Ultraman: It turns out this is the easy mode.

The roar of the Flying Swallow's engines cut through the clouds. Daigo maneuvered the control stick, executing a clean barrel roll to precisely evade the destructive beams of the Melba's jets. His wing almost grazed the opponent's claws. "Left-wing missiles ready!" he shouted into the communicator, his fingers flying across the weapon panel—this was the "instant counterattack method" repeatedly emphasized during Cui Ming's special training. Locking onto the weapon while evading the attack had become second nature to him.

"Roger that!" Shinjo's voice was filled with excitement as the Flying Swallow II swooped down from the rear, its anti-monster missile blasting into the wing root of the Melba, leaving a trail of white smoke. Although it failed to penetrate the tough armor, it successfully forced the enemy off course, creating an opening for Daigo. The two's teamwork was more seamless than ever before; their rhythm of cross-cover and alternating attacks was flawless, unlike the rookie duo who used to need constant reminders from their captain.

"Cui's special training definitely paid off!" Shinjo whistled into the communicator, maneuvering his fighter jet to climb and dodge Melba's furious counterattack. "This guy's beams can't even touch us!"

On the ground, Megumi looked at the two closely coordinated dots on the radar screen, a smile involuntarily creeping onto her lips. Ever since Choi Myung took over the GUTS air combat training and required them to repeatedly practice the "monster attack response plan" in the simulator, Daigo and Shinjo's progress had been visibly remarkable. Daigo, who used to be somewhat clumsy even in straight-line evasion, could now accurately predict the monster's attack trajectory; and Shinjo had also overcome his impulsive and reckless tendencies, learning to form a tactical loop with his teammates.

But this outstanding battle situation made a certain hidden entity uneasy.

Deep within the pyramid, a faint light floats on the stone wall, which is Youlian, carrying the will of the ancient times.

She watched the Flying Swallow maneuver effortlessly through the air, its lights and shadows trembling violently. Her inner scream almost broke free of the constraints of time and space: "Stop! What's the point of your skills being so good?!"

In Yuzare's predetermined trajectory, the Flying Swallow should have been struck by Melba's beam at this moment. Daigo would have awakened his ancient genes in the face of the crash, transforming into light and merging into the Tiga statue—this was the only chance for the giant to revive, her last trump card to protect Earth. But now, Cui Ming's special training has completely disrupted everything: Daigo and Shinjo were not only not shot down, but they also entangled Melba to the point of being powerless to fight back. If this trend continues, the monster will eventually be worn down, and Tiga will forever lose the possibility of revival.

"Hurry up and get shot down..." Yu Lian's light and shadow spun anxiously on the stone wall. Watching Melba being hit in the wing again by the Flying Swallow's laser cannon, almost falling from the sky, her heart was in her throat. "If Daigo doesn't become light, how can he fight against the darkness to come? You have no idea that Golza and Melba are just the beginning!"

The aerial battle was still escalating fiercely. Daigo noticed that Melba's right flank had developed cracks after repeated attacks and immediately shouted into the communicator, "Shinjo, use the high-frequency cannon! Aim at its right wing joint!" This was a weapon that Cui Ming had specially equipped on the Flying Swallow, designed specifically to target the monster's weak points.

Xincheng immediately switched weapon mode, and the cannon barrel popped out from the belly of Feiyan II. The blue energy beam hit the target instantly! With a crisp "crack", Melba's right wing joint broke completely. It let out a shrill roar in pain and fell uncontrollably toward the ground.

Yu Lian's light and shadow watched this scene, then dimmed in utter despair. She could foresee the future crisis, but she couldn't intervene in the reality before her eyes—the "variables" brought by Cui Ming were causing the ancient prophecy to go astray, and without Tiga, how could Earth withstand the impending storm?
Inside the cockpit of the Flying Swallow, Daigo was still savoring the battle when a familiar warmth suddenly surged in his chest—the call of the stone statue, the throbbing of ancient genes. This time, however, it was no longer bound to "desperate circumstances," but rather quietly awakened amidst the afterglow of victory. Deep within the pyramid, Youlian's shadow suddenly shone amidst despair—she sensed the last vestige of ancient energy within her, her only chance to salvage the situation. Without hesitation, the shadow coalesced into a faint beam of energy, silently piercing the stone wall and precisely locking onto the Flying Swallow One in the air.

This energy was not aggressive, but it directly interfered with the control system of Feiyan-1—the instrument panel in the cockpit suddenly flashed wildly, the red malfunction light beeped, and the control stick instantly became heavy, as if bound by an invisible force.

"What's going on?!" Daigo gripped the control stick tightly, his face changing drastically. The fighter jet, which had been incredibly agile just moments before, now felt like it was filled with lead, even basic steering had become sluggish. "The instrument panel is malfunctioning? The communicator isn't responding either!" He pressed the control buttons repeatedly, but the parameters on the screen were a jumbled mess, completely unreadable.

This sudden malfunction caused the Flying Swallow 1 to lose its maneuverability instantly—and on the ground, Melba, whose right wing had just been shot off, saw this opportunity! It endured the pain, suddenly raised its head, and focused dark red destructive rays in its eyes, shooting them fiercely at the out-of-control Flying Swallow 1!
"Not good!" Xincheng roared in the communicator from afar, trying to drive Feiyan II to rush over and provide cover, but it was too late—the destructive beam streaked across the sky like a red lightning bolt, accurately hitting the left wing engine of Feiyan I!

A deafening explosion rang out high in the sky. The left wing of the Flying Swallow No. 1 instantly burst into flames, and the aircraft spun uncontrollably as it plummeted downwards. Inside the cockpit, Daigo was thrown against his seat by the shockwave, the ear-piercing sound of metal twisting filling his ears. He gripped the control stick tightly, roaring, "Damn it! Who adjusted the plane?! How did it suddenly malfunction?!"

He didn't know that this wasn't a mechanical malfunction at all, but a "desperate situation" created by Yu Lian with her last strength—inside the pyramid, Yu Lian's light and shadow dimmed completely after her energy was exhausted, and before dissipating, only one thought remained in her consciousness: In this way, Daigo can become light...

In the air, the out-of-control Flying Swallow No. 1 trailed a long plume of black smoke as it plummeted toward the ground. Daigo struggled to eject, only to find that the ejection system was also malfunctioning and stuck. He could only watch helplessly as the ground drew ever closer, and that familiar warm feeling returned to his chest, this time accompanied by an intense sense of crisis, causing his heart to pound wildly.

Melba, watching its downed fighter jet, let out a triumphant roar, seemingly feeling it had won back the score. But its joy was short-lived; Gomora had already charged in, its thick tail lashing out at Melba's head, knocking it to the ground once more—without the threat of the fighter jet gone, Gomora's attacks became even more unrestrained.

Inside the cockpit of the Flying Swallow One, Daigo felt the violent shaking of the machine, his consciousness gradually fading, yet the warmth in his chest grew stronger, as if something was about to burst forth from his body. He gazed at the Pyramid of Light in the distance, at the three silently standing stone statues, and countless fragmented images suddenly flashed through his mind—the ancient battlefield, the battle of the giants, Yuzare's prophecy…

"Light..." Daigo murmured unconsciously, his body beginning to glow with a faint white light. The out-of-control Flying Swallow No. 1, enveloped in this light, gradually slowed its descent. (End of Chapter)