---o---
[Inside Phoenix Nest, GUYS used their advanced technology to detect a special field.]
It was a shielded, floating, isolated island, wreathed in crimson flames.
"That thing is..."
The moment they saw the floating island, the members of GUYS felt an immense pressure. The dark energy emanating from it was enough to obliterate the entire planet's surface in an instant.
And yet, they had only just now discovered the existence of such a dangerous object.
A special magnetic field completely isolated the island, making it impossible to detect with Earth's current technology. It was only thanks to the sufficient technology left behind by the Pendragon that they were able to find it. Otherwise, humanity would have truly met its end in silence.
"If I'm not mistaken, that thing... is the spaceship left behind by Alien Empera."
As the captain, Sakomizu Shingo recognized the nature of the island at a glance.
When Alien Empera had descended upon Earth, he had been enveloped in a ball of fire, and that... was his personal vessel.
The terrifying dark energy it contained could destroy a planet with ease.
"So, that midget Mephilas was talking about is hiding in Alien Empera's leftover spaceship?" Ikaruga George mused.
That creature, who had sown discord between the Ultramen and humanity, who had made an enemy of the light while also being an enemy of the darkness, was brazenly hiding in Empera's ship.
Such shamelessness, such a dirty tactic—what kind of alien could pull that off without batting an eye or their heart skipping a beat?
"No matter what, we have to board that spaceship. Not just for the future and for the Ultra Brothers, but for ourselves. As long as such a dangerous object exists, Earth will never know peace."
Aihara Ryu stared at the island displayed on the screen, his expression solemn.
Things were different now. The Ultra Warriors had all been detained for interrogation, and there was no one left to help them.
Without the aid of the Ultramen, relying solely on GUYS's strength to confront that mastermind was a bit of a stretch.
But they had no choice. Even if they couldn't do it, they had to. Even if it meant paying with their lives.
"Let's move! The GUYS defense systems won't hold for long. Those people have gone mad, they're even trying to capture us."
Kazama Marina perked up her ears, faintly hearing the sound of laser cutters. To capture these "human traitors," headquarters was now willing to abandon GUYS Japan entirely.
"Alright. Since it's come to this, let's all go together. We have to do this before the Ultramen are harmed!"
As Ryu's words fell, the team's gazes all focused on Captain Sakomizu Shingo.
Looking at his familiar team members, a hint of gratification flashed in Sakomizu's eyes. He took a deep breath.
["GUYS, Sally Go!!"]
["GIG!!"]
---o---
Across the infinite dimensions of the multiverse, as the viewers watched the members of GUYS, they couldn't help but feel a sense of sorrow.
An entire tier of human leadership had less sense than the front-line combat team.
Though it seemed the top brass in the Ultraman universe was often clueless, and while there were reliable ones, they were few and far between. One could only say this was a characteristic feature of the Ultra multiverse.
[Light Curtain Comments]
[Don't Want a Jeep: "Mebius, your team members are excellent. They are your precious treasure on Earth."]
Far away, by Ultraman King's side, Leo found himself praising Mebius's companions for what felt like the umpteenth time.
It was mainly because the contrast made the difference so stark. If even half of Leo's old teammates had been as reliable as Mebius's, his life wouldn't have been so painful.
[Ace Pilot of the Death Squad: "Say no more. While the GUYS high command has some serious issues, at least the front-line members are smart. If they had also been brainwashed by Phantylia, then humanity would have truly been beyond saving."]
[Galaxy Baseballer: "I'm actually very curious about what the human leaders are thinking. They can't even tell if the Ultramen are good or bad? They can't possibly be that stupid, right?"]
[Cold-Faced Young Dragon: "I'm more inclined to believe they are being controlled by Phantylia. Don't forget, Phantylia is a Suiyang, and one of the most powerful among them!"]
[The Short Head of the Master Diviner Commission: "A Suiyang? Species like that are indeed very skilled at manipulation and guiding thoughts, especially with ordinary people who have almost no resistance to them. No wonder Phantylia was able to throw the entirety of human society into such chaos so quickly."]
