pjbooks Chapter 97 The Desperate Dark Ruler
Chapter 97 The Desperate Dark Ruler
(Thanks to the two great authors, "末学※后进" and "爱吃芙蓉果的南凰蝉衣", for their certification. It should have been two extra chapters, but the author ran out of drafts and could only write three super long chapters overnight. I'm exhausted.)
Friday night at 8 PM.
This was the most depressing Friday since "Ultraman Tiga" started airing.
This is destined to be a night that will be recorded in the history of tokusatsu on Earth.
On Bilibili, the number of viewers watching the 51st episode of Light Chaser Animation has exceeded an astonishing five million.
This is not just a cold, hard number, but countless hearts beating wildly in front of the screen.
Since the first episode of "Ultraman Tiga" aired, nearly a year has passed. That giant with red, purple, and silver colors is no longer just a costume character; he is the "light" in the hearts of countless people around the world.
However, tonight's headline cast a shadow over everyone's hearts.
Episode 51: The Dark Ruler.
The five large characters, exuding an aura of despair, seemed to foreshadow some kind of end.
Although winter has arrived, the night sky over Jinghai City tonight is exceptionally gloomy, as if even the starlight has been obscured by some invisible force.
Bilibili's servers have long been under red alert status. The head of the technology department even moved a cot into the server room, fearing that the upcoming "final trilogy" would overwhelm the servers.
The manager's eyes welled up with tears at the thought that such a grand occasion would last for three weeks.
I hate working overtime the most!
The official account of Light Chaser Studio released a black and white teaser poster a few days ago for "The Dark Ruler," which weighed heavily on the hearts of all viewers.
The poster, with its terrifying, barbed giant pincers emerging from the deep sea and its crimson eyes faintly visible in the dark mist, gave everyone an indescribable sense of suffocation even before the show aired.
In various live streaming rooms, the streamers also put away their usual playful and smiling expressions.
The sarcastic Old Tang sat in front of the camera, holding a cup of hot tea, his brow furrowed: "Brothers, we've finally reached the finale. After fifty episodes of buildup, Zoga's appearance was just the appetizer; the real horror is coming."
Don't scare me, Old Tang! Ultraman Tiga is invincible!
[Exactly, Shining Tiga hasn't even been released yet, what's there to be afraid of?]
But when I watched the trailer, the background music gave me goosebumps...
[Oh no, I have a bad feeling. This episode is titled "The Ruler of Darkness," and it doesn't sound like a friendly antagonist.]
Amidst the anxious anticipation of everyone watching, the screen went black.
There was no rousing opening theme, only a deep, rumbling sound, like the surging of dark currents in the deep sea.
The screen slowly lit up.
On the seabed of the Pacific Ocean, silt churned and the earth trembled.
The narrator's voice carried a somber, apocalyptic tone: "At the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, a mysterious ancient ruin suddenly rose. From there emerged the evil demon bird monster Zoga, who dominated the entire sky..."
"The texture, the model, the special effects..."
Old Tang sat in the live broadcast room, his prepared commentary stuck in his throat.
He leaned closer to the screen. "My God... this is truly top-tier in the country."
The rocky surface of the ruins was covered with moss and barnacles, and every texture was clearly visible in the dim light.
The sense of heaviness, history, and the overwhelming aura of evil made Old Tang, who was used to seeing big scenes, feel a chill run down his spine.
From there emerged countless black shadows.
That's Zoga.
But it wasn't just one, it was a whole group.
They were like locusts flying out of hell, blotting out the sky and dominating the entire heavens.
The scene then cuts to the TPC headquarters in Xia Country.
Although Ultraman Tiga and Rena's Snow White destroyed Zoga in the previous episode, there was no joy of victory in the command room at this moment.
The alarms blared incessantly.
"Return to base immediately! Zoga has invaded Jinghai!"
Lina's voice came through the comms, filled with disbelief: "How is this possible? Didn't it just die?"
Do you think we can win?
Lina's heart sank.
"If our fate is destined to be destruction..."
"What kind of fate is this? We must change it!"
Daigo's voice was firm, but the audience could hear the anxiety in his tone.
……
However, things took an unexpected turn.
"Ah! What on earth happened?"
"What is that big dark shape?"
