| Match 51: |
 |
| By: Thomas Singleton |
|
[Concluded from Monster
X vs. Bagan]
The fate of the world began with a thundering
chorus of rockets, lasers, and battle cries. Bagan, a mountain
of flesh sheathed in blasphemous armor and plates, answered
their cries with an ear shattering howl. Rockets blew up harmlessly
against his hide. Lasers burned into his body, disappearing
in clouds of dense smoke and burning vapor. Armies of fighter
jets, tanked, and maser cannons emptied their arsenal into the
death god. None of their weapons had any effect. With one foul
motion, Bagan's unholy energies consumed their ranks, vaporizing
them in goblets of explosions. Burning wreckage blanketed the
battlefield. Smoldering ash tarnished the earth, marking the
gravesides of countless soldiers. Bagan's red eyes surveyed
the massacre, pleased with the atrocities he had committed.
Onboard the advanced fighting machine Moguera,
the crew stared in awe and hatred.
"You evil bastard," Lieutenant Koji
Shinjo hissed.
Lieutenant Kiyoshi Sato said nothing. Had the
circumstances been any different, Major Akira Yuki would've
considered this a blessing. But that couldn't be any further
from the truth. Yuki had no friends left in the armed forces,
save his Moguera crew. But even he was visibly racked by the
needless killings he had just witnessed. Never before had a
single monster ended so many lives in such a short amount of
time. What could describe this mayhem? Are humans really this
weak? One quote from a Roman commander many years prior perfectly
summed up this travesty.
Shadows and dust.
"Kill this son of a bitch," Yuki commanded.
Moguera's dull yellow eyes erupted with ionized
plasma. The golden beams streaked into Bagan, succeeding in
only attracting his wrath. Before Bagan could reduce them to
a steaming river of metal, Kiryu and Mechagodzilla launched
an onslaught. Bagan's demented shape disappeared in a cloud
of fire. When the smoke settled, Bagan's haunting silhouette
emerged out of the light. Kiryu's wrists mounted lasers and
Mechagodzilla's Mega-Buster rays pounded Bagan's upper body.
This couldn't even slow Bagan's stride.
"Yuki," Akane Yashiro radioed over
the com-link. "It's me. We need to hit him and never let
up. The moment we stop, he'll retaliate. That's when we're done
for. Sasaki," she said addressing the Mechagodzilla captain,
"give us air cover."
"Understood," Sasaki replied. He was
a stubborn man, but he knew better than to question a strategist
of Akane's caliber.
Mechagodzilla's rockets burned to life, propelling
the gigantic robot into the morning sky. Paralysis missiles
shot out of their shoulder cannons. Explosions danced around
Bagan, bathing the scarred lands in an eerie luminance. Kiryu's
metallic jaws opened, expelling yellow hued bolts of electricity.
Moguera's chest port opened, revealing a large maser dish. It
crackled to life, discharging a powerful plasma beam. Both attacks
snaked across the battlefield, striking Bagan with full force.
Akane's wisdom proved to be true, as Bagan didn't return fire.
As long as they kept pressing their attacks, Bagan couldn't
retaliate.
Circling the battlefield, Mothra, Battra, and
Rodan flew in perfect synchronization. Their energy beams distorted
the air as they joined the assault. With her blue multifaceted
eyes, Mothra could see in many different directions at once.
This was very useful in combat. She could see the other monsters,
robots, and guardians preparing to join the attack. Biollante's
spores were bonding with the earth. Within the next hour, Biollante
will become a singular army of vines, teeth, and acid. When
the time was right, Gamera discharged three fireballs. Every
single one exploded against Bagan's bony armor, drowning him
in a sea of fire. Although the Guardian of the Universe meant
well, the explosion made it extremely difficult for his comrades
to locate and shoot their common foe. Bagan took advantage of
this. White hot plasma shot out of the flames, rupturing one
of Kiryu's shoulder rocket launchers. Even in places not touched
by the demonic dragon's hellish flames, metal burned bright.
Kiryu toppled, temporarily losing its instruments. Bagan concentrated,
summoning one of his most dangerous attacks. Mechagodzilla and
MOGUERA's sensors went haywire.
"Yuki!" Shinjo shouted with alarm.
"There's a huge electrical disturbance! It's as if the
monster just created a Class 5 storm out of nowhere!"
Yuki glared at Bagan. All he could do was order
them to attack. But even with lasers burning his hide, Bagan's
power would not be thwarted. Energy shaped diamonds fell from
the sky, piercing and shredding the army of giants. Gamera wailed
a high pitched scream as green blood spurted out of his newly
made wounds. Rodan and Battra dodged the diamond storm, barely.
Mothra wasn't so fortunate. One of her wings had been severely
burned. Unable to continue flying, Mothra crashed into the earth
with a loud thud. Mechagodzilla and Moguera's bodies disappeared
in a cloud of sparks and smoke. While Mechagodzilla could at
least absorb the energies and channel it to its primary weapon,
Moguera had only its thick armor to compensate. It barely held.
A monstrous shriek silenced the battle. Bagan
located its source, visibly intimidated by the awesome creature
that defied him. Its dorsal spines clattered with each ground
shaking step it took, crackling with an eerie blue-silvery glow.
