Author: Connor Clennell | Banner: Dao Zang Moua

[continued from Match 252]

The Atlantic Ocean.

The second largest ocean on the planet, spanning an area of one hundred and six million, four hundred and sixty thousand square kilometers and accounting for twenty percent of the Earth’s surface. Billions of creatures called it home, filling the niches of its many environments. It was here that commercial fishermen gathered their catch for the seafood-hungry market of America, countless breakthroughs in marine biology and geography were made as humanity ventured deeper and deeper into its depths, and strange life forms, far more alien than any of the true invaders from the cosmos, made their home in the eerie darkness.

It was here where Cameron Winter would change the fate of the world.

The multi-millionaire mogul typed away rapidly before a wall of monitors, creating lines of code and complex instructions. Outside, waves lapped at the hull of his privately-owned, customized research vessel. He reached for his coffee cup, not even slowing his work as he switched to one hand and gulped down the last of the lukewarm exotic blend. One of the perks of running one of the largest bio-and-computer tech companies in the world was enjoying what many people had not the knowledge or the funds to. The average American would go bankrupt just trying to acquire one cup of what Cameron drank on a daily basis. For the richest man on Earth, it was not even a dent in his colossal wealth.

The cruel thought brought a smirk to his lips, awakening him from his focused state as the last commands were added. It was another five minutes of rechecking before the mogul was truly satisfied with his work. Raising his arms and stretching his sleeping muscles, he checked the clock on the wall and his watch. Both read 12:55 almost precisely, a full two minutes before his predicted completion time.

“Sometimes I surpass even my own expectations,” Cameron chucked to himself. He’d have to make sure not to make a habit of it. From his experience, timing was everything. Like any machine or team, an idea was only successful if all of its components were timed perfectly. It was errors like these that had spoiled his reputation in the past. From then, he had vowed to never fall victim to such mistakes again.

Cameron turned to the door and smiled as the alarm above it buzzed and flashed. The timing was perfect, as he’d predicted. Straightening his dark jacket, he stepped out of the room and marched toward the bridge.

The bridge teemed with activity as he stepped inside. Crewmen analysed the vessel’s systems and sonar radar, making certain that everything was tip-top, while scientists prepared the equipment soon to be utilized. Cameron glanced at each person with interest as he walked over to the captain, who turned to greet the white-haired man as he stood beside him.

“We’ve reached the coordinates you gave us, Mr. Winter,” he reported.

Cameron made a pleased sound. “In record time as well, captain. If there is one thing I enjoy seeing in my employees, it’s efficiency.”

“Thank you, sir,” said the captain. “Though if I may ask, me and the men aren’t sure why-“

“Why I made you come to the middle of nowhere.” Cameron finished the man’s sentence with a smirk. “Recently, my view of this planet has been expanded. Thus, I have to ensure I keep up with this expansion, and what I will procure here will make sure of it.”

The captain scratched his head, confused by this news. “What could you possibly find out here that’s of use to you?” he asked.

The head of Solstice Industries said nothing as he stared out at the ocean beyond the glass windows of the bridge. With someone of his wealth, intellect and social standing, it was solemn difficult to get what he wanted. A virus targeted at NASA’s satellites, a few bribes to keep nosy astrologers quiet and purchasing the rights to this section of the ocean meant nobody knew of the cosmic body that had crash-landed here two days ago. He had been keeping track of the object ever since it had popped up on the feed of his own satellites two weeks ago. He was further intrigued when a detailed analysis discovered the contents of the invading satellite. With this knowledge, he knew that it must come into his possession at any cost. After all, there was nothing he could not afford.

“Get your men ready, captain,” he ordered. “I want a boat out there depth-charging the area in ten minutes and my Cyber Flies operational in five.”

A small dinghy was soon out on the water, dropping explosives into the ocean per Cameron’s instructions. The mines sank deep into the inky depths, vanishing from sight and leaving only spouts of bubbles, minutes after their deployment, as the clue to their detonation. The mogul was certain that the bombardment would rouse whatever slumbered at the seabed and bring it to the surface. From there, his Cyber Flies would do the rest.

“We’ve got something!” a technician called out as the deep-sea sonar pinged to life, alerting its operator to the presence of a foreign body. Cameron’s head twisted to her direction as she worked the controls to get a more accurate reading. “Depth of one thousand meters… nine hundred… eight hundred…”

The ship’s captain glared at Cameron with his suspicions raised. “What have you dragged us out here to find, Winter?” he demanded. The cruel CEO’s eyes flickered over and he shot a smile at the man as the technician continued to count down.

“Every good company needs its security, captain,” he replied smoothly. “Or in this scenario, a guard dog.”

“Four hundred meters…” The technician and her co-workers began to grow nervous as the distance between the bogey and the surface lessened by the second. “T-three hundred meters…”

The sailors on the dinghy continued to drop mines into the water, unaware of the situation developing underneath them. As the commander’s radio crackled to life, bright flashes appeared below the surface as the explosives detonated against the rising anomaly.

“Two hundred meters…”

“Reggie, get yourselves the hell out of there!” the captain shouted into the radio. “Get back to the boat!”

“Belay that.” Cameron felt the captain’s gaze on him not a second after he had finished his sentence.

“We cannot abandon those men!” he snapped, but the mogul shook his head.

“Nothing that can be done that won’t endanger us as well. I’m afraid sacrifices must be made in these scenarios.”

The skipper didn’t buy his words for a second. He knew that Cameron had planned to use those sailors as bait, but he could not bring himself to argue with the man. He had seen what happened to those who spoke out against Cameron Winter and desired to not join them.

“One hundred meters… Contact!”

All hands on deck looked out to the ocean as the dinghy was surrounded by froth. Recognizing the danger, the commanding sailor ignored Cameron’s orders and slammed down the ignition lever, only for the water to rocket upward and launch the vessel skyward in pieces. As seawater and debris rained down, Cameron Winter stared out at the towering, seaweed green titan now protruding from the ocean. His lips grew into a smile as the beast’s maw opened, emitting a high-pitched and oddly familiar sound.

“Bemular.”

The entire bridge gaped in awe at the spiny creature, unable to make a sound lest they dare catch its attention.

“You know this creature?” the captain asked.

“One of his kind has been to our world before, back in nineteen sixty-six,” Cameron explained to the man. “From the records, that specimen was hardly a major threat.”

The captain narrowed his eyes at the mogul. “Then why do you want it? Surely, one of your own creations would be a far more suitable weapon.”

The world’s richest man didn’t reply. He only smiled as he pulled out a tablet-like device and tapped in a series of commands.

On the outside of the ship, Bemular had finally shaken off the last dregs of sleep. The space monster was pleased with the destruction of the object that had disturbed him, but his rage was far from settled. His eyes caught the main vessel, noting its similarities to the smaller entity. Concluding that it was connected somehow, and thus responsible for the attack as well, Bemular made toward it. Halfway to the vessel, however, the reptile stopped. A strange buzzing sound filled the air, irritating Bemular as his head snapped from side to side in search of its source. From the bowels of the ship, five objects emerged and hovered toward the invader. They resembled a type of parasitic wasp, only far larger in size and constructed of plastic and metal. The blue-and-white drones buzzed around Bemular menacingly as the reptile glared. He tried to keep his eyes on the artificial insects, but their swift reflexes made tracking their movements difficult.

One of the Cyber Flies surged forward, taking advantage of the extra-terrestrial’s confusion as it aimed for the back of his neck, but its buzzing wings betrayed its presence to Bemular and he spun around, blasting the drone with a fiery, blue beam from his mouth. As the burning remains fell into the ocean, two more Cyber Flies darted at the distracted beast. This time, the machines reached the reptile’s surface. They readied their stingers and drove them into his skin, only for the tips to shatter against the hardened spines coating the length of his back.

Cameron Winter frowned as he observed the feed of the two drones, now presented with a problem. All problems, nonetheless, had a solution, and the CEO was already racking his brain for the one required. He tapped in a new set of commands, instructing the four Cyber Flies to fall back.

As the two on Bemular’s back lifted off, the monster swung his head in their direction. The drones’ feed cut to static as they were crushed to scrap, their remains scattered to the waves. Over Cameron’s shoulder, the vessel’s captain smirked, far from brave enough to openly mock the man. His gaze landed back on the emerald titan outside, his features contorted in a worried expression as he contemplated the eminent danger.

“Captain? Mr. Winter?”

The sonar technician’s voice rang out, bringing both men’s attention to her as the sonar pinged in a slow rhythm. “There’s something else.”

“What do you mean?” asked the captain.

“Another object just appeared on the radar,” she explained, motioning to the screen. On the edge of the map, a large shape blinked with each sonar sweep. With each new readout, the shape moved closer to the center of the screen at an alarming rate. “Six hundred meters out and closing.”

Cameron’s displeased expression grew stronger. The operation was supposed to operate smoothly, but now complications were appearing one after the other.  Unlike the problem with penetrating Bemular’s hide, the appearance of another monster was a serious hazard to his work. In order to maintain the secrecy of the operation, the millionaire was unable to bring an armed escort along to defend him. But with any luck, the danger was not as extreme as it seemed. From his position, Cameron could make out the slender, reptilian shape of the approaching entity, which brought a smile back to the white-haired mogul.

“So it seems that Nickels and his mutant lap dog found out what I was doing out here,” Cameron thought. “Seems his team of glorified exterminators are smarter than I gave them credit for.”

His attention was brought back to Bemular, watching at the spiny monster snapped and snarled at his circling Cyber Flies.

“Perhaps I can kill two birds with one stone?” he wondered.

“Pull the ship out of the area,” Cameron ordered the captain. The man looked at him for only seconds before complying. As the ship began to turn and retreat, Cameron gave the order for the Cyber Flies to stand down and fall back. The two drones immediately turned back and flew toward the vessel, leaving Bemular confused by their actions. He started to follow, when the skies above were filled with noise. Hundreds of seabirds flew overheard, squawking loudly and completely ignoring Bemular as the flock sought refuge elsewhere.  A sense of dread overcame the space criminal, but he was not overcome by the urge to retreat like the humans and fauna. Instead, he turned in the direction where the birds were fleeing from. Something was coming, but the terror from the stars would not back down.

The alien’s defiance pleased Cameron as he watched, also eager to see the battle unfold. If this new plan succeeded, he would gain a new pawn and dispose of that annoyance, Zilla, once and for all. Or perhaps, if fate were to be so favorable, he could turn the lizard into his thrall. The CEO’s gleeful thoughts of humiliating his old college rival were interrupted by a cry from the sonar technician.

“Two hundred meters until contact with target!” she announced. “Sonar is estimating target’s size to be roughly one hundred eight meters in length.”

The analysis gave Cameron pause. He snapped his head in her direction, then bolted down the stairs and to her controls. Pushing the woman aside, he took over control as he performed the analysis again, assuming the first had suffered an error. The results came back the same, shocking the millionaire.

‘That can’t be!” he told himself. “But the readouts don’t lie. I thought the creature was Zilla, but it’s much bigger!” In Cameron’s head, only one creature matched the estimate for that size, and its identity made the man suddenly feel regret for his overconfidence.

The water shifted, alerting Bemular to the challenger’s arrival as the ocean current shifted. Opposite the reptile, the waves began to froth and bubble as something began to rise. From the white foam, jagged, brown fins extended, resting in three long rows along the length of an armored back and down a tail. The breaching creature slowed as it rose fully from the ocean, revealing a body hardened with muscles and rock-like plating as two tone arms rested at its sides. As gallons of water drained off its form, the monster’s boxy visage glared with amber eyes that burned like fire. Its chest heaved noticeably as gills along its neck twitched and shut down, allowing the beast to draw in oxygen from the air. Despite its massive structure, it only barely towered over Bemular, but the invading reptile was still consumed by its intimidating aura.

