Light Curtain Barrage—
The appearance of the Star-Shattering Swarm King left the audience outside the light curtain completely stunned.
It took out the original Ultraman in a single encounter. Are insects this powerful now?
As a classic veteran Ultra, Ultraman's combat power and experience were beyond question.
Few in the universe could contend with him, let alone defeat him in a single strike.
Ruan Mei: "The Star-Shattering Swarm King... an Emanator of Propagation. Has it descended so quickly? The speed at which the Swarm King forges its Path is as astonishingly powerful as the speed at which it propagates its Swarm."
Fu Xuan: "An Aeon's Emanator... are you kidding me? How long has it been, and the Swarm King has already found an Emanator? And one with such immense power..."
Yukinoshita Yukino: "Not even Ultraman is a match for it? What kind of monster is this!"
Absolutian Tartarus: "Astonishing combat power. To think that a being of this level exists within the Swarm."
Tokisaki Kurumi: "A scythe that can reap planets? A maw that births power capable of destroying celestial bodies? This... this must be an exaggeration, right? How could something like that possibly exist in the world..."
---o---
Light Curtain Video—
After Seven and Jack fearlessly charged towards the Swarm King, the scene shifted to another location.
It was a planet with a terrain of crimson rock. No... it was less a planet and more an arena.
"Hyaaaaaah—!"
High in the sky, a blazing flame, like a crashing meteorite, hurtled violently towards the ground below.
As the camera zoomed in, an Ultraman with a unique head crest, characters on his abdomen, and an almost entirely red body appeared before the audience.
That's right, this was Leo. Another Ultra Warrior who had once lived on Earth, the prince of Planet L77, a warrior like a lion.
At this moment, his leg was wreathed in roaring flames. This was his most powerful and iconic special move as the King of Combat, the universe's number one kicking technique—the Leo Kick.
Clearly, Leo was currently fighting someone, and his opponent's strength was not to be underestimated.
An enemy that could force Leo to use his ultimate move was either incredibly powerful or had thoroughly enraged him.
And from Leo's expression, it was obviously... the former.
Directly below the Leo Kick, an Ultraman clad in armor stood with a grave expression, his arms crossed defensively in front of him.
He... was planning to take the Leo Kick head-on?
This was no joke. Leo's expression showed he was using his true power; the flames on his leg had nearly engulfed his entire body.
Who was this Ultraman, to dare to face the Leo Kick directly? How many beings in the entire Ultra multiverse would dare to do such a thing?
Even his fellow Ultra Brothers would have no choice but to flee in haste when faced with a full-power Leo Kick.
Regardless of who this armored Ultra Warrior was, this act alone was enough to make the audience outside the light curtain remember him forever...
Leo rapidly closed the distance, but his opponent, instead of retreating, advanced, reaching out with both hands to meet the high-speed kick.
BOOM—!! With a muffled grunt, the Leo Kick landed squarely on the armored Ultraman's chest.
Against the immense force, the armored Ultraman held his ground, his feet carving a trench dozens of meters long into the earth.
"Don't underestimate me!" a young voice transmitted through the armor to the surprised Leo.
The armored figure seized Leo's right leg before he could retract it after the kick, then swung him around in several 360-degree rotations before violently throwing him.
Leo was sent flying straight into a cliff face, the sheer force causing the entire precipice to collapse with a roar.
"Looks like this broken Training Armor... isn't completely useless after all."
On the other side, the armored Ultraman lifted a giant boulder two to three times his own size and spoke, panting slightly.
Clearly, even with the Training Armor for defense, that kick had taken a toll on him.
"Pigu~ Pigu~"
In the heat of battle, an out-of-place sound came from the armored Ultraman's feet.
It was a monster about two meters tall, with a red spine and a slightly homely appearance.
The friendly monster, Pigmon, had appeared defenselessly at the armored Ultraman's feet.
"Hey, get back. It's dangerous here."
