Chapter Twenty-Six: Become Light

“Where is this...?” Da Gu gazed downward; the cave below was pitch dark, save for a single beam of light streaming through, leading to an unknown place.

“Chokararin...” Zhe Ye looked around and then said, “Chokararin is a very long cave, with multiple entrances. This might be one of its most hidden ones.”

As he spoke, he tugged at Da Gu and said, “Come on... we were planning to go into Chokararin anyway. Let’s just follow the dog inside.”

The cave was long and winding, its passages branching in every direction. Without a guide, one could easily get lost within. The light was faint, not quite darkness, and the cave was damp, with water droplets glistening on the walls.

They followed the small dog for nearly half an hour, unsure how far they had traveled. At last, rounding a corner, a golden gleam shone from the end of the new passage!

Da Gu stared in astonishment, speechless. He exchanged a glance with Zhe Ye, and together they rushed toward the light.

It was an enormous cavern, rising nearly sixty to seventy meters high. Light flickered within, and by that illumination, both saw two statues standing in the center of the cave.

One was a giant, its pose mirroring that of Tiga: fists clenched, gazing skyward. Yet the statue bore marks of age, the gray stone showing the passage of time, but on its right arm, a patch of stone looked newly restored, as if someone had recently repaired it.

Beside the giant stood a much taller monster statue. Unlike other monsters with their fierce and savage visages, this one exuded calm, inspiring no terror.

Between the two statues stood a small altar, clearly a modern construction, with four tall pillars at the corners, each glowing with light.

“It’s the Giant!” Da Gu exclaimed in awe at the sight before him. “And there are other giants!”

Not far away, the dog barked excitedly at them. Zhe Ye nudged a stunned Da Gu, and together they followed the dog to the altar.

The dog darted ahead toward the altar, but from the pillars surrounding it, blue arcs of electricity flashed, striking the dog and sending it yelping and tumbling away.

“You actually managed to find your way here!” Da Gu was about to step forward when Masaki Keigo’s voice rang out from the altar.

Zhe Ye crouched beside the dog to check its condition, while Da Gu looked up at Masaki Keigo.

“Oh... so Hayate is here, too. That’s not so surprising,” Masaki Keigo’s gaze fell briefly on Hayate, though he seemed unconcerned—victory was already within his grasp.

“We are all the same, so you’re not the only special one.” Masaki Keigo spoke, his eyes fixed on the giant statue as he explained himself.

“That’s not true!” Da Gu retorted. “I’m not some exceptional person. I’ve only done what I could, together with everyone on this planet!”

“To protect this planet together!”

“People?” Masaki Keigo sneered. “People treat Ultraman as a god... You should give up such unrealistic ideals.”

“Unrealistic ideals?”

“That’s right. You rely entirely on the power of light, and Ultraman’s mission is to forcibly guide humanity’s evolution!” Masaki Keigo pointed at the giant statue as he laid out his views.

Da Gu wanted to argue, but he didn’t know what to say. He was just a transport division worker, not versed in profound philosophies; he’d always fought guided by his heart.

“Masaki Keigo... CEO of Selic Technologies, world-renowned physicist!” Yesui reviewed the information he had found, then quickly connected with Captain Jujian Hui, who was organizing operations in Kumamoto City. “Dr. Tango used the network to secretly transmit TPC’s image data—the recipient was Masaki Keigo.”

“Wow... so it was Masaki Keigo...” In the temporary command tent, Ju Jing was astonished. “He’s an outstanding guy!”

Shinjo asked, “You know him? How outstanding? Compared to me?”

Ju Jing shot Shinjo a look of disdain and replied, “Masaki Keigo was called a genius in high school. Later, he made his mark designing computer software. He’s a key figure in space development; I’ve heard he invested in the construction of the Caro Base on the moon.”

He turned to Director Zewei and asked, “Is that true?”

Director Zewei nodded, explaining, “To show TPC had no military ambitions, we invited various multinational companies to invest in the Caro Base’s construction.”

Deputy Captain Zongfang interjected, “We must act quickly. With Dr. Tango and the underground shark appearing, their operations are no longer covert.”

“What is this...?”

Da Gu stared at the battle footage projected from the altar, showing a segment of Tiga’s first appearance—a part of the records never meant for public release.

“At that moment, you became light... isn’t that so?” Masaki Keigo said. “Then you transferred into the giant statue and revived the giant.”

He pulled a Divine Light Rod from his pocket, watching Da Gu’s expression with smug satisfaction. “And this is the special device that allows you to become light ions. The genes of ancient warriors, the giant—there needs to be a medium to connect them, and this is it.”

“The Divine Light Rod!”

“I’ll tell you this!” Da Gu shouted in anger, “I know what you’re planning! No matter how clever you are, no matter if you can analyze the power of light... you will never become Tiga Ultraman!”

“Ignorant...” Masaki Keigo scoffed. “Isn’t that right, Hayate? The three of us share the same root gene. We’re descendants of the same kind.”

He paced onto the altar, placing the Divine Light Rod at its center.

“Stop!” Da Gu shouted. “If you become light with the wrong intention...”

“Shh...” Masaki Keigo turned with a sinister smile. “You’ll soon know if it’s right or wrong!”

“I’m about to evolve beyond humanity...”

“Stop!” Da Gu lunged forward, but was struck by an electric arc, sent flying and writhing in pain on the ground.

Zhe Ye grabbed Da Gu, feeling the current pass through his body—a sharp sting, but not severe.

“Are you all right...?”

“Go stop him!” Da Gu called.

Zhe Ye looked toward the altar, took a deep breath, and stepped forward. He had once become Next Ultraman, and the residual strength of Next had greatly enhanced his physique. This enhancement wasn’t short-lived; it was gradual, accumulated over years. Since entering Tiga’s world, Zhe Ye had spent nearly a decade here, his body growing to an extraordinary degree. Most importantly, he had prepared for this moment—not for a first attempt at claiming Tiga, but for this very confrontation.

He first stimulated himself with weak currents, then gradually increased them as his body adapted. After years of daily practice, he had become someone entirely different from what Masaki Keigo and Da Gu imagined.

“Zila...”

As the current surged through Zhe Ye, a brief paralysis flooded his mind. He clenched his teeth, endured, and moved slowly but resolutely toward the altar.

How strong was the current? In the original series, it was enough to kill a dog, but only caused short-term paralysis for Da Gu—not fatal. Masaki Keigo had to endure the pain of the current to become light, and he managed it, showing the current wasn’t the real obstacle; with training, it could be tolerated. Da Gu simply hadn’t prepared for it and thus suffered so badly.

“Ancient power! Turn me into light!”

Masaki Keigo screamed wildly, and in the next instant, Zhe Ye lunged at him. The Divine Light Rod activated, and, in Masaki Keigo’s astonished gaze, both their bodies transformed into light ions, streaming into the giant’s body.

“No...!”