When Goroyuki transformed into Dark Mephisto, the battle took a dramatic turn.
Dark Mephisto attracted the attacks of Dark Mephisto II, while Nexus engaged in combat with Garubelos EX.
Although Dark Mephisto II was stronger than the original, Goroyuki's extensive battle experience and superior combat skills gave him the upper hand. However, Dark Mephisto II was tactical, and after a brief struggle, he identified Goroyuki's weakness. He began relentlessly targeting the two critical injuries Goroyuki had sustained before his transformation, reversing the tide of the battle.
"Great, thanks TLT!"
"I'm honestly speechless. In Ultraman Tiga, the Victory Team did their best not to hold the heroes back, but here in Nexus, TLT is nothing but a burden."
"I'm over it. TLT is the worst!"
Many viewers at this point were convinced that TLT was more of a hindrance than help. After all, Jun's death was largely due to the inhumane experiments TLT subjected him to, which left him too injured to recover properly. Now, Goroyuki was suffering because of the injuries TLT inflicted on him!
Without those wounds, Dark Mephisto II wouldn't have been able to exploit such weaknesses. Frustrated viewers thought that perhaps the world would have been better off destroyed by the alien beasts than "saved" by TLT.
As Dark Mephisto II prepared to land a fatal blow on Goroyuki, Nexus intervened, having just defeated Garubelos EX. However, even though it was now a two-versus-one situation, it didn't mean Nexus and Goroyuki were at an advantage. Both were at their limits.
Goroyuki had already been gravely injured before transforming and had taken further damage from Dark Mephisto II. Nexus, on the other hand, had been battling two monsters back-to-back, and now Garubelos EX as well. Since Nexus' power is drawn from the physical energy of its host, Ryo was also exhausted, with his transformation flashing a red warning signal.
Dark Mephisto II cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing through the battlefield as he taunted Nexus and Goroyuki, beckoning them forward with a smug gesture.
The mocking expression on Dark Mephisto II's face enraged the viewers. They wanted nothing more than to become Ultraman themselves and deliver a beating to this arrogant villain.
"Just taking advantage of the situation now, huh?"
"He didn't dare make a move when Nexus was at full power!"
Even Nexus and Goroyuki were infuriated by Dark Mephisto II's behavior and rushed forward for one last desperate attack.
After a fierce exchange of blows, Goroyuki began to predict Dark Mephisto II's moves. Seizing an opportunity when Dark Mephisto II made a mistake, Goroyuki locked him in a desperate grapple, restraining his movements.
"Nexus! Now's your chance!" Goroyuki yelled. While humans couldn't understand Ultraman's language, creatures from across the universe seemed to share a common tongue. Dark Mephisto's words reached Nexus loud and clear.
"But…" Nexus hesitated. Ryo was too kind-hearted to attack someone who had been fighting alongside him, even if it was Goroyuki.
"Damn it! You fool!" Dark Mephisto II thrashed in Goroyuki's grip, hammering him in the back with panicked blows. "You'll die too if you keep this up!"
"Then we'll die together," Goroyuki replied with a grim smile. "After all, I've been living on borrowed time."
Images flashed through Goroyuki's mind—Goemon's late girlfriend, Jun's last words, and most of all, the innocent smile of Ritsuko, the girl he had come to care for. He knew he was a man beyond redemption, and maybe death was the only way he could atone.
The only regret was not being able to see Ritsuko one last time.
Goroyuki tightened his grip, shouting at Nexus, "Do it now! I can't hold him much longer!"
Nexus, as Ryo, hesitated for a moment longer, then nodded solemnly. He raised his right hand, and a glowing bow and arrow appeared around his wrist.
"Arrow Beam Storm!" This was Nexus in his blue form's ultimate move—a powerful energy arrow capable of disintegrating enemies down to their molecular level, with extreme speed and wide coverage.
A beam of pure destruction shot out, piercing both Dark Mephisto II and Goroyuki!
Even in his final moments, Dark Mephisto II couldn't believe what was happening. "No… I can't… I can't die here… How could I be beaten by this failure?"
"That was incredible!"
Fans were ecstatic at this climactic moment, though some felt a pang of regret for Goroyuki.
"What a waste… Goroyuki's death was really tragic."
"Tragic? Nah, he deserved it after all the terrible things he did. This was just paying for his sins."
"But is Jun really dead or not? How could he appear again, helping Goroyuki transform back into Dark Mephisto?"
"Man, I'm so confused. Somebody bring the writer here, I need answers!"
However, the episode didn't end there.
Despite everything, Goroyuki survived. Nexus, in his final act of kindness, had intentionally limited the blast's impact on Goroyuki, focusing most of its destructive power on Dark Mephisto II.
Goroyuki was captured and imprisoned, but before that, he had his final wish fulfilled—seeing Ritsuko one last time, thanks to Ryo's help.
As for Ryo, he also survived but was in poor condition. Controlling the power of the beam had drained him, and he was separated from Nexus.
Viewers sighed with relief—at least Ryo hadn't disappeared like Jun.
But the story clearly wasn't over. Now that Ryo could no longer fight as Nexus, the burning question remained: who would be the next Nexus?
Most fans had their bets placed on Goemon. After all, he had been the fan-favorite candidate from the start.
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