Author: Dao Zang Moua | Banner: Dao Zang Moua
Monsters exist. Initially, monsters were thought to be creatures of fiction and myth, meant to scare young ones or explain natural phenomena. However, even common knowledge changes with time. People believed the Earth was flat until it was discovered the Earth was round. People believed the Earth was the center of the universe until heliocentrism caught on. To the world, it was a common fact that monsters didn’t exist. That is, until several years ago. In 2014, three massive unidentified terrestrial organisms awoke and destroyed several cities in their battle to the death. Monsters, or should I say Titans, are real, as much as the government would like otherwise, and they are everywhere. With the worldwide reveal of Titans came the knowledge of Monarch, an organization dedicated to hunting down, killing, and studying these massive organisms that inhabit our world.
Thus leads to now. Every once in a while, Monarch hears tales of mysterious creatures and myths about various unknown Titans. Rumors of sailors spotting a massive creature in the Pacific led a group of researchers to the island of Sergio. Once inhabited by natives centuries ago, it is said that a violent eruption forced them to migrate to other islands nearby to survive. Nowadays, the volcano remains more docile as the natural life that was once taken returns.
A billowing wind brushes against the cold railing of the ship as the slight salty taste of cold sea spray touches my tongue. The rough scent of the vast ocean fills the air around as waves splatter across the outer hull. In the distance, a green island overtakes the view as sailors go about their duties. My name is Dr. Kyoichi Miya, a scientist working for Monarch. As one of the many paleo-biologists at their disposal, I was tasked to inspect and possibly identify any Titan that may reside on the island. My team was to reside on the island for a month’s study of both the natural inhabitants and for signs of a Titan. A sigh escaped my mouth as I watched the cold morning air freeze the warm breath in front of me. Others in the team were walking about the deck excitedly checking to see if they’ve packed all the equipment they need onto the landing ships. Unfortunately, for this mission, my team was made up of the new, young recruits to the organization, this expedition meant to serve as their “final exam and testing ground.”
Staring into the distance, I began rubbing against a small amber pendant given to me by my mother. The distant bickering of my fellow researchers caught my ear, speaking about the dangers of exploring an island not visited since the early 1700s due to its volcanism.
“Doctor Miya.”
Turning my head, I noticed an acquaintance of mine, a young woman in her early 30s, slowly making her way over. Professor Saki Kobayashi, a specialist of linguistics and paleography. She is also a descendant of the Sergio Island natives that migrated centuries ago. As such, she was familiar with various ancient languages and texts of the world, including her people’s ancestral language. Another reason for us to be sent on this task due to our long partnership in the field.
“Ah, Saki. You needed something?” I quickly inquire, putting the amber back into my pocket.
Saki briskly walked over with various documents about the island. Passing some over she looked back to our men with what seemed to be concern.
“Though the documents state there shouldn’t be much danger on an island like this, I can’t help but remember all the stories my grandfather would tell about the native fauna”. She quickly flipped through folders before pulling out one filled with the various legends and tales passed down by natives. “He would always speak of the terrible creatures that would try to breach the village walls. Large beasts that would drag people into the jungle to devour them.”
Slowly I began checking through the various legends Saki had translated. Various myths and legends of old recount tales of mythical creatures that inhabited the island. Creatures whose hide was said to be stronger than most man made weapons. Information of any type would be helpful in exploring this island.
The crew of the ship then began prompting us to board the landing vessels starting our journey towards the lush green island. Unfortunately for us, the seafaring vessel we rode on had only two aircraft on board, nowhere near enough to take all the scientists and soldiers, but enough to gather air intel and drop supplies from the ship to the camp. Instead, we were to take several landing ships to the island’s shore. The smaller boats started on their way, pushing through the salty blue waters of the Pacific. The brisk morning air flew past our faces as the sounds of churning water and the roaring boat engine encompassed our hearing. The island slowly grew larger yet our minds remained focused only on the task ahead.
As we drew closer, we began to notice the black sandy beaches, evidence that the volcano was still somewhat active. Lush jungle greenery and the distant mountains made for a beautiful landscape. Far, near the center of the island, smoke rose from the peak of the ancient volcano. Altogether, the island seemed like a beautiful paradise untouched by modern man’s corruption.
