Chapter Two: The Madman Gale

“Ugh… Why do I have to go along too?” Shinjou groaned in annoyance, sprawling bonelessly across his seat. “And the worst part… why do I have to ride in your White Dragon?” He reached his hand out toward the front, calling out helplessly, “Victory Swallow… don’t leave me…”

The Swallow series of fighter jets represented TPC’s latest additions to their arsenal, also the most advanced aircraft in Earth’s current technology. The one Shinjou yearned for was the Victory Swallow-1 (GUTSWING1), a compact fighter jet assigned to GUTS. Measuring fourteen meters in length, its fuselage was painted in alternating bands of yellow and black, exuding a strong sense of technological sophistication. The jet only accommodated two people—one as the pilot and the other as the weapons operator, a separation designed to ensure greater safety.

Victory Swallow-1 could reach speeds of Mach 5.5 within the Earth’s atmosphere, and Mach 6 in space—fast enough to rival an Ultraman’s flight within the stratosphere. Its standard armaments included laser cannons, missiles, and onboard depth charges. Yet, at present, it was only equipped with signal flares. Since TPC was founded with peaceful intentions, the world’s most advanced fighter jet didn’t even carry a single live round.

In contrast, the White Dragon piloted by Tetsuya belonged to the Caro-class of flying vessels—a high-performance model capable of operating both inside and outside the atmosphere, with seating for two. Originally, its weaponry was even more formidable, but all offensive components had been removed upon its return to Earth. Now it carried only scattershot and four rocket launchers, a concession won through Tetsuya’s insistence.

Tetsuya never flew a machine that was utterly defenseless; perhaps he’d always been destined to be a fighter pilot.

“Hold on tight…” Tetsuya completely ignored Shinjou’s complaints, even managing to flash him a smile.

“Hmph,” Shinjou grunted, visibly displeased. Any man who took pride in his looks would naturally resent someone even more handsome—a universal affliction.

Tetsuya merely chuckled, unfazed by Shinjou’s rudeness, and piloted the White Dragon out of the hangar bay. Once they cleared TPC headquarters, he instantly pushed the throttle to the maximum. The White Dragon streaked through the clouds as a white flash.

“Whoa…” Shinjou was slammed against his seat by the surge of acceleration, his face turning pale. “You maniac! How can you fly at this speed on Earth?!”

The Victory Swallow jets of the Super Victory Team could theoretically reach such speeds, but no one actually dared to attempt it—the risks were simply too high. Besides, the Swallow’s standard velocity was already more than sufficient; none of them felt the need to push it to the limit. As pilots of these modern fighters, they didn’t share the old-school obsession with sheer speed—such complacency, born of peacetime, was a common failing among soldiers.

Meanwhile, Rina and Daigo were piloting Victory Swallow-1 at a steady pace. Daigo sat in the weapons operator seat, while Rina was at the controls. They cruised at around Mach 4. Even at this speed, Daigo considered suggesting they slow down—Rina always flew faster when she was in a bad mood, and lately, Daigo always seemed to be teamed up with her. Having transferred from the transport division, he was forever on edge.

Suddenly, a sonic boom echoed around the jet. Rina glanced over, catching a glimpse of the White Dragon streaking through the clouds like a shooting star. Her eyes could barely keep up with its speed; she saw it dive into a cloud and emerge on the far side, racing away in an instant.

“So that’s Captain Gale’s speed… It’s incredible,” Rina murmured, her gaze full of admiration. Tetsuya had done what she wouldn’t even dare attempt, and she revered him all the more for it.

“Yeah, that’s a bit much,” Daigo chimed in, “Flying that fast in the atmosphere is dangerous!”

Rina shot him a cold glare. “Sit tight!”

“Ahhhhhh—!”

Both jets were filled with similar screams.

In the original events, Rina and Daigo left the base before dawn and arrived at the meteor crash site just as the sun was rising. But thanks to Tetsuya’s bad influence, the two jets sped even faster, reaching the Mongolian steppe just as the first rays of sunlight touched the earth.

“There’s nothing unusual down there…” Daigo observed, scanning the endless, mysterious grassland below.

Just then, Tetsuya’s voice came through Rina’s headset: “Rina, activate the detectors. Scan the underground area.”

Without hesitation, Rina instinctively followed Tetsuya’s instructions.

“There’s… something moving underground!” Daigo cried out in shock, staring at the display.

“Daigo, determine the trajectory and projected range of the unidentified subterranean creature,” Tetsuya commanded. Daigo operated the controls, and the intelligent system quickly calculated the monster’s path, marking a vague area. This information was also relayed to Tetsuya.

“We’ll hold over Area A. Remember, stay at altitude—if there’s danger, Victory Swallow-1 must ascend immediately. Coordinate with the White Dragon and make sure to lure the underground creature away from the village.”

Rina muttered unhappily, “Why does Victory Swallow-1 always have to do this?”

Tetsuya replied clearly, “You’re not carrying any lethal weapons!”

For the first time, Rina found herself resenting those who clamored for TPC to cut military spending in the name of peace.

