"Kaiju exist in this world. You should already know that."
Hermann pulled off his gas mask and, leaning on his cane, limped over to several blackboards with Natsuki, talking as he went.
"In 2013, the first Kaiju broke into the human world."
He stopped in front of a blackboard, turned around, and pointed his cane at a drawing of a Kaiju, speaking at a blistering pace.
The little twitches accompanying his explanation made him look as though he had mild epilepsy. Perhaps that was the price of intelligence.
"By analyzing the bodies of the first Kaiju and those that followed, we learned that these creatures are toxic. Once the acidic substances in their blood spread into the air, they cause irreversible damage to the human body."
"We also devised a simple classification system based on their size, strength, and toxicity."
"From Category I Kaiju to the current Category IV Kaiju, the higher the category, the greater the danger."
"The two Kaiju that appeared in Sydney and Sitka yesterday, [Virus] and [Leatherback], were both Category IV Kaiju."
"They all emerge from the [Breach] on the floor of the Pacific Ocean, then make their way onto land and wreak havoc."
Hermann pulled over another blackboard, covered in a dizzying mass of densely packed equations.
"This is the formula I derived from the frequency of Kaiju appearances."
"From the beginning in 2013 to the present year, 2025, Kaiju have been appearing more and more frequently."
"From yearly intervals... to monthly intervals... and then to seven-day intervals. At this rate, it won't be long before they pour out of the Breach nonstop, like ants swarming out of an anthill!"
"And another thing!"
Only then did his speech finally slow to a normal pace, and a puzzled look crossed his face.
"According to my formula, only one Kaiju should have appeared yesterday, but what actually happened was a double attack. That makes no sense whatsoever."
"Human language can deceive, but numbers never lie. They're something we can trust unconditionally."
"So I suspect something may have changed among the beings controlling the Kaiju on the other side of the Breach."
"We should pick up the pace, or even more unforeseen events could occur."
As he spoke, he moved over to a machine.
He pressed a button on its side, and a blue Holographic Projection appeared.
"Look here." He pointed at the red spiral passage in the projection and said:
"This is the passage the aliens use to send Kaiju to Earth-the [Breach]. My plan is to have a Jaeger carry a sufficiently powerful nuclear bomb and drop it through the Breach into the aliens' home base."
"And then... Boom!" He made an exaggerated gesture. "In the best-case scenario, the bomb kills all the aliens. At the very least, it should destroy the Breach and prevent them from sending any more Kaiju through."
After hearing him out, Natsuki nodded.
The plan sounded a little crude, but he thought it made more sense than doing nothing but building walls.
Then he looked at Newton.
"Tell me your thoughts on the Kaiju, Mr. Newton."
Since the man had been tinkering with Kaiju organs all this time, he presumably had some unique insights.
Natsuki needed to learn every detail about the Kaiju. After all, whether he could get home safely and enjoy his retirement depended on it.
At the mention of his insights into the Kaiju, Newton perked right up.
He ran over to the lab bench and, with gloved hands, picked up two square-cut pieces of Kaiju subcutaneous tissue, one in each hand, and held them up for Natsuki.
His lips curled into a grin. "They look exactly alike, don't they?"
The two pieces of tissue looked almost indistinguishable, as though they had come from the same mold.
"You'd never guess that the piece on the left came from a Kaiju killed in 2019, while the one on the right... came from a Kaiju killed yesterday."
"Though every Kaiju has its own differences in appearance, large or small, on the inside... they're exactly the same."
"In other words, their DNA is identical."
"They're clones. Biological weapons."
"According to Albert, the aliens beyond the Breach, whom we call the [Precursors], possess technology beyond anything we can imagine."
"They use cloning technology to mass-produce Kaiju. Perhaps they have something like a giant Kaiju factory."
"At first, they may not have been familiar with the process of making Kaiju, or perhaps they were constrained by their circumstances. But as time has passed, they've become increasingly skilled at it."
"The two Kaiju that appeared yesterday were still Category IV Kaiju, but before long, we may be seeing Category V Kaiju, or even Category VI Kaiju."
Having finished, he put away the two pieces of Kaiju tissue.
He looked at Hermann and said, "So, although I think this plan is a little rash, we still have to carry it out."
"No matter how you look at it, delaying any further only puts us at a disadvantage."
At first, Newton had been completely opposed to Hermann's plan. But after learning more from another doctor, he had reluctantly accepted the fact that they were already in imminent danger.
Just then, the laboratory door opened again.
A man who looked to be under thirty walked in, wearing a white lab coat and silver-rimmed glasses, his black hair impeccably combed. His features suggested mixed European and Asian ancestry, and he had a refined air.
"That's the reality of the situation." He picked up the conversation as soon as he entered, speaking in a steady voice. "Our current circumstances are extremely unfavorable. This plan must be carried out."
"Furthermore, the Breach the Precursors use to transport Kaiju cannot transport a nuclear bomb. Its transport function only activates when it detects Kaiju DNA."
"In other words, we need a Jaeger to capture a Kaiju and enter the Breach with both the Kaiju and the nuclear bomb."
The man's gaze swept over the other two doctors before settling on Natsuki in his floral shirt.
Something difficult to put into words lurked behind his sharp gaze.
"This is Kony Albert, the doctor here who knows the most about the Kaiju and the Precursors," Marshal Stacker introduced him.
"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Natsuki." Albert smiled politely and offered Natsuki his hand. "I believe that with your involvement, this plan's chances of success will double."
Natsuki looked at him, his gaze gradually growing grave.
For some reason, this man gave him a bad feeling.
Over ten thousand years of experience as a warrior told him that this fellow was nowhere near as courteous as he appeared.
Still, he kept his suspicions off his face. After all, there was no reason to rebuff a friendly gesture.
"Hello."
They exchanged a brief handshake.
But after letting go, Dr. Albert asked a very strange question.
"Mr. Natsuki, to finalize the details of our plans, I'd like to ask you something as well."
"There must be a limit to how long you can remain active on Earth after transforming into a giant, correct?"
"Exactly how long... would that be?" Albert asked, the same polite smile still on his face.
Before you continue