Chapter Thirteen: Parallel Forces

Two torrents of light stood in stark contrast, their surging energies madly eroding and dissolving each other upon contact, sending out violent shockwaves.

However, as the confrontation progressed, Seven’s Eye Slugger beam failed to achieve much success; instead, it faltered under the onslaught of Cupid’s beam, forced steadily back toward Seven’s position.

In the silent expanse of space, the beam slammed into Seven’s chest, the immense energy blasting him away instantly. Cupid stopped his attack and stood tall, his gaze fixed on Seven, whose chest timer was already pulsing with a red warning light. He then spoke:

"Finally, you realize it now, don't you? Once you strip away the enhancements granted by your armor, the gap between us becomes clear."

Seven clenched his fists tightly, his eyes burning with furious, unyielding defiance as they locked onto Cupid.

"Seven, enough!" Zoffy looked at Seven and shouted sternly, "You are being far too impulsive!"

"Zoffy..." Seven turned his gaze toward him.

"Before we have clarified everything, you should not act so recklessly!"

Seven paused, his expression turning cold. He lingered on Cupid for a moment before saying coldly, "I will definitely defeat you!"

"Hmph!" Cupid crossed his arms over his chest, watched Seven for a moment, and sneered, "The facts have already spoken for themselves."

Seven hesitated for a second before transforming into a streak of light, flying off into the depths of space.

"Zoffy, Seven, he..." Ace watched Seven depart, his expression still filled with concern as he looked at Zoffy.

Zoffy shook his head slightly and said, "It is better that Seven has left. Let him go and calm down by himself."

He paused, then turned to Cupid and asked, "Where is the Battle Star? There are some things I need to confirm with Zek."

"Hmph!" Cupid looked at Zoffy and replied coldly, "I believe you should show proper respect to Captain Zek!"

"What did you say!?" Ultraman looked at Cupid with dissatisfaction, clearly displeased by his demand.

Zoffy held Ultraman back. His tone remained steady as he said calmly, "You must understand the precarious position of your Blue Tribe. Such pointless arrogance will only make your situation even more difficult."

He paused, then added, "When the Warrior Command headquarters ship was destroyed, only the Battle Star was in the vicinity. As it stands, your Blue Tribe is the primary suspect."

Zoffy’s gaze turned icy. "And as for the crime of being the first to incite war in the Land of Light—is that a burden you can afford to carry!?"

Cupid fell silent for a moment at Zoffy's words before saying, "Fine. I will take you to find Captain Zek now."

Elsewhere, Seven flew through the lonely starry sky. He had no destination, no direction; he did not even know where he should go.

He had only felt this way once before, in the period following Zagi’s invasion of the Land of Light. Since he had successfully carried out his mission on Earth and protected its peace, he had never experienced such aimlessness.

His kin had met disaster, his father was dead, and he had become utterly alone.

The Seven of this time was not yet the "Lord Seven" we know; he was merely a young Ultra warrior—passionate, yet prone to confusion. He had not yet shouldered the heavy burden of reviving the Seven clan; his personality remained impulsive, and he was deeply lost regarding his future.

In years past, as the son of Big Seven, the leader of the Seven clan, he had undoubtedly been the most prominent figure in his tribe. But now, he was nothing.

The members of the Blue Tribe had caused all of this!

Seven clenched his fists so hard they ached, a sense of powerlessness surging within him. In the eyes of the Earthlings, he was the Ultraman who saved them. But here, in the Land of Light—the home of supermen—he was just an ordinary person. He could not even avenge his own kin, and he had even been defeated by Cupid.

Ultramen always appeared before humanity as powerful, resilient, and wise, because they possessed strength that humans could never reach. But in truth, before their super-evolution, they were no different from humans. If one stripped away their immense energy, they, too, possessed fragile hearts. To ordinary people, they were world-saving heroes; to themselves, they were merely ordinary beings.

"I need power."

Seven looked out into the endless stars, a desperate craving for strength surging in his heart. If he had enough power, he could strike down Cupid with his own hands; if he had enough power, he could punish that damnable Zek. If he had enough power, none of this would have happened.

But how could he obtain such power?

An answer suddenly surfaced in his mind, stirring Seven’s resolve.

Shortly after leaving Earth, he had returned once more. During that period, there were no rampaging monsters on Earth. However, he had keenly sensed another energy influencing humanity. After a long search, he discovered the origin of this power.

It was in a parallel world, one that had undergone a mutation. The Alaya consciousness of humanity had been suppressed and was on the verge of falling into an eternal slumber; in its final moments, it had entrusted its hope to Seven.

With the help of the Alaya consciousness from both sides, Seven had briefly traveled to that parallel world. Because even for an Ultraman, traversing different space-times at will was impossible, as it would invite the rejection of the cosmic consciousness. To save that world without causing excessive damage to the original Earth, Seven had bestowed his own power upon a young human.

Had that young man successfully resolved the danger in that parallel world?

Seven hesitated, but in his desperate need for power, he could not help but consider this path. The power he left in that other world would have grown through constant battle. If he could reclaim that power and add it to his own...

Seven gripped his fists tightly, a look of determination flashing in his eyes.

"Is that the Battle Star?"

Zoffy gazed at the massive, disc-shaped warship docked above a planet. It featured four miracle laser cannons, a blue paint job, and the words "Battle Star" written in blood-red lettering.

Yet, the Battle Star seemed to be waiting for them, which struck Zoffy as somewhat strange.

On the other side, Cupid glanced at it from afar and said, "Yes, that is the Battle Star."

He paused, then added with some hesitation, "It is strange. The Captain once said he was going to exterminate the Galda aliens. I wonder why he is still lingering here."

However, he did not dwell on it. Given Captain Zek’s efficiency, he had likely already dealt with the Galdas.

Pointing toward the Battle Star from a distance, Cupid said, "Right, Captain Zek is inside. Let us head over."

The group of Ultra warriors flew toward the massive disc-shaped warship.

To be continued.