Ever since the incident with Gijera, Yuzhou noticed something different in Captain Megumi's eyes. She seemed to regard him with greater trust than before.
When the snail monster Darambon and the monkey-like Metamor appeared, Megumi had specifically arranged for Yuzhou to accompany the Victory Team. She even placed him together with Daigo, riding in the same vehicle and even the same jet.
…Though Yuzhou couldn't fly a plane to save his life.
Naturally, this drew strange looks from Lina, whose expression toward him grew increasingly complicated.
"What a mess…" Yuzhou muttered, rubbing his temples as he woke up. Checking the clock, he realised it was already close to eleven. Still, he didn't panic. Being late wasn't exactly an issue for someone in his position.
After all, he was only a consultant. Unless monsters appeared, no one really needed him.
After a simple breakfast, Yuzhou carried a steaming cup of tea into the Victory Team's main hall.
"Hm? Where are Daigo and Lina?" he asked aloud, glancing around the empty room.
Before anyone could answer, the hall doors swung open. Director Sawai entered, accompanied by Police Commissioner Jikou and two men Yuzhou had never seen before.
One wore glasses and the same uniform style as Sawai—clearly another TPC executive. The other, standing slightly behind, was dressed in a deep-blue officer's suit.
"Captain Megumi, you've greatly disappointed me," Sawai declared sternly as soon as he stepped in.
"The Victory Team ignored protocol and went looking for Captain Hayate's spaceship!" Jikou barked, his tone sharp with reproach.
"Hayate?" Yuzhou's eyes flickered. That name called to mind a certain man—a man known for his easy, cheerful smile.
"Only by finding Captain Hayate can we uncover the truth of the Caro Base incident!" Megumi, under pressure, hastily tried to explain.
"You cannot make such arbitrary decisions! You'll throw the organisation into chaos!" snapped the bespectacled executive.
Sawai stepped forward, his gaze like a blade. "Because of your personal ties, you've jeopardised order. You are no longer fit to serve as the Victory Team's captain. From this moment, you are demoted to a regular member."
The room fell into shocked silence. The punishment was too sudden, too severe.
"The successor has already been chosen. The new captain of the Victory Team will be Isamu Kish." Sawai finished, and the man in the deep-blue uniform stepped forward to face the team.
"Captain Hayate… Isamu Kish?" Yuzhou's mind clicked as he pieced together the situation. This was plot unfolding.
Caro Base, built on the moon's surface, had been infiltrated by the alien twins known as the Melzors. Captain Hayate had been cocooned, while a Melzor took the shape of the base's deputy captain. It was they who falsely accused Hayate of destroying Caro.
Which meant… the Sawai and Jikou standing before them now were Melzors in disguise.
"Why!" Munakata slammed the table, furious. "The truth of the Caro incident hasn't even been investigated! On what grounds does Kish become our new captain?"
"We've endured this long because of Captain Megumi's leadership!" Horii joined in, his voice firm.
"That's right, this is outrageous!" Shinjo snapped, glaring at the supposed higher-ups.
"The higher-ups defy reason," Jikou sneered, "and the lower ranks are insubordinate!"
"You're wrong!" Yazumi slammed the table in turn, his anger boiling over. "We're not machines that blindly follow orders!"
At that moment, all eyes turned to Yuzhou. The others had spoken; only he had yet to voice his stance. Given that Megumi herself had personally recruited him, everyone expected Yuzhou to stand in her defence.
Yuzhou calmly took a sip of his tea, then set the cup down.
Raising his hand, he activated his dimensional bracelet. A holographic list of stored items flickered into view—flashlight, motorcycle helmet, first-aid kit…
He scrolled past them until a familiar circular outline appeared.
"Found it," he murmured with a small smile. His finger tapped the projection, and a black frying pan materialised in his hand.
"Yuzhou… what are you doing with that?" Shinjo asked, bewildered. Everyone knew about his bracelet, but of all times—why summon a frying pan now? To cook?
Yuzhou offered no explanation. He simply strode up to Sawai, both hands gripping the pan.
"You—" Sawai began.
CLANG!
The frying pan smashed across his face.
"Wha—?!"
"Wait, what?!"
"Are you insane?!"
The Victory Team collectively froze, their minds blank with disbelief. This was Director Sawai! And Yuzhou had just—without hesitation—flattened him with cookware.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Before the stunned leaders could react, Yuzhou swung again, striking Jikou, Kish, and the bespectacled officer in quick succession. All four crumpled unconscious to the floor.
"Done." Yuzhou dusted his hands, returned the pan to his bracelet, and casually picked up his tea again.
"Yuzhou, you're insane! You just assaulted TPC's top brass!" Shinjo sputtered, his voice cracking with shock.
Megumi went pale, words catching in her throat. But before she could speak, the four unconscious men shimmered, their bodies breaking down into glowing particles. In their place stood four snarling creatures with sharp fangs—Melzors, their orange eyes dimmed from the blows.
"What the—?!" The team staggered back, stunned.
"They were monsters?!" Horii exclaimed, leaning close to examine one of the fallen aliens.
"Twin aliens, the Melzors," Yuzhou said smoothly, sipping his tea as though nothing unusual had happened.
"I see…" Megumi breathed, realisation dawning. "If they disguised themselves as Sawai and the others, then—"
"Not good. The real directors must be in danger!"
Without hesitation, she and Yazumi rushed toward Sawai's office, while Shinjo and Horii bolted toward the library.
Yuzhou followed the latter pair. It wasn't long before they cornered Kish again—and once more, Yuzhou's frying pan descended.
CLANG!
Kish collapsed, reverting into yet another Melzor.
"As expected," Yuzhou muttered.
"Yuzhou, you're amazing!" Horii gave him a big thumbs-up.
"Overpraise, overpraise…" Yuzhou's face flushed slightly. Still, it was true: his reflexes and strength had been sharpening with each transformation, far beyond what they once were. Curiously, Daigo didn't seem to undergo the same growth. Not that Yuzhou minded—better skills only benefited him.
Not long after, Daigo and Lina returned from space with Captain Hayate himself.
When Hayate learned that Yuzhou had dispatched the Melzors, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"You're telling me… you defeated those alien twins with a frying pan?" he stammered. "I couldn't even manage with the Victory Hyper Gun!"
Yuzhou nodded calmly. Then, after a pause, he asked in an uncharacteristically serious tone:
"Captain Hayate… forgive my boldness, but… are you happy?"
"…What?" Hayate blinked, utterly baffled.