Meanwhile, the Development Bureau on the ground also detected something hurtling toward them and gathered by the windows to look outside. With a deafening crash, Regalther plunged headfirst into the ground.
It then stood up and walked step by step toward the energy storage tanks. Seeing this, the personnel inside the Development Bureau immediately activated the electrified fence defense system surrounding the tanks.
Upon seeing this, Xiao Luuo stood up and left the command room right away.
"Where are you going?" Megumi Iruma immediately asked.
Xiao Luuo rolled his eyes and said, "To the restroom."
Not long after Xiao Luuo left, Muzui suddenly shouted, "A gigantic life form signature has been detected near the base!"
He then pulled up the satellite surveillance footage of the area surrounding the base onto the main screen—it was Melba! And right behind Melba was Xiao Luuo.
At that moment, Xiao Luuo was riding Melba, flying swiftly toward the spot where Regalther had landed!
"Never mind it; he must be here to help us. Otherwise, our base would have been destroyed long ago!" Megumi Iruma said softly.
Meanwhile, Daigo was piloting Guts Wing 1 to hold Regalther at bay.
"Daigo, something is flying toward us!" Shinjo said, staring at the radar signal.
"Commander, something is approaching us rapidly!" Daigo immediately contacted the base.
"It's the mysterious person; he must be going to support you!" Megumi Iruma replied instantly, fearing that Daigo might mistake Xiao Luuo for a hostile target.
However, precisely because Daigo was distracted, he completely failed to notice that Regalther had already absorbed the stored energy of one storage tank and was releasing a cyan electrical attack toward him with its claws joined together!
By the time Daigo snapped back to his senses, the electrical current was about to strike him!
Right at that moment, Guts Wing 1 rapidly climbed out of control!
"W-What's going on!" Shinjo cried out in shock. As he spoke, he looked around and suddenly noticed a pair of black arms on both sides of Guts Wing 1. Looking up, he saw it was none other than Melba!
As it turned out, seeing that the two of them were about to crash, Xiao Luuo had directly ordered Melba to catch Guts Wing 1 in its arms and fly upward, thus dodging the attack!
Seeing that the danger had passed, Melba released its grip, and Daigo regained control of Guts Wing 1!
The Guts Command Center also breathed a sigh of relief. By now, Munakata completely believed Megumi Iruma's words: that monster was here to help them!
Ignoring Xiao Luuo entirely, Regalther finished discharging its cyan destructive beam and marched straight toward another energy storage tank!
"Daring to ignore me?" Xiao Luuo muttered, inserting the Gomora card into the Battle Niser!
"Battle Niser, activate! Ancient Monster—Gomora!"
Accompanied by the voice from the Battle Niser, Gomora materialized on cue! Its massive form appeared near Regalther!
"Gomora! Knock him out! Don't let him absorb the energy!" Xiao Luuo immediately commanded.
Hearing the order, Gomora let out a furious roar and charged wildly at Regalther. With a dull thud, Regalther was knocked back a single step—yet it was only a single step.
This sight stunned Xiao Luuo. He had expected to knock the monster down, never imagining its defense could be so astonishing!
As Regalther steadied its stance, it slowly began to exert force, pushing Gomora backward step by step. Gomora braced itself against Regalther, its legs motionless, yet it kept retreating as two deep trenches were gouged into the ground.
To make matters worse, Regalther's pace grew faster and faster until it was actually running! Gomora was pushed along the ground as Regalther sprinted forward!
"Oh my god! How can this monster be so strong!" Hori exclaimed in disbelief as he watched the scene on the main screen in the headquarters.
Megumi Iruma also frowned slightly, gazing at the big screen.
Seeing this, Xiao Luuo scratched the back of his head and let out a soft sound of surprise.
Regalther suddenly came to a halt, sending Gomora crashing to the ground from the momentum. Regalther turned around and walked back toward the storage tanks as Gomora struggled to its feet.
Suddenly, a cyan destructive beam struck Gomora dead-on! It crashed to the ground once more, letting out a frustrated roar of defiance.
Ignoring the attacks from Guts Wing 1 altogether, Regalther absorbed the remaining three energy storage tanks, then stretched its claws out horizontally as plumes of smoke began to spew from its back!
Refusing to accept defeat, Gomora scrambled back to its feet and charged at Regalther!
However, just as Gomora was about to reach it, Regalther abruptly soared into the air! Having lost its target, Gomora tumbled heavily to the ground, losing its balance completely.
Looking up at the departing Regalther, Gomora let out a series of angry roars, wishing it had grown a pair of wings of its own.
Knowing he couldn't stop Regalther now, Xiao Luuo recalled Gomora into the Battle Niser and rode Melba back toward the base.
Shortly afterward, the doors of the Guts Command Center opened, and Xiao Luuo walked in, hands clasped behind his head and whistling a tune.
Megumi Iruma glanced at him and nodded slightly. Xiao Luuo walked straight to his seat and began brewing coffee.
"Rena, Hori, Munakata, the three of you take Guts Wing 2 to the Development Bureau and investigate the situation," Megumi Iruma said as she looked at the three returning officers.
"Understood!"
At the Development Bureau center, Munakata and four others stood alongside the head of the Development Bureau in front of a massive machine.
"Due to external command interference, the entire DCS defense system has completely failed," the head of the Development Bureau explained.
"But doesn't DCS have the latest defense system?" Munakata asked, perplexed.
"That's right. If it's the person who built DCS, they could bypass the defense system and gain entry with ease!" Hori chimed in immediately upon hearing Munakata's words.
"The creator of DCS is none other than... Dr. Ezaki, who went missing aboard Jupita 3," the head of the Development Bureau said slowly.
Back inside the base, Megumi Iruma looked at Xiao Luuo, who was leisurely sipping his coffee, and asked, "Officer Xiao Luuo, what are your thoughts on this monster?"
Dropping his usual flippant attitude, Xiao Luuo replied solemnly, "I suspect that a Regalther life form attacked Jupita 3, and that's how the monster was created."
Meanwhile, Muzui was furiously hammering away at his keyboard, seemingly searching for something.
The fragments of Regalther left at the scene had also been retrieved by GUTS for analysis.
Two days later.
Xiao Luuo stood before a senior staff officer wearing a blue uniform.
"The D-Division of the Development Bureau just called to report that over the past few days, the astronauts of Jupita 3 have appeared before their families. If Jupita 3 had already returned to Earth, that would be impossible."
"Does this have anything to do with the DCS incident?" Megumi Iruma asked with a puzzled look.
"It's just that there are far too many strange things going on. But under no circumstances should word of this get out, understand?" With that, the officer left the office.
At that moment, Megumi Iruma recalled what Xiao Luuo had said a few days prior: "A Regalther life form attacked Jupita 3!"
She then returned to the command room.
Scarcely had she taken her seat when Shinjo rushed in breathlessly and blurted out, "Captain, I heard the Space Development Bureau is questioning the families of the Jupita 3 crew. Is that true?"
"What are you getting so worked up about?" Munakata walked over to Shinjo and asked.
"Could that monster have a close connection to Jupita 3?" Shinjo demanded urgently.
"That falls under the jurisdiction of the Space Development Bureau."
"Then I'll go ask them myself!" Shinjo said, turning to leave.
"Hold on. They have their methods, and we have ours. Mutual non-interference is the rule!" Megumi Iruma explained.
Distraught, Shinjo wandered out to the Guts lobby and rested both hands on the railing.
"What's wrong with you? That's not like you at all," Daigo said, walking up to Shinjo's side.
"Yeah, why are you so distracted today?" Xiao Luuo approached the two of them holding three cups of coffee, handing one to each.