Author: Connor Clennell | Banner: Matt Ng

The world used to be such a beautiful place before SpaceGodzilla returned. The day that cosmic tyrant came back from the depths of space marked the beginning of the end for humanity. No one knew how SpaceGodzilla had survived his apparent destruction over ten years ago. Whether this was the same creature reborn, a new one altogether or some failed experiment from some invading race, it did not matter in the end. SpaceGodzilla had come back, and this time, he wasn’t alone.

It was only a week after he had sent foot on Earth that the meteors had struck. Massive crystalline objects fell from space and targeted the planet’s major cities, wiping them from the face of the Earth. They came so fast, no one was able to escape the blasts. In their wake, fortresses of crystal swiftly grew out of the craters, overtaking the ruined cities in a matter of hours. Together, the united militaries of Earth had launched a counterattack to destroy the fortresses and their obvious creator. But deep down in the people’s hearts, they knew what the outcome would be.

The battle lasted only a day, yet those that witnessed it felt like the two sides had warred for an eternity. In the aftermath, SpaceGodzilla walked away from a mass graveyard bathed in a sea of flames. At this, Earth’s mightiest weapons were sent to dispose of the crystal demon before it was too late. Earth’s greatest fighting machines and mechanical defenders engaged SpaceGodzilla – and failed. When at last Godzilla emerged to do battle with his intergalactic ‘’brother,” humanity cheered for him. Despite his history with them, they knew Godzilla was the only one with the potential to destroy SpaceGodzilla, as he had done all those years ago. The people’s hearts were filled with hope. Hope died along with Godzilla when SpaceGodzilla ripped his genetic donor’s heart out of his chest.

For an entire year, SpaceGodzilla traveled the globe, enforcing his rule as the new King of the Monsters upon human and monster alike. Earth’s remaining defenders attacked in force, hoping to drive SpaceGodzilla off-world and avenge Godzilla’s death. Anguirus, Mothra, King Caesar, Zone Fighter: many tried to overthrow the crystal king. SpaceGodzilla would never admit it, but they fought well. In the end, though, his power was too great for them. If Godzilla could not best him, his allies never stood a chance.

With no way to best him, humanity surrendered, hoping to live and fight another day. They could only watch as SpaceGodzilla spread his power-draining crystals across the planet, terraforming even the very soil beneath their feet. Not even the flora and fauna were safe from the tyrant’s crystalline contamination. At the end of the first year of his rule, over two thirds of the planet had been crystallized and were absorbing cosmic radiation. Most of what little of the planet that had yet to be overtaken was left irradiated from the energy and rendered uninhabitable. If SpaceGodzilla did not finish off humanity, the radiation would.

Most of Earth’s remaining kaiju went into hiding. Those that did not sought SpaceGodzilla out, not to destroy him, but to take his power for themselves. Instead of ruthlessly annihilating them, SpaceGodzilla saw an opportunity. He imbued them with his cosmic power, turning them into his lieutenants, and sent them across the globe to seek out and destroy those that defied his rule. No monster could emerge from hiding or any resistance faction build up its resources without SpaceGodzilla and his lieutenants knowing. Under the galactic reptile’s rule, judgment was swift, and resistance futile.

The remnants of humanity had given up hope long ago and had resigned themselves to their fate as their planet was slowly drained of life. But there were those, few in number, but strong in their beliefs, that believed there were still heroes out there, waiting to emerge from the depths and retake the world from evil…

*****

9 Years Later

Waves lapped at the gleaming shores of Faro Island. Men and women from the nearby village, one of the last strongholds of the human race, scoured the crystalline beach, searching for hide or hair of any meat, fresh or otherwise. Uninfected life was rare after Godzilla’s death, most sea creatures having succumbed to the infection that had ravaged the world. Amidst the partially crystallized huts, the men chipped away at the crystal structures engulfing their homes, slowing down its spread, whilst the women and children tended to the village crops. Crystal spires of all shapes and sizes littered the area, drawing in the power of the very stars themselves. The largest of the structures, reaching kaiju-size in height, served a far greater purpose. They drained the Earth of its Mana, its lifeblood, and disrupted the balance of nature itself in the process.

The mighty gates, once used to hold the great King Kong at bay, hung open. The villagers saw no need to close them. Not after Kong had left to face SpaceGodzilla and never returned. With their god gone, the natives were forced to submit to the will of SpaceGodzilla. Every night, the two lieutenants that made Faro Island their home watched over them, making sure they prayed to their master and made sacrifices in his name. So far, the people had been compliant, but the stronger of the two lieutenants, a creature some claimed to be the spawn of SpaceGodzilla himself, longed for the day they would mess up.

Today, though, the two pawns would know the thrill of battle.

As the search party continued combing the crystallized sands, the water began to drain away from the shore. The group shouted and hollered in surprise as the sea’s edge withdrew farther and farther from the shoreline, exposing ancient sunken boats and ruins and beaching all manner of sea life. All types of fish, sharks and other creatures flopped on the glistening sands, crystals poking out of every part of their body, while crystalline crabs and lobsters scuttled around and latched onto the dying animals, tearing into their flesh with razor-sharp pincers.

The ocean’s surface rose as a massive form emerged. It stood tall over the gathered humans as it rose higher and swam closer to the shore. A flood of seawater crashed down the creature as it reared to its full height, refilling the beach in an instant. But the torrent kept going, crashing onto the beach and surging into the jungle. Natives and animals were caught in the flash flood and washed away as crystal trees and boulders came crashing down all around. The water flooded into the village without warning. By now, though, it had lost its momentum, and came to a stop just within the village limits. The people looked on, their eyes wide with fear as they clutched their crude weapons and held their loved ones close at the sight of the devastation and the towering beast that brought it about.

