Chapter Eight: The Awakening of the Giant

The two fighter jets, one ahead and one behind, plummeted almost simultaneously toward the mountains. With a thunderous roar, a violent explosion erupted where the White Dragon and the Victory Swallow One crashed.

“Gale! Daiko!” The team members cried out in alarm. As skilled pilots, they all knew what such an outcome meant.

But for Rina and the others aboard the Swallow Two, all they could do was watch helplessly as both jets were swallowed by a blaze of fire. Agonized, they squeezed their eyes shut, unable to bear the sight.

At that moment, Golzan was raising his massive hand, ready to strike down upon a giant stone statue. On the other side, Melba simultaneously lifted its sharp beak, aiming to peck at another giant statue behind.

Yet, right at this critical juncture, dazzling white light burst forth from the tops of the two giant statues’ heads. The energy timer lit up first, glowing sky blue, as beautiful as the heavens. Starting from the chest, the transformation spread continuously over the stony giants’ bodies. The two colossal figures gradually awakened and emerged before everyone’s eyes, their streamlined forms exuding elegance and power. The light, brimming with immense energy, radiated from their chests and ultimately illuminated their eyes with a slow, brilliant glow.

Bang! The slightly shorter giant awoke first. Just as the razor-sharp beak was about to strike him, he sidestepped with a flash and firmly grasped Melba’s neck with one hand. With his other arm, he delivered a fierce blow to Melba, knocking it back several steps.

Everything unfolded as fluidly as flowing water. He strode forward to the other, as yet unawakened, giant statue, striking Golzan’s elbow with a powerful punch. The force numbed Golzan’s entire arm, causing him to roar and stumble back, red beast eyes blazing with hatred.

“It’s the giants! The giants have awakened!” Rina cried out in delight, witnessing the giant’s effortless repulsion of the two monsters. The sudden turn of events left the Victory Team both astonished and awestruck.

“But how did they awaken?” Kutsui’s question had no answer. Everyone had been immersed in grief over Daiko’s loss and paid no heed to the statues.

Yet, regardless of the reason, the giants’ forms stood before their eyes in absolute clarity—the battle they had just witnessed could not have been a hallucination.

The first giant to awaken stood at about fifty meters tall, his body adorned in alternating blue and red. His eyes emitted a milky white light, and the colorful timer on his chest shimmered like the ocean, a deep azure. The armor on his chest extended from the timer upward to his shoulders, not appearing overly muscular, but radiating boundless potential.

Having repelled both Golzan and Melba, the giant did not pursue them. Instead, he moved to guard the other statue, which was still undergoing its transformation.

This second giant’s body, striped in blue and white, appeared even more robust and taller. His fists clenched, his transformation was nearly complete, yet his eyes remained dark, unable to ignite.

Tetsuya knew he was within the giant’s consciousness; he could clearly sense the transformation of the giant’s body, a sign that the giant had accepted his mind. But…

Why was it always the final step that eluded him?

Anger and disappointment played across Tetsuya’s face. He felt some force within his own body repelling the giant, making it impossible for him to fully awaken the colossus.

“System! Tell me what’s going on!”

To his query, the system responded swiftly and precisely: “Because Nexus Ultraman and Tiga Ultraman belong to different universes, and since your body already possesses the gene enabling transformation into Nexus, it is repelling the sudden intrusion of the gene from the Tiga Ultraman universe.”

Tetsuya frowned deeply and probed, “Nexus and this giant can’t be compatible?”

The system replied, “Not exactly. However, a certain medium is required to balance the powers of Ultraman from both universes. Attempting to transform directly and recklessly will create a repulsion effect.”

“Damn you, system! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!”

Fury burned in Tetsuya’s heart. He had risked his life, becoming a being of light to enter the giant’s body, and the giant’s consciousness had not rejected him. But just when it seemed certain to succeed, such a problem arose, scattering all his efforts and leaving him seething with frustration. Yet venting his anger would not solve the issue, and his system was far too petty—he dared not provoke it further, so he bit back his rage after a single complaint.

“Is there any way to resolve this?”

“Until the necessary medium is found, you may choose to abandon this giant or relinquish the Nexus gene. In either case, the giant’s consciousness will return you from the battlefield.”

Tetsuya’s fists clenched, his teeth grinding audibly. There was no way he could give up the Nexus gene—he still needed to return to his world, where Sara Mizuhara was waiting for him!

But…should he really give up this giant…?

Tetsuya was a decisive person; in moments like this, hesitation only led to more agony and would not change reality. Thus, he quickly made his choice. With a heavy sigh, he cast a lingering glance at the giant’s body and said in a low voice,

“System, tell me his name and details.”

The system did not refuse his request. Soon, the giant’s profile appeared in the void:

Achilles Ultraman
Class: A-level (Thirty million years ago)
Height: 55 meters
Weight: 47,000 tons
Flight speed: Mach 6.8
Running speed: Mach 2.5
Jump height: 1,000 meters
Grip strength: 28,000 tons
Title: Aurora Warrior
Signature Move: Absolute Zero (A+)
Faction: Light, Ultra-Ancient Giants

Tetsuya sighed silently and asked, “Show me the other giant’s profile.”

Heracles Ultraman
Class: A-level (Thirty million years ago)
Height: 60 meters
Weight: 50,000 tons
Flight speed: Mach 5
Running speed: Mach 2
Jump height: 800 meters
Grip strength: 65,000 tons
Title: Mighty Warrior
Faction: Light, Ultra-Ancient Giants

Tetsuya understood—these must have been the original character drafts conceived by Tsuburaya Productions during the planning of Tiga Ultraman: two warriors with different abilities to complement each other in battle. The original concept was for Tiga Ultraman to be a hot-blooded, friendship-driven sci-fi work, but due to budget constraints, the two were merged into one, giving rise to Tiga’s changing forms to alter his abilities.

What a pity…what a pity…

Tetsuya was teleported to the riverbank, his gaze sorrowful as he watched Achilles’ blue-and-white body gradually revert to stone. Even the energy timer on his chest slowly turned to rock…

In this world, not everything goes as one wishes—just as it was for Tetsuya, and for Achilles, who so longed for battle.

Tetsuya did not look back. In silence, head bowed, he walked slowly into the distance.