---o---
[With the launch of GUYS, Stelle, Musashi, and Asuka also arrived at Phoenix Nest.]
["Those jets... is a monster appearing?"]
Watching the tail flames of the Phoenix, Asuka felt a sense of familiarity, as if he were back on the Earth of his own universe. He turned to ask the two beside him.
Musashi, using Cosmos's vision, looked into the distance and frowned. "There are quite a few people inside. Almost all of Mebius's teammates are in there. They're..."
["Are they being persecuted too, for the crime of harboring an Ultraman?"]
Stelle sighed as she looked towards where the jets had disappeared.
["Let's go. Follow them. Let's see if we can drag that mastermind out!"]
As her voice fell, Stelle transformed into a small version of Nexus and flew into the sky.
At the same time, the Phoenix was gradually approaching Alien Empera's spaceship, making its final confirmation.
"This island is covered in flames. How are we supposed to get in?"
Although the island didn't look very large on screen, when they actually got close, they discovered it was a massive island, comparable in size to a city.
The outskirts of the island were wreathed in flames from hell, burning so fiercely that it made everyone gulp.
"Let's circle the perimeter first and see if there are any openings we can pass through," Sakomizu Shingo ordered.
However, before Marina, the pilot, could act, the jet was caught by an immense magnetic force, pulling it in tightly.
"Damn it, what's going on!!"
As the jet lost control and alarms blared continuously, it tumbled like a bird with broken wings toward the flames.
...
When the members of GUYS opened their eyes again, what greeted them was a land of darkness and desolation.
There was no light here, only endless darkness.
One had to admit, it was just the kind of thing one would expect from Alien Empera. His hatred of light was so profound that he wouldn't even allow a single ray to illuminate his own lair.
"This is..."
Konomi looked around, then her gaze fell upon the sky. Though it was pitch black all around, the sky still flickered with a faint, weak light, causing her pupils to shrink.
"An Ultra Warrior?"
Teppei's eyes widened, and he muttered in disbelief, his gaze filled with shock and incredulity.
Weren't they interrogating the Ultra Warriors right now? Weren't they just restricting their freedom?
But why... why would the Ultra Warriors be here, suspended on crucifixes!!!
As the camera panned up, the viewers outside the video saw a shocking scene.
The renowned Ultra Brothers were, at this moment, fixed one by one to crucifixes.
Chains bound them tightly, and the timers on their chests could only emit a faint glow, which seemed particularly conspicuous in this darkness.
"Mirai!!"
Seeing Mebius among them, Aihara Ryu's eyes filled with rage. He was on the verge of jumping out of the jet to rescue him from the cross.
"Wait... wait, Ryu-san, don't come over. Get out of here, quickly..."
Seeing the people before him, a flicker of light returned to Mebius's eyes. He wanted to warn them away, but right now, he didn't even have the energy to use telepathy.
Just as the team was filled with indignation, a voice full of smugness and temptation echoed through the void.
"Hahaha, let me see... who's here? Isn't this humanity's defense team, the great heroes who destroyed Alien Empera, GUYS Japan?"
"Why did you only bring so few people? Where's the rest of your defense force? Didn't they come?"
The lazy voice rang in their ears, causing everyone's faces to darken.
Sakomizu Shingo opened the jet's hatch and addressed the dark sky, "Are you the mastermind who divided the bond between Ultramen and humans, plunging today's Earth into internal chaos?"
Actually, there was no need to ask. Phantylia's words had already tacitly admitted everything.
Looking at the tiny humans before her, Phantylia didn't even have the desire to show herself. Alien Empera's spaceship was quite useful; the proud jets piloted by the humans had lost all mobility before the battle even began.
"Mastermind? Hmph, if you want to blame someone, blame yourselves, humans. You're fickle and your nature is inherently evil. If not for these 'beautiful' qualities, how could I have dealt with these troublesome Ultra Warriors so easily?"
"Nonsense! It was clearly you who twisted the truth and slandered the Ultra Warriors!!"