A massive, four-clawed foot stepped onto the beach, its owner’s bulk cracking the crystal underneath and shattering the land for yards in all directions. Godzilla Junior shook his head free of the remaining seawater as it trickled down his emerald scales. He squinted his eyes as the Sun’s unfiltered light washed over him for the first time in over a year. It took only a moment for his eyes to adjust to its rays and his vision to focus on the landscape before him. The island was graced with the call of a Godzilla for the first time since his father’s death. With a snort of air from his nostrils, Junior made his way inland, towards the village.

The ocean churned again as another, smaller shape began to rise from its depths. A huge, red claw breached its surface, followed by another, before the creature they belonged to crawled out of the waves and onto dry land. Ebirah raised his arms and screeched eagerly. Ahead of him, Junior turned his head and returned the massive shrimp’s call with his own, infantile roar. Before the conquest, the two would have seen each other as bitter enemies. Now, as some of the last monsters on Earth not under SpaceGodzilla’s thrall, their alliance stood strong. For too long they had hid away from the world as Junior’s “uncle” ravaged their home. Now the time had come for them to emerge and take back their world.

The villagers scattered like cockroaches as Junior set foot outside their village. The young Godzillasaurus regarded them for a brief moment, hoping deep in his heart to find the human he knew from birth. But she was not present among the crowd. With a sad moan, Junior turned his gaze to the crystals littering the landscape. The source of the world’s infection, and the source of his “uncle’s” power. Junior and Ebirah knew exactly what to do with them.

Junior brought his foot down, smashing a cluster of crystals under his heel. He advanced onward, crushing more crystals and village huts underfoot as he approached the larger structures. His claws and teeth sunk into the towers, tearing them apart with minor difficulty as he smashed into them. The structures toppled over, shattering on the ground and against the rocks. Behind Junior, Ebirah ravaged the beach, smashing up the crystals lining its borders and hammering his claws against its shimmering surface as he sought to shatter the very ground itself. The sound of his blows echoed across the island, and Junior knew it would not be long before their presence was known.

A heavy thud sounded close by, and the great wall separating the village from the rest of Faro Island creaked and groaned as something large landed atop. A threatening hiss followed that caught Godzilla Junior’s attention, and he turned to glare at the aggressor. A bizarre creature that resembled a cross between an ape and a lizard clung to the top of the wall, his glowing eyes regarding the immature dinosaur before him with hatred. His body was not organic, composed of the same crystals that surrounded him. A mane of crystals coated his back from head to rear, and a smaller cluster protruded from his chin like an unusual beard. A long tail, tipped with a mass of smaller crystals, curled around his legs. The being, known as Krystalak, directed a hiss-like roar at Junior as he clawed the air, to which the young monster responded with his own shrieking cry.

The calls of the two beasts caught Ebirah’s notice. His gaze caught on the duo, distracting him from the massive wave that surged towards him from behind. Another creature burst from the ocean, spraying the landscape with seawater and releasing a trumpeting cry. Ebirah crawled around and was greeted with the form of a monster from before the time of Man. Titanosaurus pounded his fists together, aching for a fight. For a moment, Ebirah thought the red behemoth was like them, another survivor from SpaceGodzilla’s takeover that had emerged to strike back. Titanosaurus proved him wrong by smashing his foot into the lobster’s face.

Junior’s scutes glowed a bright blue as he fired an atomic ray at Krystalak. The beast leapt off its perch as the beam struck, demolishing the top half of the last reminder of Kong’s existence in a single hit. Krystalak flew through the air, his claws raised as he came down on Junior, and was greeted with another atomic blast that struck him in the gut. Through the fire and smoke of the blast the crystal beast descended, slamming his outstretched feet into Junior’s chest and pounding him into the ground. Krystalak’s gleaming eyes flashed with malice as he pinned Junior to the ground and slashed his razor-sharp digits across the infantile monster’s face and chest. Junior cried out as the mineral monstrosity’s claws carved through his flesh and painted the ground red with his blood. Krystalak hissed with laughter, but that hiss turned into one of pain as Junior blasted him point-blank in the face with his atomic ray. The blast threw Krystalak off the son of Godzilla and sent him crashing to the ground, crushing more huts beneath him.

Junior winced in pain as he stood up. Already his regenerative abilities were repairing the damage inflicted by Krystalak’s claws. This ability was a lifesaver, but its properties paled in comparison to Godzilla’s own healing factor. When Krystalak had scrambled to his feet, Junior still bore the scars from his claws. The green reptile’s scutes lit up once more, but before he could fire, Krystalak’s mane flared with light. The beast’s jaws parted, expelling his deadly Prism Beam. The white blast slammed into Junior’s chest and detonated, throwing him back as he fired. Junior’s atomic ray shot harmlessly into the sky as he was thrown across the ground. A group of crystals lay in his path, and he came to a stop as he smashed through the structures.

Krystalak hissed angrily at Junior, unwilling to allow the destruction of his “father’s” creations. His glowing eyes, able to see the electromagnetic spectrum, allowed him to watch as the energy from the ruined crystals drifted through the air and into the nearest living thing: Junior. Krystalak despised having to share the island’s energy with his ally. Having the son of Godzilla steal it right in front of him was unacceptable.

Ebirah cried out as Titanosaurus slammed his foot into the sea monster once more. The aquatic dinosaur cackled joyously as he beat the tar out of the irradiated lobster. As he moved his foot to kick him again, Ebirah raised his claws and caught the blow. His right claw lashed out and clamped around the reptile’s outstretched leg, drawing trickles of blood as he pierced skin. Titanosaurus hollered angrily and painfully and furiously shook his leg to dislodge the crustacean. His struggles only allowed Ebirah’s claw to cut in deeper, driving another pain-filled cry from the ancient predator’s throat. Twisting and pulling his arm, Ebirah pulled Titanosaurus to the ground. As soon as the reptile hit the ground, Ebirah released his grip and scuttled onto the red titan’s back. His weight pressed Titanosaurus against the beach, and the scarlet dinosaur cried out as Ebirah’s claws smashed against his skull over and over.

