---o---
[Universal Emperor Belial: Come to think of it, I never really noticed. That kid Zoffy actually has so many medals on his chest. It seems he's really made something of himself.]
[Ace Pilot of the Death Squad: Star Marks? What are those? It seems like among the Ultra Brothers, only Zoffy has them. Are they very precious?]
[Ultraman Taiga: Precious is an understatement! They're an honor that countless Ultramen might chase their entire lives and never obtain! If I could get even one Star Mark, I'd have to be placed at the very front of the family tree!]
[Suicide Bomber Prince: ???]
[Director of the Land of Light Meatpacking Plant: Hahaha, it seems Taiga's experiences on Earth have taught him a lot of strange things. Though it's a bit of an exaggeration, the Star Marks are indeed the highest honor in the Land of Light. The number of Ultra Warriors in history who have possessed this medal can be counted on one hand. To have a chest full of them like Zoffy-niisan is rarer than a phoenix feather.]
[Yukino Yukinoshita: So even among the Ultra Brothers, only Zoffy has them?]
[Coming at You in a Jeep: No, a few of us have them. But all of our brothers' medals combined aren't as many as Zoffy-niisan's. So naturally, we don't have the habit of wearing them every day.]
[Super Scientist Ah Guang: Each of Captain Zoffy's Star Marks is proof that he once protected the universe. It is also because of this that he has become the most respected Ultra Warrior in the Land of Light, second only to the Supreme Commander.]
[Utaha Kasumigaoka: I never would have thought Zoffy was so incredible. It seems we underestimated him before...]
---o---
[On the light curtain, as Alien Empera's words fell, the Dark Four Heavenly Kings appeared on Earth out of thin air.
Of course, there should only be three of them now. After all, Yapool had lost contact long ago due to Phantylia's interference, and it was unknown whether he was even dead or alive.
"So he's Zoffy? The eldest of the Ultra Brothers and the current captain of the Space Garrison?" one of the Four Heavenly Kings, Grozam, looked at the suddenly appeared Zoffy with a scornful smile.
As an immortal being, he feared no one in the entire universe except for Alien Empera.
"Excellent. I can finally fight against these disgusting beings of light once more. Allow me to show you the power of Desrem, the cosmic strategist!" A cold light filled Desrem's eyes. His hatred for the Ultra Warriors ran bone-deep. If the Emperor wasn't watching from behind, he would have likely been the first to strike.
As for Mephilas, he merely glanced at his two colleagues, shook his head, and showed no intention of making a move.
His attitude quickly drew the dissatisfaction of his comrade. "Alien Mephilas, what time is it for you to still be acting so aloof? Don't you want to kill Zoffy and claim credit from His Majesty the Emperor?"
"No, I have no interest in such things. Ganging up on an opponent does not align with my aesthetics of despair."
The gentlemanly demon, Alien Mephilas, spoke thusly. Although he was a subordinate of Emperor Empera, he was also a renowned gentleman in the cosmos. He couldn't possibly do something so beneath his station.
"Hmph, suit yourself. But don't you dare try to claim the meat that's already in my mouth. I, the Freezing Star Grozam, will take him down."
Swoosh—
The moment Grozam's voice fell, a frigid cold instantly enveloped the entire city.
A few animals and birds that hadn't managed to evacuate were instantly frozen into blocks of ice, their lives extinguished.
Seeing this, Desrem also moved his skeleton-like body, whose flesh and bone seemed inverted, and advanced on Zoffy.
Two of the Dark Heavenly Kings attacked at once, a situation never before seen in past history.
A person's reputation precedes them. Among the dark beings, Zoffy's fame was not insignificant, making him fully worthy of a joint assault from the two of them.
The scene now focused on Zoffy. Facing the attack of two opponents, he showed not a hint of panic.
Thanks to the trust of humanity, his energy was now almost fully restored. The only remaining deficit had been replenished by his human host, Shingo Sakomizu.
Facing the ferocious Grozam, Zoffy immediately returned fire with a Z-Ray, interrupting Grozam's advance.
He then turned his eyes to Desrem, decisively closing the distance and grabbing Desrem's neck, relentlessly striking at his skull-like head with a series of hand chops.
But Desrem was, after all, an old general under Empera who had participated in the Great Ultra War. His combat experience was equally rich.
With a donkey's roll, he threw Zoffy off. At that moment, Grozam saw his chance and grabbed Zoffy from behind with both hands, beginning to release an icy chill.
It was common knowledge that cold was a special counter to Ultramen. In the past, the Ultra Brothers had lost their energy due to the cold and were crucified.
