Another Emanator is dead?
The audience outside the screen was stunned by this scene. No one had expected the second Emanator to appear in the footage would have so few lines.
After all, the oppressive aura of an Emanator was unparalleled. There was almost no one in any world who would dare claim they could defeat a being like the Star-Shattering King-Bug.
It was precisely for this reason that the death of the shelled King-Bug was so astonishing.
Although the footage of the Little Golden Man's battle with the Emanator was not shown, based on the light curtain's description, that Emanator was likely on the same level as Skaracabaz, the Star-Shattering King-Bug.
An Emanator that took Zero half a day to barely defeat was reduced to a slightly troublesome monster for Tartarus.
Just how strong was this Absolutian Tartarus? He could effortlessly overpower Belial, who had wreaked havoc on the Land of Light, and he could easily deal with a King-Bug that Zero had to struggle with all his might to overcome.
---o---
[The Sage of Youkai]: "From the looks of it, Zero's current strength is indeed inferior to Tartarus's."
[Ace Pilot of the Death Squad]: "If he can defeat a King-Bug without taking any damage, then the Swarm is probably of little consequence to him. No wonder he has shown no intention of confronting the Swarm until now."
[Detective Conan]: "Among all the characters who have appeared so far, aside from the few Aeons, Noa, and Ultraman King, the Little Golden Man should be the strongest."
[Utaha Kasumigaoka]: "It's a pity he's a villain. Otherwise, he might have been able to force the Swarm King's hand."
---o---
Light Curtain Footage
After a brief cutaway, the insects came into view.
Not the Swarm breeding and hunting throughout the galaxy, but the tiny bugs on Earth, smaller even than humans.
The greedy bugs would not be satisfied by the woman's feeding. They followed the instinct bestowed upon them by Tayzzyronth: devour resources, strengthen themselves, and propagate the next generation.
First, within the city, some of the Swarm sacrificed their ability to fly to increase their weight and strength.
Clad in carapaces, they grew larger as they plundered resources, soon reaching the size of armored cars or tanks.
With almost no effort, they smashed through warehouses, shopping malls, and supermarkets—places where vast resources were stockpiled—allowing even more bugs to be born and to evolve.
The humans who saw them again were so terrified their legs went weak, leaving them unable to move.
By the time they came to their senses and tried to call for help or notify GUYS, it was already too late.
Once the Swarm formed a sizable group, it began to produce a powder capable of knocking any ordinary human unconscious.
It was for this reason that by the time the GUYS team reacted, the Swarm had already grown to a massive scale.
And then…
"ROAR…!!!"
One by one, monsters burst from the earth, letting out skyward roars to vent the impulse in their hearts.
Upon closer inspection, one would find that their bodies already showed traces of insectification.
Compared to humans, it was the monsters who were the first to enter a state of insectification, their minds thrown into chaos by the Swarm's collective consciousness.
The monsters that had been slumbering deep underground erupted in a frenzy, waking the slumbering humans.
One, two… as if organized, dozens of monsters burst from the ground, launching a frenzied attack on their surroundings, driven by the rage of their insectification.
"Teppei, can the Phoenix Nest still be launched?"
At the GUYS Phoenix Nest, the defense team, having received the information later than usual, was scrambling into action.
Having lost their satellites, many of their weapon systems were disabled, leaving them like blind men fumbling in the dark.
At a time like this, piloting fighters, firing weapons, and even navigating had to rely almost entirely on the naked eye.
"The Phoenix Nest hasn't been compromised. It can launch normally, but…"
It would be of little use. In its current state, the risk factor of operating the Phoenix Nest in the city was far too high.
"We're launching!"
At that moment, Ryu Aihara didn't wait for Teppei to finish, immediately moving out with George and the others.
Reaching the door of the command room, Ryu suddenly remembered something and turned back to Captain Sakomizu.
"If Mirai comes back, tell him we've already launched. I'll be waiting for him… on the battlefield!"
With a light in his eyes, Ryu Aihara quickly joined the other teammates on their way to the city now being ravaged by the Swarm.
After Ryu left, Shingo Sakomizu… no, it was Zoffy, hidden within him, who clasped his hands together and fired an Ultra Sign into the sky.
"Mebius, there is no time for hesitation. Right now… you are the only one left who can fight!"
After saying this, Zoffy fell silent again within Shingo Sakomizu's body.
He was waiting. Waiting for the light of humanity to appear, for the stars to begin to shine. At that time, he and the other Ultramen would be able to obtain the greatest power in the entire universe…
---o---
At that moment, by the coast, Mirai Hibino was gazing out at the boundless ocean.
"Nii-san…"
Thinking of his older brothers, Mebius's heart was filled with bitterness, and he sank into deep confusion and anguish.
He could do nothing. He couldn't save humanity, nor could he help his brothers.
Even Ultraman Seven's son, his own nephew, was stronger than an uncle like him.
He recalled the first time the Swarm invaded Earth. He had been devoured by countless bugs, enveloped layer by layer by the vast Swarm as they drained his energy.
Mebius couldn't think of any way to defeat the Swarm.
His brothers had all fallen, and the entire Land of Light was on the brink of defeat. Even if he could still fight, what could he possibly do?
In his moment of confusion and pain, a ray of light streaked across the surface of the sea and appeared before Mebius.
"That's… Zoffy-niisan's!"
An Ultra Sign. It was a method of communication unique to the Ultramen.
"The Swarm has appeared in the city center? How can that be? Isn't the Earth protected by the defensive light barrier?"
There was no time for hesitation. The moment he heard news of the Swarm again, Mirai subconsciously reached for the Mebium Brace to transform.
However, just as the transformation device appeared on his arm, Mebius hesitated.
"This… is the third time."
This was the third time. For Mebius, this was his third battle against the Swarm.