“T-that’s Godzilla!” the captain shouted in fear.

The bridge was alive with activity in the presence of the towering elder. People rushed to the windows, hoping to gain a better look at the king of the monsters in all his glory.

“Not just Godzilla,” Cameron added, grinning with elation. “This is the specimen from the Monarch files! The reason for the Castle Bravo tests that created and awoke other Godzillas! And I thought this day was about to turn sour!”

The captain stared at him as if he’d gone mad. “How can you be glad that we’re spitting distance away from the most dangerous monster known to Man?!”

“Because I thought we were under attack by the Japanese Godzilla, you pathetic coward!” Cameron snapped at the skipper. “But this is a far greater individual. The true American Godzilla, so to speak. People have known this creature for over sixty years and yet they know so little about him.”

“What point are you trying to make here?”

“This Godzilla’s potential is unknown. To the scientific community, the scope of his powers has not been revealed.” The mogul’s fingers came to rest together before his face, obscuring a smile that could sell to the Devil. “It means that Bemular may stand a chance.”

The captain turned to the window, studying the two monsters as they sized each other up. Bemular standing a fighting chance against the King of the Monsters? He simply could not see it. But a battle was about to start nonetheless, and he could pray that Cameron’s ego and lust had not led them to their doom.

Rising as far as he could from the ocean, Godzilla glared at his intergalactic contender. The alpha was constantly aware of the events that took place in his territory, but it had taken an entire day to realize Bemular’s presence due to the invader’s inactivity following his arrival. But now Godzilla was face-to-face with the interloper, seething with anger.  This was his territory. His domain. Other monsters avoided his home for good reason, and the few that felt brave enough to challenge the alpha quickly learned their mistake. Drinking in air with a deep breath, Godzilla released a long, booming roar at Bemular, giving the reptile his only chance to escape with body and pride intact.

But the alien stood his ground. Through initially alarmed by the powerful cry, Bemular was quick to regain his composure and returned with his own cry. Godzilla was taken aback by this reaction and filled with rage. A challenge, then. It would not last long.

At once, both raced through the waves. Colossal waves rocked the ocean’s surface as they surged toward each other. At last, the titans clashed, generating larger sprays as their bodies collided, jaws snapping at the other’s neck. Bemular found his mark first, sinking his teeth between Godzilla’s neck and shoulder and shaking his head violently. Blood pooled into his mouth, coaxing a purr out of the psychotic alien. A groan escaped Godzilla’s throat as he sought to dislodge the spiny beast, slamming his hands against Bemular’s uncovered chest. Through the invader grip was tight, the alpha’s strength was greater, pulling him from his body alongside chunks of meat and armor. Slamming his bulk against the smaller reptile, Godzilla forced the extra-terrestrial through the waves. With a shove, Bemular was thrown back, only for Godzilla’s claws to grasp his head and smash the beast’s face under the water’s surface. The titan’s foot was waiting, rising up and striking the emerald reptile square in the jaw and launching him back above water.

Godzilla snorted, expelling clouds of steam from his nostrils. The invader had no proper fight in it to contend with. There was barely a challenge here, which aggravated the alpha immensely. He trudged forward, raising an arm to strike the dazed Bemular. At the final moment, Bemular regained his wits and spun on the spot, exposing his spiked back. Godzilla cried out as his hand slashed the layer of spines, which tore and gashed his flesh. As he pulled his hand back, Bemular whipped around and lunged, biting down on the exposed arm and driving a howl from the monster king. Instantly, he tried to remove the green fiend by shaking the assaulted arm, but the extra movement only helped to increase the damage Bemular’s fangs were inflicting.

As his grip on the elder’s arm tightened, Bemular grinned as the assault dragged on. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted movement, and tilted his head to fully notice Godzilla’s other arm, lunging at him. Immediately, he ducked to avoid the limb, dragging Godzilla down in the process and flipping the titan over onto his back. Both monsters cried out in surprise as the Permian behemoth crashed back-first into the waves, the impact dislodging Bemular in the process. Thrashing in the surf, Godzilla fought to get upright once more. Before he could, Bemular leapt from the froth, taking advantage of the elder’s vulnerability. Godzilla tried to pull away, but the extra-terrestrial jaws fought their mark on his throat and thrashed. He squeezed the titan’s windpipe with all of the power in his jaws, but his teeth could not penetrate the surface or contract the area. Unbeknownst to Bemular, the armor on Godzilla’s neck was much thicker than on his arms or shoulders. It was part of an evolutionary adaption to protect the vital area during clashes with other members of his kind or rival predators. Though he tried valiantly, Bemular failed to maintain a strong grip on Godzilla’s throat. As a result, the alpha predator’s claws easily removed the scrawny reptile and pushed him aside.

Godzilla rolled in the surf, flipping over onto his front and sinking back under partially. His front half rose, spilling trails of water from between his dorsal fins. Behind the leviathan, Bemular’s screeching call sounded as the fiend launched itself. Before he could find his target, Godzilla twisted to the side and shifted his mass out of the reptile’s path. Bemular lunged at thin air, snapping down on nothing as he stumbled forward under Godzilla’s shadow. Before he could react, the titan’s own jaws came down, crunching the nape of his neck. The alien shrieked, blood flowing from the contact point as Godzilla’s bone-crushing bite broke through the rows of spines and sank into flesh. With his jaws securing Bemular, the primeval elder lashed out with his arm at the invader’s belly, slashing through the vulnerable scales. His talons assaulted the spot again and again, carving gashes into the reptile’s chest and spilling his blood into the churning ocean.

In desperation, Bemular swung out his tail, trying to hit the king of titans. After several failed swings, the limb struck Godzilla’s right heel, its spiny length cutting into the meat. The armored giant released Bemular, yelping in surprise. Another strike to his leg made the legendary monster back off, but only temporarily. He snapped at Bemular again, but the invader whipped around, smashing his entire body against the elder’s own. Godzilla was driven back again, stunned by the blow and cautious about his enemy’s next move. Thinking he had the advantage, Bemular charged blindly forward, but his assault was deflected as Godzilla’s hand slapped the beast across the head, sending him stumbling. Instantly, the alpha spun on the spot, following his attack by lifting his heavy tail from the waves and smashing it into Bemular like a whip. The alien wheezed as he was thrown back, the air beaten from his lungs from the blow.

As he recovered, Bemular snarled at his adversary, keeping his guard raised while he nursed his wounds. Godzilla growled back, confident that victory would be claimed swiftly. His strength had already proved greater than the extra-terrestrial’s, making it a matter of time before the reptile met his demise. He waded forth with claws outstretched, but Bemular’s mouth suddenly opened. The action’s purpose was made clear as a blue stream of concentrated fire shot forth, striking Godzilla square in the chest. The heat ray’s energies collected in that area, erupting into a blast of fire that overtook the titan’s front and earned a shriek from the giant. Godzilla ceased his charge, dropping to the waves in order to douse and sooth his burning chest as Bemular’s chuckles assaulted his hidden ears. He starred up, his expression sculpted into one of rage as he lifted his tail to ensure Bemular saw the building blue glow. It traveled up the length of his back, illuminating the cracks along each spine on its journey to his head as a deep thrumming sound emanated from his body. As the volume reached its peak, he leaned forward and opened his jaws to fire forth his own sapphire flame stream. The atomic ray slammed into Bemular, causing the monster to cry out as the force pushed him back. Fire washed over his body, cooking the exposed flesh from his injuries. As the ray died, he toppled over, crashing into the waves and sinking under the surface.

Cautiously, Godzilla approached the spot where Bemular had sank. The waters frothed and churned, but there was no sign of the intruder under the surface. He craned his neck closer to inspect the froth better, when the bubbling mass increased in intensity, spitting foam into the monster king’s eyes. He pulled back, blinking furiously and shaking his head to clear his vision, but it was too late. From the sea, a bright sapphire ball shot out and slammed into the titan’s jaw. There was a resounding crack as Godzilla tumbled back, crashing into the waves on his back once more. High above, Bemular’s travel ball hovered, looping in the air to come back down at the impaired alpha. Stunned from the impact, Godzilla could only force his aching jaws open and spit forth another atomic ray, but the crackling fire was deflected by the sphere’s smooth surface. It crashed into the elder predator, shattering upon impact, but launching both combatants down into the depths.

Powerful waves from the colossal kaiju combat rocked Cameron’s vessel, threatening to tip it over as crewmen on all decks worked to keep the ship stable.

“This is madness, Winter!” the captain screamed as he clung to the steering wheel, knuckles white whilst he struggled to steer the vessel against the hammering rollers. “Your guard dog hunting trip will get everyone here killed!”

“Hunting trip?” The millionaire pulled himself from the floor where he had been thrown by the impact and laughed. “This is more than that, good captain! This is an experiment unlike any other. The debut of my latest marvel of technology.” He watched the sonar hungrily as Godzilla and Bemular’s icons descended into the depths.

“And these two will be the guinea pigs in my mission to save the world!”

The ocean’s current was distorted as Godzilla and Bemular spiraled into the darkness. Their colliding bodies and powerful wake shattered the forms of countless marine life as they snapped and clawed at each other. Seeping to the surface, the combatants’ blood served as a beacon for the surface. At last, the seabed loomed, awaiting the reptiles’ collision. Instead, Godzilla’s claws snapped Bemular’s flesh and pulled him into his grasp. The ancient creature thrust Bemular before him, forcing the foreign beast to take the full force of the impact as the duo slammed into the floor. A cloud of mud and sand was kicked up and a violent tremor rattled the seabed, but no sound came from Bemular. The air was pushed from the creature’s body by the impact, leaving him breathless and gaping while Godzilla slammed his heel against the bedrock. The resounding tremor launched Bemular from the floor, leaving him floating and helpless in the open water. Before he could regain a sense of clarity, Godzilla’s claws slashed into his cheek, sending the alien twirling. Godzilla was on the reptile again in a moment, joining his hands together over his head and swinging them down onto Bemular’s body. He was spun around again, but now his thoughts had cleared and he could initiate a counter-attack. Using the momentum gained, he lashed out with his tail, catching Godzilla across the face with a whip crack-like sound. The titan’s head snapped to the side, spitting saliva and bubbles into the murky saltwater.

Bemular knew that his chances of victory were slipping. As much as he hated to run from a fight, the alpha’s strength and experience trumped his own. At this moment, survival and retreat were his priority over sating his bloodlust.

The invader planted his feet on Godzilla’s chest, using him as a springboard to propel himself forward. The shove made the elder stumble back, almost toppling over before correcting himself with his thick and heavy tail. In the seconds it took to regain balance, Bemular had sped away, his streamlined form rapidly disappearing into the gloom. Any other creature would have abandoned the chase at this point, but Godzilla was far from ordinary. Kicking off the sand, he pursued the escaping invader with powerful sweeps of his tail. Although Bemular had a head start, Godzilla was swift in closing the lost distance, but not at a satisfying pace. As the space between them shortened, the water blue glow shimmered through his jagged spines once more before the leviathan launched his nuclear fire. The attack’s glow alerted Bemular to the monster king’s actions, but he was left with seconds to react. The criminal veered to the side, allowing the atomic ray to flow past by a hair’s breadth. His body soaked in the immeasurable heat produced, motivating him to swim faster. Godzilla continued to pursue, firing shot after shot and lighting up the sea floor, but Bemular’s agility in the water enabled him to dodge the streaking flames every time.

