Back then, when humanity faced Gatanothor, they were beaten nearly half to death. In the end, it was only through the combined light of the entire world that victory was possible.
"Careful!"
Camearra suddenly shouted, warning everyone.
With a furious roar, Ythogtha's entire body erupted with black light, blasting out in all directions.
The beams shot outward like the shards of a kaleidoscope, scattering wildly as though cost meant nothing.
The gathered Ultras had already pulled back from the rampaging Ythogtha, but the instant they saw this storm of beams, each of them quickly raised their own shields to resist the onslaught.
Even Camearra's companions, Hudra and Darramb, who had been kicked out of the sea earlier, swiftly condensed light-shields before them, blocking the black rays.
Gatanothor's penetrating light once carried a petrifying effect. No one knew yet what Ythogtha's rays could do—none dared to test them head-on.
Yu Zhou certainly wasn't about to take them directly.
The Ultra Barrier served him well, shielding him from the wild bursts of black radiance.
Perhaps because Ythogtha had unleashed too many beams at once, their power wasn't concentrated. Not a single barrier broke under the barrage.
The people of Earth, watching the broadcast in every corner of the world, had their hearts in their throats. Seeing Ythogtha release such a terrifying ability was enough to make their breath stop. But when the Ultras' defences held, countless hearts sighed with relief.
At last, Ythogtha's attack faded.
But this was no turn-based game—there was no pause. As soon as the storm of beams ended, Yu Zhou counterattacked.
Timer Beam!
The best way to fight darkness was with light itself.
Yu Zhou knew this truth well. Against an Evil God like this, the Timer Beam's power should be devastating. After all, Ythogtha shared its origin with Gatanothor, and Gatanothor had been gravely wounded by this very technique.
Even though Yu Zhou was not in his Shining Form, the Timer Beam still had a solid effect.
The massive body of Ythogtha staggered under the strike, sparks bursting across its form as it reeled back slightly.
Daigo and Shin Asuka also unleashed their finishers again, beams streaking across the battlefield toward Ythogtha.
Camearra and her two comrades didn't hesitate either. Seizing the moment while the monster was weakened, they too fired their beams.
Seven streams of destructive power crashed into Ythogtha at once. With a thunderous boom, the impact exploded into a huge cloud of smoke and dust.
"Damn."
Yu Zhou muttered under his breath, not trusting the result. He immediately charged his Zeperion Beam and fired again.
Boom!
Another explosion thundered—but the smoke remained, thick and obscuring.
Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong…
Yu Zhou's Colour Timer began to flash. And not just his—Daigo's and Asuka's timers also blinked red.
The earlier waterfall-like assault had consumed too much of Yu Zhou's strength. Even with two more finishers fired in desperation, his energy reserves were running dangerously low.
Daigo and Asuka were worse off. Their energy had been limited from the beginning. Having unleashed their finishers twice already, their timers blinking now was no surprise.
As for Camearra's trio, their timers hadn't started flashing yet. But when Yu Zhou fired again, they followed his lead, adding another three beams into the smoke.
Sparks bloomed once more inside the haze.
All eyes were fixed on the cloud of dust and smoke. What was left behind?
"With all that, the Evil God has to be finished, right?"
"It has to be! Who could survive that?"
"Don't be too sure… with all this smoke—"
The world's audience grew tense again. If the Evil God was dead, then all would be well.
But if it wasn't—if it still stood—then without the light of the entire world to fall back on, this really was the end of days.
Even Camearra and the others were beginning to falter after firing twice in succession. Energy bled from them, their bodies weary.
The smoke began to clear. Yu Zhou didn't even need to look—he already knew.
Of course, Ythogtha wasn't finished.
This battle was far from over.
"My energy's almost gone," Daigo said grimly, glancing down at his flashing timer.
"Same here," Masaki muttered, his own chest light blinking red.
"Even Senior Yu Zhou is nearly drained," Asuka added, looking from his own timer to Yu Zhou's.
"You all should withdraw and recover," Yu Zhou told them quietly, eyes never leaving Ythogtha's shadowy figure. "Leave the rest to me."
"What?!"
"Yu Zhou, are you insane?!"
"You can't beat it alone!"
"If we go, we all go together!"
"Senpai…"
Shock rippled through the group. With the tiny sliver of energy Yu Zhou had left, how could he possibly stand against the monstrous Ythogtha?
"Listen to me." Yu Zhou's voice was steady. "I'll hold it off. Once the Super Victory Team delivers the Artificial Sun, then you rejoin the fight."
"Yu Zhou, your condition—how can you stall for time like this?!" Daigo's voice cracked with emotion. "You can't win!"
"'There's no way to win, I don't understand'—" Yu Zhou shot Daigo a sharp look. "Those were your words, Daigo."
"I—" Daigo faltered, unable to reply.
"Trust me. I have a way."
He knew they were worried. With his dwindling energy, it was nearly impossible to stall against such a foe.
But Yu Zhou wasn't reckless—he valued his life. He would only make such a choice if he had true confidence.
Ythogtha had taken heavy attacks. It wasn't unscathed. Unlike its brother Gatanothor, it lacked a snail-like shell for protection.
"Watch me."
Yu Zhou rose into the sky and released his transformation.
Then, from within his chest, he drew forth a black crystal rod. He pressed the transformation trigger.
Purple lightning surged. A silver-and-black giant emerged before their eyes.
"This is—"
"Dark Tiga!"
Shinjou stared in disbelief. He had never seen it in person before. But now, Yu Zhou had transformed into Dark Tiga right before him.
He knew, however, that Yu Zhou's situation was different from his own first transformation into the shadowed Tiga.
Back then, his heart had been swallowed by darkness, turning his power evil.
But Yu Zhou—Yu Zhou wielded darkness with a heart of light.
"Dark… Tiga…"
Camearra stared, stunned, at the familiar form standing before her. For a heartbeat she was lost in memory.
Then she softened, whispering: "I leave it to you."
She turned and flew toward R'lyeh Island, her companions Hudra and Darramb following without hesitation.
For Camearra, there was no doubt. No hesitation.
She trusted Dark Tiga completely.
After all, thirty million years ago…
He was the strongest Dark Warrior of the Ultra-Ancient Era.