"Village committee?"
Camearra tilted her head slightly, confused by the unfamiliar term.
Perhaps it was something unique to Tiga's homeland?
"It's just the name of an administrative organization—nothing important," Yu Zhou replied casually, brushing off the question.
Luckily, Camearra didn't ask to see the badge pinned on his chest. If she did, he wasn't sure how he would've explained it.
Still, this made him realize that relying on the transformation badge wasn't a long-term solution.
After all, if they were to… share the same bed after marriage, there was no way he could keep this secret forever.
"By the way," Camearra asked after finishing a brief examination of Yu Zhou's body, "should we head back now?"
Their ship had been gone for quite some time. With Zoiger destroyed, the Earth Defence Force was likely already investigating the Dark Island.
Since Yu Zhou seemed to take the island very seriously, Camearra naturally shared his concern.
"Not yet. They've probably already landed ahead of us," Yu Zhou replied after a short pause. "Camearra, wait here for a moment. I'll be right back."
Without waiting for her response, Yu Zhou opened the hatch and leapt out.
"Come back quickly, okay!" Camearra called after him, standing by the doorway.
"Got it!"
Yu Zhou waved back and drew out the Dark Spark, transforming into a streak of light that disappeared across the sea.
Akaru City.
Inside the Dragon Hunter Restaurant, Charija lounged comfortably in his chair, devouring food and drink with a blissful expression.
A man in plain clothes sat down opposite him, making Charija pause mid-bite.
"I knew I'd find you here," Yu Zhou said, looking at him.
"I just wanted to enjoy good food for a few more days," Charija replied, resuming his feast. "So, what is it this time? Heading back already?"
"Not yet," Yu Zhou said. "But I need your help with something."
Charija raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"Come with me."
In a quiet grove outside the city, Charija followed Yu Zhou, looking puzzled.
Usually, when two men slipped into a secluded forest together… things tended to be, well, suspicious.
Don't tell me—Yu Zhou's actually into men?!
The thought made Charija's skin crawl.
"Hey, what's with that look?" Yu Zhou snapped. "You've been giving me that weird stare ever since we got here."
"Don't get the wrong idea," Yu Zhou said firmly. "I just want you to teach me how to change my appearance."
"...That's all?"
Charija blinked, dumbfounded.
"Yeah. What else would it be?" Yu Zhou replied, unamused.
"Oh… right, right." Charija scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Changing appearance isn't that hard. Most aliens can do it. Even the Ultras from the Land of Light can shapeshift—you really didn't know that?"
"What?" Yu Zhou's eyes widened slightly.
Now that he thought about it, it was true. The original Ultraman often appeared as Hayata, and the same went for others.
But he'd never learned how to do it himself.
"So how exactly does it work?" Yu Zhou asked.
"Simple," Charija said. "Just picture the face you want, then channel your energy to the cells on your skin's surface."
"I'll give it a try."
Yu Zhou stored away the transformation badge and returned to his original form.
Charija immediately burst into laughter. The sight of Yu Zhou's face without eyebrows was too ridiculous to take seriously.
"Laugh it up," Yu Zhou muttered. "You look worse when you're drunk."
He focused his energy, spreading it evenly through the cells on his face.
Moments later, his appearance shifted—he now looked almost identical to Daigo, though with faint differences in facial features, blending in a few of his own traits.
"Not bad," Yu Zhou said with a grin. "So, how do I look?"
Charija tilted his head. "Still looks like Daigo to me."
"Exactly the point," Yu Zhou said, nodding in satisfaction. "Close enough to pass, but not identical. Perfect."
He turned away. "I'll be off then. You can stay here and enjoy yourself, or return later—it's up to you."
"Fine by me," Charija replied, shrugging. Staying or leaving didn't matter; with his time machine, he could always pick Yu Zhou up after the events of the ancient era.
Yu Zhou soon returned to the ship. Not much time had passed, but as soon as Camearra saw him, she blinked in surprise.
"Tiga, you look… different. Even more handsome than before."
Yu Zhou gave a sheepish laugh. "Hahaha, really?"
Camearra stepped closer and sniffed lightly, confirming his scent.
"Mm, it's still you." She nodded with a smile.
Yu Zhou froze for a second. She even checked by scent? My future wife really doesn't miss a thing.
"Alright then," Camearra said brightly. "Let's head for the Dark Island."
"Right. Let's go."
Their ship glided through the clouds above the Dark Island.
Several EDF vessels hovered in the skies, monitoring the area, while the majority stayed stationed over the nearby waters.
Down below, soldiers had already established a perimeter along the coastline, keeping vigilant watch for any unexpected events.
At the island's edge, Yuzare stood overseeing the operation. She hadn't entered the island herself, instead sending advance scouting teams to survey the interior.
But before long, contact with the scouts was lost.
Radio signals vanished, and their equipment could no longer transmit.
Something—or someone—was interfering with all communications within the island.