Hearing Phantylia's words, even the usually calm Konomi grew angry, retorting furiously.
Phantylia, however, just yawned and said dismissively, "Say whatever you want. It's just the opinion of the weak, anyway. When the great power of the Aeon of [Propagation] completely sweeps the cosmos, you humans will die without any ability to resist."
"And as for me, I can finally complete Lord Nanook's orders and return to my original universe... hehe."
Phantylia's laughter was piercing and infuriating, causing everyone to glare at her with rage.
But because their jet was out of control, they could do nothing but rage helplessly.
[Just then, three beams of light suddenly broke through the hull of Alien Empera's spaceship and landed in front of the Phoenix.]
---o---
Across the infinite dimensions of the multiverse, with the appearance of the Ultra Brothers' crucifixes, the audience outside the light curtain exclaimed that this was a classic!
When did Phantylia learn the art of crucifixion? Isn't that Yapool's signature move?
Could it be that after devouring Yapool, this knowledge somehow appeared in her head?
[Other-dimensional Being Yapool: "You bastard! It's one thing to possess my body, but you dare to steal my ability too? This is unforgivable!! I will definitely create a Super Beast powerful enough to kill you!!"]
[Phantylia: "Oh, please. Do you have a patent on this thing? Who says only you can use it? Besides, do you have what it takes to tie up all seven Ultra Brothers? No way, right? You can't even beat Mebius Infinity, can you?"]
[Galaxy Baseballer: "What the hell? Can Phantylia beat Mebius Infinity? Isn't she the weakest Lord Reaver? How is that possible?"]
[Welt on His Knees: "Looking at the video, Phantylia likely used humans to lure the Ultra Brothers in one by one and defeat them individually. Otherwise, given their strength when they form Mebius Infinity, it would be impossible for there to have been no commotion at all."]
[Universal Loiterer Zero: "It doesn't matter how she did it. Right now, there are three of us, four Ultramen here. Forget a Lord Reaver, even if that Aeon of Destruction came, he'd have to surrender to me!!"]
---o---
[In the video, as the people on the Phoenix were gritting their teeth at Phantylia, Stelle, Musashi, and Asuka successfully entered the floating island.]
["Hey, you coward hiding your face! Don't get too cocky! We're here too!"]
Dyna's somewhat arrogant words echoed in Phantylia's ears, causing her to glance over.
["Oh? Those losers failed to capture you? What a shame."]
Knowing that the humans had failed, Phantylia showed no anger or disappointment, only gazing with mild interest at the Ultraman standing in the center of the trio.
Nexus, a brand new Ultra Warrior Phantylia had never seen before.
Of course, that wasn't important. What was important was the energy that Ultraman was using.
"Light? No... no, no, no. This familiar energy composition... it's a Stellaron."
How could a Stellaron, known as the Cancer of All Worlds, appear here? What was going on? Could it be...
Phantylia stared intently at Nexus's body. In response, Stelle reverted to her human form.
["Lord Reaver Phantylia! The Amber King already knows what you've been up to here! If you surrender now, you might just be able to keep your pathetic little life!"]
When Stelle's figure appeared before Phantylia, the Lord Reaver's expression was one of pure shock. Perhaps she had never expected that someone else besides her would have come to this universe.
And... this person was even someone the Amber King was paying attention to.
An Emanator of Preservation? No, there's no one like this among the Emanators of Preservation. And... that outfit, and that ticket... isn't that a Nameless, a follower of [The Trailblaze] Aeon, Akivili?
Since when did [The Trailblaze] get involved with [Preservation]?
And on top of that, she carries the Stellaron, a symbol of the Cancer of All Worlds, and has fused with the Light of this world itself. This little girl's body contains so many fancy, complicated powers.
[After seeing Stelle's true nature, even the Lord Reaver Phantylia was stunned, unable to understand what on earth Stelle had gone through to make her body so bizarrely complex.]
[Even if Lord Nanook himself were here, he'd probably be stunned by this sight.]
---