Enemies

At the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, inside the Breach.

A vast crimson space resembling a world deep within the earth stretched out before them. Purple buildings of every shape filled its corners, linked by enormous rings. The densely packed structures on those rings were all unfinished Kaiju.

This entire space perfectly matched humanity's idea of an alien environment.

The alien beings known as the Precursors stood on purple steps, watching the Kaiju that were nearly complete.

The Precursors stood just under four meters tall, with enormous, squidlike heads and long, slender bodies and limbs. Their two pairs of purple arms were covered in wing membranes, giving them a certain resemblance to bats. Like their surroundings, their appearance was no different from the ugly aliens humans imagined.

They were invaders, and the culprits who had plunged Earth into an apocalypse-the [Precursors].

"They actually assigned us Precursor identities for this mission." One Precursor stood at the edge of a cliff, gazing up at the Breach leading to Earth, making sounds only their kind could understand.

Beside him stood another Precursor, whose bony crest was slightly smaller.

"Disgusting." The smaller-crested Precursor examined his four arms, their wing membranes still coated in traces of slime, his tone full of distaste.

Despite being a Precursor, his movements and tone expressed nothing but dissatisfaction with this body, as though the souls inside them did not belong to Precursors.

"What's so disgusting about it?" The larger-crested Precursor had the exact opposite attitude.

"As long as this identity helps us complete our mission, that's all that matters."

"In the world of Pacific Rim, being Precursors gives us an advantage. After all, we know how this world's future plays out." His voice brimmed with confidence.

"The Precursor Council approved my suggestion. They've already sent a Category IV Kaiju to Earth."

"Really?" The smaller-crested Precursor narrowed his eyes and asked in confusion, "Why send a Category IV Kaiju now?"

"Didn't they just send one to attack Sydney?"

"Idiot." The larger-crested Precursor shot him a glance. "How did someone with your IQ ever become a Third-Rank Transmigrator?"

The other man said nothing.

He merely stared at him with clear, clueless eyes, apparently waiting for an explanation.

Seeing this, he fell silent for several seconds before finally sighing.

What kind of useless teammates have they matched me with?

Exhausted, he explained, "The Kaiju in Sydney has already drawn most of humanity's attention. If we send another Kaiju to kill this world's protagonist now, no one will have time to react. Understand?"

"At this point in the original timeline, Raleigh Becket hasn't returned to duty yet, and Marshal Stacker Pentecost hasn't begun carrying out his plan."

"As long as we kill those two before any of it happens, their entire plan will fall apart."

"The course of this whole world will change completely."

"Once this world strays completely from its destined path and heads toward its end, we'll have a chance to steal vast amounts of spacetime source energy." As he spoke, he folded all four arms behind his back. From behind, he looked every bit the self-styled master.

After hearing his explanation, the smaller-crested Precursor's eyes lit up.

"You're a genius!"

"Now we can rest easy!"

With that, the two exchanged smiles.

They were not Precursors. They were not even from this universe.

They came from a special universe and were known as transmigrators. Their duty was to travel to different worlds and change their destinies, allowing them to steal something called spacetime source energy.

These two were already veterans who had changed the fates of many worlds. Their plan this time should have succeeded perfectly, too.

What they had never imagined, however, was that a cosmic police officer tasked specifically with resolving spacetime anomalies had entered the world where they were carrying out this mission.

A hunter who had come specifically for them!

On the western side of the Pacific Ocean.

The Pan Pacific Defense Corps' X Port Shatterdome was also the last Shatterdome that had not been abandoned.

This was where the Jaegers were stationed, and where humanity's last spark of hope was kept alive.

Jaeger pilots, trainee pilots, mechanics, guards, communications officers, technicians... countless professionals lived together inside this enormous base, working toward a way to defeat the apocalypse.

They had lost their United Nations funding and could only rely on Marshal Stacker's old connections to secure private sponsorships. The Kaiju grew stronger by the day, while their own conditions only grew worse.

No one believed the Wall of Life could stop the Kaiju. Sydney had already proved that. After the Kaiju broke through the Wall of Life, the Jaegers still had to clean up the mess.

Now the half-built Wall of Life in Sitka had also been breached, making the whole project look even more ridiculous.

But at this moment, they had no time to mock the Wall of Life project.

Their pillar of strength, Marshal Stacker, was in danger. Everyone in the base had their hearts in their throats.

"Marshal! What's your situation!?"

"Marshal! Answer me!" Cai Tiantong, chief technical adviser of the Jaeger engineering division, stood at the command console, gripping the microphone. He stared at the data displayed on the translucent panel before him and shouted anxiously.

"We've detected an unprecedented high-energy reaction at your location! What exactly happened out there!?"

"Damn it, we've lost communications!"

"They... they..." Faced with the severed connection, Cai Tiantong felt utterly helpless. His expression crumpled, his voice turned hoarse, and he could not get the rest of the words out.

The helicopter carrying the marshal had lost all signals. That already pointed to one thing.

They... might very well be dead.

"No, the marshal wouldn't go down so easily. He... he's a man who can pilot a Jaeger alone." Beside him, a technician refused to accept that possibility. He shook his head, still believing Marshal Stacker was alive.

As he spoke, something seemed to occur to him. He suddenly looked up at Cai Tiantong and said, "It could have been an EMP attack. Yes! They might have been hit by an EMP, which would explain why we lost all their signals!"

"An EMP?"

"Could a Kaiju evolve an organ capable of emitting an EMP?" Cai Tiantong's first reaction to the suggestion was that it was absurd.

Ordinarily, EMP attacks only happened in high-tech warfare.

Kaiju were clearly biological creatures. How could they possibly launch an EMP attack?

No!

Kaiju already defied ordinary logic. And what we're really facing is a group of aliens. The Kaiju are nothing more than their weapons!

It's possible!

"You're right!" Cai Tiantong's eyes lit up as though he had found a lifeline.

His fingers flew across the console as he dialed a number.

He remembered that Marshal Stacker often carried a small EMP-resistant phone.

Soon, the call connected.

All the technicians at the console breathed sighs of relief.

"Thank heavens!" Those were Cai Tiantong's first words when the call went through.

Then he hurriedly asked, "Marshal, what's your situation?"

It would still take some time for Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon to reach the scene. He knew Marshal Stacker was fighting alone out there, in extreme danger.

"Over here..." Marshal Stacker's voice was still filled with profound disbelief, his words halting.

He did not know how to describe what was happening before his eyes.

But as he looked at the giant that had emerged from the light...

Only one word came to mind that could describe that giant.

"I saw... hope."