In the light curtain footage, the form of Mebius Burning Brave appeared before the audience outside the screen.
This was a strengthened form, born from the flame energy created when the bonds and friendship between Ultraman Mebius and his GUYS comrades resonated within his body: [Burning Brave].
At this moment, Mebius stood tall upon the earth, bearing this brand-new power. A golden flame symbol was emblazoned on his chest, remarkably similar to the insignia on the GUYS Phoenix Nest, a testament to the [Fiery Friendship] between GUYS and Mebius.
Building upon his original base form, his entire body was now covered in red, decorated with silver and golden stripes, and emanated an intensely fiery aura.
"Mirai!"
Aboard the Phoenix Nest, the members of GUYS all showed expressions of excitement upon seeing Mebius's new form.
Mebius nodded towards the Phoenix Nest, responding to his partners' voices. Then, with his body standing less than fifty meters tall, he dragged the hundred-meter coleopteran giant bug away from its spot.
After confirming the giant bug would no longer pose a threat to the Phoenix Nest, Mebius's hands ignited with flames, and he gripped the bug's steel-like antennae tightly.
And then… CRACK.
With immense strength, Mebius brutally snapped the antennae that served as the coleopteran's weapons, causing it to let out a pained screech.
A formidable aura instantly erupted from Mebius's body, elevating his power to a whole new level.
---o---
Light Curtain Commentary
As Mebius's form changed, the audience outside the screen, who had been worried he would be defeated, could finally let out a sigh of relief.
Evidently, Mebius's transformation was similar to Ultraman Zero's—a nearly comprehensive enhancement.
[Zoffy]: "Mebius, the bond between you and the humans has allowed you to grow so much."
[Dan Moroboshi]: "Humans may be weak, but the light within their hearts can unleash infinite power, a power that no darkness can withstand."
[Zoffy]: "Now is not the time to celebrate. Although Mebius has gained the ability to fight the bug, that hundred-meter insect is merely a puppet."
[Ultraman Ace]: "As long as that woman isn't dealt with, the Swarm will continue to emerge endlessly!"
[Ultraman Taro]: "But the problem now is, if that woman wants to hide, it will be extremely difficult for either the Phoenix Nest or Mebius to find her."
[Ultraman Jack]: "Whether outside the light curtain or within it, all we can do now is believe in Mebius and his comrades."
A host of Ultra Brothers spoke up in the commentary. One could say that Mebius was truly the most cherished member of the Ultra Brothers; even a simple form change could draw out so many of them.
[Ace Pilot of the Death Squad]: "Is this form change a comprehensive enhancement too? Why is only Tiga so specialized?"
[Ultraman Tiga / The Horn-Breaking Demon]: "…I don't know about that either. But Mebius's fighting style seems a lot like Tiga's."
[I Don't Talk About Normal Love]: "Oh, I know this one! It's about breaking off any horn-like parts first, right? That's a classic Tiga move!"
[The Monster Scholar]: "That's because many monsters rely on the horns on their heads or bodies to attack. So, snapping off the horns first is definitely the right call."
[Father of Ultra]: "..."
---o---
Light Curtain Footage
The battle between Mebius and the Swarm continued. But now, with its antennae snapped by the Ultraman, the hundred-meter giant bug swayed from side to side as if drunk.
Like many common insects in the natural world, a good number of them rely on their antennae for orientation. Clearly, having lost its antennae, the giant bug had lost its sense of direction and was swaying uncontrollably.
Seeing this, Ryu Aihara's eyes lit up with the joy of vengeance as he pumped his fist excitedly. "That's beautiful, Mirai! Just like that, finish it in one go!"
However, just as Ryu was celebrating, the unexpected… happened.
RUMBLE RUMBLE~~~
Seated inside the Phoenix Nest, the members of GUYS felt a distinct tremor as the earth's crust began to shake violently.
"What's going on? What happened?"
George, sitting in the co-pilot's seat of the Phoenix Nest, shouted as he looked around. Although Japan was situated at the junction of tectonic plates and earthquakes were frequent, for one to occur at such a critical time was clearly not normal.
Marina, beside him, was also holding on tightly to her seat. Then, as if she had discovered something, she frowned. "It's monsters! I can hear them! The monsters underground are moving!"
As she spoke, the ground suddenly cracked open. Countless clouds of dust flew into the air as a bizarre sound echoed from deep within the earth.
It was the subterranean monster Telesdon. For some unknown reason, these creatures, which normally lived deep underground, had suddenly appeared on the surface.
As Telesdon moved, the ground continued to collapse, the subsidence rapidly approaching the Phoenix Nest's position.
"Why are monsters appearing at a time like this?" George wondered, staring at the monster's back with a frown.
Just then, Konomi noticed something unusual about Telesdon. "Wait, this monster's appearance… it's so strange."
At her words, everyone's gaze snapped towards the monster's back.
They saw that on Telesdon's original body, the vibrating wings of an insect had suddenly sprouted, and its organs were also shifting to resemble those of a bug.
On the original Swarm, this might not have felt like much. But seeing these vibrating wings grow on Telesdon's body created an inexplicable sense of wrongness, making one feel both revulsion and a strange eeriness.
"It's insectification. This monster is changing into the form of a bug."
In an instant, the group guessed Telesdon's current state.
"But why a monster? And one like Telesdon, which hides who knows how deep underground."
If it had been a common surface creature, it might have been explainable. But… for a monster hidden deep underground to be the first to undergo insectification…
This immediately raised doubts in the minds of the perceptive group, and a sense of unease bloomed in their hearts.
They themselves had yet to show any signs of insectification, so why had Telesdon…
"ROAR!!!"
Before the group could ponder further, the insectified Telesdon let out a roar to the sky.
In response, numerous other monsters living on Earth answered the call.
Red King, Twin Tail, and many other monsters appeared, following in Telesdon's footsteps.
And their target was clearly Ultraman Mebius, who was currently grappling with the giant bug!