"Was that… an earthquake?!"
Yu Xia, who had never experienced one before, shouted nervously.
He then turned to Yu Zhou and the others, yelling as he sprinted toward the doors of the sales hall.
"Run!"
"It's an earthquake!"
"Hide in the corner!"
"Get to the bathroom!"
"Under the table—quick!"
"Cover your nose and mouth with a wet towel!"
"Yes, a wet towel—wait! That's for a fire, not an earthquake, you idiot!"
Panic erupted instantly. Everyone inside the hall began screaming and running in all directions. The crowd grew chaotic, and for a moment, a stampede almost broke out.
Yu Zhou grabbed Camearra's hand; his father clutched his mother's, and the four of them dashed for the exit.
The hall was filled with swinging chandeliers—not just the one in the centre, but several large ones around it as well, each trembling violently as if they might crash down any second.
The shaking grew stronger. The quaking ground threw several people off their feet.
Yu Zhou's family managed to rush out of the building and into the plaza outside.
But the dense crowd pushed and pulled, separating Yu Zhou and Camearra from his parents.
The open parking lot in front of the building was now packed with people.
Cars on the nearby road had stopped moving, and even the drivers abandoned their vehicles, fleeing to safety.
"What's going on? Why an earthquake all of a sudden?"
"Yeah, Summer City sometimes has small tremors, but never like this."
"At most, the bed shakes a bit at night—it's even kind of nice."
"You've got some nerve to joke right now! But seriously, this scale? Never happened before."
"This'll probably shock the entire country…"
People murmured among themselves as Yu Zhou and Camearra scanned the crowd, searching for his parents.
Their sharp eyes soon spotted them not far away—still holding hands, looking for their children.
Yu Zhou was about to lead Camearra over when a thunderous boom erupted from the road beside the plaza.
The asphalt collapsed inward, creating a massive sinkhole.
Before anyone could react, something inside that hole stirred—
A gigantic claw—no, a monstrous hand—burst out and slammed onto the street with a deafening crash, crushing nearby cars like tin cans.
"What the hell is that?!"
"God! What is that thing?!"
"Is it some kind of animal's paw?"
"How could it be so huge?!"
"I—I have a fear of giant things!!"
The crowd erupted in terrified screams.
The ground continued to tremble as the creature within let out a low, thunderous roar.
Then, from the sinkhole, the monster began to rise.
Its massive, dinosaur-like body climbed into view, standing upright on two legs.
Its mouth was filled with jagged fangs, a thick tail swung behind it, and its red-and-black hide gleamed like stone.
The beast's terrifying appearance made everyone stagger back in horror.
Some even collapsed to the ground, too frightened to move.
"Wh-what is that thing?!"
"It's too scary! Mom!"
"Help us!"
"It looks like a monster—like the ones from TV!"
"Run! I don't want to get stepped on!"
The crowd scattered in chaos while the monster began lumbering toward the plaza, apparently targeting the buildings behind the sales office.
"Golza," Yu Zhou muttered, exhaling as he steadied his heart.
He hadn't expected to face a monster attack so soon.
The morning news had reported a monster sighting—but seeing Golza with his own eyes was something else entirely.
Not everyone managed to escape in time.
Each thunderous step of Golza's crushed people and cars beneath its feet.
Screams, cries, and the sounds of terror filled the air.
Then Yu Zhou saw his parents—
They were only three steps away from the monster.
His mother had fallen, paralyzed by fear.
His father desperately hoisted her onto his back, trying to run.
But carrying someone made escape nearly impossible.
"Camearra," Yu Zhou said, voice steady, "take care of my parents."
Camearra nodded softly, then darted through the panicking crowd with swift, graceful movements.
Yu Zhou slipped into a car with its door left open.
He smashed the dashboard recorder's disk and shut the door behind him.
From inside his jacket, he pulled out the Sparklence.
Without hesitation, he pressed the button.
A blinding beam of light shot down from the sky, striking the ground before Golza.
The people who had been running looked back in awe as a giant silhouette appeared within the light.
A colossal figure stood there—its body shining with silver, red, and purple hues.
A crystal gleamed on its forehead, while a luminous colour timer pulsed on its chest like a jewel.
Golden patterns wrapped across its upper body like armour.
It clenched its fists, raising one high and one low in a familiar pose.
"That's—"
"Wait… am I dreaming?"
"I can't be dreaming!"
"That's… Ultraman!"
"Ultraman! He's real?!"
"My god—our world just changed!"
"Both a monster and Ultraman appeared in real life?!"
"This can't be happening!"
"Wait! That Ultraman… he looks like—Ultraman Tiga!"
"Yes! It's Tiga! I recognize him!"
"Then that monster—it is Golza!"
The people who had fled stopped and turned, staring in disbelief.
In this world, where Ultraman was known only as a fictional hero, the sight of the real thing was overwhelming.
The giant who stood before the terrified city—was none other than Ultraman Tiga.
And facing him across the ruined street—was the resurrected terror, Golza.