After delivering the new powers, Hikari returned to the Land of Light. He had promised Yu Zhou three new pieces of equipment, though no one knew when they would actually be ready.
"They should arrive before the final battle with Belial," Yu Zhou thought to himself. After all, Hikari only crafted gear for one reason—to fight Belial. Logically, the equipment would be ready before that confrontation.
Based on the original timeline, Mayu was about to awaken the Little Star.
Yu Zhou had even reminded Leito to keep an eye on Mayu's hands—whether her palms became unusually warm, or if she began to show signs of superpowers.
A host of the Little Star would develop heightened abilities, and their hands would emit unusual heat.
The truth was this: Kei Fukude had spread out Karelan Particles, a substance that attracted and nurtured the infant energy core of the universe's life cycle. Once inhaled into a host body, these particles nurtured a sphere of light.
And when the host also carried an Ultra Capsule inside their body, the Little Star would manifest, activating the Capsule and granting extraordinary power.
Yu Zhou did not hide Kei Fukude's true identity from AIB. The organization was much like the Ultra Garrison of the Land of Light—though far less powerful. AIB promised to track Kei's movements closely and inform Yu Zhou at once.
"By the way, you should know Geed and Zero, right?" Zena sat across from Yu Zhou, speaking calmly without needing to ask.
"Yeah." Yu Zhou nodded. "I know them both."
"Then can you tell me their identities?" Zena pressed.
"You're suspicious of Geed, aren't you?" Yu Zhou countered with a slight smile.
"Correct." Zena nodded. "His appearance is disturbingly similar to Belial's. We're worried he may be connected to him."
Yu Zhou almost laughed. Connected? He's literally Belial's son!
"You can rest easy," Yu Zhou said firmly. "Geed won't follow Belial's path."
"Alright then." Though still uneasy, Zena chose to trust Yu Zhou's words. "And what about Zero? Who is he?"
"Zero's current host is Leito," Yu Zhou answered without hesitation. Zero was different from Geed—his identity didn't need to be hidden. As a warrior of the Land of Light, Zero naturally carried trust wherever he went.
"I thought so." Zena nodded, satisfied with the confirmation.
"About the Little Star—we've made progress in our research," Zena added suddenly.
"Oh? What did you discover?" Yu Zhou asked, intrigued.
"Its formation is caused by Karelan Particles," Zena explained.
"I know," Yu Zhou replied. "Not only that—if the host prays to an Ultra Warrior, the Little Star will leave their body and manifest in the warrior's hand."
"So that's the trigger…" Zena nodded, understanding at last how the Little Star could be separated from its host.
After a little more discussion, Zena departed. Bored, Yu Zhou opened his laptop and began browsing the internet, searching for recent reports of "superpower incidents."
The next morning, Yu Zhou's alarm rang at nine sharp. Without opening his eyes, he slapped it—shattering yet another clock to pieces.
Not long after, his phone lit up and began ringing.
"Can't a man sleep in peace?" Yu Zhou groaned, grabbing it. The caller ID read: Leito.
"Moshi moshi, Leito? What's up?"
"Yu Zhou, it's Mayu—her palms have been warm for days, but this morning they suddenly became burning hot." Leito's voice was tense with worry.
"That means the Little Star has awakened," Yu Zhou said calmly.
"And there's more. She can open wormholes now—she teleports instantly to other places!" Leito's voice sharpened, then shifted into a steadier tone. "That must be my Capsule's power manifesting through her."
"Zero?" Yu Zhou asked, recognizing the change.
"Yes, it's me," Zero confirmed through the line. "You were right, Yu Zhou. The Capsule within Mayu has granted this ability."
"Zero, that means you need to protect her," Yu Zhou said while brushing his teeth.
"If she carries the Little Star, Fukude Kei will surely target her."
"I understand." Zero's voice grew firm. "She's my daughter now. Of course I'll protect her."
"Good. Then I leave it to you." Yu Zhou spat out foam, half-smiling. "That's a father's duty."
Zero's answer was resolute: "Yes!"
After washing up and grabbing a quick breakfast, Yu Zhou stepped outside. If Kei summoned another monster, he would appear nearby—that would be the perfect chance to track him.
At that moment, the elevator from the underground base, Nebula House, rose before him. Laiha and Riku stepped out.
"Leito says Mayu has awakened the Little Star. We plan to bring her to Nebula House where it's safer," Laiha explained.
"That's the best choice," Yu Zhou agreed. "The base is deep underground. Monsters will have a hard time reaching it."
Soon, Leito arrived with Mayu in tow.
"Let's go, Leito. We'll take the elevator down," Laiha said, summoning the entrance.
"Mm. Maybe in the underground base, her light will be harder to detect." Leito squeezed Mayu's hand as they entered.
"Daddy, weren't we going to the park? Where are we going now?" Mayu asked curiously.
"Mayu," Laiha crouched to her eye level, smiling. "This is a secret base. It's even more fun than the park."
"Really? Yay!" Mayu's eyes sparkled. "Let's go!"
But once inside Nebula House, she caught sight of Pega folding paper flowers. Terrified, she instantly opened a wormhole and vanished.
"Uh…" Laiha froze.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare her," Pega scratched his head sheepishly.
Leito sighed helplessly. "Come on, let's check the park." He stepped back into the elevator.
"We'll need to think of a way to get Mayu to pray to an Ultra Warrior," Yu Zhou said, following them inside. "That's the only way the Little Star will leave her body."
"You're right. That's the best solution," Leito agreed, his expression serious.
In truth, Kei's strategy had always been the same—summon monsters to corner the host of a Little Star, forcing them to pray for Geed's help. The Capsule would then transfer to Geed… only for Kei to eventually steal it back.
Thus, everyone's goal aligned: get the Capsule out of Mayu before Kei could make his move.
And, as Yu Zhou knew from the original timeline, a host didn't necessarily have to pray to a transformed Ultra Warrior—sometimes, even to their human form was enough.