The moment we reached shore, a small platoon of armed soldiers quickly began checking the perimeter for anything dangerous. As they did so, our men began unloading our packs of supplies onto the beach. Gathering everyone together, I began briefing the team on our mission.
“Alright men, we will be staying on this island for a month of exploration and study. I should remind you that if you die out here, what’s left of your body will be brought back to your families. Should we actually find any Titans calling this place home, we will most likely be stationed here for far longer than a month. Marked on your map is the location of the village ruins that we will be making our base. Now grab your stuff and let’s get started.”
“Sir, a question,” one man plainly asked, “What dangers might there be on this island?”
I stopped a moment due to the idiocy of the question before responding promptly.
“If we knew what dangers reside here, we wouldn’t be staying here for a month now would we? Don’t forget to follow Lt. Fernandez’s instructions because her men have all the weapons”.
With that, Saki and I grabbed our bags and began to trek through the wilderness with soldiers following suit. Very quickly, the rest of the team gathered their remaining supplies and equipment and followed after. The overgrown plant life in the jungle took some time to get through. The various sounds of birds chirping and creatures rushing through the brush kept the soldiers ready to act. It didn’t take long for our mission to turn for the worse.
Upon finding an open clearing in the jungle, the team decided to take a short break. On the edge of the clearing, a male soldier began flirting with one of the new recruits near the edge of the clearing. I almost didn’t hear the high pitched chitter through their laughter. Looking closer, there was a shadowed figure hiding in the underbrush behind the soldier, two glowing blue eyes hidden in the darkness. The chittering resonated with the silent jungle air as a massive pincer clamped down onto the soldier’s shoulder.
The man screamed as he was dragged into the jungle, all of us giving chase into the green depths. By the time we had found him, his body was strewn upon the branches of a tree as a massive insect, nearly 8 meters long, feasted on his flesh. Soldiers began opening fire upon the creature causing it to screech in rage. The bullets merely bounced off its tough chitin carapace as it slowly made its way towards us.
“Get out of here!” Lt. Hernandez shouted as they continued to fire into the giant insect. We scientists obliged to the soldier’s command and quickly started back to the clearing. More bullets and screams echoed behind us as everyone rushed to get out of the jungle.
Before long, we had managed to get out of the outer jungle and into the inner island landmass. The trees cleared up more as there were now open plains with a large lake and river near the opposing edge. Dotting the outer edges of the plains were several large holes releasing what seemed to be volcanic fumes. Catching our breaths, the rustling of leaves and grass forced us to turn in panic, only for what remained of the soldiers to leave the underbrush.
“Damn thing is slow but hard as hell to kill,” the disgruntled lieutenant said as she and her small platoon entered the clearing. “Any clue to what the hell that thing was?”
Her questions were quickly interrupted as more chittering entered our hearing. Moving away from the foliage, the soldiers took aim as two more of the massive insects left the jungle. They waved their massive pincers into the air as they started rushing forth. A hail of bullets fired into the insects, striking the first in its eyes, piercing the softer flesh. The first insect dropped to the ground in pain as the second shielded its face.
Soldiers backed up as the insect drew near. As it made its way closer, the ground shifted beneath it slightly as it moved near a hole. A loud squeal resounded in the air around us as a massive black figure launched out of the hole and onto the insects back. The two creatures started rolling and tearing into each other until finally the black creature tore off the head of the insect.
“A giant rat!” One man shouted as we watched the massive man sized rat tearing apart the insect with its sharp teeth. “Might be a descendant of a rat that stowed away on ships centuries ago. It’s possible that the isolation could have forced a form of Island Gigantism in the animals of the island, similar to that of Skull Island.”
The giant rat screeched at us as it reeled back aggressively. The soldiers took aim only for the creature to tense its body. It then grabbed hold of its kill and dragged it into the underground for feeding. A sense of relief filled our minds as the danger resolved itself. Walking over to the remaining corpse, our men began to inspect its features. One of the researchers soon identified it as an ancient species of dragonfly nymph called Meganulon. It could have survived all these years isolated on the island, hidden underground or deep in the jungle.
