A thunderous roar split the night sky as three angular aircraft streaked overhead, their sleek forms cutting through the darkness like silver arrows. The distinctive whine of their engines made Gustave instinctively tense.
"Those are the Night Raiders," Daigo explained, tracking the fighters' path with wary eyes. "They're this world's specialized space beast combat unit."
His expression darkened. "We should keep our distance. Unlike the GUTS Defense Team, the Night Raiders aren't exactly... diplomatic."
Daigo's first encounter with the Night Raiders had left a bitter taste. When he'd initially transformed into Tiga to battle an space beast, he'd assumed the arriving aircraft were reinforcements. Instead, they'd opened fire on him as readily as on the monster. The memory of dodging their attacks while trying to protect civilians still rankled.
The Night Raiders bore significant responsibility for Jun's condition during his last collapse at the Bamboo Staff. Nexus had been winning decisively against the space beast Bugbuzuns when the Night Raiders arrived and attacked both combatants indiscriminately. Jun had sustained injuries while evading their assault, ultimately fainting from exhaustion and trauma. Only his desperate activation of the Gate of All Worlds had saved him from TLT capture.
"Understood," Gustave nodded grimly. He had no desire to meet the Night Raiders either.
Both the Night Raiders and their parent organization TLT represented humanity's coldest pragmatism—willing to sacrifice innocent lives as bait if it meant eliminating space beasts. Whether to call them ruthlessly efficient or heartlessly calculating remained debatable.
Gustave preferred avoiding such people entirely. Before Nexus appeared, TLT had destroyed countless space beasts through human technology alone. They'd even analyzed Ultraman's power to develop advanced weaponry. Rational, remorseless, and devastatingly capable—such organizations were nightmares to deal with.
"Why should we leave?" Tu Shanyan asked with naive confusion. "Gustave, those flying contraptions are what you called aircraft, correct? They don't seem particularly threatening."
As if responding to her dismissal, the three Night Raider fighters began their aerial ballet. Mechanical precision guided their movements as they locked together mid-flight, transforming into a single massive vessel—the Strike Chester, crown jewel of the Chrome Chester series.
Energy cascaded along the combined fighter's hull, building to a crescendo that made the air itself tremble. Tu Shanyan's fox ears flattened against her head as power readings spiked beyond her comprehension. A brilliant lance of light erupted from Strike Chester's prow, tearing through dimensional barriers like tissue paper. The beam carved open a rift in space itself, allowing the aircraft to plunge directly into the Meta Field.
"How... how can those metal birds wield such terrifying power?" Tu Shanyan stammered, pointing at the spatial tear with trembling fingers. "I sense only ordinary humans inside—mortals with decent physical conditioning, nothing more! Yet their machine commands such devastating force!"
"This is the power of human intelligence," Gustave replied with grudging respect. Despite his distaste for TLT's methods, he couldn't deny their technological achievements.
"Individual humans may be as fragile as ants, but when they unite their knowledge and determination..." He gestured at the dimensional rift slowly sealing itself. "They can reshape reality and challenge gods themselves."
"Daigo, shouldn't you help Jun?" Gustave asked. "The Night Raiders have entered the battlefield."
"It should be fine now," Daigo assured him. "After countless battles, the Night Raiders have learned we're not enemies. They won't attack us unprovoked anymore."
"Should be and will be are different things," Gustave murmured.
That fragile trust existed primarily because Komon served within the Night Raiders—a thin thread holding back potential catastrophe. As for TLT's upper echelons, they remained utterly untrustworthy. Every word from their lips deserved maximum suspicion.
Gustave couldn't help imagining how Hiroya Fujimiya might have handled TLT. The former Alchemy Star genius would likely have transformed into Agul and reduced their headquarters to radioactive ash without a second thought.
Despite the Night Raiders' intervention, Gustave pulled Tu Shanyan and Daigo toward safer ground. In the Nexus world, paranoia wasn't madness—it was survival. TLT demanded the worst possible assumptions about their motives and methods.
Within the Meta Field, the battle concluded swiftly. Without civilians to protect or Night Raider interference to navigate, and with Dark Faust maintaining cautious distance after his previous thrashing, Nexus dispatched the space beast efficiently. The silver Ultraman nodded acknowledgment to Komon's Strike Chester before dissolving the dimensional barrier and vanishing. Mission accomplished, the Night Raiders departed for base.
"Gustave! My god, it's good to see you!"
Jun Himeya emerged from a concealed forest cave, his face lighting with genuine warmth. The unique bond between Ultraman hosts had guided him to their location after the battle's conclusion.
"Jun!" Gustave stepped forward, embracing his friend with back-slapping enthusiasm. "You look well—truly well."
"Let me introduce my friend," Gustave said, stepping aside to reveal Tu Shanyan. "This is Tu Shanyan, a friend from another world. She's a fox demon, and occasionally quite foolish."
"I am not foolish!" Tu Shanyan protested, raising her fist indignantly. "I'm exceptionally clever, thank you very much!"
Jun blinked at the casual mention of 'fox demon' but quickly adapted. After encountering Ultramen, space beasts, and dimensional gates, mythical creatures seemed almost mundane. He extended his hand with a gentle smile.
"Hello, Tu Shanyan. I'm Jun Himeya."
Following Gustave's earlier lesson, Tu Shanyan clasped his hand firmly. "Greetings, Jun Himeya. I'm Tu Shanyan—a clever fox demon!"
Laughter rippled through the group at her emphatic correction.
Jun and Daigo led them through the city's outskirts to a charming three-story house nestled among trees and gardens. The 150-square-meter building radiated warmth and comfort, its windows glowing with golden light against the evening darkness.
"Jun, this is magnificent!" Gustave admired the cozy architecture. "Much larger than I expected."
"I had an epiphany after returning from the Bamboo Staff," Jun explained, his voice carrying quiet conviction. "Fighting space beasts and dispelling fear requires more than Ultraman's power alone. We must awaken the goodness within human hearts—harness hope itself as a weapon against darkness."
He gestured toward a wall lined with framed photographs—candid moments of joy, love, and everyday beauty captured in stunning detail.
"So I returned to journalism, documenting life's beautiful moments and sharing them with the world. The response exceeded all expectations. Combined with my modest savings, it enabled me to purchase this little haven."
"That's wonderful, Jun!" Gustave's smile reflected genuine pride in his friend's recovery from grief. Jun had found purpose beyond mere survival—a way to honor Sera's memory while building something hopeful.
"'Exceeded expectations' is an understatement," Daigo interjected with mock exhaustion. "His 'Beautiful Moments in Life' series isn't just popular—it's a cultural phenomenon! As his photography assistant, I've been run ragged keeping up with demand!"