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

With Zeta's "reasonable and well-founded" analysis, everyone relaxed to some extent.

Afterwards, they were all eager to get started, showing great excitement and anticipation for the upcoming "visit" to the hideout of the Austrian smugglers!

"What are we waiting for! Let's set off now! We can't let that Belial do something as stupid as self-destructing again!"

Ken remained deeply worried, clearly having triggered some kind of PTSD in the face of this familiar scene. He uttered these words while using the power of his King's Cloak to create a time-space portal, and he and Lyme were the first to enter.

The others, no longer able to dwell on their reflections, quickly followed suit and stepped into the time-space tunnel.

Of course, the Father of Ultra and others in this universe, having never been exposed to the light screen, found Ken's description of Belial's self-destruction very strange.

It wasn't until the Father of Ultra from a parallel universe "kindly" recounted Belial's experiences before his time travel to them.

Only then did they get to see the Father of Ultra and others from this universe, just like they had been back then, all of them glowing red.

Especially Seven and Zero from this universe, this father and son who, with Belial's help, successfully thawed their relationship, had their skin visibly redden as they awakened a new form similar to "Zeas" in public! Their eyes flashed with ferocity as they roared and rushed into the space-time tunnel, looking even more irritable than Ace!

That's why, when everyone was worried about Belial's safety and rushed off one by one...

Few noticed that Hikari deliberately stayed at the back of the group, arms crossed, looking thoughtful.

According to the description of the parallel universe's captain, if this Belial senior chose to leave without saying goodbye, it was definitely because he wanted to take all the risks and resolve the matter alone. Why would he possibly leave them the kingdom's specific coordinates so they could have a chance to follow him?

More importantly, if this is indeed a clue left by Belial, then why did he choose to "send it anonymously"?

Judging from this senior's behavior, although he has a tsundere personality that is all talk and no action, he wouldn't deliberately hide it in this kind of thing and show it so openly, right...?

Furthermore, the encryption method used in this message originated from the Space Science and Technology Agency…

Or, to be more precise, it was something I developed privately, but due to its complexity, it's still in the testing phase. Logically, only I and the deceased should know about this encryption method…

...No, judging from the current situation, there is a third person who might know this encryption method.

But he had already made his choice...

Could this actually be a trap?

...No, if this is a trap, that would be incredibly foolish. With our current fighting force, sweeping through the entire kingdom's territory isn't impossible.

With that guy's intelligence, there's no way he wouldn't realize this and make such a basic mistake...

So why did he send this message? From his current perspective, it wouldn't benefit him at all...

"What's wrong, Hikari? Have you noticed anything amiss?"

Just as Hikari was quietly going through a brainstorming session, with countless conjectures popping into his mind, which he quickly overturned himself, causing his flight speed to inadvertently become slower and slower.

Mebius noticed that Hikari hadn't followed, so he quietly slowed down his flight and stood beside Hikari, asking in a low voice.

"...It's nothing, maybe I'm just overthinking it."

Hikari was pulled from his reverie by the question.

He opened his mouth, intending to tell Mebius his suspicions. But due to a lack of crucial evidence, he fell silent briefly, then shook his head slightly.

That thoughtful expression was replaced in a fleeting moment by a forced, gentle smile. Even the words that were about to come out of his mouth took on a different tone.

"Let's go, let's hurry up and catch up, or we'll fall behind."

……

The story has two parts, on the other side...

……

When Tartarus emerged from the portal, he practically crashed into the Narac space.

His knee slammed heavily against the ground, the golden armor striking the semi-transparent, special ground of Narac with a dull thud. He gasped for breath, as if utterly exhausted, blood still seeping from his wounds.

The sword wounds inflicted by Ken's relentless pursuit, the internal injuries from Belial's punch, and the inevitable aftereffects of burning his life force all transformed into sharp, stabbing pains that assaulted him at this moment.

But in any case, he survived.

Upon noticing the pillar of sword energy shooting straight into the sky, Tartarus, knowing that staying there would mean certain death, used the last of his power to open a portal simultaneously beneath his and Titan's feet before Max could sweep across the battlefield.

This allowed him and Titan to escape the battlefield at the critical moment and save their lives.

As for the kingdom's soldiers who sacrificed their lives on the battlefield...

Although it was heartbreaking, Tartarus truly did not have the extra power to save them all.

Unless, of course, he is willing to risk utter destruction and further burn his life force in exchange for more power.

But, it is obvious that...

Tartarus believed that his life was far more precious than these mass-produced cannon fodder, so how could he possibly choose to do this?

However, there was one thing that Tartarus couldn't understand.

That is, even though Tartarus has now entered this special space that, theoretically, only kingdom warriors can enter and exit.

However, Tartarus's ability to sense danger, which stemmed from his ability to foresee the future, made him feel that there was a danger in this sanctuary that could cost him his life.

If it were someone else, they would definitely think they were overthinking it and wouldn't take this feeling seriously at all.

However, Tartarus, who has survived countless crises thanks to this perception ability, dares not be careless in the slightest!

So, while panting heavily, Tartarus's eyes still darted around warily, trying to find the source of this sense of crisis.

