Authors: Michael Zamar & Matthew Freese | Banner: Dao Zang Moua

It had been many millennia since the great beast had been seen. So far into history most thought his story was just myth and legend, but in reality, it was far too real. Ever since his defeat at the hands of his fellow gods, he was prophesied to burst out of Mount Fuji, then walk down the slope and prepare to cause havoc across the Earth once more. Only the strongest monsters, machines, and heroes across the land would be the ones to defeat him for good.

The world had evolved past him, not even needing the gods to watch over the mortals anymore, for some had become powerful enough to take their place. But some would argue that despite their power, they were still just mortal beings, not strong enough to take on a true god.

On this day, that claim would be put to the test. A battle to signify the collision of the old and new world.

The great dragon seemed to have slept forever, the great mountain concealing him from the outside world. His blood red scales and many bronze horns glistened, the only color that existed in otherwise eternal darkness. Hazy dreams danced through his ancient mind, blurred visions and distant sounds that rarely took shape into something tangible. Whenever they did, hatred coursed through his veins for those brief moments. For they were often memories of his failure. Despite all the years, it still felt like he had just been defeated an instant ago.

The visions, short as they were, held recognizable faces. The most notable being the sun god, his glowing sword, and how quickly the battle went. Then back to seeing him take human form, riding the metal bird… and those moths.

Those damn moths!

Orochi gripped the memories, refusing to let them fade into the purgatory once more.

He focused upon the brilliant colors of the moths’ wings, wanting to see them burnt into a solid black. The silver and gold of his armored vanquisher spurned him into burning fury, the sight of the warrior of divinity’s sword igniting a phantom pain in his throats. The hazy walls of the dreamscape began to crumble as he focused upon those sights, the beings who had spared mortal kind from his cleansing destruction and allowed them to continue blighting the universe.

It started as a slight tremor on the grand mountain. The first few shudders would only have been noticeable to those standing on Fuji itself. But as the seconds passed, it grew stronger. Panic began to emerge within Tokyo, fears of an earthquake manifesting once more.

Soon, they would wish it had just been an earthquake.

Cracks formed upon Mt. Fuji’s peak, letting smoke pour out and climb into the heavens. Dislodged rocks tumbled down in avalanches, crushing helpless bystanders. Before the survivors could mourn, sounds arose from the opened peak. Cackling, maniacal and booming. Many could not help but remember a similar laughter coming from a certain golden dragon.

And the similarities did not stop there as eight scarlet serpents exited the smoke, before lurching further forward to reveal they were all connected to a colossal body.

Elephantine-like roars flew across the sky, leaving everyone near them quickly deafened. The god was huge, easily towering above even the biggest monsters mankind had put into the books. Nobody wanted to believe it, but it was true.

Orochi had returned.

Despite what the similarities suggested, Orochi and Ghidorah were very different. Instead of golden gravity beams leaving his eight maws, red ones zoomed straight out of his eyes, easily slicing nearby buildings in half and leaving nothing but ashes of humans and animals in the way.

Alarms blared throughout Tokyo, beckoning its citizens to flee. In mere moments, the streets were filled with panicked civilians. Orochi cackled again as he slowly began to climb out of the mountain and soon make his way down the slope. Now, there would be no god to stop him, no weapons to subdue him, and certainly no demon powerful enough to stop him!

Well in a way, he was right. The gods stopped watching over the Earth long ago, believing the evil deity to be dead. But in their place, new things had arisen: in a world without the gods, mortals had risen to their status. Their backgrounds and alliances varied, but that didn’t really matter to them when Earth was at stake. Well, to most of them anyway.

Sometimes rivalries meant everything to a monster, leaving nothing but bitterness for the other when they met. And there weren’t many better examples than Megalon towards the rest of the globe. Megalon was never evil per-say, but the human world’s treatment of the Seatopian race left such anger in their blood that becoming allies seemed impossible.

Or was it?

Dire circumstances had united enemies before, and few things could be considered as dire as the awakening of a vengeful god. Deep underground, within the ancient city, these were the questions and ideas biting at the emperor’s conscience.

Antonio observed the footage from within his throne room, a monitor revealing to him the arrival of the destroyer. Scratching at his balding head, he could feel sweat begin to bead. The tales of Orochi stretched to every corner civilization had nestled into on the Earth, and the emperor could not help but notice every single tale was proving to be true. He had assumed its size to be an exaggeration, but even from his position he could tell the thing towered above Megalon nearly twice over.

He leaned back in his throne, mind already trying to cushion the weight of these revelations. This was a good thing, it had to be. Orochi would destroy humanity and the surface’s kaiju, leaving Seatopia alone and with far fewer enemies. As long as they, and Megalon, stayed hidden, this would be a boon.

But in the back of his mind, Antonio knew that such a thing was too good to be true. Eventually, the mad god would tear the Earth asunder until he reached Seatopia, and his people would have to fight a nightmare made flesh without any allies. The Nebulans would not come to save them, for the cockroach-like aliens had perished long ago.

Rising, a heavy sigh leaving his lips, he began to exit his throne room.

It was a day he never expected to become reality, in fact it was a day he was hoping would never be reality. Ever since 1973, he wanted Megalon and the rest of the Seatopian army to crush the rest of the world and rule above and below. Now here he was, with the strong possibility that his only hope of surviving was teaming up with the race he hated most.

He almost felt like he was going mad.

Soon he had reached the rest of his clan, crying and yelling in fear at the thought of such a monster destroying their home. Standing on the tall peak above, Antonio spoke up.

“Citizens of Seatopia! We all know about the recent awakening of Yamata no Orochi, the demon dragon himself. We are also aware that hiding underground will do us no good, for his wrath shall consume the whole world with fire. Our desperation is strong, leaving us with an even more desperate solution.” He stopped for a moment, before going back to his speech.

“For the first time in our history, we will be joining forces with the human race!” Just like that, the entire species broke into one massive gasp. It seemed ludicrous! Many already moved to object to the very idea, wanting to find another way. They called out how there must have been some other way to combat this monster, it could not have been much different than the ones before it.

That was just it though, Orochi wasn’t like other monsters, as much as they did not want to admit. His godly heritage was already enough to prove it. It would take many monsters to even faze him!

“If there was another way, I assure you I would have taken it!” The emperor shouted, making the clamor dim. “You think I wish to join with those who poisoned our waters, those who would build bombs that leave nature dead for years on end?” He inhaled, voice settling into something more befitting a noble like himself. “Orochi is something beyond just us. Seatopia is powerful, our god a fearsome fighter. But we have limits, our failure decades ago taught us that better than anything.” The emperor’s desperation became clear in his voice, making people fear the eight headed behemoth even more than before. “Going up against Orochi is much more than just an average kaiju battle, it will be a war to decide the fate of the entire world as we know it!”

But still, Antonio felt uncertain about the alliance. What were they to do once the deal was met? Surely sending out just Megalon would be suicide, a couple of mecha units wouldn’t do jack, and even Godzilla alone would not be able to combat the great god.

But what if they were brought together?

After all, it was not like Godzilla was the globe’s only strong monster, and even then there were allies from the stars with the Ultra Brothers. Some like Gamera were probably already alerted to the draconic monster’s uprising and others wouldn’t be so far behind. Antonio turned back to his people.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I must strike an agreement with the people above!” After that, he was gone, leaving the people back to themselves yet again. They let themselves be hopeful, slightly so. If anything, just to keep dread from breaking them beneath its weight.

The humans themselves weren’t doing much better trying to stay calm. There were strong kaiju who were beaten before, sure, but none had ever reached Orochi’s massive size and were so dreaded across time.

All over the world, people had different reactions. Some said that Ragnarok was destined to pass now or that God himself would release his wrath upon the Earth. Others felt less worried, putting faith in the planet’s monsters to protect them once more. A few prayed to the other gods above, hoping that Utsuno Ikusagami could arrive once more and kill Orochi again.

There was no answer to those prayers. Nobody truly knew where the gods went, but it was clear they were too far away to hear man’s pleas. Earth would have to save itself, bereft of divine intervention.

Harou Nakajima, leader of the JSDF, was extremely worried. For all his years of training to fight monsters and eventually run the organization, he never thought about facing something so severe. He had little doubt that the other armies were ready to fight but still…

The sound of jogging footsteps reached his ears as a male guard came rushing to him and said “Sir! Antonio of the Seatopian race has called a meeting. He said he wants to… join forces to stop Orochi.”

Harou was silent for a moment, contemplating such a revelation. So, this truly was beyond anything they had faced before. He replied, sounding confident despite his fear. “Tell that underground lunatic to get here as soon as possible.”

On Monster Island, the great king continued to sleep. Near him was his tiny son, Little Godzilla, peacefully dreaming next to his father. But something began to stir in his mind, a vision of something coming out of Mount Fuji and cutting down skyscrapers with stray lightning bursting from his eyes.

He began to slowly wake up, yawning and rubbing his eyes. He was absolutely not in the mood to deal with another threat to the Earth. It did not matter though, what must be done must be done. Walking out of the cave, he gave a mighty roar that scared birds out of their trees and awoke his allies.

His son, eyes half-lidded, slowly stumbled out. Godzilla turned to face him, before giving a much softer call. The young Godzillasaur looked up to his father, concern apparent on his face. The prince of the monsters roared, asking about what was happening. Godzilla merely roared again, still soft yet stern, commanding his son to go back to sleep.

Winds pushed against trees and scattered dust as a red pteranodon descended from the skies. Opening his beak, Rodan announced his presence with a mighty shriek. As Little Godzilla walked back into the cave, still nervous yet trusting his father, another roar sounded. Godzilla and Rodan looked up to see a lizard-like biped gliding down from a nearby mountain, flaps of loose skin connecting its arms and legs and allowing it to catch the air. Once he was near the ground, Varan folded his arms to his side, letting him land on his feet.

Godzilla greeted the two, then began walking towards the shore. Rodan beat his wings to ascend once more, while Varan got down on his hands to begin walking on all fours.

As they moved, three more joined them. Anguirus emerged from a cavern and went to the side of Godzilla, greeting him with his high-pitched call. The King of the Monsters let his lips curl into a smile, responding in kind with his own roar. Gorosaurus trampled through the forests, tail thumping against the ground. Soil and rock split open near the growing group, claws on the end of brown legs pushing it away. Baragon’s glowing nasal horn dimmed as he reached the surface.

In the middle of an unremarkable clearing, Godzilla stopped. His gathered allies looked amongst each other, puzzled. Their confusion only grew as their leader breathed in, before letting loose a bellow.

A few moments passed, before the ground split open in front of them all. Three horns pushed away dirt as a brown, scaly body arose. Gomora growled as he stepped onto solid earth, making no effort to hide his anger at being awoken. Godzilla’s allies stepped back, Anguirus snarling as he did so.

Gomora was one of the few denizens of this land to not respect the authority of the atomic saurian. However, he mostly kept to himself, so this raised no issues most of the time.
The brown saurian growled once more, demanding to know why he was awoken. Baragon hid behind Gorosaurus, peeking around the side of the theropod’s body. It was no secret that Gomora did not respect Godzilla’s authority because he was one of the few who could actually challenge it. When Gomora had first arrived on Monster Island, he had quickly proven that he would not bow before anybody.

But Godzilla did not back down, nor did he even appear angry. He merely roared to the other colossus, revealing to him why he had been called upon. The other monsters, aside from Anguirus, recoiled, having been unaware they were being called to face something so horrid.

Gomora was silent for a moment, head tilting to the side as he considered. He did not want to work with anyone, but the nuclear leviathan had seen it fitting to call upon him for aid. If there was something so powerful wreaking havoc, how could he stand back and do nothing due to petty pride?

He growled, before turning towards the shore. He began to walk, stretching his neck due to having been awoken abruptly. Godzilla turned to his allies, then began to follow. They looked amongst themselves once more, unsure for a moment. Anguirus and Rodan followed their friend, joyful at the thought of getting to fight with him once more. This was enough to get the remaining three to follow, even if it did nothing to dampen their fear.

In the ruins of the once great Atlantis, someone began to stir. His eyes jutted open with fear, knowing of what was to come. But being afraid would not hinder him from his duty as Guardian of the Universe. Swimming up to the surface, Gamera let out a mighty roar to signify that he would fight once more to end the evil deity once and for all! Just then, however, a small chirp caught his ear.

Turning to his left, the noticeable green and orange colors made it obvious who had arrived: Mothra Leo, son of the late Guardian Moth herself. As soon as he was sure it was Orochi, he had quickly flown away to gather up Earth’s monsters and prepare themselves to fight. Chirping again with fear yet determination for the battle ahead, Gamera replied, already knowing. Not wanting to waste anymore time, he quickly turned his arms into plane-wing fins, retracted his legs into his shell and flew off with Leo by his side.

Despite all the other fights he had been through, this one startled him most of all. Leo was already aware of Orochi’s long, battle-worn history with the Mothra clan, and knew that once he came into vision, the eight headed demon would be after him with the most ferocity. But at least he wouldn’t battle alone this time. Godzilla had already gathered up the Monster Island gang, Gamera was quite literally by his side… but that wouldn’t be enough. They needed more.

Luckily, he already knew a perfect place to find an ally.

Not long afterwards, the two protectors had reached their first destination: Farou Island. The chelonian’s great roar had startled the native tribe, who readied their war sticks for battle. But before anything else could ensue, the familiar roar of the Eighth Wonder of the World came into range.

King Kong slowly came down the slope and headed toward the other monsters. With a quick snarl, he demanded to know why these two trespassers wandered on to his domain. Farou Island belonged to him and no other!

Once Leo had told him why, his anger quickly became a mix of confusion and worry. Unlike other monsters, Kong could not have cared less about what happened to the outside world. But he knew well enough that if this “Orochi” god was as devilish as stated, it wouldn’t be long until Farou Island was his next target, and him alone wasn’t going to be enough to stop him.

Nodding his head in agreement, Kong went to the shore and swam beside the flying guardians, all three en route to Japan.

Within the war room at JSDF headquarters, the mood was almost unbearably tense. The generals, politicians, and scientists gathered at a round table, watching a variety of monitors with bated breath. Most of the screens were occupied by various angles of Orochi’s assault, the sight of the dragon unleashing crimson bolts of lightning and gouts of fire upon everything in his sight sending shivers down many a spine. He had not even stepped off of Mt. Fuji yet. Tanks and jets fired upon him, only for one of the writhing heads to tear itself away from its wanton destruction and focus upon them for the few seconds it took to decimate the annoyance. A few monitors showcased the preparations for the machine they would be sending to face the god in combat, a towering facsimile of the King of the Monsters built of his predecessor’s bones and humanity’s best technology.

If the option had been available, every mech and anti-kaiju weapon in their arsenal would have been sent out to battle. But unfortunately, Kiryu was their only option, the rest being in no condition to wage such a war. Mechagodzilla and Moguera needed repairs they did not have the time to make. Not that the silver dragon was weak by any means, but it could only do so much.

Which was why Harou hoped to strike an alliance, and why all gathered were grateful that reports from Monster Island indicated help was arriving regardless. The final monitor flared to life, static for a few seconds before the transmission fully connected. When it faded, the war room was greeted by the sight of Seatopia’s emperor.

They were all silent, the only noise in the room being the broadcast sounds of destruction. Antonio spoke first. “Gentlemen, I will not mince words, for I imagine you would like this issue resolved as quickly as possible.”

“We’re listening,” Harou replied, looking to the rest of the room for agreement. No one raised an objection, all eyes alternating between the Seatopian and the JSDF’s leader.

Antonio kept a smile, trying to appear as level headed as possible. “Then in that case, I would like to propose an alliance for the time being.”

