Normally, all it took was becoming light to merge with the statue and obtain the power of the Giant of Light. It wasn't a difficult process.
But there was one crucial factor that couldn't be ignored: Timing.
If he transformed too early, there was a real chance that Daigo wouldn't get his opportunity to become Ultraman. In that case, Su Mo would have to face both monsters alone—a dangerous proposition, no matter how strong he had become.
But if he waited too long, an accident might occur, allowing Daigo to get to the statue first and awaken Ultraman Tiga. After all, Daigo was the protagonist of this world. Who knew what kind of plot armor he might suddenly benefit from?
After weighing his options, Su Mo made his decision.
Better to strike now than to be caught in regret.
In the original storyline, even a newly transformed Daigo was able to take on two monsters.
And that was Daigo—who turned Tiga, a top-tier spellcasting Ultraman, into a full-on melee brawler. Unless the situation was truly desperate—say, the warning light blinking red—Daigo never really tapped into Tiga's full potential.
Even so, he still managed to win.
Compared to that, Su Mo wasn't just sharing in Tiga's power—he was a true mage, trained in magic.
Even if he couldn't immediately master all of Tiga's techniques, he still had one trump card up his sleeve:
The ultimate magic spell—Fairy Law.
Powered by Tiga's immense energy, unleashing Fairy Law would be devastating. Two monsters? Even ten might not stand a chance. After all, that spell specialized in overwhelming groups.
With that thought, Su Mo felt reassured. Even in the worst-case scenario, his odds of victory were more than solid.
Without further delay, he activated his light magic. His body dissolved into a radiant orb of light and—with a flash— Shot directly into the crystal embedded in the forehead of the central statue—Ultraman Tiga.
In that instant, the entire statue was bathed in a blinding glow. And the next moment, the dull stone exterior began to crumble and fall away— Revealing the gleaming metallic form of Ultraman Tiga beneath.
The Giant had awakened!
"So this… this is the power of Ultraman Tiga. It's incredible!"
Controlling the giant's body, Su Mo clenched his fist, feeling power surge through him—vast and boundless. A gentle punch could shatter a mountain. A light step could shake the earth.
And this was just the baseline physical capability—without using a single energy beam or technique.
"No wonder some people in the show saw Ultraman as a god… while others saw him as a devil."
For the first time, Su Mo truly understood.
In a modern world, a being capable of wiping out civilizations with a flick of the wrist really was godlike—or demonic.
Now transformed, Tiga's entire arsenal of skills began to surface in Su Mo's mind.
"As expected of the Archmage among Heisei Ultramen… even random poses fire off attacks?"
He was genuinely stunned by the sheer variety of techniques at his disposal.
Focusing on a few core combat skills and signature finishers, Su Mo quickly familiarized himself with the mechanics. Then, without wasting any more time, he reverted back into his human form.
With his return to normal, the pyramid's chamber now held only two statues.
Su Mo glanced down at his left wrist— There, embedded with a blue gem, was a silver bracelet.
His transformation device.
Strangely, it wasn't the same as Daigo's original Spark Lens. But Su Mo actually found this version more convenient—at least it was harder to snatch away.
"Good… I didn't burn too much stamina."
Feeling the strength still coursing through his body, Su Mo let out a small sigh of relief.
Transforming into Ultraman Tiga came at a cost— It required using his own stamina to sustain the form.
Once that stamina was exhausted, the giant form would disappear. Tiga himself didn't actually have a strict three-minute limit, unlike what some assumed. According to the original plot, it was more about energy reserves— As long as there was enough energy, Tiga could remain active. But if energy dropped too low, he would revert to human form… And it would take a good while to recover.
Earlier, Su Mo had only moved around to get used to the body. He hadn't used any energy-intensive attacks, So his stamina and power levels were still full—barely depleted.
Even though he had returned to his human form, all of Tiga's abilities remained vividly imprinted in Su Mo's mind.
So he closed his eyes, quietly reviewing and familiarizing himself with every detail of Tiga's power.
A few minutes later—
Daigo finally arrived.
"This is… the pyramid—and the giants!" He stood in awe, gazing excitedly at the two remaining stone statues. He didn't seem to notice anything was missing.
After all, Yuzare had never said exactly how many giants were supposed to be here.
Still wide-eyed from the discovery, he quickly noticed Su Mo nearby— And his face lit up with joy.
"Chief! Did you see it? The giants! You were right all along! Everything you said was true!"
"Haha, of course," Su Mo replied with a casual smile. "I've been here for several minutes already."
"We've found the giants," he added thoughtfully, "But now the real question is—how do we awaken them?"
As he said this, Su Mo gave Daigo a look… a rather meaningful one.
"Right!" But Daigo didn't catch the underlying implication. He just scratched his head.
"What should we do? Headquarters just informed us—both monsters are heading this way.
If we can't awaken the giants soon, these statues might get destroyed!"
The thought clearly rattled him, and he grew visibly anxious.
At that moment—
"I might have an idea about how to awaken the giant…" Su Mo dropped the line casually— But it stunned Daigo like a bolt from the blue.
"Wait—really?! You're serious?!"
If there really was a way… that meant they could fight back. They could protect the pyramid.
Daigo looked at Su Mo, eyes full of hope and urgency.
Su Mo gave him a small, knowing smile.
"It's just a theory… but yes, it's possible."
He paused for effect— And with Daigo hanging on his every word, he let a mischievous smirk play across his lips.
"But now's not the time to go into details. We'll need to wait for the right conditions. When the moment comes, I'll explain everything. Until then—keep this just between us, alright?"