This viewing was just too bizarre.
That was the unanimous opinion of the audience outside the light curtain.
A planet as massive as Jupiter, home to supernatural creatures like kaiju, hadn't even lasted a single day against the Swarm.
In just twenty-one short hours, that azure planet had been transformed into a living hell. The world was stained red, filled everywhere with the buzzing of winged insects.
Not a single creature could escape the insect tide, not even the flying kaiju that soared through the skies.
Resources that could have sustained a mid-tier civilization in luxury for hundreds, if not thousands, of years were devoured and wiped clean by the Swarm in less than a day.
And this... was only the beginning.
---o---
Light Curtain Barrage—
The Overseer: "The Swarm, Propagation... truly astonishing methods. Even Schicksal's most elite forces would require several months at least to conquer a planet of that size, yet the Swarm did it in less than a day."
Mobius: "What ugly and terrifying creatures. It seems they are an enemy of civilization, much like the Honkai Beasts. I truly want to get one for research..."
Yukinoshita Yukino: "Wait, I think I just saw a familiar figure. That monster fighting the Swarm on the ground... it looks strangely familiar."
Hikigaya Hachiman: "Don't doubt yourself, you saw it correctly. If I remember right, that's a monster from the famous Tokusatsu series Ultraman. Its name is... Gomora."
In the My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU world, Hikigaya Hachiman dug out a DVD he had treasured for years. He carefully compared the two. Aside from the massive difference in image quality between the old DVD and the video, the monster's appearance was almost identical.
The ancient monster Gomora. Since he had appeared, did that mean the world being chronicled this time... was Ultraman's?
Ultraman was so famous that humans in many worlds knew of his existence. After all, who hadn't dreamed of becoming a being of light as a child?
Of course, due to differences in worldviews and eras, not every world was aware of Ultraman.
Uchiha Madara: "A giant over fifty meters tall? Judging by its size alone, it's inferior to a Susanoo..."
Eren Yeager: "That's the same height as the Colossal Titan, but... a Giant of Light on humanity's side? How can that be? I can't even imagine a Titan fighting for humans."
Ace Pilot: "Ultraman? Hey, what's going on? Does this mean these insects are going to appear in our world?"
Absolutian Tartarus: "I see. So, this time it will be resolved by those Ultras from the Land of Light. Is that mysterious entity that descended on the edge of the galaxy comparable to one of those few..."
In his golden kingdom, Tartarus gazed at the distant universe. As an Ultimate Lifeform himself, he understood that the Ultras were no easy opponents.
The Space Garrison alone was one of the preeminent forces in the universe, to say nothing of those ultimate beings who stood on par with that great person.
---o---
Light Curtain Video—
While the audience was deep in discussion, the Swarm had already burst forth from the planet.
Under the will of the Aeon, the insect tide began to sweep across the entire galaxy. They traveled from one star system to another, and wherever they went, all things were devoured.
Before the Swarm, technologically advanced aliens and powerful kaiju were nothing more than nutrients.
The Swarm swept over planet after planet, and its individual units gradually diversified from a monotonous form.
Some insects fused with kaiju, taking on new forms. Fifty-meter-tall insects were born.
They became the blades of the Swarm, fighting time and again for the cause of Propagation.
The rapidly breeding Swarm soon attracted the attention of many powerful cosmic beings.
At first, they were puzzled, not understanding where this force had come from. Then came shock.
The speed of the Swarm was beyond imagination. While they were still debating whether to establish contact with these peculiar lifeforms, the insect tide had already spread throughout the entire star system.
Their rate of reproduction was simply too fast. The sight of the endless Swarm soaring through interstellar space was terrifying. At this rate, the entire Milky Way would become the Swarm's meat grinder.
But even so, not many civilizations planned to intervene.
"If it doesn't concern me, let it be." Not every civilization possessed a heart of justice like the Ultras.
The first law of civilization is survival. As long as the Swarm had not reached their sphere of influence, everything was fine.
Ultimately, the combat power displayed by the Swarm so far was not strong enough to make them feel fear.
What would become of these insects would depend on the Land of Light's decision.
As everyone knew, the Ultras of the Land of Light, for some reason, had long considered a small, insignificant planet in the Solar System as their second home.
The renowned Ultra Brothers of the Space Garrison had almost all been active on Earth at some point.
Now that the Swarm was rampant, at their current speed, it wouldn't be long before they reached the Solar System. With humanity's level of technology, they would most likely suffer the same fate as those other pitiful civilizations and become a breeding ground for the Swarm.
The Ultras of the Land of Light would never accept such an outcome. They would surely make a decision soon.
Although there was already one Ultraman protecting Earth at the moment, it was likely impossible for a single rookie, who could only operate on Earth for three minutes, to resolve the threat of the Swarm on his own.
Nebula M78, the Ultra Star—the Land of Light!
"Captain, according to our observers' intelligence, the insect tide that emerged on the edge of the galaxy has already eroded half of the Milky Way. It will soon reach the Solar System."
Atop the green tower, the famous Ultra Brothers of the cosmos were all gathered.
Their expressions were solemn as they looked at the Ultraman before them, who wore a red cape, had large horns, and exuded a benevolent aura.
That's right, this was the Supreme Commander of the Space Garrison, one of the highest-ranking Ultras in the Land of Light, the legendary Father of Ultra.
Father of Ultra pondered for a moment, not giving an immediate order.
The appearance of the Swarm was too sudden. Even the Land of Light had only just received the information.
From the footage captured by aliens, these bizarre creatures were indeed insects.
But in the records of the Land of Light, while there were similar insectoid monsters, there was no other accurate information about these particular creatures.
A cosmic species that even the Land of Light had never encountered?
