Author: Connor Clennell | Banner: Matthew Williams

Utsuno Ikusagami looked down at the carnage below as he descended from the sky. The city was in flames, entire city blocks reduced to smoldering rubble, the corpses of those who had tried to escape the destruction flooded the streets. To Ikusagami, the city was a graveyard. Never in all his years had he seen such merciless annihilation. If he had been too late to save these people, he could at least avenge them.

A lone figure was just visible in the distance, raining destruction down on another section of the city. Although the details were hard to make out, the distinctive triple row of white maple leaf-shaped fins lining its back gave no doubt in Ikusagami’s mind on the attacker’s identity. Clenching his fists, the Sun God made his way towards Godzilla.

Meters away from engaging Godzilla, the behemoth turned to face Ikusagami, obviously having sensed his presence. The knight prepared to attack, then noticed something odd about the giant reptile. His skin was rough and cracked like the bark of the tree, his face and jaws rounded and his tail thick and worm-like. Godzilla also seemed to be pudgier than normal, and had a strange look in his extremely large eyes. Ikusagami wasn’t so sure now if this creature was actually Godzilla, or some bizarre creature attempting to intimidate him. The beast shook and waved its arms in an exaggerated manner, letting out a high-pitched shriek that sounded nothing like Godzilla’s distinctive roar.

The holy deity braced himself as the Godzilla lookalike’s fins lit up with yellow atomic energy and it unleashed a golden ray from its maw. Sparks and smoke flew from Ikusagami’s armor as the beam made contact, but the weapon was pathetic compared to the true Godzilla’s atomic ray. Ikusagami’s suspicion grew when he realized he couldn’t sense the creature’s life force. It was as if it didn’t have any…

An orange-hued ray from the forehead medallion of the Sun God and struck the doppelgänger in the chest, pushing the creature back. The Godzilla lookalike merely glared at Ikusagami as his beam pushed it back, showing no signs of discomfort at all. Deciding to observe the damage, Ikusagami cut off his ray and was greeted with a surprising sight. The flesh coating the reptile’s torso was gone, revealing silver metal that gleamed in the light from the surrounding fires. This wasn’t Godzilla at all! This was some sort of mechanical duplicate. A Mechagodzilla!

‘Godzilla’s’ form was engulfed in white flames as it shed its disguise. Ikusagami watched with amazement as the flames died down to reveal Mechagodzilla’s true form. Every part of the robot’s form seemed to be coated in weaponry. The toes, the knees, the hands, the throat: everything about the alien war machine was designed for total and utter destruction. From a brief glance Ikusagami could tell this was not the same Mechagodzilla the humans had built to defend their world. This was a harbinger of invasion.

Mechagodzilla shrieked as its arms clicked into position, aiming its hands at the gold and silver warrior. Bursts of finger-missiles left the machine’s hands and exploded against Ikusagami’s chest and legs. The Sun God barely budged under the assault. Mechagodzilla ceased its barrage to assess its opponent’s damage, but detected none. The robot remained motionless, its processors calculating as it awaited orders from its masters. The order was given. Mechagodzilla’s eyes unleashed a multi-colored energy beam. Even this failed to penetrate or even singe Ikusagami armor.

The featureless face of Ikusagami regarded the metallic imposer. As a weapon of an invading alien race, its arsenal was laughingly pathetic. Surely it could do better than this. As if reading his mind, Mechagodzilla’s hands began to rotate rapidly, swapping out its regular missiles for much more powerful ammo. Its hands stopped spinning and targeted the ground beneath Ikusagami. The warrior stumbled and tried to regain his balance as the missiles blasted apart the ground beneath him. Mechagodzilla stopped firing and let loose with its eye beams, sweeping them across Ikusagami’s feet. The Sun God toppled to the ground as the earth exploded around him.

Red eyes flashed with energy as it fired its eye beams upon Ikusagami. The hatch on its chest opened to reveal the projector for its electrical beam, which joined the assault. Mechagodzilla’s hands, mouth, knees and toes unleashed dozens of missiles, blanketing Ikusagami with bursts of smoke and flames. The all-out assault seemed to go on forever, but it actually only lasted for two minutes. Mechagodzilla finally stopped firing to assess Ikusagami’s condition. A thick black cloud obscured the knight’s form, so the robot used its external scanners to detect his position.

The valiant samurai emerged from the smokescreen, his armor covered with dirt and soot, but intact, and let loose his medallion ray before the machine could even register his presence. An artificial shriek left Mechagodzilla’s mechanical maw as the golden ray of holy power pushed it back. Its chest began to glow orange and steam began to rise from the sheer heat of the Sun God’s beam. As the beam ceased, Mechagodzilla tried to open its chest hatch, but found that it couldn’t. A system analysis revealed it had been welted shut by the heat. Ikusagami unleashed his ray again and targeted Mechagodzilla’s left elbow, locking up the arm and reducing its flexibility. A third blast reduced the reptilian doppelgänger’s right knee to molten slag. Realizing it was heavily outmatched, Mechagodzilla’s masters ordered it to retreat and return to base for repairs. The machine received the transmission and activated the rockets in the soles of its feet, preparing to take off…

Ikusagami shoulder-checked Mechagodzilla, knocking the robot backwards and forcing it to cut off its rockets as it fought to regain its equilibrium. Ikusagami smashed his fist into the chest of the Godzilla imposter, denting the virtually indestructible space metal. His other fist connected with the jaw of the robotic reptoid and shattered it, leaving it hanging loosely from its top jaw. Alarms flared within Mechagodzilla’s systems as it registered heavy internal and external damage. Its functioning sensors detected a large increase in unknown energy. Ikusagami’s form crackled with heavenly energies as he held out his right hand to summon his sword, the blade appearing in his grip in a flash of light. Mechagodzilla and his controllers barely had time to register this phenomenon before Ikusagami raised the blade and slashed it through Mechagodzilla’s neck. The machine twitched and flailed sporadically as its head toppled to the ground before falling over and erupting into a ball of fire.

The silver warrior lowered his arms to his sides as he approached the remains of Mechagodzilla. He picked up the robot’s head, examining its properties. The technology used to construct it seemed to be highly advanced; too advanced for it to be from Earth. It also seemed to be made from an unknown metal that shared similar properties to titanium. This gave Ikusagami insight into the machine’s creators. If he found technology and materials similar to that of this ‘Mechagodzilla,’ he would find its controllers.

Utsuno Ikusagami’s body pulsed with light and energy as he summoned a pair of gold, bladed wings on his back. Bending his legs the Sun God leapt into the air, beginning his search for the base of the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens…

Winner: Utsuno Ikusagami

Author: Vincent Rodger & Andrew Sudomerski | Banner: Dao Zang Moua

[Continued from Match 370]

-Tokyo-

The metropolis of Japan continued its usual process in the morning, the streets being crowded with people doing their routine. Walking to work, going to meet with their significant others, children going to school after a long morning. The sound of cars moving across the roads filled the ears of those within the city, the peace of the land of the rising sun returning after days of horror across their country.

Then, suddenly, everything proceeded to stop. Citizens quickly got out of their cars and began to flee in all directions, fear shaking them as flying saucers appeared in the sky. The memory of Xilien ships that once invaded the Earth decades ago still fresh in many minds.

Beneath the invading force sat giants curled into tight-knit spheres, their eyes closed and their rage pacified as they were placed onto the ground.

From the G-Force base, the Prime Minister watched the invasion force place their slaves into the city. Sweat ran down his forehead as he turned towards his desk and pressed a button before speaking.

“Gordon, grab Haruo and Akane. The city is being invaded by the Xiliens, and with Kiryu and the Gotengo out of commission, you three are the only real defense against the invasion force. If you can get enough members aboard the Goten underneath the facility, you can manage to turn the tide that way as well…”

Silence over the radio continued, not an answer being heard for what felt like an eternity. Could something have happened to his soldiers before the invasion force had even arrived? Had they been abducted by the invaders? Had Akane betrayed them after searching for the boy?

The man had a million questions and worries rush through his mind as he witnessed what held the monsters in place simply disappear, tension rising as their eyes snapped open and began to get to their feet before unleashing their respective mighty roars into the sky, the war had come to Tokyo.

The frosted ankylosaur of the Yamato clan charged forward, crushing all in his path in mere seconds. The primeval allosaurus stomped forth towards a park, hoping to devour the citizens within the area. The gigantic shrimp chirped as he slammed his pincers into the buildings near him, causing rubble to fall into the streets below and crush cowering civilians.

The Smog Monster released a gleeful chuckle as it took to the skies in its flying form, spreading death across the city as pollution was released from its body. The fallen guardian of a long lost kingdom released a howl as he leaped into the sky at the approaching helicopters, smashing them into an inferno with a simple kick. The gigantic mantis shrieked as it began to devour soldiers and citizens alike, enjoying the taste of their ichor and flesh filling its maw.

The Spiega of Sollgel Island released a cry as it slammed its legs into approaching tanks and buildings, crushing the opposing force with ease. The artificial pretender to the throne roared before it fired a golden ray at the military, burning them into oblivion with ease. The pterosaur took to the sky, unleashing a roar as they surveyed the ground.

The mutant iguana charged headfirst at the G-Force building with a thunderous roar, raising its arm above its head and aiming the limb at the structure. The Prime Minister quickly closed his eyes, thinking about every accomplishment that he had made across his career. He had only hoped that every action that he had taken was for the betterment of his country.

Only then could he truly rest.

The reptile’s arm struck the building, making the room collapse in a single strike. The Futurian slave continued to rip into the building, chunks of rubble soared into the air before slamming into the ground around them. A golden bolt shot down from the sky, striking the structure and sending the kaiju flying backward. They crashed on their back as they bore witness to a new arrival.

Muscle, bone, and skin quickly formed in the shape of a gigantic humanoid. Red eyes filled with rage stared down as black hair flowed in the air, a ghoulish howl being unleashed from the new arrival’s maw before he charged forward at the mutant.

The war for Tokyo had begun.

Before the mutant iguana could process what was happening, the newcomer swung at the Futurian slave. Only for the reptile to duck under the blow and ram their head into the humanoid’s stomach, pushing him back before slashing into his chest with their talons. The soldier wrapped his hands around Zilla’s throat before placing his foot on their stomach and throwing her overhead.

The reptilian mutant crashed into the city, buildings crumbling in an instant as Haruo rose to his feet. The Jaeger Titan charged forward as they released a roar, the defender of humanity looking to dispatch of the mutant quickly, but before he could reach his target, another form slammed into him. He was tackled to the ground in an instant.

Haruo attempted to shake himself free but his attacker managed to pin him to the ground, the human’s eyes widening as he realized what was attacking him.

King Caesar of Okinawa.

But how could he be here? Last he had heard the golem had been relocated to Skull Island years ago. He did not recognize the lizard, so had they gained new monsters since he last heard? Regardless, how could they have escaped from the island? Surely they would have been stopped from escaping to the mainland by security.

Did something happen to the island?

All questions he would have to ask later, the Titan shifter quickly focused on the battle at hand. He opened his maw and wrapped his jaws around the liger’s shoulder, forcing King Caesar to release a yelp before being thrown off the Jaeger Titan. The artificial life form rolled across the concrete jungle as Haruo got back to his feet.

The Attack Titan took a defensive stance as Zilla began to circle around him, he would need to be on guard if he is to take both opponents. The golem rose back to his feet before charging at Haruo, prompting the mutated iguana to follow suit.

Haruo managed to dodge the slash from the reptile, only for the shisa’s knee to strike him across the jaw. The lower mandible shattered as he was sent flying, rolling across the ground before prompting himself to stop and get back to his feet. Steam rose from the broken maw as the demon of justice charged forward, prompting the huntmaster liger to quickly do the same. The two humanoids clashed with their hands wrapped around each other, a shockwave being sent out as they headbutted each other.

The two growled before Haruo quickly turned the tides of the battle, pushing back his opponent’s wrists. Causing the artificial life form to grit their teeth as pain forced them to their knees. The captain raised their leg to kick the shisa away, only for Zilla to leap upon his back and knock him off balance. Causing him to crash to the ground as King Caesar rolled to the side, growling as he got back to his feet.

The mutant reptile slashed into Haruo’s back with their talons, ripping into flesh and drawing blood as they wrapped their maw around the soldier’s shoulder blade. This urged the Attack Titan to release a roar of rage before he reached behind him, grabbed his attacker, and tossed them into the city in front of him.

Panting as he got back to his feet, steam rose into the sky with every breath. He couldn’t lose here, an army of kaiju was invading the entire city. He was the last line of defense, if they failed, every sacrifice would have been for nothing.

He turned his glare to the approaching King Caesar, his eyes glowing red with rage as he spotted the beast.

***

The earth shook, sirens blared, civilians retreated for their lives as the army of monsters attacked Tokyo. Gordon looked above, his lower half trapped underneath concrete from the collapsing building, sounds of battle reaching his ears quickly. Haruo was giving them hell, the best he could anyway.

“Kid didn’t think about what would happen when he transformed,” the captain of the Gotengo looked at the debris covering him, even if the concrete wasn’t there, he could feel metal bars piercing his stomach. “Though I guess he knew that we would all be fine…”

The “hero” of Japan raised his hand to his mouth before biting into it, a quick flash of lightning striking Gordon in an instant. Steam rose from the building as bones and muscle quickly formed a body, then came skin and an armored hide. With a mighty howl, the Armored Titan jumped toward his ally, joining the oncoming battle.

The forgotten god of desolate ice roared with fury, as he spotted the humanoid. He saw a worthy opponent in the Jaeger Titan and wished to challenge the warrior. Kumonga leaped to the Titan’s side, hoping to make a meal out of the humanoid.

***

Akane crawled over to Eren, both of their wounds healing from the collapsed building coming on top of them. “Hey…” the young man took in deep breaths, though his healing factor was working, the toll it had taken the last few days had made Eren’s Titan abilities take longer to kick in. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Are you?”

“For the most part… I can’t seem to transform. I can’t help defend the city from whatever is attacking…” Akane pondered for a moment, trying to think of a plan as she placed herself next to Eren against the wall.

“Did you have anything on you for when you were captured?”

“As a matter of fact… I did have some gear…”

Akane raised her hand and pointed down the hall toward a door. “Down that hallway, you will find where the JSDF keeps prisoner’s possessions. Go grab them and flee while you still can.”

“I can’t just leave these people behind… Their lives are in danger, I can’t just run away and do nothing. I am a soldier after all.” Akane thought to herself. He wasn’t wrong in his argument… But after all that had happened, she couldn’t think of a response to Eren. She didn’t know what it meant to be a soldier anymore.

“Look… I dragged you into this mess… No sense in staying now. Leave while you can… I’ll distract them,” Akane rose to her feet, her wounds completely healing, she lifted her thumb to her mouth, imitating what she saw Haruo do. “And Eren… I’m sorry for all this trouble.” She bit into her thumb, lightning surrounding her being. Eren watched as the young woman transformed into her Titan form…

The world went mute as a third lightning bolt struck the building. A massive red hand swept through the resulting cloud, revealing the form of the giant. The army of monsters stared at the new arrival, the shadow casting over them. The Colossal Titan had arrived.

***

Eren quickly ran down the hall toward the room which held his equipment. The young soldier charged forward at the door, breaking it down as he entered the room. Sirens continued to blare as the hero of the walls began to search the room for his gear. “Come on, come on.” Sweat ran down his forehead as he heard the battle above him, the city was being ravaged and all he could do was look for his gear. Hopefully, he’d be able to help in some way soon.

From below the collapsing building, a giant hand rose and latched onto the sides of the crater created by the Titan shifters’ transformations. A grim smile lay on the face of a gigantic human as it crawled out from the building, followed by others of its kind.

Eren looked in horror as the Wrath Titans emerged, this was the beginning of his era… This was where it all started. Memories flashed before his eyes, remembering when his home was taken, when he fought his brother to protect humanity, all those lives lost due to monsters created by man… He clenched his fist, drawing blood from his palm, his mind filled with rage before he began to remember what he needed to do.

The young man looked for his gear, searching every shelf before finding a bag filled with his ODM gear. Putting it on and running toward the hole the Titans emerged from as they began to follow suit. Launching himself into the air, his eyes widened as he bore witness to the war he found himself in. He only hoped that the city could survive the attack, he felt useless knowing he couldn’t help fend them off. He only hoped that Akane could do her best in these circumstances.

***

The leonine creation of Atlantis charged at his rising foe, attempting to break the distance quickly. Haruo rose to a defensive position before his ear twitched, alerting him of the oncoming attack from behind.

The mutant iguana’s dorsal spines illuminated a bright blue before their eyes quickly flashed green, a stream of atomic fire unleashed at the Jaeger Titan’s back. The captain quickly dropped to the ground, evading the flames and making them strike King Caesar across his chest. A roar of pain emanated from the ancient golem as smoke rose from the blast point, the liger forced onto one knee.

Zilla charged forward at impressive speeds, concrete breaking with each step before they leaped into the air. Roaring with fury as they attempted to pounce onto Haruo’s back, the beast was met only with the Attack Titan’s backhand. They were sent crashing into the ground with a thud and an urgent cry of pain.

The captain immediately returned his attention to the downed shisa, seeing the artificial guardian be practically on top of him. Raising his arm before slashing at his foe’s chest, he landed his mark as Haruo attempted to make some distance by moving backward. King Caesar attempted to once again cut into the Titan’s flesh but was forced by the soldier managing to wrap his hands around the limb and throw him overhead.

The creation of Atlantis howled as he soared through the air before crashing face first into the rising Zilla, the pair roaring into the heavens as a shockwave of pain washed over them. Concussions being given to the pair in an instant.

Now was the right time to strike, both invaders were severely weakened. Haruo got into a running position, before the screams of humans caught his ear. The Jaeger Titan turned to see utter horror, his eyes widening as the worst possible scenario had occurred.

The Wraith Titans had escaped.

The smiles across their hideous forms pierced the souls of the innocents as they were raised to their maws and devoured, bones being crushed in an instant with a crunch.
An invasion force had arrived and the government’s experiments had been unleashed onto the public, the odds of saving even a third of the city had gone down massively, but he would be damned if he would let all those that perished die in vain.

The manifestation of humanity’s rage echoed throughout the land, causing the giants to cease their activities and turn their attention to the Attack Titan. Standing amongst the rubble, glowing pink as steam rose to the sky as he declared war upon them, losing sight of the two downed opponents in his fury.

The horde of man-made monstrosities began to charge forward at the abnormal Titan, Haruo taking a defensive position as they mindlessly approached him.

One with lanky arms attempted to swing at him, only for the hero of humanity to deflect the attack and then proceed to strike it across the jaw, sending the Wraith to the ground in an instant. The abomination attempted to get back to its feet, only for Haruo to attack while the abnormal was down. Roaring as he lifted his leg before slamming it repeatedly into the nape, blood spraying into the air and the environment until steam began to rise from the corpse.

Another attempted to jump him from behind to catch him by surprise, but a primal animal was nothing more than that. The Attack Titan quickly swung backward, the back of his fist striking the side of the Wraith’s skull and sending the head flying by the force of the impact. The limb crashed into a skyscraper, glass shattering into a thousand shards as blood splashed across the building.

The body of the Wraith collapsed onto the ground, steam rising from its body as it began to heal the damage done to its head before the captain raised his leg once more and stomped on the nape, killing the inhumane experiment.

The soldier turned his attention to the approaching roars, discovering two more were on top of him before he knew it. Haruo unleashed a howl into the sky as they bit into his shoulders, drawing blood from the demon of justice before the man raised his leg and managed to kick one away. The flesh from the shoulder was ripped away, making Haruo cringe underneath the nape.

The second Wraith Titan held on for dear life with their jaws, shaking their head back and forth to rip into the Jaeger Titan’s flesh. Blood filled its maw and Haruo’s chest before the soldier grabbed onto the top of the skull and forced it backward, breaking the jaws in one swift movement.

The Wraith Titan fell to the ground attempting to scream with blood gurgling within its throat, only for the abomination’s life be silenced by the Attack Titan’s heel. Blood covered Haruo’s foot as he raised it out of the corpse, steam following quickly after.

Not far away the guardian of Okinawa and the mutated reptile painted, catching their breath as they watched their adversary rip into the flesh of the other humanoids. King Caesar growled as he finally returned to his feet, his opponent had lost sight of the true threat. That would cost him.

The fallen guardian reached down to Zilla, lifting up the mutant to their feet before nodding. It was time to finish this.

The pair quickly charged forward with ferocity, hoping to catch the Attack Titan off guard. Haruo quickly turned to spot the destructive duo, the manifestation of humanity’s rage took a defensive posture, only for another Wraith Titan to sink their fangs into his back. His eye shifted his gaze to this new target, distracting him as the two invaders slashed into his chest and stomach with their talons.

Haruo let out a roar of anguish before quickly managing to lift his leg and kick the mountain god away, King Caesar stumbling before regaining his footing. Zilla reached out with their maw, wrapping her fangs around the Jaeger Titan’s arm with a tight grip. Flesh and muscle were ripped asunder as they thrashed their head back and forth.

With all his might, the Attack Titan pulled the Wraith Titan closer before sinking his teeth into the nape of the man-made monster. Lifting the abomination into the air before slamming it into Zilla’s skull, forcing release as the iguana was slammed into the ground. Blood exited the maw as teeth flew and ringing echoed in their mind, a concussion being added to the mix.

King Caesar attempted to intervene, only to be met with the Wraith Titan’s weight as Haruo swung the body directly at his head. The force of the blow sent the shisa tumbling into a building, crushing it under his weight.

The Attack Titan released the Wraith from his maw before examining his wounds. Though the healing factor he possessed was taking effect, his wounded arm had been stripped clean of flesh to the bone. It would take time to be at his full strength again, he would need to be careful on his next move.

He turned towards the downed mutant before wrapping his hand around their throat, lifting them up, and slamming them into the concrete. Rubble and blood flew into the air as the Titan Shifter continued the assault. Ichor ran down Zilla’s face as they barely held consciousness, their vision becoming blurry as they were finally dropped onto the ground. Only for new pain to emerge as Haruo pulled his leg back and kicked them into the stomach, sending them flying into the battlefield.

Blood splattered across the ground as Zilla made contact, their body completely motionless. Their lungs felt like they were going to burst as they struggled to breathe.

King Caesar pushed the rubble off of his form, rising from the destroyed building with dust covering his sight. The shisa moved forward and immediately spotted his target looming over Zilla, forcing him to take action instantly.

The liger charged forward, roaring as he leaped into the air and attempted to strike Haruo’s head with a swift kick. The Titan shifter quickly managed to block the attack with his arm, causing the limb to snap as he was sent into a building.

The Jaeger Titan jumped back up as soon as he was thrown to the ground, roaring with fury as he charged forward. Steam rose from his wound into the air as he quickly broke the distance between himself and the shisa.

The huntmaster reached out with his hand, wrapping it around the Attack Titan’s charging skull before slamming it into the concrete. Adrenaline rushed through the human’s veins, heat beginning to build from the inside of his mass as his muscles glowed a hot pink. Though this did not stop the Atlantean creation from repeating the process until Haruo reached out with his hand, grabbing the invader’s wrist and snapping it in two.

Steam erupted from the Titan’s form as King Caesar screamed in agony, Haruo forcing him to his knees like a simple commoner as he raised his foot to the liger’s chest and kicked him with full force. The invader was sent through the battlefield once more, crashing into a building before coming to a full stop.

The Attack Titan lifted his head into the air and released a ghoulish howl filled with animalistic rage.

His hatred for the invader manifested as steam rising from his body, the heat burning him from within. A wild and sudden sensation overtook his mind, pulsating from the newfound stress. Haruo looked back at the downed Liger, only for his eyes to widen as he witnessed the Wraith Titans begin to surround the downed golem. King Caesar roared at the approaching abominations as he rose back to his feet, only to be met with sinister smiles as they reached outward for him.

“What… Was that?” Haruo stared in stunned confusion and disbelief. Had… Had he commanded the Wraiths to his aid? And if he had, how? They were simply not interested in the invasion force due to not being one of the Jaegers or humans. Yet they began to surround King Caesar like a pack of wolves on the hunt.

The young soldier turned towards the still downed Zilla, seeing the reptile barely holding onto consciousness. Haruo’s head filled with the same ringing, disorientating hum; but he had to remain resolute. Focusing his eyes at the dying lizard, Haruo raised his hand, pointing it directly at the mutant…

Then, the Wraiths all turned in unison, spotting Zilla amongst the rubble. The horde quickly charged at the iguana, their maws dripping with saliva in anticipation of devouring flesh.

The golem’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening, charging forward in an effort to stop his ally from being ripped into shreds, only for Haruo to intercept him, tackling him to the ground, sending shards of concrete into the air. The Attack Titan quickly got on top of his downed opponent, pinning his arms and legs with his own weight. The Liger looked up, thrashing as he watched them grow closer to the mutant. He knew what was about to happen and all attempts to force his enemy off were in vain, as the scream reached their ears.

Zilla’s consciousness had returned, screaming in agony as thousands of teeth ripped into their flesh and began to tear them apart. The Wraiths stared at the suffering animal with a gleeful smile as they began to devour them alive, blood splattering across their form with every bite.

The mutant began to charge their atomic energy, unleashing a stream of flames from their maw, managing to force many of them off of their form.

The smell of smoldering flesh reached everything within miles as Zilla made their last stand, but it was not enough. They attempted to kick the attackers off, swipe with their talons, sink their fangs into the enemy’s flesh, but it was all in vain…

Zilla unleashed a blood-curdling cry as their legs were removed, organs spilling out from the body as steam rose into the air. Blood filled their maw as they attempted to continue to swipe away at the enemy, but their vision and strength began to disappear… This was it.

One final scream left the mutant as the Wraiths pulled at the head, ripping the entire limb off of the body. Their last cry of fear was distorted as their vocal cords stretched before being silenced.

One down… One to go.

Haruo reached down with his open maw, seeking to end the charade with sinking his fangs into the golem’s skull, but a king would not go down this easily. King Caesar slammed the back of his head into his attacker’s face, breaking the nose and several teeth in a single strike, causing Haruo to lose control of the situation. The fallen guardian quickly rolled out from under the Titan shifter, regaining his footing and taking a defensive stance.

The demon of justice quickly returned to his feet and howled into the air as he locked eyes with the fallen guardian of Okinawa. He was running low on energy, he could feel it from his lungs to his vision. He would need to hurry in putting an end to the shisa before moving on to the rest of the invasion force.

The two stood still, waiting for the other to make the first move.

***

-Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean-

The stillness of the oceanic waters fell eerily silent. War on the topside forced every living thing to retreat to the depths, fearing for the worst. A change in the monotony of routine, disrupting the flows of entire ecosystems in which they thrived. But their pleas were heard, and the lifeblood of the Earth called for her greatest champion…

A rumble shook the silent ocean, a large and dark body swimming through it effortlessly. The leviathan veered to the surface, he could feel the energy of countless monsters as he drew near his destination. Conflict had fallen, and it was his duty to restore that balance. Rage fueled his determination to end this blight and save the planet.

Glass-cut jagged spines tore the oceanic surface asunder, speeding towards the metropolis as fast as he could. Although his head remained dipped underwater, his greater senses informed him he wasn’t going in alone. Beta-wave patterns signaled to him of a partner of old, a symbiotic ally telling him of her arrival. The ancient Godzilla looked up before returning to his course, he was thankful for her aid in the oncoming battle. Ever since their battle with the ebony hydra, they had grown a liking to one another. Always fighting side by the side to protect the planet they both held so dearly.

From above, the small figure of Mothra flapped her mighty wings and began to pick up the pace. They needed to hurry if they were to arrive in time.

***

Although undeliberate on her part, Akane steered her Titan through the cramped streets of what had once been Tokyo. Her Colossal Titan was without question the largest entity in proximity of the battlefield; but was size all that mattered in war? Glaring yellow eyes scanned the warzone; she couldn’t find Eren anywhere, though she felt confident he would find his belongings and get the hell out. Off in the distance, she found her compatriots; there was without question a resentment that would ripple into the future, but now wasn’t the time for grudges. She saw Haruo dealing with the shisa-like golem and the swarming Titans, though she couldn’t fully make out the event transpiring. Even further still was Gordon and his Armored Titan, no doubt seeking out a challenge to quench his bloodlust. Typical.

But for Akane, there was no room to assist, as she had her own set of challengers to contend with.

As the government’s stash of Titans kept the attention of the invader’s pawns, Akane looked at the bipedal reptile that dared approach her. She recognized the shape of the being, without a doubt a member of the Godzilla species. Its single row of silvery dorsal plates ran down its back, with a rounded face and a more agile build compared to the one she was familiar with. No matter the type or circumstances, Godzillas were dangerous, and she knew to be cautious of them.

Quick to rush to Godzilla’s side was another theropod. Wait, why is Gorosaurus here…? Akane thought, jolting in confusion, as she was sure one had resided on Skull Island. But whether or not this was an escapee or simply another member of the species, this Gorosaurus proved to be a threat to humans. It had to be stopped, and she would show her combat prowess to the fullest.

But there was one problem; an oversight from the bevy of circumstances that occurred one after another. A reality that became very apparent in the moments before the clash. Shit. Going to have to wing this. Those words were for her own assurance, even if they would be problematic with how she would operate the Colossal Titan.

The Gojiran emitted a screeching warcry, its silvery spines illuminating a golden light. Akane’s eyes widened, but she couldn’t force the Colossal Titan out of the way before being bombarded by the blazing yellow stream. Akane and her Titan grunted in irritated pain, with the muscle strings torn to shreds by Godzilla’s power. Clutching the open wound, trickling with lava-like blood, the superheated giant stumbled down to its knees, using its free arm to hold onto a nearby structure to maintain balance.

Swinging its arms in a commanding gesture, Godzilla ordered Gorosaurus to take the charge. The primeval allosaurus glared at the target right in front of them, snarling in prehistoric fury before sprinting in a mad dash towards the Colossal Titan. Jaws drooled in savage anticipation, the enlarged theropod getting in range for a physical brawl. The moment it could, Gorosaurus propped itself up by its tail, arming its legs for its devastating Kangaroo Kick at the Titan.

Realizing she only had mere seconds to react, Akane forced her plodding arm that rested on the structure to intercept the tyrannosaurid plates of meat, grasping them by the ankle in a firm vice grip. Using the forward momentum against the dinosaur, the Colossal Titan clumsily shifted around on its knees and pulled the allosaur off the ground, tossing the prehistoric hunter with a powerful swing. The gray-scaled beast sailed through the air, its hide smashing into a nearby structure, bringing the entire thing down onto the carnivore.

Although the Colossal Titan was formidable in raw power, Akane’s lack of experience proved to be the ultimate detriment. With no training on her newfound Titan powers and an invasion force to contend with, she had to make do with what was at her disposal. She forced her Titan to rise to its feet, only to stumble when another golden blast bombarded her back, ushering a scream of pain from the monstrous giant. Muscle fibers ruptured in bursts of blazing heat and volcanic ichor, leaving Akane little choice but to redirect her attention to the menace that stood before her. With a heated breath, the Titan began to mend the damage sustained, steam rising from her frame as the fleshy craters were sewn shut.

Taking a battle stance, Godzilla unleashed a whirring shriek as he stampeded through the vacant, ruined streets. Then, in a spring-propelled bound with his three-toed feet, Godzilla leapt into the air and crashed against the enormous humanoid, tackling the super-sized giant and forcing it to the ground on her back. Relentless in nature, the reptilian foe bashed against the frail fibers of the Titan, shredding them apart with his bare fists. Lava-like blood oozed from her chest as the Colossal Titan sluggishly thrusted her right hand towards the atomic leviathan, outstretched for a massive palm strike.

Successfully connecting with the visage of the invader, the Colossal Titan used all her strength to shove the abominable creature off of her, throwing the nuclear menace into a dense, compact line of apartment complexes, rolled flat by the hefty mass of the reptile. As she rose to her feet, fists clenched in hand, an eruption of debris served as a stark reminder of the presence of Gorosaurus, who screeched a warcry at the humanoid behemoth.

Growling in primal fury, Gorosaurus shrieked as it covered the distance, following through with blind determination. The superheated giant turned, raising her fists in preparation to go on the offensive. Before the dinosaur could sink its teeth into bare muscle, Gorosaurus twirled and swung its lithe tail, the blunt extension crushing and snapping the thigh of the crimson nephilim. The Colossal Titan uttered a rageful cry of agony, throwing its fist towards the primitive allosaur. But moments before the giant fist could land a decisive strike, another worm-like tail swept at the Titan’s achilles’ heel, its bulk scrunching the nerves and tendons, a loud crack emanating from the ankles. Crippled and unable to stand, the Colossal Titan collapsed onto the ground, only supported by its other limbs.

It wasn’t long before she was dogpiled by the two squamate reptiles, Gorosaurus chomping down into the Titan’s trapezius, pulling back and tearing the sinew from the figure of the giant. Simultaneously, Godzilla joined the fray as he pummeled his fists into the crimson human, unwavered by the Titan’s naturally superheated body and blood. In mere moments, the end of the Colossal Titan drew ever closer…

Akane was thrown into a furious panic; her brain contracted to the point of light-headedness, rage fueled her determination, but an overwhelming sense of dread and grief tugged at her heart. Seething breath vented from her clenched teeth, forcing her Titan to quickly turn and swing up, but it wouldn’t respond to her commands.

“Shit, shit, shit!” she cursed under her breath, her Titan flailing and sprawling as it was torn from the ligaments. Deep down, she felt her energy funnel into her core, channeling the might of her Titan, her eyes blazing in furious determination. “GET BACK!” Upon shouting from within the nape, the Colossal Titan began to swell and surge in searing heat, culminating from within. Godzilla remained unaffected, although Gorosaurus twitched from the building heat.

Then, both Akane and the Colossal Titan echoed a monstrous roar.

Suddenly, a violent eruption emerged from the fallen Titan, geysers of steam rushing over the reptilian beasts. With a hellish scream, Gorosaurus reeled back as his mouth filled with steam, forcing the dinosaur to stumble clumsily back. The sheer force of the emission threw Godzilla off her form, whirring screeches reverberating from the reptoid as it was pushed off the mangled humanoid.

When the explosive blowback diminished and the rumbling quieted down, the Colossal Titan rose up on its feet. The upper torso was a shadow of its former prime, thinned and lanky. Fingers lightly twitched, the only sign to prove that the host was alive and conscious. From within, Akane panted fervently, almost in disbelief at what had transpired.

“H… How the hell did I do that?” She flexed her Titan’s fingers in amazement and curiosity, trying to rekindle that peculiar sensation. Mentally, she pretended as if to concentrate her body heat into her palm in a focused point. Just as she did that, a burst of steam emitted from the Titan’s own palm, taking her aback. Akane nodded, comprehending the nature of her Titan’s abilities.

Scanning the surroundings, the Colossal Titan veered its attention to the closest enemy within range. Laying flat on its side and spastically twitching, Gorosaurus frothed with bubbly dribble, trying to quench its dried-out mouth. The auditory receptors of the dinosaur were deafened, only able to make out the muffled footfalls of the Colossal Titan approaching him. With unfocused eyes, Gorosaurus could only witness as the Titan drew its right leg back, then careening it at supersonic speeds. The compact foot collided against the belly of the allosaur with a violent snap, effortlessly flinging Gorosaurus from the ground and into the air in a moment’s notice. A concussive shockwave resounded as the shock from the impact rendered Gorosaurus unconscious in midair, unable to scream as the theropod smashed against a line of complexes, vanishing amidst the dust and debris from the impact.

“Good,” Akane sighed in relief, “That’s one down. One more to go…” She kept a vigilant eye out for Godzilla, wherever the infamous beast laid. While it may have been the haze generated by her Titan that obscured her vision, she couldn’t locate Godzilla anywhere. Instead, what she found were a pair of crimson eyes piercing through the veil, then a splurging slop. Before she could even react, acidic sludge splattered against the Titan’s abdomen, sizzling the bare muscle exposed to the creature’s toxicity. The Colossal Titan’s thinned frame allowed the corrosive sludge to dissolve the muscle tissue far quicker and more efficiently, growing cause for concern.

A concern that was only amplified when she heard mocking laughter come from behind.

The Colossal Titan turned and saw another set of glowing orbs, then another, then another… As the creatures came into view, the quadrupedal Hedorahs stared down the super-sized giant, almost eager to destroy their adversary and bathe the world in pollution and destruction. Akane gritted her teeth and could only mutter in utmost disdain.

“Oh goddammit…”

***

Heavy footfalls smashed the pavement under his bone-covered feet. Adorned with a magenta glow and billowing steam, the Armored Titan’s pale blank eyes scowled at the invasive interlopers. Smothered in layers of pink, spaghettified flesh of the nape, Gordon adjusted his Titan body to charge. A deep breath cleared his consciousness of the tussle with Akane and the captive; right now wasn’t the time to settle the score. But if the chance allowed, beating that kid to a pulp would be immensely satisfying.

A wild burst of steam escaped the Titan’s jaws, his whole body itching for a real challenge.

Fearsome red eyes glared at the monstrous human, the golden Anguirus bursting into a quadrupedal sprint nearly the same instant as the Armored Titan. The foundation beneath their feet quaked under their might, coming to a head when they inevitably crashed into one another. Crescent horns drove into the grooves of the pale-plated armor, oozing blood and heat from the punctures. Firmly wrapping his fingers around the neck of the verglas nodosaurid, Gordon summoned the strength of his Titan to dislodge the primal beast with a powerful press, gearing up his free arm for a devastating blow.

Raising his arm high above, the Armored Titan swung down with a monstrous hammerfist, bashing it against the visage of the freezing dinosaur. The once hailed Angira of the Yamato clan yelped in squeamish pain, battered by the relentless fury of the Titanized human. However, aid quickly came to the xanthic ankylosaur, as the arachnid sprung into action with a tremendous leap from its strong legs. Gently gliding across the air, Kumonga landed atop the bone-planted Titan, thrusting her many appendages into the creases of the Armored Titan.

Violent steam and blood ruptured from the coordinated points, forcing a grimacing grunt from the host of the giant. With a swift and heavy kick, the Armored Titan deterred the golden, freezing monster away, freeing it from his grasp. Reaching his hands over his head, Gordon grappled with the enormous arachnoid, pulling it off of him with relative ease. As the puncture wounds closed shut, sewn flesh covered by a crystalized hardening, the gigantic humanoid held the spider in an ironclad grip, swinging around and tossing the arthropod into the Midtown Tower. The ensuing crash brought the entire structure tumbling down, burying the spider-like kaiju under its immense weight.

Just as Gordon finished the maneuver, the wailing cries of Angira were quick to make themselves known, the golden beast lunging forth and biting into the right forearm of the Titanized warrior. Crystalized bone and superheated blood were quick to fill the maw of the ancient animal, and the Titan was more than ready to respond in kind. Before he could, a cold swelling enveloped the enclosed area, indicated by a sky-colored light. In the following moment, a sudden chill ran throughout the Titan’s nervous systems, no longer registering heat or sensation within the bitten arm. A thick sheet of coating layered the once heated arm, icicle-like skewers erupting from around the point of impact. Without a moment to spare, the Armored Titan pulled back and shredded the tendons that once connected the elbow joint to his frozen-over forearm, with steam rising from the Titan’s arm as a sign of regeneration.

With the torn limb still in its mouth, Anguirus casually thrusted his head back, tossing the useless limb off in the distance. Crashing amid the streets of Tokyo, the Titan’s arm dissolved into a misty fog, vanishing into embers long before the ice around it melted into water. The two giants glared at one another, Gordon seething as he clenched his one remaining hand until his knuckles cracked. Regeneration would take a bit, and even more to restore the armor plating of his missing arm. Readying himself in a fighting stance, the Armored Titan was more than ready to continue this bout.

Unfortunately for Gordon, any concerns about dealing with this single threat was thrown out when the heaping mass of the Midtown Tower began to shift and move. Two long appendages burst from the ruins, shoveling away the debris as Kumonga emerged from the collapsed structure. Such an experience was recalled back on its native home of Solgell Island during hibernation, effortlessly shaking off the crumbling concrete and glass as she reared up and prepared her next move. Opening her anterior orifice, a silky spray of dense webbing shot through the sky, entangling the gargantuan humanoid before her. Though the web did little to deter the one-armed Titan, who began to radiate the internal heat in a pinkish glow to melt away the web that clung onto his armor.

Sprinting on all-fours, the golden freezing monster galloped towards the Titan, screaming at full blast. Quickly, Anguirus turned, swinging his clubbed tail at the enormous human, shattering the armored kneecap of the Titan. Gordon howled into the sky, losing his footing and collapsing onto his knees, falling under his weight. Steam poured from the stumped limb, forcing the Titan to rejuvenate its lost arm; but with it only came the flaky flesh, for the hardening process would take a considerable amount of time, time in which Gordon didn’t have on his side. Regardless of the dire circumstance, the Armored Titan tried to rise, only to be throttled by a hard tackle from Anguirus, slamming into the bony armor of the Titan. The gargantuan humanoid rolled across the ground, barreling through buildings effortlessly as he was shrouded under the dust and debris.

The Armored Titan exhaled a heated sigh, his bony armor slowly growing over his exposed forearm. Something needed to be done, and fast. But before he could do anything, more webbing rained down from above, coating the plated humanoid under a thick sheet of silk. Although his natural body heat mitigated its pronounced effects, the tangling web proved nevertheless irritating and troublesome to deal with.

Pulling the strands off his body, the Armored Titan felt the frost from the four-legged dinosaur permeate the air as Angira went in for another hard-hitting tackle. Rearing his bone-plated foot back, Gordon delivered a devastating interception connecting with the jaw of the golden freezing beast, throwing the nodosaurid off its balance, plunging through the ruined cityscape. Without ample time to waste, the host of the Titan forcibly prioritized the crystallization process of his regrown arm, coating it in a thick white sheet of newly refurbished bone.

Blank white eyes turned to the other, Kumonga, and began to charge in a mad sprint. Gravel and lobs of debris flew behind the Titan in his crazed dash, hoping to render the spider monster in one brutal body slam. But the arachnid’s eight pointed legs pressed into the broken pavement, leaping back as the white Titan zoomed past, barely missing the destructive blow. Like emergency brakes, the Armored Titan slammed his feet and skidded to an unruly and abrupt halt, with dirt and asphalt jettisoning behind his trail.

Before he could retaliate, the predator of Solgell Island chirped as her legs wrapped around her prey, forcing the giant human to his knees. The Armored Titan slowly pried the mighty appendages apart with his brute strength, but not before Kumonga slipped her stinger in-between the cracks in his armor. Venom quickly ran through the Titan’s superheated veins, eliciting a roar of anguish as the self-proclaimed “Strongest Man.” Wrapping his hands around two of Kumonga’s legs, the Titan pulled with fearsome might and performed an overhead swing, slamming the giant spider on her back.

Bringing his arm back, the Titan prepared to deliver the finishing blow as the hand was further enhanced with additional hardening, steam rising from the fully-formed hand. But before the deed could be done, the beast from the land of Yamato intervened with a powerful lunge, biting into the crystalized calf with a rupture of steam and blood. The great guardian beast began to tug, pulling the humanoid away from the arthropod. Using his free foot, the Armored Titan kicked in repetitious fashion against the glenohumeral joint of the regal creature, hoping to pry the beast off of him. In irritated rage, Anguirus released his toothy grip of the Titan’s leg, backing away in the process.

Gordon rose to his feet, rushing to grab the ice-borne deity by the neck and throttle it to death. But this was not meant to be; an ethereal glow radiated from the icy jaws of the ancient beast, quickly discharging an azureus, jagged stream of freezing cold. The least the charging humanoid could do was brace himself for the inevitable, guarding his face from the brunt of the attack. Then like a vicious blizzard, the freezing ray connected to the giant’s forearms in a burst of furious winds, coating the white-armored warrior in overgrowing permafrost.

The cold chill sapped the intense heat from the Titan, dwindling the once vibrant pink flesh into a pale, desaturated blue. Gradually, it crawled across his arms and seeped into his bulky shoulders of the stubborn soldier. When the beam ceased to be, the Armored Titan nearly dropped from the overwhelming freeze, shivering from the cold that permeated his body. Despite this, this did not detract from the subtle movements Gordon detected with his Titan’s enhanced hearing, knowing full well that the eight-legged freak was about to make a move.

Springing to action with a bountiful leap, Kumonga prepared to anchor her spiked limbs into the Titan, eager to pump more of her toxins into the nearly immobilized warrior. But the Titan wasn’t going down without a fight; forcing his hands together in a cusp, a fumbling, but nevertheless decisive swing arced around to meet with the spider head-on. The sledgehammer strike smashed against the exoskeleton of the giant arachnid, hurling Kumonga into another skyscraper, once again bringing the structure down on her. This act, however, wasn’t without its repercussions. The bony armor that had protected his hands had shattered, losing their durability in lieu of the frost beast’s weapon. And although the Titan’s regenerative prowess was forcing the venom out of its system, Gordon knew countering Kumonga would leave him open to another strike.

This was going to be trouble.

Suddenly, a crown of horns rammed into the posterior of the Armored Titan, forcing the Titan to stumble and roll over himself. As he forced his Titan to stand, steam rolled off his face as Gordon struggled to maintain balance. With his hands bare, he grabbed rubble and slammed it into the feral beast’s visage. As the clump shattered without so much as leaving a mark against Angira, the Armored Titan used that impromptu distraction to shoulder ram the golden ankylosaur, throwing the quadrupedal animal to the ground. Gordon raised his Titan’s foot up in hopes to stomp the Yamato interloper in, but the fearsome fangs clamped onto the white giant by the foot, pulling him off his feet and onto his back.

With a disdained screech, the Armored Titan attempted to get back up, to continue this bout. But a swift and brutal thwack in the face once again proved the formidability of Anguirus, the club-like tail shattering the face plates of his armor. Once again, Gordon was humiliated and thrown to the ground, seemingly at the mercy of this creature from the distant past. Vexing his rage and anger, steam spewed from his parted jaws, a show of determination that would incur his wrath.

Raising his eyes, a burning fire surged from deep within. His itch for a fight was still strong.