The first time, he had escaped under the protection of his three brothers. The second time, he was saved by Seven-niisan's son, his own nephew, who had appeared out of nowhere. And the third time…
This time, if he were to be defeated…
Fear and hesitation tormented Mebius. The successive defeats had made him begin to doubt himself.
He was afraid of failure, and even more afraid of his inability to live up to his brothers' expectations, of being unable to protect humanity and everyone else.
Compared to the experienced Ultra Brothers, Mebius was more like a warrior who had yet to mature.
Just like when he had first arrived on Earth and fought Dinozaur without any regard for the surrounding buildings, as a warrior, he was not even as good as his nephew.
But… Mebius was, after all, an Ultra Warrior from the Land of Light. He had not yet become so fragile as to lose the will to fight.
He took out his communicator, the symbol of a flame pulsating on its surface.
"...I cannot lose again."
After a moment of silence, Mebius murmured.
Right now, his brothers had all lost their ability to transform. There were no Ultra Brothers left to help him.
"I cannot give up, even at the very end."
Recalling his experiences with GUYS, Mebius closed his eyes.
Ryu Aihara, Marina, Konomi, George, Teppei, and Captain Sakomizu—he had learned so much from them.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, Mebius's gaze shifted towards the city.
"Everyone… have they already started fighting?"
In this apocalyptic atmosphere, the sight of humans still fighting on without hesitation always managed to reignite the fighting spirit of the Warriors of Light.
"Mebius…"
"Go and fight. You have the most trustworthy partners in the world. Their light will grant you limitless power."
In a daze, a familiar voice echoed in his ear. Mebius raised his head and looked around, but he couldn't find the source of the voice.
"That voice just now was… the Commander's?"
Hearing the voice of Father of Ultra, Mebius finally broke free from his hesitation.
A temporary failure, a moment of shame, meant nothing. Until true peace was achieved in the universe, they, the Ultramen… would never stop fighting!
Thinking this, Mirai once again took up the Mebium Brace in his hand, a ray of light streaking across the sky.
"MEBIUS!!!"
With a roar, a golden ray of light instantly pierced the sky, heading towards the city center being ravaged by the Swarm.
---o---
Light Curtain Commentary
As the audience saw the Swarm begin its rampage again, followed by Mebius's resolute transformation, they were filled with a myriad of emotions.
For the Swarm, as long as the Swarm King had not fallen, their advance would never cease.
In such a situation, any victory humanity achieved was merely a means of prolonging their inevitable demise.
But even so, the determination and will displayed by humanity in the face of doomsday still moved countless people.
And of course… there was Mebius. The light he unleashed at the end was clearly stronger than before.
[Jugglus Juggler]: "Mebius, I remember… he is the symbol of light's infinite potential, right? Although he's still relatively weak now, in the future, he will become one of the strongest warriors in the Land of Light."
[Universal Emperor Belial]: "One of the strongest? Hmph, it seems after I left, the Land of Light gets worse by the day. Even a snot-nosed brat who hasn't even grown any hair can become one of the strongest? Ridiculous!"
[Yukino Yukinoshita]: "The Mebius right now doesn't know that Zero and Cosmos are here to help. So from his perspective, he is the only one on Earth who can still truly fight."
[I'm Not Cool At All]: "Facing dozens of monsters and a swarm that has defeated him twice, knowing he might lose but still going to fight… he is a warrior worthy of respect."
[Himouto Umaru-chan]: "After being insectified, the monsters seem to have gotten a berserk buff. I wonder if Mebius can win."
[Utaha Kasumigaoka]: "Aren't Zero and Cosmos still around? Those two won't just stand by and watch."
[Absolutian Tartarus]: "Stand by and watch? They might not get the chance to act."
[Detective Conan]: "Little Golden Man, what are you…?"
[Absolutian Tartarus]: "Just a guess. Because if I were to arrive on Earth, I wouldn't let these Ultramen who can still transform get away."
---o---
Light Curtain Footage
The scene shifted to a domain of pure gold.
At this moment, Absolutian Tartarus was fighting Ultraman Cosmos.
Just as Tartarus had said in the commentary, the first thing he did upon arriving on Earth was to deal with the Ultramen who could still fight.
"What, is that all? It seems this is your limit, Ultraman Cosmos."
Having knocked Cosmos to the ground, Tartarus seemed nonchalant, appearing completely unharmed.
"I never expected that an Ultraman from another universe would be here with those from the Land of Light."
"What about that partner of yours? I remember… her name is Justice, isn't it? Has she not come?" Tartarus asked with a hint of caution. When the two lights of the universe converge, a great power is born.
The Little Golden Man knew of Ultraman Legend's existence, which was precisely why he was asking Cosmos about Justice's whereabouts.
The legendary warrior, Legend. Although the Little Golden Man of this moment had not yet witnessed Legend with his own eyes, he had long since added him to his kill list.
Like Noa, Legend was a warrior whose reputation alone was enough to make him feel wary.
"Who… are you?"
Without directly answering Tartarus's question, Cosmos struggled to his feet and asked.
However, the question seemed to flip a switch. Tartarus spread his arms, his voice cold and expressionless as he replied:
"I am an Ultimate Lifeform. A warrior of the Absolutians. Absolutian Tartarus."
After introducing himself, Tartarus's gaze fell upon Cosmos once more, his voice filled with killing intent. "Ultraman Cosmos, although the battle between my clan and the Ultra clan has not yet begun, Legend… is too dangerous."
"To prevent his appearance, I will have you disappear completely…"
As he spoke, Tartarus began to gather power in his hands again. Golden energy condensed, seeping with a potent force of annihilation.
The roiling energy was enough to destroy a planet in a single blow. It was clear that his next move was intended to completely and utterly kill Ultraman Cosmos.