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Chapter 322: Love
"How... How is this possible?"
The last remaining Zamaron stared at Orin Vale, her face filled with disbelief.
Nothing like this had ever happened before, and it was simply unimaginable. As the race that first discovered the power of the Violet Light, the Zamarons certainly knew their development of the Star Sapphire's power was not yet mature. This was evident from the fact that they hadn't even managed to establish a Lantern Corps, nor had the Violet Power Rings been created yet.
Therefore, she wouldn't have been surprised if she had been defeated head-on due to a lack of strength; she knew very well what dangers and how many powerful beings were hidden in this universe.
But this?
They were absolutely not mentally prepared to face this kind of situation.
"How did you—"
"Don't look so surprised. Even though it's called the power of love and hate, its essence is still light. As it happens, my area of expertise is precisely this field. So... hmm... how should I put it? It's just simple optics," Orin Vale said.
The Zamaron looked at him with an expression as if she had seen a ghost.
Her face seemed to say, "Are you fucking kidding me? Simple optics can do that?"
"Perhaps this is just a small misunderstanding. You see, I have no prejudice against any of the Lantern Corps of the Emotional Spectrum. I've also had a few thoughts about the Violet Light recently, perhaps we could exchange some ideas—"
"Stop!"
The Zamaron leaped back warily, simultaneously raising her cane and pointing it at Orin Vale, adopting the stance of someone ready to fight to the death.
Orin Vale squinted through his helmet's display, using his scanning device to examine the cane in the Zamaron's hand.
"Hmm... interesting."
As if in the span of a single breath, his thoughts accelerated. In Orin Vale's vision, invisible arcs of electricity radiated out, piercing the frozen space and bringing everything to a standstill.
His feet left the ground. Surrounded by electric arcs, he flew forward gracefully, snatched the cane from the Zamaron's hand, and came to a stop behind her with an S-shaped drift.
He casually examined the cane.
"I see. It's also a device that draws on the spectrum, but it seems to be a lower-tier substitute for a power ring... Is it because you haven't been able to develop a stable Violet Power Ring at this point in time?"
He turned the cane over, switching between various visual abilities to scan it from different perspectives.
"The design isn't bad. It's clearly an independent development, quite different from the power ring system of those Little Blue Men... The neural link has no safety measures at all. The Violet Light is already an extreme spectrum at the edge of the spectrum, and it lacks countermeasures... no wonder they're all a bunch of paranoid lunatics," Orin Vale muttered.
In the comics, the Star Sapphire initially appeared as a Green Lantern villain. The crystal would repeatedly possess Carol, turning her into a criminal to attack Hal.
But later on, when the secret of the Seven Lantern Corps was revealed, the Zamarons finally developed the Violet Power Ring. After that, the Star Sapphire became a weapon that could be stably controlled, no longer the mad stone that would possess its host at the drop of a hat.
It seemed this group of Zamarons needed a little scientific help.
Orin Vale was no longer the Emotional Spectrum novice he once was. He had helped Ganthet establish the Blue Lantern Corps, studied a vast amount of Green Lantern knowledge, and had even recently captured and studied the Yellow Lantern emotional entity, Parallax. It wasn't to toot his own horn, but he could now be considered something of an expert on the Emotional Spectrum.
According to the prophecy in the Book of Oa and the original comics, a super-event called the "Blackest Night" was destined to occur in the future. Countless members of the dead would be resurrected under the influence of the Black Lanterns and attempt to devour the world of the living. To survive this crisis, the Seven Lantern Corps of the Emotional Spectrum were indispensable. Only by unlocking the powers of all seven colored lights and working together before the Blackest Night arrived could the crisis be overcome.
Orin Vale felt that he was now fully capable of helping establish the next Lantern Corps.
The Star Sapphire was a good starting point.
The acceleration ended, and time resumed its flow.
The Zamaron only felt a pain in her wrist and staggered. In the blink of an eye, she was stunned to find that the weapon in her hand had vanished, and the red-and-silver steel body before her had also disappeared into thin air.