“We should get going to the village before more of those things come out to hunt.”
It didn’t take much longer for the group to find what remained of the village. A long damaged stone wall surrounded what remained of the village. Various vines and plants covered several weathered down huts made of wood and stone while others were decimated by fallen volcanic debris. But what surprised most was the still mostly standing temple-like structure in the center of the village. Upon reaching the village, Lt. Fernandez shot up a signal flare to inform the ship of our location. Quickly, soldiers began combing the area for threats as our crew began placing down our equipment.
“Alright men, let’s set up base here.”
While many began to set up camp, several others were readying camera’s and exploring the remnants of the village. Fidgeting with the small pack on my belt I pulled out a small handheld digital recorder and slowly made my way towards the temple. You see, all Monarch scientists have their own way to document findings and research on Titans. Serizawa has his famous notebook on Gojira that never leaves his side. Dr. Emma Russell tended to make video recordings of her research. As for me, I tend to keep my work a little more simple, keeping audio journals of my findings.
“Journal #197-O, this journal will document the research and results on Sergio Island. The date is August 1st, 2018. We have arrived at our destination of Sergio Island, though with some casualties. Along our journey through the island, we encountered an ancient species of dragonfly nymph called Meganulon. The creatures appear to be bulletproof in all areas but the eyes and are ferocious hunters.”
Looking around, I began to make out the edges of what might have once been a large altar for worship in the midst of the stone structure. The stone seemed to be made of black basalt with various engravings decorating its sides. In the center of the altar were engraved three figures forming a triangle. One appeared to be a mountain like creature with a long protruding neck, another a crab like figure covered in hairs, and the third a large eye with six tentacles protruding from it surrounded by fish. Beneath the altar frame, a fourth, more humanoid figure could be seen molded in flames, holding some sort of weapon in hand. However, its appearance seemed to be more demonic than the rest.
“Upon arriving in the village ruins, my team had come across what remains of the village temple, finding various texts and engravings.” Placing my hand on the altar, I wiped away some rubble and dirt revealing some ancient text. Wiping more of it revealed the entire altar seemed to have various engraved texts along its surface, though some were worn down by weather.
“Saki, can you read this?” I asked as photographers documented the ancient text. Saki carefully looked over the worn text and began deciphering its contents.
“It’s a bit damaged but I can make out some of it. This speaks of the three great ones, the gods of Sergio Island. Strong Ganimes of the Lake, Mountain Guard Kamoebas, and Cunning Gezora, Defender of the Sea. It’s said that the three Gods of Sergio protected the island from great dangers to its shores, including something here called the War God of Kumaso.”
“So there’s a possibility that these gods may be Titans yet undiscovered.” There was something about one of the names that left a nagging feeling in the back of my mind, yet I couldn’t remember for the life of it. It took a moment longer to realize something odd and important about the text on the monolith. “Wait, did you say Kumaso? As in the ancient Japanese Tribe of Kumaso in the tales of Yamato Takeru?”
“It’s possible that it could very much be the same Kumaso. Monarch has discovered Titanus Yamata no Orochi hibernating in Mt. Fuji,” she replied before continuing her translation. “This here states that one day, invaders from a far off land came in conquest of their island, bringing with them a great fire demon they worshiped as god. It took the combined strength of Ganimes, Kamoebas, and Gezora to drive off the invaders.”
“It’s possible that this War God could be another Bio-Volcanic Titan, similar to Titanus Rodan,” I suggested, staring at the altar’s engravings. The fire demon staring back at me from its position in the stone unnerved me for some odd reason. The sounds of helicopter blades slicing through the air alerted the rest of us to the supply drops for our stay here. Documenting the various findings of the village, I began to wander about, watching as soldiers began putting up fencing, preparing to hook up a small generator to electrify the defenses for the moment. Watching the soldiers, I noticed a large group of tropical birds flying skyward from the jungle, as though something dangerous was about to arrive.
The ground started to rumble as our men began to panic at the powerful shaking. The tremors grew in strength suddenly, forcing some men to the ground as various equipment fell from their position. The roofing of some of the less stable buildings collapsed inward with screams echoing through the air. The shaking continued on for nearly a minute before calming down.
