On the interstellar routes created by [Trailblazing], certain obscure substances disrupt the flow of Imaginary Energy.
This phenomenon is highly aggressive, continuously infecting adjacent worlds in the form of a mysterious object, the [Stellaron]—spreading throughout the universe like cancer cells.
Wherever a Stellaron goes, it leaves only ruin and destruction in its wake. In a sense, the Stellaron is a symbol of destruction.
The power it contains is enough to easily annihilate a civilization. Therefore, using it as a power bank to recharge Zero should be more than sufficient.
---o---
Light Curtain Barrage
Kafka, the Stellaron Hunter: "Zetton? A Space Dinosaur? It sounds strong, but if it lays a hand on my baby, I'll be very troubled…"
Hachiman Hikigaya: "A war machine that even the original Ultraman couldn't defeat. What's more terrifying is that this Zetton is an evolved type."
Detective Conan: "Its level of intelligence doesn't seem like a weapon at all. It's more like a pet that's been raised. An Alien Zetton couldn't possibly create such a creature."
Giving a Zetton intelligence? What a joke. The only reason Alien Zettons can control Zettons is because the monsters themselves lack intelligence.
As a weapon of war, bestowing such a creature with sapience is tantamount to telling it 'I am controlling you,' which is no different from digging one's own grave.
The Alien Zettons aren't that stupid. Someone else is raising this Zetton, and… that keeper's own power is definitely above Zetton's, perhaps even… enough to easily crush it. That's why they don't care whether the Zetton has intelligence or not…
Alien Bat: "Hahaha, to think such a special Zetton exists in the universe. How rare. Although it's a far cry from the Zetton I cultivated, it's still enough to pose an obstacle to those disgusting Ultra Warriors."
Overseer of Schicksal: "It holds no hostility towards Zero…? No, it's more than a lack of hostility. One could even say there's a hint of goodwill? Is this an emotion a monster should have?"
---o---
Light Curtain
Zero looked at Stelle, his voice faltering, as if he could turn into a stone statue at any moment from energy loss.
"Are you sure you want to become one with me?" Zero said in a deep voice. "You still have a chance to run."
"If I go all out, I can still hold off Zetton for a while."
"But if you merge with me, you won't be able to escape, Stelle."
Zero turned his head to look at EX Zetton's massive body. No expression could be seen on the yellow organ on its face.
For some reason, Zetton had yet to continue its attack on Zero.
Perhaps its target was Stelle, or perhaps it was waiting for the right moment to strike.
In any case, this Zetton was filled with strangeness and abnormality. Let alone an EX Zetton, even stronger versions had never displayed such human-like characteristics.
"Don't worry. This monster is ridiculously strong, and I can't fly. If its target is me, I won't be able to escape even if you die."
Twirling the baseball bat in her hand and resting it on her shoulder, Stelle's tone was no longer as cold as before; there seemed to be a new hint of warmth in her words.
However, what she said still left Zero a little speechless.
He had thought Stelle was moved by his heroic gesture, but it turned out it was just because she couldn't leave the planet.
"Okay, so what do I need to do now?" Stelle asked.
Although she had agreed to the merger, Stelle herself had no idea how to actually do it.
Zero stood up, ignoring the damage Zetton had just inflicted on his back, and swung his arm.
"Your consent is all that's needed. Leave the rest to me."
Raising his right hand, under Stelle's watchful gaze, Zero's physical body gradually disappeared, transforming into a stream of blue light that instantly drilled into her chest.
A warm current immediately circulated within Stelle's body, giving her a strange sensation.
Then, on Stelle's arm, a white bracelet materialized. It was adorned with a blue crystal, and as a piece of jewelry, it was nothing short of beautiful.
"So this is 'one mind, one body'… I don't feel much of anything."
She looked at her body. Apart from a slight warmth when he first entered, there were no other sensations.
Her strength didn't seem to have increased, and her consciousness wasn't affected either.