Eventually, Bemular grew tired of the chase. The alpha’s determination made him impossible to shake, forcing the alien to take on the offensive once more. He instantly turned, banking to face Godzilla, then rushed forward, taking the titan by surprise. Their foreheads crashed together, knocking the two monsters back in a daze. Unfortunately for Bemular, Godzilla was quicker in recovering, shaking away the cobwebs and immediately diving at the scrawnier creature. His jaws locked around the back of his neck with a crunch as Bemular screamed in agony and began to thrash. The primeval giant’s teeth cut into the extra-terrestrial’s already wounded flesh and opened up deep cuts, filling the surrounding water with a plume of blood.

The elder continued to shake his head, throwing Bemular around like a chew toy. In desperation, Bemular’s foot lashed out, striking the armored relic’s crotch. Godzilla’s reaction was instant, dropping the spiny creature and shrieking shrilly as he stumbled away. Although he had the opportunity, Bemular paused to recover from the assault. The alien was quick to discover his error as he felt the prehistoric monster’s gaze on him. Godzilla’s orbs seemed to burn as they met the emerald fiend’s gaze, surging with rage at the invader’s action. Like flicking a switch, his dorsal spines ignited and he spat forth an atomic ray that caught Bemular in the chest. The monster was thrown back, screeching as the burning stream pushed him across the landscape and slammed him into an underwater mountain. His shape was instantly lost on impact, disappearing in a burst of debris and fire.

Consciousness came back to the reptile quickly, shaking pebbles from his spines as his vision refocused. The explosion had opened up the terrain, exposing an underwater network of caverns. In the remains of one such chamber, Bemular’s eyes widened at Godzilla’s approaching shape, ignited in the darkness by patterns of blue. Instantly, the green beast turned, seeking an escape route, but the only path available was a narrow hole in the mountainside. It was barely wide enough to fit through, but it was the alien’s only option. He darted toward the opening and squeezed in, squirming frantically in order to force his body through as quickly as possible. As he finally entered the chamber fully, he realized his error. The space was tiny with no other exits aside from the opening that Bemular had crawled through. As he turned to try and escape through it again, Godzilla’s head burst through.

The behemoth’s ninety-thousand ton mass slammed into the undersea mountain, shaking the landmark and cracking its structure. Rocks fell from the ceiling of the chamber and bounced off both occupants as Godzilla snapped his jaws at a terrified Bemular. The alien pressed his body against the opposite wall, barely keeping out of the alpha’s range as he tried to reach the spiky beast. Godzilla, although nearly the same size as his foreign adversary, was bulkier and armored, making it impossible for the predator to get through the opening. When he tried to reverse, the titan found himself unable. His body had been lodged in the hole from the force of his attack. As Godzilla thrashed and roared in his struggle to break free, Bemular started his escape plan. He opened fire on the wall with his Pale Heat Wave, weakening the rock before smashing his forehead against it. He continued to bash away at the stone with nothing but his cranium, chipping off chunks with each strike until, eventually, a small gap was formed.

Godzilla noticed the alien’s accomplishment amidst his struggling. Though his movement had weakened the cavern’s structure, it was still strong enough to immobilize the elder. At their current rate, Bemular would break free before he could, and the ancient leviathan would not allow him to slip away. The distinct thrum of his charging nuclear power filled the chamber, swiftly alerting Bemular to the alpha’s intentions. As he looked over and saw the building luminosity, the reptile knew he was out of time. He opened fire on the wall again with his blazing heat stream to open up the created gap even more. The new opening was barely bigger than his girth, but it was the only option. Bemular dived through the exit, cutting his flesh and snapping out spines on its rough edges. Pushing his strength to its limits, he forced his way through the exit and back into open water. A second after his escape, a blast of atomic napalm burst from the hole, widening its diameter and destabilizing the cave’s walls. Cracks appeared across the mountainside, but Bemular did not wait around, He sped toward the distant surface, ignorant of his torn and bruised condition. At this point, it was the only safe place.

As he ascended, the mountain exploded into rubble. Colossal boulders tumbled across the seafloor as Godzilla burst forth from the dust cloud. His gaze turned upward, making out Bemular’s retreating shape, and he started his own climb to the surface in pursuit. This time, he would finish their battle.

“Targets are both rising, sir! ETA, 3 minutes!”

Cameron smirked at the sonar operator’s report. “Send out the Cyber Flies again,” he ordered calmly to the room of technicians. “Have them ready to strike on my command.”

As he made his way to the door, the captain watched him with a judging gaze. The man knew that not a shred of kindness or generosity existed in the CEO’s soul, and whatever his new scheme entailed would surely threaten the entire world. For a moment, he considered selling out the mogul to the authorities in the vain hope of clearing his name from this operation.

“I know what you think of me.” Cameron’s words cut through the room as he addressed the captain without looking at him. “You may see me as cruel, greedy, selfish, heartless and more. I would not blame someone of your intellect viewing me as such, but I am not without pity, captain.”

Cameron turned his head enough to meet the skipper’s eyes. “Do not forget what I have done for you. You would do well to remember that I took you into my service when no one else would, due to your unclean history.”

The man’s gaze shifted away, his thoughts of rebellion crushed.

“Everyone here is my property,” Cameron proclaimed. “You all came to me because you needed me and I needed you. Never forget that. Perform well in my service and you will be well rewarded. Betray my will… and you will regret it.”

The white-haired mogul finally left the bridge, leaving it in silence as its occupants worked in imitated compliance. Navigating the steel corridors, he returned to his quarters and flicked on the lights. The dimly lit space was flooded with light, revealing the equipment stored within. As the mass of computers booted up, Cameron walked over to his new masterpiece. It was a circular stage, built in shining, black metal and divided in a grid by lines of neon grid. A cage of criss-crossed bars encircled the stage, littered at the top with wires and cables that connected to other electronic devices. As he reached the cage door, he flicked several switches on a panel next to the side to link the system with that of the computer, before returning to the monitors and initiating the start-up of the operation program.

On other screens, Cameron observed the streamed footage from the two Cyber Flies as they circled the freshly-breached Bemular. He tapped in commands on another keyboard to zoom in the footage, focusing on the alien’s shredded head and neck and highlighting each injury. One spot flashed green, displaying readouts that brought a grin to the multi-millionaire criminal.

“Gotcha.”

Bemular huffed in the sunlight, regaining his energy to prepare for his escape. Exhausted from the battle, he could not gather the effort to deal with the buzzing insects closing around him. His head weakly turned to focus on me, leaving the reptile’s other side exposed to the second. The Cyber Fly landed on his temple and raised its stinger, where a small, yellow device was connected to the underside, and drove it into am open wound. The controller immediately detached and anchored itself to the sides of the cut, drilling its probes into Bemular’s skull. The sudden pain snapped him back into action, throwing his head back-and forth to try and dislodge the techno-parasite. The Cyber Fly pulled away, re-joining the other unit as the neural receiver reached the nerves. Instantly, Bemular stopped. The scourge of the galaxy was motionless, pupils dilating as his neural pathways were slowly overwritten by Cameron’s device.

“And now for the best part,” Cameron said, cracking his knuckles before standing up and returning to the stage. With the click of another switch, the cage door opened and an apparatus descended from the ceiling. It resembled a virtual reality headset, connected with a pair of wrist and ankle trackers. Before stepping inside, Cameron discarded his suit and set the pieces inside as the circuit-lined bodysuit underneath was revealed. He entered the cage and began to attach the equipment, setting the headset on last. Once in place, the cage shut and the machine began to boot up. Signals were transmitted between the input stage and the neural controller, linking the two systems in a matter of seconds.

The ocean appeared before Cameron’s eyes. He looked around, seeing the outside world through the camera on Bemular’s receiver. As he turned his head, the extra-terrestrial did the same, mimicking the mogul’s actions perfectly. Cameron began moving his other limbs as well, pleased with Bemular’s instant response and imitation. In the past, he had been able to influence monsters through brainwave hacking controllers, transforming them into his puppets. But this was the next upgrade to that technology. With this machine, he could transmit copies of his own brainwaves into a monster’s primary motor cortex and make them mimic his actions. He had no longer a metaphorical monster. Now Cameron Winter could become one.

Water sprayed into the air as Godzilla burst to the surface. Cameron and Bemular spun around as the titan roared and charged through the waves at the enslaved invader. His claws slashed at the green monster, but Cameron jerked to the side, forcing Bemular to do the same and Godzilla to stumble forward as his enemy dodged the attack. Regaining his momentum, he turned and lunged again, but Bemular ducked left to avoid his snapping jaws. This time, Godzilla was quicker to react, but the spiny beast instantly smashed its body against the alpha, making him stagger back.

Cameron resisted the urge to laugh as he watched the battle through Bemular’s camera as Godzilla failed again and again to land a hit on the agile monster. He was not wrong when he had claimed that Bemular could stand a chance against this ancient Godzilla. What he had not mentioned was that the alien’s victory could only be obtained through the power of his own intellect. On its own, Bemular’s intelligence was too low to sufficiently deal with a stronger opponent. But now it had the gift of his superior mind to aid it in this battle. Coupled with months of physical training and combat courses, he used Bemular’s lithe form to the King of the Monster’s disadvantage, weaving around his powerful, but slow strikes and attacking at the areas left exposed in the process. If he were fighting the Japanese Godzilla, not even he could have saved Bemular from destruction. But against this older creature, weakened by age and slowed by his armored bulk?

His victory was assured the moment he took control.

Bemular’s spiky form slammed into Godzilla again and again, his efforts focused on the monster’s sides, chest and neck. The alien’s improved prowess left Godzilla utterly confused. Before, he had dominated the intruder with minimal resistance. Yet now, he struggled to land a hit as Bemular snaked and twisted around his attempts to strike back. Driven by rage, he lashed out at random in an attempt to land a single hit on the emerald reptile. Although he was able to direct Bemular around a majority of the attacks, Cameron found it difficult to read Godzilla’s new, chaotic assault and struggled to avoid every strike. At last, Godzilla’s fist collided with Bemular’s face, throwing the criminal back. He splashed into the waves, writhing in the froth before finally standing.

In the time spend recovering, Godzilla stepped toward the foreign creature. His plates flashed with blue light as his jaws parted and nuclear fire burst forth. The stream caught Bemular in the chest, pushing him back while crying out. Sparks exploded from Cameron’s device as the reptile’s agony was fed back through the system and threatened to damage the link. Despite this, Cameron only frowned as he focused his efforts on the battle. As the first ray flickered out, Godzilla launched another, engulfing Bemular’s front in fire. With no solid ground to grip, he kept sliding back from the force of the atomic ray. Fortunately, the extra-terrestrial had another counter to Godzilla’s strongest attack.

The invader’s energy flared throughout every cell of his body, wrapping him in a cocoon of sapphire light. As Godzilla assaulted the shield with his atomic energies, Bemular’s Spherical Change ability absorbed the heat from the attack to boost his own power. The cocoon expanded, shifting into the reptile’s travel sphere which rocketed toward Godzilla. The elder’s atomic flames barely fazed the orb of light, washing over it as the produced heat was drained into the sphere. Its surface began to shift into that of flames, surrounding the ball in a burning aura as it pushed through the dying fire stream. Only when Godzilla cut off the flow of nuclear fire did he noticed the enhanced travel sphere, but it was too late. Bemular’s sphere collided with the titan king, blossoming into a brilliant explosion of white that consumed the two monsters completely.

The shockwaves hammered Cameron’s vessel, knocking crewmen to the floor and causing instruments to explode into sparks. Amidst this, the captain clung to the wheel to keep the ship stable. In all his years at sea, he had only lost one ship, and had no desire to lose another. At last, the shockwaves ceased and the ocean calmed. Slowly, the crew began to recover as they examined each other for injuries and inspected the damage. With most of the equipment damaged in the blast, the technicians had to rely on their eyes to assess the results. The entire bridge flocked to the windows, peering out at the waters to spot one shape floating in the waters.

