The End of Ryo's Arc
After viewers learned about Ryo's background, his arc was nearing its conclusion. Right now, Daniel was waiting for the commercial break to end so he could watch episode 38.
In episode 37, the alien beasts, Megaflash and Garubelos, had attacked Nexus together. Although Nexus defeated them, Garubelos unexpectedly merged with Megaflash, becoming Garubelos EX and continuing the battle, putting Nexus in grave danger.
Now, Daniel was eager to see what episode 38 would bring, especially after another man, who had appeared earlier in the series, returned to the story—the former minor villain, Goroyuki, who seemingly perished alongside Jun. But he somehow survived the earlier battle, albeit with amnesia, and was now traveling with a young girl whose parents he had indirectly killed.
Once discovered by TLT, Goroyuki was subjected to brutal human experimentation. TLT had no mercy, not even for Nexus Ultraman, let alone their former enemy. So the torture he faced was even harsher.
Though Picca Comics didn't show the experiments directly, the screams of Goroyuki and the scientists in white coats hinted at the painful procedures he underwent. Despite this, the experiments triggered his memories, and Goroyuki realized he had been a mere puppet all along. Determined to see the girl once more before his death, he escaped TLT by taking Mizo hostage.
Since episode 37 ended with the scene of Goemon and Seijo pursuing the fugitive Goroyuki, Daniel figured episode 38 would feature Goroyuki in a major way. Would the girl he sought die, pushing Goroyuki into further darkness and transforming him back into Dark Mephisto for a rematch against Nexus?
Daniel shook his head. If so, that would be too cruel. Goroyuki would essentially become an "experience farm" for Nexus.
Episode 38 finally started! After the opening theme, the title appeared on-screen—"Final Battle."
"Is this the end?" Daniel wondered, but quickly dismissed the idea. The series wouldn't just end without some form of announcement. Besides, there were still unanswered questions, like Goemon's true role in the story. Was he just going to act as a battlefield observer the entire time?
Then a thought hit Daniel—what if this meant Ryo would die in this episode? His eyes widened at the possibility.
"Wow, is this really going to kill off two 'chosen ones' in one Ultraman series? That's dark," Daniel murmured to himself, a little stunned. But it made him more eager to see what would happen next.
Nexus was now fighting Garubelos EX, and just when it looked like Nexus was about to deliver the final blow, a black beam struck Nexus, stopping the attack.
"That's... Dark Mephisto!"
Seijo and Goemon, still chasing Goroyuki, were shocked to see the figure of Dark Mephisto standing in the distance, having ambushed Nexus.
But how? Goroyuki, the only one who could transform into Dark Mephisto, was still on the run. So who was this new Mephisto?
Both the characters and the viewers were left puzzled. Meanwhile, Goroyuki was still heading toward Ritsuko's house.
The truth was soon revealed: the new Dark Mephisto was none other than Yamasawa, the former Memory Police officer, now controlled by an unknown dark power and transformed into Dark Mephisto II. He launched a fierce attack on Nexus.
Already weakened from the long fight with Garubelos EX, Nexus was pushed to his limit. Night Raid stepped in to help, but they were no match for the new Dark Mephisto.
Meanwhile, Goroyuki had stopped running. He looked back at the battlefield, clenching his teeth. He knew that if Nexus were to fall, no one else could protect the world.
Goroyuki himself didn't care anymore. He was prepared to die. But what about Ritsuko? She had already lost her parents because of him. Was she now destined to lose her life as well?
But what could he do?
Goroyuki looked down at his hands. "I'm useless... I'm just a worthless failure!"
In the previous battles, he had lost his ability to transform into Dark Mephisto.
"You can do it!" A voice suddenly echoed in his mind, startling him.
Looking around, Goroyuki found himself in an entirely different place, bathed in white light. Standing before him was none other than Jun!
"No way!"
"Jun's back!"
"Is he alive or dead?!"
Seeing Jun again, both Daniel and the viewers were shocked. How long were the creators going to keep them in suspense without giving any clear answers?
Jun raised his head, looking toward the battlefield where Nexus was struggling, then turned to Goroyuki. "Believe in yourself. Believe in the light."
With those final words, Jun vanished, and Goroyuki found himself back in the real world.
"Believe in myself... believe in the light?" Goroyuki clutched his chest. Could someone as stained with darkness as him still find light?
If he could…
"Even if it costs me my life..." Goroyuki's eyes blazed with determination as he turned toward the battlefield. "I want to become the light and protect everyone!"
Light began to gather around him, small points of brightness swirling like beams of energy. Slowly, the light merged into his body.
Goroyuki transformed! His face split open as Dark Mephisto emerged once more, but this time with a crucial difference—the transformation was no longer surrounded by the usual purple vortex, but a golden whirlpool, much like Nexus itself.
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