“Is everyone ok?” I shouted out as the rumbling came to an end. Groans of pain came from one of the collapsed buildings as soldiers rushed towards the building. Rushing over, I watched as they lifted and pulled out one of the researchers trapped beneath the weathered wood. Worried about the seismic activity, I turned toward the smoking volcano. “I hope this doesn’t mean an eruption is coming any time soon.”
The next morning, a small group of researchers and a squad of soldiers left camp to explore the island. Included in that group was Saki and myself. Traversing the edge of the jungle, we entered the large grasslands of the island in search of what other life might inhabit this island. Giant rats and Meganulon scoured the land, hunting one another along with various other enlarged rodents and mammals. After several hours of travel, the group stopped at the foot of a large mountain, in which several of our men began to scale in order to get a better look at our surroundings.
“It appears that the native fauna here seemed to be far larger than their mainland counterparts, similar to the effects on Skull Island,” I spoke, recording my notes as the researchers in the group all took a rest, drinking water and snacking on their lunch rations. “Based on the studies on Skull Island and the aftermath of the 2014 battle, it is quite possible that the long term presence of Titans in an ecosystem might be the trigger for massive growth in both plants and animals.” In the midst of our rest, a small shudder started to shake throughout the ground before becoming far stronger very quick.
“An aftershock!” Someone shouted as they flattened themselves to the ground. The shaking was over far faster than previously prompting us to ready to leave. One soldier began radioing back to base as our men slowly got their stuff together.
“Something’s wrong, the village base didn’t feel the shaking,” the soldier pointed out as we stared around us.
“What do you mean? That aftershock should have been felt across the island,” I replied. Suddenly, the mountain began to shake. The ground remained stable as the men climbing screamed in panic, barely managing to slide off with minimal damage. A loud screech roared around us as the very mountain itself began rising up. Dirt shook from its mass as everyone rushed to get away from the rising landmass. The loud chittering of Meganulon deterred us from the jungle as a group of the massive insects started chasing after us.
After getting some distance away, we watched as the dirt and vegetation shook off the mountain revealing a large shell underneath. The shape of the shell seemed to create points angled towards the front of the creature as a large reptilian head separated from the shell. The structure of the shell suddenly sent memories flooding through my mind of an excavation site several years ago.
“No wonder that name seemed familiar. It’s a Megalo Mata Mata,” I said, watching the massive spiky shell rising into the air. “Otherwise known as Kamoebas”.
Other researchers stared at the turtle behemoth as it slowly awoke, its rising body shaking off dirt and stone. As it opened its eyes, I heard someone asking about its classification and whether it was a Titan.
“Not all Titans have the Titanus classification,” I replied. “Take the Skullcrawlers for example, their species classification is Cranium Reptant, and Kong was once going to be Megaprimatus Kong before he continued growing far larger than estimated, entering the range for the Titanus species. Besides, the largest skeleton we’ve found only reached about 20 meters, this one has to be at least 50-60 meters. It’s no mistake the name seemed familiar, considering there was a Sergio Islander among the group that discovered the first fossils.”
The massive rock turtle released a loud screech into the air as it shook dirt and rock off its rocky head. It stared at the ground around it as a multitude of Meganulon rushed about trying to escape. Very quickly, its head snapped outward, snatching a Meganulon into its maw and crunching down upon the insect. It continued to do so for several seconds before a loud scream caught its attention. Nearby its head was one of the female scientists as Meganulon surrounded her. Soldiers instantly rushed forth and began firing at the Meganulon, only for their bullets to do nothing. Her screams echoed in the air as the Meganulon went to strike. Suddenly, the insect was dragged into the sky as Kamoebas devoured it quickly. Turning to the human, it leaned down towards her as soldiers prepared to fire. Before they could, the massive turtle seemed to find her unappealing as it turned to continue feeding.
“It appears that this Titan might not be a Destroyer like some of the others,” I noted, watching as the large turtle continued to eat before suddenly lifting its head, sniffing the air. It then roared into the air as it turned toward the jungle. The creature then started off on its way, its thunderous footsteps shaking the land around it. “Well then, welcome to what could very much be the newest Monarch outpost men.”