Floating in the waves, Godzilla stared at the sky. Scorch marks and cracked armor adorned his body, dripping blood into the water as his vision struggled to focus. A long, hair-thin cracks running across the ancient giant’s forehead was the cause of his sluggish nature, but its symptoms were quickly wearing off. Fatigue and agony filled Godzilla’s form, but he was in no rush to move. Despite the alien’s attempt to beat him, the king had prevailed once again.

Or so he thought.

With an ear-piercing screech, Bemular shot out of the waves besides the immobilized Godzilla. The reptile’s momentum launched him into the air, allowing his downed foe to see his own battle-scarred body. Using gravity to aid his worn form, Bemular brought down his foot on the alpha’s gut.  Godzilla spasmed violently, wheezing for lost breath as the air was pushed from his lungs by the blow. He weakly thrashed around, unable to find the second wind he needed in his pain-wracked state. With the apex predator weakened, Cameron made Bemular move in. The mogul mimicked grasping the titan’s jaws, making his alien puppet perform the task in reality. Fighting weakly against his actions, Godzilla’s orbs caught Bemular’s lips as fire churned behind them before recognizing the reptile’s intention.

Desperation surged his body with energy, but the second wind came too late as Bemular’s mouth dipped over his own. The fiend fired his Pale Heat Wave down the elder’s throat, flooding his throat and stomach with azure flames. Godzilla’s muffled screams filled the air as he convulsed and slashed blindly at Bemular, but his unfocused attacks were ignored as the extra-terrestrial continued firing. As his struggles began to lessen, some of the watching crew turned away from the sight and gagged as the stench of burning flesh hovered over the waves.

At last, the assault ended. Bemular dropped the motionless Godzilla, his head hitting the water as dark smoke drifted from his bleeding maw. Despite the damage, the titan’s chest heaved with difficult breaths, and his half-lidded gaze stared up at the spiky foreigner in defiance. It was exactly what Cameron wanted as he made Bemular lift up the beaten king. As the reptile’s claws restrained him by the head and neck, he made sure to dig one digit into the leviathan’s temple, earning a grunt from his barely conscious captive.

An unfamiliar buzzing caught Godzilla’s ears, growing in volume as it approached. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a brief glimpse of a Cyber Fly before it disappeared behind his head. The artificial insect made its way to Bemular’s incision and prepared its stinger, then sank it into the exposed flesh and delivered its payload. The neural controller instantly hooked itself into the wound as it dug further into the apex’s skull. Desperately, Godzilla shook his head to try and remove the aching pain as a strange dullness began to overtake him. Within seconds, his struggles had ceased and Bemular released him, leaving the King of the Monsters to stare blankly.

Cameron reached atop his headset, flicking the switch to disable the machine and began removing the equipment. With his signal no longer active, the receivers on the two monsters switched over to basic control, leaving them unresponsive in the water. Redressing himself, Cameron made his way back to the bridge, and was greeted with thunderous applause upon entering. The crew cheered and clapped, praising him on his victory and successful testing. The CEO said nothing for a while, his ego feeding on the applause given, even if some of it was far from enthusiastic. Making a mental note of the rebellious individuals and to dock their pay, he raised his hand for silence.

“Thank you, thank you!” he said with an unfitting smile. “I know that this is a momentous occasion in the history of this company, but there is no time to waste on celebration. Within the hour, a helicopter will be arriving to make me and Bemular to meet with the organizers of this project. After our departure, you will take this vessel and Godzilla back to our off-the-grid facility.” His smirk grew wider. “I cannot allow every success to go public, can I?”

There were nods and murmurs of agreement from the crowd before they departed back to their stations to resume the task of repairing the systems. Placing his hands behind his back, Cameron turned for the door.

“Oh, one more thing,” he announced to the security personnel at the doorway. “Make sure to keep an eye on the good skipper. I fear he may get himself into trouble if left… unsupervised.”

The captain swallowed, beads of sweat rolling down his skin as Cameron left the room with one last smirk in his direction. With that order, any hope of telling anyone what happened here was crushed. He silently cursed his lack of a backbone and the consequences that would now bring. In his younger years, he would be quicker to rebel against the wealthy criminal, but age was tempered that fire significantly. Like Godzilla and Bemular, he was but a puppet for the mogul, and had been ever since he’d been first approached years ago. The freshly-appointed CEO had been the only one to hire him due to his criminal history, and he had been grateful for that. But now he could see that it was simply a way to blackmail him into the man’s service. Ever the cheater, liar and accomplished businessman, Cameron Winter would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.

As he stared out the window at the two monster’s unresponsive forms, Captain Yoshimura could only wonder with dread what future awaited humanity now.

Winner: Bemular

Author: Joel Forsberg | Banner: Tyler Trieschock

Farou Island was silent.

Where there once stood an expansive village, there was nothing but sticks and straw. What few natives were still alive cowered beneath rocks and fallen logs, hoping to be spared.

Outside, trampling their once mighty home was a towering, pitch-black monster. A female M.U.T.O. on the prowl.

She hadn’t meant to slaughter the tiny humans when she entered the island; but, when they started chucking the tiny sticks, the M.U.T.O. decided to break through their mighty gate and destroy the town below. Even though their weapons hadn’t harmed the insectoid, she wasn’t willing to see if the hostile primates had anything that was more able.

But man was not that which had drawn her here. No, the M.U.T.O. sensed something much more valuable here: Radiation. Her natural sensors guided her to the stone walls around the village, a built in geiger counter telling her where the sustenance lay.

When she reached the peak of her senses, the arthropod began chiseling away with her massive pick-like claws, actually making decent headway against the stone wall.

As the M.U.T.O. raised her claw to strike into the mountain once more, a loud cry sounded from outside the stone cage. Cheers and cries of excitement were heard from the hiding places of the villagers, for they knew their savior had come!

The M.U.T.O. let out a curious chitter. The roar was unfamiliar; not like anything her line of evolution had programmed into her brain. Not like anything from her time. What could lie behind those walls?

From around the corner, a giant, humanoid hand grasped the rock wall, fur covering all but the fingers. King Kong, ruler of Farou Island, had arrived!

The massive gorilla looked at the carnage at his feet, then to the intruder before him. Kong’s lips curled back in a menacing snarl. The M.U.T.O. turned to Kong and shrieked, shrill and loud, a feeble attempt at intimidation.

But Kong was not easy to scare.

Without even the thought of a pause, he snagged a broken log that was once part of the massive gate. The mighty primate lunged toward the M.U.T.O. and struck her across the face. A cry of pain escaped the M.U.T.O.’s mouth as the wooden club shattered against her her jaw. Her stumbling was an invitation for Kong, who attempted to grab the arthropod’s massive, knuckle-walking arm. However, before his mighty grip could latch on, the M.U.T.O. spun around and swung both of her arms upward into Kong’s chin, sending the gorilla onto his back.

Air forcefully left King Kong’s lungs when he hit the ground, and he groaned in pain. By the time he managed to refocus, the M.U.T.O. was about to impale him with her claw!

Kong rolled out of the way just in time. The claw pierced where his heart was just seconds ago. The M.U.T.O. growled and sent her other claw, this time at the Apes head, but Kong rolled again. When his evasion met its climax, Kong reached out with all four of his appendages: his hands took hold of the arthropods long arms, while his giant, thumbed feet grabbed her head and snout.

Despite the M.U.T.O.’s struggles, Kong held on. His feet began slowly twisting as he attempted to snap the parasite’s neck!

The M.U.T.O. had to think fast. With lightning speed, one of her smaller, secondary arms shot out and stabbed Kong in the thigh. The pain shot through his leg like venom, prompting Kong to cry out and relinquish his grip. The M.U.T.O. took her chance and swung all four of her secondary appendages up. The giant primate was sent somersaulting back, only stopping when his back struck the rock wall.

Kong groaned from the pain and looked up at his opponent, who had finally freed her arms from the sand. The arthropod roared a challenge and charged once more, ready to slay her two legged assailant once and for all. Kong, however, was not so enthusiastic about such an idea. With his right arm extended against the wall, he stealthily grabbed a loose boulder from the cliffside. Through one eye, the ape took aim at the charging M.U.T.O.

As the arthropod galloped, Kong finally lobbed the giant stone. The M.U.T.O.’s charge was cut short when the massive rock struck her forearm. She tumbled and slid, rolling directly into Kong. Both monsters crashed through the stone wall and into the jungle outside, a mess of fur and legs with each trying to gain an advantage. Finally, Kong managed take the upper hand and kick his foe off. The M.U.T.O. landed on her side, the tussle having exhausted her completely.

Kong groggily rose to his feet, hindered by the wound in his leg, but undeterred. The gorilla started toward his fallen enemy, the M.U.T.O. trying hard to regain consciousness. In his final step, Kong pressed his foot down upon the M.U.T.O.’s front arm. With his other foot, he restrained the other mighty claw. The eighth wonder of the world squatted, positioning himself safe from the reach of the M.U.T.O.’s other arms, and pressed his right hand upon the insectoid’s head. The M.U.T.O. groaned, half in pain, half in sorrow, as the palm on her face began crushing her cranium…

A shrill cry sounded through the fog above and echoed around the island. Kong’s eyes shot toward the sky as he attempted to locate the source of the noise. Was it a condor, simply waiting for the death for the creature below him? Or something new?

The King of Farou Island got his answer when a coal black blur dived out of the fog, pushing him off the the Female and into the forest below. Kong grunted when he hit the ground, his mind racing like a horse as he tried to figure out what just happened. No condor could have done that. What kind of creature had the power to knock him over in one blow?

A cloud of dust rose as whatever had struck the mighty gorilla landed in front of the fallen Female. Kong pushed himself into a sitting position to get a better look at his new attacker.

The dust settled, revealing another M.U.T.O. But this creature was smaller, lighter, and definitely had a few less appendages than his larger counterpart. Kong was confused as to how a miniature version of his foe from before could be so powerful.

Suddenly, the smaller M.U.T.O. took a wide stance and raised its head, attempting to be threatening. Kong scoffed, right up until a pair of massive wings uncloaked from its back, accompanied by a deafening screech from the winged monsters toothy beak.

The Female looked up at the newcomer through her drunken daze and whimpered in happiness. A male had heard her cries and come to meet his mate, and, in the process, saved her life; a knight in brimstone armor.

The two combatants wasted no time. Simultaneously, they charged, each ready to rip the other to shreds. As Kong neared closer, the mighty gorilla reached out to grab the insect’s throat. The M.U.T.O. launched over Kong’s grip with a flap of his mighty wings and batted the apes face with his massive arms, planting the blow directly in the ape’s nose and knocking him onto his backside.

Kong sat, dazed. He rose a mighty palm to his nose and tested the area beneath it with his massive fingers. When the hand entered his vision again, the tips of his fingers were painted dark red with his blood.

But before he could even react to the liquid, the M.U.T.O. had circled back. The arthropod hooked into the flesh of Kong’s shoulders with his pike-like claws, eliciting a roar of pain from the great ape. Kong’s cries only encouraged the M.U.T.O., who dragged the primate along with his flight.

It didn’t take long for Kong to push through the pain, and his cries of agony were replaced by a hateful snarl. Kong took the M.U.T.O.’s arms and swung downward. Releasing a shriek of surprise, the multi-legged monster slammed face first into the ground with all six of his limbs of his limbs sticking up in a comical manner.

King Kong beat his chest with a howl of pleasure. He was the king of this island. He was the ruler of these lands! No puny insect could defeat him!

