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"SCREEEE,—"
Godzilla's eyes snapped open at the submarine's approach. A low roar built in his chest as he rose slowly from the altar.
The submarine stopped before it. Natsuki stepped out first, floral shirt and all, with Dr. Ishiro Serizawa close behind in a diving suit.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Natsuki waved at Godzilla, easy grin on his face.
He'd seen the axe in Kong's hand. The fact that Godzilla hadn't gone down to the Hollow Earth to settle things meant he was extending Natsuki a courtesy. The big guy was stubborn more often than not, but he wasn't unreasonable.
"Good to see you again, old friend." Dr. Serizawa looked up at the colossal form above him and raised a hand.
Godzilla's gaze moved across both of them.
They understood. He needed to know what had happened in the Hollow Earth.
Skar King, sealed away by Godzilla's own hand millions of years ago, had broken free from the cavern. He had banked on Godzilla being weakened. But Skar King and Shimo never even laid eyes on Godzilla before Natsuki snuffed out their ambitions entirely. Natsuki walked Godzilla through it all, piece by piece. When he finished, Godzilla gave a slow, silent nod.
Nothing had gone the wrong way. With Natsuki handling Skar King and Shimo, a weight had lifted.
This guy really isn't bad. Godzilla looked at him and thought exactly that.
"Old friend, I know you want to preserve the balance of nature." Dr. Serizawa had more to say after the report, and he asked Natsuki to translate. "My philosophy is the same as yours. I hope for a world where humans and Titans can truly coexist."
No matter how difficult that road was, he intended to walk it.
"SCREEEE." At that, Godzilla's attention shifted. He looked at this unremarkable human more closely.
He had never paid Dr. Serizawa much thought. Honestly, he'd never paid any human much thought. A hundred years was the upper limit of their lives. Against his own existence, which had no visible end, that was barely a flicker. But in this particular stretch of time, he had felt this man's reverence. And if the man's purpose was genuinely the harmony of humans and Titans, then perhaps this one was worth a second look.
[Danger. Darkness. Prepare.]
Godzilla's ancient voice resonated through Natsuki's mind. The darkness prophesied by the Iwi , that was where Godzilla's focus lay. He knew certain humans carried unusual power. If the Iwi had seen a coming crisis, preparations needed to begin now.
"My thinking is the same as yours," Natsuki said, holding Godzilla's gaze. "We have to be ready before anything happens. Human strength, Titan strength — we need both."
The Iwi prophecy had given them nothing concrete. No name, no face, no measure of power. Caution cost nothing.
"SCREEEE!" Godzilla understood. Natsuki wanted to bring humans and Titans together under one roof.
Easier said than done. Setting aside the humans , a species Godzilla had almost no familiarity with , even among the Titans, cooperation wasn't exactly their nature. He had spent millions of years as the guardian of this world. He knew exactly how these creatures operated. To actually unite the Titans, you needed strength enough to make every last one of them stand down and listen. For Titans, the fist was the only argument that counted.
So. Time to go knocking on doors.
One by one.
...
They took the submarine back to Outpost 54. Godzilla had his work cut out rallying the Titans. Dr. Serizawa had his own: get Monarch back in order, then travel to whatever governments would hear him out and start building alliances.
After nightfall, Natsuki found a rest room and settled into a chair. Through the window beside him, the ocean pressed dark against the glass. Inside, the light was warm.
"Every training session before this was too basic," he said, looking at the bracelet on his wrist. "Probably because the system wasn't reading any real danger." He turned the bracelet over slowly. "But now? The timing might actually be right."
The enemy was still unknown. Targeted training wasn't an option. What he'd actually get out of this was anyone's guess.
He let a thread of energy flow into the bracelet and activated it.
[Field Training will be generated. Please stand by... 10... 9...]
"Here we go."
"Jackpot." Natsuki's eyes lit up.
Same as last time. He'd be projected into the universe of an Ultra Warrior and come back with one of their abilities. He'd been wondering when this was going to trigger again.
Just before the transfer initiated, something strange happened.
Sound.
Not one sound. Many, layering over each other. The seawater moving past the window. Something swimming through it. Algae drifting in slow currents across the deep. And below that, further down: sand lifting from the seafloor, rocks grinding against each other, magma rolling in the dark. The voice of the ocean. The voice of the earth itself.
The voice of the Earth.
[Training begins.]
Before he could make sense of any of it, everything collapsed into black. His consciousness went out like a light.
...
...
Tokyo, Japan.
South City University. Building 2, Room 504.
"Quantum physics has a reputation for being difficult — and it earns it. But spend enough time with it and you'll find it's one of the most fascinating disciplines there is."
"This semester, I hope you'll stop thinking about credit hours and start thinking about whether you actually love this. That's what I'm asking for."
At the front of the room, the man at the podium closed his textbook and let the faintest smile settle on his face. Blue casual jacket. Unhurried.
The lecture hall was packed. Quantum physics as an undergrad elective was the kind of course most students treated like a landmine , brutal content, difficult grading, not worth the risk. Under normal circumstances, just scraping together enough enrolled students to hold the class would be a minor miracle.
The room was at capacity.
But it wasn't quantum physics drawing them here. It was the teacher.
"Professor Takayama is... he's actually a legend..." The students in the back row weren't drifting. One of them hadn't looked away from the podium once, something burning in his expression that was hard to describe.
"Seriously, I can't believe I got into this class." The student beside him was equally worked up. On the notebook in front of him, sketched in careful lines, was a red giant. When he looked at the professor, he looked at him the way someone looks at a hero.
Hushed voices rippled through the back rows.
Natsuki, sitting by the window, came back to himself slowly.
He blinked. Looked around. A full classroom stared back at him from every direction, and his brain threw up nothing but question marks.
Where the hell did I end up?
He looked toward the podium.
The man standing there was familiar. More than a little familiar.
"Gaia?" The word came out before he could stop it.
Takayama Gamu.
➤ Next: Isn't This Way Beyond the Syllabus?
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