***

The two giants stared at each other with malicous intent, the pair heavily breathing as the scent of blood filled the air. The sound of chewing seemed like nails on a chalkboard even in the war zone, making the fallen guardian slightly cringe. The crushing of bones echoed within his ears like a drum, all while the feelings of rage began to bubble up.

Zilla did not deserve such a fate, the mutant deserved to see this day to the end and maybe one day be freed from their masters. The huntmaster Liger observed the idle Titan, looking for any weak points or movement from the humanoid. It had successfully managed to seal Zilla’s fate and put him on the defensive, even breaking his bones. This one was not to be underestimated, he would have to beat the Jaeger Titan soon if he wished to see the next sunrise.

Within the nape of the Attack Titan, Haruo breathed heavily. This battle had taken a great toll on his body, his healing factor working constantly to fix the damage from the pair. Though he had succeeded in murdering the iguana, the young captain still had to deal with the Okinawa golem. His fellow Jaeger Titans had their hands full, leaving him alone to deal with the shisa.

‘You are putting up quite the fight…I guess I shouldn’t expect less from a species that managed to damage the first Mechagodzilla.’

The two stood silent as they got into aggressive fighting stances, a heavy air hanging above the two as moments seemed to be hours.

Haruo charged forward before jumping into the air and pulled back his arm, his full strength going into the swing. But the lion god was quick to grab his fist in midair and proceed to pull him closer, the shisa lifting his other arm and slamming it into the Attack Titan’s elbow. The limb snapped in a single strike, earning a howl of anguish from the humanoid as he fell to his knees.

King Caesar reached down to the ogre’s face before pulling his head back and slamming it into his opponent’s, breaking the nose and sending Haruo tumbling to the ground. Blood poured from the wound as he attempted to regain his footing. Right as he felt himself rise from the ground, King Caesar closed the distance and struck an uppercut, sending the Attack Titan into the air before crashing on his back.

Steam rose from his jaw as his healing factor forced the bone back. The Attack Titan quickly rose to face the golem once again, roaring as rage consumed the soldier. With a powerful leap, strong hands were hoping to wrap around the enemy’s throat. But the invader deflected the attack and attempted to kick the downed defender of mankind, only to fail when the Jaeger Titan wrapped his legs around King Caesar’s own. Monstrous strength slammed the artificial golem into the concrete, earning a pained yelp before Haruo was quickly on top of him.

The demon of justice raised his arms into the air, violently swinging his fists and crashing them repeatedly into the golem’s form. Cries of pain resounded from the invader’s maw, retaliating with an upward swing of his talons, flesh being sliced open and ejecting blood from the wounds. It poured onto the pair, covering them in ichor, King Caesar managed to throw Haruo off of him with a powerful shove.

Tumbling and rolling over himself, the soldier rose quickly to his Titan’s feet, only to see that his enemy had vanished. “Son of a bitch, where did it…” Before he could complete that thought, Haruo took a quick look at his surroundings, costing him his victory.

From the sky, the leaping King Caesar dropped with the grace of a coryphée, slamming his leg into Haruo’s Titan head, crushing the skull and thrusting the masculine beast downward with remarkable force. Blood sprayed across the battlefield as the Attack Titan let out a cry of anguish. Consciousness seemed to fade away as a blurry image of his opponent came closer. The huntmaster liger reached down and wrapped his talons around his damaged Titan’s skull.

With blocky and canine incisors, the golem smiled as he forced his fingers into the Jaeger Titan’s eyes, forcing a roar of pure agony from the warrior. Blood gushed from the eyes and maw before a pop, the head being ripped in half with one swift move. Without a means of self-sustaining, the corpse of the Attack Titan collapsed, unmoving.

The shisa reached over to a destroyed building, pulling it above his head and slamming it into the destroyed skull. Brain matter and blood quickly splattered onto the ruins that surrounded them as the final blow had been dealt.

King Caesar panted before falling onto his back; the abomination had been vanquished. Zilla was avenged, and their success rate had risen immensely. The liger listened to the sounds of war and quickly returned to his feet; his comrades needed his aid. The shisa looked towards the Wraith Titans that continued to devour Zilla, the man made abominations reducing the reptilian mutant to nothing more than bone and blood.

The golem seethed with frustration witnessing the mass feeding. Though their leader had been eliminated, he could not risk the Wraiths joining the battle.

Within the nape, Haruo took deep breaths. Anxiety ran through his mind as he heard the roar of his adversary and the tearing of flesh. Though he was lucky that he was not crushed, fear still ran through his mind. As the Jaeger’s body began to dissolve, he needed to wait. His healing factor would quickly repair the damage and hopefully he would be able to traverse the hell that surrounded him.

“Need… to find Gordon.” Haruo murmured to himself, shifting his priorities to saving his fellow soldier. But his mind was stuck recollecting the bizarre miracle that occurred. “What… The hell was that?” He stood in confusion, unsure of what to make of it. He flexed his fingers, trying to stimulate the sensation that allowed him to control Titans. But nothing. Haruo exhaled a heavy sigh, awaiting his body to be in reasonable condition.

“Is this my Titan’s power…?” He recollected all the time in training, getting occupied with using the power of the Titans in his hands. But in all such instances, not once did he recall the mental strain that took its toll on his body–not his Titan’s. For that matter, he didn’t even know if his Titan even had a gift, not unlike the modified Armored or Colossal Titans. But whatever the case, if he could tap into whatever it was, then perhaps they would stand a better chance at whatever crawled out of the woodwork. In the meantime, he just had to make sure he didn’t get spotted…

***

A loud gurgle signaled the attack, the amphibious Hedorah leaping from the broken asphalt unto the red giant. Its caustic sludge clung onto the heated fibrous tissue, allowing the diminutive smog monster to hold a firm grip atop the Titan. But Akane was not one to back down, raising her hand and plummeting it into the slick tadpole-like alien. Perpetual muck and deposits oozed from the freshly made wound, the acidic contents spilling onto the ground from the foul-smelling creature. But such an act would not be without its consequences; for in doing so, the anemic hand of the Colossal Titan began to dissolve, reduced to the raw bone in a matter of moments.

Still, with all her might, the Colossal Titan tore the anomalous organism off of her, thrusting it to the ground below with an enormous splatter. As her hand came out of the pollutant entity, there was little else other than bones and bundles of nerves, which even then corroded into steam from the chemical reaction happening at the molecular level. Hoping to make it quick Akane raised her foot up to trample the hideous fiend, only for another of the Hedorahs to intervene with a barrage of sludge along her back. Strings of muscle sizzled away from the solvent, rendering it down to the spinal cord.

Turning around with speeds that belied its size, the Colossal Titan lunged for the other Hedorah that sat atop the still-standing buildings, successfully able to plunge it through the eye sockets. And rather than let her hand be eaten away by the chemical compounds, the hand charged with immense heat, burning within the smog fiend like a blazing furnace. Shrieking a dying wail, the Hedorah was quickly reduced to rigid ash, left to crumble into countless specs of dust. Fortunately for Akane, even if her hand had been compromised, it was at the very least not from the acidity of the opponent.

Just as quickly as she disposed of the Hedorah, the others swarmed her. Propelled by gaseous flight, one of the land-based Hedorahs tackled the Titan’s upper torso, throwing the giant off its equilibrium. Pressing the skeletal hand against the amphibious sludge, corrosion reduced the bone into steam. Acidic pollution burned the hand to nothing, leaving exposed bone and muscle incidentally tipped like a spear. Without reservation, the Colossal Titan skewered the bone-tipped stub into the smog fiend’s thick skin, bursting a bile of flowing sewage from its body. Chemical components broke down the stub even further, threatening to eat away up until the elbow. But a fearsome roar blasted from the Titan’s maw, lifting and hurling the sludge beast down into its splattered brethren, the two foul cretins slushing and fusing together abnormally.

The four pairs of crimson eyes gazed upon their attacker, whose blazing eyes signaled utmost rage and fury from the host that operated it. The Colossal Titan raised its foot above them, the sole ignited with fiery wrath, the Hedorahs’ screaming in fear as they recognized their imminent ends. Upon impact, an explosive blowback of heat and shockwaves flattened the nearby structures in a volcanic eruption, reduced to rubble and shattered glass. The Hedorahs solidified into chiseled rock before being further whisked into dust, leaving little left but charred clumps. However, the aftershocks threw the Titan off her feet, one foot crippled as she was caught by a standing skyscraper. With an irritated grunt, Akane forced her Titan to pull itself out, leaving millions of embedded debris in the back of the Titan.

Despite her best efforts, doubt dwindled in Akane’s mind. The more steam she used, the more compromised her fighting capabilities became. She needed to to give it her all, but was her all going to be enough against the destructive threat they faced now? There was only one way to find out.

Directing her determined eyes ahead, she saw another of the fiendish tadpoles taking flight, a repeated tactic of the Hedorahs it seemed. The Colossal Titan reared her diminished hand back, proceeding to thrust it forward with all her remaining strength. The lanky hand intercepted the airborne polliwog, puncturing the slick slime of the smog monster. Without reservation, Akane discharged superheated steam within the polluted pest, hoping to reduce it to clumps much like she had done to the previous Hedorahs. The cretin unleashed a trilling cry of agony, but Akane was quick to notice something off. This one, it wasn’t being dried out like the others… Had she used up too much of her Titan’s composition?

Gutted by her burning hand, the Hedorah squirmed vicariously, trying to pull itself away from the searing pain. Its eyes twitched and squinted, seemingly dying in her presence. Though moisture still remained, the movements of the sludge beast began to slow…

Then its eyes snapped open.

A porous hole expanded, blasting a clump of gunk at the Titan, smothering her visage in acidic sludge. Although she was not inflicted by the burning fluids, Akane more than certainly felt it. She screamed in wretched pain as her Titan’s sight was taken away from her. It didn’t take long for her to notice that the rancid fiend escaped her grasp with an audible snap of her forearm, though she wasn’t able to keep tabs of its whereabouts. Her only clue was the sloshing slime the foul creature produced and the crying echoes of other members of its kind. Their mocking cackles did not go unnoticed.

Even in her ruined state, Akane tried to force her Titan to move, do something. But the most she could do was to keep the Colossal Titan slouched against the structure behind her, dropping down in a sitting position. She needed the eyes to return, but that was easier said than done. Steam rose from the missing portions of her Titan, attempting to reconstitute a broken body. But this idle waiting allowed her panic and anxieties to settle; and just as if her fears came true, a nauseous stench overwhelmed her from within the nape. Akane mistook it for the sludge on her face, but this smell was far more potent. And the answer came just as suddenly…

…With a singular, warbling laugh.

***

Crystalized bone grazed against frost-covered scales, rupturing in a sparky display as clenched fists scraped past the visage of the mythic dinosaur. Sharp fangs retorted by clamping down on the thick layer of armored flesh, tugging at the limb and viciously shaking its head. With a vigorous pull, the dense and compact armor began to fracture, and strands of pink fibers tore from the Armored Titan’s elbow socket. The primal animal wrested the limb from the giant, dangling in the jaws of the freezing goliath. Bloodlust stirred in the soul of the Titan, though an almost demented thought hoped this fight would never end. But he knew it had to.

Even at such a close range, the Armored Titan shifted into an immediate sprint, body slamming Anguirus with his full weight. Glistening scales cracked under pressure, oozing blood from the newly formed apertures exposed to the elements. Anguirus screamed, releasing the loose appendage from his grasp as the glacial beast was sent careening through the air, only stopped when his mass started skidding against the ground. The quadrupedal dinosaur eventually came to a stop, obscured by a thick sheet of dust and debris. In an effort of self-preservation, Anguirus curled into a tight sphere, with its icicle-laced carapace serving as its only line of defense.

Gordon grunted. He hadn’t seen any signs of Kumonga, and now, even with an arm missing, he felt like he was finally gaining the upper edge in this battle. Strategy was never his strong suit; he was the muscle, and it was the only thing he needed. Not an iota of guilt was felt in his ruthless soul, his pride wouldn’t allow it. Gravely asphalt crunched underneath his footfalls before the white Titan shifted into another charge. As long as his determination willed it, Gordon would never falter, no matter the circumstances.

Another burst of speed accelerated the Titan’s legs, once again sprinting in a mad dash towards the fallen ice deity. But he had barely taken any more than a few strides before a set of multicolored beams tore into the white giant’s shoulder, sparks and blood bursting on impact. This halted his forward momentum with a clumsy and stuttering fall, only catching himself by collapsing onto his knees and arm. Twisting his head, the Armored Titan turned to the sudden attacker that dared interfere with the fight.

The figure was one all too familiar. A bipedal reptile with a rounded head, wormy tail, and a set of three-toed feet. But Gordon knew there was something amiss. Its eyes didn’t have an organic component to it, as they were but silver lenses. And upon closer inspection, he realized the scales of the creature were ragged and torn, even burnt. In the midst of its dark scales, patches of pitch black metal were interspersed across its reptilian body. In an unsightly manner giving away its artificial form, the clawed arm rotated by the wrist, tearing flesh to reveal more dark metal.

He had assumed this to be a member of the Godzilla family, one he vaguely recalled Akane handling. Given the case, if he had to take a gander, it was probably a shift in directives that sent the mechanical menace to him instead of remaining fixed on Akane. Even with the odds stacked against him, he would prove why he was the “Strongest Man.” With slow and heavy steps, the Armored Titan began to crystalize his chest and shoulders in an attempt to brace for any kind of impact the false organism had in store.

With time being imminent, the false Godzilla began to burn a bright light. The white fire coruscated off the Titan’s gleaming armor as the once reptilian Godzilla’s true form began to take shape. When the flames died down, the true nature of the attack was revealed. Forged from black metal, its frame merely mimicked that of the monster king, but with stiffer rocket fingers and a shorter tail. Silver lenses became much more pronounced, and its wrists spun rapidly as if calibrating. The robotic reptile was branded with an “MG3” insignia embedded on its left arm–

–The intruder was none other than Mechagodzilla!

And Gordon would show him what for.

Entering another monstrous sprint, the Armored Titan closed the gap in long strides, crossing his arm and stump over his face for safe measure. The weight of the additional hardening made each footfall reverberate with greater intensity than before, erupting in a billow of scattered debris and sailing dust. Gordon kept a tight focus, knowing full well he would be entering hell at any given moment.

And his assessment proved correct on that front.

The black-clad Mechagodzilla reared back, raising its spinning hands as they clicked into place. Without issue or warning, the fingertips of the mechanical goliath erupted into explosive bursts as the salvo rushed the white Titan. Rain of furious hellfire and shrapnel drenched the oncoming humanoid in a paroxysm of insufferable rage and agony, each missile expanding into a superheated shockwave of fire and heat. The intense recoils from the explosive impacts forced the Armored Titan to an abrupt and blundering stop, spinning out of control as he crashed into the ground.

Gordon didn’t need to know his Titan’s conditions; he could feel them. The fracture that lined his reinforced chest, the profuse steam gushing from the wound. Missiles soared aimlessly overhead, merely annihilating whatever rubble stood behind him in a burning conflagration. He had to think of something, do something. Perhaps he could break the calf armor for additional speed to intercept the alien automaton, or even try to further harden himself to brace for the hell to come, or–

—Gordon threw any plans he had out the window when he saw the chest compartment of Mechagodzilla flip open. The burly man hastily tore himself out of his fleshy prison, knowing full well he had to abandon the Titan to live; or at the very least, not find out how much his body could tolerate. In a geyser of steam, the muscular man ripped out of the nape region, hightailing it to the shoulder cluster as soon as he could. Just as he did, a blazing orange light flashed from behind him, leaving the man only a moment to process before the concentrated bolt tore into the Armored Titan’s blank face, cleaving the white giant effortlessly in two.

The aftershocks of the orange bolt threw Gordon off his feet, blowing him away into the air against his own volition. Although he was out of the Cross Attack Beam’s range, it did little to buffer what came next. Falling from a great height, Gordon could only brace himself for his inevitable meeting with the broken concrete. He was a man made of muscle, one endowed with special abilities that alleviated death from his mind. But was this truly the case? It was time to find out.

Little option was left at Gordon’s disposal, recklessly using the brunt of his right arm to absorb the impact. A fatalcrack fractured his right arm, shattering it and dislocating from the socket. Gordon’s anguished screams were drowned out by the hailing missiles soaring above him, but now wasn’t the time to recuperate. Drenched in a profuse sweat and red in the face from the pain, Douglas Gordon forced himself onto his two feet and began to run towards the nearest structure, keeping hidden from Mechagodzilla’s line of sight.

Once the Armored Titan began dissipating, the black metallic reptile ceased fire. It disposed of the target accordingly, and with a whirl of its hands, reloaded a specialized set of missiles. Turning its attention inward, Mechagodzilla blasted a set of revolver missiles into the ruined Tokyo, bombarding the dreaded cityscape in torrents of flames and shrapnel. Nothing would survive the terror of Mechagodzilla.

Fortunately for Gordon, the mecha’s priorities shifted, with its back to him. He felt gracious, giving the time needed to heal. “Dammit, why didn’t I transform…?” Gordon vexed, only to realize his shortcoming. He had exhausted his Titan’s abilities in his fight against Anguirus and the others, and no doubt the Titan’s stamina took a toll during the battle. Something to be amended for next time he used it.

But before he could get comfortable, a sudden chill overcame him. Heavy footfalls indicated the creature was quadrupedal in nature and, much to his dismay, easily identifiable with what it was. With a honk, Anguirus called out to anything nearby. Then, almost as if responding, the mound that had once been a skyscraper began to shift and move. With long, spindly legs erupting from the debris, Kumonga emerged from her prison, meeting with the golden dinosaur. Such a sight made Gordon grimace. The two monsters that expended most of his Titan’s energy back up and kicking.

The red eyes of the xanthic ankylosaur scanned the ruins, observing for any suspicious activity. As the Armored Titan vanished into purple embers, Anguirus leaned in to where the decaying corpse was, sniffing around. A chilling wave overcame the puny human once more, keeping his breathing to an absolute minimum.

This wasn’t good…

***

Having lurched from the burning wrath of the Colossal Titan, splattering the giant in the face with its acidic sludge, the polliwog Hedorah landed with a muddy splurch. Its body had started to harden, but fortunately it had enough moisture in its body to operate without issue. Crimson eyes stared at the pathetic sight of the gaunt humanoid, its face muddy and both arms missing. Hedorah sat in silence at first, letting the snapped-off arm dissolve into steam through its body’s chemical makeup.

Content, the terrestrial Hedorah began to crawl with muck-like steps towards the dried up corpses left from the explosion. Its body smothered them, humidifying them with putrid liquids in an effort to resuscitate them. Although their exteriors hardened over, their innards retained some fluids–which in turn stirred the creatures to life. Cracking through their former shells, the other two Hedorahs began to haughtily laugh. Their demise had been evaded, and now it was time for retribution!

They sang in a chorus of mocking cries, their individual bodies melding into one another. As a new, more horrifying form gestated into a singular entity, a blazen flash of pink light washed over the area. Sewn together and growing exponentially, the once diminutive Hedorahs merged into a towering supercolony; with a warbling laugh, the bipedal Hedorah approached the fallen Colossal Titan with an almost malicious glee, secreting a noxious fog in the process.

Steam rose from the humanoid’s frail body, but its healing factor wasn’t as accelerated as it had been. Clearly, at least from Hedorah’s perspective, the enemy had been worn down. Oval-shaped eyes flashed in a bright crimson, with concentrated light sparking from the lacrimal caruncle, resulting in a jagged beam rocketing from the eyes. Scarlet bolts tore into the Colossal Titan, uttering a hellish wail from the exhausted Titan. Chemical explosions ruptured what was left of its body, though the residual stench permeated the area with toxic smoke.

The assault continued up until the Titan had vanished, blasting the humanoid to kingdom come. The chunks and pieces that remained sizzled into nothing, as if the giant never existed. Then the rest of its body went too. Hedorah was content with this, although its reserves had still been expended from the fight. It needed to consume, rejuvenate for the obstacles that inevitably lied ahead. Its eyes scanned its surroundings, only seeing the chaos from the utter devastation to the greater metropolitan area.

Exploiting the faults and cracks in the streets, Hedorah began to break down into microscopic pieces, disseminating the broken road. Tadpoles swarmed down the crevices, dripping into the sewers that remained from the onslaught. This would be the sustenance it required, consuming all in its path until it had the power it needed.

To bring the world to its knees.

***

-The Moon, UN Base

The three leaders of the invasion force watched on the television screen the news of their onslaught, smiling with glee as humanity had been put into a panic. Soon all of the JSDF and Earth Defender forces would be destroyed and their might would prove victorious.

“See doctor? Your planet is doomed to our might. Resistance is futile.” Dr. Miyajima turned toward the Xilien commander, trying to keep his emotions in check as the young tyrant taunted him and his colleagues.

“You are just a boy trying to play king, a fool who believes himself to be above others for simply existing. Humanity will not go down without a fight, we drove your people back once, we can do it again.” A moment of silence passed as the Xilien Mutant pondered on his response before discharging a bolt of lightning at the doctor, lighting up the room in an azureus glow as the doctor hit the wall.

“Dear doctor, I don’t think I am above you cattle. I know I am above you,” The Regulator walked over to the fallen body of the professor, grabbing the man by the hair and lifting him off the ground. “You have no idea what storm is approaching, do you? You haven’t the slightest idea the hell I will put you through for your people’s sins.”

“Stop!” The Regulator turned toward Dr. Ichinose, electricity coursing through his fingertips. “Why are you doing this? What happened between our people was decades ago, our two people signed a treaty. Why throw that away!?”

“Because my elders are fools that believe that I could forgive those that took my father from me.” The room fell silent… The men all looking at each other, each not knowing how to respond to such words until Dr. Kusmi stepped forward.

“Your father may have fallen due to the Earth, but we fought in self-defense. There is no need for any more bloodshed between our people, please call off the attack. It will only create an endless cycle of agony.”

“Your pathetic treaty has never meant anything to me, how do you not understand this?” The Regulator took in deep breaths as he tossed Dr. Miyajima into the others, leaving his unconscious form to the humans before turning to his allies. “Soon the Earth will be nothing but a barren wasteland. When the three generals arrive in Tokyo, their combined might will destroy these infidels with ease.”

“I could not have said it any better,” Chuck said with a grim smile before the Futurian turned back to the screen, with a sudden rush of fear running through his veins.

“How is this possible!?” Glen began to back away from the screen, not believing what he was witnessing. “They aren’t supposed to rise for years, and yet they are here!”

The other two invaders looked in awe as a bronze form of legend showed itself, all hope of victory going down within seconds for Chuck. Though he would never admit it to the others, it had seemed that the fight had just gotten more complicated.

“Ripples in time have caused this Glen,” The Futurian turned towards his acquaintance as he spoke, waiting for what he would add. “When we first arrived, we had incidentally created the Godzilla that destroyed our King Ghidorah, and then when we had returned Emmy had brought her ‘Demon of Justice’ to this present. Ultraman had arrived at the scene, an event that was not told within our own history…”

Chuck slammed his fist into the desk that stood in front of him, they had created this scenario. They had traveled across the timeline to gather their forces and before then they had altered the time stream again and again.

The Futurian returned his attention to the television, clenching his fist as he continued to watch the ongoing conflict. His mind began to brew another scheme…

***

The soldier of the future sat on a rooftop, panting as he had attempted to regain his breath. It was a miracle that he was not turned into a paste during the conflict. Though the enemy had suffered losses in the conflict, and the Wraiths finally disposed of, there was much work to be done.

As he looked through the warzone, he spotted the corpses of the fallen invaders and evaporating Jaeger Titan alike. Near the blue theropod carnivore was a humanoid build, though he could not tell which Titan it was due to the heavy amounts of steam from the body.

The soldier lost in time quickly used his ODM Gear to propel himself forward, needing to know which of the Titans he had spotted… His eyes widened as the identity was unveiled.

The Colossal Titan had been slain.

Eren jumped rooftop to rooftop, hoping to get to her before another immense battle destroyed her body from within the nape. She had betrayed her government for him, throwing away everything she knew up until that point just to save a stranger. He needed to repay her, and if the price was his life, then so be it.

***

Cascading sweat began to freeze from the exasperating chill, though Gordon refused to move from his only hiding spot. He had to let his broken arm calcify and break into place, and more importantly, not be spotted by the enemy. The air drag from the ankylosaur’s clubbed tail was audible to his ears as it lingered overhead. Had Anguirus known of Gordon’s whereabouts, perhaps he would’ve been smitten right there and then.

Minutes passed, but for Gordon it felt like hours. Neither the golden monster nor the giant spider vacated the premises for him to make an escape, and he was becoming uncertain how long his body could stand the bitter cold. Only the warmth of his regenerating arm, sizzling with steam, kept him company. But a faint hope sparked when he heard the rumbling of iron treads paving over the jagged roads. Such obnoxious droning caught the attention of the two giant monsters, and Gordon knew it was now or never…

For the ancient deity once revered as Angira, these metallic pests were nothing more than obstructions to be dealt with. The Type 90 Tanks began to blast out shells in rapid succession, almost in unison, bombarding the enormous targets in a blaze of explosive blowbacks. Although the barrage forced Kumonga back, Anguirus stood his ground, his mouth permating with an ethereal glow. Then, in the moment that followed, a jagged wave of ice-cold energy spewed from the giant’s maw, drenching the rows of tanks in ice–freezing those within them alive.

With a grunt, the golden freezing monster turned, noticing an insignificant speck in the distance. The man ran with all his might, but it was nothing the ancient deity couldn’t handle. In a few short steps, the quadrupedal dinosaur leaned in with jaws agape. Soon enough, the man would be in his stomach, ensuring the genocide of humanity would continue. But just before he could, a wave of skyward missiles detonated against his golden hide, stopping Anguirus’ pursuit of the human. F-15 fighter jets soared over them, the creature’s red eyes tracking their path.

But the moment he did, he saw something far in the distance–

–More F-15s flew overhead, although their target wasn’t him or any of his compatriots. Missiles fired from their ports, lighting up the darkness on the horizon with blazing hellfire. With each eruption of smoke and fire, the fearsome figure became evermore apparent. Even Kumonga became transfixed at the sight before her. Through the fire and flames, something was approaching.

Something big, ancient, and dreaded.

Seemingly even without uttering a sound, the invasion force came to a sudden stop. Anguirus and Kumonga continued to stare, realizing this fight was far from over. Sailing the skies, Rodan took notice of the hulking monstrosity down below. Ebirah and Kamacuras, who had been gnawing on the remains of the Titans, also took heed. King Caesar roared at the being, even if it did nothing to attract its attention. Mechagodzilla ceased fire, twisting its head a full one-hundred eighty degrees, scanning at the target before them.

The monstrous being stood tall, towering over everything with its sheer height. As its presence became clearer, its more defined features became more prominent. Spires jutted from the shoulders, each lined with ivory blades. Thick hardwearing armor covered the intense musculature beneath it, adorned in a shimmering bronze. It ignored the flurry of missiles exploding against it. A long, whip-like tail dragged across the earth beneath its feet, not even urged to respond to the measly weapons that dared to harm its being.

The bronze monster snorted, scanning the various invaders that befelled this land. What had once been a prosperous forest had long since been paved over for these obstructions, this concrete jungle that suffocated the life out of the once fertile soil. In many ways, the destruction brought on by these interlopers was a net positive. Perhaps life would return to this barren dirt. But the Earth beckoned his wrath, his utmost fury; for they were an infection that needed to be purged, and it was a wish the beast would happily oblige.

With a deep and powerful bellow, Bagan declared his arrival.

Ebirah and Kamacuras chittered amongst each other, their instincts urging them to flee. But the frequencies that influenced them amplified tenfold, removing all doubt from their feeble minds. They had strength in numbers and the firepower of Mechagodzilla at their disposal. Certainly, victory would be theirs for the taking. Kumonga chirped in reply, lifting herself up to intimidate the mountainous beast; but she could barely reach the hips of the colossus.

Up in the air, the white Rodan circled around the horned titan that challenged them, almost petrified at the sight. But despite it all, Rodan knew there wasn’t much of a choice. With her binocular vision, the winged pterosaur continued to maintain aerial buoyancy, keeping an ever watchful eye on Bagan.

The ancient Yamato beast could only stare in fear; this titan of legends standing before him in the modern era. The last he recalled encountering the bronze devil was during the feud between the primal monsters and the fearless warriors who sought to purify their souls. A towering monolith of destruction, a phantom who acted on the will of the Earth, a punisher who was the vanguard of the forests and valleys of the world. Anguirus barked at the massive superbeast, challenging the elder god and his fearsome might. Bagan only responded by curtly glaring at the golden ankylosaur.

King Caesar snarled, the Atlantean construct flexing his claws and shifting his feet in the gravel for the fight that was to come. The ancient golem likewise saw the black figure of Mechagodzilla calibrating for an attack, ready to unload a barrage of firepower equivalent to a nuclear warhead.

But the ears of the lion god perked up.

Off in the distance, the sky darkened with a rolling thundercloud, blanketing the hellscape Tokyo had become. Flashes of lightning crawled over the dark nimbostratus clouds, followed by a thunderous cacophony that echoed across the battlefield. A gentle rainfall sprinkled from the overcast that hung above, quieting the fires that kept the city of Tokyo lit into hollow smoke. But even amidst the booming thunder, there was another peculiar noise that caught the shisa’s attention.

He looked to the sky, noticing a subtle, blue light soaring the dark heavens. A spinning disk made itself visible to the naked eye, azure flames jettisoning from four distinct ports along its sides. Suddenly, two of the ports ceased its spewing flames, allowing chelonian limbs to emerge from them. A tusked head and a pair of clawed hands burst from the disk’s form, revealing the true identity of the intruder. The flying terrapin released a mighty roar, his large eyes locking with the liger. The progeny of Atlantis, the guardian of the universe, Gamera was at last here.

Accelerating his thrusters, Gamera made a direct beeline for King Caesar. If it was one less monster for Bagan to contend with, then he would abide by the will of the Earth. He recalled seeing a very similar creature in his past; another creation of the fallen Atlantis, much like himself. Even if this golem differed from his former ally, even the mere thought of putting down a potential ally made his heart sink.

In the moments leading to the collision, Mechagodzilla was quick to direct its head towards the airborne chelonian. Silver lenses targeted the artificial lifeform, prepared to bring it down with a set of Space Beams. But just before it could fire, lightning cracked as an anomalous flash swooped down from the clouds above, racing on air as one would on land. Enriched by its electrical prowess, the white beast rammed into the black metal machine at full speed, dragging the automaton across the ruined Tokyo in a near instant.

King Caesar stared agape at what had just transpired, unable to fully process the speed of the other monster. This nevertheless left him open, feeling a heavy slam as Gamera collided against his rocky exterior, forcibly taken off his feet as the armored tortoise removed him from the field of battle, vanishing near the horizon.

Bagan snorted. His pride felt he did not need the help, but so long as he could sastiate his bloodlust, then it mattered little. So long as Gamera and Balkzardan didn’t get in his way. Slamming his tail against the ground, Bagan uttered a growling rumble at the challengers he had to contend with. Ivory spires sparked with electricity, glaring at the motley crew of critters before him. The five remaining giants all screeched in defiance, staring death in the face.

For Bagan, this was a pathetic sight to behold.

***

The shisa roared with fury as his opponent took him into the sky, the lion god attempting to force himself free with strikes to the terrapin’s armored stomach with his knees, only for the attacks to not properly reach.

Gamera looked down at the golem before raising his arm that was wrapped around his face and beelined for the ground at top speeds. The moment that they were close enough to the surface, the guardian of the universe slammed his enemy into the ground. The immense speed destroyed the concrete with ease, carving a deep trench as King Caesar was forced to endure the pain.

The Ryukyuan deity roared out in agony before he was raised back into the air, quickly spun around, and thrown into the sky. The golem crashed through a series of buildings before coming to a complete stop as he made contact with a skyscraper. Before the fallen guardian could react, flames began to surround Gamera’s maw before unleashing a ball of plasma at the downed invader, landing a direct hit with the attack. Flames engulfed the shisa as a gigantic explosion overtook him, releasing howls of anguish into the air as the skyscraper collapsed on top of him.

Large emerald eyes looked through the flames, attempting to locate his target in case they had survived the attack, only to be met with nothing. Gamera sighed before turning his back to the flames and started to look for others he could pick off, only for his attention to return to the burning area as King Caesar emerged with fury.

Springing out of the flames and charging at full speed, the golem pursued the prodigy of Atlantis in blazing anger. Before the terrapin could effectively react, the burning liger jumped into the air and struck the shelled warrior in the plastron with a heavy drop kick, forcing the giant turtle to stumble before catching his balance.

The huntmaster liger landed in front of his opponent before swinging his arm in a backhand, smacking Gamera and pushing him aside just a bit. The golem was running low on energy, feeling himself grow weaker as the battle continued. His confrontation with the Attack Titan was taking its toll.

But he would give it his all, all the same.

While having the upper hand, the shisa attempted to strike the artificial turtle, only for Gamera to catch his fist with his jaws. One of his tusks punctured stone-hardened skin in an instant, with alchemic fluids flowing from the wound as King Caesar let out a cry of agony. Suddenly hoisted into the air, the archaic lion struggled in the hands of the chelonian bioweapon, trying to pry itself free. Directing a firm series of punches against the armored plastron, King Caesar managed to force the terrapin to release his grip, causing the golem to use the flat chest as a jumping board, shoving Gamera back as he backflipped into the warzone.

The liger snarled as he quickly adjusted himself, orders within his mind forcing him to his feet before charging directly at his foe.

Gamera, having regained his equilibrium, reared his arm back as his elbow spike emerged from his arm joint before slashing frontward, cutting into the charging liger’s chest with one swoop. King Caesar rolled across the ground as fluids poured from the wound and maw, coughing up the ichor as a result of the attack.

The golem looked upward from the ground as the terrapin approached, attempting to lift himself from the ground, only to collapse once again. He needed to at the very least tire this guardian down for the others. If he was to fall, his death would not be in vain!

Gamera reached down to the struggling shisa, the artificial life form attempting once last desperate claim to life by slashing at the turtle’s flesh with his claws, managing to slightly carve miniscule trenches in the arm.

King Caesar continued to groan as Gamera raised him up to his eye level from the back of his neck before wrapping his hands around his head in a choke hold. The turtle quickly twisted his neck, killing him in an instant. The shisa’s body dropped like an anchor, motionless as artificial blood fell from his eyes and nose. Gamera looked upon the body of the fallen, letting out a sigh before closing his eyes.

A moment of silence for the dead. The creations of Atlantis grew fewer, soon Gamera would be truly alone in this world. There was nothing that could be done for it; for its lifelike appearance, King Caesar was anything but. But this was a war, his duty to the Earth was the first priority.

The Guardian of the Universe turned his head, looking upon the living mountain being surrounded by the rest of the invasion force, waiting to see what the mythic dragon’s next move would be.

***

Rubble flew into the air as the mechanical doppelganger was dragged across the Earth by the thunder god. Calculations quickly ran through their electronic mind, attempting to find the best counter before endangering the mission.

The door on the cosmic monster’s stomach opened, revealing a weapon before it unleashed an orange bolt of energy. The impact caused Balkzardan to scream as he was shot off of his prey, landing amongst the ruins on his side.

The elemental watched as Mechagodzilla got to their feet, a metallic screech reaching his ears as the robotic reptile turned their attention to their attacker. Quickly aiming his hand before his target got to his feet, unleashing a hailstorm of missiles, the projectiles passing by building and striking the earth, missing the intended target.

Balkzardan quickly ran past the destructive projectiles, appearing to the naked eye as a bolt of lightning as he slammed into Mechagodzilla’s chest, causing the invader to stumble back before attempting to catch him. But the thunder god swerved to slam into the mechanical hide at intense speeds, wind rushing past them in an instant.

The third Mechagodzilla screeched as they slammed through buildings, crumbling them to dust with their immense weight. The robotic copy swung his arm backward at the approaching beast, only for his target to dodge the attack and slam into their chest once again. This time, managing to fully knock the robot onto their back.

Quickly, Mechagodzilla retaliated with twin rainbow beams from his eyes, hoping to strike Balkzardan down…

The deity unleashed electrical energy from his maw, the Tornado Bolt clashed with the Space Beams. Energy pulsed back and forth as each put their all into their attacks, the light becoming blinding for the thunder god before a sudden explosion erupted from the beam clash.

The pair roared as they were sent flying in opposite directions, smoke rising from the Balkzardan’s form as he slammed into the ground. The living storm quickly got back to his feet and surveyed the surrounding area, attempting to spot his opponent through the thick dust in the air.

A metallic screech exited the enemy’s maw through the dust, prompting the god where his target was, and without a second thought, charged straight through the dust at full speed. Electrical energy surrounded his being as he charged his Spark Dash…

Balkzardan screamed in agony as he was met with Mechagodzilla’s Neo Barrier, the obstacle causing the god to be slammed backward as smoke rose from his face. Pain rushed through his being in an instant.

The mechanical menace’s barrier remained operational, waiting for the elemental to make his next move. Rage fueled the guardian as he called down the power of the storm, bluish white lightning struck the barrier at full power, only to remain unfazed by the attack.

Balkzardan snarled as he looked for an opening, quickly finding the answer at the top of the barrier. It didn’t wrap around the entire being, this was his chance. Once again the divine being called to the dark heavens, sending down a bolt of electrical energy to his target. Striking true on the head of the mechanical doppelganger, it caused Mechagodzilla to unleash a digital screech as they immediately ceased functionality to their barrier.

The invader stumbled backward as their head quickly rearranged itself, their face once again facing their opponent. Mechagodzilla prepared to unleash hell upon the guardian when suddenly Balkzardan unleashed another Tornado Bolt, striking the bionic monster across the shoulder. Sparks flying as the double screeched into the air, it was time for a new strategy.

Thrusters on the bottom of Mechagodzilla’s feet ignited, flames bursting beneath them as they began to take to the sky. Balkzardan chuckled as the enemy attempted to gain an advantage, taking the conflict to the sky would be a mistake for the robotic invader.

The storm brewed above, clouds puffing with rage as thunder cracked and lightning struck the ground. Round two had begun…

***

The war against the elder god began with a shrieking howl, Angira barking an order and issuing his compatriots to surround their gargantuan opponent. As the crimson prawn and the verdant mantodea scattered in order to take the living mountain at the sides, the pallid pterosaur dove in from above, making the first move against the colossus. Her supersonic speeds zipped past the brutish monolith, using her wings as blades. Sparks flew across the great dragon’s chest armor, leaving only a hollow scratch on its calcified surface. Wind and dust erupted following the sonic boom, with Rodan maneuvering skyward to regain altitude. Loose and miniscule debris forced Bagan to squint, if only mildly hindering his vision.

Sharp daggers and exposed gums became visible with Bagan’s irritation, growling at the pests that dared defy him. In retort, the golden Anguirus responded with a glow from his maw, followed by a beam of sky blue light. The freezing ray struck against the feet of the goliath, coating them in deep permafrost and icicles. A grunt escaped the dragon’s vocals, nictitating his eyes from the dust that had obstructed him. Anguirus went in for another shot, discharging another blue lance of energy at the behemoth. But Bagan proved quick to respond, holding his clawed hands up in front of him. An invisible force field neutralized the supercooled ray, protecting the armored dragon from any noteworthy harm. Using his natural bulk, Bagan tore free from his futile imprisonment, allowing his feet to move once more.

The two reptilian beasts locked eyes, Anguirus galloping around to find an optimal position to keep up the ranged assault. Meanwhile, the fluttering wings of Kamacuras made themselves known as the mantid swooped past, trying to cut a deep gash in the flesh of the earthly demon. But this proved to be of little avail, leaving only a minor scratch across its surface. The mighty dragon barely heeded the insignificant strike, keeping eyes firmly locked on the gold ankylosaur. Before he took action, however, he did finally register the efforts of the crustacean that lurked beneath his feet… Barely.

Swinging and slashing with its claws, Ebirah tried its damnedest to peel the thick armor off Bagan’s ankles. Its crisis scissors were tools of battle, capable of leaving bloody wounds against the most rigid surfaces. But here, it seemed there was at last armor that surpassed the sharpness of its claws! And the only result the decapod had to show were measly white lines that grazed upon the ankles. Bagan chuckled in amusement, bending over and swiping the caridean from the ground by its smaller claw.

Ebirah wailed and shrieked as it was forcibly brought up to Bagan’s eye level, the demon beast using his other hand to grip the large claw as well. The forest phantom was here to punish; but given how quickly he could make mincemeat of these pests, he wished to savor the moment. Perhaps had the danger been more imminent, he would’ve crushed the shrimp-like lobster under his heel, ending its misery. But in this moment, the sea-dweller was only under his mercy so long as he willed it. And such gracious patience wasn’t going to be for long.

With a firm pull in opposition directions, Bagan stretched the lesser and greater claws to their absolute limit, all without tearing the limbs off–but all while making Ebirah suffer in excruciating pain. But rather than a beam of ice as anticipated, a spray of webbing began to rain down upon his tri-horned visage. Bagan ignored the webbing of Kumonga, though the crustacean hostage thought to make the most of the situation. Dangling in the air, Ebirah swung its long abdominal tail and arced the tail fins to smack Bagan directly in the face, visibly jerking from the impact.

Finally, a chance to hurt the devil!… Though all the measly attack did was enrage the dragon even more.

Having lost his mercy, the horned beast drove his protruding nasal horn into the wailing crustacean–lodging itself face-first, then goring the rest of Ebirah in the process. Torn asunder and a shadow of its former self, the impaled Ebirah was quickly discarded from the face of Bagan, tossed to the ground without a second thought. An amusing sniff from the burly creature picked up the scent of ammonia, a residual leftover from the deceased crustacean.

But something else assailed his nostrils. The foul stench of polluted air resonated in this demolished landscape. A reminder of the sins placed against humanity; its egotistical destruction and disregard for life. This infuriated Bagan to no end, but right now wasn’t the time or his mission.

Enraged eyes traced the miniscule webbing to its source, locking eyes with the eight ocelli of the arachnoid. A squeamish chirp resounded from the spider, who reared back and raised her two front limbs. From her frontal orifice, another spray of silken string rained down on the living mountain, but for him this was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. Electricity danced along his protruding head horns, melting the webbing from the heat it produced, snaking down his left arm. He’d dispose of this cretin in one fell swoop.

Before he could, an overwhelming droning overtook his hearing from the supersonic wakes. Then from both sides, the large bodies of Kamacuras and Rodan zoomed past the gargantuan dragon, claws and spiked chests slashing at the armored spires attached to his shoulders in an explosive display of sparks. This only forced him to lurch forward, taking half a step. Rage-fueled eyes gleamed at the two airborne monsters, both of them parting in opposite directions. Bagan vexed his frustrations with an irritated growl.

Then, rather abruptly, a ghostly howl exited from the golden visage of Angira, charging forward in a hasty sprint, each step breaking the road beneath his feet. With a powerful bound, the Yamato beast leaped and snagged his jaws into the electrified arm of the armored colossus. Bagan uttered his disdain, more than prepared to use his other claw to pry himself of this wretch. But despite the electrocuting pain, the maw of Anguirus ignited in a blue glow and burst into a sparkling display of icy powder and spiky stalagmites, freezing over the hand of the dragon. A deep, rumbling hiss emanated from the bronze devil. His hatred for the golden one was becoming ever more apparent. The creature felt familiar to him, but in his millennia-long slumber, memories of the past were but mere mirages of a time gone by.

Enraged and bitter, Bagan directed his attention towards the pest that clung to him, using his free hand to grab him by the back of the neck and pry him off. Anguirus had to determine his next course of action, and quickly. However, it became obvious he had to shift to defense, curling into a ball as the mountainous force of the colossal dragon reared back and threw the glacial sphere with tremendous power. Even in his protected state, his balled body was sent sailing the skies, spinning near endlessly until he crashed into the ground with a resounding thud, erupting in an explosion of dust particles and loose remnants.

Just as he finished, Bagan saw the gigantic spider make its move, jumping with all eight of her appendages and crashing against the torso of the mighty dragon. Though her spiked legs did little against the bony armor, Kumonga tried to thrust her face into the demon beast’s, hoping to insert her stinger into a groove or the eyeball. But such a feat would prove for naught, as Bagan used his free hand and gripped one of the arachnid’s many legs, yanking her off without much effort. Kamacuras, hoping to get another strike in, rushed towards the towering mountain of bronze and ivory, bracing its raptorial forelegs for impact.

However, the ancient, oriental deity was swift to retaliate, using Kumonga’s body as a makeshift projectile. With a powerful swing, tearing the limb off the giant spider, Bagan sent Kumonga hurtling towards Kamacuras, both arthropods screaming as they collided against one another. The demon beast puffed a satisfied grunt. Though it was his duty to protect the planet, savoring their pained cries brought him great joy.

The ears of the vicious behemoth heard the rumbling of supersonic flight behind him. Bagan was no fool to be bested by such a maneuver again, or at the very least he prided himself in that. The turbulence from Rodan’s flight path made it ever apparent she was going in for another strike, hoping to chip away at the armor of the bronze devil. But the forest guardian flicked his whip-like tail from behind, all without acknowledging the efforts of the bleach-white pterosaur. In an instant, it lacerated the spiked chest of the sky-borne warrior, hurdling the flying dinosaur to the ground. With a screeching wail, Rodan roared at the ruthless dragon god as she flapped her wings, trying to buffer the inevitable collision as she ran aground.

Dazed and disoriented, the insectoids scrambled to get back to their feet and recalibrate. Opening its tegmina, Kamacuras shuddered its hindwings to ensure they were in operational order. Kumonga, meanwhile, used her many limbs to flip herself right side up, though suffered from a limp from her torn off leg. The once calm, blue eyes flashed red with fear-induced excitement, her primal instincts urging her to run. But the sonic frequencies influencing her commanded her to stay and fight, to the bitter end. And so she would.

Looking up at the gargantuan monolith before them, Kumonga chirped at the giant. She saw Kamacuras snap its tegmina shut, shifting its chromatophores to blend in with the environment. However, as she gazed upon the tyrannical opposer, a sinking feeling overtook her instinctual gut, almost as if he could feel her fear…

And Bagan smiled.