"Your research on the spectrum has its merits, but it still needs improvement..."
The voice came from behind. The Zamaron turned around in terror, only to find that the man had somehow flashed behind her, and her cane was now in his hands.
"The efficiency of the spectrum gate is too low, the energy conversion rate is far inferior to the Guardians' Green Lantern Ring, and the upper limit is too low... also, the linking system with the user is a complete mess.
A spectrum weapon should be controlled by its wielder, not the other way around..."
The Zamaron was stunned into silence by his words, her eyes widening.
Wait, how does he know so much?
In this universe, aren't the Guardians the ones who understand the Emotional Spectrum the best?
No, before that...
In that instant, not even long enough to blink, he had not only flashed behind her and stolen her cane, but he even had time to leisurely scan, inspect, and analyze the weapon's structure, then point out so many problems one by one?
Wha—
The Zamaron's mouth gradually fell open uncontrollably.
What kind of monster is hiding on Earth?
"Of course, saying all that is a bit harsh. The Green Light is inherently the easiest to control, being at the center of the spectrum. The difficulty of researching and developing it isn't in the same league as the Star Sapphire, so the comparison is a bit unfair. To be fair, as a spectrum weapon, the design isn't actually bad..."
As Orin Vale spoke, he twirled the cane in his hand a couple of times, seemingly trying to use it.
Although the violet light had the side effect of corrupting its user, Orin Vale wasn't concerned. He had already mastered the Blue Light of the Emotional Spectrum. As the only light that lacked offensive capabilities, it possessed the unique property of negating the side effects of all other spectrums.
"It's useless," the Zamaron said in a low voice. "The light of love and hate is not just any kind of energy. There's only one way to use it: you have to be chosen.
Only those who hold immense love in their hearts are worthy. You couldn't possibly—"
Before she could finish, a beam of violet light shot out from the cane in Orin Vale's hand. Following the command of his will, it was even molded into a physical form, transforming into a several-dozen-meter-tall Ultraman that stood tall amidst the city.
Having her words thrown back in her face before she could even finish, the Zamaron's mouth was practically agape in an 'O' shape.
How is that possible!?
As one of the most extreme ends of the Emotional Spectrum, the Star Sapphire's energy was among the most difficult to control. How could it be such a pushover, for anyone to command?
However, what surprised her even more was yet to come.
"I see now. I think I understand."
Orin Vale's figure, wrapped in violet light, slowly ascended into the air.
"Just as I thought. The side effects of the Star Sapphire have distorted your perception of love," he said slowly. "Love has never been such a narrow thing, nor is it limited to specific objects.
Love knows no station; love is equal and selfless. It exists justly among all souls in the world; even the darkest soul deserves its grace."
He slowly extended a hand.
"Now, I can feel love."
In the next moment, amidst the Zamaron's shock, as if her entire perception of reality was being shattered—
All of the Star Sapphires moved.
The Star Sapphire that had originally possessed Maxima and was now hovering in mid-air.
The Star Sapphire embedded in the cane in Orin Vale's hand, serving as its power source.
And the Star Sapphires held by the several Zamarons who had been sealed in crystal, their life seemingly suspended.
Every crystal, like a magnet that had found its pole, like a cheering, leaping sprite, flew into the air together. They became like satellites orbiting a planet, circling Orin Vale one after another.
"Orin Vale of Earth, you possess a heart full of broad and selfless love..."
All the crystals spoke in unison.
"...Welcome to the Star Sapphires."
Watching all her own crystals defect to the enemy in a single second, the Zamaron, so thoroughly outplayed she couldn't even process it, was left completely stunned, woodenly muttering a series of sounds like "Aba... aba..."
After a long moment, she finally forced out a single word.
"...How?"
Orin Vale slowly descended to the ground, smiling at her.
"Like I said, your understanding of love is a bit skewed. My understanding of it is a little different... or rather, where I come from, all of us are like this..."
"...We love all living things."
