Volume One, Chapter 30: The Element of Earth

“Well done!” Kay had barely voiced his praise when he saw Kiri approaching him. He smiled slightly, extending his hand, ready for a spirited handshake. Kiri did reach out, but the moment their hands met, a cold light flashed in his eyes.

Kay froze for a moment, an intense sense of unease surging within him. Immediately after, he felt the energy of light within him being relentlessly drawn away.

With a thud, as the energy of light drained rapidly, Kay’s face turned ashen, and he collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath.

“What… what are you doing?” Kay asked with difficulty.

Kiri didn’t answer, only revealing a triumphant smile. Once the energy extraction was complete, he flung Kay aside, then raised his palm, gathering the stolen light energy into the shape of a sword.

Kay’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Before his stunned gaze, the sword took its final form—the Orbu Holy Sword.

Gripping the hilt, Kiri muttered excitedly, “With this sword, finding the other elements will be much easier.”

The Orbu Holy Sword was an ancient relic, passed down for generations in O50. Not only did it contain the Light of Orbu, it was also intricately connected to the four fundamental elements of the universe: fire, wind, water, and earth.

“Who are you, really?” Kay spoke again, his voice trembling. He could no longer sense the Orbu Holy Sword—it was as if the connection had been severed. This was something that should have been impossible, and yet…

“Ultraman Orbu, don’t worry. I’ll return it to you in due time,” Kiri glanced at him before turning to leave.

At that moment, the yellow guard on the holy sword suddenly began to glow.

“The element is nearby!” Kiri’s eyes lit up with delight and he quickly raised the sword. The sword seemed to sense something, turning its tip to point in a certain direction.

Following it, Kiri’s gaze landed on a young boy. Was the earth element inside him?

Kiri lifted his hand and drew the boy toward him, gripping his throat and speaking coldly, “Hand over the earth element and I’ll spare your life.”

At the mention of “earth element,” Kay’s eyes flickered and he looked up sharply. He had come to Kebol precisely to seek the elemental power spoken of at the Warrior’s Pinnacle.

But how did this man know about the elements? Did he seize the Orbu Holy Sword just to obtain them?

Realizing this, Kay found a sudden burst of strength and leapt toward the boy.

“Foolish!” Kiri glanced sideways, and with a cold snort, released a bolt of lightning that struck Kay in mid-air, paralyzing his nerves.

The boy was petrified, trembling so hard that he could barely utter a word.

Not wanting to waste time, Kiri began searching the boy. Soon, he found a gemstone in the boy’s pocket.

The stone was an unremarkable earthen yellow, emitting no energy, indistinguishable from an ordinary gem.

Kiri flung the boy aside and examined the stone. His eyes narrowed, then, with a squeeze, he crushed it.

Instantly, a torrent of yellow sand erupted, engulfing the entire airport.

The alien spectators turned pale with terror and fled in panic. Those too slow were swept up by the sandstorm and shredded into pools of blood.

At the heart of the storm, Kiri was overcome with joy that he could not suppress. This was indeed the earth element!

Half-buried in sand, Kay looked on in shock. He had come to Kebol in search of the earth element, but never imagined someone else would covet its power as well.

What should I do?

Kay was frantic. Without the Orbu Holy Sword, he couldn’t transform.

Kiri was unconcerned with him, raising his hand to absorb the earth element scattered in the air.

The earth element, one of the four fundamental forces born with the universe, was not as high in hierarchy as the element of order, Thunder, but if fully mastered, it would considerably elevate his power.

Since fusing with Grimud, Tregear’s energy was at the legendary third rank. Though among the strongest ultimate beings in the known universe, he still fell short of the enigmatic Four Ultra.

But if he could collect the elements, his power would surpass all limits, reaching the supreme level beyond legend.

That, too, was Grimud’s pinnacle.

As Kiri raised his palm, the power of earth gathered into a swirling vortex, converging at his hand. The Orbu Holy Sword glowed, absorbing the rarest traces of earth element.

Soon, all the sand in the airport vanished.

This meant Kiri had absorbed every trace of the earth element.

He glanced at Kay, gripped the Orbu Holy Sword, and vanished in a flash of blue light.

“Don’t go!” Kay finally stood, but nothing remained in his sight.

He clenched his fists so hard his knuckles cracked, the depth of his anger evident.

But Kiri was gone—along with the Orbu Holy Sword.

Helpless, Kay turned to dig out the boy still buried in the sand.

“Ptooey… ptooey!” The boy spat out sand and finally lay back, breathing heavily in relief.

Kay grabbed him by the collar, fuming, “It’s all your fault, kid. My sword was stolen.”

“Hmph!” The boy scoffed, “You couldn’t beat him, and you blame me.”

Kay rolled his eyes so hard he nearly saw stars, nearly losing his temper completely.

But who was that man? Not only could he snatch the holy sword, he could also collect the elements—far too strange.

It seemed he’d have to ask around for information.

With that thought, Kay let go of the boy, took out his phone, and made a call.

“Hello, who is this?”

A steady voice answered.

“President Durex, it’s me, Kay.”

“Oh, Kay! What brings you to call me all of a sudden?”

Kay sighed. “Here’s the thing. I encountered an enemy—he took my Orbu Holy Sword…”

“What?!” Before Kay could finish, the voice on the other end roared, “The Holy Sword was stolen?!”

“Yes…” Kay nodded, feeling an inexplicable urge to cough up blood. The Orbu Holy Sword had become his own power, and yet it was stolen, even his connection forcibly severed. To be honest, he was starting to think he might be the most hapless Ultra Warrior in history.

“This is no small matter,” President Durex said gravely. “Where are you? I’ll send the Seven Star Swords to support you immediately.”

“The Seven Star Swords?” Kay was stunned, quickly shaking his head. “Just send one. The Seven are all so busy, and this is just a minor issue. There’s no need to make such a fuss.”

He knew full well that each wielder of the Seven Star Swords was a master of at least stellar seventh rank. The arrival of one could shake the heavens and the earth; all seven together might just destroy the entire galaxy!