Who made him Ultraman!

“I paid a price to take your place from someone else.”

"You must be surprised to see me, Sword."

Zamsha, now the size of a human, rested his left hand on the hilt of his sword, his face burning with anticipation as he gazed at Hikari.

He wanted to confront Hikari directly to see if Nexus's claims were true or false.

Has that incredibly powerful hunter knight sword really degenerated into a scientist?
Although... the Hunter Knight Sword has changed its appearance, the signature blue body and familiar aura still made him recognize the other party.

Even after removing the armor, Zamsha still couldn't quite believe it.

He wants to hear what Hikari has to say!
"..."

Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Hikari turned around in confusion, looking at the figure in front of him that didn't seem too unfamiliar.

But after pondering for a few seconds, he still couldn't find the identity of the person in front of him in his memory.

"you?"

“I did not find any memories related to you. I should not have worked with you or had any involvement with you. Perhaps we have only met a few times. I will not store these unimportant memories here. Please understand.”

Hikari's calm and polite words struck Zamsha like a thunderbolt, leaving his mind blank for a moment.

"What!?"

After all, lies don't lie, and the truth is the sharpest knife.

The Hunter Knight Sword was proud; his opponent was capable of anything for revenge, and single-minded in his pursuit. He had no reason to deceive himself.

This means... the other party really has no recollection of me at all.

He had met Hikari a few times on other planets before, but most of the time he was too late, and Hikari had already left. He could only watch Hikari's figure gradually shrink.

On one occasion, he finally found an opportunity to confront Hikari head-on and challenged him to a duel.

But... Hikari simply tossed out a sentence, then left without looking at him again.

“I won’t waste any more time on you, on such meaningless things. My time is running out.”

These words... were extremely insulting, yet they also stirred a longing within Zamsha.

The sword's power was so great that it could disregard him, and its high moral character made it not take him seriously.

This is truly the greatest swordsman in the universe!
The more arrogant he was, the more he admired him.

The fact that he was willing to don the armor of revenge and become a hunter to travel thousands of miles across the universe to pursue his enemies in order to cherish the planet is what made him extremely respectful of this warrior.

And yet, this powerful warrior... no longer recognizes himself.

"Sword, I am Zamsha, the swordsman of the universe."

"I deeply admire and respect you, not only for your strength, but also for your past and your aspirations. These have nothing to do with your identity as an Ultra Warrior; I respect you as a person!"

"Therefore... I came here to earn the title of the universe's greatest swordsman!"

"In the universe, the victor reigns supreme."

"I will defeat you, and then... avenge you!"

Zamsha's words were extremely sincere.

He respects Hikari, but he also wants the reputation and status of the universe's greatest swordsman, and... to test his strength.

Therefore, he would defeat his opponent and help him, which is in line with the spirit of Bushido!
Upon hearing this, Hikari slightly raised his chin, appearing deep in thought.

Seeing Hikari's expression, Zamsha's eyes lit up with hope. The sword... he was tempted after all!?
As expected, Nexus's words were not true.

The sword has not completely fallen; he is still the greatest swordsman in the universe!
And... who knows, maybe the other person was also moved by me and came to approve of me?
Just as Zamsha was completely absorbed in his fantasy, Hikari's sudden, calm words shattered his illusions!
"I have discarded the armor of vengeance."

"With the help of several friends, Bogaru also died at my hands, and without causing any further casualties."

"I am no longer Hunter Knight Sword. No, I can even say that Hunter Knight Sword is dead. The only one alive now is Ultraman Hikari."

"I am no longer the greatest swordsman in the universe. If you want that title..."

“Take it then, Zamsha, won’t you? I acknowledge you as the greatest swordsman in the universe.”

Upon hearing these words, Zamsha was completely stunned.

He scrutinized Hikari's handsome, smooth, and perfectly clean face, but found no expression, just as unchanging as his words...

There was no emotion whatsoever.

Hunter Knight Sword... is he dead?
That arrogant swordsman who would stop at nothing for revenge is dead?
Nexus... was what he said actually true?

Zamsha'ai lowered her head, clenched her fists, and her sharp nails even tore through her gloves and pierced her palms, causing a sharp pain.

