Author: Kristian Zatkoff | Banner: Dao Zang Moua

Several buildings were blasted into pieces when a rainbow-colored ray detonated upon them. Mechagodzilla let out a loud shriek as he struck a pose with his left arm out in front of him, quickly shifting his hand into a horizontal position before unleashing hell on earth with his Revolver Finger Missiles. Entire streets and buildings were uprooted and blown into tiny pieces like glass as the missiles dug a good distance underground and exploded right under the streets of London.

Moguera landed some distance away, setting the city ablaze with its arm lasers. Mechagodzilla activated its boosters, ready to take off to the next target when something hit it from behind, knocking it headfirst into a burning building. Zone Fighter let out a shout announcing his arrival.

Their match could now begin!

Moguera’s treads roared to life as the mighty robot ran over several buildings, wood and bricks splintering in the air and raining down as deadly projectiles as people tried to get out of the machines path. Zone Fighter lifted up the still grounded Mechagodzilla and began to spin around in circles faster and faster before throwing the huge chunk of space titanium into Moguera. Mechagodzilla merely deflected off of the robot’s chest, Moguera didn’t even slow down.

The Meteor Man had no time to get out of the way and could only brace for the worst as Moguera slammed into the giant alien warrior. Zone Fighter immediately entered a dazed like state, confused where he lay. It took him a moment to figure out that he was on his back, looking up at the sky. Moguera must have ran over me, he thought. As he got up, he noticed he had no other injuries save for the tread tracks on his body. Thankfully he only blacked out for a sec-

Mechagodzilla burst from Zone Fighter’s side, screeching in surprise as his right finger launched forward, stabbing the Meteor Man’s gut. Zone cried out in agony, falling forward with his arms covering his abdomen while Mechagodzilla simply watched. With another opening, Mechagodzilla took advantage of Zone Fighter’s status and karate chopped Zone in the neck followed up with a kick to the ribs. Zone stumbled down the cities’ streets but managed to keep his footing. Mechagodzilla lashed out again with another stab but Zone dodged the blow, grabbing the machine monster by the arm and throwing him down atop a street overflowing with vehicles.

Zone Fighter staggered back, taking a moment to catch his breath. Mechagodzilla’s down, now where is-

From behind Moguera fired its chest laser, but Zone Fighter jumped up into the sky, twisting his body around in midair before kicking Moguera in the face causing him to stagger back. Thunderous blows continued to rain upon Moguera until Mechagodzilla roared a shriek at Zone Fighter. Zone Fighter threw a final punch across Moguera’s face, sending it careening into a building as he shifted his attention to the nearby mechanical abomination. Standing amongst the flames of a burning London, it looked like, for lack of a better term, a Terminator Godzilla and Zone was targeted for termination. Zone Fighter ran toward him only to be blasted in the back by Moguera’s arm lasers. Zone Fighter yelled a pained cry and turned around only to have Mechagodzilla’s eye beams rip into his back, unleashing a fountain of blood. Zone Fighter fell to the ground and before he knew it, Mechagodzilla was already standing above him. Mechagodzilla delivered a kick that sent Zone Fighter flying, before he could hit the ground, Zone Fighter activated his flight and regained his equilibrium, landing on his feet. He bolted toward Mechagodzilla who’s hands spun around before the mech unleashed his Finger Missiles. Zone Fighter was hit by several missiles, engulfing him in fire, but the Meteor Man ran undeterred and fired off twin blasts of his Arrow Stream beams, glancing the arms of the mechanical Godzilla and making him stagger back. Mechagodzilla raised his head, screeching a mechanical roar, before unleashing his eye beams but Zone had already dropped down on his back, his momentum making him slide along the ground at high speeds, his feet kicking the robots’ own feet from under him. Mechagodzilla smashed into the city streets as Zone slid by.

Moguera’s treads roared to life again as the tank of an anti-kaiju weapon charged forward. He couldn’t let his ally fall. His programming wouldn’t allow it.

Zone Fighter kicked Mechagodzilla down with an ax kick as the machine was just about to arise, then delivered a second kick sending Mechagodzilla sliding along the ground right under Moguera who tripped over his ally and fell over face first into a nearby structure. Mechagodzilla got up just in time to dodge Zone Fighter’s fist strikes and counter with his own. The back of Mechagodzilla’s hand swung outward, knocking Zone Fighter backward and allowing the mechanical being to continue a physical barrage upon the Meteor Man. Zone Fighter tried in vain to block the attacks when he heard something he prayed was just his imagination. It took him less than a second to find out it wasn’t. Mechagodzilla’s boosters roared to life as the machine took to the sky and in that instant Moguera drove forward with its drill spinning. Sparks flew the instant the spinning tool of death made contact with Zone Fighter’s face plate.

