pertwk Page 265
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Leo sat in the cockpit of Asgaron, flipping through the Asgaron's driver's manual. After all, this time he was going to go straight into the deep sea of the Maldives to deal with the mother of the Zijra flower.
The deep-sea environment is extremely dangerous. Leo knew that Gatanothor must have left something there waiting for him. The armaments of King Joe were definitely not enough. This time, they would have to go to Asgard, but the situation was tense, so they couldn't let Haruki go.
Although Leo estimated that Haruki could also transform into Ultraman, he didn't know how strong he would be. He was probably not as strong as those guys in ESCG who had undergone a lot of training, so it would be safer for Leo to go there himself.
"Asgaron reports: Weapon resupply complete, underwater combat equipment confirmed to be fully loaded, oxygen reserves confirmed... Vice Captain Leo, I'm a little nervous."
The AI in Asgaron is truly intelligent; even its tone and manner of speaking are very human-like. Leo even suspects that it might be a product of Galatrom, perhaps with some technological support.
"I remember you considered underwater combat from the very beginning of the design of Asgaron, right?"
"Yes, Asgaron was designed from the outset to adapt to different battlefields on land, sea, air, and in space. However, according to mission intelligence, this time we need to dive to a depth of 2,000 meters in the deep sea."
Asgaron has confirmed that this mission requires a dive to at least 2,000 meters deep, and possibly even deeper. At such depths, Asgaron's weapons and equipment will be subject to some limitations; at the very least, the beam will be less effective.
Moreover, they didn't know the approximate state of the mother plant of the Zijra flower, which might be extremely difficult to deal with. Asgaron itself wasn't afraid of anything; it was designed for combat from the beginning. However, it was worried about failing to complete the plan, which could lead to an even worse situation.
“Then there’s nothing to worry about.” Leo put down the instruction manual and put on his helmet. “Ready, let’s go, Asgaron.”
"...Understood. Transfer all control to pilot Leo. Please give the order."
Leo made some adjustments. Having gotten used to the Armored King Joe, he was finally getting a good ride today. The Asgaron's performance was at least seven times better than the Armored King Joe, with all sorts of good stuff added to it. Unfortunately, naval battles limited the Asgaron's performance.
"This is Leo. Listen up, everyone. We will be heading to various parts of the world within ten minutes. You will act only when I give the signal. Make sure to eliminate the Zijera Flower within three minutes. As for those people surrounding the Zijera Flower... if they don't disperse by then, the plan cannot be terminated."
This is a last resort that we have to consider. At least one-tenth of all humanity is now trapped by the Qijiela Flower. Leo doesn't know whether to lament that the number is too large or the proportion is too low, but when it really comes to the last resort, he has to make the decision that is most beneficial to all humanity.
Even if this decision might lead to him facing criticism from the whole world after this incident, he doesn't care. Criticism is for tomorrow; what he needs to do is ensure that humanity survives today.
"ESCG is responsible for clearing the Chijraha area in and around the Indian Ocean. The other defense forces shall proceed according to plan... Men, you must come back alive."
Leo clenched his fists instinctively. This time, TPC had to distribute their power completely, meaning that each person would have to face a Zijera flower alone, which was actually quite dangerous.
"Victory Team received!"
"Arsenal received!"
"ESCG confirmed!"
"Silver Star advance team confirmed receipt."
“External squad Hikari, Mizoroki Shinya, Tango confirmed receipt.”
Familiar voices came through the headphones. Leo let out a long breath. He had always felt that choosing to join TPC was the best decision he had ever made. He had met so many reliable people, comrades he could entrust with his trust and even his life.
However, he had to become a minor obstacle for his teammates, and in order to help them grow faster and become stronger, he had to do some bad things.
“It’s time to act,” Leo said softly, but he wasn’t speaking to anyone. He was informing Galatrom, who was watching him through Asgard’s built-in camera. He knew very well that no matter how busy Galatrom was, she would always spare some of her attention to him.
This can be considered Galatron's unique protectiveness towards Leo. Although Ako and Magabasa have always secretly teased him for being a yandere, Leo feels it's okay, as Galatron doesn't control his actions.
Asgaron's electronic systems were completely unaware that they had been taken over by Galatrom, but Galatrom did receive Leo's instructions immediately. Looking at Ayako beside him, he asked, "How is Alaya?"
"The situation is not optimistic. She is the embodiment of the light of humanity, capable of influencing humans and being influenced by them. The Qijiela flower is a deadly poison to her. Fortunately, we have made several preparations."
Ayako brought up the footage of the recovery room, where she saw Ida Marie soaking in the incubation chamber, her face looking extremely pale. The incubation chamber was filled with light particles generated by the Max power system, which alleviated Alaya's condition. Renlong was also using his own light to help her.
