To request the intervention of Ultraman King.
This was the only solution the Father of Ultra could conceive of to save the Land of Light before the last wisp of the Sacred Light dissipated.
Though he was one of the strongest beings in the universe, with the light of the Plasma Spark Tower gone, even the Father of Ultra was powerless to turn the tide.
Only Ultraman King—the true strongest being of the Land of Light, an entity that ranked among the absolute top tier of the entire Ultra multiverse—could truly save the dying Planet Ultra.
---o---
Light Curtain Barrage
Kaguya Shinomiya: "Even the Father of Ultra is helpless? This is too terrifying! The insects, the Suiyang, Belial… it's as if they all exist specifically to counter the Ultramen."
Inside the student council room, Kaguya Shinomiya felt that the light curtain held an incredible amount of malice towards the Ultramen. Over eighteen billion of them… if they all died like this, it would be too horrifying.
Detective Conan: "Damn it… Ultraman King is cleaning up the Gray Mist with Noa right now. He can't possibly make it back in time to save the Land of Light…"
Frantically scratching his hair, Conan genuinely couldn't think of any way to save the Land of Light. No matter how powerful Ultraman King was, he couldn't possibly cross the universe in an instant, could he?
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Now is not the time for despair. If the Father of Ultra believes it, then Ultraman King can definitely solve it. As long as he arrives in time, he can surely do it."
Absolutian Tartarus: "Hmph, a planet of dead silence is not what we desire. In any case, the Land of Light will ultimately be ours. The Plasma Spark Tower and the Sacred Light will be ours as well!"
Frieren the Slayer: "What an unreasonable person. Ah, no, an Absolutian lifeform. Are all aliens of this type so unreasonable?"
---o---
Light Curtain
As the Father of Ultra's voice faded, the scene shifted back to the Land of Light.
Atop a tall building, Belial watched the planet's demise, bit by bit.
Even though this was once his home, he showed not a single trace of pity or nostalgia.
The process had been somewhat dramatic and convoluted, but he had won.
Without the Plasma Spark Tower, even the Ultra Brothers and the Father of Ultra, who were on missions elsewhere, were like water without a source, trees without soil—no longer a threat.
"A spectacular battle. As expected of the strongest dark warrior!"
In the distance, Phantylia, controlling Yapool's body, slowly descended, stepping on the frozen bodies of the Ultramen.
She had seen this kind of drama many times before. The despair of a planet on the brink of destruction was like a silent, beautiful melody, making one unable to resist sinking into it.
What was dissatisfying, however, was that none of these self-proclaimed warriors of light had fallen into despair or corruption, even at the very end.
This greatly displeased Phantylia, who reveled in despair and depravity. No wonder dark beings like Belial and Yapool detested existences like the Ultramen so much.
Fortunately, the final result was good. With the Space Garrison gone, the Swarm King Tayzzyronth's expansion would be even more unrestrained, and the aliens hiding in the shadows would emerge one after another.
The entire universe would return to an age of chaos and darkness.
And the corruption and despair that Phantylia loved most were the very bywords of that chaotic era.
She had enough time, enough patience, to wait for the cosmos to enter a dark age of turmoil…
Holding the Sacred Light, Belial ignored Phantylia's flattery. He raised the core of the Plasma Spark high, and a brilliant flash of light erupted.
A staff-like object tore through space. Under the influence of the Sacred Light, the Giga Battle Nizer, which had been personally sealed in the Valley of Flames by Ultraman King, now reappeared in Belial's hand, drawn forth by the light.
For the energy of the Land of Light's most sacred artifact to be used for such a purpose made nearly every Ultra Warrior outside the light curtain clench their fists, suppressing the rage in their hearts.
"Hmph, it truly is powerful. It can even retrieve the Giga Battle Nizer that was sealed by that old fossil from across space."
Belial carefully examined the Sacred Light in his hand, a wicked smile gracing his lips.
As expected of the Sacred Light that sustained tens of billions of Ultramen. It could even break Ultraman King's seal. The power contained within was enough for him to rule the entire universe.
Next was to head to the Monster Graveyard. The souls of the one hundred monsters vanquished by the Battle Nizer were still wandering there. With those monsters at his command, the entire universe would be his for the taking…
"Hmm?"
Suddenly sensing something, Belial looked behind him. "Still alive? Marie, it seems you've grown quite a bit stronger…"
Atop the building, after nearly every Ultra Warrior had been frozen, one person remained alive—a person Belial hadn't expected from the start.
The Mother of Ultra, Marie. One of Belial's few 'friends' from back then, and the 'mother' to countless Ultra Warriors.
"Return the Sacred Light, Belial!"