Its long, muscular tail whipped up and down. The living monolith
knew no equal. It was an omen of Mankind's sins and dark desires
made flesh. But it was very determined to find peace someday.
Godzilla roared at the devil beast, knowing he could never live
peacefully for as long as Bagan stalked life. Monster Island's
denizens followed their King into battle. Anguirus howled at
Bagan with his peculiar roar. Godzilla stole a quick glance
at his friend, paying tribute to his courage.
Anguirus galloped forward, charging Bagan. Godzilla's
lips curled as he parted his jaws. Thermonuclear fire erupted
forth, acting like a hot lance as it stabbed into Bagan's abdomen.
It succeeded in burning Bagan's hideous flesh, an impressive
showing. Bagan favored Godzilla with malice. He'll make the
radioactive giant pay with his blood. But first he'll make an
example of his spike covered friend. Anguirus jumped at Bagan,
ramming his bulk into him. But Bagan caught him. In a savage
display of strength and sadism, Bagan ripped the horn out of
Anguirus's nose, and slammed the armored creature face first
into the earth. The blow instantly crippled the courageous animal.
Godzilla howled with rage, spewing atomic fire at Bagan's face.
Bagan felt his eyes melt in their sockets. But all he could
do was laugh.
Mechagodzilla answered with its Plasma Grenade.
With its power amplified by Bagan's heat ray, the orange-yellowish
energy plowed into Bagan's sternum. Even Bagan was forced to
backpedal, no longer laughing as he gave ground. Moguera's cone
shaped hands opened, firing its Spiral Grenade Missiles. The
giant rockets drilled into Bagan's thick carapace, succeeding
with minimal efforts. Their explosions nearly brought Bagan
down. Moguera and Mechagodzilla were about to continue the attack.
"Stop," Akane shouted weakly. Yuki
and Sasaki looked over at the fallen Kiryu from their separate
cockpits. Before either could question her order, they quickly
learned why.
Godzilla. King Kong. Gamera. Gorosaurus. King
Caesar. Ultraman. All of them came at Bagan from several directions.
Godzilla met Bagan face-to-face, clawing at his throat. King
Kong and Gamera each grabbed one of his arms. Both were one
of the strongest monsters on the planet. And yet they could
each barely constrain just one of Bagan's thrashing arms! Gorosaurus
circled around the demon, hitting its back with its bone shattering
kicks. Bagan didn't even feel it. King Caesar jumped up, kicking
Bagan in the temple. Ultraman fired energy blasts at Bagan's
arm and leg joints. It's then Bagan felt pain for the first
time. Ultraman's attacks made the bones in Bagan's joints pop
and explode. Godzilla spat his atomic breath at point blank,
carving open Bagan's throat.
"My God, they did it!" Sato shouted
with joy. "They injured the devil!"
As if hearing the human, Bagan responded in kind.
He lunged forward, cutting open Godzilla's face with his nasal
horn. Godzilla cried out as blood sprayed out of his punctured
skull. Bagan rammed his face into Gamera, freeing his arm. He
immediately buried his claws into King Kong's forehead. Both
Gamera and Kong collapsed like a house of cards. With his arms
freed, Bagan twisted fast enough to catch King Caesar's ankle
in midair. Demonstrating yet another testament of his incredible
strength, Bagan used King Caesar like a baseball bat by hitting
Ultraman and Gorosaurus off their feet. He then tossed King
Caesar aside like a rag doll. Bagan did this all in less than
ten seconds. Although their pilots were intimidated, they all
ordered Mechagodzilla and Moguera to open fire. Once again,
Bagan felt the heat of their energy beams. Unlike before, Bagan
felt pain. The monsters had succeeded in wounding him. Sizzling
smoke and black pus secreted out of his ghastly wounds. It'd
take a few minutes for Bagan to make a full recovery. But neither
Mechagodzilla nor Moguera were going to give him time. With
his eyes already healed, Bagan could see them blasting away.
They weren't very far. Nearby, Kiryu wobbled to its feet. Fighting
the pain, Godzilla's indomitable willpower urged him to continue
fighting. As energy beams continued to pour into Bagan, Godzilla
charged at full speed. Seeing his intentions, Mechagodzilla
and Moguera ceased firing. Perfect timing. Godzilla rammed into
Bagan, using all his strength to deliver a single decisive blow.
Bagan roared in fury as he fell into the earth. Godzilla wasted
no time. Thermonuclear fire shot out, engulfing Bagan's entire
upper body. Bagan's blood vessels exploded, his tainted flesh
boiling. Bagan quickly climbed to his feet. Godzilla's victory
had been brief. The King of the Monsters shrieked as the towering
demon ripped his torso open with the swipe of its claws. Bagan
grabbed Godzilla's skull and squeezed it, intending to crush
his brain. He would've succeeded had Gomora not intervened.
The heroic saurian warrior rammed his horn into Bagan's ribcage,
saving Godzilla's life. As Godzilla collapsed, Gomora defended
him by jumping up, and smacking Bagan's face with his tail.
Bagan roared in fury. He was so close to defeating Godzilla.
There is now a special place for Gomora in Bagan's dark heart,
a place of unimaginable suffering.
Gomora's horn crackled. Reddish-orange energies
shot out of the tip of his horn, blasting apart Bagan's wounds.
They had nearly healed. Now it'll take longer. Bagan charged,
glaring at Gomora. Gomora showed no fear as he stood his ground.
