Hannes stared in shock as the towering pillar of light shattered into countless glowing particles, drifting away like fireflies.
And then
from within that fading brilliance
a fifteen-meter-tall giant slowly emerged.
When the last bit of light dissipated, he and Mikasa finally saw it clearly:
Standing above the ruins was a colossal figure clad in red, silver, and violet armor.
"Th-this Titan… looks… so damn cool…"
Hannes muttered blankly after a long, frozen silence.
The red-violet-silver giant stood upright, fists clenched at its sides.
Its physique was almost unnervingly perfect
a tight waist without an ounce of excess fat,
muscles shaped like sculpture,
and two unbelievably long, powerful legs carved like stone.
But what struck Hannes and Mikasa most
was the golden crest-like armor across its chest.
And embedded within it
a blue gem.
A Titan with armor?
A Titan with a gemstone?
Nothing made sense.
And yet
the most confused person of all…
was the Giant of Light himself.
Ultraman Tiga - Evan Cross.
Evan stared down at the houses below, now the size of toy blocks, and at the two Pure Titans in front of him
now nearly eye-level with him.
To him, they looked like two naked lunatics with creepy chalk-gray skin and twisted grins.
"…Did I… transform?"
He squeezed his fist experimentally
and power surged through him, multiplied many times over.
He had the absurd feeling that if he punched Wall Maria,
he might actually knock a hole straight through it.
Then a mechanical voice echoed inside his mind:
System StatusCurrent Synchronization Rate with Light Giant: 1%
Unlocked Titan Combat Power: 1%
Strength: 7 (Pure Titans: 5)
Speed: 7 (Pure Titans: 3)
Jump Height: 4m (Pure Titans: 0)
Height: 15m (Basic Form)
Ultraman Skills: Basic Combat Techniques
Current Form: Composite Type
▶ Unlock at 2% Synchronization: Agile Form
Evan's expression twisted.
So Tiga's power had been nerfed this badly?
Only basic combat technique?
Not even a basic beam attack?
He remembered Tiga's official specs
a grip strength of 50,000 metric tons.
That was 50 million kilograms of force.
Enough to pierce the Earth.
Enough to flick a Titan into orbit.
But here?
He was…
a beginner.
Still strong
but nowhere near cosmic-level.
"System really knows how to starve a man.
Never underpowered, but never full power either…"
He sighed.
Only at 2% synchronization could he use the violet-blue Agile Form.
"How do I even increase synchronization…?"
But Evan didn't get time to ponder.
The two Pure Titans, who had been gaping at him in curiosity, suddenly lunged.
No hesitation.
No warning.
Just two hungry monsters pouncing like wolves.
Their wide drooling grins made Mikasa tense below.
"Titans are… attacking a Titan!?"
Before she finished
the black-haired female Titan clamped her jaws onto Tiga's golden chest armor.
The short Titan wrapped its arms around his right leg and bit down with all its might
And then
CRACK.
Its teeth…
shattered.
Shattered.
Into fragments.
"ROOOOOOOOAAAAAH!!!"
The female Titan howled, not from pain Titans felt none
but from pure frustration.
Evan, through Tiga's body, finally reacted.
He glanced at the screeching female Titan, then down at the shorter one hugging his leg like a tantrum-throwing child.
He casually grabbed the small Titan by the head
lifted it into the air like a doll
stared for a second
and with his other hand…
SLAPPED.
"CRUNCH !! RIP !!"
The sound of breaking bones and tearing flesh echoed across the street.
The five-meter Titan's entire head flew off like a kicked ball.
The remaining body sprayed hot steam like a geyser.
Tiga tossed the corpse aside, where it quickly began evaporating.
Below, Mikasa and Hannes stood speechless.
"He… he slapped its head off…"
"A Titan…
is really fighting a Titan…"
They watched the Giant of Light
and for the first time since Wall Maria fell
there was something other than fear in their hearts.
There was awe.