"Hydro…Blazer!"

With an incredible mechanical roar, Gaiking's maw exhaled a scorching flame that melted the space monster's hide, before the entire battlefield was engulfed in a massive explosion.

"Daiya!"

A concerned female voice rang out through various communicators, the source of it coming from the bridge of a metal dinosaur called the Daiku Maryu. Inside, a green-haired woman named Ruru stood in the middle of her crew.

"Daiya, give me a status, answer me!"

All eyes were focused on the newly-created explosion. Being so close to the monster when it blew up, there was no way Gaiking wasn't caught in it. The question was merely if it was able to sustain the damage.

After moments where every member could feel every second past, a humanoid figure flew out from inside the orange cloud, and a familiar male voice came through the crews' communicators upon its arrival.

"Geez, that was a close one! Sure is a good thing I've kept up the training, my reflexes are as good as ever!"

A blonde woman standing behind Ruru smiled upon hearing the words and nodded, "Audio and visual confirmation received, Daiya's safe. We've won this battle."

The entire crew erupted into loud cheers.

Ruru, who was looking at the sight of the fiery giant returning to the Daiku Maryu, breathed a sigh of relief.

"You looked worried, Captain." The blonde woman spoke suddenly. "Don't tell me you've forgotten how hardy Daiya can be?"

Ruru shrugged and smirked.

"You might be right, Rosa. Though, that's on me. Daiya would always find a way to overcome the next challenge."

The woman named Rosa knowingly chuckled to herself.

"True. He should be landing about now. Do you want to see him?"

Ruru smiled, turning back to face the main monitor instead.

"It's fine, there's a lot of people who want to reunite with our old team, so it'd get crowded. In the meantime let's get to work on landing the ships first."

"Roger that."

Ruru's prepared to make another announcement through the bridge.

"All ships, prepare for re-entry and landing!"

With that, the ship recalled all of its crew, and begun preparing for the journey back to earth.


Whilst the bridge crew was undergoing the procedures for re-entry, the hangar was filled with a very different atmosphere.

"DAIYAAA!"

More accurately, filled with a lot of happy shouting.

"Hey everyone! It's been a while! Glad to see everyone's doing fine!"

The man named Daiya cheerfully greeted with a gigantic smile, waving to everyone that came to welcome him back.

He was quickly surrounded by old faces. Everyone had aged up a little, but he could recognise each and every single one of them as allies he'd fought with during his time on the Daiku Maryu.

It was almost like reuniting with distant family.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, Daiya?"

A familiar voice caught Daiya's attention, who turned around to see none other than the immediately recognisable face of old-man Daimon, along with Shizuka.

"Old-man Daimon, Shizuka!"

Daiya's face immediately lit up. Back when he lived on the ship, Old-man Daimon was a reliable mechanic Daiya could always rely on for good advice, and Shizuka was like an older-sister figure to him who looked after him a lot during his time on the ship.

Seeing those two again for the first time in five years was almost unbelievable to him.

"Welcome back, Daiya." Shizuka greeted me. "You've sure grown since I last saw you."

"...Yeah, I wanted to be twice the man I was in the past for when I would meet everyone again, so I've been working hard!"

Daiya's remark elicited a hearty chuckle from Shizuka..

"Well, I'd say you became three or four times the man!"

"Ahaha, that much?"

As Daiya and Shizuka re-acquainted themselves with each other, Daiya's eyes wandered to something Shizuka was carefully cradling in her arms.

"Hey…is that…?"

Shizuka nodded.

"Yeah, this is my son. He's almost a year old."

"Woah…" Daiya whispered in awe. "So Shizuka's a mom now…congratulations!"

"Thank you. I actually had twins, Sensei's got the other one."

"Amazing…I'm so happy for you two."

Daiya carefully watched over Shizuka's child, upon seeing his smile, The child made an excited cry and reached out their hands towards him.

"Aww, it looks like he likes you, Daiya."

"Really? Well…looks like I'm gonna have to work extra hard for the sake of another member of the Daiku Maryu."

Daiya carefully reached out his finger and put them around the baby.

"I look forward to working with you. Hehe."

As the ship landed back on Earth and stabilized, Daiya made his way through the ship. He greeted all of the members one by one, from the workers, to the chefs, and the doctor. He made sure he said hello to each and every person he fought with all those years ago.

Soon, he approached a familiar intimidating door. Though this time, it wasn't nearly as intimidating.

"It's probably because I got taller." He joked to himself internally.

Daiya carefully knocked on the door to request permission to enter.

"Come in." A voice from inside called out.

"Alright, I'm intruding!"

Daiya made his way through the door, coming face to face with a tall man wearing a mask with eyes that shone like gems.

It was none other than the former captain of the ship, Garis.

"...Daiya!" Garis whispered with surprise.

"Yo, Captain! How are you doing?"

"I'm doing rather well nowadays, thanks for asking. Though, I'm not your captain anymore, just call me Garis."

"Ah, my bad, it's a habit."

Daiya brushed his nose and chuckled. Ever since Ruru took over as Captain, Garis always made sure to correct people on his position out of pride for his daughter. That being said, Daiya couldn't help but see Garis as his captain, since he was essentially the father figure of the entire crew.

"Don't let it bother you, but you look like you're doing fine yourself. Seems like you've grow a lot since I last saw you."

"Ahaha, Shizuka said the same thing. It's kind of embarrassing."

"Hahaha. It just goes to show how much of a man you've become since that time."

As Garis got up from his chair, he took notice to Daiya's new height.

"Well I'll be, you're as tall as I am now." He said, impressed. "Ruru's in for a big surprise then.."

Garis always remembered Daiya being a tad bit shorter than his daughter. He wondered how she would react to Daiya's incredible growth spurt.

