Battle on the brink!

"An anomaly has appeared at the Breach!"

In the command center at Shatterdome Base, the technician on night duty sounded the alarm, then shouted to Cai Tiantong and Marshal Stacker as they hurried in.

"The expansion index indicates Category IV!" The technician looked panicked. Category IV was already the highest Kaiju category they had encountered.

And more than one Kaiju had appeared!

Sweat beaded on his forehead as he said, "It's a triple assault! Based on their projected routes, their target is most likely this base!"

This was unprecedented: three Kaiju attacking humanity at once!

"What?!"

Cai Tiantong froze when he heard it was a triple assault.

"Why now, of all times?!"

They were just about to launch their all-out attack on the enemy. The Nuclear Bomb they had prepared was almost finished being mounted on Eureka Striker, yet the enemy had launched an attack this far ahead of them!

"Notify all pilots immediately. Emergency assembly!" Marshal Stacker quickly regained his composure and took charge.

"Understood!"

The arrow was already on the bowstring. They had no choice but to loose it.

Since the enemy had launched a surprise attack ahead of schedule, they would weather this assault, then deploy the Nuclear Bomb while the enemy's forces were depleted.

By the time Natsuki and Albert reached the command center, everyone in the base had mobilized and entered combat readiness.

"What's the situation, Marshal?" Albert asked.

The enemy's surprise attack could very well disrupt their plans.

"Three Category IV Kaiju have emerged from the Breach, codenamed [Otachi], [Leatherback], and [Raijin]. Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon have already gone to intercept them," Marshal Stacker said, turning toward him.

Albert immediately frowned at those words.

In this world's original fate, Crimson Typhoon and Cherno Alpha had been destroyed by Otachi.

Now, fighting two against three put them at an even greater disadvantage. Surrounded by three Kaiju, the two Jaegers would soon be destroyed, costing them five outstanding pilots in one fell swoop.

No. Absolutely not.

"Marshal, I suggest we have Mr. Natsuki join the battle," Albert proposed directly.

Their deaths were unacceptable, no matter whose perspective one took.

"Mr. Natsuki?" Marshal Stacker frowned. "This is only a defensive battle. I want Mr. Natsuki to conserve as much strength as possible, then enter the Breach alongside Eureka Striker."

In his plan, Natsuki was a devastating weapon on par with a Nuclear Bomb. He had to be saved for the decisive blow.

If the Nuclear Bomb failed to work, Mr. Natsuki could still personally have a "talk" with the Precursors.

Crimson Typhoon and Cherno Alpha were both Jaegers with glorious records. He believed they could deal with the enemy. What he wanted was a safeguard, a plan that could end the apocalypse once and for all.

He wanted Natsuki to spend all three minutes of his full-power combat time inside the Breach, preferably without wasting a single second. Until they reached the Breach, they would clear the way for him.

"I can just pilot the Jaeger," Natsuki said.

"Shaolin Rogue's mission was to escort the Nuclear Bomb anyway. Deploying now doesn't change that."

He understood Marshal Stacker's concerns.

In fact, the reason he had not plunged straight into the Breach earlier was that he had been unsure whether the Precursors' territory was suitable for him to fight in.

Before, he had nowhere near enough information. He had to reserve some time to investigate the Precursors inside the Breach. Three minutes was enough for pure destruction, but not for an investigation, so he had needed to gather information and work with Marshal Stacker. He had even snatched himself a Jaeger.

Now that he had Albert's intel, he could skip the interrogation.

If necessary, he could capture a transmigrator later to verify Albert's claims. There were four of them in this world, after all.

For Natsuki, the most efficient approach was to fight his way to the Breach in Shaolin Rogue, then transform once he was inside. Once he got in, he would show those little invaders what on-site enforcement by the cosmic police looked like!

"Well..." Marshal Stacker mulled it over.

Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon had gone to intercept the Kaiju. Eureka Striker still needed half an hour to finish mounting the Nuclear Bomb. Gipsy Danger's two pilots had just caused trouble... Sending Shaolin Rogue out really was the best option.

He had originally intended for Natsuki to deploy with the team transporting the Nuclear Bomb, taking Gipsy Danger's place. But plans could not keep up with changing circumstances. He had no choice but to send Shaolin Rogue out early.

He was simply worried that fighting an extra battle would affect Natsuki's condition.

Before he could speak, Natsuki spoke first.

"If you won't agree, I'll just have to carry the Jaeger out myself," Natsuki said with a smile. "You said you were giving me this Jaeger, right?"

Marshal Stacker stared blankly for a moment.

Why did I remember saying "lend" back then?

"Oh, Albert was the one who said it. He's the one who repaired this Jaeger, isn't he?" Natsuki pointed at Albert behind him.

Marshal Stacker was taken aback again.

Why had the hostility between these two suddenly become so much less intense?

Albert nodded to him, indicating that he had indeed said that.

At that, Marshal Stacker nodded thoughtfully.

He had already made his decision.

"Mr. Natsuki, I'm sorry to trouble you again," he told Natsuki, his expression full of gratitude.

Natsuki had saved him when he had been trapped in a hopeless situation. Now, at this critical moment, he was volunteering to take the initiative. Although it had something to do with Natsuki's own mission, the fact that someone who was laid-back most of the time had stepped forward now already spoke volumes.

In an apocalypse like this, thank goodness... we still had a ray of light.

"You're worth it," Natsuki said with a smile, then turned around.

He walked toward Shaolin Rogue's cockpit in his flip-flops.

Dawn had yet to arrive. Sunrise was still some time away.

In the western Pacific Ocean, one hundred kilometers off X Port, China.

Beneath a pitch-black curtain of rain, several specialized helicopters carried two enormous Jaegers into the mission area. Dazzling searchlights drove back the darkness, while the roar of engines challenged the terror lurking beneath the dark seawater.

"Cherno Alpha, entering the combat zone." Sasha glanced at the instruments in the cockpit and released the connections to the helicopters.

Boom!

Cherno Alpha, Mark-1 Jaeger

With the rush of air displaced by its immense falling bulk, the tower-like Cherno Alpha plunged into the sea, raising a massive wave. Spray mingled with rain and battered its army-green armor, making it look formidably imposing.

"Searching for targets..."

Planting its feet on the submerged reefs, Cherno Alpha activated its radar to search for the Kaiju approaching the area.

"Be careful. The Kaiju are very close to you," Cai Tiantong said over the comms from the base.

Three Kaiju were lurking beneath the sea.

"Crimson Typhoon, entering the combat zone," Tang Wei Hu said over the comms.

Piloted by triplets, Crimson Typhoon also reached the combat zone beside Cherno Alpha, raising another enormous wave as it landed.

The massive red Jaeger stood powerfully built, its three arms held at the ready.

Crimson Typhoon, Mark-4 Jaeger

The next second.

Splash!

Splash!

Two Kaiju burst through the surface in an instant. One was Leatherback, who had previously appeared in Sitka. The other was Otachi, who resembled a cross between a squirrel and a bat. The moment they emerged, they lunged at the two Jaegers, launching a ferocious attack!

Otachi, Category IV Kaiju