More than one Emanator?
And the Swarm King has at least a double-digit number of Emanators under its command?
Only Heaven knew the depth of Zero's despair upon hearing this news.
A single King-Bug was enough to wear him out completely. The thought of facing dozens more was a scene he dared not even imagine.
"Stelle, are you sure you're not messing with me?"
Zero couldn't believe what he had just heard, swallowing nervously.
"It's the absolute truth."
Stelle raised four fingers, swearing that everything she said was true.
After all, which Aeon would have only a single Emanator? That would be far too humiliating.
Although the Emanators under the Swarm King were weaker compared to those of other Aeons, the Swarm's greatest strength was crushing their enemies with sheer numbers.
The Swarm King had only been manifest for a short time. If Tayzzyronth were given enough time, the number of its Emanators could potentially reach the hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands.
"..."
Zero fell silent, saying nothing. He was probably trying to figure out how to deal with multiple Emanators of the Swarm King at once.
Think… What was there to think about? Just wait for death. The universe was doomed.
Zero thought despairingly. It wasn't that he wasn't trying hard enough; it was that the Swarm King was simply too monstrous. If it were three or four, he might stand a chance if he was willing to risk his life.
But starting with a number in the double digits? Wasn't this just making things impossible for him?
No matter how powerful the Aegis of Palagye was, it couldn't defeat multiple Star-Shattering King-Bugs. To have any hope, you'd have to bring in Noa or the old man Ultraman King himself.
"Stelle, tell me… if I could kill the Swarm King, would that solve the crisis on Earth and in the universe?" Zero asked after a moment of silence, having come up with a plan.
In truth, it could hardly be called a plan. It was simply the strategy of capturing the king to defeat the bandits.
Hearing his words, Stelle's eyes first widened, then her mouth fell open in disbelief. "Zero, you'll die!"
"If there's a problem, we can find a solution. Don't go thinking about suicide."
Stelle's face was filled with disbelief, mixed with a hint of concern one might show for a mentally challenged child. She seemed to be asking Zero, What on earth are you thinking?
Although Zero's current strength placed him at the pinnacle of the Land of Light, and indeed the entire universe, and an ordinary Emanator would be no match for him, he would be utterly helpless against a powerhouse like the Swarm King.
And Zero knew this. He just didn't have any other options.
The defensive line the Ultramen had established around Earth wouldn't last much longer. If a few more King-Bugs arrived by then, Earth would likely be completely erased from the annals of cosmic civilization.
It had to be known that among the countless civilizations in the universe, Earth held a uniquely special place for the Ultramen.
The humans here shared a deep bond with the Ultras from the Land of Light. It was even called the second home of the Ultramen.
Therefore, Earth was now the last line of defense. If the Swarm wanted to conquer it, there was only one way… and that was to step over the corpses of the Ultramen.
Zero had no doubt that his father, his uncles, and the man before him he could call a grandfather, Father of Ultra, would all decisively sacrifice themselves for Earth.
Because this wouldn't be the first time. There had been an incident in the past where an alien invasion of Earth resulted in the deaths of the Ultra Brothers.
---o---
Light Curtain Commentary
[Sasuke Uchiha]: "Killed the Ultra Brothers? Besides the Swarm King, are there other aliens who can kill the Ultra Brothers? They are such powerful beings."
[Ace Pilot of the Death Squad]: "Actually, from what we've seen, even the Swarm King hasn't wiped out the Ultra Brothers, it only captured three of them. But that alien who did wipe them out must be no simple character."
[Alien Hipporit]: "Indeed, and that would be me! Hahahaha, the strongest alien who wiped out the Ultra Brothers and even defeated Father of Ultra is I, Alien Hipporit!"
[Universal Emperor Belial]: "Defeated Father of Ultra? What are you talking about, defeating Ken? With a pipsqueak like you, Alien Hipporit? You're worthy?!"
[Great Emperor of the Dark Universe]: "Alien Hipporit, since when did you possess such skill, to be able to defeat the Supreme Commander of the Space Garrison?"
If it were just the Ultra Brothers, that would be one thing. After all, both Belial and Alien Empera could crush them with one hand.
