After Alien Empera's grand army began preparing for an all-out assault, the situation started to become increasingly complex.
Because of the butterfly effect created by the Swarm, the small planet of Earth had now become the target of numerous factions.
At this moment, humanity was still living in the terror brought by the Swarm Disaster, completely unaware that more and more enemies were eyeing their planet hungrily.
---o---
GUYS Phoenix Nest
"Power systems, module data, and the communication equipment in the Phoenix Nest… are all gradually being restored."
Teppei reported to Captain Sakomizu beside him while continuing to work.
Although their available resources were limited, the restoration of these systems meant that humanity had regained a degree of combat capability. They were no longer just lambs to the slaughter.
"Bzz… Bzzzzzz…"
Just then, the moment the Phoenix Nest's communication system came back online, a strange electrical noise suddenly crackled to life, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"Isn't it still broken?"
Ryu Aihara frowned. The sudden static only worsened his already foul mood.
Teppei, however, wore a shocked expression and shouted to the others, "No, the communication issue is definitely fixed! This… this situation means… someone has hacked into the Phoenix Nest's communication equipment!"
"What!!"
As soon as Teppei's words fell, everyone urgently gathered in front of the newly restored communication screen.
The Phoenix Nest had been built specifically to deal with monsters, and its equipment represented the pinnacle of current human technology.
An enemy capable of hacking into the Phoenix Nest could likely only be an alien with unknown technology.
"Who are they? Are they on Earth? Can we use this to track them?" Shingo Sakomizu asked, standing next to Teppei. The situation was already dire; there was nothing more he couldn't accept.
"No, their technology is far superior to ours, and they have the element of surprise."
Teppei's hands flew across the keyboard, trying to use his skills to regain control, but his efforts were futile.
"Wait a second… on the screen, how can this be?"
Marina's eyes widened as she stared blankly at the figures appearing on the base's screen.
"They're… human?"
"The ones who hacked our system… are human?"
"Hold on, this could be an alien conspiracy! They're tricking us by taking human form!"
Ryu Aihara stood protectively in front of the others, cautiously watching the human figures on the screen.
"Captain Sakomizu…" Konomi said with some apprehension, turning her gaze to Shingo Sakomizu.
"Wait, Ryu. Let's hear what they have to say first," Shingo Sakomizu said, patting Ryu's shoulder and turning his attention back to the screen. "Whether they're aliens or humans from Earth, at least they look friendlier than bugs, don't they?"
Sakomizu's words made the team relax their guard slightly. Be they alien or human, as long as they weren't bugs, there was room for communication.
After he had calmed his team, the static on the communication screen persisted for a short while longer.
Finally, a stable communication channel was established between both parties.
"We meet for the first time, defense team of another Earth."
Captain Hyuga's voice came through, without any modification or translator, as their languages were mutually intelligible.
"Another… Earth?"
The members of GUYS looked at the man on the screen. They exchanged glances, their eyes filled with confusion.
"I know this might be a bit hard for you to understand, but I'll make it brief. Every second is precious right now."
Organizing his thoughts, Captain Hyuga began to explain the current situation to the clueless humans.
"As you can see, we are human, from an Earth in another universe. We have been guided here by Ultraman Noa to help you overcome this crisis."
"Noa… Ultraman?" a GUYS member muttered. They clearly didn't know what the name Ultraman Noa signified, but if he was an Ultraman… he must be a friend to humanity.
At this thought, the entire GUYS team finally let down their guard and continued listening to Captain Hyuga.
"As of now, Ultraman Zero, Ultraman Cosmos, and Rei have all passed Ultraman Noa's trial and have arrived on Earth."
"However, their strength alone is not enough to completely resolve this catastrophe."
Captain Hyuga's tone shifted. "Therefore, we also need your help."
Perhaps during the time Ultraman Mebius was active on Earth, humanity had not yet fully realized the power that could be unleashed through the bond and trust between Ultramen and humans.
But Hyuga, having come from an Earth in another universe, had a much deeper understanding of it.
While his understanding might not be entirely correct, he knew that an Earth that only relied on Ultramen, only relied on the help of outsiders to achieve victory, was not worthy of being saved.
The Five Ultra Oaths left behind by the Ultramen had already told humanity not to depend on the strength of others.
Shingo Sakomizu looked at Hyuga on the screen, nodded solemnly, and said, "Humanity… will definitely protect this beautiful planet. Whatever you need us to do, we will do it without hesitation!"
If another Earth from another universe had come to help, then GUYS had even less reason to give up.
"If there's anything you need us to do, please just say the word."
Captain Hyuga was quite satisfied with Sakomizu's attitude. He was indeed one of the most outstanding defense team captains in their planet's history.
With a team like GUYS and the full support of the Ultramen, Earth finally had a glimmer of hope for victory…
Following this, Captain Hyuga and Captain Sakomizu held a discussion that lasted nearly an hour.
From a macro perspective, the role humanity could play in this battle was minuscule, but… humanity had its own ways of fighting.
For example: creating insecticides capable of eliminating common bugs on a large scale, planning how to evacuate civilians when the Swarm invades the surface, and how to prevent humans themselves from undergoing insectification.
These were all tangible methods that could increase humanity's survival rate and aid the Ultramen.
"That's all for now. The Pendragon has transferred all the technology you can currently implement."
After the discussion concluded, Captain Hyuga's tone grew heavy. "This is all that humanity can do. The rest… can only be left to Rei and the Ultramen."
Glancing at Rei beside him, Captain Hyuga gave a gratified smile, clearly having immense trust in his partner.