The timer on her chest flashed continuously, as if it would go out in the next second. The Mother of Ultra shouted in anger. Even as a candle in the wind, she still stood before Belial for the sake of her children.
As the captain of the Silver Cross Aid, the mother of the Ultra Brothers, and possessing unique healing abilities powerful enough to bring people back from the dead, the Mother of Ultra's own strength was not weak.
Unfortunately, the one she faced was Belial, an opponent that even the Father of Ultra found troublesome.
"You used your healing ability to restore your movement for a short time? How pathetic, Marie."
"With the Father of Ultra gone, you're the only one left to step up. Hahaha, in the end, he still lost. I am the one who won."
Perhaps to prove a point, Belial didn't rush to finish off Marie. Instead, he raised the Sacred Light high.
The glowing artifact now seemed blindingly harsh.
Just then, Phantylia, who had been watching from the side, suddenly interjected into this scene of old friends reuniting.
Yapool's body fell down unconsciously, the empty husk slowly burning under green flames, turning to ash at a visible rate.
At the same moment Yapool's body collapsed, a white ball of energy emerged from it. Though it looked small, it contained an astonishing amount of the power of [Destruction].
"Phantylia?"
What was this lunatic doing? Was she tired of playing with Yapool's body?
Belial looked at Phantylia, somewhat confused. The cooperative relationship between them was extremely tenuous at best.
"Mother of Ultra? I know you… In Yapool's memories, you, like those Ultra Brothers, became an obstacle for him time and time again."
Phantylia, now in her true form, danced in mid-air. If one could ignore her extremely malicious personality, the energy sphere of a Suiyang was actually quite beautiful.
"Who are you?"
Clearly, the Mother of Ultra did not recognize Phantylia. However, judging from Belial's attitude towards her, they were obviously on the same side.
"That ugly body was just a temporary choice I made after discovering I couldn't possess the scion of the Swarm King."
"A Giant of Light, the Mother of Ultra… what a wonderful body. Using your body to eliminate those self-proclaimed righteous Ultramen should be quite amusing."
She intended to seize the Mother of Ultra's body, just as she had with Yapool.
"What?"
Before the Mother of Ultra could react with surprise, Phantylia, in her Suiyang form, instantly drilled into the Color Timer on her chest.
And then…
"Guaaah!!!"
A shrill scream escaped the Mother of Ultra. The power of light within her body was clearly clashing with Phantylia's Path of [Destruction].
Unlike most lifeforms, Ultramen were themselves a type of energy-based life, similar to the Suiyang.
Otherwise, they wouldn't need to find human hosts on Earth or face annihilation after losing the core of the Plasma Spark.
And as beings of energy, the comparison of strength naturally depended on the intensity of that energy.
Under normal circumstances, as the Mother of Ultra, captain of the Silver Cross Aid, and mother to countless Ultramen, Marie's energy would absolutely not have been so easily defeated by Phantylia.
However… because the core of the Plasma Spark had been stolen by Belial, the severely weakened Mother of Ultra was naturally at a disadvantage in the struggle for control over her own body.
As her voice grew weaker, the Mother of Ultra's body began to change.
Phantylia's malevolent nature had absolutely nothing to do with the word "light."
The Mother of Ultra's body was quickly enveloped in darkness, transforming her into a dark warrior just like Belial.
Memories, energy, and everything that was unique to the Mother of Ultra flowed into Phantylia.
"Oh? How novel."
Belial, who was watching the show, had no intention of interrupting. Instead, he enjoyed the beautiful drama from the sidelines.
Putting other things aside, while Phantylia was no good, anything that could make the Father of Ultra suffer, that could let him experience the same helplessness and despair Belial himself once felt…
For Belial, this was an incredibly exciting prospect. It was a pity the Father of Ultra himself wasn't present to witness this delightful scene.
But… when Phantylia completely obliterated Marie's consciousness and used this body to bring darkness and despair to the universe, the look on Ken's face… should be quite something…
Belial thought to himself. Right now… he was beginning to understand Phantylia's source of pleasure just a little.
Lost in his delight, Belial would never know that in the vastness of space, a golden light was streaking toward the Land of Light at a terrifying speed.
---o---
Light Curtain Barrage
As expected, the audience was thoroughly disgusted by Phantylia and Belial.
King of Heroes: "Hah? Pleasure? Can such a twisted thing even be called pleasure? Or should I say… does such a disgusting creature even deserve to feel pleasure?"
Tingyun: "Lord Reaver Phantylia, so this is an Emanator? Her thoughts and actions are so vile, even a humble girl like myself can't bear to watch anymore."
Father of Ultra: "Belial… no matter how much you hate me, Marie is innocent! A being like you is unworthy of being an Ultraman, and even more unworthy of being an Ultra Warrior!"