But Alien Hipporit claimed to have defeated Father of Ultra!
The significance of that was entirely different. Both Belial and Alien Empera were, in a sense, defeated by Father of Ultra in the past.
If Hipporit could defeat him, didn't that mean he could also defeat Alien Empera and Belial?
[Alien Hipporit]: "Hmph, just because you can't do it doesn't mean I can't. My reputation as Hipporit of Hell is not for show!"
[Universal Emperor Belial]: "Such arrogance! What are you? Ken could lose to anyone, but he would never lose to you!"
[Father of Ultra]: "As much as I hate to admit it… he did nearly kill me, and he almost killed the Ultra Brothers. This is not something to be ashamed of."
[Universal Emperor Belial]: "Impossible!!! Ken, are you colluding with this Alien Hipporit to deceive me?"
[Director of the Land of Light Meatpacking Plant]: "Belial, are you suggesting the Supreme Commander is colluding with Hipporit of Hell and lying?!"
[Utaha Kasumigaoka]: "Here he comes. The jinx who nearly got Father of Ultra and the Ultra Brothers wiped out."
[Director of the Land of Light Meatpacking Plant]: "???"
[Yukino Yukinoshita]: "Ultraman Ace. If I recall correctly, the three times the Ultra Brothers were wiped out were all related to him."
[Hachiman Hikigaya]: "That's why he's called a jinx…"
[Madara Uchiha / The Uchiha Dancer]: "So… what was the actual reason for the team wipe?"
[Himouto Umaru-chan]: "It's simple. Alien Hipporit used a trick to take out all the Ultra Brothers, forcing Father of Ultra to show up. The old man had just transferred energy to Taro's horns and then traveled halfway across the universe to Earth. His energy was depleted, so he was gloriously defeated as well."
[Universal Emperor Belial]: …
[Great Emperor of the Dark Universe]: …
[Madara Uchiha / The Uchiha Dancer]: …
After all that talk, it turned out Father of Ultra was just out of energy and Alien Hipporit got lucky.
That really scared the crap out of Empera and Belial. They actually thought Alien Hipporit could go toe-to-toe with Father of Ultra.
---o---
Light Curtain Footage
As Stelle, Zero, and the other Ultras worried, the scene on the light curtain shifted to another planet.
It was a planet shrouded in darkness, without a single trace of light. Above it, an endless expanse of black, baleful energy coalesced.
Surrounding the planet were tens of thousands… no, hundreds of thousands, millions of countless Inpelaizers in standby mode.
"We… do not understand. Why can these tiny bugs tear through the armor of an Inpelaizer? Why have they repeatedly forced Our army to retreat?"
From within the darkness, a majestic voice boomed, its pressure causing the Dark Four Heavenly Kings to feel as if they couldn't breathe.
Though now it should be the Three Heavenly Kings, as Yapool's whereabouts were unknown after disappearing into the Swarm tide, likely having been consumed by it.
"Your Majesty, the types of these bugs are diverse and difficult to identify. We currently know of over two hundred categories of Swarm, but the types capable of breaking through Inpelaizer armor number less than twenty."
Desrem, the Alien of Conspiracy, knelt on one knee, reporting their current understanding of the Swarm to his emperor.
The Dark Four Heavenly Kings had discovered the Swarm earlier than most other powers in the universe.
But who would have known that the Swarm they originally intended to use to annoy the Land of Light would become their emperor's greatest concern today?
"Hwooshh…!!"
The emperor's cape billowed without a wind.
Desrem suddenly felt an immense pressure, as if his heart was being squeezed tightly. A darkness that seeped into his very bones sent a chill down his spine, and cold sweat dripped from his back.
"Desrem… We do not care about that. We only wish to know, how many… how many more soldiers do you need to annihilate those bugs?"
Alien Empera had never imagined that the enemy obstructing his rule over the entire universe would not be his nemesis, the Land of Light, but a group of unheard-of insects.
That such a weak Swarm could force his grand army into retreat, and even cross several star seas to invade his domain.
This couldn't help but shock Alien Empera.
And after the shock came a deep-seated fury and fear.
