Dinner was, naturally, lavish.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Yu Zhou and Masaki returned to their respective residences in R'lyeh to rest.
Masaki had his own living quarters there. Yu Zhou, meanwhile, returned to the Crystal Palace.
Although Camearra and the others were not currently residing in the palace, it remained spotless. Not a trace of dust could be found.
This was thanks to Himala, who had recently been promoted—by Yu Zhou himself—to the position of palace steward.
As a one-man operation, Himala handled all cleaning duties personally, working with admirable diligence.
After greeting him briefly, Yu Zhou returned to his room and lay down to rest.
As he stared at the ceiling, his thoughts began to drift.
Monsters hiding deep underground—how could they be located efficiently?
The first idea that came to mind was dogs.
He dismissed it almost immediately.
Even the keenest canine sense of smell would be useless against monsters buried deep beneath layers of rock and earth.
"If only I could raise a pack of monster-hunting dogs…"
Yu Zhou paused.
"…Monster dogs?"
His eyes widened.
"Guardie!"
Early the next morning, Yu Zhou dragged Masaki along toward Kumamoto.
Yu Zhou had seen Guardie during the Ultra-Ancient era.
According to Yuzare, Guardie had long since turned into stone and entered dormancy, with no clear indication of when it might awaken.
However, when Yu Zhou and Daigo previously investigated the Kumamoto ruins, they had seen Guardie.
That small yellow dog.
If nothing had changed, it should still be there—after all, Guardie's stone statue remained within the ruins.
"Yu Zhou, what exactly are we doing here?"
As they walked along the rugged mountain path, Masaki looked thoroughly confused.
"You don't remember this place?" Yu Zhou asked, walking ahead and glancing back.
"This place…" Masaki scanned the surroundings, frowning slightly. "I feel like I've been here before."
"Yes," Yu Zhou replied simply. "Let's keep going."
He offered no further hints.
When they reached the vicinity of a dilapidated temple, Masaki suddenly slapped his forehead.
"I remember now! This is where I first discovered the Cain statue!"
The moment his words fell, a small dog burst out from the bushes and leapt straight at him.
"Woof!"
The dog pounced enthusiastically against Masaki's leg, eyes shining with joy, tail spinning like a windmill.
"W–wait, a dog?!" Masaki exclaimed in surprise, instinctively trying to pull his leg back.
Yu Zhou stopped him.
"Yu Zhou, is there something wrong with this dog?" Masaki asked, puzzled. "It feels like it recognizes me."
"But I don't remember it at all."
"It's Guardie," Yu Zhou said calmly. "Cain's former battle companion—the same one that stood beside his stone statue."
"Guar…die?"
Masaki repeated the name softly, looking down at the dog.
At that, the little dog became even more excited, wagging its tail harder, letting out soft, emotional whimpers.
"Guardie," Yu Zhou said, crouching down, "do you still recognize me?"
Back in the Ultra-Ancient era, Yu Zhou had only met Guardie once. Later, after arriving in the Tiga world, he had encountered it again alongside Daigo.
That time, Guardie had rubbed against his legs affectionately—as though it already knew him.
"Woof!"
Guardie responded immediately, then trotted over and began licking Yu Zhou's hand enthusiastically.
"Good boy."
Once Guardie finally stopped, Yu Zhou gently patted its head. Guardie wagged its tail contentedly, clearly enjoying the attention.
"Guardie," Yu Zhou explained patiently, "this is Masaki, not Cain."
"Masaki is using Cain's combat body, so he carries Cain's aura."
"As for looking alike…" Yu Zhou paused, then smiled. "That might just be coincidence."
"Or perhaps," he added thoughtfully, "it's destiny."
"Woof?"
Guardie tilted its head, glanced at Masaki, then back at Yu Zhou—clearly confused, as if asking, Isn't he Cain?
"I'll take you to the real Cain," Yu Zhou said, smiling as he rubbed Guardie's head.
The dog tilted its head again, looking surprisingly adorable.
Nearby, Masaki finally understood the situation.
This dog was Cain's companion—and had mistaken him for its master.
And apparently, he looked remarkably similar to Cain.
No wonder Achilles and Herau had once addressed him as "Your Highness."
"Yu Zhou," Masaki said hesitantly, "can you really find the real Cain?"
Someone from thirty million years ago—could they truly still be alive?
"Yes," Yu Zhou replied without hesitation.
He reached into his coat and withdrew the Sparklence.
When it came to transformation, he still preferred the familiar feel of it.
A ring of light descended from the sky. Chimes echoed softly as Yu Zhou transformed into Ultraman Tiga, standing tall before Masaki and Guardie.
Masaki followed suit, raising his own device and transforming into Cain.
"Guardie," Yu Zhou asked, "do you want me to carry you—or will you transform yourself?"
According to the original records, Guardie was already capable of transforming.
Which meant that over the past thirty million years, it had recovered its strength.
"Woof!"
Seeing Tiga and Cain's towering forms, memories surged through Guardie's mind.
With a cry, it dissolved into light and flew into the nearby ruins.
The ruins collapsed.
From within, Guardie re-emerged—once more assuming its true Ultra-Ancient komainu monster form—and landed before them.
Then it lunged forward and hugged Masaki tightly.
"Hey—easy, easy!" Masaki laughed helplessly, overwhelmed by Guardie's enthusiasm.
Still, he allowed Guardie to hold him for a moment.
Soon after, Yu Zhou rose into the sky, and Masaki followed.
Guardie flew happily alongside Masaki, clearly overjoyed.
Meanwhile, Yu Zhou recalled the flight route Charija had once shared—leading to the Earth-like planet.
He had not brought back a spacecraft from the Ultra-Ancient era, nor did he have navigation systems.
This journey served two purposes.
First, to acquire advanced technology—and a new ship.
Second, to help Guardie reunite with Cain.
Yu Zhou was certain Cain had not died over the past thirty million years.
Luke, Eri, and other Ultra-Ancient humans were living proof.
The essence of Gijera granted extraordinary longevity.
And Cain, having once been a Giant of Light, would certainly not possess a short lifespan.
After all, which Giant of Light in the Land of Light hadn't lived for tens of thousands of years?
As they travelled through space, Yu Zhou occasionally used naturally occurring black holes to open spatial wormholes, accelerating their journey.
Charija's route was precise.
A monster merchant who wandered the cosmos naturally possessed detailed star maps.
"So," Masaki said, gazing into the distance, "we're heading to a planet inhabited by Ultra-Ancient humans?"
His voice carried unmistakable anticipation.
He was eager to witness the new homeland of Ultra-Ancient civilization with his own eyes.