Electricity surrounded the tri-horns on Bagan’s head, encasing his upper torso in a chaotic dance of sparkling lightning. Coursing through his body, the electric flare melted the ice that encased his left hand, enabling his raw strength to shatter the fragile frost that once imprisoned it. Ionized gasses warped as electric strings began to rise into the air, manifesting into diamond-tipped shapes. Looming above the mighty Bagan, the energized lozenges awaited further command.

Almost as if with minds of their own, two of the electrified rhombi began to soar, swirling around to their respective targets. The first pinned its aim at Kumonga, who tried to retaliate with a spray of her web. But against the searing heat it produced, it melted away into nothing as the diamond-shaped projectile effortlessly tore through it. All Kumonga could do after that was await its inevitable demise, erupting into a cacophonous blast of explosions and ruptured body parts.

The second likewise approached its mark, homing in on the wounded pterosaur that was struggling to rise to her feet. The angular shape of light plunged directly towards her, stabbing through the flesh and bones of the winged beast, uttering a hellacious scream of agony as she was consumed by the explosion. For as quick as it came, the residual effects became all the more obvious as Rodan began to cough up her own blood, more of it oozing from her fractured chest. All she could do was look up with her binocular vision, watching as Bagan scanned for his next target…

Draconic eyes surveyed the hellscape, trying to find any noteworthy signs of life. Beyond the corpses of his reckoning, the last two–the giant mantis and the freezing ankylosaur–were nowhere to be found; the former seemed to have vanished, and the latter seemingly nothing but a crater. Residual electricity from his torso began to quietly snake up his right arm, in case of any surprise att–

–The crackling of rubble alerted him. In a moment’s notice, Bagan turned to the source of the miniscule sound, seeing strange movement among the wreckage. His eyes couldn’t see the figure, but it no doubt had to be a trick of the enemy! The last lingering diamond swooped into action, hurdling itself towards the oncoming mantid. Without missing a beat, Kamacuras’ wings spread out and took immediate flight, zipping over the broken asphalt at supersonic speeds. Unable to redirect its trajectory, the blast of energy collided against the ground in an explosive display, missing its target entirely.

In a mere few seconds, Kamacuras knew it would be upon the living mountain, eagerly hoping to strike across the beast’s eyes… But Bagan had other plans. Raising his electrified arm, the deity swung in the air, discharging an X-shaped projectile from his fingertips towards the oncoming insectoid. Without a moment to process, the bulbous eyes of Kamacuras began to dim; and in the following moment, the mantid body broke apart into sliced chunks, splattering the putrid innards of the dead Kamacuras across the battlefield.

His vigor for combat and his bloodlust could only be satiated so much; these cretins provided little fight. He yearned for a real challenger! Perhaps the monsters the other two were fighting could’ve done so? Bagan amusingly chuckled, who was he kidding? They would’ve been felled all the same. These invaders were nothing but pests. Truly, what a disappointment. But at the very least, he would have fun slaughtering the last of them.

Bagan turned his eyes to the most visible, one who was hanging by a thread. Weakly, the white pterosaur rose to her feet, struggling to keep her battle stance. Try as she might, Rodan flapped her wings and kicked up a wild dust storm, blowing debris against the thick armor of the mighty dragon. Bagan didn’t even have to try, the wind having no effect upon him as he casually buffered through it. Raising his right claw up, electricity began to crawl up his arm. This would end it!

Then suddenly, the ground beneath them began to quake, giving Bagan a moment of pause. It wasn’t much to figure out a potential candidate, but was the golden one truly able to burrow? Responding from below, the ground suddenly erupted in a cluster of sharp and pointed icicles, piercing into his soles and embedding themselves into his thick armor. For once, their measly attacks stung! Bagan tried to force himself out, though the situation proved itself rather tumultuous for the giant dragon.

Nodding in appreciation, Rodan screeched in defiance of the angered demon. She would give it her all, no holding back. A bound of her powerful wings propelled her to the sky once more, soaring overhead as she began to circle around the cumbersome devil. Even with her mahogany blood dripping from her chest wounds, she had to try–to the uttermost end.

Shifting with his colossal weight, the stupendous beast snapped the spires as if they were mere twigs. The broken spines retreated underground, vanishing from sight. But the moment he freed himself, another set of icy clusters erupted from beneath, further penetrating his thick and bony armor. Enraged and irritated at the engrossing situation, Bagan began to cloak himself with intense voltage. Strings of lightning rose into the sky, warping and forming into another triad of electrified diamonds.

Then, mustering all her strength, Rodan took to the sky. Even in her bloodied and drastically weakened state, she accelerated to supersonic velocity in a matter of seconds. Much to the ire of the ruthless guardian, Bagan remained focused on feeding his next attack, amplifying its potency tenfold. These two pests would perish to his wrath, and he would make sure of that. Ferocious eyes kept track of the white pterosaur, who circled around his proximity with impressive dexterity. But it was then that Bagan felt the air pressure shift around him, accumulating into a cone-shaped twister that gradually built on itself. Though he felt nothing of it as the wind breezed over his incredible armor and tremendous weight.

Loose rubble, broken spines, and smashed vehicles became part of the fold, consumed by the razor winds and supersonic turbulence left behind. The mounding tornado began to take form, becoming denser by the second as its roaring presence became more pronounced. Unlike those formed from the clouds, this twister remained stationary, collecting all matter of loose objects in its turbulent wrath. Even the amplified Diamond Storm resting above the powerful dragon began to be swayed by the winds around them.

Despite Rodan’s best efforts, Bagan could only smile in a sickening glee. Such a pitiful “last resort.” Her demise was simply an inevitability. With only his thoughts, he commanded the energized triad to move; two to the ground, one at the bothersome avian, if only to put it out of its misery.

Like before, the twisted diamonds spurred into action, trajecting directly as their host’s request. But then a strange occurrence overtook them; instead of tunneling through the ground or detonating against an avian dinosaur, the force of the gale robbed them of their original pathway, sucked into the vicious vortex and spiraling around the rugged air that formed in the supercell. To an outsider, it looked as if the signature weapon of Bagan became a natural extension of the tornado itself, lighting up the dark twister in an array of electrified lights.

Bagan uttered his displeasure with a booming holler, only to realize the air being sucked out of his maw from the low-altitude tornado. He was quick to snap his jaws shut, keeping what he could within him. Bagan could only wince and peek between his eyelids at the destructive display, continuing to build its panoply of wild debris. Then, rather suddenly, the bleach-white body of Rodan soared directly past him, almost deliberately. It was in that moment he realized too late–

–As an explosive blast of condensed electricity bombarded him by the side. Although his brandished armor withstood the blast, anger flowed like lifeblood in his veins… The pest dared use his own attack against him! And there was little doubt the other two would follow suit. Holding his hands out in front of him, a force invisible to the naked eye guarded Bagan’s anterior, awaiting the inevitable moment the rhombi would collide against him. And just as he predicted, they drilled against the invisible barrier. Although remarkably powerful, they wheezed and struggled against the force field that protected their host from his own power, until they eventually dissipated into mere sparks and fizzled away.

While the demon beast knew full well that he could try in vain to lash out wildly, the real chance of his projectiles being used against him dawned on his brutish mentality. But likewise too was a moment to reflect on a reckless error on his part. Mahogany fluids splattered against his face and nostrils, its peculiar iron scent giving away what it was. Blood. His bloodlust and urges forced him to think irrationally, when in reality it didn’t matter what happened next. The supersonic pterosaur known as Rodan would die, and she neared death’s door. All he had to do was wait…

No matter how hard she pushed, it still felt like it wasn’t enough. Certainly, she had harmed the devil with his own devices, but it wasn’t enough to cripple him. Her body was well beyond its natural limits, overexerting itself to the point of dizziness and fatigue. Death came for her long ago, all she was doing was prolonging the inevitable. Her supersonic flight came to a slow, her mind overwhelmed by a shadowy fog as she lost consciousness. Without a sharp and steady mind to guide her body, Rodan spiraled out of control and shot out of the turbulent supercell like a bullet from a gun.

Flung from the twister at rapid speeds, the large white body of the winged pterosaur crashed into the outskirts of what had once been Tokyo. The prehistoric warrior flipped and tumbled as her body formed a deep trench in her wake, eventually skidding to a stop on her back. Bruised and bloodied from the ordeal, Rodan felt her waning power ebb away as her eyes became encroached by the comfort of death. Then with a last gurgling warble, Rodan drew her last roar… And with a soft thud, died.

The tornado created by Rodan began to lose its shape, disassembling and scattering the loose objects all across the vacant metropolis. When the dust settled, there stood the towering figure of Bagan–and his rage-fueled eyes snapped open. Now there was one more to settle the score with.

Warm blood trickled down the stalagmites, gradually freezing with the frozen spires. Such pain was a mere contrivance next to the many battles Bagan had fought throughout his lifetime of destruction. Blood was stained on his hands; though he did fight at the behest of the planet, there wasn’t a moment gone by where he indulged in his affairs. Spilling blood more than necessary, punishing the idle for their silence. All in the name of the Earth… With a flick of his wrists, Bagan’s primary claws extended threefold and, arcing his colossal mass downard, cleaved the icicles cleanly.

The spines of Angira retreated into the depths, but Bagan’s ruthlessness demanded his presence. Thrusting his left arm into the soil below, the thick mass effortlessly tore through the surface and plunged itself underground, and it seemed the find wasn’t a long one. The demonic dragon could feel his extended claws slice into scaly flesh, hearing the muffled screams of Anguirus from beneath. Bagan’s opposable thumb hitched onto what felt like the outermost ridge of the creature’s carapace, and with a tremendous heave, pulled the ice-borne deity from the earth.

Torn from the warm embrace of the Earth, left in the path of the ice god was a glowing blue light, illuminating against the golden scales of the Yamato beast. And just as quickly, it faded. The red eyes of Angira could only stare at the hulking tyrant he was tasked with destroying… But that proved to be a herculean feat for any one monster. Bagan proved why he was one of Earth’s most powerful and fearsome guardians, but the ancient Anguirus was still enslaved to the will of the frequency. It was not his will to continue this uphill battle, but the will of his masters that he die trying.

Options were limited for the avatar of ice. His spines were still reconstituting, useless until they hardened and solidified; energy reserves were on the down low, with fatigue settling in. This battle would cost him his life, but he had to try. Shifting in Bagan’s firm grip, Anguirus flung his clubbed tail at the giant behemoth, successfully connecting with the dragon’s visage. Wrath brewed in the dragon’s heart; such impudence would not be tolerated any further. He would be sure to put him in his place. Bagan dislodged his fingers from the frozen monster’s body, exchanging it for the short tail using his free hand. Rearing back, Bagan slammed the supernatural animal into the ground with all the force he could muster. Blood dripped from the victim’s nostrils, his ears ringing from the colossal impact he endured. The wild Anguirus screamed in agony, letting out one last howl before unconsciousness took hold of him.

Seeing his foe immobilized, Bagan heaved the prone form of Anguirus and tossed him into the ruined city. The limp body of the golden freezing monster blundered and rolled through the debris, unmoving as he finally came to a stop. But the creature breathed, and so long as he did, he lived. Sparks and electric flare coiled around Bagan’s right arm, channeling it into his fingertips. If now was the time, the extermination of these pests was just!

…Only for a wailing bellow to disrupt the bronze titan’s efforts. Turning his head, Bagan faced the source from this hellscape. The living mountain spotted an everso familiar visage, a distinguishable figure recognized from the ancient world. The shelled silhouette of Gamera emerged from the fire, issuing Bagan to stand down.

What? Bagan recoiled at the ludicrous order. This was the enemy at their last ropes! If he so wished, the ruthless dragon could slay the alleged “guardian of the universe” and usurp him if he so chose! Though Bagan knew better; the Earth had chosen Gamera to be part of the fold of protectors. The mind of the chelonian guardian housed great wisdom, something that Bagan did not inherit. And for that, the bronze dragon held back the killing blow, letting the man-made creation do his thing.

Gamera approached the unconscious ankylosaur with a heavy heart. Many had been slain here tonight, though he had wished it turned out differently. The Earth beckoned her mightiest warriors here to exterminate the threat, but he knew some of them had been mere animals at heart without malicious intent. But even so, would their freedom have only spiraled into more destruction? He couldn’t save the King Caesar he fought because its artificial nature was never built to absorb mana, and he had no other methods to terminate the frequency that controlled these monsters at the source–not at the expense of the living that needed their aid. But here was a chance to do something about it.

In a world gone by, humanity used mana to purify wild beasts into guardian monsters. So too would Gamera put this effect into practice. A twinkling golden light projected from the fingertips of the terrapin, gently placing them atop Anguirus’ forehead and nose bridge. The lifeblood of the Earth flowed through the unconscious beast, its head sparkling with red electricity, cutting off the source and purifying his body. When all was said and done, Gamera exhaled a sigh as he turned and walked towards Bagan. There was no need to kill Angira, and hopefully when he awoke, he would return to the world reborn as a protector of the planet.

Large emerald eyes stared at the colossus, meeting the mountainous dragon eye to eye. Gamera inquired of the beastial tyrant to spare the golden one’s life. He was a creature displaced in time, stolen from an olden world, but was still in a place he could call home. Bagan simply let out a soft, albeit reluctant, roar, assuring him that this tiny life would be spared from his wrath. There were others that still needed to be dealt with.

Gamera nodded, pointing his clawed finger over in the distance. Mana levels were plummeting rapidly, and the source indicated something horrific was soon to emerge. Gamera shifted his pointer finger to the sky, where lightning flashed amidst the turmoil. Their ally, Balkzardan, was in need of aid. He would supply the backup needed to fend off the metallic threat, while Bagan handled the growing thing brewing in the darkness. A wide smile crossed Bagan’s face; finally, something to challenge his might.

With matters concluded, azure flames jettisoned from Gamera’s legs–propelling him into the sky to meet with Balkzardan. Deep in his heart, he felt grateful Bagan was an ally of the planet, even if he was haughty more often than not. Bagan was a strong and powerful titan, and little doubt in his mind that the dragon could’ve just cut him short right there. He’d be a nigh-unstoppable threat in terms of sheer strength. But now wasn’t the time to ponder on what ifs; accelerating his boosters, Gamera sped off to catch up with the ensuing fight.

Per the guardian’s request, Bagan snorted in delight. Turning his back on Angira, the massive dragon rushed in strides to the epicenter of this gestating threat. But the further inland he went, the more noticeable the foul stench wafting in the air became. This smell, he had caught a whiff of it earlier… But why hadn’t he seen any signs of it? Just as he thought that, an abandoned smokestack erupted into flames, catching the brute’s attention. The forest guardian turned, spotting a lumped figure rising out from the flames.

A pair of oval-shaped eyes gleamed a bright crimson, highlighting its yellow iris and black pupil. Sludge-like minerals drenched its shape, bipedal in nature. Long hands drooped in front of it, raising them into the air as an intimidation display. All the while, the beast swung its tail back and forth, eyeing Bagan in the distance. Hedorah was massive, gargantuan, but even its totality fell short next to Bagan. But this was not a worry; everything Hedorah needed had been acquired, sapping the former metropolis of all of its polluted worth.

Bagan boomed a warcry, challenging the smog monster in a battle for the fittest. With his upper torso sparking with electricity, Bagan was ready to end its existence.

The pair of glossy eyes narrowed and focused on the incoming demon, lowering its hands in anticipation. Now was time to demonstrate its fullest potential and bring this beast–no, the world–to its knees!

***

Thunder roared as Mechagodzilla traveled through the storm, the dark clouds enraged with static electricity at the presence of this intruder. Balkzardan quickly followed behind his target, the thunder god’s confidence growing as the mechanical doppelganger foolishly took to the sky. The elemental unleashed a roar as they charged directly at their opponent, electrical energy filling his maw as he charged his Tornado Bolt.

The third invader Mechagodzilla quickly took action to evade the attack, the bolt of lightning firing past the target and instead shooting into the clouds. The bionic monster quickly turned towards the earth defender and unleashed his Space Beams, this time landing a direct hit upon the benevolent deity.

A roar of agony exited the god’s maw as blood sprayed through the sky, the elemental falling backward before catching himself and snarling. If the mechanical doppelganger could smile, it would do so as it heard the cries of anguish from the organic life form. The rush of inflicting pain onto others fulfilled the AI within a sinister glee.

The robotic menace suddenly came to a stop, shifting in an upright position while still maintaining its sole thrusters for balance. It turned to see lightning attempt to strike them down. The bolt of electricity barely missed its mark, shifting Mechagodzilla’s attention towards the clouds. The AI processed the harsh weather conditions as they attempted to locate their prey. Perhaps they had disappeared within the clouds themselves?

A possibility that must be met with swift action. The mechanical copy brought their hands out, rapidly rotating before firing explosive projectiles into the clouds, hoping to strike true. Moments passed and there was no sound of impact. This was a trick, the organic was hoping for them to upload everything they had in all directions. Clever, but futile in the end.

Quickly the mechanical dragon turned, raising their arm out as Balkzardan attempted to surprise them. But this only resulted in his skull colliding with the enemy’s arm, causing him to spin uncontrollably as blood flew into the air.

The dark copy let out a metallic chuckle as the god was wounded once again, aiming their silver eyes towards the deity as they began to slow down. Finally coming to a complete stop, the thunderous mammal saw their mechanical foe simply staring.

Mechagodzilla attempted to once again land a direct hit with their Space Beams on their target, only for Balkzardan to quickly dodge the attack and make a beeline for the cosmic monster. Electrical energy surrounded him as he slammed himself into the Godzilla-like imposter, denting metal as Mechagodzilla was thrown out of the sky.

A mechanical screech exited their maw as they crashed into the ruins of Tokyo, debris flying into the sky as smoke rose from the dented armor. Mechagodzilla returned to its feet before turning towards the sky, immediately seeing the deity charge at him once again.

Their hands quickly rotated before unleashing a barrage of missiles at the deity, his eyes widening as he made quick maneuvers to evade the explosives, only for a few to land a direct hit. A series of explosions engulfed the thunder god, his roars of anguish echoing through the battlefield as they slammed into the ground with a thud. Smoke rose from his form as ichor spilled onto the ruined streets of Tokyo.

Mechagodzilla wasted no time, quickly breaking the distance by charging forward at full speed. The robotic colossus closed the gap between itself and the downed deity before he could even react, pulling its leg back and remorselessly kicking the god in the chest repeatedly.

Ichor splattered across the robot’s form in an instant. Balkzardan attempted to stand, only to be met with blows from the invader’s arms, repeatedly striking his skull with their full force. Cries of pain echoed through the battlefield with each strike, consciousness almost fading as the deity collapsed into the ground.

The battle had quickly turned to Mechagodzilla’s side, the brute mecha overwhelming him with sheer power alone. His full strength was lost as quickly as it came.

Was this the end of his story? Facing off against a war machine from the stars and barely even making a difference? He would disgrace the Earth, fall so easily while the others managed to push back the invasion.

No. Get up… Get up!

Balkzardan released a war cry towards the mechanical copy with all his strength, lightning striking the battlefield with immense hatred within his soul. He would destroy what stood in front of him at all costs!

Mechagodzilla aimed its hand at the downed skull of the earth defender, seeking to scatter the heroic kaiju’s brain matter across the battlefield… Only for something to call their attention

High above them within the storm, a challenger approached from above. Flames surrounded his maw before unleashing a ball of plasma at the mechanical invader, causing the head to quickly turn and fire Space Beams to intercept it.

An explosion engulfed the sky once they made contact, but then the artificial being charged forward, bursting from the flames at full speed as he roared.

The Guardian of the Universe landed amongst the ruins, debris flying into the air as he made impact. Smoke covered the vision of the doppelganger as their attention was drawn away from the wounded deity. Surely, they did not retain the strength to fight let alone stand. They would kill the turtle then return to finish off Balkzardan with a swift hand.

Gamera looked past his foe spotting the wounded guardian on the ground, he hoped to buy him some time to heal from his wounds. He was going to need it if they were to finish the growing thing that Bagan was facing.

***

Piercing eyes glared at the abomination before him. The forest deity flexed his claws as he shifted his sparking body to make himself look more imposing than he already was. He’d show this foul fiend what for, it would suffer his wrath! Manipulating the coursing energies around him, strands of lightning ascended over the towering behemoth, morphing into diamond-like spurs. The eradication of this heinous devil was not an option Bagan could afford to pass up on, and he was sure to relish every second of it.

Hedorah focused on the azure lozenges above the mountainous tyrant, almost entranced by their electrifying beauty. But even their dazzling light revealed a horrifying reality to the smog monster; its humid, sludge-like skin could feel the electrogenic properties of the orbiting rhombi, a sensation that brought dread and fear upon the polluted alien. Unnatural instincts informed the toxic spore that death would be brought upon it if it became entangled in the towering dragon’s electric might. And there was no exception to that.

But the time to act was now.

Crimson eyes began to intensify as Hedorah glared at the monstrosity that opposed it. As it did, the enormous sack that clung to its back began to swell and expand, filling up with sulfuric gasses waiting to spill. Bagan thought nothing of it, issuing a command of attack as the Diamond Storm rocketed from their stationary orbits and honed in on the sludge creature’s coordinates. Without missing a beat, jagged bolts of scarlet energy whizzed out of the lacrimal caruncle of its eyes, aimed precisely for the airborne targets swerving right towards the polluted fiend. A cascading explosion of electric pulses and toxic chemicals resounded in a fiery blast, but only two of them had been neutralized. The third was still active and in its sights. Using its unnatural physiology, Hedorah leapt to the side with a spring-propelled bound, evading the detonation of the blast at the last second.

Yet it wasn’t to say it avoided all of it, however.

The near impact of the blast left an electric aftershock in its wake, leaving a tingling sensation flowing through the smog monster’s body. A mere taste of what was to come if the polluted spore wasn’t quick on its feet. In retaliation, a porous pod exposed itself to the open and plastered a far-ranged bile of acidic sludge against the dense armor of the legendary dragon. Though its caustic properties sizzled away at the bronze bone, a quick and electrified finish made short work of the burning mud long before it could leave a permanent scar. With a fearsome glare from nature’s mightiest warrior, Bagan funneled his electric prowess into his right arm, raising it up.

Then, with a decisive swipe, fired off the arrow-like projectile.

The X-shaped slash grazed by the side of the swerving lump of pollutants, the creature’s physical fortitude allowing it to hold together despite the damages. A horrific shriek resounded from the alien animal, feeling its side violated by the unintentional dehydration from Bagan’s attack. A sudden rush of fear flooded its mind, only to be anchored by a violent rage that kept it going. This great beast of the Earth had to perish by its hands! And for its next method of attack, Hedorah charged forward with another tremendous leap, like a puppet pulled on strings, nearly flying in the air as it readied a body slam against the towering monolith.

Seeing the strange occurrence unfold before him, Bagan embedded his large and enormous legs into the broken earth below. Such forces trembled beneath his feet, vibrating the ground at such ferocity that one could mistake it for aftershocks of a large earthquake. At the moment of impact, the large body of Hedorah collided against the living mountain of bronze and ivory, but such a tactic barely even pushed the guardian back. But it was at this moment Bagan went on the offensive; drawing out his extended claws, coated with his electric might, the demon dragon plunged it straight into the vile body of the smog monster, electrocuting its innards with a sickening delight. Although Bagan felt his hand being eaten away by the corrosive mud, he knew his resilient armor would hold out until this cretin was all but dispatched of.

So much for a challenge. Victory was his for the taking!

Hedorah’s shrills echoed across the vacant battlefield, suffering from the thunderous torment of the devil god. But even amidst the agony, part of this had been a deliberate move on its part. Widening its crimson eyes, Hedorah began to flash an assortment of pinks and magentas, transmogrifying its bipedal figure into a more compact discus shape. In doing so, the gasses that filled the sack on its back began to compress out of the tube-like orifices of its new flying form, dispelling an unnatural amount of sulfuric acid mist in tremendous quantities. In an instant, the toxic smog consumed Bagan with its acidic wrath, forcing the grand and towering tyrant to pull out his claw from the flying Hedorah’s body.

If Bagan could breathe, then he could die.

A wild burst of dirty smog cascaded from the epicenter, rolling in waves of thick clouds that crushed everything around it. The fallout tainted life from the soil, corroding it in rust and sulfur, sapping the lifeblood of the Earth. A horrendous hacking pandemonium trembled from the core of the nasty fog, with ensuing spilling of saliva and regurgitation splattering on the ground below. Growing weak and weary from the sudden loss of breathing, a destructive aftershock shook the earth as the towering giant collapsed onto his hands and knees, wheezing for air. Tears welled from the acidic agitation, groaning in agonizing pain as the near-blinded Bagan aimlessly lashed out with his hands, feet, and tail, trying his damndest to fan out the thick cloud of sulfuric gas.

This was getting ridiculous…

After being freed from the demon’s grip, the discus organism hovered in low altitude, spewing noxious mist from its exhausts. A satisfying chirp reverberated from its vocal tract, orbiting the fallen forest guardian like a vulture to dying prey. When Hedorah decided to descend upon the ivory dragon, it was only appropriate to inflict insult to injury. Its eyes lit up, darting jagged chemical bolts into the thick armor of the warrior beast. Exploding and darkening the bronze shell that covered the demon’s body, the Hedrium rays scorched and scarred the exterior of the living mountain, the vile creature emitting a haughty laugh as it did so.

When its descent became critical, another flash of pinks and magentas signaled another transformation. Returning to its large, bipedal state, Hedorah slammed its entire mass upon the prone body of the violent dragon, clasping its oblong feet and perching upon the rugged armor of the powerful beast. The movement of the devil became exponentially weaker the more prolonged he was exposed to the tremendous gasses that filled the air. Then, with wicked glee, a foul and permeating stench overpowered the sulfuric cloud as liquidated mud flowed from the bowels of the alien spore onto its fallen foe.

Bagan could only howl in whimpering misery, all the while Hedorah stood atop, manically laughing at the suffering it inflicted. How the tables have turned! Although the fight was far from over, it seemed the worst among them was soon to be handily dealt with…

***

The wounded thunder god watched as a new ally arrived to his aid, though he could not truly see who it was due to the loss of blood. All he could hope for was to heal as another bought him time and repay the debt he owed this new beast.

Gamera roared at the alien automaton as he charged, flames surrounding his maw as he stormed through the ruins. The mechanical doppelganger prepared to unleash another volley of projectiles, only for hot plasma to strike across its chest. The blowback pushed it away as the turtle closed the distance.

Mechagodzilla swiftly fired its Space Beams from its eyes, attempting to strike true, but luck was on the terrapin’s side. The gigantic turtle quickly dodged out of the way and grabbed ahold of his enemy’s arm before lifting the war machine into the air and slamming it into the ground. Hot plasma surrounded his maw once again before unleashing fire balls directly at the downed invader.

The mechanical invader quickly swung upward at its adversary, pushing Gamera back as it made it back to its feet. Seeing an opening, Mechagodzilla continued to assault the guardian, repeatedly striking his skull and chest before the Atlantean creation reached out and grabbed both limbs.

The cosmic monster released a digital screech before unleashing flames from his nostrils, forcing Gamera to relinquish his hold on them. The artificial life form yelped in pain before a barrage of missiles struck his form, bright green ichor launched from the wounds as Gamera roared in agony. Smoke rose from his wounds as he slammed backwards into the ground, ringing echoed in his ears as he vomited blood.

Mechagodzilla approached the downed kaiju, aiming his hand at the skull of the reptile. If the war machine could smile, it would do so as it watched the hero fall…

A bolt of lightning struck the top of the machine, causing it to release a digital screech as they collapsed onto the ground. Balkzardan breathed heavily as he forced himself to his feet, though he did not have close to the time required to properly heal he needed to aid the guardian of the universe before it was too late.

As Mechagodzilla returned to its feet, the thunder god charged forward. Lighting trailing behind him as he attempted to circle around the mechanical menace, aiming to catch it off guard, only for the robot’s head to quickly spin around in an attempt to unleash his Space Beams at the charging elemental.

Gamera quickly reached up, grabbing ahold of Mechagodzilla’s arm and pulling, causing the cosmic monster to miss its shot entirely. The beams shot into the sky as the guardian slammed into it at full speed. Sparks flew as Mechagodzilla unleashed a digital screech, crashing into a nearby building.

Gamera quickly got back to his feet and began to slam them into the machine, forcing the robot’s form to go further into the concrete and ash with every strike. Balkzardan quickly joined, electrical energy surrounding his tusks as he began to rip into the Space Titanium. Sparks flew upward as the pair began to finally inflict damage, the metal giving away and tearing asunder.

The two charged their elemental attacks, aiming to finish this quickly with a decisive blow.

Mechagodzilla, however, had other plans.

The sadistic machine quickly ignited its jet boosters, managing to dodge the assault in a flash. The two looked towards the flying adversary turning around, Balkzardan immediately went to charge headfirst at the approaching enemy. But what awaited him was Mechagodzilla unleashing another volley of Space Beams at him.

The elemental dodged the attack just in time, only for the beams to strike their true target. Gamera’s shoulder erupted with a geyser of blood, the turtle roaring in pain as his flesh scattered across the battlefield.

Balkzardan grew rageful witnessing the display, wishing to end his opponent, but when he returned his attention to the task at hand, Mechagodzilla had slammed into him at top speeds. The two crashed into the earth, debris flying into the sky as the living storm roared in anguish.

Mechagodzilla took to the skies once again, letting the deity roll across the battleground before slamming into a building, glass and steel falling over from the resulting impact. The thunder god breathed heavily as he watched the robotic monster turn around before landing onto the ground, the fire from its jet thrusters ceasing as it made contact.

The third invader Mechagodzilla walked forward, releasing mechanical screeches as it approached the downed deity. Balkzardan coughed up blood as he forced himself back to his feet, electricity surrounded his being as he charged forward. The war machine quickly opened every port it could before unleashing all of its projectiles, the explosives igniting as they made contact with the ground. The legendary beast managed to dodge every attack as he charged forward before slamming into his adversary.

When the dark copy went to strike at the deity, Balkzardan simply vanished and struck another part of the body. He was going so fast as to leave afterimages after every attack, making it impossible for Mechagodzilla to track as it was being assaulted at every front.

The robot attempted to strike in the opposite direction, hoping to intercept the elemental. This only resulted in the thunder god sinking his fangs into Mechagodzilla’s right hand, and with a swift movement removing it from its form. Sparks sizzled out as Balkzardan dropped the limb onto the ground.

The robot stared at what remained of its arm, circuits sparking as they continued to try to function.

No matter.

Mechagodzilla returned its attention toward the pair that would dare stand against his masters. The robot unleashed a metallic screech as it stepped forward, aiming to unleash hell once more. The guardian of the universe quickly retreated into his shell before blue flames erupted from each leg hatch, taking to the sky as he spun at a rapid speed directly at the doppelganger

The robot raised its hand into the air, aiming to strike down the approaching guardian. Though before it could fire, it was interrupted as Balkzardan slammed into its form. The attack missed its target before Gamera slammed into the machine at full force, knocking the invader onto the ground.

As the guardian returned to the ground, he began to notice more dents and wires sparking. The black paint began to be chipped away, and though it was not very noticeable, the robotic terror was starting to melt. Gamera knew that he needed to bring the heat.

Flames once more began to surround his jaws, his twin tusks glowing a bright yellow as the intensity began to grow.

Mechagodzilla rose from the ground, covered in ash and heavily damaged before the terrapin unleashed a volley of fireballs at the rising mecha, sending it back with each blast. The robotic copy stood still for a moment, sparks shooting out from its broken limbs.

They could finish this one and return to the true threat nearby!

The thunder god charged forward, electrical energy trailing behind him as his horns glowed a bright vibrant yellow. The living storm forced his tusks into the hull of the alien invader, sending electricity throughout the body of the mecha. The deity attempting his best to short circuit the machine…

Gamera only had a moment to comprehend what was happening beforehand as a blinding light engulfed his vision, his eyes widening with horror as the explosives inside Mechagodzilla detonated. The guardian unleashed a roar of pain and fear into the sky as his scales burned and he was sent reeling…

***

Movement slowed to a crawl, the life and strength of the mighty dragon being extinguished by the poisonous pollutants propagated by the alien organism. Slimy and vile eyes gleamed at the fallen demon, carefully eyeing him until his spirit diminished from the husk he called a body. Acidic steam sizzled off the bronze armor, eating Bagan alive until he’d inevitably be reduced to dust and bones.

However, a burning starlight caught the smog fiend’s attention; radiant with a fiery orange glow, its obscured beauty was the fixation of the crimson-eyed creature from the Dark Gas Nebula. What it didn’t realize were the effects soon to follow, rocked by a devastating shockwave that threw the sludge beast off its prey and warped the smoggy air around it. In spite of this, the toxicity hung low, unmoved by the sudden blast of rushing air.

Hedorah rose from its rough landing, scanning its surroundings for anything off or peculiar. But the first oddity wasn’t from sight, but rather sound. The resounding echo of shredded air forced the titanic bile to redirect its eyes to the horizon, with the blazing light dimming. From the blast mark, a hurling body careened into the broken and fractured cityscape, the earth shaking rigorously from the violent impact. Once the dust had settled, it was then Hedorah could make out the shape of this fallen star; its feline-like body structure and twin tusks were the only identifiers of the deceased. Balkzardan laid as a corpse, charred beyond visible recognition and involuntarily bleeding out from its open wounds.

It was without question that Balkzardan was gone from this world. But kaiju have had a habit of unexpectedly making their contributions post mortem…

Preparing its ignition, Hedorah fired off darts of chemical beams at the corpse, enshrouding the marred body of Balkzardan in an explosive display of fire and toxicity. The chemical makeup of the beams ate away at the unmoving corpse, ensuring the true demise of the storm guardian. Twisting its head, Hedorah saw through fish-eye lenses the rain of petals decorating the sky. Black metal scattered across the battlefield, evermore evident that Mechagodzilla was truly disposed of. However, even further off, there was one more figure… One Hedorah would never let live. Flashing in multitudinous fuchsian colors, the sludge creature shapeshifted into its discus flying form, its crimson eyes steadfast on the last visible target in sight…

The chelonian protector let out a groan as he spat blood onto the ground, the ringing in his ears became deafening as his vision was obscured. The terrapin rose to his feet, standing tall for a moment, breathing heavily. He had no priestess, no way of properly healing.

His ally had made one mistake and it cost them his life, and now he himself was heavily wounded. Blood poured from the wounds across Gamera’s form, the gigantic turtle looking across his body, discovering massive shards of Mechagodzilla had lodged their way into his flesh from the detonation. He turned his head behind him, attempting to find Balkzardan’s corpse amongst the ruins, only to discover a crater in the explosion’s wake.

The artificial life form closed his eyes for a moment to respect the dead, the elemental deity deserved better than to be slain by his own attack. Gamera returned his attention to the thing he felt, the smog returning to poison the air after being disrupted, his lungs feeling as if acid had been poured into them. The Atlantean creation ceased his breathing as he walked forward, sealing his jaws shut and making sure he did not breathe through his nostrils.

Though it was faint, very faint, he felt Bagan’s energy nearby. It seemed that if they were to survive what he sensed within the smog they would need a miracle. Gamera felt it down to his core that this was the truth. Despite how he viewed life, the least he could do was awaken Bagan once more and destroy this threat to the planet…

In front of the terrapin, the smog began to glow red in the distance, seeming as if it was a glowing ruby amidst the ruins. The sight quickly alerted him to what was to come next. A red bolt of energy shot forth, bombarding against the plastron and immediately dropping the giant to the ground. An uttered groan of pain rushed through his body, forcing his maw to stay shut as to not breath in the fumes.

If he was to breathe, he would suffocate to death. The enemy was counting on this, it was toying with him!

Hedorah gurgled as the colossal pollution beast awaited a reaction, the blast striking true unto the battlefield, but missing its target. The wounded guardian barely managed to dodge the attack, ichor spilling to the ground as he forced most of his weight on his right leg. Unable to hold himself upright anymore, as his left leg had been broken by the explosion, adrenaline running its course.

The Flying Hedorah stared down at the wounded guardian, chuckling to itself as he struggled to even move. It mattered little how much effort the fool would try to win this battle. It would end the two guardians, and then choke this world with its presence; the last river running black, the last plant going extinct, fumes burning the very atmosphere of the planet to ensure life would never appear on this planet again.

The evolving pollution monster circled around as Gamera forced himself to move forward, sensing Bagan’s energy signature dropping rapidly. He needed to hurry and revive the ancient deity, or this entire world would suffer.

Hedorah shot a beam of energy from its eyes, this time landing its mark against Gamera’s shell, the terrapin’s cry of pain being muffled as he continued to march forward. Adrenaline pushed him through the pain; if he was to die here, he would die giving this world a chance. The turtle finally saw the bronze dragon, cracks and black marks laid across his form, smoking from the onslaught.

Just a little closer…

Gamera reached his hand out to the dragon, mana surrounding his hand causing it to glow yellow, ignited as if fireflies had surrounded his limb. Only together could they win, only together could they survive what was creating the smog.

Hedorah shot out a crimson beam of energy from its eye, the energy traveling across the ground before landing on the terrapin’s hand, scorching it immensely as green blood scattered and gushed from the wound. Gamera fell on the ground as he groaned with his gritted fangs, the pain making it hard to not scream in agony, but he pushed on, crawling towards the downed, bronze deity.

The smog monster grew tired of this foolishness, seeking to end the terrapin’s life, it charged forward. A trail of pollution followed as it descended, energy building within the sensitive organs once again. They would strike down the last hope swiftly and without mercy!…

A bright glow engulfed the alien’s sight as the smog began to dissipate, the flapping of wings echoing as a living comet stood still. The being chirped at Hedorah as it charged forward, they would dare disturb the planet’s balance and for that they would be silenced with swift action. The smog monster cried out as it grew closer to the anomaly, not being able to fully see what it was. As it raised its claws above their head and slammed the limbs, the manic pollutant beast was sent to the ground and crashed among the ruins.

Hedorah croaked as it began to flash magenta rapidly, once again changing form to its final form. The behemoth stood amongst the ruined city as it turned its gaze to the one responsible.

Gamera looked up at the star, its wings continuing to beat away the smog and clear the air, the terrapin being able to breathe once again. He took in rapid deep breaths, savoring the fresh air after minutes of smog, the turtle recognized the energy signature of this being.

It was her, his queen. And with her arrival, he would come to aid.

This world had a chance.

Mothra, Queen of the Monsters, had arrived to defend her home once more, her God Rays illuminating the vacant and devastated battlefield that was engulfed in darkness. The moth chirped at Gamera, asking if he was okay. The terrapin let out a small groan, confirming to her that he was alive. She had sensed that there were others sent by the planet to defend herself, but it seemed that Gamera was the only survivor. Her heart sank at the realization that she was not fast enough to aid the others. Now all she could do was avenge them and help slay the smog monster.

Gamera continued to crawl forward, his hand finally grasping the crown of Bagan’s head as it turned into a bright gold. A dazzling display danced around his fingers, the golden mana had purged Angira’s mind from the enslavement, surely it could awaken the forest guardian.

The terrapin closed his eyes as he focused his life energy into the wounded dragon, his strength quickly leaving him as he put more energy through. The bronze deity’s body twitched as his heart began to beat once again, strength returning to him as Gamera collapsed onto the ground unconscious.

Bagan’s now glowing eyes opened, the dragon quickly rose to his feet as he felt life flow through his veins once more. The forest guardian boomed a powerful roar into the sky as he returned to the battlefield. The living mountain looked down and saw Gamera wounded and unconscious, ichor flowing from the open wounds onto the ground. He was alive, but barely, the artificial being forced into hibernation after transferring his mana into him.

The forest deity nodded to the fallen reptile, thanking him for giving him and this world their last hope. If he survived this ordeal, he owed the terrapin his life.

Bagan turned his attention to the threat at hand and the new arrival, sensing the energy he hadn’t felt since the fateful duel with Orochi many moons ago. The divine moth had come to intercept this new threat, though he and her kind had not always agreed on things, he would owe this one for arriving to aid.

The dragon’s train of thought ceased as he felt water against his feet, causing the deity to turn his attention behind him. The guardian devil smiled, as what approached sealed Hedorah’s fate.

The ancient king of the titans stepped forward, flexing his muscular form as Hedorah took notice of his presence, the smog monster chirping at this new challenger. Jagged dorsal spines covered his back and tail, sharp claws twitched in anticipation, yellow eyes staring with malice as razor sharp fangs were revealed in the creature’s maw. The king puffed in his chest before unleashing a roar at the invading alien.

Godzilla, the Apex of Strength, had at last emerged onto the mainland. Finally catching up to his fellow guardians, though he felt remorseful at the loss of life from his untimely arrival. The apex’s gaze shifted to Gamera, the hero of children clinging to life as his healing factor began to make work on the wounds.

He then spotted a dismembered corpse of a kaiju in the distance, the only thing recognizable being twin tusks that sat on its form. The skin charred and blood oozed from the carcass, parts of the thunder god scattered across the battlefield, Balkzardan had been slain. The ancient king returned his attention to Hedorah, growling as he got into a running position. It had dared slay one of Mother Earth’s guardians and bring about the destruction of this once lively city.

Godzilla charged forth with rage, each step breaking apart what remained of the environment. Hedorah braced for impact from the oncoming reptile, only for Mothra to fire a ball of silk at the smog monster. The attack splattered directly in the creature’s line of sight, covering the face momentarily as the Titan Alpha slammed his bulk into the pollution beast.

The silk quickly dissolved as Hedorah’s body devoured it, the smog monster laughing as the ancient Godzilla raised his hand, slashing into the chemical beast’s flesh. Upon inflicting the wound, smoke rose from the hand of the prehistoric reptile as black goop was sent flying. The king screamed as he backed away, giving Hedorah a chance to fire the Hedrium Ray, striking Godzilla’s shoulder blade and triggering an explosive burst across his upper body.

The alpha titan raised his leg above Hedorah’s form, aiming to stomp on the alien, only for sludge to slam into his chest. Godzilla cried out in agony as he finally let Hedorah free, smoke rising from his chest from the pollution.

As the acidic behemoth rose to its feet, Bagan charged forward, electricity surrounding his arm as he aimed to puncture Hedorah. His plan had almost worked to rid the universe of this disgusting intruder, now he would end this with swift action!

The Dark Nebula entity quickly evaded the attack before slamming its mass into the dragon, merely halting the behemoth in its tracks before once again unleashing its Hedrium Ray across the forest deity’s chest. Bearing the brunt of the pain, Bagan mustered his almighty strength to hurl the gargantuan pile of sludge off of him, though the ensuing impact did little to harm the amorphous organism. Hedorah’s eyes remained lighted in a crimson glow, discharging bolt after bolt of its Hedrium Rays. Despite the noxious fumes from the explosive blasts, Bagan remained vigilant and put his hands in front of himself, neutralizing the jagged bolts that vanished into thin air. Even if no harm was inflicted, Hedorah chuckled in amusement as it continued its onslaught.

However, a rageful shrill caught the multicellular organism’s attention. When Hedorah turned to the source of the obnoxious sound, the stench-filled ghoul was greeted by the sight of a brilliant, blinding light. A confused trill emanated from the towering sludge beast, their sight becoming compromised from the illuminating God Rays that blinded it. Redirecting its target from the dragon to the moth, jagged bolts tried aimlessly to strike the divine moth, only to miss each subsequent time. Panic was overwhelming the foul cretin, trying its damndest to eliminate this pest from its sights.

This gave Bagan the ample opportunity to push forward.

Electrical hues wrapped around his body as he charged forward, slamming his mass into Hedorah’s form with a vicious body strike, sending the beast soaring through the ruined city at Mach speeds. Unable to recalibrate, the extraterrestrial screeched as it made landfall with a thunderous crash. The alien attempted to rise to its feet, only for Godzilla to slam his foot into their back as his spines illuminated blue, his maw becoming a gateway to power as his atomic blast was unleashed upon the invader.

While the radiation within the flames merely caused an electrifying spark from the chain reaction of its chemical makeup, it still stung. The heat was drying out its moisture, something Hedorah needed to survive. The smog monster was quick to make action and lifted itself up, forcing Godzilla backward before crashing into a building, still pouring nuclear flames. Ceasing the discharge, the ancient, alpha predator growled as he was quick to catch himself and immediately charged forth once again.

Hedorah went to fire another Hedrium Ray, only for Mothra’s stinger to stab into their eye. The goddess screamed as sludge quickly emerged from the organ. The Queen of the Monsters quickly retreated as Hedorah screamed in pain, the smog monster fired off sludge directly at the moth, only for its vengeance to be cut short as Godzilla slammed into their mass.

He pushed the fiend into Bagan’s form, the forest deity smiling as he raised both hands above his head, slamming them into Hedorah’s cranium, causing the pollution beast to crash into the ground with a hideous screech of pain.

As its form rose up, it locked eyes with the charging alpha titan, seeing a glimpse of the reptile before he slammed his foot into the grotesque mass. Bagan returned the favor by slamming his foot on its back, holding them in place as Godzilla reached down and began to slash furiously into Hedorah’s form, sludge scattering in all directions as the monster king roared.

This was enough.

Hedorah began to flash rapidly in bright magentas, changing its form once again and separating into the horde once more, multiple flying and land forms laughing as they surrounded the trio, the three roaring in unison as they charged forward.

Three diamond shaped objects appeared in the sky, glowing bright before being sent down at the horde, managing to instantly eliminate some of them. Bagan extended a mocking grin as the land type Hedorah screeched in pain before being reduced to ash. The wrathful deity making the invader feel just a taste of what they had done to him filled the dragon with pride, a feeling that would continue as he ravaged through them.

Among the set of discus Hedorahs that took to the skies, Mothra pursued them with utmost perseverance, pinning her diminutive body upon one of the manta-like creatures and slashing open the frail flesh with her scythe-like appendages. Although they burned from the residual toxicity that lurked within, she had successfully drawn blood, spraying all across the sky as the Hedorah reverberated an anguished plea. The other veered in from behind, charging its optic lasers with the intent to kill. Noticing this, the cerulean moth pushed off the wounded Hedorah, avoiding the jagged, scarlet bolt in the nick of time.