Titanosaurus’ muscular arms pushed against the beach as he tried to rise with Ebirah clinging to his back. Each time he managed to push his chest off the ground, the jumbo-sized shrimp would smack one of his claws across the back of his skull. As the prehistoric beast attempted to rise once more, Ebirah raised one of his claws to smash it against the reptile’s skull. He was taken aback when Titanosaurus suddenly rolled onto his side and squashed Ebirah under his massive size. The shrimp squirmed and shrieked under the crimson beast, flailing his claws and kicking at the reptile’s sides with his legs. Titanosaurus stood up, leaving Ebirah stuck on his back, unable to move, and grabbed hold of the lobster’s tail. Ebirah’s eyes bulged as he was lifted off the ground and spun once, twice, three times before Titanosaurus released his grip. Ebirah screeched in horror as he flew through the air and crashed hard onto the crystalline shore. He squealed in pain as he felt his spiky exoskeleton crack under the impact.

Spinning around to face the taunting Titanosaurus, Ebirah screeched in fury as he raised and shook his claws at the scarlet beast. Titanosaurus spun around, the fin at the tip of his tail deploying as it swept from side to side. Within seconds, he had produced a miniature hurricane that began to push Ebirah back. Guarding his face with his claws, the mammoth shrimp tried to advance, furiously attempting to get a grip on the beach’s smooth surface. His legs, while strong enough to carry him outside of water, were unable to pierce the crystal’s surface. Titanosaurus cackled as the lobster was blown along the beach and bounced off its reflective surface. He retracted his tail fin and turned to face the dazed shrimp, who kicked his legs lazily as he fought to right himself. Letting loose with a laugh-like roar, Titanosaurus marched towards his helpless foe.

Krystalak’s cry came from the side, and Titanosaurus turned to face his partner as he was sent flying into the crimson reptile. Titanosaurus cried out as the crystals lining Krystalak’s back embedded themselves in his flesh. The two creatures crashed to the ground in a mess of limbs as they tried to escape from one another. With the two lieutenants distracted, Ebirah was able to flip himself back onto his feet as Godzilla Junior’s roar reached his hidden ears. The juvenile dinosaur emerged from the jungle, his hands cut and bleeding from where he had grabbed Krystalak. He glared at the duo along with Ebirah, and the pair let out their own laughter at their predicament.

After a minute of struggling, Titanosaurus dislodged Krystalak and threw the purple and white beast off of him as he climbed to his feet. His eyes fell on the form of Junior, the source of his humiliation. With a warbling cry, he charged as Junior rushed to meet him mid-way. Krystalak stood up as well, clutching his head to clear his mind after the impact. He lowered his arms and was greeted with the sight of Ebirah charging towards him, snapping his claws and screeching intimidatingly. Krystalak, undeterred in the slightest, spread his arms and roared back before dropping onto all fours and rushing towards the mutant crustacean.

Godzilla Junior and Titanosaurus collided like two runaway freight trains. They pushed against each other with their bodies as their fists pounded away at their opponent’s sides. As the struggle went on, it came apparent that Titanosaurus was winning, and he slowly forced Junior away from the beach. Junior’s hand lunged at the aquatic titan, but instead of punching Titanosaurus, he sliced his claws across the scarlet saurian’s chest. A grunt of pain was earned from Titanosaurus as Junior drew blood, followed by a trumpeting cry of rage. He lunged down and clamped his jaws around Junior’s head. The dinosaur’s neck muscles, famous for being some of the strongest in the world, allowed him to lift the infantile Godzilla off the ground and swing him through the air. Titanosaurus swung down, smashing Junior into the crystal earth. Junior shrieked as his bones shuddered and cracked from the impact. His captor lifted him up, then slammed him into the ground again, before tossing the emerald dinosaur away.

Shakily, Junior got to his feet as the ground shook from Titanosaurus’ approach. The red leviathan smashed his fists together and against his chest, cackling as he did. His approach was stopped as Junior unleashed a blast of his atomic ray, striking the aquatic dinosaur in the chest. Titanosaurus let out a warbling cry of pain as the ray detonated against his flesh. Distracted by the pain, and his vision obscured by the fire and smoke produced by the blast, he couldn’t see Junior approach until the smaller reptile had closed the distance and smashed his tail into the side of his neck. Caught off-guard by the blow, Titanosaurus collapsed to the ground, still cackling miserably as he clutched his charcoal black chest. His cries were silenced when Junior kicked the crimson predator in the mouth.

Sparks flew as Krystalak furiously slashed away at Ebirah’s armored claws. The giant shrimp kept his main weapons before him to protect his vulnerable face from the crystalline monster’s fury. Several scratch marks coated his claws, which were beginning to be joined by trails of blue blood as Krystalak’s knife-like claws started to penetrate his shell. Thinking on the draw, Ebirah lunged forward and smashed his left claw across Krystalak’s face. The crystal fiend cried out as he was sent flying by the blow and collided with the earth. He clutched his face, his features contorting into a grimace as he felt the fractures in its surface from the crustacean’s blow.

The sound of scuttling legs from behind informed him Ebirah was on the move. Krystalak stood to his full height, turned around, and lashed his tail out at Ebirah. A large crystal shard detached from the tip and flew through the air. Ebirah screeched in agony as the shard found its mark and stabbed through his shell. With the mutant shrimp distracted, Krystalak jumped at him and landed on the crustacean’s back. He latched his claws into the spaces between armor segments as Ebirah flailed and bucked in an attempt to throw off SpaceGodzilla’s spawn.