It seemed Zero hadn't lied to her. The merger had a negligible effect on her personally.
"See? This young master didn't lie to you. To be able to merge with an Ultra Warrior like me is a blessing many people could only dream of. You should be secretly rejoicing."
Perhaps because he had entered Stelle's body and his energy was restored, Zero's tone had become much more arrogant.
Stelle just covered her head and sighed, clearly exasperated by his attitude.
"So? Can the Stellaron restore your energy?" she said in her mind. After merging with Zero, it seemed she no longer needed to speak aloud for her words to reach his ears.
At the mention of the Stellaron, Zero was clearly surprised. "It can, but… this thing doesn't look like it's anything good. Having it inside your body is like carrying a time bomb."
The so-called Stellaron was like a cancer to the universe. Wherever it went, it left only ruin and destruction.
Therefore, it was only natural for Zero to think it was not a proper object.
---o---
Light Curtain Barrage
As Stelle and Zero became one, the audience outside the light curtain revealed expressions of envy.
Transforming into an Ultraman was a childhood dream for many, let alone transforming into Zero.
After all, in terms of both looks and power, Zero was second to none among all the Ultramen.
Kafka, the Stellaron Hunter: "One mind, one body? Hmm, Ultraman Zero seems like a good person. It's not a bad idea to entrust Stelle to him for the time being."
Galaxy Baseballer: "Mom—ah, no, Kafka, why do I get the feeling you care so much about me? What's the reason?"
Ultraman Zero: "No, do you even need to 'get a feeling'? You just called her 'Mom.' How could you not know the reason?"
March 7th: "Wow, one mind, one body! That sounds so fun! I want to become an Ultraman too!"
Dan Heng: "You…? Forget it. I doubt any Ultraman would be willing to merge with you."
---o---
"Ze… tton—!!"
After Zero disappeared, Zetton brandished its claws and shook its body. Its intelligence was high, but it still couldn't comprehend the concept of the merger.
To EX Zetton, since Zero had vanished, there was no one left to stop it from dealing with the human from another universe.
Roaring angrily, Zetton charged like a bull toward the cliff where Stelle stood. The force of this charge was something even Zero would have difficulty resisting.
Seeing this, Stelle immediately said to Zero inside her, "Hey, hey, it's coming! Have you absorbed enough energy? How do I transform?"
At that moment, Stelle could even feel the ground shaking. If it weren't for the fact that she was no ordinary person, the trembling earth alone would have made it impossible for her to stand.
"Click!"
A sound like a mechanism releasing was heard, and the bracelet on Stelle's arm glowed with a blue light.
Then, a glasses-style summoner, extremely similar to the Ultra Seven summoner, materialized.
Its frame was composed of white and blue stripes, and the lenses were the color of Zero's eyes, giving it a great aesthetic appeal.
Clearly, this was the transformation device for becoming Zero. Nearly every Ultraman who bonded with a human had a similar device.
"Put it on, then shout my name loudly, and you can transform."
Zero's voice echoed in her ear. Stelle subconsciously put on the glasses that had appeared, then called out awkwardly, "Ze… Zero?"
"…"
Time seemed to stand still for two seconds. Then, nothing happened. Zero did not appear.
"Hey, hey, what's wrong with you? Don't tell me you're scared and won't come out!"
Zetton crashed into the cliff, sending countless boulders tumbling down. Stelle, with quick reflexes, leaped to the side and berated the Zero inside her.
And Zero replied in her mind, "No spirit. Absolutely no spirit at all. Your voice is too quiet. You think you can become an Ultraman with a voice that small? You have to at least roar it!"
The voice in her ear made Stelle want to drag Zero out and hang him up for a beating. But before she could say anything, Zetton's right hand swept directly toward her.
In this perilous situation, Stelle finally let out her own roar: "You bastard, Zero!!!"
"VWOOOM—!!!"
A white light burst forth, instantly enveloping Stelle's body.
