After six grueling days of travel, Yoshi, Lyra, Joseph, and their companions finally reached the outskirts of Tottori. They observed the once-thriving city from a safe vantage point, now draped in an ominous darkness. Shadowy monsters roamed the streets, their eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. The citizens, under heavy guard, toiled in despair, their faces hollow and gaunt.

Joseph's voice shook as he whispered, "This is horrific. We have to help them."

Lyra's gaze hardened. "We can’t go in blindly. We need a solid plan."

Yoshi nodded, his face set in grim determination. "First, we scout the area. If we find any weaknesses in their defenses or patterns in their patrols, we might have a better chance."

As they watched, they noticed that the monsters moved in coordinated patterns, as if controlled by a single entity. At the center of the city loomed a larger, menacing figure whose dark aura pulsed outward, controlling the others. It was an E-rank creature, a significant threat capable of overtaking a city, yet vulnerable if approached wisely.

"That’s our target," Yoshi said, pointing toward the creature. "It has the Relic of Servitude, which is binding the city under its will."

The group huddled together, crafting their plan. They would infiltrate the city under cover of night, taking advantage of blind spots in the monsters’ patrols. Lyra, with her illusions, would create a diversion at the eastern gates, luring the smaller monsters away. Yoshi and Joseph would slip into the central square to confront the beast and claim the relic.

As darkness settled over the city, Yoshi turned to his team, his voice a quiet command. "Let’s move. Stay focused and stick to the plan."

Their approach was smooth and silent. With Lyra’s diversion drawing attention elsewhere, Yoshi and Joseph made it to the central square undetected. But as they stepped into the open, the towering E-rank beast awaited them, claws gleaming in the moonlight, a dark grin stretching across its hideous face.

"Pathetic fools," it sneered, voice rumbling through the square. "You think you can face me? I am bound to the Relic of Servitude, and by its power, you are already mine."

Yoshi gripped his weapon tightly, his stance unwavering. "We’ll see about that."

The monster let out a mocking laugh, its voice dripping with malice. "Surrender? You fools underestimate the power I wield. These humans are mine, bound to my will by the Relic. No one can challenge me." With a sinister wave of its clawed hand, the controlled citizens began to close in around Yoshi, Joseph, and their comrades, their eyes vacant, dulled by the forced obedience that held them captive.

As Yoshi and Joseph found themselves encircled by the controlled citizens, their eyes scanned the situation, measuring their next moves.

“Careful not to hurt the innocent. They’re under the relic’s control,” Yoshi reminded, his tone calm but resolute. “Our priority is retrieving it.”

Joseph gave a quick nod, a smirk crossing his face. “And the monsters?”

“Those we can take down without mercy,” Yoshi replied, his eyes narrowing.

“Now *that’s* what I like to hear,” Joseph said, his smile widening.

As the swarm of monsters and controlled citizens charged at them, Yoshi and his comrades moved swiftly. They disabled the citizens with precise, non-lethal strikes, knocking them unconscious, while decimating the horde of creatures with fierce, calculated blows. Despite their efforts, the numbers continued to grow, pressing them back.

Realizing the odds, Yoshi raised his sword, channeling a powerful knockout blast that swept through the controlled citizens in one swing, dropping them without harm. The monster holding the relic snarled in fury, retaliating with a series of devastating long-range attacks.

“Take cover!” Yoshi called, but the blast hit their comrades, who fell, helplessly succumbing to the relic’s control. Yoshi and Joseph alone resisted the onslaught, subduing their mind-controlled allies with heavy hearts but quick reflexes.

With their comrades out of the fight, Yoshi and Joseph turned to face the monster, dodging each of its deadly attacks as they closed in.

“Ready to surrender?” Joseph taunted, his gaze steady.

“Never! The relic is mine!” the monster roared, calling forth a new ally.

Out of the shadows appeared the City Lady, her aura blazing with raw power, her eyes cold and glowing with intensity. She unleashed a powerful blast that forced Yoshi and Joseph off balance, but they recovered quickly, squaring up to face her.

“No one defies my lord and master,” she declared, her voice echoing with dark resonance, her stance protective and unyielding as she prepared to defend the monster that controlled her.

“Guessing she's the monster's general?” Joseph asked, casting a wary glance at the fierce figure before them.

“No! That’s Chie Chinatsu,” Yoshi replied. “A knight huntress who once served the kingdom. Now she’s the ordained City Lady of Tottori.” As Yoshi spoke, Chie unfurled her mighty wings, sending a powerful gust that pushed them both back before they steadied themselves.

“Well, in that case, I'll handle her while you go for the relic,” Joseph said confidently, suiting up and transforming into Ultraman.

Yoshi gave him a skeptical look. “Are you sure? She's tougher than she looks.”

Joseph smirked. “How tough can she be?”

Yoshi nodded. “Be careful. And don’t die.”

They exchanged a look of understanding, and Yoshi vanished, leaving Joseph to face Chie. Immediately, Chie launched herself at him with blinding speed, catching him by the neck before he could react. She tossed him into the air and followed up with a rapid series of strikes at lightspeed, then unleashed a magical blast that sent him crashing to the ground.

As Joseph struggled to stand, he barely dodged another assault. Her strength was staggering, her speed almost untraceable, and her magic, relentless. But when she unleashed another attack, Joseph countered with his Giant of Light energy, their forces colliding in an explosive blast that rocked their surroundings and sent them both reeling.