This was also why Empera valued Grozam so highly. With his identity as a Freezing Star and his immortal body, an ordinary Ultraman was no match for him.
But at that moment, Zoffy surprisingly moved. With a sharp elbow strike backward, he knocked Grozam away.
Then, he unleashed an M87 Ray at thirty percent power from the palm of his hand. A single blast ripped a large hole in Desrem's body, sending him flying into the distance where he collapsed, silent.
Grozam was dumbfounded by this scene, staring blankly at the fallen Desrem.
A one-hit kill!!
Desrem was killed in a single hit?
This... this couldn't be right. Desrem was a veteran of the Great Ultra War. How could he be one-shotted by Zoffy, who was just an ordinary warrior back then?
As he thought this, Grozam failed to notice that he had taken a few steps back out of fear.
And it was these few steps that drew the displeasure of Emperor Empera. He roared in anger, "Why are my subordinates now a pack of useless rice bags, a bunch of good-for-nothings!"
Immediately after, a wave of red light crossed the void. The terrifying energy grazed Zoffy's body, kicking up a shower of sparks and causing him to stumble from the force.
But Alien Empera's target was not him, but Grozam, who was standing behind Zoffy.
With that single terrifying blow, the body of Grozam, who claimed to be immortal, was completely annihilated, not even a speck of dust remaining.
"Mephilas, now it's your turn. Kill him for me."
The Emperor's majestic voice echoed in Alien Mephilas's ears, causing the waves in his once-calm heart to surge again.
Although His Majesty the Emperor's last move had injured Zoffy, Desrem and Grozam together were no match for him. How could he possibly win?
But even so, Alien Mephilas still stepped forward to face the challenge.
As a civil officer, forcing him to fight Zoffy was asking a bit much of him. However... the intelligent Alien Mephilas understood that the consequence of not fighting would be the same as Grozam's: being turned to dust.
"As you command, Your Majesty. Allow me, Alien Mephilas, to test you, Zoffy of the Land of Light."
Alien Mephilas spoke, and immense energy rose from his entire body.]
---o---
Light Curtain Commentary—
[Yukino Yukinoshita: Alien Empera is truly ruthless. They were his own subordinates, members of the Four Heavenly Kings no less, yet he kills them without a second thought, showing no regard for face.]
[Maple Sugar General Commander: This... is this what it means to be the ultimate evil? He's much scarier than the villains in magical girl anime!]
[First Emperor of Qin: To wantonly execute one's own men, can such a person be called an emperor? Hmph, he is merely a dictator with great power.]
[Ace Pilot of the Death Squad: Although none of them are good people, I really feel sorry for his subordinates.]
[Zoffy with the Big Manly Pectorals: Alien Mephilas, even if your emperor is so unreasonable, you still intend to follow him?]
---o---
[On the light curtain, while Shingo Sakomizu fought alongside Zoffy, Empera had not stopped sending Inpelaizers to Earth.
And within the Phoenix Nest, humanity's resistance continued!
"To answer the heart of the Ultra Warrior, to answer the efforts of Mirai... So as not to betray the feelings of the people who believe in the Ultramen... We too must fight with the resolve to die!"
Shingo Sakomizu was not present, but under the command of Acting Captain Ryu Aihara, all the members of GUYS were burning with a fiery fighting spirit. "GIG!!"
The Inpelaizers were already closing in on Phoenix Nest. Here, GUYS had deployed the best defense they possibly could!
They had to defeat the Inpelaizers here, to answer the call... of the Ultra Warriors!!
As long as they didn't give up, they could achieve victory. This was the belief of everyone in GUYS.
Overwhelming firepower suppressed the Inpelaizers. With a command from the Phoenix Nest's headquarters, the long-prepared Silver Shark Gun opened fire!
The blast from the Silver Shark Gun knocked an Inpelaizer down, but one by one, the cannons were destroyed by high-energy drills fired by the Inpelaizers!
And the moment one Inpelaizer was knocked down, the next appeared via spatial transfer!!
"GUYS base, switch to flight mode immediately!!"
"How are the power engines?"
"George, check the reflector panels!!"
"GIG!"
Defense cannons and automated landmines continuously hindered the Inpelaizers, but these weapons were completely ineffective against them!
The beams fired by the Inpelaizers struck Phoenix Nest, causing the entire base to shake violently!!
It was obvious... Phoenix Nest could no longer switch to flight mode!!
The Inpelaizers spun wildly, unleashing their energy in a torrent! Sparks flew one after another from the points of impact!