Twisting in midair, Mothra took flight and aimed to shred the other Hedorah with her natural defenses. But alas, a sudden jolt of chemical energy darted from the eye to the imitation eye that graced her wing, rendering the majestic insect unable to fly, catapulting towards the ground. Although it was a rough landing, Mothra caught herself by firmly planting her dexterous limbs on the broken concrete, prepared to take flight once more. But before she could, the slimy warbles of the diminutive Land Hedorahs caught her attention as they surrounded her. They were eager, hungry for more. But she wouldn’t stay for the party, igniting her God Rays that dispelled the hideous creatures into the distance, then with a powerful flap, she recalibrated her flight and continued to pursue the airborne ones.

Azure wrath fired upon the smaller land Hedorahs that approached, causing the smog monsters to recoil in pain. But they still continued forward, quickly surrounding the monster king. Another blaze swooped over the terrestrial-based aliens, torching them in the fury of blue flames. Godzilla bellowed a booming roar, asserting his authority over the smaller creatures. But they did not heed his warning. One of the Hedorahs leaped up, smacking its body across the face of the ancient leviathan. Another followed suit, then another and another until Godzilla lost his equilibrium, collapsing onto the ground. Repeatedly the Hedorahs battered their amorphous limbs against the king’s tough hide, eating away at his armor plating with their acidity.

All the while, the great demon beast roared defiantly. The furious deity slashed the air, sending a wave of electrically imbued energy at a cluster of Hedorahs. Their screeches brought great pleasure as their demise was imminent. However, this was not the last of them. Sickening plops curled around the giant dragon’s tail, knowing full well the Hedorahs had full intentions to smother him to death. Channeling his bioelectric energies, Bagan flicked his whip-like tail, throwing the foul abominations through the sky, solidifying from the coursing electricity. Then, as they hardened, they scattered into billions of fractured pieces upon impact.

Bagan grew weary of this “game,” determined to vanquish the threat posed by this hideous fiend. For they were the only ones that could. All that mattered now was persistence and seeing it through to the end…

Playing a tight balancing act in maintaining aerial buoyancy, Mothra swerved to her left. A jagged bolt zipped past her, barely grazing her wings. Turning still, the divine moth made a full u-turn as she raised her massive stinger, shrieking with the fury of Mother Nature. As her small body slammed against the anterior of the organic saucer, she plunged her giant stinger into the crimson orb of the foul alien. Hedorah screeched in trilling agony, mud-like blood spraying from the freshly carved wound. Mothra likewise shrieked in resounding pain, feeling the chemical compounds disintegrate her natural exoskeleton. Pressing against its slimy skin, Mothra sent the airborne Hedorah spiraling out of the air, towards the vicious Bagan. She was confident he could dispose of it.

But where was the other one?

Her blue compound eyes surveyed the surrounding skies for any trace of it, and it didn’t take long to register its trajectory. But her eyes widened when she realized the nature of the situation. The second flying Hedorah veered downward, its eyes discharging bolt after bolt down to the ground. And at the surface lay the smothered monster king, trying to tear the damned cretins off of himself. The chemical beams erupted around the fallen apex predator, piercing through the layer of Hedorahs and burning his armored skin. Such a state made the invincible Godzilla look helpless by comparison.

She knew what she had to do.

With a loud, shrilling chirp, Mothra accelerated in speed, hoping to sideline the descending saucer. But the Hedorah was quick to evade, veering out of the way as Mothra zoomed past, falling close to the ground. If nothing else, she was prepared to give it all. She saw his continual suffering at the hands of the dreaded pollutant, hoping to vanquish the darkness once and for all! Her body began to shine in holy majesty, the God Rays exhuming Godzilla with tremendous winds and divinity as the Hedorahs scattered.

His will proved strong, but his flesh was faltering. But with the beauty and grace of the divine moth upon him, there was a warmth that brought comfort in this cold, harsh battle for the world. But such luxury was only for a moment. Mothra uttered her last screech before a pair of crimson bolts took her from the back, tearing through her body without thought or remorse. In an instant, Mothra was gone, scattered as a wave of shining light and luminescent dust.

The light of hope for this world’s salvation.

Even though she had died for him and his long-gone kind time and time again, a heaviness sank in the depths of Godzilla’s soul. Their symbiosis tied them together, which made it all the more painful when they were torn apart. But as a parting gift, the beautiful scales slipped through the cracks of Godzilla’s physiology, coursing new life through his aged veins. A flash of red permeated his body, his rage building more and more. Now was not the time for grief; the fight would never allow him to. With the light fading away, the lurching darkness returned–with eager and utmost delight.

The Hedorahs covered the mighty king once more, his screams of anguish being silenced as the horde converged on top of him. The smog monsters laughed with glee as smoke rose from the body, their acidic makeup beginning to take its toll. It burned through flesh and muscle within seconds, they would reduce the ancient titan to sludge!

A bright red glow began to illuminate through the horde, the beings of the Dark Gas Nebula crying out in pain as Godzilla forced himself up, their forms steaming as scales flashed red. The ancient alpha predator unleashed a roar as his chest glowed bright orange, the cracks within his scales turning into a crimson red as power spread throughout his body, embers rising into the sky as the process continued to engulf his entire form.

Lightning struck the earth as the ascension began. Though he did not have power over the storm, it seemed as if Mother Earth herself was acknowledging his power. The monster king flexed his claws as the power reached his arms, his tail slamming into the ground as steam rose from the power limb, the reptile puffing in his chest before unleashing a gateway into oblivion. His atomic flames now burned with fury as the elemental power returned back to his head, engulfing his face before ceasing.

Godzilla now stood reborn as a deity, the steel that remained around him melting at his presence, a thrum echoing across the land before the scarlet beast unleashed a roar at the horde.

Burning Godzilla had arrived.

Bagan smiled with pride, it has seemed that the symbiosis between the queen and king has awakened a power within them, the ancient dragon sensing the two now bound by spiritual energies.

If this was any other day, he would have challenged the ancient alpha, his hand shaking with excitement at what was transpiring, though that would have to be saved for another time. The mighty forest deity moved out of the way, wishing to see this display of strength from the ascended King.

The airborne Hedorah from above quickly fired their Hedirum Rays at the beast, the energy attack only being absorbed into Godzilla’s form, prompting him to smile as he opened his maw. A gateway to Hell revealed itself before unleashing a stream of scarlet atomic flames, the power quickly washing over the saucer, disintegrating it to ash. Then with a quick flex, rageful flames washed over several members of the horde, causing them to scream as they attempted to retreat.

Their attacks were now useless and the alpha could now kill them! It mattered not that they were immune to the radioactive material, the power boost had simply disintegrated those who tried to flee in vain!

Energy bounced between his dorsal spines like lightning as the ancient King raised his leg, energy climbing before unleashing an Atomic Pulse across the battlefield. From the booming pulse, Mothra’s wings spread out from his back, the large dome of energy burning away the fleeing Land Hedorahs in an instant, the symbiosis-combined roars haunting the last moments of the horde.

The other Flying Hedorah, missing an eye, attempted to pummel Godzilla’s form with acidic sludge, hoping to melt away the burning god, only for all hope to be dashed as the pollution burned away before it could even harm the beast. Atomic energy once again climbed into his maw before unleashing his signature attack at the approaching fiend, the power of the atom rushing towards it. Before it could take evasive maneuvers, it was overtaken by the flames.

The few remaining Hedorahs attempted to flee past Bagan, the fear within them forgetting the forest deity’s presence before electrical energy surrounded his head, with three rhombi appearing in the sky. Their diamond forms were sent to the ground and slammed into a few of the Hedorahs, the energy burning through them until all that remained was dust.

The phantom beast reached down and grabbed a remaining Hedorah, the smog monster yelping in fear as he tossed it at the walking star, Burning Godzilla’s jaws sinking into it before thrashing his head back and forth as he reached up with hands. Heated talons sunk into the pollution beast before ripping in two, the two halves burning into embers rising into the sky within a moment.

The divine fire charged forward, each step melting the ruined concrete beneath his feet as he entered a sprint. Raising his foot before slamming it into one of the hordes, burning it in an instant as another Atomic Pulse engulfed the area. As long as breath left his lungs, he would make sure none of them escaped on this day!

The attack engulfed a large portion of the fleeing horde, only having three remaining as they attempted to get to the sea, their gurgled cries of fear being silenced by the burning god’s rage. The elemental once again charged forward, this time lifting his tail and swinging mid run, managing to strike one of the last smog monsters into the sky. The strike burned across the pollution beast’s form as they caught fire, slamming into the ground.

The last two ignored the frequency within their mind, somehow pushing past it as animalistic instinct took over, the predator quickly becoming prey as atomic energy climbed up their attacker’s throat. The flames bursting forth and striking them both with swift precision, the pair cried out in agony as the flames consumed them. Dropping onto the ground, flailing in a last attempt to cling to life, only to stop moving as their souls left their bodies.

Ash flew into the sky as flames burned at the ruined city, the crimson lord of the planet roaring to the heavens as the energy disappeared, the king’s appearance quickly returning to his original form. Godzilla took in deep breaths as he forced himself to stand, he had slain the last of the invasion force here, but the battle had taken quite the toll on his body.

Though he would need to put the rest of his strength into what was to come, turning in unison with Bagan as they sensed what was to come.

The war had not finished, they were heading straight to their destination. He wished to recover before facing the Golden Demise, but it seemed that might not be as long as he hoped…

***

Skull Island Facility

Doctors surrounded Miki as she screamed in her sleep, the young psychic seeing a lifetime of genocide and hatred within the Xilien creation had brought a great strain on her mind and body. A void that those with weaker minds could not hope to escape.

The young woman’s mentor watched from outside of the room, watching as the doctors injected a sedative into her arm.

“Ken,” the older man turned to see Dr. Ibuki standing beside him, “She is going to be okay.”

“How the hell do you know that, Goro? She looked into the mind of that abomination. There is no telling what being exposed to such evil will do to her.”

“She once connected with Godzilla, and though it brought a strain on her mind, she retained herself in the end. I have faith she will be alright.”

Ken continued to stare down at the floor, though the words brought a sense of hope, he still feared the worst for his apprentice. She was still so young, with a whole life in front of her. He only hoped that she would make it through this endeavor.

Goro walked forward, reaching out with his hand to place on his friend’s shoulders, only for the sound of rushing footsteps to catch their attention. The two men turned to see Dr. Azusa running toward them, panting as a look of hope lay on her face.

“Dr. Ibuki, we have found a life sign among the dead! Kong survived!” Ibuki’s eyes widened in shock before responding.

“Send in as many medical teams as we can, it is a miracle that he was even capable of surviving that onslaught, and I will not let him perish.”

“Yes sir!”

The good doctor had felt useless during the slaughter of Earth’s defenders; they stood and watched as the best line of defense for their planet was butchered. But they could at least save Kong.

Goro Ibuki quickly followed Azusa Gojo into the headroom, the pair looking to join the medical team on the surface.

***

The Walls, Timeline 139

The two Futurians walked down from the bay of their ship, a futuristic gun wrapped onto the young woman’s back. She took a breath of fresh air as she looked at the group of people waiting for them.

“You two are finally ready I see.” The pair looked to the newly appointed captain of the Scout Regiment, gaining a glare from the soldier.

“Apologies Captain Levi, we needed to check on the systems before we left.” Emmy said as she approached her horse, quickly climbing onto the animal.

“Then let’s get a move on then.” The group began to move forward, starting their journey to a mechanical city beyond the walls. M-11 quickly charged to the front of the group, making sure that the path in front of them had no threat. Their journey was long and it was better to keep all cards close to the chest than risk failure.

Winner: Bagan, Godzilla (Legendary)

Author: Matthew Freese | Banner: Dao Zang Moua

The pitch-black skies shifted and contorted with the storm’s winds, pouring rain which burned with chemicals. The ocean churned, stained with mass death and decay which sloshed to the surface and polluted the air with putrescent stench. In the distance, upon the land, mountains with burst peaks cast molten rock and smoke into the heavens, poisoning the sky.

Captain Douglas Gordon had seen many things in his decades of service. Kaiju of all shapes and sizes, alien invasions that fizzled out in the span of a day and ones that lasted months and cost the whole human race dearly, and all sorts of death and devastation. He was a hard man to shake at this point, it was a joke spread amongst the ranks that a kaiju could roar right in his face and he’d just roar back.

One look at him would be enough to understand why he was intimidating. A broad shouldered and barrel-chested man, he had the physique of a professional boxer. Piercing eyes rested above a bushy mustache, making it look like he had stepped out of an old western movie. He was one of the most respected and feared men in all of the Global Defense Forces, and while the superiors may have hated his attitude, they could never hate the results he got.

But right now, Gordon was frightened. It was not the all-encompassing horror that currently engulfed most of his crew, but for him to be anything beyond mildly concerned meant that something truly horrific had come about. The chatter coming from the other vessels flying alongside the Gotengo told Gordon that they felt similarly to his crew.

Leading the pack was the cylindrical warship, mostly black with a red streak down the length of its sides, all of it tipped with a mighty drill. The Gotengo. On its left, three grey ships of smaller size, though still some of the largest aircraft built by humanity. The Eclair, the Rumbling, and the Karyu. The first of them had a sphere held at its forefront, the cockpit, while the other two faced forth with powerful guns, the latter’s taking the form of a large blade. On the Gotengo’s right, three more vessels of anti-kaiju war. The grey, smooth Super X flying by with jets on its underside. The dark-green rectangle that was the Super X-2, a seam down the front ready to be opened to reflect energy weaponry. And finally, the Super X-3, resembling a normal green plane, though far larger than even a jumbo jet.

A collection of the mightiest war machines on Earth, and everyone inside them were all gripped by terror’s icy claws. Gordon glanced to his side, seeing the one other person present who was not totally terrified. Shinichi Ozaki glared forward with a gaze that would kill if looks could do such a thing, internally seething with hatred. He was scared, but it was a small, cold thing easily obscured by the wrath in the mutant prodigy’s heart.

Usually, Gordon would laugh at someone who looked like Ozaki being angry. Smooth-faced, slim but athletic build, he looked more like he belonged on the cover of a magazine than on the battlefield. But Ozaki was also capable of ripping through steel with his bare hands, and could hit a target using a pistol that most men could not hit with a scoped rifle. But the old captain did not respect his chief gunner and second in command because of powers he was born with, Gordon could immediately think of a dozen mutants in the GDF’s employ he’d like to punch square in the jaw. No, he respected Ozaki for always being there when the chips were down, keeping a cool head in the most dangerous situations, and always making the choices that saved the most lives regardless of how they harmed him.

To see him barely holding back utter hatred, so thinly restraining it that all could see it with ease, was something that Gordon had never thought he would see. But everyone had a limit, and there was no way he could blame the prodigy for reaching it in this situation.

His train of thought was cut off by a radio transmission from the Eclair. “Captain Gordon, I do not wish to come off as doubtful of you, but are you sure Godzilla will remain on our side?”

In the devastated waves beneath the armada of vessels, black scales draped over immense musculature cut through the slush. White spines which resembled maple leaves waved back and forth with his undulating body, a lengthy tail behind the leviathan shifting side to side like the rudder of a boat. Yellow eyes above the waters stared straight ahead, a roaring fire inside them.

Gordon sighed. “Godzilla hates us. I will not deny this for a moment. Maybe he doesn’t hate all humankind, that’s up to the eggheads and the spiritualists to figure out, but he definitely wouldn’t mind seeing us in particular going down in a series of fireballs. But he has helped humanity when Earth itself is in danger. Yes, he’s never been this directly helpful to us, but…”

It came into view. Tokyo, reduced to plains of ash. Millions had lived in this city, each one an individual life going down its own path. Millions who had all wanted to see the Sun rise again, to know that life would continue on in this world. All obliterated, slaughtered like the insects of an exterminated colony.

Colossal corpses filled the former city, most mutilated beyond any recognition. The Earth had sent her armies, as had mankind. Both had fallen.

At once, everyone on board the anti-kaiju squadron felt their breaths catch in their throats. For a moment, Godzilla stopped swimming, eyes widened as he saw it.

Scarlet armor enshrouded a colossus beyond colossi. A serpentine body marched through the ash, behind it trailing a thick tail that could crush a mountain into powder. Four legs carried its bulk, though they were small, the power they had to contain to not snap beneath the weight upon them had to be insane. From the front, eight necks ending in draconic heads that brought to mind a golden destroyer of life. Sixteen eyes watched the approaching forces, as eight grins formed upon the horrific faces.

Orochi gazed not with the madness of a beast, but with the calculating sadism of a sapient being.

“…Even Godzilla knows when he’s outmatched.” Gordon concluded.

It had started a few days ago. A strange object detected entering the solar system. It was too small to get a full grasp of what it was, aside from a composition of ice. It landed upon the Moon, so the Moon base sent a crew of researchers to go see just what it was.

Screams filled the comms as they were slaughtered, by something that looked like a human. Communication between Earth and the Moon was cut off, and telescopes soon discovered a frightening truth. The base was gone, replaced by a colossal, ornate fortress.

Storms began to cover the Earth as meteors fell like rain upon Japan. Humanity was quick to respond, deploying an elite squadron of mutants along with the anti-kaiju mech MOGUERA to the moon to destroy this invader.

The fortress was torn asunder with the rising of the eight-headed serpent, who destroyed the mech and obliterated the mutant assassins. Orochi departed from the moon and came to the Earth, making the disasters even worse. The moment his colossal body breached the atmosphere, the planet was wracked with hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, and devastation of the oceans.

And now here they were, the last chance the Earth had to stop this menace. They knew not their foe’s motivation, his origins, anything. He was a complete mystery, aside from possessing immense power and the desire to cause absolute destruction.

Ozaki activated a comms link. “Super X-2, how goes our little surprise for the red bastard?”

“Still working on the energizer aspect, otherwise everything is solid.” Responded the pilot on the other end, Lieutenant Taniguchi.

“Affirmative, report any updates.” Ozaki responded.

“Roger.”

The waves rushed over the ruins of Tokyo as Godzilla surfaced, stomping his foot onto the ground and dragging himself onto land. He stared ahead towards his target, cautiously marching forward. The seven ships flew overhead, but he paid them no mind. He was much too occupied with this.

Godzilla could feel power radiating off the serpent, and it made his heart swiftly pump. This would be the fight of his life, that much was clear without even a moment of actual battle. But he would fight, for he must. How many of his friends had perished before this beast? Too many for him to sit back and let this continue. The nuclear leviathan, the bastard child of humanity’s sin, had to fight for this world’s sake once more. He had fought countless battles, against all manner of mutant, alien, and demon, but this foe still filled him with trepidation.

What he did not know was that this was because he was before something he had never faced. A god, not merely a mighty beast worshipped by humans, but a genuine divinity ordained by the universe.

Orochi’s eight heads swayed about, taking in all the foes gathered. So, this was to be their final stand. A desperate attempt to defeat him and save their world, when all else had failed. If they fell here, that was it for the Earth. He snorted, then let a low cackle roll from his mouths. Just another reason why he had to carry out this crusade.

Mortals never knew when to lie down and die. Despicable, for them to think they were anything above worms.

Godzilla roared, only for his mighty call to be lost in the cacophony of Orochi’s bellows of war. The crimson colossus began to stomp forward, numerous necks waving like serpents as he approached. The monster king’s spines flashed blue, filling with a brilliance that illuminated the shade. Parting his jaws, he let loose a stream of azure energy. The atomic ray crashed into Orochi’s chest, coating it in a cluster of explosions. It failed to halt his encroachment, and drew no sound from the mouths.

One head whipped around to face the leviathan, eyes shining before discharging lightning of scarlet. The bolts lashed against Godzilla’s hide, earning a cry of shock and pain from the monster king as they burned through scales. Despite his pain, he charged forth.

Four maws clamped onto the leviathan’s body, stopping him in his tracks as the teeth dug into his skin. Two other heads bashed their skulls against his chest, beginning to bruise him. Godzilla reached up, grabbing one of the heads restraining him. He pulled it off, squeezing with all his might, only for another set of the serpent’s jaws to part and exhale a stream of fire upon the monster king.

Godzilla stumbled back as the hellfire scorched him, the teeth sinking into his skin retracting as the heads pulled back. The leviathan channeled power once more, even as the flames licked at him, and unleashed another atomic ray. He swept it across the cluster of necks, cutting off the burning spray assailing him as the eight heads flailed about.

Orochi shifted forwards, eight heads lashing like whips. Godzilla screamed in pain as they crashed into his body, horns ripping open flesh and spilling blood. Several jaws dug into the leviathan’s hide, thrashing back and forth to tear. The monster king clawed at some of them, casting out sparks. His own mighty fangs crashed into a scaly neck, but the armor held firm despite his pressing.

Some of the serpent god’s eyes stayed back and watched as the wounds of his foe sewed themselves shut, sealing blood flow and repairing. All the better to toy with, he pondered.

Countless small explosions blossomed upon his back, drawing his attention to the seven vessels buzzing around through the air. He did not need to look upon them to know where they were, the crowns of horns upon his heads detected and revealed the surrounding situation to him at all times.

Three of his skulls bunched up, before being whipped into Godzilla’s side and sending the monster king toppling to the ground with a cry of shock. Orochi began to turn, firing bolts of lightning from his eyes and breathing out gouts of flame into the air. The ships easily avoided his counter, continuing to release their payloads.

From the Eclair’s sides proton missiles emerged and soared through the air, trails of smoke following them as they detonated against the fiend’s side. He showed no reaction aside from sluggishly turning a few heads towards it, letting loose crimson power from his eyes a full second after doing so. The advanced fighter ship swerved away from them.

The Karyu and the Rumbling soared overhead, from their front guns unleashing blue streams of energy which blazed against the serpent’s back. A few geysers of flame shot into the heavens from his maws, being avoided with a simple movement to the side from both vessels.

Godzilla got to his feet, rushing forward and putting all his weight into a tackle to the foul god’s side. Orochi turned his focus to his foe, before shifting his form away from the leviathan. The serpent bashed his body against Godzilla, forcing the monster king to backpedal as he staggered away.

The three Super Xs hovered overhead, releasing a storm of missiles towards their target’s necks. Almost lazily, Orochi prematurely detonated the ballistics with the sweep of a conflagration, leaving him untouched.

Azure energy powered by nuclear fission crashed against the destroyer’s body, drawing his attention back to Godzilla. He marched towards the leviathan, who rushed forth as well to meet his colossal foe.

“Bastard’s screwing with us.” Ozaki stated to all the vessels of this small fleet. “I saw what he did to Moguera on another mutant’s body cam, we all saw what he did to the monsters who lay here dead. He’s holding back.”

“But why? What does he gain from this?” Replied Taniguchi. “Is this just for his amusement, one last game before he finally sends us all plummeting into oblivion?”

Gordon’s husky voice spoke what they all thought. “Yup, cause the universe seems to like giving the worst pieces of shit all the power.”

The burly captain remembered hearing some experts say they were dealing with a genuine god. Ancient texts claimed that Tsukuyomi, god of the moon and the underworld, had descended to destroy the Earth in a form that bore more than a passing resemblance to Orochi. Susanoo, god of the oceans and war, stepped up to stop him. Well, Susanoo was not here at the moment, so in Gordon’s mind, either he was dead or the gods were letting humanity take it this time. Regardless…

“When I get to the pearly gates, I’m punching someone in the jaw for this shit…” he mumbled to himself.

Orochi reared up his front enough to lash out a kick to Godzilla’s thigh. The claws on his foot dug through scale and flesh, freeing the monster king’s blood. The leviathan lunged forward, grabbing one of his foe’s heads with both hands. He squeezed at its throat, trying to crush the windpipe once more. His spines flashed blue, but instead of releasing an atomic ray, the energy flowed into his arms and down his claws. Sparks erupted as nuclear energy crackled against Orochi’s neck.

Teeth clamped onto black scales, and in moments Godzilla found himself to be the one restrained as he was hoisted into the air by four of his foe’s heads. The one in his grip wriggled free as he was held high up. The other half of the serpent’s conscious looked up at their entrapped foe, cackling. They breathed in, ready to bathe him in hell’s flame.

A stream of yellow energy crashed against one of the necks restraining Godzilla. The Gotengo, drill revving at max speed, scraped against it just after the beam faded. Sparks flew, and the head released its grip on Godzilla in shock, screeching in confusion for a moment. The monster king dropped, his own roar echoing as the teeth in his skin dug in deeper. Two sets of jaws grappled the Gotengo, piercing into the metal.

Alarms blared in the vessel’s cockpit as the crew jostled in their seats. “Status report, now!” Gordon bellowed.

“Major damage to the hull near the back of the ship, we can’t break free!”

Geysers of fire erupted from three mouths, one being from the head which the Gotengo had attacked. The alarms grew more intense as its fire washed over the vessel, the other two focused on Godzilla, yet still harming the ship with the ambient heat. The sounds of the mighty leviathan’s suffering haunted the crew members, and probably would for the rest of their lives if they survived this battle.

“We can’t take much more of this! Gotengo is overheating, the hull’s starting to melt!”

“We kinda need a save here, anybody!” Gordon yelled into the comm link.

“We gotcha Gotengo!” Yelled the Super X-3’s pilot.

Cadmium infused missiles crashed into the head bathing their allies in flame, sending it reeling back in pain. A beam of freezing energy washed over it just afterwards, intensifying its pain further.

The Super X-2, Fire Mirror opened, got in front of one of the infernos assailing Godzilla. Turning its body as it backed out of the flames, it unleashed a colossal blast of green energy towards one of the necks restraining the Gotengo. It cut through the fire and coated the extension of the god in explosions. It released the Gotengo, letting sparks fall from the gaping wound in the vessel as molten metal dripped off the war machine’s back.

The other set of teeth embedded in the Gotengo carved trenches into the steel as it flew forth, finally breaking free at the cost of having glaring weak spots. It had been just in time, as the lessening of agony upon Godzilla allowed him to release a nuclear pulse. The shockwave pulled the restraining bites off of him, launching all his foe’s heads away and rattling them as the wall of blue energy expanded out.

The monster king’s feet crashed upon the back of his foe, a powerful roar of both pain and rage echoing out as his regeneration worked to heal his burns and wounds. He turned in place, bashing his tail against a group of necks and forcing them away, as his spines glowed. Excess energy crackled above the tops of them, dancing between the points.

Orochi’s center head let loose a roar of genuine pain as an atomic ray, with a brighter luminance and spirals of purple traveling down its length, crashed into the base of its neck. After it faded, slight burn marks coated the afflicted area.

Godzilla was not able to bask in this small victory for long as several heads whipped around, scourging him with crimson lightning from their eyes. As grooves were carved into his form, the leviathan stumbled backwards. He fell sideways off his foe, crashing head-first into the ground. He let out a groan of pain which rolled across the landscape.

Orochi’s tail rose into the air as he moved himself slightly to better get into position. The monster king screamed as the colossal limb came down like a hammer, smashing into his ribs. The “thwack” of meat on meat was grotesque with how far it echoed. Another rise, another hammering, and another scream as ribs broke. The serpent god lowered his tail next to Godzilla, then curled it away from him.

And delivered a golf ball swing into his foe’s side, sending the leviathan hurtling through the air. Smoke and ash shot into the air upon his impact, obscuring the monster king in darkness.

There was silence, aside from the humming of the squadron’s propulsion systems. Then Orochi turned his gaze upon them all, smiling wickedly.

Ozaki quickly grabbed the comm, rattling off orders. Gordon made no attempt to stop him, he trusted the prodigy as much as trusted himself. Hell, the captain might have actually trusted him more than he trusted himself.

“Taniguchi, get to Godzilla and inject the KG Cells! Everyone else, distract Orochi the best we can until our ace is back up!”

An elderly voice responded to Ozaki’s commands, its origins the Super X-2. “But, sir, the energizer is not yet ready! We will not be able to transform him yet.” It was Professor Ogata, a scientist aboard the war machine.

“Worry about that later, just focus on getting him up ASAP. The KG cells on their own should do that much, right?”

“Yes, they will still increase his abilities regardless. Apologies for the delay.” Ogata replied as the Super X-2 made its way towards Godzilla.

“Probably for the best, Fire Mirror needs some time to recuperate after that stunt we pulled.” Taniguchi added on.

The six other ships raced forward as the Super X-2 made its way towards Godzilla. Orochi watched as another hail of missiles and lasers fell upon his body, but he remained focused on the one vessel retreating. One of his sets of eyes flashed, releasing another discharge of the Supreme Emperor Red Lightning bolts, which raced towards the rectangular ship.

“Taniguchi, move down!” Gordon belted out as fast as he could. The Super X-2 lowered itself, narrowly avoiding the divine power.

“God damn! Thanks Gordon, you just saved our asses!” The pilot replied.

The eight-fold laughter of the overlord made the blood of all in earshot boil.

“You think you’re funny, you piece of shit?” Gordon growled. “Get us behind this bastard, let’s show him something hilarious.” He commanded his crew.

As the Gotengo kept a distance as it began to circle around, the Super X and Super X-3 began firing at the heads of the serpent. The lasers of both craft raked across the torso of the colossus, but he showed little reaction. He continued to just watch them all as they flew about around him, causing the tension of the various crews to climb.

“I’m used to kaiju flailing about and screaming their heads off when they get hit by our weaponry, not this.” Commented Sho Kuroki, head pilot of the Super X-3. “Or at least trying their damndest to shoot us out of the sky. This thing… it’s just looking right now.”

“Just keep firing, and hope he doesn’t get bored. Like to see even a god survive what we’ve got in store.” Ozaki reassured his comrades.

Elsewhere, the Super X-2 hovered over an ash-covered mass, which shifted slightly with the movement of breath. They drifted over to Godzilla’s open, debris-filled maw. The two men inside the vessel had a hard time thinking of anything to say.

“Doc,” the young pilot began. “Are you gonna be able to complete that energizer in time?”

Ogata sighed deeply. “In all honesty Taniguchi, I do not think I can. I can transfer the KG cells to him, but the process to ignite a mutation is much more complex. It would be hard enough to do this in a fully stocked laboratory building, much less a ramshackle lab in the back of a warship.”

As he said that he gestured to his setup, which consisted of a few test tubes and metallic chambers upon tables. “I’m not even sure if I have everything I need here!” He continued, exasperated.

“Well doc,” Taniguchi replied. “I don’t know what to tell you. These aren’t exactly ideal circumstances.”

Ogata, as he hoisted up a tube containing a golden compound, just grunted. “There’s nothing to say. Now help me with this, my joints aren’t what they used to be.”

As the pilot got up to do so, something sparked in his mind. “Does it just need a bunch of energy getting transferred to Godzilla to cause this mutation of yours?”

As the two loaded the Ghidorah cells into a chamber in the ship, Ogata pondered this for a moment. “Once the KG Cells are inside him, yes it should just be a significant boost in energy to start it. Why?”

Once everything was set, Taniguchi ran back to the controls and began activating the missile firing mechanism. As he did so, he radioed the Gotengo yet again. “Godzilla’s about to get a wake up call, over.”

“Acknowledged.”

“Ozaki, do you think you could try that Keizer trick on Godzilla? After he’s back up?” Taniguchi asked the prodigy. There was silence for a moment.

“Maybe?” Replied the mutant. “I’d rather not risk making the Gotengo a sitting duck while we transfer a bunch of energy through it, if it would even work. That was just an idea I had that we didn’t even need to do!”

When the Xiliens attacked in the year 2004, Ozaki learned that he was no normal mutant, he was something even grander known as a Keizer. When the Xiliens’ ultimate weapon unveiled itself, Ozaki had considered transferring his newfound energies into Godzilla through the Gotengo to give him the power to overcome and win the day. The timely arrival of Godzilla’s allies and the rest of Earth’s guardians had put that plan on the backburner.

“Well, just keep it in mind, in case all else fails.” Taniguchi asked of his friend.

“Will do.”

As this conversation drew to a close, a missile shot forth from the Super X-2. The sound of the discharging projectile was blotted out by the cacophony of battle happening nearby.

It sank into Godzilla’s throat, disappearing from sight. Godzilla’s body seemed to grow more lively, his breaths being longer and fuller. The ash in his mouth came out with some coughs, tainting the air.

Ogata quickly spoke, “It will not be instant, the Ghidorah cells on their own are no miracle. Give it a brief time to work.”

As the battle raged on, the Karyu aimed its front at one of the fiend’s outer heads. Its captain, Li Xiang, shouted commands to his team. “We’re not getting through this thing’s scales! We need to aim for weak points, like the eyes!” His long, braided hair waved with his motion as he gestured for his crew to activate the Karyu’s targeting systems. “Activate Blade Maser, and forward!”

The warship surged forth, as the knife-like protrusion on its front glowed blue. It discharged a stream of azure energy tipped with a white spearhead, which raced ahead towards Orochi. It was aimed at one of his eyes, which had been fully focused on another of his myriad foes, but just before the Blade Maser struck, the head jerked down and avoided it. The Karyu tilted down to aim the beam, carrying it down and striking the scales behind the eye.

“Captain, what are we doing? We’re still flying towards the target?” A crew member asked.

“Simple, we’ve got a giant knife on the front of his thing. Let’s use it!”

Orochi continued to shift his head to avoid the beam directly striking his eye, his tactile horns alerting him to the ship’s continuing approach. The rest of his heads kept their eyes on the other ships, ensuring they did nothing in the meantime. He smiled, for now was the time.

The head whipped around, maw opened wide. The Blade Maser sank down its gullet, disappearing into the darkness. The Karyu continued to go forward, especially as streaks of red lighting danced through the air around them.

“Full speed ahead!” Li Xiang yelled. The Karyu approached, drawing closer with each second…

Just before it could reach its target, another head lunged around and clamped its jaws on the knife-like cannon. Crew members were jostled and nearly tossed out of their seats at the sudden stop.

The Blade Maser was cut off as its source was crushed like tin, the teeth of the serpent ripping through the steel with ease. The two heads tore the blade asunder, swallowing the shards of metal down without a care. Like the energies fired down the mouth before, the shrapnel was vaporized and converted into energy to sustain the deity’s myriad attacks.

“Pull back!” Li screamed in terror as the Karyu detached from the grip of their foe, spraying sparks from its front.

They never got the chance.

Both of the mouths opened wide, the depths of their throats illuminated by foul crimson light. Jagged bolts of divine destruction were discharged, piercing the steel hull like it was nothing. The Karyu, along with every man and woman on board, were destroyed in an explosion.

As the burning ruins crashed to the dirt, eight wicked smiles greeted the rest of the ships. Orochi bore all his teeth, serpentine tongues pulling out shards of metal and wiring from between those two responsible for the first casualty.

Silence dwelled over the last stand of humanity, not a word being spoken. They had lost too much already to shout and cry over these deaths, but that did not make the pain absent. It just meant they knew to compartmentalize and prioritize in these tragic situations.

Another barrage escaped from the three models of the Super X line, the Super X-2 having rejoined the conflict, as well as from the fallen vessel’s “siblings.” Orochi marched forward, forcing them all on the move as he blindly fired his weaponry through the sky, chortling as they scattered. In his vast and divided mind, he had already won long ago. This was a mere victory lap.

So caught up was he in his foul revelry, that he failed to notice the Gotengo getting into position behind him.

“We’re probably only getting one shot with this thing, make it count.” Gordon commanded as everyone on board went to work. “Because if he’s still kicking after this, he’ll stop bullshitting if he’s got any brains in those eight skulls of his.”

Energy flowed through the vessel, coalescing into the drill’s tip with a icy-blue glow…

Black flaps of skin slid up to reveal blazing, yellow eyes. Godzilla cringed as he felt his chest realign itself, a rib cracking back into place as the bone knit itself together. Shards of the bone torn away by the impact drifted through his body, to eventually be vaporized inside his nuclear reactor of an internal system whenever he ignited it, along with the remnants of the missile the Super X-2 had fired into him, to ensure no internal bleeding from the shrapnel. At least, scientists assumed this to be the case, exact science on a creature that had never been dissected was difficult. Godzilla himself did not know, nor did he care.

What he did know, as he got to his feet, was that he felt stronger than before. Rejuvenated and empowered, he felt ready to take on the world. Had the humans done this? Most likely, for he sensed no radiation in the surrounding area.

He glanced over to the warships battling Orochi, realizing that they were short one. His eyes detected the burning wreckage, and immediately he put the pieces together.

Godzilla did not hate humans. His father had, with a burning passion that outblazed the sun. But he did not, for he remembered being born and being greeted by a kind, loving human. His earliest memories included other members of their species taking care of him, giving him shelter and food. Long ago, he had been briefly killed when he was an adolescent. Only three beings had mourned for him, that he’d seen. His father, and two humans, one of which had been there since his birth.

He cared not for the human’s weaponry or the people who piloted them, for they attacked him and his friends for existing too close to human settlements for comfort. Had he the ability to communicate with humankind, he would have reprimanded them for continuing to escalate the tension between kaiju and man. In many cases it was justified, he would admit this, but humans were too obsessed with never being challenged or even unnerved. Did the mere passing of a giant, one not even touching anything except that beneath its very feet, terrify them so?

But in this instance, against this fiend, Godzilla could put aside his misgivings. Orochi was no misunderstood colossus or lost animal. He was malice incarnate, a sadist who had dedicated themselves to mass destruction to appease their own desires. The scarlet serpent shared more in common with the poisonous devil who had slaughtered him when he was young, or the various dragons with three heads and lusts for planetary genocide, than he did any of the giant corpses upon these ruins.

Looking over the bodies, Godzilla felt his heart sink. He felt personally responsible for this disaster, for when Orochi had first come to Earth, the planet had shuddered. The oceans were wracked with horrid cataclysms, one of which had ensnared Godzilla and buried him. When he finally ripped his way free of the molten rock under the sea, he discovered a ruined world who’s gigantic residents had grown silent.

He saw dozens of kaiju, dead in the streets and rubble. He knew this was not all of them in the world, probably not even half, but it still hurt like a blade through the chest. Especially because these were the heroic ones, the guardians and warriors devoted to protecting their home.

His eyes drifted to one particular carcass, and even burnt and coated in ash, the beauty of her wings broke through and made itself known.

Sorrow swelled and overwhelmed as he remembered all Mothra had done for him and for this world. The kindest being he had ever known, yet also one of the most frightening when pushed to her limits. She was as good at reassuring him and the rest of the world that there was hope as she was at fighting for that hope herself.

And Orochi had slain her, without a second thought.

Godzilla turned back towards his foe, snarling with hatred. Sorrow morphed into righteous wrath, and for the king of the monsters, wrath was power. With a mighty roar, he announced his return to the battle before charging with speed that belied his bulk.

Orochi’s full attention fell to his fellow kaiju, who greeted the deity with another flash of nuclear might soaring through the air. The eight-headed fiend winced as it crashed against his bulk, he could already tell his foe was more powerful than before. But it would still not be enough to overcome his own divinity.

His tactile horns detected a massive shift in temperature behind him, usually they were lacking when it came to that which was not before him, but this was grand enough to draw their attention. It was a sharp drop, heralding the presence of frost that Orochi thought impossible except by the hand of a god. His eyes widened, as the pieces fell into place within his mind.

Jaws dropped and eyes widened as Orochi’s colossal mass left the ground, his body floating in the air. He shifted in midair, twisting his body around to discover the Gotengo, its drill’s tip coated in blue light. From the chilly luminance was birthed a ray of frost energy which raced towards the deity.

Eight geysers of holy flame raced out from the god’s mouths, meeting the Zero Cannon and swallowing it. Steam rose in great gouts as the opposite extremes of temperature dueled for an instant, before from the fire the ray emerged and continued into Orochi’s side. The beam was thinner than when it had entered the inferno, its light dulled, but it still froze red scales and the flesh beneath as it raked down the side of the serpent.

The Zero Cannon faded and the deity dropped back to the Earth, roaring in anguish. He shouted in hatred, announcing his intent to rip the Gotengo asunder and cast it to the wind as ash, only for Godzilla to deliver a rushing tackle to the fiend’s side, the one opposite the frost wound.

The Gotengo rushed past Orochi, streams of energy shooting from the guns on its back and blazing across his hide. Godzilla clawed and kicked at his colossal foe, drawing the attention of half of the fiend’s heads as the rest tracked the warship.

Teeth dug into Godzilla’s shoulder, powerful neck muscles quickly dragging him across the ground to be in front of the deity. The monster king snarled, refusing to back down. Suddenly, cadmium-laced missiles crashed into the serpent’s heads, causing him to recoil and flail, his eyes screwed shut to preserve them.

The leviathan’s spines flashed as he thrust himself forward, the nuclear energy traveling into his hands as he crashed them against the fiend’s chest. Sparks flew from the impact. Orochi growled, before several of his necks swung like whips, carrying their skulls into Godzilla’s body and causing him to cry out in anguish. Bruises formed and skin tore.

Proton missiles detonated against the line of frost-bitten skin, earning an eight-fold cry of anguish from Orochi. The crews of the Eclair and the Rumbling briefly shared some joy over agonizing the killer of their comrades. Godzilla quickly capitalized on his foe’s distraction by letting loose another Spiral Ray, forcing Orochi back a step as the leviathan swept it across the fiend’s necks.

The Gotengo unleashed its primary Maser, but instead of striking Orochi, they launched it into the Super X-2’s Fire Mirror. When the reflective barrier had first been created, its creator made the bold claim that it would return Godzilla’s beam back one thousandfold. This had been a grievous exaggeration of its capabilities, but it was undeniable that it did return what it took with at least a bit more force. So when it turned and unleashed the emerald stream of energy upon Orochi, it darkened scales and began to dislodge some.

Both ships were rocked as Orochi’s scarlet retaliation grazed them, leaving black marks in their metallic hulls. They retreated in seperate directions, allowing the serpent to send Godzilla backpedaling with a dual swing of his horned heads, forcing a shriek from the leviathan as the points tore into skin. Burning flames came next from between three sets of jaws, consuming Godzilla in the inferno.

Regular fire would have done nothing to the monster king, whose father waded through molten rock as if it were mere mud. But this was different, for Godzilla screamed in anguish as his scales and flesh charred. The serpent cackled to himself as he listened to the beautiful agony. This was the fire of the underworld, the hellacious inferno that the worst of the scum were cast into.

To Tsukuyomi, all mortals deserved this, not merely the “worse” ones.

“Sir, we can’t keep fighting, the Gotengo’s sustaining too much damage!” A crew member yelled to his superior, the screen before him revealing numerous diagnostics of the ship. Severe damage to the hull, fires breaking out in numerous rooms, and machinery torn asunder.

Gordon growled as he ran the numbers in his head. “We can’t just run away! Can’t we repair this thing a bit, we got mechanics on board, right?”

Ozaki was quick to chime in. “Yes, but not while the Gotengo’s airborne. We’d need to land.”

“Fine!” The captain grumbled. “Find us a spot far away from that thing to land so we don’t explode in the air.” He pushed a button, pulling up comms. “We need to land, the Gotengo’s taken too much of a beating and we need to do some ramshackle repairs.”

“Copy that.” Replied the rest of the crews in the battle.

Orochi began adding his scarlet bolts into the roaring flame, launching burnt slabs of meat from the conflagration.

“And for God’s sake, someone help the big guy out, despite how much shit we put him through, he’s not actually invincible!”

“I got it!” Sho Kuroki exclaimed as he pulled the Super X-3 in close, unleashing a barrage of cadmium missiles onto the cluster of skulls currently unleashing hell upon Godzilla. Instead of ceasing their assault, they merely turned it towards the ship, earning cries of panic from its crew as they hastily tried to escape the hellfire and divine energy.

All the men and women present recoiled at the sight of Godzilla. Red, raw muscle contrasted against burnt skin as black as pitch. He shook with pain from each breath, each unconscious vibration of his body releasing minute jets of blood from the wounds.

But when the monster king’s eyes opened, they showed nothing but anger.

The Super X-3’s hull began to glow, its mobility not enough to fully escape the inferno. Fortunately for the crew, Orochi’s attack ceased with an eight-fold cry of pain. A Spiral Ray swept across his necks, sending smoke and sparks flying from the impact and causing the serpent’s heads to flail madly. Godzilla kept firing the enhanced beams, breaking scales and staining others black. Orochi growled, before meeting one of the rays with the eye bolts of three of his heads, keeping it from detonating against him and locking the two in a struggle.

Blue and red flowed into one another, coalescing into a sphere of purple luminance as they waged war for dominance. As Orochi would have expected, he sensed a storm of missiles and beams racing towards him. Two of his heads sprayed flames into the air, detonating the missiles and overpowering the Maser beams with ease. The remaining three heads lacerated Godzilla’s legs with the power from their eyes, allowing them to send the gathered energies back upon the leviathan with ease. Whatever expression of pain the monster king made, it was drowned out by the roar of a colossal explosion consuming him.

Ash and debris flew like confetti as Godzilla’s body tore through it, digging a trench with his form.

Orochi laughed haughtily, boiling saliva flying out from his mouths as he tainted the air with his wicked breath. The Super X suddenly rushed forward, as did its most recent counterpart.

“What are you two doing!?” Taniguchi demanded of them.

Sho Kuroki replied. “Given how he ate the blade of the Karyu, let’s see how this bastard likes a meal of cadmium!”

Orochi watched them approach, his jaws still opened as he cackled. From the silvery body of the Super X, missiles unlatched and sailed forth. The projectiles of the Super X-3 followed, aimed to be fired down their target’s throats.

The deity just let the missiles fall down his cavernous maws, swallowing them with no hesitation. Closing his mouths, he just looked at them with an expression of utter condescension.

Then two sets of jaws opened and belched forth streaks of scarlet, divine wrath. The Super X-3 managed to swerve out of the way in time, letting the attack fly past it. The Super X however, was not nearly as lucky, being torn through and detonated.

“Damn it all!” Gordon cursed as he watched the destruction, helpless from his place as the Gotengo rested on the ground a few miles away. “The Karyu and Super X, completely destroyed, the Gotengo, down and out for who knows how long!”

