"Your name—" Yu Zhou said to Riku as the two of them pedaled side by side, "—was given to you by the person we're going to meet. The one who named you can be considered half a father to you."
"So that's how it is…"
Riku fell into deep thought while riding his bike. Distracted, he almost veered into the roadside ditch.
"When you see him, the two of you can talk properly," Yu Zhou added with a small laugh.
"Yeah…"
Riku nodded. Since childhood he had been raised in Moa's family, never knowing who had named him. At last, today, he would meet that person—the one who gave him his very name.
Before long, the two of them reached the neighborhood of Asakura Hajime's house.
As though foreseeing their arrival, the old man was already standing at the doorway, waving.
"Young man, come here quickly!"
As soon as Yu Zhou and Riku got off their bikes, Asakura called out and beckoned Riku forward.
Riku glanced at Yu Zhou first. Yu Zhou gave a confirming nod—yes, this was the person they had come to meet.
Then, Riku stepped forward.
"You're finally here! That's wonderful!"
The moment Riku came close, Asakura pulled him into a tight embrace, his joy overflowing.
Unlike the frail old man of the original story, this Asakura—after being healed by Mocco's Cosmos capsule—was strong and sturdy. His hug was so firm that Riku nearly couldn't breathe.
"H-hot! Too hot!"
The tight squeeze was one thing, but more unbearable was Asakura's scorching palm. The man carried the power of the Little Star, and his body radiated heat that made Riku cry out.
"Ah, forgive me, forgive me…"
Asakura quickly released him, realizing that his hands had burned the boy.
Yu Zhou just smiled and shook his head. Clearly, Asakura cherished Riku deeply—he had always treated him as his own son. Ever since gaining his clairvoyant ability, the old man's daily joy had been simply watching over Riku's life from afar.
After a few warm words, the three of them stepped inside.
"Whoa! That's the game console I've always wanted!"
The moment Riku entered the house, his eyes lit up at the sight of Asakura's console.
"Go ahead, sit down," Asakura chuckled. "Your friend here has already played with me once before. He's pretty good at it."
Riku blinked and turned toward Yu Zhou. "Wait, you've been here before?"
"Yes," Yu Zhou admitted without hesitation. "I came here once to ask Mr. Asakura's help in locating Belial."
"Hold on," Riku said, suddenly overwhelmed. "That's a lot to take in. I need to sort out my questions."
"Go ahead." Yu Zhou leaned back and gestured for him to ask.
"First question: how did you and Zero even know Mr. Asakura?"
"Well…" Yu Zhou answered smoothly, "I've studied a little fortune-telling. Usually it's useless, but once in a while it reveals something. That's how I found him."
Riku nodded. Yu Zhou was Chinese—knowing mysterious arts wasn't exactly far-fetched.
"Second question: how could Mr. Asakura possibly locate Belial?"
From appearances, Asakura was just an ordinary old man. How could he succeed where even Ultramen had failed?
"Because," Yu Zhou explained, "Mr. Asakura carries the Little Star within him. You felt it just now, didn't you? His hand was burning hot."
"Oh, right!" Riku smacked his forehead. "So that's why your hands are like fire, Mr. Asakura. You really do have the Little Star!"
"But can your power really find Belial?" he asked again.
"It can," Asakura nodded firmly. "I can see whatever I want to see. Even without moving an inch, I can gaze all the way to the farthest end of the galaxy. I can see the underground facility you live in, as clearly as day."
He smiled mischievously. "And I also know what you've been hiding."
Riku had been listening seriously—until that. His eyes widened in alarm.
"I—I haven't hidden anything!" he protested.
"Under your bed…"
"Please stop right there!!"
Riku's face turned crimson as he frantically cut him off. He quickly turned to Yu Zhou, only to find Yu Zhou watching him with a half-smile, half-smirk expression.
"You didn't hear anything, right?" Riku pleaded desperately.
"Nope. Didn't hear a word," Yu Zhou said with mock innocence, waving his hand.
"Uh… Mr. Asakura, I heard from Yu Zhou that you were the one who gave me my name?" Riku hurriedly changed the subject.
"Yes," Asakura confirmed, pouring tea for them. His eyes softened as he recalled the past. "Nineteen years ago, when I was still mayor of this town, I heard that someone had abandoned a baby at the observatory. When a nameless infant is taken in, the mayor or village head must give the child a name before registering the household records."
"What? So even my surname was chosen by you?" Riku asked after sipping his tea.
"Yes. My wife and I had no children. At first, we even planned to adopt you ourselves…" His expression dimmed. "But not long after, my wife passed away in an accident."
Riku gasped. "That's awful…" No wonder Asakura lived alone.
"As just one man, I feared I couldn't raise you properly. So… you grew up elsewhere." He sighed deeply.
"It's all right," Yu Zhou said, taking a sip of tea himself. "Riku's grown now. From here on, he can come visit you often, so you won't be alone anymore."
"Of course!" Riku brightened. "I'll definitely come by whenever I can."
"That's wonderful!" Asakura's eyes welled with joy. For years he had been lonely, and now at last he had a child to accompany him.
"But the real reason we came, old sir," Yu Zhou continued, shifting the topic, "is because of the Little Star."
"You mean an Ultra Capsule, don't you?" Asakura replied. With his powers, he had seen other Little Star hosts pass their light to the Ultramen.
"Exactly," Yu Zhou nodded. "Riku may soon face a monster too strong to defeat. That's why we need your help. But you should also know—once you pass on the Little Star, you'll lose your abilities."
"It doesn't matter," Asakura said without hesitation. "For Riku's sake, I'd give up anything."
He gripped Riku's hands tightly. "Child, promise me this—never let yourself be defeated by the enemy. I expect you to live long enough to take care of this old man in my final years."
"I'll do my best!"
Even though Asakura's hands were burning hot, Riku didn't pull away. He only tightened his grip in return.
Then, he felt the old man's hands slowly cool. From Asakura's chest, a ball of light emerged, drifting gently into Riku's pocket.
"The Ultra Father Capsule… it's ours now."
Yu Zhou nodded in satisfaction as he watched the transfer. With this, once he gave Riku Zero's capsule as well, he and Zero could head into deep space to investigate Belial's hidden dimension without worries.
After passing Zero's capsule to Riku, Yu Zhou quietly took his leave.
There was nothing urgent for him to do now. Better to let Riku stay behind, spend time with Asakura, and savor a rare taste of fatherly love.
As for whatever was hidden under Riku's bed—Yu Zhou had his suspicions. Boys his age often hid… certain unspeakable treasures.