Krystalak’s tail swung down like a scorpion’s and stabbed the tip into the base of Ebirah’s tail. The overgrown lobster filled the air with his screech of agony as the sharp cluster penetrated his armor and dug into his flesh. Krystalak pulled his tail tip free of Ebirah with a spray of blood, then drove it again and started repeatedly stabbing the crustacean’s rear. As his tail assaulted Ebirah’s unprotected tail, he hooked his claws into one of the armor segments lining the shrimp’s back, and pulled. Ebirah cried out in fear and pain as the crystalline abomination tried to rip the segment from the shellfish’s body. No matter how hard he thrashed about, Ebirah could not dislodge his vicious passenger. Seeing that his own strategy wasn’t working, he decided to take a page out of Titanosaurus’ book and reared up. Krystalak’s eyes widened as the lobster’s feet left the ground and he pinned the crystal beast against the beach as he landed on his back. The pressure inflicted on Krystalak’s body by the sea monster’s bulk shattered several of his back crystals on impact. Snarling in pain, the living crystal construct planted his feet on Ebirah’s back and kicked the shrimp off of him. He clambered back on to his feet and let out a low, almost silent roar at Ebirah, but was caught unaware by the crustacean as he slammed his tail into the mineral monster’s legs, flooring him in an instant.

Titanosaurus lashed out with his tail and knocked Godzilla Junior back as he rose. The young monster attempted to lunge at the crimson reptile, but Titanosaurus refused to let him get close. His tail fin extended and he spun around as he flapped his tail back and forth, blowing strong winds at Junior to keep the green reptile at bay. Junior roared as he began to slide back under the force of the wind. He dug his feet into the ground, his sharp claws penetrating its crystalline surface, but not even that could hold him in place and he continued sliding back, his toe claws leaving deep trenches in his wake. Titanosaurus couldn’t help but laugh at the young Godzillasaurus’ misfortune. A sudden, agonizing pain shot through his tail and he stopped moving it as he voiced his pain to the entire island. Dark smoke drifted from his torn and burnt tail fin, courtesy of Junior’s atomic ray.

The red leviathan spun around, rage flaring in his eyes. A tingle of fear went down Junior’s spine as with a trumpeting roar, Titanosaurus charged towards him. The aquatic dinosaur came so fast Junior didn’t have time to counter or block his attacker before the long necked reptile smashed his massive foot into the smaller dinosaur’s gut. Junior was launched into the air by the blow and crashed to the shimmering earth with a thud that shook the ground around him. Titanosaurus wasn’t finished yet and ran up to his fallen adversary, driving his foot into Junior’s gut again and sending him rolling across the ground.

Before Junior could stand, Titanosaurus was standing over him and slammed his foot down on the young dinosaur’s side. The first blow cracked Junior’s ribs. The second caused some of them to snap in half and stab into his organs, drawing a shriek of agony from the infantile reptile. A third stomp drove the ribs in deeper, increasing Junior’s suffering. Titanosaurus then turned his attention to the juvenile monster’s head. Over and over his heel smashed and grinded against Junior’s skull, and a pool of broken teeth and blood quickly formed around it. Titanosaurus stopped pounding on him, allowing Junior to weakly look up at the scarlet predator as his head reared down towards his face. Titanosaurus’ jaws parted – and so did Junior’s.

The irradiated Godzillasaurus’ spines flashed with light as he unleashed a stream of blue and while nuclear death into Titanosaurus’ face. The larger dinosaur screamed as the blast practically disintegrated the flesh on his face. Blinded, he staggered back as the beam subsided and he clutched his mutilated features, fighting the urge to vomit as his claws scraped against exposed bone. Junior was able to get to his feet and fired another atomic blast, engulfing the red dinosaur’s right leg in a ball of fire. Titanosaurus was knocked down by the blast and clutched his injured leg as he wailed in agony. Confident that the leviathan was unable to continue fighting, Junior made his way back to the beach to assist his ally.

Ebirah and Krystalak pushed against each other, the jumbo shrimp’s claws firmly grasping his crystalline foe’s forearms as he attempted to force the purple and white beast off his feet. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Krystalak’s mane glow. Knowing what was about to follow, he released the beast’s arms and crawled backwards, but he wasn’t fast enough. Krystalak’s white-hot beam struck the beach in front of the lobster and blasted it apart, the ensuing explosion knocking Ebirah back with a shrill cry. Krystalak looked at the sea monster and laughed, considering him a joke not to be taken seriously. He was proven wrong and taken aback when Ebirah uprooted a large crystal from the jungle’s edge and tossed it at the purple-white monster. It smashed into Krystalak’s face, further damaging its already fractured armor, and knocked the spawn of SpaceGodzilla off his feet.

Krystalak shook his head to clear it from the impact. The crystalline monstrosity stood up and barred his dagger-like teeth at the shellfish sea monster. He picked up the still intact crystal and threw it at Ebirah, only for the overgrown lobster to raise his right claw and bat it back at him. Krystalak sent the crystal back at Ebirah by delivering a spinning kick to the object and the giant shrimp caught it with ease. The crustacean’s claws pressed down on the crystal, cracks forming across its surface before the lobster’s claws closed fully and it shattered in his grip. Krystalak’s spine straightened up as his eyes glowed brighter, the crystal beast’s equivalent of widening them, both impressed and terrified by Ebirah’s feat of strength. The crustacean raised his claws above his head and clapped them together, daring Krystalak to try his luck. The crystalline monster did, blasting Ebirah with his Prism Beam. Before he could capitalize on his enemy’s pain, an emerald-scaled fist smashed into the side of his face.

The blow sent Krystalak crashing to the ground, his vision spinning. All the beast could register in his dazed state was the grateful call of Ebirah and the returning cry of Godzilla Junior from behind him. A pair of hands grabbed Krystalak’s arms and the mineral-made beast felt himself being pulled up to a standing position. Junior roared, right next to Krystalak’s ear, at Ebirah and the shrimp screeched a reply as he barrelled towards the two. Realizing what the crustacean was planning to do, Krystalak struggled feebly against his captor’s grip, but in his dazed state, he lacked the ability to harness his true strength.

