The plasma cloud continued to absorb energy from the power plant, growing larger and larger.
But right now, both Yuzhou and Daigo were locked in battle against two giant bird creatures—the Kokakucho—and had no chance to deal with the cloud.
Super Victory Team's jets circled the plasma storm, firing anti-plasma missiles from time to time, dispersing small portions of it.
Yet against the constantly feeding cloud, such attacks were utterly useless.
"What do we do? The plasma cloud just keeps getting bigger!" Ryo shouted from the cockpit, watching in frustration as the phenomenon swelled with every bolt of stolen electricity.
If this went on, the battle ahead would only grow harder.
Meanwhile, Yuzhou and Daigo—both in their Power Type forms—were handling the Kokakucho with ease in close combat.
Yuzhou landed a flurry of punches, then delivered a powerful kick that sent one Kokakucho sprawling through the air.
Daigo, while less aggressive, still had his opponent on the defensive.
But then, sensing that it could not win in close quarters, the Kokakucho facing Daigo suddenly took flight, soaring toward the plasma storm.
Daigo was about to switch into Sky Type and pursue—but Yuzhou stopped him.
"Daigo! Leave that one to me. You take care of the one on the ground!"
He gestured toward the Kokakucho he had just knocked down, then leapt skyward after the fleeing creature.
Though still in Power Type, Yuzhou's speed rivalled his Composite form. In moments, he was closing the distance.
"Why… why is Yuzhou so fast in Power Type?" Daigo muttered in disbelief.
Normally, Power Type meant increased strength but reduced agility. Even a Kokakucho's flight speed should outpace it. But Yuzhou was breaking the rules.
Shaking off his confusion, Daigo turned back toward the fallen Kokakucho.
The monster was sprawled on the ground, motionless. Suspicious, Daigo approached and flipped it over.
Its body trembled weakly, but it had no strength left to rise.
"…Destroy…"
The human-like face on its head whispered faintly. Its crimson eyes dimmed, and then it went still.
Daigo froze. "Dead? Or unconscious?"
Either way, Yuzhou had nearly beaten it to death.
High above, the other Kokakucho streaked toward the plasma cloud—but Yuzhou was right behind.
"Tiga's going to catch it!" Ryo exclaimed from the jet.
"Strange," Kōhda frowned. "Power Type shouldn't be this fast. Composite Type, maybe—but not this."
The Super Victory Team knew their Ultra data. To see silver-and-red Tiga moving like these defied expectations.
But Yuzhou paid no attention. His only focus was preventing the Kokakucho from reaching the plasma storm.
If it merged with the cloud, the battle would turn into a nightmare.
Firing light beams wasn't an option—they would have little effect.
"Then I'll just use this…"
His body flared red as his speed surged.
Blazing Impact!
Like a missile, he slammed into the Kokakucho just before it reached the plasma storm.
A fiery explosion split the sky.
On the ground, Daigo shielded his eyes as flames blossomed above. Out of the inferno, Yuzhou burst forth unscathed.
"…That's it?" Daigo muttered. It was almost too easy.
The Kokakucho had been crushed in a handful of blows, finished by a single finisher. Yuzhou's colour timer hadn't even begun flashing.
It didn't feel fair.
Daigo himself rarely won even after pushing into the red. But Yuzhou? He was rewriting the odds.
Sighing, Daigo decided to finish the grounded Kokakucho with the same technique. He rose into the air, glowed scarlet, and dove down in a blazing strike.
Meanwhile, Yuzhou faced the plasma storm.
It was vast, a swirling sea of lightning and energy—without a physical body to strike.
"How do I even fight something like this…?" he thought.
Destroying it with light beams seemed impossible. Then an idea sparked.
"Plasma against plasma… could that work?"
After all, the Ultras' energy came from plasma sparks. Perhaps only plasma could counter plasma.
"If Asuka were here as Dyna, he could swallow this thing with a black hole," Yuzhou thought. "But no—he's still in his fighter, probably thinking he isn't needed."
Daigo rejoined him, his timer flashing red. "How do we stop this thing?"
"…Leave it to me."
Yuzhou shifted into Multi Type, his Composite form, and raised both arms. Energy coursed into his colour timer, glowing brighter and brighter.
"Use plasma… to defeat plasma!"
He unleashed a blinding torrent of light.
The beam struck the plasma storm, spreading through it like sunlight scattering a fog. Lightning arcs flickered desperately, but the storm could not withstand the onslaught.
Gradually, it unravelled, dispersing into nothingness.
"Ding-dong… ding-dong…"
Yuzhou's timer began flashing red. Even with his vast reserves, the attack had nearly drained him.
From their fighter, Asuka whispered in awe: "That light… it was overwhelming."
"It's over," Yuzhou said, drifting down beside Daigo.
The two Ultras floated in silence, their timers pulsing softly.
On the ground, a lone figure stood watching.
It was Mayumi.
She gazed at the distance, lost in thought. Yuzhou followed her line of sight—and froze.
A motorcycle was approaching. On it rode a young man in a helmet and leather jacket.
"…Takuma?" Yuzhou muttered.
It was Mayumi's late boyfriend.
In the original events, his spirit had appeared to save his younger brother. But now, his brother wasn't here. Instead, Takuma had come straight to Mayumi.
"That's… not an ordinary human," Daigo murmured. His senses told him the rider was a soul, not flesh.
Mayumi trembled. "Takuma… is it really you?"
The man lifted his visor just enough to reveal his eyes. For a moment, they looked into each other's souls.
Then he lowered the visor again, started the bike, and rode away into the horizon.
"Takuma!" Mayumi cried after him. Tears glistened in her eyes, but her voice was steady. "That dream… it was your message to me. I understand now!"
She stood there, staring after him long after he vanished.
"Let's go," Yuzhou said quietly.
He and Daigo lifted into the sky, their glowing forms fading into the distance.
On the way back, Yuzhou broke the silence.
"Daigo, someday we should visit R'lyeh together. You haven't seen the rebuilt city, have you?"
Daigo smiled faintly. "Only in pictures. I've never had the chance to go."
Mars work had kept him busy, even away from Earth. But now, with R'lyeh reborn, he too felt a pull to see the city that had once been the pride of the Ultra-Ancient Civilization.
And perhaps, to uncover whether the gods and demons of old had ties to the monsters they fought today.