Author: Harley Jameson | Banner: Andrew Sudomerski
There was said to be a powerful and terrifying beast. A beast so horrible that it brought Japan to its knees and made it beg for mercy. Legend says that only a select few could ever defeat this creature, although their names were lost to time. This terrifying beast of legend, feared across the world, was known as Godzilla.
A man made monster, Godzilla mowed down foe after foe, some claiming that his power equated and even surpassed the gods. Nothing could stop his never-ending rampage, nothing could beat him. One would try.
There were even more ancient legends, of a dragon with bloodstained skin and a hunger for death. These two nightmares of humanity never once clashed in battle, but the ancient dragon awoke one ominios day, his mind set on such an encounter. The Yamata no Orochi was coming back.
Toyama Bay was beautiful during the winter. While it wasn’t a nightly occurrence, the firefly squid often washed up on shore, illuminating the sandy beaches with such an array of cerulean hues that the beauty of the sight couldn’t be put into words. The ocean waves rolled gently onto the cold shore as the moonless night made the blue hue even more beautiful. This peace was disturbed though, by the waves crashing down on one another more violently than the last. Soon, the ground quaked as Godzilla, bathed in the bioluminescent blue of the firefly squid, marched onto the shore.
Godzilla gave a mighty roar, his dorsal spines glowing as blue as his body. With a flash of blinding light, signature nuclear energy tore into the nearby forest, setting it ablaze and causing small explosions to rock the quiet of the night. As the King of the Monsters went further inland, engulfed in a blaze of his own making, the ground began to shake violently. Godzilla grunted in confusion, his eyes narrowing on the burning forest as it split open, swallowing trees like hell itself was opening its jaws. Flames licked the open air, and from its depth, a demonic roar echoed out. Godzilla stayed his ground, flexing his claws as he scanned the towering beast. Orochi’s eight heads roared into the night, its mind seeking only one thing: To kill Godzilla.
Jets of searing hot flames shot out of a couple of the hydra’s heads, dousing Godzilla and erecting a shriek of pain from the irradiated creature. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air while orange light of the fires illuminated the night sky. Godzilla roared in anger and discharged an overwhelming atomic ray at Orochi, causing the ground to explode as it hit the ancient evil’s body. The creature slid back a few meters from the monumental force, causing Orochi’s heads to cry in pain.
The heads quickly recovered, their vengeful glares transforming into crimson energy that sparked within their optical orbs. Bolts of red lightning shot out from each of Orochi’s eyes and maws. Godzilla screamed in agony as he was electrocuted, smoke curling from his skin. He snarled in anger and charged Orochi, getting in close and clawing at the hydra’s body, spilling its tainted blood upon charred earth. Orochi gave a wail of pain as Godzilla sank his teeth into one of the demon’s necks. Like a rabid animal, Godzilla shook his head side to side, aiming to rip out one of Orochi’s throats. Several other of Orochi’s heads grabbed Godzilla before he could complete the tear, biting down while the head being bitten bathed Godzilla’s back in flames. Moaning in anguish, Godzilla relinquished his grip to echo a roar of pain into the heavens.
Orochi tucked a few of his heads and smashed them against the saurian’s abdomen, launching Godzilla away. The Monster King soared a few hundred meters before crash landing on his back. His dorsal spines dug trenches in the sand as he skidded away from the demonic hydra. As he slowed to a crawl, Godzilla returned to his feet, sand clinging to his body as his burns already began healing. More red lightning crackled out of Orochi, slamming into Godzilla and piercing his skin, red blood splattering onto the blue shoreline. The ground thundered as Orochi advanced, using his bulk to slam into Godzilla, forcing him to the beach once more while hellish flames bathed him.
