"What a sin!" A man slumped to the ground, his eyes vacant and dull, as if he had been broken, utterly motionless.
If the scar-faced woman were here, she would certainly recognize him as the man who had bought a ship ticket for six hundred thousand empire credits.
Next to the man were several other men and women, all pale and trembling.
Flashes of light constantly erupted from the orbit of Pluto, illuminating the entire dark void.
Everyone could see it clearly.
It made it impossible for them to even deceive themselves.
Some ships bearing the evil empire's emblem detached from Pluto's orbit. They headed straight towards Earth. Their existence was so peculiar, moving against the flow, heading directly towards Pluto.
"We must stop immediately and change direction."
The sound of a voice made everyone feel like they had grasped a life raft. The few who hadn't been scared into paralysis ran towards the cockpit. They hoped the pilots would turn the spaceship around.
However, the news they received plunged them into deeper despair.
Each colony's route was fixed. The spaceship's fuel was only enough to ensure acceleration at the start, avoid potential dangers, and decelerate.
If they were to decelerate now, they would not have enough fuel to accelerate again. There is no friction in the void.
Spaceships move by inertia after completing acceleration.
When they are close to their destination, they use reverse thrust to counteract inertia and perform fine adjustments for landing. Throughout the entire process, the two largest fuel consumption points are acceleration and deceleration. The spaceship's fuel is also controlled very precisely, especially between Earth and Pluto, which is considered a super long-distance route in humanity's current transportation network. The fuel being able to ensure acceleration and deceleration already severely tests the spaceship's design.
If they wanted to turn back midway, other ports would need to send out specialized spaceships to tow them and assist with deceleration. To ensure a single trip isn't a loss, sufficient profit is required.
A spaceship's profit points are nothing more than two types: freight or passenger transport. This time, the refugees were traveling on a spaceship that profited from both freight and passenger transport. To accommodate more passengers, the spaceship didn't even carry any cargo this time.
All the space was converted into seats to transport these people who wanted to escape Earth.
When they first set off, they even expressed respect for this admirable ship owner. To protect them, these free individuals, he risked offending the dictatorial empire by modifying the spaceship.
But now, they had not a shred of gratitude left.
"You're going to kill us!" A man grabbed the Captain's lapel: "Immediately send a message to other ports."
"Sending a message is useless. The nearest spaceport is on a moon of Uranus. To turn the entire spaceship around and accurately reach the moon's orbit of Uranus, our fuel is simply not enough."
The planets in the solar system are not in a straight line. They are located on their respective orbits. There are closest and farthest points between each planet. The current spaceship trajectories are all calculated. They all fly between different colonies at the lowest cost.
Even if they were transporting people instead of cargo, the spaceship did not have enough fuel to change direction. They had no other choice but to follow the predetermined route to the Pluto colony. The exasperated passengers heard the Captain's explanation and were so furious they almost wanted to throw him outside.
Unfortunately, none of them knew how to fly a spaceship.
If the Captain were thrown out, they would directly crash into the battlefield, likely not even making it to the Pluto colony.
"Even if it's Pluto, what does it matter!! As long as we get there, refuel, and then set off to leave again."
Several guests with leadership abilities quickly came up with their own solution. They decided that once they reached Pluto, they would obtain fuel at all costs and then head to other colonies.
As soon as this plan came out, the panicked people immediately saw a glimmer of hope for survival again.
Even reaching Pluto wasn't a dead end.
But a day later, the news in the Imperium Daily completely stunned them. The Imperium planned to withdraw its troops. They were preparing to retreat all the way back to Earth. The reason was limited troops and the inability to maintain the long front lines. This meant that all colonies would directly face those terrifying enemies.
Not only were they stunned, but people in other colonies were also dumbfounded.
After the Imperium took power, many people tried every possible way to escape.
But now, many deeply regretted it.
Pluto battlefield.
Warships bearing the Imperium's double-headed eagle flag were engaging in combat with the alien disc-shaped battleships. The muzzles of the massive ship cannons flashed with light, firing shells the size of shipping containers. This turned the void between the opposing ships into a deadly zone.
Even though there was no air in the void, the shockwaves and high-energy radiation from the explosions were enough to kill an ordinary person countless times over.
Surrounding these steel behemoths was the battlefield of Ultraman, giant cosmic beings, and monsters. Their battle was incredibly brutal.
Although the number of Ultraman was small,
they were all transformed from top military personnel, possessing a tacit understanding far superior to the monsters. They also had various advanced technologies blessed by the Imperium. They managed to forcefully block the massive wave of monsters.
Camilla, in her Ultraman form, looked at Grotzam, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Darkness, who was confronting her.
Grotzam's entire body was covered in silver-white armor.
He had a pair of large, downward-curving horns on his head. There was a large ramming horn on his left shoulder, knees, and elbows.
