Cherno Alpha

Sydney.

Inside a villa.

Business magnates, social elites, senators, and scholars chatted and laughed at the reception. At the center, a small group of seven or eight people drew the attention of the entire room. Many surrounded them, seemingly waiting for an opportunity to join in. The few beautiful ornaments fortunate enough to get close had their ears pricked, listening intently to the seven's conversation and eagerly laughing along.

"It's been nearly an hour, and the so-called Kaiju is still being firmly kept outside. This fully demonstrates the value of the Wall of Life. If we had adopted this approach ten years ago instead of launching that ridiculous Jaeger Program, we might have enjoyed several years of peace. Fortunately, mistakes are mistakes, and truth will always prevail. We are the saviors of this world!"

Within the small group, a middle-aged man held a wineglass and spoke passionately. He was one of the Wall of Life contractors. The Wall of Life in Sydney had been constructed by a company under his command. His life had become prosperous again because of it, and he had raked in enormous wealth.

"Exactly! Those people who only know how to fight are far too rigid. A single wall was clearly enough to keep those monsters out. Look at what they've done over the years. The funding poured into the Jaeger Program nearly drained the financial reserves of member nations and even affected people's livelihoods. Many people can barely afford food, yet all they can think about is fighting." A well-dressed socialite with a small mustache spoke mournfully.

"General Stacker of the PPDC even asked me earlier whether I needed him to send Jaegers over to deal with the monsters. Why deal with them? Isn't it enough as long as they can't get in? So I rejected his deployment. I don't have spare money to pay him security fees." The speaker stood at the center of the crowd, slightly balding and pot-bellied. He was the Senate Speaker.

"The PPDC? An organization about to become history. Haven't they already been shut down by the Alliance and reduced to an underground organization? If you ask me, they should destroy the few remaining Jaegers as well! Why should an underground organization stripped of its status as an Official Organization be allowed to possess bases and dangerous weapons?"

"General Stacker is still worthy of respect. After all, he has made tremendous contributions to the safety of the world."

"My apologies, Senator, but the member nations no longer recognize the legitimacy of his position as a PPDC general. Even though everyone still respectfully calls him General whenever they mention him."

"That's true enough."

"Look at that wall on the screen. It's so sturdy! It's practically another miraculous feat of engineering—the Great Wall!"

Everyone chatted excitedly with smiles on their faces. Before them was a projected Virtual Screen. Outside the wall, a Kaiju tirelessly slammed against the Wall of Life they had been praising.

The people around them continued flattering and agreeing with the core group's words, until a savage Kaiju head abruptly appeared through the shattered wall. It had an axe-shaped head, and its enormous body entered amid flying rubble and dust. Under the terrified gazes of those nearby, it strolled in as casually as though entering its own backyard.

Its enormous pupils shifted from side to side as it watched the ant-like crowds nearby scream and scatter. There was a hint of humanlike mockery in its eyes. Its massive roar, accompanied by shockwaves that whipped up violent winds, spread throughout the city protected by the Wall of Life. The panicked crowds became even more panicked, and the terrified became even more terrified.

As the Kaiju that had taken only an hour to breach the Wall of Life they had been boasting about filled both their eyes and ears with its roars and the chaos of fleeing crowds, the smiles on their faces instantly froze.

"Didn't you have the public evacuate to the shelters beforehand?" The Senate Speaker, the most distinguished person present, stared at the Kaiju swaggering through the Breach in the Wall of Life. He watched the panicked crowds running in every direction on the screen, watched rows upon rows of people crushed to death beneath the Kaiju's rolling body and feet, and watched buildings collapse. His question came out dry and stiff. Instinctively, he already sensed that something was wrong.

"We thought the Wall of Life was impregnable, so there was no need..." The Secretary looked somewhat awkward.

"This is being broadcast globally?" The Senate Speaker narrowed his eyes.

"Yes. Reporters are recording the Wall of Life's defensive capabilities to reassure people around the world." The Secretary wiped the Cold Sweat from her forehead.

"Who guaranteed to me that the Wall of Life could stop Kaiju below Category Four?" the Senate Speaker asked abruptly.

"Mr. Charles," the Secretary answered in perfect understanding.

The Senate Speaker's imposing gaze fell upon Mr. Charles, the wall contractor, whose face was filled with panic and unease. "Perhaps you need to give me—and the public—an explanation. You cannot cut corners on a project like this, Mr. Charles." With that, under Charles's pleading gaze and ashen face, as though his wife and children had died, the Senate Speaker tossed aside his wineglass and walked out of the villa.