After building up momentum, Ebirah leapt at Krystalak and smashed into his chest, using his own claws as a battering ram. The purplish-white beast didn’t possess any lungs, but a blast of air was still forced out of his mouth from the blow. Junior kept a tight grip on Krystalak, even as the mutant abomination’s spiky crystals stabbed into his chest and gut as Krystalak was knocked back by Ebirah’s blow. The strike managed to knock some sense into the crystalline monstrosity and he lashed out with his tail, stabbing the tip into one of Ebirah’s eyes. His mouth contorted into a sickening grin of pleasure as Ebirah shrieked and squirmed at the loss of half his vision. Unfortunately for Krystalak, the mutated shrimp was used to tolerating high amounts of pain, having lost and regrown his pincers in the past, and was able to react fast enough to grab the crystal mutant’s tail as it extracted itself from his eye socket. Krystalak’s eyes glowed bright as Junior released his grip and Ebirah tugged, pulling him down to the beach. The colossal lobster, still adjusting to the loss of his eye, clumsily battered Krystalak’s back with his claws. The mineral monster hissed in pain and his eyes flashed with worry as he felt the cracks forming across his back.

Mercifully for Krystalak, Ebirah stopped pounding on him, but he quickly learned this was so Junior could grab his tail and drag the crystal monster across the beach as he spun, slowly building up momentum. Junior spun faster and faster, and soon Krystalak was no longer touching the ground, but swinging through the air. After several more rotations, Junior released Krystalak and let him fly through the air. Krystalak’s eyes glowed with horror at the cliff face rapidly approaching before his reflexes kicked in. He reared back, allowing his feet to strike the cliff first and kicked off, twisting his body to face Junior as his mane pulsed with energy, but the juvenile Godzilla had already fired his own beam and it slammed into Krystalak’s gut, knocking him from the sky.

Krystalak hit the earth with a horrible crack as he landed on his right arm and he roared in agony. He tried moving the limb, but every twitch caused a jolt of pain to surge through his arm. Using his one good arm, Krystalak managed to stand and examined his right arm. Massive fractures lined its surface; it looked one good hit away from shattering completely.

A pair of high-pitched cries reached his hidden ears and he turned his gaze away from his arm towards the approaching forms of Junior and Ebirah. He grimaced as he tried moving his right arm into a threatening position, but failed. Krystalak hissed at the duo, swiping at the air with his uninjured arm in an attempt to intimidate them. But Junior and Ebirah were not so easily deterred. Seeing his strategy fail, Krystalak went for a more offensive approach, unleashing his Prism Beam and striking the ground below Ebirah, the ensuing explosion knocking the giant shrimp onto his back. Junior’s scutes pulsed with a blue glow as Krystalak’s mane flared with white light.

The two creatures released their beams at the same time, the two energies lancing into one another with a flash of light. The clash between the two beams didn’t last long, and soon Junior’s atomic ray was pushing back Krystalak’s Prism Beam. The purple and white monster’s eyes glowed with determination and fury and he directed more power into his beam, but it was too late. Junior forced Krystalak’s beam back into his mouth and the two rays exploded. Krystalak flew back from the blast and hit the ground, kicking up dust and crystal debris. Junior shrieked and began his advance on the fallen beast, but Krystalak was far from defenseless. His tail whipped out and discharged a crystal shard, aiming at the green reptile’s neck before Junior even knew what was happening. But the shard missed his throat as Ebirah rushed in and tackled Junior to the ground, avoiding a deadly fate.

Instead, the shard lodged itself into the throat of Titanosaurus. His eyes incinerated by Junior’s atomic blast, he had been attracted by the sounds of battle, hoping to find his foe. Instead, he found one of Krystalak’s crystals stabbing into his esophagus. The aquatic dinosaur gargled in surprise and clawed at his neck, but his short arms were incapable of reaching the shard and extracting it. Red foam began to leak from his jaws as Titanosaurus drowned in his own blood. He stayed standing for a few more seconds, then toppled over, the life vanishing from his eyes.

Krystalak glared at Ebirah, furious at the lobster’s intervention. Not a single part of the crystal beast’s soul cared about Titanosaurus’ death; one less lieutenant meant more power for him. His attention turned to Junior as the young Godzilla got up onto one knee. The mutant saurian didn’t wait to stand up before unleashing his atomic ray at the mineral mutant. Krystalak, an ever-learning creature, leapt over the beam as it blasted apart the ground where he once stood. He pounced atop Junior, pushing the reptile to the ground and assaulting him with the claws of his functional hand and both feet. Before he could inflict serious damage, Ebirah grabbed hold of the crystalline monster’s tail and yanked him off Junior. Growling in exasperation, Krystalak smashed his foot against Ebirah’s face, but the mutated crustacean refused to relinquish his grip.

Ebirah’s distraction allowed Junior to get back up, his wounds already healing at a rapid rate. He grabbed hold of Krystalak’s shoulders, earning a surprised grunt from the monstrosity as his head spun to face him, and pulled in the opposite direction. Krystalak found himself being stretched between the two as they pulled in opposite directions and the mutation’s eyes gleamed with worry. His armored hide was incapable of complying with being stretched like this and was beginning to crack under the stress. Pain flooded his limbs, as a loud cracking noise reached his ears. Something was giving, but he couldn’t tell what through the pain.

In a shower of shards, Ebirah ripped Krystalak’s tail from his body.

The crystalline abomination has but a few seconds to scream at the loss before Junior hoisted him up over his head and smashed him head-first into the ground. Darkness engulfed Krystalak’s vision as his head was driven beneath the crystalline earth. Light quickly flooded his vision again as he was dragged out by his legs and thrown to the ground once more. Ebirah and Junior were on the crystal-born creature before he had a chance to get up and assaulted his chest with claws and feet respectively. Krystalak’s armor held well, but the duo were relentless in their blows, and soon fractures began to form across its surface. Krystalak tried to get his jaws to face either of the two monsters so he could fire his Prism Beam, but couldn’t due to his beard getting in the way. Fortunately, the crystalline monster had more than one way of expelling his energy. He channeled energy into his heart, causing the organ to glow through the layers of armor. Junior and Ebirah looked at the light in confusion, before their eyes widened in realization and horror.