No matter how he observed, in this dazzling golden space, besides Tartarus himself and the equally badly injured Titan...

That leaves only the special prisoner who, many years ago, was nearly killed by Diablo, but Intallos believed he still had value and thus kept him here.

The portal has been completely closed, and it is impossible for anyone to enter this space unless they are blessed by the power of the kingdom.

Those who possess the power of the kingdom are all their own people. Logically speaking, they shouldn't pose a threat to them.

Could it be that I've become too sensitive after suffering one setback after another, and I'm scaring myself like this...?

Chapter 101 Belial: Ken, having you is my "blessing"!

Logically speaking, now that he has returned to this special space, no one can pose a threat to him anymore.

But this intense sense of crisis, stemming from his intuition and feeling that he might die on the spot if he wasn't careful, prevented Tartarus from even saying goodbye to the Titans. He didn't even bother to retrieve Diablo's heart from the Titans and revive him immediately before leaving to receive treatment in the kingdom's medical district.

Meanwhile, Titan remained in his half-kneeling position, his golden eyes slightly lowered, golden blood slowly seeping from the wounds all over his body, looking utterly exhausted and frustrated. It was as if the crushing defeat he had just experienced had completely shattered his pride as a swordsman.

Only after hearing footsteps and confirming that Tartarus had left did the Titan, who had been hanging his head, slowly stand up. A slightly regretful smile appeared on his lips as he muttered to himself.

"Tsk, is the little golden statue so vigilant? There wasn't even a chance to make a move..."

As he spoke, a dazzling silver-white light began to shimmer on the surface of the "Titan's" body. Like flowing mercury, it rapidly surged, restructured, and shaped across his surface…

When the light gradually dims and returns to calm.

Titan's figure had long since vanished.

Instead, Belial, who had disappeared from the battlefield at some unknown time, took his place!

It turns out that while everyone else was busy fighting head-on, Belial, who knew that Diavolo had a resurrection mechanism, immediately lay in ambush near the pile of flesh left by Diavolo, waiting for him to come to him.

Suppressing his restless heart, Belial waited quietly. Just as he had expected, he was met by the Titan, who was seriously injured and had been assigned by Tartarus to this relatively "safe" area to retrieve Diablo's Heart of Absolut!

So much so that the Titan himself, the moment he entered Belial's attack range, didn't even have a chance to react before Belial, wielding the Giga Battle Device, smashed his head open with a single blow! He died on the spot!

Subsequently, Belial, taking advantage of the fact that the Ultra race is essentially a manifestation of light, capable of changing their appearance at will—for example, Seven appeared as "Seven X" in a parallel universe—used the various details on Titan's corpse as a reference to disguise himself as Titan before completely destroying the corpse. Thus, he successfully infiltrated this special space during Tartarus's retreat!

In a sense, this can be seen as a practical demonstration that Belial's claim when he used his "senior" status to teach Zero from a parallel universe a lesson, that "every adult Ultra Warrior must master at least a thousand abilities to deal with various emergencies!" was not just empty boasting!

Rather, it was Belial who, through a process of constant internal competition, achieved this through a combination of talent and hard work! Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the other Ultras of the Land of Light, as long as they are willing to work hard, can also easily do the same!

Of course, Belial dared to do this not only because of his exceptional skill and daring, but also because, after reuniting with Tartarus, he realized that another energy within him originated from the Kingdom. This energy was enough to allow Belial to impersonate a "Titan" so convincingly!

And then, like the "ultimate open conspiracy - the nine-turn intestines"...

If Tartarus wants to confirm whether Belial is the real "Titan," he must first get close to Belial.

Once Tartarus enters Belial's attack range, given his current severe injuries, the only outcome he will face is the same as Titan's: being instantly killed by Belial at his peak!

Unfortunately, Belial's meticulously planned scheme failed him; Tartarus was far more cautious than anyone else. Even after returning to his lairs, Tartarus refused to approach Belial, despite his severe injuries! This caused Belial's seemingly flawless plot to crumble without a trace!

Fortunately, Belial knew very well that if there really were beings like the "Chosen One" in this world...

Tartarus, who can be described as the "Gin" of the Orpheus, is the "chosen one" of the current villainous camp!

Therefore, Belial had not expected to kill Tartarus so easily.

One could even say that if Tartarus, who possesses precognitive abilities, were to be killed so easily by him, then Belial should start to worry whether this is some kind of conspiracy.

In this way, being able to kill the Titan, take control of Diablo's heart, and severely damage the kingdom's power is already a very good gain for Belial!

Not to mention, Belial's risky infiltration and killing Tartarus was merely a side quest. The real main quest was for Belial to take advantage of this rare opportunity to launch a "quick escape," rescuing a few people from within the kingdom and running away!

Therefore, after complaining for a while, Belial, knowing that time was precious, looked around and then turned and walked into the depths of the Narac space.

At the end of that passage, a red Ultra Warrior, bound by layers of golden energy chains, was kneeling on the ground.

The only two inheritors of the Cosmic Beast Fist... oh no, given that Diavolo couldn't be resurrected, it should be said that the only inheritor is Ultraman Regulus, an old acquaintance of Astra and Leo.

