What does it mean that the group members have given me back the light?

hum-

The light wheel slipped from his grasp and tumbled rapidly across the ground, carving scorched furrows into the earth in its wake. The molten heat instantly vaporized the soil and gravel, filling the air with a pungent sulfurous odor.

"Noah!!! You are clearly at your limit too!!!"

Dark Zagi roared furiously in its mind. Seeing the dangerous light emanating from its opponent's hands once more, and a new halo about to form, it didn't hesitate to frantically compress the remaining energy within its body, crossing its arms in front of its chest to form a cross—

Zaki Lightning—!

Dark red destructive energy surged out like a burst dam, carrying the power to tear space apart, and slammed solidly into the chest of the silver-black giant!

boom--!

Amidst a deafening explosion, the silver-black giant's figure was sent flying backward like a leaf swept up by a hurricane, tracing a horrific parabola in the air before crashing heavily into a small mountain several kilometers away like a meteorite.

In an instant, smoke and dust billowed into the sky like a mushroom cloud.

"Ho...ho..."

Dark Zagi knelt on one knee, his chest heaving violently.

It looked with lingering fear at the rising dust in the distance—the attack had almost exhausted all its remaining energy, and although it was not powerful enough, it was enough to temporarily force back its relentless opponent.

Thankfully... there's still a sliver left...

It secretly rejoiced, but the thought had not yet dissipated—

Roar--!

A deafening roar suddenly erupted from the flank, and Chi You charged forward with his massive body, his sharp claws tearing through the air, aiming straight for Dark Zagi's face!

?! Reonics!! This is never-ending!!!

Dark Zagi gritted its teeth in its mind, its last remaining energy frantically gathering in its palm. It barely managed to raise its trembling arm, the dark red energy swirling in the air in eerie ripples, as if it were about to devour even light—

Zaki Gravity!

A beam of dark red light, condensed to its utmost, shot out and struck Chi You precisely. The enormous white beast let out a mournful cry as its entire body was violently thrown back by the immense force of the light, crashing into half a hill in the distance before finally coming to a stop, raising a cloud of sand and stones.

After delivering this final blow, Dark Zagi staggered back two steps, his dark red body beginning to dissipate into countless drifting specks of light, like a candle flickering in the wind, slowly vanishing into the air.

……

……

"Huh...huh..."

Mitsuhiko Ishibori's breathing was heavy and broken, each breath seeming to be squeezed out of his broken body. He dragged his collapsing body and moved unsteadily toward the three silent giant stone statues.

His gaze was fixed on the most unique stone statue in the center—beneath the surface of that warrior of light lay the primordial dark power of thirty million years ago, a primordial force far purer and more ancient than human fear.

"Thirty million years ago... they were originally beings of darkness..."

He murmured to himself. He had already figured out the true nature of the statue. The original plan was to absorb both the person and the statue together, but Noah's sudden arrival disrupted everything. In addition, absorbing the fear that was gradually spreading from all over the world was enough to deal with the current crisis, so he temporarily put the plan aside.

If it weren't for that fat scientist!!!

A fierce glint flashed in Mitsuhiko Ishibori's eyes, and then he raised his head.

"Come, ancient warrior, offer me your dark power as well."

He silently chanted in his heart, slowly raised his trembling arm, and reached out his hand towards the stone statue. His fingertips were only an inch away from the surface of the statue, and the sleeping darkness seemed to be right in front of him.

"Don't move!"

A sharp shout suddenly rang out behind him, freezing Ishibori Mitsuhiko's outstretched hand in mid-air. He slowly raised both hands and turned around.

Then, what came into view were the figures of the Night Raid Team members, who were on high alert.

Eisuke Kazukura held the Devastat launcher steadily, the dark muzzle precisely aimed at his forehead. Kazuki Komon gripped the Devastat shooter tightly, his finger already on the trigger. Shiori Hiraki and Nagi Saijo occupied the left and right sides respectively, forming a perfect pincer attack formation.

"Darkness...Zaki."

Eisuke Wakura's deep voice suppressed his anger as he took a step forward, his gun still firmly aimed at the target: "Why? Why did you infiltrate the Night Raid Team?"

"There's no point in wasting words with a traitor like that."

