Chapter 118: Tying Up Loose Ends

In the original narrative, Tregear’s psychological state underwent a drastic shift; he had likely come to accept the fate of "Little" Snark as an inevitability. Projecting himself onto Snark, he believed there was no longer a corner in this universe where he could belong.

However, things have changed.

Tregear seems to have begun targeting the Intergalactic Federation. Just imagine: if the entire federation adopted the monster-weapon blueprints provided by Tregear, and each member planet deployed thirty or fifty of these monsters as standard equipment, and then one day, those "weapons" suddenly went rogue...

The sight would be too horrific to behold.

Of course, this plan would harm many. First and foremost are the monsters themselves, who are turned into weapons—innocent creatures caught in the crossfire. Furthermore, the destruction caused by rampaging giant beasts is so extensive that it is difficult for the local inhabitants of any planet to avoid becoming collateral damage.

But to label Tregear as the sole culprit...

He did indeed provide the blueprint for the kitchen knife, but it was the Intergalactic Federation that forged it and proceeded to use it to threaten and cut down others. Moreover, the research into monster weapons had been ongoing for some time—groups like the Chibullians would have sought out other designs had Tregear’s not been available. His blueprints were simply faster, better, and cheaper. Besides, because the designs were unsigned, they had no idea who was behind them; had they known, they would surely have been more cautious, given Tregear’s notoriety and poor reputation.

If Tregear intended to cause trouble for the Intergalactic Federation, Hiroyuki would not mind lending a hand. He had long despised this malevolent force that permeated the entire Ultraman universe—a power that, despite its massive influence and facade of righteousness, had never truly suffered any lasting consequences for its repeated transgressions.

Soon, Hiroyuki finished removing the neural-control chips from all the Sandriases. The monsters remained in a dazed, amnesiac state, wondering who they were, where they were, and what they were doing. They neither resisted nor wandered off; seeing their peers moving in one direction, they subconsciously followed. Consequently, the defense team members simply had to lead one, and the rest followed easily.

They looked exactly like a mother duck with a brood of ducklings.

Zero flew over at this moment, exchanged greetings with the Chief Instructor, and began to outline the situation inside the "Hive."

After Hiroyuki’s departure, they had immediately felt their powers return. Zero and Fuma transformed and began to wreak havoc. While they served as a distraction, Magna and the others located a hidden vessel within the Starport Tower—not the ten-passenger escape pod, but a massive troop transport. It was designed purely for capacity, with no extra cabins, built solely to ferry people. It could hold the entire surviving population of the city if they squeezed in. Fuma, possessing the greatest mobility, relayed this news to all the fleeing refugees, urging them to return to the Starport Tower to board the ship.

It must be said that although Fuma lacked an official appointment in the Defense Team, the form of a Giant of Light was a guarantee of credibility; it belonged to the category of "Giants of Light have no reason to lie to us." Thus, the fleeing refugees turned back to seek refuge.

The RUSH team trio, having regained their strength, cut a swath through the Starport Tower, subduing all guards. The guards, even as they were slammed into the floor, could not fathom how these three killing machines had bypassed the security locks to break in.

Security locks? What security locks? They didn't exist at all.

They stood guard at the ladder, maintaining order as the refugees boarded. The refugees didn't even ask where the ship was heading; anywhere was better than here!

Several high-ranking officials of the Intergalactic Federation, along with officers and soldiers from the Armory and their families, tried to sneak aboard. Valer, however, recognized them all and tossed them out. He had compiled a roster of every officer and soldier when he infiltrated the Armory base, and combined with the list Zero had scanned at the Starport Tower, there was no chance for anyone to escape.

As for offending the Intergalactic Federation—don't be ridiculous. The RUSH team members were not from this universe and would soon depart; even if the Federation wanted revenge, they wouldn't be able to find them. A "shadow planet" is, by definition, a planet that does not exist. Being stationed on such a world means you don't exist either; if you die, you die in vain.

Could the Intergalactic Federation really lodge a formal complaint over a planet that didn't exist, claiming they were bullied by the Land of Light?

Impossible.

Because the production of monster weapons is a universally recognized taboo. If challenged, the Land of Light could simply retort that they had merely acted on intelligence to dismantle a monster-weapon production facility—an act that the entire universe should applaud. If the Federation stepped forward to claim the planet as their own, they would have to explain to everyone exactly what that facility was doing there.

Who would really be in the wrong?

The Intergalactic Federation would have no choice but to swallow their pride and accept the bitter loss.

With this cleared up, the defense team members dismantled the planet without a shred of psychological burden. Under Valer’s orchestration, the Armory was thoroughly wiped out, and even the families enjoying their lives on the planet were sent packing.

Only one person was spared—the Governor, Lebeje.

Before the operation, Hiroyuki had stated his intention to take her back to Earth as a prisoner. They hadn't found the bound Governor in the closet Hiroyuki mentioned and assumed she had escaped, but she had actually sought them out to surrender.

She claimed Hiroyuki had promised her sanctuary if she surrendered voluntarily. This was only natural and a standard consensus; one must protect those who defect to one's side, or no one will believe your future offers of defection.

The cleanup did not require Zero and the others, nor were they suited for it, so they departed early to continue their respective missions.

Zero had to head to Earth, as his duty was to serve as a communications officer for Captain Presser; he had to report for duty until new orders arrived. Fuma and Soya Homare were also returning to Earth. Hiroyuki had initially wanted to remove the Captain’s bracelet to give to Homare to take back, but he was stopped by Taro.

He had noticed earlier that when Hiroyuki moved to remove the bracelet, Zoffy had stopped him; clearly, the bracelet carried a specific significance while worn by Hiroyuki.

Thus, Homare’s return mission had two tasks: first, take Pega back and ask the Captain to help find his friends; second, report Hiroyuki’s whereabouts and explain that he could not return immediately, as he had to make a detour to the Land of Light to assist with equipment verification and a physical examination.