Science and Technology Bureau, Archives Department. Every project is stored on a separate light screen.
Main console:
"Where is it?" Arnot swiped across a light screen, sending it flying off to the side with a whoosh. Looking around, the entire room was filled with light screens fluttering everywhere.
"Hey! Rookie, what are you looking for?" Skar had just stepped into the archives when one of Arnot's stray light screens nearly smacked him in the face.
"Oh, Senior Skar! I'm looking for the files and data on that Trial Tower."
"Huh? You mean the Trial Tower that Senior Toreca left behind?" Skar seemed to have some recollection of it. Back when he was Toreca's student, he knew about the technology. The Trial Tower could simulate various extreme combat environments to enhance the strength of Ultra Warriors. Because of Belial's invasion, only the development reports of the Trial Tower remained, with very little data left intact.
"Yes, I want to continue developing it."
"Are you sure? Back then, Senior Toreca had only just begun development when Belial's invasion struck. A huge amount of the data and documents were corrupted in that battle, and even Commander Hikari wasn't able to recover much." Skar tried to persuade the rookie in front of him to give up.
"I'm sure. I have the ability to finish it." Arnot nodded earnestly. When Toreca was researching this Trial Tower, seeing how interested Arnot was, Toreca had taught him hands-on. If the data for the monsters and various environments hadn't been insufficient, would he have needed to run outside every day just to collect data? Staying in the Land of Light was cozy enough, wasn't it?
"I believe in him." Hikari's voice echoed through the room.
"Commander Hikari." The two spoke in unison.
"Arnot, remember to write a development report." Hikari snatched up a light screen and handed the Trial Tower's data over to Arnot.
"Yes, sir." Arnot looked at the data on his light screen and smiled happily.
***
"Arnot, congratulations on joining the Science and Technology Bureau." The moment Arnot arrived at the academy, an Ultra stepped up to congratulate him.
"Thank you."
"Congratulations on joining the Science and Technology Bureau," another Ultra approached and offered congratulations as well.
"Thank you."
...
With great difficulty, Arnot finally reached the classroom, hooked his arm around the neck of Roga—who was currently boasting—and dragged him over to an empty corner.
"Why does everyone in the academy know I went to the Science and Technology Bureau?" Arnot's face had grown stiff from smiling all the way here, and his mood right now was thoroughly unpleasant.
"Teacher Xim said so! Said we should all learn from you," Roga said with a shrug and a beaming smile.
"By the way, interested in becoming my assistant?" Arnot slapped his forehead, almost forgetting his purpose in coming to school. The workload for the Trial Tower was simply too massive; doing it all by himself was a bit too grueling, so he needed to find an assistant.
"Yes! When do we start?"
"Go write your internship application report first, and tomorrow I'll copy a lab keycard for you."
"I'm going to write it right now." Roga happily scampered off to write his internship application report.
***
"Sign this, please." Arnot intercepted Zoffy at the entrance of the Ultra Academy, thrusting the light screen in his hand right under Zoffy's eye lamps.
"No, look, I'm off duty. I'm not doing any overtime today." Zoffy took one look at the light screen in Arnot's hand and instantly refused. What kind of decent Ultra carries around official documents everywhere they go?!
"Didn't Commander Hikari talk to you? Did you not read the development report I submitted? I need a plot of land to build the Trial Tower." Arnot stared intently at Zoffy. "All my preliminary preparations are done, it's been half a month already, where is my land?!"
"Tomorrow, tomorrow, I'll approve it for you tomorrow." Zoffy desperately tried to buy some time. He had been leaving right on the dot these past few days and naturally hadn't looked at a single thing. Anything coming out of the Science and Technology Bureau either meant money or more trouble; he didn't want to read their documents at all.
"Now. Right now. Immediately. Don't make me use my cannon on you." Arnot said with a sinister edge to his voice.
Zoffy caught sight of the bracelet on Arnot's wrist—Hikari had mentioned it was a cannon on par with his own Specium Ray—and shivered from head to toe. "Would the plain to the north work?"
Arnot nodded. Resigned to his fate, Zoffy began putting in some temporary overtime. Only then did Arnot put away the light screen with a satisfied expression.
"Uncle."
