"By the way, Mebius, why don't you give it a try as well?"
Hikari looked at Mebius, picked up a blank capsule, and handed it to him.
"Sure." Mebius nodded, took the capsule, and began transmitting his energy into it.
Bang!
The capsule exploded almost instantly.
As the smoke cleared, Hikari calmly picked up another capsule from the table and handed it to him again.
Mebius accepted it, concentrated, and began transmitting once more.
Boom! Another failure. The second capsule exploded in his hands.
Watching Mebius fail twice in a row, Yu Zhou finally understood—this energy transfer was not something that could succeed so easily. He himself must have been ridiculously lucky earlier.
Just as Mebius prepared to try a third time, an Ultra Signal suddenly appeared before them.
"Not good, something's happened!"
Mebius dropped the capsule at once and rushed out of Hikari's research building, soaring into the sky.
"What's going on?" Yu Zhou asked in confusion, watching him leave in such a hurry.
"Something major," Hikari answered, his voice tense as he read the contents of the signal.
Yu Zhou frowned. "A major incident? On the Land of Light?"
The Land of Light was supposed to be the safest place in the universe. For something serious to happen here…
Then it struck him. His expression froze, and his heart dropped. If trouble is stirring here… then it can only mean Belial.
Belial—the Ultra who once tried to steal the Plasma Spark, was cast out of the Land of Light, and later possessed by the Reiblood, becoming a dark and twisted Ultraman. He had once stormed this very world before being sealed in the space prison by the Ultra King.
But now, Yu Zhou realized, some foolish alien must have released him.
And as he recalled, in the movie Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legend, the alien who freed Belial had been immediately killed by him. Truly a fool.
This meant the entire plot was unfolding—the invasion of Belial, the theft of the Plasma Spark, and the freezing of the entire Land of Light.
"Belial's coming… this is bad." Yu Zhou clenched his fists, then glanced at Hikari. "Hikari, I'll be leaving first!"
Hikari didn't try to stop him. He merely nodded, eyes still heavy with worry.
Yu Zhou thought about warning the Ultras of what was about to happen. But Belial hadn't even broken in yet, nor stolen the Plasma Spark. Even if he told them, they would never abandon the Plasma Spark—it was their very core. They would fight to the end.
There's no choice. For my own survival, I'll just have to get out before the freezing begins.
Yu Zhou shook his head, though he didn't rush. The freezing would only happen once Belial actually seized the Plasma Spark. Until then, he had time.
Hovering up into the sky, his eyes caught sight of the towering structure glowing with immense energy.
"The Plasma Spark Tower…" he muttered. "Should I… take a look before Belial gets there?"
The thought alone sent a thrill through his chest. The Plasma Spark was the heart of the Ultras, the source of their evolution. Just seeing it with his own eyes might reveal something useful, maybe even a way to strengthen himself.
Just one glance. Before Belial takes it.
Far away, in the space prison—
A towering figure, his body covered in black and crimson, broad-shouldered, with blood-red eyes and a steel staff in hand, raised his head toward the sky.
Belial had returned.
Above him, Taro—the Commander of the Space Garrison—led a squadron of Ultras, glaring down at him from the sky.
"Belial! Back to your cell immediately!" Taro's voice roared with authority.
But Belial only sneered, stretching his arms as though warming up. "Perfect. A little exercise before the real show."
"Attack!"
Taro cast aside his cape and led the Ultras down in a charge.
They surrounded Belial in a ring, fists swinging. Belial's staff whirled with terrifying force, sending them flying one by one like rag dolls.
They were far too weak.
Even so, the Ultras refused to stay down. Each time they were knocked away, they dragged themselves up and charged again—only to be swatted aside once more.
Two Ultras stepped back, forming L-shaped stances with their hands and unleashing their signature beams.
The beams struck Belial squarely… and vanished into his palms without leaving a mark.
Their eyes widened. Without hesitation, they lunged forward recklessly, determined to fight even if it meant their lives.
Belial thrust his staff forward. A surge of force sent both Ultras smashing into the prison walls, crumpling helplessly.
Belial sneered. "Come on. Take this seriously. At least make it fun."
"Enough!"
Taro appeared in front of him in a flash, his fist grazing Belial's cheek.
"Belial, I won't forgive you!" Taro growled. Fury burned in his chest—so many of these fallen Ultras were his own students.
Belial chuckled darkly. "You, at least, look interesting."
He leapt to the prison's highest platform. Taro followed, unleashing a knife-hand strike. Belial blocked it with his staff, and the two clashed violently.
Their blows shook the air, fist meeting steel, each attack echoing like thunder.
Taro unleashed the full power befitting the Commander of the Space Garrison, his strikes fierce and unrelenting. For a moment, they seemed evenly matched.
Then Belial's staff swung down. Taro flipped back, creating distance, before crossing his arms. His body glowed in brilliant colors.
"Storium Ray!"
A brilliant rainbow beam shot forth. Belial twisted midair, dodging it with ease.
Taro rushed forward, grappling Belial and driving him downward.
Boom!
The crystalline ground of the Land of Light shattered, smoke and dust erupting skyward.
When it cleared, Belial stood unscathed, one hand gripping a battered, gasping Taro.
"TA—RO!"
Zoffy, already waiting with several Ultras before the Plasma Spark Tower, shouted in alarm.
Belial's crimson eyes gleamed with madness as he laughed. "Hahahaha! Did you miss me? I'm back!"
He hurled Taro aside like a broken doll, the crystal ground cracking further beneath the force.
Hidden within the crowd, Yu Zhou glanced down at the shards of crystal scattered at his feet.
His eyes lit up with a dangerous thought.
"…These crystal fragments… I bet they'd sell for quite a fortune."