"Well, I hope I don't look too intimidating. Either way, I'm still the same Daiya as ever inside at least!"

Daiya truly felt that while a few years had passed, he hadn't actually changed much and was more than happy to re-acclimate to the Daiku Maryu. Aside from his height, it was almost like nothing had changed.

"Is that so? Well, that's good to hear. Daiku Maryu needs the same blazing flame that burned in Darius five years ago to defeat these monsters."

"Yeah, I got it. Don't worry, with the rest of Daiku Maryu together again, I'll make sure our flames will burn so hard they'll even reach throughout the ends of space itself!"

Garis nodded in approval, "That's it. That's the spirit we'll need. Glad to have you back, Daiya."

Daiya grinned cheekily, "Glad to be back."

After visiting Garis, the three dragon ships landed back on Earth, submerging under the ocean.

Whilst humans knew about the people from Darius now, the appearance of the ships were still going to cause unease to bystanders since they would only return during times of battle, so the less bystanders knew about the battle in space, the better.

As they were cruising through the water, Daiya finally arrived at the bridge of the Daiku Maryu, where he ran into Naoto and Puria, who had already made it to the front.

"Yo! You two already back?"

Naoto turned around and ran over to Daiya once he noticed he was in the room. "Daiya! You made it!"

Meanwhile, on the other end…

"Daiya! You're late!" Puria yelled from the side of the room. She was casually leaning on the side of the Daiku Maryu's wall, with a slightly cocky expression on her face.

Daiya found it funny that his two best friends gave him completely opposing responses.

"My bad, my bad. I just wanted to say hi to everyone! It's been a long time after all."

"You could do that anytime," Puria said with a sigh, "isn't there someone you needed to say hi to first?"

She gestured behind her, pointing toward the captain's seat. In front stood a woman with dark, long hair and deep green eyes, who had been smiling at Daiya ever since he entered the room. This was someone he could recognise from even a mile away, and couldn't help but respond to her smiling face with one of his own.

"Hey, Ruru! I'm back!"

Ruru couldn't help but giggle as she began heading down from her place on the bridge.

"Welcome back, Daiya. It's great to see you again."

Now that the landing procedures were done, Ruru wanted nothing more than to see her friends face-to-face. Though, once she approached them, she internally regretted it a little.

While Ruru was on the captain seat, she stood higher than everyone else in the room. Once she descended, however, she had to face an unfortunate truth.

"...Since when did I become the shortest one…?" Ruru couldn't help but whisper.

Daiya caught Ruru's complaint to herself, making him snicker a little.

"Muu, you're mean..." Ruru pouted.

"Ah, don't take it that way. I guess I did get a bit taller since we last saw each other."

"That's kind of an understatement…" Naoto whispered from behind them.

Puria made a knowing sigh, her face twisting into one of great irritation. "A massive one! This guy… with all of the food he eats and training he does, he's basically a bodybuilder now, it's impossible to keep up!. "Though the worst part is I've had to deal with the humiliation of being shorter than not only him, but this rascal too!"

She turned around and grabbed Naoto by the collar.

"Do you realize how frustrating that gets?!"

"P-Puria…neck burns…" Naoto whimpered.

Daiya let out a hearty laugh watching Puria vent her frustrations on his childhood friend. .

"Don't worry about it. I told this to your father, but nothing else about me's changed. Inside, I'm the same Daiya as always, and the same Daiya who looks up to you! Besides, you've grown a lot too! You look so cool and dependable, just like Garis was when he was captain!"

Ruru perked up upon hearing her father's name.

"Mmm…you mean that?"

"Absolutely! I'd never lie to Ruru of all people, would I?"

Ruru's expression softened.

"Daiya…"

If there was one thing Daiya wasn't good at, it was lying, and Ruru knew that about him. Ruru always appreciated how honest Daiya was with her. Even though she sometimes got annoyed at the fact Daiya could be too honest, she equally found his straightforward and earnest personality made him incredibly trustworthy.

"...Yeah…that's true isn't it? As always, you're always honest with yourself, aren't you?"

"Of course! That's what makes me, me!"

Both of them found themselves laughing together at that.

Over the years, both of them seemed to have toughened up a lot. Ruru's Darius heritage had begun to show itself as she matured, leading to markings appearing on her face and more pointed ears. On the other hand, Daiya had gained so much muscle that he now resembled a professional wrestler, a far cry from the child that once crawled around the corridors and vents of Daiku Maryu.

The two friends shared a moment of silence together, appreciating their reunion and silently taking in how much the other had grown. Despite the years that had passed, they always seemed to have a connection with each other that surpassed all of that.

That being said, that moment of silence was deafeningly awkward for everyone else in the room.

*cough cough*

Puria coughed audibly loud enough to catch the attention in the room, breaking the two out of their trance and reminding them that they were not the only ones on the bridge.

"A-Ah! That's right!" Ruru stammered. "We need to pick up the other three crewmates staying in your hometown. When we do that, you'll need to let your parents know about what's happening."

Daiya nodded. "Right! Yeah! No problem, I'm sure Mom and Dad will be okay with me going to fight. The lives of those moving to Zeira are at stake here, so I can't afford to turn a blind eye at all!"

"Yeah, you got that right!" Puria added behind him, still dragging Naoto in hand. "We fought to hell and back with the Darius all those years ago, no way I'm letting that go to waste! Put me back in Superior Stinger! I'll give those Space Monsters a piece of my mind!"

"Well, it seems the both of you are all fired up, aren't you?" Rosa said from behind them.

"Rosa! It's nice to see you again!" Daiya exclaimed.

"Likewise. It's a great relief to see all of you are in good health. I'm looking forward to managing everyone's schedules again."

