So, this man could very well be one of the humans from Earth thirty million years ago!
"I never thought I'd see a statue of Tiga here," the man in blue linen sighed. "It brings back memories… from long ago."
"What do you mean?" Yu Zhou approached him carefully, not directly asking if he was one of the super-ancient humans.
"Nothing," the man said, shaking his head as someone approached. "Just… nostalgia."
"Memories?" Yu Zhou pressed. "Could it be… you saw Tiga before?"
"No," the man shook his head again, clearly thinking Yu Zhou was asking too many questions, and started to leave.
"Wait!" Dack grabbed him. "You're not from our planet, are you? Have you registered for interstellar travel?"
"Let go of me," the man struggled, then took a chip from his pocket and showed it to Dack.
Dack examined the chip carefully and then released him. It was indeed proof of interstellar travel.
"Dack, when you came to Earth, you didn't register either. Why so strict here?" Yu Zhou commented.
"It's… our planet's regulation," Dack explained. "To prevent alien intrusion."
"Earth?!" The man, who had begun to leave, stopped at the mention of Earth.
"What about Earth?" Yu Zhou asked with a faint smile, looking at the man.
"You… are from Earth?" the man asked, noticing Yu Zhou didn't have the typical Dais eyelid markings.
"Yes," Yu Zhou nodded, confirming he was an Earth human, though his Earth wasn't in this location.
"I once was from Earth as well," the man said with a sigh.
As Yu Zhou suspected, this man was likely a super-ancient human from Earth!
"You were one of the super-ancient humans on Earth, right?" Yu Zhou asked carefully.
"Yes. I'm Eri," the man nodded, confirming his identity. "If you know about this, you must be… extraordinary."
"I'm Yu Zhou," he introduced himself. "A human from the present-day Earth."
"Mr. Eri, I want to ask you something," Yu Zhou said.
"What is it? Ask away," Eri replied, curious about this new-era human and what he wanted to know.
"You and your people left Earth due to the super-ancient darkness, to search for new lands, right?" Yu Zhou asked.
"Yes," Eri nodded. Some super-ancient humans indeed left Earth after the appearance of Gijera and the spreading darkness, seeking a new home.
"Then some of you must have returned to Earth to see it restored, right?"
"Yes, we observed. We saw the new life, and new humans reborn after the destruction," Eri answered patiently.
"Then why didn't you return to live there, once Earth became habitable again?" Yu Zhou asked the critical question.
"Because the darkness was only sleeping," Eri recalled the endless darkness of the super-ancient era, exhaling slowly.
"No… Gatanozoa now has already been defeated by the Light Giant," Yu Zhou shook his head. Apparently, these super-ancient humans hadn't yet learned that Gatanozoa had been destroyed.
"We know that too," Eri said. "Some of our kin went to Earth and learned the news. But the sleeping darkness isn't just Gatanozoa. There are still many dark gods on Earth, waiting for the day they awaken. Then the Earth will fall again."
"I see…" Yu Zhou exhaled. The worst fears were true: Gatanozoa was just one of several major threats lying dormant on Earth.
"I advise you to keep seeking new lands, to leave Earth," Eri warned Yu Zhou. "By the time the dark gods awaken, it will be too late."
"I understand," Yu Zhou said, nodding. But he didn't fully agree. Humanity on Earth now remained vigilant, filled with hope.
It was this light in human hearts that allowed the Light Giant to shine, defeating Gatanozoa with ease.
The super-ancient humans had perished partly because there was no Light Giant to intervene, leaving most to die in despair. Had there been one, perhaps the dark rulers could have been defeated.
"By the way… why did you come to this planet?" Yu Zhou asked.
"I just arrived," Eri explained. "Before this, I visited many other planets."
"Why?"
"Because we no longer have Gijera's essence," Eri said with quiet sorrow. "We know that Gijera was defeated by Tiga on Earth. Without it, we cannot extend our lives."
"So, we are constantly traveling, searching for something to replace Gijera's essence," Eri said. He, too, was near the end of his long life—thirty million years—but had lived well.
"I see…" Yu Zhou was surprised. Even without Gijera, these humans had survived this long, yet now it seemed their time was ending.
After answering Yu Zhou's questions, Eri didn't linger. Time was life, and there was no point staying when he could continue seeking replacement essence.
"Actually, I wanted to tell him our planet has nothing that can extend life," Dack said, watching Eri depart.
"Let him be," Yu Zhou replied. Even if the super-ancient humans perished, their descendants would continue their civilization on other worlds. No reason for regret.
Eri, seeing the statue of Tiga, had just learned of Tiga's deeds. The news he shared reminded Yu Zhou of something crucial: on present-day Earth, many dark gods still slumber.
If they awaken, the consequences would be unimaginable.
If the Dyna Ultraman story's ending—where the Sphere black hole swallowed Earth—occurred, these dark gods could awaken. Then it would be darkness against darkness.
Fortunately, Yu Zhou had stored the power of Shining. If that day ever came, he would shine without hesitation.
This world still needed protection; otherwise, he couldn't bring Asuka, Daigo, and the others back safely.
"If a super-ancient dark giant clashed with these dark gods… who would win?"