The flames gradually subsided, allowing Orochi to gaze upon Godzilla’s grevious wounds. His front skin was burnt and smoking, and Orochi cackled with malicious glee. This creature was pathetic to the mighty Orochi! He would defeat this stupid creature and the Earth would be his. Godzilla’s claws curled into fists, a snarl of pure fury echoed, attracting the heads to Godzilla’s fallen form. Even watching the saurian, they were too slow to react. Godzilla sprang up with frightening speed, launching an atomic ray at Orochi, blowing one of the heads clean off in a shower of gore. Orochi unleashed seven wails of pain, and Godzilla closed the gap between them, biting and grabbing at other heads.
Orochi had no way of stopping Godzilla without doing damage to himself, and Godzilla ripped and tore unabated, yellow blood coating the Kaiju King as he gave a bellowing roar through Orochi’s flesh. Two more draconic heads soared into the surrounding inferno and caused another loud shriek of pain to echo from Orochi. The bleeding hydra had enough of this, and fire spewed out of its five remaining heads. Godzilla’s face scored the brunt of the monumental blaze, forcing the irradiated creature to stagger back, wailing as his eyes and nose were burnt and sealed shut.
Unable to see or smell his foe, Godzilla staggered about, firing his atomic ray wildly. Not a single one touched Orochi as the dragon took to the air, firing bolts of lightning down upon their helpless foe and causing Godzilla to trip over the trench he dug earlier and fall to the ground, waving his arms wildly. Orochi gave another mocking cackle, his eyes glowing evilly as some of his heads shot lightning from their mouths and eyes, while others spat hot flames at the downed, pathetic creature. Smoke curled into the air as Godzilla wailed from the combined assault, his spines flashing blue as he tried to fire off his atomic beam, but Orochi’s continued assault shut it down.
Orochi slowly moved toward Godzilla, not letting up his relentless attacks. This pitiful creature would die shortly, by Orochi’s own doing no less! Where even mighty gods fell, Orochi would rise! What Orochi did not expect, was a sharp flash of blue which washed across his whole body. Pain, it consumed the draconic god, causing him to writhe and scream in agony. Godzilla had used his last ditch effort, his Nuclear Pulse, and from the god’s cries of agony, the saurian knew he hit his target. Godzilla’s regeneration wouldn’t heal all of this damage instantly, but a sense of satisfaction took hold of the partially blinded monster as he slowly stood up, his body still smoking in the cold, night air. Godzilla could barely see Orochi, but he knew that if this fight continued, he’d be dead. Mustering up what little energy he had left, Godzilla’s dorsal spines began flashing blue, before slowly turning red.
Orochi finally managed to right himself, the now five-headed hydra panting as he watched Godzilla charge up his Spiral Ray. At first the dragon’s eyes went wide, feeling terror for the first time in its hellish existence, but fear violently morphed into rage. No! He would not fall! Orochi roared of its defiant intent, frantically firing his lightning at Godzilla, but the monster king powered through the anguish. With a mighty roar, Godzilla fired his Spiral Ray at Orochi. Godzilla couldn’t see if his final attack hit home, but he heard Orochi’s wail of pain and the shockwave his ultimate move created, then nothing… He had won!
Godzilla panted, slumping back to the ground. It would take time to recharge his energy, but with Orochi dead, it was time he could afford as he fell into unconsciousness. Seconds turned to minutes, but an unmistakable shadow gradually loomed over Godzilla. While bloodied and now down to three heads and three legs, Orochi was far from dead, unlike his pathetic foe. Orochi had to admit Godzilla was a powerful foe, but he knew that this creature’s strength was legendary, but not unstoppable. A godlike strength drawn from others, but alone he was just as mortal as any creature. Orochi’s remaining heads poured everything they had at Godzilla’s head, waking the unconscious beast with unparalleled misery. A blood-curdling shriek consumed Toyama Bay as the continuous attacks began to take their toll, and when Orochi finally stopped, there was nothing but a charred husk where Godzilla’s head used to be.
Orochi had won, the legend of Godzilla was no more and soon Japan would suffer from a new, unending nightmare.
Winner: Orochi (Heisei)