They clashed again, trading powerful blows, but Joseph quickly realized that even in his Ultraman form, he was struggling to keep up. With one strike, she shattered part of his armor, and his suit's self-repair faltered. A quick scan revealed her aura level—multiversal, and just as formidable as Lyra’s.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Breaking free of her grasp, Joseph unleashed another Giant of Light blast. But Chie conjured an infinite corridor that absorbed his attack, redirecting it back at him from every angle. Each blast struck with brutal force, tearing apart his armor and inflicting severe injuries despite his healing abilities.

“Yoshi wasn’t kidding about her,” he muttered through clenched teeth, feeling the weight of her relentless power. Shielding himself, he tried to buy time, but his defenses were cracking under the onslaught. His Xentrocurnia prime tech orb transformation was fading, leaving him vulnerable and struggling to withstand her unyielding barrage.

While shielding himself, Joseph called upon his XPT (Xentrocurnia Prime Tech) for assistance. The system informed him that executing his next move would reduce it to only Eighty-Nine percent power due to extensive damage. Accepting the risk, Joseph gave the go-ahead. The XPT absorbed the barrage of blasts alongside the energy of the infinite corridor, before splitting a portion of itself from Joseph and charging at incredible speed toward the City Lady. The separated part enveloped her, forming a protective cocoon, and detonated like a contained nuke, rendering her unconscious as the XPT itself faded into nothingness.

With the immediate threat neutralized, Joseph turned to aid Yoshi, who was locked in a fierce battle against the monster wielding the Relic of Servitude. Yoshi fought carefully, avoiding any direct hits from the relic’s power. He had managed to overpower the monster, but just as he reached for the relic, the creature unleashed a furious, colossal wave of energy.

The blast forced both Joseph and Yoshi to take cover, but Yoshi, being closer to the source, bore the brunt of it. The wave tore through his defenses, sending him staggering back, while Joseph’s shield held up but weakened as the energy subsided.

When the smoke finally cleared, Joseph spotted Yoshi standing still, facing the monster yet making no move to apprehend it or seize the relic. Concerned, Joseph approached him, placing a steady hand on Yoshi’s shoulder and calling his name gently.

“Yoshi?” he asked, his voice calm but filled with worry.

“How many do I serve you, master?” Yoshi asked, his voice eerily devoid of its usual conviction, now under the monster’s influence.

Joseph’s heart sank at the words, and he was momentarily stunned, hesitating before attacking. The monster seized the opportunity, commanding Yoshi to defend him. In an instant, Yoshi turned on Joseph, effortlessly tossing him aside as if he were weightless. Regaining his stance, Joseph fought to reach his friend, desperate to break the monster’s hold.

“He can’t hear you anymore. He’s now mine—a slave to serve me,” the monster sneered, relishing its dominance.

“I swear I’ll personally kill you!” Joseph retorted, fury igniting within him.

“We’ll see about that, human!” the monster shot back, then barked another order at Yoshi to eliminate Joseph.

In a single, powerful leap, Yoshi propelled himself into the air, descending toward Joseph with a force that he barely managed to evade. Each time Joseph spotted an opening to strike at the monster, Yoshi would instinctively pull him back into the fray with a surge of magic, preventing any chance of escape.

Joseph knew he couldn’t hurt Yoshi; even if he had the strength, his own power reserves were dwindling, barely holding at eleven percent in his XPT. He continued to evade Yoshi’s relentless attacks, each one more formidable than the last. Frustrated, Joseph ordered his suit to scan Yoshi, searching for a weakness, but the results shocked him: Yoshi was barely tapping into his full potential. The attacks he faced were merely reflections of Yoshi’s unmatched reflexes, far from utilizing even one percent of his true power.

“What?” Joseph exclaimed in disbelief. “Are you telling me he isn’t even trying? What about those attacks?”

“Based on my analysis, Yoshi isn’t using any of his abilities. He’s relying solely on his reflexes, which are so fast they appear to be potential tapping,” the XPT’s virtual assistant replied calmly.

“I’ve got to use the remaining power wisely,” Joseph resolved, determination hardening in his voice.

As he fought against Yoshi, the monster lounged on its throne, watching the struggle with sadistic glee, its laughter echoing through the square. Joseph’s thoughts raced. “Where the hell is Lyra when you need her?”

Just as he finished that thought, Yoshi lunged for him again. Suddenly, Lyra intervened, her magic bursting forth to break Yoshi’s grasp. The force staggered him, pushing him backward.

With Lyra’s arrival, the monster’s demeanor shifted, its amusement turning to concern. It realized it needed to up its game—Joseph and Lyra together might just prove to be more than a match for it.

Lyra’s presence washed over Joseph like a wave of relief; he was grateful to see her standing strong. She quickly sensed the dire situation and Yoshi's ensnarement under the monster’s control.

“Oh boy! I’m so glad you came to my rescue because I couldn’t do it all myself,” Joseph exclaimed, his spirits lifting.

Before he could brief her on Yoshi’s fighting pattern, Lyra interrupted, her expression serious. “I already know. Things are about to get serious.”

“Could you handle the monster with the relic while I deal with Yoshi?” she asked, and Joseph nodded in agreement, determination coursing through him.

“Then be quick about it,” she urged, summoning her wand from thin air, which transformed into a formidable staff.

Pulsing with intense energy, Lyra cast a parameter spell, creating a shimmering barrier that enveloped her and Yoshi, ensuring their battleground was confined to that space. It would prevent either of them from escaping until Joseph could retrieve the relic and defeat the monster controlling them.

With the air thick with tension, Joseph steeled himself for the battle ahead, while Lyra prepared to confront Yoshi, ready to pull him back from the brink of darkness.