At this moment, in the deep sea, Hori and Shinjo, who were in charge of reconnaissance, were piloting the Dolphin, facing the despairing scene before them.
The screen was completely red.
"Headquarters! Dolphin Number 202, answer quickly!"
"Horie, Shinjo, what exactly happened at the bottom of the sea?"
The scene shifts to the seabed.
It was no longer darkness, but... a writhing despair.
The colossal ancient ruins of R'lyeh slowly emerged from the water, accompanied by a sickening cracking sound as rocks broke.
And above those ruins, a deeper, more malevolent black mist is spreading.
Immediately afterwards, the world was in crisis.
"Zoga is attacking the capital's center!"
"All transportation systems have been shut down!"
"Get underground immediately!"
The footage shows major cities around the world being attacked by the Zoga group.
This is no longer the clean and tidy refuge scene seen in tokusatsu dramas.
On the streets, people fled in terror, the cries of children, the sounds of cars crashing, and the distant, demonic howls of Zoga mingled together.
Despair. Pure despair.
Even though there are still a few children who firmly believe that Ultraman Tiga will definitely come.
However, faced with the persecution of Zoga that is happening all over the world, such hope is gradually becoming increasingly slim...
Under Gatanothor's command, Zoga almost speed-completed the Wall Watch, Winter Is Coming, The Iron Tower, and Oliver Twist dungeons...
Even the TPC US branch, possessing the strongest defense second only to the Victory Team, was overwhelmed in just a few minutes...
"The entire Bruter team of TPC's American branch has been wiped out!"
This line struck the hearts of all viewers like a heavy hammer.
completely annihilated.
That's an elite force second only to the Victory Team!
Holy crap! Is this for real? The end of the world?
[The Five Perverts are all gone?!]
[The monster Gatanothor hasn't even appeared in this episode, and humanity is already on the verge of collapse?]
[This is so hopeless! Isn't Zoga the boss? How did he become a mass-produced mob?]
[Ah, right, I thought the final boss was a race!]
After all that buildup, it can't just be Zoga, right? And who exactly is that Gatanothor in the trailer?
Is this oppressive atmosphere trying to suffocate us?
However, even more despair was yet to come.
The headquarters of TPC Xia Kingdom, humanity's last bastion, has also been invaded.
"What happened? That can't be! What's wrong?"
Something has infiltrated our base!
The once impregnable TPC base was now enveloped in a thick black fog.
The black mist seemed to have a life of its own, seeping in through ventilation ducts and cracks, penetrating every nook and cranny.
At the same time, Daigo and Rena piloted the Snow White into the black fog.
Daigo's pupils contracted sharply: "Look at the base! Black mist!"
The Snow White shook violently in the black fog, like a withered leaf in a gale.
At this moment, the audience's hearts were in their throats.
Because Gu Nan used an extremely realistic filming technique here—the first-person perspective from the cockpit.
The audience felt as if they were sitting in Daigo's seat, looking out the window at the all-consuming darkness, and listening to the creaking of the metal frame under its strain.
This immersive feeling is breathtaking.
Faced with the black mist that human science could not explain, Nori was on the verge of collapse.
"What on earth is this thing?!"
It was some kind of living black mist, spreading wildly towards the command center along the base's ventilation ducts and elevator shafts.
"Notify the police immediately to handle this!"
"But nothing was damaged! The security system didn't activate, and there was no reaction from the ground!"
Ye Rui's fingers flew across the keyboard, but cold sweat poured down his face: "Impossible! This is too strange! Something is rushing up from below the base!"
"Hey! What's this? The base has been sealed off by black mist!"
A sense of despair spread within TPC.
The entire base was shrouded in black mist.
The staff collapsed in agony in the black fog. Even without physical attacks, the fear and suffocation that came from the depths of their souls rendered each of them incapable of moving.
Even the usually calmest deputy captain, Zong Fang, could only grit his teeth and order the passages to be sealed off.
"We must use physical force to seal off the black mist!"
But it didn't work.
The black mist was like the sigh of death, ignoring all physical defenses.
The black mist carrying ions instantly invaded the base step by step from the seabed.
The charged black mist can disrupt the normal operation of machinery and block radio waves, instantly paralyzing the base's main power system...
