EPISODE 17: THE HOLLOW CITY

It was a peaceful morning at the Phoenix Nest. After their breakfasts, the members returned from the cafeteria. The silly duo entered the direction room just as they were ready to take their seats, interrupting a morning conversation.

"Yo, guys! Y'all had a good breakfast, I assumed?", Toriyama inquired, a dubious grin on his face. Fortunately, the members were astute enough to see through his deception.

Teppei inquired, "You want something from us, don't you?".

"Could you, please...?", pleaded the adjutant, who was suddenly on his knees.

"What's the matter, adjutant?", Mirai inquired.

"The adjutant's so-called special team's trip to the Phoenix Nest has been postponed today.", Maru explained.

Marina inquired, "What type of special team is that?".

"Oh, it's a sky patrol unit.", Maru explained.

"OK, I see where this is headed.", Ryu, who is perceptive, said. "You wanted us to conduct the sky patrol to replace your special team, right, adjutant?" questioned the captain, staring him in the eyes. Toriyama suddenly knelt down and approached the captain.

"Captain Aihara, please! When this happened, I felt very ashamed! Please, please, please!", Toriyama pleaded.

Haruzaki, perplexed, inquired, "What exactly happened?".

"When we reach the halfway point of the month, the CREW GUYS themselves will do a special patrol. They'll take over the land while the GUYS International take care of the skies.", Maru stated.

"Then who was in charge of the ground patrol before this?", Mirai inquired.

"Officers of the law, amigo. You must also keep these in mind.", George replied.

"That's interesting... So, what happened to your special team?", Mirai inquired once more.

"You see, every adjutant of all CREW GUYS in the world was assigned to a special unit that was solely responsible for the special sky patrol. Our adjutant's team members appeared to have their own businesses... coincidentally... at the same time. One of them was expecting a child. Two of them were invited to events at their children's schools. The other one abruptly drifted away from the group.", Maru stated.

"That last one... I'll track him down! If I have to, I'll track him down to the Earth's core! Why is this happening now?! Why did he have to leave just when I was getting my chance to shine?!", cried the spiteful adjutant, fist in the air. He immediately began pleading with the captain for assistance while holding both of his legs.

"I guess we don't have a choice but to split up for this assignment. So, GUYS, Sally Go?", asked the captain, a little awkwardly.

The CREW GUYS were finally split into two groups: aerial patrol and ground patrol. The ground patrol personnel had the misfortune of having to cover more ground than they had previously. Meanwhile, the sky patrol had to hone their vision because they were about to stare at their surroundings for an extended period of time. The patrol took around a third of a day on average.

Mirai and Ryu were among the sky patrollers, as the entire team, including the captain, had to be dispatched.

"I felt strange... GUYS International has a lot of flying professionals, right? Why didn't the adjutant request their assistance? "Mirai, perplexed, inquired.

"So... you're familiar with the adjutant, right? He can be a little hazy at times.", Ryu answered.

"I did feel pity for him at times...", Mirai shared his concern.

"You don't have to... he might be hazy at times, but you know what he can accomplish when he's serious, right?" Ryu inquired.

"Yes, particularly during physical combat training. It's no surprise that he's the one in charge of such a thing.", Mirai stated.

At the same time, Mirai would see something floating in the sea while he was listening intently to Ryu's complaints.

"Ryu-san, look over there!" exclaimed Mirai, who had interrupted Ryu's conversation.

"Mirai, did you even listen to what I just said?!!" exclaimed a displeased Ryu, who appeared confused at the time. As a result, Mirai would seize Ryu's head and turn it in the direction where he saw the floating item.

"Oy, what's that?" exclaimed Ryu, who was taken aback.

"Do you think that looks like a boat, Ryu-san?" said Mirai, who had let go of his head at the time.

"Yosh! I'm going to lower the ship! You're going to investigate, Mirai. In the meantime, I'll report to HQ "Ryu issued an instruction.

"G.I.G!" exclaimed Mirai as he exited the aircraft through the emergency ladder shortly after it was lowered.

"This is Aihara speaking in the Direction Room. We've arrived in the midst of the Japanese Sea. Mirai noticed something that resembled a yellow boat. He's gone down to see what's going on.", Ryu, who was reporting to the Phoenix Nest, stated.

"Got it, Ryu. Please report back to me after the investigation is completed.", Sakomizu replied.

Ryu replied, "G.I.G!" before turning off the Memory Display.

Meanwhile, as Mirai approached the floating boat, he noticed that there was a woman on board, who was covered by a sheet or blanket.

"Ryu-san, Mirai here. On the boat, there's a survivor. What should I do now?", Mirai inquired via his Memory Display. Ryu realised right away that there wasn't enough room for them.

"Mirai, hold on a second. I'll make a request for an additional Gun Speeder for you.", Ryu answered.

Mirai replied, "G.I.G.", before proceeding to check on the woman.

"Ma'am! Can you hear what I'm saying?!", Mirai asked as he took her pulse. He'd be relieved to learn that the woman was still alive because a pulse had been detected. He'd waited another five minutes for the extra Gun Speeder that the captain had asked to arrive.

"Bring that woman to the nearest medical facility, Mirai. I'll continue patrolling. If something happens, please let me know.", Ryu reminded his subordinate.

"G.I.G.", Mirai remarked as he piloted the Gun Speeder towards the neighbouring medical facility. The victim would be handed over to medical staff for further treatment minutes later. Mirai planned to stay in the hospital in case anything unexpected happened.

Mirai would be joined by Ryu, Marina, and Teppei a few hours later.

Teppei inquired, "Mirai-kun, how's the woman?".

"The woman is still undergoing therapy. The treatment has been going on for hours.", Mirai responded.

"So there's no word about the woman's condition?", Marina questioned.

"Unfortunately, no.", Mirai responded once more. The members were dissatisfied since they had expected the woman to be treated as soon as they ended their patrol. A nurse would enter the room where the woman was being treated at the same time. They'd be taken aback when they heard the nurse scream as soon as the door was shut. The crew would rush into the room as soon as possible. They would notice that, with the exception of the nurse, all of the workers treating the survivor were floating unconsciously as the patient rested gracefully on her bed.

"What the heck is happening on here?", Ryu exclaimed, stunned. Mirai, on the other hand, reacted promptly by retrieving all of the floating personnel with his psychokinetic abilities. The staff checked on them right away to see if they were okay.

"What was the point of that? What was the source of it?", the anxious Mirai muttered.

The survivor was eventually taken to GUYS Medical Centre for further care and investigation. The crew would have a talk in the direction room while Teppei and Mirai were heading the research.

"Were they all floating because of some unknown energy?", wondered Kazuya, perplexed.

Marina explained, "That's what Mirai-kun told us."

"That suggests there's someone behind this.", George concluded.

"For the time being, we can only assume that all activities were connected to that woman based on recent activity.", the captain stated.

"So... it's either from that woman or from another party?", Mizuka asked. Simultaneously, Mirai and Teppei would return from the medical service to report the condition of the woman.

