" Yu Zhou thought, both horrified and entertained.
He had planned to ask Zero more about the "fusion link," but now it seemed… dangerously awkward.