Chapter Thirteen: Dark Tiga vs. Flame Golzan

Bang! Bang!

The hardened fists struck Fire Golzan's head with precision, forcing Golzan to stagger backward. Shaking his dizzy head, he roared defiantly and beat his powerful arms against his broad chest, launching himself once again at Dark Tiga.

"Ha!" Golzan swung his mighty tail in a sudden sweep, and Tiga dodged with a nimble somersault, narrowly escaping the heavy blow. Yet Golzan's reverse strike caught him, slapping him to the ground...

Watching from the sidelines, Ultraman Zero shook his head at the unfolding scene.

Golzan seized the advantage, his enormous feet stomping repeatedly toward the fallen Tiga. Tiga rolled swiftly, evading each crushing blow.

Timing his move amidst Golzan’s relentless stomping, Tiga suddenly sprang up, sweeping his left leg to trip Golzan. Mounting Golzan’s body, he clenched his fists and rained down a flurry of rapid punches upon Golzan's head—much like the lightning strikes of Chinese Wing Chun.

Golzan, dazed by Tiga’s powerful blows, lay motionless, while Tiga, exhausted from the barrage, rose to his feet, catching his breath and regaining his strength. Fire Golzan sprawled on the ground like a mindless creature, limbs splayed skyward, jaws agape, utterly still.

Drool dripped from his mouth, and his blackened teeth gleamed hideously, evoking a wave of disgust.

"Playing dead, are you?" Yu Longze understood that Fire Golzan could not possibly die so easily, even with his own strength enhanced by Camilla.

"This creature's punching power is just barely passable," Zero remarked with a hint of admiration in his eyes. If he were in human form, his lips would surely curl upward.

"Hmph, let's see how long you can keep up the act." Yu Longze glanced at a massive boulder nearby, roughly equal to his own height—after he had transformed into Tiga, of course. With little effort, he lifted the boulder and hurled it at the feigning Fire Golzan.

The rock crashed down hard upon Golzan, sending clouds of dust billowing. Yet Golzan remained unmoving, like a dead turtle with all four limbs in the air.

"You really go all out to deceive me, don't you..."

Yu Longze hefted another boulder and smashed it onto Golzan, but as before, Golzan showed no reaction.

"Truly a monster worthy of respect..." Yu Longze was somewhat amazed; though the rocks might not inflict lasting harm upon Fire Golzan, they surely brought intense pain.

"If you want to play, then I'll give you something bigger!" Yu Longze smiled inwardly, scanning his surroundings before selecting a boulder that towered far above himself.

Like a weightlifter, he struggled to lift the massive stone, wobbling as he approached Golzan, then hurled it at him with the force of a tiger descending from the mountains.

At the instant the specially chosen boulder was about to crush Golzan, the monster's seemingly cumbersome body moved with surprising agility, dodging like a fish darting through water.

"Oh?" Zero, observing the fight, looked at the beast in surprise, not expecting such nimbleness from a bulky form.

Watching Golzan evade the boulder so deftly, Yu Longze widened the distance between them, gathering his strength, preparing to charge at Golzan with all his might...

Golzan, angered by the failure of his ruse, began to emit fiery red light from the lava-like patterns across his body.

"Heyah!"

In the blink of Fire Golzan’s rage, Yu Longze surged forward once more. Before he could close the distance, Golzan’s head unleashed a series of explosive lava fireballs. Yu Longze was caught off guard, dodging the first few, but the final, most powerful fireball struck him squarely in the abdomen.

Like a kite with its string cut, Yu Longze was sent flying by the forceful impact, embedding deeply into a pile of rocks.

"Ah, it seems he’s lacking some battle experience," Zero, perched atop a distant hill, shifted his sitting posture and continued watching the fight unfold.

The wind and sand enveloped the sky, and silence reigned over the battlefield. Golzan blinked his sinister eyes, gazing at Yu Longze trapped within the rocky mound.

The sound of shifting stones.

Beneath the sweeping sand, a figure slowly rose from the pile of rocks.

The wind howled.

Yu Longze dusted off the sand from his body and strode steadily toward Golzan.

"Perhaps my combat experience is lacking, but how can I allow myself to lose to you!"

With a thunderous shout, he raised his iron fists and charged forward.

Just as in his battle against the Evil God Gatangier, sparks erupted across the monster’s body.

Fire Golzan earned his name for absorbing the energy of magma. His defenses were formidable, though still far inferior to Gatangier’s in the past.

Tiga circled behind Golzan and locked him tightly with both arms.

He exerted force, unleashing tremendous strength, squeezing Golzan’s flesh until it creaked; the sound of bones dislocating and fracturing was clearly audible.

With a surge, Tiga lifted Golzan and hurled him far into the distance, raising a cloud of dust.

Golzan crashed heavily to the ground, struggling to get up for a long while.

Seizing the moment, Tiga crossed his arms, gathering energy.

Dark Zepellion Beam!

Biu~

Purple-black beams shot forth like arrows.

Golzan’s body exploded with a deafening roar, torn into pieces.

The timer on his chest began to flash. At this point, Yu Longze’s stamina was nearly spent, with most of his energy depleted.

"This is the power of darkness, and the heart of light," Zero murmured, leaping before Yu Longze.

"Don’t say anything yet—focus on recovering your strength," Zero gave him no chance to reply.

"Don’t release your transformation. Except for that special place on Earth, where you can only sustain it for three minutes, elsewhere you can remain transformed as long as your energy and stamina last." Seeing Yu Longze about to revert, Zero rattled off an explanation.

"Oh?" Yu Longze was surprised.

"Earth truly is a unique planet..." he mused.

Without further thought, Yu Longze slumped to the ground for a brief rest, while Zero stood nearby, arms crossed, seemingly deep in contemplation.

Both remained silent, letting the wind and sand buffet their bodies.

About twenty minutes passed.

"Your arm strength and punching power are rather impressive," Zero broke the silence.

"But your leg strength has much room for improvement," he brushed the sand from his face and continued, "And your fighting skills and combat experience are sorely lacking."

"You’re right," Yu Longze nodded, undaunted by Zero’s candid assessment.

"What I rely on is merely the innate combat instinct of Tiga," Yu Longze stood, his sharp ivory eyes gleaming.

"So, please train me, Ultraman Zero!" Yu Longze bowed deeply to him.

"In order to annihilate Zeta completely, I would train you even if you hadn’t asked. Since you’ve taken the initiative—" Before Zero could finish, a screech pierced the air, and a colossal figure swept overhead...