His victory dance was cut short when the M.U.T.O. caught him beneath the kneecap with a secondary claw. The king of the apes bent over with a moan of pain, positioning himself perfectly for the M.U.T.O. to kick him in the top of the head. Kong was sent rolling backward from the blow, but was fortunately stopped.

Or, at least he thought fortunately. When he looked up, the hulking form of the Female M.U.T.O. stared down at him. The giant primate just barely managed to evade a downward blow from the claws of the M.U.T.O. and jumped to his feet. Kong shot a glare at his revived opponent just in time to see her ally land beside her. The Female turned to look at her savior and cooed in appreciation, the Male returning with a soft cry of his own. When they finished exchanging pleasantries, the familiar creatures turned back toward their common foe.

Beating his chest, Kong roared aloud and charged again. The M.U.T.O.s returned the favor, with the Female charging forward and the Male taking to the skies. The gorilla and the female M.U.T.O. collided, arms interlocked, each pushing against each other. Kong’s prehensile toes gave him grip and he began gaining ground, the physical strain causing the Female to groan.

Luckily for her, the Male came to the rescue. With unrivaled aerial control, he dove down and spun around. As the winged insectoid flew backward, he hooked Kong’s mouth with on his arms. Kong was pulled away from the Female, stumbling with the momentum of his flying enemy to keep his cheek from being ripped open.

The Female let herself get reacquainted to the force of gravity without Kong’s weight on against her. As soon as she was stable again, the coal black kaiju charged again. The Male retrieved his claw from Kong’s mouth just before his mate slammed full force into the ape. Kong was slammed flat on his back, but this time he was ready. He used the momentum from falling backward to lash out with his foot and kick the parasite in the throat, giving him time to rise to his feet. The Female coughed as Kong rose, trying to uncrumple her trachea, but Kong lunged forward and wrapped his hands around her neck in an attempt to choke her.

A panicked cry signaled the Male preparing another onslaught. The Female hoped her mate could get the great ape off her. Her wish was to be granted, but at the expense of the Male.

Kong released her throat at the last second. His instincts served him well, and he was able to snag the winged arthropods arms. The male M.U.T.O. gasped in response to the added weight. Kong hooted and hollered, pleased this strategy had worked, but his success didn’t last long. The M.U.T.O. turned abruptly and slammed Kong into the side of a massive cliff. Kong’s grip loosened and he fell to his knees. Right as he snapped out of his daze, the Female charged from behind and slammed him into the rock. Then, as he began to fall, the Male glided sideways and caught Kong across the face, somehow knocking the gorilla back onto his feet.

Kong’s stumbling gave way for the Female to ram him once more. This time, however, she pinned him in place. The Ape slumped down. He would have hit the floor, but the Female had him stuck in place.

Kong couldn’t win. One on one, the ape could handle himself quite well, but the combined might of the two M.U.T.O.’s was too much. He couldn’t fight them, not together.

That when it happened. The clap of thunder echoed through the air, perking Kong’s ears. When he looked up, the repeated flash of lightning met him.

An idea flooded his mind, immediately followed by determination. As the M.U.T.O. prepared to clamp her jaws on his throat, Kong grabbed her smallest arm and pulled it clean off. The grey arthropod cried out and stumbled away, and Kong immediately began scaling the rock wall, catching the attention of the male M.U.T.O. The winged arthropod launched into the air, but not unnoticed. Kong heard the mighty flaps of the M.U.T.O.’s wings and formulated a plan.

The M.U.T.O. attempted a head on assault merely for Kong to leap into the air, allowing the M.U.T.O. to fly into the rock wall below him. The prehistoric parasite squealed as he smacked face first into the crags, followed directly by Kong kicking down with both feet, right into his spine. Next thing the Male knew he was slamming on top of his downed partner, sending them both to the ground.

Kong hooted and pounded one fist against his broad chest. After establishing his dominance, the ape continued to scale the rocky wall. His agile hands wrapped around roots and crags, then pulled his bulk up. This process repeated until he finally reached the top.

Kong pulled his leg over the ledge and looked up. The thunderstorm was still there, but beginning to weaken. Kong didn’t even think;  he simply thrusted his fists into the clouds above, electric energy crackling and traveling down his arms. The initial shock did hurt, but after that it was smooth sailing.

At the base of the mountain, the monster power couple awoke. After both making sure the other was okay, they began to scale the mountain. The Female used her massive arms to climb up, while the Male simply soared into the sky. Naturally, he was the first to arrive at the top, and his arrival came with a dire prize.

A sudden strike hit underneath the M.U.T.O.’s jaw, quick and powerful. But the force of the blow was not the only thing that harmed him. Crackling electricity surged through the Male’s veins, shocking him in both meanings of the word.

Kong let out a hearty laugh as he watched the insectoid monster stumble about in confusion. He soon landed another punch on the Male’s face, followed by another in the opposite direction. The Male was stunned by the electricity, but obeyed his natural instinct to get away. A flap of his mammoth wings lifted him backward and into the air, but Kong was not done

Kong snagged the M.U.T.O.’s secondary arms with lightning speed. Thousands of volts of electricity traveled up the insectoids limbs, causing him to screech in pain. Smoke rose from his charring from, joining the grey clouds above.

King Kong let out a another series of victory growls. This creature would be roasted within its shell; a fitting meal for the ruler of Farou Island!

Suddenly, the vascular patterns around the M.U.T.O.’s body began pulsing. The pulse started out steadily, but grew faster and faster by the moment. Though his torrent of voltage continued streaming into the M.U.T.O.’s body, Kong’s eyes shifted from bloodlust to fascination.

What was happening? Was this a symptom of death for this creature?

Suddenly, the Male slammed his massive primary claws into the ground below. A strange, vibrating pulse erupted from the space where it had landed, washing over Kong. The force stumbled him, but he kept his grip tight.

But something was wrong. The blue energy no longer crackled around the insect’s hulking form or around Kong’s fists.

Kong gulped in fear. It wasn’t just his super charged fists that were deactivated, but some of the electrical energy he had stored over his lifetime. He felt frail and weak.

The male M.U.T.O. cackled in amusement and jumped into action. His fanged beak closed on Kong’s shoulder, forcing a loud roar from the ape. His massive wings began pounding against the air and with surprising strength, he lifted himself and Kong off the ground. Kong squealed in surprise and proceeded to beat his massive fists against the winged creature’s back. It was in futility however, and the M.U.T.O. let himself fall on top of the ape, snapping Kong’s ribs and stressing his spine. Kong gasped at the pain of his foes weight. For such a frail creature, it packed a punch!

By the time Kong had finished that thought, he was already falling once more. His broken bones were forced farther into his organs when the M.U.T.O. fell upon him again. The ape wheezed, trying to think of a way out of this situation while the Male lifted up once more before the flying M.U.T.O. slammed Kong down again, breaking one of the apes ribs, sending it upward and piercing his flesh. Kong felt the bone split his flesh and screamed in angui. He wasn’t the only creature to scream in agony as the rib flew up and stabbed the flying arthropod in the stomach, causing him to surrender his grip on Kong’s shoulder in exchange for a wail of his own.

After finishing his cry of pain, Kong uprooted a tree and swung it hard across the M.U.T.O.’s face, forcing the overgrown insect off of his chest. But Kong knew the arthropod was resilient. He didn’t have much time before the M.U.T.O. would be upon him again. The ape king forced himself to get up despite the pain in his ribcage and ran for the precipice.

Unfortunately, for both him and the female M.U.T.O., she had just begun to climb over the edge. Kong collided into her at full speed, sending both combatants off the edge. His mammalian cries of terror mixed with her reverberating cry of surprise. The two kaiju pounded away at each other, each not wanting to be the one who died before they hit the ground.

The fall seemed to last forever. The Female’s claws pierced Kong’s back while he pounded at her face and shoulders, each hoping to land a lucky blow before the ground landed one first.

The female M.U.T.O. heard a desperate screech. Before she could look up, she felt something hook around the middle portion of her powerful arm and pull. The Female looked up and saw her soon-to-be mate, struggling to carry her massive weight. A groan escaped his massive jaws as he tried to carry his mammoth partner, flapping his huge wings with more urgency than ever.

The sudden stop of Kong’s assailant caused him to slip. He began falling, but reached out just in time and grabbed the M.U.T.O. by her secondary arm. The arthropod chattered in pain from the extra pressure on her limb. Kong, not wanting to depend on his foe for stability reached out for the rock wall with one of his massive arms…

So the Female cleaved his other one off.

Without his grip on the parasites arm, Kong plummeted toward the earth, roaring all the way down. His remaining arm flailed as he fell, while the other held tight to the M.U.T.O.’s limb. When he tried to grab onto the rock wall, the stones scraped and cut his fingers, tearing up the flesh and forcing him to recoil.

Another roar escaped his mouth, this time filled with hate instead of fear. The desire to kill the monsters above him swelled within his gut and clouded his mind!

With those final feelings, Kong crashed into the floor. Dust exploded from the impact zone, rising into the air and coating the area.

The Female looked down, curious as to what would greet her. When cloud dissipated, she almost wished she hadn’t.

Kong’s back was bent upward unnaturally. His massive arm was contorted in such a demented fashion that even the M.U.T.O. felt sick. The apes pink tongue dangled from his lifeless jaws. The life in his eyes had disappeared, but the burning hatred lingered.

Finally, the Male dropped his partner to the ground, and she landed harmlessly. Her winged carrier, however, was not so gracious. His lightheadedness from carrying the Female caused his landing to be drunken and unstable.

When he began to fall, the Female was there. She placed her head beneath his chest and pushed him up, helping him regain his footing. When his legs were properly placed once more, the Female rested her head on his wing and let out a heavy breath. The fight had been long and grueling, but thanks to the Male, she survived. Without its assistance, her head would be nothing more than a puddle on the ground.

After the long embrace, the Female lead her winged partner back to the village. The Male chirped in surprise when he saw where Kong and the Female had broken through the rock wall. Embedded within the stone was a thin layer of glowing green rock. His mouth watered as he got closer to the radioactive substance, hunger boiling within. As soon as he arrived at the wall, the pair sprung forward and began snapping up the green shards of radioactive rock. They gorged themselves until it was almost impossible to eat more, clearing the area of the poisonous emeralds. By the time the nucleavores had filled themselves, there was still chunks scattered across the landscape. They hadn’t even gotten to the walls yet!

The sound of tiny marching caught their attention. They looked down and were greeted by a crowd of the tiny primates that had assaulted the Female previously, holding a massive barrel. The Female lowered her massive head, facing the humans with a low chatter. Most of them stumbled back, but the brave few holding the barrel stood their ground. They slowly set down the barrel and kneeled before the monster.

The Female stood her ground with a suspicious growl, examining the contents of the barrel. Behind her, the Male shifted nervously, ready to attack if things went sour.

Hesitantly, the Female leaned forward and stuck her tongue in the barrel. Her red patterns pulsed with excitement when she tasted the liquid inside. The radioactive material might have been filling, but this new substance was like a drug. She wrapped the front of her jaws around it and tilted her head, downing the juice.

Upon seeing this, the Male trotted forward. The primitives brought forward another barrel, which he chugged.

Collectively, the humans brought their faces to the ground, then back up; a show of worship.

The couple stood before their newfound servants, slowly realizing what was happening. With the death of Kong, these people would need a new protector. The M.U.T.O.s, upon tasting the sweet berry juice, desired more from the humans. It was a perfect symbiotic match.

As a wave of drowsiness from the soma berries washed over them, the M.U.T.O.s observed their new domain. The Female rested her head upon her partner’s as they both lowered themselves to the ground to the sound of a rhythmic drumbeat, played by the natives below.

The kaiju’s dreams were filled with visions of what they would do with their newfound territory.

