Carmilla's fury was astonishing.
She was ready to unleash all the hatred in her heart onto the woman before her.
She wanted to inflict the cruelest torture imaginable upon her.
She remembered how perfect a couple she and Diga once were. They were meant to love each other and rule the entire world.
But Diga, swayed by Yulian, abandoned her and their two companions.
He even helped Yulian seal them away.
It was all Yulian's fault.
If she hadn't seduced Diga, he wouldn't have betrayed them.
If Diga hadn't betrayed them, they would have stayed together, loving each other. They would have ruled this world and had their own children.
What a beautiful thought.
And all of it was destroyed.
Destroyed by Yulian.
Carmilla had just awakened and didn't realize that thirty million years had passed.
However, Megumi Iruma bore an uncanny resemblance to the ancient priestess Yulian.
Even their auras were similar.
It was perfectly normal for Carmilla not to be able to distinguish them.
She extended her massive hand, blocking the light emanating from the Lumina Lamp.
She reached for Megumi Iruma on the platform.
A long-suppressed sense of vengeful satisfaction surged through Carmilla.
However, in the next second, Carmilla let out a scream of agony.
She didn't speak aloud, but her powerful mental cry echoed in everyone's minds, making them realize she was in excruciating pain.
A weapon sparking with electricity struck her hand, showering sparks and forcing an uncontrollable shriek from her.
Carmilla recoiled her hand, revealing a shocking wound on her indestructible giant body.
A weapon far too large for mortals was deeply embedded in her palm.
Leaping electrical arcs ravaged the immortal giant's body.
Megumi Iruma, who had been terrified out of her wits and collapsed to the ground, was now shielded by an armored figure, far larger than any human.
Carmilla examined the wound on her hand; that weapon was not meant for ordinary people.
It was too massive; even a strong warrior would struggle to wield a weapon of that size.
But for a Dark Giant, fifty meters tall and weighing thirty-nine thousand tons, the weapon was as insignificant as a few-centimeter-long embroidery needle.
However, that weapon pulsed with an eerie blue electrical arc. Those arcs possessed a strange power. They tore at Carmilla's wound.
Inflicting excruciating pain.
Making her roar in anger uncontrollably.
"Humans."
She reached out to pull the weapon free, but the pain was unbearable, as if countless roots had sprouted, binding it tightly to her flesh and blood.
Any attempt to pull it out caused her agonizing, heart-wrenching pain.
After several attempts, Carmilla ultimately gave up due to the intense pain.
She turned her gaze towards the armored human on the platform. The figure was exceptionally strong, tall, and robust, making ordinary humans seem like infants beside them. They wore heavy, grey and white armor.
On their shoulder pad was a shark emblem with its head and tail on the same horizontal line. The front of their chest was adorned with a golden double-headed eagle. The eye lenses glowed with a faint red light.
"Do you know who you've provoked?" Carmilla's anger was almost palpable.
"Kill them," Daram, standing nearby, clenched his five fingers into a fist.
Dark energy surged through him, an evil aura emanating unrestrained.
Daram wanted to smash this cursed laboratory with a single punch. To let this world know they had returned.
All humans would recall the fear of being ruled by the Dark Giants. This time, all humans would finally kneel at their feet.
After a flash of strong light, Daram let out a howl.
It was a painful, desolate cry.
Like the scream of a young, beautiful, and naive girl being tricked by a large uncle, who had watched her grow up, into seeing goldfish.
From the scream alone, one could discern fear, surprise, terror, and the bewilderment of having one's common sense overturned.
Daram, who had just intended to teach those humans a lesson, now knelt on the ground, twitching uncontrollably. Tiny, un-dissipated electrical arcs crackled in the air.
And there was a scent of ionized ozone.
Megumi Iruma, struggling to stand, stared dumbfounded at everything unfolding before her.
From Carmilla's attack on her to another Dark Giant kneeling on the ground, only a few tens of seconds had passed.
