Geed didn't respond to Fukude Kei's taunts. Instead, he charged forward, fist glowing with light, and struck him squarely. The blow sent Pedanium Zetton crashing to the ground.
Without hesitation, Geed crossed his fists at his abdomen, pulling them apart to spark arcs of blue lightning. Energy surged outward as he formed an L-shaped stance and unleashed a brilliant beam.
"Big Burst Ray!"
Pedanium Zetton rose again, countering with its own crimson-dark ray. The two attacks collided, clashing in the air.
In the original timeline, Geed's Solid Burning form had also clashed with Pedanium Zetton's beam, but the result was nearly a draw—an explosion swallowing both fighters, leaving Riku unconscious and Kei walking away with the Ultra Capsules.
But this time was different.
As Geed stood in his Magnificent form, there was no stalemate. His Strong Burst Ray steadily overwhelmed Pedanium Zetton's dark energy, consuming it entirely.
The next moment, Pedanium Zetton's body was engulfed in blue-white light, exploding into fragments with a thunderous boom. Flames filled the sky.
Geed, his mission complete, dissolved into particles of light.
A sphere of luminescence lowered Riku gently back to the ground.
There, lying battered with his face charred and clothes in tatters, was Fukude Kei. Slowly, Riku approached.
Kei wanted his Capsules? Then it was only fair—now that Kei was defeated, Riku would take his monster Capsules in return.
But as Riku neared, Kei suddenly twitched. With a startling burst of strength, he flipped upright, bracing himself with his cane. His eyes locked on Riku.
"I didn't expect… your power to have grown this strong," Kei panted.
"Kei," Riku said firmly after a pause, "don't keep following Belial down this path."
Kei threw back his head, laughing madly. "Belial-sama is everything to me! How could I ever abandon him?!"
"I'm not asking you to abandon him." Riku shook his head. "I'm saying… you can change him."
"Change?" Kei sneered. "Do you really think a mere copy like you can change Belial-sama?"
Riku fell silent for a moment, then remembered Yu Zhou's words.
Belial had once been an Ultraman of the Land of Light—a warrior who had given much for his people. Even now, Riku truly believed Belial could be brought back. Even if the Land of Light never forgave him, Riku would. After all… he was his son.
"Kei," Riku pressed, "I heard from Yu Zhou and Zero—you're a Strum Alien, right?"
"…So what if I am?" Kei muttered.
"They say the Strum aren't an evil race," Riku continued.
"Not evil? Hah! Don't make me laugh." Kei's grin twisted into bitterness. "Do you know what became of us? Invaded. Destroyed. Wiped out."
Riku faltered. "…I…" He didn't know how to respond.
"Actually," Riku said at last, sighing, "what I want you to think about is this: try finding a way to drive out the Reiblood spirit inside Belial. Without that parasite, what's left… that's Belial's true self."
It was the same idea the Ultra King had once suggested, but none had found a way to achieve it. Still, if anyone could reach Kei, it might be this seed of doubt.
Kei froze, silent.
Was the being he worshipped—his Belial-sama—truly Belial? Or just the Reiblood using his body?
Did Belial even want to exist like this? Or was this fusion a torment?
Without answering, Kei turned away.
Riku didn't chase him. He had seen it—the silence, the hesitation. Kei was thinking. That was enough.
"Riku!"
Laia and Pega arrived, rushing to his side. The alien sniper who had threatened Laia earlier had been subdued—even Pega with a brick had managed to hold his own long enough.
"Why did you let him go?" Laia demanded, frowning as she watched Kei disappear into the distance. "Wasn't this the best chance to stop him?"
"It's fine," Riku said softly, smiling. "Let him think it over."
Meanwhile, Yu Zhou and Zero continued their flight across the cosmos.
"We're almost there," Zero said after their long journey, gazing at the stars ahead.
"Ugh, I really want to call Lumina…" came Leito Igaguri's voice, weakly, from within Zero. "I knew traveling into space would take time, but I didn't think it'd be this long! Staying out all night without a word—Lumina's going to kill me! And… wait, there's no cell signal in space, right?!"
"Man, you really do like Lumina," Yu Zhou muttered. He had long since stopped questioning how sound carried in the vacuum of space.
"Quiet, you two," Zero cut in. "Look!"
Both heroes stopped short.
Before them, a rift pulsed in the void—an ominous gateway of violet and crimson light.
"It looks like… an eye," Yu Zhou observed.
At its center, where the pupil should be, stretched a bottomless tunnel of shadow.
"Let's check it out," Zero declared, flying in without hesitation. From within, Leito's voice shrieked in terror—after all, he was just an ordinary office worker at heart, and this was nightmare fuel.
Yu Zhou followed. He had faced worse before. Plasma Spark? He had dared to touch it. Compared to that, what was there to fear?
As long as Dyna was still out there waiting, he knew he couldn't die here.
That thought filled him with unshakable confidence.
"Zero," Yu Zhou said suddenly as they flew deeper, "I think I can beat Belial."
"Huh?" Zero blinked. "Didn't you just say you weren't strong enough? Where's all this confidence coming from?"
"Because I know I won't die yet," Yu Zhou replied matter-of-factly.
"…And how exactly do you know that?" Zero asked, suspicious.
"Back in the Land of Light, Dyna already recognized me. He called me 'senpai.'" Yu Zhou smiled. "But at that time, I didn't know him. Which means—someday in the future, I'll meet him properly. Until that happens… I can't die."
"…That… kind of makes sense?" Zero muttered, tilting his head. "Wait a second—are you saying you'll travel through time?"
Yu Zhou blinked. "Eh?"
"You said you'll meet Dyna in the future, even though he already knows you from the past. That means time travel, right?"
"…I don't really know how," Yu Zhou admitted, shrugging. "Maybe some accident will send me there. But it'll happen."
Before Zero could reply, something burst from the crimson void—writhing tendrils of red energy, lashing toward them.
"Watch out!"
Yu Zhou raised his hands, slashing out blades of light. With sharp cracks, the tentacles shriveled and collapsed.