It was clearly born to enhance combat power.
His eyes glowed with a faint blue light, he had no nose, and his mouth was full of sharp fangs.
Camilla spent some time carefully examining him from head to toe before shaking her head.
"This little thing certainly has a unique look."
Hearing these words, a surge of nameless anger instantly rose in Grotzam's heart. This guy!!
He was a dignified Four Heavenly Kings of Darkness, and this opponent dared to humiliate him like this!!
Camilla, however, didn't let him think too much.
She swung the long whip in her hand, and a dazzling light shone in the void.
Grotzam used the spear his arm transformed into to block the whip.
Camilla took the opportunity to release a beam skill, hitting the opponent directly in the abdomen. The armor was directly shattered, and even a smoking wound appeared on the opponent's abdomen. Then, another whip forced another monster that wanted to rescue its commander to retreat.
Grotzam's abdomen was pierced, leaving a massive opening.
But within just a few seconds, the opening rapidly healed and eventually disappeared.
Grotzam possessed a recovery ability that could be called immortality.
Wounds that would fell an ordinary monster were nothing to him.
After the confrontation just now, Grotzam was also prepared to unleash his strongest power.
Specks of light appeared near the massive monster body. They were all condensed water molecules.
Grotzam charged towards Camilla, who held the whip, his hands transforming into conical spikes.
He thrust directly at the opponent's throat, aiming to take her life.
Camilla flicked her hand, and the whip turned into twin swords.
She held a sword in each hand and met the attack. The spikes and long swords collided, erupting in a dazzling light.
Visible ice spread from Grotzam's body to Camilla's.
Camilla was forced to retreat, revealing a look of fear.
"Surrender, foolish humans. You cannot resist the will of the Emperor of Darkness. Stubborn resistance will only bring about your own destruction."
Grotzam spoke to Camilla using telepathy.
"These juniors nowadays are truly arrogant. Trash like you dares to speak such big words in front of me."
Camilla showed a look of disdain. The lightsaber in her hand suddenly burst forth with an extremely intense radiance.
Her massive body took a step forward, leaving a phantom image in the void.
She arrived directly in front of the Dark Celestial King - Groza.
Camilla swung her sword, splitting the air. The sword strike was incredibly fast.
It became extremely difficult to even capture the afterimages.
Groza had to dodge to the side, avoiding a direct sword strike that would have disemboweled him.
Camilla seized the opportunity and rushed forward.
She landed a punch on his face.
Groza's massive body was sent directly flying backward in the void, even shattering a meteorite before finally stopping with the help of the recoil.
Camilla turned the lightsaber in her hand back into a whip.
She whipped it out forcefully, wrapping it around the opponent's body, binding him, and then pulling back.
Her other hand released a beam attack, striking Groza's horn.
In an explosion, she broke it off.
Groza let out a strong mental wave of pain.
"Damned human."
Groza's mental wave showed a form of fury: "You will pay for this."
"Whether you can make me pay depends on your strength, not how loudly you shout."
Camilla turned the whip in her hand back into a lightsaber and adopted a sword stance.
As a warrior from thirty million years ago, her combat skills were honed to perfection.
Otherwise, even after falling into a Dark Giant, she wouldn't have defeated so many righteous Light Giants. The whip and lightsaber were used to their utmost potential.
"You will witness the true power of a Dark Celestial King."
A pair of wings appeared behind Groza.
His hands, which had turned into spikes, were also covered with a layer of white frost.
He moved, his speed so fast that afterimages appeared in the void.
His overall speed was countless times faster than when he didn't have wings.
Camilla's twin swords in her hands also began to dance rapidly.
Such a massive body possessed an unimaginable agility.
Camilla, like a nimble swordsman, parried Groza's attacks and occasionally seized opportunities to leave wounds on his body. The more Groza fought, the more shocked he became!
When did so many Ultramen appear on Earth?
More than even a typical Land of Light has.
Even more terrifying was the presence of such a powerful female Ultraman!
This female Ultraman would be a top-tier existence even in the Land of Light.
She wouldn't be inferior in the slightest when facing those well-known Ultramen with illustrious combat records.
He was one of the Four Heavenly Kings under the Emperor of Darkness! He couldn't even gain an advantage against her!
Could it be that a new Land of Light was about to appear!
It seemed this battle was going to be tough!
Thinking of this, a cruel smile appeared in his heart.
Belial had already destroyed the Land of Light, and darkness covering the universe and bringing about its end was already set.
Even a nascent Land of Light couldn't change the predetermined fate of this universe. These guys were destined to be submerged by the dark tide.
What use was being strong!
They were destined to kneel before the Emperor of Darkness.
As the two sides fiercely battled, two monsters flew over from the side, trying to launch a sneak attack.
Camilla swung the long sword in her hand.
