allendalepharm Chapter 6, "The Prophecy of the Devil": The Challenge of the Kyrielords
Chapter 6, "The Prophecy of the Devil": The Challenge of the Kyrielords
Friday, 8 PM.
Jinghai City, Chasing Light Studio.
Although it's still the same small place, with the injection of new funds, a lot of new gadgets have been added. Those DIY junk computers have all been replaced with Apple's professional graphics workstations.
The air was filled with the aroma of fried chicken and cola.
"Brother Nan, once we make some money, let's move to that 30-story office building in downtown Jinghai, so we can see the neon-lit night view."
"Get to work, the bread will be ready. How's the upload going?"
"Brother Nan, upload complete."
Chen Bo, who is in charge of operations and also plays Horii in the drama, pressed the enter key.
"We can now use Bilibili's fast-track review channel! Wow! Review process is instant!"
"Episode 3, 'The Devil's Prophecy,' has passed review and is officially released."
"Everyone has worked hard."
Gu Nan leaned back in his chair, looking at the familiar title screen on the big screen. "This episode is our first attempt at a large-scale urban night scene model, and also the first time we've added complex fire effects. Success or failure hinges on this."
All eyes were on the screen.
At the same time, Bilibili's servers experienced another small surge in traffic.
After the positive word-of-mouth from the first two episodes, "Chasing the Light Studio" has surpassed 200,000 fans.
This number may not seem like much compared to the millions or tens of millions of online celebrities, but in the niche field of tokusatsu (special effects) and among university student production teams, it is already at the top level.
……
[Video begins]
The screen was completely black.
A strange electronic sound effect plays, followed by a shot overlooking the city.
Jinghai City, the classic "K area" in the drama, also known as Ao Peng.
First, the night view.
However, this is purely model making.
"Holy crap?"
Viewers in front of the screen couldn't help but gasp in amazement.
This night view looks so realistic!
The streets are bustling with traffic, the neon lights are flashing, and even the lights shining from the windows of office buildings have different warm and cool tones.
If it weren't for the close-up shots revealing the slightly "plastic" look of the cars, signs, and other elements, viewers would almost think it was aerial footage.
This is the effect of Gu Nan spending money.
For this night scene, Wang Kai and his team worked tirelessly for a whole week to build a miniature commercial center in a 200-square-meter photography studio.
This is not the kind of mass-produced model used in sales offices.
Here, each window is connected to an independent fiber optic cable, and each street lamp is a hand-welded LED.
This can be considered as carrying forward the craftsmanship of Tsuburaya Productions in another world.
Then, the plot unfolds.
A loud bang shattered the tranquility of the night.
A building in the K area suddenly exploded. Instead of flames shooting into the sky, it was torn apart from the inside by some force.
Immediately afterwards, a prophet who called himself a "Kyrierod" appeared.
He did not appear directly in the form of a monster, but instead possessed the body of a well-dressed man.
He stood atop the ruins, facing the television camera, a compassionate smile on his face.
"I've come to save you."
"Ultraman Tiga? Hmph, that enormous body will only bring disaster."
"As long as you submit to the god Kirielord, there will be no more explosions. Otherwise..."
With a wave of his hand, the prophet sent another building not far away engulfed in flames.
Gu Nan made a deep localization adaptation to this plot.
After some modifications and "instructions" to the actor, the tone of that "prophet" sounded exactly like those public intellectuals and influential figures on the internet who are currently stirring up trouble, or lecturers in brainwashing pyramid schemes.
He exploits humanity's fear of disaster, seeking to convert those he protects into his followers.
The barrage of comments exploded instantly.
[I can't hold it in anymore, why does he sound like a self-help guru?]
[666, they've joined a pyramid scheme.]
[Not really, this feels more like a religion.]
[This smell is too strong! Isn't this just the kind of moral blackmail you get online under the guise of "it's for your own good"?]
[Bombing buildings if they don't obey? This guy's a terrorist! A savior, huh?]
Believe it or not, there are quite a few people like this in real life. With just a little packaging and portraying themselves as gods, they instantly gain a bunch of mindless fans.
[Hey upstairs, stop cursing. I've already seen people commenting "Kiri Elorod is so handsome"... This generation of netizens is hopeless.]
The plot progresses.