Zone Fighter tried to throw the bulky machine off of him, but it was proving to be heavier than he expected. To his horror, he felt the pain of a million burning stars as the drill found its way into one of his eyes. The world he existed in was no stranger to his screams, but it never heard him in such a horrific state. Zone finally managed to push Moguera away and stumbled around with one hand over his damaged eye socket. Blood was ripping from the hand covering it. When he looked at the river nearby, the Meteor Man saw that where his eye used to be was now nothing but a dark empty space, blood and other fluids leaking out of the socket.

Moguera’s arm ports opened up and fired twin Spiral Grenade Missiles. Zone dodged the first but was blindsided by the second one, the blast sending him soaring to the other side of the river. Mechagodzilla took to the skies and began to rain down eye lasers and finger missiles on the Meteor Man. Zone Fighter summoned his energy and fired a thin blue laser from the crest on his head. The Meteor Proton Beam tore into Mechagodzilla’s metal body as if it was butter being sliced by a hot knife. The Mecha almost lost control but at the last second straightened himself out and landed on his feet. Moguera landed next to Mechagodzilla, their combined sight shifting onto Zone Fighter. Ports across both parted to reveal missiles, bulbs and other weapons. Zone watched the pair prepare an unparalleled barrage.

It was exactly what the Meteor Man needed.

The killing machines unleashed their entire arsenals. Zone’s hands were glowing before he vanished in the smoke from the ensuing barrage. For a whole minute the machines unleashed eye beams, chest lasers, missiles and several other projectiles with a seemingly endless supply. London shook from the endless assault, building collapsing from the immense tremors. As the machine’s finally subsided their onslaught, the wind swept the smoke away only for both machines to see in place of Zone Fighter was a Zone-Barrier. A mighty yell echoed across the city, Zone Fighter burst into the air and brought his right hand down upon Moguera’s face. The robot careened into the nearby river, helpless to help his ally as the Meteor Man spun and delivered a crippling knee strike upon Mechagodzilla’s abdomen. Metal cracked, bending inward. Mechagodzilla stumbled back but managed to keep his footing. A port opened on his chest and a jagged yellow beam lashed outward.

Zone cried out as the searing hot beam tore into his body. The river exploded behind him, Moguera’s form rushing out, his drill spinning wildly as he charged forward but Zone kicked Moguera with all his might, causing it to crash into Mechagodzilla head first. Mechagodzilla let out a metallic scream in frustration.

Mechagodzilla was just a machine; however, thanks to a powerful A.I., he had become somewhat sentient to the point where it falsely believed itself to be alive. With this came the replication of rage, pride, agony and other animal like emotions and responses, creating the illusion of pain in its programming, trying to intimidate kaiju with shrieks, posing before drawing out his finger missiles, taking orders to kill kaiju like Godzilla and eliminating foes however he saw fit. Because of this, he had become more than a machine unlike his partner, Moguera.

Like a real living breathing kaiju, Mechagodzilla did not wait for Moguera to cease using his drill. Instead, he gritted his metal teeth, bracing himself for the nonexistent pain as grabbed Moguera with his right hand, pushing him off and used his left hand to grab the drill. Sparks flew but soon enough the drill stopped. Letting its emotions overtake any thought process, he ripped the drill off his partners face and threw it right at Zone Fighter. The Meteor Man would have easily dodged it if it weren’t for Mechagodzilla’s eye beams hitting the drill at the last second, speeding it up. The drill pierced the Meteor Man’s chest, missing his heart by mere inches. Zone fell to his knees, the anguish of the impact overtaking him. He coughed up blood but because of his metal face plate it had nowhere to go.

Time slowed for Zone Fighter with his attention so focused on his new wound he was unaware that Moguera had separated into the two mechs that formed its body, Land Moguera and Star Falcon. Zone felt a sense of fear as he gazed up at the robotic doppelganger of Godzilla. Mechagodzilla was staring at him the same way many living kaiju had stared at him in the heat of combat. He wondered. Could it be? Indeed, he recognized the emotion he knew all too well thanks to the Garoga aliens who destroyed his homeworld: hate.

