What happened to the three-minute limit!?

In midair, the giant's gaze shifted slightly, following the super Kaiju's movements.

He seemed utterly unconcerned by what his opponent was doing.

Then.

Under Yochi's uncomprehending gaze, the giant... began to spin.

Like a windmill, he spun in complete defiance of gravity and other fundamental forces. It defied all conventional understanding, looking utterly alien, as though he and Yochi did not even exist within the same conceptual framework.

Soon, the windmill-like giant moved.

The enormous beast was still racing through the ruins at an unimaginable speed, but just one second later, something even more unimaginable happened. The crimson windmill appeared before him at several times the speed of sound!

Yochi had no time to react!

Bang!

An immense kinetic force struck. The windmill slammed into the massive body-the giant's legs kicked him, sending that enormous bulk flying backward like a cannonball!

"Gah...!"

Inside the super Kaiju, Yochi's consciousness was already growing hazy.

All he wanted to do now was curse.

Where the fuck did this Ultraman come from!?

Are these stats even supposed to exist in this version!?

How is this fair!?

Is nobody going to do anything about this smurf stomping everyone!?

My attacks can't even break his defense, while every hit he lands is lethal. How is that not cheating!?

He controlled the Kaiju's body and slowly climbed out of the rubble.

Still... ten seconds... the final ten seconds.

I have to stall through these last ten seconds.

But two of this body's three Secondary Brains had already been destroyed. How was he supposed to hold out for those final ten seconds?

As he pondered this.

His gaze suddenly fell on a familiar Jaeger, the Eureka Striker. Its two pilots were fiddling with something inside the cockpit.

A chance!

Yochi's eyes lit up. He had found his last chance!

"ROOOAR!!!"

Ignoring everything else, he sent the enormous beast charging toward the two Jaegers. They were not far away.

"Shit!"

"It's coming!" Inside the cockpit, Young Hansen saw the massive Kaiju charging toward them, and his heart lurched.

They had only managed a few steps in their Jaeger before it caught up.

And seized them in its hand.

"What is it trying to do!?" Old Hansen stared at the hideous face looming right before them and reached toward the control panel.

After grabbing the Eureka Striker, Yochi immediately raised it and held it out toward the giant.

"ROOOAR!!!"

The beast roared. Its gesture seemed to declare that it had a hostage and demand that its opponent behave.

As far as he knew, an Ultraman would never attack him along with his hostages.

This was the best way to buy time.

He was right. An Ultraman would indeed never harm the innocent. The giant had now stopped moving and hung suspended in midair.

At the sight, Yochi was ecstatic.

I've won these ten seconds!

But the instant that thought crossed his mind.

"That goddamn bastard wants to use us as hostages!"

"You son of a bitch!"

"Not a chance!" Young Hansen glared furiously, making the same decision as his father.

He slammed his fist into the nuclear bomb's detonation button on the control panel.

Want to take us hostage? Have a taste of the Tsar Bomba!

The nuclear bomb immediately began its detonation sequence, counting down from ten seconds.

The Eureka Striker's cockpit abruptly opened as well, ejecting two emergency escape pods. They did not know whether ten seconds would be enough to escape the blast radius, but they knew they would never let themselves be taken hostage!

Seeing the hostages escape, Yochi's first instinct was to reach out and grab them.

But with two Secondary Brains lost, the body was no longer as agile. He missed. Those two escape pods were far smaller than a Jaeger.

The nuclear bomb on the Eureka Striker's back gave off a blinding light.

Yochi realized what was about to happen.

He hastily flung away the Jaeger in his hand and raised his arms to shield himself.

BOOOOM!!!

The nuclear fireball erupted in full, a sky-shaking roar spreading alongside a cataclysmic shock wave!

The two escape pods were still too slow. They could not outrun the nuclear blast.

But the two pilots saw an enormous figure standing in front of them, his hands seemingly holding up a translucent barrier.

The two men, who had thought they were about to meet death, felt hope for survival once more.

That single nuclear bomb razed the surrounding area. Amid the shock wave, only the giant remained utterly unmoved.

Soon, the flames of the nuclear explosion dissipated.

"Hah... hah..."

The physical toughness of a Category VI Kaiju was ultimately beyond anything an ordinary Kaiju could match. A single nuclear bomb was nowhere near enough to kill it. Even severely wounded, its body still clung to life.

Yochi stubbornly held on to consciousness.

He controlled the enormous body, trying to get it back up.

"Three minutes... three minutes... hahaha."

"Three minutes are already up!"

He lifted his gaze, wanting to see that powerful giant turn into a feeble human, wanting to see his opponent's predicament.

Though the battle had taken some twists and turns, he was the one who had the last laugh!

Yet when he finally raised his head.

And focused on the sky, he froze completely.

The giant still stood high above, his expression unchanged. Even the crystal on his chest... still shone that dazzling blue!

Why the fuck!!!

Yochi completely lost it.

Wasn't Ultraman only supposed to stay active for three minutes!?

Those three minutes are up, so why is his light still on!?

Is this right!?

Does this make any sense!?

Tsuburaya, you ******!!!

Even Ultraman Tiga could only stay active for three minutes!

An Ultraman could indeed only remain active for three minutes in an extreme environment like Earth's. That was correct.

But the problem was that this was not Earth.

Natsuki had originally thought the space beyond the Breach would be similar to Earth, imposing the same three-minute limit.

But he had not expected the Precursors' base to be a planet that had died after being invaded. Its environment might have been even more extreme for humans, but for an Ultraman, it was no problem at all.

I'm not on Earth. Who cares about your three-minute limit!

"No..."

"How could this happen..." Yochi watched the giant slowly raise his arms, his composure shattering all over again.

He wanted to retreat, but.

BZZZT!!!

A Specium Ray had already engulfed his body, leaving nothing behind.

The super Kaiju was destroyed, and their only countermeasure was gone.

Yochi's true body thrust an arm out of a vast stretch of rubble, struggling to crawl free.

He looked at the space that had been devastated beyond recognition, and a sense of defeat welled up inside him.

He had failed.

"No... I have to tell Quake what's happened here. Ultraman is far too strong."

"This mission isn't over yet. There's still a chance..."

Four transmigrators had come to this world in total. With the two of them allied, they should have been guaranteed a perfect outcome. Now that Ultraman's appearance had disrupted their plans, they could only settle for the next best result.

They did not know that this Ultraman was a hunter specifically pursuing them.

Meanwhile, the world knew nothing of the operation inside the Breach, nor of Ultraman's existence. The United Nations was still pushing ahead with the Unmanned Jaeger program.

The real hunt was only just beginning!

"Ultraman... I'll remember you." Yochi cast one last distant look at the giant, preparing to withdraw.

But with that single glance.

He happened to see the giant turn his gaze toward him.

"!!!"