Over the course of several days, we continued to track and study the now active Titanus Mata Mata in its natural habitat. Every once in a while, we would find readings of seismic activity in various parts of the island, yet it didn’t seem to affect the volcano or the land itself much. Our study of the creature led us to learning its habits and hunting methods, finding that the various Meganulon and other large creatures made up its diet. Even then, the creature seemed indifferent to us as it continued on with its life, as though it were searching for something.
A couple of days later, a celebration was held as we were given news that this island would become a new outpost under our helm. Drinks were passed out as soldiers and scientists alike celebrated their “promotion” with a barbecue. However, both Saki and I were troubled by the constant tremors around the island and put aside celebration to work.
“There’s something off about these reports,” Saki looked inquisitively over the reports. “It’s almost as though something is traversing beneath the island, perhaps burrowing through the land.”
“Don’t be a downer, what could possibly do such a thing with that oversized turtle wandering about?” One of the drunk researchers belched as they all laughed at her assumptions. Saki frowned at their behavior but continued.
“What do you think could be causing it? Another Titan perhaps?” I asked as we looked through the various files on Titans unaccounted for in the past couple years.
“I’m not too sure, it might be one of the other ‘gods’ of the island.”
The ground started to shake once more around us causing our equipment to fall to the ground. Part of the jungle seemed to explode upward as a baritone roar nearly burst our eardrums.
“You might be getting your answer right now,” I said as scientists and soldiers alike started rushing. The drunken researchers began screaming as they rushed to get out of the danger zone.
Dirt rained down upon us as a massive reddish brown creature began to rise out of the earth. Its body was reptilian in shape with several ridges going down its back. I noticed a glowing horn atop its head as well as two floppy ears rising into the sky. It was then that I realized what this creature was.
“Titanus Baranosdragon.”
“Baragon,” Saki muttered fearfully.
The massive ancient dinosaur shook the dirt off its head as it walked out of its tunnel. This Titan was a troublesome creature. First discovered hibernating in rural Japan, it managed to devour an entire village of people and livestock before tunneling away. The disappearances were chalked up to a natural disaster, yet we could never track down where it went. It constantly reappeared in several different locations away from overpopulated areas showing some intelligence before devouring all life, almost as though there were more of them. The dinosaur appeared to be crunching down on a giant rat as it left the confines of its tunnels.
“Everyone! Hide before it sees us!” I shouted. It was too late though as the screams of our men and the scent of burning meat attracted its attention. Baragon stared in our direction before letting out a low growl. Walking towards our camp, it ducked its head down, readying itself to grab a bite of human flesh. It was not to be however as a second roar filled the air.
Something large slammed into Baragon’s side knocking the subterranean dinosaur away from the camp. The long appendage then retracted as Kamoebas rose into the air. It let loose another shrill screech towards Baragon as the dinosaur turned to its foe. Fear and excitement filled my mind as I fumbled to pull out my recorder. We were about to bear witness to a territorial dispute between Titans.
“Journal #197-O, Sergio Island, Entry #7,” I started as the roars of the Titans thundered around us, “The various minor earthquakes around the island were caused by the Rogue Titan, Titanus Baranosdragon, Codename: Baragon. It has surfaced near camp and is now in a territorial dispute with Kamoebas.”
Baragon roared as the two charged. Hard shell struck tough flesh as the two behemoths clashed. Wood and dirt shot into the air as the two slammed into each other. Lifting its forelimbs into the air, the subterranean dinosaur pressed against the large shell and pushed its bulk against the turtle monster. Kamoebas screeched as it pressed forth, using its heavier bulk to slowly push back against the larger monster.
With a burst of strength, the gargantuan turtle managed to knock back the massive dinosaur. Kamoebas roared out as it rushed forth and tackled the vulnerable Baranosdragon through the jungle. Baragon roared back in outrage as it felt itself being pushed back. A bright flash of its horn near Kamoebas’ eyes briefly blinded the turtle allowing the dinosaur to get back upright. Quickly, the dinosaur stood on its hind legs as it flailed its ears wide as a show of intimidation, its horn pulsing with light like a rhythmic heartbeat.
