"Anomaly detected at the Breach!"
In the Shatterdome command center, the technician on night duty shouted the alarm to Tendo Choi and Marshal Pentecost, who had rushed in.
"Expansion index shows Category Four!" The technician was frantic. Category Four Kaiju were the highest level encountered so far.
And there was more than one!
Sweat beaded on his forehead. "It's a triple event! Based on trajectory predictions, the target is most likely this base!"
This was unprecedented—three Kaiju attacking humanity simultaneously!
"What!?"
Tendo froze at the news of the triple event.
"Why now of all times!"
They were on the verge of launching their final assault. The nuclear warhead was nearly installed on Striker Eureka, and the enemy had launched a preemptive attack.
"Notify all pilots immediately! Emergency assembly!" Marshal Pentecost quickly regained his composure and took command.
"Roger!"
The arrow was already nocked. They had no choice but to proceed.
Since the enemy had launched a surprise attack, they would weather this assault, then deploy the nuclear device while the enemy's forces were depleted.
When Natsuki and Hermann arrived at the command center, personnel throughout the base were already mobilized for combat.
"What's the situation, Marshal?" Hermann asked.
This sudden attack could easily disrupt their plans.
"Three Category Four Kaiju emerged from the Breach. Codenames: Tailspitter, Leatherback, and Otachi. Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon have already gone to engage," Marshal Pentecost said, turning to him.
Hermann immediately frowned.
In this world's original timeline, Crimson Typhoon and Cherno Alpha were destroyed by Tailspitter.
Now, facing three Kaiju with only two Jaegers put them at a severe disadvantage. Under the siege, these two machines would quickly fall, resulting in the loss of five excellent pilots.
No. This could not happen.
"Marshal, I suggest allowing Mr. Natsuki to join the battle," Hermann proposed directly.
From everyone's perspective, the loss of those pilots was unacceptable.
"Mr. Natsuki?" Marshal Pentecost frowned. "This is just a defensive battle. I hope Mr. Natsuki can conserve his strength as much as possible to enter the Breach with Striker Eureka later."
In his mind, Natsuki was a weapon comparable to a nuclear bomb—he needed to be saved for the decisive, final strike.
If the nuke failed, they would still have Natsuki to "negotiate" with the Precursors personally.
Crimson Typhoon and Cherno Alpha were Jaegers full of glory. He believed they could handle the enemy. He sought insurance, a plan that could definitively end the apocalypse.
He wanted Natsuki to use his full three minutes of combat time inside the Breach, not wasting a second before arriving. They would clear the way for him.
"I'll just take the Jaeger," Natsuki said.
"Shaolin Rogue's original mission was to escort the nuke. Deploying now works the same."
He understood Pentecost's concerns.
He hadn't plunged directly into the Breach earlier because he was unsure if the Precursors' territory was suitable for his fighting style.
With insufficient information, he had to reserve time to investigate the Precursors inside the Breach. Three minutes was enough for pure destruction, but not for investigation. That was why he had gathered intel, cooperated with the Marshal, and commandeered a Jaeger.
Now, with Hermann's information, he could skip the interrogation step.
The Traveler needed to verify Hermann's claims could be caught later. There were four of them in this world, after all.
For Natsuki, piloting Shaolin Rogue all the way to the Breach, then transforming once inside, was the most efficient approach. He would go in and show these little invaders what on-site enforcement by the Space Police looked like.
"This..." Marshal Pentecost considered the options.
Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon were engaging the Kaiju. Striker Eureka needed another half hour to install the nuke. Gipsy Danger's two pilots had just caused trouble... Deploying Shaolin Rogue truly was the best choice.
He had planned for Natsuki to deploy with the escort team during the nuke transport, replacing Gipsy Danger's role, but plans had changed. Shaolin Rogue would have to deploy early.
His only worry was that an extra battle might affect Natsuki's condition.
Before Pentecost could speak, Natsuki cut in.
"If you don't agree, I'll just carry the Jaeger out myself," Natsuki said with a smile. "You said this Jaeger was mine, right?"
Marshal Pentecost paused.
He distinctly remembered saying "borrow."
"Oh, Hermann said so. He repaired this Jaeger, didn't he?" Natsuki pointed to Hermann behind him.
Pentecost froze again.
Why had the tension between these two suddenly vanished?
Hermann nodded, confirming he had indeed said that.
Pentecost nodded thoughtfully, making his decision.
"Mr. Natsuki, we are counting on you again," he said, his expression filled with gratitude.
The Ultraman had rescued them from a dead end, and now, at this crucial moment, he was volunteering to deploy. Though it was related to his mission, a person who was usually lazy stepping up now spoke volumes.
In this apocalypse, they still had a ray of light.
"You're worth it," Natsuki said with a smile, then turned and walked toward Shaolin Rogue's cockpit in his flip-flops.
It was still before dawn, with some time until sunrise.
In the Western Pacific, one hundred kilometers off the coast of Hong Kong, China.
Under the pitch-black rain, two massive Jaegers were lowered into the mission zone by specialized helicopters. Blinding searchlights cut through the darkness, and the roar of engines intimidated the fear lurking beneath the dark seawater.
"Cherno Alpha, entering combat zone." Sasha looked at the instruments and disconnected from the helicopter.
"BOOM!"
With the sound of the massive object dropping, the tower-like Cherno Alpha plunged into the water, creating huge waves. The spray and rain mixed, hitting the military-green armor, making it look incredibly formidable.
"Searching for target..."
Standing on the submerged reef, Cherno Alpha activated its radar to search for the Kaiju approaching the area.
"Be careful. The Kaiju are very close to you," Tendo said over the comms from the base.
Three Kaiju were lurking in the seawater.
"Crimson Typhoon, entering combat zone," Wei Hu Tang said over the comms.
The triplet-piloted Crimson Typhoon arrived in the combat zone beside Cherno Alpha, its landing also raising a huge wave.
The massive red Jaeger stood imposing, its three arms held in an alert stance.
The next second—
"SPLASH!"
"SPLASH!"
Two Kaiju instantly burst from the surface. One was Leatherback, which had appeared in Sitka before. The other was Tailspitter, resembling a hybrid of a squirrel and a bat. The moment they appeared, they lunged viciously at the two Jaegers, launching ferocious attacks!
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