Winner: M.U.T.O.

 

Author: Patrick Alan Green | Banner: Dao Zang Moua

Something was very wrong…

A full moon gleamed overhead. A series of mysterious tremors and strong gales rocked a small village near Mount Fuji. The fearful families of the mountain ran to their homes to pray, clutching their loved ones for comfort. The wind howls violently before being drowned out by the sound of loud, booming footsteps. An eerie presence made itself known. Something supernatural had found that tiny village that night. Something rarely seen by human eyes, something… Unbelievable.

The lake demon, Varan, had appeared to curse the village with its merciless malice. The devilish creature brought with it the wrath of Mother Nature. Fierce gusts of wind nearly blew the village away. Yet it all underscored Varan’s primal fury.

On four legs, Varan crawled forward, growling and snarling as it trampled through huts with what seemed like a twinkle of glee in its eye. Its spiked tail swatted the houses behind it, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

This creature was no mere animal, but truly a living disaster. One of the many curses casted on mankind to punish them for their arrogance…

The wind died down and a thick mist suddenly rolled in, covering the village with a blanket of fog… Then the sound of large footsteps echoed across the mountain, growing louder and louder until complete silence.

Varan sniffed the air and let out a deep growl—shrouded by the dense fog, stood a monster from some bygone era. The beast stepped forward, its ferocious, yellow eyes glaring out from beneath the creature’s heavy brow, fixed on Varan with full predatory intent.

Its jaws opened wide to let out a loud reverberating roar that climbed to a chilling crescendo. There was no doubt who this ancient monster was; Godzilla had been awakened. Disturbed by the supernatural presents of Varan, now he had risen once more to rid the world from another imbalance.

Varan accepted Godzilla’s challenge. Rearing his ugly head back, the monster let out a grumbling roar as he rose to his feet and charged forward, eager to meet his enemy head on.

Godzilla had the advantage of size over his spiny foe. Grabbing the enormous spikes protruding from the back of Varan’s head, he slung the fabled lake monster through the air before driving him face first through a shrine with a thundering boom.

Varan’s spiny tail whipped back and forth, lashing Godzilla over and over until he relinquished his grasp. The ancient saurian stumbled back before catching himself. His eyes narrowed. He dropped into a defensive crouch like a prized fighter preparing for battle. He threw his head back and parted his maw, echoing a powerful bellow. There was no mistaking the seething primordial fury. Godzilla had full intent in ripping this ghoulish lizard apart with his bare hands!

Lightning flashed overhead. Rain fell in sheets, beating down the monsters’ backs in cascades.

Varan opened his jaws, flashing a mouth lined with dagger-like fangs. He spread his arms wide, revealing a thin membrane that gave him the ability to glide. He leapt forward, taking to the sky, gliding swiftly toward the mountainous predatory beast with unbelievable speed. Amidst what was left of the village, both monsters clashed.

Varan sank his fangs deep into the monster king’s throat, gallons of blood gushing forth. Godzilla howled in pain, grabbing his enemy by the arm. He slammed Varan through a series of huts, crushing them under the monster’s weight. Varan squirmed on the ground before rolling back to his feet, hissing and growling as he leapt forward, slamming into Godzilla’s massive bulk. Godzilla snapped and clawed at Varan, who in return, slashed at his eyes.

The mighty saurian towered over Varan and was significantly heavier and stronger as well, but the demon monster did not back off. Grimacing in pain, Godzilla gripped Varan’s face and charged head on, shoving him through trees big and small. Varan pushed against Godzilla’s might, but his clawed feet dragged through the dirt, unable to fight against his enemy’s power.

The spiked demon groaned in frustration before tearing himself free from Godzilla’s grasp. Varan leapt back, watching carefully as Godzilla lumbered forward. Varan let out a shrieking roar and jumped forward, driving his leathery knee hard into Godzilla’s throat!

Godzilla let out a shrill roar as he fell backward with an earth shattering crash, hacking and gagging on the ground.

Sensing victory, Varan closed in for the kill.

Godzilla’s eyes narrowed in anticipation of an attack. His nostrils flared and bared his fangs. He roared defiantly, challenging Varan. He had not come all this way to be beaten by this puny lizard.

Thunder boomed and lightning crashed, striking Godzilla’s jagged back plates like a lightning rod. Surging with electricity, his back plates, one by one, began to illuminate with a brilliant blue radiance, lighting up the night sky with a breathtaking glow.

Godzilla opened his maw wide and exhaled a gust of rippling, super-heated vapor. A spark ignited in the back of his throat and a searing blast of blue flames violently erupted from his jaws. Taking the full force of Godzilla’s powerful atomic breath, Varan was driven back, screeching in agony before collapsing, its tail twitching uncontrollably as the monster gasped for air. Unable to defend himself, Varan’s eyes widened as Godzilla climbed back to his feet, like a mountain thrusting up from the Earth.

Varan was ripe for the kill. Godzilla opened his jaws once more, but an unfamiliar cry caught his attention…

Descending from the mountaintop, an enormous, humanoid giant bellowed majestically as it tumbled off the mountainside and onto the war zone. Standing high above the village was the one referred to as “the spirit of the mountain.” Sanda had been drawn by the destruction of the village, his eyes surveying the land. Huts lay smashed, innocent families trampled to death; all this deeply enraged Sanda.

His sorrow quickly turned to fury. The brown Gargantua spun around and delivered a devastating sucker punch to Godzilla’s jaw, toppling the predatory dinosaur to the ground with a thud. Sanda quickly turned to Varan’s downed body and, without a moment’s hesitation, lifted the helpless monster up and flung him off the hillside, sending the creature careening into the rocks below.

Godzilla was already climbing back to his feet. Sanda kneeled down, uprooting a tree. He turned to face Godzilla. Lunging forward, he swung his weapon as hard as he could into Godzilla’s snout, sending the alpha predator stumbling backward. Sanda dropped the tree and rushed forward, tackling Godzilla to the ground, wrapping his powerful hands around Godzilla’s throat. The legendary monster hacked and gagged, snapping his jaws wildly as Sanda squeezed tighter, choking the monster with all his might.

Varan crawled back up the hillside. Rearing his head back, the spiny dragon let out a roar as he leapt into the air, pouncing on the hairy, brown giant’s back, digging his talon-like claws deep into the ribs of the mighty Gargantua. Sanda howled in pain as the hideous lizard sank his teeth into his shoulder, sending thick, red blood streaming down the giant’s massive, stone-like body, staining his fur. Sanda stumbled backward, slamming Varan into the side of the hill, trying to knock the flying reptile off.

Godzilla let out an aggressive roar as he climbed back to his feet and charged forward, slamming his incredible bulk into the two battling monsters with tremendous force, sending both feuding giants crashing to the ground. Varan grumbled before quickly jumping back to his feet, sneering as he leapt back into the air. Godzilla snarled as he glared at Varan circling him from above, taunting the great monster king. His tail whipped back and forth in anger. He bared his fangs, daring his enemy to fly closer.

The standoff gave Sanda a chance to recover, crawling back to his feet. The hairy giant sprinted toward Godzilla, hoping to knock him back down while he dealt with Varan.
Godzilla grimaced and quickly spun around to meet Sanda face to face. Opening his maw, he released an unexpected blast of fiery atomic breath that splashed across Sanda’s hairy chest. Shimmering blue flames blistered and scorched his skin before sending the Gargantua crashing backward, collapsing to the ground with an excruciating scream.

Varan dived at his prehistoric enemy while he had his back turned, claws bared and ready to strike. Godzilla hastily spun back around, snapping his jaws around Varan’s leg. Varan slashed at his throat, slicing through his scaly armor to the vulnerable flesh below. Varan tore himself free and clung tightly to Godzilla’s shoulder, sinking his teeth deep into the legendary monster’s gill, tearing chunks of pink flesh as his teeth gnashed tendons apart. Godzilla stumbled back from the attack, but did not fall. His jaw dropped, choking and gasping as he tried to fire off another blast of his breath, but the draconic flames sputtered and died out.

Smoke billowed from his nostrils. Blood and bile leaked from his damaged gill. Varan glided over the mountainous dinosaur, strafing him from above, keeping just out of reach of Godzilla’s slashing claws. Sharp, talon-like claws went for his eyes, but Godzilla managed to keep Varan at bay with his snapping jaws.

Sanda began to stir, weakly rising to his feet. He frantically patted his smoldering fur as he watched the two dueling reptiles snap and rip at each other with animalistic aggression.
Sanda grabbed a massive boulder and rushed toward them, rock in hand. He drove the boulder savagely into the back of Godzilla’s skull, dropping the enormous beast to the ground with a thud.

Varan let out a piercing screech and swooped down after the giant, but Sanda quickly chucked what was left of the busted boulder at Varan, knocking the reptile out of the sky like a swatted fly. The varanid nose-dived to the ground with a resonating thud. Sanda let out a furious roar as he bent over and grasped Varan’s squirming tail, swinging the monster with all his might against the mountainside, sending an avalanche of boulders topping down and burying the monster lizard in a blanket of rock and dirt, dust swallowing the area.

Sanda scowled, focusing his attention back to Godzilla, who was rising to his feet, unwilling to stay down. As Sanda and Godzilla circled each other, Varan came erupting from his rocky tomb and hastily sprung to the air, flapping his arms as he glided nimbly toward the two monsters about to face off. Sanda turned from Godzilla and jumped up, grabbing Varan by the throat, pulling him down just long enough for Godzilla to snap his powerful jaws around the flying reptile’s arm and swing Varan to the dirt like a toy.

Godzilla drove his massive foot into Varan’s chest, pinning the devilish monster to the ground. Sanda backed away, watching as Varan kicked and screamed under Godzilla’s clawed foot, desperately trying to free himself. Varan thrashed and kicked his feet into Godzilla’s stomach desperately, over and over again, until Godzilla couldn’t take it anymore. Backing off, Varan took the opportunity to crawl out of the crater he had been stomped into.

Sanda sprinted forward, delivering a powerful punch to Varan’s jaw, driving him back to the ground. Godzilla loomed over Varan, rearing his head back and snapping his jaws around the spiky lizard’s shoulder, crunching bone as he bit down. Varan kicked and scratched, screeching out in agony as he tried to tear himself free. Sanda drove his massive foot into the temple of Varan’s head over and over again without mercy, until the monster was knocked unconscious.

Godzilla released his hold of Varan and slowly turned to Sanda, who was glaring at him, eager to finish their fight. Sanda sprinted forward, locking his fists together, The Gargantua leapt into the air, driving his interlocked fists with tremendous might into Godzilla’s head, knocking the giant dinosaur down to one knee. Godzilla caught himself and swung his massive right arm, looking to slash the brown giant, but Sanda dodged and delivered a powerful left-hook, followed by a strong right-hook into Godzilla’s jaw, like a boxer swinging away with everything in him.

Godzilla lunged forward, but Sanda grabbed Godzilla around the neck and wrestled the enormous monster to the ground, pummeling his fists without letup into Godzilla’s face. Blood leaked from the corners of his jaws and nostrils. Jagged teeth broke off with every punch.

Godzilla thrashed wildly like an alligator, completely overpowering Sanda. Godzilla broke loose of Sanda’s grasp and rose back to his feet and flipped the mountain giant over his shoulder, body slamming Sanda the ground below with a booming thud that shook the whole area.

Varan’s eyes snapped open. The spiky demon rose to his feet and shook his head, poising himself. Godzilla had already taken notice and was charging forward like a cheetah in pursuit.
Varan grimaced and dropped his head, ramming his spines through his enemy’s armored chest. Sharp spines penetrated straight through his flesh, pumping cold reptilian blood onto the trees below.