Rosa had said that earnestly with a smile, which Naoto found a bit off-putting.

"When you put it that way, it makes it sound like we're a burden…"

"Nah," Daiya reassured, "Rosa doesn't mind doing that kind of thing, it's what makes her Daiku Maryu's most reliable manager!"

"Is that so…"

Naoto seemed a bit unsure since he wasn't a member of Daiku Maryu for a very long time, but Daiya nodded to reassure him.

"I know so!" Daiya remarked confidently. "She's the best manager ever!"

Rosa smiled, really appreciating those words. She had been a little rough on Daiya when he first joined, but Daiya was always willing to rise to the challenge and do his best to overcome all odds. It was this person that she always felt was a good match with the Daiku Maryu, and saw as a surrogate son of sorts.

Internally, she felt glad that was the case.

After about half an hour of sailing, the three ships once again landed at Japan's shore. Their large bodies startled the locals, but at this point, everyone in this village was aware of the Daiku Maryu due to the previous battle that took place there.

Because of this, this town was somewhat familiar to the ship, and so Ruru decided to use this opportunity to stock up on resources for the fight against the space monsters. So with that, the crew got busy with loading cargo, while Puria went back to her house to meet up with her buddies.

As Daiya stepped back onto solid land, he noticed a familiar face in the crowd of people departing from the Daichi Maryu.

"Lee!"

The slim yet well-built Chinese-looking man named Lee turned around upon hearing Daiya's voice, and was greeted with the bright expression with his old student.

"Daiya! It's nice to see you again after so long! Good work with the space monster just now, we wouldnt've been able to beat it without you."

Like the rest of the crew, Lee was a little surprised at Daiya's newfound height. It had only been five years, but now the boy he used to pat the head of was now even taller than he was.

"You've really grown a lot, huh? Looks like you've been keeping up with your training too."

"Yeah! You bet!" Daiya exclaimed cheerfully. "I had to be ready for when you needed me again, like now! Let's get those giant monsters and bring peace to the planet!"

Lee couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Lee clarified, "just thought it's been a while since we had our energetic mood-makers of the crew. I kinda missed it."

Lee reminisced on the past where Daiya would almost always be the person keeping up the spirits of everyone. Never giving up until the end, and inspiring others to do the same. Daiya was someone that even helped himself with his own demons, and helped give him the courage to pass on his teachings to him as his student.

"Yeah, you're absolutely right, Daiya. We'll beat 'em back into where they came from!"

"Yeah, definitely!"

As Daiya and Lee were talking, they heard a voice call out to them.

"Oi, Tsuwabuki Daiya!"

Daiya looked over Lee's shoulder and noticed Nouza and Vestaanu behind him.

"Oh, it's Nouza and Vestaanu! Or should I say, Emperor Nouza?" Daiya chided

"Tch." Nouza spat. "No need to flatter me with my unearned title. I see you are doing well."

Upon hearing Nouza's words, Lee could only chuckle.

"You really don't change, do you? Regardless of how legitimate you might be, you're a great leader. Zeira wouldn't be in the state it is without you, and that has nothing to do with your creation."

"Hmph. I won't argue with you, human."

Daiya couldn't help but find it funny that Nouza still didn't bother to remember the names of most humans despite their current alliance.

"He's right, Nouza?" Vestaanu suddenly interrupted, "You should listen to my darling more often. If you were more willing to train together in tandem, you might have more synergy when fighting against the space monsters."

"I don't need you preaching to me too. I'll recognise those who I see worthy." Nouza retorted.

Meanwhile, Daiya was more focused on what Vestaanu had said.

"...Darling?" He asked quizzically.

"Ah, right. I should probably catch you up. A few months ago, Vestaanu and I had officially tied the knot. I'm a married man now." Lee clarified.

"Ohh…I see! Congratulations to the both of you! I'm so happy for the both of you!"

"Your words are appreciated, Tsuwabuki Daiya." Vestaanu said with a gentle smile. "Darling told me plenty of stories of training you on the Daiku Maryu. He's very proud of you."

"Is that true? It's nothing special really, if anything I owe Lee even more!" Daiya happily responded. "He's a big reason I ended up learning so many new techniques and strategies! He's a super cool mentor."

"Though," Nouza interrupted, "he never gave me the same thrill of battle you were able to despite that."

"Well well, I have to admit my fire isn't as crazy as Daiya's. It's hard to match his flame, but I try my best." Lee replied casually.

"Hmph. Regardless, now that Daiya has returned to our aid, we can finally begin exterminating these monsters for good. As we should've from the beginning."

"Yeah, leave it to me!" Daiya declared. "With all three giants together and the crew fully assembled. Nothing will stand in our way!"

Lee nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, that's the spirit! Heheh."


By the time the three ships had properly refilled their resources, the sun had set over the horizon, and the cool night had overtaken the planet.

The crew of the Daiku Maryu had a catchup of their current threats and mission: to protect the gate that connected Earth to New Zeira from space monsters, until everyone from Darius could properly migrate.

That being said, there weren't any monsters detected for the time being, so Daiku Maryu celebrated for the night, by having a return party.

The many members of the crew cried and cheered as they were all reunited and reacquainted with each other for the first time in five years. There were a select few individuals who couldn't return to the battle due to having started new lives they had to dedicate themselves to, but still attended the party to catch up and cheer on the crew that were still able to fight.

Daiya was able to invite his parents as well, also because he had to tell them about the fact he was returning.

"You're going back to fight again?" Mrs. Tsuwabuki, Daiya's mom, asked.

"Yeah, I am. I know you're going to be worried, but there are people that need help, and I can't bring myself to abandon them." Daiya replied, a serious, yet determined tone in his voice.

"Mmm…it's okay. We won't stop you Daiya. You're never one to abandon someone else in need, are you?"

