The new civilization of the Neo-Ancient Humans naturally inherited much of the system from the Ultra-Ancient Era. Though some parts had changed, what was once the Earth Defence Force had now become the Terra Defence Force.
At the headquarters of the Terra Defence Force, the staff watching the battle footage on their screens were all stunned.
The Giant of Light—Ultraman Tiga—had appeared!
The name "Tiga" was ancient. To the newly born humans of this age, perhaps it meant little. But to the surviving Neo-Ancient Humans, it was a name carved deep into memory.
As the inheritors of the Earth Defence Force's legacy, the Terra Defence officers naturally knew the history of the Giant of Light.
Yu Zhou also noticed their shocked expressions as soon as he appeared.
He had expected this. After all, the people of Terra were the descendants of Earth's Ultra-Ancient Humans. Once they left Earth, the Giant of Light must have become no more than a legend.
Setting down the downed fighter jet he had just caught, Yu Zhou had no intention of joining the fight. These Manon Aliens could be handled by the Terra Defence Force alone; they hardly required him to intervene.
He was just about to take off into the sky when, unexpectedly, one of the giant-sized Manon Aliens charged straight at him.
"Ultraman Tiga! I will avenge my kin!"
The Manon roared as it rushed forward.
Yu Zhou: "???"
"When the hell did, I ever kill a Manon?!"
Completely dumbfounded, Yu Zhou stared at him. This was literally the first time he had ever met a Manon Alien—so why was this guy suddenly here for revenge?
"Die, Tiga!"
The Manon didn't care about his confusion. It leapt up and swung a massive claw at him.
"Damn it!" Yu Zhou shot into the air to dodge. The alien's claw tore into the ground below, shattering it into rubble.
"Ancestors who once travelled to Earth—I will avenge you today!" the Manon bellowed, springing after him again.
"...Earth?"
Yu Zhou froze for a moment, then realization struck.
So, this was about the Manon Alien that had been slain long ago—by Daigo's Tiga. Somehow, this guy knew his clansman had been killed by Tiga, and now he was here for revenge.
But that wasn't the point.
The point was, it had been Daigo who killed that Manon back then—not him!
"You've got the wrong guy! Your clansman's death had nothing to do with me!" Yu Zhou shouted as he dodged another blow.
"You're not Ultraman Tiga?"
The Manon stopped suddenly, and with a wave of his hand, an image materialized before them:
It was Tiga unleashing the Zeperion Ray, obliterating a Manon Alien.
"I am Tiga!" Yu Zhou groaned, exasperated. "But I'm not the one who killed your clansman!"
"You think I'm an idiot?" the Manon snarled. "What, are you saying there are two Tigas?"
"Actually… there are!" Yu Zhou blocked another strike, gritting his teeth.
"Bullshit!" the alien roared, kicking at him furiously. "Do you really take me for a fool?"
Yu Zhou met the kick with his own, shaking his head. "Forget it. If you don't believe me, then so be it."
Their legs clashed with a thunderous boom. At that instant, the crystal on Yu Zhou's forehead gleamed, and in half a second his body shifted into his full silver-and-red form.
The impact sent the Manon crashing down from midair.
"What… what is this power?!"
Shocked, the Manon tumbled toward the ground. At the last second, it twisted to avoid smashing its head into the surface.
"Attack!"
The Terra Defence Force wasted no time. Seeing Tiga overwhelm the enemy, they ordered their fleet of sleek spacecraft to open fire.
Beams rained down on the Manon, bursting sparks across its hide. The alien endured for a while, then unleashed violet arcs of energy from its hands, striking several ships.
The ships smoked and blazed as they began to fall—but their pilots ejected in time, jetpacks on their backs carrying them to safety.
"Impressive tech," Yu Zhou thought, watching them. The Manon hadn't just grazed their tails; its arcs had struck the fuselage dead-on. If this had been Earth's fighter jets, the pilots would've had no chance. But these ships had been designed to withstand direct hits, buying time for escape.
And not just with parachutes—but jet propulsion!
On Earth, Victory Team and Super Victory Team only ever had to worry about tail damage thanks to plot armour. But these Terra pilots? They survived real hits through pure technology.
"If Daigo and Shinjou saw these ships, they'd love them," Yu Zhou mused, making a note to maybe bring a couple back.
He landed before the Manon, raising his guard.
"I didn't want trouble," Yu Zhou muttered. "But you just had to ask for it. Fine."
He beckoned with his hand. "Come on. Let's finish this."
"Raaah!"
But the Manon didn't charge. Instead, it wound up and unleashed a long-range pink beam.
"…What kind of girly attack is that?"
Yu Zhou raised a single palm and blocked it outright in Power Type stance. But instead of dispersing the energy, he gathered it, compressed it, and hurled it back as a blazing red energy sphere.
"What?!"
The Manon was stunned. Tiga could block his beam with one hand—and then weaponize it?
Before he could react, the fiery sphere struck him head-on. With a scream and a deafening blast, the Manon was hurled through the air.
"Nice hit!"
Not just the Terra soldiers, but even the alien mercenaries on the same ship cheered.
"I was just about to go giant and teach that bastard a lesson. Guess I don't need to," one of them muttered.
"Fire!"
The Defence Force saw their chance. Once again, their fleet surrounded the downed Manon and blasted away, pinning him to the ground.
Yu Zhou crossed his arms before his chest. Energy swirled into his Colour Timer, condensing into a blazing crimson orb.
"Delacium Beam Stream!"
The massive wave engulfed the Manon, merging with the fleet's bombardment. With an explosive roar, the alien was consumed, reduced to ashes in the inferno.
As the flames faded, Yu Zhou wasted no time. He soared skyward, then landed quietly in a secluded corner, the light dissolving around him.
Back with Daigo and Eri, he acted as if nothing had happened.
"Eh?" Eri blinked in surprise. "Where did you just run off to?"
"I just went to the bathroom."
Yu Zhou gave his classic excuse—the bladder dodge technique.