Geed's fists glowed with radiant energy as he pounded relentlessly into the body of Pedanium Zetton beneath him, sparks flying with every blow.
The monster shuddered violently, then unleashed a raging crimson beam straight upward from its chest.
Geed immediately leapt clear, narrowly dodging the devastating blast.
With the pressure gone, Pedanium Zetton rose back to its feet.
Geed crossed his arms before his forehead, sweeping them to either side. In an instant, his multicolored Aurora Form shifted into shining silver and red.
Strong Charge Form!
His frame bulked up, muscles swelling like a powerhouse. His entire body radiated overwhelming strength.
Pedanium Zetton fired a beam directly from its forehead toward him.
But Geed caught it head-on, his hands curled like claws, absorbing the energy into his grip.
When the blast subsided, the raging light still pulsed between his fingers. With a grunt, Geed crushed the energy into a sphere, then infused it with his own power, condensing it into a shining orb.
Like pitching a fastball, he hurled the glowing sphere straight at Pedanium Zetton.
BOOM!
The blast struck the monster's chest, exploding in a storm of fire. Pedanium Zetton reeled back, clearly injured.
Without pause, Geed charged in and slammed his fist into its body.
The strike hit with the force of a runaway train, blasting the monster straight backward. It crashed through several high-rise buildings before finally slowing to a halt.
"This power… it's unbelievable!"
Riku gasped, marveling at his new form's raw might. His body felt unstoppable, surging with endless strength.
But Pedanium Zetton rose again. With a sudden flicker, it teleported behind Geed and slammed its palm against his shoulder.
Geed spun, throwing a punch—but the monster vanished, teleporting away again.
Another strike came from behind, then another. Each time, Pedanium Zetton slipped out of reach.
The attacks didn't hurt much, but the constant evasion infuriated him.
"Tch… enough of this!"
Crossing his arms at the forehead crystal once more, Geed shifted forms again. Silver, purple, and blue streaks rippled across his slimmed-down frame.
Sky Miracle Form!
His muscles melted away, his body lean and agile, built for speed.
Pedanium Zetton appeared at his back again—only for Geed to vanish in a blur and reappear behind it.
"Haaah!"
His palm, glowing blue, slammed into the monster's back.
CRASH! Pedanium Zetton hit the ground face-first.
Geed raised his hand, unleashing invisible waves of telekinetic power. The energy wrapped around Pedanium Zetton's body, lifting it high into the air before he froze it solid with a chilling beam.
Encased in ice, the monster plummeted like a falling glacier, smashing into the ground with a thunderous boom.
But the beast broke free again, scarlet lightning crackling across its body as its energy flared wildly. It spread its arms, preparing a finishing strike.
From within Pedanium Zetton's body, Fukude Kei's voice shrieked with madness.
"Lord Belial! That brat—what can he possibly do?! Nothing but a tool, a creation—and he dares defy his master!"
The monster's power surged higher and higher.
"Kneel before me! Grovel in the dirt! Beg for mercy! The end has come, and I will present your severed head to Lord Belial with my own hands!"
With a roar, Pedanium Zetton released an overwhelming torrent of destructive energy.
Geed braced, summoning a barrier that absorbed the raging blast like a black hole swallowing fire.
"This guy's completely insane!" Riku hissed inside the armor.
"His mind is breaking under the weight of the energy," RE.M.'s voice echoed from the Fusion Riser.
"Then let's finish this!"
Geed's body shifted back to his original form. He crossed his arms at the Color Timer, drawing radiant power to his core.
Energy surged to his chest, then into his arms as he pulled them wide, condensing the light into a devastating force.
He thrust his hands into a cross formation. His body's radiance fused with the gathered power.
"Solid Burning Ray!"
A multicolored beam erupted, slamming into Pedanium Zetton. Blue arcs danced across its body before it exploded in a blinding eruption of fire.
As debris rained down, Geed swiftly shifted into Sky Miracle Form again. Telekinetic waves spread outward, catching the scattered Ultra Capsules from the explosion and pulling them into his grasp.
A few slipped through, but most of the stolen capsules returned safely to Riku's hands.
Gathering the capsules, he dissolved into glowing particles of light, vanishing from the battlefield.
Meanwhile, in the alternate dimension, Yu Zhou and Zero were still besieged by countless writhing tendrils.
No matter how many they cut down, more surged forward endlessly.
Even with Yu Zhou's agility in Sky Type, the sheer number overwhelmed him. He was soon ensnared, bound tight in a cocoon of black tentacles.
"Yu Zhou!"
Zero tried to reach him, only to be wrapped up as well.
Suddenly, smoke rose from Yu Zhou's prison. With a thunderous bang, the tendrils exploded outward, revealing Ultraman Tiga in silver and red.
"Looks like high-heat attacks work best against these things." Yu Zhou muttered, turning toward Zero.
Beams of light blasted from within Zero's bindings, shredding the tendrils and freeing him as well.
"This space is endless," Zero growled. "With all these tentacles in the way, there's no way to find Belial."
"Then we should regroup," Yu Zhou agreed with a nod.
"Right. Let's move!"
Zero darted toward the dimensional exit, Yu Zhou close behind. He dared not lose sight of Zero—navigating space alone was still beyond him. To Yu Zhou, Zero was the seasoned guide he could only follow.
Even so, his thoughts weighed heavy. Could Riku truly handle Fukude Kei alone? Even with the Strong Charge Form he'd given him, Riku's youth and innocence were dangerous flaws.
Exiting the distorted realm, Yu Zhou and Zero hovered at the threshold.
"What a nightmare," Zero muttered, peeling bits of scorched tendril from his armor. "Leito, are you all right in there?"
"I'm fine," Leito's voice replied from within. "But I'm worried about my wife. Let's hurry back."
"Not so fast," Zero smirked. He blasted beams of energy around the rift's edges, compressing the portal into a smaller opening.
Yu Zhou, shifting into Sky Type, added a freezing ray, sealing the crack in ice.
"Still not enough," Yu Zhou said, dragging in a cluster of massive asteroids. Together, they sealed the rift completely.