Fortunately, the Victory team has a backup system that can barely maintain satellite communication.
But the Atlas in the hangar was already in grave danger.
……
"Captain, if this continues, we'll be stuck in the base..."
"Are we supposed to abandon this base and run for our lives?"
At this critical juncture of life and death, Police Chief Ji Gang, who has always been known for his toughness, showed the stubbornness that belongs to a soldier.
"I will never easily hand over the base! Don't you understand?"
Director Sawai shook his head, his eyes filled with regret, but even more so with determination.
"Human life comes first. All staff must evacuate to the Atlas. That's an order!"
The entire base was in complete chaos.
Staff members ran frantically down the corridor, screams and cries echoing throughout.
"Hurry up! Hurry up!"
"Run! Run! Run!"
Meanwhile, in the command room, an even more heart-wrenching conversation was taking place.
Ji Gang looked at the base where he had worked his whole life. The stubborn old man who always waved his fan was now as stubborn as a child.
"I've poured so much effort into this base. Even though it won't move, it's like a ship. I'll stay until the very end!"
"What nonsense are you talking about!"
Director Sawai whirled around, grabbed his old friend's shoulder, and roared, "The prerequisite for fighting is that you must live!"
This scene saddened many longtime viewers. In this parallel world,
The previous episodes had already made the images of the two old men, Sawai and Yoshitsugu, deeply ingrained in people's minds.
They were the founders of TPC, the guardians of peace. Now, watching the base they built fall, their heartache was beyond words.
Although Director Ji Gang is usually fierce, he truly loves his family.
[Director Sawai was right: As long as you're alive, there's hope!]
[But what on earth is this black mist? It can't even defend the base anymore?]
……
Meanwhile, in the depths of the ocean.
Horii and Shinjo are piloting the Dolphin 202, which is currently undergoing a deep dive.
"This is Dolphin 202, Headquarters! Headquarters, please respond!"
Xincheng called out anxiously, but all he heard in his earpiece was a noisy static.
"It's no use, communication is completely cut off."
Horii looked at the dial, his face ashen. "Moreover, the magnetic field here is a complete mess."
He glanced at the photo next to him.
That was his wedding photo with Jiang Qianhe.
I don't know... if I'll ever be able to go back...
boom!!!
Suddenly, the entire submarine began to shake violently.
"What's going on? Is it an earthquake?"
"No...that's not right!"
Horii stared at the sonar detector, his pupils suddenly contracting. "Look at that!"
The camera zooms out, giving a panoramic view of the deep sea.
This scene sent gasps through the eyes of countless viewers watching the live stream. From the deep seabed, the once-dormant ancient ruin—R'lyeh—was slowly rising!
Huge stone pillars, ancient buildings, bearing the marks of millions of years of vicissitudes and evil, break through the seabed and rise upwards.
And in the very center of those ruins, a colossal, despair-inducing black shadow is slowly awakening.
Oh my god...
What is this?
[My thalassophobia is acting up! Help!]
[This scene is so stunning! Did director Gu Nan bring the Cthulhu Mythos into a tokusatsu series?]
Look at that outline! It looks like an upside-down nautilus, but it's covered in tentacles and eyes!
As the ruins surfaced, giant waves hundreds of meters high rose from the sea.
"Boom—!!!"
Giant waves crashed against the coastline, as if they were about to swallow the land whole.
On the surface of the ancient ruins of R'lyeh, a colossal and despairing figure finally revealed itself.
The being known as the "Dark Ruler," Gatanothor, has revealed only the tip of its iceberg.
That's right, just a corner.
Gu Nan did not directly show the full picture of Gatanjee, but used a kind of "seeing through a tube" cinematic language.
First, huge, barbed pincers burst out of the water. The size of the pincers was astonishing; just one of them was like a small mountain.
Next came tentacles as thick as pythons, waving wildly across the sea, each movement creating a massive curtain of water.
Finally, there were those scarlet eyes.
In the dark mist, those upside-down eyes emitted a maddeningly evil light.
The evil god, Gatanje.
This is one of the most expensive suits in the history of tokusatsu (special effects) that Gu Nan's team spent nearly a million yuan to create.
Its prototype is taken from the Great Old Ones of the Cthulhu Mythos, namely Gatanottoa.
