GTAG Chapter 22: Instant Kill!
At present, only a handful of pilots remained at the shattered Dome Base.
This was the last functioning Jaeger base in the world, and it had truly reached the end of its rope.
So desperate for funding, they had even been forced to hand over kaiju development projects to the local underworld.
Among the three Jaegers still operational, Cherno Alpha was a first-generation machine. Slow and clumsy, yet its defensive power was immense and its strength was nothing to scoff at.
It had racked up remarkable battle achievements over its long service.
The fourth-generation Crimson Typhoon also carried an impressive record. Its combat style relied on rapid-fire electromagnetic cannons mounted on its arms, blasting enemies from range.
Even in close quarters it was fearsome, transforming its three hands into rotating blades and unleashing the "Thundercloud Formation." Coupled with its scanning system, Crimson Typhoon could slice through kaiju weak points with precision, killing them with ease.
Then there was the only fifth-generation Jaeger: Striker Eureka.
The most recently built Jaeger, yet the record-holder for most kaiju kills. That alone spoke to its terrifying might.
In terms of sheer numbers, they were at a disadvantage. But in an actual battle, the outcome was far from certain.
One thing was clear: this interception mission meant none of the pilots were expected to return.
And yet, not one of them felt fear.
They were warriors. To die in combat against the kaiju was their destiny, the most honorable death imaginable.
Soon, the three Jaegers were carried by helicopters toward the Pacific.
The kaiju had to be intercepted at sea. Under no circumstances could they be allowed to make landfall.
At the Dome, General Stacker stared at the departing Jaegers with weary eyes.
After this mission, he knew he would likely lose more soldiers.
He had sent countless warriors to battle, only to watch them die. His heart was heavy.
If his base had more Jaegers and more pilots, he would have fielded eight machines to face the four kaiju. That would have been the safe choice.
"It seems… it's time to bring him back."
The General's gaze shifted to the nearly repaired third-generation Jaeger, Gipsy Danger, and the pilot who once controlled it.
Originally piloted by twin brothers, one of them had been slain in an ambush during a mission—killed by a kaiju they had mistaken for dead.
In that desperate moment, Raleigh Becket piloted the Jaeger alone, killed the kaiju, and brought the machine ashore.
After that, Raleigh disappeared.
The General pulled his thoughts back from the past and turned his attention to the current projection feed.
············
Deep in the ocean, as Godzilla swam toward the wormhole, his massive body suddenly stiffened.
He had felt something pass through the wormhole.
Kaiju invading this world?
He surged forward even faster.
But even at full speed, it would take him at least three hours to reach the wormhole.
And if those kaiju had already left the wormhole and were swimming toward land, would he arrive too late?
Then another thought struck him: the wormhole wasn't going anywhere. If he simply guarded it, more kaiju would emerge eventually.
"General, the kaiju that emerged from the wormhole aren't heading toward the nearest landmass. They're swimming in the opposite direction. This is strange."
Inside the Dome, the satellite operator monitoring the wormhole reported the anomaly to General Stacker.
"Mark their route."
The four kaiju's projected paths appeared on the holo-map. They swam in straight lines, making their trajectory easy to predict.
Even without markings, it was clear: they were swimming twice the distance they needed, moving away from land.
Why take such a long detour?
Even stranger, there was nothing in that direction worth destroying.
Human territory had long since shrunk, scarred by battles and contamination, leaving vast uninhabited zones.
The direction chosen by the kaiju led straight into such a wasteland.
"What's out there… that draws you?"
Stacker frowned at the display, unable to fathom their reasoning.
Regardless, their mission remained the same—stop the kaiju.
And the course those kaiju had chosen just happened to align with the spatial fluctuations previously detected by the Precursors.
Godzilla never expected this: he hadn't gone looking for the kaiju, but they had come straight to him.
He spotted them first—four kaiju approaching rapidly.
The kaiju had no idea what they were swimming toward. They didn't know what awaited them.
Eventually, they saw him too.
Godzilla's colossal body was impossible to miss.
The moment their eyes locked on him, they knew: enemy.
And enemies must be crushed.
Despite the overwhelming size difference, the four kaiju didn't slow down. They sped up, eager to tear Godzilla apart.
The first to strike was a kaiju with an axe-like horn jutting from its head, charging at full force.
That blade-like horn gleamed, aiming to split Godzilla open.
But Godzilla tilted his head slightly, avoiding the blow, and clamped his massive jaws around the kaiju's neck.
Crunch! With a single bite, the kaiju's neck was snapped clean.
He had bitten so hard that even his own teeth felt loose from the impact.
The kaiju's head now dangled from a strip of flesh, its neck nearly severed.
Godzilla chewed the bloody meat with slow, grinding bites, then swallowed.
Blue kaiju blood trickled down the corners of his mouth, dripping into the ocean and mingling with the spreading cloud of gore.
The corpse floated beside him.
One encounter. One instant kill.
The brutal scene stunned the remaining three kaiju.
They froze, circling him warily, unwilling to make a reckless move.
[Please give powerstones if you're enjoying the story.
500 stones = 1 extra chapter
patreon com/GuessMyName33 for up to 30 chapters ahead]