“Should only be a few more minutes!” Someone shouted to him. “Hopefully…” they added.

Sho Kuroki just stared forward, at the monolithic body of Orochi. He had not known the names of the Super X’s pilots. People with whole lives of their own, individual hopes and dreams, distinct beliefs defining them as separate people yet still aligning them to one cause. And they had all been slain in an instant, at the whim of this uncaring god. The prodigy of G-Force wanted to scream and lash out, but it would do no good. There was nothing he could do, so that was what he did.

“We can’t win…” the captain of the Eclair spoke with dread to the rest of the last hope brigade. “We’re not even putting up some valiant last stand. We tried to spit in his eye, but it just dripped down our chin.”

“You can’t just say that!” Ozaki shouted over the comms. “There has to be something we can do against this thing!”

“Gotengo, just try to get into the air, nothing else.” Taniguchi commanded. “Ozaki, I think now’s the time to try that Keizer trick of yours on Godzilla, or else we’re all dead.”

Sho Kuroki responded quickly. “Keizer trick? Did that last grazing knock you onto your head Taniguchi, the hell are you talking about?”

“During the Xilien invasion, when the Gotengo boarded the Mothership,” the mutant prodigy replied, “I had an encounter with their leader. He revealed a lot of things, including that I was special among even other mutants. That I was what he called a ‘Keizer.’ He awakened some latent power inside me, and thanks to some help from Mothra’s priestesses, I was able to control the power for myself instead of being his puppet.”

“I was there, and if anyone’s gonna call bullshit on it, you gotta take it up with me!” Gordon chimed in.

Another voice came over the comms from the Super X-2. “That would explain the odd readings we detected from you afterwards, our machines couldn’t even fully figure out what was going on inside you, Ozaki.” Ogata revealed, to everyone’s shock.

“Alright,” Sho continued, “how’s that help us? I’m gonna take a guess that being a Keizer doesn’t mean shit against a kaiju like Orochi.”

“No,” Ozaki affirmed. “But if I can transfer that energy to Godzilla, using the Gotengo as a conduit as I had originally planned to during the battle against Keizer Ghidorah, then we’ve got someone to deal with that bastard.”

“Why didn’t you do that earlier then!” The Rumbling’s captain questioned. Alarms suddenly blared in all the ships as crimson bolts of death pierced the air, intent on destroying the ships.

“Someone’s bored!” Taniguchi panickedly stated, trying to lighten things up but only revealing the immense fear in his heart.

Ozaki sighed. “Because it’s just as likely that I’ll blow the Gotengo up, because I’m operating on absolutely nothing scientific here with this idea.”

Gordon shrugged his shoulders. “We’re fucked anyway, might as well go for the chance.”

Orochi found himself growing quite tired of these games. He ceased his mad firing, before focusing several heads upon the Eclair. Four fired their eye beams around the ship, forming a sort of cage and keeping it from moving in any direction lest it be torn into.

“Pull back, pull back!” The captain screamed in panic, hoping to somehow get far enough back to… “for what reason?” He continued. The elderly man, a seasoned veteran of many battles, hung his head. His crew members turned back towards him, utter panic on their faces. He saw from a monitor a hail of missiles and beams falling onto the body of the deity, but it meant nothing.

“Eclair crew… make peace in these last moments.”

A fifth head of the serpent got between its four compatriots, before unleashing both the Supreme Emperor Red Lightning bolts and the similar blast from its mouth. The armored plating of the Eclair was reduced to dust in the wind, detonations blasting through its form until the whole vessel exploded.

Suddenly, a powerful bellow echoed across the landscape. Orochi’s spiteful gazes fell to the source, still hidden behind smoke and dust. The shade was pierced and parted by a colossal geyser of crimson energy, wrapped in spirals of yellow energy. The Spiral Fire Ray crashed into the serpent’s chest with a series of powerful blasts, ripping away shards of armor and forcing cries of anguish from him.

Godzilla charged forth, roaring in wrath as his feet pounded the ashen soil.

Crimson lashes tore grooves into the king’s hide, but he grit his teeth and bore it as he drew closer. Wrath and adrenaline powered him, numbing the pain to the point of being bearable. Another scarlet ray from his own maw, another eight-fold cry of pain as he swept it across Orochi’s side.

The deity actually stepped back when the leviathan barged into him, the resounding gong of the impact echoing. Godzilla’s spines continued to glow red, but instead of discharging his ray he channeled the power to his claws. He carved into the dense bulk of his foe’s chest, sending sparks flying as his arms crackled with the energy.

Orochi reared up, lurching forward as he came down to drag the claws of his stump-like feet down the length of Godzilla’s body. Canyons of ripping flesh and flowing blood formed starting from the monster king’s stomach and continuing down his two legs. The leviathan staggered back, before six jaws clamped onto his flesh, hoisting him into the air once more. Before he could release a nuclear pulse or atomic ray, Orochi’s maws opened and belched forth curtains of flame, the force behind them hurling all sixty thousand tons of Godzilla through the air.

The outraged monarch was back on his feet quickly. He would not let cruelty like this go unopposed, even as his body ached he needed to avenge all this bastard had slain!

Another Spiral Fire Ray, this time into the frost bitten flesh of Orochi, blasting it open and forcing intense cries of agony to erupt from the lord of the underworld as a gaping hole was blasted into him. Raw flesh spewed golden, molten blood that smoked upon striking the earth. Godzilla prepared to capitalize on this, only for his own anguish to echo into the darkened heavens as Orochi’s eight mouths unleashed streams of red lightning into his leg. He fell to one knee as viscera sprayed forth, bone being exposed.

The monster king stared into the eyes of his foe, the central head that he assumed was the “main” one. Godzilla shrunk back best he could, breath growing heavy as he gazed into those pools of malevolence. The men and women still alive on the various vessels found themselves also staring into the god’s eyes, being similarly cowed by them.

Staring into Destoroyah’s eyes, Godzilla felt like he was gazing into a cavern, one deep and treacherous that would crumble onto itself to crush any who ventured in. Hollow and hateful, a primitive mind dedicated only to butchery and savagery. Locking gazes with King Ghidorah was to see into the mind of madness, countless thoughts crashing into each other like billiard balls as they fought to rise to the surface. The issue for all life other than the golden nightmare was that every last one of these chaotic considerations were of death and desolation, the specifics being the only separation.

But Orochi was different. There was no madness, no brutal primitivism, for he was fully gathered mentally. Staring into the soul of the god of the underworld was meeting a mind as old as the universe, a consciousness crafted by the hands that forged creation itself.

And it was filled with undying wrath towards all things, and viewed all mortal life the way one views mold and rot and cancer. A spreading taint upon what was once beautiful and wondrous, turning it into a worthless shell of its former self.

Godzilla’s vision was filled with the bright crimson of Orochi’s eyes glowing with power, the monster king now being the first mortal in forever to draw forth Tsukuyomi’s full, undiluted hatred.

This whole fight had happened because the moon god had let it happen. At any point he could have obliterated the last forces of man and beast alike. He had wanted to toy with them, bask in his victory over Earth and relish in his own fiendish power. But now, they had annoyed and aggravated him too much, and the game was over. Now, all died.

The leviathan unleashed another Red Spiral Ray, and while it tore at his foe’s body as the rest had, this time it was not enough. Godzilla roared defiantly, facing encroaching death head-on.

From all sixteen eyes, came molten death. From all eight maws, came the power to devastate the world. Twenty four lances of godly spite, piercing into the heretic’s body. Scale, skin, flesh, and muscle parted before the Supreme Emperor Red Storm Dance. Cracks and burns spread through bone, organs boiling and popping.

Cadmium and proton missiles detonated inside the bleeding wound of the serpent. Orochi turned his attention to the vessels, eyes and mouths still unleashing his unyielding desire for genocide.

From the Gotengo, as a dozen mutants prepared to charge into battle in the hopes of buying just a little more time, they all witnessed the Rumbling become ash in the wind. Godzilla fell to the earth, spasming and going into shock. Even his regeneration, boosted by the cells of King Ghidorah, could not handle the total degloving of most of his body, the incineration of almost a quarter of his muscle mass, the evaporation of several organs in his abdomen, and severe exsanguination by heat.

“Look at it Ozaki, Godzilla’s gonna die if you don’t save him. We’ll all die if you don’t save him.” One of the mutants proclaimed to his superior. “I know you don’t want us to go, but we have to. This is what we signed up for.”

Ozaki felt tears streaming down his face, the memories of watching friends in the M-Organization being butchered by Tsukuyomi and crushed by Orochi’s formation over body-cam footage all resurfacing. He could think of nothing to say. His fellow mutant placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Just promise me that we’re not dying for nothing.”

Ozaki steeled himself. “Orochi dies tonight.”

“All I needed to hear,” he turned to his comrades, “come on, let’s go!”

As the squadron of human-Xilien hybrids leaped off the Gotengo, Ozaki went back inside. The vessel’s rockets roared to life as it entered the air, shaking and with its engine making all sorts of disconcerting noises. It just needed to fly, and it did so as it aimed its front towards Godzilla’s writhing form.

Gordon stepped out of the captain’s chair, letting Ozaki sit down. The Keizer placed his hands on the control panel, closing his eyes. The veteran looked out to the battle, seeing Orochi scream and shout his rage as the three ships, and now a hail of laserfire from the ground, annoyed him. If Gordon had to take a guess, the god figured Godzilla was already good as dead, so no need to finish him off while dealing with the stinging insects. Maybe Orochi just wanted to watch the first being in eons to actually hurt him just squirm and wither away in abject agony.

Ozaki’s hair began to stand on end, as his body was taken by a slight glow.

The crew members of the Gotengo, Gordon especially, knew how bad of an idea it was to just leave Godzilla alone and hope he died without actually finishing the job. The monster king always knew how to fight back from the dankest depths and rise once more. This time, he would do it with their help, when even the indomitable will of the strongest beast on Earth failed before divinity.

The shine surrounding the Keizer intensified, as the screen before him turned white.

One of Orochi’s heads turned towards the Gotengo, tilted in confusion, only for a laser bolt to crash near one of its eyes. Letting out a raspy shriek of disdain, it bathed the ground before it in fire. Gordon only hoped the few moments the mutants had bought the Gotengo would be enough.

Arcane symbols manifested on the screen, flickering rapidly as Ozaki glowed like a light in the darkness.

Another beam from the Super X-3’s front lashed into the wound on the serpent’s body. Two heads of the deity bit down onto the sides of the cavernous opening, before pulling it closed as a third head sealed it shut with a geyser of hellfire. A storm of holy lightning and unholy flame reduced the most advanced model of the Super X line into slag crashing into the soil.

“No one I’d rather grab a beer with than Sho.” Gordon mused to himself. “Gondo would have been proud as hell if he had seen you, I can say that for sure.”

The symbols began to part and fade, as one in particular manifested in the very center of the screen. Gordon glanced over to it, eyes widening. “Well I’ll be damned… kid, whatever’s going on in your DNA, it’s our ticket to survival.”

The infinity symbol on the monitor grabbed the attention of all eyes on board, awestruck as the very ship began to shine with silver light both inside and out. Ozaki himself was almost lost amidst the luminance, eyes still shut in focus.

Orochi’s attention fell to the Gotengo, jaws dropping as the energy flowing through it ignited ancient memories.

*****

The sound of battle and the scent of death filled the air. Dueling armies clashed, one of peoples dressed in the rudimentary garments of those living simplistic lives off the fat of the land. They opposed pale figures in black leather. Spears and arrows flew past streaks of deadly energy. The humans dropped with burns coating their chests as flesh peeled away and blackened, while the gaunt invaders were pierced by the projectiles, spilling blood as black as pitch.

Overhead, two colossi battled through the air. Yellow and bluish-green coated a living weapon, hands replaced with thick blades and eyes replaced with a red visor. Gigan and Mothra weaved through the sky, avoiding each other’s strikes with the precision of seasoned warriors.

Three figures watched the battle from a distance, each one possessing the power to end the conflict with all the difficulty of a parent stopping their toddlers from smacking one another.

“Susanoo, are you sure we should not interfere?” Asked the one standing furthest away from the conflict, a beautiful woman in ornate robes, with long, flowing hair that came down past her shoulders. “Can the humans possibly win on their own?”

The man she addressed, a rugged, battle-hardened looking man in armor-like garb of a similarly elaborate nature, let out a deep breath. “It pains me to do this as well, Amaterasu. But one day they will have to survive without us, and that means we must ensure they can face this cruel universe without our aid.” He turned towards her with a smile that still radiated warmness despite the gruffness of the face bearing it. “Besides, the Xiliens are just as much ours as the humans are, it would be like interfering in the civil wars of Earth in a sense.”

The third figure, a tall, handsome man wearing robes befitting of a king, scoffed to himself before interrupting. “The people of this planet have yet to master weaponry beyond the most analog and basic, while the Xiliens have the technology to cast forth bolts of energy to slay their foes. I don’t think your comparison is an apt one.”

“Oh?” Susanoo replied, raising an eyebrow. “Then are you going to help humanity in that case?”

“No, because what happens on the ground doesn’t matter. The battle of the Titans in the sky is the only thing that decides this war, and well,” he gestured over to the two behemoths.

Mothra dodged the charge of Gigan, the fiend’s chest-mounted buzzsaw revving madly. Her wings smacked the side of the cyborg’s body, sending him careening to the dirt with a screech. In a moment, he was back on his feet, unleashing a thin beam of red light from his visor. The Laser Knife was evaded without issue by the divine moth, who swept around and bashed her wing against the cyborg’s side.

“The Earth’s anointed guardian is more than capable of dealing with the hubristic Xiliens’ construct.”

Susanoo smiled proudly, letting out a deep belly laugh at the display of the deadly machine built for conquest and genocide being beaten about by a fluffy moth. Amaterasu just sighed to herself, still not used to the idea of such bloodshed that could be prevented. It was part of nature she supposed, but she refused to become desensitized.

Tsukuyomi kept an eye on the war, not truly focused on it as he was getting quite bored of the whole spectacle. The barbarism on display was sickening, and all he saw was just more work to do when he returned to Yomi, all because of these mortals and their bloodthirsty stupidity.

The Xiliens could travel across light years in a matter of moments, and had technology that even left many of the gods baffled by its splendor. But still they had insisted on this conquest like savages, preferring to take what they wanted through might and brutality than by logic compromise.

Was this the fate that awaited humanity when it crawled off this planet and witnessed the greater universe? Would the apes even make it to that point, or would they all kill each other in their civilization’s crib?

A presence on the battlefield suddenly made Tsukuyomi’s eyes widen, his focus going to the mess of struggling warriors.

The bodies of humans flew like dolls, cracking and breaking upon impact with the ground. What looked like lightning bolts streaked forth from the hand of an Xilien that bore a powerful presence, torching his foes en masse. A hail of arrows came towards him, but he raised a hand and stopped them all in midair, before sending them back unto their users. The Xilien rushed forth with speed that no mortal man could accomplish, speed such that Tsukuyomi had to focus to keep up with the figure as he tore through a group of battle-hardened men like a lion to a flock of sheep.

That mortal… was too powerful.

Tsukuyomi quickly stepped forward, eyes shining brightly with cyan light. Susanoo quickly grabbed him in a bear hug, pulling his brother back just in time for the Calm Spirit to lash out as divine rays of power into the air.

“What in all the realms are you doing, trying to get us involved in this war!? I don’t feel like dealing with their war machine, no matter how much I mocked it previously!”

“Unhand me!” Tsukuyomi screamed with genuine fury. “I must smite that insolent mortal who dares to have power approaching ours!”

Susanoo refused to release, even as Tsukuyomi began kicking him in the legs and struggling. Amaterasu stepped closer, trying to bring reason and calmness into the chaos. “What do you mean, why must you destroy him for being powerful? What will that accomplish?”

Addressing his sister, the moon god was more restrained, but he still nearly hissed his reply. “He is too mighty. More training from him, or perhaps the growing strength of a progressing bloodline, or any number of other things will lead to a mortal able to face us in solo combat and stand a chance of victory. I must destroy this and ensure none shall challenge us!”

“What on Earth do you mean, that is great news!” Susanoo dropped his brother, turning him around to meet him eye to eye. “They will truly be able to defend themselves, be independent of us! Our interference will be kept to mere guidance in their darkest moments, if even that!”

Amaterasu stood by the ocean god’s side, positively beaming. “I agree, especially if this power can be granted to the humans in some way as well!”

Tsukuyomi remained silent. His eye twitched, he grinded his teeth, and sweat began to drip down his brow. What worthless drivel spewed from his siblings’ mouths. Did they not look upon this worthless battle and see the same idiotic bastards he saw? How could anyone with a working mind see this war of an interstellar race of bigots and narcissists against backwater apes and see anything other than scum? Something clicked into place within his mind.

“Of course, how could I be so foolish?” He replied with a forced grin, barely stifling a throat-rending scream of hatred as he fully realized what was going on.

Why would the god of the sun and life, and the god of the oceans and war, see any issue with powerful mortals that loved and revered them? Unlike him, the god of the dreaded underworld and the reviled night-time moon, mortals adored his siblings. So while the god-like mortals continued showering the two of them in praise and receiving the blessings to continue propagating this agonizing cycle of death and carnage, they would be mutinying against him and him alone. Blissfully unaware in their pathetic debauchery that mortalkind’s constant, worthless slaughter was a major part of the reason Tsukuyomi was even needed!

“Glad that could be resolved.” Susanoo gave that irritating smile that Tsukuyomi found himself wanting to now tear off. Amaterasu giggled, a noise that the lord of the underworld once found precious and sweet, now only provoking the desire to vomit. The two clapped their hands onto Tsukuyomi’s shoulders, and the only comfort he found was the image of mutilating both with his spiteful power, outwardly pretending he still viewed them as anything other than wretched scum.

*****

The power that had granted him this horrid revelation, set him down this path of omnicide for the sake of true perfection, was in that ship. He would not obliterate it with one strike like he could, he would tear it out of the sky and peel it apart until he found the wretched wielder of that power. He would watch the life leave their eyes as he ripped them asunder, signifying his ultimate victory over mortality.

The Super X-2 raced through the air, seeing the building power in the god’s center maw. Taniguchi did not know why Orochi was only going to use one beam, but he did not care about the mind of the serpent. All he knew was that he had one chance to make a difference and help save the world.

“Ogata, I’m—“

“Do not apologize, my boy, I would not have stepped onto this vessel if I had not made peace with myself and prepared to see what exactly happens after the final curtain call.”

The young pilot nodded in affirmation, before turning to open the Fire Mirror. With every skill he had learned in his training, and not caring about the limits of the craft, Taniguchi twirled the Super X-2 to be before Orochi just before the charged, crimson bolt was discharged.

Between the Gotengo and the serpent god, the second of G-Force’s anti-Godzilla countermeasures was struck by the smiting assault. The Fire Mirror captured and began rebounding the energies best it could, even though the power it was being bathed in was far too much for it to handle. Diamond melted like candle wax as wild geysers of green energy flew like firework sparks as the Fire Mirror desperately tried to fulfill its purpose in the face of overwhelming might.

How ironic, that weapons designed to kill Godzilla had saved him in the very end. In the rear view, Taniguchi saw the Gotengo unleash a silver ray towards Godzilla, which banished the darkness of night for a moment. He smiled, knowing that he had done all he could.

The Super X-2 detonated. The remainder of the crimson lightning tore into the hull of the Gotengo, causing a blast on its side that sent the warship falling straight down like a ton of bricks.

Crew members were knocked unconscious, others were put in great pain from the jostling of impact. They watched with utter horror as Orochi suddenly began floating through the air, rushing towards them with great speed. He affixed the ship with gazes that the men and women of the ship could only assume were like that of a serial killer approaching his latest victim.

But Ozaki and Gordon showed no fear. They were not truly fearless, but they were greatly comforted by the fact that whatever had gotten under the god’s skin distracted him from what should have been his true target.

Godzilla’s body began to shift, the damage inflicted upon him swiftly reversing. Muscle and flesh repaired in a matter of seconds, burnt skin fell away to be replaced with fresh scale. But his renewal was not the full extent of his change. For the Keizer energies mixed the cells of Godzilla and King Ghidorah, and enhanced them into something far beyond what either was capable of on its own.

Charcoal changed to dark purple, and bright green upon his stomach and chest. Musculature greatly expanded, making his previous physical might look diminutive in comparison. Broad shoulders were pierced by a long, jagged spike that erupted from both. His tail grew in length, the end becoming a cluster of spikes. The resemblance to a certain crystalline clone grew further as a crest resembling his formed upon the forehead of Godzilla, a crown for the New King of the Monsters. But what separated the two beyond just color was that instead of a crater in the stomach, this new entity had a spherical core nestled in this place.

Eyes with renewed determination and power focused on Orochi, as the bastard divine ripped through the steel of the Gotengo with his jaws.

It took little time for the eight-headed monster to be staring eye to eye with the crew of the Gotengo, making many pass out from sheer terror as others whispered frantic prayers. The moon god had no interest in them, yet, eyes going straight to Ozaki. Boiling saliva dripped from his jaws, the anticipation making him shake like a rabid dog. Finally, after all these millennia, he would slay the pinnacle of mortalkind and show that the gods reign above all!

Ozaki just crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair. Gordon did the same, but he spoke up. “For someone with eight heads, you’ve got shit awareness of your surroundings.”

The deity tilted his heads, confused by… everything about this.

He got his answer when a sound like the clap of thunder echoed, followed by eight screams as Orochi was pushed like he weighed a tenth of what he did. The god of the underworld tore apart the ground as he skid across it, before finally digging his heels in and being on solid footing. He screeched in outrage, this only growing as he saw just what had dared to do this to him.

The Gotengo’s crew looked up with absolute awe, even Gordon and Ozaki could not help but be taken aback by what they witnessed. There, with a dimming glow upon his outstretched fist, all their hope manifested.

Godzilla announced his apotheosis with a war cry that shook the heavens and hells. Super Godzilla had been born, through the bonding of human ingenuity and will with their grand mistake turned into the greatest ally. He looked down at the people, eyes meeting Ozaki’s. The supreme king nodded to the young Keizer, who met it with a nod of his own. Godzilla looked back to his foe, eyes narrowing.

And so, the final battle began.

Godzilla charged forward, moving with a swiftness that his sheer bulk should have rendered impossible. Supreme Emperor Red Lightning bolts lashed against his thickened hide, and while his brows scowled at their power as skin charred, he still pressed on without issue.

Stopping his rush, the empowered leviathan gathered his internal energy. His body flashed emerald green, his spines glowing brightly, before he opened his maw. From it came forth a glowing beam of orange might, which burst against Orochi’s armored side and forced a cry of pain from him. Burns formed, flesh singing. These rays hurt even worse than the red ones Godzilla had used before.

Super Godzilla charged forth once more, rapidly closing the distance. The cruel deity unleashed curtains of flame before him to deter his foe, but the last hope of the planet refused to falter. The ascended king cried out in pain as he was submerged in the fires of Hell, but where before he was powerless in the face of it, now he could endure to crash his bulk against Orochi’s chest. There was a flash upon impact, as the destroyer found himself being forced back a fair bit. He cut off the flames, snarling in hatred.

Until suddenly, the area Super Godzilla had struck was consumed by a cluster of blossoming explosions, illuminating the shade with their azure glow. Orochi screamed as shards of his armor and scale were ripped away and sent flying. When it was done, he looked down upon his foe, meeting the gaze of the hero.

The hopes of the Earth, perhaps the very universe, rested upon his shoulders. A tenth of that burden would snap the wills of even the most glorious like a boot to a twig. But when the moon god looked into the eyes of the apex of science and nature, he saw one fully willing to bear this and ensure that all would see a new tomorrow. It reminded him of Susanoo bravely facing him when Tsukuyomi had first attained the serpentine form, or of the young man who had stood side by side with his love when Orochi had returned.

Lunging forth, the eight heads of the destroyer whipped and bit at Godzilla, bruising and scratching his skin. The ascended leviathan swung back with his own claws, bashing skulls around and scraping away scale and skin. Bolts of crimson energy shot forward from a few heads as the rest continued their up-close assault, successfully blasting away chunks of Godzilla’s flesh. Instead of crying out, he replied with his own Super Atomic Ray, sweeping it across Orochi’s necks. They all cried out as one from the blazing anguish now coursing through them, rising high into the air. They all came down, bashing their chins into the supreme monster king’s skull, making him double over as blood began to pour from the wound.

As enhanced regeneration repaired the wounds he endured, Godzilla turned in place as his tail began to crackle with electricity. From the cluster of spikes came a small sphere of yellow energy. It burst against Orochi’s body, as did several more when Godzilla continued swinging his tail. They were relatively weak attacks, but in rapid succession they forced the lord of the underworld back a step. It was enough to let Godzilla rise up once more, unleashing another Super Atomic Ray. The destroyer cursed and writhed from the pain inflicted upon him.

Orochi’s body left the ground, his powers over antigravity allowing him to swing around in place to send his colossal tail careening into Godzilla’s head with a brutal crack, sending the savior to the dirt with a cry of mixed shock and pain. Dropping back to the ground, with his tail closer to his foe, Orochi began to mercilessly beat the leviathan with his tail, whipping away with wild abandon.

Scales shattered and flew off in dust, bruises contorted the color of the flesh, bones began to crack. Godzilla fired his empowered ray, blasting off burning shards of Orochi’s back, but the tables had turned as the serpent endured the pain to continue his brutal assault.

Another crack of the muscular whip, and one of the spikes on Super Godzilla’s shoulders was torn off, clattering to the ground. He roared in pain once more, but wrath joined it and gave him the strength to push himself to his feet in a moment. The serpent’s appendage bashed into his back once more, but the monster king remained standing. Turning, he let the tail smash into his chest, nearly breaking a rib, then latched his hands onto the end of the limb. Orochi let out a slight screech of shock, then began trying frantically to free himself.

Godzilla’s enhanced muscles strained as he began to lift. The serpent bellowed in outrage as felt himself struggling to stay grounded, trying to turn his heads to fire upon his foe. He failed to do so before the leviathan hoisted him into the air, earning a surprised call from the deity, before slamming him into the ground.

The Earth shuddered as the ground cracked, waves of dust and debris rolling out like a tsunami upon the immense impact. Orochi shrieked in rage, especially as he was lifted back into the air. He activated his levitation, making Godzilla’s downward thrust far slower. This gave the serpent the chance to twist a few heads around and blast the hands of his foe with energy, forcing the monster king to back away.

Orochi twisted around, still remaining in the air as all his eyes glowed. Sixteen rays of godly wrath combined with eight geysers of horrid flame, swallowing Super Godzilla in the conflagration. Agony coursed through his form as his entire body was assailed, the precise beams like molten knives lacerating his skin as the inferno raced into the wounds to intensify it all.

Godzilla tried to step out of it, but it was too overwhelming. He tried to call forth his atomic ray, but his face would be gashed open before he could fully channel it. The last hope of Earth internally bellowed, feeling a roiling maelstrom of emotion manifesting in his gut.

His spherical core began to glow cyan, overpowering even the harsh orange of the fires. Leaning his body back, Godzilla aimed the gathering power at Orochi. Fragments of the luminance emanated from it, until it all solidified and burst forth as a colossal pillar of power.

It parted the sea of flame, making Orochi’s eyes widen and the beginnings of a chorus of panicked calls leaving his throats. The head of the Nova Beam morphed, becoming the image of Super Godzilla’s visage in the split-second before it crashed into the destroyer’s underbelly.

Orochi’s two-hundred-thousand ton body flew back, a colossal explosion ripping apart his stomach’s armor and shredding the flesh beneath it. Tokyo’s corpse rumbled like an earthquake had struck when the body impacted the ground.

Godzilla slumped over, breathing heavily as his regeneration healed his wounds. Even at the apex of his power, the lord of the underworld was pushing him to his limits. Fortunately for him, it seemed the same was proving true the other way around.

The destroyer got to his feet, golden blood pouring from his stomach and staining the ashen soil below. How could a mortal be doing this to him? Had he finally met his equal in power? It could not be possible, yet here it was. Only fellow gods had been able to damage him so.

He had been right. One day, mortals would achieve the power of the gods on their own, and use it against him. That was this day, Tsukuyomi’s prophecy had been fulfilled.

Super Godzilla stood tall, raising both fists and igniting them with blue energy. He began to rush forwards, announcing the renewal of the fight with a war cry.

Orochi met it with his own chorus, refusing to succumb to lesser beings!

Eight streams of divine, scarlet power erupted from Orochi’s jaws, mutilating the ground as he swept them across the city. Godzilla reared one of his shining fists back, before thrusting it and his whole body forth and catapulting himself forward like he had before. Soil and shrapnel soared in his path as he glided across it. The ascended leviathan learned these rays packed a more ferocious punch than the eye beams, and that Orochi was holding back nothing at this point. He was halted in his tracks as they singed his muscles with their power, but adrenaline let him endure the pain enough to pull his still glowing fist back and hurl himself forth again.

The serpent’s attack faded when he was sent skidding across the ground again, crying out as he flipped over and rolled at the end of the launch. Back on his feet without wasting a moment, he prepared to continue his attack when Super Godzilla was already right in front of him with another springing forth. Several heads of the serpent lashed out instinctively, but his previous battles with both this destroyer and previous serpentine foes gave him the foresight to grasp one with his powerful hands.

Orochi was powerful, perhaps ultimately more powerful than even him, but what Godzilla had quickly realized was that the deity lacked strategy.

A Super Atomic Ray erupted from the supreme monster king’s jaws, bathing the head in its radioactive bliss. Eyes burst as saliva boiled, the whole body of Orochi shaking as the effects carried over to the full consciousness.

Godzilla had fought many foes equal to and greater than him in the past. The moon god had only crushed that which lay before him, never needing to exert effort to seize victory. Mindless attacking worked well against vastly weaker foes, but against an equal, it guaranteed nothing but failure.

The neck fell limp, the charred head’s only movements being the swaying of momentum from being released.

A cacophony of madness erupted from Orochi as he hoisted himself into the air, rising above the wretched mortal that would dare disfigure him so. Godzilla lunged forward, trying to grasp his foe’s dangling tail, only for the destroyer to come careening down onto Godzilla’s back, sending him to the dirt and pinning him beneath the serpent’s bulk. Orochi cackled as he began stomping his entrapped foe, clawing away skin in ribbons.

Super Godzilla’s body flashed green light, spines glowing. As the back foot of his foe grinded his skull into the dirt, the leviathan focused his internal energy. It came forth in an orange pulse of nuclear power erupting from his entire body.

Orochi found himself once again hurled away, screaming in wrath at how the most immense body in creation was being tossed around like a toy. Godzilla got to his feet, running forward chest-out. He bashed his bulk into the side of the recoiling god, igniting another cluster of explosions upon the serpent’s body. Three sets of jaws clamped onto Godzilla’s throat, discharging rays of energy point-blank. They bored into the skin like a drill trying to pierce rock, slowly but surely working their way through.

A glowing fist slammed into the necks from below, dislodging them. Chunks of meat came out with them, lodged in their teeth and burnt away by the still firing rays. Godzilla grabbed one by the base of the head, swinging it into the body of the serpent and holding it there as his other fist was charged up. Orochi unleashed fire and lightning best he could, but it was not enough in the moment it took for Godzilla to slam a Super-Punch into the skull’s lower jaw.

Bone and brain matter soared in all directions as Orochi’s number of heads was reduced to six.

The two heads that had been biting him a moment ago swung themselves like clubs, driving their horns into his still-recovering throat. Blood sprayed forth as he roared in agony, the blades piercing his windpipe. The moon god shifted himself around to bring Godzilla face to faces with him, then ripped the horns out of his foe’s neck, freeing a spray of blood to shoot forth.

The ascended leviathan tilted his head, trying to shield the wound. Orochi’s eyes and mouths shined with a malicious luminance, ready to end this here and now. With one final blast he would end this and claim an ultimate victory over all mortalkind. They had achieved the level of godhood and still fallen short of him.

Godzilla nearly doubled over as he gasped in exhaustion, seeing his death staring him in the face. He had failed. Even with this power he could not overcome, could not save the world from its ultimate destruction. Despair latched into his heart, poisoning it with its cold venom.

He heard whispers all around him. He looked up, still seeing the encroaching death, but more clearly hearing the sounds all around him. They were demanding he press on.

Godzilla looked up into the sky, shocked by what he saw.

The spirits of the fallen monsters circled through the air, calling to him. He saw his friends on Monster Island, the people who had died in the battle against Orochi, kaiju he had never even seen before, and more surrounding him and filling the sky. They all cried out, encouraging him.

Proclamations that he was their king and that he shall avenge his subjects. Words from those who had tried to kill him before, apologizing and telling him to stand and fight. A chaotic chorus, but it all did manage to have a focus. Him, and seizing victory.

One in particular descended, like an Angel. With beautiful wings and soft, reassuring eyes, Mothra stood out amongst the crowd as she locked eyes with the monster king. She spoke to him, her presence in his mind like a warm embrace.

No matter how greatly he was outclassed, the leviathan had always risen to the challenge and won the day. Against demons, tyrants, world destroyers, alien bioweapons, grotesque abominations, and anything else, he was always on the front lines and fighting with all he had while never forsaking his allies. Why should a god be any different?

No matter what, she, and the rest of Godzilla’s friends, would always be with him as long as he stayed true to who he was.

The final warrior against the destroyer god stood tall, bellowing as he lunged forward. Orochi was shocked by the sudden burst of speed, leaving him wide open to be grabbed by the ultimate saurian. Godzilla lifted his foe’s front into the air, core glowing brightly as he focused all the power he had into it. Orochi unleashed the power he had been building up, but the leviathan had gotten underneath him. He severed the end of Godzilla’s tail and carved a massive trench into the earth, but the monster king was stomach-to-stomach with the god now.

The lord of the underworld flailed and thrashed, trying to stop what was about to happen, but it was no good.

Godzilla let loose the grandest roar the Earth had ever heard, declaring that his foe’s menace ended here and now! For all who had been slain by the greatest evil to ever spite the world, Godzilla unleashed everything he had in him in one final Nova Blast.

Energy erupted from the maws of the crimson serpent, his innards being ruptured and incinerated by the ultimate attack. The wounds inflicted upon him previously shined with the azure glow. A column of nuclear power, tipped with the duplicate head of its firer, ripped out of Orochi’s back, rising into the sky like a glowing beacon. The clouds parted in its wake, revealing the sunlight once again.

As Orochi’s collapsing, burning body rolled off the also falling Godzilla, the darkness of the heavens rolled back further and further like a curtain being retracted. Sunlight graced the world once again, revealing a broken, bloody Earth. Yet, it was still an Earth that was alive, that could return to what it once was.

The Gotengo crew was silent, unable to think of anything to even say. Where were they supposed to start? Ozaki just had his eyes closed, as lost as the rest of them.

Until something sparked in his senses, a sixth sense outside normal perception alerting him to something. He grit his teeth, before suddenly leaping out of the hole in the warship, shocking everyone present as they watched him go.

“Kid,” Gordon mumbled to himself, “what the hell did you just figure out?”

Ozaki rushed past the still form of Godzilla, breathing a sigh of relief as he noticed that shallow breath still coursed through the guardian. Earth’s greatest defender would live.

Where Orochi had burnt away into nothing, he sensed a presence. The Keizer’s advanced eyes quickly spotted him. A humanoid figure, laying in a pile of ash.

The same one that had become Orochi upon the moon.

Ozaki’s breath grew heavy as he charged towards Tsukuyomi, fist rearing back. When the distance was closed, he let out a roar of hatred, swinging his arm at the prone god.

Who caught it.

Swiftly standing up, Tsukuyomi crashed a punch into Ozaki’s gut. The Keizer exhaled sharply through clenched teeth, before slamming a punch into the deity’s gut in reply. Tsukuyomi staggered back, winded. Both were exhausted from the day’s events, but it was clear transferring Keizer energy was not nearly as draining as having one’s other body incinerated.

Ozaki pulled his arm back, charging a sphere of energy in his palm. Tsukuyomi’s eyes glowed, making his intent clear.

Instead of the mighty streams of cyan power that even Susanoo could not overcome, what came forth from the moon god’s eyes were pathetic lines of dwindling divinity. Ozaki’s lightning-esque blast easily overwhelmed them like a river.

The Keizer had never felt better than when he watched the holy bastard’s skull burst into cinder.

He turned and began to walk away, lacking the same speed as before. A light shined behind him, making him turn as two more figures descended, a man and a woman both dressed in robes befitting royalty. They landed next to Tsukuyomi’s body, bowing their heads somberly. Ozaki took up a fighting stance.

The woman dropped to her knees, hands on her face as she weeped. The man, clearly a wizened warrior, bent down and picked up the body of Tsukuyomi. Tears flowed from his eyes as well, but he retained his composure better.

Ozaki’s enhanced ears detected him whisper, “I am so sorry, my brother. If I had known what was truly brewing in your heart, I would have done all I could to save you.”

Susanoo looked to Amaterasu. “Sister, please. Remember him as he was, when he was our brother and the faithful steward of the moon and of Yomi. Not as what he became.”

The woman looked to Ozaki, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes. “We… we are so sorry for all that he did to you and your people.”

Susanoo did the same. “This shall haunt me for the rest of time… all of this. I should have done so many things, should have jus—“

“Just leave. Save your words, you can apologize by getting the hell out of here.” Ozaki spat. “This isn’t you gods’ world anymore. It’s ours, and respect that, unlike him.” He pointed to the corpse.

Ozaki understood that pretty much everyone in his life would be furious at him mouthing off to the gods, but he did not care in the slightest bit. Anyone who could feel anything but contempt for that killer of billions could just disappear for all he cared.

“I understand.” Susanoo said, utterly defeated. “May you humans have a long and prosperous reign, without us meddling in your affairs.”

And with that, the two left. And Ozaki was left alone, to stare into the heavens, at the best sunlight he had ever felt in his life. For what felt like the first time in forever, the Keizer truly smiled, feeling a weight off his shoulders. He knew all that had died against this foe were looking down, joyful as well at this triumph.

Winner: Godzilla (Heisei)

Author: Joshua Strittmatter | Banner: Joshua Strittmatter

Salzburg, Austria

Godzilla growled at the hideous monstrosities before him with a level of hatred he hadn’t felt in at least twelve thousand years. He had faced many foes in the past two hundred and fifty million-plus years of his life, of a wide array of shapes and sizes. Most had originated from the planet he protected so ruthlessly, some emerged from the depths of space, a select few even crawled forth from occasional barriers between separate dimensions. Some were large, so large they dwarfed even the likes of him and put his mighty strength and fighting prowess to the ultimate test. Some were small but lithe and agile, with quick reflexes that made him work his absolute hardest to learn their patterns and land a meaningful blow.

But what the Monster King faced right now, the repugnant entities that stood in front of him, were unlike anything he had ever faced before.

Baring his tyrannosaur-like teeth, Godzilla hissed a growling sneer at the horrid creatures that stared back at him with bulbous eyes, red as transparent ruby. The demons were bipedal in stance, with arthropodic exoskeletons and clawed appendages shaped like the Grim Reaper’s scythe. Two chelicerae lined with teeth twitched and drooled like a spider’s fangs on each of their maws. They looked like what would happen if Anomalocaris eventually evolved into a humanoid race.

There were three of them… and then, there were three others that possessed major differences.

These three bore striking resemblances to creatures he had known in the past; one possessed a quadrupedal stance, gray elephantine hide and multi-limbed appendages of a female MUTO, a sight that made Godzilla’s skin crawl more than it should. A second bore striking orange-and-black wings, a crown of golden horns sitting atop its stocky head. A black, chitinous exoskeleton of spiky armor covered its body, betraying its relation to the guardian Battra. The third possessed an armored, dragon-like head and leathery wings tipped with clawed points. Four insectoid arms stuck out from its torso, while its claws ended in snapping pincers. The beast shrieked a warped version of Megaguirus’ screeching cry, pawing the ground in a clear display of aggression.

Six foes. No allies. It was six against one, and nothing else to it. He was waging a solo war against foes he was a complete stranger to, with nobody else to back him up. At this, Godzilla merely snorted.

Well, what else was new?

A low rumble echoed through the bowels of the atomic dinosaur as he gathered all the air he could in his massive lungs, straightening himself into a mighty combat posture, readying himself for battle. His razor-sharp spines glinted with radioactive light, an intimidation display to inform his foes of the resistance they were to face. Muscles flexed and bones cracked into place, the King of the Monsters rattled the air for miles with his kingly roar, screaming in the face of doom without even a hint of fear. Instead, it conveyed a meaning of the exact opposite; a challenge that would be overcome.

Rearing their scythe limbs to the heavens like bloodthirsty berserkers, the Trilopods screamed their horrendous alien war cries in response to the Monster King’s inevitable advance. He certainly had quite the spirit—but such a trait would mean nothing in the end.

All it meant was that he would die braver than most.

Taking a thunderous step forward, Godzilla began his fearless march. With a slow, lumbering gait rippling with ninety-nine thousand and six hundred tons of ancient muscle, the radioactive reptile looked his foes right in the eye as he treaded into battle. One of the Beta Trilopods charged first, screaming in hunger for his blood! Godzilla roared as he thrust his arms forward, catching the extraterrestrial by the shoulders. Power walking forward, Godzilla pushed the alien hunter with little effort—and noticed out of the corner of his eye a second Beta Trilopod sprint towards him with limbs raised. Eyes narrowing, Godzilla threw the first Trilopod aside as he turned quickly on his heels, slamming the demon over the neck with his gigantic tail. His ears were filled with a loud and rewarding CRACK! as green blood leaked from fractures on the alien’s crimson exoskeleton. The wounded Beta screeched horrifically as it reeled back, blood leaking from its circular mouth; but as it fell to the ground, the MUTO-Trilopod dashed past it to take its place.

Godzilla bellowed as he turned just quickly enough to counter the hybrid’s advance, but was caught off guard when the creature suddenly stopped mere meters from him and swiped one of its limbs. The scythe cut across Godzilla’s chest just below his neck, causing him to wince deeply and bend slightly. He was quick to recover—only to stumble forward when a crimson laser beam struck him from behind. Taking advantage of the Alpha Predator’s predicament, the MUTO-Trilopod pounced.

Jaws clamping down on his shoulder and toothed chelicerae piercing his armored flesh as if it were a chocolate bar, the hybrid tackled the saurian to the ground with a thunderous impact. The alien howled as it brought its limbs down upon the Monster King, piercing against it with blow after blow in a tactic that definitely mirrored a MUTO’s attack pattern. But as if that wasn’t bad enough, the first Beta Trilopod he had thrown aside joined in the carnage, beating and slashing at the downed dinosaur with its curved claws. Godzilla bellowed as he tried to right himself, but was kicked in the head for his efforts by the unmutated Beta before they resumed their beatdown.

As Godzilla snapped and bellowed defiantly, he felt a pair of razor-sharp objects pierce his tail. Roaring a high-pitched cry of pain, Godzilla’s yellow eyes spotted another Trilopod had joined the fray—but this one was different from its peers. It completely lacked a humanoid stance; instead crawling on multiple legs weaved in a centipede-like shape. Its fangs pierced his tail, their outer exoskeletal “muscles” rippling upwards towards its head as it apparently gorged on…

Godzilla roared and began to thrash harder. That awful thing was drinking his blood! This was unacceptable!

The King of the Monsters kept his eyes on his opponent’s limbs. Watching their every movement, waiting for the right moment to exploit his next plan as he endured their brutal punishment… and judged exactly when one of the hybrid’s limbs was just close enough to his face.

NOW!

Godzilla lunged forth and snapped his jaws down upon the hybrid’s pillar-like limb, crunching the bone underneath. As the MUTO-Trilopod wailed in agony, Godzilla yanked his head in just the right direction to send the hybrid stumbling right into its unmutated peer. Both Trilopods cried in surprise as they were floored in a heap, allowing Godzilla to roll over onto his stomach and climb back to his feet… and at the same time, he felt the putrid fangs of the crawling Trilopod retract from the flesh of his tail.

The Alpha began to crawl away, just as the radioactive reptile stood back to his full height. Godzilla didn’t know the full purpose of why that creature had drank his blood, but he wasn’t intent on finding out. Grabbing the creature by the tail, the ancient guardian yanked over his shoulder and smashed the miniature creature against the ground with a bone-shattering impact. The mere force alone was enough to crack its exoskeleton and rupture internal organs. Then, with an angry roar, Godzilla threw the dying creature against its downed peers. The Alpha’s red eyes flickered once, then dimmed as it welcomed death’s embrace.

Godzilla turned on the foes who hadn’t yet entered the fray, roaring a challenge to them. The Battra-Trilopod opened fire with identical copies of the Black Mothra’s almighty Prism Beams, bombarding its foe with violet blasts of energy. As sparks and explosions danced across the saurian’s body, Godzilla howled with defiance as he slowly waded through the assault, ignoring the pain as he marched towards the hybrids that he knew needed to be taken down more than anything. As he drew closer, the beam barrage stopped—and Godzilla’s eyes widened when he saw the gem-like organs on the hybrid’s bellies glowing with power. Despite his massive size and weight, the Monster King’s reflexes were nothing to scoff at, as he proved when he ducked low just as the crimson lasers roared through where his torso had just been a second ago.

The old saurian capitalized on the opportunity immediately; bellowing fiercely, Godzilla swiped his body from side to side as he charged forward. The hybrids cried out in shock as he slammed into both of them, knocking them flat with a single mighty blow. Godzilla took a step forward, but quickly stopped when he felt a couple tremors vibrating behind him.

The Monster King narrowed his eyes.

The MUTO-Trilopod charged as lightly on its feet as it could, leaping to pounce on its prey—only for Godzilla to turn his back on its landing position, exposing his jagged spines. The Trilopod reacted too late as it landed right upon those rocky spikes, impaled like a victim of Vlad Tepes. Green blood spurted from all orifices natural and newly-opened alike as the hybrid’s scream turned to a sickening gurgle, all the while Godzilla turned quickly around to face the other Beta who had been charging as well. The Beta slammed against its target, but its weight was not enough to topple the reptilian giant, who retaliated hard.