It all happened so quickly.
Her mind hadn't even had time to process it.
Just as Daram was about to throw his punch, a thick bolt of lightning struck him on the head. The lightning shone with a terrifying intensity.
It was as bright as the first cosmic thunderbolt released during the Big Bang.
Making Carmilla and Hitra instinctively avert their heads to protect their eyes from harm. The lightning was thick and massive, brutally penetrating deep into Daram's body.
Making him feel a pain as if his body was being torn apart.
Magos Sigma stood on the platform, her smooth metal face betraying no emotion.
Her rotating electronic mechanical eyes revealed her thoughts.
Without a doubt, she showed disdain for these three Dark Ultramen who clearly didn't understand the situation.
Magos Sigma was very greedy.
Even her eyes and tone overtly revealed her desire for the secret of the giant's power.
But she wouldn't be so foolish as to allow Megumi Iruma to unseal the three Dark Ultramen without any protective measures. The specifications and grade of this laboratory were beyond the comprehension of natives like Megumi Iruma.
It could even detain gods or great daemons from human mythology without the slightest problem. This laboratory was located beneath the Himalayas.
However, the silver gate Megumi Iruma passed through was a fixed dimensional entrance. This meant they were not currently in the real universe.
At least not the real universe as commonly understood.
Instead, they were in a spatial rift. This was why Magos Sigma dared to unleash the power of the three Dark Ultramen.
If anything went wrong, the Dark Ultramen would be directly thrown into a spacetime rift with no time and no space. They would be lost within it.
Even if they could find their way back, it would be in the distant future. There was a high probability that they would never return.
Mere Ultramen, though possessing powerful strength, could cause significant trouble for the Imperium's conquest.
But in the face of the Imperium's cutting-edge technology, they were still as weak as ants.
What truly made the Imperium wary was the power of the giants, and the creators of that power. That lightning strike was merely a small punishment.
No one denied the power of Ultramen.
But they were not invincible. They could still be harmed.
Carmilla watched her companion kneel on the ground, revealing fear and unease.
Only then, having been betrayed by Diga and seeing Megumi Iruma, who resembled Yulian, did she, who had lost her mind in anger, calm down and observe her surroundings.
Huge, brightly polished metal plates were embedded in all four walls.
Giant mechanical cranes with skeletal steel frames were mounted on tracks throughout the walls, featuring complex piston, hydraulic, and gear structures.
Floating skull-shaped aircraft extended strange mechanical tentacles, flying beside their massive bodies.
Cables of various colors, each the size of a human head, snaked like giant serpents from the ceiling down the walls.
Beings integrated with mechanical metal stood on various floating platforms, operating control consoles before them. The armored warrior who had just severely wounded her was not without companions. Those armored warriors were dispersed across various platforms.
All bore the same emblem.
A shark with its head and tail aligned on the shoulder pad.
A golden double-headed eagle on the chest plate. Their weapons also glowed with light.
Carmilla's heart sank.
If a conflict erupted, the weapons in the hands of those armored warriors alone would be a huge threat. The weapon embedded in her palm continued to cause her excruciating pain.
"Who are you?" Carmilla stared at the humans before her, asking mentally.
She suppressed her anger. These humans wielded power capable of harming them.
Acting rashly would only lead to significant losses.
"I recall that Ultramen have human forms," Magos Sigma said in a cold, mechanical voice, "There's no need to use such massive bodies to converse."
Shal extended his hand, and the weapon Carmilla couldn't remove dissolved into specks of light, dissipating into the air.
In his hand, the light coalesced, reforming into the weapon he used. This gesture was a small act of goodwill.
It was also another form of deterrence and warning.
Carmilla, Hitra, and Daram, who had struggled to stand, exchanged glances. Through mental communication, they reached a tacit understanding. They would release their giant forms.
And revert to their human appearances.
Carmilla's human form was also an incredibly beautiful woman, dressed in a black ancient robe.