The enormous, nautilus-like inverted shell is covered with disgusting holes and tentacles.
Its head resembles an inverted mollusk, with two scarlet eyes gleaming with a malevolent light.
It doesn't need to do anything; just its mere presence makes everyone in front of the screen feel breathless with its mountain-like oppressive aura.
Gu Nan deliberately used special sound effects here—a low-frequency, whale-like but malicious roar mixed with the sound of churning seawater, directly impacting the audience's eardrums.
What the hell is that monster?!
[My sanity is plummeting! This design is too Cthulhu-esque!]
How am I supposed to hit this? It looks ridiculously hard!
Is this the ruler of darkness?
[This...this is way too big!]
How can you fight like that? They're not even in the same league! They're probably several hundred meters apart.
[I guess Tiga is just a toy in front of him, right?]
……
Inside TPC, the Atedis is about to be launched.
Everyone was arranged to take refuge.
Amidst this chaos, one person remained.
Dagu.
"Daigo, what's wrong?"
Director Sawai had a general idea of what was going on.
Zongfang looked at Daigo with a puzzled expression.
"I want to...I want to go alone."
Daigo's voice was soft, but firm.
"No!"
Lina suddenly shouted.
After Megumi Kijima persuaded Munakata and Sawai to leave, there were no outsiders left in the command room.
Lina stayed too...
She didn't want her lover to face that terrifying enemy alone.
She watched Daigo standing in the empty command room, looking at the sea shrouded in black fog on the screen.
My heart felt like it was being clenched tightly...
Captain Kei took a few steps forward.
The camera work here is absolutely beautiful.
In the dim light, under the flickering sparks, the shadows of the group were stretched long.
Megumi's eyes held a wisdom and gentleness that seemed to see through everything.
She seemed to have known Daigo's identity for a long time, but had never revealed it.
Megumi took a deep breath, as if she had put down all the burdens in her heart, and spoke slowly.
"When I first saw Ultraman, I thought I had met God."
At that moment, Daigo was stunned.
"Izayoi continued."
"I thought he could guide humanity onto the right path. But it seems that's not the case..."
"Later I learned that Ultraman is both light and human."
This sentence directly cut through that thin veil.
Daigo wanted to open his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
"Therefore, Daigo, you have no obligation to face an enemy you can't possibly defeat!"
Suddenly, Megumi Kijima shouted out.
"You should understand now!"
He turned around and looked at the captain who had always taken care of him like an older sister.
The live chat exploded!
[Holy crap! The captain already knew?!]
[I knew it! Every time Daigo goes missing, Tiga appears. How could the captain, who's so smart, not guess it!]
[He is both light and humanity... This is the best interpretation of Ultraman Tiga's essence!]
Daigo's true identity has been revealed! But the timing of this revelation makes it even more heartbreaking!
Daigo looked at the captain, his initial surprise turning into relief.
At that moment, countless images suddenly flashed through his mind.
The confusion when I first turned into light, the emotion when I first heard Lina call out "Tiga", the cities destroyed by monsters, the children crying in the ruins, and... every time my teammates fought bravely.
He took out his magic light stick.
"yes……"
Daigo lowered his head, looking at the Spark Lens in his hand.
In that instant, memories flooded back like a tide.
From initially being forced to accept their fate, to later actively embracing this power.
He thought of Obik's homesickness, Mayumi's tears after losing her lover, and Sila's rebirth and her brilliant soul.
Are you afraid?
Of course, there is reason to be afraid.
That was a darkness that even ancient civilizations could not withstand.
But if we back down because of fear, what will happen to the people behind us?
"team leader……"
"There's no way we can win... I don't understand."
Daigo shook his head, revealing his signature, honest yet resolute smile.
That smile contained the warmth of "humanity" and the divinity of "light".
Looking at Daigo, Megumi Kiyama smiled.
"Yes... since when did I stop believing in fate?"
Daigo turned around and walked forward.
With each step he took, his aura grew stronger.
That was the desire to protect their companions and the world, which coalesced into the purest belief.
"We absolutely have to win!"
Megumi called out to his retreating figure, "As a human!"
Daigo stopped walking, but didn't turn around.
"Dagu!"
Lina cried out, but was pulled away by Megumi.