“This is incredible! It appears Baragon’s horn seems to function as a portable light source for the creature to see underground,” I spoke as soldiers began rushing us to evacuate. Some scientists began running while some others took photos and videos of the deadly battle before us.
Kamoebas shook its head free of the blinding light and stared up at the bipedal creature. The turtle roared as Baragon slammed its claws into its back. The fleshy paws of the ravenous beast bounced off the hard shell, stinging at the sheer strength of it. In retaliation, Kamoebas quickly shot out its head and bit into Baragon’s leg. A scream bellowed from the dinosaur’s maw as it began slamming its claws onto the tough shell.
“So who do you think is going to win?” Saki asked as we moved to get out of range of their battle.
“Hard to say, Kamoebas seems to have the greater defensive measures, but Baragon seems to have far better mobility.”
“By the way, why is it called a Baranosdragon?” One man asked while photographing the battle.
“If we are lucky, you won’t have a chance to find out,” I replied quickly.
The ground shook as Baragon continued its assault on the tough shell of the turtle. Kamoebas continued to shake and tear its hold on Baragon’s leg as it felt the large dinosaur slamming him into the ground. With his body slamming down constantly, the giant rock turtle suddenly threw its head upward. The subterranean dinosaur was surprised when he found himself being thrown onto the back of the large turtle creature. With the brown monster on its shell, Kamoebas threw itself up onto its hind legs, launching Baragon away from the village site.
Baragon slammed into the jungle ground, stunned momentarily by his opponent’s feat of strength. Kamoebas turned itself around and roared angrily at the invading Titan. This creature came onto his domain and thought it could eat his animals. The giant turtle then rushed forth with surprising speed and slammed his pointed shell into the dinosaur’s side.
The subterranean drake screeched as the sharp edges of Kamoebas’ shell pricked his hide. As the turtle began to back up, Baragon quickly managed to roll onto his feet and face the turtle. Right as Kamoebas charged, Baragon leapt high into the air, soaring over the turtle’s shell. Kamoebas slowly slid to a stop as he turned to face his foe. Screeching out in anger, the turtle monster charged forth once more. Seeing this, Baragon reared up onto his hind legs and opened his maw wide.
A red hot beam launched out of the subterranean dragon’s maw and slammed into the turtle kaiju’s neck. The fiery heat ray forced the massive rock turtle to rear back in pain as pure heat struck his skin.
Having gotten to higher ground, both scientist and soldier alike watched with awe as the subterranean dragon unleashed his molten wrath against his foe.
“With flames that broil and scorch the earth, and a hunger fiercer than the demons of hell, the insatiable dragon of Bara prowls through the darkness! Just like it is told in the myths, behold the signature weapon of the Baranosdragon!” I recited as we watched the massive drake open fire once more upon the giant turtle. “Baragon can fire a heat ray from his maw to soften the surrounding rock for burrowing, hence older civilizations referring to him as the insatiable earth dragon.” As Baragon fires off another heat ray, Kamoebas ducked down, his shell now taking the brunt of the rays searing heat.
“What is it doing?” Saki stated as she watched the massive turtle slowly charging forth, tucking its limbs as close to its shell as possible. The heat ray struck the turtle in the face, only for Kamoebas to close its eyelids and continue its slow charge.
“I see! His shell and armored parts are insulating and negating the heat ray’s effect!”
“Professor Miya! A fire’s broken out in the jungle!” A soldier stated as we turned, seeing Baragon’s heat ray had indeed set the jungle ablaze in their onslaught.
Kamoebas screeched as he slowly made his way towards the larger monster. As another ray struck his shell, Kamoebas could feel the heat rolling off his tough armor. Thankfully, his face was just as armored as his shell giving it some resistance to the drake’s heat ray. Seeing a chance, Kamoebas shot out his neck at full extension, snapping his maw around the dinosaur’s arm and tugging forward. The sudden pull managed to unbalance Baragon as the subterranean monster fell forth onto the now burning hot shell. The searing heat did little to harm the dinosaur, having lived in environments much hotter than this. The sharp points were another matter altogether.