As the consciousness of the TPC members gradually broke free from the allure of the Zijra flower, Alaya's condition improved somewhat. However, if the Zijra flower is not completely eradicated, she will still die along with all of humanity.
Gatanothor's actions were simple, but had three objectives: first, to set a trap in the Indian Ocean and wait for Leo to come to him; second, to delay everyone's actions and buy time for the Dark Shadow Mage; and third, to target Alaya and weaken her power.
"Looks like we'll have to wait for Leo to make his move... Let's get ready. I didn't expect the first application of the global broadcasting system to be at this time." Galatron was already busy enough, and now she has even more to deal with.
"Hellodia, how's your mechanical Ultraman preparation going?" Galatro asked Helotia. Ever since he got the Chaos Super Taro Spark Doll, this guy has been wholeheartedly following Leo, and his efficiency in doing things has been exceptionally high lately.
For Helotia now, let alone pursuing her own research, she would immediately wash up, dress up, and run over if Galatrom said that Leo needed a bed warmer.
There was no way around it; Leo had given so much. He was willing to give even Chaos and Super Taro. Herodia couldn't think of any reason not to risk her life for Leo.
"Please rest assured, there are twenty sets of mechanical Ultra Brothers, totaling one hundred and twenty people. There are ten mechanical Fathers of Ultra, five pairs of mechanical Leo Brothers, and thirty mechanical Nexus. Although they cannot compare with the original Ultraman, they have everything they need!"
Helotia was quite confident in her mechanical Ultraman army; these things could definitely wipe out any planet in the universe except Earth, including her home planet Salome.
She had even long wanted to take these combat forces to conquer Salome and give it to Leo as a gift.
"Let's leave it for now and wait a bit. Let BDMK2 put some pressure on them first, and then you can send the mechanical Ultraman to help."
"Ah, can we afford to drag this out this time?" Helotia didn't expect them to pull this stunt again. Galatrom sighed, "This isn't what I wanted either, but Leo certainly won't let it end so easily. The traps Gatanothor has set for him will take a lot of effort."
Located in the deep sea, that's Gatanothor's home ground, a place where even Zetton and Demaga can't easily unleash their power. So this time, it's Ereshkigal, who hasn't been out fighting for a long time, who's with Leo this time.
Garatron was also closely monitoring Gatanothor's situation. Although the little guy had separated from Gatanothor, he still maintained a considerable connection with his original body, a connection that even the Ultimate Fighting Device could not sever.
Galatron tapped her fingertips lightly on the table, and for some reason, looked at Ayako beside her, "I have a feeling that perhaps this time... Ereshkigal can undergo her transformation."
You mean...she can adapt?
"Her talent is among the strongest in our group, but she is too young and no one can help her in this area. She has to figure it out herself."
After all, that's Eleking, a subspecies of electric dragon that only comes into existence naturally once every tens of thousands of years.
Chapter 471 The Ultraman I've Never Seen Before
"Operation log, this is Zhao Lin, number one machine of the Tenglong Team of the Asian Branch. It has been confirmed that there is a large crowd gathered about 300 meters from the target location... The computer shows that there are more than 1,000 people."
"Maintain observation for now. The operation will begin in about ten minutes. ESCG has arrived at its designated position."
Hearing the voice coming through his earpiece, Zhao Lin took a deep breath. Even with his helmet on, he could hear the curses and disgust from the crowd below. They must all know that he had come to get rid of Qi Jiela.
"Get out of the way! Don't touch our Zijera!" someone shouted at the Divine Eagle in the sky.
"We don't need the defense force! Get out of the way!" Some people even threw their phones into the air, trying to scare away the fighter jets.
Should I feel sad that nearly one-tenth of the world's population has been misled by Zijra, or should I be glad that nine-tenths of humanity have chosen not to find their adversaries in this incident?
Zhao Lin didn't know. He wanted to force himself not to listen to these sounds. Maybe he could listen to some music first? But he still chose to turn off all the music and look at the screen. There were people cursing and trying to smash their Divine Eagle down with whatever they had in their hands.
He knew it wasn't their fault; they had simply endured too much suffering during this dangerous time, carrying too much pressure and longing for a happy and peaceful era.
Director Sawai understood this as well. Ever since he met the true form of Renlong with Asami Kazumi and learned about the past and future events on this planet, he had been working tirelessly to protect humanity.
The establishment of TPC led to globalization, and all of humanity gradually began to connect as a whole. Then came armament, elitism, and the development of space exploration and combat against monsters. He considered everything, but even so, there were still things he couldn't do.
For example, the problem they are facing now is the fluctuating morale.
An individual's power is always limited. Director Sawai was well aware of this. His personal charisma was indeed strong, but it couldn't spread to the entire Earth. The various organizations that emerged due to monster disasters over the long past were the best examples of this.