“If this were any other threat, I assure you this meeting would never have come to pass, but Orochi is simply beyond our power and understanding. Seatopia’s underground hideout will only last so long until he finds the way inside, though it’s clear that your world will be the first to be ashes and skeletons.” Antonio’s breath was shaky, building even more tension in the room and in Nakajima’s mind.

“That is why I’ve come here. Alone, we stand no chance, but if we can put all of our monsters and forces together, we have a much higher chance of bringing Orochi down. What do you say?”

Harou looked back at his coworkers, then turned back to the screen.

“We have a deal.”

“Alright team, deals been struck!” a stern, yet somewhat worried voice said to his teammates. Dr. Nick Tatopolus, leader of HEAT, was told to keep a close watch on the Orochi calamity and the JSDF Seatopian meeting. Yet he couldn’t keep his eye off Zilla. He had begun to swim in circles around the HEAT Seeker ever since the eight headed dragon came out of Mount Fuji this morning. The rest of the team nodded their heads, before Mendel pressed the button that told Zilla he was free to head out to Tokyo. His spines became clear to see above the waves and began to move south, but before he fully left, he stopped. Turning around to the rest of the team, he gave a small bellow. For all he knew, this might be the last he’ll ever see of them. Then he left as quickly as he could.

Kiryu’s controller sprinted down the hallway, yet still careful not to bump into anyone or trip along the way. After making it to the metal dragon’s workplace, Akane went straight to Harou. “Sir! Akane Yashiro, reporting for duty!”

A bit startled at how fast she had arrived, Nakajima eventually found the rest of his words. “While I know these are dire circumstances, Akane, we’re waiting on Megalon and Zilla to arrive before we deploy Kiryu. We sent a signal to HEAT to send out Zilla not long ago, and surely Antonio must be on his way to awaken Megalon. Until then, stay here and get ready for war.”

Still slightly nervous at the thought of fighting a god, Akane sighed before ending the conversation. “Understood, sir.”

Down in Seatopia, chanting echoed all across the caverns. Everyone joined in, trying to wake up their deity. Though it seemed to be quite difficult this time around. Whether it was just because he was in a bitter mood or just didn’t want to go and face the red demon didn’t really matter at this point. They needed him up!

Eventually, Megalon’s eyes slowly began to light up as a sign that he was awake. Soon an entire ocean of cheers arrived as Megalon roared out and jumped up to the surface. Just then, Antonio began to speak to him.

“Megalon, today’s mission will be much more deadly than your last few! Orochi is no average monster, rather a god from an era long before us. So this time, we had to call in many allies.” Then he paused for a moment, not entirely sure how he could break the news to Megalon, but went for it anyway. “Even Godzilla and his allies.”

Megalon quickly began to object, drilling his arms and growling in anger. “This is an order, Megalon! Orochi is simply far too much for you to take on by yourself. We cannot risk the Earth’s death over our past rivalry. So don’t even think about attacking the others, for we need them all at full strength! You got that?!” Antonio sternly yelled, gesticulating to try and make sure every word sank in. Megalon simply pouted before nodding his head, flying off to Tokyo to join his “allies.”

The gods would not help the Earth in this time of strife, but that did not mean it was alone in the vast cosmos. Billions of miles away, traveling through the edge of the solar system, was a red sphere of light. Amongst the vast darkness, it was miniscule, an outsider would easily lose sight of it as it raced past the many comets that made up the Oort Cloud.

It had been so long since he had last been here. Decades, and though such a stretch of time was miniscule to him and his kind, he knew that so much had to have changed in the world he cherished so much. A decade was nothing to him, but to a human it was often more than a tenth of their lifespan. But at the same time, he knew it was still the planet he had grown to love and consider a second home, with the same species he had nearly given his life to save.

Ultraseven looked fondly upon the pale blue dot, even from so far away. The Father of Ultra had foreseen a great evil arising on the Earth, one which would incinerate the planet and unleash hell upon the universe.

The crimson orb exited the Oort Cloud, reaching the main solar system. The warrior of light wished that his brothers in arms could have joined him in this endeavor, but they were all preoccupied. He knew that they all had to be performing immensely important tasks, for they cherished the Earth just as he did.

His destination grew as he drew closer, solidifying in his vision into the world he remembered. It was like he had never left. The thought of it burning haunted him, as did the thought of a beast with the power to make it so rampaging across the rest of the universe. If he had to face this ancient evil alone, he would do so for as long as he drew breath.

Earth soon filled his vision. The crimson sphere touched the atmosphere, instantly slowing down to an extent that completely defied humanity’s understanding of physics. Ultraseven dispersed his flash travel, revealing his silver and red humanoid body. Putting his arms forward, he flew downwards, soaring like a bullet. A cone of fire soon formed around him, the result of the sheer amount of friction being inflicted upon him. To a being who found sustenance in the radioactive rays of stars, it could never hope to harm him. Soon, the darkness of space became replaced with the blue of Earth’s sky. Japan’s features became clearer as he focused upon reaching Tokyo.

HEAT was hooked up to various satellites and cameras, trying to get as much info as they could on the upcoming fight. It was simply a necessity, everyone in the world needed to hear what was happening in case the alliance failed. There were even backup plans to unite a second team of monsters who had previously tried to take over the Earth, those with darker hearts than the guardians. Even if that failed, there were plans concocted long before this issue to have everyone still alive leave the Earth behind and just start anew on Mars. But for now, they could only really talk among themselves.

“You think the big guy’s gonna be alright?” Inquired Elsie Chapman, the red-headed biological expert of HEAT, “I get that he’s going into this with a lot of help, but the fact that everyone is freaking out so much about this worries me.”

Nick, who had been looking out over the sea in the direction his adopted son had swam earlier, turned to face her. “He’ll be fine. He’ll have Megalon, half of Monster Island, the JSDF, and who knows what else on his side. God or not, nothing can stand up against that much.”

Before Elsie could reply, another voice interjected from across the deck of the vessel. “Yeah, and I bet everyone’s overreacting anyway.” Randy Hernandez, HEAT’s expert in computer programming and hacking, blurted out. His tone turned mocking. “Oh, a god has arisen to erase humanity and destroy the Earth, whatever will we do? It’s not like a destroyer of worlds or ancient demon shows up every Friday and then gets blasted by Godzilla before it can even get through a city or two.”

Monique Dupre, HEAT’s French expert in weaponry and security, sighed, then responded. “First off, just because Earth has been attacked before does not mean something we have never seen before should be taken lightly. Secondly, is it not rather crude to dismiss the millions of deaths “one or two” cities being destroyed causes?”

The computer expert’s mood noticeably dipped.“Ok, you’re right, doesn’t matter how this ends, this is still a tragedy.” He said somberly, remembering how horrendous a kaiju attack was. Mirth creeped back into his voice a bit, if anything just to try and lighten the mood. “I just don’t think Ghidorah’s obese cousin is the be-all and end-all of kaiju everyone’s making him out to be. Yeah, he’s a god, but so is Mothra, and she’s gone up in flames like once a decade.”

“I hope your contribution to this battle is greater than this conversation would suggest,” came a weary voice through speakers. Everyone on board jumped in surprise, before moving closer to investigate. On one of the monitors aboard the ship, instead of the usual radar and readings, was the visage of emperor Antonio.

Nick spoke first, shocked. “How are you doing this?”

The emperor of the long lost city let a smirk adorn his face. “Our people built an artificial sun, we know quite a bit about technology.”

Randy was torn between wonder at the technological prowess and annoyment at being belittled. Deciding that asking about how they had achieved this would go nowhere due to numerous factors, he let pride take over. “What do you mean by ‘than our conversation would suggest?’”

As the rest of HEAT sighed, Antonio replied. “Where do I begin? Disregarding Orochi, a being who carved out a legacy of terror across every Earthen civilization and required divine intervention to defeat twice, as just another attacker? Or mistaking Mothra for the kind of god that Orochi is?”

Monique spoke up before any of her compatriots could. “How is Mothra not the same kind of god as Orochi? And how do you know so much about this subject?” The rest of HEAT remained silent, her questions summing up whatever they would have said.

“Seatopia is immensely ancient, having existed in its current state since long before the Homo Sapien developed civilization. These tales have been passed down from generation to generation. And, Mothra was spawned from the Earth, merely made a god by mortals because of how she towered above them and guarded them. Orochi is not of this world, instead having descended from a higher plane of existence.”

Nick replied. “Wait, don’t you consider Megalon your god?”

“As much as I hate to admit it, the same is true in that case. He is called a god because of his relationship to Seatopia, but he is no true god like our enemy is.”

“And if Orochi’s this divine entity, some being beyond our understanding, how has he not destroyed Tokyo yet, if not Japan?” asked Randy. “I know it hasn’t been that long since he popped out of Fuji, but if he’s going to destroy the whole world he’s going to need to pick up the pace.”

Antonio’s face became grim, head dropping forward. “He’s still relishing in the destruction, taking time to watch buildings smolder and people suffer. He’s plucking the limbs off of insects. Let us hope the colony can reach him and overwhelm him.” Fear so thick it was almost tangible fell over the HEAT Seeker.

“Before he grows bored.”

Elsewhere on the ocean, the three lords of the remote lands continued their journey. Kong, powerfully swimming through the waves. His arms pushed through the waters, his legs kicking behind him and throwing water back as they propelled the ape. Above him, nature’s chosen warriors flew side by side.

Leo’s mind was still undergoing turmoil, the tales of old still rebounding in his head. He began to see visions of what happened oh so long ago..

Mankind was far from the technological species it was now, and had the gods not stepped in when needed, they would have never had the chance to. The landscape was covered in blood and the dead who had tried to take him on. Some of the monsters were completely unrecognizable, burned alive by his fire breath and lightning beams. Screeches came down to the ground as the flaming corpses of Gyaos fell, exploding on impact. MUTOs tried to run away, only to get holes through their chests, their red eyes quickly dimming as they collapsed. Soon, however, there was a golden light ahead as an entire flock of Mothras lead a charge against Orochi. None of them were exactly the same. Some had giant praying mantis like forelimbs to try cutting his heads off with. Others had much larger wings that could deflect Orochi’s ranged attacks back at him. He was even able to notice Battra among the crowd, along with what seemed to be others of the dark guardian’s kin.

But no matter how hard they tried, the god was simply too powerful. But taking down Orochi wasn’t the plan, rather buying enough time so Utsuno could come and stop him by himself. Only his mother, Battra, and one of the long clawed ones survived, getting enough time to escape due to Ikusagami.

It was likely Orochi wanted to finish what he started with his ancestors, and considering he was the only one left, or at least, the only one that he was aware of, once Orochi got a finishing blow on him, that would be it. What would the world do without a Mothra?

Gamera was becoming somewhat calmer about the idea of going up against Orochi. He’d fought the tyrannical alien Legion, the absolute beast that was Iris, and even after going up against millions of Hyper Gyaos, he was still able to come on top. And considering an entire team of monsters were there to help him, surely he would come out okay this time too.

Right?

Then there was Kong, weighing the outcomes in his mind. Kong would happily live another day, but at the same time… there were many waiting for him on the other side. His parents, his brothers and sisters, and he would never forget about the wonderful blonde who helped him see the world in a whole new light. Maybe death wouldn’t be so bad…

As they neared the shore, the battle drawing ever closer, Godzilla’s team all had different reactions. Anguirus and Rodan were just happy to finally get some action in again, Godzilla took it seriously as could be, Gomora just wanted to get it done as quickly as possible, and the rest were just shivering with fear. Much as they hated to admit it, luck played a lot when it came to them fighting a big threat. This time around though, luck might not be on their side…

Then there was Megalon, who was still bitter at the prospect of teaming up with Godzilla of all monsters. He didn’t care about how big of a threat this Orochi guy was, it wasn’t going to change the fact that this was an insult to his pride and Seatopia in general!

Zilla’s mind was spinning with a multitude of possibilities and emotions while he approached his destination. He knew not what he was going up against, only of its reputation. Would he live to see the end of the day, or fall in battle? Images of his adoptive family mourning him made him want to turn back. But then those changed to images of them burning and perishing, a foul shadow falling over them and reducing them to nothing. He pressed on, ready to valiantly face anything. If it meant saving them, he’d face any evil.

Waiting high up in the clouds, sensing that help was arriving soon, Seven knew that he may not survive. But still, he knew Earth would be alright even if the worst came to pass for him. The rest of the Ultra Brothers would come if Orochi beat the team down, other monsters would eventually try to gang up on him anyway. This thing had to have been beaten before, proving it was not invincible. So what if it was a god? Many vile beings had made the same claim throughout the cosmos, and they all fell before the might of the Land of Light.

“Sensors are indicating that our allies are about to arrive!” Came the shout of the radar technician. It was both relieving and terrifying at once for Akane, as she performed the last few steps to make sure Kiryu was ready to be deployed. It was just about time. Her heart beat in her ears, and she was sure the same was true for everyone involved.

The speakers within Kiryu turned on, accompanied by the brief feedback. “Everything ready?” Harou asked, doing his best to sound professional and composed despite the circumstances. In Akane’s opinion, he was doing quite well. And it reassured her as well, knowing that despite how alone she felt within these metal walls, the truth could not be any different. “Akane, do you copy?”

“Yes, sir. Everything is ready. Awaiting orders to deploy.” When communications ceased, she took another look at her surroundings. “Let’s hope you are as well, Kiryu.”

Smoke filled the skies above, that of burnt buildings mingling with the outpouring of the broken Mt. Fuji. Still perched atop the holy mountain, Orochi was growing bored with torching Tokyo from afar. This game to draw out their horror and suffering had been amusing, but all games had to end eventually.

Earth quaked as he lumbered further down the mountain, stone cracking beneath each footstep. Occasionally, his colossal tail would rise into the air, before slamming back down, making the entire mountain shudder. Crimson bolts of lighting soared from his eyes and mouths, lacerating more buildings. As the rubble crashed to the ground in the distance, Orochi began to sense something. Though it distracted him, it did not slow his stride.

The lack of opposition he had faced was making him paranoid. Surely there was more to face him than the pitiful forces that had attacked him already? It was obvious a lot of time had passed since his last defeat, so where were the armies to oppose him? Masses of titans had arisen to attack him before, and while he had devastated them, surely they had not all perished since then? The god snorted in contempt. How disappointing if the planet that had given him such trouble fell before him without a fight.

When he reached the base, the sound of roaring fire caught his ears. Orochi’s eight heads perked up, seeking the source. When he found it, he was greeted by the sight of Gamera. He descended, his propelling jets fading as his legs left his shell. The tortoise screeched defiantly, challenging the colossal dragon.

Next to the Atlantean warrior, the ground burst open. A single drill arose from the cavern, before splitting into two halves. They fell upon the rim of the hole, before pulling up the body of Megalon. Once the Seatopian deity was on his feet, he clapped his drills together, roaring alongside the distinctive clang they made.

From the smoke came the form of Ultraseven, the sight making Orochi’s eyes twitch as he was reminded of a certain knight. The warrior of light landed, before settling into a fighting stance with a battle shout.

Before the god could question if this was it, a chorus of heavy footfalls and roars echoed. He could not keep his eyes from widening when he saw the alliance formed to face him. At the forefront, Godzilla, Gomora, and Kong marched side by side, each one looking ready to charge into battle. Anguirus, Varan, Gorosaurus, Baragon, and Zilla followed behind them. Fear beckoned each of them to flee, but its calls fell upon deaf ears. Soaring past them was Rodan, circling through the air above and observing what would soon become the battlefield. The pteranodon immediately let pride seep into his heart, noticing how bulky their foe was. Surely, he would be a slow target to pick apart.

