From the Universe

Daigo and Shinjoh returned to GUTS with heavy hearts.

The bruises and shell-shocked looks on their faces made Munakata and the others realize what had happened.

"You two all right? They really went too far." Hori asked with concern.

Shinjoh touched his aching cheek. "I'm not hurt or anything. It's just a little embarrassing."

Yazumi, who had been slacking off at work and playing a game, couldn't help laughing. "Sorry, sorry," he said hastily.

"Were they really that good at fighting? How'd you two end up looking like this?" Hori circled around them, inspecting them with a teasing grin.

"It's not a question of whether they're good or not. That guy was something else." Shinjoh remembered the fierce force of Zhou Hong's punches.

They were just punches, yet each one felt sharp enough to cut. Shinjoh had to admit that the gap between his and Zhou Hong's strength was as wide as a three-story building.

"He's strong. If we're talking hand-to-hand combat, we don't stand a chance. There's a huge difference in our weight classes, too."

Daigo was an honest kid. The guidance he'd received had him itching to spend every waking moment in the training room.

He wanted that powerful, imposing physique, too.

The battle with Gronge had left him somewhat addicted to the exhilaration of sheer strength.

How to put it? The satisfying impact of each punch, the security that came with overwhelming power—it felt as refreshing as putting on a new pair of underwear for the New Year~

"I didn't realize new recruits were this impressive these days."

Rena set a cup of coffee down in front of Daigo, remarking with a faint sigh.

"But when it comes to shooting and flying, they're no match for me." The ace pilot Shinjoh declared confidently.

Megumi Iruma couldn't help laughing. An ace pilot who'd flown countless missions was comparing his flying skills to those of a pilot who'd only just taken to the skies. He must have taken one heck of a beating in that fight.

"Captain, if possible, I think we should try to bring those people into GUTS."

Commander Munakata, a fitness enthusiast, had also gone to take a look when he had a spare moment. He, too, envied that man's seemingly perfect muscles.

If I had muscles that made me feel that secure...

He glanced at Megumi Iruma from the corner of his eye, pretending not to, and decided he had a good chance.

"I've already put in a request about this, but that squad reports directly to Director Yoshioka." Megumi Iruma's words made the situation clear.

Though Director Sawai and Director Yoshioka were as close as could be, they still had to maintain a clear distinction between their departments for certain people's sake.

Under the current circumstances, Security Bureau personnel couldn't join GUTS.

"What a shame," Munakata sighed.

Megumi Iruma changed the subject. "They can't join GUTS, but there shouldn't be any problem with training together."

"That's great!" Yazumi said with a grin.

Shinjoh stared at Yazumi as if he'd seen a ghost. With Yazumi's build, he'd probably get knocked flat every time.

He couldn't even handle a few peanuts without getting drunk, and now he wanted to drink liquor?

"All right, all right." Megumi Iruma brought the conversation to an end. "Shinjoh, Daigo, it's time for your patrol."

Life was hard, but work still had to go on. The two could only grab their helmets and head for the airport.

Just as they hoped the day would be as uneventful as usual, a colossal object traveling at Mach 4 hurtled down from space.

"Satellite surveillance has detected a monster ahead of your position. Be careful." Yazumi immediately relayed the information to the two men out on patrol.

Though their faces still bore bruises, neither man's reflexes had dulled in the slightest.

"The radar's picked up an unidentified flying object. Should we attack right away?" Shinjoh asked, eager to vent all his pent-up frustration.

Megumi Iruma clasped her hands and thought for a moment. "Have Guts Wing 1 launch a harassing attack. Yazumi, calculate the monster's landing point based on its flight path. Munakata, get ready to provide support."

"Understood!"

Shinjoh accelerated sharply, pushing Guts Wing 1's speed higher and higher until it reached its top speed of Mach 5.5.

Thick clouds hung above them. Against the azure sky, the monster's silver-gray body stood out clearly.

"Control, we've spotted the monster. Guts Wing 1 is preparing to attack."

After Daigo reported the situation, he immediately pulled the trigger. The laser streaked out and exploded against the monster's body.

The sparks that flew off were snuffed out by the gale. The monster's silver armor still gleamed, without a scratch.

The monster plunged straight down, paying no attention to the two men. Its single eye glanced at Guts Wing 1, then turned away.

More white smoke poured from the thrusters on its back. It flew even faster than Guts Wing 1 at its top speed.

After firing two lasers as if to vent their frustration, the men watched the monster leave them far behind.

"Control, the monster's out of range. Its speed has surpassed Guts Wing 1's." Daigo quickly reported the details.

This was bad news. If a fighter jet was slower than the monster, it was like a lamb being led to slaughter.

They could charge straight at it and barely scratch it with a laser before the monster turned around and blew them out of the sky.

It was the last thing anyone wanted to face. If that happened, the damage would be impossible to control.

And if the monster tried to escape, there'd be nothing they could do to stop it.

"Guts Wing 2 is even slower than Guts Wing 1."

Guts Wing 2's heavy firepower and Guts Wing 1's agility complemented each other, allowing them to deal effective damage to monsters. Guts Wing 1 alone could only scratch them.

Just then, Yazumi spoke up. "The Space Development Bureau's analysis is in. For the monster to reach this speed, it would need to accelerate for a long time."

"The estimated time is ten minutes."

"So we can't afford to get into a prolonged dogfight with it." Munakata's gaze sharpened. "Captain, order us to take off in Guts Wing 2."

"We'll keep it on the ground with a barrage of fire."

Megumi Iruma decided Guts Wing 2's firepower made it a viable plan and immediately ordered its deployment.

"The predicted landing site is near Kashima Beach. There's a Space Development Bureau energy research center in that area." Yazumi was exceptionally quick at looking up the information.

It was rare to find a monster with such a clear destination. It was after the high-purity energy.

"Notify the energy research center to evacuate everyone immediately. Let's try to keep the monster from reaching it."