Grabbing the alien predator by one side of the neck, the Monster King lunged and crunched down on the other with a bite force that would make a Tyrannosaurus Rex fume with raging jealousy. The exoskeleton cracked like an eggshell, muscles tore, and blood flew in amounts that revealed the wound’s fatal nature; meanwhile Godzilla continued to march forward with little effort. After tightening his jaws to the extreme, the saurian yanked his neck muscles back and ripped a gigantic chunk of flesh and chitin out, nearly decapitating the Trilopod. With his enemy beyond recovery, the ancient reptile tossed his foe away and spat the chunk of putrid flesh out—then thrust himself forward with all his strength. The impaled MUTO-hybrid was dragged forcefully forward, bisected in half by the Monster King’s sharp spines in a fountain of olive gore. Godzilla shook himself off as he turned back to face the remaining hybrids. As he did so, he caught a brief glimpse of the Beta he had whacked across the neck with his tail, and saw that it continued to lay motionless with green blood continuing to run from the cracks all over its neck. It would not be getting back up.

Four down, three to go.

The last Beta took a step backwards as its hybrid peers stood at its sides. Eying all three of them, Godzilla roared a challenge, daring them to come get a piece of him. His response was another bombardment of Prism Beams that scorched his scaly flesh and elicited groans of pain, followed by two more crimson lasers that struck him right in the stomach. The air knocked out of him from the force of the hit, Godzilla dry heaved as he collapsed to one knee, but still he managed to hold himself together. Through his panting, he managed to smirk.

Wanted to play dirty, did they? Okay. He could beat them at their own game.

Rearing his head up, the Monster King roared once more, continuing to taunt the hideous predators—and did his best to hide his smirk when he noticed their chest ‘gems’ glowing red once more, realizing his tactic had worked. Now, all he had to do was endure this next hit and play the waiting game…

The Trilopods fired. All three crimson lasers struck Godzilla in the torso. The ancient behemoth reared his head back and roared to the sky… and then collapsed forward, unmoving on the ground.

The Trilopods advanced towards the downed saurian, who presented no further movement. The parasitic hunters at last had their biggest target down for the count and ripe for the taking, a genetic source that served as the perfect template to make new warriors the likes of which their armies had never possessed thus far. The King of the Monsters was all theirs, and once his genes were assimilated into the pack, they would be unstoppable! No force on earth would be able to resist an army possessing the genetic design and power of a creature the likes of this!

The Battra-Trilopod kicked the fallen Monster King in the head, a scornful mockery of the old creature and his pathetic failure to stop their-

With a powerful roar that made the tallest mountains quake, Godzilla burst off the ground like a crocodile and collided with the Battra-hybrid. As the Monster King grabbed the DNA thief in his claws and chomped down on its shoulder, he whipped himself around and slammed his tail against the Megaguirus-Trilopod, knocking the alien away with a shriek as he bulldozed his current quarry to the ground. The Battra-hybrid howled and blasted Godzilla with its Prism Rays, but this time the King of the Monsters elected to ignore them. Thundering a mighty roar, Godzilla stomped his foot down upon the parasitic hunter, ignoring its claws batting and slashing against his leg.

The Trilopod was not out of options just yet, however, as its chest ‘gem’ flashed aglow with crimson light yet again. However, Godzilla reacted accordingly this time, moving his foot off and swerving his upper body to the right just as a blood-red laser screeched past him. The moment the crimson beam came to a halt, he heard the charging of another—but yet again, he had planned ahead. As the Megaguirus-Trilopod behind him fired its own beam, Godzilla moved out of its way, and the beam struck the Battra-mimic instead. The alien imitation of the Black Mothra screamed in pain, causing its ally to cut off its attack, but by the time it did Godzilla was already charging the foul beast. Before it could evade or counter, the hybrid was slammed off its feet by the sheer might of the King of the Monsters.

The Megaguirus-hybrid was not willing to go down without a fight, however, and slashed Godzilla across the neck with a scythed forelimb. As the nuclear reptile bellowed in pain, the alien lashed out with its other arm and slammed it into the saurian’s head, knocking him flat on his stomach. But no sooner than he hit the ground, was Godzilla trying to get back to his feet. The hybrid slammed a foot down on his neck, attempting to stay him—but this only served to anger the Alpha Predator. Pushing hard off the ground with his arms, Godzilla’s surge to his feet sent the hybrid tripping off-balance.

An opportunity Godzilla capitalized on the moment it presented itself.

The ancient reptile tackled the heinous hybrid, chomping down on its right arm socket and yanking forth. With little effort, the arm was ripped right off the alien’s body in a spray of gore, rewarding Godzilla with a howl of agony before he then turned and threw the mauled hybrid towards its ally. The Battra-Trilopod, which had just returned to its feet, had just launched a barrage of Prism Beams when its ally was tossed right at it; as a result, the Megaguirus-Trilopod was caught in the fray and blasted with the violet beams of destruction. But this was not enough to halt its advance, and the Battra hybrid shrieked as its ally’s larger body collided with it, knocking them both flat.

With a great roar, Godzilla charged.

Despite his massive weight and stocky girth, the atomic reptile didn’t take long to reach his prey. Howling mightily, the King of the Monsters stomped down his left foot against the Battra-Trilopod’s head, pinning it into the ground like a coconut. As the grounded hybrid struggled, Godzilla lunged down and crunched his jaws upon the Megaguirus-Trilopod’s head. Blood and flesh spurted, bone shattered as the mimic’s skull caved in and its brain torn asunder from the incredible jaw strength, before Godzilla then ripped sideways, tearing the gory mess apart and sending the all but headless body into a quivering seizure.

As Godzilla discarded the deceased predator like the garbage it was, a duo of Prism Beams tore through the soil next to his foot. The Battra-Trilopod was struggling to break free, and was doing whatever it could to achieve that goal. But Godzilla would not give it that chance, and stomped his right foot down upon its left wing before pawing back, tearing his claws through the thin membrane and shredding it like fabric. However, he had very little time left to repeat this maneuver, as the predator’s stomach ‘gem’ had flashed to life once more. Godzilla quickly made way to get off as the hybrid used what energy it had left to fire a crimson beam that surged harmlessly past the Monster King—but as he would learn, that didn’t mean he was out of harm’s way just yet.

Another scarlet laser slammed into his side, tripping him off balance and sending him falling to the ground with a groan of pain. Not too far away, the last remaining Beta Trilopod shrieked a laughing cackle, pleased at the pain he had committed. Godzilla roared at the taunt, promising he would tear the demon apart—and shrieked in pain when three new forms suddenly pounced upon his body, piercing his flesh with sharp appendages. Three new Alpha Trilopods had entered the fray, and had buried their chelicerae into his ancient flesh just like their predecessor from before. And like it, they too were now gorging on his radioactive hemoglobin.

Nature’s fearsome guardian bellowed with rage as he summoned his legendary strength and, against all odds, rolled over and began to push himself back to his full height. He grabbed one Alpha by the tail, and with a painful shriek that shattered any glass in the vicinity, ripped it off with a hard yank. The larvae-like creature roared and struggled, but Godzilla yanked it forward and crunched down upon its head, pulverizing its skull. But as he discarded the corpse, the other two Alphas suddenly retracted their fangs and began to crawl away. Seeing this, Godzilla put as much energy as he could into lashing out and grabbing both predators with both hands. With an enraged roar, the colossus yanked up and slung the Trilopods over his shoulders, slamming them hard against the ground. But as he tried to repeat the maneuver, a sturdy body tackled him off his feet with a cackling roar.

As Godzilla landed on his side, a pair of scythed limbs began to beat painfully against his head and neck. The furious cackle of the Battra-Trilopod rang in his ears as the hybrid assailed him with a vengeance, informing him that he still had one more opponent left to deal with.

Godzilla didn’t stay down for long; as a scythed limb came at him, the King of the Monsters caught it in his jaws and bit down, snapping it like a twig. It was just the distraction he needed; as the Trilopod reeled with pain, the saurian swiped with a clawed hand and smacked the imitation of Battra in the face, knocking it off of him with a screech. Muscles rippling and bones straining, Godzilla growled a thunderous rumble as he pushed himself back up, standing once again. Picking up the severed tip of the hybrid’s own claw, Godzilla stomped forward and drove it right through the gap between the Trilopod’s neck and boxy skull.

The predator’s body shivered once as a choked cry escaped its mouth… then fell limp.

Godzilla immediately ignored the impaled alien as he turned his attention back to the foes he knew still lived. Normally he would proclaim his success, but now was no such time; these were dangerous foes he was dealing with. His living foes in sight, Godzilla noticed that the two Alpha Trilopods were on the verge of death—yet, they still slowly crawled across the ground, whimpering like dogs as they gradually advanced in the direction of the Beta who stood stagnant. Growling a toothy sneer, Godzilla stomped towards the dying larvae-like creatures.

As the quaking footfalls of the advancing saurian heightened, one of the parasitic hounds made a decision. An altruistic, but suicidal decision that it knew would benefit its peer in the end. Ceasing its attempt to flee, the Alpha Trilopod screeched a battle cry as she turned on Godzilla and leaped at him, fangs bared. Godzilla caught the heinous predator in his grasp in quick succession, and crunched his mighty jaws through her vulnerable neck. With a burst of chitin and gore, the Trilopod died, as Godzilla ripped her head right off with a yank of his neck and tossed her corpse aside. But as he advanced on the remaining Alpha, which grew closer to death’s door with every passing second, a crimson laser lunged forth from the Beta Trilopod to strike him in the stomach, knocking him reeling.

Before Godzilla even had time to recover from the strike, a new sound reached his ears.

As the King of Kaiju panted for breath, he was suddenly knocked sprawling by a powerful form that pounced upon him like a leopard, plunging its chelicerae into his shoulder. A new combatant had entered the fight. Stricken with pain and caught entirely by surprise, Godzilla didn’t have time to glimpse his new attacker as he instantly resorted to getting the thing off of him as quickly as possible. Grabbing the assailant with both hands, Godzilla loosened a painful shrill as he shoved the monster off of him, ripping away its fangs from his flesh in the process. The wound, however painful, was still minor nonetheless and did nothing to prevent Godzilla from climbing back on his feet.

But when he did, the sight of the attacker made him stop cold.

No…

The Trilopod that stood before him took on an all-too-recognizable figure. A monstrous quadruped mixed with both reptilian and arthropodic traits. A spike-covered carapace adorned its back, twin chelicerae twitched on a snout attached to reptilian jaws lined with rows of pointed teeth, with twin tusk-like teeth protruding outward. A familiar crown of inward-curving spikes branched from the back of its saurian head, its legs ending in clawed feet while a spike-lined tail swung behind it. So taken aback by the sight of the creature was Godzilla, that for a moment he forgot that it was an extraterrestrial abomination and not the tenacious comrade he once knew. Rather than attacking, he grunted towards the creature. An attempt to reach out, to connect…

…which failed miserably.

Howling an alien shrill, the Anguirus-Trilopod stood up to reveal its glowing chest ‘gem’, firing its laser beam which took Godzilla by surprise. As the Monster King recoiled, the hybrid pounced upon him once again, biting down on his shoulder while plunging its chelicerae into the flesh further past it. Howling with equal parts agony and surprise, Godzilla stumbled back as the predator went on the attack. But despite the pain, he was still not one to submit defeat so easily; his eyes opening and narrowing into vicious slits, a savage growl rumbled from the pit of his gut as he turned his gaze upon the alien hybrid.

They would pay for this atrocity in blood.

The Anguirus-Trilopod growled like a demonic hound as it shook its head from side to side, sinking and tearing its tooth-lined chelicerae through the Monster King’s flesh like chitinous saws. But this tactic came to an end when Godzilla lunged down and crunched his jaws upon its neck, just behind the crown of horns on its head; a tactic that hit just the right spot to make it gag. As the Trilopod gaped its mouth, the nuclear reptile grabbed hold of its head with both hands and ripped its fangs free of his flesh. Then, with a bellowing shrill, he slammed it down head-first into the ground.

As the hybrid tried to return to its feet, Godzilla was upon it like a hungry bear. Crunching his jaws upon its neck a second time, this time the nuclear dinosaur shook his head from side to side like an angry dog, ripping his teeth through the alien’s flesh with ease. As green blood flooded his teeth and the extraterrestrial predator howled its pained cries to the world, Godzilla exerted more pressure in his jaws, resulting in more flesh being torn as he shook harder. The Anguirus-Trilopod struggled, even clawed at Godzilla’s shins, but it was no use; the Monster King held it in too tight of a grasp, and its wounds were beyond surviving at this point.

Tearing his jaws from its ravaged neck, Godzilla let the predator fall to the ground before rearing his right foot above its skull and drove it down with all the force he could muster. The auditory field was rattled with a sickening CRACK! as the saurian’s sauropod-like foot night-effortlessly caved the Trilopod’s skull in like an overripe melon, sending a burst of olive gore all across the ground. Ignoring the twitching body of the mimic, Godzilla bellowed in rage one last time before turning back to the last Beta—and noticed something dreadfully amiss.

The Alpha Trilopod, despite its mortal wounds, had crawled onto the body of the Beta and plunged its fangs into its neck—and both had been enveloped in an emerald glow. As Godzilla held up his arms to cover his eyes, he watched as the Alpha allowed itself to merge with the Beta, actually fusing and becoming one with the bipedal monstrosity. The Beta uttered a thunderous growl… and began to change. Its exoskeleton began to turn a rocky gray, while scaly skin of the same color formed from the flesh of its limbs. Its once cloven feet changed to a more blocky, sauropod-like shape. Familiar, jagged spines shaped like broken shards of glass burst from its back, while a lower jaw filled with pointed teeth opened up as its head took on a more dinosaurian appearance.

As the glow faded and the transformation came to an end, the Beta Trilopod had ceased to be. Before the Monster King’s very eyes stood a new, hideous warrior bearing all-too obvious characteristics. A new and deadly opponent with a forbidden power destined to put Nature’s Fearsome Guardian to his biggest test yet.

The Godzilla-Trilopod reared its scythed limbs to the air and bellowed a warped, atrocious mockery of Godzilla’s signature roar, challenging the nuclear reptile.

Godzilla narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brow into a deadly glare, snarling in fury. This otherworldly demon thought it could steal fire from the gods and use it against him? This interstellar fool thought it was a king to him?! Godzilla roared loud enough to cause ripples in the distant lakes and blow the trees with winds like a gust. This alien may possess his very genetics, maybe even his own powers; but what it held in power and appearances, it lacked in character. Lacked in essence. This creature, this foul predator, was no Godzilla.

It had his looks, but it didn’t have his spirit.

Ignoring his current wounds like they didn’t exist, Godzilla bellowed as he power-walked towards his newborn “clone” with a vengeance. The Trilopod screeched and raised its limbs, taunting the Monster King. With a booming grunt, Godzilla lashed out with both hands just as his alien “clone” did the same, their respective limbs meeting in a loud BOOM! that echoed across the mountains. Both monsters howled into each other’s faces as they pushed and shoved, grappling like giant wrestlers. Houses were crushed, buildings crumpled, dust and dirt kicked up in literal hundreds of tons as they stomped and shoved about in a titanic struggle for dominance.

The struggle didn’t last long, however, as the Trilopod suddenly wrenched its right claw free of Godzilla’s hand and smacked its blunt end against his head. As Godzilla recoiled, the alien lashed out and slashed the saurian across the face, eliciting a bellowing roar of pain that rattled even the hardiest buildings. The Trilopod chuckled and lashed out again, cutting another red swatch across its foe’s sturdy neck—dangerously close to his gills. Eyes flashing open in recognition, Godzilla stepped back just as a third swipe of the offending limb cut through thin air.

Seeing an opening, Godzilla took the opportunity and lashed out with a balled fist, clocking the hybrid across the side of the head with a blow that echoed like a bomb shockwave. The Trilopod bellowed in wrath and began to reel back to throw a hit of its own, but when it lashed out Godzilla caught it by the “wrist” with one hand. The hybrid tried to bat him with its free arm—and the Monster King caught it with his other hand, now restraining both limbs. Fighting hard not to smirk, Godzilla growled and lunged for a bite—only for his mighty jaws to snap on nothing but thin air as the alien reared its head back, then lunged forward and smashed it into Godzilla’s face. He howled from the force of the headbutt and backpedaled, letting the Trilopod go.

Wounded and fighting a ringing headache, Godzilla shook his head with a shrill screech—and failed to notice a crackling glow lighting up within the Trilopod’s dorsal spines.

By the time the nuclear giant recovered, he had noticed the change far too late; a focused azure blast of atomic fire thundered from the Trilopod’s gaping jaws, striking Godzilla right in the chest and pushing him an impressive eighty meters back with a bellow of surprise. The Monster King’s own weapon had been absorbed and turned against him! This treacherous extraterrestrial had stolen the Fire of the Gods! This was but another example of all the unacceptable offenses these foul demons had committed—and Godzilla would see to it that by the end of this day, they would suffer for it.

He didn’t get time to dwell on those thoughts, though, as the Trilopod breathed back in before firing a second atomic ray that struck him in the stomach with a force great enough to shatter the face of a mountain. The prehistoric monarch dry-heaved in agony as the blow knocked the wind out of his two hundred and fifty million-year-old lungs, pushing him back an even more impressive one-hundred and twenty meters before finally coming to a stop. With a heavy gasp, Godzilla collapsed to one knee as he began to pant desperately for breath—but despite his fatigue, he would not fall. No signs of such weakness were allowed to show from him; the planet still needed him, and he would heed its call until the deed was done.

Legs shaking and jaws sighing with recollecting breath, Godzilla slowly stood back to his feet—just as he noticed a red glow beginning to permeate from the Trilopod’s still-present chest ‘gem.’

Godzilla reacted accordingly, and with a great strain in his muscles managed to quickly step out of the path of fire just as the hybrid let loose. As the crimson beam screeched past him, Godzilla bent low and charged like a giant sumo wrestler. The Trilopod, cutting off its attack, tried to halt his advance with a claw swipe, but failed as the Monster King barreled right into it at full furious force. Slamming his palms against its torso so hard miniature shockwaves rippled off the blow for half a mile, Godzilla bludgeoned the extraterrestrial predator right off its feet and pushed it back a full two-hundred meters before finally shoving forward, sending the beast falling on its back with a painful THUD!

Bellowing an anguished shrill, the Trilopod fired its atomic ray against the Monster King’s chest, but Godzilla dug his feet into the ground as he strained heavily against the concussive attack. Nine seconds passed as the heat ray burned a blackened splotch into his chest, the dinosaur’s feet digging trenches into the ground, but eventually it faded and Godzilla marched towards his recovering enemy. Seeing his failure, the Trilopod aimed himself just well enough to fire his laser beam, but Godzilla bent to the side to present his better-armored shoulder to take the hit. The atomic giant winced in pain, but knew it would be worth it.

Just like its predecessor, the beam came to an end, buying the Trilopod just enough time to return to his feet. But Godzilla too was back on the attack, and he capitalized on it the moment the beam was gone. The Permian apex predator snarled a savage death threat at the alien menace and charged—which turned into a gag when the creature whipped around and clamped its pincer tail around his neck. Instinctively, Godzilla clamped both hands around the curved protrusions of bone as they began to dig into his flesh, doing his absolute best to keep them from impaling his neck entirely. Growling and straining, both combatants put all their effort into trying to outdo the other… but as time passed, it became obvious one was beginning to keep one step ahead.

No matter how hard the Trilopod tried to press its dreadful pincers into Godzilla’s neck, the King of the Monsters flat-out refused to let it be so, and over time began to gradually but steadily pry the sharp appendages of bone apart. The predator’s ruby eyes widened, and with equal parts desperation and fury it tried to apply more pressure. Small rivers of red began to trickle down the saurian’s neck, but Godzilla refused to be denied his goal, and only served to apply more of his legendary strength. Slowly, the pincers began to retract from the tiny wounds in the Monster King’s flesh as he gradually pried them apart. The Trilopod shrieked in alarm and tried to put more strength into the appendage, but it was pushing past its limits.

Godzilla bellowed defiantly as he summoned every inch of his strength in his arms, and with one rough shove sideways, pried the pincers so far apart, they snapped off in shrapnel sprays of bone!

As the Trilopod shrieked in pain, Godzilla grabbed the alien by the tail, and with a great heft, lifted it clear over his shoulders before slamming it back-first against the ground. Yanking it back off and turning about face, Godzilla repeated the maneuver; though much harder this time, the Trilopod landing so hard the ground cracked and vomited a huge mound of dirt and rock into the air. Godzilla roared and lifted the Trilopod up a third time, but rather than sling it back down, this time he tossed it up into the air like a soccer ball. The hybrid shrieked angrily as it fell—and that’s when Godzilla made his move. Bending low and whipping his body a full three-hundred and sixty degrees, the Monster King’s aim was spot-on as he slammed his tail against his foe’s chest like a baseball bat, with a force so great it shattered the sound barrier.

The Trilopod flew like a soft ball before landing hard on its back. When the dust eventually cleared, the results of Godzilla’s handiwork revealed themselves; the alien was bleeding profusely through its teeth, its chest ‘gem’ having been cracked by the force of the blow. The predator’s right arm was broken in six places and was now all but useless. And by the way the slowly recovering Trilopod was coughing, Godzilla guessed that at least a few of its ribs were broken.

This battle was nearing its end.

Thundering a roaring denouncement of the alien hybrid, Godzilla marched towards his wounded foe with a predatory stare. Much as he wanted to burn his foe alive right here and now, he knew he wouldn’t dare. Not yet. No, he had his foe on the verge of death right now and he had every advantage to finish it off with physical means alone—but at the same time, he didn’t know if this was the last foe he would face. It was entirely possible that there were more to contend with after this round was over, entirely possible that this wasn’t even the final round. Whether from past experience from earlier in the battle, or just a simple gut feeling, Godzilla had a hunch that something awaited him after this. Something bigger.

Better not waste his most powerful weapon on a dying obstacle.

The Trilopod roared as it powered up its dorsal spines, charging its own atomic ray and preparing to let it loose. Godzilla sped up his stride, power walking towards the crippled predator with the intention of ending the conflict before things got harder. The Trilopod fired, whereupon Godzilla ducked below the searing blast of atomic heat. Aiming its head down, the Trilopod blasted the atomic dinosaur just as he turned to present his better armored shoulder to take the brunt of the assault. It took nine seconds, but eventually the alien ran out of firepower.

Now was the time.

Suddenly putting on a burst of speed, Godzilla charged the alien. The Trilopod screeched as it turned and whipped its tail, but Godzilla grabbed the appendage nigh-effortlessly before slinging the alien over his shoulder, smashing it to the ground. Before the hybrid had time to recover, Godzilla was on it; grabbing the alien by the neck with his arms, the Kaiju King held the parasitic hunter in a chokehold as he pressed his foot down against its chest, pulling with all his strength. The Trilopod snapped and gagged, struggling in a desperate attempt to escape the Monster King’s grasp, but it was futile. Chitinous exoskeleton began to pop and crack loudly, rigid armor splitting due to constantly being pulled and bent too far; green blood leaking from the newly forming tears while bubbling and pooling in the back of the creature’s gurgling jaws as Godzilla pulled harder and harder until…

SNAP!

With a hard yank that made him stagger, Godzilla ripped the hybrid’s head right off with a sickening spurt of chitin and olive gore. As the decapitated body writhed and thrashed like a beheaded chicken, moving about on an ailing heart that didn’t know it was dead yet, the disembodied jaws of the Trilopod twitched and snapped feebly as its bloody throat made hideous gurgles that made Godzilla cringe. For a moment, the headless body continued to writhe in its death throes, the head still gurgling and moving its useless jaws… and then, all movements from head and body alike came to a gradual end. All motion ceased entirely, and the red light of the alien’s eyes faded away forever as death’s embrace finally overtook it.

Discarding the severed head, Godzilla reared his head skyward and bellowed a cry of victory and challenge, wanting any other foe in the area to know of his power before deciding to face him.

The call was answered by a monstrous sound that shook the mountains of Austria to their core, the likes of which Godzilla had never heard before.

The Richter scale began to climb considerably, the Earth’s crust rattling with a force Godzilla had never felt. An abominable roar rattled the heavens themselves as, from behind the peak of the great mountains that loomed beautifully over the countryside, a towering thing emerged into eye view. A colossal atrocity that gazed down upon the King of the Monsters with giant, bulging red eyes. Several giant vines reared up as the horrible colossus pulled itself over the mountains and lumbered into the battlefield; some vines were tipped with eyeless, razor-toothed jaws, while others ended in familiar curved scythes of green chitin. Godzilla stared in horror as the Biollante-Trilopod reared its ugly head and screamed its terrible war cry to the world. It was a downright insult of existence; a walking, living mountain of vegetation and vines, green chitinous exoskeleton and a half-mosasaur, half-Anomalocarid head with fanged chelicerae and jaws filled with rows upon rows of thousands and thousands of teeth.

A living weapon of mass destruction clad in the violated physique of Mother Nature herself.

The very sight of the loathsome abomination made Godzilla bare his teeth and utter a savage snarl, making him wish looks alone could kill, for the glare he gave the beast would have burned it to ash. If his previous opponent was an affront, then this one was a downright outrage. The King of the Monsters looked tiny in comparison to the hideous goliath, but even in the face of such a massive beast he refused to back down. He had to see this through to the end, no matter the cost. Pawing the earth, lighting up his dorsal plates and smashing the ground behind him with his tail, Godzilla flexed his claws and bellowed not a challenge, not a threat, but a promise to the invading space monster. A furious promise; the pledge of a quick death.

Flailing its massive array of vines, the Biollante-Trilopod wailed its mind-torturing roar followed by what Godzilla swore was chuckling laughter, before dragging itself forward into battle, the earth itself quaking with its very movement.

The alien lashed out with three vines; two tipped with jaws that lunged forth to clamp down upon Godzilla’s arms like angry snakes. The moment their teeth gnashed against his flesh, they then excreted a horrifically painful acidic sap onto his skin, corroding it in puffs of acrid smoke. Eyes widening, Godzilla roared in pain—which only worsened when the third vine, tipped with a chitinous scythe, came down and bashed against his head like a hammer. Godzilla raised his head, only to screech in pain when the scythe smacked it a second time. Again and again the scythed vine repeated the maneuver, eliciting groaning bellows of pain from Nature’s Fearsome Guardian while the gigantic hybrid reared back its head and chirped a warped chuckle of enjoyment.

Godzilla’s eyes snapped open.

The scythed limb came down again, slashing Godzilla in the neck—and paid dearly for it when the King of Kaiju lunged up and snagged the vine in his powerful jaws. Biting down as hard as he could, it did not take long for him to crush through the offending appendage before shaking his head, tearing through the plant matter until the scythe was severed entirely, falling to the ground with a quake. Green sap pouring from the ravaged stump, the vine retracted as Godzilla spat the disgusting fluid out. But he wasn’t finished; summoning all the strength he could in his arms, Godzilla bent forward—then, with one good, hard and fast YANK backwards, he ripped the toothed vines off their perches in sprays of bloody sap. The Trilopod wailed as it recoiled, while Godzilla discarded the vines with a disgusted grunt. Seeing his foe wounded, Godzilla seized the opportunity to charge.

The Trilopod smirked.

Red energy coursed across the hybrid’s monstrous body, traveling to the crimson gem blossoming on its chest. Godzilla, however, did well to hide his own smirk as he kept charging, waiting until just the right moment to evade. The light in the hybrid’s chest grew brighter, lighting up to a certain intensity until…

NOW!

Putting in all the speed he could muster into yanking himself to the right, Godzilla banked just as the crimson laser screeched past him much to its user’s surprise. Now not even bothering to hide his grin, the King of the Monsters continued charging his opponent, but came unprepared for the Trilopod’s improvising tactic. An entire barrage of vines came at Godzilla, taking him entirely by surprise. Some wrapped around his heels while others restrained his wrists. A few even wrapped around his neck and torso like flora-forged boa constrictors. The nuclear leviathan roared in anguish as the vines confined him on the spot, making way for the imitator of Biollante to pull out its next attack.

Green energy began to course through the predator’s neck like sizzling electricity, traveling right to the notch of its throat as it bellowed loudly, preparing to discharge what Godzilla knew to be a horrifying attack. Such a presumption proved indeed correct when a huge spray of glowing acidic sap erupted forth from the Trilopod’s massive jaws, raining down upon the Kaiju King like a downpour from Tartarus. The moment the radioactive acid met Godzilla’s armored scales, it began to corrode the natural armor at an agonizingly painful and astonishingly fast rate. The King of the Monsters howled in agony as the Trilopod continued to vomit forth its loathsomely lethal cargo upon its ancient quarry, smoke rising from the spot to permeate the area in a thick stench. Godzilla struggled, but the Biollante-Trilopod held him fast as it continued to give him an acidic bath.

But still, the Monster King continued to struggle.

The acid pelted him with horrendous effect, but still Godzilla did not yet use his primary weapon. Not yet. No, there were still other ways out of this particular trap—and he knew just where to start. Yanking hard enough to actually move his right arm upwards and drag the vines constricting it with it, Godzilla lunged and chomped down upon the vines, ignoring the putrid sap as he bit and crunched upon the vile appendages. Ceasing its acidic rain, the Trilopod lashed out with two scythe-tipped vines.

Godzilla narrowed his eyes. Perfect.

Ducking down faster than one might think him capable, Godzilla exposed his most unexpected weapon: his dorsal plates. The jagged protrusions sliced the floral limbs apart in bursts of green before the alien even had time to realize its mistake, causing it to reel back with a howl while Godzilla turned his attention to the vines still constricting his neck. Chomping down upon them, Nature’s Fearsome Guardian ravaged them until they were nothing but splotches of torn rubbish that found themselves spat out onto the ground below.

But by the time he was finished, he noticed the glowing gem on the hybrid’s torso too late.

Another crimson laser lunged forth into existence, and this time it met its target. Godzilla boomed a prehistoric shrill as he flew back, landing hard on his stomach in an impact that left him dry heaving in agony. The Trilopod roared its triumph as it watched Godzilla begin recovering the breath knocked out of him, the monolithic beast beginning to stampede towards the downed Monster King with terrible quakes as it sought to put an end to his breathing. Green energy began to gather in the creature’s neck.

Now was the time.

The dinosaur’s long, segmented tail impacted the ground as he began to push himself up… and then, a sound was heard. It started as a loud, thunderous crackling, which then turned to a low electric groan that quickly began to build in volume and pitch. One by one, Godzilla’s dorsal plates began to light up with sapphire luminescence until they reached all the way up to his neck. By the time the Biollante-Trilopod noticed his mouth beginning to glow, it had run out of time to react; with a lunge forward, Godzilla let loose his infamous atomic ray. The lance of azure flames surged right into the hybrid’s gaping jaws a mere second before it could fire Biollante’s sap ray, resulting in an explosion of blue fire that blew out the entirety of the back of its neck.

A shrieking gag had barely left the alien’s jaws before Godzilla let loose his heat ray a second time, this time burning into the creature’s glowing stomach. Yellow lights flashed like dying lamps as the Monster King’s heat ray had an abnormal—and destructive—effect on the Trilopod’s body, green blood leaking about through the seams while plant and chitin detonated in chunks. The predator gagged a spurt of green blood and reeled back, flailing its massive upper half while Godzilla blasted it until the glow in his spines faded.

The radioactive dinosaur took a moment to take a breather, replenishing a much-needed boost of physical energy as his hybridized opponent continued to mourn its losses from across. The ache in his lungs was painful, but as seconds passed it slowly began to dampen as he regained more and more doses of much-needed air. Despite his temporary relaxation session, Godzilla kept his eyes peeled on the wounded Trilopod at all times, knowing that the beast could potentially surprise him with a horrible new trick at any time.

The alien puked up another mass of gore, its grisly wounds seeming to be even more severe than they looked, but it didn’t take too long before it took its gaze back to Godzilla. The crippled alien gurgled hideously as it reared up its remaining vines, a sight which caused the King of the Monsters to regain his composure as he prepared for the final round.

The Biollante-Trilopod lashed out with its vines, this time aiming below so as to avoid the saurian’s spines. Two of them nearly struck Godzilla’s feet, but he was ready this time. Lifting one foot after moving the other, he stomped down as hard as said leg could allow, crushing one vine tipped with toothed jaws. As the other vine came to try and loop around his other leg, Godzilla snapped down and grabbed hold of it, yanking it up as he crunched down upon it with his jaws. But to his surprise, more vines lashed out at him, two of them whacking and slashing his body with scythed claws while three others bit and clamped down on other parts of his body before spraying acid onto the wounds. They were horrendously painful, but Godzilla wouldn’t let it get to him.

No, he was about to give as good as he had gotten.

His dorsal spines lighting up one by one once more, Godzilla tried to smirk as he readied his signature weapon. The Trilopod realized its error far too late as another atomic ray catapulted from the saurian’s jaws, blowing the vine in his mouth apart—but he didn’t stop there. Moving his head about to aim the blast, Godzilla detonated the vines constraining him one by one like an atomic blowtorch weedwhacker, blowing off the remaining limbs of the hideous hybrid in explosions of fire and burnt plant matter.

With the limbs disposed of, Godzilla charged.

The Trilopod was too injured to react as the Monster King slammed into it with his full weight, knocking it backwards and dragging a massive trench of dirt across the ground. Regaining its strength, the Trilopod snarled and reared its head forward, jaws agape as it swung its massive skull with bared chelicerae. Thinking fast, Godzilla ducked low, just missing those gaping jaws.

He was unprepared for what followed.

Another crimson laser burst forth from the Trilopod’s chest ‘gem,’ and it fired in such a perfect line that it completely decimated a most unexpected target: Godzilla’s dorsal spines. Most of the rocky appendages of jagged bone were blown out of existence by the scarlet blast in a massive explosion of cerulean fire and radioactive dust, eliciting a terrible howl of torture from the King of the Monsters. Godzilla reeled back as precious glowing blue smoke and particles poured from his ruined back, his majestic spines all but destroyed. The ground shuddering horrifically from the force of his footfalls, Godzilla staggered away with roar after earsplitting roar of nigh-unbearable pain, all the while the Trilopod managed a sickening gurgle for a laugh at the sight of how the tables had turned. Its eyes glowing with hunger, the living mountain of chitinous vegetation began to shamble forward, stalking its injured quarry as it prepared to deliver the finishing blow.

Through the molten haze of pain, Godzilla just barely managed to open his eyes and look upon the predatory hybrid that loomed over him voraciously. The alien had lowered its head close to the ground, its tooth-filled jaws slowly gaping, fanged mandibles rising like a hunting spider, bloody drool falling from its jaws in lustful hunger. His columnar legs quivering but still managing to hold together, Godzilla slowly rose to a hunched-over, dinosaur-like pose, baring his teeth with a growling sneer and fixing the Trilopod with his eagle-like gaze. The King of the Monsters let loose a powerful roar, a defiant cry to inform the parasitic hunter that he would not fall this day—nor ever in its lifetime. With that, he began to charge up the energy within him.

Packing all the strength he could into his legs, he rushed forward.

Howling fearlessly, Nature’s Fearsome Guardian dashed head-first into the Biollante-Trilopod’s gaping, tooth-filled mouth. Its enormous jaws clamping down halfway across his length, the alien wanted to smile as it felt its teeth pierce his back and its chelicerae plunge into his flesh. For a moment, the creature reared its head off the ground to its full height, clutching the King of the Monsters in its foul maw, while Godzilla’s head and shoulders stuck out from what was once the back of its neck.

Godzilla smirked, his eyes lighting up.

A sapphire glow began to emanate from within the Trilopod’s jaws. The abomination could not widen its eyes, but a small jerk of its huge skull sufficed perfectly enough. Rays of azure light began to shine from the gaps in the predator’s maw, the light growing brighter and brighter with every passing second. Heat began to build up from Godzilla’s body—and that was when initial surprise turned to rising alarm for the abominable giant. The Trilopod reared its head back, unsure of what exactly was going on but unable to comprehend it. The heat built and built, the glow from the inside building in luminosity in an uncontrollable fashion until…

KA-BOOM!

In a flash of cerulean light, the entire top of the Trilopod’s head was blown apart by massive shockwaves of atomic power. A massive explosion of charred flesh, blue fire and cauterized plant matter bloomed across Godzilla’s now-exposed back, the waves of superheated radiation cascading towards the heavens as the nuclear pulse bathed the area in a beautiful light, before then fading almost as quickly as it was born. Godzilla, the glow in his back dampening as the atomic shockwaves ceased surging from his body, fell forward and slumped to the ground as the flames and smoke died around him, revealing the state of his opponent.

Of what was once a terrifying hybrid of a crocodilian and anomalocarid skull, only the toothed lower jaw remained.

Summoning his legendary strength, Godzilla delayed exhaustion once more as he began to climb to his feet, atomic smoke still pouring from his back. With a rumbling growl of fatigue, he turned around to look upon the headless body of his alien adversary.

The colossal body teetered and swayed like a dying tree… then fell forward, collapsing to the ground with an all-resounding THUD!

Pawing the ground with his left foot, the King of the Monsters all but forgot the pain of his wounds as he reared his head towards the sky and bellowed in unquestionable and ever-so-sweet triumph as loud as his great lungs would allow. He roared until there was no air in his system left, letting the majestic cry of victory fade to an all-encompassing hum that rippled through the ground and air alike. As he let the sound fade into the distance, Godzilla sniffed the air, detecting no more scents aside from the ruined corpses of his foes, a confirmation of the unmistakable outcome.

He had done it.

Snorting in equal parts exhaustion and scornful superiority, Godzilla turned his back to the colossal corpse of the Biollante-Trilopod, not even batting an eye when the body of the menace began to gray and crackle, in the process of falling apart to dust. Wounded, tired beyond measure but alive, Godzilla marched back out towards the closest body of water his eyes could see. He needed to return to the ocean soon and seek out a source of radiation to recover; one squad of the invaders had been eliminated, but his gut told him the actual invasion itself was not over yet.

And Godzilla always trusted his gut.

With a heavy gait, the King of Kaiju lumbered towards the water, grateful for his victory. While battles that needed fighting still remained ahead, it was not unhealthy to appreciate his success today and the benefits that would come from it. This was merely a reminder to his foes of his power and formidability, a message that he was not to be taken lightly—nor to be opposed without a death wish. He was Mother Earth’s iron hammer of judgment to all those who wronged her.

And he would always be there to answer her call.

Godzilla sighed contently as his right foot stepped into the cool, refreshing water—and stopped short when an alien shriek caught his attention in the distance. Lifting his head like a startled bird, the Monster King growled in irritation as he turned about face.

His eyes caught sight of another Trilopod in the distance, one of very familiar characteristics—and yet, very different as well. Golden, chitinous hide mixed with bumpy, reddish-brown keloid scars with exposed lesions of glowing scarlet musculature. A lengthy tail swung behind the beast, while maple leaf-shaped plates of cancellous bone grew from its back. Its lower jaw splitting like a snake, the new Godzilla-Trilopod reared its scythes and screeched a hideous cry at Nature’s Fearsome Guardian. Grunting, Godzilla pulled himself together as he prepared for one last battle…

…and stopped short when another roar echoed across the land.

Turning in the direction of the cry, the Monster King widened his eyes when he caught sight of the perpetrator: a second Godzilla. But, while similar, this creature was in many ways fundamentally different. Burnt, keloid-scarred skin adorned its body, tiny arms barely reaching out past its thin, axe-shaped sternum. Red scars glowed with thermonuclear blood, beady eyes fixing the Monster King with a feral, reptilian stare. The new Godzilla opened its mouth, filled with rows of uneven, needle-like teeth, and bellowed. Just like that, the meaning was clear to the Alpha Predator. It was not a challenge, nor a greeting—but an affirmation. A friendly dismissal. The King of the Monsters could go and rest; after all he had accomplished today, he deserved it.

The God Incarnate would take care of this one.

Nodding in gratitude, the victorious saurian roared a friendly farewell to his unexpected helper before turning his back on him, continuing to lumber into the cool water. He would fight another day—but for now, the water yearned for his presence. The world of sleep called him, and in order to replenish his strength, he must answer its call.

As the ancient behemoth wandered away, the mutant Godzilla turned to his alien ‘doppelganger’ and bellowed a challenge, catching the creature’s attention as he prepared himself for battle.

Winner: Godzilla (Legendary)

A very special thanks to dopepope for some of the assets used in this banner for the K.W.C. Be sure to follow him on DeviantART, ArtStation, and Instagram.

Author: Tyler Trieschock | Banner: Tyler Trieschock

[Continued from Match 225]
[Continued from Match 275]

Tokyo, Japan – 2004

The clear bright skies of Tokyo rattled as explosions of metal and fire blossomed. Aerial fighters of human and alien design crisscrossed through the detonations as they battled for control of the sky. Far below the war of steel craft and diamond belligerents, the fragmented metal of fallen aircraft fell like rain onto the besieged city, and the monstrous, unconscious titans which lay scattered across the metropolitan area. Only the dorsal-spined leviathan feared by humanity, Godzilla, and the terrifying three-headed golden dragon of the Xilien invaders, Keizer Ghidorah, remained conscious and fighting. But even as the two tore into each other, clashing thunderously with their jaws unleashing breaths of pure destructive energies in the heart of the city; Tokyo was far from vacant.

Tens of thousands of residents awaited the chaos’ end under the streets in subways, basements, and bunkers. Some unlucky souls hid within trembling buildings, while those fighting to end the conflict pushed on in vehicles of war toward Keizer Ghidorah. The largest of the vessels, a battleship-like construct with a drill at its forward, the Gotengo, lay on its side in a state of disrepair after engaging the now destroyed Xilien Mothership. Those who crewed the monolithic machine watched those still capable of fighting press forward towards a hard fought victory.

Tokyo wasn’t lost, in retrospect the city hadn’t taken too much punishment from the Xilien assault, but the hydra’s defeat needed to occur or all the loss would mean nothing. With eyes filled with confidence, a surging presence filled Shinichi Ozaki as he realized his next action and the role he was meant to play.

Stepping forth from the survivors around him, the mutant’s right arm outstretched, allowing his open palm to glow under the light of the sun. A golden aura quickly enveloped Ozaki, illuminating his black clothes and causing his spiked, black hair to sway as if a continuous wind flowed through it. The radiant energy around him grew vigorously while sparks filled his open palm, a sense of euphoria forcing the emotionless man to crack a smile.

All his life Ozaki knew he was different, a byproduct of a genetic anomaly in his DNA. From his status as an outcast in life, Ozaki found others like him, bonded with them and trained with them, merely for them all to fall over the past day. They were irreplaceable, but glancing at the shimmering power surging through his right palm, a piece of him felt a connection to those now lost.

A parting gift to change the tide.

With the power to decide the conflict radiating through his body, Ozaki allowed the summoned power to flow past his being to another, better able to use his channeled energy. The battered nuclear leviathan’s spines ignited a golden hue while a confusing sense of sorrow filled Shinichi’s body.

With the noble act, something felt lost deep within Ozaki or rather misplaced, but as the titan known as Godzilla roared into the sky, quaking the metropolitan area, Ozaki dismissed the sensation to watch the battle turn to humanity’s favor. No matter how Godzilla defeated Keizer Ghidorah, Ozaki knew one that one thing could not be denied any further.

He, and his miraculous gift, were the keys to the city’s salvation. What aftershocks would follow his achievement Ozaki could only dream of.

*****

Western Slopes of Mt. Fuji, Japan – 14 years later

Barely able to keep his eyes parted after the endless monotony of the inner workings of a toy company for twelve hours, Ichiro Miki wearily drove through an endless downpour of rain. The disgruntled boss wiped sweat off his wrinkled brow and flicked the radio on merely for an endless barrage of static to berate his ears. A tired breath was all Ichiro could muster before he angrily shut off the radio and focused on the five meters of road he could see.

“Go see the doctor?” Ichiro ranted. “What could it hurt? It should be clear skies today… Damn Sachiko, if Legion shows up on this side of Mt. Fuji, I’ll haunt you and our kids!”

The glow of lights stopped Ichiro’s inner dialogue before he noticed the edge of the nearly vacant parking lot. Speeding diagonally across the lines, Ichiro pulled his Toyota as close as he could to the front of the two story facility and parked his small car, noting the lack of many other vehicles in the area. Wanting to escape the pouring rain, Ichiro dashed out of his blue vehicle, passed the automatic sliding glass doors and found himself in a nearly vacant waiting area excluding a young woman at the front desk. Her colorful clothing could not hide the displeasure his arrival brought to her as she immediately glanced at him with barely hidden frustration, to which he retorted with a scowl of his own.

“You must be Ichiro,” the young woman with a now plastic smile stated in a friendly tone that hinted the words, about time, were the true ending to her sentence. “I’ll grab the doctor.”

As she made a call, Ichiro took a seat in a plastic chair, allowing the frigid water to take full effect and rattle his aged body with chills. The receptionist’s call was brief, the following silence now deafening as minutes passed.

“Thought you wouldn’t show, between Legion and the storm,” the receptionist quipped from her desk. Ichiro’s eyes dragged across the floor before he locked eyes with her, sending visible chills through the young woman’s body.

“If you knew my wife, you’d know she’s far more terrifying than that creature. Why are you here?”

“I love my job,” the receptionist sarcastically retorted while rolling her eyes before she continued under her breath, “definitely don’t need the money.”

Before any dialogue could continue, footsteps echoed down the nearby hallway.

“Hello Mr. Miki!” A friendly face assured as he entered the waiting area. He approached Ichiro with a smile of confidence which was slightly obfuscated by his thick blonde beard. “I’m doctor Alan Smithy, I spoke with your wife over the phone. Please, just follow me and we will begin your first, and hopefully final session.”

“That sounds… great,” Ichiro noted with the closest thing to a neutral expression he could muster before he and Dr. Smithy vanished into the depths of the facility.

*****

Eurasian Continent – 130 Million Years Ago

The jungles of the old world rippled as shockwaves of fire tore through their dense layers. Reptiles of all sizes rampaged, not with malice but fear, their terrified roars deafened by the booming explosions of the two kaiju batting above their heads.

