Chapter 106: Facing Off Against Sairo
A dazzling white light flashed by, abruptly waking Yue Longze from the joy of having just defeated the mechanical Leo brothers.
“That is...”
Yue Longze stared in disbelief at the familiar silhouette, the sleek double-headed boomerang he knew so well.
“Could it be that I have to face the mechanical Zero Ultraman as well...?”
A tinge of frustration crept into his heart. Zero was not an opponent to take lightly.
Despite his annoyance, Yue Longze had already assumed his fighting stance, fully prepared for battle.
Having spent over six years in the subspace, he had long grown accustomed to endless battles, learning how to conserve and restore his energy in the most efficient way possible.
Those six years had brought him tremendous growth.
As the blinding white light finally dissipated, Yue Longze was shocked once more.
“Is this a high-quality replica? It’s identical to Zero himself...”
His eyes narrowed, fists clenched tighter. No matter the battle, one could never afford to be careless.
...
“Hah!”
Yue Longze’s ghost step flashed forward, leaving a trail of afterimages in the air as he unleashed the Cosmic Fist technique with fierce aggression.
His iron fist, cutting through the roaring wind, aimed straight at Zero’s face.
“Long...!”
Zero called out.
“Huh?”
Hearing that familiar and special nickname, Yue Longze suddenly slammed on the brakes, forcibly retracting the punch that was about to land. The abrupt power pullback was unpleasant.
He studied the Zero before him with a strange gaze. “Could it really be the genuine Zero?”
“Genuine or not?” Zero looked at Yue Longze puzzledly, but then his eyes caught sight of the battered mechanical Ultra brothers lying on the brown earth, and realization dawned on him instantly.
“Hey! I’m the real Zero Ultraman!”
“But kid! Not bad at all! Long time no see, and you’ve grown so much! You managed to defeat the mechanical Ultra brothers!”
Zero excitedly grabbed Yue Longze’s shoulders, shaking him vigorously, genuinely pleased for him.
...
“Wait... wait...”
Yue Longze still found it hard to believe. After over six years in subspace, accustomed to ceaseless battles, suddenly encountering someone who might be the true Zero left him struggling to accept it.
“Are you really... Zero Ultraman of the Land of Light?”
Yue Longze asked cautiously.
“Of course! Who else could impersonate this young master?”
Zero habitually wiped his nose, seemingly having forgotten the previous hardships he had endured.
Yue Longze was stunned, then fell silent.
In silence, one can either perish or erupt.
Yue Longze’s emotions finally exploded.
...
“Damn! Finally, a real living person here to keep me company!”
Suddenly leaping from deep silence to wild excitement, Yue Longze even jumped up.
Then, he threw his arms around the slightly stunned Zero in a bear hug.
Zero was utterly bewildered.
The air crackled with an intense camaraderie.
Once their emotions settled, the two began to converse—there was much to say after such a long time apart.
Yue Longze recounted how he had been unexpectedly swept into a different time-space continuum, an explanation that finally made Zero realize why he had been impossible to find until now; he had indeed been pulled into another dimension.
Like when he told Senior Zoffy, Yue Longze omitted mention of his experiences in that other space-time.
...
“By the way, I’ve been here over six years. What’s the situation in the universe now?”
Yue Longze voiced the question that had been weighing on his mind.
“Over six years?”
Zero choked on Yue Longze’s words, his expression growing strange before he burst into laughter.
“What are you laughing at?” Yue Longze asked, baffled by Zero’s outburst.
Suppressing his laughter, Zero explained.
Only then did Yue Longze realize—according to external time, only a few hours had passed since he entered!
The flow of time between the two spaces was completely disproportionate.
“So this place is a perfect training ground!”
Yue Longze felt as if he were inside a mystical mini-world from the fantasy tales he once read—a treasure trove for cultivation.
“Exactly!” Zero’s gaze suddenly sharpened, his tone turning serious.
“That’s why the old man sent me here—to spar and train with you!”
When Zero was defeated and dispirited by Belial, it was the Ultraman King who found him in the Land of Light.
The Ultraman King healed Zero’s injuries and brought him into this subspace to train alongside Yue Longze.
Yue Longze was momentarily stunned but soon his eyes burned with determination.
“If it’s the Ultraman King’s arrangement, then so be it!”
Zero nodded, “The current state of the universe is far from optimistic.”
Immediately, they stepped apart, taking their battle stances and preparing for combat.
“Then—let this young master witness your growth!”
...
Both fighters were formidable; their movements on the ground left streaks of afterimages, dazzling to behold.
“Hah!”
A purple-black energy sword materialized, while Zero drew his silver ice axe, gleaming with a cold light.
“Be careful, young sir!”
Yue Longze unleashed the Well Dragon Sword Technique, emphasizing speed to overwhelm the enemy.
Zero was no pushover either. His twin sharp ice axes swung rapidly, parrying Yue Longze’s sword strikes.
“Not bad at all!”
A flicker of admiration crossed Zero’s eyes. He liked this kind of opponent.
Yue Longze could feel Zero’s immense power—this was truly the peak warrior of the Land of Light.
“Swish—”
The slender energy sword slashed across the ground, kicking up a great spray of sand. From this, a sharp blade emerged, thrusting straight at Zero’s face.
Zero remained calm, swiftly merging his two silver ice axes into one, their thickest part blocking Yue Longze’s deadly strike.
The sword thrust was a feint. The energy sword was quickly withdrawn as the timer began to gather dark energy.
Dark Zapeleo Beam!
Seeing this, Zero instantly raised his arms in an “L” shape.
Cluster Beam!
“Boom!”
The point where their beams clashed exploded violently, sending a powerful shockwave that knocked both fighters back.
Emerium Beam!
A slender green beam shot from the laser light atop Zero’s head like a hidden weapon.
Yue Longze summoned his energy sword again, pressing its tip against the slender Emerium Beam.
Zero was slightly surprised—he hadn’t expected this countermeasure.
Robust Corona Form!
Red light flashed over Zero’s body, filling him with explosive power.
“Think you can bully me without me transforming?”
Yue Longze roared, his aura growing even fiercer!
...