The Chief Inspector asked, "So, the results...?".

"She hasn't woken up yet. We could not guarantee that the energy came from her, as Mirai-kun said before. But the body doesn't have any apparent physical damage.", Teppei said.

"We need to find out, for the time being... why was she stranded like that in the middle of the sea?", said the Mirai in question.

"I called GUYS Ocean earlier to see if there were any extraterrestrial activity or transit incidents in the area. It's more likely that there will be a flight or a water mishap if there is one. Unfortunately, they were unable to detect anything.", Sakomizu stated.

"But, Mirai-kun, can't you perceive the energy?", Marina wondered.

"I hadn't noticed anything before. I used my psychokinetic ability to take them out one by one. But I had the impression that something was keeping me from doing so.", Mirai answered. The crew would be left with a question as a result of the talk. Who is the true perpetrator of the crime?

Mirai would wake up the next morning at 7 a.m. after a restful night's sleep. He'd get out of bed before reaching for the windows. When he was about to do so, he noticed a group of people attempting to burst through the main gate but being stopped by security personnel. Mirai would quickly grab his uniform and proceed to the main entrance. When he arrived on the scene, the situation became even worse when a large group of individuals began assaulting the guards because they insisted on entering the gate.

"Don't panic! What is going on here?!", Mirai inquired as he barred them from entering the base.

"You imbeciles! Our homes have been demolished, yet none of you has shown up!", one of the participants stated.

"What type of defence team do you have?! All of those futuristic gadgets are useless!", another person stated. Mirai was perplexed because the Kaiju alert had not been activated in the previous 24 hours.

"Please accept my apologies, but our technology has not detected any Kaiju in the area! If one is found, the alarm will be activated instantly!", Mirai stated.

"Your equipment is crap!", exclaimed one of the participants.

Fortunately, Ryu and the others would quickly join him in confronting the lunatics.

"Wait... wait... wait... What exactly are you doing here?! Could someone please explain?!", Ryu shouted once the members had successfully separated them.

"You morons! Our homes have been damaged, yet none of you has shown up!", one of them said.

"Wait a minute... where are you people from? And, if that's the case, are there any photos we can look at so that we can look into it further?", Ryu queried. One of them, who was holding a camera, would immediately hand it over to the captain.

"Yuko, come here!" the captain yelled as he handed the camera to her. Yuko, who was an expert at operating the equipment's software, went straight to the gallery mode. They were stunned when they viewed photographs of a big shadow demolishing their homes and discovered that what they had been saying was true only seconds before. On all of the photographs taken, they would see fire all over the place and purple-colored energy spheres.

"Hold on a second! When did this take place?! What have we been doing that we haven't noticed?!", Yuko questioned.

"It happened the night before yesterday! We were eagerly anticipating your arrival!", one of them said.

"But, we didn't recall any kaiju activity last night. We even patrolled from the skies yesterday.", George stated.

While Mirai and the junior crew were busy examining the photographs, something jogged Mirai's recollection when he noticed the same shadow. The shadow was engulfed in massive flames.

"What was that all about?", Mirai exclaimed as he rehabilitated his head.

"Are you okay, Mirai-san?", enquired a concerned Mizuka, who had noticed Mirai's throbbing head.

"It's all right... There's no need to be concerned.", Mirai calmly said, relieving all of the GUYS members.

"We're sorry, but we didn't see any Kaiju activity since yesterday. However, we'd like to know where you're from so that we can look into this further later. We guarantee that we will arrive today.", Ryu stated. Before they all left the scene, one of the people did eventually tell him the address. In the meantime, the crew would return to their dorms to prepare for the day, as the circumstance was unforeseen.

Teppei was spotted looking for the victim's town location on his computer hours later in the directing room, while the others were getting ready with their equipment.

"Is this a real place, or what? Or am I being duped once more?", remarked a disgruntled Teppei, who couldn't find the town on his computer's map.

"Is there anything wrong, Teppei-san?", inquired Konomi, who had just completed packing her belongings. Kazuya and Yuko would eventually join them.

"Is this even a real place? I couldn't locate it on any of the maps.", Teppei inquired.

"I couldn't say for certain. I mean, there were a lot of eyewitnesses.", Konomi said.

"What is the name of the place?", Kazuya questioned.

"Chukutoshi is the name of the place. That's a name I've never heard before.", Teppei stated. "I've even done some web searches, but nothing has turned up.", Teppei added.

"That's strange... I thought we'd covered every inch of land on the planet.", Kazuya stated.

"I took a look at the photos. Surprisingly, it appears to be a typical Japanese town.", Yuko stated.

"Can you print those images, Yuko-chan? It would be more convenient for me to conduct the research.", Teppei replied. Yuko would then proceed to the photography room to print the photographs.

Mirai would enter the direction room at the same time, having completed packing his belongings.

"Oh, you've already finished your packing? That was quick.", Mirai exclaimed as soon as he walked into the room.

"We don't utilise as much equipment as you do.", Teppei explained.

"What are you guys doing there, by the way?", Mirai, who was about to join them, inquired.

"I tried looking for it, but I haven't found it yet for some reason.", Teppei explained as he scratched his head.

"Let me try," Mirai said as he took over Teppei's keyboard and began searching for the location on the computer's map software. Surprisingly, he would discover the location's coordinates.

"Oh, it's an island.", Mirai said as he surprisingly discovered it. When Mirai said that, Teppei, Konomi, and Kazuya would be stunned. Teppei returned his gaze to his computer.

"But, how did you do it...?! That isn't on the computer right now, I swear!", Teppei, perplexed, exclaimed.

"Well... at least we discovered it, right?", Mirai replied before being summoned by the captain for assistance.

After they'd finished packing their belongings, they'd all take a break in the direction room for a few hours. After that, after a long day of packing their gear, Konomi would hand out glasses of orange juice as a refreshment. However, as they were ready to drink, they would hear a loud scream from afar. The captain had spit up his drink by accident, which had surprised everyone greatly.

"Who yelled just now?!", Ryu wondered as he wiped the stains from his mouth. Yuko would enter the direction room scared at the same time.

"Captain! Captain! The patient! The patient has awakened!", Yuko exclaimed as she struggled to catch her breath. The captain and senior members raced to the patient's ward right away. They would observe multiple doctors and nurses wrestling with the patient when they arrived at the medical centre. They'd help the medical team put a stop to her movement.

"Miss! Don't panic! If you move, even more, you'll injure yourself!", the captain warned, attempting to calm her down.

"Have you given her the anaesthetics?!", George inquired.

"We've given five of them already, but it still turned out like this!", said one of the nurses who would surprise them.

"What the heck?", Ryu said, whose eyes were bulging.

"So, what should we do now?", Marina wondered as she tried to avoid being smacked by the patient. Mirai, who was also involved, had discreetly used his powers to calm her down out of desperation. Fortunately, his actions were not in vain, as he was able to calm her down.

Consequently, Mirai would collapse on his knees from fatigue. Marina was taken aback and questioned, "Mirai-kun, what's wrong?".