With one strike, she cut off the head of one monster.
Corrosive blood spurted from the cut, then was frozen by the extremely cold void, turning into shining crystal-like fragments. The other monster was also stabbed in the heart.
Camilla heard the agonizing wail in its mental wave.
A terrifying energy tore apart that monster, shattering it into pieces in a violent explosion, the immense shockwave pushing its remains flying in all directions.
Groza retreated a few steps, then scanned the entire battlefield.
Fighting was raging everywhere in the void.
Although the human side's strength was weak, they were well-trained and closely coordinated, with the support of warships. The monsters were numerous, but they had no coordination with each other.
For a time, they couldn't defeat the enemy.
On the contrary, they had lost a large number of monsters. The small solar system was more difficult to deal with than those great civilizations or those well-established Lands of Light.
"Release the Impalizers."
Groza ordered the release of the trump card given to him by the Emperor of Darkness.
Impalizers were mechanical modified beasts from the army under the Emperor of Darkness - Alien Empera. They were soldiers, scouts, and vanguards of Alien Empera's army, a terrifying army that had once destroyed countless civilizations. Their entire bodies were made of incredibly tough metal, with terrifying hardness. They had armor specifically designed to counter Ultraman's beams and possessed a self-repair function.
Even if blown to pieces, they could regenerate their arms and upgrade into powerful weapons, possessing monstrous strength exceeding that of Ultramen. They were equipped with Union Cannons on their shoulders. Their heads had a triple Gatling gun, capable of high-speed continuous fire with considerable power.
Additionally, they possessed the ability for interstellar travel and spatial teleportation. They were also known as the Peerless Iron Gods.
Impalizers were expensive, a secret weapon used by Alien Empera to counter Ultramen, having undergone multiple modifications and upgrades, making them an extremely important trump card in Alien Empera's hands.
At Groza's command, a terrifying fluctuation erupted in the center of the chaotic battlefield.
Several spacetime gates were opened. The gray-black Peerless Iron Gods - Impalizers appeared on the battlefield.
Intense light burst from their bodies, each one's presence was so terrifying that it involuntarily instilled fear in others.
Katsumi Minato casually released a beam, but it was blocked by the opponent's armor, and instead, he was sent flying by a beam released from the opponent's head.
Fortunately, with the help of other Ultramen, he didn't fly too far.
"Some tough guys have arrived."
Yūmi Minato smiled; his strength had greatly increased after this period of training.
Coupled with being in the midst of the army formation, with the help of other Ultramen.
Defeating a small monster was incredibly easy.
Seeing that these guys could block Ultraman's beam attacks, he also became interested.
He rushed towards the Peerless Iron God, and with a pull of his hands, a brilliant light appeared.
"Don't."
Katsumi Minato saw his reckless younger brother and quickly shouted.
But Yūmi Minato ignored him.
He directly unleashed a beam skill, preparing for close combat. The beam skill didn't cause any damage.
Yūmi Minato punched the opponent's steel body, but not only did he fail to leave any mark, he also felt immense pain.
It was as if something was specifically targeting his Ultraman body.
Every punch and kick landed on the opponent's body resulted in incomparable pain.
Hiss!
After punching several times in a row, Yūmi Minato sharply inhaled a cold breath.
It hurt so much!
"This guy is hard to deal with!"
Yūmi Minato unleashed two more beam skills, using the shockwave of the explosion to force the opponent back.
Meanwhile, several other monsters also rushed over, preparing to surround and attack Blu Ultraman, who was transformed by Yūmi Minato, together with the Peerless Iron God. The other Ultramen also fell into a bitter struggle. The appearance of the Peerless Iron Gods tore apart the previously closely coordinated Ultraman battle formation. The frenzied monsters swarmed forward. The number of Ultramen was originally small, and they could only rely on tacit cooperation to block the enemy.
But now, they were forced into a predicament of fighting individually. The tide of war was slowly shifting towards the enemy.
Yūmi Minato was also in danger. The defense of the Peerless Iron God was terrifyingly strong.
No matter what he did, he couldn't break through the opponent's defense.
Coupled with the encirclement of other monsters, he appeared battered and bruised.
After being knocked away by a monster's beam attack once again and having his body frozen by ice. The arm of that Peerless Iron God transformed into a giant drill and rushed towards Yūmi Minato, intending to drill him into pieces alive.
At this critical moment, Katsumi Minato violently pushed away the monster he was battling and rushed towards his younger brother. The frozen Yūmi Minato just watched as Rosso Ultraman, transformed by his older brother, was pierced through the chest by the enemy's drill.
No blood gushed out.
Rosso Ultraman lost his power and turned into a stone statue. Then he directly exploded into countless gravel .
In the final moment, Katsumi Minato turned all his power and transformation device into light and sent it into his younger brother's body.
"Live."
