"What are those things?"
"Why are those birds so huge?"
"This is terrifying!"
"There's not just one—there's a whole flock!"
"Everyone, listen up! If it gets dangerous, head to the air-raid shelter immediately!"
The villagers, most still in their pyjamas—some barely dressed at all—gathered outside their doors, panicked voices filling the night.
That so-called air-raid shelter was actually an old wartime tunnel, left over from the days when people hid from bombings.
While everyone was still talking, a fireball suddenly plummeted from the sky, striking a small hill beside the village. It exploded instantly, igniting the surrounding forest.
"Quick! Everyone, take cover!"
"It's a monster!"
"Run! Don't just stand there!"
"Wake up the ones still sleeping!"
That single blast completely shattered the drowsiness in the air. Families grabbed their children, rushing together toward the shelter.
Beside Yu Zhou, Camearra gazed up at the flock of massive bird-like creatures soaring in the sky, not sure what to do.
She recognized them—Zoiger—a species she had once kept under her command.
But these ones… were not hers.
Camearra could sense it clearly; she knew her own creations well. These Zoigers were different.
"Xiaomi! Son! Hurry! There's a monster coming!"
Yu Zhou's parents shouted from below, snapping him out of his thoughts just as he was debating whether to transform.
"Forget it. I can't deal with that many right now anyway."
He looked up again at the countless Zoigers scattered across the night sky, shook his head, and decided to head down with Camearra to join his parents and the other villagers in the air-raid tunnel.
The Zoiger flock did not stop. They spread out across the globe, launching attacks everywhere they went.
Within hours, nearly every country had been attacked by these gigantic creatures.
Fireballs rained down upon cities; skyscrapers were blown apart one after another.
The Zoigers seemed to have endless reserves of energy within their bodies, letting them fire blazing projectiles continuously.
Governments across the world retaliated, of course—but with little success. The damage was catastrophic.
Inside the air-raid shelter, Yu Zhou, Camearra, his parents, and the villagers huddled together.
The place was spacious enough to fit many people, but there was no phone signal underground—no one knew what was happening outside.
Even here, they could still hear the muffled booms of explosions overhead.
At least one Zoiger seemed to be circling directly above their village, refusing to leave.
"This is ridiculous," Yu Zhou muttered.
Every other Zoiger was attacking big cities and skyscrapers, yet this one chose to bombard a tiny village. It made no sense at all!
He wanted to transform, but… there was no opportunity—and not much courage either.
If he transformed now, he'd have to leave the shelter suddenly, and everyone would notice.
People would wonder why he went outside right when monsters were attacking.
Worse, if Ultraman Tiga suddenly appeared in this small village, the villagers here would instantly become suspects for being his human form.
Either way, it was a bad idea.
Yu Zhou sighed. "This is tricky…"
"I can go," Camearra whispered, holding his arm gently. She understood exactly what he was thinking.
"No, Camearra. If you go, it's the same problem." Yu Zhou shook his head.
If Camearra went out, the villagers would notice too. Questions would be asked—why wasn't she staying put like everyone else?
That would only make them both look suspicious.
Honestly, Yu Zhou regretted ever letting Camearra's name be known in the village at all.
Luckily, according to his parents, when people asked about her, they simply said she was "a friend" and didn't mention her name.
That small detail eased his mind a bit.
Still, with Ultraman Tiga's old shows circulating again, it was only a matter of time before everyone learned who Camearra really was.
When that happened… things could get complicated.
At the entrance of the tunnel, Yu Zhou managed to catch a faint phone signal and checked the latest news.
"Huahai City attacked by Zoiger."
"Tokyo attacked by Zoiger."
"New York under fire from Zoiger."
It wasn't just the major cities.
Many countries around the world were reporting the same nightmare.
In an instant, the entire planet was plunged into a global state of crisis.
Online, people were already debating heatedly.
Because the Zoiger invasion was something that had only appeared at the end of Ultraman Tiga's TV finale—
and right after that… came Gatanothor, the true darkness itself.
Now, everyone feared the same thing:
Would Gatanothor really appear next?
And if it did—could humanity possibly survive it in reality?
The consensus online was grim: there was no way modern weapons could destroy Gatanothor.
The only hope was Ultraman Tiga—specifically, Shining Tiga.
Some people were optimistic, even inspired.
They said they were ready to "become the light" and fight alongside Tiga.
Others were far more pessimistic, believing they wouldn't even live long enough to see that moment.
In Yu Zhou's mind, the little girl's warning echoed again.
Through her message, he could almost see the places under attack—the cities engulfed in flames, the chaos spreading across the globe.
Smoke rose from broken skyscrapers. Streets were cracked and cratered.
Bodies lay scattered everywhere.
This world was far less prepared for a kaiju invasion than Tiga's had been.
Here, the casualties were already far greater than in the original timeline.
"No… I have to go."
Yu Zhou clenched his phone tightly, making up his mind.
This was his fight.
Only he could stop these rampaging Dark Vanguards.
If he let them keep destroying everything, the world would collapse long before the true darkness arrived.
"Camearra," he said quietly, "tell my parents I went outside to… use the toilet."
Camearra sighed—his usual excuse again.
Still, she nodded. "Alright… I'll wait for you to come back."
She leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead before watching him sprint toward the dark forest beyond the village.
Above the treetops, the Zoigers circled and shrieked, still searching for living targets.
But the villagers had all evacuated in time—no one remained outside.
Frustrated, the Zoigers fired a barrage of fireballs downward, obliterating the small village below,
reducing the humble houses to rubble and flames.