"Y-Yeah. I just can't bring myself to. I know this is the path I need to take for everyone's sake, especially for the future of the people in Darius."

Daiya's mother nodded understandingly. She knew better than anyone that nobody could convince Daiya otherwise when he made up his mind like this. As worried as she was, Daiya had already overcome all odds in the past once, so she felt more than confident in letting him go again.

"Don't worry about it, Daiya." Mr. Tsuwabuki reassured, "We both understand this is your battle, and for the sake of others, I know you'll be able to pull through."

Mr. Tsuwabuki reached over and gave Daiya a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Compared to his wife, Mr. Tsuwabuki had full confidence in Daiya's safety. After what happened in Darius, he believed Daiya would absolutely be able to handle himself. He'd matured so much in the years where they were apart, and now he was even more of a man than he was five years ago. To him, he had full faith in Daiya's capabilities.

"You're a real man now, Daiya. Both your mother and I know that better than anyone."

"Dad…"

Daiya found himself pausing at his parents' support. He expected them to be more worried like his mom had been when he first left for Darius. But it seems like they were both on board with him going out to fight again.

"...Okay, I won't let the both of you down! I'll beat those space monsters, and come back home safe and sound!"

"Yeah, we know you will." Mr. Tsuwabuki assured. "We're incredibly proud to have a son like you, Daiya. So head off with pride. "

Mrs. Tsuwabuki nodded in agreement before speaking up herself, "That's right, Daiya. Please, do your best."

"Mom…Dad…thank you…. "

Daiya couldn't help but tear up a little at his parents' encouragement. He felt incredibly grateful.

"Um…" Ruru's voice called from behind Daiya as she made her way over to the family. "Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Tsuwabuki. Thank you very much for making time to join our party."

"Ah, Captain Ruru, it's a pleasure to meet you again." Daiya's father greeted.

"Likewise. We are terribly sorry to have to ask you to part with Daiya again. We understand that while he is Gaiking's pilot, he's also your precious son. As such, we are incredibly grateful for your understanding in this matter…"

Daiya thought that Ruru seemed a lot more formal when speaking to his parents, it gave an air of professionalism that made Ruru seem so much more mature than he remembered.

In response to her, Daiya's mother could only shake her head.

"It's fine. After all you've done for our family, supporting you is the least we can do. Besides, I'm not one to stop my son's wishes."

"I see…" Ruru nodded understandingly with a relieved expression.

Similar to Daiya, she had been worried that Daiya's parents would be a lot less keen on the idea of sending their son to another battlefield herself.

"We are incredibly grateful to hear that. Please rest assured, Daiya's a treasured member of the Daiku Maryu too. We'll do our absolute best to make sure Daiya will return home no matter what. You can count on us!"

"My, that's very relieving to hear. I'll be leaving him in your care then, Captain."

"I appreciate it, I won't let you down. I'll protect Daiya with my life if I have to!"

Mrs. Tsuwabuki was taken aback slightly by the captain's choice of words. In honesty, while she understood the situation, she was still a little worried nevertheless. But to hear such reassuring words from the ship's captain of all people did help ease her anxieties just a little bit.

Whilst this exchange had been going on though, a festive Puria had noticed the two women talking, and thought this was a good opportunity to share some information she had to Daiya's mother.

"Hey, Mrs. Tsuwabuki? Can I talk to you for a second?" She yelled from a distance.

"Oh, sure! Pardon me Captain."

"No worries." Ruru assured. "We hope you enjoy your night ma'am!"

Mrs. Tsuwabuki bowed politely to Ruru before making her way to where Puria was waiting. As Ruru began speaking with Daiya's father, Puria whispered something into her ear that nobody else could catch.

The only result was a surprised statement from Mrs. Tsuwabuki.

"Ehh?! So she's the one?"

Puria nodded.

"Yep, you asked me if there were any candidates and well, I thought I might as well let you know now that I had the chance. Especially since they've been reunited for the first time in five years, who knows what could happen now that they're older."

"I see…oh I appreciate you telling me this, Puria! This is wonderful news!"

"No worries! Though, with how slow Daiya can be, I wouldn't expect too much right away. Heck, it might take another couple years at this rate."

Puria chuckled to herself knowing how slow Daiya could be, but in response, Mrs. Tsuwabuki's brow furrowed.

"That's a really good point…looks like I have something to discuss with Daiya before I leave."

Puria was surprised to see Mrs. Tsuwabuki act so seriously about the topic, but quickly grinned and snickered to herself cheekily.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun."

Whilst they were whispering about each other, Daiya had a sudden itch in his nose.

"Achoo!"

"Ah, Daiya!" Ruru exclaimed with a concerned voice, "Are you okay? Did you catch a cold?"

"Ah, no worries. It's nothing. Probably just a breeze." Daiya remarked casually.

Ruru sighed.

"You should take care of yourself better, you know. You might have a tough body, but even you're not immune to illnesses."

"It's fine, you're worrying too much, Ruru."

"Mmm…if you say so…"

With that, the party continued until late at night, with the crew merry and gorging on the scrumptious food prepared by the Daiku Maryu's kitchen staff, the party soon ended with everyone on a full stomach and out of energy.

The people who weren't staying on the ship began disembarking one by one, including Daiya's parents. But before they left, they had wanted to talk to Daiya one more time, so Daiya accompanied them at the port to see them off.

"Make sure you show those monsters just how hot the flame inside you burns, Daiya. Don't hesitate and take the shot, your fire will make it to the ends of space itself."

Daiya gave his dad a thumbs up upon hearing his words of encouragement.

"Yeah, no problem. I still remember what you told me. I'll have full confidence and won't doubt myself!"