Burning hot shell spikes prodded Baragon’s flesh as the dinosaur slammed his claws against Kamoebas’ neck, dislodging the turtle from its bite leaving bleeding holes on his flesh. Kamoebas screeched in pain as Baragon’s claws slashed into his softer flesh releasing his hold on the dinosaur’s arm. Tearing back, the turtle tucked his neck back into his shell as he charged towards Baragon, intending to barrel him with his heavier bulk.
Not wanting to be tackled once more, Baragon reared down and met Kamoebas’ charge with his own, slamming their bodies against each other head on. However, this time Baragon had a plan. The moment they collided, the burrowing kaiju put his arms underneath the turtle’s underbelly and flipped upward. Losing his balance, Kamoebas found himself flipped onto his back, struggling as he tried to right his position. Baragon seemed to chuckle at his foe’s misfortune as he began to slam his mighty claws against the turtle’s underside. Sparks flew as the strong burrowing arms and sharp claws slashed across the tough plastron.
Kamoebas roared as his foe continued to pummel his helpless body. Seeing his foe unable to do anything, Baragon began to fire his heat ray into the surroundings, setting ablaze the jungle around even further, intending to cook his foe alive. Tucking in his limbs, Kamoebas knew he only had one chance to get free of his current predicament.
Baragon stared in confusion as he watched his foe hiding in his shell as the flames surrounded the two of them. He then realized that if his foe was hiding, the flames wouldn’t damage him. Roaring in anger, the subterranean terror rushed forth to try to bite and tear out the turtle’s limbs in order to force the creature off. That was Baragon’s first mistake. The moment the dinosaur drew close, Kamoebas’ neck shot out like a piston, slamming into the dinosaur’s gut and knocking the air out of the monster. Biting onto the fatter monster, Kamoebas used Baragon’s writhing body to flip himself over.
Now right side up, the turtle kaiju screeched in anger as it rushed Baragon’s downed body. Biting down on the dinosaur’s neck, Kamoebas attempted to tear out the earth dragon’s throat. With sharp fangs sinking into his flesh, Baragon struggled to get free as he slammed his claws at Kamoebas. This did little however, as Kamoebas had tucked his softer flesh within the protection of his hard carapace. Biting harder, he began swaying his head about as blood seeped into his maw.
Baragon roared as he felt the turtle’s sharp teeth tearing into his flesh. Twisting his body, the subterranean terror managed to get his two back legs upright and started to slowly right himself. Now on all fours, Baragon struggled to get the turtle’s grip off his neck, seeing only one option left to him. Tending his leg muscles, the brown-red dragon leapt forward with surprising strength. Flesh tore leaving small gashes as Baragon broke loose of Kamoebas’ toothy grip. Landing several meters away, the primitive beast fired his heat ray upon the earth and started to tunnel beneath the earth.
Seeing his foe retreating, Kamoebas shrieked as he used his head to send rocks flying towards the burrowing kaiju. Once Baragon’s tail sank beneath the earth, Kamoebas roared in triumph.
“It appears he’s won!” A scientist shouted out as people began cheering. I was of a different mind however.
“No,” I spoke, scanning the burning battlefield, “Baragon is smarter than this. He is probably trying a new approach.”
The ground began rumbling as the Kamoebas searched his surroundings. The ground then began to collapse beneath the titanic turtle causing it to screech in surprise while we all watched as the ground seemed to collapse, our camp along with it. As the dust began to clear, we could now see Baragon staring out at Kamoebas from a tunnel above as several acres of burning jungle had now been devoured and extinguished by the dinosaur’s rough burrowing.
With a howling roar, Baragon leapt from his tunnel towards the giant turtle, slamming horn first into the turtle’s face. The sharp bone sparked as it collided with Kamoebas’ face, causing the turtle to recoil in pain. Rushing forth, Baragon slammed his body into Kamoebas’ off-balanced body, using his horn and powerful limbs as leverage to lift the heavier monster up. With no way to retaliate, the giant terrapin uselessly flapped his arms as Baragon managed to push the turtle against the edge of the sunken earth. Backed against a cliff, Kamoebas was left immobile as the brown-red dinosaur backed away.
