Bighorn Bull is in charge of leading, and I, Beria, am in charge of raising it.

Moreover, every Ultra Warrior should master at least a thousand common skills by the time they reach adulthood in order to deal with various emergencies. Isn't that the most basic requirement?

Could it be that after so many years, the Land of Light, under the leadership of that good-for-nothing Ken, has become increasingly lax and has lost all sense of crisis?

Tsk, once we get to the Land of Light, I have to have a serious talk with Ken about this. We can't let that irresponsible guy ruin all the kids!

However, Zero taking the initiative to claim that he wants to protect Belial is quite a rare and memorable scene, isn't it?

Hehehe, what kind of expression will this brat make when he discovers my true identity? I can't wait to find out...

Well, of course, it's worth mentioning that...

The so-called basic requirement was actually a deliberate attempt by the instructors to leave him with the wrong impression, because they discovered that Belial's talent was too outstanding and they wanted to prevent him from becoming too arrogant and complacent, stagnating on his path of growth, and wasting his talent.

But the instructors didn't expect that Belial would actually graduate by that standard on the day he came of age!

And it was a perfect score on the first try, with all sections getting full marks!

The instructor standing at the edge of the assessment field couldn't help but scrutinize Belial with an extremely complex look, as if he were looking at a monster. After a long silence, he finally spoke, "Not bad, barely passable. Keep up the good work."

Even now, Beria still believes that the instructors weren't satisfied with his performance. That's why he added more weight and set higher standards for himself in subsequent training.

What was even more unexpected was that his intense competition led the instructors to subconsciously increase the training volume of the younger generation when they were promoting Belial as a role model for them!

Beria himself was completely unaware of this, thinking it was normal—because compared to Beria's own training volume, it was as easy as a walk after a meal—and he would often personally guide students who came to him for help.

After Belial's class, the trainees assigned to the instructors had a love-hate relationship with their senior, Belial!

That's why Zero at this moment couldn't possibly imagine...

Just because of a casual compliment...

What terrifying changes will the training standards for the young Olympians of the Land of Light undergo!

Chapter 48 Dark Lops Zero

[Bonus chapter for the gift, thank you for your support~]

Zero charged into the mechanical legion's ranks like a bolt of lightning, interwoven with red and blue, swiftly weaving through the enemy lines.

Under the control of Ultra's telekinetic power, his head-mounted boomerang transformed into two silver streaks. Each rapid flight precisely pierced the core processor of a mechanical Ultra Brother, before flying relentlessly towards the next target.

Meanwhile, Zero himself was never idle. With flying kicks and grappling techniques, he displayed his cosmic martial arts to the fullest, single-handedly destroying one mechanical Ultra Brother after another!

Clearly, with Belial joining the battle and taking charge of protecting the Panlong, Zero finally had a chance to vent his frustration at being chased by these imposters while protecting the Panlong!

Without any worries, he could unleash his full potential and fully utilize the formidable combat techniques that Master Leo had honed through countless hellish training sessions on Planet K76!

Well, of course, after healing Gomora and the crew of the Panlong, Belial, who had been watching from the rear, couldn't help but become suspicious after only a short while...

Hmm, this little brat, could he really be carrying some personal grudge like Leo?

Don't say I wronged him, just look at him, just look at him!

Even though they were all imposters, when dealing with other mechanical Ultra Brothers, their head-mounted boomerangs pierced through the core, killing them cleanly and swiftly with a single strike.

But then he encountered Mecha Seven, and his methods were incredibly cruel. He almost awakened his Wild Form on the spot and was torn apart by Mecha Seven!

Well, thinking about Seven's irresponsible father, who never raised Zero from a young age and never acknowledged their father-son relationship, it's unbelievable. It wasn't until Belial stormed the Land of Light and was on the verge of total annihilation that he remembered he had such a son, sent him a distress signal, and revealed the truth about their father-son relationship…

Belial could easily imagine that even if Zero could understand Seven's good intentions in stopping him from touching the core of the Plasma Spark Tower and sending him to K76 for special training...