Mrs. Tsuwabuki nodded, proud of how much his son had grown.

"Take care of yourself, Daiya. We'll be waiting at home for you to return anytime."

"I'll absolutely do that! I'll be relying on you to take care of our home while I'm away, Mom."

Daiya's mom chuckled, "Don't worry, I've gotten pretty good at doing that. Though, would you mind letting me know one thing before you head off?"

Daiya tilted his head quizzically. He didn't quite know what his mom could want, but he had no reason not to hear her out either.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Do you have any plans on finding a wife anytime soon?"

For a moment after Mrs. Tsuwabuki spoke, there seemed to be a brief silence that somehow permeated the entire area.

"Ehhhh?!"

Both men of the Tsuwabuki family jumped back in surprise.

"M-Mom, I don't think Daiya is ready for that kind of responsibility yet…" Mr Tsuwabuki brought up awkwardly.

"U-Uh, I'm not sure about what brought this on, I really don't have time to think about that right now, I have two planets to focus on defending!"

Both men were caught completely off guard by Mrs. Tsuwabuki's sudden topic, but she stamped her foot down, and silenced them both.

"Listen Daiya, you're already an adult by now, so you have to at least start thinking about this. I understand that you're taking the burden of many people's futures, but you have to think about your own as well."

Daiya scratched his head sheepishly. He wasn't really sure how to react to what his mom was saying, but Daiya had to admit she did have a bit of a point. But that being said, he couldn't help but feel inside that he wasn't really ready to think about that thing. In truth, he still kind of felt like a child.

"Well, I see where you're coming from, but I don't know. I just haven't really worried about it. It doesn't feel like I'm at that stage yet, honestly."

"I'm just a little concerned for you, Daiya." Mrs. Tsuwabuki continued, "You're a fully-grown adult now, yet you've never once even considered getting a girlfriend."

"Well…I personally think Daiya should take it one step at a time. He's still kind of young, and there's no shortage of girls who would want a hunk like him. Right?" Mr. Tsuwabuki remarked.

His wife quickly responded to his words by pulling him by his ear.

"You quiet down Dear."

"O-O-Okay…can you please let go, Honey?"

Mrs. Tsuwabuki reluctantly released her grip, sending her husband tumbling down to the floor. The impact made Daiya wince a little.

"Poor Dad…" He muttered.

"Daiya, I'm serious."

His mother spoke with an assertive voice, it was to the point Daiya felt the significance of what she was about to say,

"You might feel young, but time passes by faster than people realize. Like it or not, you're already at the age where you need to start thinking about this. You can't stay with Mom and Dad forever, you need to grow up and start creating a family of your own. When that time comes, I want you to have found a partner that you can be confident with. Not just someone who happens to fancy you. I want you to find someone that you know you'll truly be happy with, Daiya."

"Mom…" Daiya whispered under his breath.

Mrs. Tsuwabuki was stern with her words, but they had an air of gentleness to them. It was evident to Daiya that she was only so serious because she genuinely cared.

"Daiya, your early adulthood is the prime time to start the search and begin taking chances, and these years won't last forever. If there is someone you want to be with, anyone at all…they won't wait for you forever."

Mrs. Tsuwabuki's last words left an impression. He had to admit, he knew that was the case. Rather quickly, he'd brushed up against that scenario before in the past.

"...Yeah, okay…you're right, Mom. It's just like what Dad told me, I shouldn't keep hesitating on such important things."

Daiya really hadn't ever thought deeply about this kind of topic before, but his Mom was right. He was about the age where he had to start thinking about his future, and create his own home somewhere one day.

Romance was one thing he was very much NOT good at dealing with, but he couldn't avoid it forever.

"If I want a good future for myself, then I need to think about it a lot, and make a decision I won't regret, even if it does end up involving getting…uhh, married."

Daiya's response elicited a smile from Mrs. Tsuwabuki.

"Good, Daiya. You've grown even more into a man now. Remember to take the chance if you ever find one, Mom's rooting for you, okay?"

Daiya sheepishly nodded.

"Y-Yeah, thanks…!"

"Don't mention it," Mrs Tsuwabuki spoke with a sense of satisfaction, "Now, I've heard you've already met some wonderful people on the Daiku Maryu, asides from Naoto, they're the only ones you consider friends right? There must be someone you've at least felt something for right?"

Daiya suddenly turned red as a tomato. His mom had hit closer to the mark than he expected.

"W-Well…I…uhh…Daiya stuttered embarrassedly. At this point, he really didn't know how to answer such a question.

"Sounds to me like there is."

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhh…maybe…?"

Daiya felt a drop of sweat go down his head as his mom gave him a sheepish grin.

Meanwhile, a certain someone felt a sudden itch in their nose.

"Achoo!"

Thus, a cute little sneeze could be heard from the deck of the Daiku Maryu.

"Huh…I might be catching a cold myself …" Ruru muttered to nobody in particular.

Once Mrs. Tsuwabuki had enough of prodding at her own son's love life, the family said their goodbyes, and parted for the night.

Daiya returned to the Daiku Maryu, wandering its halls while pondering the things his Mom talked about.

"My future…huh….?"

Thinking about it made Daiya's head swirl. As much as he wanted to listen to his mom, he really wasn't the best at thinking about these kinds of things. To him, the future still seemed far away, despite everything his mother told him.

There was a notable gap between how Daiya thought he had to be, compared to how he actually felt like he was, and that made him uneasy.

"This is…a lot to think about…" He whispered to himself.

As he kept ruminating, he found himself making it to the ship's deck. When he wanted to relax, he often came out here to get a breath of fresh air.

"Jeez, I don't know how to handle this kind of thing…" He muttered while opening the deck's door.

"Handle what?"