Saijo Nagi's fingertip was already on the trigger, her eyes sharp as knives: "As long as we kill this guy, everything will be over."

But just as she was about to pull the trigger, Mitsuhiko Ishibori suddenly gave a meaningful smile:

"Now? Are you going to fire here?"

His gaze swept over the three stone statues behind him, his tone gentle yet threatening: "Even if these precious statues are damaged... it doesn't matter?"

The expressions on everyone's faces suddenly turned serious.

They knew perfectly well that although they had successfully defeated Dark Zagi, the power of that host was nearing its limit, and the three-headed monster that had not yet attacked could appear at any time, not to mention the more than three hundred monsters scattered all over the earth that could appear at any moment—these three ancient stone statues had become humanity's last hope.

What exactly is your purpose?

Kazuki Komon gripped his pistol tightly, his voice filled with suppressed anger: "You've already lost to Ultraman. Your defeat was inevitable. What's the point of continuing to resist?"

“Everyone trusted you so much…” Shiori Hiraki’s voice trembled slightly, her eyes filled with regret and confusion.

"trust?"

Mitsuhiko Ishibori let out a cold laugh, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "If we're talking about trust, I once trusted you all too."

Under the bewildered gazes of the crowd, his eyes finally settled on Saijo Nagi, and his voice suddenly turned cold: "But, it was you who betrayed my trust."

Saijo Nagi's pupils narrowed.

What's the meaning?

Before she could speak, Mitsuhiko Ishibori put his hands behind his back and continued, "Eighteen years ago, I foresaw the successor of the light."

"The creation of Dark Faust and Dark Mephistopheles was intended to refine the power of light."

Mitsuhiko Ishibori's expression darkened: "Using Riko Saida and Roki Mizo was to plant the seeds of darkness deep in your heart. I firmly believe that you will eventually present the power of light to me personally."

Komon Kazuki's expression also changed slightly.

At that moment, Mitsuhiko Ishibori's voice suddenly rose, and he questioned Nagi Saijo with an almost manic attitude:

"But why didn't you inherit the power of light, Saijo Nagi?!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a fierce glint flashed in Mitsuhiko Ishibori's eyes, and he suddenly spread his arms wide!

"Ugh!"

Several streaks of jet-black lightning, like venomous snakes, shot out from his palms, striking the Night Raid team with pinpoint accuracy.

Eisuke Wakura was the first to be struck, his chest slammed by a bolt of lightning. He was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the rock wall and losing consciousness. Shiori Hiraki barely managed to raise her gun to retaliate, but another bolt of lightning pierced through her shoulder armor, and she groaned as she collapsed to the ground.

Saijo Nagi tried to get up despite her pain, but Ishibori Mitsuhiko deliberately increased the force on her, and an exceptionally thick black lightning bolt blasted her several meters away, knocking her completely unconscious.

In an instant, only Kazuki Komon remained conscious in the arena. He knelt on one knee, enduring the damage from the electric shock, his face showing resentment.

Mitsuhiko Ishibori coldly stared at the fallen crowd, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

His long-winded explanation wasn't just something he did for fun—he was waiting for this opportunity to launch a sneak attack.

What exactly do you want to do?

Watching Mitsuhiko Ishibori walk back towards the stone statue, Kazuki Komon, enduring the excruciating pain, mustered his strength and said:

"The power of the Giant of Light is absolutely not something someone like you can touch; it is the power of hope and miracles left for humanity!"

"Is it unattainable?"

Mitsuhiko Ishibori turned around and gave him a sarcastic look, his finger already touching the surface of the Ultraman Tiga statue: "Then you'd better watch me—"

Just as Mitsuhiko Ishibori's finger was about to touch the Ultraman Tiga statue, a sudden change occurred!

The Gaia and Agul statues standing on either side suddenly lit up simultaneously, their chest timers emitting dazzling red and blue light. Two beams of light, imbued with the will of the Earth, shot out like sharp swords, aiming straight for Mitsuhiko Ishibori's vitals!

"what?!"

Mitsuhiko Ishibori hastily dodged to the side, the beam of light grazing his clothes and leaving two charred marks on the rock wall behind him.

"The Light of Earth? Has it finally awakened?"