"I have to use it... I have to use my abilities... It's all right... I'll be OK.", Mirai replied softly. After hearing that, Marina and the others would feel relieved. When she saw something under the patient's bed, however, her joy turned to curiosity. She grabbed it right away and realised it was an ID card.

"Hey, guys! I discovered a photo ID down here!", Marina shouted as the others encircled her.

Teppei inquired, "What is her name?".

Marina said, "Himari... Tezuka...".

"Oh, she's a doctor?", Konomi inquired as soon as she saw the ID. The patient would unexpectedly respond to her.

"My father's clinic was where I worked... When that extraterrestrial attacked, however, that was no longer the case ", the sufferer said.

Teppei inquired, "I'm sorry... but where are you from?".

Himari responded, "I'm from... Chukutoshi."

"Did you just say... Chukutoshi?", inquired Teppei, who recognised the name.

"Is it the town's name from earlier?" George inquired.

"What exactly happened?", Marina inquired. She didn't respond to her query as she appeared to be traumatised by the occurrence.

"I suppose... we need to give her space to heal...", Ryu remarked, pulling the others towards the door to make room for the patient.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

When they were finally got out of the ward, they began to discuss the woman amongst themselves.

"Hey, don't you think there's something strange about that woman? I don't feel so good.", Marina stated.

"She really looks like a character from a horror movie.", George observed.

"I believe she acted that way because she was traumatised by something.", Teppei added.

"I believe it is time for us to fly there. It could have something to do with the alien she mentioned earlier.", the captain stated.

"But, shouldn't we first ask her what happened?", Konomi wondered.

Teppei said, "Yeah, I think that's necessary for now."

"Alright, then. Let me and... Mirai handle the interrogation; in case anything happens. Is that alright, Mirai?", Ryu inquired as to who had made the decision.

"Then we'll wait for you guys there.", Marina said. After the decision was made, they returned to the direction room.

"Alright. Teppei, since you know the location, why don't you lead them there yourself?", Ryu inquired.

Teppei agreed, saying, "You can count on me, Ryu-san." They then returned to the direction room after making their decision. Ryu and Mirai would lead the inquiry, while the other members would go to the area first, as agreed.

Later that evening, Ryu and Mirai would go to the patient's ward while the other members used the Gun Winger, Gun Booster, Gun Launcher, and Gun Saber to go to Chukutoshi.

Ryu knocked on the door and asked, "Tezuka-san... may I come in?".

"Yes, please do.", Himari, the patient, replied gently.

"We apologise for interrupting you this evening, but your assistance would be beneficial in our current situation. So, would you mind taking a few minutes to answer a couple of our questions?", Ryu inquired.

"In fact, I don't. Please do not hesitate to inquire.", Himari said.

"I apologise if this is the wrong time to question, but what exactly happened when you claimed that an extraterrestrial attacked?", Mirai inquired. At first, they assumed Himari would react in the same way she had earlier that day. However, after a brief pause, she would respond to their questions.

"At the moment, I was at my father's clinic. It was time to call it a day at the clinic. Then, all of a sudden, a purple light engulfed the entire island, distorting our vision. Even when we were confined to our homes and businesses. Before an explosion burst directly in front of me, I grabbed my UV sunglasses and looked outside.", Himari explained.

Mirai queried, "What colour was the flames after the explosion?".

"Nothing out of the ordinary; it's still the same colour as conventional fire... However, it was not the same colour as the next explosion's cause.", Himari stated.

Ryu inquired, "Which is...?".

"A violet-coloured light ball appeared before colliding with the clinic's gate.", Himari said suspiciously, staring at both of them suspiciously.

"I see... And how did you come up aboard that yellow boat in the first place?", Ryu inquired, oblivious to the fact that he was being watched carefully.

"I returned to my house as soon as the second explosion occurred to visit my father. My father was seen packing his belongings when I arrived home. Then, out of nowhere, the house in front of ours was demolished. We were worried, and my father advised me to go to the other side of the island via the forest path. He promised... that he'd be there for me... He didn't, however.", Himari remarked, tears welling up in her eyes. Mirai, on the other hand, was not convinced by her answer, as she was observed staring at him several times.

Mirai wondered quietly, "What's her deal, looking at me like that?".

"I boarded a yellow rescue boat... I awaited his arrival... But then we were split by a massive wave... produced by the identical light balls. Then you discovered me floating in the sea.", said the sorrowful Himari.

Right after she concluded her story,

"I believe that finishes our questioning... Thank you for working with Mirai and me.", Ryu said to end the inquiry before realising Mirai was perplexed by his facial expression.

"Mirai, what's wrong?", Ryu inquired, concerned. However, he was unaware that Mirai was being bothered by a voice that kept repeating his name.

"Who's there?!", Mirai exclaimed a furious facial expression that worried Ryu more. Then he would be the only one who could hear a roar.

"Is anyone there?! Reveal yourself!", Mirai inquired as he abruptly rose from his seat, surprising Ryu in the room.

"Oy, Mirai! What's the matter with you?!", Ryu questioned.

"Didn't you hear that voice, Ryu-san?", Mirai inquired.

"Voice? I heard nothing.", Ryu, who had no idea what he was talking about, said. Suddenly, Himari would burst out laughing.

"You people are humorous, don't you think?", Himari inquired, piqued Mirai's curiosity.

Later, Ryu and Mirai will use the Gun Loader to get to their investigation destination.

"We'll be there in 5 minutes.", Mirai asked, before switching on the auto-pilot mode.

"Got it.", Ryu said as he laid back in his seat. Mirai would suddenly say something about the woman.

"When that woman is around, I don't feel that good.", Mirai said.

"Why is that? Mirai, what's the matter?", Ryu, perplexed, inquired.

"I'm not sure. When I was near her, I started receiving negative vibes.", Mirai stated.

"Hey, I believe you're being a little dramatic. Dude, take it easy.", Ryu, trying to be upbeat, said.

"I'm sorry for my behaviour, Ryu-san.", Mirai expressed regret. "By the way, what was Yuko-chan's problem earlier? She appeared to be enraged about something.", the inquisitive Mirai inquired as they switched topics. Ryu's facial expression would change out of nowhere.

"Actually... right before the others took off... I inadvertently advised her to stay in the direction room at the last minute since there's no operator left.", the captain replied uneasily.

"I see... I'm wondering as to what she's up to right now.", the inquisitive Mirai observed. While they were joyously soaring over the air, they were unaware of the true scenario in the direction room.

"THIS IS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO BEING EQUAL! WHY CAN'T I STAY WHERE THE OTHERS ARE?!", Yuko aired her dissatisfaction as soon as she sat down on the table. Toriyama and Maru would be startled by her abrupt behaviour when they were peacefully drinking their coffees.

"She'll be fine...", Ryu muttered, trying to be cheerful despite the fact that he knew things would be horrible when they returned home.

The Gun Loader would arrive a few minutes later at the same location as the other machines. They would then exit the machine and return with their own equipment. However, as they were ready to walk to the site, they were interrupted by Himari the survivor's unexpected arrival.