Overseer of Schicksal: "Phantylia is a real piece of work… hmm… even more of one than I am."
---o---
"BOOM—!!!!"
Just as Belial was reveling in the thought of the Father of Ultra's pain, a flash of light shot from the endless starry sky, crashing directly into the Land of Light.
The brilliant golden light was so blinding that even Phantylia and Belial couldn't open their eyes.
Darkness and cold, despair and pain—all vanished with the arrival of this beam of light.
A kingly figure, hundreds, even thousands of meters tall, gradually materialized, appearing on the land of the Planet Ultra, right before Belial and Phantylia.
The white cape draped over his back, his signature beard, and his golden aura… without a doubt, the one who had arrived was Ultraman King.
To be precise, it was merely a wisp of his divine consciousness, a projection. This was not Ultraman King's true body.
"Old fossil?"
A shocked tone escaped Belial's lips. God only knew how terrified he was right now.
Without a moment's hesitation, Belial didn't even bother to warn the still-dazed Phantylia. He grabbed the Sacred Light and the Giga Battle Nizer and bolted into space.
His pathetic, fleeing appearance was a stark contrast to the one who had single-handedly defeated the Land of Light just moments ago.
He had no choice. With the Battle Nizer, Belial feared no one. Even if the Father of Ultra or Alien Empera stood before him, he wouldn't flinch.
But Ultraman King was different. Back in his prime, with a hundred monsters and the Giga Battle Nizer, he was like paper before the old King, sealed without being able to put up any resistance.
Let alone him, even if he summoned Rayblood, the result would be the same. What Ultimate Lifeform? In front of King, he couldn't make a single ripple.
What? You say this is just a projection formed by King's power?
Are you kidding? So what if it's a projection? Is a projection not Ultraman King? Even if it wasn't his true body, killing Belial would be as easy as slaughtering a chick.
But thankfully, it was just a projection. Otherwise, whether he could escape at all would be a serious question.
In short, Belial would rather die than face Ultraman King head-on. The difference in their power was several dimensions apart; he was simply no match.
The moment Belial instantly fled, Phantylia was still staring blankly at the seemingly kind and amiable old man before her.
Although Yapool's memories contained the existence of Ultraman King, since Yapool had never seen King truly in action, Phantylia had never considered him a threat.
But now, as Ultraman King's figure truly appeared before her eyes, she finally felt it—the feeling of facing death.
I'll die, I'll die, I'll die, I'll definitely die. Even a Suiyang can die.
This was an existence on the same level as Lord Nanook, an existence on the level of an Aeon.
No matter how many Antimatter Legions came, no matter how many Lord Reavers came, it was impossible to win against a being like this.
Although she was a Suiyang, although she was an Emanator, she was ultimately not an [Aeon]. Before the great power of an [Aeon], all other creatures in the cosmos were mere ants.
And Ultraman King was clearly an Aeon-like existence, a being she could never hope to defeat.
Coming to her senses, Phantylia wanted to flee, to leave this planet just like Belial, but she found that she couldn't take a single step.
It wasn't that Ultraman King had imprisoned her. Rather, the power emanating from his hands was causing her to tremble uncontrollably. Its terrifying magnitude was such that it could obliterate the planet beneath her feet with a single, casual strike.
"Belial, did you do this?"
Ignoring Phantylia at his feet, Ultraman King's gaze fell upon Belial, who was fleeing the Land of Light.
He had been peacefully clearing the mist at the edge of the universe, only to turn around and find his home gone, raided.
Not only that, but the Sacred Light, the symbol of life for the Land of Light, had fallen into Belial's hands. The situation couldn't possibly be worse.
Glancing at the Phantylia-possessed figure at his feet, King recognized at once that this was not the Mother of Ultra, but another evil presence.
At that moment, Phantylia was only one final step away from completely devouring the Mother of Ultra's consciousness. She was simply too terrified to move in King's presence.
Ultraman King frowned. He couldn't directly see Phantylia's race and identity, but he could guess.
The kingly projection in the air gently waved its hand. The next moment, the power of light within the Mother of Ultra's body swelled instantly, forcefully ejecting Phantylia.
The flashing timer on the Mother of Ultra's chest instantly returned to its original blue color.
Her body, which had been turning dark, and her consciousness, which had been on the verge of dissipating, gradually returned to their original state.
Seeing this, Phantylia immediately flew toward the outer cosmos, her pathetic appearance causing the audience outside the light curtain to laugh out loud.
At the same time, however, it gave the audience a deeper understanding of the power level of beings like Ultraman King and the Aeons.
With a wave of his hand, he was terrifyingly powerful.
