Guts Wing 1!!!!

Guts Wing 1 shot up from the side launch track, the speeding jet kicking up a vast stretch of white foam across the sea.

The azure sky, the deep-blue ocean, and the green forest in the distance rushing closer before quickly falling behind all made Hibiki Gousuke take a deep breath. "The view from up here is pretty nice, huh?"

Zhou Hong shook his head slightly. Though he could fly a little faster than a jet after transforming into an Ultra Warrior, the view from up here was different.

The more vast the sky was, the more he could feel how insignificant he was in it, just one tiny speck.

Hibiki Gousuke rattled on about various aspects of flying. Zhou Hong only listened most attentively when he talked about the emergency escape system.

It was his first time in the sky. Aside from the theory and controls he had studied on the ground, he knew nothing else, so Hibiki Gousuke had chosen a wilderness area to put on a flying display.

"How are you holding up?" Hibiki Gousuke asked Zhou Hong in a rather peculiar tone after another spiraling climb.

He had tried every position imaginable while Joneus and Nexus had beaten on him in the Space of Light. This was nothing by comparison. In fact, he sensed that Hibiki Gousuke, sitting in front of him, was already feeling a little nauseous.

You're too much, Captain.

Zhou Hong didn't think he could stomach it if Hibiki threw up into the breathing apparatus.

"I'm a little dizzy. Don't do any more fancy flying, Captain." His helpless voice gave no hint that he was feeling unwell.

Hibiki Gousuke, who was already a little dizzy himself, naturally didn't notice. "Is that so? Then I'll fly a little slower."

After gliding over the mountainous area for a while, he gradually came around. Just as he was about to ask Zhou Hong how he was doing, a terrifying explosion suddenly came from the ground.

Accompanied by a monstrous roar, Hibiki Gousuke's pupils abruptly contracted. "A monster!"

With blue-gray skin and organ-like growths on its belly glowing steadily, the monster's mouth split almost to its ears. Zhou Hong recognized it at first glance through the detector.

This was the monster that had changed Asuka—the one that had played dead before being parasitized. He remembered its name was Gronge.

If the monster was taken out here, would Asuka only get to be a hero once?

After all, there was no telling if the captain would take a hit for someone and die on the spot again.

"Is this the TPC Far East Headquarters? This is Guts Wing 1, training aircraft. We've detected a monster near Suruga Bay. It's heading toward the nearest town. Please send backup immediately. Please send backup immediately."

After delivering that string of words, Hibiki Gousuke didn't even pause for breath. Zhou Hong's hands clapped for him before his brain caught up.

"Idiot! Now's not the time to applaud!"

Hibiki Gousuke glanced at the monster's path below, then toward the distant town.

At the monster's current speed, by the time the Far East Headquarters responded and sent GUTS, it would probably have reached the town.

If he'd been alone, he would have charged in to stop the monster without a second thought.

But he glanced discreetly at Zhou Hong behind him, reflected in the glass like a mirror.

He quietly pulled the plane higher, then slowly closed his eyes. A moment later, he opened them again.

"Ahong, I'm sorry. You're going to have to fight a monster on your very first flight."

Zhou Hong's lips curled into a smile. "You've been teaching me for so long. This is the perfect chance to see how well you did. Let's use this monster for target practice."

Hibiki Gousuke, who had kept a stern face until then, smiled faintly at Zhou Hong's reply. "I'll handle all the flight controls. You just focus on attacking. Think of it like playing a video game."

"Let's go!"

Guts Wing 1 was a light fighter. For various reasons, its weapons were limited to a single missile and a laser cannon.

But they weren't here to take down the monster, so those weapons would be enough.

Hibiki Gousuke abruptly sent the jet plunging straight down. The monster was directly beneath them.

From the rear seat, Zhou Hong rapidly squeezed the trigger, firing laser after laser.

The streaking lights dropped from the sky and burst into brilliant fireworks above the monster's head.

The monster, caught by surprise, raised both hands to its head and leaned backward. Guts Wing 1 was right in its line of sight.

Blood vessels spread across its eyes. Its gaping maw opened wide, firing a spray of red, needle-shaped beams.

Hibiki Gousuke, intently waiting to dodge, yanked the control stick and smoothly flew clear of the beams.

As the plane banked, several more laser blasts struck Gronge squarely in the mouth.

The pain in its vulnerable mouth made Gronge abruptly change course. It fixed its eyes on Guts Wing 1.

"Great, just like that." Hibiki Gousuke's pursed lips lifted slightly.

The monster was like a simple-minded, short-tempered beast, firing beams as it chased Guts Wing 1.

With the life of his subordinate on his shoulders, the young Hibiki Gousuke pushed beyond his limits, dodging every beam.

"Thanks for holding out. We'll take it from here," Shinjoh's voice suddenly came through the communications system.

In front of them, two fighters from the Guts Wing series fired their lasers toward the monster.

As the monster let out a painful roar, Hibiki Gousuke finally relaxed.

A red concentrated beam abruptly struck Guts Wing 1's tail. Amid the violent shaking and flying sparks, Zhou Hong saw only a few words.

"Engine failure!"

Thick smoke streamed from the tail, and the wing had been damaged.

"Emergency escape! Ahong!" Hibiki Gousuke's roar rang out especially loud, even over the sound of the burning tail.

Zhou Hong had already strapped on his parachute, and pulled the cord without hesitation.

The two white parachutes drifted slowly through the air.

To protect the two of them, GUTS immediately intensified its attack on Gronge, firing missile after missile and laser after laser.

The firepower of Guts Wing 2 made the monster give up on the white parachutes and turn its attention back to the two yellow fighter jets.

After a fierce battle, Guts Wing 1, piloted by the ace Shinjoh, also began trailing smoke.

"This is so embarrassing. Even a rookie on their first flight training held out longer than we did," Shinjoh muttered gloomily as he drifted down beneath his white parachute.

At the same time, a light shone after Daigo landed.