A powerful shockwave of crystal white energy erupted from Krystalak’s chest, catching the two monsters and blasting them away from SpaceGodzilla’s spawn. Junior and Ebirah cried out as they were thrown through the air and smashed hard into the crystalline ground. With the two dealt with, Krystalak leapt to his feet and instantly clutched his chest, grunting in pain. Overloading his heart with energy had worked, but the resulting burst of energy had damaged his armor-plated chest further. As his eyes scanned the area for his foes, however, he found that the pain and damage had been worth it, and marched towards the helpless Ebirah.

The radioactive sea monster screeched loudly as his legs kicked at the sky above. The blast had knocked him onto his back and he was having difficulty flipping himself back onto his feet. Worse still, his claws had been heavily damaged, one of them severed completely and lying several yards away, as they had been closest to the blast, making his efforts to flip himself over even more difficult. A mocking hiss cruelly greeted his ears and something heavy crawled onto his exposed belly. Ebirah’s legs scratched against the attacker’s armored skin, and the shrimp instantly knew Krystalak was atop him. Possessing no flexible neck, the mutated shellfish couldn’t look down to see Krystalak, but he didn’t need to since the crystalline monstrosity’s face appeared before his a moment later, his mouth partly open in a sinister smile. Ebirah swiped at the mutant with his remaining claw to try and knock Krystalak off his chest. Instead, Krystalak caught it with his good arm and forced it against the ground while snarling cruelly in Ebirah’s face. Ebirah barely had time to let out a pathetic cry for mercy as Krystalak’s pointed beard hung ominously over him…

Meters away, Junior stirred back to consciousness. Through blurred vision, he was able to stand and tried to look around. Not far away he could make out the fuzzy shapes of his ally and the spawn of his father’s killer. But as his sight returned, he was horrified by the sight before him. Krystalak crouched over the helpless form of Ebirah, who squirmed and flayed desperately to escape what would obviously come next. The crystals on the mutation’s chin glinted bright in the sunlight as the head pulled back, ready for a devastating strike to the mutilated crustacean’s throat.

Junior’s mind came to a stop, unable to comprehend the sight before him. Despite their rough start, Ebirah had been the only source of companionship for the better part of the year. The immature Godzillasaurus’ soul ached at the thought of losing another figure in his life. Another feeling began to rise; a feeling he’d been trying to keep under control even since his father’s death. His fists tightened, his lips curled upwards, a deep rumble echoed in his throat and his eyes narrowed. Junior tried to stop the feeling from taking control, but he couldn’t, not on his own. Everyone he knew and cared about were gone. The woman, his father, and in a few seconds, he would lose his only friend, too – Junior couldn’t keep his emotions under control any longer. Within that moment, the confident, caring Junior was gone – replaced with the rage of a Godzilla.

A ferocious roar left Junior’s mouth and he charged at Krystalak. The mutant beast looked away from his pinned prey and smiled, spreading his arms in a mocking gesture. A Prism Beam left his maw and exploded against the earth next to Junior, but the emerald reptile didn’t stop and ran through the flames. Krystalak’s eyes dimmed as he unleashed another blast, which achieved the same results as the previous blast. As Junior got nearer, Krystalak noticed that the juvenile Godzilla’s eyes were glowing red with energy. Energy that felt very familiar to him. A third Prism Beam scored a direct hit on Junior’s chest, drawing a growl of pain, but even this failed to slow him down. He reached out, intending to grab Krystalak, as his spines glowed brightly. Before Junior could lay a claw on the crystalline beast, Krystalak leapt up and spun around, smashing the side of his foot into Junior’s skull.

The blow sent Junior flying backwards so fast he had no idea he’d even been hit. The infantile dinosaur could do nothing but brace for the pain as he smashed into a large crystal tower and demolished the structure almost instantly. All Junior managed was a weak cry before tons of crystalline debris came down and buried him alive. Krystalak parted his jaws in a cruel smile as he watched the last of Godzilla’s legacy disappear under the mountain of crystal rubble. He made his way towards the structure, intent on making sure Junior was dead, but he only managed to take a few steps before a thought struck him. If Godzilla’s son was still alive, he could use him to gain his “father’s” favor. SpaceGodzilla would surely reward the beast that managed to take down the child of the ex-King of the Monsters. Krystalak increased his pace, intending to make good use of Junior or his corpse.

Deep within the hill of debris, Junior struggled to free himself. He growled in frustration as he pushed against the crystalline structures covering him, barely managing to push them a few meters off of himself before his strength gave out. Desperately, he tried firing his atomic ray, but to his surprise, he found he couldn’t. His spines only managed to flicker weakly before cutting out altogether. Junior’s features scrunched up in confusion. He hadn’t used that much energy in the battle. He tried again, flaring his power in an attempt to force out enough to fire at least one blast. After a moment, he felt his atomic might pulse within him. Then he released that was not all. Another stronger form of power surged within him, mixing in with his nuclear energy and rejuvenating the young monster. Junior blinked in confusion as a bright glow suddenly engulfed his body. Testing this new power, he pushed against the ceiling of crystal, and to his shock it moved away much easier this time. Where was this new strength coming from?

The strange energy crackled across Junior’s form. The emerald dinosaur watched on as crimson bolts leapt across his outstretched arms. Junior’s eyes narrowed in thought. He felt like he knew this type of energy, but what–?

His eyes snapped wide open in realization. The crystals! By destroying the towers, he had released the energy stored within, which in turn had been attracted and absorbed into the nearest living thing: him! It was SpaceGodzilla’s power that now flowed through his veins. Junior was unsure what to do. The energy now filling him felt addicting; empowering; it made him feel invincible. Was this a good thing? Was this what SpaceGodzilla felt like? Was this what his father had felt like?

With no idea how to dispel the energy, Junior had no choice but to embrace it as it overtook his body. His eyelids closed, then snapped open moments later to reveal burning red eyes.