His brother's words became ethereal with the splashing body fragments, finally disappearing. There was no grand, dramatic death struggle like in TV shows, no moment of parting on the brink of death and intense pain.
Death was just so ordinary.
It came, took the life of a loved one, just like that, simple.
Yūmi Minato lost his older brother.
He felt like he was dreaming, subconsciously believing that everything was fake.
As long as he woke up, the dream would shatter, and his brother would be standing by the bed, nagging him as before.
Why are you always sleeping in and not actively participating in training!
But the dream didn't wake up, and Yūmi Minato, whose mind was in a daze, was taken away by other Ultramen. The surviving warships also turned around and fled towards Earth. 1
The appearance of the Peerless Iron Gods made Camilla realize it was time to retreat. Their small number of people and ships couldn't possibly defeat the enemy in Pluto's orbit. The reason they were fighting here was just to buy time for the residents of the colonies to escape.
The warships were the first to withdraw from the battlefield, and after the warships withdrew, Camilla also forced back Groza, the Impalizers attempting to surround her, and the monsters.
She then turned into light and also withdrew from the battlefield.
Groza originally wanted to pursue.
But thinking that he was no match at all, if he accidentally fell into a trap or something, he would be killed in minutes. Thinking of this, Groza could only give up the idea of pursuing.
Currently, the dark tide had swept across various parts of the universe. The opponent couldn't escape his grasp; there was no need to put himself in danger for a temporary fit of anger. The flames of war began to burn from Pluto's orbit.
It spread all the way to Neptune's orbit, and Uranus' orbit. The Ultraman army led by Camilla and a fleet composed of local forces fought and retreated, trying their best to buy time for the colonies to escape. Those who couldn't escape could only pray for themselves.
The colonial armies were weak compared to the massive monster army and were easily slaughtered. The few Ultramen were also unable to resist the monstrous tide. They either fell or were forced to leave together.
Even if their hearts of justice were strong, it was absolutely impossible to resist such a terrifying monster wave. The flames of war just kept burning.
Soon, even Mars was about to face the war.
Kengo Manaka could see the alien ships and monsters flying towards Mars in the void with his own eyes. Their numbers were vast, and they tightly pursued the retreating Ultramen and human fleet.
Occasionally, large battles would break out.
Either monsters were killed, or Ultramen turned into stone statues and were shattered.
Seeing those battle scenes, despair also surfaced in Kengo Manaka's heart.
Even if he transformed into Ultraman, he would probably be quickly swallowed by those monster waves.
Kengo Manaka was a native Martian, and like other Ultramen, he awakened the power of Ultraman on Mars and could transform into Trigger Ultraman.
His awakening further demonstrated that the power of Ultraman existed throughout the universe.
As long as the conditions were met, one could obtain this power and become Ultraman.
Kengo Manaka, who had awakened his power, also worked hard to fulfill his duty.
Protecting the Martian colony from attacks by space monsters.
But the current crisis was beyond his ability to handle.
"Damn it!"
Kengo Manaka jumped out of the damaged hovercar, so angry that he punched it twice.
Why did it have to break down now of all times?
He looked around, wanting to hitch a ride.
But no one stopped, everyone was in a panic, trying to find a safe place to hide or fleeing with their families. The war had spread from the outer solar system to Mars in a very short time.
Only by escaping to Earth was there a glimmer of hope for survival.
Some said there was the protection of the Imperium there, capable of blocking those terrifying enemies.
In the previous period, people hated the Imperium greatly. They believed that this damned autocratic empire had destroyed the democracy and peace that humanity had worked hard for, causing civilization to regress significantly in an instant.
But now, they wished they could get a ticket on an empire ship.
Evacuation work had begun several days ago. The Imperium only evacuated its citizens who were wandering abroad and those who had sworn allegiance and eternal loyalty.
Many people were not qualified to board the ships. They had previously publicly insulted the Imperium and vowed that they would never compromise with it.
Now, the Imperium was fulfilling their past demands by resolutely refusing them boarding and not allowing them to enter Earth.
Some who secretly boarded ships and reached Earth orbit were directly sent back. Trigger had considerable opinions about the Imperium's cruelty.
Even if those people had grievances, they shouldn't have been so heartless. Those were human lives!!
How could they be so cruel as to shut them out and let them die like that?
Unable to find a ride, Kengo Manaka originally wanted to use his Ultraman power.
But using Ultraman power on the planet's surface consumed a lot of energy. The crisis was imminent, and he needed to ensure he was always in peak condition to face the potential danger.
Fortunately, he was only about a kilometer from the apartment where his home was located, practically within reach.
He stretched his limbs, found his direction, and started running.
Kengo Manaka worked for the Elite Guard on Mars, an organization with the same authority as the GUTS team, dedicated to protecting humanity from monsters. They had branches in various colonies.