(end of chapter)
"How... How is this possible?"
The last remaining Zamaron stared at Orin Vale, her face filled with disbelief.
Nothing like this had ever happened before, and it was simply unimaginable. As the race that first discovered the power of the Violet Light, the Zamarons certainly knew their development of the Star Sapphire's power was not yet mature. This was evident from the fact that they hadn't even managed to establish a Lantern Corps, nor had the Violet Power Rings been created yet.
Therefore, she wouldn't have been surprised if she had been defeated head-on due to a lack of strength; she knew very well what dangers and how many powerful beings were hidden in this universe.
But this?
They were absolutely not mentally prepared to face this kind of situation.
"How did you—"
"Don't look so surprised. Even though it's called the power of love and hate, its essence is still light. As it happens, my area of expertise is precisely this field. So... hmm... how should I put it? It's just simple optics," Orin Vale said.
The Zamaron looked at him with an expression as if she had seen a ghost.
Her face seemed to say, "Are you fucking kidding me? Simple optics can do that?"
"Perhaps this is just a small misunderstanding. You see, I have no prejudice against any of the Lantern Corps of the Emotional Spectrum. I've also had a few thoughts about the Violet Light recently, perhaps we could exchange some ideas—"
"Stop!"
The Zamaron leaped back warily, simultaneously raising her cane and pointing it at Orin Vale, adopting the stance of someone ready to fight to the death.
Orin Vale squinted through his helmet's display, using his scanning device to examine the cane in the Zamaron's hand.
"Hmm... interesting."
As if in the span of a single breath, his thoughts accelerated. In Orin Vale's vision, invisible arcs of electricity radiated out, piercing the frozen space and bringing everything to a standstill.
His feet left the ground. Surrounded by electric arcs, he flew forward gracefully, snatched the cane from the Zamaron's hand, and came to a stop behind her with an S-shaped drift.
He casually examined the cane.
"I see. It's also a device that draws on the spectrum, but it seems to be a lower-tier substitute for a power ring... Is it because you haven't been able to develop a stable Violet Power Ring at this point in time?"
He turned the cane over, switching between various visual abilities to scan it from different perspectives.
"The design isn't bad. It's clearly an independent development, quite different from the power ring system of those Little Blue Men... The neural link has no safety measures at all. The Violet Light is already an extreme spectrum at the edge of the spectrum, and it lacks countermeasures... no wonder they're all a bunch of paranoid lunatics," Orin Vale muttered.
In the comics, the Star Sapphire initially appeared as a Green Lantern villain. The crystal would repeatedly possess Carol, turning her into a criminal to attack Hal.
But later on, when the secret of the Seven Lantern Corps was revealed, the Zamarons finally developed the Violet Power Ring. After that, the Star Sapphire became a weapon that could be stably controlled, no longer the mad stone that would possess its host at the drop of a hat.
It seemed this group of Zamarons needed a little scientific help.
Orin Vale was no longer the Emotional Spectrum novice he once was. He had helped Ganthet establish the Blue Lantern Corps, studied a vast amount of Green Lantern knowledge, and had even recently captured and studied the Yellow Lantern emotional entity, Parallax. It wasn't to toot his own horn, but he could now be considered something of an expert on the Emotional Spectrum.
According to the prophecy in the Book of Oa and the original comics, a super-event called the "Blackest Night" was destined to occur in the future. Countless members of the dead would be resurrected under the influence of the Black Lanterns and attempt to devour the world of the living. To survive this crisis, the Seven Lantern Corps of the Emotional Spectrum were indispensable. Only by unlocking the powers of all seven colored lights and working together before the Blackest Night arrived could the crisis be overcome.
Orin Vale felt that he was now fully capable of helping establish the next Lantern Corps.
The Star Sapphire was a good starting point.
The acceleration ended, and time resumed its flow.
The Zamaron only felt a pain in her wrist and staggered. In the blink of an eye, she was stunned to find that the weapon in her hand had vanished, and the red-and-silver steel body before her had also disappeared into thin air.
