Chapter 477

(Written at the front:

To better align with the “Third Layer of Truth,” certain terms and passages have been revised, especially this section.

Readers may try pooling their insights to find the clues I’ve scattered throughout the text and see if they can uncover the Third Layer of Truth before the ending.

)

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After rushing to the perimeter of the ruin at top speed, Shinjō Akari swept her hand forward, and blue light surged toward the tower ahead.

A golden-blue portal opened in response.

Shinjō Akari: “It worked. Inside is the Eternal Core.”

Qi Ming, curious, asked: “Aren’t you just an ordinary college girl at heart? How can you cast spells?”

Shinjō Akari flicked her purple hair: “Before coming here, I borrowed a bit of power from my partner—I didn’t want to be a useless burden.”

She lowered her head slightly, saying an ordinary high school girl would only cause trouble; only Shinjō Akari, the Creator God, had the right to stand alongside the Dawn Star.

Kagura and Ida Ikiryu were both warriors; she could fill the team’s gap as a mage.

These minor psychic abilities could still help—like using telekinesis to restrain enemies or summoning a shield during battle.

Qi Ming: “Like Ultraman Tiga’s team leader’s psychic power?”

Shinjō Akari: “He ages and loses blood using it in his human form. I only drain mana.”

With that, the two stepped through the golden-blue portal, one after the other.

Inside was a ruin, its stone pillars carved with traces of ancient time.

At the ruin’s deepest point, a massive “fireball” floated silently in midair, radiating astonishing light and heat.

This was the Eternal Core!

Even now, it remained calm, but Qi Ming could sense the terrifying energy lurking beneath its stillness.

“So this is it,” Qi Ming said, gazing at the “source” of it all, his expression complex.

Shinjō Akari felt equally moved—if the Eternal Core had never scanned her, none of this would have happened.

Shinjō Akari: “Transform.”

She watched intently as Qi Ming tapped the activation button and turned the dial, documenting each step—observing up close how her creation was being used.

Light erupted—Ultraman Tiga appeared, the Ultraman with the highest affinity to the Eternal Core.

Shinjō Akari held her breath and released more faint blue light, communicating with the Eternal Core.

“Eternal Core, it’s me, Shinjō Akari. We meet again.”

“I want to make up for my mistake. I want to help that child. I want to restore this universe you created to its proper path—let light replace darkness.”

“Please, lend us your power!”

Golden light flowed from the fragments of the Eternal Core, coalescing in Shinjō Akari’s hand into a small golden sphere.

The Eternal Core responded, splitting off a fragment of energy for her.

“It worked,” Qi Ming said, astonished.

This was too easy.

“Qi Ming, get ready to receive the power!” Shinjō Akari was equally thrilled—she hadn’t expected it to go this smoothly.

She hurled the golden sphere—the fragment of the Eternal Core merged with Tiga.

Tiga seemed ignited by golden light, his body undergoing a massive transformation.

His new form had an orange-red base skin, covered in golden armor, with three blue diamond-shaped color timers on his chest, strikingly prominent.

Ultraman Tiga, Eternal Shine Form!

Eternal Shine Tiga!

Shinjō Akari’s expression shifted from joy to concern: “It worked… no, obviously there was an electric leak!”

Energy resembling flames began leaking from Eternal Shine Tiga’s body—a sign of unstable energy.

Qi Ming felt a torrent of power surge through him, as if a supernova had exploded within his veins.

In the original Ultraman Tiga series, Shinchū Ken’go struggled to control the Eternal Core fragment’s power and fought his early battles under this negative effect.

It placed heavy strain on his body and prevented him from reaching his full strength—like a car speeding wildly despite leaking oil.

Only after training under Libero did he finally stop the leakage.