Bighorn Bull is in charge of leading, and I, Beria, am in charge of raising it.

Before the energy could even gather, the monsters, who had been fighting individually and acting purely on instinct, suddenly unleashed destructive beams simultaneously, as if they had been deliberately playing hard to get, just to trick the Ultra Brothers. The unsuspecting Ultra Brothers were instantly blasted into disarray! The progress bar for the combined Super Taro was thus abruptly interrupted!

The one who was able to time the battle so precisely and prevent the Ultra Brothers from combining was none other than Tregear, who was hiding behind the monster army and directing the operation.

Don't forget, before Tregear chose to defect to the Land of Light, he was Taro's childhood friend and best friend. He often listened to Taro share battle details.

With the help of Taro, the sixth "mole," Tregear knew the Ultra Brothers' secrets—especially their ultimate trump card of concentrating their power into Taro to form Super Taro—and thus had already calculated that when the situation gradually turned unfavorable, the Ultra Brothers would definitely use this trump card and had prepared countermeasures in advance!

[Note: In this Tregear timeline, Mebius had not yet been born, so he didn't know that Mebius could also fuse, and thought that Super Taro was the strongest form of the Ultra Brothers.]

Then, after successfully outmaneuvering the Ultra Brothers, preventing them from combining and even causing them to suffer backlash due to the forced interruption of the energy transmission process, leaving them sprawled on the ground, unable to stand up for a long time.

Only then did Tregear dare to put his hands behind his back, a pleased smile on his face, and slowly walk to the front of the monster army. He sneered and mocked at the Ultra Brothers—or rather, specifically at Taro.

"Oh my, oh my, aren't these the famous Ultra Brothers? The great heroes of the Land of Light, why are they all looking so disheveled now... I remember someone once told me that as long as you brothers are united, there's no enemy you can't defeat. But now it seems like you were exaggerating a bit too much~"

Chapter 87 Torregia: You shouldn't have such low intelligence!

[This is a belated bonus chapter, considered yesterday's, and it doesn't affect today's update count. There's still a minimum of four chapters today (including the bonus chapter)]

[Thanks to "Bemstein Keychain No. 1" and "White Years" for the inspiration capsules!]

[Thanks to "Sad Daylight", "Zhi Fu", and "Forgot to Hit You While Focusing on Abstraction" for the update reminder tokens!]

[Thanks to "Green Tea Juice, Please" and "User 39598001" for the boba milk tea]

Thank you to all the readers for your love, flowers, and support!

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The moment the words left his mouth, the monster army behind Tregear completely closed in. The densely packed figures surrounded the Ultra Brothers, blocking all possible escape routes and breakthroughs.

This emboldened Tregear even more, and instead of immediately ordering the Ultra Brothers to finish them off, he raised his hand with interest, tapped his temple with his fingertip, and adopted a thoughtful posture.

"Hmm, let me think... What should we do next? Should we just let you lie there and be slowly torn to pieces by these little cuties? Or... should we have the mercy to tie you up and send you back to the Land of Light, so everyone can see that the so-called Ultra Brothers are nothing special?"

When he paused slightly, Toregia's gaze lingered on Taro for a longer time, a complex light flickering in his eyes. This softened the murderous tone that should have been his.

Taro noticed Tregear's gaze, but he was looking down, so no one could see his expression. His hands were on the ground, and his whole body was trembling slightly.

But rather than being an instinctive tremor when enduring pain, it was more like using all one's strength to deliberately endure and wait for something.

Why aren't you saying anything?

If it were a normal Tregear, he would naturally notice the abnormality on Taro immediately.

Unfortunately, he proved to Taro through his actions that he was strong enough to join the Ultra Guard and fight alongside him, not the weakling Taro portrayed him as, someone who could only wait to be protected. It was the Ultra Guard's blindness that led them to deliberately underestimate him because of his Blue Clan background, causing him to fail the entrance exam!

At this moment, Torregia was so immersed in joy and pride that he didn't notice this subtle difference at all.

Or rather...

Torregia had actually noticed.

However, he felt that the Ultra Brothers, whose fusion process had been interrupted and who were now in a weakened state, were like meat on a chopping block, with no chance of turning the tide.

I don't believe that someone as stubborn as Taylor could come up with any way to break the deadlock.

So he didn't care at all.

Tregear even took two more steps forward, getting even closer to Taro. He tilted his head and bent down, his eyes filled with Taro's image. The tone of his voice became increasingly flirtatious, with a hint of provocation.

"This isn't like you, No. 6. Didn't you used to love telling me things like 'justice will prevail' at times like this? Now... huh?!"

However, before Torregia could finish speaking, Taro suddenly raised his head.

Those bright, orange-yellow eyes showed absolutely no sign of pain or weakness. Only the joy of the prey finally stepping into the trap after enduring so much suffering!

Before Tregear could react, Taro pounced like a hungry tiger, bracing himself with both hands on the ground and launching himself forward! He flew towards Tregear!

