Am I the only one in this team who is not Ultraman?

I see. No wonder Renlong didn't leave the shrine much before. Each time he left, he only went out for a short while before coming back. Leaving the ley lines must have been very difficult for Renlong.

"Leo (the boss) is so easy to fool," Zetton and Dimaga thought simultaneously. But Renlong wasn't exactly lying; she would indeed be in great pain without the power of the ley lines.

However, she has now established a connection with Leo's combat device and can maintain normal movement without holding hands like this.

Although holding hands like this makes driving inconvenient, the commercial street isn't far from here anyway. Leo held Renlong's hand, with Zetton following on his right. Dimaga was full of energy, bouncing around looking at this and that.

"Those two monsters that appeared at the Australian branch before, they're called Taganura, right? Can you call them to help?"

"I am the embodiment of the earth's veins and a part of the earth. Most of the monsters on earth obey my commands, but there are also many monsters that are not under my jurisdiction, such as Dimaga."

Leo and Renlong glanced at the silly girl jumping around in front of them at the same time. Actually, they both had mixed feelings about Dimaga, but the Dimaga in front of them was just a new individual with the memories of that Dimaga, and they could tell the difference.

"Don't Golza and Melba count?" Leo thought of these two monsters nicknamed "Dispatch Vanguard". According to TPC's data over the past ten years, these two have appeared the most times. Otherwise, Sphia wouldn't have been able to find so many materials to synthesize the Super Five Emperors.

"They have been corrupted by darkness and have long since become its minions; the holes in their bodies are the best proof of that."

"Understood, then these three can be sold." Since many Earth monsters obey Renlong's orders, Leo can't just capture them randomly.

Seeing Renlong's bewildered look, Leo told her about his business deal with Charlieja. He then realized that he hadn't had a chance to tell Renlong about it yet, as he had been extremely busy lately.

After hearing Leo's plan, Ren was stunned. After pondering for a while, he couldn't help but utter two words, "Genius."

Leo is the first person to think of taking the initiative to contact aliens or even do business with them. However, this is based on strength. If Zetton and Demaga were not strong enough, and if TPC's defenses were not weak, Leo would not dare to take such a risk.

"I'll call you before I capture monsters next time." Leo didn't want to accidentally capture friendly forces, especially something like Taganura, who could go on a rampage as soon as he was full.

"Sure, cosmic monsters aren't under my jurisdiction, just capture them directly. Besides, even some monsters that are under my control might have their own kind affected by the darkness and go berserk, so just capture them directly."

There are so many monsters on Earth that Renlong can't possibly control them all. She has been weak and asleep for a long time, and there aren't many monsters left that are willing to obey her commands.

The four of them went to the barbecue restaurant owned by Mr. Higashi Kotaro. Today happened to be the day that Mr. Hayata was discharged from the hospital, so the neighbors and acquaintances were also eating there. After Leo learned about this, he hurriedly prepared some things to celebrate. He had been so busy these past few days that he hadn't noticed.

Halfway there, Leo and the others looked up at the sky in unison, and the confused voice of Emperor appeared in his mind.

"Ok?"

Ordinary people can't see it, but Leo, who has awakened Reonics multiple times, can see it clearly. Another wormhole has appeared in the outer space of the universe. When this thing appeared the day before yesterday, it directly caused the loss of five Super Goblins.

Leo's communicator rang as usual, unsurprisingly, "This is Leo."

"Vice Captain Leo, news has come from Delta Space Station that the wormhole has reappeared, confirming the same reaction over America."

"Since they're the enemy, let's prepare to use the Texas Beam Cannon directly. XIG Lightning Team, prepare to attack. I..."

Looking at Ren, whom he was holding hands with, Leo thought that today's meal would have to be postponed again. Ren shook his head, "No need for that trouble, just wait a moment."

"Report, this is the Americas branch. A monster has appeared near a high-purity energy power plant in Colorado. It's an insect-like monster that has been recorded before!"

As the vice-captain of ESCG, Leo can directly contact each defense team without going through intermediaries. This was originally a right given to the captain of the stringed man team, but unfortunately, the captain is hospitalized every now and then.

Leo immediately understood Renlong's plan. "This is Leo, the American branch. Do not attack the enemy directly. According to the previous Australian report, the monster codenamed Taganura may not be hostile to us."

"It is very likely that it has a strong sense of territory and is aware of the threat coming from the universe. However, we should also be prepared in case the monster causes damage."

Two Taganuras appeared in Australia yesterday. After absorbing high-purity energy, they cooperated with Ultraman to attack the Five Emperors and then disappeared. Therefore, the TPC held a meeting and discussed that the behavior of the Taganuras was a kind of territorial awareness and self-protection.