The only difference was that GUTS was a subordinate organization of the TPC under the United Nations, considered an institution with official backing. The Elite Guard on Mars was indeed composed of the TPU, established by the top conglomerate - the Shizuma Foundation, making it a commercial organization.
Conglomerates controlled the civilian facilities and security forces of the colonies.
From a certain perspective, the colonies were the private property of these conglomerates. This was also why many conglomerates strongly opposed joining the Imperium.
Joining the Imperium would not only mean losing control of the colonies, but their descendants would also lose the right to inherit wealth.
Who could tolerate such a thing??
the Imperium's dictator could actually implement so many unreasonable systems to consolidate his regime!!
They openly violated the rights and interests of citizens, and those empire people could still tolerate it!!
It was simply unbelievable. The streets were packed with dense crowds, the fear on their faces seemingly welded on by an electric torch.
Carrying luggage, they ran in panic towards the spaceport. The spaceport was the only place they could leave this planet.
Kengo Manaka continued forward, returning to the building where he lived.
A tall building where the families of Elite Guard members resided.
Several vehicles were parked downstairs, preparing to evacuate the families of the Elite Guard members.
Kengo Manaka greeted them and headed straight for his home.
Only his parents were home.
When Kengo Manaka opened the door, the two elderly people were startled.
Worry was etched on their old, wrinkled faces, like shriveled fruit pits. They were huddled together on the sofa.
When Kengo Manaka walked in, they stood up and tightly grasped their son's hands.
"Have those monsters come?" his father asked with a trembling voice, "I heard them say, those damn empire people didn't stop the monsters, they should have stopped them, but they didn't, they want us all to die."
"Those guys are too evil, if they can't rule us, they want us to die," his mother's body was also shaking. They heard that the colonies invaded by monsters were all destroyed, with dead bodies everywhere. The colonies on Mars would soon turn into such a tragic state. The Imperium only protected Earth because only Earth acknowledged their rule!!
Many colonies were furious about this.
In the face of a crisis of human extinction, the dictatorial empire was so selfish and self-serving.
Kengo Manaka didn't answer his parents but grabbed their hands.
"You have to go now, those monsters will be here soon."
"Where else can we go? To Earth?" his father asked, "I don't want to be ruled by that damn dictator."
Kengo Manaka couldn't bear to tell his father the truth. They weren't qualified to go to Earth either.
When the peace talks failed, the Imperium refused entry to other colonies and began expelling the staff who served the colonial rulers.
Many people seeking refuge were turned away.
Many colonial rulers pleaded bitterly, even offering all their wealth, but still couldn't obtain an entry ticket to Earth.
"We'll go to the TPU shelter, it's very safe there," Kengo Manaka said. The destruction was faster and more tragic than Kengo Manaka had anticipated. The Imperium's army crossed Mars' orbit line without hesitation, retreating towards Earth. The alien fleet bombed the various colonies on Mars.
Intense shelling turned the Martian colonies into ruins.
Entire areas were turned into glassy deserts.
Alarms blared in every colonial city.
Some fighter jets took off but were ruthlessly crushed by the alien fleet. The power gap between the two sides was too great.
Giant burrowing bombs caused terrible damage to the shelters hidden deep underground.
Fierce fire burned the refugees who tried to hide deep underground. The burrowing bombs also caused drastic geological changes, leading to earthquakes that crushed all living people inside the shelters into a paste. The fragile anti-air defenses were destroyed.
At this moment, the many Martian colonies were like clams stripped of their shells, their tender, white flesh exposed before the enemy, about to face a storm of ravaging and destruction.
It was like the feeling of helplessness of a gentle and lovely girl weighing less than a hundred pounds and standing at 145 cm facing a burly man who is 188 cm tall and whose arms could run trains.
Even the punches thrown were soft and weak, like the foreplay the strong man considered as a prelude.
After losing all anti-air firepower, some monsters landed on the surface to engage in ground combat. They came to slaughter. The monsters easily destroyed the city's buildings. The millions of humans living in the cities were like ants in their eyes.
Gas pipelines burst, causing a series of explosions.
Iron smelting factories collapsed, and hot molten iron poured out, the screams of the workers echoing throughout the world.
Elevated bridges built between tall buildings collapsed with a roar.
People cried out, scattering and fleeing to find shelter.
A well-dressed man supported his wife, holding his child, struggling to move forward through the ruins.
All around were sounds of crying.
Innocent people were dying. The dead were thrown into the ruins like garbage, layer upon layer.
In front of the monsters, ordinary people were as weak as pitiful children.
For the first time, the universe showed ignorant humanity what cruelty and coldness meant. The monsters walked through the cities, their feet trampling on the remnants of human civilization, the bodies of the dead crushed beneath them, splattering everywhere like bursting pulp. This was an unprecedented massacre, a terrifying and despairing genocide.
