Several MAC fighter jets circled overhead.
Mackey 3
Energy blasts rained down on
Alien Zoruk.
But the attacks barely slowed the monster.
Buildings continued to collapse around it. Concrete blocks scattered across the streets. Even the emergency shelters set up the day before were smashed apart by falling debris.
Inside Ryan's mind, the system continued counting.
"56… 55…"
Ryan clenched his fists.
He couldn't wait anymore.
More people were dying.
He split away from
Omura and walked straight toward the monster.
"Host—"
"I know what I'm doing," Ryan said firmly.
Explosions flashed ahead. Skyscrapers collapsed one after another, throwing clouds of dust into the air.
Zoruk stepped through the flames.
Dark energy wrapped around its body.
The monster looked even more vicious than before.
Its massive eyes burned with killing intent.
"Warning. Host locked by target."
"Transformation available in 30 seconds."
Ryan looked up at Zoruk.
His fists tightened.
The monster stopped destroying buildings.
For a moment, they simply stared at each other across the burning ruins.
Ryan kept walking forward.
"Time to settle this."
"Stop firing! There's someone down there!"
A shout came from above.
Ryan heard footsteps behind him.
"Hey! What are you doing? Get back here!"
Ryan turned.
The old man from the bus yesterday was running toward him.
Ryan blinked.
The man clearly recognized him too.
Behind the old man, several MAC soldiers chased after him.
"Director! It's dangerous!"
Director?
Ryan paused.
He didn't know much about MAC's leadership structure, but judging from the soldiers' panic, this man was someone important.
Ryan frowned.
If the old man stayed here…
Transforming would reveal everything.
"15 seconds remaining."
At that moment, Zoruk roared.
With a target locked, the monster became even more violent.
Its twin blades sliced through buildings that blocked its path.
Each step shook the ground.
The sound of its approach pounded against Ryan's chest.
"Extreme danger."
Ryan glanced at the old man running toward him.
He couldn't let the man get caught in the fight.
And he couldn't reveal his secret either.
There was only one option.
Ryan ran toward him.
"Young man! This way!"
The old man grabbed Ryan's arm.
Several MAC soldiers were rushing over to help them escape.
Ryan felt a lump in his throat.
Even in this situation, the old man was trying to save him.
"You should go," Ryan said quietly.
"I'll be fine."
The old man shook his head fiercely.
"I'm old. My life doesn't matter."
"But you—"
"You're young."
"Someone like you has more important things to do."
He tightened his grip.
"Whatever happens, don't give up your will to protect others."
Behind them, Zoruk roared again.
Enraged by Ryan's movement, the monster accelerated.
Its blades shredded everything in its path.
Within seconds, every building between them vanished.
Ryan now stood completely exposed.
Sweat rolled down his temple.
Despite its size, Zoruk moved terrifyingly fast.
The monster bent its legs.
Then leaped.
Ryan looked up.
The giant shadow swallowed the sky.
Danger.
Ryan clenched his teeth.
Then—
CHOP.
He struck the old man's neck with a precise hand strike.
The man collapsed instantly.
Ryan caught him before he hit the ground.
"I'm sorry."
"But I promise…"
"I'll carry that will forward."
Ryan gently laid the unconscious man on the ground.
Then he looked up at the falling monster.
"001!"
"3 seconds remaining."
Zoruk was only 300 meters away.
"2…"
150 meters.
Ryan's heart pounded.
"1—Transformation ready."
Ryan shouted.
"LEO!"
BOOM.
Zoruk crashed into the ground.
The impact felt like an earthquake.
Shockwaves tore through the area.
Buildings within a hundred meters shattered instantly.
Dust swallowed the entire battlefield.
MAC soldiers stared at the scene with red eyes.
"Director!"
"Captain… the Director…"
Inside the cockpit of a
Mackey 3,
Moroboshi Dan watched the dust cloud closely.
"Focus on evacuating civilians," he ordered.
"Keep casualties as low as possible."
But his eyes never left the battlefield.
Ryu…
Nearby,
Takeshi grabbed
Omura.
"Did you see Ryu?!"
"He just disappeared!"
Omura struggled to keep his balance as refugees rushed past.
His clothes were a mess.
One shoe was missing.
"Maybe he ran ahead!"
He waved dismissively.
"That kid's lucky. Nothing will happen to him!"
But when Omura turned around—
He froze.
"…Wait."
"Isn't that the giant from last time?"
The dust cleared.
Behind the monster stood a towering red warrior.
Ultraman Leo
After placing something carefully on the ground—
Leo grabbed Zoruk.
Then he launched into the sky.
"Ryu…" Dan exhaled slowly.
"The giant saved the Director."
He spoke into the radio.
"Rescue team, move in now."
Ryan originally planned to carry Zoruk into the suburbs before fighting.
But flying while holding a giant monster was far harder than he expected.
Especially when that monster was stronger than him.
Zoruk struggled violently.
Ryan had to release his grip.
Both giants landed in an open field.
They faced each other.
The system spoke.
"Activate Overclock?"
Ryan shook his head.
"No."
The cost was too high.
And this time—
He wanted to win with his own strength.
Ryan stepped forward slowly.
He watched the monster's blade arms carefully.
Energy surged through Leo's body.
Ryan focused it into both arms.
"001."
"What are my odds?"
"Fifty percent."
Ryan smiled.
"Then it's worth the risk."
Red energy gathered around Leo's wrists.
Ryan charged.
"ZORUK!"
CLANG.
Ryan blocked the first strike.
Success.
But immediately—
The second blade came down faster than expected.
Ryan barely raised his arms.
Too fast.
He jumped back just in time.
The speed was terrifying.
Seeing Ryan retreat, Zoruk abandoned defense entirely.
The monster launched attack after attack.
Two simple strikes.
But with its size and speed…
Ryan struggled just to keep up.
He couldn't create an opening for the third strike.
"Damn it…"
After another clash, Ryan retreated, breathing hard.
He hadn't used Leo's body enough.
There was still a small gap between what he imagined and what he could actually do.
In this fight…
That tiny difference became huge.
Zoruk's eyes flashed.
The monster suddenly rushed forward.
Both blades crashed down toward Ryan's head.
"Hah!"
Ryan blocked with both arms.
A crushing force traveled through his wrists.
Bad.
He rolled across the ground.
The movement barely avoided the monster's sweeping blade.
Ryan jumped back to his feet.
The warning light on Leo's chest began flashing.
His strength was fading faster now.
"Remaining transformation time: one minute."
This time, the system counted how long he could stay transformed.
Ryan watched the monster's blades carefully.
He finally realized the truth.
He hadn't truly mastered the triple attack.
In the original story,
Gen Ohtori
trained both his legs and his arm strikes.
Ryan had only trained the kick.
Without strong arm blocks…
The third strike couldn't happen.
Ryan dodged another attack.
Zoruk was getting faster.
"BAM!"
Ryan slammed into a skyscraper behind him.
Zoruk seized the opening.
One blade cut deep into Leo's body.
BOOM.
Ryan's body smashed into the building.
The structure collapsed around him.
The red warning light blinked faster.
From the ground below, children shouted.
"Ultraman!"
"You can do it!"
Ryan heard them.
But this wasn't a world where cheers gave him power.
Still…
He couldn't lose.
Through the dust, Ryan saw something terrifying.
Inside the Mackey fighter—
Dan was preparing to use Ultraman telekinesis again.
Even though it would drain his life.
Ryan sent a desperate message through Leo's mind.
"Don't do it, Commander!"
"I haven't lost yet!"
Ryan clenched his fists.
I can't lose.