Everything was ready. Not far from a village on the Mongolian steppe, in Area A as designated by the autonomous system, the earth suddenly collapsed. Huge chunks of soil tumbled down, and a cloud of dust erupted from below. The ground caved inward, forming a massive pit. As everyone braced themselves, a gigantic, hideous monster crawled out from the depths.

Tetsuya knew—this was the very beast from Yurei’s prophecy, the one that would shatter the earth: Golza, a monstrous relic from the ultra-ancient era, slumbering for over thirty million years.

Tetsuya felt no fear; in fact, he was almost exhilarated. He had waited for this moment for nearly a decade, aging from a young man in his prime into a man in his thirties.

Clumps of soil continued to fall from above as Golza, bathed in the newborn sunlight, unleashed its first roar in thirty million years.

“Daigo,” Rina gasped, wide-eyed as the monstrous figure lumbered from the pit, “What… what is that?”

From the back seat, Daigo craned his neck to look ahead, exclaiming in shock, “That’s one terrifying monster!”

Shinjou wore the same expression facing Golza. None of them had ever encountered such a colossal beast, and beneath their astonishment lurked a trace of fear.

Tetsuya, unshaken, even smiled. “Proceed as planned.”

“Yes!” Rina quickly snapped to action, sending Victory Swallow-1 soaring upward to harass Golza from above.

Golza, distracted by the engines of the White Dragon and Victory Swallow-1, merely glanced upward at the two jets. To him, they were no more than flies, not worth his interest. Instead, he trudged toward the nearby village of yurts.

He remembered this way of living well—from thirty million years ago, these “little things” had been mere morsels to him. Though small, barely enough to fill the gap between his teeth, they contained a mysterious energy that fueled his evolution.

The tremors had already startled the villagers. As they scrambled out of their yurts and saw the towering monster, panic spread and they fled in all directions. Even the horses and sheep, penned up, struggled and cried out for escape.

“The monster is heading for the village!” Rina cried anxiously.

“Stick to the plan. Don’t panic!” Tetsuya’s voice was steady.

The White Dragon began circling Golza at high speed, repeatedly swooping past its massive eyes, so much so that Shinjou was trembling uncontrollably.

“Daigo, swing around to its flank and use signal flares to attract its attention.”

“Got it!”

Victory Swallow-1 dove low over the yurts, flanking the monster. Daigo drew a deep breath, his fingers trembling as he pressed the launch button. Signal flares fired from the weapon ports, bouncing around Golza and releasing conspicuous plumes of brown smoke.

Golza recoiled in surprise, stomping the flares flat with its massive feet. Just then, Tetsuya maneuvered the White Dragon directly in front of Golza. Sizing up the distance, he grinned.

“Shinjou, the White Dragon only has four rockets as primary armament. They may not be enough to pierce the monster’s hide.”

Shinjou pinched his thigh to steady himself and stammered, “So… what do we do?”

“I’ll dive the White Dragon straight at the monster. At point-blank range, you must fire all four rockets in one salvo. You’ll have only a split-second before I have to pull up—otherwise, we’ll crash into it.”

Shinjou stared at Tetsuya in disbelief, his voice shaking. “You… you’re insane!”

“Ready!”

With a light laugh, Tetsuya swept the White Dragon over the yurts and charged directly at Golza. Shinjou, watching the monster loom ever larger in the viewfinder, fumbled to flip open the safety cover on the weapons console.

Golza’s huge, grotesque form grew closer and closer. Shinjou could feel they were less than a hundred meters away, yet Tetsuya kept closing the distance.

“Fire!”

At Tetsuya’s command, Shinjou, almost on instinct, hammered the launch button four times in rapid succession. Four rockets, trailing fire, shot straight toward the same spot on the monster.

“Pull up—!” Shinjou screamed, seeing the rocket exhaust so close that if they exploded, both pilots might not make it out alive.

Whoosh! Almost before Shinjou finished shouting, the White Dragon snapped into a vertical climb at nearly ninety degrees, the abrupt change in angle exerting immense G-forces on both men.

Had this been the Nexus world, Tetsuya’s maneuver would have been suicidal—even ace pilots like Maki wouldn’t dare exceed a fifty-degree turn. But times had changed; advances in technology and stronger materials gave Tetsuya the confidence to try.

Boom! All four rockets exploded simultaneously on the same spot on Golza, the force knocking the monster off balance and sending it sprawling.

Shinjou was left with a sense of having narrowly escaped death. He felt as if he’d expended every ounce of strength, slumping limply in his seat.

“You’re a lunatic… a complete and utter madman!”

As he caught his breath, Shinjou erupted into a furious tirade, venting all his fear.

“Maniac!” he finally spat, exhaling deeply.

Golza’s leg was shredded by the explosion, blood spurting and chunks of flesh flying. The excruciating pain drew a piercing howl from the monster.

Having just awakened from its subterranean slumber, Golza was at its weakest. Struck so hard, it dared not retaliate, instead lowering its head and rapidly digging into the earth with its sharp claws. In moments, it had burrowed out of sight, leaving behind only a gaping pit.

By the time the White Dragon circled back overhead, nothing remained but a hole: Golza had vanished into the depths, his whereabouts unknown.