"Your research on the spectrum has its merits, but it still needs improvement..."
The voice came from behind. The Zamaron turned around in terror, only to find that the man had somehow flashed behind her, and her cane was now in his hands.
"The efficiency of the spectrum gate is too low, the energy conversion rate is far inferior to the Guardians' Green Lantern Ring, and the upper limit is too low... also, the linking system with the user is a complete mess.
A spectrum weapon should be controlled by its wielder, not the other way around..."
The Zamaron was stunned into silence by his words, her eyes widening.
Wait, how does he know so much?
In this universe, aren't the Guardians the ones who understand the Emotional Spectrum the best?
No, before that...
In that instant, not even long enough to blink, he had not only flashed behind her and stolen her cane, but he even had time to leisurely scan, inspect, and analyze the weapon's structure, then point out so many problems one by one?
Wha—
The Zamaron's mouth gradually fell open uncontrollably.
What kind of monster is hiding on Earth?
"Of course, saying all that is a bit harsh. The Green Light is inherently the easiest to control, being at the center of the spectrum. The difficulty of researching and developing it isn't in the same league as the Star Sapphire, so the comparison is a bit unfair. To be fair, as a spectrum weapon, the design isn't actually bad..."
As Orin Vale spoke, he twirled the cane in his hand a couple of times, seemingly trying to use it.
Although the violet light had the side effect of corrupting its user, Orin Vale wasn't concerned. He had already mastered the Blue Light of the Emotional Spectrum. As the only light that lacked offensive capabilities, it possessed the unique property of negating the side effects of all other spectrums.
"It's useless," the Zamaron said in a low voice. "The light of love and hate is not just any kind of energy. There's only one way to use it: you have to be chosen.
Only those who hold immense love in their hearts are worthy. You couldn't possibly—"
Before she could finish, a beam of violet light shot out from the cane in Orin Vale's hand. Following the command of his will, it was even molded into a physical form, transforming into a several-dozen-meter-tall Ultraman that stood tall amidst the city.
Having her words thrown back in her face before she could even finish, the Zamaron's mouth was practically agape in an 'O' shape.
How is that possible!?
As one of the most extreme ends of the Emotional Spectrum, the Star Sapphire's energy was among the most difficult to control. How could it be such a pushover, for anyone to command?
However, what surprised her even more was yet to come.
"I see now. I think I understand."
Orin Vale's figure, wrapped in violet light, slowly ascended into the air.
"Just as I thought. The side effects of the Star Sapphire have distorted your perception of love," he said slowly. "Love has never been such a narrow thing, nor is it limited to specific objects.
Love knows no station; love is equal and selfless. It exists justly among all souls in the world; even the darkest soul deserves its grace."
He slowly extended a hand.
"Now, I can feel love."
In the next moment, amidst the Zamaron's shock, as if her entire perception of reality was being shattered—
All of the Star Sapphires moved.
The Star Sapphire that had originally possessed Maxima and was now hovering in mid-air.
The Star Sapphire embedded in the cane in Orin Vale's hand, serving as its power source.
And the Star Sapphires held by the several Zamarons who had been sealed in crystal, their life seemingly suspended.
Every crystal, like a magnet that had found its pole, like a cheering, leaping sprite, flew into the air together. They became like satellites orbiting a planet, circling Orin Vale one after another.
"Orin Vale of Earth, you possess a heart full of broad and selfless love..."
All the crystals spoke in unison.
"...Welcome to the Star Sapphires."
Watching all her own crystals defect to the enemy in a single second, the Zamaron, so thoroughly outplayed she couldn't even process it, was left completely stunned, woodenly muttering a series of sounds like "Aba... aba..."
After a long moment, she finally forced out a single word.
"...How?"
Orin Vale slowly descended to the ground, smiling at her.
"Like I said, your understanding of love is a bit skewed. My understanding of it is a little different... or rather, where I come from, all of us are like this..."
"...We love all living things."
(end of chapter)