Roaring fire sounded once more. An electronic yell heralded humanity’s warrior as he soared. Rocket jets from his back propelled the metallic dragon, Kiryu. All eyes fell upon the glorious machine as he landed, moving as fluidly as an organic creature. Sensors all over the mighty mecha’s body fed the information of the surrounding world to Akane through various monitors, ensuring that minimum discrepancy existed between pilot and vessel.

Finally, a mighty, warbling cry rolled across the lands. The cruel god began to grind his teeth, nostrils flaring as that accursed sound bored into his skulls. But to the rest of those gathered, even Megalon with his hardened heart, it was a beautiful reassurement.

Mothra Leo descended from the heavens, coming to rest in the air above all his comrades. Light shined down upon him, making the guardian moth seem truly radiant. His emerald eyes focused upon Orochi, who met his gaze with all sixteen eyes. Leo would not just fight for the Earth and his allies, but to also avenge his ancestors!

The god let a perverse joy peek through his hatred. Only one of the moths? That was it? Pathetic. He had slaughtered dozens of the insect’s predecessors, and dozens more of what he assumed to be their relatives. Looking over the gathered warriors, he sneered. He saw no divinity here. Just animals, a machine, and fools who knew not their place. Mortals, who would eventually be destroyed by time regardless. The imperfect things his father and mother had foolishly seen fit to bring into what had been a perfect existence.

Orochi looked upon them all, and combined his eight calls to form a booming, rolling roar that made even the bravest lapse in fortitude for a moment. Its meaning was clear as glass, even to those who could not understand his language.

Come forth and die!

Godzilla’s great roar was the signal for everyone to give everything they had. Gamera was quick and began to unleash his fireballs towards Orochi, who quickly caught it with his own lightning eyes, both beams exploding on impact. Kong started off with a simple rock throw, which didn’t do squat. Zilla and Gorosaurus both came forth and tried to attack Orochi head on, but the iguana was caught by three of the serpent heads and got thrown right into the allosaurus.

Godzila roared again and let out his signature atomic breath while Orochi was putting most of his focus on Leo, Seven and Baragon. He was able to see the attack coming with some of his other heads, but it was simply too late to block it, and it hit him right in the side, exploding on impact. Orochi scowled at it. It… burned more than he expected it to.

Baragon followed in Godzilla’s footsteps and aimed his fire ray right at the heads, but it wasn’t nearly as powerful, Orochi actually laughed at it. Rodan was able to take the brief moment to hit the dragon from the back with his Uranium beam, which still didn’t do much, but it probably stopped Baragon’s early death.

Varan was next to attack, aiming where the atomic breath hit, hoping that the burnt side was a fair bit weaker than the other. Kiryu fired an array of missiles right at the god, who really couldn’t do much to block it due to his bulky body. As soon as the gliding lizard tried to bite down on Orochi’s flesh, however, some of his teeth broke into bits from the tough hide, making him howl in anguish.

It was at this point where Gomora thought of a strategy. Orochi was a huge, bulky beast, no doubt about that… but considering how stubby those tumors he called “back legs” were, it would be extremely difficult for him to get back up.

Thus he began to dig underground, moving to the dragon which stood above him, yet was deep enough in the dirt so his weight wouldn’t crush him. He started to remove the foundation, slowly getting rid of any safe place to stand, then darted back to the surface where he originally stood.

Orochi had absolutely zero time to even try moving before he realized the ground was collapsing underneath him. In an instant he fell right upon his burnt side. That was the time for everyone to attack.

A barrage of Leo’s beams rained down upon him, Gamera was able to get off three fireballs in a row, and Seven fired his various Emerium Beams right at the heads. Flames came up like it was a portal to hell as Orochi blasted back, managing to get some of them to back off. The god rolled onto his feet, gazing up at his foes. Kiryu and Ultraseven flew up, the former unleashing a payload of missiles as the latter thrust a hand forward and unleashed his Ultra Shot. The projectiles crashed against the hide of the god, but he still only scornfully watched despite the tiny marks they left.

Gomora smirked as he observed his helpless foe. He had single handedly assured their victory right after the battle had begun. The subterranean theropod howled in mockery of his foe as the crown of horns atop his head glowed vibrantly. Tilting his head down, the Super Oscillatory Wave soared forth from the center horn, crashing against Orochi’s back. It seemed to damage the scaly armor, but if it did, there was little reaction.

One of the divine dragon’s heads whipped around to lock eyes with Gomora, mouth curled into a deranged smile. It was time to show just how outclassed his gathered aggressors truly were, especially if they thought a mere pit would stop him.

Divine power flowed through the crimson deity’s body, pushing his feet off the ground. He began to rise, as if lifted by invisible strings. Gomora staggered back, sounds of panic erupting from his allies at the sight. It looked absurd, seeing such a massive creature levitate effortlessly. But it only further demonstrated that they were not dealing with something of this existence, unbound by the same fundamental rules as them.

Orochi twisted in midair, facing he who had thought to bury the god of the underworld. Gomora turned, face twisting into an expression of terror, and fled. Gouts of fire raced towards him, scorching his back. He kept running to escape them, leaving horrid burns upon his hide. The ancient saurian rushed towards his allies, desperate to not be stuck fighting this thing alone.

The ground shook as the mad god landed, immediately breaking into a charge towards the nearest foe. It was Kong, who leapt into battle. Before Farou Island’s lord could reach the main body of the hydra, eight scaled whips fell upon him. Orochi’s heads bit at his arms and torso, jabbed at him with their arrays of horns, and bashed their foreheads against whatever they could hit.

The assault stopped the ape’s attack cold, thrusting him onto the defensive. Kong bashed one out of the way, only for two more to latch onto his still extended arm. They tore into the flesh, staining themselves with mammalian blood. Grunting, he went to pull one of the jaws free, only for Orochi to similarly restrain the ape’s other arm. Fear seized Kong’s heart as his feet left solid ground, leaving him to helplessly kick as the remaining four heads writhed like snakes before him. Eight eyes observed him with a sadistic curiosity, eager to test just how to tear the gorilla apart.

A pillar of atomic energy crashed against the crimson god’s back, raking across it and shrouding it in brilliant blasts. It distracted Orochi for a moment, causing him to howl and drop the primate, allowing a rapidly spinning turtle shell propelled by five jets to swoop down from behind. Gamera grinded up his foe’s back, spraying sparks in all directions and leaving a black trail on the red scales. Kong dropped to the ground, stumbling on his feet as he turned to get some distance.

The lord of Farou Island had immediately realized a frontal assault would not work for him here. Strategy would be required. But what plan could he even concoct?

Orochi’s eyes glowed a brilliant scarlet as they locked onto Gamera’s form. Out of the corner of the furthest right eye, Mothra Leo quickly approached. A second later, the guardian moth’s wings began to release an emerald powder as he flapped them. Suddenly, all eight heads whipped towards the insect, unleashing their gathered energies. Mothra Leo stopped immediately, forcing himself back and throwing out a wall of his magical dust. The beams struck the wall, being broken apart and reflected between each discarded scale.

Memories of his own attacks being deflected had spurned the mad god’s actions, the only thing that had truly hurt him in that grand battle before Utsuno arrived. What he also remembered was that these scales had limits. The beams pushed through, fighting against the reflective properties of Mothra Leo’s ability. An array of red beams tore through the other side, burning into the moth’s underbelly. White fur turned dark as he screeched in pain, the weakened rays still forcing him back.

With the emerald cloud dispersed, Orochi prepared to unleash another wave of his eye beams upon his recoiling foe, only for Godzilla to rush in. The atomic saurian put his shoulder forward at the last moment, the sound of the immense tackle echoed. The King of the Monsters channeled power through his body, back spines glowing with azure power. But instead of spewing the gathered energy from his maw, the crackling radiation flowed into his arms. What resembled blue lightning bolts covered his claws.

Godzilla slashed his glowing claws across Orochi’s side, spraying out sparks and smoke. Three jaws closed around the nuclear leviathan’s side, before dragging him across the ground. The King of the Monsters stayed on his feet as he was pulled to the dragon’s front. Godzilla could not help but feel small before the full towering height of his foe. He had been outclassed in size before, but never to this extent.

Despite this, he still rushed forward, raking his energized talons across the chest of the god. Orochi cringed, gritting his teeth. So, this mortal had a harsher sting than most. But it would do him no good in the end!

Searing bolts of blood-red electricity lashed Godzilla’s hide, tearing burning grooves into his flesh. Streams of fire followed, earning a cry of agony from the nuclear saurian as the flames worsened his wounds. Relishing in the suffering, Orochi continued bathing the mutant in hell’s fire. The harsh, orange glow of the attack concealed Godzilla’s entire body, before it lit up in glowing blue for but a second.

A shockwave of nuclear power dispersed the flames, continuing to crash against Orochi’s front. The Nuclear Pulse forced the god back a step, a cry of genuine shock being emitted. Godzilla slouched, breathing heavily as his regeneration desperately fought to repair his damaged body. Long strips of flesh hung from a charred body. He looked more like a corpse than a mighty king. The mad god’s heads lunged forward, jaws opened wide to further eviscerate the first being to make him feel pain in eons… Only for a boomerang shaped blade to fly through the air, slashing across one of his central necks.

It failed to do anything beyond superficial damage, but it still distracted Orochi long enough for Ultraseven to land in between him and Godzilla. Screeching in rage at being denied his kill, the eight-headed serpent spewed hellfire once more. The warrior of light thrust his hands forward, creating a translucent barrier. The flames crashed against it, spreading out as they tried to break through. The Ultra Brother did not know how long he could hold out against them.

His strain stopped after a few seconds, Orochi’s attack ceasing. The atomic saurian turned, using a burst of adrenaline to create some distance using the distraction. Confused, the Ultra looked up to his foe to figure out why the attack had faded so fast.

What he saw in the sixteen eyes of his foe was pure hatred, a roiling inferno that made the stars resemble fading candles. Eight jaws lashed out towards him, but the warrior of light managed to step back, leaving them to bite the air. The gnashing teeth did not stop coming for him, so Ultraseven began to backflip away. He only got two flips off before crimson lightning forced him to the ground, prone. Groaning, the warrior of light tried to rise to his feet.

A crimson foot smashed into his stomach, pinning him. Snarling heads peered down towards him, baring teeth. Orochi was smart enough to know that the being before him was not Utsuno, but he did not care. It would still feel endlessly cathartic to rip apart someone so similar.

Soil and rock beneath the vile deity’s back legs broke, plunging them into a pitfall. The surprise allowed Ultraseven enough room to roll away and climb to his feet. Orochi pulled himself out of the shallow trap, heads madly waving as he screamed hatred to all who could hear. Zilla burst out of the ground behind him, quickly climbing onto his back. He frantically dragged his claws across the dragon’s back, trying to pierce the flesh to no avail. The mutated iguana leapt back to the ground to avoid several beams aimed towards him. As the dragon turned to pursue the irritating lizard, a beam of electricity and a fiery explosive both crashed into his other side. Turning his necks to the source, Megalon stood defiantly ready to fight.

Gamera spun towards Orochi once more, ready to repeat his earlier attack. But, his approach was much too loud to surprise the god once again. Ignoring the attacks of the two burrowers for a moment, he curled his gargantuan tail to the side. With only one eye focused upon the tortoise, all that was needed to ensure the whole consciousness knew, he waited.

When Gamera descended, ready to carve at his foe once more, the tail moved with very surprising speed. The sound of the impact hit every ear within miles. Like a baseball bat striking a ball, the strike sent the guardian flying. The atlantean titan was powerless as he crashed against the ground hard enough to bounce. Now horrifically cracked on the most armored part, the shell rolled to a rest.

And remained still.

Zilla and Megalon’s hearts both nearly stopped as Orochi’s focus fell back on them. The mutated iguana roared to the rest of the allies Godzilla had brought, compelling the denizens of Monster Island not still recovering to get back into the fray. Gomora led the charge as he, Anguirus, Rodan, Gorosaurus, and Baragon rushed to join their allies.

Kong was still in the midst of thinking of a legitimate strategy. Where Orochi was strong, he lacked in speed, and he was quite speedy for his size. Rodan quite easily beat him in that department, however. That could be a good plan! One speedy attack from the both of them, slamming into Orochi would certainly break bones, especially since the devil didn’t seem to have any regenerative powers like Godzilla or Bagan. But even then, someone would have to wear down his hide enough for that to really work… But then something else popped into his mind. Would the dragon’s eye beams power him up?

Maybe it was dumb to ask, but it was not like Orochi was aware that lightning was the great ape’s main power source. Maybe his electricity would be the same as the planet’s!

Kiryu went straight back into battle, trying to buy Godzilla and Gamera time to recover from their wounds and return to the fight.

“The last thing we need is our laser cannons slowing us down….time to lighten this load.” Akane stated.

The metal dragon soon bent over and fired the grey cannons right at the terrible monster, the sound of it zooming over enough to get everyone else out of harm’s way. They hit him straight in the chest and knocked the breath out of him, but besides that, it didn’t really do much else.

Meanwhile, Godzilla’s wounds were slowly beginning to heal up, and he was able to get the dragon’s attention once again. Still, it was hard for Orochi to do much about it since he was getting crowded by Rodan, Gomora, and Megalon. Baragon was able to get a good grip on his massive tail, and when Orochi tried to slam him down, he didn’t let go the slightest bit, and he even dug his claws further in to make sure he got a good grip. Then he began to climb up the tail and fired his heat ray, blowing off some of his horns. Not like the horns meant much to him anyway, Orochi thought. But he didn’t really have much time to try getting the monster off since Rodan got hold of his middle neck. Megalon fired another blast of electricity around it, hoping to maybe tear it off, but the dragon was too strong.

One of the god’s heads turned to blast the pteranodon off, only for glowing streaks of light to crash against it. Turning, it saw the silver dragon, arms raised. Utilizing his wrist mounted lasers, humanity’s fighting machine was running interference best he could.

Zilla leaped past his foe, scraping his dorsal plates against a serpentine neck. It distracted the dragon from assaulting Kiryu, irritation towards the mutant iguana only growing as he began rapidly slashing at Orochi’s side. Rodan took to the air as jaws snapped at him. He lashed his talons against the heads seeking to bite him, forcing them back. As several of the heads dedicated themselves to ridding himself of Baragon, the burrowing dinosaur leapt off his foe’s back.

Varan took the opportunity to glide back into battle, crashing against the left heads. He grabbed one, latching on and throttling it. When its eyes glowed red, Varan leapt back off, sailing through the air. When the twin beams soared towards the gliding reptile, he folded his arms, dropping to the ground. He ran, leaving Orochi’s beams to tear apart the ground behind the swift Varan.

Twin beams of electric power crashed against Orochi’s chest, Kiryu and Megalon firing their beams in tandem. The mad god unleashed several eye beams towards them. The guardians of the temporarily allied civilizations fell back as the godly power tore at them.

Akane braced herself, the cockpit shaking as sparks flew at random from the walls. Orochi was not letting up, his deranged screeches being almost as loud as the surging energy. Alarms began to blare within seconds, informing Akane that the mech could not handle such forces for much longer. Worsening the fear was Megalon beside her, flailing and screaming as smoke sizzled off his body.

Salvation came in the form of Mothra Leo, the underside of his thorax glowing brightly. He tilted his body so that the radiance faced his target, before unleashing a shining pillar of holy energy. The Mega Breast Cannon smashed against Orochi’s side, succeeding in pushing the deity. His feet dug trenches through the ground as the concussive forces tried to tip him over.

When the guardian moth’s attack faded, his foe instantly began flying. Orochi wasted no time in turning to face the insect, exhaling geysers of flame. Leo had little time to react, allowing him to barely escape the fire. The heat still rushed over him, threatening to singe him. Azure bolts left the guardian moth’s wings, but instead of sailing towards the deity, they speared into the ground.

