"Ultraman Hikari!"
Geed staggered back onto his feet, staring in surprise at the silver-blue figure before him.
"Hello, young one," Hikari replied calmly. He could sense it immediately—the energy of the Ultra Capsules flowing within this rookie warrior. In fact, the form Geed was using even carried traces of his own capsule's power.
But seeing the state this young Ultra had been beaten into by Galactron… Hikari's eyes hardened. A beam of light flashed, and a radiant sword extended from his wrist. Without another word, he charged.
Shu! Shu! Shu! Shu!
A true member of the Intergalactic Defense Force is not just a scientist, but also a swordsman. And Hikari was among the finest. Every strike of his blade found its mark, cleaving into Galactron's mechanical joints with pinpoint precision.
As one of the Land of Light's foremost scientists, Hikari knew the weaknesses of most mechanical beasts—their joints. Hit them there, and even the toughest armor was nothing.
A blur of blue light sliced through Galactron's frame. Sparks erupted from its joints, followed by a brilliant boom! as Hikari crossed his arms and unleashed the Knight Shoot.
The result was spectacular—Galactron exploded into a rain of fire and twisted metal, scattering across the battlefield.
"Whoa… Hikari is so strong!" Geed froze, stunned by how effortlessly he'd dispatched the machine that had nearly crushed him moments before.
"You're not hurt, are you?" Hikari asked gently once the battle was over.
"N-no… I'm fine," Geed stammered, quickly bowing. "Thank you, Ultraman Hikari!"
"No need for thanks." Hikari shook his head, then glanced at him. "But tell me, do you happen to know Ultraman Zero? I've heard he's here on Earth. I came specifically to find him."
"Zero? Yeah, of course I know him!" Geed nodded eagerly, pointing in the direction where Zero and Yu Zhou were watching.
Hikari followed his gaze. The human he didn't recognize—but Yu Zhou? That was someone he did know.
His form dissolved into particles of light, reappearing on the ground before Yu Zhou and the man hosting Zero's spirit. Geed quickly landed beside them.
"Ryū Aihara?"
Yu Zhou blinked. The human shape Hikari now wore was instantly familiar—Ryū Aihara, a member of GUYS, who had once served as Hikari's host after Mebius left Earth.
"Yu Zhou! Long time no see!" Hikari greeted warmly, waving.
Yu Zhou stared. For a moment, all he could think of was the same expression Hikari wore whenever he came offering buffs like cheat codes.
"…Long time no see, Hikari." Though Hikari appeared as Ryū Aihara, Yu Zhou addressed him by his true name.
"Right—do you know where Ultraman Zero is?" Hikari asked, getting to the point. "I've been searching for him."
"You're looking at him," said the man beside Yu Zhou, Zero's host, stepping forward.
"Oh! Ultraman Zero!" Hikari smiled with relief. "I've been looking for you everywhere!"
"Looking for me?" Zero tilted his head, confused. "Did something happen?"
"Yes." Hikari nodded, his tone grave. "I've brought you new power."
Light gathered in his hands, coalescing into four glowing capsules and a Fusion Rise device.
"Since Yu Zhou disappeared, you've become our greatest force against Belial," Hikari explained. "So I came prepared—to ensure you'll be ready if Belial returns."
"Wait—" Yu Zhou's eyes narrowed as the implication hit him. "Hikari… are you saying that if I hadn't vanished back then, you'd have brought me new power instead?"
"…Yes," Hikari admitted. "Though Seven once mentioned seeing you on the Earth where Orb resided, afterward, you vanished again."
"I see…" Yu Zhou exhaled slowly. So it was meant for him.
"Well, no harm in fixing that now," he said with a grin. "How about you throw a little extra gear my way, too?"
Hikari gave a helpless shrug. "I only brought these for Zero. Once I return to the Land of Light, I'll craft something special for you."
Then, almost as an afterthought, he asked, "By the way, how's that ultimate 'Light Pot' of yours holding up?"
"…It's fine. Still works," Yu Zhou muttered, caught off guard.
"Wait—you have a weapon?" Zero and Geed gaped. "Since when?"
"Uh…" Yu Zhou scratched his cheek awkwardly. So much for keeping up his image as the cool, stoic veteran.
"Hang on," Geed frowned. "Did he just say… a pot?"
Zero's memory clicked. "That's right—when Yu Zhou fought Fukuide Kei earlier, he was swinging around a frying pan! And didn't he shout some move like… 'Heavenly Skillet Smash'?"
"…You saw that?" Yu Zhou groaned.
"That was my fault," Hikari admitted sheepishly. "When I was forging his ultimate weapon, I didn't realize the alloy would harden before I could reshape it. The result… well, it became a frying pan. And it can't be reforged."
"…Oh," Yu Zhou sighed. "Honestly? It's grown on me."
"Good. Because when I spoke to the New Generation Ultras while creating their capsules, they all brought it up."
"…What did they say?" Yu Zhou asked warily.
"They said they'd never seen such a bizarre weapon in their lives. Called you… unique. Some even wondered if frying pans existed thirty million years ago."
"Grass!" Yu Zhou swore under his breath. Whoever said that—if they met again, he was going to flatten them.
"Oh, and Orb told me he thought about borrowing your weapon once. But when he saw the design, he changed his mind."
Yu Zhou: "…"
"Yu Zhou, you okay?"
"…Yeah. Totally fine."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Don't worry," Hikari said with a small smile. "I'll make you new gear next time."
"…Two pieces," Yu Zhou bargained instantly.
"…What?"
"Two," Yu Zhou repeated firmly.
"…Three, then," Hikari relented.
"Deal." Yu Zhou smirked.
Hikari: "…"
In truth, Hikari's "buffs" were always practical. And Yu Zhou wasn't foolish enough to refuse power-ups—not when Belial was a threat.
The four capsules Hikari delivered to Zero contained the powers of Ginga, Victory, X, and Orb.
Of course, Yu Zhou noted bitterly, those very Ultras had apparently mocked him when Hikari asked them for capsule samples. The day they crossed paths again, he swore he'd "educate" them with the full weight of a senior's affection.
And as he thought about capsules, Yu Zhou's memory shifted. He suddenly recalled something:
During that speech conference incident, hadn't he seen a capsule in the hands of Leito's daughter, Mayu?
If he wasn't mistaken… it was the capsule of Ultraman Zero.
Which meant—since Zero was one with Leito—then Mayu, in a sense, was Zero's daughter.
Zero's daughter carrying Zero's capsule? That made sense.
As for Geed's foster father, Asakura Sui… he possessed the Father of Ultra's capsule. Another odd coincidence.
Which left one lingering question.
If Zero's daughter had Zero's capsule… then where, Yu Zhou wondered, had Tiga's capsule ended up?