But would you say that Zero harbors no resentment towards Seven at all?

Ha, let alone Beria, even if it were Ken, whose brain was replaced by muscles, he probably wouldn't believe a word of it!

Now that there is such a legitimate opportunity to vent the resentment and grievances that have accumulated in this child's heart over thousands of years, he should be beaten to death!

This means that Zero was ultimately no match for Darklops Zero, and even his head-mounted weapon was knocked away by Darklops Zero...

Otherwise, Belial would be certain that Zero would never call Leo to join the "team" and would definitely choose to "let me enjoy the economy all to myself"!

Otherwise, how come Zero didn't even give out a single Ultra Signature after two whole weeks of hellish battles?

In the short moment that Belial was lost in thought, Zero, whose fighting style was becoming increasingly aggressive, had already fired a beam of light, blasting the last batch of mechanical Ultra Brothers into countless falling metal fragments.

"Hmph, with this level of skill, they dare to challenge the Ultra Brothers... If you're going to build something, at least build more mechanical Sevens! That's not enough for me to enjoy!"

As Zero muttered to himself, he cut off the energy supply and lowered his arms, but the timer on his chest continued to flash blue steadily.

But just as he turned around, preparing to reunite with Belial, a strange and domineering pressure, causing every nerve ending to instinctively scream, suddenly crashed down from directly above Zero's head.

"...Hey, are you kidding me? You think you can even impersonate me?"

"..."

"Training Armor... no, a restricted armor? Heh, interesting... You mean, even with your power restricted, you can still defeat me? Don't be ridiculous! You're still 20,000 years too early—!!!"

As if talking to himself, after saying a few words out of nowhere, Zero suddenly raised his head, crossed his arms, and looked down at him with disdain, shouting angrily.

It was a figure strikingly similar to Zero's when he trained in his training armor on Planet K76. Even the patterns on his body were identical. The only difference was that the color scheme had changed from red, blue, and silver to black, dark brown, and silver.

What made Zero instinctively wary was the pair of eyes peeking out from the gaps in the helmet...

It was a cold, hollow, dark red light, completely different from his own. It was as if the "twin" standing before him, so strikingly similar to himself, was nothing more than a war machine born solely for slaughter, devoid of any emotion!

It was Darklops Zero who was accidentally found, repaired, and strengthened by the Salome aliens!

"Hey ya—!!!"

After provoking him, Zero suddenly pushed off the ground with his right leg, shooting himself into the air and kicking towards Darklos Zero above him in a gravity-defying backwards kick.

Dark Loops Zero was not to be outdone, responding to Zero with an almost identical kicking technique.

The two remained in their backward kicking stances, striking each other at an ever-increasing frequency. Each collision created visible ripples and distortions in the surrounding air. Their bodies rose higher and higher with each high-speed exchange, kicking their way from the planet's surface, through the atmosphere, and finally soaring into deep space!

The instant they broke free from the planet's gravitational pull, it was as if they had been taught by the same master, their moves completely unbreakable. They simultaneously withdrew their strength and retreated, widening the distance between them once more. Then, each transformed into a ball of red energy, accelerating and colliding again.

Two beams of light collided head-on in the starry sky time and time again. Each collision exploded into a dazzling burst of energy, and each separation heralded an even more fierce next charge.

They chased, intersected, and collided in the deep space of the universe, moving at such speeds that the naked eye could only catch two afterimages that were constantly intertwined and constantly separating.

But Zero had been fighting at a high intensity for far too long.

He had previously single-handedly dealt with countless waves of attacks from the mechanical Ultra Brothers, and had also expended a great deal of energy in the high-speed kicking and cosmic chase with Darklops Zero.

This meant that, although on the surface his color timer continued to flash blue steadily, and his stamina reserves seemed to be fine for the time being, his constantly tense mental state was gradually approaching its limit, causing an extremely slight delay in Zero's transitions between attacks!

It was precisely this seemingly insignificant, slight delay that gave Dark Lops Zero the opportunity to break the deadlock!

