"I've always been curious," Laiha looked at Yu Zhou and asked, "why do you know so many things?"
"By sheer coincidence, I once visited the Land of Light," Yu Zhou replied calmly. "That's how I came to know things you wouldn't normally hear about."
"The Land of Light?!"
Everyone was stunned. How could an ordinary human like Yu Zhou possibly have gone there?
"That's right," Yu Zhou sighed. "It happened on a moonless night."
As Yu Zhou began to recount his experience, the others sat up, eager to listen.
"I was by Dragon Forest Lake, quietly admiring the moonlight. Suddenly, a massive shadow streaked across the sky and crashed into the lake with a thunderous splash. Before I could react, an Ultra Warrior was already standing beside me."
"An Ultra Warrior?!" Riku's eyes widened. "Who was it?"
"It was the Original Ultraman. He told me he came from the Land of Light in the M78 Nebula and even invited me to visit with him. So, I went along."
"No way…" Laiha shook his head in disbelief. "You actually went to the Land of Light!"
"The Original Ultraman…" Riku murmured, stunned.
After all, it was his fusion with the DNA of the Original and Belial that had restored him to his current form.
"Tell me then," Riku leaned forward, unable to hold back his curiosity, "who else is in the Land of Light?"
"Well," Yu Zhou began, "the main members of the Space Garrison are the Original, Jack, Ace, Seven, Taro, and their captain… Zoffy. There's also Hikari, who likes to 'cheat with gadgets,' and the young warrior, Zero. Then, of course, the great elders: the Father of Ultra, the Mother of Ultra, and the Ultra King. Taro is the son of the Father and Mother of Ultra, while Zero is Seven's son. Of course, there are far more Ultras there than I can list. You'll see them for yourself one day."
Riku's eyes lit up, but Pega voiced her worry: "But Riku, all those Ultra Warriors were enemies of your father Belial. If they ever come here, won't they…"
"Haah…" Riku sighed bitterly. To be Belial's son—this was not a fate he had ever chosen.
"Don't worry, Riku." Yu Zhou gently reassured him. "They are reasonable people. If they know you're different from Belial, they won't treat you as an enemy."
That eased Riku's heart somewhat, though he quickly asked another question: "You even know about my father. What kind of unforgivable crime did Belial commit back then?"
"Your father wasn't always like this," Yu Zhou explained solemnly. "You deserve to know."
"Not always like this…?" Riku murmured, taking out Belial's capsule and staring at the image of his father's twisted form.
"Belial was once one of the most outstanding Ultra Warriors of the Land of Light," Yu Zhou said. "His generation stood alongside the Father and Mother of Ultra as comrades in arms. By seniority, they were equals."
"Equals?!" Riku was dumbfounded. "Then doesn't that make me, Belial's son… of the same generation as Taro? Which means Zero should call me… uncle?!"
"That's about right," Yu Zhou nodded with a grin. "So, if you ever meet Zero, remember to make him call you uncle."
Pega quickly interjected, "But how did Belial fall so far?"
Yu Zhou's tone darkened. "Though he was an exceptional warrior, Belial was consumed by his desire for power. He sought the energy of the Plasma Spark, but the energy rejected him, and the Father of Ultra discovered his attempt. Belial was cast out of the Land of Light."
"So that's why…" Riku muttered, frowning. "But if they wanted to get rid of him, why didn't they destroy him then? Why let him escape only to chase him later?"
"Because the story doesn't end there." Yu Zhou shook his head.
"After his banishment, Belial was forcibly possessed by a Reiblood. That's when he became what you see on that capsule—completely corrupted."
Riku's face paled. "So he wasn't always evil…"
"Exactly. Only after possession did he turn against the Land of Light. He was eventually imprisoned in the Space Prison, but later he escaped, stole the Plasma Spark, and nearly destroyed his own world. He was defeated, killed… revived… killed again… revived again…"
Riku: "…"
"Belial is like a cockroach—you just can't get rid of him." Yu Zhou summarized with a wry smile.
"I see…" Riku sank into deep thought.
Through their talk, Riku also learned that both Laiha and Yu Zhou had no place to stay. He invited them to live in his underground base. Laiha agreed—after all, Riku was an Ultraman and could help him in the future. Yu Zhou, however, declined. There weren't enough rooms underground, and even Riku was living in the main hall.
Yu Zhou decided instead to live independently. He still had some crystals from the Land of Light stored in his spatial bracelet. With Riku's help in handling identity papers, banking, and property purchase, Yu Zhou exchanged the crystals for money and bought himself a house near the observatory above the base.
In just one day, with help from Riku and Laiha, Yu Zhou furnished his new home completely—appliances, furniture, even the smallest necessities.
"Wow, Yu Zhou, I didn't expect you to be this rich!" Riku exclaimed while looking around.
Yu Zhou scratched his head with a chuckle. "It's alright. But what about you two? Want to move in with me? There's plenty of room."
Riku shook his head. "No need. I already have the Nebula Manor."
(The underground base, now renamed by Riku.)
"And you, Laiha?" Yu Zhou asked.
"No thanks," Laiha refused as well. "A house on the surface is too easily destroyed by monsters. It's safer underground. I'd rather not get crushed in my sleep."
Yu Zhou: "…"
He suddenly felt his new house wasn't as secure as he thought.