Survival was never a gift from the universe, but the spoils of the victor.
"Don't be afraid, we'll be at the shelter soon," the man comforted his terrified wife, "Dad's here, Dad won't let you get hurt."
The young child looked at his father.
At this moment, his figure was so tall.
More majestic than the highest peak on Earth.
But the next second, a terrifying flame swept over.
His father held him tightly in his arms.
His mother was swallowed by the flames, only a mournful scream was heard, and then there was silence.
After the fierce flames receded, only a charred body lay there.
After running a few steps, his father put him down, tears streaming from his eyes.
"I'm sorry, son, you have to walk the rest of the path yourself."
With that, his father also collapsed.
Only at this moment did the child see that his father's back was completely charred, a foul smell emanating from the burnt body.
So pungent, so disgusting. The child stood there in a daze, then burst into tears.
He was too young to know how to handle such a situation.
It wasn't until a man who couldn't bear to watch picked him up that he was saved from being trampled to death by the monsters.
Some people were evacuated to intact shelters.
From there, they watched in despair as the city was destroyed, occasional sporadic resistance being completely crushed.
Death descended upon every corner.
"Where's Ultraman? Didn't he say he would protect us?"
"It's all the damn empire's fault, why did they let those monsters invade here!!"
"Bastards, the people who died were all harmed by the Imperium, it's because they didn't stop the monsters."
Besides these voices, some people angrily accused the authorities.
"We should have joined the Imperium earlier!! Liars, you deceived us."
"You promised during the election that as long as we resisted the Imperium, we would have a good life. Is this your good life?"
"Liars, the Shizuma Foundation is a liar, a liar."
As they cursed incessantly, someone suddenly pointed at the screen and shouted as if they had found a lifeline.
"Ultraman, it's Ultraman, Ultraman is here to save us."
Hearing this, people looked at the screen one after another. They saw Trigger and several other Ultramen who were from Mars.
At the TPU headquarters, they stood in a line.
Each one stood tall and proud, ready for battle.
And in front of them were hundreds of monsters. The TPU headquarters was also the headquarters of the Shizuma Foundation and other slightly less powerful conglomerates. They used their power to establish the TPU, this special force. The weapons and equipment used by this force were the best.
At this moment, all the elite forces of the TPU were gathered here.
Hundreds of laser cannons, as well as various missiles and fighter jets, had already taken off.
"You must defeat them, Ultraman," a child in the shelter shouted loudly, "I believe in you."
"That's right, Ultraman, please try your best."
"Defeat them."
"Go for it."
The people in the shelter put aside their resentment and mutual accusations. At this moment, they were all cheering for Ultraman.
Hope appeared on everyone's face, anticipating that Ultraman would bring them the victory they hoped for.
Defeat those damn monsters and win. The monsters appeared from the horizon. Their bodies were like mountains, making a rumbling sound with every step forward. They swarmed in groups, making the ground rumble as if there was an earthquake. The aerial fighter jets, primarily from the Mars Elite Guard, immediately launched an attack on them.
Round after round of missiles took off, trailing their exhaust flames, landing directly among the monster horde.
Mushroom-shaped fire clouds hundreds of meters high soared into the sky, the missile blast radius reaching several kilometers, leaving a glassy deep pit in the central explosion area.
Mountains and rivers collapsed, rolling flames distorted the air, like the end of the world. The ground flames surged, enough to melt steel into molten iron.
Yet, the monsters walked out of the sea of fire. They ran, launching an attack on the last refuge of Martian humanity. Then several flashes of light appeared, and the Ultramen emerged. Trigger stood in front of several Ultramen.
Including him, a total of three Ultramen transformed here. They were all Ultramen from Mars.
At this critical juncture, they all chose to step forward and fight the monsters until the last moment. The Mars Elite Guard, meanwhile, piloted fighter jets, providing assistance.
In addition, there were various artillery and missile defense facilities. They fought for faith and hope.
"I won't let you pass," Kengo Manaka said firmly.
Behind him were not only the innocent survivors but also his parents in the shelter. The three Ultramen charged forward. They were brave and fearless, willing to give up everything to protect the innocent people. This was their heart of guardianship.
An invincible heart of guardianship.
Every Ultraman gave their all, trying to find a glimmer of hope for those who had fled into the shelter.
But soon, they despaired. The number of monsters was more than twenty times theirs.
What was worse, the opponents were unrestrained, casually unleashing various beam skills. They had to block them and prevent them from approaching the shelter.
Otherwise, powerful light-based abilities would destroy the shelter's life support system, and everyone inside would suffocate and die from lack of oxygen.
Each of them fought with all their might, using every possible method to prolong the battle. These Ultraman defeated twenty to thirty monsters.
But they were eventually overwhelmed by the remaining monsters.