He steadied himself and looked at the two awakened stone statues with a cold smile: "But you, who haven't found a successor yet, have no way to stop me!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly turned around and slammed his palm heavily onto the Ultraman Tiga statue!

In an instant, the dazzling light engulfed the entire space.

When his vision cleared again, Mitsuhiko Ishibori found himself in a strange space filled with prismatic crystals.

Countless crystal pillars stand tall all around, refracting a mesmerizing halo of light.

"Hmph." Ishibori Mitsuhiko looked around, and then a smile quickly appeared on his lips.

In the center of this space, he immediately sensed the dark power hidden in the deepest part of the space, and a surge of joy welled up in his heart. He immediately tried to guide it out.

However, this darkness was far more aggressive than he had imagined. It was as if it had a life of its own, not only resisting his guidance but also beginning to devour his power. Dark energy surged in like a tide, trying to completely assimilate him.

"What can you do with this remnant of your original consciousness that has already departed? Now, you have to listen to me!"

With a furious roar, Mitsuhiko Ishibori unleashed an even denser aura of darkness. A gigantic hand, formed from pure darkness, appeared out of thin air and forcefully reached out towards the restless power, attempting to pull it away.

"..."

The dark forces seemed to possess some kind of primal and ancient consciousness, and they were in no way inferior in their confrontation with Mitsuhiko Ishibori.

Two dark forces collided violently in this crystal space, and dark energy ripples spread out continuously as if they were tangible, causing the surrounding crystal pillars to tremble violently and emit a heart-palpitating hum.

The dark power gradually coalesced, revealing an outline indistinguishable from the stone statues outside. It had no complex tactics, but simply displayed the most primal instinct to devour and its tenacious nature. Whenever Mitsuhiko Ishibori tried to bind it with dark energy, it would transform into a flowing shadow, devouring his power in return. The black energy coiled and tore like a living thing, greedily absorbing every trace of darkness released by Mitsuhiko Ishibori.

"hateful……"

Mitsuhiko Ishibori gritted his teeth, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

He tried to increase his efforts, but the darkness before him was like a bottomless swamp, mercilessly swallowing up any attack, and it carried a primal and pure destructive desire.

However, just as the dark forces were putting up a stubborn resistance, the situation suddenly changed.

A deeper, more ancient darkness suddenly surged from Ishibori Mitsuhiko's body. This power, carrying a chilling pressure, seemed to come from the nothingness at the beginning of the universe, and instantly suppressed the restless dark power.

"...!?"

The dark forces trembled violently, retreating steadily under this sudden suppression.

But Mitsuhiko Ishibori's face suddenly contorted, his eyes flashing with rage: "No, no, don't interfere! I haven't lost yet!!!"

He tried to resist this external force with a ferocious expression, but what responded to him was an even more turbulent torrent of darkness. The force ignored his resistance and instead poured into his body with even greater force.

'...!'

The dark forces groaned silently under this overwhelming power, and their initially tenacious resistance began to crumble.

……

……

Kazuki Komon watched helplessly as Mitsuhiko Ishibori disappeared beneath the giant's feet, but... there was nothing he could do.

"hateful!"

He gritted his teeth and slammed his fist heavily on the ground, sending up a shower of tiny pebbles.

Just then, a soft footstep sound came from the entrance of the ruins.

"?"

Komon Kazuki paused for a moment, then looked up and saw a somewhat familiar-looking boy walking towards him with slightly unsteady steps.

"You are... Gu Nuo?" Komon Kazuki asked in a daze.

The boy's clothes were tattered, and his exposed skin was covered with wounds of varying depths, some still oozing dark red blood, others already congealed into dark brown scabs.

Gu Nuo did not answer. He glanced at the Night Raid team members lying sprawled around him, then his gaze was firmly drawn to the three giant stone statues in the center of the ruins.

He saw that the location of the timer on the chest of the giant in the middle, which was glowing faintly, was shrouded in an indescribable gloom.

With a slight frown, Gu Nuo subconsciously reached for his chest pocket, only to find it empty—the Evolution Trustee was no longer with him.

With a helpless sigh, Gu Nuo slowly turned to the man in front of her, and the words she spoke startled Komon Kazuki.

"Stand up and fight."

"He chose you."

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