Chapter One: Tetsuya of the Gale

At the dawn of the twenty-first century, hatred and strife gradually diminished. The Earth, no longer plagued by invasion or war, was witnessing nature slowly regaining its beautiful visage. Humanity’s long-awaited peace had finally arrived, and the United Nations Defense Force (UNDF) completed its historic mission. In this era, global powers united to establish TPC—the Terrestrial Peace Consortium—ushering mankind into a new age.

The full title of this organization was the Terrestrial Peace Consortium Far East Headquarters, a bastion created to shield humanity from mysterious phenomena and natural disasters. Branches and research institutes were scattered across the globe, with its main base located offshore in Japan. TPC assembled the finest scientists and cutting-edge technology humanity had to offer, making unparalleled contributions to scientific progress. Mankind could now reach into space, building the Caro Base on the moon and the Delta Space Station orbiting Earth.

Within this tranquil world, guided by TPC, a new era seemed almost within reach. The anticipation for the future was palpable. Yet, just as peace was being savored, a meteor streaked across the night sky, crashing down with thunderous roar and tremors, heralding the onset of disaster—the great upheaval had begun.

TPC’s Far East Headquarters emerged from the sea under cover of night, its pyramid-like architecture massive and mysterious, bristling with untold amounts of advanced technology. It resembled a fortress afloat, both enigmatic and formidable.

The Victory Team, a special task force under TPC, consisted of seven specialists charged with investigating abnormal phenomena—their principal duty.

“We’ve received the latest report; we have another mission. Last night, a meteorite landed on the Mongolian steppes.” The doors of the TPC command room swung open, and Masao Eguchi, speaking in an Osaka accent and somewhat portly, sauntered in with a report in hand, waving it idly. An expert in weaponry, known as the “GUTS Armorer,” he now found himself relegated to these mundane tasks, which he found unbearably tedious.

“Another damn meteorite? Whose turn is it to investigate? Let me make it clear—I absolutely won’t go.” Shinjou lounged in his chair, having just finished a video game. He yawned, bored, and complained, “I’m the ace marksman of GUTS! Now all I do is sit here and game—it's pathetic. Seems like all Victory Team does is deal with outer space junk.”

Sitting at the center was Captain Megumi Jujima, her face aglow with an irrepressible smile. She ignored Shinjou’s complaints, or perhaps hadn’t even heard them.

Lina glanced helplessly at Captain Jujima and muttered, “She’s been like this for days...”

Daigo, slightly slow to react, asked, “Now that you mention it, Lina, I just noticed—what’s up with the captain?”

Yoshinori, eyes glued to his game, replied, “Isn’t it obvious? The captain’s old friend is coming back from Caro Base…”

Shinjou scoffed, “That’s Captain Hayate, right? Heard he’s impressive, but I wonder how he compares to me, the ace marksman.”

Eguchi, ever blunt, retorted, “Oh, please… What’s so special about the ace marksman of GUTS? Our team only has seven people, and there’s hardly any chance for real combat. But that’s not what matters most. The key point is… you’re not as handsome as him!”

Shinjou, ever vain, sprang from his chair at this remark, ready to argue the definition of “handsome” with Eguchi.

“Ah… everyone’s here.” Director Sawa entered from behind the door, smiling.

“Director!” Shinjou snapped to attention, then immediately asked, “Am I handsome?”

Silence lingered for several seconds. Director Sawa rubbed his nose and replied dryly, “You’re pretty handsome…”

“How about compared to Hayate?”

Director Sawa turned his head and said, “Isn’t there a new mission? You’re all too lackadaisical!”

Captain Jujima regained her composure and stood up to respond, “Lina, Daigo, take Swallow-1 and go investigate.”

Lina pursed her lips; such tasks typically fell to her and Daigo, making her feel bored as well.

“Captain Jujima… let me go instead,” a voice sounded from behind Director Sawa. Handsome and affable, Tetsuya Hayate strode in, his ever-present smile making him approachable. It was as if he radiated his own aura, drawing every gaze to him.

“Hayate, you’re here!” Captain Jujima rose, beaming, and hurried over to embrace him.

“I heard our big sister became Victory Team captain, so I wanted to congratulate you. But I’ve only just managed to get away from Caro Base—apologies for the delay. Things there needed a lot of handling,” Hayate said, unfazed by the embrace, warmly addressing Jujima as “big sister.” They were alumni of the same military academy, their bond strong.

“Hayate, welcome back!” Director Sawa was just as pleased, and offered an embrace.

“Ah, but my arms are reserved for beautiful women,” Hayate replied with a smile.

“You haven’t changed a bit…” Director Sawa ignored the tease, sizing up Hayate with envy. “Still so handsome it makes one want to throw a punch. It’s as if time hasn’t left a mark on your face!”

Hayate didn’t answer, instead saying, “Director, leaving me at Caro Base for so long was really unfair—there wasn’t a single chance for battle, just endless trivialities.”

“You young people, none of you have patience,” Director Sawa concluded.

Hayate broke out in cold sweat. He’d been in the world of Dyna for many years, and in the original storyline, Captain Hayate was already in his thirties. Yet, as Director Sawa called him “young,” Hayate felt the pressure mounting.

He decided to ignore the old rascal. Once the real story began, he was determined to return to Earth. He had two goals: one was the Light of Dyna, but with Daigo present, Hayate wasn’t confident in his chances. The other was the ancient statue beneath Kumamoto’s ruins, found by Masaki Keigo. After Masaki stole Daigo’s Light Stick, he used the light particle converter to fuse with the statue. For this target, Hayate would only have to face Masaki Keigo, which inspired confidence. Yet compared to Dyna, this giant was weaker, lacking Dyna’s ability to change forms. So, whenever possible, Hayate would try to compete with Daigo for the Light of Dyna—the power of the strongest dark giant from thirty million years ago, which Hayate coveted.

While Hayate pondered these ambitions, Eguchi nudged Shinjou, who looked defeated, and whispered, “See? He’s more handsome than you, right?”

“…Actually, I found a pretty good game, didn’t I, Yoshinori?” Shinjou quickly changed the subject.

“He’s definitely more handsome than you!” Yoshinori replied loudly.

Shinjou felt wounded.