His ears perked up upon hearing an unexpected voice, apparently, he wasn't the only one who decided to come out on the Daiku Maryu's deck..

"Ah, Ruru…y-you're here too?" Daiya stuttered.

"Yeah, I just wanted to cool down a bit after the party. It's a lot of fun but…it gets a bit hectic, you know?"

Out of all the people who could've been here at this one moment, it had to be her. Daiya almost wanted to scream at the universe for this timing.

"O-Oh well, yeah, I can definitely agree there! With a crew like this, any sort of celebration could probably tire someone out in seconds! Haha…"

"Ahaha!" Ruru giggled from Daiya's casual response, "You might be right. I love everyone on the Daiku Maryu, but they sure are a rowdy crew."

"A-Ah…yeah! Definitely!"

Daiya found himself stumbling upon his words more than usual, especially upon hearing the word "love".

The cause was clearly because of the conversation he had with his mother earlier. He admitted she had a point, but now he felt incredibly on-edge around Ruru as a side effect!

"Daiya? Are you okay? You seem a bit on edge."

"Y-You think so?"

Ruru visibly squinted at Daiya.

"Y…Yeah. You definitely seem bothered about something."

"This is bad…" Daiya thought to himself. At this rate, he was barely going to be able to talk to her at all.

"You said you didn't know how to handle something earlier, does it relate to that?" Ruru asked.

She was spot on.

Daiya wasn't sure he wanted to share everything about the conversation, especially since he didn't quite feel comfortable about talking about his love-life yet.

That being said, Ruru seemed concerned about him, and he didn't want to worry her.

"Uhm…kind of, actually…Mom and I had a talk before she went home, and it's kinda been occupying my head since…"

"Oh, I see…is it something I can help with?"

"Uhhh…uhm…maaaybe?"

"Maybe…?"

Ruru tilted her head in confusion, before she seemed to realize something.

"Ah…is it perhaps, too personal?"

"Uhhhhh…."

Daiya couldn't really give an answer in time.

"Ah, I see…don't worry about it, I understand. Do you want some time alone to think for now?"

"Ah, no, that's not it…agh, it's just a lot in my head..."

Daiya scratched his head from frustration. He didn't know whether he wanted to just fess up everything or not. Part of him did, but another, more sensible part was telling him to take things one step at a time. Either way, he felt like he was being driven up a wall.

Ruru noticed Daiya's visibly conflicted expression, and simply made an understanding giggle.

"Alright. Then, I'll stay here for now, if that helps?"

Part of him was still anxious about it, but ultimately, Daiya began to feel like he should at least talk about some of his issues. Ruru was already onto him, so hiding it from her wouldn't accomplish anything.

Besides, he knew Ruru was definitely someone he could trust with something like this.

"Ah…y-yeah…please…"

"Roger that, I'll be happy to. Besides, there's a nice breeze tonight, I wouldn't want to leave you alone when you look so troubled."

Daiya was taken slightly aback by the last words she said. He began wondering when Ruru became so mature and patient. Sure, she was always one of Daiku Maryu's calmest crewmates, but even in the past, Ruru wasn't always this perceptive and considerate.

To him, it was the first sign that Ruru had really grown in the five years they'd been apart. Compared to her, Daiya wondered if he was able tio keep up.

"Hey…Ruru?"

"What is it, Daiya?"

"...Do you feel like an adult yet?"

It was a question Ruru didn't expect, with her having to ponder on it for a moment before responding.

"Well…that's kind of a difficult question to answer. It doesn't feel like being a teenager was that long ago." She admitted.

"Yeah, it really doesn't. I still remember our first reunion like yesterday." Daiya reminisced.

"Right? But in the end, the truth is I've experienced a lot of things since I began following in Dad's footsteps as a Captain. I feel like because of that, I have begun feeling and acting like a proper adult, at least compared to when we parted five years ago."

"I see…as expected from Ruru…you really are amazing."

"Geez, you're exaggerating, I'm not all that…"

Daiya's remark caused Ruru to turn a slight shade of red, though Daiya didn't notice due to the darkness of the unlit night.

"Nah, you definitely are…I can't really compare in that aspect myself.."

"Daiya…what do you mean?"

"I mean what I said. You already feel like an adult, you act like one too. It feels like you're already prepared for whatever's to come. Compared to me…part of me still feels like I'm still a kid, and that I'm not ready to grow up."

Daiya let out a breath of air he had unconsciously been holding in.

"I guess…I just feel like I'm not an adult yet, even if I am one."

"...I see, so that's what's been bothering you?"

Daiya nodded, whilst it wasn't the only thing that bothered him, it was the main anxiety on his mind.

The truth of the matter was that his mom was correct, he did need to think about his future and what he wanted it to be.

But even then, Daiya didn't feel prepared for it, and he didn't even know where to begin.

"To be honest, part of me just wants to just keep training and having fun with everyone forever. I've been waiting for this day where you'd need my power. But what happens after this? When I think like this…I wonder if I'm ready to face the future if I still act this way."

Daiya let out a sigh, it wasn't like him to think about this kind of thing, but he couldn't help it after his mom's words.

Daiya never thought about these kinds of things seriously, he never had to until now. He was wondering if it was really okay to keep going on this way.

Until Ruru spoke up.

"Well, what's wrong with acting a little bit like a child, Daiya?"

Daiya was surprised at what she said.

"What's wrong? Well, I told you, didn't I? I kinda just want to have fun and be together with everyone. I'm not good at thinking about the future, and what Mom said just isn't leaving my mind."

"But, why can't you?" Ruru asked.

Daiya tried to come up with a response, but ultimately wasn't quite sure how to answer her.

He found himself completely dumbfounded.