Both monsters traded blows. But Bagan's were stronger. Gomora
felt his skin break and bones crack. Yet still he fought on.
Bagan ended their fight by sending Gomora hurtling backwards
with his hellish flames. There was no warning. Bagan fired another
barrage, blasting Kiryu, Mechagodzilla, and Moguera off their
feet. Mothra's booming chirp informed her compatriots they were
needed. She swooped down, leading them closer to the enemy.
Suspending herself above his head, Mothra's wings shed golden
bolts of lightning and pollen. Roaring in fury, Bagan tried
getting out of Mothra's pollen. It seared his skin, paralyzing
his muscles. Battra and Rodan encompassed him, firing energy
beams into the pollen cloud. The pollen captured their energies,
reshaping them into glowing spears, and thrusted them into Bagan's
wounds. Bagan's crimson eyes concentrated on Mothra. White hot
flames shot out of the back of Bagan's throat. Mothra's pollen
managed to stop most of the beam. Only a small fraction of its
power grazed Mothra's underbelly, severely burning it. Mothra
cried out. But she continued shedding her pollen. As more pollen
gathered, the more sluggish Bagan's movements became. Regaining
consciousness, Ultraman joined in the attack. Energy beams lanced
into the pollen cloud from every angle, instantly transforming
into glowing spears. All of them stabbed into Bagan, ripping
his body apart. This time Bagan didn't howl in pain. He didn't
glare at his foes, promising pain and death. No, this battle
only emboldened Bagan's already immense power. He fired an amplified
heat ray, piercing Mothra's pollen cloud, and her body in the
process. Her allies watched helplessly as burning pieces of
her carcass fell from the heavens. Battra gritted his jaws,
enraged by this madness. Mothra was one of his greatest foes,
but she still loved the very earth he had sworn to protect.
It was a mutual understanding, the only thing that connected
the two siblings. Mothra's pollen started to drift away. Rodan
flew in front of it, redirecting its path with the force of
his shockwaves. Bagan's demented gaze fell upon Rodan. This
winged reptile was no different than vermin as far as Bagan
was concerned. It will die like the rest. Battra roared, blasting
Bagan with his eye beams. Bagan ignored Battra, which made the
earth protector angrier. While Battra bombarded Bagan, Rodan
shot up into the air. Higher and higher he flew, until the monsters
looked like ants. Satisfied, Rodan stopped, and flapped enough
times only to sustain flight. With his binocular vision, Rodan
saw Bagan locking eyes with him. He saw Bagan take a step forward,
crushing Mothra's charred head. An already enraged Battra charged,
slamming his spikes into Bagan's thick flesh. Acknowledging
Battra at last, the demonic dragon grabbed its head, and threw
its body into the ground. Rodan heard the impact. Finally, Bagan
faced Rodan once more. White hot flames gathered in the back
of his maw.
In her cockpit, Akane opened her eyes. Sparks
and smoke obscured her vision. Red blaring alarms told her the
situation was grim. Regaining control, Kiryu rose up just in
time to see a smoldering Rodan plummet into the ground nearby.
Gathering intel, Kiryu spotted Bagan trading blows with Ultraman.
Ultraman used his agility to avoid Bagan's swipes, knowing the
dragon would immobilize him with one hit. Ultraman backflipped,
disappearing in a haze of dust. Bagan blinked in confusion.
Where did that come from? Within Kiryu, Akane grinned. What
excellent teamwork. Titanosaurus roared, challenging Bagan.
The aquatic saurian used his tail to create powerful winds,
which kicked up enough dust to shroud Ultraman. Bagan gritted
his teeth. But before he could express his disdain, a powerful
energy beam blindsided him. Ultraman's primary attack cut into
the demon's head, disemboweling flesh and bone alike. Bagan's
vile blood spurted, tarnishing the air. After a few seconds
of standing still, Bagan slumped into the earth.
"This is our only chance," Akane realized.
Machines clattered and whirled as Kiryu's chest opened. Golden
energies smashed together as they transformed into a bright
azure sphere in the center of its chest. Akane glanced at the
control panel, realizing she couldn't fire the Absolute Zero
Cannon for at least ten seconds. Computers alerted her when
they detected Bagan moving. White light hissed in Bagan's throat.
"Come on, come on!" Akane shouted, urging Kiryu to
manipulate matter faster.
But there was no time left. Bagan was back on
his feet.
Titanosaurus rushed to Kiryu's aid. Right as
the aquatic leviathan jumped, Bagan swiftly faced him, stabbing
his heart with one of his horns. Titanosaurus cried an ear piercing
scream. Bagan gritted his teeth, wishing he had more time to
savor the dinosaur's suffering. With all his strength, Bagan
threw Titanosaurus at Kiryu. Akane cursed as she realized it
was too late, there was no stopping it; Kiryu fired the Absolute
Zero Cannon. Unbelievable amounts of swirling white-bluish energies
scourged the air. It was so cold, it could freeze time and space.
But what it found wasn't the terrifying abomination known as
Bagan. It found a natural byproduct of life, a living relic
older than humanity. It hit Titanosaurus in midair, turning
him into a frozen statue. Titanosaurus died instantly. But his
frozen body kept sailing. Kiryu hunched over, bracing for the
impact. Titanosaurus hit Kiryu's thick armor, shattering into
a million pieces. Although she never liked or disliked Titanosaurus,
the death of a comrade in arms opened up old wounds. Screaming
at the top of her lungs, she ordered Kiryu to fire all weapons.