Krystalak stopped in his tracks, sensing the build-up of energy. He snarled in anger; that power was his and his alone! Before he could take another step, bolts of cosmic energy crackled across the hill of crystalline rubble, zapping the earth and nearby trees and boulders. Krystalak’s first instinct should have been to rush in and take advantage of the situation, but another, stronger impulse told him to hang back. This wasn’t a normal phenomenon.

A bright orange glow emanated from inside the mound of debris. Krystalak began to feel nervous as the ground shook around him and the air itself surged with power. The glow rapidly increased, getting brighter and brighter until a massive explosion blasted through the crystalline rubble. Through the light of the blast, Krystalak spotted Junior standing at its epicenter and when the blast was over, the crystal mutation gaped in horror and wonder.

Junior’s very form was glowing bright with crimson power. His eyes surged with energy as they gazed upon Krystalak’s reflective form. Lightning-like bolts leapt across his form. Before Krystalak’s very eyes, Junior began to grow. His bone density increased, his muscles bulged and expanded, and his scales increased in thickness, inhibiting the glow now emanating from his body so that it was only visible through patches of his skin, giving it a lava-like texture. When the transformation had finished, his body remained physically unchanged, but now he stood over a head taller than his crystalline nemesis.

Godzilla Junior had attained Critical Mass.

For the first time in his existence, Krystalak knew fear. He cowered before this new form of the Prince of the Monsters with terror in his eyes. Junior’s mouth opened, yielding not a shriek, but a powerful bellow reminiscent of his father. The sound was enough to snap Krystalak from his daze. The remains of his mane flashed and he discharged his Prism Beam, nailing Junior in the chest. The only sign that he had been hurt by the blast was the twitch of his lip. In return, his scutes surged with deep blue light. Junior opened his maw, belching forth a powerful azure ray. Krystalak was unprepared and incapable of defending himself as the ray tore into his chest and carried him off the ground, further and further back until he smashed hard into a cliff face. What little remains of his mane was reduced to fragments that tumbled from his back and littered the earth around his feet. Krystalak paid no attention to them, falling to his knee and clutching his steaming and glowing hot chest.

Before he could even think of a counterattack, another atomic blast slammed into him and pinned him against the rock face. Unimaginable agony forced itself out of Krystalak’s throat as a howl as he felt his fractured arm and parts of his cracked chest plate disintegrated under the force and heat of the beam. When it had subsided, Krystalak stumbled away from the cliff, his crystalline armor glowing bright with heat.

His glowing eyes glared daggers at Junior as he pushed himself upright. Krystalak broke out into a sprint towards the super-charged dinosaur, determined to still win this fight. Junior made no move to defend himself as Krystalak assaulted him, slashing and stabbing at the empowered reptile’s flesh with his hand and feet. The monstrosity’s claws left deep gouges in Junior’s flesh. Wounds that healed themselves the moment Krystalak’s serrated digits left his flesh. The son of Godzilla thrust out his arm, his hand wrapping tightly around Krystalak’s throat, and lifted the beast off the ground with ease. Krystalak squirmed in his grip, his eyes widened in horror as the strength Junior had been granted. He squirmed harder as the dinosaur’s hold tightened, and the armor coating the mutant’s neck cracked in his hand.

Thinking on the draw, Krystalak lashed out with his claws once more, aiming this time for a more sensitive arena on the superpowered adolescent. A swift slash from his claws left deep gouges in Junior’s upper face, driving a tortured howl from the Godzillasaurus’ glowing maw as he dropped Krystalak to the floor, flailing wildly as blood pooled in the ripped sockets of his eyes. Immediately, the crystalline spawn launched another attack, sweeping a leg across the floor and under the distracted teenager’s, leaving him sprawled and spasming against the cold geode ground.

Krystalak knew that he had to act fast if he wanted to win. He limped over and placed a foot upon the fallen dinosaurian, digging his talons into Junior’s flesh for a secure grip as he raised a clawed hand with menace. A good strike to the heart, even in the state of Critical Mass, would snuff the life from the last legacy of the Monster King. Junior could but squirm helplessly, trying to locate his foe’s position with half-regenerated eyes, as the cold-skinned killer aimed with surgical precision at the young prince’s chest…

Ebirah’s call rang loud and true, pulling the attention of both kaiju away and to a sight that neither had expected. Junior’s restored sight watched in amazement as his wounded ally charged in from the sidelines, taking the distracted Krystalak by total surprise. He slammed into the back of the monstrosity with all of the force his tired body could muster, and his efforts were rewarded with an echoing crack as both monsters toppled to the ground. Krystalak howled in agony, seething with rage and promising a slow and torturous death for the interfering sea beast. But as he tried to stand back up, the mutant beast found his lower half to be unresponsive to his commands. The strike from Ebirah had smashed his crystal spine in two, paralyzing him from the waist down.

Junior remained frozen in his current spot, taking in the events that had just occurred. His crimson orbs met Ebirah’s luminous own, reaffirming their bond of comradery. Before anything could be said or done, a flash of purple light came from the right side of the alliance. Ebirah turned to face the source and was met square in the face by an enraged Prism Beam blast without a moment to process. He was thrown into the air without a sound, and Junior screamed in horror as his friend slammed hard in the solid ground, his carapace splintering around the point of impact, and rolled to a stop with his belly to the sky, unmoving.

His gaze turned to the one responsible for such a horrendous act. Krystalak, sprawled uselessly across the crystal earth, chuckled darkly at the sight of the motionless crustacean. If he was to lose this battle, then he had at least made sure that the reptile could not enjoy his victory.

A shadow fell over him, and powerful energies crackled in the air around Krystalak. A dazzling glow bloomed from behind him, which the crystal spawn knew signaled his end. As much as he hated to admit, he had been bested. The glow in Krystalak’s eye sockets faded, preventing himself from seeing what came next. Hopefully, his “father” and “brother” would avenge him.

