Fear from Ultra Slash

By the time the high-level meeting concluded in the dead of night, the sun was already shining brightly. The old men were barely holding on, yet they forced themselves to stay alert and return to their duties.

Staff Officer Minami, being somewhat younger, still possessed plenty of energy. He arrived at GUTS headquarters early in the morning to brief them on the previous night's meeting.

"Last night's meeting determined the threat posed by the Lightning People. For the sake of safety, unnecessary air travel will be reduced. Every aircraft takeoff will be escorted by planes dispatched from local TPC branches."

The moment Staff Officer Minami spoke, Horii, who had been feeling drowsy, instantly snapped to attention.

"If we're talking about long-distance travel, does that mean using ships?" Horii asked.

Staff Officer Minami nodded. "To ensure the safety of the public, this is a necessary measure."

The difference in comfort and travel time between ships and airplanes is significant. As mentioned before, once people grow accustomed to a convenience, returning to the old ways inevitably invites complaints.

Horii understood that this was merely a temporary policy. As taxpayers, the public would undoubtedly continue to demand the swift eradication of the Lightning People to protect their own interests.

Staff Officer Minami continued: "Coexistence with the Lightning People is impossible, and with the TPC's current weaponry, we lack sufficient firepower to deal with them. To ensure a tragedy like the one involving Dr. Mizuno does not happen again, we have no choice but to delay things this way."

The firepower of the Guts Wing 1 cannot inflict fatal damage on Gazort. Among existing equipment, only the Texas Cannon of the Guts Wing 2 can be considered sufficient firepower.

Because it is a medium-sized fighter, even with mass production, the number of Guts Wing 2s remains quite scarce globally, not to mention the current ultimate weapon—the Texas Cannon.

After a night of contemplation and preparation, Rena had long since steeled herself, yet she still felt quite saddened upon receiving the answer.

Possessing a kind heart, she hoped that all creatures on Earth could live in harmony with one another.

Ideals are beautiful, but reality is always cruel and merciless.

However, Rena also understood that the longer the policy restricting electromagnetic waves remained in effect, the more people would choose to eliminate the Lightning People, as it had already severely impacted their lives.

Meanwhile, a certain man currently engaged in frantic training was naturally unaware of such matters.

At this moment, he was happily swinging a barbell, pleased with himself for having played matchmaker for a pair of true lovers.

The love between Mayumi and Kumo was a love that even death could not sever; it was true love, the kind of love that even the FFF would not dare to touch.

The raging winds and waves caused the people in the same training area to tremble, unable to fathom why the Vice-Captain was so excited today.

But since it meant they might avoid a beating, they were happy nonetheless.

After punching the patched-up sandbag until it burst once more, it was finally time to clock out.

To avoid disturbing the public, the TPC Far East Headquarters was built in a coastal area, but the surroundings were quite remote, a fair distance from the city.

Unlike working at a construction site, by the time Zhou Hong finished his shift at the TPC, took a transport plane to the shore transfer station, and caught a ride home, the sky was already dark.

Except for Grandma's house, the vicinity had been developed into high-rise buildings, with streetlights casting their glow to illuminate the path ahead for Zhou Hong.

As he neared the residence, the light from the streetlamps vanished. The light from the newly replaced incandescent bulb in the old house filtered through the courtyard, leaving only fragmented, shattered shadows.

Walking past the fading light, he was greeted by the sight of the old woman sitting by the threshold.

Seeing Zhou Hong appear, the old woman, who had ignored his countless pleas to stop waiting, slowly stood up.

Zhou Hong scratched his head in distress. "Grandma, you don't need to wait for me. You should eat early and go rest."

"At your age, eating on time is very important."

"What nonsense are you spouting? Grandma is still very young," the old woman replied while placing the reheated food on the table. "I didn't wait long; you're back already."

If not for the fact that the electricity bill had risen significantly this month, Zhou Hong might have actually believed her.

Perhaps considering Zhou Hong's palate, Grandma had specifically steamed rice of varying textures, and the dishes were mostly meat, which didn't quite suit an elderly person's diet.

Zhou Hong let out a long sigh in his heart; every time he ate, he could feel the weight of what is called family affection.

And because of this, even though Zhou Hong believed that Daigo would gather the light to overcome all enemies, he began to fear the future more and more.

If a miracle did not descend, if those enemies could not be defeated, what would the consequences be?

I must become stronger! Stronger! Stronger!

He shoveled the rice into his mouth in a few quick bites, finished his meal in a flash, and hurried to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

After quickly finishing his household chores, he rushed back to his room.

Nexus slowly turned his head, and what greeted Jostar was a blast of Over Ray Schtrom.

The surging stream of belief-fueled light was exceptionally dazzling within this space of radiance.

Responding to this stream of belief was another stream of belief.

Jostar merely charged up for a brief moment, and the energy fluctuations of the Over Ray Schtrom and the incoming beam blossomed into brilliant light at the point where they met.

The agitated energy echoed throughout the entire space of light, golden light particles dancing like sprites, causing the whole area to shimmer and glow.

The two combatants seemed to sense each other's emotions through that light, and at the same time, they ceased their continuous beams.

"You have mastered all the skills I possess at this stage. It is time to accept the next phase of training."

It must be said that Nexus, who had once transformed into Noa, lived up to his reputation; even after using the Over Ray Schtrom, his color timer did not blink.

However, Jostar had no time to dwell on that, for a spinning disc of light came flying toward him.

It was a skill he had seen countless times before.

It was the Ultra Slash!

Facing the Over Ray Schtrom, he had the thought of canceling it out with his own beam, but seeing this skill—which often failed but was exceptionally vicious—he knew better.

Jostar had absolutely no intention of tanking that hit with his physical body.

Given Ace's terrifying level of control, even if it wouldn't cause any actual damage, it would undoubtedly hurt like hell.

With a leap of his massive, sturdy frame, he deftly dodged the incoming Ultra Slash.

"To possess such a robust physique—it seems I have stumbled upon a fine seedling." The owner of the Meat Processing Plant appeared from behind Nexus.

How should one put it? Ace, standing at a mere 40 meters in height, had to crane his neck upward to face Jostar.

Well, Jostar's current height was 77 meters; if not for Ace's deep, resonant voice, the sheer difference in their stature made them look like an adult standing before a child.

"'Seedling' is hardly a word that can describe me anymore, Senior Ace."