A mere projection could scare away Belial and humble Phantylia, a Lord Reaver and Emanator. Such great power was truly unimaginable.
No wonder a being with such a malicious personality like Phantylia was so respectful toward Nanook, the Aeon of [Destruction].
It wasn't loyalty, but fear and reverence for the power of an Aeon. As strong as an Emanator was, they were not even a ten-thousandth of an Aeon.
Returning to the footage, Ultraman King's figure blotted out the sky. His expression was stern without being angry as he once again focused his gaze on Belial.
The one standing between heaven and earth now was not the amiable old King, but the true monarch whose name once made countless dark beings in the universe tremble in fear.
"Hyaah—"
A golden light shot from Ultraman King's hand. The light, capable of crossing hundreds of millions of light-years, reached for the fleeing Belial as if grabbing a small chick.
Phantylia was not the threat. Neither was Belial. What truly troubled King was the Sacred Light in Belial's hands.
If that wisp of light was lost, the entire Land of Light would become a dead star.
As King exerted his power, the scene shifted to space. Belial was currently racing across the cosmos, a giant, glowing hand in hot pursuit. The scene was reminiscent of the Monkey King trying to escape the Buddha's grasp.
"Damn it, you old bastard, get away from me!!" Belial roared in impotent rage.
He swung the Battle Nizer in his hand continuously, trying to disperse the giant hand formed of energy. But even the Giga Battle Nizer couldn't shake it in the slightest.
"Guaaaah!"
Faced with Ultraman King's near-infinite power, Belial was completely helpless, just like when he was one-shotted by King in the Land of Light all those years ago. History seemed to be repeating itself.
"I… I can't escape."
Belial was falling into despair. Ultraman King's power was stronger and more terrifying than any other force in the universe.
Even Alien Empera, who had terrified Belial during the Great Ultra War tens of thousands of years ago, would be helpless before this beam of light.
"No, I can't! How can I lose to this old fossil again! I don't want to go back to that life without seeing the sun."
As the light gradually enveloped him, Belial seemed to recall his life sealed in the Space Prison, and an astonishing will erupted from him.
Without hesitation, he took out the Sacred Light and touched its core directly with his claws.
"Ah… AHHHHHHH!!!!"
An excruciating cry of pain came from Belial. The heart-wrenching agony caused by directly touching the core of the Sacred Light was unbearable even for a battle-hardened warrior.
To say nothing else, the claws that touched the light had probably been melted by its energy.
"This is…"
In the Land of Light, King's divine consciousness looked at Belial's self-mutilating act with surprise. Was this guy trying to borrow the power of the Sacred Light?
While King was surprised, Belial had already achieved his goal. Because the inner core had been touched, the Sacred Light burst forth with astonishing power.
The white light ruthlessly scorched Belial's body, causing the surface layer of his skin to vaporize under its direct irradiation. It looked incredibly painful.
But for Belial, who was enduring it all, it was worth it. With the power of the Sacred Light, he successfully dispersed King's golden giant hand.
He was safe, at least for now. Although he had lost a few claws and his skin was nearly completely vaporized, he had managed to preserve his life and freedom…
"He escaped… Belial."
On the silent earth, Ultraman King sighed deeply. He looked at the countless frozen Ultramen on the ground, his heart filled with emotion.
"King, they…"
In the distance, the restored Mother of Ultra spoke, her eyes filled with immense sorrow.
She could feel that the last wisp of light within the Plasma Spark Tower had dissipated. The over eighteen billion lives of the Land of Light were gradually dying.
If the Sacred Light was not returned to the tower in a short amount of time, or if a substitute could not be found, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Marie… leave this place immediately. Go and rendezvous with Ken. Then, gather the Ultra Brothers and the Ultramen from other planets. As for these children… I will sustain their lives."
Ultraman King's voice was ancient yet sacred, like a true sun, illuminating the entire Ultra race.
"Hyaah—"
Golden power manifested from Ultraman King's regal body. He raised his hands high, illuminating the entire Land of Light like a blazing sun.
The next moment, the over eighteen billion frozen Ultramen, sustained by this power, were like drowning children clutching at a straw.
Within their gradually cooling bodies, the golden power of light replaced the original light of the Plasma Spark Tower, maintaining their lives.
"The Swarm, Belial, and the ill-intentioned person from another universe… if you wish to destroy the Land of Light, then by all means, try."
"These old bones of mine can only do so much."
Ultraman King's voice was deep and holy. He shifted his gaze to another universe, to that young warrior.
"Zero… Ultraman Zero. Your battle is far from over. Defeating Belial, defeating the Swarm… this is something only you can do."
"Go and fight! Zero!!"
---o---