"A device left behind by a super ancient civilization..."
Daigo immediately recognized what it was—an artifact from Yuzare, the Commander of the Terran Defence Team.
"I see."
Nodding, he and Daigo walked toward the Victory Team's meeting room.
Upon entering the room—
"Daigo, you're just in time!"
When the Victory Team's captain, Megumi, saw Daigo, her eyes lit up immediately.
"I was just about to come find you. Although we've analyzed the message from the device, we're still not certain if it's credible. We need your input as Chief Strategist!"
When it comes to aliens and monsters, Daigo often offers unique and accurate insights, which is why the entire Victory Team places their trust in him as their strategist.
Moreover, Megumi has always placed a special trust in Daigo in many other respects as well.
"I understand. Leave this to me."
Hajime nodded, saying nothing more.
"Megumi, give me a copy of the translated content."
"Understood!"
Already used to Hajime's manner of speaking, Megumi quickly opened the audio file on her computer and projected it as a hologram.
From the projection, a semi-transparent figure of Yuzare appeared. Then came a burst of jumbled audio.
After post-processing, the chaotic noise was converted into human language:
"Everyone, I am Yuzare, commander of the Terran Defense Team… Earth will soon face many cataclysmic changes. The first signs are the resurrection of Golza, the monster that shakes the earth, and Melba, the monster that shatters the skies."
"The only being capable of protecting Earth from disaster is the giant sealed within the pyramid. That giant was once Earth's guardian… And there is only one way to awaken it— %...%￥*"
The last sentence, however, was garbled and plagued by irreparable noise.
"I've done my best, but I just can't get rid of the interference at the end," said Horii, the technician, looking embarrassed.
"No worries. Getting this far is already amazing," Hajime replied encouragingly, not placing any blame on him.
As a transmigrator, Hajime already knew what that final sentence was supposed to be:
—The only way to awaken the giant... is to turn Daigo into light.
No—more accurately, to become light.
But now, Daigo wasn't the only one capable of turning into light.
Even the power of an ultra-ancient civilization probably never anticipated the existence of someone like him.
"So, what do you think we should do now?" asked Megumi, clearly trusting Hajime's judgment.
"Golza, the monster that shakes the earth, has already appeared," Hajime said after thinking a moment. "If this prophecy is accurate, another monster will show up soon. To stop them, we need to find the giant—and the pyramid where it lies hidden."
"You're saying... you believe this recording?" Megumi asked, surprised.
Dr. Kashimura, standing nearby, frowned and disagreed.
"If we accept this message as real, wouldn't that mean we have to acknowledge the existence of a civilization in ancient times more advanced than ours?"
The other team members murmured in agreement.
The idea of an ancient civilization surpassing modern Earth's technology was difficult to accept.
Daigo looked like he wanted to speak up, but didn't know how.
That's when Hajime spoke.
"Why can't we accept that? Golza already proved itself beyond our conventional weapons. If we don't find a way to stop these monsters, we'll be sitting ducks."
"But still, believing in a superior ancient Earth civilization? Isn't that too much?" Dr. Kashimura asked, clearly upset. As a scientist, she didn't want to admit that her era's knowledge could be eclipsed by people from the distant past.
"Why not believe?" Hajime sighed.
"Is it because of your pride? You find it shameful that ancient humans might have surpassed modern science?"
Shaking his head in disappointment, Hajime looked around the room.
"Everyone—weakness is not what kills us. Arrogance is."
"If we have no other means to fight the monsters, then we can't afford to dismiss our only lead."
"So my suggestion is simple: full deployment. Let's find the pyramid and awaken the giant!"
His words hit like a hammer, shaking everyone awake.
"Weakness is not what kills us. Arrogance is..."
Dr. Kashimura repeated his words, her face showing guilt.
"I'm sorry, Chief Hajime. I let my emotions cloud my judgment. Denying that possibility was unworthy of a researcher."
"Aha... I'm guilty too. If you hadn't knocked some sense into me, I wouldn't have accepted the giant's existence either," said Digai, rubbing his head sheepishly.
The rest of the team also looked embarrassed.
Daigo, watching how quickly everyone changed their attitude under Hajime's guidance, couldn't help but admire him even more.
As expected of a senior. A few simple words and everyone was enlightened—like a true mentor.
Seeing that everyone was on board, Megumi smiled warmly.
"Alright then. Since we're all in agreement, let's proceed according to Chief Hajime's plan. Our next mission: find the pyramid and locate the giant!"
The team received their orders and got to work.