All watched in awe as the earth split open with pillars of brilliant power, crashing into Orochi’s underside. The Sparkly Pyre Road forced a cry of pain from the dragon, all his willpower being put into staying stable against the force. It faded as soon as it began, and Orochi immediately fired his crimson lightning once more. Mothra Leo was scourged by the godly wrath, nearly throwing him to the ground.

The god flew downwards, landing just before the nearly downed Mothra Leo. Shocked by his foe’s endurance, he was powerless to stop the jaws clamping onto his wings, trapping him in his foe’s grip. He tried to channel power to his chest once again, only for two skulls to smash against his abdomen.

If it were not for the rest of his foes, Orochi would slowly rip the moth apart. Indulge in his sadism with a display of grotesque butchery, drench all eight heads in the yellow ichor sustaining the mortal’s life. Show the Earth her champion’s decimated and desecrated corpse, to spite all of the insect’s ancestors. But already he could hear them rushing in to oppose him, so he would have to save that for later.

Twelve bolts of crimson lightning speared into Mothra Leo’s thorax, the force nearly tearing him away from his wings. Releasing his grip, the eight-headed serpent let the moth be carried through the air by the attack. Cutting off power to his beams, he let the guardian moth fall. Mothra Leo crashed onto his back, fire spreading across his fur.

He still lived, but only because Orochi had allowed it.

Godzilla, Gomora, and Ultraseven charged side by side, as their allies charged behind him. As they did this, Kong found Megalon, and roared at the beetle. The Seatopian deity looked towards the ape, roaring to demand to know why he stopped him. The lord of Farou Island revealed that he had seen the beetle fire a beam of electricity, and asked for him to fire that beam at him.

Before Kong could explain why, Megalon fired his antenna ray. It crashed against his body, but instead of incinerating his fur and throwing him into agony, the electricity spread across Kong’s body. Flexing, the ape let the lightning dance across his fingers, before nodding to his ally. They both turned, charging towards Orochi along with their team.

Rodan descended, bashing his spiked chest against one of the serpent’s heads. He quickly flew back before even the sparks it generated had landed, but still suffered twin streams of hellfire crashing against him. The pteranodon screeched as the force behind them tossed him away.

As the king of the skies hit the ground, Varan and Zilla were already attempting to flank the serpent. The Baradgi leaped forward, twisting in midair to face his back towards Orochi. Before his back spikes could touch the hide of the god, jaws slammed shut around his throat, stopping him. Varan was turned, to look the serpent in the eyes.

Emerald fire poured from the mutated iguana’s jaws, but all it succeeded in doing was turning six heads in his direction. One still held Varan by the throat, and another still locked eyes with the restrained saurian.

It was a dull sound. Only those with heightened senses heard it, but what came next everyone saw. Varan hit the ground, gore spewing from his open neck. A chunk of his viscera dropped from the offending mouth, splattering onto the twitching body. Orochi stared at his writhing foe, watched the light leave Varan’s eyes, the last breath raggedly gasping. Now, he lay limp, aside from the occasional twitch of fingers.

Zilla turned and tried to run, only to be brought to the ground by an array of red lightning. He began to crawl away, but more split-second firing of beams kept him pinned. The eight-headed serpent marched forward, uncaring as he trampled the corpse of what he viewed as just another useless mortal.

“Get out of there, Zilla!” Nick shouted, as if his adopted son could hear him. “Please!” Watching the battle had probably taken years off his life, the same being true for the rest of HEAT.

The mutated iguana was saved when Kong and Ultraseven reached Orochi, stepping between him and their ally. As the mutant burrowed into the ground, Godzilla’s roar sounded out as he charged into battle. Anguirus and Gorosaurus followed, hoping to avenge their friend. Righteous anger fueled them.

Kong grabbed one of his foe’s heads, sending his electricity into it. It screeched in pain as it was assailed. Ultraseven grabbed his Eye Slugger, slicing it across the outstretched neck. It tore at the flesh, but failed to pierce deep enough to draw blood. Walls of fire enveloped both humanoids, sending them staggering back. Now freed, the burn-covered eighth head contributed to the flames.

Godzilla fired his Atomic Breath, further worsening the burns on Orochi’s side. This made the serpent stop spewing flames, allowing Kong and Ultraseven to rush back in and begin striking his body. The nuclear leviathan and his allies closed the distance. Anguirus rolled into a spike covered ball, crashing against the serpent’s side as Gorosaurus, stepping to the side of Orochi, leaned back on his tail and then delivered a kangaroo kick. Godzilla tackled the god once more, joining the two humanoids in their assault.

Gomora and Megalon burst from the ground on the opposite side from Gorosaurus. The former jabbed at his foe’s hide with his horns as the latter wildly bashed at Orochi with his drills. Screeching, the serpent attempted to fight his foes off, but his biting and flailing heads did little to deter the four striking his front. The lord of Farou Island grabbed one by the jaws, and began to pry them apart.

Rodan descended, once again latching onto one of his foe’s necks and pecking at the back of the head. Kiryu came soaring overhead, before dropping onto the dragon’s back. The god tried to fight off the silver dragon, but he was too preoccupied snapping at Kong to stop him from destroying one of his heads. A gout of fire burned the ape’s hands, forcing him to release the dragon’s head. But as it retreated, he punched it with both fists from both sides, breaking horns and fracturing teeth.

One of Kiryu’s hands began to change. The long, spindly fingers twisted and combined. They began to spin rapidly, forming a drill. From the silver dragon’s other hand came a long blade. Lightning surged through it.

“Just die already!”

Akane yelled from within Kiryu as the war machine thrust the drill downwards, crashing against the back of Orochi. Sparks flew as metal fought against the god’s hide. Pulling it back for a moment, Kiryu thrust the energized blade into the small groove the drill had carved. He stabbed it several times, before taking the drill back to it.

Orochi began to fly, but Godzilla, Kong, and Ultraseven grabbed his necks. They tried to pull him down, struggling against him. Megalon, seeing Kiryu using a drill, got an idea. Stepping back, he placed his drills together. It revved to life, spinning with the power that let him dig at mach speeds. With a roar, he charged forward.

Sparks flew immediately as he placed the drill against the god’s side. Soil parted beneath his soles. He strained to stay like this, but his willpower held strong. Scales flew away as the tip of the drill slowly sank in. Orochi’s thrashing grew greater, but Gomora rushed to the front and joined in keeping the serpent in place. It seemed to equalize the struggle, and Megalon continued his attack.

Eight horrid screeches cut across the battlefield.

Moist sounds could be heard from the ends of Megalon’s drills. He was the first to inflict a true wound upon the deity. He felt unstoppable, the world would shower him in admiration for this feat!

Walls of fire and sixteen ruby colored beams of lightning washed over the four keeping Orochi pinned, sending them reeling back. The deity rose into the air, his heads flailing in all directions spraying their payload upon all. The Seatopian deity pulled his drill free, allowing black blood to flow from the gaping hole. It stained his drills, but this was the least of his concerns.

Spinning in midair, the serpentine deity continued unleashing burning death upon all. Kiryu tried to fly back, only to be bathed in fire and torn at with lightning. Plates of metal were ripped free by the precise bolts, as the entirety of Kiryu’s body began to glow. Megalon tried to dig, but his drill could only touch the dirt for a second before he was enveloped. Anguirus screeched in agony, deep grooves being carved into his shell as flames bypassed his defenses by coating his whole body. Rodan hit the ground, Gorosaurus staggering back and falling as well. Kong learned the hard way that he could not absorb Orochi’s lightning as it tore at him as it did the rest of mortal kind. Ultraseven screamed, the flames of hell and the lightning of a god being too much for even his highly heat-resistant body. Gomora and Godzilla could not resist its power either, only being able to backpedal and endure.

Once all his foes were driven back, Orochi dropped to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust. Instead of immediately attacking, he looked at his side.

“Akane, are you alive?” Came the voice of Harou within Kiryu’s piloting bay. “Akane!”

The room was bathed in red light, a constant drone of alert sounding off. The pilot had been lying unconscious, until the shout made her eyes slowly open. “Yes, for now,” she weakly spoke, voice raspy and harsh. Before her, various monitors revealed what she already knew. Kiryu’s damages were immense, and the danger to her was as well. She had nearly been cooked alive within the war-machine. The signs of heat-stroke had already set in. Had the silver dragon been any less heat-resistant, she would be dead.

Orochi’s eyes fell upon the wound. His blood, black as pitch, slowly dripped out. Drops fell, staining the ground, blighting that soil to never grow plant life again. He stared, transfixed.

His foes began to stand up once more, albeit slowly and weakly. Portions of Kiryu’s body were warped and twisted, like melted candle wax that had been left to grow cold again. Zilla and Baragon arose from the ground, gazing upon their foe with great fear. Kong steeled himself, realizing he would not be ok with perishing this day, for his people still needed him. As well, even if it did reunite him with his family, he would do anything to not experience the agony the serpent caused.

They had made him bleed. Mortals had actually restrained him for a time, forced him on the defensive, nearly cost him one of his heads, and drawn his blood. Done what only… what only the gods had done before. Could he still fall, even if his brother was not here?

Far away, a turtle-like shell began to shift. A green hand emerged from it, the other coming out as well. Next were the legs, and then, Gamera’s head. He slowly got up, the world still a blur. He had underestimated his foe, expected something on the same level as his previous foes.

Orochi was undergoing a mental crisis. Mortals, those imperfect, useless creatures actually doing this to him? He watched his blood slowly drip, his other heads watching his gradually recovering foes. How, how, how! Beasts tearing into his hide, one of the guardian moths actually hurting him without relying on reflecting his own superior beams, and humanity standing against him in any capacity?

“What’s he doing over there?” Harou asked his compatriots. They had no answers, and that only made their fear worse.

“Megalon, you actually made the god bleed? I knew your power was impressive, but you still continue to astound me,” Antonio said to himself. “But I fear what comes next, whatever it may be.”

Aboard the HEAT Seeker, they were just as confused as the JSDF. “I don’t have a problem with it, but why isn’t he attacking them anymore?” Elsie asked, scratching her head. “I doubt he’s turned over a new leaf, so what is it?”

Randy replied, making the best observation he could with what information he had. “I think the thing’s having an existential crisis. If he’s everything Antonio hyped him up to be, the beat down they just gave him should be making his head spin.”

“I think you may be right.” Monique responded. “But what will he do to resolve that crisis?” No one in HEAT wanted the answer, doubting that the genocidal god was one for reasonable resolution.

Orochi would do what he always did when something contradicted him. He would act upon his divine right, to do whatever he desired. He had learned from this, learned that mortals had grown strong since his last defeat. No more toying with them, for they were beyond play-things for him to break. They were threats to his crusade, and they must be eliminated.

And the time for that was now.

As he saw the dragon charge forward, Zilla began to think about everything that was at stake. Nick was practically his father, and the rest of HEAT were close enough to be aunts and uncles. Then there were the kaiju allies he made along the way on his travels across the world, some that would never survive going up against Orochi. Godzilla was under a similar train of thought. While there were three other Godzilla’s on the planet, Little Godzilla still needed years to fully mature, Legendary’s power could only go so far, and while Shin’s adaptation could be a savior… imagining exactly what said adaptation could be would start a new threat entirely.

Kong was still trying to think of a legitimate strategy, for his strength certainly wouldn’t be his savior. The team would have a good chance of survival if even just one of those heads went away.

Just how was he gonna get rid of them though?

Then he realized, he didn’t need to tear off the head to make it useless, just blind it somehow. The eyes were the most unprotected part of the body, and one atomic ray would clearly take them out.

But the ape didn’t have any more time to think as Orochi fired all of his ranged attacks at once. Tons of electricity and fire rained down on everyone who didn’t move out of harm’s way. Blisters began to form on Baragon’s arms and Rodan’s wings. Seven was hit full force with three lighting bolts at once. A good chunk of Godzilla’s tail was cut off and Gamera barely avoided getting hit in the leg.

Baragon tried to get back into the fray, still fuming over the death of Varan. But still, his smaller stature meant that there wasn’t much he could really do in the long run. But perhaps another sneak attack could do some good.

Gamera went into his shell and spun himself straight into the dragon, forcing him to stop his attack. As Orochi backed away, he suddenly began to feel a sharp pain in his ribs, like they had been cracked. By this point, he was not even surprised.

Godzilla wanted to continue rubbing salt in the wound, and he had the perfect way to do it. Charging up energy in his palms again, he smashed them against the god’s side. It tore at the hide, sending chunks of scale and skin flying. The atomic saurian raised his hands back to repeat the attack, only to be rapidly beaten by the flailing heads of Orochi. Twin jaws clamped shut around Godzilla’s throat, holding his head in place. One of the deity’s heads locked eyes with the King of the Monsters, staring deep into the leviathan’s orange orbs.

Ruby lightning lanced into Godzilla’s eyes, forcing a shriek of agony from the mighty king. The nuclear leviathan’s world went dark, but the immense agony told him he still lived. Continuing to feed power to the rays, the eight-headed serpent intended to boil his greatest threat’s brains.

Fireballs slammed into the head attempting the impromptu lobotomy, forcing it back. Gamera rushed forward, crashing a punch against one of the necks restraining the leviathan. The two heads relinquished their grip, focusing on the tortoise. Godzilla stumbled back, groaning. Looking over, the Atlantean bioweapon cringed at the sight which greeted him.

Two smoking holes replaced the theropod’s eyes, the white of bone being visible within. He opened his jaws and blindly fired an atomic ray towards Orochi, nearly striking Gamera in the process. As the tortoise narrowly dodged the beam, the god laughed with five heads, the other three precisely firing their own eye beams at Godzilla’s knee. Flesh was parted and incinerated, sending the King of the Monsters collapsing to the ground with an undignified yelp.

Wasting no time, Gamera unsheathed blades of bone from his elbows, and plunged them into Orochi’s burnt chest. They sank in, almost reaching deep enough to draw blood. He went to pull them back out, only for them to be caught by two of the serpent’s maws. Gamera struggled against this for a second, until he noticed another neck rearing back. Its head lashed forward towards his head, jaws opened wide.

The bipedal tortoise’s head retreated into his shell, leaving it to strike open air. The head looked down, snarling as it built up energy. A jet of blue flames soared out from the shell’s opening, searing the head and forcing it back. Gamera pulled his elbows free, before retracting them into his shell also. As his legs followed, Orochi cried out in rage before biting down on the edges of the shell. Flames rushed out from the five openings, attempting to propel Gamera through the air. The muscles in Orochi’s eight necks strained as he fought against the thrust, keeping the shell in place.

Soon the dragon ended up losing the fight, Gamera once again able to further crack his ribs with another spinning tackle. But that didn’t stop him from firing lighting bolts into the cracked shell, hurting the soft insides. This sent the Atlantean bioweapon falling to the ground once more. Seven flew up in the air and prepared a drop kick to push the nearest skull in but the necks parted before it, leaving him in the middle of eight snarling maws. However, he was smart enough to teleport out of harm’s way before he ended up like Varan, leaving the writhing heads to snap against nothing.

Anguirus leapt out of the ground in front of Orochi. The ankylosaur’s jaws closed around the neck of one of the central heads, his claws coming up to grip it and keep him more stable. Like a rabid dog he flailed his head back and forth, but all he succeeded in doing was hurting his teeth. Anguirus released his grip, narrowly dodging the retaliatory lashing of the other seven jaws. Turning, the brown saurian curled his body slightly, hiding his throat, before leaping backwards. He crashed against the monolithic chest of Orochi, bouncing off of it.

Anguirus prepared to repeat the attack, only for his shell to be assaulted once more with flames. He fully hid within his shell, resembling a spike coated ball. Spines melted and broke, staining the brown with white. Within, the ankylosaur screamed, feeling like he was boiling.

