"So… she must have been someone very important to you, right?"
The black-haired girl blinked her clear, shining eyes as she looked at Yu Zhou curiously.
"Yes." Yu Zhou blinked as well, forcing back the faint tears that welled up in his eyes. "She was the most important person in my life."
"Hmm…" The girl noticed the lonely look on his gentle face and tried to change the subject.
"By the way, my name's Camearra. These two are Hudra and Darramb."
"What's your name?"
"Ca… Camearra…"
The moment he heard that name, Yu Zhou's eyes turned red, his expression tightening as if all the emotions he'd suppressed for years were bursting free.
Then, unable to restrain himself any longer, he suddenly pulled the girl into his arms, tears streaming down his face.
He didn't want the Sparklence.
He didn't want to save the world.
He didn't want to be Tiga.
All he wanted… was her.
"Ah!"
Camearra gasped in shock as Yu Zhou hugged her tightly. Her mind went blank, her face flushing crimson.
But when she felt the man trembling in her arms, instead of pushing him away, she gently reached up and patted his back in comfort.
The two boys beside her were instantly furious, nearly ready to attack the man who dared to touch their lady so intimately — but Camearra quickly stopped them with a motion of her hand.
They could only stand there, their anger smouldering, forced to watch their lady being held by a stranger.
"You must miss her very much," Camearra said softly. "I don't know what you've been through, but… please, don't lose hope. I don't think she'd want to see you like this."
"I'll never let you be hurt again!" Yu Zhou cried, still holding her tightly, voice trembling. "Never again!"
Camearra smiled faintly. The warmth from his embrace reminded her of how her mother used to comfort her when she was a child, whenever she cried.
After a long moment, Yu Zhou's trembling ceased. His breathing steadied. He finally exhaled a deep sigh and slowly released her.
"I'm so sorry. I… I completely lost control!"
He bowed his head, ashamed. To think that here, of all places, he would meet the Camearra he had longed for day and night — the Camearra from his memories.
He knew perfectly well that this was thirty million years in the past, when she hadn't even met him yet.
But seeing the young Camearra standing before him, he couldn't hold back anymore. The emotions he'd buried deep for so long erupted like a flood.
Back then, when Camearra had died before his eyes, he hadn't shed a single tear — but now, all the sorrow he had suppressed had finally broken free.
"It's fine," Camearra said with a smile, shaking her head. "Are you feeling better now?"
Yu Zhou nodded quickly, though regret weighed heavily in his chest.
This era's Camearra was meeting him for the first time, and the first thing he had done was embrace her and cry like a fool.
He then glanced at the two boys. He hadn't recognized them earlier — Camearra looked exactly as she had in the far future when she'd returned to her youthful form, but Hudra and Darramb looked completely different.
Their hair now was sleek and dark, not the wild, rebellious styles they would have in the future.
Still, both of them were glaring at him with open hostility, as if ready to fight him to the death at any moment.
Yu Zhou smiled awkwardly, unsure of what to say. If Camearra hadn't stopped them earlier, he suspected they might already have attacked him.
"You still haven't told me your name," Camearra said, looking up at him with those bright eyes. Her voice was gentle, melodic.
"Oh— right. I forgot to introduce myself."
"I'm… Tiga."
Yu Zhou smiled faintly as he spoke the name.
Tiga.
If he hadn't encountered Camearra in the ancient era, it might have been easier to pretend. But now, seeing her standing here alive — young, beautiful, full of life — there was no way he could ever allow another "Tiga" to take her from him.
"All this time, everything has pointed toward that truth," he murmured. "Then let that truth… become reality."
From the moment he had fallen from Orion to Earth, he had witnessed event after event unfold — until finally, he had become known among the ancient people as one of the Giants of Light, codenamed Tiga.
For the longest time, Yu Zhou had feared that if there was no original Tiga in this world, he would never have the power to resurrect Camearra.
Because if he himself were the true Tiga, then with his current strength, reviving her was impossible.
So, he had denied it. Avoided it. Refused to face the truth.
But now—
Camearra was standing right in front of him.
"The true Tiga — even if it isn't me… I'll make it me!"
"No one will take Camearra away from me again!"
With that vow, a fierce determination blazed within him.
He would save the Camearra of the future.
And he would not lose the Camearra of the present.
"I'll gain even greater power," he whispered, gripping the dark Sparklence in his hand. "Power strong enough to revive the Giants themselves."
"Let me become the strongest dark giant of this ancient era!"
Holding the Dark Sparklence, Yu Zhou stepped toward the cave entrance under the astonished gazes of Camearra, Hudra, and Darramb.
Outside, the horde of raging monsters battered against the rock walls, roaring furiously in their attempts to break in.
"Then let you all," Yu Zhou said coldly, raising the Sparklence high, "become the stepping stones for my power."
As he walked forward, the dark energy flared. Black-patterned wings unfurled behind him.
The air filled with a faint ringing — like distant silver bells echoing through time and space — as the darkness gathered from every direction.
Violet lightning arced across the sky.
And then, standing before the army of monsters, rose a towering silver-and-black giant.
A cold wind swept across the wasteland, lifting clouds of dust into the air and dimming the light of the heavens.
The corrupted monsters turned their scarlet eyes toward the newly emerged figure, roaring and clawing at the air.
"What… what is that?!"
Camearra and the two boys ran to the cave mouth, staring in disbelief at the giant's immense, silver-black form.
"That guy… turned into that?!" Darramb exclaimed, stunned.
"He was human just now! How could he possibly turn into a giant like that?" Hudra shouted, equally shocked.
"...Tiga."
Camearra's lips moved softly as she gazed at the dark silver giant standing protectively before the cave.
"Tiga…" she whispered again.