Seeing this, the armored Ultraman tossed the giant boulder aside, knelt down, and spoke to Pigmon. His tone held none of the killing intent he had shown towards Leo.
Seeing the fifty-meter-tall giant telling it to leave, Pigmon sensibly hopped to one side.
"Alright, time for round two," the armored Ultraman said, reassuming his fighting stance before Leo.
"Wait." Leo held up a hand to stop him, his voice laced with a hint of gratification and surprise. "Zero, did you just... save that life?"
"What's it to you," the Ultraman called Zero replied belligerently.
This was normal. Anyone who had been beaten by Leo for so many years would have a temper. Now that he finally had a chance to get the better of Leo, Zero wasn't about to let it go.
Just as Zero was about to continue the fight, a silver figure descended from the sky, radiating light.
The moment he saw that figure, Zero's charge came to an abrupt halt. Leo also bowed respectfully.
It wasn't just Leo and Zero in the video; even the viewers across the infinite multiverse couldn't help but feel a sense of reverence upon seeing this figure.
Ultraman King... the legendary superman. His power was among the greatest, even across the infinite multiverse.
No one knew the true extent of his strength. The only certainty was that Ultraman King's power was undoubtedly at the absolute pinnacle of the Ultraman multiverse.
"Zero, do you remember the reason you came here?"
Ultraman King's voice was ethereal and captivating, unconsciously inspiring a feeling of sacredness.
Zero, however, was unwilling to recall the past.
As a member of the Land of Light, he had once been exiled here by Seven for attempting to touch the Plasma Spark Tower, where he had endured endless hardship.
It could be said that he hated Seven and Leo, but deep down, he was also faintly aware of his own past childishness and arrogance.
"Zero, you were too young before and did not know the consequences of touching the Plasma Spark Tower."
"Seven was trying to prevent you from going astray, which is why he entrusted you to me."
Ultraman King paid no mind to Zero's attitude, speaking to him in a solemn, meaningful tone.
Zero was an excellent warrior. With proper training, he would surely contribute to the peace of the universe.
"I..." Zero trailed off. Although he realized his past immaturity, his stubborn nature made him reluctant to admit his mistake.
Just as Ultraman King was about to say something more, a figure appeared in the distance, heading this way.
---o---
Light Curtain Barrage—
Zero: "Oh? To think this young master would appear in the video. Hmph, looks like this young master is the protagonist this time."
Yukinoshita Yukino: "Withstanding the Leo Kick... he's very strong, but it seems there's no information about this Ultraman in our world."
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Well, there are so many Ultramen in the Land of Light, and the main perspective of the Tokusatsu shows has always been Earth. It's normal not to know."
The Overseer: "So that... is Ultraman King? Even through the screen, his power is clearly visible. If he were to act, the Star-Shattering Swarm King would likely be defeated in an instant..."
Herta: "Oh? An existence like an Aeon? He's a bit old, but not to be underestimated. I wonder who is stronger, him or Propagation...?"
---o---
Light Curtain Video—
"Zoffy, why have you come here? Has something happened in the Land of Light?"
On Planet K76, Ultraman King asked the hastily arriving Zoffy.
In his perception, the Land of Light was peaceful, with no crisis in sight. So why was Zoffy in such a hurry?
Upon seeing Ultraman King, Zoffy first knelt on one knee, paying respect to the monarch before him, then quickly said:
"Your Majesty, on the edge of the galaxy, a species we have never seen before has been born."
"They have swept through the star system, turning countless planets into wastelands and expanding at an astonishing rate."
"Ultraman, Seven, and Jack went together, but they were all defeated. Their status is unknown. The Supreme Commander thus urged me to come and request your aid."
This incident had exceeded everyone's expectations. No one thought that even Ultraman and the others would fail to repel the Swarm.
If not for Mebius's Ultra Sign, they might not have discovered the true threat of the Swarm even now.