"If you ask me, I don't think you have to always think about your future." Ruru continued, "sure, it helps to consider it for safety, but you know Daiya? The future isn't the most important time, it's the present."

"...The present?"

"Yep, the present!"

Daiya tilted his head slightly, not quite understanding.

"What do you mean by that?"

Ruru simply smiled.

"Daiya, I don't think anyone's really ready for the future. You can't ever predict it. Life comes quickly and people all adapt to it, that's what all of us do." She explained.

"I guess…that's true.

"It is, even my plans don't go exactly accordingly. I'm not sure what tomorrow brings. But that's normal, and I don't think you should let that bother you. The Daiya I know is someone who thinks about what happens 'today' instead of 'tomorrow'. I don't think that's a bad thing."

"Ruru…you think so?"

Ruru chuckled, "I know so! After all, it's because you always put your everything into a single moment, whenever you do, you make miracles happen. That's the Daiya I know."

Daiya found himself speechless. Ruru had said all of that with complete confidence, and it sounded incredibly convincing to even him.

"The future is full of unknown things. But there's no need to do it all at once. Just think about the present and what you can do now. One step at a time. If you focus on each day, then maybe you'll have everything figured out in a year or two, right?"

Ruru gazed out to sea, the dark waters were murky and cold, but despite that, the lapping waves still reflected the gentle moonlight. Despite the unknown future they had, the path they made until now would surely light away.

"I…can't believe it…" Daiya muttered, "you really made all of my worrying sound so stupid with just a few words…"

"It's not stupid." Ruru refuted, "It's perfectly normal to feel anxious, especially after a talk with one of your parents. But at the same time, there's nothing wrong with taking it slow, and there's nobody stopping you from doing what you want right now."

Daiya let out a chuckle. Ultimately, Ruru's logic was soundless. He almost felt ashamed for being unable to see the obvious answer right in front of him.

Life was full of surprises, but there's still only so much anyone can do in a single moment. So just take things one-step at a time, and figure it out as you go along.

He was always someone who managed to get things done when he had to. As long as the time was right, he could make something happen, and that part about him would never change.

As Daiya thought about it, it seemed like a far simpler challenge than he initially guessed.

"Yeah, you're right. Right now, I want to be with everyone on the Daiku Maryu, and go on a great adventure with you all! So I'll focus on that for now, finally getting to spend time with my second family again."

"Daiya…you really think of us as family, don't you?"

"Of course." Daiya grinned, "every single member of the Daiku Maryu is like family to me. You all are the best bunch of buddies I could ever ask of in my life. I wouldn't trade anyone here for anything else."

Naturally, it wasn't hard to believe Daiya would come to treasure the Daiku Maryu, but still, hearing it straight from his mouth made what he said seem so much more tangible.

Even though it'd been so many years, Daiya still loved everyone on this ship like she did. The thought of it made Ruru feel warm inside.

"Mhm…! I agree! I'm sure everyone would love to hear that. Thank you, Daiya!"

"Don't mention it! Plus, I shouldn't have to mention, but all of that includes you too, Ruru." Daiya added.

"M...Me?" Ruru said, turning a shade of red again. Daiya was blushing a little himself too, however once again, this went unnoticed by both sides under the dark colors of the night.

"Absolutely." Daiya continued, "I mean…where would I even be without you saving me all those years ago anyways? You're the reason I met everyone, and supported me for so long!"

He reminiscenced on their first meeting again, a fateful meeting with a gigantic metal dragon and a mysterious girl.

That was when everything began for him, and she was the person who sensed he was worthy.

Without Ruru, Daiya would never have joined the Daiku Maryu, and have led such a fulfilling life at a young age. Ruru was responsible for the biggest part of his life, and not only that, she was there for every step of his journey since.

In a sense, he had to thank Ruru for everything.

"So in return, I'll support you for the rest of your life too. Only if you want me to, though!" Daiya said with a smirk.

Ruru found herself doubting her ears with that final line.

She wondered if Daiya had understood the implication of saying he'd 'support her for the rest of her life', feeling quite embarrassed over his word choice.

Regardless of his intentions though, Ruru couldn't deny that she felt incredibly happy to hear them.

To her, that was enough to confirm her response.

"...Sure. I'll be in your care, Daiya!" She said with a cheerful smile, reaching out her hand to shake.

Daiya chuckled, and took her hand in his own.

"Alright, it's a promise!" He grinned.

"Mhm!"

As the two young adults shook hands with each other, both had a bit sheepish, yet cheerful smiles.

As Daiya took in Ruru's expression, he began to believe he understood how Dick felt.

Even though he knew it was selfish of him to want it, he realized that he wanted to see the smile in front of him every day of his life.

Despite what Ruru assumed, Daiya had fully understood the implications of his words. Inside his heart, he made a decision.

Daiya felt like Ruru had lifted another great burden from him, without having needed to have spared her the details.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to either person, two pairs of eyes were watching them through the doorway leading to the deck.

"You know, Puria." Naoto murmured in a hushed voice. "I wasn't there on the Daiku Maryu for very long, so I never saw it often…but I'm beginning to understand what you meant about Daiya and Ruru being frustrating…"

"It's so annoying isn't it?" Puria grumbled, "God, I can't believe Daiya sometimes, it's obvious he likes her but he doesn't do anything about it. You know, as much as I couldn't stand Dick, at least he knew how to take initiative…"

Naoto had to admit, he didn't actually know how close Daiya and Ruru were. From what he remembered it was usually Dick who Ruru seemed attached to, but Puria had made sure to tell him all about the details he'd missed…regardless of whether he asked for them or not.

Puria had been following Daiya after his parents left and forcefully dragged him along for the ride. He felt bad about eavesdropping, but also had to admit he was curious about the apparent closeness the two had.