"Himari-san, what are you doing here?", Ryu questioned her presence, surprised.

"It's where I grew up. I'm guessing you've never been here before.", Himari responded.

"However, you've been admitted to the hospital. How did you get past the guards?", Ryu inquired once more.

"I would sneak into one of the pods during the staff's break.", Himari replied innocently.

"It's called the Gun Speeder...", grumbled the irritated Mirai as he continued walking into the settlement.

"Hey, you do know where to walk there, right?", Himari inquired, which irritated Mirai even more.

"I do.", Mirai responded, continuing on his route.

"Okay! Okay... since you're already here, why don't you join us?", Ryu inquired as he attempted to stop Mirai from disagreeing with Himari.

"That's wonderful! Boy-kun, please carry my bag!", shouted the pleased Himari, before hurling her bag at Mirai's head. Mirai was on the verge of biting someone's head off at the time, but he was able to control his rage before continuing the voyage against his will.

After a few hours, they'd arrive at the location where the team had pitched their tents.

"Hey, guys! Mirai-kun and Ryu-san have arrived!", Teppei replied, delighted, as he welcomed them inside their tent. When the other members noticed Himari's presence, their excitement quickly turned to confusion.

"Hey, Mirai-kun, isn't that Himari-san?", Marina whispered quietly.

"Yeah, she sneaked inside the Gun Speeder during the staff's break.", grumbled the irritated Mirai as he tossed the heavy sacks onto the floor.

"Did you people start the investigation yet?", the captain asked.

"We haven't. We had already spent several hours looking for a suitable location for the tent. After that, it would take about a half-hour to set up the tents.", Marina explained.

"I see... Well, since the sun has already set, I believe it is appropriate for us to take a break.", Ryu observed as he gazed at the sunset skies.

"Well, since it's still dark outside, why don't we have a barbeque for dinner tonight?", Konomi said.

"Is it all right, Himari-san? We don't know if it's acceptable for foreigners like us to hold a barbeque here.", Ryu, who was anxious, inquired.

"It's all right. Barbecuing is very frequent among us here.", Himari remarked, his smile curiously bright.

"That smile, dude... Isn't it a little creepy?", the slightly worried George said amongst himself.

Teppei said, "Yeah, even Ryu-san looks anxious by the looks of his face."

Following that, the group began to put up their barbecue equipment, which had been delivered by Konomi.

They were alarmed, though, when they noticed the locals staring at them in an unpleasant manner.

"Hey, do you think it's okay if we do this? This appears to be unpopular with the peasants.", enquired Teppei, who was worried.

"I don't know. Don't ask me! You did bring the infrared one, right?", George inquired, his voice cracking.

"Sorry... I brought the original... I only have this model.", Teppei, who had brought the conventional barbeque grill, expressed regret.

"Why didn't you bring the one with the infrared? You know, we're in an unfamiliar environment, right?", George murmured.

"How can I know that?! Whenever we have an overnight mission, I always bring this model along.", Teppei responded. They were then astonished when the captain touched their shoulders.

The captain inquired, "Hey, is the grill ready?".

"Is it really to make a BBQ around here, Ryu-san?", Teppei, concerned, asked.

"Well, Himari-san... said it was fine to do so here. Why? So, what went wrong?", Ryu enquired.

"Ryu... the villagers didn't seem to like it.", George said. Ryu's expression would unexpectedly change to one of befuddlement.

Ryu questioned, "Villagers... when did they come here?".

"Didn't you notice them there?", George asked, pointing to the direction where the locals would stop and stare at them awkwardly. However, it would come as a shock to both of them when they discovered that there were no inhabitants at the location George had indicated.

"What villagers are you referring to? Come on, get your head out of the sand and complete it quickly. We're starving... you know?", Ryu added as he walked away from both of them.

"Does it indicate they're...", wondered George, frightened.

Teppei asked, "... ghosts?" before they both hugged tightly.

"Teppei... I had no idea you were terrified of ghosts these days.", George, who was trembling, inquired. Teppei would suddenly let go of his grip.

"Huh, you're absolutely correct. I'm not. Why have I only recently grown afraid of it?", Teppei asked as he realised what he had done. At the same time, he realised that the equipment he had was insufficient. "Hey, I believe the equipment here is insufficient. I'm going in to see if there are any more. Stay here, George-san, and prepare all of the current equipment that we have.", Teppei remarked before leaving George alone outside.

"Teppei...don't leave me here alone...", murmured the anxious George as he worriedly examined his surroundings. Then, out of nowhere, he heard an owl squeak, startling him before he ran into the tent eventually.

"Oy, Teppei... don't leave me out here alone! Teppei!!!", George exclaimed as he dashed into the tent.

The group would have a joyful barbecue party later that night, with the exception of George, who seemed concerned about the villagers. He would squat and eat in the tent's corner while his meal was placed on a plate and pushed to him since he was too scared to move. Despite the fact that he had been in that condition for half an hour, there were still members who did not comprehend his circumstance.

"What happened to George, by the way? Why is he squatting is there?", Marina asked.

"I know, right? He's been acting like this for the past half-hour.", Mizuka said.

"Is there something that frightened him? That's a worried expression on his face.", Haruzaki stated as he brought a plate to the table.

"Most likely... But that's the scariest I've seen him in a long time.", Konomi added, as they watched George from afar.

Minutes after they had done grilling, Mirai would suddenly rise up from the table before walking out of the tent.

"Where are you going, Mirai-kun?", Konomi inquired.

"I need some fresh air. Please don't follow me.", Mirai responded, expressing concern for the entire crew.

"First and foremost, George-san... Mirai-san, what's up now? What exactly is going on right now?", the befuddled Mizuka inquired.

"Mirai is concerned about Himari-san. When she's near, he said he gets horrible vibes.", Ryu answered.

"I see... But I'm not going to lie... Actually, I had the same thought. Especially when that guy is acting so strangely.", Marina added, pointing to George, who seemed to be suspiciously weird.

"Speaking of Himari-san, where is she?", Kazuya inquired, noting that the woman was not present in the tent.

"Oh, she said she needed to go to her father's clinic to get some things.", Ryu explained.

Meanwhile, Mirai, who was strolling around the hamlet, decided to take a break and sit on a bench. As he was going to drink his mineral water, he would see a silhouette of a woman in the woods. He saw that the shadow was moving in an unusual manner. He initially decided to leave the shadow alone before he heard something that would startle him. He could hear the sound that had called his name repeatedly before.

"It's that same voice... Is it a work of that woman?", Mirai, who was both interested and concerned, monologued. At that same time, a pair of crimson eyes would emerge from the trees alerting him.

The shadow warned, "Mebius... prepare for the worst..."

"Who are you?! Show yourself!", Mirai asked as he aimed the Triger Shot towards it.

"You'll know who you're talking to soon...", the shadow said.