Therefore, non-aggressive measures can be taken against Taganura, and Leo's arrangement is not unreasonable.

"What if the monster causes unnecessary destruction?" The American branch didn't know much about Leo and didn't dare to trust his instructions easily.

"I'll take responsibility, I'll write the report, and I'll cover for anything that goes wrong." Leo trusted Renlong's arrangements; at most, he would just have to write a few more pages of reports.

Since Leo has said so, the defense force of the American branch has no objections. At worst, they can prepare the Texas beam cannon first. If Taganura intends to cause more damage, they can deal with it then.

Then the defense team of the American branch encountered the most outrageous scene they had ever seen in their line of work: they actually saw a 60-meter-tall monster tiptoeing past the edge of the town, and even knowing to take a detour when it encountered places that it could not pass.

After making sure she hadn't stepped on anything the Dragon God Sister had mentioned, Taganura breathed a sigh of relief. The Dragon God Sister had said that if she broke anything, she would have to sell it.

Upon arriving at the high-purity energy storage tank, Taganura went on a wild display, consuming the contents until his body shone with golden light. Then, he looked up and fired a beam of light at the sky. Before the Delta Space Station could even react, and before the blue crystal carrying the super-gob had even shown a corner of its surface, it was blasted back.

After finishing her work, Taganula made sure to finish what was left in the jar so as not to waste any.

Now Leo doesn't have to bother with anything. Renlong's lips curled up slightly, and Zetton nodded in approval. Only Leo had a headache, as he would have to write another report later.

..................................................................

Kotaro BBQ Restaurant, as the oldest restaurant on this commercial street, has always been very popular. However, for more than ten years, the large private rooms on the second floor have only been open to regular customers, just like tonight.

"Come on, let's grill some lettuce. By the way, Hayata, are you really alright?" Old Master Moroboshi said as he put vegetables on the grill.

"Oh, no problem. The doctor said I just need to pay more attention to regulating my emotions. I'm still in good health."

It's rather embarrassing to admit, but Hayata Susumu himself felt a little ashamed that he had a heart attack because of a monster.

“We have to admit we’re getting old sometimes. We’re not young anymore.” Hideki Xiang sat down with a beer in his hand. The group of men sat at one table, while Akiko Annu and her group sat at another.

"It's not appropriate for you to say that, Mr. Hokuto Seiji. Weren't you planning to participate in the racing competition?" Old Master Hokuto Seiji sat down with some snacks in his hands.

"Sigh... I'm actually feeling a bit overwhelmed. Sakata was diagnosed with high blood pressure, and my daughter keeps calling to tell me not to do such dangerous things."

The villagers sighed helplessly; they were all getting old and were no longer the spirited young people they once were.

“Leo has become quite famous lately,” Kotaro Higashi casually changed the subject. “There are a lot of news reports about him.”

As a defense force heavily promoted by TPC, the ESCG naturally attracted coverage from various news media, especially since it had already launched four or five operations in less than half a month since its establishment.

Although Ultraman and Zetton were involved in these battles, no one dared to doubt ESCG's fighting power. You can say their record is not good, but you can't doubt their courage and spirit of sacrifice. They really go for it when there's trouble.

“But that kid’s job is also dangerous. Back then, we had a hard time dealing with just one Melba. Their equipment is indeed better, but the enemy is also stronger.” Hayata Susumu and Moroboshi Dan were among the first members of the defense force and had participated in many battles against monsters.

"I remember that child once said that he hoped to become a teacher and educate people in the future. I never expected that he would now be devoting himself to the cause of protecting humanity."

Takeshi Yagami also sighed, and Hideki Go, who had been through it all, understood perfectly: "This responsibility... is very stressful."

The profession of the defense force is always accompanied by sacrifice. The old people who had served in the defense force had similar experiences. Watching their comrades who were laughing and talking just a moment ago die in front of them the next second, and having to face terrible monsters, many people will be left with deep shadows.

If one cannot regulate their emotions and becomes trapped in hatred, anger, and pain, it is not suitable for them to remain in the defense force for too long.

Anger can impair judgment, and pain can make people hesitant, so members of each defense force need to receive counseling and consultation from psychologists every month.

"But that child will definitely be fine, right?"

Akiko Sakata turned around and looked at her husband with a smile. Hideki Go nodded as well. They had both thought that Leo would be depressed by the pain of losing Asami, but they also knew very well that Leo was not that kind of person.

When what has been lost is irretrievable, what remains must be protected with all one's might. Leo is such a person; he swallows all his anger and hatred, turning them into nourishment for growth.

But after all, we've watched him grow up, and every time we see news about the various monsters ESCG faces, we still worry a lot, especially after the news this morning that the Australian branch of the defense force was completely wiped out, which made us even more uneasy.

