"Catching the king to capture the thieves, your idea indeed has merit," Juggler nodded after hearing Chen Yu's thoughts, "However, Planet Zain is the stronghold of the monster Belial, making it difficult to approach Talent's base."
"If that approach is unreliable, then we must settle for the next best thing," Chen Yu pondered before continuing, "The only thing that can neutralize the puppet poison is the Fruit of Life. If we could cure the Ultraman warriors of their puppet poison before the battle begins, our chances of victory would increase."
Juggler slightly nodded in agreement upon hearing this suggestion.
Chen Yu's idea aligned with his own: prioritizing the detoxification of the Ultraman warriors to bolster their fighting strength was the urgent task at hand.
"So, do we search for the Ultraman warriors' whereabouts on Planet Zain to detoxify them, or do we wait until their final assault tomorrow to do so?"
Posing the question to Juggler, Chen Yu inquired.
After thinking, Juggler responded, "As I mentioned earlier, venturing into Planet Zain's crisis zone isn't a good plan, so proactive action is not advisable."
"Then we wait for tomorrow," Chen Yu nodded, "Given that, we should first request the Fruit of Life from Queen Amate."
"Honestly, I'm not too keen on communicating with Queen Amate; that woman seems to be missing a few screws," Juggler turned away, leaving the task to Chen Yu.
With Juggler departing, Chen Yu returned to the meeting hall.
By then, the meeting had disbanded, leaving only Queen Amate, Captain Senro, and two personal female guards in the room.
The guards, Tachibana and Mikoto, had a close relationship with Juggler. Mikoto, having witnessed Juggler's Snake Heart Technique, aspired to learn swordsmanship from him.
This was now deviating from the original storyline, avoiding the moment Mikoto is killed by Belial.
Had that scene occurred, Juggler might have turned into a demon.
Of course, with so many changes already, Mikoto's death would be too far-fetched.
"Your Majesty, have you come up with a strategy to deal with Talent and the monster legion?"
Chen Yu, unceremoniously sitting down, asked Queen Amate directly.
Queen Amate managed a strained smile, shaking her head, "No, I only wish to avoid this war, not wanting Kanon's people to suffer."
"This can't go on like this..." Chen Yu feigned deep thought before adding, "The monster legion will undoubtedly attack tomorrow, so we need to prepare in advance."
"I will protect Her Majesty,"
Captain Senro interjected, expressing his loyalty.
"While protection is important, haven't you considered reducing the enemy's combat strength before tomorrow's battle?"
Chen Yu gently prodded.
"How do we reduce it?" Queen Amate asked, puzzled, "Eliminating those monsters requires weapons and force. Are you suggesting we strike first?"
At this, Queen Amate decided that if Chen Yu truly suggested such, she would certainly disagree.
In her view, initiating an attack would make Kanon the aggressor, sparking the war.
"No, I mean, the Fruit of Life can neutralize puppet poison. We could detoxify the Ultraman warriors before the battle, thus boosting our strength,"
Chen Yu explained.
"The Fruit of Life... indeed has that effect," Captain Senro nodded, "Detoxifying the Ultraman warriors beforehand would be ideal."
Queen Amate, who felt guilty about the Ultraman warriors being poisoned, also agreed with Chen Yu's idea.
"Then, please prepare more Fruits of Life, Your Majesty," Chen Yu spoke, "We'll deliver these fruits to the Ultraman bodies tomorrow, cleansing them of toxins."
"Senro, make it happen as Chen Yu suggested,"
Queen Amate nodded at Captain Senro, who then began arranging for the harvest of the Fruits of Life.
Afterward, Queen Amate bid Chen Yu farewell, intending to rest in her room.
Mikoto then led Chen Yu to his accommodation.
Along the way, Chen Yu asked Mikoto several questions, such as her interest in swordsmanship, her view of Juggler, and the fruiting cycle of the Tree of Life.
The first two answers were as Chen Yu expected, with Mikoto admiring Juggler and aspiring to learn his Snake Heart Sword technique.
The fruiting cycle of the Tree of Life, surprisingly, was once a year.
Given the Tree of Life's inherent power, its fruits wouldn't fall off easily and could accumulate over the years.
"Forgive my boldness, but wouldn't Kanon's inhabitants secretly harvest the Fruits of Life, knowing their usefulness?"
Chen Yu was curious about this.
Mikoto laughed in response, "The people of Kanon seldom suffer from illness, so we rarely use the Fruits of Life... Besides, the Tree of Life belongs to all of Kanon's people; harvesting is at their discretion."
"I see,"
Chen Yu nodded, understanding why things were so harmonious.
In other words, to Kanon's inhabitants, the Fruit of Life was just an ordinary fruit, given their familiarity with it.
After Mikoto left, Chen Yu departed his room to explore freely.
Aside from a few restricted areas guarded by soldiers, Chen Yu wandered at will.
Eventually, he found himself under the Tree of Life again.
Captain Senro, responsible for the harvesting, had already taken to the skies in a flying vehicle, preparing to gather the Fruits of Life for tomorrow's battle.
"Speaking of which, if the Fruits of Life could be preserved intact, it might not be a bad idea to harvest them all in advance..."
Chen Yu thought, gazing at the glimmering fruits amongst the dense canopy.
After all, Talent's goal was to seize the Fruits of Life and invade Planet Kanon.
Of course, aside from Queen Amate, others on Planet Kanon would likely not agree to such a proposal.