Electrical blasts, yellow lasers, and missiles tore into Bagan.
Bagan waded through Kiryu's arsenal, unaffected. Rejoining the
battle, Mechagodzilla and Moguera joined their colossal ally
by firing all their weapons. Bagan stopped as wave after wave
of scorching beams and rockets struck every inch of his body.
Blinding explosions and black smoke curled off his sizzling
flesh. Bagan roared in defiance, charging through the onslaught
with no fear. Above the enraged demon, Ultraman and Battra tried
everything to stop him. Energy discs flew out of Ultraman's
hands; lavender hued beams blazed out of Battra's eyes. Bagan's
blood, muscles, and bones exploded out of his armor. Black pus
and other putrid substances oozed out of Bagan's wounds, rapidly
healing the damage.
"He's coming right for us!" Shinjo
shouted.
"If he hits us, we're not going to survive,"
Sato declared.
Yuki glared at the charging demon. "You
mean when he hits us, Lieutenant."
Sato gulped. Taking a deep breath, Sato took
his hands off the controls, and tried his best to relax. If
it was his time to die, he might as well die with honor. Shinjo,
however, was pressing every button he could get his fingers
on, launching every weapon in Moguera's arsenal. Yuki pulled
out a cigar, content as a veteran could be in battle. He inhaled
the tobacco, allowing it to relieve him of his worries and doubts.
Akane and Sasaki screamed over the com-link, ordering them to
do what simply couldn't be done. Yuki closed his eyes, picturing
his deceased loved ones.
It all happened in a split second. Bagan slammed
his bulk into Moguera. The robot was hurtled backwards, its
body breaking apart at the seams. Moguera's ravaged remains
littered the battlefield. Bagan faced Mechagodzilla, granting
its crew no time to mourn over his new victims. It didn't matter,
soon Sasaki and his crew would be joining them. White light
crucified Mechagodzilla, overpowering its energy absorbing armor,
and blasted off one of its arms. With the hull compromised,
Sasaki knew there were internal fires raging throughout the
system. With its armor obscured in flames and smoke, Mechagodzilla
fell.
"Akane," Sasaki gasped. The oxygen
filter must have been damaged, making it extremely difficult
to breathe. "It-it was an honor."
Communication went dead. It was mind-blowing;
two mighty robots destroyed in less than a minute. Bagan howled
a challenge to the world, perhaps to the creator of life itself.
Ultraman and Battra continued to fire upon the rampaging demon.
Bagan ignored them, locking eyes with Kiryu. Desperate times
called for desperate measures. Kiryu prepared to fire its Absolute
Zero Cannon once more. But before it could start, Bagan stopped.
Pain gripped his being as one of his eyes burst into a fountain
of blood. Kiryu powered down its most powerful weapon. Even
Ultraman and Battra stopped, taken aback. Who could've done
this? Ultraman searched for Godzilla, finding him lying unconscious
on the ground. Miles away, Gomora staggered. He couldn't have
been responsible. Gamera was barely moving. Then who could've
done what these powerful creatures could not?
Jet Jaguar jumped out of the fountain of blood,
increasing his size at an astronomical rate. With Bagan's blood
dripping down his armor, the artificial thinking robot greeted
Kiryu with a thumbs up. Kiryu nodded in appreciation. Before
Bagan could sink his claws into the robot, Jet Jaguar jumped
up, and delivered a roundhouse kick. Stunned, Bagan stumbled
in his stance. Kiryu readied its last shoulder rocket launcher.
Previously, Bagan had ignited it with his vile hellfire. Now
Kiryu will make sure to return the favor. With the last restraints
lifted, Kiryu launched it off his shoulder. It raced towards
Bagan, its rockets burning brightly. Bagan caught it with his
mouth, but it ripped the teeth out of his gums, and positioned
itself deep in the back of his throat. With the press of a button,
Akane detonated the shoulder rocket launcher. It exploded within
Bagan's maw, blasting his teeth, shrapnel, and other materials
in all directions. Plumes of black smoke hissed violently out
of Bagan's ruptured head. Kiryu and Jet Jaguar saw Bagan's putrid
brain pulsating in his shattered skull. Some of Bagan's teeth
and the shrapnel from the rocket launcher had been dislodged
deep into the brain. Most of Bagan's face had been blasted off.
Remarkably, Bagan was still standing. His fingers twitched,
his tail vibrated. Life was still lurking somewhere in this
bloodthirsty monster. Akane found it disturbing how life would
empower a being completely dedicated to the destruction of all
living beings. And should Bagan succeed in slaughtering all
life, what then? Would he destroy himself? No, Akane vowed.
He will not have that honor.
Kiryu activated his thrusters. They were strong
enough to achieve flight. But time spent flying would be limited.
Kiryu knew this when he roared to meet the dying draconic demon.