Regulus remained motionless, his head drooping. Even though Belial didn't deliberately lower his footsteps, he didn't move an inch. It seemed that the prolonged imprisonment and lack of energy had triggered Regulus's body's self-protective mechanism, putting him into a semi-comatose and weak state.

Unfortunately, this trick might fool the brainless Diavolo, but the energy fluctuations quietly brewing within his body, ready to erupt at any moment, couldn't escape Belial's notice.

Not to mention, Belial, who was familiar with the plot, already knew that Regulus was deliberately feigning weakness in order to wait for the right opportunity to escape from this strange prison.

So, after Belial stopped and took a brief look, he directly condensed an eight-point light wheel at this "tool" who, during Sakamoto's tenure as director, was willing to err on the side of rewriting history to further enhance Leo and Astra's prestige, and forcibly parachuted in to give the Leo brothers a power-up.

After just a few simple strikes, the sound of the energy chains shattering was exceptionally crisp in the empty Narac space. Golden fragments flew in all directions like shattered ice crystals, and the remaining chains, having lost their support, slid off Regulus and dissipated.

Regulus's body visibly swayed the moment the chains were released. But to avoid revealing his secret of remaining fully conscious, Regulus, who could have avoided "intimate contact" with the ground, suppressed his instinct to put his hands on the ground and let himself slam straight down.

He then feigned just waking up, staggering to his feet as if he were weak and powerless, as if the long years of imprisonment had made every inch of his joints forget how to move freely. He pretended to have just noticed Belial, raising his head listlessly. With seemingly blank eyes, but actually with a shrewd glint in them, he scrutinized the fierce-looking stranger before him.

He remained completely silent from beginning to end, showing no intention of speaking to Belial despite being full of questions!

However, this is not surprising.

After all, Regulus had been completely cut off from the outside world since he was captured and brought here.

Let alone anyone coming to rescue him, because in this special space called Narak, there is no natural law of sunrise and sunset, which means that Regulus doesn't even know how much time he has spent in this space!

Most importantly, the reason Regulus was captured here is because he once trusted Diablo, who used the alias "Diaz" and came to planet D60 to learn martial arts as a wandering martial artist!

So even though Belial saved him and seemed like a good person, Regulus remained highly wary of Belial, fearing it was yet another underhanded trick by Diavolo to steal the mythical beasts he had inherited. He dared not easily trust Belial!

More importantly, Regulus could sense energy fluctuations from Belial that were of the same origin as the kingdom!

This made him even more convinced that Belial, who seemed to have come to his rescue, was actually setting another trap for him by the kingdom!

So Regulus remained silent, watching Belial intently, as if to say, "I'd like to see how you're going to act!"

"You must be Regulus, right? I am Belial from Nebula M78, belonging to the Land of Light."

Fortunately, since Belial had decided to come to rescue Regulus, he naturally expected that Regulus would not easily trust him.

So, after Belial took the initiative to speak and succinctly stated his identity, he casually tossed the Heart of Absolut, which he was clutching in his other hand, to Regulus.

When Regulus looked somewhat surprised and subconsciously reached out to catch it, examining it repeatedly to confirm that it was indeed Diablo's heart.

Belial, who had stood with his arms crossed, then spoke slowly and deliberately, continuing his story with a mix of truth and falsehood.

"It was Leo and Astra who asked me to come and rescue you. When they heard that you were still alive and being imprisoned in this godforsaken place, they were both happy and anxious, and they kept pestering me for a long time. I was so annoyed by them that I made a special trip here, and also brought you a little 'gift'."

"Leo and Astra? Are they still alive? And what about the others...?!"

"Of course they're still alive, but I'm sorry, those two brothers are the only survivors left in L77, which is why I came here personally. I can't let anything happen to those two only sons here, right?"

"What? How could this be... No, the fact that someone is still alive is already good news... So, Mr. Beria, what should we do next?"

As it turned out, Beria's "greeting gift" was very effective.

Seeing Diablo's heart slowly beating in his palm, and the energy fluctuations emanating from it unmistakably belonging to Diablo—Regulus, who hated this traitor so much he wanted to tear him apart, could not possibly mistake him!—Regulus's attitude underwent a complete 180-degree change!

Finally, he was willing to speak up and respond, and he showed that he believed Belial's words without a doubt!

After all, Regulus was, in the end, a prisoner who was isolated and helpless, imprisoned in the Narac space, and did not even know how to escape.

If the goal was simply to gain Regulus's trust and seize his contracted cosmic beast, then just kill Diablo and openly hand over the heart that could revive him...

Even if the kingdom is cunning and treacherous, it would be impossible for them to do something so foolish that the benefits and costs are clearly disproportionate.

Even if we take a step back and assume this really is a trap...

However, as long as he could completely kill Diablo and avenge the dead on planet D60, Regulus felt that he had made a huge profit!

So much so that when he asked, it was as if he was afraid Belial would change his mind and demand Absolut's heart. Without warning, Regulus unleashed all his strength and, right in front of Belial, crushed the heart in his hand to pieces! This completely severed any possibility of Diavolo's resurrection!