"Why are you here?"
Charija was just as curious, wondering why Yu Zhou would suddenly appear in this place.
He already knew the Manon Aliens had tried to invade this planet, only to be defeated by Ultraman Tiga. But Charija was also aware that in this vast universe, it seemed there wasn't only one Tiga.
Since Yu Zhou had supposedly been on Earth light-years away, Charija assumed that the Tiga who appeared here couldn't possibly be the same one he knew.
Yet now, running into Yu Zhou inside the Interstellar Grand Hotel meant only one thing—yesterday's Tiga who annihilated the Manon Aliens was indeed Yu Zhou.
"I'm just here to have some fun, do you believe that?" Yu Zhou said lightly.
"I don't believe it," Charija replied flatly, shaking his head.
Tiga coming to this planet just for fun? Impossible. If Tiga was here, it had to be for some serious reason—probably involving monsters.
"Anyway," Charija added cautiously, "when I make my deal tomorrow, don't you dare step in and kill the monster."
Yu Zhou blinked, almost laughing. "What are you saying? Do I look like the kind of guy who starts throwing punches for no reason? Why would I interfere with your monster deal?"
"It's best if you don't."
Charija remained wary. Against any Ultraman, even one he knew, his guard was always up. After all, most Ultras attacked monsters on sight—Charija couldn't risk having his future purchase destroyed.
"Come on. I gave you Zoiger eggs once, remember? Do you really think I'd harm your monsters?" Yu Zhou said with mock annoyance. Eight years ago in this world, he had gifted Charija two Zoiger eggs. How quickly the guy forgot.
"…You've got a point," Charija admitted after a moment's thought.
"So? How are those two Zoiger eggs doing? Did they hatch?" Yu Zhou asked with genuine curiosity. Had Charija eaten them fried, or had he raised them?
"I already have two Zoigers now."
Charija's expression turned smug. He had successfully hatched both.
"Unbelievable. Charija, are you a mother hen or something? You can hatch anything!" Yu Zhou gave him a thumbs up.
"What's that supposed to mean—praise or an insult?" Charija muttered, uncertain whether to feel proud or offended. Then, more seriously, he asked, "Since I've run into you here, how about joining me tomorrow at the monster trading site?"
Yu Zhou raised an eyebrow. That he didn't expect.
Charija explained quickly: "I don't have a strong monster to guard me right now. The Zoigers are still young, fragile, and can't fight. If something goes wrong—if the seller cheats me, or if there's danger—I'll have no way to protect myself. If you come along, I'll be safe."
"You want me to accompany you to a monster deal?" Yu Zhou repeated, surprised. Then after a pause, he nodded. "Alright, I'll come. But on one condition—your suitcase. You'll let me use it once in the future."
That suitcase of Charija's was no ordinary case; it was his most valuable tool. Yu Zhou figured he might need it someday.
"Fine," Charija agreed immediately. "One-time use isn't a big deal. I've lent it to you before anyway."
"Then it's settled. Tomorrow, you come find me here," Yu Zhou said.
Charija memorized Yu Zhou's room number, then left the hotel in high spirits. The thought of purchasing a new monster had him grinning ear to ear.
The next morning dawned bright and clear.
After enjoying the Interstellar Grand Hotel's lavish breakfast with Dack, Yu Zhou stepped outside into the bustling streets. The cityscape here was reminiscent of R'lyeh rebuilt—European-style castles and palaces mingled with ultra-modern towers.
But this wasn't Earth. This was Terra Star, the new home of the Ultra-Ancients.
Located in the heart of the continent, the capital city was also the headquarters of the Terra Defence Force, positioned so they could deploy in any direction with speed. The planet itself had only one massive continent, ringed by oceans and glaciers at the poles. Though technologically advanced, much of its deep seas remained uncharted.
Dack, gazing at the endless skyline, mused, "Someday, Terra Star may split into continents, just like Earth and Dais did."
Yu Zhou countered with a smirk, "Or maybe it's the opposite. Maybe it used to be fragmented long ago, and now it's fusing back together."
As they walked, Yu Zhou remembered to brief Dack. "By the way, I ran into an old friend yesterday—Charija. Tomorrow, I'll be going with him to take care of something. You can explore the city on your own then."
"Got it," Dack nodded. He wasn't bothered; his main job was guiding Yu Zhou through space travel. He didn't need to tag along everywhere. Still, if Yu Zhou had asked, he would have followed.
Yu Zhou frowned thoughtfully. "Still… who could be selling monsters on Terra Star? This place is practically a second Earth. No way would the locals be doing it. That means the seller's probably an alien."
Aliens were common enough here, so long as they weren't hostile. Maybe the authorities even turned a blind eye to monster trading.
It reminded Yu Zhou of another world entirely—Taiga's world, where the alien Markind ran a massive monster auction house. There, even weapons like the Spacetime Destructor Zegun or monsters like King Guesra could be bought and sold. Charija would've loved that place.
But Yu Zhou wasn't about to share the idea. Giving Charija access to stronger monsters would only cause trouble. This was, after all, the same man who once unleashed Yanakargie—the so-called "cutest but deadliest" monster—only for Daigo and the First Ultraman to join forces and destroy it.
Giving him the Zoiger eggs years ago had been more like a trick than a gift. Raising Zoigers would keep Charija busy, and they weren't particularly strong monsters anyway. At their basic stage, even the Victory Swallow could mow down an entire flock.
Still, Yu Zhou hadn't expected Charija to sniff out a monster deal here of all places.
The next morning, Yu Zhou's doorbell chimed.
He opened the door to find Charija standing there, grinning beneath his black top hat and cane.
"Let's go! It's time!"
His eyes sparkled with excitement, the way only a monster merchants could when a deal awaited.
"Fine," Yu Zhou said. "So, where's this trade happening? How do we get there?"
"In the ocean," Charija replied after a moment's thought. "We'll fly."
Yu Zhou crossed his arms. "Fly? On a world as advanced as Terra Star? If you just take off like that, you'll be detected instantly. They might even scramble fighters to shoot us down."
(To be continued…)