Chapter Twenty: Return to the Land of Resplendent Light

Cupid knew the location of the Battle Star with absolute clarity. Having escaped from the White Clan’s starship, he set his course and pushed forward at maximum speed.

"Elder, a Blue Clan Ultraman has escaped!"

After securing the wounded and defiant Seven 21 back into his cell, a White Clan warrior quickly notified the White Clan Elder.

The aged Elder paused, then said, "It is of no consequence. The Blue Clan is currently the target of everyone's scorn. A single escaping Blue Clan Ultraman will not alter the grand scheme of things." He paused again before adding, "Go into hiding immediately. You must not be discovered."

"Captain Jek, it is Captain Cupid!" A Blue Clan warrior stationed on lookout duty soon spotted the rapidly approaching Cupid and reported to Jek.

"Hmm." Jek tapped his fingers on the table and turned to look at the massive cosmic strategy map hanging on the wall. The cleanup of the dark forces was only about halfway complete.

Before long, a flurry of hurried footsteps echoed, and Cupid walked in, breathless and urgent. "Captain Jek, I have something of vital importance to tell you."

Jek looked back at him. "You look quite frantic. What has happened?"

"The White Clan is rebelling!"

Jek froze for a moment, then waved his hand. "Where did you get this information? How reliable is it?"

Cupid stepped forward, resolute. "The Warrior Command starship was sabotaged. You sent me to investigate, and while I was leading my team in pursuit of the surviving Seven-clan warrior, Seven 21, I encountered Ultraman Zoffy."

He then concisely recounted the entire ordeal, looking urgently at Ultraman Jek. "Leader, the future of the Blue Clan rests on your shoulders. Do you have a plan to handle this?"

Jek tapped his fingers on the table, his mind in turmoil. The Blue Clan was being framed by the White Clan! But the problem was, while they knew the White Clan's intentions, would the enraged Red Clan believe the claims of the Blue Clan themselves?

"Gather the warriors. We must rescue Zoffy and his team first."

He quickly moved toward the control room. Looking at the Ultra warriors operating the massive Battle Star, he turned to Cupid and commanded, "Point out the direction of the White Clan. We must deal with them and rescue Zoffy's group before we can have any credibility."

"Captain, an Ultra Sign message has been received from the Blue Clan in the Land of Light! Father of Ultra has led warriors from the other three clans and has already departed the Land of Light. Their target is us!"

Jek paced back and forth, his fists clenched tight. The surrounding Blue Clan warriors remained silent, fearing they might interrupt his thoughts.

Time ticked by, second by second, and the Battle Star accelerated through the cosmos. After an unknown amount of time, the officer in charge of surveillance looked at the silent Jek and said, "Captain, we cannot find any trace of their starship."

Cupid scanned the screens over and over, then slammed his fist down. "I should have left some sort of signal!"

Jek patted his shoulder. "You have already done well. To escape the surveillance of those White Clan fellows—you are a fine Blue Clan warrior."

Cupid looked at Jek with immense hope. "Let us contact Father of Ultra directly through an Ultra Sign. He will listen to our explanation!"

Jek held little hope for this, but he did not wish to dampen the other's spirit. He simply patted his shoulder and said, "Change course. We are returning to the Land of Light."

"Returning to the Land of Light?" Cupid looked at Jek in astonishment, confused. "Captain, why choose to return?"

Ultraman Jek slammed his fist onto the table, sharp sparks igniting in his eyes. He said coldly, "To make those old fools of the White Clan pay the price!"

None of the Blue Clan warriors challenged Jek’s decision. Under the pilot's control, the Battle Star carved a long arc through the universe and turned toward the Land of Light.

"Father of Ultra should be willing to listen to our voice..." With this yearning in his heart, Cupid quickly channeled his light energy to construct an Ultra Sign.

This type of Ultra Sign was a skill that almost all Ultramen knew how to use. It first appeared in the plot of *Ultraman Ace*, episode 5, "Giant Ant Super Beast and the Ultra Brothers." These signs were not merely symbols; they could store the voice and visual information of the sender, effectively serving as a universal communication tool among the Ultra warriors of the Land of Light.

"Heh, a defense from a Blue Clan Ultraman..."

Back in the Land of Light, the young White Clan Ultraman on duty watched the text emerging in the sky and said with a touch of mockery, "What a pity. Even if you know everything, it is useless. You are not the hope, and you cannot save the Blue Clan."

He was an assistant to Ken, the Father of Ultra. Usually, he was responsible for receiving Ultra Signs sent to Ken, filtering them for the most urgent matters to report. Thus, at this critical moment, he played a vital role in preventing Ken from receiving anomalous information.

Even the speculations Zoffy had sent regarding his investigation had been intercepted and destroyed by him, ensuring Ken never received Zoffy's theories. Otherwise, Ken would never have made the decision he did.

Dismissing the Ultra Sign in mid-air, the assistant shrugged and turned to leave.

In the residential district of the White Clan, inside a secret chamber, several aged White Clan members gathered once more.

"Ken has already led the Red and Silver Clan warriors away from the Land of Light," one aged White Clan member said with pride. "Our plan is nearly complete. We need only wait for the two sides to fight, and we, the White Clan, having preserved our strength, will leap to become the most powerful Ultra race."

Another White Clan Elder added, "The struggle between the two will inevitably deplete their strength, which is precisely when the White Clan shall rise. We will then incite protests against Ken and pull him from his position of leadership."

The aged White Clan Ultraman who had once stood on the stage to give a speech, only to be ignored, said, "It is clear that Ken still holds significant influence in the Land of Light."

Another Elder countered, "So what? Not long after he began leading the Land of Light, this fratricidal conflict occurred. Even if he ultimately emerges victorious, this will remain an eternal stain upon him. Under normal circumstances, it might mean little, but as long as we wish to deal with him, we can use this as leverage. This is his fatal weakness."

"A new era is about to be unveiled by our hands."

"It is an era that belongs to the White Clan."