Godzilla, mortally wounded, cried out in agony, before stumbling back and dropping to one knee. Blood drained like a river from his chest as he lowered his head, glaring at his wounds. Godzilla focused his attention to Varan, waiting in anticipation for the spiny demon to deliver the next attack.

Varan reared his ugly head back and let out a loud, aggressive roar that quickly turned into an awful gagging sound – Sanda appeared behind the spiky monster, wrapping his enormous, tree trunk-like arms around the demon’s scaly throat, choking the creature from behind. Wrestling the giant lizard to the ground with savage aggression, Sanda twisted Varan’s head, bearing down tremendous pressure until the vertebrae in his neck snapped with a nasty cracking sound…

Varan was no more.

The giant of the mountains tossed Varan’s lifeless corpse to the side and rose to his feet as he nervously stared down Godzilla. Sanda turned and snapped off one of Varan’s stalagmite-like spines from his back and raised it like a giant baseball bat, ready to swing away, daring Godzilla to come closer.

Godzilla mustered up all his energy and rose back to his feet, stepping forward, not willing to back down. Rivers of blood pumped from his wounds. He let out another loud resonating roar – then suddenly trembled. His mighty legs buckled under his weight and the legendary monster fell to the ground like a collapsing skyscraper, too exhausted to move.

Sanda waved his arms high in the air in triumph, bellowing out a mighty roar as he kicked Godzilla’s semiconscious body down the hill, crashing into a lake below with a massive splash. Godzilla slowly lost consciousness as his enormous body sank, disappearing under the shimmering waves.

Sanda turned to get one last look at what was left of the village, frowning. He shook his head as he limped back up the mountain, disappearing quickly among the thick trees and fog.

It was a victory for Sanda, but it didn’t feel quite like one to him.

Winner: Sanda

This article is a comprehensive K.W.C. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). It covers everything from allowed combatants to the process behind the banners that are featured in each match. We hope this answers any questions you may have had about the K.W.C. and helps you with any matches you plan on writing in the future!

1. How to Make a K.W.C. Match
2. The Rules of the K.W.C.
3. And Now, the Monsters!
4. General Stuff
5. History/Background of the K.W.C.

1. HOW TO MAKE A K.W.C. MATCH

So! How do I get into the K.W.C.?

First, write a match or make a video, then send it to us. If it meets our approval, then you’re in! However (and this should go without saying): Do not steal someone else’s work. If you do, then you will be banned from the K.W.C. and any stories that you may have in the K.W.C. will be taken down and all further stories you send in will be ignored and deleted.

Where do I send it once it is finished?
PM it to our Verifiers who are GodzillavsJason, or Shippersdreamer at the moment. If they think it is good enough, they will send it to either KaijuX or Greyshot151. Remember to submit your submission to 1 Verifier. Double submissions will only slow down the process.

You can submit it via private message on the Tohokingdom forums or via email. For our verifiers, it is the following:

GodzillavsJason – alexwilliams4298@gmail.com

Shippersdreamer – pikafan01@gmail.com

I didn’t get a response. Does that mean my match didn’t make it in?

Not necessarily. Please keep in mind that Greyshot151 aka Tyler Trieschock has a lot of K.W.C. matches to read, not to mention that he has other, non-K.W.C. things to do, so you may not get a response even if they’ve accepted your match.

It’s been a week and my match still isn’t up yet! What’s taking so long?

Keep in mind that even if your match makes it in, matches aren’t always posted in the order they are received. You could be waiting for weeks or possibly even months before it’s posted. Anthony Romero, the site owner, does have a little something off the Internet called a real life (as we all do). Be patient, and your match will be up in time.

How is the banner for my match handled? Do I request what I want on it, or…?

When you send in your match, be sure to include the location it takes place in (Tokyo, Monster Island, New York, Planet X, etc.), as well as whether it happens at day or night. Once your match has been given final approval by Tyler, he will create your banner to finalize your match or send it to an awesome creator like Jackson Morris or Andrew Sudomerski.

Anything else I should know?
All we really ask of your matches is that they’re coherent, have proper spelling and grammar and, most of all, that they’re fun. Other than that, have at it, and have fun!

2. THE RULES OF THE K.W.C.

Can two people co-write a match together?

Yes.

Can I call dibs on a match?

Yes. We actually have a whole thread based on calling dibs, which you can find [here].

Can I call dibs on several matches?

No. We’ve had some issues about this in the past. It’s unfair to others who may also want to do a particular fight if you’ve called dibs on ten or so matches. Just call dibs on one match at a time. Also, calling dibs on a new match immediately after finishing one isn’t really any different from calling dibs on multiple matches, so please, after completing one match, wait a while before calling dibs on another.

Can I write Maguma and Gezora vs. Destoroyah?

No nonsense matches, if you please. One-sided matches are not against the rules, per se – We do have a few, like Match 26: Gyaos (Heisei) vs. Biollante and Match 64: Monster X vs. Gorosaurus. But please try to refrain from insanely mismatched fights like the one mentioned above. Thank you.

Are rematches (for example, another King Kong vs. SpaceGodzilla) allowed?

Yes.

Are subtitles (Biollante vs. Gabara: The Really Epic Battle of Total Awesomeness!) allowed?

For the most part, no, they are not. The only exception is if the fight is a rematch, in which case it will be titled “Monster A vs. Monster B: Round 2” (or Round 3, Round 4, etc).

But what about Bagan vs. Every—

Match 56: Bagan vs. Everyone: Fallout was written before this rule was finalized. We will be sticking to this rule from now on.

It said on WikiZilla that Zilla can shoot acid from his stomach. Can I use that in a match?

For future reference, please avoid outside resources like Wikipedia or WikiZilla for info, at least when it comes to the K.W.C. If you must have a list of powers handy so you know what a monster can and cannot do, then please use the stats from the Monster Bios. They come straight from Toho, the people behind the movies, and from other official merchandise, thus making the stats here THE official stats.

3. AND NOW, THE MONSTERS!

There are so many monsters in the K.W.C. roster! Are there any that aren’t allowed?

Yes. Only monsters that had Toho involvement are allowed, either by direct creation (Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, Gaira, Zone Fighter), distributing the film in theaters or on video (Gamera, Legion, Ultraman, Gomora, Goliath) or other related media (Bagan, Krystalak, Obsidius). Any monsters whose media were not created/distributed by Toho are not applicable to the K.W.C. Among the off limits creatures are:

• Agamo, Cerebulon, Congar, Kineticlops, Magmo, Preytor, Raptros, Robo-47, Togera, Ultra V, Zorgulon (War of the Monsters)
• Agon
• The Amazing Colossal Man
• Angels, Evangelions (Neon Genesis Evangelion series)
• Any Ultraman-related kaiju/seijin not listed [here]
• Audrey II
• Barugon, Gamera, Guiron, Gyaos, Jiger, Toto, Viras, Zedus and Zigra (Showa Gamera series and Gamera the Brave)
• Big Man Japan
• Buraki and Imoogi
• Charles Barkley
• Clover
• Daimajin
• The Deadly Mantis
• Death Kappa, Hangyolas
• Dinocroc, Supergator
• The Fifty Foot Woman
• Gappa
• Garasharp
• Gehara
• Gfantis
• The Giant Behemoth
• The Giant Claw
• The Giant Gila Monster
• Giant God Warrior (Giant God Warrior Appears in Tokyo)
• Gigantor
• Gipsy Danger, Striker Eureka, Cherno Alpha, and Crimson Typhoon
• Guilala
• Goldar / Ambassador Magma
• Gorgo
• Gundam Mobile Suits
• Gwoemul (The Host)
• Insectosaurus, Ginormica (Monsters vs. Aliens)
• Johnny Sokko’s Flying Robot / Giant Robo
• King Kong (1933, 1976 and 2005 incarnations)
• Knifehead, Otachi, Leatherback, Scunner, Raiju, Slattern
• Konga
• Kraa
• The Kraken (Clash of the Titans)
• The Kraken (Pirates of the Caribbean)
• Little Kong
• Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger
• Mega Shark, Giant Octopus, Crocosaurus, Mecha Shark, and Kolossus
• Megazord, Dragonzord, etc. / Daizyujin, Dragon Caesar, etc.
• Mighty Joe Young
• Negadon, Miroku
• Optimus Prime, Megatron, Grimlock, or any of the other Autobots, Decepticons, Dinobots, Constructicons, Predacons, etc.
• Poseidon Rex
• Pulgasari
• Raiga
• Ralph, George, Lizzy (Rampage)
• Red, Solomon, Acacius (Godzilla NES Creepypasta)
• Red Baron
• Reigo
• Reptilicus
• The Rhedosaurus (The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms)
• Sharktopus
• Spectreman
• The Staypuft Marshmallow Man
• Take-Majin (Monster X Strikes Back)
• Tromie (Class of Nuke ‘Em High Part 2: Subhumanoid Meltdown)
• Tyrannosaurus, Spinosaurus, Indominus Rex (Jurassic Park series)
• Vastatosaurus Rex (King Kong (2005))
• Voltron
• The Ymir
• Yongary / Yonggary, Cyker
• Zarkorr

Even if a monster is directly related to Toho and Godzilla, they must have either a suit, figure, or a detailed 3D model to use for the banners. Otherwise, they’d look out of place when fighting the “rubber suit” monsters. They must also have a list of known powers (so we know what we’re writing about). These rules mean that none of the monsters from the following sources can be allowed:

• Hanna-Barbera’s The Godzilla Show (The Power Dragon, Axor, the Earth Eater)
• Godzilla: The Series (King Cobra, El Gusano, the Crackler)
• Marvel’s Godzilla comic series (Yetrigar, the Beta-Beast, Rhiahn)
• Dark Horse’s Godzilla comics (Bagorah, Gekido-jin, Cybersaur)
• IDW’s Godzilla comics (Magita, Godzilla In Hell demons)
• Unfilmed Godzilla movies (Gigamoth, Deutalios, Redmoon, Ghost Godzilla, etc.)

Wow, that’s a lot. Am I allowed to add any new monsters to the roster, then?

As long as they meet all the requirements mentioned in the previous question, then yes, you can. Just be ready to explain their eligibility if their connection to Toho seems a bit shaky to others. We’ve had some trouble with this before (Agon, specifically).

Wait a second, what are C-Rex and Cyber Godzilla doing—
As previously said, the main reason we don’t allow cartoon monsters in the K.W.C. is that they’re cartoons and wouldn’t look right alongside the ‘real life’ monsters. However, as you can see, we’ve found images of those two monsters that are not cartoons.

Wait another second, there’s a monster in Match 56 that Toho had no hand in whatsoever!

All right, all right, we’ll address the elephant in the room. If you’ve read Match 56: Bagan vs. Everyone: Fallout, you’ve noticed that a certain underground monster transformed into a certain powered-up form which Toho had no hand in, in any way, shape or form. Those responsible have been sacked. It was a special, one-time-only thing. Don’t expect to see it happen again. So, please, put your illegal monsters away.

Wait a third second! In Match 133: Mechani-Kong vs. Baragon (Showa), Kumonga (Showa), Titanosaurus and Gigan (Millennium), Mechani-Kong is portrayed as a sentient being in command of his own army of aliens and kaiju and—
Tom Fairchild, one of the previous heads of the K.W.C., just pretty much says “Screw it” and does his own thing when he writes his matches. He is the exception that proves the rule.

I see that Zetton and Baltan appeared in Battle Soccer and the Evangelions in City Shrouded in Shadow; could we use those to loophole them into the K.W.C.?

Afraid not. Crossovers over in Japan generally aren’t Toho involved properties. They are, at best, given Toho’s blessing. Otherwise, Toho has no connections with those whatsoever.

