"A normal father… how should he face an enemy? Don't worry, I've already prepared a way to reverse the situation."
With a sly grin, Fukude Kei raised a capsule in his hand, drawing cheers from the crowd below the stage.
Both Laiha and Riku were stunned—Fukude Kei had a capsule too?!
"That's… a Monster Capsule." Yu Zhou's expression darkened as he whispered to Riku.
"You mean he's about to summon a monster?!"
Riku's face paled at the thought. If a monster appeared here, no one in the hall would survive!
"This is a prototype device for my upcoming work," Fukude Kei announced to the audience, his voice ringing with fake enthusiasm. "With this tool, an ordinary father can transform into a Radiant Knight!"
"No! He's going to activate it!" Laiha's grip tightened around her blade, panic flashing in her eyes.
Riku turned toward Yu Zhou instinctively, hoping for some clever plan. But when he saw Yu Zhou's appearance, he froze in shock.
Yu Zhou had pulled out a Level 3 combat helmet—something he hadn't worn in a long time. He slipped it over his head, leaving only his eyes visible, and in his hand gleamed the Victory Hyper Gun, aimed squarely at Fukude Kei's capsule.
"With a helmet, I can hide my face—and it's safer."
Yu Zhou muttered this calmly and fired.
ZAP!
The shot streaked through the air, striking Fukude Kei's hand dead-on. With a sharp crack, the man flinched, the capsule flying from his grasp and clattering across the stage.
"What?!"
For the first time, Fukude Kei's smug face faltered. The blast hadn't hurt him much, but losing the capsule was a different matter.
Yu Zhou quickly holstered the Hyper Gun, ducking under the table, and stowed away the helmet as well. By the time he rose again, however, Fukude Kei had already produced another capsule. With a triumphant flourish, he activated it—summoning a monster right on the spot.
The hall erupted into chaos. Riku and Laiha leapt forward, but before they could reach him, an explosion sounded outside. The audience finally realized what was happening, and terror swept the room.
First gunfire, now a monster appearing? The crowd bolted for the exits in sheer panic.
"Don't panic!" Fukude Kei shouted theatrically from the stage, feigning concern. "The monster may come this way—everyone, evacuate quickly!"
When most of the civilians had fled, Laiha drew her sword, ready to strike him down then and there.
But Leito, with Zero's sharp eyes guiding him, raised a hand. "Not yet."
"Why stop me?" Laiha snapped. With the civilians gone, wasn't this the perfect chance to deal with Fukude Kei?
"The cameras are still rolling," Zero explained grimly.
Fukude Kei smirked, clearly enjoying himself. "As expected of Ultraman Zero. Sharp eyes indeed. Unlike this reckless little girl, you know how to be cautious."
"If you kill me now, perhaps you'll stop the monster. But you'll also become the murderer of a famous author." His mocking words dripped with arrogance.
CRASH!
A loud spark snapped everyone's attention toward Yu Zhou—who now stood holding a hammer. A ruined camera lay sparking at his feet.
Fukude Kei: "…"
"Laiha! Zero! Go!" Yu Zhou barked, charging toward Kei with the hammer raised.
Laiha reacted instantly, slashing at Kei with her blade. Zero followed with a flying kick, while Riku grabbed a chair and hurled it across the stage.
Fukude Kei, momentarily caught off guard, cursed under his breath and bolted for the windows. Without his "fusion up" form, he knew he couldn't take on all of them head-on.
Who would have thought someone would just smash the cameras with a hammer?!
Snatching up the fallen capsule on his way, Kei dove through the glass with a crash and vanished outside.
Yu Zhou hurled the hammer after him, but it missed, clattering against the pavement below.
"After him!"
The team sprinted out in pursuit.
"I'll deal with the monster first!" Riku shouted once outside, spotting the mechanical beast wreaking havoc in the city streets.
"Don't!" Zero called sharply. "That monster's too powerful—you're not ready for it!"
"Then what, we just watch it destroy everything?!" Riku clenched his fists, desperate.
"I'll handle it."
The voice was calm, steady—Yu Zhou's.
Zero turned to him, startled. "You…?"
"You chase Fukude Kei. I'll hold the monster until you return," Yu Zhou said firmly.
Riku blinked. "Wait… Yu Zhou, with what? A hammer?"
But Laiha's gaze sharpened. Deep down, she already knew.
Zero studied Yu Zhou, then gave a short nod. "All right. We'll leave it to you."
Yu Zhou returned the nod, then reached into his coat and drew out a familiar relic—the Sparklence.
Riku and Laiha's eyes widened.
"That's—!"
Riku could only stare at the intricate carvings unfolding along the rod, patterns identical to the lines across Tiga's chest.
Raising the Sparklence high, Yu Zhou pressed the trigger.
A crisp, bell-like chime rang out, echoing across the city as light erupted, engulfing him.
In an instant, Tiga's towering figure stood before the rampaging monster.
"Yu Zhou… he's Tiga?!" Riku stammered, dumbfounded.
"Just as I suspected." Laiha's expression hardened. It all made sense now—his knowledge of the Ultra Warriors, his mysterious disappearances.
Zero chuckled faintly. "I didn't know for long. But now Tiga's here, we'll track down Fukude Kei. Let's go!"
"Right!"
…
The monster Kei had summoned was Galactron—a mechanical behemoth forged from strange, indestructible metals.
Yu Zhou—Tiga—barely had time to brace himself before Galactron fired twin yellow beams. He vaulted into the air, the blasts smashing into buildings behind him with thunderous force.
Midair, Tiga shifted into Power Type, channeling strength into his fists. With a roar, he rocketed forward and slammed a punch square into Galactron's chest.
The impact reverberated like thunder. Galactron staggered, forced back several steps before collapsing to the ground.
But it quickly rose again, its arm cannons glowing as more beams lanced toward Tiga.
Yu Zhou shifted again—into Sky Type. With enhanced speed, he weaved through the storm of energy, darting effortlessly around Galactron's static barrages.
The machine faltered, realizing its tactics weren't working. Then, with a metallic whine, strange runes flared along its arm.
With a loud clang, Galactron's right arm detached—hurtling toward Tiga like a guided missile.