People always need something to rely on, and there will always be those with ill intentions who take advantage of the situation. Sawai knew this well. He looked towards the door and saw Galatron, dressed in a formal gown, quietly appear before him. The latter gave him an elegant bow, like a noble lady.
"Hello, Director Sawai, I am Galatron 2345, responsible for all matters related to global media materials, including the latest global communications and broadcasting systems. May we begin?"
"How did Leo decide on his plan?" Director Sawai asked rhetorically. Galatron 2345 pondered for a moment, "Hmm... a self-inflicted injury."
"I see," Director Sawai thought about it and realized it was indeed a good idea. "Then, let's wait a little while."
“Leo has arrived at the designated location.” Galatrom 2345 held the old man before her in high esteem, not only because of their connection to Leo, but also because the old man’s abilities and achievements were legendary and great in any civilization in the entire universe. “Are you pleased?”
"...That's really fast." Director Sawai's eyes held a different kind of gentle light. "The distance from headquarters to the Maldives, which is more than a fifth of the way around the Earth, can now be crossed in less than three minutes."
"This is just the speed within the atmosphere; it will be even faster in space. In the future, these technologies will be used for travel, space exploration, and the distance between people will be further shortened... What kind of future will that be?"
Listening to the old man's words, Galatrom 2345 subconsciously scanned his body and was surprised to find that the pollen in his body was rapidly disappearing, while the light energy reaction that Galatrom had been studying for a long time but could not understand was exceptionally strong.
"You really are..." Galatron 2345 really didn't know what to say. The current Director Sawai's radiance was even purer than that of the Ultraman Genjins. "It's really Leo's luck to have someone like you by his side."
"It's our good fortune to have his help, and it's not me who's by his side." As he spoke, Director Sawai glanced at the messages that had been popping up on his screen for a while, and shook his head with a smile.
"These old guys are always on the go, they're just worried something might happen to Leo."
"Achoo!" Leo couldn't help but sneeze, rubbing his nose. He had a feeling that someone was thinking about him, and he just hoped it wasn't Gatanothor.
Everything was ready, and everyone was in position. Leo took a deep breath. "Start the operation. Even if we don't receive any news from you in five minutes, we will proceed with full-scale combat!"
"Received!" This message rang repeatedly in Leo's communication channel. Then, Asgaron took Leo with him and plunged into the deep sea.
Everyone who knows Leo knows that he always leaves a contingency plan in place to ensure that the plan will be completed in the end, even with the worst possible outcome.
From the moment the operation began, the countdown had already begun for one of the latest Zelda bombs carried by Asgaron. The missile was powerful enough to detonate everything within a ten-kilometer radius and create a massive tsunami.
Of course, Leo also has insurance, but that's another matter.
"Are you ready, Ereshkigal?"
(Of course, I'm always ready. It's been so long since I fought alongside Leo. Phew, thank goodness you haven't forgotten me.)
"How could I possibly forget you?" Leo waved his hand with a smile. Asgaron's data had been taken over by Substitute 2, while Leo himself took out the Dark Spark and the Ultimate Fighting Device.
[Darkness materializes and merges with Dark Lugiel]
The two forces intertwined, transforming into a blue light that shot out of Asgaron's cockpit and into the sea. Dark Lugiel's appearance clearly bore the characteristics of Eleking: its horns split, its eyes turned into crescents, its tail was long and powerful, and its body was covered with lightning patterns.
This feeling is amazing! Ereshkigal felt an unprecedented surge of power coursing through her body. She cheered and swam towards the deep sea at a speed far exceeding that of Asgard. Soon she saw an abandoned ancient ruin and a giant Zijera flower that was over 300 meters tall and of unknown width.
Yes, I see it. The ancient ruins sleeping in the sea are emitting a faint light, and this light is coming from below the Qijiela flower, from that stone statue.
"That's..." Leo was somewhat incredulous. He had thought the mother of the Qijiela flower would be quite large, but he hadn't expected to make this additional discovery. "An Ultraman I've never seen before?"
Chapter 472 Triga
Why is there an Ultraman I've never seen before here? Leo was filled with confusion and chose to contact Renlong while trying to sense the light.
This light always felt somewhat familiar to Leo, but his attention was mostly focused on his surroundings at the moment. He wasn't sure what kind of trap Gatanothor had prepared for him, or whether this petrified Ultraman was a big gift that Gatanothor had prepared for him.
Leo's gaze slowly fell on the stone statue. Compared to the enormous size of the Zijera Flower Mother, this giant, which was about fifty meters tall, seemed so small. His hands were tightly gripping something, and he was frozen in the sea in a half-kneeling position.
The body that was once used in battle has now completely lost its radiance and color, transformed by time and ocean currents into a uniform, lifeless gray-white, with a rough surface covered with tiny etched marks.
