Since there was no way to get information about the Giants of Light or Darkness in Akaru, Yu Zhou had no choice but to set off toward Fuhuo City, the place the city lord had mentioned.
A city that had recently been attacked by a monster — perhaps there, he might find some clues.
He didn't bother asking for directions this time.
After buying a map, Yu Zhou quickly located the city — north of Akaru, in the northwest region of the entire continent.
"From here on, you're on your own," said Charija before departure.
"You're not coming with me?" Yu Zhou asked.
"No," Charija shook his head. "I was only supposed to bring you to the Ultra-Ancient Era. Whatever you plan to do after that is your own business."
"I don't want to get bitten by those ultra-ancient mosquitoes again. My whole backside still itches from the last time."
Yu Zhou chuckled. "Fine, then stay here in Akaru and wait for me. I'll leave you some money — eat well and rest properly."
Whether Charija came along or not didn't really make much difference to Yu Zhou.
When he finally met Ultraman Tiga in person, having Charija tagging along would just be awkward.
Besides, Charija had several monsters with him that needed to be fed regularly.
Since Akaru was close to the sea, Charija could let them hunt in the ocean.
After handing him the money, Yu Zhou left Akaru alone.
In the Ultra-Ancient Era, monsters existed — and where there were monsters, there were also Ultramen.
The struggle between giants and beasts had never ceased.
From what Yuzare had said inside the Time Capsule, and from all the battles between monsters and Ultramen across different worlds, that much was certain.
"I should find the true Tiga as soon as possible," Yu Zhou murmured, his thoughts drifting again to Camearra, and that endless longing gnawed at his heart.
He was riding a dragon carriage bound for Fuhuo City.
To learn more about this world and gather useful information, Yu Zhou had decided to interact with its people.
To blend in better, he had even bought a plain robe — the kind Gai wore during Ultraman Orb: The Origin Saga.
Simple and humble.
"Be careful when you get to Fuhuo City, young man," said the driver — a sturdy middle-aged man who looked like he'd seen a lot of roads.
He explained that Fuhuo City had been attacked by a giant beast, and now resources were scarce. That's why he was hauling goods there to sell — food supplies that would fetch a high price.
Letting Yu Zhou hitch a ride was just a bonus; after all, it meant earning some extra travel money.
"Oh?" Yu Zhou asked from inside the carriage. "What should I be careful about?"
"The city's been in ruins since the attack," the driver replied. "There might be some shady folks sneaking in to take advantage of the chaos."
"Shady folks?" Yu Zhou frowned. "You mean people trying to seize the city for themselves?"
"Who knows? Maybe," the driver sighed.
As a small-time merchant, he only knew what his instincts and rumours told him — and his intuition had kept him alive so far.
Giving this friendly young man a little warning didn't cost him anything.
The two chatted casually along the way and soon grew comfortable with each other.
Before long, night began to fall, and they decided to stop and rest since no towns or villages were nearby.
"Ah San, the campfire's ready! Bring the meat from the cart," the driver called out, lighting the fire.
Yu Zhou — who had been feeding the exhausted dragon pulling the carriage — heard him and set the grass down. He grabbed two chunks of meat from the wagon and walked toward the fire.
"These cuts are from a fresh boar-beast," said the driver with a grin. "They'll taste amazing roasted."
He skewered the meat, sprinkled on some spices, and began to grill it.
The man's name, Yu Zhou had learned, was Ria, a native of Akaru.
He made his living traveling between nearby towns, trading small goods to support his wife and two almost-grown sons.
This time, upon hearing that Fuhuo City was in dire need of supplies, he had loaded up a full dragon cart and decided to take the risk.
It was a long and dangerous journey — farther than he'd ever gone before.
Before long, the aroma of roasted meat filled the air. Ria handed Yu Zhou a piece, and they both began eating heartily by the flickering firelight.
As Yu Zhou bit into his share, his ears suddenly caught faint rustling sounds coming from the woods nearby.
He immediately set down the meat and looked toward the trees.
"Ria," he said quietly, "be careful."
"Huh?" Ria blinked in confusion, then quickly reached for the pistol at his waist.
For traveling merchants, carrying a weapon was a necessity.
The roads were long and full of dangers — without protection, you might not live long enough to spend the money you made.
"Well, you've got sharp ears, kid."
A mocking voice echoed as more than ten burly men in leather armour stepped out from the darkness, guns raised and aimed at them.
"Kill the guy. And… no girls here? Fine — take everything worth taking!"
The leader fired a shot into the air, and his men immediately opened fire.
Two bullets whistled through the night — one toward Yu Zhou, one toward Ria.
CLANG!
A sharp metallic sound rang out.
Yu Zhou stood there calmly — holding a frying pan.
The bullets had ricocheted away, burying themselves deep in a tree trunk behind him.
"What the—?!"
The bandits stared, dumbfounded.
Did that guy just deflect bullets with a pan?
They had never seen anything like it.
Even Ria was speechless — the laws of physics had just been casually ignored.
Still, he was alive, and that was what mattered.
Facing this many armed bandits, he had thought they were done for.
"Ria, get behind me," Yu Zhou said steadily, gripping the frying pan.
"Right!"
Ria didn't hesitate; he ducked behind Yu Zhou immediately.
"I don't believe this!" roared the leader. "Fire again!"
Gunfire erupted — a hail of bullets tearing through the air.
Yu Zhou sighed, his expression calm.
With a flick of his wrist, another frying pan appeared in his other hand.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The night filled with ringing echoes of bullets bouncing off steel.