"Don't worry about that. I'm not going to fly on my own."
Charija chuckled slyly and motioned for Yu Zhou to follow him out of the hotel.
Yu Zhou wasn't sure what Charija was planning, but he decided to go along and see what tricks this guy had up his sleeve.
The two soon left the city and arrived at the open wilderness on the outskirts.
A capsule appeared in Charija's hand. He tossed it to the ground.
Bang! White smoke erupted from the impact point.
Within the smoke came a piercing cry, sharp and avian, echoing across the fields.
When the smoke cleared, a birdlike monster stood before Yu Zhou and Charija.
"A… mini Zoiger?"
Yu Zhou blinked in surprise. Charija had just released a monster like some kind of pocket monster trainer—it was indeed a small-scale Zoiger.
This Zoiger wasn't very large, and it didn't seem all that strong, but it was healthy and well-developed.
So Charija really did manage to hatch a Zoiger egg.
"Hop on."
Charija grinned and leapt onto Zoiger's back.
"You want to fly on your own, or ride with me?" he asked Yu Zhou.
"I'll go with you."
Yu Zhou thought it over and then joined him. Transforming himself would be too troublesome, and there was always the risk of being spotted. Riding Charija's little Zoiger was much more convenient.
"But how are you going to stop others from noticing us?"
With the advanced technology of Planet Like-Earth, any flying monster in the skies would be spotted instantly—maybe even shot down before they got far.
"Relax. Watch this."
Charija raised his black umbrella, which transformed into a staff, and waved it in the air.
At once, a shimmering barrier enveloped Zoiger and the two riders.
"What's this?"
Yu Zhou touched the barrier experimentally. His hand passed right through—it didn't block him at all.
"This shield hides us from outside detection. Plus, it doubles as a windbreaker."
With the explanation finished, Charija commanded Zoiger to take off.
Whoosh!
Zoiger shot skyward. Yet despite its rapid movements, Yu Zhou and Charija didn't feel shaken or unstable. It was as though Zoiger's back carried its own gravity field, keeping them steady.
"Not bad."
Zoiger sliced through the sky at high speed, heading for the continent's edge.
The barrier blocked the wind, leaving Yu Zhou calm and unruffled.
Before long, they had left the continent behind, soaring over the endless expanse of the sea.
Charija stared blankly at the waves.
"The deal you mentioned… it's in the ocean?" Yu Zhou asked.
"Yes, in the ocean. But the exact spot… I can't seem to find it." Charija scratched his head sheepishly.
"You didn't even get a precise location?" Yu Zhou's mouth twitched. This guy really was careless. Searching a boundless ocean for a monster trading site was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Still, Zoiger flew them deeper and deeper over the water, Charija scanning the surface with hopeful eyes.
An hour passed.
Then two.
Then three…
Nothing.
Both Yu Zhou and Charija stared at each other, equally exasperated.
"Maybe we should go back," Yu Zhou suggested.
"Or… maybe we keep looking a bit longer?" Charija said, embarrassed.
"No. We're going back."
"Come on, just a little longer."
"No. Back."
"Just a bit—"
"Back."
"Fine, fine. I'll give you another chance to use the suitcase."
"Deal."
"…." Charija fell silent.
Just then, Zoiger flew to the very heart of the ocean. Relative to the continents, they were now hovering right at the sea's centre.
Because of the time difference between hemispheres, the sky had grown dark.
"ROOAAARRR!!!"
Suddenly, a colossal figure burst out of the waves, unleashing a thunderous roar that shook the night sky.
Yu Zhou and Charija's eyes were immediately drawn to it.
Even in the dim light, Yu Zhou could make out the massive form of a monster rising from the sea.
"That's it!" Charija shouted in excitement. "King Guesra!"
"King Guesra?"
Yu Zhou wasn't unfamiliar with the name. This kaiju had often been used by alien invaders as a living weapon. In fact, in the Great Decisive Battle! The Eight Ultramen world, part of the massive combined monster had been composed of King Guesra.
"Yes! With Zoiger ruling the skies, I'll soon have a monster that dominates the seas!" Charija's grin widened.
"…What, you want a land monster too?" Yu Zhou gave him a flat look. This guy was really trying to collect sea, land, and air kaiju like trophies.
"Exactly! You got one? Sell it to me!" Charija leaned forward eagerly.
"No."
Yu Zhou rejected him outright. Sell a monster to Charija? Not happening. He didn't even have monsters—Zoiger wasn't his, it was Camearra's!
"Fine." Charija pouted, but his eyes shone again as he fixed on the colossal King Guesra.
The monster roared once more before plunging back into the depths, vanishing into the waves.
"Zoiger, dive!" Charija commanded.
Zoiger, being both an aerial and aquatic creature, obeyed instantly. Before its kind had ever appeared in the sky, they had first emerged from the ocean.
They plunged beneath the surface. Yu Zhou braced himself for seawater, but the barrier held—it even blocked the crushing pressure.
"Charija, technically Zoiger already counts as a sea monster," Yu Zhou remarked as they swam.
"Maybe. But I still want King Guesra." Charija's eyes were locked onto the massive silhouette swimming ahead.
The crashing currents were held back by the barrier, keeping the pair safe inside.
"This barrier's actually pretty useful," Yu Zhou admitted, poking it experimentally.
"Don't—!"
Too late.
The instant Yu Zhou's finger pressed the barrier, it shattered.
"…."
Both froze.
"Oh, crap!!"
Yu Zhou reacted instantly, pulling out his Sparklence and pressing the button.
Without the barrier, the crushing ocean pressure and tons of water surged in. Charija flailed helplessly.
"Glub glub glub—!"
Yu Zhou transformed into Ultraman Tiga, albeit in human-size form, and grabbed the drowning Charija.
The water didn't truly harm Charija, but swallowing mouthfuls of it certainly left him miserable.
"Hold on."
Yu Zhou spoke reassuringly and fired a Foam Beam, encasing Charija in a protective bubble that kept the water out.
"Let's go. We're not losing King Guesra!"
Charija nodded rapidly, caring little for anything except the prize monster.
He recalled Zoiger back into its capsule, then gestured for Yu Zhou to push his bubble forward.
With no choice, Yu Zhou propelled the bubble through the sea, chasing after King Guesra.
Like Earth's oceans, this one teemed with fish. But wherever King Guesra passed, only skeletons remained—schools of stripped bones drifting in the water.