Each Ultraman was surrounded and attacked by seven or eight monsters, while the rest of the monsters attacked the shelter.
Kengo Manaka, transformed into Ultraman Trigger, watched as the monsters broke through the shelter's dome. They began spewing fire through the opening.
Screams of extreme terror echoed from inside the shelter.
Kengo Manaka's entire body was also consumed by fear.
His parents were in there!
He punched the monster blocking him, forcing it back, then ran over and pushed aside the fire-spewing monster.
Billowing heat rose from the opening, mixed with the stench of burning human flesh.
Ultraman Trigger, in the form of Kengo Manaka, looked inside the opening, and the horrific sight made him tremble involuntarily.
Everyone inside was dead, their bodies burned and melted, all stuck together.
Among the pile of burned bodies, one charred corpse was particularly noticeable.
She stood there, reaching out towards the dome in despair, as if praying for salvation. Trigger had experienced many battles.
But he had never seen such a terrifying scene before. There were at least nearly a million survivors in the shelter; now, they were all burned to death.
Including his parents. This was war, so cruel that even an Ultraman would shudder at it.
"No!" Kengo Manaka cried out in despair.
But it was too late.
He couldn't change anything. The monsters charged forward. Trigger erupted in anger; he wanted revenge.
A beam attack was unleashed, instantly killing one monster.
Clenching his fists, the raging inferno seemed to give him infinite power.
But soon after, he was knocked to the ground. The monsters began punching and kicking him.
Ultraman Trigger lost his life and power in the onslaught, and his stone statue body was ultimately torn apart by the monsters. The three Ultraman fell one after another. The monsters tore their stone statue bodies to pieces.
Seeing this scene, the people hiding in the shelter all showed expressions of despair.
Such a terrifying wave of monsters, was this meant to exterminate humanity?
The footage of Mars' destruction was being broadcast live to Earth. The monster wave's invasion, in just a few days, led to the destruction of more than half of the human colonies in the solar system and the massacre of one-third of extraterrestrial humans. The orbital paths in the solar system are not on a single plane and are not synchronized.
Some planets had already moved to the other side of the solar system.
Only one-third of the colonies were located along the route of the army led by Grozam.
Of course, some other colonies also experienced monster invasions.
Fortunately, they were not on the main route.
Grozam's main focus was on Earth. Therefore, there were not as many monsters in other places, and their destruction was slower. The destruction of Mars silenced those on Earth who had previously opposed the militarization of Ultraman.
Many colonies that had strongly opposed joining the Imperium made a complete turnaround, submitting applications to join the Imperium one after another, vying for position.
Some people who had originally planned to flee were now scrambling back to Earth.
Keigo Masaki was a man of his word.
He blocked all applications to join the Imperium. Those identified as having illegally fled Earth were also denied entry. They were all stopped at Earth's orbital stations.
Earth had over a dozen more orbital stations than it did a few years ago.
With the Imperium's assistance, Earth's productivity had significantly increased. To protect this planet, Keigo Masaki allocated vast resources to build void defense equipment.
After becoming part of the Imperium, perhaps it was the enlightenment granted by the Holy Emperor.
His dreams became increasingly vivid.
Scenes of Earth burning and humanity dying in mass extinction appeared repeatedly after he fell asleep. To prevent such a fate, he dedicated most of the resources to arming Ultraman and building defense facilities.
Torpedo launchers, missile silos, close-in weapon systems, city-wide ion shields, mass drivers, and more. The increased productivity provided by the Imperium was utilized in these areas.
Warships that had retreated all the way here were undergoing final preparations, ready for a desperate battle against the alien ships that followed closely behind. The soldiers who could transform into Ultraman also received a rare period of rest.
A batch of urgently converted soldiers also became part of the Ultraman army, strengthening humanity's counterattack force. The orbital stations had all entered a state of military readiness.
Some Imperial citizens who had been brought back and those who met the Imperium's relief conditions were being screened before being sent to Earth.
"They are just innocent people, why are you shutting them out and letting them die?"
In the orbital screening hall, Yuna Shizuma was furious, questioning an Imperial official who was blocking refugees. The official was demanding that refugees who did not meet the qualifications leave the orbital station immediately.
It's important to know that everyone who had fled here were surviving refugees from various colonies. They had lost everything, endured the pain of losing loved ones, and fled desperately on a journey of despair, just to find a safe haven.
Yet, just as they were about to find salvation, they were stopped, even told to go back where they came from.
"This is the regulation," the official looked calmly at Yuna Shizuma. "We do not accept or shelter any personnel who served non-Imperial forces or their families. We also do not accept individuals who have attacked or slandered the Imperium."
"Not even children?" Yuna Shizuma questioned.
"No," the official said. "Neither the elderly nor children are allowed. This is the regulation."
