Chapter 26: The Seeds of Division

Even after countless eons, this chapter of history remains a subject that the inhabitants of the Land of Light prefer not to mention.

Whether they belonged to the White, Blue, Red, or Silver clans, they were all collectively known as the Ultraman race. They referred to themselves as "the Light," yet they never imagined that on this very day, from within that light, division and civil war would erupt.

Though the consequences of this conflict were far less devastating than those of the great wars of the past, it was, undeniably, a heavy blow to the internal strength of the Land of Light.

The sky seemed as if it were tearing apart. Thousands of white beams of light descended upon the Land of Light with lightning speed. The Elder Guard of the White Clan, fueled by fury and hatred, began their brutal retaliation against the actions of the New Space Garrison.

The first to suffer were the settlements of the Blue Clan Ultra warriors. Countless energy beams streaked across the horizon, obliterating towering structures and reducing the Blue Clan Ultras to nothing more than fundamental light particles, cruelly snuffing out their lives. In the words of the Elder Guard captain, this was an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

With thunderous roars, rows of buildings were shattered by surging energy beams, filling the sky with crystalline shrapnel. The Blue Clan Ultras faced the onslaught in terror as their enemies mercilessly harvested their lives. Some fought back, only to be swallowed by torrents of light. The scattered members of the New Space Garrison attempted to organize a resistance, but they were ruthlessly suppressed; in the face of war, everyone is fragile. Even though they were the Ultra warriors revered by humanity, in the civil war of the Land of Light, they were merely common ripples, mercilessly smashed against stone walls and shattered into a spray of droplets.

"Child, hide here. Do not make a sound, and do not reveal your location," a broad-shouldered Blue Clan Ultra said, tucking his child into the corner of a collapsed building, hoping he would survive the calamity.

"Father, don't leave me," the young Ultra pleaded, his small hands clutching his father’s arm. "I'm scared. Why are they killing us?"

The father paused, then knelt down and patted his son’s shoulder. "Hikari, you are grown now! You cannot be a crybaby like a little child anymore."

"W-w-waah... I'm not crying." Hikari wiped his face, looking up at his father. "Why are they killing us? Aren't we the same?"

"We are not the same as them," he replied in a bitter voice. He sighed and added, "But this is just a misunderstanding. One day, they will realize that whether we are Blue, Silver, White, or Red, we are all the same."

"Then... will you come back, Father?"

"I will. I am going to find your mother. Once I find her, I will return. I will even teach you how to join the Space Science and Technology Bureau to fulfill the dream I never could!"

"Okay... I will be good." Hikari squeezed deeper into the triangular gap formed by the debris, watching his father with hopeful eyes. "Father, you must come back quickly to get me."

"I will! Wait for me, my son!"

He gave his son a thumbs-up before rushing off in the opposite direction.

Moments later, the sky was engulfed by thick, relentless beams of energy, swallowing everything in their path.

A distress signal was quickly sent to Zoffy. He stood in silence, gazing at the raging fires in the distance, the groans of his innocent kin echoing in his ears. He loathed this caste system; he wanted to shatter these rigid perceptions and allow the Blue Clan Ultras to truly integrate into the Land of Light as equals.

To the beings of other planets, the Land of Light was a utopia, an ideal realm. But he knew the reality was far from it. Where there is light, there is darkness, and where the light is most intense, the darkness is pressed down most heavily.

He only wanted to secure an equal status and standing for his people. Why... why was it so difficult?

Zuby stood slightly behind him to his right. Having just executed several high-ranking elders of the White Clan, his eyes still flickered with a hint of brutality. He had wandered the universe for a long time, and thus, he felt no sense of belonging to the Land of Light. He and Zoffy shared a similar fate; his parents had already perished—in the Great Ultra War.

Of course, his story followed a completely different trajectory than Zoffy’s. Zoffy had been adopted by the Father of Ultra and was now the front-runner to become the captain of the Space Garrison. As for Zuby, his parents had also served as Blue Clan warriors in that same war, sacrificing themselves for the Land of Light, yet he remained alone, unable to escape the disdain of the other three clans.

Whether through his upbringing or his temperament, Zuby could not claim to love the Land of Light. He simply obeyed Zoffy’s command; he recognized him as a formidable leader, willing to fight for his ideals and lay down his life for his cause.

In truth, this was a common phenomenon in the Land of Light during this era. The Father of Ultra had only recently taken office, and his prestige and seniority were not yet fully established. This led to widespread factionalism. For instance, the White Clan’s Elder Guard swore allegiance to the elders of the White Clan, while the Warrior Command obeyed Biger Seven.

"Captain, make your decision!" Zuby shouted urgently, his eyes burning with fervor. "Let us lead our people away! Let us leave this so-called ideal realm!"

"This so-called utopia, this ideal realm, is only theirs—the White, Red, and Silver clans! It is built upon the suffering of our Blue Clan!"

"What are you still hesitating for!? The universe is vast; can we not find a place to settle down? Let us lead our people away and establish a home of our own. Wouldn't that be better?"

He had once been a wandering warrior after being defeated by Seven, honing his skills across countless planets. He did not believe this would be difficult. Besides, no matter how hard it might be, it was surely better than suffering under the oppression of the Land of Light.

If one could be a person, why choose to be a slave?

Even if they had to start from scratch, even if they had to face countless unknowns and hardships, what did it matter? He believed in Zoffy. Zoffy was an iron-willed leader who did not fear casualties or bloodshed.

In the New Space Garrison, the casualty rate had been terrifyingly high, yet Zoffy had insisted on pushing forward. At the time, they believed that only by proving the Blue Clan had the ability to hold up the sky of the Land of Light could they earn the status promised by the Ultra King.

But that path was now broken. Rather than continuing to play with such a rotten hand, why not flip the table and start a new game?