"What we must do is make this world deviate from its original destiny as much as possible."
"There are several ways to change a world's destiny."
"For example, in a world full of hope and beauty, our mission is to destroy it. Conversely, in a world full of despair and death, our mission is to save it."
"Also, we are not united. The more people who pursue the same method of altering the world, the less Spacetime Source Energy each person ultimately receives."
Hermann spoke with intense seriousness.
"The individual hiding among the Precursors—their goal is most likely to have the Precursors occupy human territory and eliminate all life on Earth. That approach yields the most Spacetime Source Energy."
Natsuki listened, giving a slight nod.
"What about you?"
"You said you are one of them. What were your original plans?"
Natsuki needed to know his complete motivation to judge the trustworthiness of his words. There were no absolute good or bad people, nor were there completely brainless villains.
This man claimed full disclosure, but it was clearly aimed at achieving some goal. He was in competition with the other outsiders and likely wanted Natsuki to eliminate his rivals.
Of course, Hermann had deeper motivations.
"My original plan was simple," Hermann admitted honestly. "There is more than one way to change a world's fate, and the difficulty varies."
"In every world, there are figures closely tied to its destiny—the so-called Chosen Ones or Protagonist Groups. Changing their fate is the most convenient method."
"I will be direct with you."
"According to this world's original fate, Pentecost will die. Raleigh will die. Dr. Geiszler... Chuck Hansen... Mako Mori... the three brothers piloting Crimson Typhoon... the couple piloting Cherno Alpha... Many people are destined to die from various accidents."
"My goal was to find a way to keep them alive, diverting their predetermined deaths from their set path."
"That is why I am here."
"The Jaeger I repaired was also for this purpose. To increase my involvement, I tampered with the operating system so others couldn't pilot it. I didn't expect you to claim it."
That had been Hermann's initial plan. Each Traveler received an identity based on their performance in the previous world. Hermann was a doctor proficient in physics, mechanics, and biology, and he had chosen to join the Shatterdome.
But Natsuki's arrival had wrecked his plan.
Natsuki's presence meant these key figures wouldn't die accidentally, essentially doing all the work Hermann was supposed to do. At this rate, he would gain almost no Spacetime Source Energy.
When he first met Natsuki, he had hoped to use the Ultraman to execute his mission from other angles. But after realizing Natsuki was not easily manipulated, he had to come clean, hoping for cooperation to gain some scraps of energy.
If he didn't show this cooperative attitude now, he feared Natsuki would eliminate him without explanation once he discovered he was a Traveler.
He knew the Ultraman seemed lazy and casual, but he was no simple do-gooder.
"What do you want in return?" Natsuki asked bluntly.
He knew Hermann wouldn't give away this information for free. Having served in the Space Garrison for over ten thousand years, Natsuki had seen it all.
"Allow me to participate more in the subsequent operations, so I can obtain more Spacetime Source Energy when the mission ends."
"Also—and this is the main point—don't rush to eliminate me." Hermann stated his greatest need. "I can provide you with intelligence in this world to help you complete your mission, and I can do the same in future worlds."
Hermann made his position clear: Natsuki was the hunter, and he was the prey.
The hunter was destined to devour the prey, but Hermann was trading his value for his life.
"We cooperate, each taking what we need," Hermann said resolutely, pushing up his glasses.
"If you doubt me, you can compare my information when you find another outsider."
Motive, purpose, and self-interest—Hermann had laid it all out. By self-exposing, he was placing his life in Natsuki's hands.
Natsuki studied him, then finally nodded.
"If you want to keep those people alive, I won't stop you. My primary mission is to root out the entity behind your organization."
"Since you want to be my spy, you can be."
Having an inside man would make his mission much smoother.
Would he backstab me? If he could, he wouldn't have just surrendered.
Judging by his vital signs, Hermann showed no signs of lying. He could be trusted for now.
Hermann visibly relaxed when Natsuki agreed.
"How many outsiders like you are here?" Natsuki asked.
"Including me, there are four total," Hermann answered. "But we don't know each other's positions or identities."
Natsuki nodded. That meant three others needed to be dealt with.
"By the way... exposing this much information—won't the organization behind you try to eliminate you?"
The information was substantial, bordering on classified.
"No."
"It's more like a program. We don't know who the real mastermind is."
"As long as I don't say certain key detection words, it's fine," Hermann replied.
He knew he was just a pawn. No one cared if they lived or died, as long as they collected the energy.
"Although we are just executors, by your Land of Light's standards, we are heinous criminals. Almost everyone has countless lives on their hands."
"When you make your move, you don't need to hold back."
Natsuki raised an eyebrow. "You've thought this through. Even considering that."
Hermann's survival instinct was truly strong. Natsuki had expected an ambush, not a complete surrender.
Natsuki decided against eliminating Hermann immediately. He could wait until the incident was over, then throw him in the Space Prison and let the Captain decide his fate.
Now, he needed to quickly resolve the situation on Earth and contact the Land of Light.
With a spy, the hunt would be much easier.
The conversation lasted until dawn, less than two hours before the scheduled departure.
Just then, a piercing alarm blared throughout the entire base.
"WEEOO—WEEOO—"
The sound meant only one thing: a Kaiju attack.
"Shit... they moved up their timeline too." Hermann immediately realized the Traveler on the other side of the Breach had started their operation early.
The Traveler who had secured the Precursor identity held a massive advantage in this world.
But what they couldn't have anticipated was—
"However... we have an ace." Hermann smiled, looking at Natsuki, who was already performing warm-up stretches.
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