Even... a trace of crimson seeped out, but Zamsha seemed completely unaware of it, showing no reaction whatsoever.

The next moment, he placed his hands like mountains on Hikari's shoulders!

It was clearly a gesture of support, but the excessive force still caused Hikari's body to sway.

Zamsha's bloodshot eyes were fixed on Hikari, his teeth clenched:

"Sword, you're lying to me, aren't you?"

"What do you mean Hunter Knight Sword is dead, and only Ultraman Hikari is alive now?"

"You're still alive! You're still standing here!"

"Put on that armor and fight me!"

"You've been chasing Bogaru for decades, and I've been chasing you for decades, all for the sake of fighting you, the great swordsman, and determining who is superior!"

Seeing Zamsha so agitated, Hikari remained as calm as still water, without any ripples, and simply asked:
Do you want to fight?

"Uh……?"

The sudden remark stunned Zamsha. Then, overjoyed, he nodded hastily:

"Yes...yes!"

After hearing the answer, Hikari nodded:

"I understand."

"Then... I concede."

“You win, Zamsha.”

"What did you say?! Do you know what you're doing? The universe's greatest swordsman!" Zamsha was furious.

Hikari wasn't insulting him; he was simply stating his inner thoughts in a calm manner, which Zamsha could tell.

But... this is not the result he wanted!
“Yes, I understand.” Hikari nodded calmly.

"Now, you are the new greatest swordsman in the universe."

"If you need... I can send a message into the universe so that more people know about this."

"They'll believe you once they see that it was sent by me."

“Otherwise, it will take you more time to go out and prove it again, and that time will be meaningless to you. I don’t want to waste your time because of me.”

"After all, I've already wasted a lot of your time, haven't I?"

"No...that's not how it is!" Zamsha was on the verge of collapse.

The more considerate, thoughtful, and considerate Hikari was, the more unfamiliar he felt to Hikari.

Could this be the real sword?
The universe's greatest swordsman who hunted down his enemies was truly just trapped by his obsession.
Could it really be as Nexus said, that the sword merely became the greatest swordsman in the universe while chasing down his enemies?
"This is good for you, isn't it?" Seeing Zamsha's strange expression, Hikari found it odd and asked in return.

"If I were to actually fight you, the result would be the same. So why don't I skip the process and just present the result directly?"

"Fighting has no meaning for me anymore. I'm tired. I want to better utilize my talents in scientific research... that's what I should be doing."

"The Hunter Knight Sword is merely a brief chapter in my more than 20,000 years of life, just one of my identities." "You've actually degenerated into a scientist!" Zamsha roared in fury.

"Degradation? There is no distinction of rank or status."

"Besides... I am a scientist, so don't get confused about what's important."

As if it were a professional habit, Hikari instinctively corrected Zamsha's wording.

Then, before Zamsha could reply, a ray of light bloomed in his right palm, shot into the deep night sky, and eventually transformed into a star.

"I have sent a message to the universe. This is all I can do. I have other things to do, so I won't bother you or waste your time."

After Hikari finished speaking, he turned around and stopped looking at him, and walked towards the door of the mansion with Serizawa Kazuya, who looked surprised and had no idea what was going on.

With a thud, Zamsha knelt on the ground, his entire body shrouded in shadow.

He... was even thinking of himself until the very end.

That cold-blooded warrior transformed into a gentle scientist who cared for others and made sacrifices.

No... wasn't the ruthless initial intention also for the sake of revenge for others?
The Hunter Knight Sword, no, the Scientist Hikari, has never changed.

He has always been that Ultraman warrior.

Just before Hikari was about to enter, Zamsha suddenly called out to him:
"and many more!"

Hikari stopped, turned around, and looked calmly at Zamsha.

Zamsha asked:
"Hikari, congratulations... You've finally been able to kill your enemy, and the obsession that has haunted you for decades has finally been resolved."

"But I want to know, why are you still on this planet? And... are you still meeting with humans?"

What is your reason for staying here?

reason?