"Show yourself now!", shouted Mirai as he prepared to fire the weapon at the shadow. The shadow, on the other hand, faded out just as the light ray bullet was about to strike it. He was too cautious and keen to discover the identity of the shadow, that he nearly shot Mizuka and Marina, who were searching for him when he heard their footfall from a distance.

"I'm sorry! I didn't realise you were here!", Mirai apologised before reinstalling the Triger Shot in the handle slot.

"What happened to you, Mirai-kun? You've been acting strangely recently.", Marina, who was concerned, inquired.

"It's all right. You don't have to be concerned. Why did you folks follow me in the first place? I warned you not to ", Mirai inquired.

"We were anxious for your safety. You've been gone for two hours and haven't returned to the tent.", Mizuka stated.

"Two hours? That's impossible. It's only been 5 minutes since I've walked outside of the tent!", Mirai exclaimed, stunned. Marina would suddenly place the back of her hand on Mirai's forehead to check his temperature.

"You're not afraid of ghosts, right?", Marina asked.

"What exactly is a... ghost? Why are you asking questions like this?", Mirai responded, perplexed.

"We assumed you were terrified like George-san.", Mizuka said.

"But I'm very sure I'm only gone for 5 minutes. Believe me!", Mirai stated.

"Alright! Alright! Let's return to the tent, and you can tell us what occurred there.", Marina replied before pushing him back to the tent with Mizuka.

Mirai would tell the team everything when they eventually returned to the tent.

"I see... So, you assumed the voice was coming from the Phoenix Nest. No wonder that you've been acting strangely since our interrogation ended.", Ryu, who had fully grasped the situation, said.

"That's why I tried to get away from her as much as possible. I haven't been feeling well since she's with us.", Mirai expressed his worries. "I wanted to tell you guys, but... she's everywhere...", Mirai said, while looking at the suspicious Himari, who was engrossed in her computer.

"Hmmm... But the strange thing is that you said you were out for 5 minutes, when we've been waiting for you for a torturous two hours, you know?", Teppei added.

"I promise I was just outside the woods for 5 minutes before Marina-san and Mizuka-chan found me! You have to believe me!", exclaimed Mirai, desperate to persuade them while also perplexing them.

"I'm not sure I want to continue this research.", Teppei expressed his concern.

"Do you want to know something? I'd had it with these things. Why don't you get some rest tonight? I'll stay up if anything occurs.", Ryu suggested.

"He's right, Mirai-kun. I believe it is the best course of action for the time being. You had a long day today. Perhaps you were simply exhausted... Mizuka-chan, Kazuya-kun, and Haruzaki-kun can have your rests as well if you wanted to.", Marina added as she persuaded Mirai to take a break. Mirai and the juniors would eventually get their rest for the night, with the exception of Haruzaki, who managed to sleep a quarter of the night as a result of him and the other senior members taking turns staying up all night. Fortunately, nothing strange happened that night for them.

Despite being a little tired, the group would get ready for the investigation the next morning.

"We'll divide into three groups because there are nine of us here. You're coming with me, Mizuka, George. The northern part of the island will be covered by us. Marina, Haruzaki, Teppei, you'll cover the eastern section of the island. Mirai, Konomi, and Kazuya, you'll take care of the western section. If something happens, report it right away.", Ryu outlined the strategy.

"Captain, hold on a second. What about the southern section of the country?", Haruzaki asked.

"That's the residential area. Because some of us had a bad experience with the residents, I believe it would be best for us to go together once we've completed our portions.", Ryu replied. Himari, who appeared to be active for the day, interrupted immediately after the plan discussion finished.

"Hello there, people! When will we begin our day? I've been waiting for a long time, you know.", Himari questioned.

"Why did you follow, though?", questioned an irritated Mirai.

"So, there you have it. We'll gather here once your research is completed. GUYS, Sally Go!", Ryu stated before they were dispatched to their respective places.

"G.I.G!", the members responded.

In three groups, the members would investigate the local town, the forest, and the beach. Mirai's group arrived at the beach area eventually. When they arrived on the scene, they found it to be rather filthy, with trash all around.

When Kazuya noticed the filthiness, he shouted, "Eeeewww... what happened here?!!".

Mirai, perplexed, asked, "Did they even care about this place in the first place?".

"So, we'd better get started right away, right? I believe we should divide the areas we need to cover into three. Take one, and we'll get together here to compile the findings, all right?", Konomi stated.

"Got it, Konomi-san.", Kazuya said before they split up to their designated sections. Kazuya would pick the coastlines, Konomi would pick the beach region, while Mirai would pick the bridge site.

Kazuya and Konomi had been investigating for a few minutes and had yet to find anything strange, despite the fact that their goal at the time was to find any anomalies. Meanwhile, Mirai was looking into the area beneath the bridge. He was looking at the wave readings when he unexpectedly came across an entity standing on the other side of the bridge.

Mirai, who had spotted the apparition, questioned, "Excuse me, who's there?".

"Prepare... Prepare for the worst, Mebius!", shouted the entity as he blasted a light ray from his eyes from afar. Mirai was fortunate enough to avoid them, but as soon as he did, he noticed that the thing was fleeing the scene. He went after it right away.

"Konomi-san! Konomi-san! Mirai here! Can you hear me?", exclaimed Mirai, who used his Memory Display to contact Konomi. However, he was unable to complete the task since his gadget suddenly lost signal.

"Dammit! Where did the signal go?!", the irritated Mirai exclaimed. He wanted to stop at first because he couldn't report the scenario, but then he decided to pursue the thing because the entity might know a lot about what's going on.

Minutes later, Konomi and Kazuya would gather at the location before splitting off as their study came to a conclusion.

"I didn't get anything. Konomi-san, how about you?", Kazuya inquired.

"Unfortunately, I'm in the same boat. Let's now wait for Mirai-kun to see if he discovers anything.", replied Konomi, who had no idea what was going on at the time. Eventually, they became anxious about him after a long period of waiting.

"Strange, the bridge area shouldn't be that large to cover. Why hasn't he arrived yet?", questioned Kazuya, perplexed.

"Let me contact him.", Konomi replied as she pulled out her Memory Display. "Mirai-kun! Mirai-kun! This is Konomi. Do you copy?", Konomi inquired. Then, they noticed Mirai hadn't responded to her. She attempted several times but was unable to complete the call.

"Did this thing lose signal?", wondered a perplexed Konomi.

"No, it's in good condition!", exclaimed Kazuya, who also glanced at her Memory Display.

"Oh no, where could he have gone?", said Konomi, concerned.

"Don't worry, I'll report this to the captain! Meanwhile, let's keep an eye out for him in the neighbourhood!", Kazuya stated before heading beneath the bridge to look for him while reporting to the captain. "Captain! Captain! Mirai-san has vanished from the site! He was doing his research when we noticed he hadn't returned our calls.", frightened Kazuya said.

"Dammit. I knew it! Someone has set their sights on him...", Ryu monologued as soon as he learned the news. "Continue your search for him. That's where I'll be going!", the captain replied to both of them before he disconnected the call.

