Volume One, Chapter 23: Grimmed

Stepping into Borges, a long-lost aura rushed forth to greet him.

Torekia took a deep breath of the air here, landing serenely upon the sea of unconsciousness.

He pressed forward, arriving at the mouth of the Soul Well, then closed his eyes and began to chant the incantation he had used when transferring the seal so long ago.

"O soul of the cosmos, wandering among the stars, heed my command and awaken from your ancient slumber!"

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

The mouth of the well trembled, and the earth beneath split open.

Amidst the dust and smoke, a colossal blue sphere emerged from the fractured ground.

Within the translucent azure orb, countless phantoms stirred restlessly.

These were the sealed ancient incarnations of "Chaos," given form as spirit bodies, known also as the "Three Thousand Lesser Demons."

"Ha!" Torekia placed a finger to his lips and gently blew.

Bang—

The enormous blue sphere burst, unleashing innumerable demonic spirits, who surged skyward like freed fiends from hell, clawing and scrambling.

"Come forth, ancient gods of chaos! I offer you my body and soul!" Torekia spread his arms wide, releasing his power without reservation.

"Ah... ah... ah!!!"

The roar of the chaotic gods shook the heavens and earth, swirling together like a tornado, racing to pour into Torekia’s body.

Power surged endlessly, his soul frenziedly replenished.

Yet Torekia was not satisfied. He raised his reddened eyes, and with reckless abandon, plunged into the Soul Well.

His body sank, and his consciousness sank with it.

In the darkness, a monstrous, savage eye appeared in the void, as if a celestial hound was devouring the moon.

"Heh heh heh!" Torekia cackled, lifting his gaze to meet the giant eye, grinning fiercely. "Come, Grimude! This time, let us truly become one!"

Endless soul power drifted in the air; the giant eye received Torekia’s intent.

It paused, then finally sighed. "So, you are from the future. No wonder I sense my soul’s power within you."

Relying on the power of chaos for reincarnation, Grimude could surmise the future’s outcome even without probing Torekia’s memories.

But... to start anew, could one truly defy fate?

Grimude closed its eye, as if contemplating deeply, falling into silence.

"What’s wrong!" Torekia shouted. "You kept that strand of power because you could not resign yourself!"

On the eve of reincarnation, he had glimpsed the philosophy linking the lesser demons and Grimude.

He knew, too, that Grimude had never truly accepted its fate.

It was simply confined here, powerless.

Even Torekia's arrival in the previous cycle had been wholly unexpected for Grimude.

Thus, Grimude was willing to bestow upon him the power of the lesser demons, hoping to create a fragile hope.

Yet, even the strength of the lesser demons could not rival legendary power.

He failed; even the true form condensed by the lesser demons was defeated by Renga.

He thought his destiny would end in that moment, but the strand of chaos soul showed him the truth.

At last, Grimude opened its eye, staring at Torekia. "Have you truly decided? If you fail again, you will vanish completely, across all parallel timelines."

"Of course!" Torekia grinned. "Since I’ve returned here, that is my most definite choice!"

After rebirth, he could have chosen to overturn fate and remain in the Land of Light as a scientist.

But he still walked the old path, arriving at Grimude.

That... is choice!

Grimude said nothing more, fading into obscurity.

At that moment, the entire space of the Soul Well began to churn.

Darkness seemed to be torn asunder, revealing countless streaks of light.

Witnessing this, Torekia’s eyes grew wild with madness.

"Let me see—just how vast the gap is between the true form and the lesser demons!"

In the riven space, a massive blue sphere slowly rose.

Bang—

The sphere exploded, and bursting forth was not a lesser demon, but the authentic soul of Grimude.

Just as the lesser demons had before, it flooded into Torekia, becoming the source of his most formidable power.

Black lightning spread, mercilessly devouring the elements of thunder, transforming them into pure essence.

Thunder, fire, water, earth, light, darkness, space, time—every element became the foundation of his complete strength.

A storm of energy radiated from Torekia, his soul finally and utterly merged with Grimude.

Power surged ceaselessly within him, the world of the Soul Well shattered beyond repair.

Swish—

Torekia burst from the mouth of the well, descending upon the sea of unconsciousness with the aura and pressure of a demon god.

A dark blue mask, golden treads, a body brimming with explosive power—everything was so familiar.

Torekia slowly lifted his gaze, the red light in his eyes flashing.

He stretched out his palm, drawing a gentle line with his fingertip.

Instantly, the space tore open with a wide gash. Within it appeared the Land of Light, glowing with verdant radiance.

"Brilliance must be set off by darkness."

———

Land of Light.

Fifty years had passed since the defeat of the Dark Emperor, Ampera-Seijin.

During these five decades, cosmic order had been stable; should any threat arise, the Space Defense Force would dispatch warriors to suppress it at once.

Moreover, the Land of Light had allied with the Galactic Government and organizations like the Anduru Defense Force to establish an elite unit—the Galaxy Rescue Squad.

The Galaxy Rescue Squad recruited only warriors of exceptional potential. To join, one’s strength must reach at least the fifth stellar level.

Recently, a warrior had applied to join the Galaxy Rescue Squad.

Early that morning, Taro arrived at the Space Defense Force to review the relevant documents.

He learned from the records that the applicant was the Empress from the Royal Planet Ganon.

Having defeated Queen Barisib with the help of O50 warriors such as Orb, she now sought to put her abilities to greater use.

"War God... sixth stellar level..." Taro nodded slightly, stamping the approval.

An Ultra Warrior waiting nearby hurriedly picked up the file, dashed out of the Defense Force, and ran straight to the Galaxy Rescue Squad.

Taro followed, lifting his gaze slowly to the sky shrouded in dim light.

"What are you thinking about?" a voice suddenly called.

Taro turned, his face blooming with a delighted smile. "Ah, it’s you, Leefa."

A tall female Ultraman approached with measured steps, her entire presence exuding nobility and grace.

Leefa Ultraman, Vice Commander of the Silver Cross Crusaders.

Trailing behind her was a small Ultraman, trotting along briskly.

The new Crown Prince of the Land of Light—Taiga Ultraman.