An overwhelming blast of atomic energy from Junior’s maw engulfed Krystalak’s form. It pushed the mineral monster across the ground, through trees and rocks and village huts until it slammed Krystalak into the massive gates. The blast ripped apart the wooden structure as it tore Krystalak apart, disintegrating the spawn of SpaceGodzilla piece-by-piece. For Krystalak, the agony felt like an eternity, but in reality, his complete and utter disintegration only took half a minute.

Junior’s glowing eyes regarded the wreckage of the gates as he ceased firing. The ancient structure crumbled atop what little of Krystalak remained, as well as half of the village located around it. He snorted with his nostrils, glad to be rid of the crystalline menace, before turning away and towards the beach. He could already feel the crystal’s power fading. While he had enjoyed the power-up it had given him, he didn’t plan on becoming addicted to its energy, lest he end up like one of SpaceGodzilla’s lieutenants.

He walked over to where Ebirah lay, and his breath caught in his throat as he laid eyes upon the motionless form of his friend, lying in a puddle of his own blue blood and his claws torn from his body. Was it too late? Had his surrender to the prevented power of the crystals come too late to save Ebirah from the clutches of the afterlife? Had it all been in vain?

Junior’s head reared back and unleashed a wail of utter anguish that boomed across the entire island. Once more, life had played a cruel hand against him and taken away the only source of light and hope left in his violated world. He felt as if he was cursed to lose all that he cared for, that he could earn no victory without loss to tarnish its shine.

But then…

…a faint cry in the wind graced the mourning dinosaur’s ears. He looked back down at the body of his friend and ally, amber eyes wide with hope. Could it be…?

Ebirah’s tail twitched sluggishly. His mouthparts parted to release another weak cry to disprove Death’s claim upon his soul. Against the odds and his severe injuries, the titanic shrimp lived.

Junior cried in elevation and rushed to assist, grabbing the sides of Ebirah’s shell and hoisting him up, helping his wounded companion back to his feet. He could not help but let his eyes wander over the cracks and splinters across the shrimp’s form, lingering on the bloody stumps where his mighty claws once were. Ebirah dismissed his worries with a reassuring chirp. With enough time and recovery, he could recover from this in several molts of his shell, even regrow his claws stronger than ever. But that was for the future.

The both of them knew that they could linger here no more. If the connection between SpaceGodzilla and his spawn was anything like that of Junior and his father, then he would be certain to investigate the sudden disappearance of Krystalak. This meant that they could not stay, and any hope of using Faro Island in any capacity for their resistances was impossible. Their search for a new home would have to continue from here.

Slowly, Ebirah crawled towards the ocean, seeking the comfort of its cold, dark depths. Godzilla Junior followed close behind as the energy of the crystals began to wear off. His size began to decrease and the glow subsided, returning his body to its natural emerald color. By the time he stepped foot into the waves, his body was back to its original form and size. Junior didn’t even look back as the pair walked into the ocean and disappeared into its murky depths.

They were unaware of the crowd of villagers that had gathered at the petrified jungle’s edge, chanting and dancing in prayer for worship of the champions that had freed their home from tyranny, who had provided a glimmer of hope in these dark times.

In the darkness, there was now a spark of inspiration and hope.

*****

Cold, orange eyes awoke from their trance as the disturbance hundreds of miles away was sensed. SpaceGodzilla’s head turned in curiosity in the direction where the source was located. There was now a void in his mind where once there had been a link to two of his many enforcers across the planet. Someone or something had managed to overcome and destroy a pair of the most powerful beings that ruled the Earth, one of which being the spawn of his alien crystals’ power.

Any other being would be subject to rage or grief in this situation.

SpaceGodzilla found his interest peaked.

It had been so long since he had found something truly worthy of his attention in the nine long years of his rule. The brazen attempts of resistance and claims for greater power had long died down over the ages as he proved his strength over those that opposed him time and time again. He did not think any were left alive that would oppose him so openly… until now.

The tormented howl of the evening’s entertainment brought the extraterrestrial monster’s attention back to current events. From his crystalline throne, he looked down into the geode colosseum – a construction for his own personal amusement – as its sole gladiator battled for his life against the opposition. Bear-like claws lashed out in rage as the bloodied Alpha repelled another of Red King’s bone-shuddering blows, driving the ogre-like skull monster away and out of its fists’ range. In doing so, however, left him open to a combined blast of electricity that crashed into his right side, throwing the Titan to the floor in a cloud of crystal powder and shards. He pushed himself back to his feet as fast as his aching muscles would allow, glaring daggers at the taunting figures of Neronga and Jirahs. This would not be an easy battle for the Alpha to come, but it had overcome impossible odds before, and SpaceGodzilla anticipated the outcome with malicious glee.

His thoughts went back to the identity of those that had slain his champions on Faro Island, wondering if perhaps he had, at last, found the one who had escaped his justice for so many years. In the past, he would have led the hunt personally, seeking to erase the last remaining legacy of his so-called brother. But it had been so long since there had been a true challenge against his power, something to test the limits of his might and put his claim to the throne to the sword.

When this prehistoric relic had emerged from the depths of the ocean six years ago to challenge him, it had been the most intense battle of SpaceGodzilla’s life, pushing him to his limits until finally he had subdued the beast and bound it as his pet. It was topped four years later by another creature that claimed the name “Godzilla,” an ever-evolving life form that could adapt against his powers, pushing him to use not just muscle, but mind as well to bind and subdue this proclaimed “God Incarnate,” which now functioned as nothing more than a gigantic battery to further add to SpaceGodzilla’s legendary power, alongside the so-called “One Who Is Many.”

If he sat back and allowed the spawn to grow, build its resistance, increase its power and challenge him on its own terms, it could be the greatest, most challenging fight in his lifetime. An event that would allow SpaceGodzilla to finally go all out and put all of his accumulated knowledge and power to the limit. The greater the contest, the sweeter the victory.

SpaceGodzilla sat back, no longer paying attention to the violent brawl before him, as a satisfied smile crossed his lips, already eagerly anticipating the battle that was to come.

Winner: Godzilla Junior, Ebirah (Universal)