Chapter 31: The Death of a Warlord
“Whoosh.” The ice axe reversed its descent, and Seven X smoothly raised his hand to catch it steadily, placing it back above his head.
In front of him, Cupid’s blue form shimmered and wavered amidst the dissipating luminous ions.
“Bang.” Cupid’s ice axe embedded itself into the ground right before Jack.
Jack’s gaze fell upon the ice axe lodged there; his yellow eyes held a complex emotion, but he said nothing.
“Jack, look around you—is this what you wanted?” Cain’s voice was pained. “To wage war against your own kin, driving us to fratricide!”
The battle was nearing its end. The Red Tribe Ultraman warriors held an absolute advantage. The Blue Tribe of the New Universe Guard was now on its last legs, offering only faint resistance.
This internal conflict was drawing to a close, about to be quelled.
Yet, there was no true victor in sight.
“It seems I have lost,” Jack murmured, staring absentmindedly at the ice axe embedded in the ground. He bent down and picked it up. It belonged to Cupid, that exceptional Blue Tribe warrior.
“But once a battle begins, it cannot be stopped!”
Jack clenched his fists; the light in his eyes grew intense. Suddenly, his entire body trembled as he thrust his fists forward. A tremendous aura burst forth from his blue form. Amidst the surging light energy, a terrifying power was unleashed wildly. The very space beneath Jack seemed to ripple subtly.
“Brother! Stop!”
“Bang!”
A violent collision echoed, and Jack’s body was hurled backward. A gaping wound pierced his chest, the injury running through his body from back to front, exposing his ribs. Even the energy indicator on him was shattered. Visible light radiated from his form.
After Jack collapsed to the ground, a lightning-like flash appeared in Cain’s eyes, revealing the sharp ice axe.
The axe spun and flew back, returning above Seven X’s head.
Seven X and Cain exchanged a steady gaze, unwavering.
Tetsuya was merely slightly surprised. Was this really the Blue Tribe’s leader Ultraman? Defeated by his own ice axe in a single strike?
It seemed impossible.
Yet, the energy and aura radiating from Jack instilled a hint of fear in him. Could he be just a paper tiger?
“I have never initiated war,” Jack said softly, leaning slightly against Cain’s chest, finally speaking the words he had long withheld. He was ready to die—or rather, had never intended to live on. But this stain could not be cast upon the Blue Tribe.
“Brother, don’t say anything more!”
“But at least the war has ended,” Cain replied quietly.
“You are still too naive, little brother,” Jack said.
“I watched you grow. I know your nature—you truly are better suited to lead the Land of Light.”
“Yet your kindness and leniency only embolden those old fools.”
“You once promised to elevate the status of our Blue Tribe. But sadly, I will never see that.”
“Your path may take millennia, but millennia are too long. We cannot wait that long, and neither can the Blue Tribe. Millennia are too long; we must seize the moment.”
“As a leader, you have always been shackled from all sides. But now, I have cleared the way for you. Go.”
“Go and showcase your talent. Lead the Land of Light forward.”
A torrent of indescribable emotion surged within Cain—a heart-wrenching pain. Even at the last moment, Jack had thought of him. This civil war, though devastating to the Land of Light’s vitality, had swept away the internal obstacles.
The Blue Tribe’s New Universe Guard was eliminated.
The White Tribe’s Elder Guard was wiped out.
The Red Tribe’s warrior command center, the Sevens’ stronghold, was also destroyed.
Now, the Land of Light was in a power vacuum. As the true leader, Cain could finally unleash his full potential and guide the Land of Light.
All the headaches that once plagued him had been cleared away by Jack.
This was the moment Cain had long awaited.
Yet, why did his heart carry no joy?
He fell silent, saying nothing.
He placed Jack’s body upon the ground, watching as the luminous ions gradually faded. He looked up and caught Seven X’s gaze.
But it was no wonder the conflict had been a matter of life or death from the start.
Jack, why did you ignite a civil war among Ultramen?
This original sin was unforgivable.
“Reinforcements have arrived!”
Figures descended once again from the sky, and soon Cain heard Zoffy’s call.
Zoffy arrived swiftly, but upon seeing the ruins and Jack’s lifeless form beneath Cain’s feet, bitterness filled his heart.
“Still too late.”
“Is there any news, Zoffy?”
Zoffy hesitated briefly, then approached Cain.
“We have identified the murderer who killed the warrior command.”
Cain looked despondently at the scattered luminous ions in the corner of the battlefield.
“It doesn’t matter. The war is over.”
“The captain was from the White Tribe’s Elder Guard,” Zoffy whispered.
“They used their millennia of accumulated wealth to build a warship identical to the Battle Star.”
“Then the White Tribe’s Elder Guard launched a surprise attack on the warrior command.”
Cain’s body trembled. Turning sharply, he fixed his gaze on Zoffy.
“Are you certain?”
“Yes,” Zoffy nodded. “That starship, a perfect replica of the Battle Star, has been seized by Nishizawa and his team. Some White Tribe warriors remain inside as guards.”
With both eyewitnesses and physical evidence, Cain’s hand trembled.
Jack was not the one to initiate the civil war, yet he chose to ignite the flames of war by striking at the White Tribe first.
In doing so, by the war’s end, all internal factions within the Land of Light would be leveled.
Jack could have explained himself or avoided death.
But he chose to pave the way for Cain and face death calmly.
And Jack’s power was far beyond Cain’s. There was no way he could have been caught off guard by Seven X’s sudden attack.
Cain quickly pieced everything together, and his steps faltered.
Raising his hand, the red cloak flew from a corner of the battlefield into his grasp. He returned and draped it over Jack’s body, halting the dissipating luminous ions.
He lifted Jack gently and began to walk away.
(To be continued.)