"Daemons, do you have any humanity left? You won't even help the elderly and children?" Yuna Shizuma was trembling with anger.
Just for saying a few bad things about the Imperium earlier, saying things like telling the Holy Emperor to eat shit, they were shutting out a living person.
Were there any beings more daemonic, more inhumane than these Imperial people?
The official looked at Yuna Shizuma with utter indifference, completely unmoved by her words.
Noisy sounds came from the crowd.
Upon learning that they could not pass the screening and enter Earth, the people became agitated.
"We want to go in, Earth isn't yours."
"Let us in, you bastards! Earth belongs to all humanity."
"Let your Holy Emperor go to hell! I'm not someone to be trifled with. If you piss me off, no one will have a good time."
"Dictators should all die!"
The malicious curses made the Imperial official frown slightly.
He raised a hand. The soldiers in Imperial double-headed eagle uniforms behind him stepped forward, aiming their guns at the shouting crowd. The dark muzzles of the guns silenced the agitated people.
"Those who do not meet the criteria, leave immediately," the Imperial official said in a cold voice. "Any selfish individual unwilling to sacrifice their life for the Holy Emperor is not worthy of His protection. If you are at a dead end, you can choose to die."
Daigo stood not far away, witnessing the entire process.
He watched as the Imperial official drove away the innocent people. Those people were likely to die as a result.
Yet, from beginning to end, Daigo showed no intention of speaking up or stopping it.
He just watched as those people were forced onto their ships, driven away, and compelled to go to other colonies.
"You must be very sad watching those people being forced to their deaths," Megumi Iruma's gentle voice sounded behind Daigo.
"I feel like a daemon," Daigo turned around, and Megumi Iruma noticed tears glistening in his eyes.
Daigo's kindness and willingness to sacrifice himself had always been what Megumi Iruma valued.
If saving others required him to sacrifice his own life, Daigo would do it without hesitation.
Making him watch innocent people being forced to their deaths was undoubtedly more painful for him than killing him.
"Let me tell you a story," Megumi Iruma walked beside Daigo, leaning against the corridor railing, watching the refugees who were being driven away, crying and pleading with the Imperial official for a way to live.
"In Costa Rica in Central America, there is a type of turtle called the Ridley sea turtle. They lay eggs collectively during the breeding season. Two months later, the baby Ridley turtles hatch. But there is a bird called the frigatebird that preys on newly hatched Ridley turtles. As soon as a baby Ridley turtle crawls out of the sand, it is caught and eaten.
To increase their survival rate, these Ridley turtles have a cruel instinct from birth: every so often, they force some of their companions out of their hiding places to scout ahead, to see how far those companions crawl before being caught. If they are caught very close to the sea, or not caught at all, the baby turtles will rush out like they've received a signal, heading towards the sea.
Baby Ridley turtles always rush into the ocean collectively, relying on sheer numbers to increase their survival rate, because a frigatebird can only catch one at a time. If they all rush together, the frigatebird can't catch them all.
Even if a small number of baby Ridley turtles are caught, many will survive. And the signal for the collective rush is the survival rate of the scouting baby turtles; as long as the chance of survival is high, they will swarm out."
"Until one day, there was a tourist who was very kind. When he saw the few baby Ridley turtles pushed out by their companions about to be caught, he fired his gun to scare away the birds, allowing those few baby turtles to successfully enter the ocean. He scared away the frigatebirds several times.
Seeing those baby Ridley turtles successfully crawl into the ocean, the tourist was filled with pride. He felt so kind, having saved those innocent lives, and he even shared it on social media for others to see his kindness.
On the other hand, seeing those baby Ridley turtles successfully crawl into the ocean, the other baby Ridley turtles also crawled out of their nests and rushed towards the ocean, like a chain reaction.
Baby Ridley turtles all over the beach crawled out of their nests. But that day, the sky was full of frigatebirds. When countless baby Ridley turtles rushed out of their nests, the birds were like a dark cloud. As a result, the survival rate of baby Ridley turtles that year dropped to an all-time low."
Megumi Iruma looked at Daigo, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You can save those people, but have you thought about the people who might die because of them? We offer loyalty and our lives to the Holy Emperor, and He is responsible for uniting us and sheltering us.
This is a balance, a reciprocal relationship. Maintaining this relationship allows this mechanism to function, allowing the Imperium to continuously grow and provide shelter for more people.
People will recognize this rule and support it because it brings them benefits and security. If you are kind, you will disrupt this mechanism for those innocent people, just like the tourist who saved the first baby turtle. But have you thought about the consequences of breaking the rules?"
"We are currently only facing a group of monsters. What happens when we face daemons skilled in manipulating minds and terrifying, unspeakable enemies? Your kindness will put countless people in danger. Abiding by the rules is the only way for us to survive, and for more people to survive. Some things are cruel, but this is war. You have to learn to adapt."