This unexpected turn of events left Tregear with no time to even consider retreating before Taro's arms tightly encircled him. In a moment of suffocation and darkness, Taro tackled Tregear to the ground, sending him tumbling twice, scattering gravel and dust everywhere.

By the time Toregia's vision returned to normal, Taro had already pinned him to the ground, his right knee pressing down on Toregia's abdomen, and his arms clamping down on Toregia's elbows. With pure numerical superiority, Taro had completely sealed off every inch of Toregia's room to struggle!

But that wasn't all. What chilled Tregear even more was that his Ultra Brothers, who had been sprawled on the ground seemingly in agony, suddenly stood up, each forcefully throwing off their Ultra Cloaks. These once-decent warriors of light inexplicably displayed the aura of a Showa-era yakuza brawl, and taking advantage of Tregear's temporary immobility due to Taro's suppression, they formed a circle around him and Taro, sealing the energy flow within Tregear's body!

"What! Impossible! How did you recover so quickly... Wait a minute! Could it be...!"

After witnessing firsthand the Ultra Brothers' Oscar-worthy performance—from near-death weakness to renewed vigor and vitality, showing no signs of energy backlash—Tregear found it even harder to accept Taro's "betrayal" than his own limited energy and diminished strength.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, Tregear, knowing he was no match for Taro in strength, still struggled desperately in Taro's arms, gritting his teeth as he questioned him.

"Taro! You bastard! Did you foresee this and deliberately deceive me?!"

"No, I have never lied to you. Every word I have ever said to you has been from the bottom of my heart."

Faced with Tregear's questioning, even though he knew that his own Tregear had long been annihilated by Renge's attack, Taro's eyes still couldn't help but become complicated, and he replied in a heavy tone.

"Although it's a bit late, just like you know me, I can guess what you're thinking now. So I deliberately cooperated with my brothers to put on this show for you."

"Now, surrender! Toregia! Don't make another mistake!"

"...Surrender? Make one mistake after another? Heh...What mistake have I made! I was merely pursuing the essence of the universe!"

Of course, what Taro really meant behind his seemingly righteous words was that if Tregear gave up, there was still a chance to salvage the situation. And in the process, Taro would do his best to help him.

Unfortunately, the emotional intelligence of the Bighorn Bull tribe is legendary.

These words, already prone to misunderstanding, combined with Taro's condescending gaze, caused the easily misinterpreted Tregear to immediately perceive it as a judgment and threat from Taro!

As his breathing became increasingly rapid, the burning flames in Toregia's eyes, already filled with resentment, began to intensify!

He could accept defeat—he had failed countless times over the long years—but he absolutely could not accept that he could not only lose to Taro in a head-on confrontation, but also be outmaneuvered by this thick-skinned guy Taro in the matter of scheming!

Doesn't that mean that all his efforts to prove he was strong enough to fight alongside Taro... ultimately backfired, pointing to his own weakness and inability to fight, leaving him only to wait for Taro's protection—an ironic answer that was laid bare before him all along, yet he refused to acknowledge or face it?

"Heh... I admit, you have indeed grown a lot... but to think you can catch me like this is to underestimate me! Taro—!!!"

That's why Torregia suddenly laughed.

The laughter was soft, and when it escaped from deep within his throat, it carried a kind of desperate, reckless ruthlessness that only comes when someone is driven to the brink of despair.

Before Taro could react, Tregear, through a pre-established special link, issued the order to launch a general offensive against the monster army that was still surrounding the Ultra Brothers and was poised to attack!

Even so, being suppressed by Taro, he would still suffer indiscriminate attacks in the subsequent barrage of firepower.

But at this moment, with his Dao heart shattered and only wanting to break free from Taro's restraints, Tregear could no longer care about anything else!

Chapter 88 The Dazzling Sun

The moment the monster army began to stir, Taro sensed Tregear's intention. He pressed his hands harder on Tregear's shoulders, his voice becoming more urgent.

"Are you crazy? Tregear! Commanding a monster to attack at a time like this, you yourself will...!"

"That suits me perfectly, Taro!"

Before Taro could finish speaking, Tregear coldly interrupted, meeting Taro's gaze without flinching. His eyes showed no fear, only a madness that said, "Even if it means death, I'll drag Taro down with me!"

"Come on! Make your choice! Either let me go and try to escape while you still can... or die with me!"

"Tregear, you...!"

Seeing Toregia's reckless and frantic behavior, Taro was both angry and anxious.

However, those monsters, as modified biological weapons, will not hesitate at all because there are "friendly forces" in their attack range; they will only faithfully carry out orders immediately.

Therefore, before Taro could continue to persuade Tregear, the monster army's attacks poured down from all directions at the same time!

Destructive beams of various colors, scorching flames, chilling sprays, highly corrosive acids... all sorts of attacks, numbering in the hundreds or thousands, intertwined in a dense, suffocating web of destruction at the same moment.