Hikari didn't even think, and blurted it out without hesitation:
“I once highly valued Arber’s intelligent life form, believing that no race in the universe could compare to him, so… I once harbored contempt for him.”

"But during my time on Earth, I met many people and witnessed all walks of life, things I had never seen before."

"I have learned a lot from the people on Earth."

"And this beautiful blue planet has a deep connection with the Land of Light, the homeland of our Ultra race, and has even formed a bond of kinship. Earthlings deeply love Ultra Warriors, and Ultra Warriors also deeply love Earthlings."

"Now, our Ultra race's nemesis, the Alien Empera, has set his sights on Earth because of this relationship. He wants to use this place as a starting point to restart his plan to rule the universe."

"But Earthlings have nothing to do with the Aliens of Empera. They and this planet should not become victims of the conflict between us and Empera."

"The Earth should not be reduced to scorched earth."

"Therefore, I and the other Ultra Warriors stayed here to fight alongside the Earthlings against Alien Empera and other potential risks."

Upon hearing this answer, Zamsha fell silent.

Are these Ultra Warriors... still sacrificing for others?
In the dark and deep universe, such actions are completely out of the ordinary, yet they persist in doing so.

Zamsha gritted his teeth and spoke:
"To be honest, I got your position from other Ultra Warriors, and I've also had some initial encounters with them."

“Your strength is indeed considerable, but... you cannot defeat the Alien Empera.”

There was one more thing he didn't say.

That is... he didn't want to see the Hunter Knight Sword, that is, Hikari, because these Earthlings lost their lives here.

“No, there is a chance.” Hikari shook his head.

"Why? On what basis?"

"With the talent of the chief scientist of my Land of Light."

"With the power of us Ultra Warriors."

"And... the bond between Earthlings and the Ultra race."

Zamsha remained silent.

Can these things really be used to defend against Alien Empera?

The Dark Universe Emperor is not just a figurehead.

He himself was not a dark alien, and had no intention of committing crimes, arson, murder, or robbery.

Because of the frequent duels between hunters to determine their rankings, he also personally killed many dark aliens.

The more they killed, the more they realized how powerful that emperor was.

He wanted to retort again, but saw that Hikari still had that calm expression.

No... this time there was more emotion involved, it was confidence.

The other side actually believed they had a chance of winning.

"What if...you ultimately win, but you lose your life?"

"What if they go and never return?"

"Then I will never return."

"..." Zamsha fell silent again.

He was torn between two conflicting emotions, and after a struggle, he asked with difficulty:

"what can I do?"

“Hikari, after you finished your revenge, you have clearly found something more important, something that can sustain your life.”

"But... what about me? I was born a warrior. Before chasing the fame of a great swordsman, I was a mercenary, but... now I'm tired of those days."

"I want to change my way of life."

"Hikari, I will follow you."

Zamsha thought Hikari would agree immediately, but to his surprise... the other party refused.

"You need to find the answer yourself; there's no need for you to follow me."

"This impending war is caused by our Ultra race, it has nothing to do with you, you don't need to take any risks."

After Hikari finished speaking, he intended to go straight into the house, but he found Zamsha still kneeling on the ground, staring at him intently.

Those red eyes were incredibly bright; he could even see a dazzling light in them.

This swordsman seems determined.

But... how could he not know how risky this war was?
He can't just say something and put others at risk.

"Go back, Zamsha, go back to your planet."

Hikari glanced at Zamsha for a few more seconds, but eventually went into the house with Serizawa Kazuya.

This trip was to catch up with the comrade-in-arms whose body he had occupied... or to put it more nicely, the one he had fought alongside.

Yu Chen told him that this would help him understand humans better.

After all, setting aside the intelligent life forms on Planet Arbor, Earthlings were the first cosmic race that Hikari had come to understand in depth.

After entering the house, Serizawa Kazuya closed the door and looked at Hikari with deep emotion:
"You're more like an Ultraman now."

"You're not the same ruthless hunter you used to be at all."

Hikari stroked the energy timer on his chest and nodded:

"The Heart of Ultra seems to have fully returned."

Suddenly, he realized something and exclaimed in surprise:
"Wait, that armor... Arbok, Arbok...!" (End of Chapter)