Simple flames meant nothing to Orochi, for he had much more powerful attacks at usage. All eight heads had the same sinister red glow come from their eyes.

Yet when it was released, it did not hit the intended target.

Gamera had taken the full blow, but hadn’t gotten scott free of consequences. His chest was entirely blackened once all the electric beams hit, causing Orochi to chuckle. Karma sure seemed to be on his side today. Shards of Gamera’s plastron crumbled to the ground. Anguirus uncurled, thanking the tortoise as he moved back.

Kong was back into the fray, grabbing the head on the far right and beginning to tug on it, pulling it yet keeping its jaws shut. Then with one mighty bite, he threw his teeth into the head’s eye socket! Slowly he began to pull the ruined eye out, while he prepared to bite into the other one. The second eye was pulled straight out with ease this time, but Kong was quickly stopped by the other heads. Godzilla blindly fired another atomic ray, stopping the full wrath of the deity from falling upon the ape. Four heads fired upon the atomic leviathan, as the rest focused on Kong. The one missing its eyes still snapped its jaws at the hands of the lord of Farou Island.

While Megalon appreciated the tactic, it would have to be taken a step further in order for it to truly work. A head began to fly at him and opened its jaws, causing him to fire a napalm bomb into its mouth. It attempted to spit it out, only for the black sphere to detonate. Already accustomed to spewing flames, the head was not destroyed, but it did flail in pain. Before he could try again, another two heads bashed the scarab to the ground.

Baragon just barely reached his target, leaping on Orochi’s back and beginning to tear into the wounds Zilla had started earlier. Gomora charged in to finally make sure that chest was torn to shreds with his horn, the Super Oscillatory Wave charging from within, but began to notice Baragon had fallen off the dragon’s back.

Still intent on his goal, Gomora’s horn glowed a mighty red color as he went in for what he believed to be the final blow. Only to be knocked aside, at this point the serpent constantly thrashing to force his foes away and obtain some breathing room.

Now he faced the beast’s back legs, which fractured his nose by giving it a mighty kick while Baragon shook off his dizziness. As the dragon roared out into the air, the back leg began to rise over the dinosaur, who could do nothing but prepare himself for the end.

But the end never came.

Baragon had enough strength to push the dinosaur out of harm’s way, but the second Gomora was in the clear zone…

The Subterranean Terror was no more.

Orochi began to laugh as he felt Baragon’s crushed corpse, the entire foot going straight through his insides and splitting the poor monster straight in half. Grey organs fell onto either side of his body as a massive pool of blood covered Orochi’s leg. Death had been instantaneous. But the quadruped’s face told Gomora that said instant had been far from painless. He could not look away from it, the sight of an innocent creature so gruesomely slaughtered trying to save him filling him with despair.

Gorosaurus bellowed, charging towards the killer of two of his friends. He rushed past the slouched Gamera, each breath of the Atlantean bioweapon being heavy and strained. Rodan and Anguirus moved alongside each other, soon joining the theropod. Godzilla, his eyes healed enough to make out blurry shapes, attempted to rise. His arms gave out beneath him, but that was not enough to stop him from trying.

Rodan spread his wings, stopping him in midair and letting Anguirus get in front of him. Beating his wings once more, the pteranodon grabbed his friend’s tail, lifting the ankylosaur into the air. Kong and Gorosaurus stood side by side, facing the destroyer head on.

Gorosaurus bit down on one of his foe’s necks. Smashing his tail against the ground, he lifted himself up and thrust both feet against the dragon’s chest. Kong supercharged his fists with azure lightning, before slamming it against the holes Gamera had carved earlier. The wounds widened, before another Kangaroo Kick from the theropod tore them open enough for blood to flow out.

Kong grinned at the potential weak point, summoning more power to the fingers he prepared to thrust into the wounds. A yell hit his ears, followed by the thud of Gorosaurus dropping to the ground. The ape winced when he looked over to see one of the dinosaur’s eyes gouged out. Tilting his head slightly, he saw one of the serpent’s horns coated in blood and a pale, gelatinous substance.

Despite half of his vision going dark, a permanent crippling, Gorosaurus still climbed to his feet. His only eye narrowed as he snarled. He could live without an eye, for he would grow used to the loss. He could not grow used to the loss of his friends. He refused to let the cruel divine kill anymore, to take more away from him or anyone else. The serpent looked upon him, cackling. Such bravado from such a pitiful creature.

Hellfire consumed Kong, making him howl in agony. He retreated, trying to put out the flames. Before Orochi could rip Gorosaurus apart, Rodan swept down at Mach speeds, before stopping instantly. Like a pendulum, Anguirus’ spiked body fell, curled into a sphere except for his tail. The sudden nature of the attack meant that he received no interference as he slammed into the god’s chest. Even through the thick layers of flesh and scale, the sound of Orochi’s ribs breaking was audible.

Rodan attempted to fly up, only for four mouths to clamp onto his body. Gorosaurus’ skull cracked as the god slammed the pteranodon’s back into it, flooring the theropod and forcing a cry of agony from the king of the skies. Anguirus attempted to uncurl and escape, only to have teeth sunk into his tail. The free mouths of Orochi rabidly shouted promises of torment and death as they lifted Anguirus into the air. Rodan was tossed to the ground beside Gorosaurus, before both were assailed by their friend’s body being used as a hammer.

“How do broken ribs not even hinder you?” Harou asked as he stared at the screen. “Is your stamina endless and your might unwavering?” He looked to the rest of the JSDF’s leaders. They said nothing as both theropod and pteranodon were bludgeoned, the cries of their common foe filling the men’s and women’s hearts with dread. “Will he even die if we destroy the body, or will his specter plunge Earth into madness?”

He looked away, unable to tolerate it as Rodan and Gorosaurus gushed blood. All it made him think of was the sight of his comrades dying in battle, suffering for the greater good. Sliced apart by the weaponry of aliens, or crushed beneath rubble and quickly suffocating. Looking back, he saw Godzilla trying to get up to help, only for Orochi to keep him on the ground with short bursts of his beams.

He whispered, not wanting any in the room to hear him. “I know your pain. I would not wish it upon even one with as much blood on his hands as you.”

Orochi reared back with his blood-covered captive once more, intent on driving the ankylosaur through Gorosaurus’ skull. Chunks of flesh and muscle dangled from the dinosaur’s spikes like the freshly used torture implement it was. When his heads jerked forwards, they stopped. Standing atop the serpent’s back was Ultraseven, holding Anguirus’ sides. The warrior of light tried to pull the saurian free, but Orochi refused to release. His teeth dug further into the flesh of the ankylosaur’s tail, allowing trickles of blood to flow. Ultraseven quickly let go of Anguirus, and lunged forward, grabbing the Eye Slugger from atop his head.

He attempted to stab one of the heads restraining Anguirus, only for it to relinquish its grip and retreat. Ultraseven stopped just short of impaling the dinosaur’s tail, then grabbed it with his other hand and pulled it free from the other jaws. Strips of skin and muscle came off the limb, now filling the mouths of the god.

As Anguirus leaped off Orochi’s back, Ultraseven flipped into the air. He landed between the serpent and his two downed allies, before lifting a hand up and beckoning to the dragon. He was through with sitting on the sidelines. Fear of harm to his body had forced him back, for even if he knew his death would not be in vain, it was easy to think and say one would face death head on. To actually do so was not.

Akane tried to get Kiryu back into the fray, but the metal dragon has suffered more damage than she originally thought. Pieces of metal stuck out through his wiring and the light in his right eye began to flicker on and off. She looked down at a large button in the cockpit. The Hyper Maser Cannon would probably be the best bet for the Earth’s survival now.

But getting it charged would take forever at this point, and there was barely any time to spare now. It felt hopeless…

But a familiar force argued against that notion.

Orochi slowly walked up to Seven, fire beginning to build up in his eight maws. The Ultra could do nothing to move away, and no one at the moment could do anything to save him. This was the end…

But a maser cannon fired, and cut all eight throats before they could fire the blast. When they finished, a familiar, chilling roar spread through all of Japan.

Kiryu was no longer here. Gojira had returned to fight.

He walked up to his living counterpart and gave him a hand to help him back up, and eventually the King was able to get back on two feet. Both turned to face Orochi, as Ultraseven backed up to join them. Gorosaurus and Rodan went to get up, shaking from the pain and blood loss.

Like nooses, the serpent’s necks wrapped around Gorosaurus’ own. Kiryu fired another maser beam, Godzilla joining with his atomic ray. The two beams lanced into the theropod’s back as Orochi lifted him to block the beams. Gorosaurus’ back burst inwards, leaving the dinosaur to wheeze out blood. Rodan was stained with his comrade’s ichor. The pteranodon wanted to help, but instead he turned and flew, knowing he could do nothing to save his friend.

Godzilla’s heart sank when he realized what he had done. Orochi dropped the now twitching Gorosaurus, leaving the theropod to suffocate. A chorus of mocking laughter echoed from the serpent as he stepped around the dying victim, deciding it would be so much sweeter for the saurian’s death to be at the hand of his leader.

Ultraseven rushed forward, fists clenched in rage. Kiryu placed a hand on Godzilla’s shoulder, looking him in the eye. The machine-bound spirit let out a softer roar than the one he had used to announce his revival. The leviathans had not killed Gorosaurus, Orochi had. The King of the Monsters thanked his ancestor before charging back into battle. Kiryu’s back jets ignited, propelling him into the fray as well.

Ultraseven placed his hands on his beam lamp, before firing a thin, green ray of energy. The Emerium Ray crashed into some of the deity’s blackened flesh, ripping shreds away with a detonation. Godzilla stopped his running, twisting in place on one foot as he did so. His tail swung through the air behind him, smashing into one of the god’s heads. Kiryu put his shoulder forward, before careening into Orochi’s chest at full speed. The god cried out in pain, being forced back a step.

Something stabbed into the god’s flank. A pulse of energy surged out from the point, attempting to wreak havoc within his body. It failed to do much, but a second pulse told Orochi this had to be stopped before it did something severe. His feet left the ground as he looked over to see Gomora, nasal horn dug into a wound in the god’s side. The mighty dinosaur pulled himself free, before letting himself drop to the ground, not wanting to risk breaking his horn.

Ultraseven, Kiryu, and Godzilla looked up. The warrior of light crossed his arms to form a plus sign, as the two leviathans opened their jaws and began summoning their power. Orochi suddenly spun his body, moving much faster than his size would indicate. The trio was floored as the monolithic tail of the serpent smashed against their heads, forcing shouts from each as they crashed down. Gomora soon joined them in the dirt, the blow nearly shattering one of his horns.

Once he was facing the trio once more, Orochi dropped. The ground gave way beneath him, making him yell in shock as walls of dirt and dust were kicked up. A truly gargantuan hole formed beneath him, forcing the trio and Gomora to quickly scramble away to avoid the edges of the pit.

Before the god could fully regain his bearings, the walls of the cavern were pierced by the bodies of Zilla, Megalon, and Anguirus. They leaped upon Orochi, frantically attacking his heads and damaged parts.

There were truly no words to describe Zilla’s fury, the face of HEAT furious at the fact three of his allies were gone, slain by this demonic entity who called himself a God. He aimed his green atomic ray straight at his legs, forcing him down to a knee. He forced a neck backwards, allowing Megalon to drill right into it as black blood oozed out. Another head was able to grab hold of Zilla’s arm and tried to pull him to the others, planning to do the same he had done to Varan… or worse.

But a sudden savior came in when Kong leapt back into the fray and punched the many heads repeatedly in the face, parrying like a boxer, even knocking out a couple teeth. Leo had recovered, wanting to fire more beams, but it was hard to get a good focus on Orochi since he kept on moving, and he couldn’t risk hitting anyone else. Rodan was next to fire down on the dragon’s weak knee before getting up was an option. Rapid firing from the eyes was beginning to get harder to do for the god with his heads being forced in too many directions.

Soon the leg healed and Orochi was somewhat able to get up and walk around, trying to shake the three pests of his back, while still trying to fight off everyone else. Now he was truly beginning to realize the stakes that were ahead of him. A small group of monsters had already given him this much trouble, and there was always a bigger fish in the ocean.

But that only gave him motivation, and proved to him that he must not fail! A slight burst of new energy was enough to make Zilla fling off his back like a slingshot and he landed headfirst straight into a rock. Blood splashed onto the stone. He stirred for a good minute, before the concussion got to him and he fell, motionless. In the final moments before then, he cursed himself. Wishing he wasn’t such a burden to the team…

“No!” The shout echoed across the HEAT Seeker and the surrounding waters. Nick felt frozen to the spot, watching his adopted son laying still. Time felt like it had slowed to a crawl, despite the fact that the battle continued. Orochi shifted focus to the rest of the guardians, leaving the mutated iguana to bleed in silence.

Elsie placed a hand on her boss’ shoulder. She tried to say something comforting as she hung her head, but nothing came to mind. Silence lingered over the vessel. Even Randy held his tongue. Now was no time to joke.

“This can’t be it, can it?” Nick asked his team. Tears were starting to drip from his eyes, his usual level-headedness as the leader falling apart as every second passed. “After all Zilla’s done, dying to a casual blast from that bastard!” He wanted Orochi to suffer for this, for all the god had done. He took a deep breath, as he could see the dread on his team members’ faces. They needed someone to be strong.

But then he looked back at Zilla’s body, head resting in a shallow puddle of his own blood.

And any bravado and hopeful words Nick had got caught in his throat. All that came out were tears from his eyes, the rest of HEAT not far behind.

A speaker flared to life as the communication device received a signal. “This is Harou, HEAT, do you copy?” Monique answered the device, military training having ensured she could stomach a comrade’s death, at least in the moment.

“Yes, though morale could not be much lower.”

“I would imagine, but that’s actually why I called.” Heads perked up at those words, curious to hear what exactly that meant. “Akane’s not controlling Kiryu at the moment, so I have no orders to relay to anyone on the battlefield. Which means I can take this brief time to tell you all that Zilla is actually still breathing.”

“He is?” Nick replied, almost whispering.

“Yes, barely. You probably can’t see it on whatever you’re watching the fight with, but our sensors indicate he’s still got vitals, and we can see his chest subtly moving up and down.”

It felt like a hundred pound weight had been lifted off each of their chests. “Thank you Harou, thank you!” Nick exclaimed. “This doesn’t exactly make me ecstatic, but it’s hope. Not a lot, but it’s still there.”

“Well, hope’s all we got right now. So grasp any of it you can get tightly.”

With Kong, Megalon, and Anguirus still clinging to him, the deity rose into the sky. The trio still attacked him, leaving them to be unaware just how high he climbed. An Atomic Ray crashed into the underbelly of the serpent, alerting them. All three looked down, to see that they were miles off the ground now. Even Godzilla and Gomora looked tiny from this height.

Orochi focused his wrath into a strategy. He bit down on the ape’s left hand. The lord of Farou Island felt his grip loosen, which only grew worse as he used his other hand to grapple with the jaws. Blood matted his fur as it poured from the worsening wounds on his palm. He reared a fist back, preparing to deliver a full fledged haymaker to the head. Only for the jaws to relinquish, while another head lashed forward with a headbutt.

The skull bashed against the ape’s own, sending him falling back. He futilely clawed at the air as he fell, the ground swiftly approaching. Kong bellowed up at his foe. He stopped falling, colliding into what felt like two outstretched pillars. It hurt badly, but when he looked over to see Ultraseven’s face over him, the ape was grateful.

The warrior of light had caught his ally halfway through the fall. He quickly lowered the ape to solid ground, before rocketing back upwards towards Orochi. Kong looked over to see Godzilla and Gomora looking at their foe. The ape clenched his fists, aggravated at how useless he was in this situation.

