Chapter 449: 442 The Poison of the Old Era: The Gas Monster!

After leaving the Victory Team command room, Kishida forgot all about his promise to Yamana.

He combed his hair into a mature style, put on a sharp suit, and carried flowers again to visit Hirota Akane.

"Wow, so beautiful," said Hirota Akane, taking the flowers from her hospital bed: "Mr. Kishida, you went to such great lengths to save my life, and now you're so kind to me."

Kishida put on a gentlemanly facade, secretly delighted: "Don't mention it—I only hope you recover soon."

"Lately, good fortune has been pouring in—I've met you, and our latest radar is almost complete."

During the time Qi Ming and Morohoshi Dan were on their expedition to the Monster Graveyard, Agamemus, after learning of Earth's recent series of monster and alien invasions, decided Earth's radar was far too weak.

Alien and monstrous entities slipped into Earth as easily as sprinting down a deserted road at three a. m., with almost none detected.

Dr. Yuushima, who invented the "Tangdao Rectifier," lacked sufficient technical skill—it's up to me now.

So he recruited a team of scientists led by Kishida to upgrade the radar system; the new radar would soon be operational.

Upon hearing this, Hirota Akane's face turned pale: "Radar! Mr. Kishida, you built a radar?"

The next instant, she suddenly clutched her head, screaming in agony.

"Miss Akane, Miss Akane, what's wrong! I'll get a doctor right away!" Kishida panicked.

"No need!" Hirota Akane gritted her teeth: "Mr. Kishida, please leave. Go back. We must never meet again. Don't come back."

Hearing this, Kishida felt as if struck by a bolt from a clear sky.

What happened? Why did this happen?

Just two days ago, Akane and I were getting along so well—how could she suddenly become so cold?

Pain—so much pain!

But clinging desperately was not Kishida's style. He forced back his sorrow and turned away.

"Wait a moment," came Hirota Akane's voice from behind. Kishida spun around, thinking there might be hope.

"Please stay—leave this behind as a memory of me." She pulled out a beautiful golden sphere.

Kishida reached out tremblingly to take it, then returned to base in a daze.

The next morning, Kishida waited early in the mess hall and sat across from Qi Ming.

"Team Leader Qi Ming, Miss Hirota Akane says she doesn't want to see me anymore." Kishida's face was grim before Qi Ming.

Qi Ming showed no surprise: "Hmm."

Kishida: "I don't understand why. We were getting along so well, and then suddenly—ah."

He hoped the clairvoyant Qi Ming would give him an answer, but Qi Ming's reply surprised him: "If you want to know, just ask her directly."

Kishida hesitated: "But wouldn't that be impolite?"

Qi Ming: "One thing I'm certain of—she likes you."

Hearing this, Kishida's gloom instantly dissolved like sunlight dispelling fog.

Yet he grew confused again—if Miss Akane liked him, why didn't she want to see him?

What was interfering? Was it the "unbearable truth" Qi Ming had mentioned?

He sat for a long time in the noisy mess hall, finally gathering courage to return to the hospital and demand answers—when his PDI communicator blared an emergency assembly alert.

A new incident had occurred: a film crew had lost contact while shooting in a remote mountain. Kishida and Nishijō Nagi rushed to the scene.

Upon arrival, they found everyone dead.

Not just people—the rabbits used in filming were also lifeless.

All bodies were covered in yellow "spots." Kishida examined them closely, puzzled: "No signs of struggle. They all died at the exact same moment."

Nishijō Nagi: "The camera is still recording. It may have captured what happened."

Back in the Victory Team command room, everyone gathered to watch the camera footage.