Glowing with magnificent light, Mothra Leo parted the ground beneath his rainbow wings, forming a trench dozens of meters wide which expelled large columns of destructive, multi-colored energy. The overwhelming pillars of color tore through the heavens, piercing the tallest clouds in the night sky and the devil hiding in their mist.

A malicious three-headed tyrant cackled in rage. Grand King Ghidorah’s juvenile self tanked the full force of the overwhelming shockwave, unleashing a plethora of spherical flames of plasma from its maws. Explosive, crimson energy lanced through the open air and descended upon the primeval forest like that of a meteor shower, killing all life which was unlucky enough to be engulfed in the blaze.

The jungles of the old world swelled with fire, burning everything in its wake to a blackened corpse, except for a single saurian who stood in awe of the chaos.

With a head that barely raised above the ignited trees, a young, bipedal dinosaur gazed into the flashing sky. An itch caused the juvenile beast to scratch its developing nasal horn, but an overwhelming aerial detonation caused Gomora to look up in wonder and envy. For what seemed like an eternity, he watched the dreaded three-headed invader terrorize the land, killing the youngest of his siblings and members of his kind which dared to resist. He desired nothing more than to fight, but with a height that would only reach the top of the dragon’s legs, he knew he held no chance. But now, before his eyes, Gomora watched a mere insect doing the impossible, standing up to the grand destroyer of his land. Its chirp, even in the face of such terror, defiant!

The small dinosaur’s claws twitched with desire, igniting a fire within its reptilian heart which exceeded even the torrential blaze around him.

No matter the size, no matter the terror, he’d stand against an overwhelming threat and crush it beneath his claws. Maybe if the moth failed, he’d have his chance at besting King Ghidorah, but first he needed time. He needed to grow-

A peculiar sight stopped the saurian’s line of thought. Chaotic events around Gomora seemingly froze in place, drawing a look of bewilderment from the dinosaur. Fire became as rigid as stone while the moth and dragon remained frozen in the high atmosphere. Gomora let loose a grunt, unsure what the occurrence was as he raised his right claws to scratch his head, merely to gaze upon a hand far larger than he’d seen just moments ago. The dinosaur’s eyes darted to his body which now cast its shadow over the burning forest, his height easily rivaling that of the dragon which ravaged his lands.

Gomora gradually lowered his appendages to his sides and scanned the horizon, noticing an overwhelming darkness surging toward him like a tidal wave.

Eyes went wide upon the realization of his current predicament.

This was no reality, not even a distant memory, but a dream, and one he was tired of residing in. Roaring furiously into the realm of his mind, the false reality trembled from the saurian’s roar until all became nothing in an endless void of black.

Gomora’s right hand smashed through palpable darkness, launching a mass of rock and dirt from the wall of his grave and breaking the seal of his tomb. Light shined upon the dinosaur while rain poured into his falsely created burial site. The meager layer of dirt would not hold the mighty Gomora, and upon a familiar world, the saurian would make his revival known.

*****

Foothills of Mt. Fuji – Present Day

Alone, underappreciated, and taking the universe’s constant unpleasantries where the sun currently did not shine. If life ever could mirror his work, then Shinichi Ozaki found the perfect mission to replicate his past decade of escapades.

Atop an unknown hill somewhere near Mt. Fuji, Ozaki parted a breath filled with apathy. While his innate superhuman strength and speed was regularly wasted by his superiors’ disinterest, the recent incursion of the kaiju scourge known as Legion sparked a bit of hope that his talent would not be wasted, merely for that desire to be thoroughly crushed by incompetence not of his own making.

Of course they’d deploy me on the wrong side of the mountain the day I decide to be a bit… rebellious, Ozaki thought. Now instead of fighting man-sized bugs by the hundreds, I’ll have to fight against a dishonorable discharge.

Another vent of air through Ozaki’s nostrils marked his acceptance of his dire fate before he rested his body against a nearby tree. Against the bark, Ozaki felt every drop of precipitation across his body. Rain ensnared the irked man with frigid tendrils, causing the standard camouflage uniform he wore to stick like glue across his physique. Minor inconsistencies in texture, like the leather knife sheathed across his thigh, the plastic radio holsted to his belt and the M-16 strapped across his back, all caused the officer’s skin to feel on edge. Droplets pelted his inexplicably spiked hair, tapping his forehead and keeping his thoughts from trailing anywhere except his eventual disciplinary action.

Not that a dishonorable discharge will change much.

The thought plunged Ozaki’s stoic heart into the grasps of despair he’d held off for some time. As he closed his eyes, succumbing to darkness within, distant dual flashes of light ripped Ozaki back to reality.

In the extended valley between the hill he stood upon and another geological chain in the distance which would eventually lead to Mt. Fuji, two separate flashes of light, like lightning in their momentary brilliance, illuminated the fifty foot trees and distant transmission towers of the surrounding area. Just as suddenly as the lights formed, they vanished, taking Ozaki’s ability to see with their departure as his pupils rapidly dilated to the pitiful light available. The mutant winced, counting down to when the thunderclap should’ve followed, but as no sound or pressure wave struck his being, a quizzical smile took shape.

Maybe I’ll be needed after all, Ozaki theorized before a distant quake rattled the dirt, solidifying his next course of action.

Eyes wide in delight, Ozaki wasted no further time and dashed down the hillside, putting olympic runners to shame before lunging into the dense forest lining the valley. What seemed like a suicidal jump towards impalement morphed into a graceful dance as Ozaki ducked and weaved through seemingly endless rows of hemlocks.

The Christmas tree-like flora, while not dangerous, Ozaki pretended they were for the fun of it. Bouncing off a clear section of bark with a kick or launching himself off the wet earth with a two-pronged jump continued Ozaki’s staggering pace through the darkness, pressing his reflexes the hardest they’d been in ten years. As the mutant barely evaded a long branch unnaturally jutting from a tree twenty feet off the ground, the darkness within Ozaki’s heart and mind felt like a distant memory.

His acrobatics demonstrated to himself that his abilities were still in top form. No matter what challenges lay ahead, he could still face them head on with the confidence that he would come out on top.

Ozaki’s glowing smile then retreated. Eyes went wide, realizing something was amiss as the veil of darkness in front of him suddenly raced forward. Details cleared with the passing distance, yet Ozaki waited for the sight to make sense.

Reality proved unchanging.

An immense wall of dark green took Ozaki by surprise yet as he sailed airbourne, outside the reach of any trees, the trajectory of his lunge was assured. Twisting his shoulder forward to take the brunt of the impending impact, Ozaki’s body struck the sudden mass, deflecting him back to the wet earth below, accompanied by flowing water. A wet flop marked his return to the mud covered ground where his curiosity, momentary excitement and body sunk beneath the liquid earth beside an inexplicable monstrosity.

*****

Mt. Fuji Neural Research Office – 10 Minutes Prior

Ichiro Miki shuddered, an eerie chill creeping up his spine as he lay in a medical bed, surrounded by unfamiliar electronic equipment. Decaying, polystyrene squares lined the ceiling of the room, a sight Ichiro frequently found himself staring at within his old toy company office. While in his work room he could enjoy peace and quiet, able to sequester himself away from other’s prying eyes, he found no luxury here as he awaited the doctor to finish hooking up another patient in the procedure who lay directly across from him on the far side of the room.

“So doctor, mind going over this process again,” Ichiro warily asked, tapping the thin, metallic helmet strapped to his head.

Dr. Smithy obliged with a smile, parting the hair on his lip for a brief moment before he replied, “Put simply, this machine will remove the nightmare’s causes from your subconscious mind. What dreams may come after this procedure I assure you will be solely positive.”

“And this is… safe?” Ichiro hesitantly asked, causing the doctor’s movements to noticeably slow. ’Oh god Sachiko, what type of half-baked quack did you refer me to?’

“Of course!” Smithy finally noted with a warm smile on his face. “All procedures were approved by a government’s meticulous review.”

Ichiro’s eyes narrowed. ’A government? Not, the government.’

“Not to be rude, but are we ready?”

The new inquiry drew Ichiro and the doctor’s attention to the other patient who lay with a permanent look of annoyance across his face. While the metallic helmet now hid the patient’s balding head, something deep within Ichiro’s gut instructed him to hate the man. As to why, the toy manager did not know, but in his gut, the old man held faith.

“And you are?”

“Yuasa, Shusuke Yuasa,” the patient remarked. “Here the same as you and the good doctor was good enough to see us both. I’m sure he’s fully accredited.” A smile, as wide as the one the receptionist gave to the toy manager, beamed from Shusuke who looked the doctor up and down. “Apologies for my friend. Obviously he’s a bit nervous. Probably uncomfortable since you’re a foreigner.”

The doctor’s hands immediately rose, waiving back and forth as if trying to force the conversation in another direction “No, no it’s fine. We all are nervous-”

“American, right? Had a friend from the Midwest, you remind me so much of him.”

The doctor’s hands went to the back of his head. “Northeast actually.”

Ichiro grimaced as the pair laughed amongst themselves. In response, the impatient man tilted his head back and closed his eyes, hoping to escape the nightmare in front of him by delving to another time.

Thoughts of his younger self headed the request.

’Face your fears. Fight your own battles.’

Such heroic statements in his youth were inspirational, but as a man pushing sixty, Ichiro allowed the thoughts of his younger self to fade to his subconscious. To constantly fight against challenges, against the nightmares of the modern day were tiring. In fact, his fears and worries seemed to take those child-like mantras to heart more than him, relentlessly pursuing him in all facets of life. Now, all Ichiro wanted was to finally rest, to be done with the struggle which plagued him since he was young.

What he would give for such a chance…

Footsteps drew open Ichrio’s eyes as the doctor finished mingling with the other patient. The doctor said his pleasantries, beginning to walk towards the door where the process could be initiated. While Dr. Smithy’s hesitation gradually revealed itself once more to Ichiro’s observant gaze, what was more curious was the constant phrase the doctor silently repeated to himself. Focusing his aging hearing, Ichiro deciphered the words just as the doctor departed the room.

Eyes flexed in confusion at the statement. ’Not another New York. What happened in New York?’

*****

Foothills of Mt. Fuji – 2 Minutes Prior

Gomora trudged past the vast hills which lined Mt. Fuji’s basin and through an endless hemlock forest that while not tall, proved troublesome with the flora’s density. The tedious movement did have its benefits, giving the saurian excess time to ponder why he was buried. His memories proved hazy, but pieces gradually molded into something tangible.

He was awoken by humanity. A battle ensued but he came to blows with something as much human as it was alien. A red and silver humanoid with golden eyes met him on the field of battle, trading blows until… until he was defeated? No…

Gomora stopped in his tracks, eyes going wide. No… he wasn’t just beaten. Was he killed? No… he survived, but surely without the humanoid’s intention.

Teeth grinded against one another. Expressing his frustration, an overwhelming roar echoed into the storm as lightning struck nearby, retorting Gomora’s bellow with the crackle of thunder. Frustrated breaths vented from the saurian, his eyes overflowing with rage.

He wouldn’t lose again! He wouldn’t return to that darkness again!

Fury focused Gomora’s vision on the hills in front of him. Beyond those features, he could sense the terror of his youth. The dreaded dragon, it still lived and surely his revival was of no coincidence. This time, the mighty Gomora would not watch on as a mere spectator. He would crush the dragon within his claws! With an earth shattering bellow, Gomora barrelled through all in his way.

Rain pelted against his hide to no avail.

Trees toppled with little resistance.

Even as a row of human transmission lines neared his view, Gomora’s nasal horn ignited with orange energy and from the protrusion, the dinosaur unleashed his Super Oscillatory Wave at the electrical structures. Destructive waves pelted and easily contorted the steel support, melting the wiring into fiery globs. After creating a large enough opening in the line of metallic structures, Gomora ceased his signature weapon and passed through the hole to continue his trek.

No barrier would halt him. No humanoid would stop him. On this day, he would battle the nightmare of his past and vanquish it!

*****

Western Slopes of Mt. Fuji

Emerging from the sloshing clay, Ozaki pulled himself out of the mud, cursing to himself until he stood upon solid ground. A pouring waterfall running off the unnatural mountain’s side removed most of the earthy particles from the man, yet his rage could not be tempered by relief that his despised uniform wouldn’t stain. Taking a few steps back, removing himself from the strongest downpour of running water, Ozaki gazed upon the warty mountain before him, a single brow raised as his mind raced for an unfamiliar name.

The mass was a monster nearing one hundred meters long lying on its back, legs fully extended, of which Ozaki held no doubt. But which kaiju was it? Was it alive? How did it make its way here, near Mt. Fuji, undetected?

“Definitely not Legion,” Ozaki commented before beginning to walk alongside the fallen creature. “Warty skin. Green. Bipedal. I know this.” The man’s mind raced, meticulously prying open data troves of information over two decades old, but a decade of neglect was not doing Ozaki any favors. Reaching the end of the kaiju’s right leg, he spotted three spiked toes and then proceeded to his left. “Kazuma would know, and I’d never hear the end of-”

The discovery of steaming land took the words out of Ozaki’s breath. Fallen trees sizzled upon contact with rain. Superheated, cracked dirt refused to soften. Wide open with not a single hemlock still standing, the nearby land seemed reminiscent to the aftermath of a bomb’s detonation, drawing Ozaki to think of the bright lights which originally lured him to the site. Had the kaiju simply been struck by lightning?

Ozaki crossed the compressed landscape, noticing the impression of twin monster sized footprints in the dirt. Each impression marked with three toes, each with no sign of any others leading to or away from the area. Looking back at the possibly dead, or sleeping, kaiju, Ozaki looked for similar burn patterns like those on the ground. One leg lay extended, the other raised up in an arch with its left knee pointing at the sky. While the detail was hazy, and he couldn’t see anything above the creature’s abdomen even for his enhanced vision, the fallen monster didn’t seem charred in the slightest. The lack of burns coupled with the miniscule rhythmic rise of its chest gave Ozaki no doubt, the creature was unmistakably alive.

So you dropped from the sky and then what? You were struck by lightning?

A vile feeling made itself known within Ozaki’s gut, a warning that the pieces he was gathering were not coming together. Before the mutant could think any further, a female shriek ripped through the rain filled sky, replaying the dual flash of light within Ozaki’s mind. Two, distinct flashes.

Two monsters.

Military boots kicked off soggy earth and propelled Ozaki towards the scream. In just a few seconds, Ozaki’s run took him between the fallen legs of the lumpy-skinned beast, under the creature’s arched left leg and finally, onto old pavement. A parking lot stretched out for a few hundred feet with a lone, caved-in structure just barely noticeable at the other end. Sprinting toward the decimated building, other objects came quickly into view through the darkness. Two parked cars lay untouched while a third seemed torn open as if beset by the world’s largest can opener. No sign of the attacker remained, spiking Ozaki’s heartbeat more than his inhuman dash. Untouched trees lined each side of the parking lot. The second monster was nearby, but if it wasn’t on the periphery then where-

A sudden wave of pressure slammed onto Ozaki’s dashing body and the man’s run morphed into a sliding halt. Unfazed eyes snapped up, watching a descending blur form color and shape.

Triangular jaws parted. White teeth shined over crimson flesh. Black wings swung backward. The final monster wasn’t stalking from the trees, but hiding under the shadow of night. The aerial monster had caught its newest prey out in the open with no possibility of retreat and as Ozaki realized this, unparalleled anticipation gripped his very soul…

 

Hiding within the caved-in lobby, Ichiro awaited the unidentified new arrival shrouded in darkness and rain to be swallowed whole. The nightmarish avian, which up to this point easily consumed the receptionist and tore Dr. Smithy’s own car to get to him, had made short work of those wishing to flee. Now, only the other patient and himself remained, but more than likely for not much longer. In the nightmare’s gluttonous curiosity, the seven-forty-seven sized creature had flattened a majority of the office. How could the newest fool to stumble upon the fresh hell around him fair any better, especially against something so large?

’He can’t’, Ichiro assured himself, reinforcing his initial strategy of hiding merely to watch the next actions of the blur with youthful fascination.

Instead of running away or dropping to his knees, the blur inexplicably lunged toward the falling shadow. Old eyes failed to follow the blurred individual’s incredible leap yet as a high pitched wail echoed, Ichiro staggered back from the intensity. Hands raced to his ears, blocking a horrid scream that seemed to quake the shattered structure. As Ichiro looked to Shusuke, who too clutched his ears out of necessity, he recognized the unmistakable expression of pain morph into terror. Tracing the man’s gaze back to the lobby’s entrance, Ichiro found the blur fully materialized beside him.

A quick yell of terror escaped Ichiro’s lips. Arms sprung back, clutching fallen debris while he felt every thunderous beat of his old heart.

“Who the hell are you?” Ichiro demanded.

The newest arrival turned to face Ichiro, causing the man to embed himself further onto the debris behind him. The blur was young, sporting a military uniform with some type of rifle slung over his back, yet for a man trapped in hell, he seemed inexplicably unfazed. “You can call me Ozaki. I’m here to help.”

“Help?!” Ichiro felt the urge to laugh but fear kept the desire in check. “How can you help us? That-that, thing is still out there. It’ll come for us now!”

“Not likely. We have a minute, maybe two,” Ozaki retorted.

“W-why?”

The officer unsheathed a knife from his thigh that was anything but standard issue. The gargantuan blade, pressing the limits of a regular knife, was covered from edge to hilt in fresh blood.

“Took an eye,” Ozaki assured, explaining the confidence of the young man. “You know what that flying thing was?”

“A Gyaos.”

Ichiro looked to the far back of the collapsed lobby where Shusuke limped forward. The man was trembling, yet his eyes showed a resilience Ichiro desperately wished he possessed.

“I don’t know how you took an eye. They’re flying, scaled devils that-”

“I know what they can do.” The soldier noted, tilting his head side to side as if batting around the information in his head. “What about the bipedal… wart thing? Can’t see it from here but-”

The officer’s unnatural calm attitude vanished. Eyes locked on Ichiro’s trembling body, sending new tremors coursing through his aged frame as the young man’s inexplicable jovial nature sharpened into something else for a fraction of a second. Ichiro didn’t know what twitch or shiver, distinct from all the rest assaulting his body, gave away that he knew what the monster was, but like a predator hunting prey, Ozaki was now laser focused on him, unveiling a primal urge within Ichiro. For the miniscule moment that the officer stared at the old man, instinct screamed for Ichiro to flee.

He- he can’t be human. The old man thought.

“-it’s unconscious.” Ozaki finished, his full attention now on Ichiro. “I assume you can tell me.”

Ozaki formed a wide smile. Another bluff, a fake smile just like the receptionist once gave to him, but Ichiro’s eyes remained wide, certain of the inhuman killer behind the facade.

“Gabara, it’s Gabara,” the old man divulged. “I don’t know how, but it’s him.”

Ichiro felt momentary relief as Ozaki turned to face the outside. The collapsed building shook. Incredible winds flowing over the structure, launching rain into the open lobby, yet the officer remained stationary, transfixed on the pitch black sky.

“Relax, I’ll get you both out of here. Anything else important I should know?” Ozaki inquired.

“I think I know how this happened.”

Ichiro’s attention snapped to the other patient who stumbled within arms length of Ozaki. “My name is actually Tsutomu Osako, I’m an inspector. I was tipped off that a fugitive from the United States was running this office, so I went undercover to gather evidence. I planned on making my arrest after tonight’s session, but… then the power went wild.”

“Not another New York,” Ichiro mumbled to himself, remembering the doctor’s final line before the process began and the lights went wild.

The inspector continued, “I believe the doctor was from New York City. Details were scarce to what he did, but it was something related to a Crackler. Assumed it was hysteria related. Whether the doctor perfected his science or it was an accident, what I and Ichiro both fear now lives.”

The collapsed lobby rattled once more. Voices fell silent, remembering the living horror soaring above.

“So I’ll get them to kill each other,” Ozaki affirmed, drawing Ichiro’s attention. “Gyaos is circling us. On his next pass, I’ll lure him right to Gabara. You both stay here, out of sight. When it’s clear, I’ll radio in support.”

“You have a gun!” Ichiro cried out in condescension.

“Five point five six rounds won’t affect something that large. Was lucky with the knife and I probably only sliced the outer membrane. We need a bigger distraction.”

Ozaki’s body stretched out into a sprinter’s position. Muscle tensed across the officer’s body, sharpening every fiber of his being to the shock of Ichiro. The man readied another yell of protest, but as the structure rattled for a third time, Ozaki’s body jettisoned away, morphing into a blur indistinguishable from the darkness.

Why a few hundred foot long parking lot, easily able to hold dozens of cars, existed for a single office space Ozaki wondered and then disregarded. There were a thousand reasons, but none of them were going to shorten the distance he needed to dash or shield him from the flying terror that no doubt was laser focused on his sprinting figure. While Japan’s population was filled with healthy, fit individuals, the amount of time to cover such a space over slick terrain would probably be close to ten, maybe fifteen seconds, especially for a soldier weighted down as he was. Luckily for Ozaki, he wasn’t human.

Keeping track of every passing second, Ozaki noted the passing of the fourth increment of time. The officer was within jumping distance of Gabara. A confident hand reached out, ready to mark the world record beating achievement with a fist bump across emerald flesh, but a wave of pressure struck first.

Hurricane force winds launched Ozaki airbourne, reversing all the hard fought momentum he’d built up. A jolt of disorientation came and went before the officer struck the black pavement, sliding backward at high speed while rain whipped his body. Keeping upright was a challenge, but pressing his heels across the pavement finally forced Ozaki to a stop.

’Mistimed the Gyaos’ sonic boom. Just need to double time it back. How far did I-‘

Ozaki’s inner monologue vanished in time with a quick head turn and the realization that two sets of terrified eyes were on him. Ichiro and Inspector Osako were in the open lobby, bewildered and horrified by his reappearance. He’d sailed back to his starting line and the Gyaos no doubt would be on him in just a moment.

’Not letting that happen.’

Cracking pavement marked Ozaki’s second attempt as he dashed forward through wind and rain. The officer felt his heart accelerate. Time slowed as the effects of adrenaline coursed through his racing body. In three seconds, Ozaki achieved what he did in a little over four. Roughly thirty feet of pavement remained between him and Gabara but on opposing sides of his periphery, two red walls extended forward. White teeth alerted the officer to the dire truth.

’I’m between its jaws.’

Time became a crawl. If the Gyaos clamped its jaws shut, he’d be doomed, but what surged forth as the man’s right leg struck pavement wasn’t fear, but defiance. A war cry began to boom. Pavement fractured as all Ozaki’s strength funneled down. What was a run morphed into a desperate lunge, surging forward out of closing jaws toward the arched leg of Gabara.

Sailing beneath the emerald appendage, the Gyaos meters behind him, Ozaki felt his achievement wash over him.

Once again, he’d achieved the impossible.

 

Green eyelids rocketed open. A howl ripped through falling rain. A nightmare awoke to anguish in a world he’d only dreamed of.

Instinct fueled Gabara’s movement as four-fingered hands reached out and ensnared whatever sliced into his right thigh. Jagged teeth clamped down on the appendage and as Gabara howled in anguish, the ogre let loose a desperate kick. A high pitched screech and the retreat of the attacker signaled the strike’s success, allowing the bipedal nightmare to arise unhindered.

The ogre twisted his neck from side to side as he stood upright, cracking his freshly created bones, reaping immense satisfaction. Everything Gabara looked down upon, from the trees to the distant ruined human structure, seemed both familiar and new. He’d watched everything from afar, trapped in a mental cage the monstrous kaiju could not comprehend. Feeling his mind ache trying to come to terms with where he had been, Gabara disregarded his past, where he came from and focused on his current freedom, and how he would enjoy it. Twisting his neck to the right, brutish eyes located the cause of his momentary discomfort; a crimson avian creature staring at him with blood stained jaws.

Water flowed off black bat-like wings which eclipsed the blood-red wyvern-like frame of the Gyaos. Different sections of the creature sported different skin and coloration, as if to highlight the hyper-efficient killer traits from the super-sized, crimson brawler beneath the killer’s immense wingspan. Whatever the reason for the mismatched features, the beast before Gabara possessed the natural strength and talons to tear him apart; however, Gabara disregarded such threats, snickering to himself with child-like glee.

If he could scare the wyvern, then all the power would never come to play. Cackling to himself, Gabara relished the torment to come. It was time for some payback.

Raising his arms to match his own height exceeding one hundred meters, Gabara lumbered forward in the most frightening display he could muster, letting loose a potent screech to rattle the wyvern’s senses. The display wasn’t in preparation for a swipe or an attack, merely to maximize his own imposing size and drive the impudent predator away. Gabara desired the Gyaos to writhe in terror, not conflict; instead, Gabara’s worst fear came true.

Black wings flexed outward. The crimson fiend’s long neck arched back, letting loose its own shrill cry of intimidation, sending the emerald ogre back a single step. Gabara’s eyes flexed, his illusion of brutality shattered. Whatever reservations the Gyaos possessed moments ago vanished as it sprung forward, crimson talons extended.

Gabara was no longer a rival to challenge, merely prey.

Thick talons sunk into the emerald flesh of Gabara’s abdominal sides while ravenous jaws snapped towards his neck. Deprived of the strength to counter, Gabara merely stumbled back, yelping in anguish. As the hillside’s slopes unexpectedly arched downward, Gabara’s retreat morphed into a fall. Arms outstretched, warty palms grabbing the Gyaos’ legs, turning the avian’s assault into a frenzy to remain upright and eventually, airbourne.

Feeling the wind flow across his body and dangling helpless above the hills he once stood upon, Gabara felt his own fear paralyze his actions. He was dangling, helpless, and most importantly, afraid.

 

Stealth was not a trait Gomora associated with the three-headed terror of his time, yet the lack of its appearance drew only that conclusion. Rain poured on undamaged trees and the lights of humanities’ domain glowed in the horizon. Ghidorah’s trademark trail of desolation was absent, yet the saurian’s keen instincts assured him the dragon was close.

But, where was he?

Deafening the thunder rattling the heavens, distant monstrous wails answered the saurian’s inquiry. Gomora swept his impatient gaze across the darkness, hoping to finally face the tormentor of his youth, and as a colossal form fluttered in the distance, Gomora’s nasal horn sparked with power. His moment of battle had arrived and he would be the one to initiate his long awaited combat.

While the rain and darkness obscured the flying goliath’s mass, Gomora aimed for the three-headed terror’s center mass. Orange waves vaporized falling water upon contact as a billowing shockwave exploded forth from Gomora’s nasal horn, surging to draw the terror’s attention or simply deliver a powerful first strike; instead of either, a third option graced Gomora as the hulking mass seemingly separated in midair.

Gomora’s bewildered stare was all the creature could muster at the sight, unsure what to make of the separation as a distant tremor rattled through the land from the lower half’s impact on a collection of transmission towers. The top half, blending into the blacked skies, revealed itself once more as a golden aura illuminated a draconic maw which let loose a beam-like lance. Shock from the recent separation kept Gomora rooted in place, allowing the energized beam to slice effortlessly over his left shoulder, intermingling blood and water as crimson liquid erupted.

Gomora withheld the urge to bellow a cry of anguish, but found his eyes laser focused on the black and crimson flier he’d accidentally picked a fight with. His new enemy wasn’t Ghidorah and yet, every fiber in his being wished nothing more than to pound it into the earth.

Ghidorah’s death would have to wait. Another creature enticed Gomora’s wrath.

*****

Mt. Fuji Neural Research Office

If you can’t beat your enemy, lure something that can.

While not applicable to all situations, Ozaki held no doubt Captain Douglas Gordon would grin upon seeing the chaos on display with the officer’s use of the tactic. The forced battle between Gabara and Gyaos had evolved into a possible three-way with the unexpected entry of a third combatant: a nasal horned reptile. The name of the creature fell on the tip of Ozaki’s tongue, but the identity of the creature would come to him in time. For the moment, Ozaki allowed the feeling of his success to wash over him.

Ichiro and Inspector Osako were safe, and the battle was taking the trio of monsters farther away, into the unpopulated hills of the region.

“Baragon,” Ozaki noted with assurance, finally finding the monster’s name before sliding to a stop outside the dilapidated office. “All right, it’s clear! Time to move!”

While not lit, the area around the lobby remained still. Falling rain created the only noise, drawing a bit of ire from Ozaki.

“We need to go! I radioed what’s going on. The moment those things are notified to upper command, they’ll either be bombed or gassed. Either way, we can’t stay here.”

The continued silence drew Ozaki into the rundown lobby that showed no sign of the men he searched for. Backing out of the ruined office space, the officer swept his gaze across the area, trying to spot silhouettes in the darkness until his eyes went wide. Shifting his attention to the vehicles behind him, Ozaki noted the distinct lack of one blue Toyota.

*****

Foothills of Mt. Fuji

Streaks of golden death descended from the sky, trailing Gomora’s mobile form as the beast dashed chaotically to avoid a grim fate. The once proud forest beneath the saurian’s shadow laid fallen and shattered, pummeled into wet earth by constant, chaotic footfalls.

Evasion wasn’t high on Gomora’s desires for the battle with his aerial foe, but even he, stubborn as he was, could understand the danger of allowing the sonic scalpel to connect with unarmored flesh. Fresh blood still ran down his left appendage, and if another beam connected, blood loss could wear him down before any fatal strike was unleashed. Such a fate was beneath the mighty Gomora, so instead of arrogantly taking the blasts, the beast ducked, dived and dodged every one of the wyvern’s destructive breaths.

While thunder routinely echoed above, a fresh petulant cry signaled the temper of the Gyaos at its breaking point. Its black and red body jettisoned down, leveling above distant hills with a direct flight path parallel to the ground. Golden light gleamed in its maw as it flew directly toward the saurian, drawing pride from the deepest pits of Gomora’s soul.

He’d ticked the Gyaos off enough to force it into close range attack and the opening Gomora dared not waste.

Destructive light surged forth from the avian and in response, Gomora heaved his gut forward. Unlike his brown hide, the armored shell encompassing the saurian’s chest and abdomen absorbed the ray, sending pieces of rocky fragments flying. By the sonic scalpel’s conclusion, jagged lines cut through the abdominal armor of Gomora, but no blood seeped from chipped plating.

Gomora grinned in arrogance from the deflection, then swiped his right serrated digits out. Shifting into a turn, the Gyaos pulled away, easily evading the incoming strike with agility unbecoming a creature of its size, but even the failure could not remove the glow of arrogance across the dinosaur’s face as its unnaturally long tail swung out. All the extra space the Gyaos had given itself to pull away became a distant memory. Gomora felt the crack of bone and sensation of bending flesh before a long impact followed, rattling the destroyed forest like an earthquake.

Swinging its head to gaze upon the fallen Gyaos, eyes flexed open in surprise as the avian sprinted toward him, already upright and uncaring of its broken right wing. Such a find Gomora failed to register until it locked in on the ravenous, crimson eyes of the creature and all the predator’s motivations became crystal clear.

Bellowing a roar of intimidation at the incoming wyvern, a swift left hook crashed into the Gyaos’ temple. Blood projected from its split maw, sending the beast staggering backward. Under the blackened wings, a crimson, muscular body openly flexed, giving Gomora the perfect location to aim for an old fashioned impalement.

Earth trembled under fresh footfalls. An arrogant bellow tore through the falling rain. Gomora lowered its spiked cranium, hoping his nasal horn or his two piercing crests would slice into soft avian flesh; however, the Gyaos’ disorientation ended in an instant. Blackened wings fluttered regardless of their well-being, pulling the creature out of harm’s way just as the rampaging saurian entered the void where the predator’s body once existed. As the realization he’d fallen for a well-timed trap infuriated Gomora, a perfectly placed kick to the head snapped primordial bone and muscle to the left, rattling the saurian to his core.

Gomora stumbled to a stop, head snapping back and forth to remove the daze that engrossed his mind. The Gyaos was proving troublesome and as his view filled with crimson talons, the thought morphed into a bloody reality.

Digits tipped with knife-like claws swiped with reckless abandon, accompanied by the high pitched screeches of the blood-lusting Gyaos. While the claws merely sparked against Gomora’s armored abdominal plating, flesh tore away as the natural weapons carved through softer brown flesh. Whether the cuts opened up across Gomora’s arms or shoulders, the saurian could not help himself to stumbling back from the assault, yet the frenzy continued, every swipe aimed at lacerating his jugular. A slash across Gomora’s right eye finally broke the pain barrier, stoking rage which manifested in orange light.

A burst of oscillatory waves struck the Gyaos’ center mass, flinging the avian back nearly a kilometer. Just as the predator neared the wet earth for an inevitable impact, the wyvern flexed its bat-like wings and racked its crimson claws across the waterlogged soil. Broken and non-impaired wings extended in unison while the Gyaos birthed a horrendous scream to soak terror within Gomora.

Such a display barely rattled a reptilian nerve…

While the intimidation display may have frightened his younger self, Gomora possessed no ounce of fear. How could it? Compared to the nightmarish three-headed king of terror, the avian before him was merely a pretender. One which needed to be put down.

Energy swirled between his three cranial horns, alighting Gomora in a vibrant hue. The Gyaos followed suit, summoning sonic energy as golden light took shape within its serrated maw. As each planted their feet in preparation of what was to come, the tantalizing prospect of victory gripped the saurian. Staring through crackling waves of orange light, Gomora eagerly awaited the climactic end to his first true battle in decades, merely for the booming crunch of bone to halt those enticing emotions.

Yellow light dimmed within the avian’s maw. Crimson eyes rolled backward, as if the Gyaos was trying to gaze at the metallic human pylon now resting atop its perforated skull. Gomora pried his eyes away from the Gyaos’ reaction to its attacker, finding not an eager killer, but the original lower half of what Gomora once thought was Ghidorah engrossed in paralyzing shock.

The Gyaos’ corpse collapsed upon shattered bark and scattered foliage. A transmission tower, clutched in the ogre’s grip like a club, remained still like its wielder. As the realization that the new arrival had killed the Gyaos sunk in, Gomora watched the shock gripping Gabara melt away into euphoric celebration. Arms swung up and down, shaking the unorthodox metallic weapon while an ear-splitting cry ripped into the stormy heavens, claiming a victory the ogre held no right to possess.

Seething with rage, Gomora’s eyes continued to narrow until they became specs of focused fury. All euphoria Gabara felt instantly vacated once he noticed the saurian, his child-like celebration replaced with genuine terror as it processed the error of accidentally clubbing Gomora’s enemy to death.

Smashing his right fist into an open palm, Gomora vented hate from his nostrils, heart pumping blood thick with vengeance and pride.

The draconic tyrant of oppression would fall before Gomora on this night, but first, he’d crush another nuisance on his path to glory.

*****

Western Slopes of Mt. Fuji

Noise within Ichiro’s Toyota was at a minimum as the driver plowed it through a constant downpour. The drive was tedious and slow going, but Ichiro was for the moment safe, though not alone. Beside him, Osako was quiet, unnaturally so. The inspector’s mouth remained permanently open, yet either indecision or shame kept words from spilling out.

“Spill it detective,” Ichiro snapped.

“Shouldn’t have left Ozaki. We should have-”

“What, stayed?” Ichiro interrupted. The old man snickered, head moving side to side in disbelief. “That man’s dead for all we know. We escaped. No one can fault us. No one would’ve stayed and confronted those things.”

“We made those things. We’re responsible,” Osako countered, forcing another sneer from Ichiro.

“And those nightmares killed people. If you’re responsible, then blood is on your hands. I’m not accepting that. I’m running from this mess. I’m going back to my wife and putting this all behind me. Behind us.”

“I’m not a coward,” the detective snapped.

“Neither am I. I’m just-” Ichiro relinquished a deep breath, “I’m just tired.”

Ichiro shifted his attention off the road, watching indecision plague the inspector. Such a state of mind couldn’t be allowed. The vehicle gradually slowed to a complete stop. A click marked the unlocking of the passenger door. Seconds passed and with the passage of time, Ichiro allowed his silent ultimatum to sink in.

The inspector took just a few moments before he exited the car. Echoes of the passenger door slamming coincided with Ichiro hitting the gas, leaving the ex-passenger to a fate shrouded in darkness and rain.

****

Foothills of Mt. Fuji

Gabara’s thoughts raced in harmony with his surging heart, eyes transfixed on Gomora’s death invoking gaze. The ogre expected the pylon, still clutched in his warty claws, to knock his previous attacker out cold; instead, the Gyaos’ cranium was pierced by a random piece of jutting steel, silencing its ravenous hunger once and for all.

Revulsion filled Gabara who felt his empty stomach contents heave at the sight of the Gyaos’ corpse. Killing was naturally abhorrent to its principles, yet now, it was plagued by the concept. He’d stolen the dinosaur’s victory with the Gyaos’ death and another life was demanded.

His own life…

Between running or fighting, Gabara leaned naturally toward the former, but fresh wounds littering the saurian’s damaged albeit muscular hide filled the ogre with unnatural confidence.

Maybe a few blows would be enough to temper Gomora’s wrath?

Taking the initiative against his reptilian aggressor, Gabara stampeded forward and swung the transmission tower in his warty clutches like a bat. Human steel neared but never reached Gomora’s head as reptilian digits intercepted the unorthodox weapon. With a single hand, clawed fingers squeezed, shrinking the tower to a fraction of its former size. All the while Gabara remained motionless, unsure how to proceed, until a reptilian fist crashed into his gut.

Confidence and air vented violently from Gabara’s open maw. Stumbling back while clutching his aching gut, the ogre dropped his contorted weapon and waved his right arm back and forth, attempting to call off the engagement. Momentary hope pulsed through Gabara as Gomora turned away, merely for his expectations and body to soar away from a crippling tail swipe.

Gabara crashed down a moment later. Aches and pains surged throughout his body, but those irregularities could only be appreciated momentarily as Gomora descended upon him. Gabara thrusted his arms forward, meeting the saurian’s clawed digits with his own yet the contest of strength was as feeble as it was short lived.

Elbows crashed hard into damp soil. A thunderous bellow berated the warty creature’s meager resistance while orange light ignited from the dinosaur’s rhinoceros-like nasal horn. Gomora was demonstrating why he was superior, why he deserved the win so infuriatingly stolen from him, and that the ogre’s life would be just as easily taken away. Possessing no retort, only palpable fear, Gabara closed his eyes in fright, accepting his inevitable death, yet something else within him cried out in rebellion.

’Face your fears!’

The childlike voice boomed forth from Gabara’s mind, the last vestige of Ichiro Miki’s will, transmitted during the ogre’s creation, defending the mental tormentor. The embodiment of strength faded with every passing moment, but its words continued to stoke flames within Gabara’s soul.

’Fight this battle…’

Just as quickly as Ichiro’s vestige of defiance formed, it slipped back into the subconscious of Gabara, yet the feeble voice’s impact proved clear as orange pupils awakened, accompanying the illumination of the nightmare’s own horn. Crimson power sparked atop Gabara’s head, foreshadowing a howling war cry not out of defiance, but fury.

Whatever piece of Ichiro Miki remained, the ogre cursed with all his being. The voice reminded him of his mental imprisonment and manipulation. Ichiro, whether aware or not, used the ogre as a puppet, a manifestation to represent all the man dreaded in life, and while Gabara was set loose by forces for which he did not understand, the freedom gained would not be wasted.

This battle would not be the end of Gabara, the nightmare!

Bolts of energy traversed across warty flesh, flowing through green appendages into brown hide. A pain filled cry echoed from Gomora, electricity reversing the tide of reptilian strength. A final surge gave Gabara the ability to thrust his aggressor back, allowing him to rise and charge forward.

A right hook crashed into an unbreakable shell of armor. While force failed to crack Gomora’s abdominal guard, electricity passed through unfazed, wreaking havoc upon internal organs. The saurian retreated a step merely for Gabara to continue his assault, throwing an energized slap across a face still illuminated in orange light. The blow proved the final straw with Gomora throwing a haymaker, forcing Gabara to follow suit with his own.

Fists crashed together like meteors. Finger bones cracked apart. A shockwave shattered rain and as thunder boomed overhead, each kaiju retracted their impaired digits, prepping their signature weapons to end the battle once and for all, yet in doing so, Gabara quickly realized his predicament.

Gomora’s energized horn was growing in illumination with every passing moment. If the personified nightmare didn’t close the gap and fast, he’d lose the momentary standoff. Stoking the fires of fury within, Gabara sprinted with all the strength he could muster, no trace of fear left within the emerald biped.

Electricity arched across warty flesh bathed in orange light and just as Gomora reared his head back to unleash what had to be a mega charged Super Oscillatory Wave. Gabara threw his left appendage forward, every spec of flesh encased in crackling energy.

Blue and orange power melded together and then violently expanded, detonating with an explosive force that threw all fifty thousand tons of the ogre back. Any sense of grace was lost upon Gabara as he soared and then violently rolled for what felt like an eternity. Pained moans, barely audible over the falling rain, escaped the ogre’s jaws, yet the creature painstakingly righted himself, scanning his smoking surroundings to pinpoint his foe. After a few moments of dragging his wary gaze across the flattened terrain, Gomora’s immobile body came into view alongside all that lay beyond, giving the nightmare-born creature a moment of clarity.

Gabara was victorious, alive, and most importantly, afraid.

A blistering migraine coupled with a blood stained face were the repercussions Gomora felt for underestimating Gabara, a mistake the primordial creature assured himself he would not repeat. Clawed digits pressed against the hillside he lay against, pushing for a victory or at least a resolution to the conflict that would better suit his damaged pride, but all Gomora’s willpower vacated his body as a glowing, golden star arose over Mt. Fuji

Even with a new shimmering star-like hue, Gomora knew the ascending creature was none other than King Ghidorah. He’d missed his chance of retribution and all that remained was anguish and solitude bestowed upon him by the draconic tyrant’s previous visit.

Strength vacated as quickly as pride. Not even contempt for the ogre could make-up Gomora’s diminished fighting spirit. He’d failed. He’d lost. What else was there to take?

Steel birds of humanity roared past, unleashing canisters over Gomora’s stagnant body. The ordinance detonated upon impact, driving Gabara away in a panic, yet instead of fire blossoming with bombastic fury, green mist overtook Gomora. Nostrils flared. A foul odor seeped into the saurian’s lungs yet no pain followed, merely fatigue.

Gabara’s chaotic attempt to flee came to a catastrophic end as it fell face first, coming to a stop as its orange haired forehead plowed into the wet dirt. A faint laugh tried to force its way out of the dinosaur’s throat at the sight merely for a yawn to supersede the reaction. Blackness engulfed Gomora’s consciousness as he gradually descended back into a realm of nightmares and dreams.

*****

Western Slopes of Mt. Fuji

Dawn’s faint light drew a weary breath of relief from Ichiro. No longer did rain pelt his car or was he trapped on the fringes of civilization. Military transport trucks hogged the road in front of him, and while on most days he’d let loose a volley of curses at such a sight, after the long nightmare he experienced he’d let this occurrence slide. If he couldn’t stay out of sight to escape responsibility, he’d make his presence briefly known to facilitate a hasty exit on his journey back home.

The blue vehicle slowed to a halt. Ichiro groaned as he exited his Toyota and made his way toward the stopped convoy. Craning his neck from side to side, Ichiro looked for soldiers but with nature running parallel to the road, platoons could hide in the dense forest or lay low in the tall grass between the trees and road without him ever knowing. He’d need to do more to attract attention.

Fingers curled around his lips. “Hello! Anyone nearby?”

No reply graced Ichiro’s ears. Fingers twitched with renewed unease, but the old man’s mind quickly suppressed the thought as he neared the vehicles, engines roaring for all within earshot to listen.

’Soldiers are probably deep in the forest. I’ll just speak with the driver.’

Under a camouflage tarp, the first vehicles’ back lay empty, affirming Ichiro’s thoughts about the soldiers. Monsters were rampaging miles away, why would they be here? As the old man reached the driver’s side door, Ichiro knocked gently. With no response, a louder series of impacts followed with the same unwanted result.

Frustration racked Ichiro’s brain, so the man decided against his better judgment to waive at the driver. Doing his best to suppress growing hostility, Ichiro maneuvered in front of the vehicle, shaking his right hand wildly like an impatient student trying to attract a teacher merely to freeze in place upon seeing the windshield.

A charred husk of a man, only stationary thanks to the seat belt still clinging to his lifeless body, hung over the driver’s side wheel. Small fires danced around the corpse, flickering as air passed though a hole in the windshield, its perimeter sizzling as if a stream of flames burned clean through.

Unease flooded back and the instinct to flee launched Ichiro around the vehicle’s front. The old man’s lingering right eye caught sight of a horror so vast, he instantly stopped and wretched. His stomach contents now plastered on the side of the road, Ichiro stumbled back and looked on, horrified by the dozens of burned and mangled soldiers lying across the field to his left.

Twitching unnaturally, a single man rose from the field of death, his back facing Ichiro’s horrified gaze. No clothing shrouded the lone survivor’s blood-covered skin, allowing the wind to sway the man’s excessively long hair and grace the man’s unmentionables. Every step the lone survivor took was like a toddler, legs buckling, on the cusp of falling with every action. Whatever gripped the man seemed palpable, the shock and terror at seeing the carnage reaching the individuals soul as his erratic behavior continued. Legs finally gave way and with the survivor’s fall back to the tall grass, Ichiro doubled back.

A human scream hurried Ichiro’s already desperate flee before he heard the sound of something striking the truck behind him. Tires screeched over the pavement. Metal crunched then whined.

Whatever silenced the men in uniform, stopped the convoy and more than likely finished off the lone survivor was now without a doubt in pursuit of Ichiro. Old legs pushed past exhaustion, carrying the fleeing man to his driver’s side door just as the killer, running on all fours, let loose a wail of terror.

Ichiro noted the screech of his Toyota buckle from an impact before he realized his body was soaring forward. Teeth sunk into the back of his throat, spilling untold amounts of blood as he soared. The monster, whatever nightmare had beset the convoy of soldiers, had reached him and there was no escape.

Striking the pavement with bone-cracking impact, Ichiro felt the weight of the monster upon him and then… nothing. All feeling, what the man assumed was mostly inexplicable pain, was severed from the neck down, and as the edges of his sight began to lose color, Ichiro knew he could not escape the terror befalling him. And then as his head rolled, indicating the lack of any connection to what was his body, Ichiro spotted the beast.

