Volume One, Chapter 84: There Is Light in This World

In the starry sky beyond the Land of Light, explosions resounded one after another. Beams of light intersected, pursuing a figure cloaked in deep blue. That person was, without a doubt, Tregear.

He evaded the attacks behind him with effortless ease, his movements as fluid as a fish, weaving unrestrained through the vastness of space.

“Tregear, surrender now! We won’t let you succeed!”

Seven Ultra Warriors lined up shoulder to shoulder, their presence swelling to its peak.

“That’s not so certain,” Tregear replied, a mocking smile curling his lips. He raised his arm slightly, and a beam of light that shattered all understanding erupted forth.

The seven warriors hastily conjured shields to defend themselves, but in an instant their barriers were shattered. The terrifying force blasted them straight onto a small asteroid, unleashing a violent detonation.

Amid the rumbling destruction, Tregear slowly turned, preparing to depart.

At that moment, Taro’s voice called out from behind him.

“Tregear, don’t persist in your delusion!”

Tregear turned, locking eyes with Taro.

Once, they had been the best of friends, inseparable companions. But alas, Taro never understood.

A trace of resentment flickered in Tregear’s heart. If there was anyone he wished least to harm, it was certainly Taro. Yet, after the failures of his past life, his patience for Taro was no longer what it once had been.

As Taro charged toward him, Tregear cast aside his doubts and charged forward as well.

“Ultra Bomb!”

Energy burst from both their bodies, igniting a fierce flame around them. From afar, they looked like two colossal stars about to collide in a cataclysmic explosion.

And so it was. With a deafening crash, Taro was sent reeling backward, while Tregear remained unmoved, his expression calm.

Taro was only at the level of a stellar warrior; if Tregear wished, he could crush him with a single hand.

But that was not what he desired… Perhaps he could even tempt Taro into darkness.

At that thought, a brief confusion crossed Tregear’s eyes. Once before, he had lured Taro into darkness. He had failed, and failed miserably, even coming to feel, if only for a moment, the beauty of the light.

Yes, light was beautiful, but that did not mean darkness was evil.

Light and darkness alike possessed equal worth.

Taro steadied himself, his heart filled with shock and dread. He had never imagined that, after only a few thousand years away from the Land of Light, Tregear’s power would have grown so formidable.

At that moment, three beams of light shot forth from the Land of Light, landing before him and coalescing into three humanoid forms.

The scene, so familiar, stirred Tregear’s memories. He hesitated, then smiled with acceptance. “So it’s you, Taiga. We meet again.”

The three Ultra Warriors standing before Taro were young and unseasoned, as if they had just come of age.

“What are you doing here?” Taro called out anxiously. Even he was no match for Tregear; these newly minted warriors would only be courting disaster.

“Father, let us handle this!” Taiga declared, confidence shining in his eyes as he clenched his fists, his face alight with excitement.

Without giving Taro a chance to protest, the trio rushed forward, charging at Tregear.

“I’ll defeat you at light speed!”

Fuma, the fastest among them, darted past Tregear like a meteor, seemingly swift beyond belief.

But in the next instant, Tregear seized him by the head, and with a thunderous boom, crushed him mercilessly.

Witnessing this, Taiga and Titus were struck with horror, but above all, they felt rage.

“How dare you—Fuma…! You fiend!”

With a furious shout, Titus hurled the Sage’s Fist at Tregear.

“You brats ought to learn your place.” Tregear’s lips curled into an icy smile. With a flick of his fingers, he parried Titus’s full-force blow.

“How can this be?” Titus’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Before he could react, Tregear’s fingertips flashed forward, tearing Titus’s arm and piercing straight through his chest.

Bang—

Like Fuma, Titus disintegrated into pure particles of light, fading away with the cosmic storm.

“Titus!” Taiga cried, his emotions spiraling out of control.

He glared at Tregear, oblivious to Taro’s frantic shouts behind him.

“Stream—Surge!”

Taiga roared, pouring all his energy into his arm and launching himself madly at Tregear.

“Angry, are you?” Tregear taunted, the Power Supreme shimmering at his fingertips.

In an instant, Taiga’s Stream Surge, powered by his entire being, was effortlessly torn asunder.

“Stop!” Taro, seeing Tregear’s move, cried out in despair, lunging forward to protect his child.

But he was a step too late.

The Power Supreme struck Taiga mercilessly, reducing him to particles of light that drifted before Taro’s eyes.

“Taiga!” Taro stood frozen, his pupils dilated in terror, his outstretched hand trembling, his eyes brimming with anguish.

Tregear looked on impassively, unmoved by what he had done.

Because he knew those three Ultra Warriors would not die.

Not only would they survive, they would be sent to Earth by the hand of the Ultra King himself for tempering.

Seeing Taro on the verge of losing control, Tregear knew it was time to leave.

With his current power, even facing the Ultra King, he would not necessarily be at a disadvantage.

But there was nothing to gain either.

If he attracted the lingering will of Reiga or Noa, his situation would become even more perilous.

Without hesitation, Tregear turned and flew into the distant stars.

Taro remained rooted in place, his soul seemingly wrenched from his body, utterly lifeless.

He had thought he could find Tregear and pull him back from the abyss of darkness.

But he was wrong.

Not just wrong, but grievously so.

Tregear’s heart had already sunk completely into darkness.

Everything—absolutely everything—was but his own wishful thinking.

Just like Belial before, Tregear was beyond redemption.

In that moment, Taro’s heart ached. For the loss of his son, and for the loss of his dearest friend.

Back then, he had not understood why Tregear had betrayed the Land of Light. Only after Belial’s release from prison did he belatedly assume Tregear was simply seeking power.

But after all that had transpired today, he finally understood.

Tregear had not betrayed the Land of Light for power.

He had sought what he called truth.

To put it bluntly, it was obsession.

Utter stubbornness, without sense or reason!

“There is neither darkness nor light in this world…” Taro murmured, repeating Tregear’s words as he slowly closed his eyes.

“But this world does have light!”