The little girl's mocking voice faded, and suddenly, from every side, fish-men soldiers swarmed out.
Some lunged at Yu Zhou and Asuka, while others rushed toward the direction of the male voice they had heard earlier.
"Run!"
"The monsters are coming!"
"Director, get out of here!"
The shouts now were panicked, desperate cries for escape.
"Asuka, these ones are yours—I'll cover the others," Yu Zhou said sharply, then sprinted toward the screams.
Three men in white TPC uniforms came into sight.
Two were pinned by fish-men, claws tight around their throats, on the verge of strangulation. The third was sprinting wildly, chased by several more of the creatures—luckily, he was fast enough to keep just ahead of them.
Shhhk! Shhhk!
Yu Zhou's palms lit, firing twin light-arrows that pierced the fish-men throttling the first two men.
Instantly, the grip on their necks loosened. Gasping for breath, they fell free, while the monsters collapsed lifelessly to the floor.
"It's Dyna!"
"Thank you, Dyna!"
The two men, seeing Yu Zhou, exclaimed with relief.
Yu Zhou: "…"
(I'm Tiga. Tiga, not Dyna…)
From the other side came the sound of fists slamming, monsters shrieking, and then silence.
A moment later, Asuka appeared, brushing off his hands.
"It's Tiga—it's Ultraman Tiga!" the rescued men cried again, now turning to thank him as well. "Thank you, Tiga!"
Asuka: "…"
Before either could answer, the third man—the one who had been chased—dashed over and hid behind them, trembling.
Yu Zhou raised his arms, crossing them before his colour timer. Light flared, and a sharp energy blade shot out, slicing cleanly through the pack of fish-men rushing in pursuit.
In an instant, they fell in halves, drifting lifeless to the ground.
"A-amazing…" the rescued man whispered, staring at the scene.
"You will all die here today!"
The girl's voice rang out once more, followed by a deep rumble.
The entire Ice Fortress Base began to shake violently.
"No! She's going to blow up the base!" the three men cried in alarm.
Yu Zhou reacted instantly. White light enveloped him, and in a flash, he teleported outside the facility. His body grew, expanding until he towered as Ultraman Tiga in his giant form.
Through the rolling seawater, he saw it clearly—
A colossal creature, like a monstrous squid, its body pulsing with energy. From its maw, it gathered a massive energy cannon aimed straight at the base.
Specium Beam!
Yu Zhou didn't have time to gather Zeperion energy. Crossing his arms into an L-shape, he fired his Specium Ray straight at the squid.
But the monster reacted swiftly. It turned its head, unleashing its own energy blast to meet his.
BOOM!
The beams collided, detonating in a storm of bubbles, the shockwave tearing through the sea.
The fortress was safe for now. Yu Zhou hadn't defeated the squid, but at least it hadn't destroyed the base.
"Great hero…"
The squid's voice shifted—it was the little girl's voice again, echoing eerily through the water.
Then, without warning, the creature turned and darted into the distance.
"That… that's Sufume," Yu Zhou muttered grimly.
He moved to pursue—
But the seafloor exploded beneath him. Two massive pincers shot upward, clamping hard around his legs.
"Reicubas… so it's here too!"
Yu Zhou knew this creature—another monster under Sufume's control. In the original history, it was Reicubas that trapped Dyna in ice, nearly leading him to defeat.
Gritting his teeth, Yu Zhou grabbed hold of the great claws pinning his legs. His forehead crystal flashed, and his body shifted—changing into his Strong Type, silver and crimson gleaming across his armour.
With a powerful heave, he ripped Reicubas up from the seabed.
At that moment, Asuka teleported into the ocean as well, growing into Dyna's giant form.
Seeing Yu Zhou holding the monster, he dove in, seizing Reicubas by the legs.
Together, they restrained all four limbs, locking the beast down.
Yu Zhou looked upward, then gestured to Asuka—signalling to drag the monster to the Antarctic ice fields, where they could finish it together.
Asuka nodded firmly, then released the legs and surged upward, preparing for the manoeuvre. But instead of pulling Reicubas toward the surface… he slammed into it headlong, driving the beast back into the muddy seabed.
"…What was that move supposed to be?!" Yu Zhou stared, dumbfounded.
By the time he processed it, Reicubas was already half-buried again.
"Senpai, what do we do next?" Asuka asked innocently as he swam back.
"I… you…" Yu Zhou pointed at him, exasperated, then shook his head. "Forget it. Let's just haul this thing to the ice field."
"Got it, Senpai!"
Transforming into his Strong Type to match Yu Zhou, Asuka charged into the muck. Bracing himself, he tore Reicubas free once more.
But the monster wasn't about to go quietly. Roaring, its claws lashed out, striking at Asuka in furious arcs.
Asuka met it head-on. As a Strong Type, his physical strength was immense—he didn't back down, trading blow for blow.
But with each clash, heat seared against his fists.
"Hot!" he hissed after slamming a punch into the creature's claws. Even if his strength held, the burning heat radiating from Reicubas was undeniable.
Above, Yu Zhou noticed the water bubbling, tiny streams rising around the monster's body.
The temperature was rising—the sea itself beginning to boil.
"So that's it… Sufume sent Reicubas to melt the Antarctic ice," Yu Zhou realized grimly.
No more hesitation. He dove back down, Strong Type power coursing through him. With a mighty kick, he struck Reicubas squarely, sending the beast tumbling backward through the water.
The seabed shook with the impact.