Drenched in blood and vile, the inhuman entity tore Ichiro’s body down to nothing, ripping it apart while snarling furious cries. It showed no interest in consuming what it ripped and tore, merely a desire to destroy. As two murderous blue eyes looked toward the decapitated head, pupils sparkling uncontrollably as if the nerves were composed of lighting, Ichiro accepted his fate and embraced death, allowing him to run from a nightmare one final time…

****

Anti-Kaiju Division Headquarters, Japanese Self Defense Force, Tokyo

Deep within the multi-story central command of the Japanese Self Defense Force, the commander of the facility tortuously read a new report which graced his desk. Wrinkled hands flipped through page after page while observant eyes glossed over the information within. Upon reaching the conclusion, revealing the numerous casualties of the incident which overshadowed the repulsion of Grand King Ghidorah or the death of Legion on the country at large, the reader snapped the yellow file back together and tossed it across his wooden desk, sighing in frustration before he leaned back in his aging chair. Brown eyes looked to the ceiling, tracing the square tiles before the commander glanced to his right out a large, glass wall. There, standing over one-hundred meters tall, the silver mechanical form of Mechagodzilla, lacking an arm and covered in battle damage, glowed under the yellow lights of his launch bay. A sight which brought Commander Takaki Aso great comfort in times of crisis. Today, it brought nothing but resentment.

Monsters were killable, or in the case of Gabara or Gomora, relocatable. Whether placed on Monster Island or the classified hellhole at the center of the Atlantic, monsters were no longer the immeasurable threats they used to be.

’But what does one do against a terror that isn’t known?’ Such thoughts plagued Commander Aso unlike any other.

Realizing his next action, Aso peeled himself off his aging leather chair and exited the room with a hurried step. Hundreds passed him by as he walked through the halls. Some awkwardly ignored his presence while others just stared with curiosity, but he gave the members of the J.S.D.F. little mind; instead, he focused on the necessary actions, politically and militarily, which needed to be enacted. A final door swung open and upon entry to the holding cell, Aso sat down and looked into the eyes of Shinichi Ozaki.

“I’ll keep this brief,” Aso said, voice lacking any clear emotion. “I don’t believe you’re responsible, but with the evidence so far collected, your service is being placed on hold.”

Ozaki’s uncaring expression cracked after the final words. “Discharged? You need me. What happens when you find him?”

“Him?” Aso inquired. “So you do believe the massacre was a mutant.”

Ozaki’s expression morphed from disbelief to rage in a nano-second.

“Not a chance. They all died with honor a long time ago. Whoever or whatever did this, it’s beyond what you can handle, you need me.”

“Electrical burns. Bodies ripped apart by sheer strength. Dead soldiers surrounded by spent ordinance with no trace of what killed them.” Aso lifted himself from his chair, gaze locked on Ozaki. “What I need are soldiers that I can trust, not those which leave their fellow man to die.”

“Ichiro Miki and Inspector Osako. They can confirm-”

Aso’s unflinching gaze made clear Ozaki did not need to continue. The young man’s attention shifted to his right open palm which the mutant stared at as a priest would a bible, searching for answers to questions Aso cared not to inquire about.

“I need to help you.”

The honest words tempted Aso to reconsider his decision. Whatever killed his men in the western hills was violent, deadly, and powerful, yet no matter how much reason Aso applied to the idea, the core issue proved untenable. The man before him needed more than a target for vengeance or redemption. There was more behind the plea for help. Such an unknown Aso dared not risk to gamble over.

“You’ll be released until this matter is resolved. I trust you to remain out of sight. If we need you, you’ll be informed. Sayonara, Ozaki.”

Aso’s quick departure transformed what little hope remained inside Ozaki into directionless frustration. Elbows fell to the table while Ozaki’s head slid back, eyelids closed as he thought.

He was truly alone. No allies, no direction and as much as he wished not to admit to himself, without the power he desired more than anything else to possess once more. A horrid nightmare engulfed Ozaki’s life, but unlike the past fifteen years, the chaos around him came with opportunity.

A test to draw out his latent power. A path he’d walk alone to redeem his mistakes and the men he’d let down. Such a dream Ozaki would pursue to the ends of the Earth.

For in a world of man, who else but him could challenge the unknown nightmare?

Winner: Gabara

Author: Quinton Blackburn | Banner: Landon Soto

[Continued from Match 342]

It felt strange, to be so close, and yet so far away.

The sorceress’s heart skipped a beat. She had waited so long for this day, so very long. Revenge against the king and his ancestors for hunting her down for millennia, revenge against a world that despised and hated what they could not understand or control… It had all come together with the stars aligning on this day. Now both titans, the alien insect Legion and the Fell God Bagan, were under her control. The former’s mind was utterly alien to her, and the latter’s will was indomitable, but in their weakened state after the battle, the task had been made that much easier for her. Dark magic given by the unholy beings she worshiped had ensnared their bodies and their hearts to her command, they and the Legion Symbiote swarm by extension. No other sorcerer in history, none of her ancestors or teachers, not even the great Hecate or Circe, could boast of such power. She was the most powerful mortal the world had ever seen, and all of creation would bow before her as she ruled them as their new god. Humans, monsters, nothing in this world could stop her.

And yet, what lay before her was not of this world. It loomed high above her and her thralls, the largest being the planet had ever seen. Three heads perched on serpentine necks glared down at Legion and Bagan, and two grand wings beat the air once, sending plumes of dust and debris flying in all directions. Twin tails covered in spikes flickered behind it, gouging up the earth as they dipped low. With its wings fully spread, it resembled a star.

A Star of ill omen. The Star of Calamity.

“Wh… What the… What IS that thing?!” The voice of the king caused her to turn around. The bulky man was flat on his back, a far cry from the royal form he was to represent. His face was pale, and his eyes never left the three headed dragons.

“It is what I warned you about, that Legion was but a herald to. It is the King of the Abyss, the Star of Calamity, the End of All.” The sorceress’s voice was no longer haughty or prideful, but oddly quiet to the man she had been just about to murder. “A star fallen from heaven to Earth long ago, its name no one remembers. I have heard tales of this creature, I have seen the tablets and murals left of its rampage eons ago, when it fought the gods and giants.”

The king’s face turned as white as snow, and he seemed to melt into the ground. “Sorceress, do you p-plan to b-bend this to your w-will as well?”

She took a deep breath, and grinned. It was too late for second thoughts. It was now, or never. “Yes. I am beyond even the gods now, and my thralls flow with my power. Even this, the Golden Demise, will fall before me, or peri–”

An otherworldly howl silenced the sorceress. The three headed beast’s middle head had finally located her, and both of its eyes narrowed at her sight. Its fangs bared, and its lips curled back in a snarl.

It was a challenge, not at her thralls, which had stood by awaiting her command, but at her. And she was all too happy to oblige.

“Bagan, Legion, KILL IT!” She shouted.

At once, the thralls charged. Bagan was the faster of the two, and with speed that betrayed his size barreled toward the hydra. The dragon lowered itself onto all fours, and braced itself for the impact, its necks curled like a spring.

When Bagan was within striking distance, the necks struck out. Two clamped upon the legs of the armored god, and one against his neck with lightning speed. At the same time, the beast maneuvered its body to the side, so as to not be directly before Bagan. To the surprise of the sorceress, Bagan’s momentum was turned against him, as the dragon swung Bagan off his feet, and right into the approaching form of Legion like a bludgeon. The insect queen’s spikes were shattered from Bagan’s mass hitting her, and she was derailed off her course and crashed to the side with a painful morn. The hulking frame of the Fell God was embedded into the earth at the end of the swing, and the three heads of the dragon began to shake back and forth. The fangs tore into the flesh of the armored god, and carved bloody gouges into his hide.

Electricity crackled between Bagan’s horns, and a blast of concentrated plasma energy fired from his mouth into the chest of the dragon. The End of All screeched in surprise as it was propelled through the air. The golden scales on its chest cracked and burned from the heat and power before the beam ended, and it staggered on its hind legs as it landed.

The sorceress grinned. So it could be harmed after all. Even gods could bleed and die, and this creature was no exception! She watched as Legion slowly rose back up on her legs, and an idea formed in her head. She gave out the command, and the insect obeyed. The horn split in half, and an electromagnetic beam surged forward at the still surprised dragon, right toward the middle head.

The heads parted like the Red Sea, and the beam passed through the gap harmlessly, and the smirk on the sorceress’s face died. All three of the dragon’s heads swerved to the alien bug, and a glowing light raced up the underside of the necks. The heads surged forward, and from their mouths came what looked to the sorceress like living lightning that twisted and curled through the air. Legion tried to raise up a shield, but it wasn’t fast enough. The beams struck her face, and the insect’s face began to bubble and pop from the heat. Legion tried to brace herself, but the beams overpowered her physical might, and the bug was sent toppling onto her back. A heinous cackle echoed from the dragon’s open maws as it advanced forward…

Its eyes shot wide, and the beams stopped. A cry of pain escaped from the open maws of the Golden Demise as Bagan slashed his claws down the back of the great hydra. Sparks flew from the wyvern’s golden scales, and blood flowed from the wounds left. With a thunderous roar, Bagan plowed the dragon onto its stomach, and stomped his foot down into its back. The sound of bones groaning and cracking could be heard for miles, as could the enraged cries of the dragon. All three heads swerved back around, and more electrical beams discharged from its mouth, but this time, the sorceress was prepared. At her will, the thrall ducked below the beams, and twisted his body so his tail swung into the leftmost head.

With a sickening crack, the tail struck the lower jaw of the left head. The hydra’s screams only grew louder as the left head gargled out blood, its lower jaw bent at an unnatural angle.

The head was put out of its misery quickly. Two jagged limbs stabbed down, and hacked the head off of the neck. The middle head managed to swerve out of the way just in time to avoid the powerful limbs, but all it could do was scream as Legion raised its limbs back up, then stabbed them down into the right wing. The wing was torn away from its body, and blood dripped from the hydra’s maimed body. With this, Bagan stepped off the dragon’s body, and kicked it onto its back, before planting his foot into its stomach.

The sorceress laughed. This was it? The Golden Demise? The One Who Is Many? This was the great beast she had been so terrified of? “See, king? The End of All is nothing before my thralls!” Her smile grew wider as she turned back around to face him and grabbed his cheek. “Powerless and wretched, weak, and alone.”

It was as if the beast had somehow heard her words, for in that moment the now two headed tyrant kicked out with its hind legs into Bagan’s gut. The taloned feet knocked the air out of the thrall, and he was sent head over heels from the impact. The twin tails flailed out, and struck into Legion’s side. The spiked ends stabbed holes into the insect’s hull, and gas began to leak out. With Bagan off of it, the dragon lurched upward, and snapped its middle head around the horn of the insect.

The sorceress had made a fatal mistake, as she realized too late. She commanded Legion to use her horn beam, but no sooner was the mental order given, than the dragon snapped its head back, and broke the horn. The pain the thrall felt was transferred straight to her, and the sorceress reeled back, screaming as she brought her hands up to her face. Every bit of pain they felt, she felt as well, but this was too much.

The two heads then swept into Legion’s side as the dragon bowled into her at full force, and the bug was sent skidding across the medieval earth from the impact. With the sorceress in too much pain, no orders were being given out, and both thralls lay motionless.

Finally, the sorceress managed to compose herself enough to remove her hands from her face, and was about to give an order, when she felt her heart freeze. The wyvern was slowly walking toward her on its hind legs, and as it did, the wounds that covered its body began to regenerate. The gouges stitched close, and a brand new wing erupted from the beast’s side. But most disturbing was the left neck, where a tongue burst out of the stump that was there. The right head bit at the mucus layer that covered the stump, and flesh surged forward, twisted and gnarled as if it were alive.

No, it WAS alive, and as it reformed into a brand new head, the sorceress felt tiny and powerless before the titan which now loomed over her.

No… No! Not like this! This freak of nature, this abomination… It had to have been weakened from all the effort it had exerted! She could still win, she still had an ace up her sleeve!

As the wyvern arched its three heads back and the same energy began to crawl up its body, the sorceress’s dark magic tried to penetrate the beast’s mind. All three heads stopped, and began to thrash, trying to get the alien presence away. The sorceress gritted her teeth, and concentrated. If she could just bend this abomination to her will…

Disgust.

Malice.

Rage.

A tidal wave of emotions surged into the sorceress, and she felt herself falter. This anger and hatred, never had she felt anything like it in her life. It wasn’t natural for any living being! With it came a name, a name she felt writhing in the darkness of the titan’s demonic minds…

Ghidorah.

It overwhelmed her, and she felt her spell break. At once, all three heads turned back to face her. Once more, the beams built up within their maws.

There was no escape for her. She, the great sorceress, had courted with death one too many times.

She looked back, to see if she would at least take the king with her, but he was nowhere to be seen.

She turned back, and prepared for the inevitable, eyes closed. At least, if mankind survived this day, she would be remembered.

Blue light washed over her, and she heard a pained screech reach her ears. She opened them, confused. Ghidorah had been blasted onto his back, and in the other direction…

_________________________

Bagan and Legion stood, side by side. They had been aware of everything that had been going on when the sorceress had them under her control, and though both desired to put the mortal in her place and then finish their fight, the three headed dragon was the immediate concern. There would be no chance of either so long as the beast was here.

Ghidorah rose onto his feet, and glared daggers at Bagan. He snarled at them, a warning. With the one who had controlled them no longer a factor, they owed their miserable lives to Ghidorah. He would rule over them as the one true alpha, as their king, and together, they would remake this world into his image. Mortal life would perish, and monsters, and only monsters, would live as Ghidorah desired. For thousands of years, he had been trapped in the ice of the southern pole, but this global warm period, and the tremors that had resulted from Legion’s landing had freed him from his icy tomb. It was only because of that and their enslavement to a mortal he hadn’t ended them here and now.

He spread his wings, and rose to his full height. The choice was theirs to make: Either serve him, or perish with the rest of the mortals of this world.

The answer he got was immediate from both creatures. Legion unleashed an unholy screech of defiance, and Bagan’s horns crackled with electricity. Above the dragon’s head, ionized gases began to gather, and fell upon Ghidorah in the shape of diamonds. Ghidorah’s hide was punctured and pierced, and the alien beast howled as he staggered back. Torrents of blood ran down his hide, and he was forced to raise his wings over his head to try and shield himself. The wing membrane burned and was shredded from the diamond storm, but the dragon beneath began to heal, and the six eyes of the alien glared at Bagan.

So be it.

With a flap of his wings, Ghidorah soared out of the diamond storm, and unleashed death from his maws. His beams, the Gravity Bolts, raced toward Bagan, but stopped just short and arched backward mere meters from his hide.

Bagan snarled as he lowered the barrier. He was a god, a deity, and to bow before some alien creature…. there was no greater humiliation in his mind! This was his world, the mortals who he desired sacrifice and worship from were under his protection from others. He and only he would decide what befell them, not an otherworldly angel of death. If Ghidorah fancied himself a king, then Bagan could only sneer, and that sneer turned into a supercharged beam of plasma.

What was a king, to a god?

Ghidorah banked down and to the right, his wing singed from the intense heat…

Only to be struck from below as a pair of legs gouged into his underbelly, and knocked the wyvern to the ground. Legion bellowed her own alien roar as her eyes turned blood red. She needed this world to create a launching point for her race to survive. This world was unique, the materials and minerals wealthy enough to allow her race to thrive and rebuild, at the cost of some of the life that existed. Under Ghidorah’s rule, she had no clue if his plans to terraform the planet would change those conditions enough to render her species future moot, and she wasn’t keen on finding out.

Ghidorah turned back around, electricity crackling against his hide, and charged at the Legion Queen. She in turn charged at him, the remains of catapults and trebuchets shattered and scattered beneath her bulk.

The earth shook with the impact of the two aliens. Legion’s alien hull shuddered as Ghidorah’s full mass collided with her. Dozens of razor sharp fangs clamped down upon her hide, and more gases began to spill out. He began to push her back, and as he clamped down harder, his gravity bolts began to charge up…

Absolute agony filled Ghidorah’s world as his beams were cut short. Energy whips, dozens of them, manifested from the ruined horn of the insect queen, and began to flay into Ghidorah’s hide. Blood splattered across the ground and upon the ruins of the village buildings as Ghidorah was forced to back away. The whips straightened, then stabbed forward into him, boiling his flesh and causing unrelenting agony to the space dragon.

His screams could be heard for hundreds of miles.

From behind, Bagan’s horns pierced his back, causing blood to spurt from the dragon’s maws. The Fell God grabbed the left head that tried to turn and face him, and smashed it into the ground. The whips continued to writhe and tear Ghidorah from the inside out, and Legion’s eyes flashed, signaling to her swarm it was time to feed. The Symbiote Swarm converged upon the golden dragon, and began to rip into him.

Ghidorah tried to fight back, to find some way out of his situation, but he was stuck. As fast as his regeneration was, the swarm and the whips were negating it. He was going to be eaten alive, beaten by wretched inferior creatures.

No… No! First to that blasted Alpha, now to these insects! He was in control, he WAS control! These filth would pay for this! He wouldn’t die, HE COULDN’T DIE!

His middle head noticed Bagan’s horns crackle with electricity once more. He was about to vaporize his left head, and in a split moment, salvation revealed itself.

Despite the pain, despite the agony he felt, Ghidorah forced himself to suddenly latch his jaws around Bagan’s horns. At once, the electricity that had been crackling was redirected, and the plasma beam Bagan had been preparing was cut short.

The energy surged through Ghidorah’s body, and dozens of bolts of electricity flew from his wings and across his body. The ground was torn apart by the flying bolts, and the symbiote swarm that remained in the air were vaporized before the eyes of the Legion Queen. Those embedded in Ghidorah’s flesh were electrocuted as well, and a horde that had once numbered in the thousands was eradicated in the blink of an eye. The wing lightning struck across Legion’s frame, and the insect queen was sent reeling back as her body was scorched and burned by the strikes. Worse, her eyes were blinded by the heat and the light. She relented….

And the energy whips were withdrawn.

Freed at last, Ghidorah whirled his heads around to face a surprised Bagan, who had been forced to let go as well. All three heads struck forward, and clamped around Bagan’s throat and his arms. The wings of the dragon spread out, and the End of All began to ascend into the sky. Bagan tried to thrash his way out, but with the tails of Ghidorah also wrapping around him, there was little he could do. The Fallen God tried to gather up energy for a Diamond Storm, a Plasma Beam, anything to free him from Ghidorah, but as the energy started to gather, he felt it be drained away. Not just that, his life force as well was being drained. His muscles began to shrink, his eyes rolled back in their sockets. The teeth of the ancient monster fell from his gums, and his armored hide cracked and broke beneath the powerful coils of the space dragon.

What was a god, to a non-believer?

Then, Ghidorah let go, and Bagan’s drained corpse fell from the sky. Three powerful gravity bolts, supercharged off the energy drained, slammed into the falling body’s back and pushed him downward into the earth below.

The impact was deafening, and a plume of dirt rose from the impact. Dust and debris rained across the ruined landscape for miles, and showered the castle and Legion’s blinded form. The Queen Legion blindly called out for a response, for anything she could recognize as she struggled to remain stable…

The only response she got was the cackling of a creature that sent shivers down her exoskeleton.

Ghidorah’s frame crashed down upon her with enough force to shatter several of her legs. One clawed foot stomped down upon her head, and bent it to the ground. The space dragon lowered his heads next to Legion, and hissed. Serve him, or meet the same fate that befell the other?

Though Legion shuddered with rage, fear was the stronger emotion within her. Her swarm was dead, she was helpless, and too exhausted to fight back. She let out a weak groan. She yielded.

Ghidorah stepped off the Legion Queen and lumbered onto the ground. There… Now that wasn’t so hard, was it? He turned, scanned the area. The human he had seen before, the one who had been controlling them… She was nowhere to be seen. Had she been caught in the crossfire? Ghidorah kept a mental note of her, just in case. While it would be good to feel such a variable was dead, it was better to be safe than sorry.

He looked down at his left head, and saw he was sniffing a pile of rocks. He quickly clamped down on his horns, and yanked the head away. With all three heads focused, he moved toward the castle. He passed by the smoldering crater where Bagan’s form had landed, and peered within. The god’s body was a husk of what it had once been, arms and limbs shattered from the impact, and the neck bent at an unnatural angle. All there was were skin and bones. With a satisfied smirk, Ghidorah walked to the castle.

He peered through the opening in the side. There, cowering on his throne, was the king, who fell out and began to crawl away. “I-I had nothing to do with this! Help! Help! Someone, anyone, save me! I did nothing wrong!” He screamed.

Though Ghidorah was tempted to just vaporize him, he decided not to. There was no fun in killing a coward so soon. It was better to let them suffer and truly desire death, and then grant it to them once they were completely broken.

Instead, he climbed up the side of the castle. The castle buckled beneath his weight, and several dozen bricks were dislodged and fell to the ground, but to his surprise, it held his weight. Good.

He turned, and watched as other monsters began to gather. They had heard the tyrant’s cries, the cries of their lord and master, and had traveled to come and welcome him back from his eternal prison. While the Alpha held sway over most monsters, these had remained loyal and had slept with their master until his awakening.

A great flying shape, a pitch black manta ray with five spiraling tails and a skull pattern across its lower body, flew above the humbled and weak Legion before it landed upon what remained of a series of stables. A creature with the head and mantle of a squid, but carried upon two pillar legs and with tentacles extending from its beaked mouth moved forward and lowered itself before its arisen master, as did a bipedal theropod with twin jagged horns on its head and an armored backside. And lastly, from the earth emerged another hydra, one with no eyes on it but glowing orange sacs, and a body that brimmed with flames. It crawled forth on two powerful front legs, and raised its heads up with a deep harmonious call. The other monsters added their calls in, and a vulnerable Legion was forced to join with them.

Ghidorah spread his wings out, and roared into the heavens. Gods had fallen to him, rulers humbled before him. This world’s one true ruler had returned, and would become like the distant star he had come from so very long ago. What life would survive would worship him and follow him, or perish beneath his wings. All would fear his name.

King Ghidorah, King of the Monsters!

Winner: King Ghidorah (Legendary)

Author: Harley Jameson | Banner: Andrew Sudomerski

The lakefront was oddly quiet for the time of day. Purple mist settled on the surface of the water, belying the creature that called the area its territory and home. The only movements were the Gajau flopping around in the water, and a mud-covered Jyratodus crawling along the muddy shores of the lake.

The Flooded Forest had all but been deserted, save for a few select monsters. Most had sensed an intense danger and fled deeper into the woods or towards other territories. Unable to live in other regions, the Jyratodus was more than happy to make its new home within the deep great waterfall basin surrounding the lake, feasting on various fish and Gajau at its liking.

A small gust of wind pushed across the lake. The piscine-wyvern froze, watching the tiny ripples in the water slowly faded away. The Jyrayodus listened intently, body tense for any sound. Once satisfied, it relaxed once more into the mud. It jerked up sharply when a loud, distorted roar echoed through the air.

The lake’s waters were getting unruly. Huge gusts of wind splashed water onto the muddy wyvern and the Jyratodus let out a loud warning cry. It was answered back with another distorted shriek, and a great shadow looming overhead.

Varan slammed down onto the intruder’s body with uncharacteristic ferocity. A dark purple smoke billowed from the fanged wyvern’s mouth. Sharp red eyes gleamed in the sunlight and he immediately reached down and slammed the Jyratodus’ head against the ground, keeping the writhing fish from moving.

A snarl erupted from Varan’s throat before he reached up and grabbed the other wyvern’s head. The Jyratodus gave stunted cries in alarm before Varan snapped the thing’s neck in one harsh movement. The lake monster threw the twitching corpse to the side as a wave of pain washed over him. He groaned, his once brown hide had turned a deadly purple. Trembling, he heaved slightly and a great billow of purple smoke exhaled from his mouth.

Varan glanced back across the lake, through the haze his pain and rage he could still sense another’s presence in the Forest. An unfamiliar scent on the breeze ahead. Whether it was the cause of his suffering, he had no idea. He had been sick for days with this strange virus, and somewhere deep down, Varan instinctually knew that he hadn’t much time left.

That made it even more important for him to find whoever this was and kill it. Spreading his arms, Varan soared off into the skies and flew deeper towards the forest.

A thick, purple fog had surrounded the ground of the Flooded Forest. Most smaller creatures had died almost immediately upon inhaling the miasma. Those that didn’t were busy viciously fighting one another or thrashing in absolute agony as their bodies drove themselves to death. The only creature unaffected by the cloud of death surrounding it was a jet black creature on all four legs. Its two somewhat frayed wings rustled slightly, pouring more of its deadly virus into the atmosphere.

Gore Magala walked casually through its surroundings, moving over to the corpses of fallen animals and happily gulping them down in a few bites. Although blind, the unusual creature’s keen senses weren’t detecting any major threat to itself as it continued its lumbering pace through the forest.

It was also this keen sense of hearing that alerted Gore Magala to an upcoming threat long before he could detect the body heat. A great, mighty tree crashed down onto the forests’ floor as two great powerful arms pushed through the brush.

The only other occupant of the forest who had stayed, the once noble creature was breathing raggedly and thinner than most of its kind. Brown fur had been stained purple thanks to the virus spread by Gore Magala, and even its giant tusks had streaks of purple trailing up the bone. Renowned for its strength, the Hunters’ Guild had dubbed the creature “Behemoth.”

And Behemoth had finally found the source of his suffering. A trumpeting roar of fury came from the creature and he stampeded forwards, uncaring as he smashed through trees and vines towards his target. Gore Magala easily slunk off to the side, crouching low on his forelimbs and flaring his wings to make himself more intimidating. He let out a challenging roar at Behemoth and immediately pounced, tackling the elephant-like creature to the ground in a flurry of teeth and claws.

The two monsters rolled around for a bit until Behemoth grabbed Gore by the sides and threw him hard onto the ground, forcing the blind monster to scrambled away as the mighty titan reared up and slammed onto the ground with his fists. Rocks and dust flew into the air as the earth shook violently from the raw power of the attack, Gore Magala scrambling around to keep his footing.

Black wings began to vibrate as a more deadly pathogen was shed into the air. The Black Eclypse Wyvern inhaled sharply, crouching low on his forelegs and jumping to the side as the frenzied Behemoth trampled forward. Gore instantly swung around and slapped at one of Behemoth’s legs to try and bowl the monster over.

Instead, a thick and rough hand grabbed Gore Magala by the tail and began dragging him across the ground. Scratching and pawing, Gore gave a shriek of alarm as Behemoth slammed his other hand against his back, pinning his wings to his body.

With a mighty groan, Behemoth lifted Gore Magala into the air. His blood-red eyes were full of malice and hatred, a deadly fog exhaling from Behemoth’s mouth. His arms strained with the tension even with his frenzy-augmented strength and he began to squeeze. Gore Magala thrashed in Behemoth’s unshakable grip, crying out as he felt the pressure of his bones starting to be pressed in painful ways. Black scales flaked off, revealing a slight golden shimmer as Gore let out a final howl of agony.

A shadow falling across the two monsters was the only warning either got before Varan dive bombed and slammed into both of them. Gore was sent hurtling onto the ground, trembling in pain as Varan began savagely ripping at Behemoth’s purple tinted fur. Blood and miasma flew everywhere as Behemoth beat Varan back, grabbing his leg and physically throwing the triphibian away with a ragged bellow.

Rising to his feet, Varan zeroed in on the first monster he saw and opened his arms. Letting the winds carry him, he suddenly surged forward towards Behemoth with murderous intent. The two frenzied monsters crashed into one another, wrestling along the ground and rolling over one another until Varan kicked Behemoth off and sent him crashing onto the forest floor. Spreading his arms again, Varan was thrown back with equal violence when a ball of raw frenzy energy crashed into his chest.

Gore Magala stalked around the other two monsters, wings twitching a little. Two glowing purple feelers sprouted from Gore’s head and the sky seemed to darken as a massive burst of frenzy clouded the area. With a loud roar, Gore Magala dug his claws into the ground and swung forward with one of his wings, grabbing Behemoth’s tusks and with a twisted snap broke one of them off.

Behemoth gave a loud trumpet of agony and clutched at his face, swinging his head wildly as Gore nimbly leaped to the side, tossing the broken ivory away. A sudden surge of heat caused Gore to whirl around, smacking his meaty tail into a charging Varan who was sent tumbling to the side in surprise as he crashed through a thick tree and caused the whole thing to collapse down and splash into a shallow puddle.

With his feelers fully extended, Gore could sense the body heat of both monsters as clearly as if the blind monster could see them with eyes. Behemoth’s body temperature began skyrocketing and it lumbered forward again and Gore easily side-stepped out of the way, letting Behemoth tumble across himself and lay there in a heap. The frantic pace of the fight was overwhelming him.

The great beast was dying and he knew it. The pain was starting to become overwhelming to his body, his heart was beating loudly in his ears. He tried to stand until Gore slammed down on his back with his forelegs. Behemoth let out a little groan, trying to fight his opponent off. Gore reared up his head and slammed his jaws down around Behemoth’s fuzzy neck and with one brutal rip, tore open the dying titan’s throat. Shuddering, Behemoth gurgled a few times before laying still, finally dead.

Varan was dying too, he could feel it in his heart. It slowed down to a crawl as he breathed raggedly against the cool forest floor. His eyes felt heavy and his head throbbed. As he inhaled more of the virus that corrupted and poisoned him, some part of his mind was lulling him to sleep.

No, no he couldn’t sleep yet. The sounds of flesh and bones being crunched and feasted on made Varan wearily open his eyes to see Gore Magala happily eating the corpse of Behemoth. It was him that poisoned him and made him sick. His heartbeat began to get faster and his strength began to return as a newfound rage overtook Varan. Could he sit there and die while his tormentor walked away? No.

His muscles bulged and the triphibian stood to his full height. A dark purple smokey aura began to exude around Varan’s body as it turned a sickly purple, red veins appearing across his membranes. Although unaware of the change, Varan let loose an even more powerful roar than before. He had overcome the lethal effects of the Frenzy Virus and had become an Apex.

With newfound rage and determination, Varan leaped forward and slammed into Gore Magala with his claws, sending blood and scales flying and revealing a chipped golden skin underneath the scales.

Gore let out a squeal of pain and thrashed back with one of his wings, decking Varan in the face and forcing the other monster to stumble back. With an outraged cry, Gore swung both of his wings forward and slammed down on the Apex’s head only for Varan to reach up and catch the powerful wings with his hands.

The two monsters pushed against one another, claws digging trenches into the earth as they pushed against one another in a brutal test of strength. With a frenzied screech, Varan threw Gore Magala to the side and rolled it over on its back. Mounting the monster, the lake-dwelling amphibian ignored the claws digging into his sickly purple hide and began tearing into Gore Magala’s face, neck, and underbelly. Blood splashed around them and more of the golden skin began to peel away until with a desperate shove Gore finally pushed the murderous Varan off of him.

Both monsters panted roughly, the horrific lizard circling around Gore Magala slowly. One of Gore’s feelers twitched, and he turned in time to Varan’s movements. As long as his scales flooded the already flooded forest, he would be able to see the amphibious reptile.

Tired and bleeding, Varan nevertheless had never felt more alive in his life. He exhaled slowly, a thick miasmic cloud of pure frenzy virus coiling into the air. He had to end this soon. Spreading open his arms, he took off towards the canopy of the forest, bursting into the sunshine high above them both.

Gore swiveled his head, trying to find where Varan was going to land after he had flown upwards. Had he run away already? No, something told him that this fight was far from over. He began to walk slowly, spreading his battered and bruised wings wide. He gathered his scales, clouds of the lethal Frenzy Virus he had shed gathering around him.

With one mighty flex, he had shot upwards like a rocket. Breaking through the canopy, Gore Magala’s body exploded violently in a massive shower of Frenzy Virus, letting out a roar that shook the forest. Just as he was able to pinpoint Varan’s location did he realize his mistake as Varan swooped down and drop-kicked him hard from behind. The branches breaking beneath him, Gore was sent hurtling back to the forest floor with a meaty splash as his body crashed onto the ground.

Gore struggled to stand, letting out a roar of agony as Varan landed on top of him, one of his wings buckling under the reptilian’s weight. Leaning down, Varan grabbed Gore Magala by the feelers and jerked up suddenly, causing another squeal of pain to elicit from the Unknown Wyvern. He flailed and bucked frantically, trying to shake the triphibian off of him with little success. The pressure on his feelers grew more intense and pain surged down from his head and across his body until with a sharp crack of bone, Gore Magala’s feelers broke entirely. With a final rear of his head, Varan was flung off of a trembling Gore.

Blinded and in immense pain, Gore Magala knew that if this continued he would be dead. Despite his bent wing, Gore Magala took off into the skies to try and get away from Varan. Holding his head aloft, Gore fired where he thought he heard the draco rise again from the canopy and was rewarded with the sound of Varan’s roar of pain. With this chance, Gore ignored the pain he was feeling and tore off into the skies to get as far away from Varan as possible. He would remember this, and if he could grow stronger…

Varan landed back on the forest floor, rubbing his bleeding and pulsing red chest. He had won but the pain hadn’t subsided. His muscles bulged and he looked around, wild eyed and crazed for anything else to fight. In the distance, he could hear Aptonoth grazing in the distance. Anger surged through him, anger he had never felt before as the pain increased. With a crazed roar, Varan took off to the skies again to begin hunting his new prey.

Elsewhere, a warning notice was given out across the various towns. Four hunters walked up the quest maiden, sliding over the necessary paperwork to hunt an Apex Varan that was running loose in the forest.

Winner: Varan (Universal)

A very special thanks to dopepope for some of the assets used in this banner for the K.W.C. Be sure to follow him on DeviantART, ArtStation, and Instagram.

Author: Landon Soto | Banner: Matthew Williams

Tropical trees swayed in the cool, gentle breeze and the sound of waves crashing in the distance created a soothing ambience on Monster Island.

Deep inland, a large azure theropod rested on the warm ground, basking in the warmth of the island sun. The ancient predator, given the name Gorosaurus by humans, was enjoying a time of peace; no giant monkeys, or golden hydras in sight to harass this predator.

Hot breath escaped the nostrils of the mighty allosaur as he sighed contently. The living fossil was enjoying this time away from his fellow monsters, even a giant beast like himself needed alone time. However, his quiet was interrupted as the triangular headed carnivore felt an all too familiar feeling in the pit of his stomach, hunger. The mighty dino groaned as he carefully maneuvered his toned legs, and slowly pushed himself upward, using his powerful tail as leverage, time to eat.

The blue-scaled allosaurus grunted as he began making his way to the nearby beach, leaving behind swimming pool sized footprints as he marched towards the water. Once there, Gorosaurus opened his jaws, letting out a hearty yawn before gently bending over and dipping his jaws into the lagoon, allowing plenty of fish to swim between his toothy half-open maw.

Quickly the allosaurus brought his head up and clamped his jaws shut, leaving just enough room between his teeth to allow the salt water to drain from his mouth. Swallowing the large batch of fish, Gorosaurus purred in content as he began to move about, admiring the scenery. Although meals the humans brought him were enough to sustain him, there was nothing wrong with a snack here and there.

The dinosaur was ready to head back to his relaxation spot, and began stomping across the sandy shore in the direction he had come. As Gorosaurus neared the jungle brush, the sound of bubbling water reached his ears. As the sound grew more and more violent, the allosaur turned to see what was causing this disturbance.

Farther out in the ocean, a spot of water was bubbling violently. Faint flashes of blue flickered in and out of the white foamy water and a pair of grayish blue tentacles erupted from the waters, with a dolphin grasped in each one. Gorosaurus watched as the dolphins writhed and jerked as they tried to break free from the tentacle’s crushing grip.

He watched as the feelers slunk back into the water. The water surface no longer bubbled but sprayed out as something began breaching the surface. Two triangular tips rose from the water, and a large bumpy tower of gray revealed itself, resembling that of a squid mantle. The shape clarified and two large round yellow and red eyes were staring back at the dinosaur.

The large cuttlefish, larger than even a giant squid, had been feeding when it stumbled across this grounded allosaurus by luck, and it looked like a far tastier meal than the dolphins it had been hunting. The humans had dubbed this monster Gezora. They had fought a similar creature years ago and managed to kill it, or so they thought. The creature before Gorosaurus now had inherited a virus that escaped its dead host, and infected another unlucky cuttlefish, Gezora.

Gorosaurus groaned, he wasn’t in the mood to fight and roared at the mutated cephalopod to back off. But Gezora stared blankly back at the roaring dinosaur, seemingly unperturbed. Although cephalopods were known for their surprisingly high intelligence, it seemed as though the virus had turned the aquatic creature into a simple minded beast. Confusing the roar as a challenge rather than a warning, Gezora raised its slimy extensions in defiance and let out a war cry as he began charging the irritated Gorosaurus.

The mutant mollusk stretched out its tentacles attempting to grab Gorosaurus, but the primal dinosaur hopped back in time to avoid his grasp and snarled at the cuttlefish. The reptile furrowed his brow knowing he had to fight. Turning, he whipped at Gezora with his powerful tail, toppling the overgrown cuttlefish. The massive cephalopod squealed in anger as it fumbled to stand, and Gorosaurus groaned at his opponents incompetence and the saurian patiently waited for Gezora to stand upright. The mutated cuttlefish once again charged at the allosaur, prompting the giant lizard to in turn charge at the mutant with lowered cranium.

The two collided with Gorosaurus ramming his head into Gezora, clearly overpowering the squishy cuttlefish as Gezora crashed into the salt water. Gorosaurus decided to put an end to this fight and he shot his head forward, toothy maw wide open, and sunk his razor sharp teeth into the Yog monster’s right frontmost tentacle, drawing fresh blue blood. Gezora screeched in agony as Gorosaurus shook his head like a wild beast, sinking his teeth deeper into the cephalopod’s skin. Suddenly, the left foremost tentacle wrapped itself around the allosaurus’ neck and the grip tightened slowly cutting off his airflow.

Gorosaurus groaned as he felt the icy cold appendage choke him. The aged dinosaur released his bite and swung his tail upward, slamming it on the tentacle wrapped around his throat. The spikes along his tail dug into the icy limb and the mighty lizard using his tail like a knife, pulled it back leaving large gashes in the appendage. Blue blood flowed from the tentacle like a river and feeling the grip loosen, Gorosaurus jerked his head to the side. Feet firmly planted in the sand, Gorosaurus hoisted his head up and, dragging Gezora with him, raised his left foot and kicked the cephalopod in its large head, easily drawing blood as his claws scraped the mutant.

Gezora clumsily rose up, retracting the limb wrapped around Gorosaurus’ neck. The cephalopod roared in rage as it shot forth its icy right tentacle and clamped the jaws of the allosaur shut. Gorosaurus scraped at the thick limb with his short claws, before feeling a freezing sensation in his ankles; Gezora had him ensnared. The mutant pulled back its tentacles with all the strength it could muster and the saurian was forcefully dragged to the warm sand beneath him, falling on his back and struggling to break free from the Yog monster’s snare.

The bloodied cephalopod cackled with glee as it watched the carnivore squirm. Gorosaurus frantically searched his surroundings, trying to find a solution to his predicament but he could feel himself becoming sluggish as the cold seeped into his body. The dinosaur felt himself being pulled closer to the overgrown coleoid, and that was when an idea popped into his head.

Gezora stared at the fallen Gorosaurus with its big round eyes, slowly pulling the saurian closer and closer, eager to have a taste of dinosaur. Gorosaurus carefully retracted his legs as he inched closer to the curling, crawling tentacles keeping the Yog monster upright. Gorosaurus could glimpse what looked like a beak in that mess of tentacles, but he wasn’t in a rush to confirm his sighting. The allosaur grunted as he felt now was a good time to enact his plan.

The mighty lizard shot his legs forward, performing his signature ‘kangaroo kick,’ striking the three “legs” supporting the creature and causing them to immediately collapse on themselves. Gezora screeched as it dropped to the ground. The tentacle around his jaws slipped off, allowing the dinosaur to breathe again. Gorosaurus roared in fury as he rose up and launched his head forward clamping his jaws on the already injured right appendage. He began shaking his head and jerked it back, ripping a chunk of meat off the tentacle with the movement.

Gezora screeched in agony as blue blood sprayed from the wound, staining the white sand and splattering on the azure allosaur. As Gezora flailed madly in the sand, Gorosaurus watched in amusement, the cephalopod had brought this on itself, if only it had heeded his warning.

Gorosaurus tasted the meat, it was… exotic to say the least and the mighty dino was unsure of whether he wanted more of it or not. Either way, the allosaur planned on sending a message, and prepared to take a bite out of the mutated creature’s cranium. Gorosaurus carefully prepared his jaws, ready to land a devastating blow, but felt a pressure building on his tail, a familiar cold settling in.

The fierce dinosaur looked back and was surprised to see another Gezora grasping his tail, the bewildered theropod hadn’t even considered this possibility as he was so focused on the first Gezora in front of him. The terrible lizard struggled to get his tail free as the second cephalopod had both its fore-tentacles gripping his tail. Suddenly Gorosaurus felt another pair of feelers wrap around his waist and mouth, the saurischian was grappled and surrounded. Suddenly, he was forced to the sand, and he struggled to break his freezing shackles.

The new Gezora called to the first one and the two released Gorosaurus from their clutches. They began using every available tentacle to batter and beat the allosaur to submission. Gorosaurus roared in pain as he felt the cold radiate across his body, the Gezora duo relentless in their assault. Gorosaurus raised his tail and flung it into the back of the second Gezoras head. Luckily, the bladed tip struck purchase, impaling the cephalopod.

The second Gezora screeched in pain as it felt Gorosaurus’ spike dig into its cranium, the dinosaur yanked his tail out and bit down hard on the first Gezoras “legs,” returning the damage they dealt to him moments before. The second Gezora felt blood flowing from its head, but didn’t allow that to deter its assault. Gorosaurus slowly rose up as he attempted to force the first Gezora back down. Releasing his bite on the first, Gorosaurus bellowed a warning roar to the second Gezora who was closing in, causing the coleoid to stop and contemplate its next move.

Gorosaurus panted as he felt the sun warming his cold blood and scowled at the aquatic duo. He could feel his anger building. All he wanted was to relax, but these two were standing between him and this glorious tropical day. The allosaur turned to the second Gezora and charged head first, kicking up sand in his wake and the second Gezora, taken aback, was suddenly knocked to the ground. Gorosaurus placed his foot on the cephalopod and clasped his jaws on the creature’s head, shaking it head more violently than before.

The first Gezora rose up and saw its comrade in trouble, prompting it to charge at the allosaur. Gorosaurus ripped a chunk of flesh off the creature’s mantle, causing the second Gezora to shriek in pain. Suddenly the allosaur was forcefully knocked over, and was sent rolling along the beach. He struggled to rise and, shaking the sand off, found he was face to face with the original Gezora and roared as he charged at the Yog monster.

Gezora, learning from before, raised its tentacles up like a shield to block against Gorosaurus’ skull, but it wasn’t prepared for the dinosaur’s ultimate technique…

Once close enough, Gorosaurus leapt up, balancing himself on his tail before kicking with all his might, sending the cephalopod crashing to the ground squealing with his ‘kangaroo kick’. Gorosaurus landed on his feet and watched as both his foes struggled to rise. The two slowly made their way around Gorosaurus, making sure to flank his front and rear.

Gorosaurus growled with annoyance as he waited for his opponents to make their move, he didn’t have to wait long though as the duo charged at the allosaur, ready to crush him with their combined might. The two were closing in, but the primeval dinosaur wasn’t phased, and simply snarled as he crouched down readying himself. The two mutated cuttlefish were about to ensnare the carnivore in an icy tentacle prison, but Gorosaurus suddenly sprang backward, causing the two to collide into a mess of limbs.

The two Gezora screeched as they tried to untangle themselves, angrily screeching at each other. The pair were oblivious to the allosaur marching towards them. Moments too late, the two Gezora took notice,but Gorosaurus had already assumed his crouched position and with a burst of power, leaped high into the air.

The mutated cuttlefish embraced each other as they watched in horror as the marvelous atomic dinosaur came crashing down on them. Dirt flying everywhere as blue blood splattered across the sand, the cries of two very unfortunate beasts echoing down the beach.

Minilla poked his head out of the dense jungle to see what the commotion was, but grimaced when he saw the beat down that was transpiring. Making the wise decision the Gezora failed to, he backtracked into the jungle and chose to go elsewhere. Soon the sound of combat died down, there was a calm once again.

—

Gorosaurus carefully laid back down in his original resting spot. His mind at ease once more, soaking in the heat of the sun, the saurischian began drifting away into a well deserved rest.

At the beach, two barely living Gezora struggled to crawl back to the water, their bodies stained with dried blue blood, and littered with bites, and gashes. The pair had learned a valuable lesson today, to leave Gorosaurus alone.

Winner: Gorosaurus

Author: Christian Salabert | Banner: Matthew Freese & Christian Salabert

The predator was hungry. He wasn’t sure just how long his wings had been carrying him through the metaphorical cosmic winds – it was almost impossible to keep track of time when traversing the dark void – but he could tell it had been some time since his last meal, given how obnoxiously loud his stomach currently was. Pushing onward, the creature began to seek out a new source of sustenance. Flapping his wings with a new determination, the crimson beast began to hunt. Unfortunately, even his unparalleled ears weren’t picking up any signs of life, and his attempts at physically seeking out prey weren’t doing much better. (more…)

Author: Justin N. | Banner: Matthew Williams

The full moon cast its bright glow on the slopes of Mt. Fuji, the snow refracting light like billions of microscopic opals. Near the summit, squatted down and resting, was the amalgam known as Iris. A kaiju resting out in the open, almost without a care, was an odd sight, especially for one as rare and elusive as Iris. Currently it was “talking” to its “mother,” Ayana Hirasaka, the young girl who raised Iris when it was an infant. Now living far away in Tokyo, she spoke softly to her “child” through the mental connection they shared. (more…)