"This is the Victory Swallow. Please issue attack orders!"
Suddenly, a voice came from Ryo's communicator—it was the Victory Swallow, now used as a training machine, but today it had been mobilized by instructors and trainees to help.
Ryo's face lit up with relief. With only his own fighter jet, it was impossible to truly damage the monster. But with the Victory Swallow squadron joining in, the odds were far better.
He quickly issued commands, and the squadron of jets opened fire on the monster.
Beams and missiles rained down, scattering sparks across its body. But despite the heavy bombardment, the creature bellowed arrogantly, as though unharmed.
"Don't tell me… our strength really isn't enough!" Ryo muttered in despair, watching their attacks prove ineffective.
Just then, a powerful radiance flared above the squadron. Two giant figures, wrapped in shining light, descended to face the monster head-on.
"It's Ultraman Tiga—and that new giant of light!" shouted Koda, one of the Super Victory Team members stationed on Earth, his voice full of excitement.
"What do you mean 'new giant'? I already named him!" Mai retorted. "That's Ultraman Dyna!"
Yu Zhou, standing side by side with Asuka, spotted the Victory Swallow flying past. Memories of the old Victory Team stirred in his chest. Nostalgia would have to wait—right now, their mission was clear: defeat the monster.
The creature was called Guralein, a horrifying fusion of Spheres and molten lava.
Without hesitation, Yu Zhou unleashed a freezing beam straight at its head.
Icy vapor wrapped around Guralein's massive body, and within seconds, the monster was frozen solid.
"Huh? Wait a minute."
Yu Zhou glanced down at himself—he was still in Multi Type form, yet he had just fired the Freeze Beam.
"So… Multi Type can use the Freeze Beam too?"
He blinked in surprise, but quickly brushed it off. No matter—since the beast was frozen, it was time to finish it.
Yu Zhou pulled his hands back, then thrust them forward in an L-shaped stance. Light gathered rapidly around him before bursting forth in a brilliant white beam.
Zeperion Beam!
Beside him, Dyna crouched low, gathering his own energy before firing his finisher—the Solgent Ray.
The two beams struck the frozen Guralein squarely. As expected, the monster detonated in a colossal explosion, its body shattered into pieces.
Yu Zhou's style had always been straightforward: if you can one-shot the enemy, don't waste time. And with Dyna's help, there was no chance this thing would survive.
With the battle over, the two giants soared skyward, disappearing into the clouds.
"Senior!"
At sunset, by the sea, Asuka called out to Yu Zhou, who stood quietly watching the horizon.
He hadn't expected that Ultraman Tiga, too, was a human who transformed into a giant of light.
Asuka had only just begun his journey, while Tiga had fought countless battles. Surely, there was much he could learn from this veteran.
"Asuka," Yu Zhou turned, carrying himself with the air of an experienced mentor. "Your battles are only just beginning."
"You… you even know my name?!" Asuka was stunned.
He had always been a nobody—just a trainee, only recently accepted into the Super Victory Team. How could the legendary Tiga know who he was?
"I met you eight years ago," Yu Zhou said with a smile. "My name is Yu Zhou. I was once a member of the old Victory Team."
Recognition flickered in Asuka's eyes. He remembered an encounter years ago at the Space Development Agency—yes, he had met this man before.
"I can't believe it… Yu Zhou-senpai, you were Tiga all along!" Asuka's voice trembled with excitement. It felt like discovering a world-shaking secret.
The old Victory Team had a Tiga, and now the Super Victory Team had its own giant of light as well. Could this be fate?
"By the way, Yu Zhou-senpai," Asuka hesitated, "I remember… a long time ago, there seemed to be two Ultraman Tigas. If Tiga is human… then who was the other one?"
Yu Zhou nodded. "You're right. There were indeed two Tigas."
He saw no reason to hide it from Asuka—this boy had once risked his life in the Monster Graveyard to protect him.
"The other Tiga is also from the old Victory Team. He's on Mars now. Your senior—Daigo."
"Daigo-senpai!" Asuka repeated the name silently, committing it to memory. If one day he couldn't win a battle, maybe he could seek guidance from this Mars-based veteran.
"Yes. Daigo," Yu Zhou confirmed. "And one more thing—another of our teammates, Masaki, is also a giant of light."
"Masaki… then he must be Ultraman Cain!"
Asuka's jaw dropped. Three Ultramen, all from the same Victory Team? The revelation left him shaken.
"Exactly," Yu Zhou said simply. He noticed Asuka knew nothing of R'lyeh or the three dark giants, so he didn't mention them.
Ryo soon arrived to pick Asuka up. Yu Zhou decided to return to TPC with them—perhaps he might see some old friends again.
"I never imagined I'd meet a senior here," Ryo said excitedly. "The old Victory Team… all of you are legends to us."
Still, the one he admired most was Shinjo. Back in his training days, Shinjo had been the ace pilot among cadets, and Ryo had always looked up to him as an idol.
"Though honestly," Ryo added with a grin, "that 'Crash King' reputation of his is hard to believe. He and Daigo were famous for their accidents. Yet somehow Shinjo still became an ace?"
Yu Zhou chuckled. Shinjo's classmates had all gone on to become astronauts exploring the galaxy, and now Shinjo himself was chasing his dream of space exploration. Perhaps his constant crashes had been Daigo's bad influence.
Unlike the old base hidden in the sea, the Super Victory Team's headquarters was nestled in the mountains. After the black fog of Gatanozoa had once breached the Far East Base, TPC had clearly decided to relocate their main force inland.
Passing through the gates, Yu Zhou greeted the new team warmly. They had plenty of questions for this veteran, and he was happy to chat.
But then, a figure he knew all too well entered the room.
"Captain Megumi!"
Yu Zhou's heart leapt. He hadn't seen her in years—and here she was.
"Yu Zhou!" Megumi's face broke into a radiant smile as she called out to him.
Eight years. Eight long years since Yu Zhou had left this world for his own universe. He had never once returned—until today.
When she heard Tiga had reappeared, Megumi had assumed it was Daigo. After all, Daigo hadn't transformed into Tiga in eight years. She even contacted him to confirm.
But Daigo told her the truth—it was Yu Zhou who had come back.
And when she heard a former Victory Team member had arrived at the Super Victory Team's base, she rushed here without hesitation.
That night, beneath the stars, Yu Zhou and Megumi sat together on a cliff edge, reminiscing.
They asked after each other's lives, how the years had treated them, what hardships they had faced.
"Yu Zhou," Megumi finally said, "you should visit R'lyeh sometime."
"I was already planning to," Yu Zhou nodded. That place had been on his mind for a long time.