Even though Zoffy and the others sensed something was wrong and immediately erected an Ultra Barrier around Taro and Tregear, some attacks still managed to penetrate the gaps in the defenses and strike Taro and Tregear, perhaps due to the angle or bad luck.

It was at this moment that Taro's eyes narrowed, and he made his choice without hesitation.

He didn't even consider whether what he was doing was right or wrong. His body reacted much faster than his mind!

Taro abruptly released his grip on Toregia, instead wrapping one arm around Toregia and supporting the back of his head with the other. He then bent down, pressing his entire body over Toregia, shielding most of Toregia's body in the small, safe space between his chest and the ground.

However, this also meant that Taro had no time to set up a defensive barrier and could only use his own body to withstand the incoming attack!

So much so that Tregear, who had been feeling a mix of elation and disappointment at the realization that his arms were free and was about to struggle to escape, immediately froze in place, staring at the familiar figure so close at hand.

By the time they realized what was happening, they could only see Taro's figure and couldn't see what was going on outside.

But the constant explosions echoing in his ears, Taro's muffled groans of pain, and the visible trembling of his body were enough to prove the extent of the pain this figure was enduring.

Even so, Taro's figure, standing in front of Tregear, never moved an inch. The hand he used to support the back of Tregear's head even prevented the impact of the explosion from causing Tregear's head to hit the ground.

This caused cracks to appear to be forming in Toregia's seemingly silent but actually frozen heart!

At that moment, he couldn't help but recall the promise that the energetic young soldier had made to him with a smile on his face.

……

"Don't worry, Toregia, no matter what happens, I will protect you!"

"As long as I can breathe and move even one finger... I will never let you get hurt!"

……

Clearly, even though Taro knew he wasn't the Tregear he knew, he also knew that he had already chosen to betray the Land of Light...

Given his previous demonstrated strength, he has countless options to calmly deal with this crisis after abandoning Torregia.

But, just like the words Taro said with a smile back then...

Taro has once again chosen to fulfill the promise he made years ago through concrete actions!

"Taro...you're a hopeless idiot!!!"

Ultimately, this parallel universe Tregear, who had only recently turned evil, was still unable to maintain a consistently cold demeanor towards Taro like the fully evolved Tregear.

Despite feeling a sharp pain in his heart, Tregear immediately ordered the monster to stop attacking.

The kingdom's energy, originally reserved for breaking through the Ultra Brothers' seal after their escape, was released without reservation at Tregear's shout, transforming into a golden barrier that enveloped the two figures amidst the rising and falling flames.

Once the monsters' attacks subsided and they were temporarily safe, Taro, who had been tense the whole time, visibly relaxed. He looked down at Tregear, who was staring at him with a complex expression. He tried to force a smile, but the movement aggravated his wounds, causing him to wince in pain. In the end, he managed only a smile that looked more like a grimace, and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"...Hehe, this time, I've finally managed to save you, Tregear..."

"..."

Torregia did not answer, his eyes swirling with complex emotions, so many that even he himself could not discern them all.

But soon, as if he had made up his mind, Torregia forcibly suppressed those emotions into the deepest part of his heart within a few breaths.

Then, he raised his hand to support Taro's chest, seemingly pushing the battered body away roughly. In reality, just as Taro was about to hit the ground, he secretly used Ultra Telekinesis to lift Taro up.

Before the other Ultra Brothers could react, he stood up, opened a golden portal leading directly to the kingdom, and turned to walk inside.

"Tregear—!!!"

Seeing this, Taro was clearly getting anxious. Ignoring the waves of pain coursing through his body, he shouted loudly, bracing himself with one hand on the ground while reaching out the other towards Tregear's back, trying to stop him.

"Enough! I'm not the Toregia you know... Your naiveté will get you killed sooner or later, No. 6..."

But Toregia only gave a curt reply, his steps never faltering as he swiftly stepped into the golden portal.

Only when the portal closed, separating Taro's figure filled with despair and helplessness, did Tregear turn around. He gazed thoughtfully, a slight smile playing on his lips, revealing a bittersweet and relieved expression.

"Ah, indeed, no matter the time... the light emanating from you is always as dazzling as the sun. It's something I can never match, no matter how hard I try to catch up."

"However, even small people have their pride."

"Since Tartarus has revealed my destiny, I am destined to die..."

"Then, let me go a little crazy next."

……

"Tregear..."

Watching Tregear's resolute departure, Taro's outstretched hand ultimately fell limply to his side.

But soon, he sensed that the monsters surrounding him were becoming restless again because of the departure of their commander, Tregear.

Taro's eyes narrowed instantly, and he struggled to his feet.

He then took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and began to speak.

"Brothers! It's time—!"

The moment the words fell, Zoffy and the others didn't say anything more. Instead, before the monsters launched a new wave of attacks, they channeled their remaining energy, along with their bodies, into streams of electricity, which they then injected into Taro's Ultra Horn.