"This is a specialty food from Earth."
Yu Zhou explained as he tore open a pack of spicy sticks. The sharp, savoury aroma instantly spread through the room.
He took one and bit into it to show it was safe.
"So fragrant!"
Not only did the Dais Star restaurant owner's eyes widen at the scent, even Asuka, sitting behind Yu Zhou, couldn't help but swallow.
Seeing the owner's curious expression, Yu Zhou smiled faintly. The tastes of Dais Star weren't all that different from Earth's. A snack like spicy sticks, beloved across all of Earth, was bound to win them over here as well.
"Can I try one?" the owner asked boldly.
"Of course."
Yu Zhou handed the opened pack to him.
The owner carefully picked one stick, then slowly chewed.
"This aroma…"
"This flavour…"
"This texture…"
"It's simply divine!"
After finishing the first stick, he immediately devoured the rest of the pack and eagerly opened another.
"Senpai!" Asuka gulped and leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the food. "Can I have some too?"
Spicy sticks were a specialty from Huaxia on Earth. Even though Asuka came from Earth, he rarely had a chance to eat them.
"Here."
Yu Zhou tossed him a bag. Asuka tore it open and started eating like a starved wolf.
The powerful aroma filled the entire restaurant. Other Dais Star citizens eating nearby followed the smell, soon gathering curiously around the counter.
"Manager, what is that? It looks delicious!" one customer asked, eyes shining.
"It's amazing!" the owner replied after finishing his second bag.
"Can I buy some?" the customer asked urgently, staring at the spicy sticks in Asuka's hands.
But instead of answering, the owner turned back to Yu Zhou. "Today, your bill is free!"
Yu Zhou chuckled. "Then these foods are a gift for you."
"Wait, but… Manager, can you sell me some too?" the customer pressed. Around them, more people leaned closer, eyes locked onto the spicy sticks, waiting for permission to buy.
The owner shook his head firmly. "Not for sale."
He quickly swept the snacks off the table and tucked them away. Something this delicious—something he'd never tasted before—there was no way he'd part with it.
"…If you really want some, I can sell to you."
Yu Zhou thought for a moment, then pulled out an entire box of spicy sticks from his dimensional bracelet and set it down.
Since he needed Dais Star currency to guide everyone around and buy things, selling off some of his Earth snacks was the simplest solution.
"I'll buy!"
"Give me one!"
"I want some too!"
"Don't push!"
The moment Yu Zhou offered, chaos erupted. Even the manager who had just sworn not to sell rushed over to snatch up packets of spicy sticks.
In the end, the manager himself set the price—an outrageously high one. Yet the snacks sold out instantly, and Yu Zhou walked away with a small fortune in Dais Star currency.
"Senpai, you really are clever." Asuka said between mouthfuls, deeply impressed.
Yu Zhou only shook his head. "Just luck. I didn't expect Dais Star people to love spicy sticks this much."
"Sir," one of the customers asked hopefully after the rush was over, "will we be able to buy more of this food in the future?"
Yu Zhou paused, then nodded slightly. "Probably. If trade between Dais Star and Earth goes well, you should be able to buy them directly from Earth."
"Interplanetary trade?!" Gasps of shock rippled through the crowd. They hadn't imagined the snack came from another world.
The manager's eyes gleamed with determination. Once Dais Star opened trade with Earth, he swore he would be the first to stock up an entire starship of spicy sticks.
With that problem solved, Yu Zhou and the others left the restaurant behind. Thanks to the sales, he no longer had to worry about money.
(Dack really dropped the ball, Yu Zhou thought. He gave us a place to stay, but no currency. That was sloppy.)
They soon arrived at the central plaza, where once only a statue of Ultraman Tiga had stood.
Now, six new statues towered beside it—Dyna, Camearra, Hudra, Darramb, Masaki's Cain, and another Tiga statue representing Daigo himself.
"…What is this?"
Everyone froze at the sight of their own likeness carved into towering stone, each figure lifelike and awe-inspiring.
"This is Dais Star's rapid-construction technology," Yu Zhou explained. "They can transmit images and recreate them almost instantly as statues or monuments."
"Incredible…" Masaki nodded. He had heard rumours about Dais Star's advanced tech, but now he had proof.
"But why build statues of us?" Daigo asked, puzzled. On Earth, no one would ever dare to erect Ultraman monuments—it would expose too much. Yet here, they had been honoured openly.
Yu Zhou rubbed his chin. "For the people of Dais Star, the Giants of Light were only legends. But now that you've appeared and saved them, you've become something close to gods in their eyes."
"I see…" Daigo murmured. Suddenly it made sense why the Kyrieloid had targeted this world. The power of faith here was even stronger than Earth's.
Dack had already shared their names with Dais Star's leaders, so the statues were commissioned directly by the planet's upper ranks. The common citizens had no such authority, though they clearly respected the monuments deeply.
Ever since Tiga had first appeared and helped them defeat Gyabish, the legends of the Giants of Light had been reborn as truth. Now, to the people of Dais Star, they weren't just heroes—they were divine guardians.
The group offered a few modest comments about the craftsmanship before preparing to leave.
That was when Yu Zhou spotted someone familiar.
A man in a blue robe and headscarf stood staring up at the statues.
It was Eri—the ancient human Yu Zhou had seen before on Dais Star. Like other survivors of the Ultra-Ancient Civilization, Eri sought substitutes for Gijera essence, which kept their kind alive. Yu Zhou hadn't expected him to still be here.
"These statues… Camearra, Hudra, Darramb… and even Cain?"
Eri muttered, eyes wide. Recognition flashed across his face. In the Ultra-Ancient times, the Dack Giants had been infamous. Of course, Eri knew them. To see them again—here, of all places—was shocking beyond words.
Yet something felt different. These stone effigies didn't radiate the same terrible menace as they had thirty million years ago.
"And that one…?"
Eri frowned, pointing at the unfamiliar figure of Ultraman Dyna. "Who is this Giant of Light? I've never seen him before."