Kiryu unsheathed his wrist blades, empowering them with an electrical
surge. With all the strength the mighty robot had at its disposal,
Kiryu thrusted them deep into Bagan's ribcage. As Kiryu lit
Bagan up like a Christmas tree with its electricity, Jet Jaguar
rushed to help his fallen comrades. Gently, Jet Jaguar helped
Godzilla to his feet. The King of the Monsters growled, warning
Jet Jaguar to keep his distance. Godzilla found it embarrassing
having to be helped up to his feet. Gamera on the other hand
appreciated it. Jet Jaguar checked Anguirus's pulse, detecting
no heartbeats. Godzilla kept his distance, saddened by the death
of his best friend. When his feral eyes focused on Bagan, Godzilla
gritted his teeth. He will not rest until Bagan is dead. As
Gorosaurus and King Caesar regrouped, Gomora had other ideas.
Ramming into Bagan's backside, Gomora aided Kiryu's electricity
by using his horn as a bridge to funnel his own destructive
energies into the demon. Kiryu's electricity and Gomora's destructive
energies fried Bagan's veins. But it wasn't enough. Gomora roared,
wanting Kiryu to retreat.
Akane didn't understand. But then she quickly
knew why. "I'm a fool," she confessed. "I should've
used the Absolute Zero Cannon. But I didn't because I wanted
this bastard to suffer."
Pulling his wrist blades out, Kiryu retreated.
When he was at a safe distance, Kiryu opened up its chest once
more. Recognizing Kiryu's intentions, Gomora summoned every
last bit of his strength, lifted Bagan over his head, and tossed
him into the air. Bagan landed hundreds of meters behind Gomora,
the impact sent soil flying thousands of feet into the air.
Godzilla didn't hesitate. Atomic flames erupted out of his gaping
maw, blasting Bagan's deformed carcass. Gomora, Battra, and
Ultraman joined the attack. Their burning energy attacks lanced
into Bagan, rupturing arteries, muscle joints, and organs. Bagan's
thick armor and mythical plates could not stop them from inflicting
massive wounds. Kiryu spent this time not powering up the Absolute
Zero Cannon. No, Kiryu watched as the monsters used everything
they had at their disposal. If it's enough, Kiryu will wait
to recharge its energy instead of depleting all of it. Akane
knew this was the right thing to do. She cannot risk firing
her last shot if patience will grant her another soon. She also
cannot risk giving Bagan another chance to throw one of her
allies into the crossfire, even if he's a charred husk. The
monsters continued firing into him for a few more minutes before
stopping. They've exhausted large portions of their energy.
It'll take a few minutes for them to rejuvenate. During this
time, Akane kept Kiryu on standby as he used sunlight to recharge
his energy tanks, his metallic dorsal spines glowing as he did
just that.
"No," Akane whispered. Her eyes went
wide with fright.
Even after having his face blown off and his
body mutilated, Bagan was still alive. But he wasn't just still
alive, he was healing. It took a full minute for Bagan's face
to regenerate, cracking bones into place, and stretching flesh
over said bones. Bagan weakly started to rise. Godzilla, Gomora,
Battra, and Ultraman backed away. None of them were ready to
fire their projectiles quite yet. And engaging Bagan in hand-to-hand
combat wouldn't be smart. That didn't stop Gorosaurus and King
Caesar from attacking the demon head on. Gorosaurus clamped
his jaws around Bagan's windpipe. King Caesar jumped on top
of him, pounding Bagan's healing face with his fists. Bagan
wasn't strong enough; King Caesar's punches broke flesh and
splintered bone. Caesar's punches sounded like loud gunshots.
Although Bagan hadn't regained his full strength, he was still
strong enough to cut down these fools. He'd start with Gorosaurus;
Bagan slashed open Gorosaurus's belly, emptying his entrails.
Gorosaurus bit down harder, fighting the excruciating pain.
Bagan forced open Gorosaurus's jaws and shoved the determined
saurian away. With his ally unable to help him, King Caesar
jumped off right as Bagan was preparing to fling him off. In
midair, King Caesar kicked Bagan's face so hard it nearly broke
it apart once more. Jet Jaguar and Ultraman joined King Caesar
by sprinting in. They jumped up, kicking Bagan's chest simultaneously.
Bagan retaliated, blasting Ultraman back with his white breath.
Ultraman crashed into a mountainside, steam sizzling off his
fried body. To make matters worse, the color timer on his chest
was flashing red.
Jet Jaguar jumped to kick Bagan's wounded face.
Bagan intervened by whipping back, batting Jet Jaguar away with
his tail. It was all it really took to decommission the robot.
Jet Jaguar suffered critical injuries to its chest, preventing
it from partaking any further in this battle.
Bagan proceeded to shove his hand down Gorosaurus's
throat, squeezed the back of it, and ripped his head off. Gorosaurus
wobbled before falling limp. With fresh blood spilt, Bagan's
sadism restored his strength. Hellfire greeted King Caesar's
face, incinerating the skin and blackening the skull. King Caesar's
lifeless body fell down next to Gorosaurus. Battra flew at his
top speed, ramming into the back of Bagan's head. Bagan toppled
over only to quickly regain his equilibrium. Godzilla and Gomora
battered him with their paws, tails, and bodies. When Godzilla
reached for his neck, Bagan burned his arm to the bone with
his plasma blast. Godzilla cried as his burnt flesh boiled.
It'd take a few minutes for him to regenerate. Nevertheless,
Godzilla spat his atomic breath into Bagan's face for good measure.
