Chapter Seven: Transformed into Light

Not long after the group rushed out of the pyramid, the earth began to tremble ever so slightly. The monstrous, menacing Golzan dragged its thick tail, let out a furious roar toward the sky, and trampled across several hills in succession, charging straight for the pyramid. Countless trees were crushed and broken beneath its massive form.

Golzan, standing sixty-two meters tall, reached only the middle section of the pyramid when it arrived. At the other end, the White Dragon jet roared as torrents of air surged from its tail, and it ascended sharply into the sky.

"Giant... I, Tetsuya, am here!"

With jets blazing, the White Dragon sliced through the sky, heading directly for Golzan. At that moment, Golzan's head horn began to glow with a beam of purple light, which shot toward the pyramid's apex. Wherever the light struck, the golden brilliance of the pyramid dissolved, drifting away like grains of sand in the wind.

Within the pyramid, where the giants had been sealed for thirty million years, the blue sky and white clouds appeared at last. For the first time, the giants' forms were revealed to the world.

Inside the cockpit, Tetsuya, helmet on, focused intently on his instruments. He aimed at the horn on Golzan's forehead and slammed his fist onto the weapons control.

"Szzzt..."

Two searing beams of laser fire burst from the White Dragon's cannons, striking Golzan's horn dead-on. The force of the impact sent waves of pain through the beast, making it howl and shake its enormous head, claws flailing wildly.

Meanwhile, the Victory Swallow One had also taken to the air. Daigu, frowning and grim, fixed his eyes on the rampaging Golzan. He said nothing, but the anger burning in his gaze was unmistakable.

"Daigu..." Just as Daigu was about to charge forward in Victory Swallow One, Tetsuya's voice came through the headset, calm and unflinching.

"Don't let anger cloud your judgment. Follow my orders: ascend to high altitude, harass Golzan, and keep your speed above Mach 4."

"Understood!" Daigu glanced to the side and saw the White Dragon darting through the clouds, firing at intervals. Though the rate of fire wasn't high, each shot struck Golzan's horn precisely, always at the exact moment the monster tried to gather energy for its purple beam. The White Dragon's lasers would force Golzan to abandon the attempt every time.

Daigu hesitated no longer. He knew that Tetsuya was an exceptional marksman and pilot. Fighting under Tetsuya's command would greatly increase his own chances of survival.

Nearby in the woods, Victory Swallow Two lifted off as well. Rina, watching the two jets exchange fire in the sky, exclaimed in surprise, "It's Daigu and Captain Gale!"

After a pause, her gaze shifted. "They're fighting Golzan!"

"What?" Deputy Commander Soma craned his neck to look, just in time to see Melba streaking through the sky on the far side of the pyramid. With a powerful beat of its wings, Melba descended slowly, landing smoothly as a long, piercing cry echoed from its beak.

"No! If Melba and Golzan attack together, our team will be in great danger!"

At that moment, Melba let out another shriek. The light in its sharp eyes gathered, then burst forth, taking up the task Golzan had left unfinished and resuming the assault on the pyramid.

"Daigu, each of us will take one..." As Daigu braced himself, Tetsuya's composed voice came through.

"I'll handle Golzan!" Daigu replied firmly.

"Roger that!"

The White Dragon banked gracefully in the air, arcing toward Melba, its lasers firing relentlessly at Melba's eyes.

At the same time, Daigu engaged Golzan. But it was clear that, as a newcomer, Daigu's piloting skills were lacking; he struggled just to evade Golzan's sweeping claws, peril never far behind.

Deputy Commander Soma called out, "Let's help Daigu!"

Without hesitation, Rina turned her craft toward Daigu. By now, the pyramid had been completely scattered to the wind, and the giants' forms stood fully exposed beneath the open sky for the first time.

At this, both monsters let out excited roars and charged toward the stone giants.

Tetsuya watched the scene with cold calculation, his mind racing through possible outcomes. His lips pressed into a thin line, a fierce light suddenly flashing in his eyes.

"All or nothing!"

The White Dragon dove rapidly, skimming so close to Melba that its wingtips nearly grazed the monster's chest. At point-blank range, the laser cannons unleashed a merciless barrage, striking Melba hard.

Meanwhile, Victory Swallow One and Two seemed clumsy by comparison. Despite their numbers, their flying skills were no match for Tetsuya's. Daigu, especially, was losing his composure; several times, his jet narrowly avoided Golzan's deadly beams.

As Tetsuya managed to hold Melba at bay, Golzan suddenly struck at the leading giant, its massive tail swinging hard into the statue's knee, shattering it from below.

"Damn it!" Tetsuya cursed, a dangerous glint in his eyes as he clenched his fist.

"Come on, then! If I die, so be it!"

The White Dragon twisted and darted between two giant statues, unleashing a hail of laser fire at Golzan. With a furious roar, Golzan swept its tail, grazing the White Dragon. Metal screeched and thick smoke began pouring from the jet.

Inside the cockpit, alarms blared as smoke filled the air—a sure sign the craft was about to crash. The White Dragon had become uncontrollable.

Yet Tetsuya's expression did not change. His gaze remained steady as he awaited the moment of impact. His hand was already on the ejection lever, but he did not move.

"Captain Gale?!" Rina saw Tetsuya's plight and shouted in panic.

At that moment, Daigu's jet was struck by Melba's energy beam, the blast hitting its tail. Victory Swallow One spun out of control, veering downward.

"Daigu! Eject now!"

Soma nearly screamed into the headset, panic clear in his voice.

"It's malfunctioning!" Daigu tried to pull the ejection lever, but nothing happened.

Flames erupted behind the seat, smoke billowing through the cockpit. Daigu felt himself suffocating. Deep within, he sensed a mysterious calling. All around him, a white radiance gathered, invisible to his teammates, flooding the cockpit. In a blinding flash, Daigu's form became pure light, shooting toward the statue of Tiga.

"There is light..." Though fire still raged in his jet, Tetsuya gritted his teeth, forcing himself to remain calm. In that moment, a similar light seemed to envelop the White Dragon. He felt himself pulled by an unseen force, his body dissolving into ions—he too became a beam of light, drawn into the energy timer of another giant statue.

"Did I... did I succeed?"