"The Milky Way?" Seeing Zoffy's panic, the King instantly shifted his divine consciousness to the edge of the galaxy.
"This is...?"
Ultraman King was shocked. The Milky Way was now decorated in brilliant colors by various swarms of insects.
Countless bugs were soaring between the star systems. They varied in shape and size.
The smallest were only a few millimeters, while the largest had antennae long enough to measure the stars.
Realizing the urgency of the situation, Ultraman King wanted to trace the source of the Swarm.
But just as he was about to act, he was restrained by an invisible force.
Ultraman King slowly raised his head. He saw that in the starry sky of the galaxy, beyond the endless Swarm, a single compound eye was quietly watching everything.
That compound eye looked like countless insect eyes superimposed on one another, exuding a bizarre yet beautiful aura.
"Is this its doing? Is it also responsible for restraining my divine consciousness?"
The King pondered, but quickly dismissed the idea.
Although he didn't know who the owner of the compound eye was, it clearly had no malicious intent. Not just it, but the entire Swarm showed no obvious malice towards him or any other living being.
The creator of these insects bore no ill will towards him. The source of this restraint... was the universe itself.
The universe... was in danger... This danger did not come from the Swarm before him, but from a more unknown power...
Thinking this, Ultraman King used his power to scan the entire galaxy with his divine consciousness, found the location and life signs of the three fallen Ultras, and then vanished from his spot.
"Your Majesty?"
Seeing Ultraman King return to his senses, Zoffy immediately stepped forward. Zero and Leo also gathered around, clearly very concerned.
"Zoffy, do not worry. The three of them used all their power to form a defensive barrier. Their lives are not in danger for the time being," the King said gravely.
Leo, at his side, anxiously asked, "Your Majesty, what happened in the galaxy? Is Earth in danger?"
Earth... the place Leo considered his second home. Leo's love for Earth was unquestionable.
That was why he was so anxious upon hearing the words "Milky Way."
Although Zero had no particular attachment to Earth, he was also subconsciously concerned for the safety of life in the galaxy.
"Alas..." Letting out a long sigh, the King's face seemed to have aged even more. "The Swarm has covered the star system. Earth is in grave danger."
"Warriors of Light, now... only you can save the Earth."
The King's tone was heavy, clearly indicating that something had happened.
"Your Majesty, what about you..." Leo wanted to ask more, but the King cut him off.
"Beyond the universe, a more terrifying power is spreading. The matter of the Swarm can only be entrusted to you to resolve. If that power is allowed to wander, it will bring devastating destruction to the universe."
Leo nodded and said solemnly, "I understand, Your Majesty. Please allow me to go to Earth."
He had failed to protect Black Tide Island in that battle. Now... Leo would not allow that tragedy to repeat itself.
The King nodded slightly, then turned to Zero. He placed his right hand on Zero's chest, and with a thought...
"Shnk. Shnk."
The Training Armor that had bound the young Ultra Warrior for so many years was removed, revealing the youthful and ferocious eyes within.
"This... what is this?"
Zero was clearly surprised. By all rights, he should still be serving his sentence. If Ultraman King released him, wasn't he worried he would cause trouble for Leo and Seven?
It wasn't that Zero was arrogant, but without the Training Armor suppressing his strength, he was confident he could defeat, or even kill, either Leo or Seven.
"Ultraman Zero, I entrust this battle to preserve the peace of the universe to you..."
"Go to Earth. Your father, Seven, is struggling between life and death. Now, the only one who can save him and protect the Earth... is you."
Ultraman King said to Zero with a solemn expression.
Zero was shocked. "Wait... what did you say? My father, Seven? What do you mean? Seven... is my father?"
His mind went blank as he tried to process this earth-shattering news.
The King simply nodded. "He originally planned to tell you when you were more mature, but now... I believe the time is right."
"Because his child... has already grown into a worthy warrior!"