"Oh, everyone's here." Leo, leading Ren and Zetton and Dimaga into the large private room, said, "Sorry we're late. How is Uncle Hayata feeling?"

“It’s all right now…” Hayata hadn’t finished speaking when he looked at the long-haired girl standing next to Leo, and for some reason his heart started racing again. “Who is this girl?”

"Her name is... Zetton, and this is Dimaga, my colleague."

"This name isn't very appealing," Hayata thought subconsciously, but quickly calmed down. "This girl looks like a foreigner, so it's not surprising that she has this name. I'm just making a mountain out of a molehill."

Compared to Hayata and the others, Akiko and Anne, the older aunts, noticed Ren and Leo holding hands, their faces beaming with maternal smiles. But they quickly noticed that Zetton and Dimaga seemed to be very close to Leo as well, their eyes filled with gossip.

"Since you're Leo's colleague, come sit down and eat with us. We just grilled a lot of things."

"Yes, yes, but both of our large tables are full. Wait, we'll bring over a small table so the four of you can sit at one table by yourself."

"I'll go get some more meat and vegetables!"

As everyone gradually got busy, Leo was a little confused about what they were doing. It was as if he were a guest. Oh right, Dimaga and Zetton were guests too, since they were new and not very familiar with each other. Everyone was very welcoming.

After a while of tidying up, Leo and his three friends sat at a small table. He grilled barbecue for his three daughters while chatting with his elders.

"How's work? I heard you got injured?" Old Master Hayata doted on Leo the most and was most concerned about his health.

"The injury isn't serious. The medical technology at TPC is excellent. I have a half-day off today. I'll go back and check on my teammates after dinner."

"How's the atmosphere in the team? I heard your captain is that kid, Xianren. Is he alright?" Grandpa Beidou was very concerned about the team atmosphere. Captain Xianren had once been one of his team members.

"Everyone is doing well, but we don't have much time to have a proper chat."

Leo was quite helpless at this point. ESCG was being established one after another, but the team members had been hospitalized one after another, so there was no way to properly cultivate team spirit. Fortunately, everyone cared about him and was a very nice person. It was just that Leo had to write all the reports by himself, which was a bit frustrating.

Now that you mention it, I still have to write a report tonight. I need to explain what happened in Taganura earlier.

Holding hands while eating barbecue would be inconvenient. Since they didn't need to hold hands all the time, Ren took the initiative to let go of his hand and helped Leo barbecue with Jeton. Annu took the opportunity to pat his arm.

"Hey Leo, do you ever have any thoughts about that, like finding a partner or something?"

"Find a partner?" Leo shook his head. "I have absolutely no such thoughts. The work in the defense force is dangerous and busy, and I don't want to let anyone down."

"Leo, ah." Renlong's words made Leo subconsciously open his mouth and bite the meat that Zetton and Renlong put to his mouth. Dimaga, on the other hand, unceremoniously ate all of Leo's grilled meat and even went to the other two tables to mooch some.

Why is this child such a blockhead? Annu couldn't help but wonder, but upon closer inspection, it didn't seem to make much of a difference. From childhood to adulthood, Leo had been in contact mostly with his elders, and Meifei was always running off every now and then.

However, it seems that at least two good girls are interested in him, so he doesn't have to worry about not finding a girlfriend.

“People become stronger when they have someone they want to protect.” Dan Moroboshi patted Leo on the shoulder. “You did a great job.”

Leo is someone we've all watched grow up. Seeing him as he is now always gives us a sense of accomplishment and makes us very happy, especially for Yato Takeshi, who was in charge of teaching Leo earlier.

(Are these things tasty?)

A confused voice echoed in Leo's mind as he pondered for a moment. Leo allowed Ampera to temporarily share his five senses while picking up a piece of roasted meat, dipping it in sauce, and putting it in his mouth.

(Strange taste. I don't understand why humans like these things. Oh well, I'll have another piece, and that bubbling black liquid over there. I'll take a sip.)

"He has quite a few demands," Leo subconsciously thought. He hadn't expected that this emperor of the dark universe would be so approachable and easy to get along with. Could it be that the part of Emperor Empera that split off had the best personality?

Chapter 43 Who do you think is the captain?

After finishing the barbecue, Leo drove Ren back to the shrine and then drove directly back to the TPC headquarters, partly to visit his teammates and partly to hold a meeting.

It's hard to put into words, but ESCG has been established for half a month, and its first formal meeting is being held in the intensive care unit of the medical department.

"Based on our analysis, the wormholes that appeared a few days ago and tonight are not natural phenomena. The mastermind behind creating the wormholes and releasing the super-gob should not be Sphia. The higher-ups have decided to tentatively call it the Root Destruction Invitation Entity."

