In the Ultraman Orb universe
Amidst the ruins of a shattered city, traces of a recent fierce battle still lingered.
At the edge of the rubble stood Gai Kurenai. His gaze was fixed on the massive crater before him, his expression heavy, as though deep in thought.
But then
"Gai-san!!!"
A woman's voice rang out from not far away. A moment later, a man's voice followed, calling out as well.
Gai blinked back to the present and slowly walked toward the source of the shouts.
"Gai-san! Are you alright!?"
He soon reached the woman who had been calling his name. When she saw him, her face lit up with joy, and she rushed toward him.
"I'm fine, Naomi. Don't worry."
Gai gave a small nod, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.
Soon after, Shin Matsudo and Jetta Hayami arrived as well. Seeing Gai safe and unharmed, their faces filled with relief.
"You scared us, Gai-san! Where did you disappear to just now? We thought you might've run into a kaiju!"
Jetta lightly punched Gai on the shoulder in mock frustration.
Gai only smiled faintly. "Sorry to have worried you."
Now that their fears were eased, the group felt a wave of happiness, chatting casually as they left the ruins behind.
Later, in the bathhouse
"Gai-san, what kind of being do you think Ultraman Orb really is?"
Jetta soaked in the warm water, his curiosity spilling out.
"Hm? Why do you ask all of a sudden?"
Gai, eyes half-closed and face relaxed in quiet enjoyment, replied lazily with a question of his own.
"Well, it's just… Ultraman always appears and vanishes without a trace. Makes me curious, you know?"
Jetta chuckled, but soon, something strange happened.
"Wha—!? What's this!? So bright!!"
He shouted in shock, forcing Gai to snap his eyes open.
What he saw startled him.
A brilliant golden light had appeared right in front of them.
And it wasn't just Jetta and Shin panicking the women's bath next door echoed with Naomi's startled cry as well.
Instinctively, Gai tensed, slipping into a combat stance.
Could this be some kind of unknown attack!?
But after waiting a few moments, he froze in confusion.
No attack came.
Instead, the radiant glow slowly dimmed, until at last it faded away completely.
"…What is this?"
Hovering before him was a scroll, glowing faintly. Not just in front of him Jetta and Shin each had one floating before them too.
Before Gai could even attempt to examine it, the scroll began to unroll on its own.
His pupils contracted sharply.
Because written across the top of the scroll were bold, striking words:
"A Ranking of Ultramen: Lights That Became Corrupted!"
Lights!? A ranking!? What in the world is going on here!?
The Ultraman Tiga Universe
Inside her quarters, Captain Megumi Hijiri hastily wrapped herself in a bath towel, staring in alarm at the mysterious scroll unfurling before her.
"What is this? An alien attack?" she muttered under her breath.
But then her eyes widened, and she whispered in disbelief:
"Ultraman…?"
Her heart grew heavy. As captain of GUTS, she knew better than anyone what Ultraman was.
But… did this mean that Tiga wasn't the only one?
Could there truly be more Ultramen in the world?
The Ultraman Geed Universe
"RE.M., have you tracked down the origin of this thing?"
Riku Asakura stared at the floating scroll in front of him, his brow furrowed.
"Riku," the AI replied, "I only detected a surge of powerful energy earlier, but now there's nothing at all."
"What!?" Riku's eyes widened.
The scroll was clearly floating right there before him, yet RE.M. claimed she couldn't detect a thing?
Was this some kind of sick joke!?
But then his shock deepened as the scroll began to shift and change before his eyes.
The Ultraman Universe – Planet King
"Oh? A scroll?"
The towering figure of Ultraman King gazed at the mysterious object in astonishment.
He wasn't concerned about the scroll itself, but rather the strange aura it had released before appearing.
The moment he sensed it, his heart grew unsettled.
Because—
"This light… whose is it? Why does it carry traces of my power? Not just mine, but also Noah's, Reiga's, Saga's… and countless other familiar Ultramen as well?"
The King murmured to himself, troubled.
The essence within that light was far too complex. It contained not only powers he recognized, but also energies from Ultramen completely unfamiliar to him.
So then
Who was behind this scroll?
The Ultraman Universe – Land of Light
The Land of Light was now on full alert.
The reason was simple: the sudden, inexplicable appearance of these scrolls.
Inside the headquarters of the Space Garrison, a tense meeting was underway.
"This light's composition is… complicated," Ultraman Father spoke gravely.
Within it, he could sense not only his own light, but also the power of every single Ultraman in the Land of Light.
The thought was staggering.
And even more concerning…
If this light contained so many different Ultramen's powers, where exactly had those fragments of light come from?
His gaze shifted to the scroll's bold heading.
"'Corrupted Lights of the Past'? Can light really become corrupted?"
"Does this mean there are Ultramen who've done things we don't yet know of?"
The Father of Ultra pressed his temples, overwhelmed. The flood of information was far too much to absorb all at once.
And then, across countless universes beings reacted in shock, awe, and deep contemplation.
Just then
The title upon the scroll blazed with dazzling radiance!
A vivid image unfolded within the scroll itself.
A video.
Countless beings stared wide-eyed as the scene came alive before them.
Words shimmered across the screen:
"Ranking of the Corrupted Lights: The Merciful Ultraman Ace!"
[New story begins! To all readers, I humbly ask for your flowers, monthly votes, and reviews! Your support is my greatest motivation thank you! (Event period: October 1st to October 7th)]