In the instant of the next collision, its right arm suddenly shot out, its five fingers gripping Zero's right wrist before he could retract it. At the same moment, its other hand grabbed Zero's shoulder, locking him firmly in place.

Then, holding Zero like that, it plunged headfirst into the dark red planet from deep space!

Shortly after, two intertwined figures, wreathed in astonishing heat, crashed heavily onto the planet's surface, creating a circular crater over a hundred meters in diameter on the rugged, dark red rock!

Fragments of shattered rock rained down, and the shockwave sent all the burning mechanical wreckage flying.

Fortunately, Belial foresaw what would happen next when he saw Zero take off upside down. He had Rei re-sign the contract with Gomora and retrieve it into the Monster Fighter while holding the Panlong and hovering in mid-air to avoid the earthquake. Then, in the instant he witnessed the two falling, he used his free hand to open the Ultra Barrier, blocking the indiscriminately flying debris.

Otherwise, the crew members of the Panlong, who had just escaped death, would have been riddled with holes and died innocently even if they hadn't died in the violent earthquake!

In the very center of the pit, Darklops Zero pinned Zero to the ground, his right fist pounding into Zero's face and chest one blow after another, each punch carrying a merciless surge of dark purple energy.

Fortunately, this level of attack was no different from a tickle to Zero, who on Planet K76, due to his youthful arrogance and stubbornness, always wanted to take Leo's flying kick head-on, and whose ability to withstand blows had long since undergone a qualitative change!

With just his arms crossed in front of him to block, and gritting his teeth to withstand several heavy blows, Zero was not only not seriously injured by Dark Lops Zero, but seemed to have been awakened by the blows, completely getting rid of the discomfort of mental fatigue!

Then, seizing the opening in Darklops Zero's punch, he suddenly raised his left hand and firmly grabbed its right fist as it struck. His right hand followed suit, hooking his fingers around Zero's forearm, temporarily immobilizing it, before delivering a powerful kick—a "rabbit kicks an eagle"—sending the oppressive Darklops Zero hundreds of meters backward!

By the time Darklops Zero regained his footing, Zero was already standing up as if nothing had happened. He rubbed his nose with his thumb and gave Darklops Zero a mocking close-up. His tone still carried that signature smirk that never disappeared, no matter how badly he was beaten.

"Heh, as an imposter, you've got some skills... But with your meager abilities, you think you can beat me?"

"You're 20,000 years too early!"

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Beria's Diary

...Hiss, this little brat, how come he keeps talking about 20,000 years, 20,000 years...I guess he's no wonder he's a delinquent from a juvenile detention center? His education level is obviously not very good!

Okay, I've decided. When I get back to the Land of Light, I need to have a good talk with Ken and have someone tutor the kid.

Regardless of how much time has passed and how badly he has ravaged the Land of Light, but...

Now that I'm here, the Kingdom of Light, no matter how poor it may be, cannot afford to neglect the education of its children!

Oh, right, if I remember correctly, this brat's father, although nominally a civil official, wasn't very well-educated...

Perfect, consider it a case of better late than never...

When the time comes, I'll gather Seven... no, I'll gather all the Ultra Brothers together, and I'll personally loosen their muscles and give them a lesson!

Chapter 49 Greetings, Your Majesty!

Faced with Zero's close-up taunt, Dark Loops Zero, who had been poised to charge forward and continue the fight after regaining his footing, froze on the spot.

After a brief silence and pause, Darklops Zero suddenly made a move that shocked both Zero and the mastermind behind the scenes!

It raised its right fist, continuously gathering and compressing energy into its fist, visibly enchanting it with energy, and then slammed it hard into the center of the restrictive armor on its chest!

In an instant, a spiderweb-like crack suddenly exploded from the point where the fist landed, and quickly spread to the entire surface of the restraint armor!

In just a few breaths, the entire restrictive armor exploded with a deafening bang, and shards of armor flew everywhere like shrapnel!

Darklos Zero's true form was revealed to Zero as the armor was removed!