The edges of his breastplate were already showing signs of peeling and damage. His hands were clenched tightly as he knelt on one knee in the ruins of the sea, where the Qijiela flowers were in full bloom, maintaining the same posture he had been in 30 million years ago, as if trying to block something or grasp something.
The colorful timer on his chest, which should have shone brightly, has turned into a dark gray rhomboid stone with no transparency, deeply embedded in the stone breastplate. He is like an unnamed monument, standing firmly here from beginning to end.
"I don't know him," was the answer Leo received from Renlong. Renlong didn't know such an Ultraman. In her memory, there was no such Ultraman, whether it was the ancient giant from 30 million years ago or the Ultraman who came from other universes during the Dark War.
But Renlong recognized this light. Even if it was only similar, no, it should be said that it was too similar, but this made people wonder. Different Ultraman have different lights, similar but not the same.
But the radiance that Leo felt was almost 99% similar to that of Tiga. However, compared to Tiga's gentleness, this Ultraman appeared more resolute and tenacious.
"..." Leo carefully sensed it and found that the light around him was radiating outwards from this Ultraman. He was using his own light as a cage to imprison the mother body of the Zijera Flower.
Renlong and Lu Ke had previously confirmed that the Qijiela Flower's rampage 30 million years ago occurred precisely at the beginning of the Dark War, but then inexplicably lost its influence.
At the time, Renlong thought that Gatanothor thought it was no longer necessary to use the Zijera Flower, but now it seems that someone intervened to stop the mother of the Zijera Flower, but at a considerable cost.
"If it's a light similar to Tiga's, its strength shouldn't be that weak... Even if the mother of the Gijera Flower was controlled by Gatanothor and became stronger 30 million years ago, it shouldn't be this difficult to deal with."
Leo sensed Asgaron's speed and swam faster downwards. After all, Asgaron was a last resort, not the only option. Leo also wanted to know what had happened to this Ultraman and where he came from.
As Leo entered the light, he felt his power being suppressed. He hadn't expected that even after 30 million years, Ultraman's light would still be so strong, even affecting someone of his level.
"As expected... the mother plant of the Zijera flower has been suppressed by this light all along. Although it has quietly spread its roots to the whole earth over the past 30 million years, it has not made any move before Gatanothor awakens it."
Leo breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the Zijella Flower did not awaken ten years ago. In that most turbulent and chaotic era, the number of people affected by the Zijella Flower was definitely more than one-tenth of the population today.
"Hmm?" Leo suddenly sensed something. A dark red barrier quietly opened behind him, blocking the sneak attack from behind. He turned his head and saw a cloud of black mist standing behind him.
The black mist twisted and wriggled, then transformed into a human shape, which looked very similar to the Ultraman kneeling on the ground, just like the two completely different yet interdependent opposites of light and darkness.
"You are..." Before Leo could finish speaking, the other party had already flashed in front of him and thrown a punch. The deep sea currents were shaken by this punch, producing a deafening muffled sound, and huge splashes of water continued to rise.
However, when the splash subsided, Dark Ultraman found that his hand was firmly held by Leo, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not budge Leo even an inch.
"Sigh, no brains?" Leo looked at the Ultraman's blood-red eyes and realized that language communication was probably not going to work. Oh well, he could just knock him down and then press the Extreme Fighting Device on.
As Dark Ultraman tried to pull his hand away, he felt a tremendous force coming from Leo, which flung him high into the air and then slammed him heavily onto the ground, making the seabed hundreds of meters deep murky from the impact.
The entire seal was shaken by Leo's casual strike. Just as the mother of the Qijiela flower was about to make a move, a pillar of lightning bound it firmly.
"Just wait a moment, I'll deal with you later." Leo glanced at the mother of the Zijera flower, then looked at the dark Ultraman. "Let me see what you really are."
Gatanothor made so many arrangements, it's impossible that he didn't anticipate Leo coming to this sea in person, and then sent something like this to deal with him? This Dark Ultraman's level is about the same as Miss Zetton's a month ago.
In fact, Leo also wanted to uproot the mother plant of the Gijera Flower right now, but this guy was too deeply rooted. While dealing with this dark Ultraman, he also needed to find the roots of the Gijera mother plant.
“te…l…” The dark Ultraman made a muffled sound, then as if he remembered something, he clutched his head in great pain, and a huge burst of energy erupted, which actually made Leo take a small step back.
Struggling to his feet, the dark Ultraman clutched his head in obvious pain, crying out, "I am Tiga... no, I am Triga! Triga! Triga!!!"
"Treiga, is that your name?" Leo stroked his chin. He had thought this was another controlled puppet without a self, but now it seemed more like a person who had lost their rationality after being corrupted by darkness.
“No, that’s not right.” Rukiel hugged Leo’s arm, frowning in confusion. “This guy wasn’t corrupted by darkness; he was originally a dark Ultraman, but… he wasn’t born naturally.”