"Contact General Stacker and have him send Jaegers over! Also, has Striker Eureka withdrawn? If not, stop him! Have him hold back that damned monster!" The Senate Speaker lowered his voice as he angrily instructed the Secretary. He had already found someone to take the blame. If he wanted more room to maneuver afterward, he had to minimize the losses as much as possible.

At the PPDC, Cai Tiantong announced urgently.

"Another Kaiju life signature has appeared. It's rapidly approaching Sydney."

"Tell me its strength!" Stacker's expression darkened.

"Category Four!" Cai Tiantong answered.

"Where is Striker Eureka?"

"The retired Mr. Hansen and his son have gone back online."

"What did Sydney say?" Stacker looked utterly helpless. In the past, wherever a Kaiju appeared, the PPDC had full authority to respond. Now that it had lost its status as an Official Organization, even when it wanted to provide aid after spotting a Kaiju, it first had to obtain the other side's permission. Otherwise, if they used territorial intrusion as an excuse to blow up the Jaeger they sent in midair as an invading enemy, or caused trouble for them afterward, Stacker would have nothing to say.

"They... requested that Jaegers be deployed to deal with the Kaiju." Cai Tiantong's tone became strange for a moment. Especially when he remembered how, just an hour earlier, they had confidently rejected deployment and declared that the Wall of Life could protect them.

"Tell the Alexis Couple to prepare for deployment." Stacker let out a breath.

Striker Eureka's enormous body crashed heavily into a building. Immediately afterward, a huge rat-like creature with sharp teeth leaped down on top of it.

"This doesn't look good. Did headquarters say when reinforcements will arrive?"

Inside Striker Eureka's cockpit, Chuck Hansen, who had originally worn a proud expression, exchanged a glance with his father, Herc Hansen, while the two worked in perfect coordination to control the Jaeger and roll aside. Under the Drift System, a single look was enough for them to communicate. As a genius Jaeger pilot, Chuck naturally feared no Kaiju in a one-on-one fight.

Since entering service, the powerful Striker Eureka had fought many battles. As many as nine Kaiju had died at the hands of the father and son.

But two Category Four Kaiju still put considerable pressure on them. These two Kaiju were especially intelligent and showed remarkable coordination. That made them even more troublesome. What made Chuck feel irritated and uneasy was that he thought the two Kaiju were playing with them.

Yes!

Though the thought was abrupt and somewhat absurd, Chuck had that feeling. As his Drift-linked partner, his father also agreed with his son's judgment.

These two Kaiju really were toying with them like cats playing with mice.

"Any moment now!" Herc Hansen, the father, punched the Kaiju charging straight at them and sent it staggering. Then the other cunning Kaiju immediately rammed them from behind. Its savage jaws bit directly into one of the Jaeger's arms, and with a vicious shake of its head, it tore away a mass of Parts. As Striker Eureka's body shuddered, sparks burst across the cockpit. The father and son reacted swiftly, adjusting their posture to restore the Jaeger's balance.

The coordinated attacks of the two Kaiju repeatedly put the Hansens at a disadvantage. If the Kaiju had not lacked the intention to end the battle quickly, if the father and son had not been skilled and alert enough, and if Striker Eureka had not been a Mark Five with speed and energy ratings of ten and armor rated as high as nine, they could never have held out for so long.

But the Hansens understood very well that without reinforcements or an unexpected turn, once the two Kaiju grew tired of playing, the best ending they could hope for was taking one down with them. And the attack that had just damaged Striker Eureka might have meant the two Kaiju were no longer interested in it.

A massive roar and blaze of light streaked across the sky. Then a uniquely designed Jaeger crashed heavily down into the center of the battlefield, like a dividing line separating the arm-damaged Striker Eureka from the Kaiju.

Cherno Alpha.

"Come on, little cuties! Let's clash!"

A woman's voice came through the PPDC's Jaeger combat platform and into the cockpit of Striker Eureka, reaching the ears of the Hansen father and son.

Sasha Kaidanovsky.

One of Cherno Alpha's pilots. A forceful, capable woman with decisiveness and connections. Much of the time, she acted less like a woman and more like a queen. But no one could deny her excellence and strength. That was obvious from the fact that she had piloted a first-generation Jaeger for so many years without a single defeat, achieving an outstanding record.

At least, seeing Cherno Alpha standing between them and the two Kaiju like a fortress, seeing that mountain-like, unshakable metal body, gave them a strong sense of security.

"I think it's changed quite a bit," Chuck muttered as he got up from the ground. As one of the earliest first-generation Jaegers ever built, Cherno Alpha's appearance and functions were almost common knowledge within the PPDC. Although it had been repaired, upgraded, and updated many times over the past decade, it had never undergone major changes.