"Captain, what's the matter?", Haruzaki asked, realising that his captain had been approached by someone through the Memory Display.

"It's not a big deal. Keep looking into it!", Ryu remarked as he dashed towards the location without telling the situation.

Meanwhile, Mirai could be seen chasing the entity he had previously encountered down a long tunnel. As he was busy chasing him, he would hear voices for the second time. The voice was the same as before, but this time it would disrupt Mirai's attention and give him a threatening headache all while conveying the same message.

"Prepare for the worst... Mebius...", said the threatening voices.

"Arghh... what is this voice?!", shrieked Mirai, his face contorted with agony. He'd finally have to kneel on one leg due to the pain. The entity would take advantage of the opportunity to strike Mirai using the same technique as before. He managed to avoid the first two assaults before collapsing as a consequence of an energy shock delivered by the entity just as Mirai was about to fire the Triger Shot at him.

"Dammit... What exactly do you want from me...?", Mirai, who was immobilised and laying on the ground, asked.

"You're in the way...", replied the entity standing directly in front of him. After being threatened by the creature, he would eventually pass out at the location.

Mirai unexpectedly awakened on a bed in the GUYS tent after being comatose for a while. He was initially perplexed when he noticed Ryu standing at the foot of his bed.

"Oh... Ryu-san... You're here?", Mirai, who was fatigued, asked. Mirai inquired, "What happened to me earlier?".

"I found you... in a tunnel. Then I quickly brought you here.", Ryu went on to explain the plot.

"I see...", replied Mirai, who had realised what had transpired before.

"Here. You must be thirsty, right?", Ryu asked as he handed him a glass of water. Mirai would take it before he sat properly on the bed to drink it. However, Mirai experienced an unexpected occurrence when he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. From time to time, his condition deteriorated.

"Dammit... who are you? What did you put in there?!", exclaimed Mirai, who was struggling.

"Prepare for the worst... Mebius...", Ryu murmured before his eyes turned crimson, revealing that the Ryu who's with him at the time was a fake. The fake Ryu would then lock the immobilised Mirai inside an energy orb without the others seeing.

Ryu would return to the tent after a long search for Mirai to drink some water by coincidence. On the other hand, his impersonator was aware of his presence. As a result, he would hide the orb from him before impersonating Mirai to keep himself from discovering the actual Mirai. Then he'd purposefully fall to the ground in order to draw Ryu's attention.

"Mirai! What happened to you?! Why are you laying on the ground?!", exclaimed the shocked Ryu when he saw the imposter's body right before his hand managed to grab a bottle of mineral water on the table.

"Something... something assaulted me earlier...", the imposter said before Ryu assisted him in getting up to his knees.

"Come on... let's get you home!", said Ryu, who was worried.

"Don't worry... everything will be OK in no time. All I need to do now is rest.", the fake claimed. The impostor Mirai would eventually stay in the tent before the other members returned.

After a long day of investigation, all of the other members returned to the tent many hours later. As they sat down at the table, 'Mirai' would offer each of them a drink of water. Each of them, though, would be perplexed because he's acting as if nothing has happened to him, despite the fact that Ryu informed them of his condition when he discovered him in the tunnel.

"Hey, Ryu. Why is Mirai acting like that? As if nothing has happened?", George questioned.

"I'm not sure myself. I was perplexed as well. I mean, when I discovered him, he was unconscious. I wasn't expecting him to heal so quickly.", Ryu replied, perplexed.

"I know, right? He would normally take at least a day to recover. This is out of the ordinary.", Teppei stated.

Suddenly, as they were discussing the next strategy after they had found no indicators of abnormality, a villager would stand right in front of the tent despite the restriction restrictions.

"Hello, sir. Is there anything we can help you with?", Ryu iasked the villager who was close to the tent. "I'm sorry, sir, but you're entering a limitation zone.", Ryu explained when the villager refused to respond to his first question. Unfortunately, matters worsened for them when they noticed the other villagers were approaching their tent.

Marina, afraid, inquired, "Ryu... why are they walking towards here?".

"Dammit, we're being surrounded.", Ryu exclaimed as he realised the situation.

"Be prepared... for the worst.", said the fake Mirai, surprising the entire crew.

"What's the matter with you, Mirai? What the hell is wrong with you?!", the astonished Ryu inquired, before the fake Mirai flashed a wicked smirk. As a result, Ryu began to use his Triger Shot to threaten them.

"Don't come any closer! You've been warned!", Ryu yelled as he pointed his weapon at the villagers. His attempt to frighten them, however, was proven futile when their eyes began to glow purple. The same energy orb that had previously confined Mirai would appear, but this time numerous energy orbs would appear, trapping the whole crew within seconds. The people would transform into violet-colored lights after becoming caught in the orbs, ultimately combining into one in the island's centre.

Yuko and the chief inspector, as well as the three high committees, waited eagerly in the direction room for the captain's daily report. Their patience, however, would soon be tested, as it was already nighttime.

"Chief! The sun has already sunk beyond the horizon! Isn't it time for them to report?", Toriyama, irritated, inquired.

"Perhaps they're having communication issues?", Director Misaki speculated.

"No, I don't believe so. Ryu had contacted me earlier today.", Sakomizu said.

"Perhaps they're in trouble?", speculated Secretary Maru, causing all of them to be concerned.

"Yuko-chan, call Captain Aihara right away!", Sakomizu demanded.

Yuko replied, "G.I.G!" before contacting the captain. "Captain! Captain! This is Yuko, calling you from the direction room! Do you copy?", Yuko asked. Despite several attempts to connect with the captain, she did not receive a response. Sakomizu would then proceed to the hangar.

"Chief! Where are you going?!", Toriyama, perplexed, exclaimed. However, the chief ignored the question as he's already far into the tunnel connected to the hangar.

"Yuko-chan! Please follow him!", the director said before she grasped her Memory Display. The other three high committees would be on high alert in the direction room in case something went wrong.

Sakomizu and Yuko arrived at the site by utilising a Gun Speeder a few minutes later.

"Yuko-chan, we still don't know what happened to them. Therefore, stay with me at all costs, got it?", Sakomizu reminded the anxious Yuko before they exited the Gun Speeder. They noticed the atmosphere was eerily calm as they approached the entrance gate, despite the fact that it was still early in the evening.

"It's only a few hours after dark, but why does it appear like a deserted town?", Yuko wondered.

"Be prepared, Yuko-chan.", Sakomizu said as he pulled out his Triger Shot, and Yuko followed in his footsteps. They'd take a leisurely stroll into the hamlet, taking in the sights. Then, Yuko noticed a dim light behind the housing as they moved farther into the settlement.

"Chief... look at that...", Yuko said, her gaze fixed on the light. Then they'd chart a route for the faded light.

They could suddenly hear voices as they moved closer to the light. As they walked past the houses, they noticed that the light was coming from a large bonfire that was surrounded by the residents.

"What are they doing there?", Yuko wondered.

"Let's ask them. They might be aware of the members' whereabouts.", Sakomizu stated as they dashed towards the people.