Bagan ignored it, preferring to knock Gomora out with a bone
shattering strike. Gomora fought to retain his consciousness,
a true testament to his willpower. Before Bagan could finish
the job, Godzilla grappled with him. Bagan was the largest,
strongest monster ever to stalk creation. Even with his awesome
power, Godzilla stood no chance. And yet Godzilla continued
to wrestle with the demon. When Bagan tore into Godzilla and
pulled him close, he realized Godzilla wasn't afraid. In fact,
it looked as if Godzilla had something else in mind. Atomic
light enriched Godzilla's body, pulsating with his awesome power.
Time froze for Bagan as it became obvious what Godzilla was
planning to do. Within an instant, blinding light washed over
Bagan, consuming him in its atomic thrall. Godzilla's atomic
pulse sent Bagan hurtling backwards. It ravaged the demon by
blackening its skin, blowing off its breastplate and armor platings.
Godzilla shot at Bagan's throat, adding further insult to injury.
Showers of sparks and fire erupted across Bagan. Bagan howled
in rage as he fought to his feet. Godzilla jumped onto Bagan's
neck, using both his mass and gravity to force Bagan to eat
dirt. Bagan fought against the King of the Monsters, throwing
the atomic saurian off of him. Godzilla tried to rise, but a
dark shadow fell over him. Bagan towered above the King of the
Monsters, mocking him with a sinister chuckle. Bagan's mouth
opened wide, radiating an eerie white glow. Godzilla braced
for the worse. A fireball scorched the air, smashing into Bagan's
face. A large explosion shrouded Bagan's entire upper body.
Godzilla knew Gamera was standing behind him. As much as he
hated to admit it, Godzilla was pleased to have Gamera fighting
with him. Side by side, Godzilla and Gamera faced this horror
together. Atomic beams and fireballs blazed into Bagan. Their
efforts were admirable but ultimately futile. Bagan overpowered
them with physical strength alone.
Kiryu monitored the battle. Akane frowned, regretting
her refusal to fire the Absolute Zero Cannon earlier. Many lives
would've been saved. Kiryu's computers raised an alarm. Someone
was dying. Kiryu spotted Ultraman lying helplessly up against
a mountainside. The Warrior of Light didn't have much time left.
To Akane's surprise, Kiryu released a digital cry reminiscent
of Godzilla's own mighty roar. It was in a language only another
kaiju could understand. Gamera looked at Kiryu and then turned
to face Ultraman. The Guardian of the Universe didn't want to
leave Godzilla in his time of need. Godzilla snarled, telling
Gamera he could handle Bagan alone. But Gamera knew Godzilla
wouldn't be alone. Battra circled above, pelting Bagan with
his prism beams. From a kneeling position, Gomora fired his
Super Oscillatory Wave out of its horn. Bagan couldn't understand
it; he's beaten them to the brink of death, and yet here they
are begging for more. Their attacks are nothing. Even if they
did harm him, Bagan would return stronger than ever before.
Gamera picked Ultraman up. Smoke shot down his
legs as they were sucked up into his shell. Blue fire replaced
the smoke, propelling Gamera and Ultraman into the sky at supersonic
speeds.
Bagan shot Battra out of the sky. Gomora tried
putting up a resistance. But Bagan struck him down with his
slashing claws. Godzilla's atomic breath carved a sweltering
trench into Bagan's hide. Bagan responded with a plasma blast
of his own. Godzilla found himself staring up at the sky, his
dorsal spines splitting the soil. Bagan's ray hit him so hard,
he had hit the ground unconscious. Godzilla blinked in confusion.
Bagan drove his foot deep into Godzilla's throat. Blood stained
foam gurgled out of his mouth. Godzilla felt his life start
to slip away. Bagan stopped, believing he had a far more suitable
punishment in mind. Another electrical disturbance was detected
in the vicinity. Kiryu's instruments experienced minor malfunctions.
Akane knew what was going to happen, wondering if Godzilla could
survive it. But fate intervened. Bagan felt the electrical energies
divert, converging elsewhere. Bagan snorted in contempt. What
could it be this time? Kiryu found the one responsible. Akane
smiled. A thundering roar challenged Bagan. The dragon searched
for the source, wondering who'd be foolish enough to challenge
him.
With electricity surging through his muscles,
King Kong emerged out of a veil of smoke.
Bagan's jaws burned with plasma. But before he
could fire, King Kong pounded the ground with his fists. Electricity
snaked out of his hands, merging with the ground as it broke
apart around Bagan's feet. Bagan hesitated for a moment, astonished
by Kong's enhanced strength. Kong made him pay for hesitating.
The giant ape slammed his fist into Bagan's lower jaw, dislocating
it. Kong used Bagan's horns to pivot the dragon over his shoulder,
and slammed Bagan headfirst into the ground. The impact was
detected hundreds of miles away. Inside an impact crater, most
of Bagan's body was buried hundreds of meters beneath the earth.
Kong pulled him out, gripping one of his horns. Electricity
surged out of Kong's fingertips, zapping the horn apart. Kong
used it as a stabbing weapon, striking Bagan's chest repeatedly.
Bagan felt the horn break his skin and puncture his sternum.
It didn't take much for Kong to bury it deep enough to pierce
Bagan's black heart. Bagan's painful roar made the heavens tremble.
