Chapter Thirty: The Giant's Curtain Falls

Watching as Diga vented his fury by pounding the ground, the giant stood quietly, making no attempt to attack at this moment. Tetsuya's words echoed in Daiko's ears:

“Is this all it takes for you to give up?”

“Daiko… stand up, fight again! Since you chose to battle in this form, you must bear the responsibility that comes with it!”

“Why…” Diga slowly climbed to his feet, gazing at the giant, Daiko’s voice tinged with confusion.

“Swift Wind, you—so outstanding—you could have chosen to fight alongside me, shoulder to shoulder! Not to battle to the death as you do now!”

Tetsuya paused, for the first time directly addressing the question. “My mindset has changed… though I hate to admit it… the endless waiting has eroded my sense of self. I am obsessed with this power, unable to escape. I care more about my own strength than protecting the Earth…”

“I yearn for battle. As my power grows, so does my ambition. I don’t agree with Masaki Keigo’s idea of ruling the world; it’s only because I disdain the frail humanity he represents.”

“I no longer possess a heart of justice…”

“Stand up, Daiko!” Tetsuya’s voice carried a trace of regret, yet was filled with expectation. “Stand up, and defeat me!”

“Mm…”

As his arm fell, the crystal on Diga’s forehead flashed a blue light. His blue-violet body sprang into the air and descended with a fierce kick.

With a mighty crash, the giant’s massive form was sent flying. But before Diga could follow up with an elbow strike, the giant rolled and quickly stood again.

The two faced off, their eyes filled with vigilance.

Diga was the first to kick at the giant, but before the blow landed, the giant retaliated with the same move. Their legs collided with force, and then each launched another kick, almost simultaneously alternating legs. Diga’s speed clearly surpassed the giant by one or two steps, but the giant’s strength was greater.

Diga agilely leapt behind the giant, but before he could attack, the giant knocked him away with a shoulder charge.

Seeing that victory was elusive in this form, Daiko grew anxious, and Diga transformed into the Composite form. Following Diga’s transformation, the giant clenched his fists, arms spread wide before drawing them together, deep purple energy gathering between his hands.

Daiko, almost without thinking, began to gather the Zeperion Ray, too. A hundred meters separated the two giants as deep purple and white lights converged from both directions, massive energy waves emanating from them.

Almost simultaneously, a huge beam of deep purple energy erupted from the giant’s right elbow to his palm, while Diga’s Zeperion Ray raced forth to meet it.

The contest between ray skills, the collision of energy, as the two beams struck, energy vanished in silence—there was almost no sound, only the intense beams clashing. Yet Diga’s Zeperion Ray seemed superior; the purple energy beam was clearly dominant. Then, with a violent explosion, both giants were thrown backward.

Almost instantly, the giant pressed his back to the ground and nimbly sprang up, while Diga rolled once and managed to crouch, assuming a fighting stance.

“A war between giants…” Director Zei watched the desperate battle from afar, a hint of emotion in his voice.

“No…” Hui Jujian walked up behind him, her gaze lingering on the giants, her tone deep. “This is a war provoked by the human heart!”

“Diga… you must defeat him!”

Gaidi watched the battle between the two giants in silence. Daiko had grown quickly, and he too was an excellent warrior, having inherited the genes of the super-ancient fighters. He could grow through battle and display remarkable skill.

He sensed his master had changed… he could clearly feel the evil heart within his master had shifted, no longer the wild, destructive ambition it once was. The giant still craved power and satisfaction, but now he fought as if driven by a stubborn purpose. Though he had many chances to crush his opponent, the giant always held back, never delivering a fatal blow.

It seemed less a battle, more a lesson.

A seasoned warrior teaching one just coming into his own.

Knocking Diga down again, Tetsuya used even greater strength and energy. In fighting Diga, he could clearly sense Daiko’s growth. Daiko was mastering every form of combat, and the gap between them was steadily closing.

“Ding dong… ding dong…”

Then came the flashing of the color timer on their chests. The giant looked up for a moment, his gaze falling on Gaidi, as if carrying apology and regret. Daiko had little respite before his own color timer began to ring. Both giants were now at the end of their strength.

“It’s time…”

Eyes blazing, the giant looked at Diga. Both leaped almost simultaneously. In midair, Diga struck with a hand chop while the giant countered with a flying kick. After a brief clash in the air, each landed, as if a pause button had been pressed, holding their final poses. Only the color timers on their chests flashed urgently.

“Bang…”

The giant was first to fall to one knee, while Diga could not hold out, crashing to the ground.

Staggering to their feet, Daiko and Tetsuya said nothing, yet through each other’s eyes seemed to see each other’s thoughts.

The giant gathered deep purple energy, compressing it as he extended his arms.

“Yes… yes!!!” Masaki Keigo almost screamed. “Eliminate Diga! One giant on Earth is enough!”

Meanwhile, Diga’s Zeperion Ray was rapidly gathering. With barely a second’s difference, both made nearly identical gestures.

Diga’s Zeperion Ray was completed and fired, but the giant’s ray paused at the final moment, letting the energy disperse.

“Swift Wind! Are you out of your mind?!”

“What are you doing?! Are you seeking death?!”

Masaki Keigo watched the incoming Zeperion Ray in utter collapse, his words incoherent.

Daiko, seeing this, wanted to retract it, but the Zeperion Ray had already been fired, surging toward the giant. Masaki Keigo raged, but Tetsuya quietly closed his eyes.

“Boom!!!”

With a tremendous sound, Tetsuya opened his eyes in surprise, only to see Gaidi standing before the giant, the ray stream beginning to destroy and ionize his body.

Without hesitation, the giant extracted energy from his color timer and urgently injected it into Gaidi’s own. But Gaidi’s timer was already broken; his massive form dissolved into countless ions of light, fading from this world.

“Daiko…”

A quiet call snapped Daiko from his remorse. Through the giant, he saw Tetsuya.

“It’s time to end… send me on my final journey…”

“Wait!” Masaki Keigo cried out in panic. “What are you trying to do?! Isn’t this enough? Why are you so eager to die?!”

“Swift Wind…”

“To stay in this world is shameful to me… come…”