Volume One, Chapter 74: The Ultra-Ancient Ruins and Lulua

Time: Two years later.
Place: Japan.

Waves crashed onto the shore, their sparkling spray reflecting a splendid blush of evening light.

Within the newly reestablished TPC, a secret plan was quietly being set into motion. This operation was codenamed Project F, and a special investigative team had been formed. Their target: the newly discovered ultra-ancient ruins beneath the Western Sea, designated—Luluya. The man in charge: Keigo Masaki.

...

On a ship far out at sea, Rina Midorikawa stood at the edge of the deck. Though the breeze was warm and pleasant as it swept over her, a heaviness pressed upon her heart, as if weighed down by a stone.

“You don’t look well,” a voice suddenly called from behind.

She didn’t turn, yet she already knew who it was.

“Mr. Masaki.”

Keigo Masaki came to stand beside her, resting his hands on the railing, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon. There, the outline of an immense and sharply rising island loomed.

Giants... I have come.

A flicker of fervor passed through Masaki’s eyes, though he quickly concealed it and turned to Rina with a cheerful smile. “Is something troubling you?”

“Yes,” she replied with practiced courtesy. “It’s nothing, just a bit of seasickness.”

The proud captain of the Victory Team, seasick? No one would believe that, even a fool. Yet all Masaki could do was feign mild surprise and answer with a gentle laugh, “Seasickness, huh? I used to get it all the time. After a few trips, you’ll get used to it.”

“You’re right.” Rina maintained her professional smile, but there was something different in her gaze as she looked at Masaki.

She had only met this man two years ago. At that time, Tiga was mired in crisis, and that prophet had told her to seek out Keigo Masaki—he, it was said, knew how to save Tiga. But just as she and Rena arrived at their destination, the sky filled with strange lights, and Tiga was revived.

Despite the unexpected turn of events, she had decided to meet Masaki. After all, anyone capable of saving Tiga was bound to pique her curiosity.

In the end, she did meet him. The TPC headquarters also struck a certain accord with him: to jointly explore the ultra-ancient ruins that had surfaced alongside Gatanozoa—Luluya.

Gazing toward the direction of Luluya, Rina’s expression grew solemn. “That’s where the evil god Gatanozoa was, and where Ultraman fought his final battle.”

The ship soon reached the shore. Rina, Masaki, and a team of TPC staff disembarked. Following the marked route, they successfully entered the ruins, only to be stopped by an ancient wall.

TPC was prepared; they quickly deployed explosives to blow it open.

A thunderous boom— The wall shattered, and through the swirling dust, three gigantic figures came into view.

In that instant, Rina was struck by a splitting headache. In the depths of her mind, a voice screamed in warning, urging her not to go any further.

But the detonation of a second explosive revealed the giants in full.

Unnoticed by anyone, Masaki slipped away from the group and disappeared into the depths of the ruins.

The TPC staff poured through the breach and began their survey, but nothing in the ruins could compare to the three statues, towering and majestic.

“They’re Ultraman statues—three of them!” the squad leader exclaimed.

When Tiga appeared years ago, there had also been three statues. But Golza and Melba had destroyed them, and all they could recover were fragments for research. Fragments, however, were nothing compared to intact statues.

As the squad leader and others gaped in awe, Rina suddenly screamed, “Run!”

Run?

The squad leader turned, bewildered, but before he could speak, a massive stone fist came crashing down, pulverizing him instantly.

The statues had come to life. Now, three giants stood, vivid and terrifying, their eyes dark and soulless, like demons awakening from the abyss, casting a chilling light that froze the soul.

“The giants... they’re alive!”

Panic broke out, and people scrambled to retreat.

Rina froze, her pupils dilating in shock.

No sooner had the giants awakened than they began to unleash their wrath, destroying everything in sight. The humans, as insignificant as ants, were crushed mercilessly beneath their feet.

“Ha ha ha ha!”

“Heh heh heh!”

“Keh keh keh keh!”

Their laughter, a chorus from hell, thundered through the ruins, deafening all who heard, shattering their courage.

“Giants of the Dark Realm,” Rina whispered, her eyes widening as one of the giants hurled a colossal boulder her way. Paralyzed by terror, she couldn’t dodge; the stone struck her and sent her flying, and she lost consciousness.

The other two giants punched through the stone walls of the ruins, opening a gaping hole.

Screeches filled the air as swarms of Zoga burst forth, swarming toward the few humans who had managed to survive. But this time, there was no escape.

Suddenly, a light flared from Rina’s unconscious body. The radiance coalesced into a figure—her perfect double, but with hair as white as snow, her entire form aglow, holy and pure. She glanced at the three dark giants, raised her arms, and poured all her power into the three-thousand-year-old barrier before quietly fading away.

Deeper in the ruins, a man pressed on, excitement burning in his eyes.

Keigo Masaki.

Like Daigo, he possessed the ultra-ancient genetic factor and the power to become a giant. But, alas, he lacked the device to transform himself into light—the Divine Light Rod.

His original plan had been to seize Daigo’s rod, but he never found a chance. Fortunately, fate favored him: he learned from old texts of another way to become a giant.

Through darkness.

If he could not gain the power of light, then he would embrace the light of darkness!

Masaki pressed on, passing through the ruins of a long-dead ultra-ancient city, until he reached the very heart of Luluya.

Before him stood a stone tablet, carved with ultra-ancient script indecipherable to most.

“O darkness slumbering since ancient times... In my name, I offer my soul and flesh willingly... Grant me the darkness of this world... Let me serve as the vessel of your mighty power!”

Keigo Masaki spread his arms wide as he chanted, then knelt before the stone, prostrating himself like a supplicant dog before his god.