The fires in London had nearly died down, there was so little left to burn. With a rush of adrenaline, Zone Fighter burst forth and traded blows with Mechagodzilla. Every step the alien warrior took sent ash and burning amber high into the sky. Mechagodzilla delivered a powerful side chop into Zone’s neck, but Zone Fighter responded in kind with a powerful kick to Mechagodzilla’s chest. Mechagodzilla reached out with his arms, ready to crush Zone Fighter, but the blue hero grabbed both arms and before Mechagodzilla could react, he kicked the mighty machine sending him stumbling back. This gave Zone Fighter an idea, while still holding on to the arms he jumped up and used Mechagodzilla’s body as leverage. Mechagodzilla thrashed all about trying to dislodge the hero but he held on tight. Step by step, Zone Fighter’s feet got closer and closer to Mechagodzilla’s head. The machine’s chest plate opened up, but Zone Fighter lashed out with a kick to the chest port, slamming it shut. Now with one foot on Mechagodzilla’s neck and the arms being restrained by him, Zone began to push with his feet with all his might. Mechagodzilla’s arms and neck groaned under the strain. At this rate, even if his head wasn’t torn off, his arms would be. Mechagodzilla screeched in rage, he needed to act!

Mechagodzilla discharged his eye beams, scorching Zone Fighter’s armor, but Zone refused to give up. Suddenly twin energy rays from above joined in with Mechagodzilla’s eye beams. The Star Falcon was circling above, joining his comrade in arms, yet Zone Fighter refused to relinquish his hold.

Mechagodzilla’s head and arms were almost torn off when suddenly the Star Falcon crashed into Zone Fighter’s side. Zone Fighter lost his grip as he was sent flying. The alien warrior landed right on top of the Big Ben, disappearing into an inferno from Mechagodzilla’s finger missiles. Zone Fighter eventually bolted out of the blaze, but he didn’t get very far as he fell into one of the tunnels the Land Moguera had excavated during the battle. Zone Fighter desperately tried to climb out of the hole, fear coursing through him merely for him to silence those feelings. I shouldn’t be afraid of these two, he thought. They’re just-

Mechagodzilla landed right in front of Zone Fighter and smashed his foot against Zone’s face, planting the Meteor Man back in the hole.

Was this karma? Did he deserve this for how much pain he put monsters through before killing them?

Zone Fighter flew upward merely for a spiral grenade to detonate across his backside as he exited the hole, sending Zone Fight flying right to Mechagodzilla who smacked him out of the air.

It’s true he had made many kaiju suffer before killing them when he could have just finished them off, but saving humanity more than made up for that. Didn’t it?

Mechagodzilla’s right foot smashed atop the back of the Meteor Man’s head, planting his face firmly into London’s charred pavement.

This was karma. He knew it. He despised the Garoga for destroying his planet so much he had let that hate consume him, allowing it to spread to his actions without ever realizing it. Even against Mechagodzilla, a machine, he was trying to tear it limb from limb because he knew that somewhere, amongst all the wires and programs, was a sentient being that he could make suffer, to feel the anguish he wanted the Garoga to suffer. He had become the very beings he despised.

Mechagodzilla’s foot crashed down once more upon Zone’s head, up-heaving pavement from the force.

No more. He would destroy the Garoga, not as an act of revenge but as an act of justice for every civilization they wronged, to protect those that could still be protected Instead of toying with them, he would end them with haste, not out of hate but as an act of mercy.

Mechagodzilla removed his foot, allowing Zone Fighter to turn his gaze and match Mechagodzilla’s unflinching stare with his own.

It was time to stop fooling around.

No way I’m going to lose to you bots, Zone thought.

Mechagodzilla mocked the alien warrior with a menacing mechanical roar and launched another kick but Zone Fighter caught his foot and threw him down onto the ground. Zone Fighter struck several poses as he summoned energy then took to the sky. Flying above the city of London, the mighty alien warrior screamed a few words to represent the power he now possessed.

“Double Anti-Missile Might!”

A bright flash of light announced the appearance of his missile bracelets and the sound of thunder marked their discharge. Destructive kaiju killing missiles rained down upon the two machines. They tried to find cover but every structure under the storm either exploded or became engulfed in an intense blaze. When his gauntlets ran dry, Zone Fighter landed upon the now hellish landscape, seeing how much damage he had caused to his opponents.

The two machines looked like they had walked through a hail storm from hell, gigantic holes and dents lining their metal frames.

