Chapter 31: New HUD Member Lucia, and Kiren's Prophecy

Lin Yu asked, "Do you know my name?"

Lucia, whose gaze had been fixed on Zetton with a mixture of awe and gratitude, nodded at Lin Yu's words. She then seemed to snap back to reality, appearing utterly stunned.

How could this "plain and ordinary human" standing before her—who dared to strike at the Kyrieloids and had summoned such a massive monster to effortlessly tear apart the beings that haunted her nightmares—possibly know everything? This was completely different from what she had imagined humans to be! Her younger brother, who had died at the hands of the Kyrieloids, had explicitly warned her that humans were weak and that if they had to be killed, she should try her best not to let innocent humans get involved and lose their lives in vain. Yet, here she was, seeing a human who defied all those expectations.

"Is it strange that I know your name?" Lin Yu asked with a smile.

Lucia was even more bewildered. Wasn't it?

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Lin Yu, and I am the captain of the HUD team, under the Earth Joint Organization," he said. "We are responsible for gathering special humans, friendly extraterrestrials, and monsters. Our goal is to protect the innocent and weak, and to eliminate those enemies who dare to invade, such as the Kyrieloids. Lucia, are you willing to contribute your strength to this cause? Of course, if you are not willing, I will not force you. If you wish to return to your homeland, I will provide you with some assistance."

Lin Yu introduced himself, hoping to recruit Lucia into his team. Although Lucia was not powerful in a conventional sense, that was only relative. In reality, she was far from useless. She possessed telepathic abilities, an extraordinary physique, and, most importantly, a kind heart—a trait that most extraterrestrials lacked. Furthermore, the team was in dire need of personnel. To date, the HUD team consisted only of Lin Yu, the captain, and Masaki Keigo, his subordinate. Only two people—hardly a proper team.

Hearing Lin Yu’s words, Lucia’s eyes lit up. She looked at the severed head of the Kyrieloid, which seemed to stare back in death, and then at Zetton, who stood silently like a celestial god. She glanced at Lin Yu, bathed in the sunlight. A flood of images rushed through her mind: her homeland discovered by the Kyrieloids and turned into a breeding ground; she and her brother Zara being shackled and sent to Earth to serve as prey for the Kyrieloids' hunting pleasure; her brother Zara being blasted apart by a Kyrieloid, turning to dust and leaving only his tracking shackle as a trophy, while the Kyrieloid complained about the "inferior prey." She remembered the moment of absolute despair when she saw a tall man driving a pickup truck, declaring war on the Kyrieloids, and the sight of Zetton tearing her nightmares to shreds.

It turned out that someone could easily kill these world-destroyers. It turned out that even the Kyrieloids, like her, knew how to run.

"A world-destroyer? You hold this trash in too high regard!" Lin Yu remarked. "Zetton, give this world-destroyer who came to Earth to hunt a proper greeting. Go easy—don't kill it too quickly."

***

"Our goal at HUD is to protect the innocent and weak, and to eliminate those enemies who dare to invade, such as the Kyrieloids!"

"Lucia, are you willing to contribute your strength to this cause?"

Finally, these images converged with Lin Yu’s words, overlapping with the reality before her. Lucia gradually regained her senses and looked at Lin Yu, wanting to say something. Lin Yu drew his sidearm and tossed it to her—it was a specialized pistol designed to blast the horns off the smaller Kyrieloids. Lucia caught it instinctively. Clutching the weapon, she looked into Lin Yu's eyes, then back at the severed head of the Kyrieloid, which remained fixed in their direction even in death.

The previous scenes played over and over in her mind, becoming clearer than ever through her telepathic perception. At this moment, the anger in her heart finally overwhelmed her fear of the Kyrieloids.

"Ah!!!"

"Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!!!"

Her scream shattered the deathly silence. The pistol spat fire, and sparks erupted from the Kyrieloid’s eyes. It was the catharsis of a girl who had lost her brother, the fury of an entire race that had been reduced to livestock.

