Volume One, Chapter 17: The Cosmic Prison

For a time, a cacophony of voices rose across the Earth. Some agreed to hand over Mebius, while others opposed the idea. In the final hour, GUYS Captain Shingo Kusui took to the television, speaking as director to deliver a stirring message to the public.

“Please, everyone,” he implored.

With his last words, each heart was galvanized, their choice now irrevocably clear: they would never surrender Mebius.

Kirisaki fell silent. The outcome did not surprise him. In his memory, the Alien Empera had been the defeated party, paying with his very life. If not for his desire to witness firsthand the bond between humanity and the Ultraman, Kirisaki might have simply left.

With that thought, he withdrew quietly, vanishing into the darkness without anyone noticing.

When he reappeared, he had resumed his Ultraman form, and, at the fastest speed, flew in the opposite direction from where Alien Empera had arrived.

Tregear wielded dark energy, which Alien Empera immediately sensed. But he did not pursue Tregear—for the agreed time with Earth was about to arrive. The dignity of the emperor clearly outweighed the chase.

Tregear was confident in this, which was why he chose to depart now. Otherwise, against Empera, he would have had no power to resist.

Leaving Earth, Tregear sped toward the thirty-eighth latitude. He would not allow the Land of Light to dominate after Empera’s defeat.

Light and darkness must remain equal.

…

After a long journey, Tregear arrived at a dazzling star system—the M78 Nebula.

Yes, this was the homeland of the Ultra race, where the Land of Light resided.

Tregear’s target was none other than the Land of Light.

At this moment, the Ultra Brothers were all on Earth, and the Father of Ultra had led the army to reinforce them. The Land of Light was at its most vulnerable.

However, his aim was not solely the Land of Light, but rather the cosmic prison drifting nearby.

Within that cosmic prison were held countless evil aliens. Among them, the strongest was the dark Ultra warrior Belial, sealed for tens of thousands of years.

Belial’s influence and combat power far surpassed Alien Empera’s. As the new enemy of the Land of Light, he was the optimal choice.

Thus, Tregear could proceed unhindered to Borges.

Upon arrival, he landed at the cosmic prison, where two guards at the gate immediately called out, “Who goes there?”

Tregear did not reply. Advancing with ghostly speed, he appeared before the guards and, with a swift blow, knocked them unconscious.

He entered the prison. After only a few steps, anguished cries echoed from the pitch-black tunnel.

As he drew closer, Tregear could see their faces—aliens from across the universe, all imprisoned for grave crimes.

Upon seeing Tregear, they reached through their cell bars, shouting threats and curses.

Tregear ignored them, heading straight for the deepest part of the prison.

According to the annals of the Land of Light, the dark Ultra warrior Belial had been sealed by the King of Ultra himself. This entire cosmic prison was built solely to confine him; the other aliens were mere incidental inmates.

The thought of the King of Ultra made Tregear uneasy. After all, this prison was the King’s creation, testament to his overwhelming power.

If one must compare, it could only be said thus: Ultraman is a superman to humanity, but the King of Ultra is a superman to Ultraman.

Tregear pressed onward. Soon, he reached the prison’s deepest chamber, where he saw a red rock suffused with sealing power.

At the center of the rock, a fierce head lay exposed. Though motionless, it radiated an unsettling chill.

“So you are Belial?” Tregear smiled, his blue eyes flaring bright. He raised his hand, ready to unleash energy and liberate the dark Ultra warrior who had been sealed for tens of millennia.

“Stop!”

At that moment, a crimson arm seized Tregear, halting his near-mad act.

The familiar voice left no doubt about the identity of its owner.

Tregear threw off the arm, rolling to the side. His cold gaze swept over the three Ultras: “Taro, Max, Power!”

It was none other than Taro Ultraman, Max Ultraman, and Power Ultraman of the Land of Light.

Having received the alarm, they rushed to the cosmic prison at once, only to find the long-missing Tregear breaking in.

Taro looked at Tregear, his voice heavy with emotion: “Tregear, what are you doing? Why break into the cosmic prison?!”

A cold laugh escaped Tregear. “Why? Taro, are you pretending, or are you truly blind? Of course, I’m here to free Belial.”

At his words, the three Ultras’ faces darkened.

“Take him down!”

Before Taro could speak, Max and Power lunged at Tregear, grappling fiercely.

Both were renowned Ultras of the Land of Light, but together, they still could not easily subdue Tregear.

Indeed, after only a few exchanges, Max and Power began to falter.

Seeing things turn dire, Taro was forced to join the fray.

With Taro’s support, Tregear struggled. He seized an opening, blasting Power to the ground with dark energy, dodged Taro’s Stream Ray, and sent Max flying with a forceful kick.

A dazzling somersault planted Tregear firmly on the ground, and he used a spinning kick to repel his attackers.

“Damn it, how can he be so strong?” Max punched the floor, quickly scrambling to his feet.

This time, he kept his distance, moving his hands to his forehead to launch the Maxium Boomerang.

The head boomerang glowed with pale blue light, its sharp blade slicing the air as it sped toward Tregear’s thigh.

With a swift slash, a luminous wound appeared on Tregear’s leg.

He staggered, dropping to one knee.

Seizing the moment, Power fired the Super Spacium Ray.

The blue beam shot straight at him. Tregear’s brow furrowed, and he quickly dodged aside.

But with his injured leg, his speed was impaired, and the ray grazed his left waist.

A fierce heat seared his side, reddening the skin and sending up wisps of white vapor.

“Tregear!” Taro cried anxiously, rushing forward but then stopping short.

He sighed, gritting his teeth. “Tregear, give up. Come back to the Land of Light with me, please?”

Tregear scoffed disdainfully. “Taro, you’re still so naïve. I… can never go back!”

As the last word fell, a surge of intense dark energy erupted from Tregear, blasting Taro and the others into the steel bars of the cosmic prison.

When they rose, Tregear was gone from sight.