Chapter Twenty: The Gates of Hell

Above the clouds, a massive cyan stone door slowly materialized. Mist drifted across its surface, and intricate carvings shimmered with an unexplainable eeriness.

The door creaked open, revealing a space of swirling black and violet. A chill swept out, tugging at Xie Jing’s clothes and sending a shiver through anyone who felt it.

Below, the mesmerized crowd stretched out their arms, gazes locked on the stone portal, their eyes brimming with reverence.

Not far away, in an armored vehicle, Hui, Rina, and Daigu sat together. Daigu, recently battered by a mob of Kirieloids, leaned against the car, his face bruised and bloodied.

All of this had begun with a letter from Hui’s son, begging for her help. She’d gone to her late husband’s mother’s home, only to find the old woman muttering about angels—something felt terribly wrong. Concerned, Deputy Captain Munakata sent Rina and Daigu to investigate. While Hui and Rina spoke by the seaside, Daigu was lured away by a disguised Kirieloid—and then mercilessly attacked by a monstrous specter.

The monster’s intention was clear: draw Daigu into transforming, then destroy Tiga and wipe out humanity.

Daigu, refusing to let the creature have its way, endured the beating, his body battered and bruised. For an Ultraman, he was nothing short of exemplary.

In the end, the monster failed to kill Daigu. Rina and Hui found him, which led to this moment.

Hui stared, transfixed, at the ominous and majestic stone door in the sky. She murmured, “The Gate of Hell…”

“Captain.” Rina’s voice was thick with worry for Hui.

Hui’s spirits had sunk low. She bowed her head, eyes dull and lifeless. “We, the Victory Squad, can’t win against that thing. Honestly, Daigu, neither can you.”

“Don’t give up!” Daigu stepped forward, his resolve unshaken despite his wounds. “Ultraman is strong, but if humanity doesn’t believe in his power, he cannot become light and fight! Captain, I’ve never seen you like this before. Weren’t you the one who always told us that as long as there’s even a sliver of hope, we must keep fighting?”

“But…”

“No buts!” Daigu locked eyes with Hui, unflinching. “If the Victory Squad can’t beat it, then there’s still me—there’s still Tiga! If Tiga fails, there’s still Mr. Fujii! As long as people believe in us, we’ll never stop fighting!”

“Will he intervene? That man has always left the fighting to you.”

Daigu straightened, looking toward the golden throne. “He will. I know Mr. Fujii; in his heart, he’s always loved this land, always loved humanity.”

Meanwhile, the Victory Squad’s Swallow One and Swallow Two jets had already arrived in the sky.

Hui drew a deep breath and picked up her communicator. “Victory Squad, listen up: we must stop that gate from opening at once!”

“Glad to be back in action, Captain!” Munakata’s voice crackled through the receiver.

The two jets immediately fired their lasers at the stone door, but a protective barrier deflected the blasts.

“It’s no use. We can’t stop it!”

Daigu turned to Rina, his voice gentle. “You should go.”

“Come back to us, Daigu. Promise you’ll return.” Rina’s voice trembled with sorrow. She knew what he intended, and there was nothing she could do.

Daigu nodded. Rina started the engine, and they drove away, growing smaller in the distance.

A flash of light burst behind the car. Tears welled in Rina’s eyes as she watched Ultraman Tiga soar toward the stone door. In her heart, she prayed with all her might.

Come back to us, Daigu. You must return!

The stone door was opening ever so slowly. Tiga leapt skyward, doing everything he could to close it.

On the ground, the black-robed Kirieloids watched Tiga, laughing with wild arrogance.

“Those who dare defy the god of the Kirieloids will be punished!” Spheres of light shot forth, knocking Tiga from the clouds and sending tremors through the earth.

“Demon! Demon! Demon!”

Not far away, the entranced humans hadn’t dispersed. Xie Jing stood quietly among them, his body emanating rings of light that awakened one person after another from their stupor.

But there were simply too many people, scattered all around. Sweat streamed down Xie Jing’s face as he glanced at Tiga.

“Hold on, Daigu—just a little longer!”

Crimson light erupted from the ground. The Kirieloids, channeling countless spirits, fused into a humanoid monster, squaring off against Tiga.

This creature, which had appeared before, now wielded even greater power, its strength magnified.

Tiga found himself outmatched; his vaunted Ultra combat techniques were useless. Every move was countered, each strike met with overwhelming force.

Light flickered, and Tiga shifted to his Power Type. His crimson form radiated raw strength.

But the monster’s chest flashed green. Twin bone blades emerged from its elbows, sharper than ever. Ropes of muscle twisted along its abdomen and thighs, making it even more ferocious and imposing.

They grappled fiercely, the monster hooking Tiga’s neck with its bone blade and slamming him into a nearby building.

The explosion was deafening, flames leaping into the sky, debris raining down—carnage erupted, and many nearby perished.

Xie Jing, powerful as he was, could not protect everyone alone. When blood splattered before him and an ordinary, innocent life was snuffed out, he fell silent.

He worked faster, moving people away at an ever-increasing pace, but his gaze hardened as he looked at the grotesque Kirieloid.

“Give me one more minute!”

With that, his aura expanded further, awakening even more people.

Tiga knelt, gasping for breath, his color timer on his chest glowing, beeping urgently.

Light flashed, and this time, the Sky Type emerged. The deep blue Tiga summoned his power and shot into the heavens.

The monster was undaunted. Green light gathered at its core. Suddenly, bat-like wings burst from its back. With a single beat, a gale roared and the creature soared after Tiga.

Xie Jing seized the moment, purifying the remaining crowd. Many bystanders joined in, guiding the still-bewildered toward him.

At last, when the final citizen escaped, a thunderous blast split the sky. Five seconds later, Tiga plummeted from the clouds, crashing to earth and carving a gigantic crater.

The Kirieloid, wild laughter echoing across the land, fluttered its wings and landed at the stone door. With both claws, it gripped the gate, inch by inch forcing it open.

A torrent of purple-black energy poured forth, cascading like a waterfall to the ground, engulfing Tiga in utter darkness.

“Daigu!” Rina’s cry was full of despair.

“Ha ha ha ha! Foolish humans—this is divine judgment!” The monster’s laughter was unrestrained, brimming with arrogance.

“Hey, hey, hey!”

A voice rang out from the darkness, reaching the Kirieloid’s ears.

“I say, your laugh is really awful. Haven’t you ever noticed?”