Scraping his back legs against the dirt, the subterranean dinosaur leapt forth with surprising strength, slamming horn first into the turtle monster’s body. Kamoebas screeched as Baragon’s horn stabbed into the joint between his shell and his forelimb, blood seeping out from the wound. Backing up, the subterranean terror growled as he pawed at the ground once more, preparing for another powerful headbutt. Hearing his foe readying to stab him once more, Kamoebas extended his neck outward to stare at his opponent, twisting his body as for his foe to ricochet off his tough carapace.
Baragon backpedaled and pawed at his head, having headbutted the turtle on its spikes. Kamoebas continued twisting his body, hoping to roll over at some point to regain his footing. Baragon growled as he watched his foe twisting on the cliffside. Opening his maw, the dinosaur bit onto the turtle’s back leg and attempted to drag him towards his lair. Kamoebas screeched as he felt his foe tearing into his leg. Smoldering earth seeped with smoke as the underground Titan continued trying to drag his heavier opponent into his caves.
Not wanting to fall into his enemy’s home turf, the massive turtle quickly began flailing his large body about. The reddish brown monster tried his best to ignore the flailing limbs as he tore into the leg some more, blood pooling into his mouth as he sunk his teeth in further. Having been pulled off the cliffside, Kamoebas quickly twisted his weight towards Baragon, flipping his body over and onto the dinosaur’s head. Now trapped beneath the heavier monster, Baragon screeched as he slammed his bulky forefeet against the turtle’s hard shell, trying to dislodge his trapped head. Kamoebas roared in rage as he felt his opponent trying to escape his predicament. Now with all four legs on the ground, Kamoebas lifted himself up onto his two back legs, releasing Baragon for the moment.
Freed, Baragon backed up as he pawed at his head before a shadow overtook his vision. The ground shook as Kamoebas slammed back first into Baragon’s body as a loud crack was heard. The subterranean dinosaur screeched in pain as the turtle’s heavy mass pressed his face into the dirt. His horn was cracked and his head bleeding as Kamoebas flipped off the dinosaur’s body. Now righted once again, Kamoebas was quick to attack as he tore into Baragon’s neck, his sharp fangs tearing in at opposing angles causing the wounds to bleed more.
Lifting up his forearm, Baragon attempted to swat at the turtle’s neck, only for Kamoebas to lift his own forelimb onto the subterranean terrors body, forcing the other monster’s limb to slam weakly against the tough shell. Tearing backward, Kameobas tore a gash into his foe’s neck causing blood to drip from the wounds as Baragon backed away. Kamoebas waited for his foe to submit to his will. Baragon glared at the massive turtle in front of him. His horn was cracked along with parts of his skull and his neck was injured. Before he could roar back, Kamoebas quickly rushed forth, slamming his body into the weakened Baragon causing the dinosaur to stumble back into his underground cave. Seeing no other choice at the moment, Baragon unleashed his magma heat ray on the roof of the entrance, closing it up with a landslide. Waiting for a moment for his foe to return, Kamoebas braced himself for another attack. Moments passed before finally, Kamoebas roared to the skies victorious.
“How terrible,” Saki stated as we all watched the end to the bloody battle from a distance. The camp had fallen into the newly formed ravine along with most of our equipment, save what we had on hand.
“Terrible, yet amazing,” I said in response, watching as Kamoebas slowly stumbled about, digging against the side of the ravine to escape his current predicament. As smoke and dust settled amongst the ravages of the battle, all our remaining forces grouped together. Amongst our ranks, several were missing, having run off in panic.
“Everybody, listen up!” Lieutenant Hernandez shouted, catching everyone’s attention. “Our base has been destroyed, and as such we will need to be searching for a new location to set up camp. Several of our men are missing and we will be searching for them as soon as that monster leaves this area.” Gathering what little supplies we had, our group began a long trek to search for a new place to set up base camp.
Smoke dribbled out of the volcano as magma bubbled within its confines. An oddity about the magma chamber were the various chains of volcanic stone spread throughout the volcano’s midst, all interconnecting towards a large island-like structure in its center. Echoes of battle bounced about within the walls of the magma chamber along with a screech of victory. Screams of man and roars of Titans vibrated the cavernous chamber as the pointed rocks quickly opened revealing molten eyes within. The time of his release was near.
Winner: Kamoebas (Showa)
