Volume 1, Chapter 112: The Final Battle (Part II)

"Come now, let me see just how powerful the legendary Ultra warriors truly are!" Tregear sneered, waving his arm forward.

*Szzzt!*

The violently surging energy instantly found an outlet, erupting from Grimbode's eyes, limbs, and every part of its body. Like a dark star from the depths of hell, it slammed into the entire battlefield.

"Hah!" Ultraman King exerted force suddenly, his golden light reaching an extreme brilliance as he erected a barrier in front of Grimbode, as solid and immovable as Mount Tai.

*Boom... Boom... Boom... Boom...*

Every time Tregear's attack struck, the barrier shuddered violently. Though it had little effect on Ultraman King, it made things miserable for the various Ultra warriors fighting below. Amidst the earth-shaking vibrations, even those hovering in the air struggled to maintain their balance.

The monsters and aliens were in the same situation, yet their faces did not reflect the shock and terror seen on the Ultra warriors; instead, they wore expressions of unprecedented excitement and ecstasy. Because Tregear... was on their side. The stronger their leader, the more invigorated they felt.

"The master's power is indeed formidable," Barueru remarked. Catching a glimpse of Zero rushing toward him, he tilted his body and hurled his cursed blade.

The blade spun rapidly in the air, radiating a profound, dark light like a baleful star from purgatory, tearing through the space it traversed. Zero was startled and forced his body to freeze in mid-air, using his Ultimate Aegis to block the strike.

*Clang!*

The blade crashed into the shield. While it caused no substantial damage, the intense recoil sent Zero flying backward. With a flick of his arm, Barueru guided the blade in a semi-circle, catching it firmly in his hand. Garum and Magna descended from the sky, landing on either side of him.

Opposite them stood Zero, who had regained his footing, along with Mebius and Joneus. The surrounding Ultra warriors and aliens wisely retreated to the sides, leaving behind a vast, empty expanse of space.

"That one called Mebius is troublesome; let's deal with the other two first," Barueru said calmly. He had taken note of Mebius back when the latter transformed into his Infinite Form. He had been monitoring him closely ever since, even while locked onto by Zero's ultimate bow.

"Understood." Magna and Garum nodded slightly, their expressions grave and focused.

"Good, let's go!"

Before the words had even faded, Barueru lunged forward. As he moved, his figure split in two, then into four... eventually manifesting dozens of clones. This was the innate talent of the Baltan race: the shadow clone technique. Garum and Magna did not hesitate, gripping their cursed blades and following closely behind Barueru on either side.

Zero and his companions stood still, not making a move. However, the increasingly volatile energy radiating from them suggested they were nearing their limit.

As Barueru’s clones surrounded them, Joneus stepped forward and waved his arms, firing dozens of energy bolts.

*Bang, bang, bang... bang, bang!*

Every clone was struck, instantly dissolving into thick clouds of smoke that blanketed the area and obscured everyone's vision.

"Be careful," Mebius said, frowning as he scanned his surroundings vigilantly.

"I know," Zero nodded slightly, his senses heightened to the maximum. Joneus, too, remained cautious, his eyes darting through the white mist, attempting to locate Barueru.

*Swoosh!*

Suddenly, a sense of danger emanated from behind. Joneus’s expression darkened; he aimed his palm backward and fired a powerful energy pulse.

*Boom!*

Amidst the roar, the space behind Joneus collapsed, and a large gap was blasted into the white mist. At the same time, Zero was assaulted by the combined forces of Garum and Magna. He parried in haste, but in the process, he lost his sense of direction within the fog.

"Mebius! Joneus!" Zero shouted. Only when an echo returned through the thick fog did his face brighten, and he immediately prepared to counterattack. But Garum and Magna suddenly retreated, vanishing back into the mist.

"Damn it, what are they playing at now?" Zero cursed under his breath, raising the Ultimate Sword on his left arm and slashing horizontally.

*Shing!*

The moment energy was injected, the blade of the Ultimate Sword glowed with a dazzling blue light. The next second, it extended into a hundred-foot-long blade of light, sweeping through the white mist as Zero swung his arm.

Strangely, no sound came from the mist. This was clearly contrary to logic. Perhaps driven by the urge to finish off the three enemies, Zero moved forward on his own after his strike failed to land.

"Ze—" Mebius began to call out, but Zero’s figure had already vanished from sight.

"No!" Mebius felt a jolt of alarm, realizing at once that this was a trap. Seeing that he could no longer sense Zero or Joneus, he leaped upward, flying toward the sky. In his view, this mist surely only covered a small area; if he could break through and use his beam techniques to disperse it, he could dismantle the enemy's scheme.

Noticing Mebius’s movement, Garum asked in a low voice, "Should we stop him?"

"No need," Barueru shook his head, his voice cold. "Him leaving actually works in our favor."

Garum paused for a second, then let out a light chuckle. "True. In that case, I'll leave Joneus to you and Galuna."

"The master has granted him rebirth; it is time for him to make an appearance."

Barueru had no objections. He turned his cold gaze toward Zero, who was still in the mist, and shouted, "Magna, let's go!"

"You got it!" Magna’s voice was filled with excitement. A wave of sound erupted, creating a vortex in the mist. Sensing the energy fluctuations ahead, Zero clenched his fists and spun around, firing a Wide Shot. The beam entered the depths of the vortex, detonated in a flash of light, and then vanished.

"Not there?" Zero frowned. Just as he was about to turn, he felt a chill beneath his feet. He looked down to see Barueru, blade in hand!

Zero’s pupils contracted slightly, and he prepared to fire an Emerium Slash, but he was interrupted by a sharp, oppressive aura from above. Without looking up, he caught a glimpse of a figure in his peripheral vision—it was Magna!

Zero froze in place, his pupils dilating to the point of bursting.