Mothra Leo rushed towards Orochi, body taking on an emerald hue. He dodged several rays, the blood-red bolts being fired at multiple airborne targets. The mad god was unable to stop the Excel Dash, the glowing body of the insect god slamming head-first into his chest.

The impact forced him back, nearly sending Anguirus and Megalon flying off. Mothra Leo screeched at the lord of the underworld, firing a trio of beams from his forehead. The rays blackened scales, but did little more before geysers of flame swallowed the guardian moth, launching him away and sending him slowly falling to the ground.

Rodan swept down, attempting to claw at the heads once more. The mad god bit down on the pteranodon’s legs, threatening to crush the appendages. The king of the skies thrust his head down, attempting to pluck out an eye. Another set of jaws clamped down on Rodan’s throat. An Emerium Beam from below struck the three necks, forcing them away from Rodan as the sky monster retreated.

That was twice the warrior of light had saved him…

Megalon and Anguirus were struggling to stay on their foe, their attacking completely stopped. Ultraseven and Kiryu tried to get in close, but they could only focus on weaving in between the beams of crimson energy and geysers of hell’s fire that came their way. They returned with bolts of energy and missiles, being careful to avoid striking their allies, but the god seemed undeterred by the attacks.

Four sets of eye rays stopped coming, allowing Ultraseven to rush forwards. He pulled the Eye Slugger from his head, grasping it tightly as the distance closed. The four heads opened their jaws and instead of fire, thicker rays of red lightning were unleashed. Ultraseven was launched back with a scream, sailing through the air. A large scorch mark now tainted his shining skin.

Kiryu attempted a flanking maneuver. Orochi saw it coming, and swiftly spun in place. Megalon and Anguirus scrambled to remain standing, the beetle wrapping his arms around one of the necks as the ankylosaur did the same but with his tail. The colossal, crimson limb smashed into the silver dragon’s body, sending him tumbling backwards.

Sparks flew within the machine’s piloting center as Akane’s world turned upside down and right side up repeatedly. She fought to avoid vomiting. When Kiryu stopped spinning, she needed a moment to remember which direction was up and which was down. “I’m going to need a vacation after this. Hopefully it won’t be spent in a hospital bed.” Her brief moment of levity faded when she saw Orochi grab Megalon by the arms.

Seatopia’s deity could only flail his legs as two sets of jaws each suspended his arms. The other four tore at his chest, bludgeoning and ripping into it. Many shards of brown chitin fell. Green ichor stained the god, further adding to the gore soaking the serpent. Megalon’s haunting cries were like the sweetest music to Orochi’s ears.

“Kiryu, Orochi’s other side has an open wound! You need to target it!” Akane shouted.

As the silver dragon quickly circled the dragon, Megalon attempted to free himself. Looking down, he fired a beam of lightning at one of the central heads. It narrowly missed an eye, drawing its attention to the beetle’s face. A napalm bomb soared from between the Seatopian lord’s mandibles, crashing against the head and bursting into a ball of fire.

The shock was enough to briefly relinquish the grip on his arms, allowing the beetle to free himself. His back opened up into two folds, revealing a pair of thin, translucent wings beneath. Megalon turned away, hovering in the air as the gossamer limbs fluttered. Orochi bit down on the wing casings, halting the beetle’s retreat.

Reeling the beetle in, the mad god bit down on the actual wings. Unlike the thick wing casings, the fragile wings could not withstand this. The teeth shredded them apart, causing Megalon to throw his head straight up as he bellowed his agony across the lands. Pulling him in further, one of Orochi’s necks wrapped around the beetle’s throat. The two which had shredded the wings moved further into the wing casings. There, they found the base of Megalon’s wings.

It took no effort to pull the limbs out, roots and all. Green blood sprayed out. They cackled, before firing ruby lightning straight into the wounds. The beetle flailed, just trying to escape. His windpipe was being crushed by the strength of his foe’s coils, and he could feel his back being ripped apart.

Anguirus wanted to help, but his clawing and biting at the mad god did nothing to deter this. He held no love for the beetle, in any other situation they would be against each other. But Megalon was no cruel demon, and though he was not innocent, he did not deserve this.

Akane found herself thinking the same thing as Kiryu unsheathed his wrist blade, charging it with electricity. Seatopia was enemies with humanity, so why save their champion? Even if she did not directly control the silver dragon, she could still convince him to let the Seatopian die. She could have just said nothing about the wound until after Megalon breathed his last.

Kiryu’s jets billowed at maximum power, propelling the possessed machine forward. He reared his arm back, targeting systems locking onto the deep gash carved into the god’s side. He had no feelings on the matter of saving Megalon, for the beetle would likely do little good for them after this anyway. The tides of gore pouring out from underneath the beetle’s wing casings said that much. But it was what Akane wanted. How could the ancient say no to his only friend in this world?

The silver-coated arm sank into the chasm until it was up to the elbow. Orochi’s assault on the beetle stopped, all eight heads screeching. Light shined out of the rims of the hole, most of it being hidden by the rolls of flesh and scale. Megalon’s body fell from the god’s grip, sending him into a free fall. A trail of blood followed him down.

Before the Seatopian landed, the serpent turned several heads towards Kiryu, before exhaling streams of fire. The machine quickly ripped his arms free, before rushing away to avoid further damage, and more importantly, further risk to Akane. Orochi took advantage of this, turning to face the silver dragon.

Megalon crashed into the dirt and released a sound that rolled for miles around. He twitched as he attempted to get up, but his body was too broken to do such a thing. His front and back burned with anguish, each breath hurting. The sweet release of unconsciousness soon followed.

Within the silver dragon, a speaker buzzed to life. Antonio’s voice hit Akane’s ears. “Thank you.” It was a quiet statement. The young woman could tell the emperor was struggling with a myriad of emotions. “You saved him after all we had done to your people. I… I don’t know if I could have done the same if I was in your position.”

Akane had her answer to why she had done this deed. “After what we did to your people, it was only right.”

“We are forever grateful.” The transmission cut off, leaving the pilot alone to witness Kiryu’s battle.

Orochi grabbed the arm coated in his own blood, beginning to crush the metal. Opening his jaws, Kiryu unleashed a maser blast. The ray of yellow power raked across the god’s chest, but any pain Orochi felt did nothing to stop him. Steel was shredded as the serpent dragged his teeth across the limb. Wires dangled as the machinery was exposed. The silver dragon began to change his other hand into a drill, which rapidly spun to full power. Before it could be restrained, Kiryu thrust it into one of the necks. Ichor black as pitch geysered out. Orochi screamed, before unleashing bolts of ruby lightning into the cyborg’s chest.

Anguirus considered leaping off the back of his foe, not wanting to be trapped up here any more. Rodan swept down, prompting the ankylosaur to roar towards his friend. He asked to be picked up and carried back to the ground. The pteranodon screeched back in agreement.

Orochi lunged forward, nearly throwing Anguirus off. The god grabbed the silver dragon once more, before twisting his body to the side. The ankylosaur lost his footing, only for the right most head to lash out and catch the ankylosaur’s tail with its jaws. Anguirus dangled, shrieking in terror.

Kiryu’s body was thrown into Rodan’s, sending both rolling end over end. The pteranodon caught himself, allowing the silver dragon’s jets to power up and do the same. Before either could do anything, Orochi swung the ankylosaur like a mace into the cyborg’s side. The sound of tearing metal rang out, along with that of cracking bone. Kiryu could only slow his fall, one of his jets having been crushed by the impact. The serpent restrained the ankylosaur with another mouth, holding him above his heads. Rodan shrieked in shock and panic before the god’s blinded head opened its mouth towards him, spitting out a bolt of scarlet power.

The beam ripped into his wing’s membrane, tearing it like a sheet. Before the pteranodon could fall, Orochi grappled him, using his horns and teeth to rip apart the rest of the membrane. Shreds of his skin drifted down through the air. Orochi felt an Atomic Breath and a Super Oscillatory Wave smash into his belly, the azure column and fiery rings detonating against him. Perhaps if the attack had struck his back, or any other part which his foes had softened, Orochi would have stopped. But his stomach had been relatively untouched, meaning that the earthbound theropods could do little to stop him from wrapping his necks around the wing bones of Rodan.

The two currently suffering in the mad god’s grasp had earned a special hatred from him. He found them so irritating, to see the pride they had. They were weak, yet they fought with the bravado of their stronger companions. He was the only one who deserved to feel pride, for his pride would never falter.

Rodan screamed as his wings were broken, Orochi mangling the limbs. Anguirus, still restrained, madly clawed at his oppressor’s faces. His claws scratched against the scales, failing to dent them. The mad god released one of his grips on the quadruped, leaving the saurian to dangle by the tail once more. One set of eyes looked into Anguirus’, the mouth letting loose a foul cackle.

Once the lord of the underworld had deemed his prey suitably tortured, with bloodied arms torn asunder and only held together by the skin and sinews, he began to pull in opposite directions. Rodan’s eviscerated wings offered no resistance to the forces, soon leaving him dismembered.

Before he could fall, however, Ultraseven appeared from thin air, grabbing hold of the pteranodon. He disappeared from Orochi’s sight once more, intriguing the serpent. In the bottom of his vision he saw the warrior of light gingerly placing the former king of the skies on his feet next to Gamera. As the tortoise opened his jaws, heat building within, Ultraseven looked back up at the dragon.

The Ultra had been hesitant to use his teleportation, wanting to conserve all the energy he could. But his foe had grown wise to their tactics, flying into the air to split the team up and pick them off one by one. Together they could overcome him, but alone, Orochi was too powerful for any of them.

Gamera cauterized the wounds on Rodan’s body, stopping the tide of blood. Ultraseven turned his head, seeing this fact, before nodding to his allies. The warrior of light disappeared once more, determined not to let another life end this day.

He reappeared on the god’s back, only to immediately be bathed in flames. Four of the heads had been turned towards him, ready to unleash their fury in a second. Orochi laughed as his foe recoiled and backed away, shielding his face with his arms. Against most foes, teleportation would be a deadly power. One could strike from any direction with it, and few could handle being against such opposition.

But Orochi could see in every direction, and saving Rodan’s life had betrayed Seven’s trump card.

Continuing to apply pressure to his foe, the serpent twisted to face the Ultra. Seven could only pull away, barely avoiding the fires. He disappeared, prompting Orochi to stop feeding power to the attack. The warrior of light rematerialized at his enemy’s side, Eye Slugger gripped and already being swung. He grazed one of the necks of the serpent, barely dislodging a few scales, before being thrown back by several ruby bolts. When Ultraseven recovered, he thrust his arms up, forming a transparent shield.

Orochi howled in rage as the memories flared up. All seven free heads unleashed bolts of scarlet lightning. The barrage of beams raced through the air, rapidly converging into a single point. It resembled a single lance of divine destruction as it struck nothing, the target once more vanishing.

Pain flooded Orochi as a blade dug into the wound Megalon had carved into one of the god’s necks. Gore as black as the void stained the Eye Slugger as Ultraseven wrenched it back and forth, trying to pierce something vital. Anguirus cried out as he was swung upwards, giving the warrior of light a split-second to let go of his blade and roll to the side. Anguirus’ body slammed into where Seven’s feet had just been, driving a shriek of pain from Godzilla’s closest friend. The alien hero attempted to reach for his ally, only for a pair of jaws to clamp around his throat.

A bolt of crimson lightning erupted from the mouth, crashing straight into him. It tore away skin, exposing shining light. He screamed, the pain allowing Orochi to drag the Ultra off his feet. Like chains the necks of the mad god wrapped around his limbs and torso, restraining him. They began applying pressure. Ultraseven struggled, unable to focus well enough to teleport.

Anguirus got to his feet, attempting to leap onto his foe’s multitude of necks. The teeth currently digging into the bone of his tail stopped him. A pair of ruby bolts tore into his back, bringing him back to his knees.

Another Atomic Ray and Super Oscillatory Wave speared into Orochi’s belly, tearing away and scorching flesh. He cried out in pain, his necks shifting enough to let Ultraseven fly free. Ignoring the warrior of light, he looked down to Godzilla and Gomora.

The two theropods mockingly bellowed towards the deity, demanding he come down and face them. Orochi cared little for honor, especially from mortals believing they deserved anything from him but death. The greatest warriors of Monster Island were met with a hail of lightning. Godzilla and Gomora staggered back, crying out as skin was flayed by the deadly lasers. He focused several of the beams onto their legs, sending them collapsing to the ground. As they writhed, he screeched at them, commanding them to lay there and wait for their time.

Anguirus was swung through the air once more, slamming into the flying Ultraseven. The humanoid guardian grunted, nearly being cast out of the air by the sixty thousand tons pressing into his chest. Pain already coursed through his form from being crushed, his limbs sore from nearly being broken. The lord of the underworld lunged forward, jaws biting down onto the warrior of light’s wrists and ankles.

Ultraseven tried to stop this, only for a headbutt to crash into his neck wound, widening it. The serpent took a moment to observe his foe, plotting out how to end this one. He caught a glimpse of the towering mountain, and a sadistic execution plan formed in his mind.

Those on the ground could only watch as Orochi fell like a comet towards the side of Mt. Fuji, Ultraseven held before him. Godzilla focused most on his friend, dangling from one of the heads like tree moss in a storm. He reached out fruitlessly, hand shaking violently.

The holy mountain shuddered from the impact. Cracks webbed out from around Ultraseven’s body, partially embedded in the stone. The mad god hovered back away from him. The warrior of light groaned, before Anguirus’ body was smashed against his skull. Radiance shone from cuts on his head. Orochi turned, bringing his tail down like a hammer into the Ultra’s body. This deepened the crater and drove a weary scream from Ultraseven. Turning back to face his victim, the lord of the underworld bathed him in flames. Five seconds passed, the roar of the inferno striking all ears present. When it faded, the alien hero was sitting in a bowl of molten rock.

He barely noticed Orochi begin to ascend. He only looked towards the sun. Ultraseven put so much faith in his brothers in arms coming to save the planet. But would they come in time? What if by the time they arrived, it was too late? His hand twitched as he attempted to raise it. If he could create his Ultra-Sign, let them know something was wrong, his death would not be in vain. He could die in peace, assured that Earth would live. Ultraseven’s arm began to rise.

Until Orochi fell, slamming his full bulk into the warrior of light at terminal velocity.

The arm still stood raised for a minute, before it fell. The warriors eyes slowly dimmed before they finally became black and the rest of the team stood still, shocked.

Seven was gone.

Rising from the decimated crater, Orochi’s eyes turned towards Anguirus. The serpent had grown tired of the saurian’s whining and struggling. They turned towards Godzilla once more, seeing the hatred on the leviathan’s face. Seven’s grin formed. Fire raced out of the eight mouth, blackening the ankylosaur’s tail. Anguirus whimpered as the limb’s end turned to ash, sending him falling.

Anguirus could put up no resistance as he was caught, the necks of his captor wrapping around him. His spirit still burned, but his body could not match it. As much as he wanted to thrash and claw, he did little more than growl as the pressure on his body grew.

Godzilla smashed the ground with his hands, pushing himself up. He staggered, but still let loose a mighty roar. Gomora looked up to his ally. He felt an immense respect for the undying ferocity in the face of adversity. He let his head hit the ground once more, trying to rest as much as possible on the ground. But would it matter in the end, or was it just bluster?

Cracks scarred Anguirus’ shell, quickly growing as the seconds passed. Breathing became difficult. Orochi continued his ascent, until he was perched above the hole his re-entrance into the world had made. A head slithered to meet the ankylosaur’s gaze.

The coils of the god’s many necks visibly tightened as they strained.