Now that he was able to witness it firsthand, it was kind of bizarre to him. He never imagined the headstrong, confident Daiya had a vulnerable side. The fact he was willing to show that to Ruru had already said lengths about how much Daiya trusted her, and Ruru seemed to be rather happy to provide comfort too. He swore he never saw Ruru smile like she had during that conversation.

Now, all Naoto could wonder about was why Daiya never seemed to talk about her with him as anything more than a friend. Had he been embarrassed? Or was he just not sure of how he felt?

Regardless, now he understood why Puria felt so passionate about the two. Puria was almost as close to Daiya as he was, and seeing him and Ruru be so mutually confidant with one another made him really question why they weren't already together.

"Well, at least it looks like that's finally about to change." Puria said with a satisfied expression. "I can finally move on from this circus."

"You make it sound like you were hung up on Daiya or something."

"Oh you can shut up."

The truth was Puria did, at one point, feel something with Daiya at one point. Despite their initial rough meeting, she ended up finding some kind of charm with his brash, yet honest nature. It somewhat reminded her of herself, so she couldn't help but respect him as a man.

But, that already felt like a distant time for her. Since she spent more time with Daiya on the surface, she realized that she preferred her relationship with Daiya to stay the way it was, rather than escalate into anything romantic.

They got along well as close friends and allies, they were like-minded individuals who had each other's backs no matter what. They were close in a way that not even one of lovers could take away from, and she was perfectly happy with that.

Plus, a part of her had always wanted Daiya to just man up and ask Ruru out, especially since Dick had already done so multiple times. She absolutely hated the idea that Dick of all people would get together with the girl that Daiya obviously liked. The image never sat well with her, regardless of her former feelings.

Though, despite the fact Dick couldn't be a rival to Daiya anymore, she honestly just wanted Daiya to get the happiness he deserved, and once he did, she'd be right there to witness it all in person.

After all, that's what true friends would do.


After the party, the evening passed as the crewmates all headed back to their headquarters to sleep. The next morning promised to be another good day on the ship.

There were tired faces, all greeting each other again, reminiscing on the fun night they had and the things they would all do together in the future

However, before the hour could hit eleven, there was immediately an alarm that signaled throughout the halls of the Daiku Maryu.

Another space monster had been detected, and it was flying towards the gate, fast.

"All members, to your stations! Prepare for launch!" Ruru's voice from the bridge echoed throughout the comms of the Daiku Maryu.

The crew scrambled around the ship, getting ready for the battle. Including Daiya, who was running towards the hangar along with Puria.

Daiya pumped his fists from excitement.

"Alright, it's time to show them what we got!"

"You got it, just try to keep up with me and Superior Stinger!" Puria laughed jokingly.

"Oh, a challenge? I accept!"

The pilots headed to their cockpits, entering their vehicles through their various methods of entry. Whilst the Daiku Maryu prepared for sortie, the other two ships began preparing their own forces.

On the Daichi Maryu, the stalwart voice of Vestaanu boomed through the halls.

"Head detach! Balking, part 1, part 2, go!"

The giant skull of the Daichi Maryu detached, with the two pieces of Balking flying right behind it.

The head lined up with part 1, slotting into the groove of the arms, as part two flew in under and connected securely. The robot's head formed, as its arms extended, forming a heavily armored red giant with bulky legs and long arms.

Lee's voice shouted from within the metal giant.

"Balking!"

The first giant, Balking, had entered the stage. The giant which carried the most firepower and wore the toughest armor of the three.

Meanwhile, on the second ship, the Tenku Maryu, a similar stoic voice called out.

"Emblem detach! Railing, part 1, part 2, go!"

Another three pieces detached from the Tenku Maryu. With the dragon's skull badge flying out, and lining up with part 1 and part 2 of Raiking in a similar way that Balking did. Then, the three pieces attached together, forming another humanoid silhouette. This time, with slender limbs and giant wings, along with a cool blue color scheme.

Nouza's voice reverberated throughout the battlefield.

"Raiking!"

The second giant to form had been Raiking, the fastest of the giants, with incredible agility and unparalleled aerial prowess.

Finally, it was Daiya's turn. He gripped the controls, and prepared for his launching sequence. In just a few moments, Ruru's commanding voice blasted through his communicator, indicating his launch.

"Head detach! Gaiking, part 1, part 2, go!"

With that, Daiya launched from the Daiku Maryu in the skull-like head of the ship. Following him were the two components of Gaiking, each which formed the giant's arms and legs.

The arms split open, with the face slotting in between them, forming the giant's upper body.

The legs lined up and combined, before stretching and swiveling to form the giant's lower body.

The arms extended, with the hands of the giant popping out of the arms with a burst of flame.

The head then popped up as Daiya became one with the robot, as power surged through him, he shouted the name of the proud giant of fire that stood with him through every battle.

"Gaiking!"

The magnificent Gaiking had formed, ready for its next opponent.

"Alright guys, we'll show that space monster what we're made of!"

An excited Nouza gripped his controls and accelerated full speed.

"Yes, let us fly and greet our new enemy, Tsuwabuki Daiya!"

"That's right, we can't give them just any forgettable greeting!" Lee cheered behind him.

As the three giants took off, the three ships also began preparing to enter the atmosphere, while launching the other support vehicles such as Superior Stinger.

"Alright, let's take that thing down! I'm raring for a fight after so long!" Puria roared from inside her cockpit.

"I hear you, Puria." Daiya responded "Then, let's go everyone!"

"Yeah!"

A unified response from the entire crew could be heard as the ships began taking off into the atmosphere. All hands were at work, each an essential member of the team.

With that, the crew of the Daiku Maryu set off once again, each with a burning flame inside themselves. Ready for the next battle, in order to protect the lives of those who needed their help.