Why are the names and stats different? I see on Toho Kingdom that the “Rogue Titan” is called Attack Titan or that Legendary Godzilla isn’t addressed as “Godzilla (MonsterVerse)”, or how Monster X is 110 meters and 58,000 tons. What’s up with that?

There are various reasons for the different naming, but most of it stems from the addition of a monster before Toho Kingdom updates with the official bios, with only prior-hand information to work off of. For the case of the MonsterVerse, Godzilla (Legendary) was added before this news came to light. For all intents and purposes, what we have is what we’ll stick with.

For the differing stats, most are a result of the K.W.C. staff taking some liberties to give more variety to the numbers.

Fine. So are transformations and alternate forms allowed?

To a certain point, yes. Those that have been given the green-light:

• Gigan’s upgraded chainsaw form and Showa counterpart.
• Hedorah and Destoroyah’s various forms.
• Heisei Mechagodzilla becoming Super Mechagodzilla.
• Showa Mechagodzilla wearing his Fake Godzilla skin, with the following movie designs allowed: 1955, 1962, 1964, 1965-1966, 1967, 1968-1972, 1973-1975.
• Battra going back and forth between larval and adult stages.
• MOGUERA splitting up into Land Moguera and Star Falcon.
• Mothra Leo is able to turn into Rainbow / Aqua / Armor Mothra.
• Burning Godzilla is allowed, though it is preferred that he not be treated as a mere “power-up” transformation.
• Super Godzilla is allowed, but like Burning Godzilla, don’t treat it as a mere “power-up” transformation. You may also use the Japanese or American versions as skins.
• Monster X turning into Keizer Ghidorah.
• SpaceGodzilla alternating between land and flying forms.
• Bagan’s Energy Body.
• Rodan turning into Fire Rodan.

And those that have not:

• Mothra Larva.
• Mothra Leo Larva.
• Biollante’s rose form.
• Cretaceous King Ghidorah.
• Godzillasaurus and Godzilla Junior mutating into Heisei Godzilla.

Wait, Showa Gigan wasn’t there before! What’s up with that? Does that mean we can’t use Millennium Gigan?
Gigan’s transition into other forms takes influence from the IDW comic series, Godzilla: Rulers of Earth. This does not affect Millennium Gigan in any way, but rather allows writers to have more fun with the character. Do not expect other established monsters (King Caesar, Kamacuras, Ebirah) to get this sort of mixed-incarnations treatment in the future.

Is there a limit to how many different incarnations of the same monster can be in the K.W.C.? I’d love to see Legendary Godzilla vs. Shin Godzilla!

Sorry to say, but yes, there is a limit. At the time of this writing, there are four Ghidorahs (Mecha-King Ghidorah, Heisei King Ghidorah, Desghidorah and Grand King Ghidorah) as well as Orochi (who’s close enough) and Monster X (with his Keizer Ghidorah transformation). If the incarnation is different enough from the others already included (like the difference between Grand Ghidorah and Desghidorah), it will be taken into consideration. If the difference isn’t all that big, however (like how Grand Ghidorah is basically just Showa Ghidorah on steroids), then most likely not. We don’t need 10 different versions of the same beast running around.

As of right now, we have four Ghidorahs, three Mechagodzillas, three Godzillas and two Mothras. While this may change in the future, do not write matches expecting a change to occur in time.

Why are you using Final Wars Ebirah? Showa Ebirah is clearly better!

Please don’t complain about why we are or why we’re not using certain incarnations of certain monsters. We wanted to use the Final Wars Ebirah and so we are. Not really anything much else to say about it.

Hey, there’s a monster in a match that’s not even on the K.W.C. roster! The heck?

Occasionally, you’ll see a kaiju pop up who isn’t technically part of the match it’s appearing in. As long as the monster doesn’t actually take part in the match and affect its outcome drastically, then this is allowed. For example, in Match 65: Gabara vs. Goliath, you’ll see that Minilla makes an appearance, but note how he only appears at the very beginning and ending, and doesn’t actually help fight either of the combatants mentioned in the title.

Can Legion use her soldiers or Megaguirus use the Meganulons/Meganula? What monsters can summon minions to assist them?

• Dagahra can utilize his Barems.
• Legion can summon her Symbiotic Legion soldiers to assist her in battle.
• The Meganula are also allowed, though try to keep in mind that they’re usually dead by the time Megaguirus is up and about.
• Mothra can summon Fairy Mothras, as she demonstrates creating duplicates in Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994) and make ones capable of fighting in Rebirth of Mothra (1996).
• Zilla can use his offspring in battle, but bear in mind that they do not share a hive-mind system.

Are there monsters that can come in multiples? If so, who?

• Gyaos (Heisei), taking from Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995)
• Kamacuras (Millennium), from Son of Godzilla (1967)
• Mechagodzilla (Showa), influenced by Godzilla: Rulers of Earth
• Destoroyah; yes, you can have multiple Micro, Juvenile, Aggregate, and Flying forms, but only one Final form
• Hedorah (Showa); yes, you can have multiple Water, Land, and Flying forms, but only one Final form
• Skullcrawler, as seen in Kong: Skull Island (2017)

Match 181: King Caesar (Millennium) and Sanda vs. Rodan (Heisei) uses Rodans in a pair. Can there be more than two Rodans? Who else can come in pairs?

For the case of monsters that come in pairs, there cannot be more than two. There is a list of monsters green-lit to come in sets:

• Gezora can come in a pair, taking influence from Ganimes.
• Kamoebas can come in a pair, taking influence from Ganimes.
• Ganimes can come in a pair, as seen in Space Amoeba (1970).
• MOGUERA can come in a pair, loosely taking from The Mysterians (1957).
• M.U.T.O. can come in a pair of male and female.
• Rodan can come in a pair, as seen in Rodan (1956).

Can Destoroyah use his chest ray from that one deleted scene?

Yes, if used as shown!

Can Godzilla use his—
If a monster used a power on-screen, they can use it in the K.W.C.

Can I use the various powers from the Pipeworks video games (Titanosaurus and Varan’s sonic beams, Gigan’s teleportation, Megalon’s magnetic vortexes, etc.)?

No for all power-ups and moves except for Critical Mass. Since it IS based on a movie precedent, it is the only exception. Keep in mind however that to achieve it, SpaceGodzilla’s crystals are acquired so a monster randomly changing in the middle of a match is a no-go.

Okay, but what about abilities from Toho approved titles like GODZILLA (PS3/PS4), Godzilla Movie Studio Tour or Godzilla Trading Battle? What about the abilities from the IDW comics, which are Toho approved? Or from Toho’s various other titles?

Abilities cited from the Kaiju Guide of GODZILLA (PS3/PS4) and the Museum from Godzilla Movie Studio Tour harkens back to the answer of a previous question: unless there is an on-screen demonstration or visual reference of the abilities in question (like Gabara’s oozing poison from his body/horn), then consider it a no. There can be some exceptions, but don’t hold your breath.

Hey, wait a minute. Gomora’s Super Oscillatory Wave isn’t from—

Admittedly, we’ve had to bend a few of our own rules to make some monsters more capable fighters in the K.W.C. This is why Gomora has his Super Oscillatory Wave when only the Ultra Galaxy version of the character (which Toho had no involvement in) possessed the ability. To a lesser degree, this is also why Battra can transform back and forth between adult and larval forms or why Mecha-King Ghidorah has new abilities not from the film.

What’s the rule on writing alternate interpretations of the monsters?

As long as it’s not too drastic a deviation from the monster’s nature, it’s okay. As such, you can do things like Final Wars Gigan being controlled by Star Hunter Nebula M instead of the Xiliens, treat Heisei Godzilla as a defender of the Earth and have Zilla be accompanied by H.E.A.T. However, writing Showa Baragon as a Yamato Guardian or Kiryu as the weapon of the Spacemen from the Third Planet is a bit too far from the origins and intent of the character.

Can I make up my own version of a monster for a match? Like, can I have Ghidorah grow an extra five heads, or make Anguirus be able to fly, or have Mothra transform into Megalon?

Uhh… no? In no way is that allowed. If you want to do that, that’s fine, but it needs to be in an unrelated fanfic, not a K.W.C. match.

But Tom…!

Is the exception, not the rule.

4. GENERAL STUFF

What the heck does ‘K.W.C.’ even stand for, anyway?

“Kaiju War Chronicles.”

I’ve got a cool idea for a match, but I don’t think I can/I don’t want to write it myself. Can I request that one of the K.W.C. writers write it?

Absolutely! You can request which monsters are fighting and even where they fight, if you care to. However, that’s all. You can’t request who the winner is. That’s up to the writer and they will write the outcome however they see fit. The request can be made [here].

Also, just because you can request a match, please don’t go requesting match after match after match. After a while, it starts to get annoying. Requests are better saved for a period where nobody’s writing anything and/or no new matches are being posted (and we mean for more than a week or two).

Is there a limit to how many monsters are allowed in a single match?

Not at all. For example, Match 100: Everyone vs. Everyone features a whopping 49 monsters.

Can you tell me if Monster A will make it into the roster?

What, and ruin the surprise? Not a chance, Sparky. Just be patient and enjoy the K.W.C. matches as they appear while you wait for new monsters.

Why does Monster B always lose every match they’re in?

There are several reasons as to why a writer had any given monster lose. Maybe the writer couldn’t come up with a credible way for them to win. Maybe the writer thought it best served the story of the match for them to lose. Maybe the writer just simply doesn’t like that monster. Whatever the circumstances are, don’t get so worked up over their defeat. Lots of kaiju people like lose matches in the K.W.C. Don’t worry if they lost this round. They can always have a rematch, or fight another monster and beat them. Just remain patient, and the monster will win a match eventually.

5. HISTORY/BACKGROUND OF THE K.W.C.

So how’d all this get started, anyway?

Click [here] for a brief history.

And who writes all these matches?

For the most part, the matches are written by Christian Salabert (TitanoGoji16) and Thomas Fairchild (Tomzilla). The K.W.C.’s other talented writers are Tyler Trieschock (Greyshot151), Joshua Reynolds (Monster Master), Eugene Tan (Primevalgodzilla V2), Kenneth James (Godzillawolf), Kristian Zatkoff (Living Corpse), Hayes A. Jones (HayesAJones), Jacob Haas (Draglord), Stephanie Hughes (Goji_girl), Lucas Salabert (DeadpoolsbetterThanU), Isaac Altenbach (Beef Bigshot), Thomas Eckert (Saw-U-In-1/2), Michael Menei (GodzillaFan1992), Patrick Alan Green (Lain of the Wired) and Andrew Sudomerski (KaijuX). Others include Forrest Freund, James Webster and Nick Anstett (Gorosaurus Rex).

Those banners that show the monsters fighting are awesome. Who makes them?

Christian Salabert was the sole banner artist up through Match 42: Orga vs. Gomora, but he had to stop due to technical difficulties. Starting with Match 43: King Kong vs. Gorosaurus, Titanosaurus and Baragon (Showa), Stephanie Hughes was hired. Before too long, there were more banner orders coming in than one person could deal with alone, and so with Match 69: Frankenstein vs. Zilla, Jackson Morris (Varan58) was brought in as the K.W.C.’s third banner artist. Starting with Match 105: Godzilla (Heisei) vs. Rodan (Heisei) vs. Mothra (Heisei), Christian was able to resume his banner duties until Match 141: Gezora vs. Ebirah (Millennium). Christian and Tom then stepped down and the K.W.C. was given to Tyler Trieschock, who now creates the banners alongside Andrew Sudomerski & Jackson Morris.

So, who’s made what, exactly?

For any further details, check out the thread [here]. It has pretty much every little factoid you could want about the K.W.C. matches.