Lina's heart-wrenching screams echoed in the empty corridor.
"Lina, it's your duty to rescue people from the base!"
He looked at Lina intently, as if trying to etch her image into the depths of his soul.
Even with all their reluctance, they had to leave eventually. Megumi's last words echoed in Daigo's ears:
"We must win, Ultraman Tiga!"
At this moment, he is Daigo, and he is Ultraman Tiga!
I am not God.
Daigo suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils burning with an unprecedented flame.
I am just a human being! But there are things I want to protect!
If humanity's fate is destined for destruction, then I will personally shatter this damned destiny!
At that moment, his belief reached its peak.
It wasn't just the desire to protect one's comrades; it was the resolve, as a human being, to fight to the very last moment for this world and for all that is beautiful.
The magic wand vibrated violently in his hand, as if sensing its master's resolute will to die.
Without hesitation, without delay.
"Tiga!!!"
A dazzling light shone forth in the endless darkness.
She wants to protect her companions and safeguard this world where Lina, the captain, and her friends exist.
This intense belief caused the light stick in his hand to emit an unprecedented light.
The light was so dazzling that it even pierced through the black mist that enveloped the base.
The next second, a beam of light pierced the darkness that shrouded the base and flew towards the Pacific Ocean.
At this point, the barrage of comments was no longer densely packed, but had transformed into a unified prayer.
We absolutely have to win!
My tears are flowing uncontrollably. Go, Ultraman Tiga!
This plot is so depressing, I can hardly breathe.
……
Amidst the light, a colossal figure slowly rose to its feet.
The giant of light stands between heaven and earth.
But he did not fly directly to Gatange.
At this moment, countless Zoga are still wreaking havoc in the skies around the world.
Tiga hovered in mid-air, and the light emanating from his body did not dissipate; instead, it grew even stronger.
Golden light enveloped his composite body, forming a faint golden glow.
That's—the Flash Form!
It was Daigo who pushed the human will to its limit and forcibly unleashed this power!
"just!"
Ultraman Tiga moved.
His figure instantly transformed into a golden streak of light and vanished from the spot.
The next second, they appeared in the sky above a city thousands of miles away.
Before Zoga, who was destroying a building, could react, a golden hand blade instantly severed its wing.
Immediately following was an instantaneous Zepelion Ray without any charging!
"boom!"
Zoga explodes in mid-air!
But this is only the beginning.
Tiga's figure flashed across the skies around the world as if he were teleporting.
Paris, New York, Shanghai, Tokyo... everywhere ravaged by Zoga, a golden light flashed.
"That's... Ultraman Tiga?"
"Ultraman Tiga has come to save us!"
The people in the ruins looked up at the light.
Tiga swung his hand out, and golden light bullets poured down like a torrential rain.
Those Zoga who flaunted their power in front of human armies were as fragile as ants in the face of this force.
Brilliant sparks exploded in the sky.
That is proof that Zoga was destroyed.
The audience was stunned.
[This...this is Ultraman Tiga?]
[So powerful! It's the form from the season one finale!]
[This is Daigo in his angry form! He's clearing the area!]
[So cool! Kill all these scum!]
In its Flash Form, these demonic birds that TPC couldn't handle were like paper in front of Tiga.
The variation of the background music "Take Me Higher" reached its peak at this moment.
The audience watching on screen were thrilled, and the previous tension vanished completely.
[He's gone berserk! Ultraman Tiga has gone berserk!]
That's so cool! That's what you call impressive!
[Is this Shining Hatchling? Her combat power is off the charts!]
Gu Nan used a rapid editing technique here to string together scenes of Tiga cleaning up Zoga around the world.
Every frame is a burning budget, every second is a release of power.
Until the last Zoga was kicked and destroyed by Ultraman Tiga in the sky above Jinghai City.
The world seems to have quieted down.
Ultraman Tiga hovered in mid-air, the color timer on his chest still a deep blue.
He turned around, his gaze piercing through the clouds to the center of the Pacific Ocean.
The Ruins of R'lyeh.
That's the final destination.
There, there is real fear.
There, true despair awaited him.
"just!"
Without hesitation, Tiga flashed and transformed into a golden rainbow, heading straight for R'lyeh.