Ultraman cubs begin to wreak havoc.

To wipe them out, we must venture deep into their lair. It's unimaginable what traps or strategies they might have set up to ambush Komon Kazuki and his men. Even if we successfully defeat them, the chances of survival are slim. Therefore, we desperately want Riko Saito to stay; it's for her life.

But Riko Saida refused to agree no matter what.

"No. I want to go with Komon."

She stared into Kazuki Komon's eyes and said this, as if to say that if she did this, there would be nothing to worry about.

"Aren't you scared?"

"I'm scared. I'm terrified."

"Then why do you want to go?"

Riko Saito smiled through her tears and said:

"Because that day, Komon made a promise to me that he would protect me. So, I also want to protect you."

Without hesitation, Kazuki Komon embraced her. Her body was so fragile, it seemed about to break apart. Why, even a girl like this had to stand up and fight? Why? This filled Kazuki Komon with frustration and helplessness.

Riko Saida whispered to Kazuki Komon, who was trembling and clinging tightly to her.

"Then, shall we hurry up and end this absurd world?"

Kazuki Komon felt her rapid heartbeat throughout his body, and at the same time, he nodded deeply. It was imperative to reclaim the world where Riko Saita could live without needing to hold a gun in this hand.

Since learning of the malicious intent behind Project Poseidon, Kazuki Komon has attempted to contact TLT several times, but his personal terminal, strapped to his wrist, has remained unresponsive. He has received no reply from command.

That's what the TLT is all about. Agents fight the invaders by following one-way instructions from a headquarters whose location is unknown.

Kazuki Komon had always relied solely on those instructions, treating them as reliable imperial edicts as he fought. However, he began to realize that even this source of information was unreliable.

Kazuki Komon obtained a detonator from an old friend who worked as a secret agent. Immediately afterward, long-awaited commands were transmitted to his personal terminal.

"An alien impersonating Agent Kazuki Komon is currently on the run. He has acquired a detonator and is attempting to carry out sabotage. Agents, please confirm his identity immediately and eliminate him."

Sure enough, even TLT has now been manipulated by the invaders who rule this world.

Kazuki Komon was so certain that he finally felt he had been driven to the edge of the world with nowhere to go, and he had become someone who was hunted down even by his former comrades, the agents.

And now, the only person he can trust is the woman who is desperately holding his hand, the woman he has sworn to protect.

Riko Saita, who only followed me because she believed in me, is someone I would protect even at the cost of my life.

This battle was fought precisely for that purpose.

"Someone is watching."

"It's Riko Saida, who's lying right next to Kazuki Komon on the ground, said in a low voice."

"understood."

"Ah."

"Your observation skills are truly sharp," Kazuki Komon thought to himself. There were two people in front of the facility's back door, one under that tree, and another in the bushes. Komon quickly assessed the situation. They were all armed. And the safety devices on their guns were all disabled.

Kazuki Komon also deactivated the safety device on his gun. Although it was originally a weapon meant to crush the ambitions of invaders, it might end up being used to attack his fellow human beings in the future... He should pray as much as possible that such a thing doesn't happen.

Kazuki Komon took slow, deep breaths. He felt the tension spreading through his veins to every corner of his body.

Alright, all ready.

Kazuki Komon turned his gaze to his lover beside him. Riko Saida was crouching slightly, her body tense. Suddenly, he spoke, "Riko, how about we go somewhere far away after all this is over?"

She looked up at Kazuki Komon with an incredulous expression.

"A street with a view of the sea would be nice. After all this is over, I'm not going to be a secret agent anymore. I want to go there and live a life just for you."

The two of them run a small shop by the sea. It sells jewelry made from seashells, and they close up shop early on nice days so they can go fishing together.

And so they lived together, from morning till night.

A life shared by just the two of them.

"Ah."

Riko Saito nodded quickly, as if she had thought of something. Her body stopped trembling, and at the same time, she gripped the gun handle more firmly, as if to use it to fulfill her and Komon's wishes.

Kazuki Komon, oblivious to Riko Saito's actions, took a deep breath, a cold glint in his eyes, calculating his next move and potential contingencies. Then, he spoke in a low voice:

"Then, let's go."

Kazuki Komon and Riko Saito slowly stood up and took heavy steps. At the same time, the birds that had been perched on the treetops above scattered with a whoosh, and the watchers dressed in black began to move.

Has it been discovered?

Without thinking, Kazuki Komon stomped his feet on the ground and ran towards the entrance gate. At the same time, he felt Riko Saito's heavy breathing as their fingers were intertwined.

At the same time, Komon discovered that the group of people waiting at the entrance, all dressed in black, were indeed his colleagues.