Her proud, curvaceous figure was even more exaggerated than that of Megumi Iruma, a married woman who had given birth, and it filled out the loose robe.
Around her neck was a golden circular ornament, inlaid with a large black gemstone. The other two giants resembled ancient warriors.
Daram was more muscular, while Hitra appeared leaner.
"I bear no ill will towards you all."
Looking at the three Ultra human hosts who appeared on the platform, Magos Sigma said, "The conflict just now was merely a small accident."
Dahram's face showed a hint of resentment, clenching his fists as he looked at the figure whose body had merged with machinery. That lightning bolt earlier had forced him to his knees, utterly humiliating him.
And now he claims there's no ill will!
Despite his anger, Dahram didn't dare to make a move. The armored warrior exuded an oppressive aura; just standing there gave off an immense sense of pressure.
"What do you want?" Camilla asked.
"I want to know the secret of the Giant's power," Magos Sigma stated his purpose directly, without any beating around the bush.
Hearing this, the trio showed a mocking expression.
Another greedy one.
"You want the Giant's power?" Camilla pointed at Megumi Iruma, "Kill her, and I'll tell you."
Megumi Iruma's expression changed slightly.
She didn't understand why the other party hated her so much!
"Perhaps you've misunderstood something," Magos Sigma said, "I'm not discussing this with you. By the will of the Emperor, every human has an obligation to assist the Mechanicus scholars in their research."
"Your tone is truly arrogant," Camilla said, "Either kill her, or don't even think about knowing the Giant's secret."
"Still trying to threaten us? We've seen it all," Hudra said with a mocking tone.
"Your damn Emperor—" Dahram was straightforward and was about to utter some harsh words to prove that they, the three Dark Giants, were not to be trifled with.
Before he could even finish the last word, he was sent flying into the air.
His fractured facial bones pierced into his mouth, mixing with his dislodged teeth.
When he landed, he tumbled over a dozen times until he hit the platform railing, finally coming to a stop.
Half of Dahram's face was caved in.
Bloody and grotesque, it was a horrific sight.
If he hadn't been a Dark Ultraman's human host, with his body enhanced. That slap alone might have directly taken his life. The armored giant who had been standing in front of Megumi Iruma was now, at some unknown moment, standing in Dahram's previous spot.
Camilla and Hudra didn't even react. The opponent's speed was too fast.
It was as if he had suddenly appeared.
A hint of fear surfaced in their hearts; if they had been the ones hit, they probably wouldn't have reacted either.
What if the opponent had been holding a weapon...
"This is a lesson. Do not show any disrespect to the Divine Majesty," Shar looked at the human host who couldn't get up, and said in a cold tone, "If I hear another word insulting His Majesty, you will see how your headless corpse falls."
Since becoming a Dark Ultraman, when had Dahram ever suffered such humiliation?
His face was publicly smashed.
Simply because he spoke a single wrong word. These damned humans were so tyrannical.
"I apologize, this was a small accident and interlude," Magos Sigma said, "Let us continue our previous topic. I hope you can fulfill the obligations stipulated by the Emperor and provide assistance for the Mechanicus' research."
"We will do our best," Hudra said.
One slap sent a human host flying. This kind of scene, they had truly never witnessed!
Magos Sigma said, "By the glory of the Emperor, our cooperation will surely be pleasant."
Dahram, Hudra, and Camilla wielded the power of the Dark Giants.
In the description of the seal, it stated that they were failures, a manifestation of corrupted hearts controlled by power.
However, through a series of tests and conversations, it was discovered that the power of the Dark Ultramen was even stronger than that of the Ultramen who claimed to be of light.
During the Ultraman War that erupted thirty million years ago in the super ancient civilization, the Dark Ultramen once held the advantage. The self-proclaimed righteous Ultramen were once reduced to being slaughtered. This meant that they were merely defined as failures, not true failures.