"Uncle Zoffy."
"Thank you for helping me pick up Tregear these past few days." Arnot felt a bit apologetic; he had just finished intimidating this Ultra, yet the man was still helping him pick up his kid. The preliminary data required for the Trial Tower was far too complex and tedious, and his overtime hours had run a bit long.
"Tregear, I'm sorry. I've been a bit busy these last few days." Arnot crouched down, patted Tregear on the head, and said with a guilty tone.
"It's okay. Uncle, go do your work." Tregear threw himself into Arnot's arms and nuzzled against him like a little cat.
"That's right, Uncle Arnot, you go focus on your work. I'll take care of Tregear," Taro chimed in excitedly from the side.
Zoffy shot a look of utter shock at Taro. If this little troublemaker didn't cause chaos, that would be a miracle—how was he supposed to take care of anyone?
"Then thank you, Taro." Arnot said with a smile. Years later, Arnot would wish he could use a cannon to blast Taro into oblivion.
"Arnot, um..."
"What is it?" Arnot scooped up Tregear and looked at Zoffy, who was hesitating and stopping himself from speaking.
"Well... Father wants you to come over to the house for dinner."
"Alright, let's go!" Arnot hoisted Tregear up onto his shoulders. Tregear grabbed hold of Arnot's headcrest and swung his legs back and forth happily.
"Big Brother, I want that too!" Seeing Tregear carried on Arnot's shoulders, Taro felt a bit envious.
"No, you don't." Zoffy firmly and righteously rejected Taro. As a Captain, he was not going to do something so humiliating.
***
"Taro, your flight speed is Mach 3? Are you crawling?! And you can't use light beams against Bemular—did you even listen in class when we went over something so simple?"
"Ah! What is Zetton's special ability? A one-trillion-degree fireball! A barrier! And teleportation! Did you not listen in class?!"
"Speak! Taro! I'm talking to you! Ah!!"
Taro was so roared at by Arnot that he didn't even dare to draw a full breath.
"Which one is Red King's original form? You don't even know something this simple? Ah!"
Arnot was so infuriated by Taro that his chest felt tight, his breath grew short, and he saw stars dancing before his eyes. He slammed his fists on the desk in helpless, impotent rage. As expected, even Ultra Warriors couldn't tutor young children with their homework; you were either already dying of anger or on the road to dying of anger. Then, he glanced at Tregear sitting off to the side, who needed no tutoring whatsoever—comparing an Ultra to another Ultra was enough to piss an Ultra off.
Father of Ultra and Zoffy listened to Arnot's helpless, furious roaring coming from the study, and couldn't help but smile faintly. As expected, they weren't the only ones who had to suffer from high blood pressure.
"Alright, Arnot, don't be angry anymore. Come try this new flavor of light source particles." Mother of Ultra pushed a plate of light source particles toward Arnot.
Arnot resentfully bit down on a light source particle. Browbeaten by Arnot, Taro obediently ate his meal and didn't dare to act up again. Tregear obediently leaned against Arnot, holding a light source particle and eating quietly.
Father of Ultra, Mother of Ultra, and Zoffy fought desperately to keep the corners of their mouths from twitching upward.
This dinner was finished amidst a bizarre atmosphere.
"Tregear, time to go home." Arnot looked at Tregear, who was sitting obediently with Taro after dinner, watching combat footage.
"It's getting late. Why don't you stay over tonight?" Mother of Ultra suggested, fearing that Arnot might take his lingering frustration out on Tregear once they got home.
"Can we? Uncle?" Tregear looked at Arnot with hopeful eyes. Taro looked at Arnot expectantly as well.
"Alright." Arnot looked at the Plasma Spark outside, which had already grown dim, and nodded.
"Oh yeah! Tonight I get to sleep with Tregear!" Taro cheered in excitement, but upon catching the glare Arnot shot him—as if ready to carve him to pieces—he slowly sat back down.
"Father, Mother, tonight..." Seeing Arnot staying behind, Zoffy wanted to lobby for himself as well.
"Your house is right next door. Have a safe walk home, we won't see you out." Father of Ultra issued an eviction order. Since when did someone who finished work still hang around at home? Unacceptable. What use was a grown man compared to an adorable little child?