Captain Megumi is a guest star played by a senior student from the performing arts department, and she exudes a powerful aura.
She publicly refuted the Kyrieirods on television.
"Ultraman possesses powers that we humans cannot comprehend, but we believe he is the light that protects us."
These words thoroughly enraged the Kirieloids.
"Since you have chosen the path of evil, then accept your judgment!"
He issued an ultimatum:
If you are light, then come out and fight me!
……
[In-depth Science Time]
At this point in the video, to help viewers better understand the villain, Gu Nan added a small "Background Information" pop-up in the lower right corner of the video.
It's somewhat similar to the information about Stand users and their Stands in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
Gu Nan originally wanted to make it like the introduction panel in Giant Monster Battle, but considering that these Tiga characters were basically making their first appearance, he rejected the idea.
The narrator begins to introduce:
"The Kirielod are different from beasts like Golza. They are highly intelligent spiritual beings, and their faces resemble a weeping smile."
There are actually many intricacies involved in the design of the Kirieloid suits.
In the original world, the Kirieloids' faces were actually designed as a "crying smile".
The designer cleverly blended the "ferocity of the devil" with the "holiness of the angel."
The luminous object on his chest resembled a heart, or perhaps a religious totem.
He proclaimed himself a god, but in reality, he was a raging fire from hell.
Furthermore, this character will repeatedly appear as a 'nemesis' in future Ultraman universes, such as in Tiga, Triga, and even the game *Ultraman Fighting Evolution Rebirth*. This is because he represents 'spiritual aggression.'
In the live chat, those who were meticulous about historical details were overjoyed.
[I knew this monster looked different! It has a kind of eerie beauty!]
A crying smile? That's chilling to think about!
[It does indeed have some religious connotations.]
How many more surprises will this content creator give us?
……
[Battle Begins]
The city center at night.
Daigo transforms, and Ultraman Tiga appears.
This time, there was no open space to maneuver.
The surrounding area is full of tall buildings.
The Kirieloids have finally revealed their true forms.
It was a gray and white humanoid monster, agile in movement, and even knew fighting techniques.
Battle is imminent.
"Bang!"
The Kirieloid delivered a roundhouse kick, striking Tiga directly in the chest.
Sparks fly!
Tiga stumbled back a few steps and crashed into an overpass, causing it to collapse.
Gravel rolled down, flattening the miniature car model underneath.
"The impact of that attack!"
Viewers in front of the screen felt their scalp tingle.
This was also Gu Nan's requirement for action director Zhang Zhao—don't fight monsters, fight in a ring.
The fighting style of the Kirielod people is a combination of Muay Thai and Sanda, characterized by its ferocity and ruthlessness.
Tiga was clearly not used to this fast-paced offense and defense at first, and was forced to retreat one after another.
The most shocking scene is about to unfold.
The Kirieloid grabbed Tiga's shoulder, slammed his knee into Tiga's abdomen, and then delivered a powerful punch that knocked Tiga to the ground.
He then unleashed the "Hellfire Bullet".
"boom--!!!"
Realistic flames exploded in the model city.
This isn't some cheaply made image with low-quality special effects; it's the result of Gu Nan's expensive "controllable gas combustion technology."
Flames licked at the building's surface, the glass made of sugar glue, and the building itself instantly melted and shattered under the intense heat.
The firelight shone on Tiga's suit, making his silver skin reflect an orange-red glow; the texture was simply amazing!
【? ? ? 】
[Such a large-scale undertaking?]
Is this fire real?!
Holy crap, how many fire department reports do we have to make? This is burning through cash!
[Tiga, stand up! Don't lose to this charlatan!]
The plot reached its climax.
Ultraman Tiga's red light flashed.
Amid cheers from the humans, Tiga switched forms.
The scene was handled with great restraint. Gu Nan avoided the awkward situation of everyone cheering, instead focusing on close-ups of a few children.
It's not the right time yet.
Tiga switches to his aerial form!
The budget-burning warrior has arrived!
A purple light flashed.
Faced with the high-speed attacks of the Kirieloids, Tiga's speed increased even further.
Afterimage!
Viewers can see a purple streak of light weaving between the buildings.
The Kirieloid's fireball missed, shattering a GG card.
But Tiga had already appeared behind him.
A Lampard Light Bullet!
