Chapter Three: An Encounter

The Flower of Qijiela was utterly annihilated, vanishing completely from this world. People awoke from the wondrous dreams conjured by the flower’s pollen, and life returned to its quiet rhythm.

Under the night sky, Daigu and Yue Longze transformed back into their human forms.

“Humanity’s fate—we’ve turned it around!” Yue Longze exclaimed with excitement, his hair fluttering in the breeze.

“Yes, but humanity still has a long road ahead,” Daigu sighed. As Tiga’s successor, he had witnessed too much.

“Right, I haven’t told you yet—my name is Yue Longze,” Yue Longze introduced himself.

“I’ll call you Long, then,” Daigu smiled, then added, “Could I get your contact information? That would make it easier for us to stay in touch.”

“Uh… I don’t have a phone…” Yue Longze scratched his head awkwardly.

Daigu: ……

“Daigu, could I join your Victory Team?” Yue Longze asked suddenly. Here, he was all alone; food, clothing, and shelter were all problems. If he could join the Victory Team, a lot of issues would be resolved.

Fortunately, he could both understand and speak fluent Japanese—a blessing, perhaps, bestowed by fate after crossing into this world.

“That… might be difficult,” Daigu replied, looking troubled. Yue Longze understood why; the Victory Team was not a place just anyone could enter. Every member was a genius in their field, and even Daigu had only joined after a strong recommendation from Director Sawai.

“What if I revealed that I’m the Black Giant?” Yue Longze proposed boldly.

Of course, revealing his identity meant risking capture by those with ill intentions. Asayuki, host of Dyna, was a living example of such dangers. Yet Yue Longze wanted to use this as bait, to see if there were still those within TPC who harbored ambitions of controlling the power of giants. If not, all the better. If so, it would be best to eliminate such threats early.

He shared his idea with Daigu, who was visibly taken aback, pondering the matter for a moment before agreeing to help him try. After all, if both giants were members of the Victory Team, fighting together would become much easier.

Moreover, Masaki Keigo had left a deep impression on Daigu—he didn’t want to see another evil Ultraman like him arise.

“Three days from now, at eight in the evening, let’s meet here again,” Daigu said.

Yue Longze nodded. After chatting with Daigu for a while longer, he realized this was not the usual Tiga storyline.

When Yue Longze mentioned Obiko and the vampires, Daigu looked completely bewildered. According to the normal plot progression, both should have appeared by now. And since Daigu still retained his transformation ability, it clearly meant the evil god Gatanozoa had yet to emerge.

“So I won’t bother thinking much about the surfacing of R’lyeh Island,” Yue Longze mused. Since this world no longer followed the script, further speculation was pointless.

He even considered destroying the stone statues of Camila and the others ahead of time, to nip a major threat in the bud.

What Yue Longze didn’t know was that R’lyeh Island had only surfaced from the sea the day before he arrived—and after he left, it had already sunk once more beneath the waves.

It was late; not wanting to arouse his teammates’ suspicion, Daigu didn’t linger. Clad in his white uniform, his figure gradually faded from Yue Longze’s sight.

The streets, now peaceful, stretched out before Yue Longze as he walked slowly along.

“I might be the first vagabond Ultraman in history,” he chuckled self-deprecatingly. His current state was little better than a beggar’s.

His stomach grumbled loudly. Rubbing it, Yue Longze couldn’t help but smile wryly.

He found a relatively secluded spot, sat down, rested his chin in his hands, and stared blankly into the dense night.

A rhythmic sound echoed in his ears—crisp footsteps, growing more hurried, as if someone was being chased.

Suddenly, a striking figure darted from the alley’s corner—a young girl, her delicate face filled with panic.

“Little girl, where do you think you’re running?” a lecherous voice called out. Yue Longze saw a sleazy-looking middle-aged man and a short man in his twenties rush into view.

“Please help me! They’re trying to hurt me,” the girl, about fifteen or sixteen, cried, her fair skin almost glowing in the night. Tears in her eyes, she clung shakily to Yue Longze’s arm.

“I really can’t stand people like you,” Yue Longze said, patting the girl’s shoulder to reassure her. He picked up a brick from the roadside and strode toward the two men.

In truth, Yue Longze was all bluster; he was no fighter, and his empty stomach left him weak. Still, he couldn’t turn a blind eye to such wickedness. As an Ultraman, his sense of justice was overwhelming.

“Don’t you think your actions are disgusting?” Yue Longze’s voice was cold, his dark eyes glaring at the men.

Even with only a little combat experience, the fierce aura he exuded was enough to intimidate them—after all, he was Dark Tiga!

Frightened, the two men shrank back as Yue Longze approached, brick in hand. When they reached the alley’s end, they bolted like the wind, leaving behind only a muttered, “You win this time!” echoing in the deserted passage.

Yue Longze breathed a sigh of relief where they vanished. He was glad there hadn’t been a real fight; he doubted he could have handled both men alone.

“Thank you so much, sir! I was so scared!” the girl said, also relaxing, and bowed her thanks.

“It’s nothing—just a small matter,” Yue Longze replied heartily, but his stomach interrupted with a loud rumble. He could only rub it awkwardly. “Uh, sorry about that—I’m a bit hungry…”

The girl smiled understandingly, then took a chocolate bar from the small black satchel slung over her shoulder and offered it to him.

“It’s all I have, but you can use it to tide yourself over,” she said with a gentle, endearing smile.

Yue Longze took the chocolate without pretense, tore it open in one swoop, and bit off half in a single mouthful—though the chocolate was surprisingly hard.

In a small sushi shop nearby, couples sat together, sharing delicious sushi in a sweet, intimate atmosphere.

But Yue Longze ruined the mood, devouring his food ravenously.

“Long, slow down…” the girl urged, nibbling delicately at her own piece.

After a long, satisfied belch, Yue Longze patted his now full belly and beamed with contentment.

“Thank you so much for the meal, Miss Ikehara!” he said sincerely. He would never forget this first full meal since crossing into the world of Tiga.

“I told you, just call me Kayo! Don’t be so formal,” Kayo Ikehara pouted, giving him a playful, reproachful look.

“Alright then, Kayo,” Yue Longze replied, finding her youthful charm irresistible. At their age, it was only natural to think of love.

Kayo giggled sweetly at his response.

Neon lights flashed along the road, and the city pulsed with endless energy beneath the night sky. Skyscrapers soared, crowding together in dazzling rows.

With his hunger finally eased, Yue Longze strolled down the street with Kayo.

“Long, since you don’t have a place to stay, why don’t you stay at my house for now?” After talking for a while, Kayo realized Yue Longze was homeless and alone.

But he kept his Ultraman identity a secret.

“This might not be appropriate…” he hesitated, torn by the cute girl’s offer, though as a self-confessed lover of all things adorable, he couldn’t help feeling conflicted.

“Isn’t this moving a little fast?” he thought, slightly embarrassed by his own musings.

“It’s settled then!” Kayo declared decisively.

“Then I’ll graciously accept,” Yue Longze replied, his spirits lifting—this was certainly a promising start.