Strike First

"Why do we have to wait for them to make a move before we act?" Zhou Hong suddenly asked. "We took their money, so we can't make a move ourselves. But we still have TPC and GUTS, don't we?"

Uncle Li looked as if he'd been struck by lightning, and froze in shock.

They were dealing with alien criminals. Why should they care about honor?

They both looked toward the pay phone a short distance away.

Zhou Hong pulled on a pair of gloves and stepped into the booth, bringing the Crayfish Alien with him.

"You can tell them about the Kyrieloids, right?"

His words were phrased as a question, but his tone was utterly certain.

The Baltan Alien, who had taken on a human appearance, nodded. "No problem. Leave it to me."

Zhou Hong gently patted him on the shoulder. "Get a few of your buddies to take the blame for drunk driving and stealing a car. No problem, right?"

The Baltan Alien nodded knowingly. "Yes, sir."

Thanks to Uncle Li's generosity and help, they'd been able to live peacefully on Earth. What was the big deal about stealing a car and driving drunk?

They could use the money they'd just swiped from the Kyrieloids to bail them out.

And the owner of the van?

That would be an easy problem to solve.

I'll settle with you using your own money!

Ever since becoming an Ultra Warrior, Zhou Hong had felt like a Stand user, constantly drawn into battles across different worlds. He'd memorized TPC's phone number long ago.

His fingers flew over the keypad. He dialed the number, and someone answered.

"This is TPC Far East Headquarters."

"We've spotted several Kyrieloids. Please come as soon as possible. The location is..."

It was the first time the TPC staff member answering the phone had received a report like this. Not daring to take any chances, they promptly passed the message up the chain.

"Then we'll leave things here to you. Please," Uncle Li said, patting the Baltan Alien on the shoulder.

"Leave everything to us." The group of underlings bowed slightly, seeing the two men off.

Captain Megumi Iruma of GUTS was a woman of decisive action. As soon as she received the message, she organized a GUTS deployment.

They had to wait only a few dozen minutes before GUTS Wing 1 appeared in the sky.

"This is the place, right?" Daigo climbed out of the DeLaM Car and headed toward the Baltan Alien and the others.

"Yes, this is it." The Baltan Alien hurried over to meet him, letting out a belch as he drew near.

The faint smell of alcohol made Daigo and Munakata furrow their brows.

With flushed cheeks and alcohol on all their breath, the group made Munakata lose hope in the tip before they'd even started.

Munakata, who didn't drink, had seen all kinds of drunks behaving disgracefully in bars.

Seeing the two men's doubtful looks, the group hurriedly put on an angry act and explained, "Don't let the fact that we've been drinking fool you. It's true! There really are Kyrieloids inside."

"Our van accidentally crashed into the house, and that's how we overheard them talking."

Munakata looked over the traces of blood remaining on the drunks, then glanced out of the corner of his eye at the roads torn straight through to the estate and the little van embedded in the wall.

GUTS had been standing at the gate for quite a while, yet no one from the house had come out despite all the commotion. Something about that was suspicious.

Munakata gave a slight nod.

He clicked his tongue, deciding it was better to be safe than sorry, and switched on his helmet comms. "Captain, that's the situation. I'm going to check inside the house."

Megumi Iruma interlaced her fingers, striking the pose of a certain commander who preferred to remain unnamed. "Be careful."

Encouraged by the concern of the woman he loved, Munakata immediately perked up. "Daigo, I'll knock on the door. Cover me. GUTS Wing 1, stand by in the air."

"If they turn out to be Kyrieloids, capture them if possible, but don't compromise your safety," Megumi Iruma said.

"Understood!" Daigo and Shinjoh replied.

Munakata also notified the local police to take the Baltan Alien and the others away.

Whether or not they'd given false information, they were going to the station for questioning either way.

Munakata straightened his GUTS uniform and gently pressed the doorbell.

Its chime echoed through the old house, but nobody answered.

Munakata gave Daigo a look, then drew his GUTS Hyper Gun from his waist and switched off the safety, ready to fire at any moment.

They rapidly signaled their tactical instructions with hand gestures, then followed the path the van had carved into the grounds and made their way into the estate.

Moving close together, they swept their eyes across the area, missing nothing.

They crossed the courtyard quickly, pressed themselves against the wooden wall, and moved along it swiftly and silently.

At the turn, they spotted a body lying on the ground.

Something was even more suspicious than they'd thought.

If the drunks had really done something like this, they wouldn't have called TPC. That would only ensure they'd end up behind bars for longer.

"I found information on the owner of this house. His name is Ryunosuke Tsukioka. He died three years ago." Yazumi's timely report made Daigo and Munakata tighten their grips on their GUTS Hyper Guns.

Suddenly, several glowing orbs flew at them without warning.

The two were ready for anything. They shifted their feet and dodged the unexpected attack.

Trusting his instincts, Daigo swayed aside and repeatedly pulled the trigger on his GUTS Hyper Gun.

Several red laser beams blasted through the wooden furniture blocking their view and struck the hidden Kyrieloids with precision.

Amid the splattering crimson, two orbs rose from the bodies, while another flew up from a hidden corner of the room.

Munakata's eyes widened at the glowing orbs, and he quickly aimed his gun at the Kyrieloids.

"Surrender now, and we'll spare your lives."

The Kyrieloids had no intention of surrendering. A dense volley of glowing orbs immediately hurtled toward the two men.

The orbs filled nearly every inch of space, forcing them to dodge desperately, rolling across the floor like donkeys.

Their frantic rolls took them out of the room. They huddled against the flimsy wall and launched a counterattack.

The two elite marksmen were exceptionally skilled. Working together, they made short work of the ordinary Kyrieloids.

The red lasers easily pierced through the barrage of orbs and struck the Kyrieloids directly.

The Kyrieloids died without putting up a fight, disintegrating into drifting particles.

Seeing that things were going badly, the two remaining Kyrieloids tried to flee, but they couldn't escape the guns.

Daigo and Munakata cautiously checked their surroundings before finally relaxing.

"There are definitely Kyrieloids in the house." Munakata switched on his mic. He'd barely gotten the words out when Megumi Iruma's voice cut in.

"Commander Munakata, there's been an explosion in K1 District. Get there as soon as possible and organize the rescue effort."

"Understood."