But before the launch, Gu Nan made a point of recreating that move—the freezing ray.
First, a blue-white beam of light froze the Kirieloid's massive body in the city center, instantly reducing his prized speed to zero.
Immediately afterwards, Tiga switched back to his composite form.
"just!!!"
Zeperion Ray!
"Whoosh—Boom!"
The frozen Kirieloids exploded into a shower of ice shards and flames in mid-air.
The visual clash between ice and fire is breathtakingly beautiful.
The battle is over.
Ultraman Tiga landed slowly, glanced at the intact residential area behind him, nodded slightly, and then flew into the night sky.
The end credits song began to play.
The comments on the screen were no longer just "666", but had started a deep discussion.
[So refreshing!]
This episode was amazing! Not only were the action scenes spectacular, but the message was also profound.
[That Kirieloid's final cry, "You'll regret this," feels like foreshadowing!]
[This is what tokusatsu (special effects) should be! It's not just simple suit fights; it's art that contains social metaphors!]
……
[End of video, data statistics]
Inside the studio.
"Record broken!"
Chen Bo jumped up excitedly, "One hour after release, the number of views exceeded 200,000! The peak number of concurrent viewers exceeded 10,000! This is double the number of the first two episodes!"
"We've surpassed those obscure isekai (another world) anime series in terms of concurrent viewership."
"and……"
Xia Youwei held her phone, her eyes sparkling. "Brother Nan, look at Weibo and WeChat Moments! So many influential figures are sharing our video. It's not just in the film and television section, but also in the science and even military sections!"
Gu Nan leaned over and took a look.
Famous blogger [Mech Maniac]:
"I just watched episode 3 of Ultraman Tiga on Bilibili. All I can say is, these college students are crazy. The model of that city night scene is at least industrial-grade in terms of precision. And their understanding of 'giant creature combat' completely surpasses that of current special effects blockbusters. Is this how you do for a graduation project? It's too extravagant, haha."
Renowned film critic [Light and Shadow Notes]:
"The Kirieloid episode gave me hope for domestic... no, for Chinese-language productions. It satirized the blind idolization on the internet and explored the essence of faith. The script was solid."
Tap water.
Real tap water.
Gu Nan knew that in this era where traffic is king, the works that can be spontaneously recommended by the audience are the true potential blockbusters.
Although I only have over 200,000 followers now, I'm still far from those internet celebrities with tens of millions.
But these 200,000 are truly die-hard fans.
"Brother Nan, there's something I need to tell you."
Su Zhe walked over with a strange expression. "A toy manufacturer contacted me earlier, asking if we have any plans to mass-produce that sparkler. They want to buy the license."
Several model-making factories asked if they could produce a die-cast model of the Victory Swallow.
Gu Nan smiled.
This is the closed loop of the tokusatsu (special effects) business model.
In this world, people are unaware that "selling merchandise" is the true essence of tokusatsu companies.
The evil corporation B is still chasing me!
"Don't rush to sell."
Gu Nan waved his hand, his eyes deep, "The current hype isn't enough. When everyone believes in 'light,' that's when we'll reap the rewards... oh no, when we'll give back to our fans."
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the real night view of Jinghai City.
The neon lights in the distance were flashing, and they even overlapped somewhat with the model city in the video.
"The third episode is just the beginning."
Gu Nan turned around and looked at his excited companions behind him.
"The Kirieloids are just a minor boss. The challenges we'll face next are much greater."
"and……"
Gu Nan paused, his gaze falling on the rows of storyboard titles on the whiteboard.
The following episodes are crucial in truly establishing Ultraman Tiga's divine status.
For example, the witch who ate the children's dreams during that Halloween.
For example, the alien family who wanted to go home.
"Su Zhe, have you read the script for the next episode?" Gu Nan asked.
Su Zhe nodded, his expression becoming somewhat serious.
"I've seen it. Goodbye, Earth."
"That story about 'Ligadron'."
Gu Nan nodded.
"In this episode, we'll talk about the price humanity pays for exploring the universe, and... the bonds that bind us together."
"Special effects are not just about fighting monsters, but also a hymn to human courage."
"Rest tonight, work starts tomorrow!"
"yes!"
The crowd responded in unison, their voices loud and clear, brimming with unprecedented confidence.
……