"Excuse me, have you seen a member of the CREW GUYS around here? Or, maybe a CREW GUYS tent?", Sakomizu inquired of the nearest villager. The villagers around them, however, would slowly turn their heads towards them in a horrifying way, so he wouldn't get the response he expected.

"You... You're not humans!", shouted the horrified Sakomizu as he shielded Yuko from harm. As a result, light rays would be fired towards them from their eyes. They barely managed to avoid them by hiding behind a house. Then they'd use the Triger Shot to fight them back.

Their strategy eventually succeeded in hitting some of the villagers in the hands thus revealing their alien-like hands. They'd keep firing their guns at them, revealing their entire bodies until one of them fired an energy sphere at the vulnerable Yuko, who had been separated from the rest of the group after they were attacked.

"Watch out, Yuko!", yelled Sakomizu as he shoved Yuko out of the path. How unfortunate for Sakomizu, who was locked inside the energy ball solely to protect the crew's youngest member. When Yuko realised that her superior would be trapped and the villagers would all be walking towards her at the same moment, she would be terrified. As a result, she had no choice but to flee the scene.

Elsewhere, Eiji was wandering through a dense forest when he stepped upon the jagged rock.

"Sheesh... Blocking my way!", exclaimed Eiji, who would kick the rock out of rage despite the fact that his foot was bleeding at the time. Then, all of a sudden, a clump of lighting minerals beneath the pebbles he kicked clouded his vision. After that, despite the fact that it was scorchingly hot, he would pick them up with his bare hands.

"Isn't this...?", Eiji asked, his face changing as he clasped the pebble in his hands. He would hear a loud explosion from afar, by chance. He dashed out of the woods to assess the situation. Then he'd learn that the explosion had come from an island he'd never heard of.

"Isn't this...?", Eiji wondered, his face changing as he clasped the pebble in his hands. He would hear a loud explosion from afar, out of a sudden. He dashed out of the woods to assess the situation. Then he'd learn that the explosion had come from an island he'd never seen of.

"Is that an island...?", wondered Eiji, perplexed. Simultaneously, a hazy light would appear. He'd look down and notice that the rock he was clutching was shining brightly. At the same time, he realised that blood was no longer dripping from his foot. He noticed that the scratch on his footprint had vanished when he removed his shoe.

"The scratch was no longer visible... Please don't tell me this is...!", the startled Eiji exclaimed.

Yuko was spotted rushing away from the villagers who were rapidly attacking her at the same time. Before continuing to run, she would shield herself from the bright rays by hiding behind houses. When she was about to enter the tunnel, her mouth was abruptly closed by someone before she was dragged into the woodland beside her.

"Hey, who's there?", Yuko, nervously pointing her weapon, shouted. Then, in front of her, a figure dressed in black appeared.

"Who are you?", Yuko enquired again, her face filled with terror. As the villagers walked by, the man in black would immediately cover her mouth. Yuko would be terrified at first before the man in black opened his mouth.

"Follow me..." muttered the man in black as he led Yuko to a location that turned out to be the GUYS tent. The man in black would order the villagers who were guarding the tent against intruders to leave before they entered. They would notice the physical presence of an energy sphere after they had entered them.

"What exactly is this? Why did you bring me here?", Yuko, perplexed, questioned.

The man in black said, "Mebius is in there."

"Mebius...?! Why is Mirai-san's in there?", Yuko inquired again.

"Waroga. These energy orbs can only be created by Waroga.", replied the man in black, which had perplexed Yuko because she had never heard of the entity before.

"Is he okay in there?", Yuko asked, concerned.

"He's fine... He couldn't move unless he's free of that thing.", the man in black said.

Mirai was indeed still conscious inside the energy orb. He was trying to figure out how to get out of there the whole time. At the same time, he would hear a voice, when he was still trying to escape out of there. However, it's not the same voice he heard previously.

"This voice... Why do I feel like I've heard this before...?", the befuddled Mirai monologued as he heard the familiar voice. The voice that had previously haunted him would then reappear, prompting a visual to appear in his head. In the vision, Mirai was standing on top of a hill, surrounded by red skies.

Mirai, who felt like he was in the vision, wondered, "Where am I?". He would hear both voices behind him at the same time at that very instant. The voices turned out to be the voices of two titans who appeared in his vision.

"What are those...?", the perplexed Mirai wondered as he watched them. Following that, both giants began brawling with one another. One of the titans would viciously beat it up before sadistically preying on the other giant.

"That titan just ate the other one!", Mirai exclaimed, stunned. However, something unexpected happened when the malicious titan unexpectedly produced a new titan from its mouth that looked quite identical to the one that had been eaten. The new one would be separated into a large number of violet lights as soon as it was formed, and they would suddenly rampage into Mirai, reawakening Mirai from the imaginary world.

"Why...? What causes that predator to create its own prey?", the befuddled Mirai inquired. "I have to get out of here right now!", exclaimed the determined Mirai as he attempted for the hundredth time to bring out his Mebius Brace.

Meanwhile, Yuko remained hopeful that the guy in black would be able to free Mirai from the energy orb. He tried a variety of methods, including sledgehammering it and utilising Yuko's Triger Shot.

"What are our options now? We've tried every method that's possible!", Yuko, who had begun to feel despondent, exclaimed.

"Don't be too quick to give up! It's up to you to save your colleagues!", yelled the man in black before slamming a sledgehammer into the sphere. At that very moment, as he proceeded to hammer the orb, the luminous mineral would fall out of his pocket, completely unnoticed by him. Yuko, on the other hand, spotted it and tried to pick it up out of curiosity.

"Ouch! It's scorching hot!", Yuko yelled in pain, her naked hands touching the mineral.

"Don't touch that, please. That thing is sweltering hot.", warned the man in black when he heard Yuko crying in pain. Then he'd pick them up again with his bare hands. Yuko would be perplexed as to why he didn't feel anything yet she would be in agonising pain if she touched it.

"Hey, mister. How can you don't feel anything when you touch it? Are you even a human?", Yuko asked, that he would eventually be disregarded by the guy himself.

"Are you... Hazer?", Yuko questioned out of a sudden, startling the man in black.

"What makes you think that I'm him?", the man in black inquired.

"I don't think there's any other outsiders that knew Mebius's identity except for Hazer.", Yuko stated.

"Why? Do you have an issue with me?", replied the man in black thus confirming his identity as Hazer.

"Nothing... It's only that I'm delighted you haven't left Earth yet.", Yuko expressed her gratitude.

"Right now, I'm not in the mood for encouragement... But... save them for later.", Hazer responded while continuing to pound the orb.

At that precise moment, that mineral suddenly illuminated, causing the energy orb to vanish and Mirai to be released. Following Mirai's fall to the ground, both of them would instantly check his body.

"He got exposed to the orb's deadly gas. Give me with a glass of water.", Hazer ordered before Yuko reached for one. Hazer would release his curing powers onto the glass of water right before she handed it to her. Fortunately, his efforts were paid off when Mirai was seen able to move his body. However, as soon as he recovered, Hazer would walk away from the scene without being noticed by Yuko.

