Regarding the appearance of the two giants— There was no unanimous opinion within the TPC headquarters. After all, with giants and monsters appearing at the same time, many people instinctively lumped them together as the same kind of threat.
If seen from that angle, the battle between the giants and the monsters was nothing more than internal strife among destructive entities. But Director Sawai didn't agree with such a simplistic view.
So, he decided to consult the members of the Victory Team—those who had actually come into close contact with both the giants and the monsters. He wanted to hear their thoughts.
Upon hearing his question, the members of the Victory Team exchanged glances. "I think... both giants are on our side—on the side of humanity," said Horii, scratching his head.
"Why do you think that?" Director Sawai asked curiously. "Well, whether it was Golza or Melba, both of those monsters attacked buildings and harmed civilians after appearing," Horii explained.
"But the two giants behaved very differently." "The first red giant didn't show any signs of destruction. All he did was protect the other stone statue." "And the second one—the purplish-red giant—after defeating Golza and Melba, left Earth without causing any damage."
"Most importantly, if the color timer represents energy levels, then that second giant clearly had enough energy left to stay longer." "But he still chose to leave. That alone shows he had no hostility toward humanity." Horii's viewpoint was, much like his personality—down-to-earth and steady.
Anything that harmed humans was a threat—a monster. Anything that helped or didn't harm humans could be seen as an ally. And judging by how both giants acted, they clearly weren't enemies. At the very least, they were fundamentally different from the monsters.
"That's a solid point," Director Sawai nodded, acknowledging Horii's reasoning. But he didn't express his opinion just yet. Instead, he turned toward the others.
After thinking for a moment, Shinjo also stood up. "I don't think the giants are our enemies either." "Remember the red giant? Even when he was getting pummeled by the two monsters, he kept trying to protect the stone statue behind him."
"That statue must've been extremely important to him." Hearing this, Daigo winced a little. Why did Shinjoh have to bring up the fact that he was the one getting beaten up and couldn't fight back?
But Shinjo didn't realize the unintentional jab at his close friend. He continued: "The point is, even though that statue was so important to the giants that they were willing to risk their lives protecting it..." "In the end, after defeating the monsters, they didn't take it with them." "They left the statue with us—entrusted it to humanity." "To me, that shows a deep level of trust in us."
That was a unique and perceptive observation—something even Director Sawai hadn't considered. It made a lot of sense too. To risk so much for something and then willingly leave it in the hands of another species... if that wasn't trust, what was?
Hearing all this, Director Sawai couldn't help but recall the message from the ancient time-space recording device. Could it be... that these giants were truly humanity's friends? Protectors? He looked around the room.
Everyone on the Victory Team seemed to agree with the reasoning put forth. That meant... the entire team believed the giants were on humanity's side? Realizing this, Director Sawai nodded thoughtfully. He had always respected the judgment of those on the front lines. Then, he turned his gaze to Su Mo, clearly hoping to hear his opinion.
But Su Mo didn't go into a long explanation. He simply asked a quiet question: "At this point... do we really have any other choice but to trust the giants?"
Lesser monsters, maybe, with current UN military technology, they could be defeated. But stronger monsters? They were beyond the reach of nuclear weapons. Golza and Melba had traveled from the other side of the globe, and humanity had tested countless weapons on them along the way.
None of it had worked. Without the giants' help, if another powerful monster appeared, humanity would be completely helpless.
Especially when monsters emerged within cities, where heavy firepower couldn't be freely deployed. In short, when it came to fighting monsters, the giants were indispensable. Whether humans liked it or not, they had no choice but to regard the giants as allies—for survival if nothing else.
"You're right. It seems we really don't have another option," Director Sawai said with a bitter smile. All this time, they'd been debating whether the giants were enemies or allies...
But they had forgotten one crucial truth—it was humanity that needed the giants, not the other way around. "I understand what you're all saying," he said, taking a deep breath.
"Your arguments are valid. Still, until we confirm the giants' stance definitively, we must remain cautious." He didn't want his team letting their guard down and walking into danger.
"Understood!" everyone nodded. They were elite combat personnel, after all. They wouldn't become complacent.
…
After Director Sawai left, the group couldn't help cheering. Sure, their missions were becoming more dangerous, especially with monster encounters. But this also meant the importance of the Victory Team was increasing.
And not to mention—their funding was getting doubled. They were naturally overjoyed.
Seeing the celebration, Captain Megumi didn't stop them. But ten minutes later, once the excitement died down, she knocked on the table.
"Yes, having more responsibility is good." "But it also means we must live up to the expectations placed on us." "Our discussion about the giants isn't over yet." "Let's get back to it."
Despite her kindness, Megumi was a capable leader—she wouldn't lose sight of what mattered. Upon hearing this, everyone quickly straightened up. "As things stand, every prophecy from the ancient time-space device has come true." "But we still have no idea why the giant statue was able to awaken." "And that audio recording is still full of static—completely unintelligible." Yazumi shook his head, looking frustrated.
If they could figure out the reason behind the statue's resurrection, maybe they could even awaken a third giant. And then, what need would there be to fear monsters? Unfortunately, the audio remained indecipherable. Hearing that, the others also sighed in disappointment.
That's when Su Mo spoke up. "Let's set aside the question of the awakening for now." "Shouldn't we... give the giants names?" He casually brought up the idea.
Daigo froze for a moment, clearly excited. This was about naming his giant! Shinjoh nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Golza and Melba both have names, so the giants should too." "Can't keep calling them by their colors forever." The mood in the room instantly lifted.
After thinking for a few seconds, Munakata suggested: "The red giant was as big as a mountain—how about... 'Mighty Mountain Ultraman'?"
Pfft! Daigo almost spat out his water. What kind of ridiculous name was that!? He absolutely did not want to be called Mighty Mountain Ultraman. Thankfully, someone with a normal sense of taste stepped in.
Horii shook his head. "'Mighty Mountain Ultraman' sounds kind of clunky." "How about... 'Egg Yolk Ultraman'? Sounds fun!"
"..."
Daigo was stunned. Seriously? Egg Yolk Ultraman? Do I look like an egg yolk to you!? Just as he was about to protest, Su Mo's calm voice cut through.
"Ultraman. Let's just call them Ultramen." "As for the purplish-red one, I have a name in mind—let's call him 'Tiga.'" "Tiga Ultraman, huh?" Megumi repeated, nodding. "That actually sounds pretty good." The others said the name aloud and agreed—it had a nice ring to it.
And so, Tiga Ultraman was officially named. The name would soon be announced globally—and universally accepted. "Tiga Ultraman..." Daigo muttered, his expression full of admiration. Now that was a name. He couldn't help but feel a little envious.
As expected of the strategist—Su Mo had come up with something far better than Mighty Mountain or Egg Yolk. So he asked, "What about the red one? Shouldn't he also be called something Ultraman?"
Munakata quickly chimed in, "How about... Power Ultraman?" Horii also threw in, "Or... Egg Yolk Ultraman?"
"..."
Daigo was speechless. Did these guys have no taste!? If only he could think of a name himself—he would've shot both of those ideas down. Just when he was about to fall into despair over the awful suggestions, Su Mo finally spoke again.
"Since the two giants appeared together, let's keep their names consistent."
"I suggest we call the red one... Ultraman Gaia."
Upon hearing the name— Daigo's eyes lit up. Now that was a name! Daigo finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After casting a grateful glance at Su Mo, he promptly raised his hand in agreement.
"I think this name is perfect—let's go with Ultraman Gaia!"
Although Munakata and Horii were still somewhat attached to the names they had come up with, under Daigo's earnest persuasion, everyone eventually agreed—Gaia was the right choice.