Lin Yu watched in silence. After a long while, the magazine was empty. The Kyrieloid's eyes were now a mangled mess. Only then did he step forward and pat Lucia on the shoulder.

"Congratulations on becoming a member of the HUD team."

***

TPC GUTS Base, Conference Room

The room was crowded. Not only were Iruma, Daigo, Rena, Shinjoh, Munakata, and Yazumi from GUTS present, but also Aihara Ryu, Konomi, the monster-enthusiast Teppei, and a new member—Kazama Marina from the GUYS team. She was a female motorcycle racer with a straightforward and free-spirited personality, a true tomboy. However, Captain Serizawa Kazuya and several other GUYS members were absent; Aihara Ryu explained they were on a mission at a space station.

They had gathered for one purpose: to discuss the prophecy event of the Kyrieloids that had occurred during the two days Lin Yu had been away. Indeed, Lin Yu had been gone for two days. He had spent over a day in the Mongolian grasslands, and now... perhaps he was at Easter Island.

"Is Captain Lin Yu still unreachable?" Iruma asked, scanning the room with a slight frown.

"He was reached," Daigo replied. "Captain Lin Yu said he is with HUD team member Masaki Keigo, excavating traces of a long-lost ultra-ancient civilization. They are at a critical stage and don't have time to come over."

"An ultra-ancient civilization?"

"It is a very ancient civilization that reportedly existed 30 million years ago. That monster codenamed Galura, which was killed by Eleking, as well as Golza and Melba, are all related to this ancient civilization!" Daigo’s explanation drew gasps of amazement.

"To think such a civilization existed!"

"Thirty million years ago? What kind of era is that? Were there dinosaurs back then?"

"As expected of Captain Lin Yu. With his unparalleled knowledge of monsters and extraterrestrials, he is already digging into such ancient secrets!"

The group discussed the excuse Lin Yu had provided. Well, it was half-true. Masaki Keigo was indeed excavating an ultra-ancient civilization, and Lin Yu was indeed searching for Golza and Melba, who were linked to it.

"Since Captain Lin Yu cannot return, let us begin the main topic of this meeting," Iruma said, clapping her hands and looking toward Horii.

Horii gave a silent 'OK' sign and activated a large screen. It displayed a authoritative global news broadcast. A female anchor was speaking with a serious and pious expression. On screen, images of ancient stone tablets were enlarged, depicting a figure striking down various monsters while being worshipped by humans.

"The God shall cause the sunken islands to rise and strike down the black and red demonic beasts!"

"The God shall reverse life and death; life belongs forever to the devout, while death shall shroud those who blaspheme!"

"According to the ancient prophecy, when humanity falls into peril once more, those who believe in the great Kyrieloid God shall welcome eternity, safety, and happiness, casting away disaster, disease, and suffering!"

As the broadcast continued, the anchor's tone became increasingly unnatural, causing the members of GUTS and GUYS to frown involuntarily.

"Beep!" The screen went black.

Iruma’s expression was grave. "Does anyone have any thoughts on this Kyrieloid prophecy event? Is this a friendly extraterrestrial here to help humanity, or a thoroughbred opportunist?"

That was the purpose of their meeting. Daigo, Shinjoh, and Rena, who had come to trust Lin Yu implicitly, exchanged glances. Daigo was the first to speak. Ever since Lin Yu had been parachuted in as captain, his public reports on the weaknesses and information regarding monsters and aliens, combined with his flawless victory in directing the elimination of the Alien Zarab, had silenced his detractors.

"Captain Lin Yu has analyzed the Kyrieloids," Daigo said, hitting the nail on the head. "They are not to be trusted. They are nothing but a group of opportunists looking to domesticate humanity! They are merely wearing the skin of a savior, hoping to harvest us under the guise of being righteous and glorious!"

Other voices of agreement began to rise throughout the room.