While testing the bodies of the Dark Trio, Magos Sigma simultaneously stole the secrets of the Giant's power and inquired about the super ancient civilization from thirty million years ago.
Megumi Iruma also came to understand that ancient past. The super ancient civilization had once developed to an extremely glorious extent, having already migrated to the stars.
Just as humanity was ambitious, attempting to conquer the stars and the universe.
Darkness descended.
Countless terrifying monsters appeared throughout the universe, wantonly destroying human cities.
Civilization was once on the brink of collapse.
Despair and fear enveloped every individual, and even every civilization.
At that time, many civilizations tried to save themselves.
Some civilizations learned from their enemies to defeat them, creating monsters to fight monsters.
Other civilizations abandoned their homelands and chose to flee.
Humanity suffered heavy casualties at one point.
It wasn't until someone comprehended the power of light, able to transform into Ultramen and fight monsters, that a turning point arrived.
With advanced technology, the super ancient civilization created more Ultramen by studying the power of light. The Ultramen, with their immense power, repelled the monsters, allowing people to regain a peaceful life.
However, good times didn't last, and these individuals who wielded great power began to have disagreements. These disagreements ultimately led to the Ultraman War. That war caused the deaths of many Ultramen and civilizations, turning them into the dust of history. The Ultraman graveyard that Sigma and others had seen earlier was a product of that war.
Dark Tiga, Camilla, Hudra, and Dahram, a group of four in the dark faction, traversed the stars, slaughtering and destroying civilizations along the way.
Even if Ultramen from other factions tried to stop them, they were still routed in the face of such overwhelming power. The quartet killed their way to Earth, the origin of humanity.
At that time, the Earth Defense Force had two Ultramen: Soluca and Daya.
In addition, there was an unnamed Ultraman who arrived from elsewhere to provide support, accompanied by a monster. They had expected to easily destroy this world.
However, Dark Tiga was persuaded by Yuzare to betray the quartet and seal Camilla and the others.
Combining this with the information Yuzare provided, the subsequent events can be inferred. The reason why they didn't save the humans rescued by Zog was possibly because the casualties from the war were too severe, leading to restrictions being placed on them, prohibiting further interference with the choices of normal society. Tiga left his battling body behind and returned to his home in the Orion constellation.
But his bloodline, and that of other super ancient warriors, was passed down.
Descendants with the bloodline could still become light and transform into giants to fight.
Of course, this was merely a one-sided guess.
Magos Sigma had little interest in this history; his willingness to piece it together was purely to find clues.
Upon learning that the super ancient civilization once possessed the technology to create Ultramen.
Magos Sigma believed they might have obtained some technological knowledge from the civilization that created the Giant's power.
Only then could they create Ultramen.
Yet, he also vaguely felt that something was amiss. The Dark Tide appeared, and the technology and methods for creating Ultramen were discovered.
However, it failed to prevent the destruction of the super ancient civilization.
It even led to a great purge of various races and civilizations in the universe. There must be some connection here.
Nowadays, the number of Ultramen also increases with the strengthening intensity of the dark invasion.
Does this signify something else?
Just as he was about to press for more information, Magos Sigma received a report from his servant.
It stated that the local indigenous supporters wished to have a personal audience with the Magos himself.
"You all continue with the experiments," Magos Sigma instructed his subordinates before leaving the laboratory to meet with the local natives.
Before the Imperium officially descended, these natives could play a huge role.
A little appeasement and reward were necessary to make them serve the Imperium more diligently.
Onboard the Imperator Rex.
Guilliman, in his secret laboratory, welcomed the activation mission for Phase Five. The database knowledge acquired in the first four phases had transformed the Imperium, allowing it to gain an advantage even in localized inter-universe conflicts.
The Phase Five database would undoubtedly bring him, and even the Imperium, more surprises. Therefore, as soon as Guilliman received the message from the auxiliary AI.
He put down his work and clicked on the system interface to see what the activation mission for the Phase Five database was.