A choked wheeze left the saurian’s maw. Blood began to rise from his throat, dripping from the sides of his mouth. His limbs seized and twitched, flailing as he weakly tried to fight. Gazing into the eyes of the lord of the underworld, Anguirus felt like he was staring into the void. Endless, black, and cold. It threatened to swallow him whole, plunging him into nothingness. Agony brought him out of this, his ribs and back at their limit. He heard his best friend roar, rage and sorrow in equal levels spilling forth for the world to hear. Anguirus closed his eyes, accepting the inevitable. He wished for the safety of Godzilla, Rodan, and Little Godzilla. His last coherent thought was eagerness to be reunited with his friends who had died this day.

Then the breaking point was hit.

His shell broke apart, sending shards of it flying. They stabbed into the exposed skin. His chest cavity imploded, broken ribs ripping into organs. Gore burst from every orifice. The flesh of his belly and back torn asunder, spewing more blood.

Those still on the ground were silent as they then watched Anguirus’ body plummet. Blood trailed behind him, entrails dangling from wounds. The saurian disappeared into the mountain, gone from all sight. A gout of smoke burst up afterwards. They turned to look at Godzilla, who was silent. The nuclear leviathan continued staring up at Orochi, unmoving.

Crimson energy filled his dorsal spines.

Mt. Fuji’s side was illuminated red by the column of nuclear power that erupted from Godzilla’s jaws. Surrounded by white spirals, the beam traveled towards Orochi. The serpent could barely turn in time to face the rest of his foes before the Red Spiral Ray smashed into him. A cascade of explosions surrounded him, driving a cry of shock and agony from his eight mouths. He fell from the skies, disappearing behind the mountain. It shook, the booming sounds of Orochi bashing into the rocks being heard for miles.

Godzilla wasted no time, breaking into a charge. His feet crashed against Fuji as he began to climb the mountain. Kong and Gomora ran after him, still shocked by the sudden display of power. Hope began to emerge amongst the spectators.

“He’s never been madder! Orochi doesn’t stand a chance!” One of the JSDF generals exclaimed to the rest gathered in the war room. “That bastard just bit off more than he can chew!” All let out a cheer, except for Harou. He said nothing, continuing to look at the screen.

“He’s busting out the Red Spiral Ray, it’s over!” Randy shouted, smiling widely. Instead of chastising him, the rest of HEAT were just as mirthful. “Let’s see how long the god stands up to a royally pissed off Godzilla!” Nick’s mood did not match theirs.

“How can you all cheer?” Harou asked his comrades. This caught them all off guard, leaving them staring wide-eyed at their leader. “This isn’t a sports match, this is the fate of the planet! Orochi has already proven to be something unlike any we’ve faced before, so how can we know this is it?” No reply came, embarrassment seizing the faces of the officials.

From over the peak of the mountain rose Orochi. Marching to the edge of the summit, the god looked down upon the charging trio. The leviathan howled towards the serpent, announcing his hatred. His spines glowed once more.

“How many have died today?” Nick asked his team, shocking them. “We watched one of the Ultra Brothers die minutes ago, and you all are cheering. Yes, Godzilla is fully on the warpath, but at what cost?” He hung his head in his hands. “It doesn’t matter how this ends, Orochi has crippled Earth’s defenses.”

The Red Spiral Ray flew forth once more, but this time, the mad god was ready. Godzilla’s wrath was met with twenty two ruby bolts. They collided, forming into a blinding orb of red. Gomora and Kong stopped their rush, beginning to back away. Both sent another pulse of energy through their beams, which met in the center and intensified the billowing energies in the sphere. More concerning was how the orb shifted, racing towards Godzilla. Gomora and Kong turned and ran, not liking any possible outcome for this struggle. The King of the Monsters continued feeding power to his attack, trying to change the tide of the battle. He stopped the coalescing energies, it being only a quarter of the distance between him and Orochi away.

Another surge of power from both, another destabilizing of the sphere. Whatever forces kept the orb together failed, the immense power within bursting in all directions. Godzilla cried out as the shockwave struck him, launching him off his feet. Orochi braced himself, letting it wash over him. Plant-life was incinerated, ash cast into the raging winds. A colossal, crimson fireball towered, boiling stone beneath it as the forces it generated further gutted it.

Mt. Fuji would forever have a scar.

Ultraseven’s body was lifted up and sent tumbling down the mountain, coming to a rest at the base. Godzilla slammed into the ground, dirt flying in all directions as a crater formed beneath him. Kong and Gomora rolled to the bottom, having not been fast enough to remain unscathed. Groaning, both got up, the former spitting out a tooth. The booming sound of their foe’s footfalls caught their ears. He was descending the mountain.

Godzilla got to his feet, face still locked in a snarl. His front was completely burnt black, but that would not be enough to keep him down. Orochi soared into the air, racing down to meet his enemy at the bottom. His feet slammed into the ground before the leviathan. The mad god looked down upon his foe, towering above him. Godzilla did not back down, meeting his foe’s gaze.

Rodan still couldn’t believe what he saw, his best friend dying before his very eyes had brought him to tears that formed a river. Gamera closed his eyes as a couple of drops had also fallen, knowing that a wonderful soldier had died on this day. Kiryu’s red markings began to glow, almost resembling tears, and Leo chirped a song, but not in the usual way that signified triumph. No, it sounded like weeping angels, hoping to call a friend home.

Akane did nothing more but stare up into the sky and salute, while Antonio shook in his seat, a fist on his mouth. While the monster had caused him much trouble in the past, he understood how much Anguirus meant to the Earth… how much he meant to Godzilla as a whole. He looked at the rest of the team, awake or out cold.

“I pray none of you suffer the same fate.” He uttered under his breath.

The poor pterosaur was just full of regret at the moment and time. Thinking that if he had just been better, stronger, faster maybe his comrades wouldn’t have died. He began to think back to their brutal deaths at Orochi’s feet, all beyond saving.

Except for one, he thought.

Seven.

He didn’t have his throat ripped out, he wasn’t split in half, his back wasn’t torn asunder and he certainly didn’t face… What happened to Anguirus? Perhaps using whatever energy he had left, he could be saved!

But with how little he had left in the tank, giving Seven his energy would certainly kill him as well.

Could Godzilla even deal with another friend being lost at this point?

Orochi’s heads rapidly battered the King of the Monsters, bruising and breaking skin. The leviathan turned in place, whipping his tail across several heads. They bashed against each other as well, leaving them staggered for a moment. Taking advantage of this, Godzilla lunged forward and slashed his claws across the serpent’s chest. His spines crackled, the energy flowing into his hands. The conductive touch’s color had changed to match that of his ray. He ripped into Orochi’s chest, tearing away great chunks of now smoking flesh.

Before he could strike again, four of the jaws of his foe clamped onto his hide. They lifted him off the ground, before the remaining half began ripping at his torso. Their teeth pulled out strands of skin, wounding his chest. Godzilla roared, before unleashing another nuclear pulse. The shockwave peeled the mouths restraining him off his body, sending them flying back. They cried out, smoke pouring from their mouths. Godzilla roared, before sweeping a Red Spiral Ray across his foe’s eight necks. Orochi shrieked in pain, but it was drowned out by the blasts.

Gomora and Kong tried to join Godzilla’s side, only for geysers of hellfire to burst forth from the cloud of smoke that kicked up the leviathan’s beam. They raced past the leviathan and towards the two, forcing them back once more. The eight pillars of burning power shifted to all converge on Godzilla, obscuring him. Fourteen rays of ruby lightning were unleashed into the inferno, the flames parting around them like poles thrust into a flowing river.

Another Nuclear Pulse scattered the flames, revealing a horridly burnt Godzilla. The wave of force crashed against Orochi, forcing him back, but it did nothing to stop his assault. The inferno swallowed the leviathan once more, the divine lances of crimson continuing to pierce him.

Kong and Gomora flanked the god, delivering powerful punches to his sides. The ape placed his palms upon the scaly hide, sending waves of electricity into it. The brown dinosaur repeatedly stabbed his horn into Orochi. Godzilla torment ceased, leaving him to stumble back. Blackened, exposed muscle could be seen in grooves all across his body.

Orochi turned to face Gomora, his tail knocking Kong to the ground. Several of the serpent’s heads joined together, uppercutting the saurian in the chest. The subterranean colossus was thrown back, his feet leaving the ground. The lord of Farou Island leaped onto the deity’s back, crouching down and delivering several supercharged punches. Another wall of fire greeted him, the force behind the wave of heat tossing him like a rag doll. When he got to his feet, he desperately patted at the fur he had left.

Orochi’s side was consumed by a series of explosions, turning his attention back to Godzilla. Scales were growing over his shallower wounds, the deeper lacerations still filling in. The atomic theropod’s regeneration ensured he was nigh-impossible to kill. The lord of the underworld looked forward to destroying him so thoroughly that it failed.

Before the leviathan could attack further, several jaws clamped onto his arm. He tried to force them away with his other hand, only for several beams to his chest to stop this. With a few quick twists and pulls, Godzilla’s arm was dislocated. Before it could be broken, he channeled energy through it, forcing the heads away. The King of the Monsters winced as his arm snapped back into place.

As Orochi continued assailing Godzilla with a flurry of bites and headbutts, Rodan found himself drawing ever closer to the idea of sacrificing himself. Even if everyone present lived, what would he do? He would never be able to fly again. The thrill of soaring through the heavens, feeling the wind rush past him. To bear witness to so much of the world at once from such a grand perspective. Now, he could barely stand properly, his body missing a key component of even keeping himself balanced. But despite this, he was still conflicted. His mind swirled with emotions and possibilities. He did not want to die, to deprive his best friend of any more companionship.

The serpent reared up onto his back legs by using his supernatural powers of flight, then came crashing down onto Godzilla. His spines dug into the ground as he shrieked in pain, pinned beneath his foe’s bulk. His face was torn into by Orochi’s beams, intensifying his cries of pain.

Rodan lowered his head. He could not bear the thought of leaving his friend further isolated in this world, but even more, he could not stand the idea of this world dying. He did not know if Godzilla could handle losing another friend, but something in his heart told him the world could not afford to lose Ultraseven in this battle. He began to slowly walk towards the warrior of light, each step a trial.

Pouring all his strength into a push, Godzilla forced Orochi off of him. The god stumbled back, still grinning maniacally. His foes were growing weaker and weaker as time ticked by, while he remained the same. Exhaustion could not seize a divine, at least not nearly to the same level it could a mortal.

A shriek cut across the battlefield, catching Godzilla’s attention. He turned his head to see Rodan. The former king of the skies let out a mournful call as he walked. He announced his farewell to his friend. The King of the Monsters said nothing for a moment, confused.

Orochi shot two beams towards the pteranodon. Before they could connect, Mothra Leo descended, releasing a cloud of reflective powder. The rays were broken apart, dispersing into nothing. Godzilla broke from his stupor, turning to attack the serpent once more. He bellowed as loud as he could, leaping forward shoulder-first in a tackle. Rage and adrenaline clashed with pain and tiredness inside Godzilla, the latter flaring up as he pushed against the living mountain.

He remembered Rodan’s farewell, distracting him for a moment. Why would the pteranodon say such a thing? His contemplation left him open to a blow to the top of the head, another strike to the cheek toppling him. In his peripheral vision he saw Mothra Leo flying through the sky, avoiding a barrage of beams that came his way. But when he focused on the distance, he saw Rodan. The pteranodon approached Ultraseven’s body, then stopped. He locked eyes with Godzilla.

At that moment, the leviathan understood. The rest of the world vanished. Endless possible reactions clawed towards the forefront of his mind, a chaos that left him silent as each one forced the rest back. He just stared on.

Rodan nodded towards Godzilla. There was nothing left for him to say. He fell to his knees, then lay down on his stomach. His beak touched Ultraseven’s Beam Lamp. A brilliant glow emerged from Rodan’s body, growing by the second. He closed his eyes, shedding a tear. May his sacrifice be worth something.

The pteranodon’s body broke down into pinkish-red particles, which danced through the air. They swirled in the wind for a moment, before racing towards the Ultra’s power source. It looked like nothing had happened, but if one looked closely, they would see the smallest light shining within. It was growing, slowly but surely.

“Energy signatures indicate Ultraseven will be up soon.” Akane rallied back to her superiors. “It seems even this will have to take time to undo what Orochi did to him.” The monitor before her beeped with activity. Her eyes widened. “The planet itself seems to be surging with power! It’s slowly concentrating on….” She paused, barely believing her eyes. “Gamera!”

Nearby, the Guardian of the Universe stood still. He focused on the Earth’s mana, pulling it towards himself. The ground beneath him began to glow slightly as the life energy flowed into him. He could gather power for the Mana Beam faster than he was now, like he had against Legion. But he took his time, for his body was in worse condition than it had been against the swarm queen and because he needed even more power. He sighed, realizing that the Earth would not be in a good way after this. Weakening its mana reserves would let more Gyaos loose upon it, make the effects of pollution worse, and even unleash horrors he did not know of. But it could recover. This planet was strong, as were its inhabitants.

Orochi stared at Ultraseven’s body, transfixed by the display he had witnessed. His divine senses informed him of something changing within the body of the alien hero. They also alerted him to the planet alighting with a strange essence, drawing some of his eyes to Gamera. The tortoise recoiled as he felt the deathly gaze fall upon him. Haunting laughter rolled from the eight mouths. Orochi pondered how thoroughly it would crush their hopes if the sacrifice was rendered meaningless and the last resort of the very planet itself was stopped dead.

Before he could act, Godzilla arose, thrusting his arms forward. He grabbed the god’s chest. The leviathan began to lift. Orochi’s front legs were pulled off the ground, earning a surprised shriek from the serpent. Despite the pain flowing through him, Godzilla pushed his muscles to their limits. The time to mourn would have to come later, for now he needed to ensure that Rodan’s death meant something. To ensure that there would be someone to mourn them.

Orochi flailed and bit at the nuclear theropod, but it failed to deter him. Godzilla let out a strained roar as he began to move his right arm up. Orochi cried out in rage as his back legs left the ground, rolling onto his side. Walls of dirt were kicked into the air. Energy streams joined the lashing jaws, all in an attempt to stop this. The King of the Monsters kept pushing, his muscles bulging through unhealed wounds. Despite the god’s outrage, soon he was left on his back.

Power surged through Gamera’s body as Mana began to surge form within, as he watched Godzilla try to hold back Orochi. Legion couldn’t stand this attack, and neither would this monstrosity. He prepared himself to fire…

But nothing came out.

Then he remembered the fact he got himself grievously injured trying to save Anguirus.

No, it could not be…

Now Earth had no last hope, and Rodan’s sacrifice would mean nothing. The Guardian of the Universe cursed himself, feeling like a failure.

Leo’s chirp caught his attention.

The moth god, still weak, rested on Kiryu’s head while he talked to his fellow monster. There was one trick still up his sleeve that he could pull that could very well decide the planet’s fate. They just needed Godzilla’s strength to hold up a bit more.

Unfortunately, said strength was almost out.

Lifting Orochi had taken too much out of him, and his power began to rapidly fade. He slouched, only able to growl at his recovering foe. The eight headed monster smirked, knowing that eventually this was bound to happen. Now to tear this fool limb from limb!

But his dream wasn’t meant to come true. Kong and Gomora had arrived again to ensure the planet would survive, but the mighty ape was thrown back quickly as he came because of a massive headbutt from Orochi, and Gomora was shot down by tons of lightning strikes.

“Oh man, oh man, this is bad! Like REALLY bad!” Mendel began to hyperventilate at Gamera’s chest beam not working, and his team mates weren’t doing much better themselves. Randy paced back and forth, and the other three had butterflies they couldn’t even describe.