Kong silenced him with his own mighty roar. Kong's electricity
empowered the horn, frying Bagan's demented heart. Bagan's red
glowing eyes started to roll up their sockets. Kong pushed the
horn deeper.
Akane watched the battle unfold. Soon Kiryu would
be at full power. It might not matter. Thanks to Godzilla, Bagan's
breastplate had been blown off in their skirmish. King Kong
took advantage of this by stabbing Bagan's heart with his own
horn. Earlier, Akane was conflicted by how life empowered the
destroyer of life. It's all very clear to her now. Life is as
sentimental as it is unforgiving. It will show no distinction;
life is about experience. It favors both the good and the bad
because it favors itself. It does it simply because it must
experience every possible way of existence. We are all connected.
Even Bagan is part of life, even if he wants to kill us all.
But the very life he has taken for granted will soon be his
undoing. There are enough destroyers in the cosmos. Perhaps
it's time for the worst one to die.
Bagan felt death start to take away his black
soul. In the land beyond the living, the demon knew a hell was
there waiting for him. Not because of some higher authority;
Bagan would do it to himself. So the least he could do is live
forever. Bagan gripped one of King Kong's arms and ripped it
off. As blood sprayed out of the stump of his shoulder where
his arm used to be, Kong ignored the pain. With the only arm
he had left, the great ape pushed the horn deeper. Bagan panicked.
Life was forsaking him. Bagan hated life with all his being,
which fueled his genocidal campaigns. The only reason why Bagan
wanted to stay alive is so he could annihilate existence. It
was the only real choice anyone could ever make in this prison
called existence. White light emanated out of Bagan's jaws,
heralding the discharge of his most dangerous weapon. The last
thing Kong saw was the light at the end of the tunnel enveloping
him.
Kong slumped over, dead. Bagan's plasma ray had
shot a hole through Kong's chest, vaporizing his heart. Life
was just full of surprises, irony being one of them. Bagan loomed
over the dead ape, wanting to desecrate his corpse. But green
tendrils shot out of the soil, entangling Bagan's limbs. Others
acted like spears, piercing Bagan's hide. Piercing Bagan's flesh
ripped the tendrils open, allowing them to leak their acidic
blood into the demon's bloodstream. Biollante burst out of the
earth, meeting Bagan's towering gaze. She bit Bagan's entire
face with her massive jaws, vomiting radioactive acid. Bagan's
eyes and flesh burned. Biollante bit down harder, trying to
crush Bagan's skull. Hundreds of sharp teeth tore into Bagan.
Bagan knew he had met a foe he could not overpower with strength
alone. So he improvised. Another electrical disturbance was
detected. This time it was more erratic, more chaotic. Electrical
projectiles shaped like diamonds bombarded Biollante, shredding
her vines and body apart. Biollante cried out as green blood
gushed out of her wounds. Plagued by pain and life threatening
injuries, Biollante knew she needed help. Bagan snapped her
tendrils off of him like twigs. He proceeded to blast apart
Biollante's core, the source of her power. Fountains of green
blood sprayed out of Biollante's chest, drenching Bagan in acid.
Biollante felt her body quickly repair the damage, but she was
losing considerable amounts of energy in the process. Briefly,
Bagan marveled at Biollante's regeneration. It was faster than
his. But respect quickly turned into envy. Bagan blasted Biollante
once more, toppling the massive creature.
Lying in a pool of boiling blood, Biollante gasped
for life. Her tentacles writhed in the sunlight. The light of
her core diminished. Godzilla crawled out of the acid, his black
scales sizzling. Bagan marched past Biollante, ignoring the
acid eating away at his feet. His horn was still sticking out
of his chest, cutting into his heart. Bagan seized Godzilla's
face, and lifted him off the ground with one arm.
Above the Earth, Gamera carried Ultraman out
of orbit. There was no ozone layer to shield them from the full
intensity of the Sun. As solar energies flooded Ultraman's color
timer, Gamera relaxed. This should take only a few minutes.
Gamera dwelled on what was to come. He knew defeating Bagan
would only be the beginning. So what if the day is won. Would
any of it matter if the night unleashed something worse?
Bagan glared into Godzilla's eyes. Of all the
creatures Bagan had fought and slain throughout the centuries,
Godzilla proved to be the most stubborn. Death doesn't seek
this one. Bagan found this very frustrating. After failing to
kill Godzilla so many times, Bagan started wondering if it was
simply not meant to be. Bagan growled, escalating the hatred
he had for Godzilla further. Now he's having doubts! For this
blasphemy, Bagan will make Godzilla's painful death all the
more sweeter. But Bagan's hatred blinded him from witnessing
the return of Rodan. The giant pterodactyl caught Bagan off
guard as he flew between him and Godzilla. Powerful winds blew
Godzilla out of Bagan's clutches, saving the King of the Monsters.
Bagan howled in fury. Once again, he had been denied! And once
again, his anger did not avail him. Rodan slashed through the
air, swiping Bagan's abdomen with one of his wings. It sliced
open, spilling blood. Rodan flew back, bombarding Bagan with
his uranium beams. Bagan answered with burning plasma, annihilating
the landscape as it tried hitting Rodan. But Rodan was too fast.