A giant hand firmly grasped Zetton's right arm, stopping its attack dead in its tracks.
Then, with a backflip followed by a flying kick, Zero sent Zetton flying to the side, crashing into a cliff.
Re-energized, Zero reappeared before the audience in his super-strong form.
"Hmph, now that's more like it, Stelle."
Wiping his nose, Zero smiled and spoke to the Stelle inside him.
Ignoring Stelle's curses in his mind, Zero faced EX Zetton, cracked his knuckles, and the sound of popping joints echoed.
"Hey, EX Zetton, the second round is just getting started. Let this young master drag out that shady guy behind you!"
"Swoosh swoosh—"
As Zero's voice fell, the two crests on his head, as if with a mind of their own, shot out and slashed at Zetton's sides, creating a shower of sparks.
Then, Zero caught the returning crests and began to hack away at Zetton's body.
Under Zero's fierce assault, Zetton had no chance to react and was quickly pushed back by the green blades.
But one had to admit, EX Zetton's hide was truly thick. Although Zero wasn't using beam techniques, the sharpness of his head crests was second to none.
Even so, it was difficult to inflict any fundamental damage to Zetton.
This made Zero even more curious. Who was it that raised this monster? Although he had never encountered an Alien Zetton, it seemed unlikely they could cultivate such a powerful Zetton.
Ignoring factors like good and evil, whoever the opponent was, to be able to raise a Zetton to such a level of power was enough to make a name for oneself in the universe.
"Thud." Zetton was kicked down by Zero. Its massive body crashed to the ground, causing the mountains to collapse and dust to fly everywhere.
Then, Zero flipped over, mounted Zetton, and unleashed a flurry of rapid punches, completely humiliating the Space Dinosaur.
Under this humiliation, Zetton exploded. It abruptly stood up, flinging Zero to the ground.
The yellow organ on its face began to gather power, charging up for a One Trillion Degree Fireball even more powerful than the last.
Seeing this, Zero immediately fired a beam. The two forces collided, and the resulting shockwave sent the surrounding rocks flying.
"BOOM!"
The explosion rang out. Zero was pushed back by the blast, but Zetton advanced instead of retreating.
Zetton brought its hands together and fired a crescent-shaped beam. Zero's defensive power wasn't as ridiculous as EX Zetton's, but fortunately, he was agile and managed to narrowly dodge the attack.
"Damn it, what's with this guy? He's so tough I can't even dent him. He's even harder than Leo's fists."
How could such an absurd Zetton exist in the universe? It made Zero want to slap its trainer a couple of times.
Was there any benefit to raising a Zetton to be this tough? It was so durable you couldn't even hurt it.
"Hey, Zero, this isn't working. Your power will run out again soon. Let me control your body. I have an idea we can try."
Inside his mind, Stelle's voice sounded, surprising Zero a little.
"You have an idea? Hey, this is no joke. This guy's attack and defense are ridiculously high. If you don't dodge his beam techniques, it'll be all over…"
Zero said in his mind. Stelle's knowledge of Zetton was practically zero. Moreover, directly taking over the body of a fifty-meter giant… fighting habits and such couldn't be adjusted in a short amount of time.
"Just relax. There's no better way right now, is there?"
Inside the small, dark space within Zero, Stelle stood in a room where the surroundings were made of light particles.
"…Alright!"
Ultramen and their human hosts needed mutual trust. Although this was the first time Stelle and Zero were fighting together, that mutual trust was already there.
Therefore, Zero barely hesitated before handing control of his body to the Stelle inside him.
"So this is… the power of an Ultraman?"
When Stelle opened her eyes again, her field of vision suddenly felt much wider.
She could feel the power within Zero's body surging out endlessly.
This change sparked a strong sense of curiosity in Stelle. But looking at the Zetton, which was even larger than Zero, now was clearly not the time to be curious about this new body.
"Good. The first experiment in combining the power of an Ultraman and the power of a Path begins…"