Who was driving these bugs? And who was obstructing his conquest of this universe?
Why must there always be so many people standing in his way on his path to cosmic domination?
"Answer Us, Desrem!!"
The emperor's voice thundered again, striking even greater fear into the kneeling Desrem.
How many soldiers were needed? That depended on the number of bugs. To truly and completely annihilate the Swarm, they would need enough Inpelaizers to fill the entire Milky Way galaxy.
But where would they get that many soldiers?
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger… Although Desrem was defeated, he has brought back valuable information, has he not?"
Under Empera's wrath, even Alien Mephilas found it difficult to maintain his elegant posture.
He struggled to keep his composure and addressed the emperor before him.
"Your Majesty, we already know that the Swarm originated on the outskirts of the Milky Way, and it is from there that they began to spread."
"Therefore, the enemy driving the Swarm must still be there. As long as we eliminate them, the Swarm ravaging the universe will cease to propagate and will collapse on its own."
Alien Mephilas presented his thoughts to Alien Empera.
The ultimate cause of the Swarm's emergence was still unknown, but the key to defeating them undoubtedly lay at the edge of the galaxy.
Glancing up at Empera, Mephilas saw that the emperor's anger was gradually subsiding, and he was no longer releasing his bottomless dark power.
"Mephilas, do you believe… that once Our army flattens the Milky Way, we will be able to crush those vexing bugs?"
Empera retracted his aura, his tone softening slightly. After all, he was an emperor who had once nearly conquered the entire universe. His recent outburst was merely a way to vent his frustration.
Seeing this, Mephilas let out a sigh of relief. "Your Majesty, there is an old saying on Earth: 'To shoot a man, first shoot his horse; to capture bandits, first capture their king.'"
"For a massive swarm to operate collectively across the universe, there must be a mastermind behind it."
"And through countless pieces of intelligence, we have essentially pinpointed their location. Once the vast Swarm loses its linchpin, it will collapse without a fight."
Alien Mephilas lived up to his title as the intellectual strategist.
Even without someone like Stelle, who had received intelligence from the Amber King and had a basic understanding of the Swarm King and the Aeons, he was still able to deduce the existence of the Swarm King.
This point alone placed him above his three colleagues, which was why the Great Emperor of the Dark Universe, Alien Empera, valued him so highly.
"In that case, We shall lead the campaign personally. We will drag out this mastermind, and then We shall flatten the entire Milky Way."
With a wave of the emperor's hand, millions of Inpelaizers activated, their mechanical parts roaring to life.
This was a true steel torrent.
"Your Majesty, you will lead the campaign yourself?"
Mephilas was in disbelief. The last time the emperor had personally led an expedition was during the Great Ultra War, thirty thousand years ago.
To now lead a campaign himself over some insects, did this mean His Majesty now considered the threat of the Swarm to be on par with the Land of Light?
Faced with Mephilas's surprise, Empera simply said with suppressed rage, "It is because you are all too weak, unable to even defeat mere bugs, that We must take to the field Ourself."
"And while We are at it… let Us see with Our own eyes what kind of hell that Earth, which the Ultramen call their second home, has become…"
With that, the Dark Emperor vanished, leaving the three dumbfounded Heavenly Kings behind.
---o---
Light Curtain Commentary
[Father of Ultra]: "The situation is becoming more and more complex. The Absolutians were one thing, but now even Alien Empera is heading for Earth and the Milky Way?"
[The Energy Conservationist]: "I'm afraid it's not just them. Phantylia, Belial… although they are weaker than the first two, they are undoubtedly villains as well."
[Himouto Umaru-chan]: "What did Earth ever do to deserve this? Why are so many terrifying beings targeting it?"
[Galaxy Baseballer]: "Just accept it. At least Earth is still alive. Look at the neighboring planets, they've been picked clean by the Swarm, not even a hair left."
[Aizen Sousuke]: "It is merely a lingering existence. Given the current situation, without the intervention of another external force, Earth is doomed."
[Jugglus Juggler]: "My assessment is… you know nothing about the Ultramen. The more desperate the situation, the stronger the power of light becomes. Sometimes… their strength is simply unreasonable…"