When Yu Zhou told Riku about these things, Riku was puzzled. How could Yu Zhou know so much?
But thinking about it, since Yu Zhou was acquainted with Zero, perhaps Zero was the one who had revealed it to him.
Riku quietly asked Zero about it, and sure enough, Zero knew about Fukude Kei as well. Three men make a tiger, as the saying goes—now, Riku was completely certain: Fukude Kei was no good person.
Yu Zhou and Reito trailed behind the others, conversing in hushed tones.
"I read Fukude Kei's novel too," said Reito. His glasses were removed—Zero had taken control of his consciousness. "The contents are all written with Belial as the protagonist, while the Ultras of the Land of Light are portrayed as the villains."
"I know," Yu Zhou nodded.
"In fact, there's a scene depicting the battle at the Monster Graveyard. The villain modeled after you was brutally torn apart by the protagonist, who is clearly based on Belial." Zero pulled one of Kei's books from his coat and handed it to Yu Zhou, signaling for him to take a look.
"I know about this too."
Yu Zhou handed the book back, rubbing his forehead helplessly.
Belial's hatred toward him was written between every line.
"I think if Belial ever appears again, his first target will definitely be you," Zero said seriously, staring at Yu Zhou.
Yu Zhou sighed. "Let's deal with Fukude Kei first."
"Agreed." Zero replaced the glasses, and Reito regained control.
Before long, the group arrived at the speech venue.
It had to be admitted—Fukude Kei's novels were indeed famous on this Earth.
The packed audience said it all. But the larger the crowd, the more inconvenient it was for Yu Zhou to act.
Most people were simply there because they'd heard of the event and wanted to see the famous author in person. Only a small portion of them actually held tickets.
"King Varugo, in the name of justice, commanded the Radiant Knights and ruled the universe."
"But the warrior Agum declared war against King Varugo."
"He was defeated, branded a traitor, and exiled."
On stage, Fukude Kei narrated the plot of his novel with passion.
"This so-called King Varugo must mean the Ultraman King," Yu Zhou thought silently as he listened from the audience.
"And the Radiant Knights—clearly the Space Garrison. As for this Agum, that's Belial."
So this was telling the story of Belial before he was possessed by Alien Rayblood, back when he was first exiled. Yu Zhou had only skimmed through Kei's book before—he hadn't realized there was a whole section about Belial before his fall.
"Later, when Agum declared war again, the Radiant Knights sought aid from an outsider warrior named Daigu, who fought against Agum. Though Daigu initially gained the upper hand, Agum crushed him in the end, shattering him into pieces."
"That is the fate of those who ally with the so-called forces of Radiance."
On stage, Kei continued his speech.
At that moment, Reito turned his head slightly toward Yu Zhou.
"This Daigu clearly refers to Tiga," he whispered.
Yu Zhou understood—this was recounting events from his own past, only twisted. Kei had altered the truth, turning the battle into a tale of Tiga's defeat.
"This was my debut work, Cosmo Hero Saga: The Shining Darkness," Kei said, presenting his book with exaggerated solemnity.
"But tell me, in my trilogy of early works, who is your favorite character?"
He posed the question to the audience.
"Sir Zora, the Radiant Knight!"
"It's Daigu! Even though he didn't appear for long, that battle was so thrilling!"
"Zora!"
"Daigu!"
The hall resounded with shouts, fans calling out their favorites.
Yu Zhou knew that the character Zora was meant to represent Zero.
"Indeed, though they are villains, Zora and Daigu are unusually popular," Kei said with a smile. "But leaving aside the already dead Daigu, Zora perished in the third volume—'The Beautiful Darkness.'"
"That is why I intend to create a new Radiant Knight to replace him, one who will appear in my next work."
He swept his gaze across the crowd. "For that, I'd like to invite someone from the audience up to the stage, and use them as the model for this new knight."
Yu Zhou frowned. "So it's just like the original plot—he plans to call Reito up."
If Yu Zhou hadn't appeared before Kei disguised as Daigo, then the role of Daigu in his books might never have existed—Kei would've simply created another stand-in to fill the role, and perhaps even written Yu Zhou himself into the story.
"Pick me! Pick me!"
"Teacher, please choose me!"
The audience grew restless. To be immortalized as a character in the famous author's novel was seen as an incredible honor.
"You there, that man. Please come up."
Kei smiled warmly and gestured toward Reito.
"Reito, be careful," Yu Zhou warned in a low voice.
"Don't worry," Zero responded through Reito's body, removing the glasses and sharpening his gaze. "I want to see what trick he's planning to pull."
Laiha and Riku, who knew the truth, frowned deeply. Meanwhile, unaware of the danger, Lumina and Mayu clapped happily.
Zero, in Reito's body, walked slowly onto the stage. He stared at Kei's falsely kind smile.
"Thank you. What's your name?" Kei asked, hands behind his back, smiling.
"Hmph." Zero snorted, brushing his thumb under his nose. "My name is Reito."
"Then, Mr. Reito, let's shake hands first," Kei said, extending a hand.
Zero clasped it, never breaking eye contact.
"Whenever I create a new character," Kei announced to the audience, "I always start with the sensation—the feel of their hand, their scent, their aura. From that, I draw inspiration."
"Pardon me…"
Kei leaned in close, bringing his face near to Reito's cheek, his lips almost brushing his ear.
"…Why does this look more like some strange BL drama than a speech?" Yu Zhou muttered in disbelief, watching the bizarre scene.
Beside him, Lumina's eyes glittered with excitement—her idol and her husband standing so intimately together? She seemed oddly delighted.
"Ultraman Zero," Kei whispered into Zero's ear, voice low and venomous. "Something is about to happen. You must not move. Obey me."
"What are you planning?" Zero growled under his breath.
Kei only smiled, straightening up. His eyes flicked toward the audience—toward Lumina and Mayu.
"So, that's it…" he said with feigned cheer. "You already have a wife and child, don't you? A gentle father in daily life. Very well—let's set this new character as an ordinary father. But what event will turn him into a Radiant Knight, I wonder?"
He demanded that Zero play along, forcing a performance.
"Don't move. If you resist, I'll blow up this entire hall. Your wife, your daughter—everything will burn with it."
Zero narrowed his eyes. He had already expected Kei would use Lumina and Mayu as hostages. He showed no panic.
"And what about you?" Zero asked.
"Of course, I'll be just fine," Kei smirked. "Now then, Zora… vanish, body and soul alike."
"Good!"
"Excellent acting!"
"Amazing!"
The crowd erupted in applause, entirely oblivious to the deadly subtext hidden within their words.