Mechagodzilla was enraged! A mechanical roar signified his fury before he discharged his entire arsenal. Every ounce of firepower he possessed fired toward Zone Fighter in one, final hellish barrage. Lasers, missiles, bolts, fire; it all clouded the air. In the seconds before the assault struck him, Zone Fighter stood his ground, determined and unafraid.

Several of the energy rays tore into Zone Fighter, charring the weakened armor, but the Finger Missiles seemed to be drawn to his bracelets as if being pulled by giant magnets. As Mechagodzilla’s barrage subsided, Moguera moved next to his ally, opening his central dish and Spiral Grenade Missile ports to finish off Zone Fighter. With an array of sparks, Moguera first fired its chest laser, falling into Zone Fighter’s trap.

Zone Fighter barely managed to put up his Hyper-Barrier in time, redirecting the focused beam back toward the robotic pair. A cloud of smoke overtook Mechagodzilla and Moguera, their vision temporarily obscured. Little did they know Zone Fighter had jumped over them in the ensuing chaos and was now behind them.

With a heroic cry, Zone Fighter fired off countless stolen Finger Missiles at the two robots. One barrage tore into Moguera, blasting chunks of his armor off until a lucky missile connected with a Spiral Grenade. In a blinding flash, Moguera vanished, the ensuing inferno ensuring nothing was left of the war machine. The second barrage aimed squarely at Mechagodzilla, demolishing the alien robot’s frame. Mechagodzilla’s jaw fell off, his eyes shattered, great holes punched through his body as if were hit by a meteor shower. A final missile made its way through Mechagodzilla’s metallic cranium, blasting it clean off. With all the Finger Missiles depleted, Zone Fighter let loose a sigh of relief. Through a great cloud of fire and smoke, he watched Mechagodzilla and Moguera vanish into the blaze.

He did it! He had won.

Zone Fighter stood tall, nodding in appreciation for the lesson he learned fighting the pair. Now he just needed to exit-

A thin white beam pierced through the smoke, ending his celebration as it struck the center of his chest. Zone Fighter stumbled backward and careened into a set of burning structures behind him. The Meteor Man’s gaze looked up to see the headless form of Mechagodzilla standing in a sea of fire, a glass dome where his head used to be….

Hikaru opened both his eyes, staring at a white ceiling with a sense of defeat coursing through him. A repetitive music track gradually forced him to arise to stare at his TV, a game over screen staring back at him. Hikaru pulled himself upon his couch and turned to see his sister standing in the middle of the living room, looking at him with a look of bewilderment.

“How did I do?” Hikaru asked.

“Horrible,” Hotaru’s responded, clutching her forehead with disdain. Hikaru merely rolled his eyes, grabbing a nearby controller. “Brother, I really wish you could play games like normal people.”

“It’s not a game, it’s training!” Hikaru retorted. “Besides, I nearly won. Even learned a few things!”

“Would father approve of you jumping into our TV set and fighting fictional monsters?”

“I’m getting stronger!”

“You look like you were hit by a bus brother,” Hotaru snickered. “If you need to train then train with one of the kaiju at Monsterland”.

“Machines don’t hold back,” Hikaru responded as he selected a character merely for his sister to grab a controller and sat beside him. With a cocky grin, Hotaru selected her own character. “Neither will I.”

Each pressed ready, watching their monsters appear on the TV but before the countdown could begin, their phones vibrated, attracting their attentions. Hotaru let out a long, annoyed breath while Hikaru switched the input of the television and turned on a news station which showcased unparalleled destruction.

Flames burned across the city of Osaka, metallic roars echoing across the skyline as Mechagodzilla walked down the city streets.

“Try not to lose this time,” Hotaru noted with a touch of sincerity as her brother stood upright.

Hikaru struck his signature pose and shouted, “Zone Fight Power!” Alien armor materialized across his body, but before he made another action, his gaze shifted to his sister. His hand extended, handing her his controller before he stated, “I won’t be long. Why don’t you get some training in while I’m gone? You’ll need it.”

Without any further hesitation, Hikaru jumped into the TV and materialized instantly above Osaka in his giant form. From the high altitude he noticed the alien machine and the wake of destruction from its rampage. This time he wouldn’t fool around. Mechagodzilla would find no victory in their duel. It would not be an easy battle, this Hikaru was certain of as he felt a feeling of dread grow within his stomach.

For if he were to lose his life here, there would be no continues.

Winner: Mechagodzilla (Showa)