Mirai asked, "Yuko-chan, what happened to me?".

"Waroga had you trapped, Mirai-san! I attempted to contact the captain, but he did not respond.", Yuko stated.

"Waroga... What is it? Who told you that?", Mirai inquired once again.

"It was Hazer... He's here...", Yuko exclaimed before realising Hazer was no longer present. "He's not here anymore..." Yuko expressed her disappointment.

"Yuko-chan, please help me up. I need to track out this Waroga you're talking about!", Mirai stated before Yuko helped him get back on his feet. Then, Mirai would stroll outside with the assistance of his junior. As they attempted to locate the other members at the same time, they were confronted by a swarm of peasants who launched surprise attacks on them. Mirai would use the Mebium Slash move to combat them. As soon as they were hit by the maneuver, the villagers would be converted into light pillars before converging on the bonfire.

"Yuko-chan, keep an eye on your back! We're following them!", said Mirai as they approached the island's central bonfire. As they approached the site, they would see the true Waroga emerge, as the villagers they had previously defeated had merged into one enormous entity of light.

"So that's the actual Waroga...", Mirai exclaimed as he watched Waroga's emergence before transforming into Mebius without saying any extra words.

Mebius immediately attempted a surprise attack on the alien before it vanished from view. A large swarm of light beams then dropped from above, striking Mebius quickly as he studied his surroundings. He detected a large amount of light energy being delivered to Waroga when he peered above him. As a result, Waroga's look would change. Hazer, who had been watching from afar, had observed the transformation.

"What exactly is going on here? I don't recall Waroga looking like that.", replied a perplexed Hazer.

"You're... You're that titan from the vision!", exclaimed Mebius, recognising the deformed creature from his vision, in which Waroga was the one who had been devoured.

"Prepare for the worst... Mebius...", said the mutant Waroga before unleashing a barrage of purple beams from its spear-like Assault Arms that slammed into Mebius at breakneck speed. He then attempted to summon the METEOR Armor CODE-1, but Waroga transformed into an energy orb and flew through the air instead, before shooting Mebius in the back with the Light Bulb Ray from behind. Things became worse for him when Waroga transformed into the energy orb once more before unleashing a barrage of energy beams in all directions. As a result of the attacks, Mebius would be severely hurt. The attacks didn't stop there as Waroga used its teleportation ability to disorient his target and performing a surprise attack.

At that heart-pounding moment,

"Looks like I didn't have much of a choice...", stated Hazer before transforming into his Ultra form. He'd use his Hazard Blade Slash to shatter Waroga's eyes, effectively crippling its capacity to attack. It would turn out that the eye component appeared to be the source of Waroga's abilities, destroying it would render the powers inaccessible.

"Its flaw has already been revealed. It's completely up to you.", Hazer stated. Later, Mebius would get back up to his knees before confronting the extraterrestrial.

"Use the Mebium Sparker. You'd have a good chance of attacking an alien with that much speed if you paralysed it.", Hazer remarked. The Mebium Sparker would then be summoned, resulting in the summoning of the METEOR Armor CODE-V.

Despite his injuries, Mebius was able to take advantage of the situation by taking the alien down before utilising the Mebium Suspender which is two electrical beams released from both of his hands to stop his opponent's mobility. Mebius would finish things off with his Mebium Scattering Pillar maneuver, a dispersion of light pillars that would penetrate the opponent from all directions, right after Waroga stopped moving. The alien would be destroyed within a single shot, releasing the CREW GUYS from their energy orbs.

"Next time, don't be afraid to use that power. You're useless without it.", grumbled the annoyed Hazer.

"Don't worry. When it's necessary, I'll utilise it.", Mebius claimed.

"Your feeling of necessity is absurd... You'd never do it despite being told to. All you know is to use your real strength.", Hazer stated. Despite being provoked by Hazer, Mebius was unaffected since he believed Hazer didn't mean what he said.

Just a few seconds later, the sunrise would occur. However, Mebius would feel odd witnessing the sunrise while standing side by side with the other titan.

"Sunrise? That's not possible!", exclaimed Mebius, perplexed.

"What now...?", Hazer wondered.

"Waroga appeared just a few hours after nightfall, if my memory serves me correctly. Is it possible...?", the inquisitive Mebius muttered before the ground began to tremble.

"What's going on now?", Hazer inquired.

"Could it be... a time-dilating effect...?", Mebius wondered, having seen that the time on the island is significantly slower than the time outside.

"Perhaps Waroga's the cause of this effect?", Hazer speculated.

"If that's the case, Waroga is the one who built this fictitious island! No wonder Teppei-san mentioned that this island didn't appear on his maps.", Mebius declared.

"There can only be one conclusion now that Waroga has been beaten! This island is rapidly vanishing!", Hazer stated.

"I need your assistance, Hazer! Please return to Phoenix Nest with the GUYS machines! I'll go get the rest!", Mebius asked for assistance.

"You can count on me. Go!", Hazer yelled before grabbing all of the mechas while Mebius would grab all of the GUYS members, including the conscious Yuko, before both of them flew off the fading island.

After a day of being motionless, Ryu would recover his consciousness the next day. When he awakened, he would notice Mirai and Yuko standing by his side.

"You're awake, Ryu-san! Let me call the doctor!", Mirai stated before Ryu declined to do so.

"It's all right, Mirai. I'm fine. What the hell happened to me? What happened to the others?", the captain asked.

"The others are on a different ward. Don't be concerned. They're all in stable condition.", Yuko stated.

"I see... But, what happened to us?", the captain asked once more.

"An alien named Waroga kidnapped you and held you captive. Those villagers are a tangible part of it.", Mirai stated.

"Fortunately, Mirai-san and Hazer had defeated the alien and saved us just in time before the island vanished. In fact, the island was constructed by the same alien.", Yuko added. He would feel relieved until he remembered something.

"Oh... so Himari-san was an impostor as well?", Ryu wondered.

"Speaking of her... I'm pretty sure that we didn't run into her when we were looking for you guys.", Yuko stated, causing both Mirai and Ryu to be confused.

"That's strange... You said that Waroga is a mash-up of all the villagers. But, if Himari-san is one of them, and you haven't found her yet, doesn't that indicate the mutated Waroga shouldn't have been completely mutated?", the inquisitive Mirai questioned.

"It should have been... but I don't see any defects.", Yuko explained.

"Which means that it's mutated completely...", remarked Mirai as she walked slowly to the window, contemplating the situation.

"Then, who is she...?", Yuko asked as they continued to predict the possibilities. Suddenly, Mirai would hear the predator's roar, which he recognised from the vision.

"This is... the roar of the predator! But, why did I get the feeling that I'd heard this before?", the curious Mirai muttered. Right at that moment, an entity would appear in the woods observing the Phoenix Nest.

"Prepare for the worst... Mebius... The true fight has begun!", murmured the entity before her unearthly long tongue licking her lips.

(Mirai - KIYOSHI played)