Chapter Twenty-Three: One Against Two

Tetsuya forced a bitter smile, never imagining this would turn out to be such an arduous battle. The monsters from thirty million years ago were all terrifyingly powerful, beyond anything he had expected.

Girogas struggled to its feet, barely managing to assume a fighting stance. Yet the weakness of its energy caused another wave of exhaustion, its massive body staggering before it managed only a half-crouch upon the ground.

A strange, crackling cry came from Leshibas. Its two enormous pincers swung menacingly as it began to lumber slowly toward Girogas.

Tetsuya was never one to admit defeat easily. Supported by his indomitable will, Girogas steadied itself, though its steps were faltering, and watched the approaching Leshibas with unblinking wariness.

The distance between Leshibas and Girogas had grown perilously short. In the lone remaining crab eye, a gleam of vengeful hatred seemed to flicker. Suddenly, the crab’s mouth opened wide and spat forth a barrage of bubbles that shot toward Girogas.

Tetsuya dared not be careless. Even the most seemingly harmless attack might conceal danger—he would not risk it. Girogas twisted its body, sliding sideways across the seafloor, narrowly evading the incoming bubbles.

“System, what level is this Leshibas? Why is it so overwhelmingly strong?”

His complaint, tinged with frustration, was met by the system’s prompt and precise response.

“Leshibas. Height: 65 meters. Weight: 72,000 tons… Level: Class A.”

“Class… A!?”

A wave of helplessness swept over Tetsuya. He stared at the advancing Leshibas, his mouth filling with bitterness.

The system’s revelation triggered a memory. In “Ultraman Dyna,” Dyna’s own confrontation with this monster had been a grueling struggle.

Dyna had even flown into space halfway through the battle, absorbing the light energy of an artificial sun to replenish himself before returning to fight.

That was outright cheating!

But… this was the abyssal sea floor—where could Tetsuya possibly find a way to recharge himself?

“The protagonist is such a bastard…”

Tetsuya could only feel contempt for Dyna’s underhanded tactics against Leshibas in the show.

“There’s no way I can defeat this thing alone…” Tetsuya weighed his options carefully, a plan gradually taking shape in his mind.

“What if it were Tiga…”

He made up his mind on the spot. If he couldn’t win, he couldn’t win—the longer he fought, the less certain his own survival would become. Now, his only hope for help was Tiga.

With this decision, Girogas hesitated no longer. Casting one last look at the triumphant Leshibas, it spread its arms and shot out from the trench, slicing through the water at breakneck speed, racing toward Tiga.

Leshibas, naturally, was loath to let such a foe escape. Its enormous body surged after Girogas, giving chase through the depths.

But the Tiga upon whom Tetsuya pinned his hopes was not faring well either.

Shinkaku’s gaze was icy as he regarded his opponent. Tiga pressed a hand to his wounded shoulder, a flash of colored light glimmering beneath his palm. In barely half a minute, the injury was completely healed.

Dagon eyed Tiga, an unmistakable pride gleaming in his eyes.

“Ranger, you dared meddle in our affairs—now you must be prepared to face the consequences.”

To Tiga’s left, another Deep Diver with a build much like Dagon’s let out a strange, guttural laugh.

It was Mother Hydra.

“Is that so…” Shinkaku’s voice was slow and measured. Tiga’s imposing form stood unshaken, his eyes betraying not the slightest hint of panic.

“When I say I’ll destroy you, I mean it!”

Tiga’s body shot upward, dark energy erupting outward, his entire form like a black meteor streaking through the water. The heat from his body set the surrounding currents boiling.

“Tiga Blazing Impact!”

A thunderous crash resounded as Tiga’s body slammed down onto the once-triumphant Dagon, his knee driving viciously into Dagon’s abdomen. The tremendous force nearly tore through Dagon’s body, and the suddenness of the assault left him unable to resist.

Tiga’s fist rose, dark energy gathering at his knuckles, and then crashed down onto Dagon’s shoulder, a flash of red sparks flaring and vanishing in an instant.

“Tiga Thunder Punch!”

Just a single blow, and Dagon’s arm was completely ruined, hanging limply by his side, utterly numb.

“Let him go!”

Hydra shrieked in alarm, her massive body surging forward as she unleashed a fierce energy beam at Tiga’s back.

But Tiga had been waiting for this very moment. He had already been quietly gathering spiral energy in his right fist.

Sensing the energy ray approaching from behind, Tiga spun with lightning speed, launching his right fist forward. Just as Hydra’s energy beam was about to strike, a jet-black energy blast erupted from his fist with blinding velocity.

A muffled explosion echoed underwater. Where the two energy beams collided, a brief vacuum was created, the powerful currents forced violently away in all directions.

This was the Gripp Ray, an enhanced version of the palm light arrow, famed for its rapid-fire capability.

The Gripp Ray held Hydra’s attack at bay for a moment, and Tiga’s attention swung back to Dagon.

Tiga’s hand formed a knife edge as he gathered all his dark energy into his right hand, then clenched it into a fist and swung. Black light radiated from his knuckles, spreading outward.

The punch was blisteringly fast, dark energy roaring around his fist, and in the terrified eyes of Dagon and Hydra, it shot toward Dagon’s chest like a thunderbolt.

If this landed, Dagon’s unarmored torso would be completely pierced. Dagon dared not risk it; he frantically crossed his arms to shield his chest.

He barely managed to block, but Tiga’s fist struck his forearms with brutal force. A low, deep sound resounded as Dagon, pinned beneath Tiga, was driven even further into the seafloor, his body nearly embedded in the ocean bed.

A bloody hole gaped in Dagon’s arm, blood streaming out in torrents.

This was “Energy Punch,” one of Tiga’s most formidable combat skills. When performed by Tiga himself, its power was nothing short of extraordinary.

At that moment, Hydra charged at Tiga, her colossal body slamming into him and sending him flying off Dagon.

Dagon struggled to rise from the seabed, all his earlier arrogance gone, his gaze toward Tiga now filled with nothing but wariness and burning rage.

And as the two sides faced off once more, in the distant depths of the sea, Girogas was streaking swiftly toward them.