"If the bugs only fly in the sky, then even Rei probably can't do much," Vice-Captain Haruna's voice came from behind.
Her words immediately caught Shingo Sakomizu's attention.
"He is Rei? The… human who passed Ultraman Noa's trial?"
From the beginning, Captain Hyuga had distinguished Rei from the Ultramen, which made Sakomizu a little puzzled. No matter how he looked at him, this Rei seemed to be just an ordinary person.
Could it be… he was a human host for an Ultraman, just like Mirai?
But Captain Hyuga's earlier words had clearly ruled out the possibility of him being an Ultraman…
Seeing Sakomizu's confusion, Captain Hyuga smiled and said, "Rest assured, Rei is not an alien, nor is he an Ultraman. He is a Reionics from Earth, a member of our Space Pendragon, and our most precious comrade!"
Putting his arm around Rei's neck, Captain Hyuga proudly introduced his partner to Sakomizu.
"Don't worry, every single member of the Pendragon will stand with you, with GUYS, to see this catastrophe through together."
Hyuga's voice was filled with confidence and determination. The other four members of the Pendragon crew shared his sentiment.
This moved Sakomizu on the other side of the screen deeply.
Hyuga was undoubtedly a competent and excellent captain; otherwise, he wouldn't be so beloved by his crew.
Looking at the crew of the Pendragon, Sakomizu then looked at his own team members.
Everyone except Mirai was here. They hadn't run away in fear, not before, and not now.
Perhaps his team members had already formed a bond similar to that of the Pendragon's crew, and he just hadn't noticed it yet.
However… one person was still missing from their ranks.
"Mirai… please come back soon. All of us are waiting for you…"
---o---
Light Curtain Commentary
[Jun Himeya]: "Does such a defense team… really exist?"
Does a defense team like the Pendragon crew and GUYS truly exist? Although Jun Himeya wasn't a member of the Night Raiders, he longed for a defense team just like them. He wasn't even asking for help; just not being backstabbed while Nexus was busy fighting would be a massive improvement over the current Night Raiders.
[Don't Want a Jeep]: "Mebius, you really have very considerate teammates, and an even more considerate captain."
He was envious. Even Leo was a little envious. Same teammates, same captain, but the comparison was stark. How could the gap between people be so vast? How could his Dan Moroboshi ever compare to Sakomizu and Hyuga?
[Jugglus Juggler]: "How nice. The bond between humans. I wonder… to what extent will these bonds allow Mebius, and that Reionics named Rei, to grow?"
[Madara Uchiha / The Uchiha Dancer]: "Hmph, ridiculous. The power of bonds? Power is something tangible. It won't appear out of thin air because of some laughable bond."
[Jugglus Juggler]: "That's why I said, you know nothing about the Ultramen."
[Yukino Yukinoshita]: "I can understand it for an Ultraman, but… can a Reionics also become stronger because of something like that?"
[Gomora's #1 Fan]: "I don't know, but… if it weren't for the captain and the others, I probably would have become a tool for Rayblood's revival a long time ago."
[Gomora's #1 Fan]: "So, to protect them, I will give it my all, even if it means sacrificing myself."
---o---
Light Curtain Footage
The scene shifted to a planet that had already been completely harvested by the Swarm.
Upon the Swarm-occupied planet, a golden light flashed for a long time before slowly fading into nothingness.
"Szzzll—"
The air was filled with a scorched smell. More than half of the Swarm on this planet had been annihilated.
Even another King-Bug, a massive shelled creature that had landed on the planet's surface, now lay dead.
"Hah… to think it already possessed such terrifying combat strength."
Absolutian Tartarus took a deep breath, cautiously approaching the corpse of the shelled King-Bug.
Unlike the Star-Shattering King-Bug that Zero had faced, this one lacked high-speed mobility. Its body was encased in a keratinous iron-like armor, making it look like a mobile fortress.
Evidently, this was an Emanator of the Swarm King that specialized in defense, one of the Swarm King's myriad children.
Tartarus had intended to teleport directly to Earth, but he had encountered it midway. It had taken him several hours of fighting to finally slay it.
"The threat level is too high. A bug of this unique physique would be considered a top-tier powerhouse anywhere in the universe."
It was a good thing he had come himself. Had it been the other two Ultimate Lifeforms from the Kingdom, they likely would have had no choice but to flee when faced with this shelled King-Bug and its entire planet's worth of giant insects.
"There are probably several more bugs like this one. Before reaching Earth, it's best to avoid contact with bugs of this level."
Tartarus mused. Within his sensory range, he could already detect over twenty King-Bugs, and all of them seemed to be of different types.
One was manageable, and two or three wouldn't be a major problem for him. But if the King-Bugs formed a sizable group, the consequences would be unthinkable.
"Until I find news of the Sacred Light, it's better to have less contact with the Swarm. I'll leave all this trouble to the Land of Light."
Without any intention of lingering, a golden light flashed, and Tartarus quickly vanished from the spot.
He had no interest in the bugs. As long as that personage was willing to act, the Kingdom would never be troubled by the Swarm.
After Tartarus left, the remaining Swarm quickly devoured the corpse of the shelled King-Bug until nothing was left.
Then, a pair of giant compound eyes materialized in the void, gazing at the evolving insects.
As if it had discovered something, the Swarm quickly regrouped and, obeying the will of the giant eyes, swarmed towards the spot where Tartarus had disappeared…
Author's Note: PS: I've finished watching Blazar, and I can sum it up in two words: SO GOOD!!! It's been a long time since I've watched a show this thrilling.