He had a sense of déjà vu about the man he had punched unconscious in the chest; he must be an agent he had teamed up with before.

Seeing this, a burning rage surged within me. This was someone I wouldn't have needed to fight if it weren't for this whole mess. Those guys always treat their fellow humans like pawns in a game, making them fight while they themselves stand safely on the sidelines watching the spectacle. This is absolutely unforgivable.

Kazuki Komon pushed aside the people blocking the door one by one.

However, when it comes to wiping someone off the face of the earth, there's probably nothing more useful than special agents. As long as the target is declared to be alien, they will eliminate them swiftly and reliably. Because they completely trust the instructions given by TLT, they have no doubts about the missions they are given.

After sweeping his opponent to the ground with a leg sweep, Komon Kazuki fired a shot at the foot of the man approaching Saita Riko, who collapsed with a painful groan.

The road was now clear, and the door was exposed to them without any defenses.

"go in."

Kazuki Komon forcefully grabbed Riko Saita's hand and rushed through the small door into the facility. The moment the heavy door closed behind him, the sound of bullets blasting against its surface came from the other side—it was truly a close call.

He quickly locked the door from this side. The sound of kicking the door came from afar. I've heard that unnecessarily installing a sturdy door is like asking for trouble—a good lesson indeed. This should have bought him a little time.

"Where is the path to the deepest part of the facility?"

"Here!"

Riko Saida led Kazuki Komon forward down the corridor.

Their plan was to dive as deep as possible into the core of those guys and detonate the explosive device.

Upon entering the facility, the scents of grass and earth I had previously sensed vanished, replaced by a sterile space isolated from nature. The walls, painted a pristine white with an inorganic finish, stretched on endlessly. There was not a trace of human presence here; it seemed to be a direct symbol of the society constructed by those who controlled intelligence.

Sure enough, this was no ordinary place. It felt like a spark could ignite instantly, the air thick with tension and danger. Komon Kazuki recalled the countless invaders' strongholds he'd infiltrated before, and this felt exactly the same. No, this was a far worse stench.

The corridor turned a corner, where many large doors stretched out as far as the eye could see.

The floorboards clattered as the two walked down the corridor, and suddenly an unpleasant alarm blared in their ears.

"what is this?"

"They've noticed our intrusion."

Driven by the alarm, Komon Kazuki quickened his pace.

"Riko, disable the safety device on the gun."

"what?"

"The pursuers will appear soon, and if you are attacked, you must not hesitate to fight back."

Actually, what he originally wanted to say was that even if they hadn't been hit yet, our side should have launched the first attack the moment they saw them, but Komon Kazuki swallowed those words back. He didn't want to ask Saita Riko to do such a cruel thing.

Riko Saida picked up the gun with clumsy hands and barely managed to assume the ready position as she had practiced.

As if waiting for the right moment, approaching footsteps sounded from behind. There were several people.

"Target to be arrested."

A cold, emotionless voice rang out.

Turning his head to look behind him, he saw fully armed troops approaching, wearing bulletproof vests and black helmets. He couldn't make out their expressions, but he could tell they were carrying automatic rifles.

They're professionals.

Judging from the aura they were exuding, Komon Kazuki sensed the increasing killing intent. With a 'click,' the team members simultaneously raised their rifles and aimed them at them.

"Riko!"

Kazuki Komon rolled onto the floor to protect her, a deafening explosion ripping through the air nearby. His right leg narrowly escaped being grazed by the heat. The floor in front of him was riddled with steaming holes. The lapel of Kazuki Komon's trench coat was burned away, a result of a bullet wound.

Riko Saida wanted to scream, but Kazuki Komon didn't have time. As he got up, he fired bullets back at the guys from his side.

Kazuki Komon calmly counted the number of team members who had been taken down by the carefully fired bullets.

For the specialized weapons TLT provides to its agents, bulletproof vests are practically useless. The energy that can penetrate even the skin of a massive creature could easily blast a human into the air.

Although the troops were also attacking Komon Kazuki and his men, their bullet trajectories were all within Komon Kazuki's visibility range. To avoid entering their area, he ordered Saita Riko to move, and then launched his own attack.

Three.

Once he was certain that he had taken down at least four people, Komon Kazuki and Saita Riko sped off to the next corner of the corridor. So far, not even a few seconds had passed.

Next, how many more people will need to be killed?

"The Lone Gate!!!"

It's Riko Saida.

Kazuki Komon was startled and quickly turned around, but when he saw Riko Saito desperately gripping his hand with tears in her eyes, Kazuki's heart, which had momentarily transformed into a fighting machine, snapped back to reality. He felt his heart pounding in his chest. The bloodstains that had stained the snow-white corridor red came into view.