Yu Zhou didn't want to waste his energy too early.
Instead, he placed his hand on the bracelet he hadn't touched in a very long time.
Asuka immediately noticed. His gaze locked on Yu Zhou's wrist.
He'd realized long ago that Yu Zhou-senpai's hand was different from Daigo's.
Where Daigo's wrist was bare, Yu Zhou wore a strange bracelet.
That must be his weapon, Asuka thought, eyes wide.
"What is that? I've never seen Yu Zhou use it before…" Daigo muttered, frowning. He remembered clearly—Yu Zhou hadn't had anything like this on his arm in the past.
Camearra, Hudra, and Darramb didn't pay much attention to Yu Zhou's movements. Their focus stayed locked on the massive tentacles rising from the sea. Camearra's golden whip cracked again and again, severing dozens of the writhing limbs.
But the viewers of the global livestream noticed right away.
"Look—what's Tiga doing?"
"Is he about to unleash his finisher?"
"No way, it's too early for that!"
"Maybe it's a hidden weapon?"
"Yeah! Could be a weapon!"
"Like a lightsaber—that'd be sick!"
"Or a light-sword!"
"Or a bow!"
"I bet it's a dagger!"
"…Or a frying pan?"
Speculation ran wild.
The truth was, Yu Zhou rarely used his weapon at all. His own power was more than enough—most of the time, weapons were unnecessary.
And, if he was honest, a weapon hurt his cool, aloof image.
But today was different. This was no ordinary monster—it was an Evil God. A foe too dangerous to face half-heartedly.
If his energy burned out too soon, the battle ahead would be nearly impossible.
The moment his palm touched the bracelet, streams of light particles burst forth. Red and black light flared, dazzling against the gloom.
Everyone froze.
Asuka's jaw dropped. "Wait… why is Yu Zhou-senpai's weapon… a frying pan?"
Daigo blinked, then gave a small laugh. "…Actually, that suits him perfectly." He remembered all too well Yu Zhou's bizarre choice of tools in the past.
"I get it!" Asuka declared suddenly, eyes sparkling. "It's brilliant! The pan is meant to confuse the enemy! They freeze in shock, and that's when he strikes! A weapon that looks plain, but hides incredible power!"
Not just the Ultras—even the entire world watching the broadcast was dumbfounded.
"Wha—???"
"A frying pan?!"
"Why is my hero's weapon a frying pan?!"
"Don't tell me it's some kind of secret relic pan!"
"No, think about it—it must be crazy powerful!"
"Exactly! He's never used a weapon before. If he's pulling this out now, it means he's dead serious!"
"This has to be his ultimate trump card!"
On the battlefield, Camearra tilted her head at the sight. A pan? Really? She hadn't expected Yu Zhou to be interested in that sort of weapon.
Wait… does this mean he likes women who can cook? she wondered, remembering how she had cooked for him not long ago. Her heart skipped a beat. So, it was fate after all…
"But three million years ago, you didn't have that weapon," she mused silently, puzzled. "So, who gave it to you? Which woman?"
Yu Zhou, holding the pan in both hands, muttered under his breath, "Hikari, Hikari… this is on you. If you'd finished forging it properly, it would have been a magnificent black-and-red great sword. Instead, I'm stuck with this frying pan…"
He sighed. "Every time I pull it out, I lose a little dignity."
But there was no time for regret.
He raised the Ultimate Pan of Light before his chest. Power surged through his body, flooding into the weapon. It glowed brilliantly, wrapped in spirals of energy.
Then—with a roar—he hurled it forward in a spinning throw.
Whshhhhhhh!!
The pan spun through the air, carving a spiral of light. Sparks burst where it struck the massive tentacles.
With all of Newton's laws rolling in their graves, the pan bounced and whirled through the writhing limbs, cutting a blazing path of destruction.
Finally—snap! —it spun back neatly into Yu Zhou's hand.
He looked down at it. Not a scratch.
He looked back at the ocean. Every single tentacle the pan had struck now sparked with red fire, split apart, and collapsed back into the water.
Asuka gasped. "Too strong…! Yu Zhou-senpai is amazing!"
The whole world went wild.
"So cool!!"
"That's my idol!!"
"I knew the pan was special!!"
"The Pan of Light! I want one!!"
"When this is over, I'm buying a truckload of frying pans!!"
"Count me in!!"
"Me too!!"
The Ultimate Pan of Light had nearly sent the world's collective jaw to the floor.
What looked like the most ordinary household tool turned out to be a weapon of divine power.
But before the cheering could fade, the livestream shook violently.
Darkness deepened to suffocating levels.
The sky turned so black it seemed like the void itself had swallowed it.
On the ground, even streetlights failed—their beams drowned in the dark.
The Evil God… had fully awakened.
Its roar, half dragon's bellow, half elephant's trumpet, thundered across the globe as waves the size of mountains surged skyward.
Humanity trembled. Terror seeped into every heart.
The seal was broken.
The true battle was about to begin.