Chapter 33: Fujimiya: Damn, I'm here!

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But now is not the time to fuss over such details.

With a solemn expression, Qiao Zhe said, “The Yan Mountain device is located midway up Oil Field Mountain, hidden inside the mountain itself.”

“We’ll first use missiles to blast open the mountain, then comes the issue of transporting the Yan Mountain device.”

“I understand,” Ishimuro replied after a brief moment of consideration, then asked, “Chief Di, can the Peace Carrier lift the monster?”

Over the main communications channel, Di Cheng’s answer came: “If the monster doesn’t move, the Peace Carrier should have enough power.”

“At this moment, Yan Mountain is dormant,” Qiao Zhe explained, adding, “It needs to accumulate energy before it starts up, so it won’t move for now.”

“But I’m concerned the heat it emits could melt the towing chains.”

“That can be solved easily,” Di Cheng suggested, recalling the dry ice rounds. “Just freeze it with dry ice rounds.”

With the plan largely settled, Ishimuro issued instructions immediately: “Chief Di, go with the Lightning Team to assist Investigator Qiao Zhe.”

The Falcon Team is equipped with laser weapons, but in this situation, the Lightning Team is more suitable.

Aboard the Peace Carrier, Di Cheng opened the squad communications: “Lightning Team, head to Oil Field Mountain and assist Investigator Qiao Zhe.”

“Falcon Team, stay alert for Bokuragu.”

The three Lightning Team fighters received the order and flew toward Oil Field Mountain, the Peace Carrier following close behind.

Ishimuro looked at Qiao Zhe on the screen. “Qiao Zhe, I’ll leave the on-site coordination to your guidance.”

This XIG commander Ishimuro called everyone ‘team member,’ and that Chief Di referred to him as ‘investigator.’ Qiao Zhe grew increasingly certain that he had been unknowingly sold out by Womeng.

“Fine,” he said.

It wasn’t that he disliked XIG, but he didn’t appreciate being ordered about. Still, Ishimuro’s demeanor didn’t convey command, so he decided to watch and see, and later ask Womeng what was going on. Womeng wouldn’t betray a teammate so easily.

The engines roared overhead as the three Lightning Team fighters arrived nearby.

Qiao Zhe pressed the communicator button, switching to the squad channel. “The target is midway up Oil Field Mountain, concealed by a pile of rubble.”

“Fire missiles to blast the rocks apart.”

“Understood!” Kajio glanced downward, pinpointing the strike zone as described by Qiao Zhe.

Looking through the window, Qiao Zhe checked the distance between himself and the target, confirming the missiles wouldn’t affect him.

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“Kitada, Okawara, aim at the two o’clock position!”

“Target locked!” ×2

“Excellent! Fire the missiles!”

At Kajio’s command, the three Lightning Team fighters launched a volley of heat-seeking missiles.

Boom! Boom!

Flames and dust billowed from the explosions.

The rocks concealing Yan Mountain tumbled away, and once the smoke cleared, two red characters appeared.

This scene was broadcast to the XIG command room, where Staff Officer Chiba looked astonished. “What are those characters?”

“Yan Mountain,” Ishimuro translated, familiar with the script. “Yan as in heat, Mountain as in hill.”

Perhaps due to the attack, the surface of the Yan Mountain device on the main screen began to glow faintly red.

“Commander! The temperature is rising!” Jo Ji, noticing the anomaly, quickly reported, “The affected area is vast—temperatures across Oil Field Town are climbing.”

“The source of the heat is the Yan Mountain device!”

“Chief Di, begin the operation,” Ishimuro ordered, knowing he’d made the right call by following Womeng’s advice and having the public take shelter underground in advance. Otherwise, with this heat, who knows how many would have suffered heatstroke.

He remembered seeing Qiao Zhe earlier and felt a twinge of regret. From Womeng’s words, it was clear Qiao Zhe was something of a maverick.

But that was just as well. Ishimuro wasn’t greedy for more; different people require different approaches.

Meanwhile, above Oil Field Mountain—

Kajio saw the monster hidden there, raising his estimation of Qiao Zhe to the same level as Womeng.

‘Turns out he’s quite impressive, another genius scientist like Womeng.’

Though he praised Qiao Zhe in his heart, Kajio wouldn’t say it aloud.

He was mistaken, of course—the ‘genius scientist’ persona was a fabrication by Womeng. In truth, Qiao Zhe was quite ordinary.

Back aboard the Peace Carrier, Di Cheng followed the plan. “Switch to dry ice rounds; bring Yan Mountain’s temperature down.”

He turned to his partner, giving instructions for how to hoist the device.

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The Lightning Team, following orders, swapped their heat-seeking missiles for dry ice rounds and unleashed a barrage at the Yan Mountain device.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Several dry ice rounds struck the device, erupting into clouds of white coolant.

The surface of Yan Mountain, which had just turned red and started emitting heat, hadn’t begun to accumulate energy before the dry ice rounds lowered its temperature sharply.

The Peace Carrier hovered above the Yan Mountain device, its bay doors opening as dozens of thick chains with suction cups dropped down.

These chains, originally used to recover wreckage from Lightning Two and Three’s crashes caused by Okawara and Kitada, were designed for salvage. They couldn’t be used roughly, since some parts could be sent for repair after inspection.

The suction cups latched onto the device, activating their magnetic and electromagnetic fields to secure it as one unit.

Once everything was confirmed, the Peace Carrier slowly ascended.

The Yan Mountain device was gradually hoisted up, swaying as it was carried toward Bokuragu.

Qiao Zhe followed below, switching to the main channel so he could be immediately informed of any unexpected developments.

At the coast, Bokuragu saw Yan Mountain appear and swung its massive pincers, evidently excited.

“Bokuragu, wait!” Womeng quickly called out, soothing it, “It’ll be here soon!”

That calmed Bokuragu.

A smile spread across Womeng’s face. Everything seemed to be proceeding smoothly, but just at this critical moment—

Suddenly, he sensed the presence of an unfamiliar radiant aura nearby!

“Who’s there?” He spun around, and Fujimiya appeared in his view, making him pause in surprise. “Fujimiya?”

Fujimiya, dressed in a black shirt, stood atop the coastal rocks. He glanced at Womeng, then raised his arm.

On his wrist, the sapphire bracelet flashed. As he clenched his fist and raised his arm, the transformation device’s wings unfolded and spun, a blue light screen appeared!

A confident smile curled Fujimiya’s lips.

“Stop!” Womeng shouted, realizing what was happening—but it was already too late.

Thinking of Fujimiya’s intentions, Womeng hurriedly activated his communicator, connecting to the squad channel, his voice urgent: “Falcon Team! Immediately vacate Bokuragu’s location!”