Rodan knew he couldn't defeat Bagan. But if he gave Godzilla
enough time to recuperate, he might have a chance. Gomora and
Battra joined the fray, blasting Bagan with their respective
energy projectiles. Fireballs and hot energy burned into Bagan,
preventing him from retaliating. The dragon looked on in disappointment
as Gamera and Ultraman returned to the battle.
"Get ready, Kiryu," Akane said. Kiryu
was now at full power. If her allies can distract Bagan long
enough, she will fire the Absolute Zero Cannon.
Unbeknownst to her or anyone else, there was
another being at work. Tiny, green glowing moths descended upon
Biollante. They nurtured her injuries and spirit, seeding her
vines with power. Biollante started to regenerate. As she started
to make a full recovery, the tiny moths took to the skies. Soon
the sky was brimming with millions of glowing moths. Everyone,
including Bagan, stopped fighting, and looked up in awe. Battra
had been hardwired to protect the planet. There was nothing
more important to him than the mission. And yet he couldn't
believe his eyes. It's as if he were seeing a ghost. The moths
encircled Mothra's corpse, paying their respects to the fallen
deity. Finally, the glowing moths fused into one powerful creature:
Mothra Leo, the son of Mothra. Mothra Leo emanated great power,
casting its divine light in all directions. Hope had answered
their prayers.
Like a paladin, Mothra Leo charged into battle.
Using his holy energy to augment his speed and strength, Mothra
Leo slammed into Bagan. Bagan felt his ribcage shatter as he
was sent sailing through the air and into the ground. With his
adversary down, Mothra Leo charged his wings. Blue hued energies
leapt out of his wings, sundering the earth as they convened
around Bagan. Blinding energies erupted into the sky, consuming
Bagan. Mothra Leo moved in, firing triple energy blasts out
of his forehead. He will avenge his fallen mother. He will save
the world from Bagan's evil. Painful screams reverberated across
the vast lands as Mothra Leo burned Bagan alive. Energy blasts
poured out of Mothra's wings and forehead, searing Bagan's skin.
Mothra Leo alerted his allies, telling them to prepare for one
final assault. With his energy growing, Mothra Leo flew miles
above Bagan. As Mothra Leo flew higher, he released rings of
energy to pummel Bagan. Soon a glowing halo ring appeared above
Bagan, marking him for termination. Mothra Leo manipulated more
energy, preparing to fire it. Godzilla and the others stepped
forward. Godzilla concentrated, summoning enough power from
his reserves to fire crimson energies out of his mouth. Ultraman,
Rodan, Gomora, Battra, and Kiryu unloaded their energy blasts.
Gamera discharged several fireballs. Biollante sacrificed her
tentacles as they shackled Bagan, tethering him to where they
needed him to be. With his allies blasting Bagan apart, Mothra
Leo knew the time was now. Mothra Leo unleashed his divinity,
adding his power in the combined assault.
When the light faded and the smoke cleared, Bagan
was gone. All that remained was his beating heart with a horn
sticking out of it.
Mothra Leo joined his allies, wanting nothing
more than to celebrate, and honor the dead. But Bagan refused
to perish so easily. Within seconds, Bagan started to regenerate.
It would take hours for him to heal completely. Godzilla glared
at the beating heart. Whether or not Bagan would survive, he
did not care. Godzilla's dorsal spines crackled with light.
But before he could fire, the wings of a thousand Gyaos blotted
out the Sun. Their sinister cackles quickly robbed Earth's defenders
of their victory. Gamera knew from experience these numbers
were too much. But that didn't frustrate him as much as not
knowing why they weren't attacking. Several of them descended
to feed off the dead. Before they could feast upon Anguirus,
Godzilla blasted them to smithereens. The King of the Monsters
challenged the Gyaos swarm. But the Gyaos didn't answer his
call. Godzilla didn't know if he should've been infuriated or
relieved. Soon it became clear he should be more afraid than
anything else.
The Gyaos were merely a prelude to the advent
of other sinister beings.
SpaceGodzilla landed in a ball of burning light,
creating a forest of crystals in his wake. Destoroyah formed
out of billions of microorganisms, rippling with destructive
power. Gigan made landfall, revving his chainsaw arms. Dagahra
made his presence known, infesting the area with barem. Desghidorah
siphoned the life force out of Biollante's vines, turning them
into decaying skeletons. Legion burst out of the earth, preparing
her soldiers for conquest. Kumasogami rose out of the fiery
pits of hell, challenging Earth's mightiest warriors. Megalon
bashed his cone shaped claws together, screeching wildly. Megaguirus
tore through the sky, distorting the air. Iris descended out
of the Gyaos swarm, bending the reptilian vultures to his will.
But when the worst one arrived, it casted its three-headed silhouette
over everyone. Throughout the years, it had been mistaken for
some pathetic manmade creature. Renegade time travelers heard
about this fearsome beast and sought to duplicate its awesome
power. They succeeded in creating only a pale imitation. It
was not worthy of the name…
King Ghidorah.
All these evil beasts have come, sensing Bagan's
darkness. They didn't come here to help the demon nor gloat,
they came here to claim his mantle. Destroying the heart of
the dragon was only the beginning. Slaying the likes of Godzilla,
Ultraman, and Mothra Leo would only elevate their status. Being
empowered by the fear of an entire cosmos was everything.
The day was over, but the night had only just
begun.
|