"At the same time, in order to prevent the Five Emperors incident from happening again, the elimination of monsters must be thorough in the future. All fragments must be destroyed as soon as possible, leaving only a small part for recycling, so as to at least ensure that Sphia does not steal the monster corpses."

"As for Taganura, the higher-ups have decided to classify it as a non-hostile monster... Daigo, since your hands are not in good condition, let Komon feed you."

When Leo arrived, he also brought a lot of barbecue grilled by Grandpa Kotaro and his friends, as well as snacks made by Grandpa Hokuto, so that Daigo and the others could eat while holding the meeting. Basically, he did all the talking, and everyone else just listened.

Fortunately, although everyone was seriously injured, there were no restrictions on what they ate, otherwise some of them would have been pitifully drooling. Daigo was the worst off, with all four limbs in casts and needing help to eat. His girlfriend, Rena, was busy patrolling and didn't have much time for him. Fortunately... his teammates were mostly in the ward as well.

"Vice Captain, how is the situation at the Australian branch?" Gento was very concerned about this issue. All three defense teams of the Australian branch were wiped out, and their defense capabilities were greatly weakened, which was a very painful loss.

"The Five Emperors caused quite a stir. I estimate that the monsters lurking underground in Australia have been scared too scared to come out. There shouldn't be any problems for a while. The higher-ups plan to give priority to the use of the newly modified Flying Swallow EXJ and Unit 1 there."

The Hien EXJ and Hien I-no-Kai were both developed a few years ago, but they were not deployed on a large scale. Compared to the No. 1 and No. 2 units, they have stronger firepower and mobility.

This would also help to address the weakness in the Australian branch's combat capabilities. It is said that the highest commander of the Australian branch turned a lot white overnight and personally called the families of each fallen soldier to report the news.

TPC is now preparing to strengthen its capabilities, with all its factories worldwide accelerating operations. It is expected that the EXJ will replace the second aircraft within six months. At the same time, the more advanced Eagle series fighter jets are also under development, and are prepared to be equipped with the Max propulsion system.

Dr. Yao, who had previously resisted installing the Max Power System, didn't sleep a wink last night after hearing about the major losses suffered by the Australian branch. He carried his toolbox and worked overtime all night without eating or sleeping, determined to speed up the renovation of King Joe Bridge.

Dr. Yato wasn't a rigid person, nor was he incapable of prioritizing tasks. Leo was even a little worried that the old man might be working too hard and then...

"Excuse me." Mayumi, a nurse in the medical department, knocked on the door nervously. Since it wasn't a confidential meeting, Leo didn't mind being disturbed. "I'm sorry, we need to add someone to the intensive care unit temporarily."

"Adding more people is no problem, but who?"

Just as Leo finished speaking, Mayumi pushed Dr. Yao, who was lying on a mobile stretcher, into the room. Judging from the old man's pale face, he was exhausted.

"Yao-o-sensei, what brings you here... and this way at that!?" I never imagined that my reunion with my teacher would be under these circumstances.

"Dr. Yao has been working non-stop at the armory for 24 hours straight, without even eating. He just passed out." Mayumi pointed to the glucose dripping down the wall.

"We were originally going to send him to another ward, but Dr. Yao said he wanted to come here to discuss the improvement plan for the new weapon with you."

No wonder, Leo thought. The TPC wards weren't that short of space. Dr. Yao was still awake, and he greeted everyone with a pale face before lying down on the bed next to my dream.

"Are you having a meeting?" Dr. Yao looked on with a strange expression. If it wasn't a meeting, they had set up a projector. But if it was a meeting, why was there this strong smell of barbecue?

"Yes, oh right, Professor Yao, I have some ideas for King Joe's renovation. Take a look at this improvement plan first. Oh, and you can have this sausage and this skewer of chicken wings first."

Leo casually handed the King Joe renovation proposal he had given him, along with a skewer of grilled sausage and a skewer of grilled chicken wings, to Dr. Yamata. Leo continued the meeting, while Dr. Yamata stared blankly at the proposal, still eating and listening at the same time.

"Another one is about the Five Emperors incident. Shortly before the Five Emperors appeared, news came from the Zelda Center that an unidentified alien had appeared at the Zelda Center and stolen the Zelda Bomb."

As he spoke, the projector switched to the surveillance photos from that time. The photos showed an alien with black, gold, and silver colors intertwined, who glanced disdainfully at the surveillance camera.

But Leo swore he really didn't mean any contempt; it's just that his awakened state didn't look like that of a good person.

"Based on the location at the time, we discovered that the Zildar bomb was planted inside the Five Emperors. The Five Emperors had weak internal defenses, and they were destroyed by the combined attack from inside and outside by Taganura and the Zildar bomb."