A burst of light exploded beneath Ryan.
A glowing ring spread across the ground under Alien Zoruk's foot.
From the center of the light, a red arm shot upward and caught the monster's attack.
"Zoruk!"
Ryan's voice thundered across the ruins.
The arm pushed hard.
BOOM.
The monster staggered backward as dust blasted into the air.
Ryan rose to his feet.
The timer on his chest glowed steadily again. Full energy.
Even better, his body felt completely different.
Light.
Strong.
The crushing weight from before was gone.
Power flowed through him like a surge of electricity.
Without hesitation, Ryan rushed forward.
Each step shook the ground.
But Alien Zoruk reacted fast.
Before Ryan could attack, the monster lunged.
Both blade-like arms sliced through the air with a sharp buzzing sound.
The attacks came fast.
Every swing aimed straight at Ryan's head.
Ryan didn't dare block them.
Those blades were no joke.
He dodged to the side instead.
The training from the past two weeks finally paid off.
His moves weren't perfect yet.
But Leo's body knew how to move.
Ryan followed its rhythm.
Zoruk finished a flurry of attacks.
Ryan saw his chance.
He drove a full-power punch into the monster's chest.
BOOM.
"I hit him!"
The excitement lasted half a second.
Zoruk's foot slammed into Ryan's stomach.
The impact felt like a cannon blast.
Ryan gasped.
The pain tore through his body.
He crashed onto the ground.
Before he could recover—
A blade-arm chopped down onto his back.
His armor held.
But the pain was still brutal.
"Come on, Ultraman!"
The shout came from a nearby building.
Hirono waved both arms wildly.
"Get up, Ultraman!"
"Fight!"
Nearby, several familiar faces shouted with him.
Ayumi
Momoko
Omura
Takeshi
Even the kids were crying as they cheered.
Their voices carried across the ruined city.
Ryan looked toward them.
A warm feeling flickered in his chest.
Everyone…
He grunted and raised his arm just in time to block another blade strike.
The impact pushed him back.
Ryan forced himself to his feet and quickly created distance.
I'm not giving up.
His breathing grew heavier.
The energy in his body drained fast.
Then the worst sound came back.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
The warning light on his chest had turned red again.
Ryan circled around a damaged building.
Alien Zoruk mirrored him.
Both waited.
Watching.
Looking for an opening.
This won't work.
I have to finish this.
Ryan glanced toward the group of survivors.
Then he clenched his fists.
And charged.
A voice echoed in his mind.
Moroboshi Dan
"Ryu. Listen carefully."
"No one else can protect your life for you."
"But if protecting yourself costs the lives of many others… that can never be forgiven."
The words burned in his mind.
Ryan remembered a girl crying by the ocean after losing her mother.
He remembered Hirono, whose father had died to a monster.
He remembered the countless people standing in the ruins of their homes.
His fists tightened.
Strength surged through his arms.
Another memory appeared.
Ultraman Leo
"Ryu… I'm leaving this world to you."
Ryan's eyes hardened.
"Leo… I won't let you down."
"I'll fight like a man."
"I'll bet my life on it."
"I won't run."
"From this moment on…"
"I am Leo."
Alien Zoruk roared and raised both blade-arms.
They gleamed in the sunlight.
The monster charged.
Ryan charged too.
No hesitation.
One arm blocked.
The other struck with full force.
He had to win.
There was no other choice.
"ULTRAMAN!"
People screamed as the two giants collided.
Dust exploded into the sky.
The entire street vanished under a cloud of debris.
"Warning."
"Host survival rate: twenty percent."
Everything froze.
The world vanished.
Ryan suddenly stood once again on the silent platform.
The massive stone statue of Ultraman Leo towered nearby.
The system's voice echoed through the empty space.
"Host power insufficient."
"Recommendation: activate Overclock."
"Otherwise, the system will initiate emergency protection."
Ryan stared around in confusion.
A second ago he was fighting Zoruk.
Now he was here again.
"What's Overclock?"
His fists tightened.
Was he really going to lose even after giving everything?
The system answered.
"Overclock temporarily increases the host's energy output to three times or more."
"After the time limit, the host will enter extreme exhaustion."
"In severe cases, death is possible."
"Current system capacity allows three-times Overclock."
"Side effect: three days of exhaustion."
"Does the host agree?"
Ryan didn't hesitate.
"Do it."
Three days of exhaustion was nothing.
If this failed, everyone down there would die.
Still, he narrowed his eyes.
"You're not hiding anything else from me, right?"
"Negative."
Ryan exhaled slowly.
"Fine."
"Start it."
Red light engulfed him.
The platform vanished.
Ryan returned to the battlefield.
BOOM.
The dust cleared.
Alien Zoruk's blade-arm had stopped inches from Ryan's neck.
Ryan's right arm was buried deep in the monster's chest.
He stared at his own fist.
"…Whoa."
The power felt unreal.
"So this is Overclock…"
"Insane."
The monster trembled.
Then its body went still.
Alien Zoruk collapsed onto the ground.
Dead.
Cheers exploded across the ruins.
"YES!"
"Ultraman won!"
Ryan pulled his arm free.
His body felt heavy again.
But he still stood.
He looked toward the survivors and gave a small nod.
Then his body dissolved into glowing white light.
The light drifted into the sky.
The giant had vanished.
In reality, Ryan had simply reverted back to human form on the rooftop of a nearby building.
He dropped to one knee.
His arms held up his weight as strong wind swept across the roof.
Ryan looked up at the sky and smiled.
"Guess I didn't embarrass you, Leo."
"Ryu."
A familiar voice spoke behind him.
Ryan turned in surprise.
"C-Commander?"
Standing there was
Moroboshi Dan.
Dan looked at him quietly.
"So it really was you."
Ryan lowered his head.
"Commander, I—"
Dan raised a hand.
"No need to explain."
"I understand."
He stepped forward and helped Ryan stand.
"I already spoke with Omura."
"I'll be visiting the club more often."
Then Dan tapped Ryan lightly over the chest.
"Do you know where an Ultraman's strength really comes from?"
Ryan blinked.
"Light?"
Dan shook his head.
"No."
He tapped Ryan's chest again.
"Here."
"Only those who inherit the will of the light grow stronger."
Ryan didn't answer.
But the words stayed with him.
After the battle, the survivors celebrated.
But one person wasn't smiling.
Ayumi searched through the ruins again and again.
Ryan was nowhere.
"Idiot…"
She leaned against a cracked wall.
Quiet tears fell down her cheeks.
Momoko and the others stood silently.
"Ryu… he…"
"HEY! I'M OVER HERE!"
Ryan's voice suddenly echoed across the area.
Everyone looked up.
On a rooftop nearby, Ryan stood beside Dan, waving.
"RYU!"
Takeshi pumped his fist in the air.
"He's okay!"
Omura squinted upward.
"And Commander Dan is with him!"
Then his eyes widened.
"Wait… his leg isn't fully healed!"
He panicked.
"Don't climb that high if your leg's still bad!"
"Quick! Someone go help them down!"
Ayumi stared at Ryan.
Relief flooded her face.
Then she punched the already damaged wall beside her.
More cracks spread across it.
"Idiot!"
"You're smiling like nothing happened!"