And the defensive line in front of Phoenix Nest... was...
Completely annihilated!!!
Phoenix Nest could no longer take off. The final line of defense had been breached. The interior of the base was continuously collapsing, and the particle accelerator was destroyed along with it!!
All of this was courtesy of the Inpelaizers before them...
Despair.
A suffocating despair.
That feeling of despair lingered in the hearts of every viewer watching the projection.
Just a few of them had brought humanity to such a difficult state, and yet there were millions more Inpelaizers gathered in space.
What on earth could they do to destroy them all?
At that moment, the door to the GUYS base command center was thrown open, and a limping Mirai Hibino, clutching his chest, walked in!
Ryu Aihara rushed to support him.
"I... have to fight too!" Mirai said, enduring the intense pain.
Ryu was angry. "Do you have any idea what condition your body is in right now??"
Mirai Hibino gasped for breath. "The people on Earth... they need Ultraman Mebius! I want to answer their feelings!! And... this is a place of memories for all of us!!"
The cannons on the Inpelaizer's face began to rotate, about to open fire...
Just then—
Zoffy's voice materialized in the command center of Phoenix Nest.
"Mebius... You and your comrades have done your best. Rest well. Leave the rest... to me."
"Zoffy-niisan!" Hearing Zoffy's words, Mirai looked towards the direction where Zoffy and Alien Mephilas were fighting.
Alien Mephilas was in full retreat. Soon, Zoffy-niisan would be able to defeat him and come here to help.
Seeing this, Mirai pursed his lips. As expected of Zoffy-niisan. With a single move, he had reversed the entire situation.
But... even for Zoffy-niisan...
BOOM!!!
Before Mirai could finish his thought, a burning fireball descended from the sky.
A powerful dark energy forced Zoffy, who was on the battlefield, to suddenly raise his head.
He's here... After all this time, he has finally arrived. The Great Emperor of the Dark Universe!!
A black silhouette emerged from the raging flames, possessing an unrivaled aura that commanded all.
The moment he appeared, the entire Earth underwent a terrifying transformation!
Countless buildings crumbled, exploded, and collapsed under his oppressive presence!!
Ruins—
Everywhere, there were ruins and raging flames...
In the city that had been reduced to rubble, amidst the burning fires, the dark sovereign landed gently.
In the next moment, a massive force sent dust a thousand feet into the air! The very Earth cried out in agony at his arrival!!
Amidst the raging flames... a black cape, symbolizing royalty, was billowed by the wind.
"It's Alien Empera!!" the members of GUYS cried out in shock. A thick darkness coiled around Alien Empera's body.
That darkness contained no impurities, no sense of filth.
It was the complete opposite of light! The purest, most extreme darkness!
He was the emperor of all darkness in the universe. The moment any light came into contact with him, it would be annihilated!!
All living things were to grovel at his feet!
It was as if the entire universe was already in the palm of his hand!
"Enough, Alien Mephilas. Retreat."
Perhaps knowing that Alien Mephilas was not skilled in combat, Empera did not treat him as he had Grozam.
Standing before Zoffy, the Emperor's figure was dark and imposing.
"It seems I must act in the end. So be it... consider this a warm-up before my battle with Father of Ultra."
Alien Empera's voice was as arrogant as ever, but Zoffy revealed an expression that suggested his plan had succeeded.
"I've finally been waiting for you, Alien Empera."
Completely contrary to the Emperor's expectations, Zoffy showed no fear or trembling. It was as if he were facing an ordinary enemy.
"Oh?" Empera was a little surprised. "Could it be you still have some hidden trick up your sleeve, Zoffy?"
But Zoffy simply placed his right hand over his chest, planted his feet on the ground, and said to Alien Empera, "Emperor of the Dark Universe, you are indeed powerful, but you are by no means invincible."
"Listen to the voice of the planet beneath your feet. Like countless other stars, it is crying out to live."
Zoffy's voice was calm and unexpected. The voice of the planet?
How could a planet have a voice?
Alien Empera didn't understand what Zoffy meant, but he vaguely sensed a troubling aura.
This planet seemed to have given birth to some kind of immense power, which was now continuously flowing into Zoffy's body.
This was a power Zoffy had only used a few times in his tens of thousands of years of life.
It was also the reason why he was able to obtain so many Star Marks and become the captain of the Space Garrison.
Upon this planet, he had comprehended the meaning of protection. This brand-new stance was Zoffy's greatest strength!
That's right, this is... the Voice of the Stars!
---o---