"What?! Who exactly are you?!"

The moment Zero saw that face, his body involuntarily stiffened for a second.

In contrast, Darklops Zero, having removed his restrictive armor and finally able to unleash his full power, used his stored data to adopt a similar starting stance to Zero's Cosmic Fist technique and responded to himself.

"My name is Darklops... Zero!"

"What Darklops... You dare to call yourself 'Zero'?!"

Although he had long suspected that the other party was very likely using him as a template to create a mechanical counterfeit.

But when he saw the other person with his own eyes, whose appearance was almost identical to his own except for the one eye, and even whose voice was a perfect copy, Zero still couldn't help but feel an extreme physiological aversion.

Enraged and furious, Zero, who was only interested in killing the imposter in front of him, charged up and launched his attack first.

As a replica of Zero, Darklops Zero anticipated Zero's next move almost the instant Zero made a move and began to gather his strength as well.

The next second, the two of them almost simultaneously got into position. One white, one purplish-black, two completely different colors of focused light collided fiercely, neither giving way to the other!

When the two equally matched beams of light, after a brief struggle, culminated in a violent explosion, the two, as if by telepathy, simultaneously launched their head-mounted darts, engaging in a fierce battle in mid-air!

In an instant, four silver streaks of light collided violently in mid-air. The sparks from the explosion illuminated two almost identical faces.

Until he saw that his opponent had perfectly replicated his moves in the head-throwing combat technique, he couldn't find a breakthrough for the time being.

Clearly getting impatient, Zero summoned his head-mounted weapon back into his hand, merging the two into one, which became his strongest weapon at the moment: the Zero Twin Swords. He then flew towards Darklops Zero!

Dark Lops Zero, however, was unable to replicate this move due to a lack of core energy from the Plasma Spark Tower.

But seeing Zero charging towards him, Darklops Zero, who was also gripping his head-mounted crest tightly, showed no fear whatsoever! He leaped forward and took the initiative to meet Zero!

Just as they were about to collide, in order to compensate for the difference in weapon performance, they stacked their two head-mounted shuriken on top of their heads and began to spin at high speed! Like Mebius's spinning flying kick, this further enhanced the power of their charge and impact!

Of course, Zero noticed this as well and immediately sensed something was wrong.

However, his pride and arrogance prevented him from imitating his opponent's moves, nor did he allow himself to choose to desert in the face of battle!

So much so that when faced with the menacing Darklops Zero, Zero did not back down at all. He still raised his weapon high and clashed with his opponent in a pure numerical battle without any fancy moves!

The moment the swords clashed, a ring-shaped shockwave, visible even to the naked eye in outer space, exploded on the surface of this planet!

Unfortunately, this time, the invincible Zero was ultimately outmatched in skill, and due to the long battle and his already poor mental state, he was directly knocked away by Dark Lops Zero, who had transformed into a lucky star!

Even the Zero Twin Swords he was gripping tightly slipped from his trembling fingers the instant the collision occurred, and were sent flying far away! They were about to leave the planet and head straight into the depths of space!

"Tsk, you know you can't win, but you still stubbornly insist on going in for a head-on collision? I thought you were so brave because you had some kind of backup plan... Is this how that idiot Ken teaches you juniors? What is he, the captain of the Space Garrison, good for?!"

Just then, a hand firmly grasped the hilt of Zero's twin swords, then transformed into a streak of light, catching up with the flying Zero ahead of him. While cursing, the hand reached out with the other and gently supported Zero's lower back, catching him steadily as he flew backward.

"...Cough cough, what do you mean I can't beat him! I was just careless for a moment...! If you don't believe me, let me fight him again, and I'll definitely beat him senseless!"

Zero instinctively turned his head in the direction of the sound and saw Belial's face, which he couldn't say he was familiar with yet, but no longer felt unfamiliar with.

Hearing the other person's rather disdainful words, Zero, who seemed to have no respect for his elders but actually deeply respected them, was rendered speechless and felt a flush rise to his face. After a brief silence, he dared to stubbornly defend himself.