"Recently, the PPDC has given all active Jaegers major upgrades. I heard they installed quite a few powerful weapons. We didn't make the cut." Herc Hansen and his son assumed fighting stances in sync as he answered.

Two double-edged battle axes rotated one hundred and eighty degrees and sprang from Cherno Alpha's arms. They fit perfectly into its enormous metal hands and locked into place with a click. The metal axe blades gradually turned red, then glowed with molten, golden heat.

"Cool! I want one installed on Striker Eureka too." Chuck whistled, then swept past the seemingly cumbersome Cherno Alpha with surprising agility and speed, lunging straight at one of the Kaiju. As long as the battle was not over and the Jaeger had not become completely uncontrollable, damage to the body did not prevent a Jaeger from continuing to fight.

Like a silent Giant, Cherno Alpha charged toward the other Kaiju with the axe-shaped head.

It raised its axes high, closed in, and chopped downward!

The blade of the Thermal Axe in its right hand sliced through the Kaiju's thick skin as easily as a knife through butter. That hide possessed armor ratings no weaker than a Jaeger's metal armor. Before blood could even spill, the flowing heat along the blade had already vaporized it completely. Then came another strike from below with its left hand. Within seconds, a massive X-shaped wound appeared on the Kaiju's body.

Its scream was deafening.

Yet Cherno Alpha remained as silent as a ruthless old butcher. After carving an X-shaped wound into the Kaiju's body, it seized another opportunity and delivered two more axe strikes, chopping off the Kaiju's two forelimbs. The wounds remained charred black, with no toxic blood spraying out. The air around them filled with the stench of burnt flesh.

Equipping Jaegers with cold-weapon-style armaments was something that only became possible after Jaeger technology advanced further in the future. In the first installment, only the protagonist's Jaeger had a chain sword.

Ordinary cold weapons had severe limitations against Kaiju. They took up space and added weight, and they might not even produce the desired effect against a Kaiju. Most Kaiju hides had armor no weaker than a Jaeger's metal body. If they could not break through the defense, or if they broke through but achieved little, they would instead cause greater pollution. In that case, it would be better to bring more Plasma Cannons or Anti-Kaiju Missiles.

But in the second installment, the new generation of Jaegers were generally equipped with corresponding weapons, such as Thermal Chain Swords, Arc Whips, Ion Double-Edged Swords, M19 "Morning Star," Elastic Slingshots, and more. These weapons truly played a key lethal role against Category Four and Category Five Kaiju, as well as some exceptionally massive Kaiju.

At the very least, the Kaidanovsky Couple loved them. Over the past few months, the two had even specifically studied cold-weapon combat techniques, and they handled those two axes with exceptional skill. Without a doubt, the Thermal Axes had transformed the somewhat cumbersome Cherno Alpha from a heavily armored boxer into a heavily armored berserker with explosively increased killing power.

Cherno Alpha might once have needed a long time to kill a Category Four Kaiju, but now, with two Thermal Axes in hand, Cherno Alpha declared that unless it encountered a specially adapted Kaiju, it could take down one little friend with every swing.

With one brutal swing, it chopped off the axe-headed Kaiju's head beneath it. Cherno Alpha then turned its gaze toward the other nimble Kaiju, the rat-like one that relied on its teeth for maximum damage. The Kaiju startled at the attention. In particular, the miserable sight of its Companion's separated corpse left a deep psychological shadow on it. It suddenly leaped up. Supported by its powerful hind legs, its nearly two-thousand-ton body actually soared almost a hundred meters into the air, trying to jump over the damaged Wall of Life and return to the sea.

But how could Cherno Alpha possibly watch it escape?

After its massive, cumbersome body stomped the ground and spun in a circle, it used the momentum to hurl the cooling Thermal Axe in its left hand at the fleeing Kaiju. Following a scream, the axe buried itself directly in the Kaiju's body. A metal cable remained connected to the axe. Blinding arcs of electricity surged from Cherno Alpha's palm along the cable and entered through the wound torn open by the axe, causing devastating damage inside the Kaiju's body.

Its escape plan was cut short. Under the subsequent assault of Cherno Alpha and Striker Eureka, it successfully went offline alongside its teammate.

Under the setting sun, the two Jaegers stood side by side. Nearby lay two lifeless Kaiju and a stretch of shattered wall. A reporter who had not entered a shelter excitedly captured the scene.

It also appeared before people around the world watching the broadcast.

PS: This arc will end soon.