"Captain, there's no time! With Mebius's abilities, he won't be able to stop those insects. We must act quickly. Please, give the order."
As Father of Ultra was thinking, Seven, standing to the side, could no longer hold back and urged him on.
If one were to ask which of the brothers had the deepest affection for humanity, it would undoubtedly be him. Seven could absolutely not accept humanity being drowned by the insect tide.
Father of Ultra clearly understood Seven's urgency and immediately said, "Very well. Seven, you, along with the original Ultraman and Jack, will proceed to Earth to support Mebius."
"Understood." After the order was given, the three Ultra Brothers, all of whom had spent time on Earth, nodded in succession.
They then flew from the tower, heading for the now-threatened planet Earth.
As Father of Ultra watched them depart, he felt a faint sense of foreboding.
"Zoffy, go to Planet K76. Find Ultraman King. He will surely know the origin of these insects."
The unknown was the greatest enemy. There had never been such a terrifying insect tide in the universe, capable of sweeping through an entire star system in less than a few days.
Although he had already dispatched three Ultra Warriors to Earth, Father of Ultra felt a strange palpitation in his heart.
He had deliberately not sent Ace, but would they still encounter danger?
"Ultraman King?" Before Father of Ultra could think further, Zoffy's expression was one of surprise. "Captain, is it necessary to inform the King of this?"
It wasn't that Zoffy was refusing, but that was the legendary superman, the King of the Ultra race. Putting it simply, if the old master was willing to act, there was basically nothing in the universe that couldn't be resolved.
Right now, he was on Planet K76, helping Leo train Seven's bratty son. To disturb him for such a small matter seemed truly unnecessary.
Zoffy thought to himself, being sent to find Ultraman King was a lot of pressure. It wasn't that he was unwilling to go, but couldn't they at least send a few others with him?
Thinking of the black history from his hot-headed youth, Zoffy couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
Father of Ultra just sighed softly. "Zoffy, the darkness in the universe is spreading, faster and faster. I have a feeling that soon... soon the Land of Light will face a great disaster."
"Whether it's the sudden appearance of the Swarm or the enemies lurking in the shadows coveting the Land of Light, their emergence is definitely not a coincidence."
"The King must know something. Informing him beforehand can only be a good thing."
"Go, Zoffy. The King will surely give you guidance, because everything in the universe is within his sight..."
As if remembering something, Father of Ultra lightly placed a hand on his waist. If not for his old back injury, he would have wanted to go himself this time.
Sigh. He could only hope those boys could find the mastermind behind the Swarm. He could only hope... this was truly just a simple disaster.
---o---
Light Curtain Barrage—
With the appearance of the Ultramen, the audience outside the video, as expected, erupted.
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "It's really, really Ultraman! I recognize them! I used to watch them on TV. So many Ultramen! Is that the planet where they live?!"
Even a young woman couldn't resist the charm of Ultraman. After all, seeing one's childhood heroes in this manner was truly exciting, especially so many of them at once.
Eren Yeager: "They're really giants... every one of them is the size of the Colossal Titan. And... they're intelligent, they can talk..."
In the world of Titans, Eren's entire worldview was being reshaped. Even through the screen, he could feel the gentle yet powerful aura of light.
If their world had giants like these, how could humanity be so humiliated...
Yukinoshita Yukino: "Seven, Ultraman, Jack... three powerful Ultra Warriors. With their strength, they can surely protect the Earth, right..."
Although the aliens in the video mentioned that the Swarm's current power wasn't very strong, just their numbers were astounding, Yukino felt that they were underestimating the threat.
The impact of witnessing a planet's destruction and the fall of half the galaxy was too great for her. So much so that even with the Ultras on their way, she felt this would be a difficult situation to handle.
The Overseer: "For now, we can only trust in them, can't we? But Ultraman, huh... so this viewing, while not about humans, features beings who are extremely friendly to humanity? It seems the Supreme God is rather fond of humans, isn't he? This is truly... flattering."
---o---
Light Curtain Video—
With the Land of Light taking action, an undercurrent began to flow throughout the universe.
As everyone knew, the Land of Light was one of the most powerful and active top-tier forces in the cosmos. Its second home, Earth, was also seen as a place not to be trifled with in the eyes of most aliens.
Since the Ultra Brothers had been dispatched, many aliens would inevitably head towards the Milky Way or Earth.
Whether it was to gather intelligence on the Ultra Brothers or to investigate the sudden appearance of the Swarm, Earth had clearly become the center of attention.
At this time on Earth, it was the era of Ultraman Mebius.
After training for so long in the "newbie village," the once-immature rookie had grown into a qualified Ultra Warrior.
Mebius was currently gazing at the sky. As an Ultraman, his vision was powerful enough to see through the atmosphere and into the starry cosmos.
Before the arrival of the Swarm, the starry sky was still splendid and beautiful, decorated with countless stars. It was a sight Mebius never tired of.
"But... what is that red dot?"
In his field of vision, a faint crimson color appeared. It was definitely not a natural color of the cosmos; it seemed more like something artificial.
Widening his eyes, Mebius tried to see more clearly, but it was still too far away. He could see nothing but a patch of crimson.
A deeply ominous feeling rose in his heart. For something like this to appear in space was definitely not a good sign.
Could it be the work of Emperor Alien Empera again?
Various questions rose in his mind. The Mebius of this moment had no idea what terrifying changes had occurred in the universe during the short time he had been on Earth...
Author's Note:
PS: Because the settings and timelines of Ultraman itself have many variations, and the worldviews of both Honkai: Star Rail and Ultraman are vast, there will be minor changes here based on my own ideas. Please bear with me.