“Now what are we gonna do?! Godzilla’s down, Gamera’s weak, there’s nothing for us to back up on!” Elsie said, worry covering her voice like a storm.

“Don’t mean to interrupt,” said the familiar voice of Antonio. The Seatopian leader watched from his monitor as Leo talked to Gamera and somewhat began to glow. “But I think Leo has a plan.” An odd sense of confidence came out of him, sure that Earth’s defenses could get the job done.

Nick breathed a sigh of relief before speaking “That’s good news!” But then, the rest of the team noticed something was amiss in his mind, then he spoke again. “But even so, Godzilla was the main backup for the team, and he’s out of action, and everyone else is either busy, too weak, or dead! What’s stopping Orochi from ending this now?”

But a brown figure began to stand, willing to take one for the team. He walked up to the dragon, who laughed at his despair, but he paid no mind to that.

If Gomora had to sacrifice himself to save Earth, then so be it.

The serpent’s eight heads looked past the dinosaur, towards the rest of his vulnerable foes. The time of his victory was at hand, leaving a world unable to match his power. With a snarl, the brown colossus grabbed his foe’s attention with a sharp punch to the chest. Their gazes met, Orochi lazily acknowledging the reptile’s existence. Was this to be the last to offer meaningful resistance? He would smite him, just like the rest, before returning to his humanoid form to let this form recover for however long that would take.

Gomora threw several more punches, sending waves of pain throughout the god’s body. His own arms ached as well, but he bore it. One of the god’s heads looked towards Gamera and Leo, building power within its eyes. The dinosaur whipped his tail across its face, before bashing his shoulder against the bulk of the serpent. He pushed with all his might, forcing the deity back a few steps.

Teeth sank into Gomora’s back, pulling him away. His horns shined with power, before unleashing the Super Oscillatory Wave towards the necks restraining him. The beam burned the throats, only making their jaws clench harder. They no longer held him, for the theropod’s flesh failed to stay attached in the wake of the god’s bites. Tides of his vital fluid stained his back, but Gomora still pressed on.

Putting his head down, he rushed forward, digging his nasal horn into the exposed wounds. Glowing once more, the horns pumped his energy into his foe’s body. Orochi’s mouths bit down upon the dinosaur’s other horns, and pulled him out. His energy still came forth as a beam, ripping into the wounds with burning waves of power.

Mothra Leo’s whole body was surrounded with glowing light, before his form broke apart. Thousands of tiny moths fluttered, shining. They flew towards Gamera, landing on his still glowing chest. The tortoise felt like he was about to explode, all this power gathered up and demanded to be released, like a roaring furnace sealed shut. He felt the pressure begin to lessen, and the glow of the myriad of insects intensify.

Orochi’s skulls fell like hammers upon Gomora’s own, breaking skin and cracking bone. Relentlessly it continued, chipping away at his horns and sending shards of them flying free. Some moved down to his shoulders, threatening to dislocate the limbs with the furious strikes. He lashed out with his hands, grabbing one of the flailing heads. It shrieked at him, allowing him to shove his horn in its mouth. Twisting his head, he sliced open the roof of its mouth and gums. Twin bolts of divine fury sliced into his chest, pushing him away. It allowed the head to free itself, coughing up its vile ichor. He did not let it leave without a Super Oscillatory Wave in the mouth. Sparks and smoke flew out as it reeled back, screaming in anguish. Teeth fell, clattering to the ground below.

A pair of the god’s heads swung upwards into their foe’s gut, skewering his stomach with their horns. Gomora shrieked as they lifted him into the air. He smacked them with his hands, but they continued raising him. They whipped up once more, removing him from the horns and sending him soaring behind the eight headed serpent. Gomora screamed as he tumbled through the air, until soon crashing into the ground, shrouding him in cast up dirt and dust.

Kong and Godzilla supported each other as they limped towards the golden beacon that Leo’s swarm was becoming, still drawing excess power from the tortoise.

Orochi turned towards them, grinning as he prepared to execute them all. Until something pierced his belly, drawing his attention away. Two more blades joined the first, driving a furious howl from the god. He pushed himself off the ground. Heat struck the wounds, widening and burning them. Gomora’s roar sounded out. Orochi dropped, hoping to crush the pest’s skull with his weight. He struck solid ground, earning another groan of hatred. He began to march forward, only to stop as his back foot was torn into in a similar manner.

Floating once more, ignoring the fresh blood dripping from the limb, Orochi faced the ground. Fire and lightning tore into the soil. It burst apart, boiling as the energy ripped the minerals apart. Gomora emerged at the side of the fire, screeching as smoke curled off his body. Orochi whipped his tail against the dinosaur, sending Gomora toppling to the ground. The serpent landed on the blighted ground, uncaring of its heat, and marched towards the downed saurian. Gomora got to his feet, turning to face the god once more.

Each breath made him shake, but he still snarled and stood tall. The brown dinosaur would not back down until he knew the serpent would be defeated. He had not known any of Monster Island’s denizens very well, choosing to isolate himself. But, he respected them nonetheless. They were all brave, unyielding fighters. Many times had he caught them returning to Monster Island broken and bloody, yet still joyous. Their bonds had been unbreakable until death itself had broken them, and their spirits had remained strong even when their lives were taken.

The sneering creature before him thought itself to be death. Gomora had heard it was a god, but he knew not what exactly that meant. Only that it made Orochi believe himself to be superior to all others. It made the theropod’s stomach churn. Never had Orochi needed to fight for survival, to face the struggles of mortality. As far as Gomora knew, his foe had been born like this, wielding this power for as long as he had lived. The circumstances of his birth did not make the god superior.

It made him lucky.

Gomora’s horns glowed for a few seconds, all his power gathering. He fired his Super Oscillatory Wave towards Orochi’s faces, only for the god to capture it with his own array of beams. Three heads dedicated their focus to matching the beam, the remaining five just staring at him. Their energies were equal for a time, until the god brought the rest of his power to bear. Gomora shrieked as his power was forced back upon him, detonating right upon his head.

The saurian hit the ground hard, laying him out flat. He groaned, feeling his head roll in the coarse powder of his shattered crown. Slowly, Gomora opened his eyes, the world a blur. He blinked, letting things clear up.

Mothra Leo’s swarm flew away from Gamera, resembling a star. The Guardian of the Universe still glowed. He let the mana course through his system, alleviating his pain. The insectoid god wished he could spread this power amongst all their living allies, but to spread this still finite power too thin would be deadly. The swarm fluttered towards Godzilla and Kong, enveloping the two in warmth. Shutting their eyes, the kings accepted the gift.

It was a rush, exhilarating as their power skyrocketed. Godzilla’s spines flashed, as the electricity flowing through Kong intensified. Yet, it was peaceful as well. Anguish and fatigue faded, becoming memories as if the injuries and battling had happened months ago. The ape’s wounds sealed shut, leaving scars. The cracks in the tortoise’s shell were repaired.

The King of the Monsters’ spines flashed and crackled with the Earth’s gift.

The Lord of Farou Island let golden lightning dance across his fingertips.

The Guardian of the Universe glowed the same golden gleam as the moths.

And the divine moth reformed, having not only gained a similar radiance to his allies, but a new appearance all together. His wings now took on a more vibrant and complex pattern. Mothra Leo had become Rainbow Mothra.

Gomora was awestruck, even as Orochi lingered over him. The god was too focused upon satisfying his sadism to notice the display. The theropod rolled his head to look at Ultraseven. The serpent’s teeth tore into the dinosaur’s stomach.

The warrior of light’s fingers began to twitch. Orochi shrieked in pain as something in the base of one of his throats shifted and twisted. A geyser of black blood erupted as the Eye Slugger was torn free by psychic powers, twirling through the air. Ultraseven’s hand shot up, grabbing his weapon. The Beam Lamp filled with light, his eyes doing the same. The serpent recoiled in shock at this, his fear growing rapidly as he suddenly noticed the golden light shrouding his other foes.

Whatever drawn out execution he had in mind for Gomora faded as he sliced the theropod’s stomach open with bolts of lightning. He sprayed fire into the wound, letting the hellfire enter Gomora’s body.

As the flames rushed through his body, Gomora closed his eyes. He felt no pain. His mind moved beyond the veil, comforted by the knowledge that retribution had arrived. His body went limp, fire spraying from his wounds.

Ultraseven looked at himself, contemplating his revival for a moment. He did not see Rodan in any capacity, and felt like another’s essence dwelled within him. He felt revitalized and empowered, but still felt sorrowful.

“Thank you, Rodan,” he whispered, hanging his head for a moment. “I shall not let this be in vain.”

The observers were silent. HEAT, the JSDF, Akane, and Antonio just basked in the sight of Earth’s gift being bestowed upon their saviors. Hope found a place in their hearts, not just little sparks, but a roaring fire. Part of them all did not want to risk this with words.

Orochi found himself backing up. Apprehension tried to push him away, compelling him to retreat. His pride refused to let him do this, stoked on by his wrath as their golden aura reminded him of his most hated foe. To see a guardian moth shining like Utsuno filled him with endless hatred. He stopped retreating, marching forward. The Earth empowered them. It was not divine power like his, like Utsuno or Susanoo. It was the energy of an insignificant planet in the grand universe his parents created. It was nothing, nothing!

Godzilla, Gamera, King Kong, Mothra Leo, Ultraseven, and Kiryu braced themselves, letting loose their respective battle cries. They charged into battle as one, leaving behind any fears or regrets. It was not the time for that. It was time to focus on the here and now, to preserve the future.

Earth’s fate was decided now.

Kong’s punch, something that before had barely harmed the god at all, made him cough out tons of blood. The black substance fell right to the ground… and his heads looked right back up at him in fear. Rainbow Mothra flew straight towards him, prompting the god to unleash his rays and fire. They struck an invisible barrier around the guardian moth, being diverted towards open air and earth. He unleashed a Mega Breast Cannon, now tinted with gold. It struck Orochi right in the left leg, ripping through the limb. When the column of holy power faded, it had left a hole exposing bone, with mere strings of flesh dangling upon it.

Kiryu’s drill arm activated and the sound of metal struck Orochi’s many ears, but he didn’t have any time at all before it got him right in the neck. Around the same time, the eye slugger had returned, cutting into the same place, and the combination was just enough.

Enough to make the head fall off.

Godzilla smiled at this. He never really took using the power of Earth itself to defeat a foe, but now that he had, he enjoyed every second of it. He punched Orochi in the ribs again, breaking bones.

None of them noticed, but two yellow, bulbous eyes lit up, and dark blue spines glowed green…

The dragon still was in utter denial of being beaten by mortal kind, roaring out to all of them.

And every single one of them stayed silent. And that just made him angrier.

He charged like a mad bull, hellbent on ending this fight and taking Earth for his own. But once he reached the team, they pushed him away, forcing him to fall on his back.

He got up as quickly as he could, and yet for some reason, he felt like he should have just stayed down. His many minds began to spiral, trying to think of any legitimate plan!

He couldn’t think of anything.

All he could think of was the fear that he was going to die.

He breathed heavily, still not sure of what to do, as Gamera’s gigantic arm wrapped around two of his necks, a colossal fireball building from within. With a single, grand blast, two more necks were reduced to smoking stumps. They limply fell.

Down below, the two figures slowly began to get up. Pain coursed through them with every movement. They looked at each other in shock that they were even still alive, then looked back up the mountain.

Never had they seen such a beautiful golden glow like that before. They rushed up, wanting to prove that they weren’t out of the game just yet.

A breast cannon struck Orochi straight in the chest, burning through his hide and beginning to show muscles and bones. Seven snuck behind him and grabbed him by the tail, and once he looked back he was sent flying over his head and landed straight into rock. Fire spewed out of the heads he had left, yet they didn’t affect the warrior of light at all. Godzilla grabbed the right leg, and with one swift move he broke it straight in half, leaving both of the dragon’s limbs useless.

The god’s painful echoes reached into the depths of space, and even began to catch the attention of the kaiju who lived there.

Kong laughed at his misery, feeling triumphant that they had won this day. Getting a good running start, he leapt into the air, and elbowed Orochi in the back, the spine beginning to snap. The lord of Farou Island stayed standing upon his monolithic foe, repeatedly sending electrified punches into the bruised flesh. Kiryu’s maser cannon charged up with immense power, and began to carve deeper into the chest wound inflicted by the Mega Breast Cannon. Behind the hole burnt into the musculature, a rhythmic thudding could be heard.

The god growled still, trying to look intimidating, but everyone still looked rather stone faced. With Kong still on his back, he continued the assault.

A green atomic ray and electric beam cut off another head. The shooters roared out in victory.

Zilla and Megalon had rejoined the fight.

The citizens of Seatopia were full of joy at Megalon’s comeback, HEAT celebrated on the ship seeing Zilla still alright. And Harou did nothing more but smile and nod as the other JSDF members shouted in happiness.

With the entire team reunited once more, the world seemed to have gotten brighter. Rushing forward, Kiryu punched the dragon, sending several heads crashing against one another. Ruby lightning crashed against the silver dragon’s stomach, launching him away. His four heads whipped back, smashing into Kong’s stomach, sending the ape tumbling off. He continued flailing his heads, using them to uppercut Godzilla and send the King of the Monsters flying away from him. Orochi turned his heads to face Zilla and Megalon, unleashing twelve bolts of his divine power towards them.

Ultraseven teleported before his two weakened allies, manifesting a barrier. The energy beams crashed against it, flying in random directions and striking nothing.

Orochi howled curses and hatred to the world, until he saw that the two the warrior of light had saved were not present. Before he could react to this, Kong leapt onto his back once more. He clasped his fists together, before delivering an electric axehandle swing to the god’s back.

Soil split apart before Orochi, revealing Zilla and Megalon. The mutated iguana lunged towards the gaping chest wound, digging his claws into it. He was practically burrowing into the serpent, his feet placed on the folds of his foe’s stomach. The heart of his foe was just behind a thin wall of muscle, if he could just get through that…

Orochi bit down on the mutant’s back, lifting him out. He opened two jaws, preparing to bore two burning holes straight through the mutant iguana’s body. He merely tossed Zilla away, screaming as he did so, when something crashed against his ribs. One set of eyes looked down to see it was a black sphere, nestled in the wound. Megalon was right across from it, letting Orochi realize what was about to happen a second before it did so.

The Napalm Bomb exploded, sending chunks of sizzling meat flying out of Orochi’s chest. Megalon turned and ran as his foe struck the ground, heads writhing madly in anguish. Smoke poured out, obscuring the consequences of the attack. At least, it did so to the naked eye.

His beating heart was heard a good few seconds before it was seen. When the smoke cleared, they saw it.

Each thump sounded like a grand drum beat, now a rapid song betraying his true level of confidence. It was massive, the organ being larger than Godzilla’s entire chest. Black as pitch, it was what filled the destroyer with life, pumping the foul vital liquid through his veins.

Orochi slouched, breathing heavily. He shook with each minute movement. His foes gathered before him, aside from Kong. He looked between them all. Orochi snarled.

The lord of Farou filled his hands with lightning once more, his fists being obscured in the golden glow. Ultraseven formed a cross with his arms, Beam Lamp gaining a red hue to its already blue luminance. Mothra Leo spread his wings wide, thorax glowing brightly. Gamera’s mouth opened, filling with surging flames. Megalon’s antenna crackled with electricity. Zilla’s spines glowed emerald, his throat filling with tinted fire. Kiryu’s chest opened, splitting into three panels which glowing bright yellow with maser energy. Godzilla’s spines flashed gold, bolts of a similar hued energy dancing between the dorsal plates.

All was silent for a moment, only the humming of gathering power.

Until Kong slammed his fists into Orochi’s back, sending a shockwave into the serpent’s body. As the serpent felt his muscles locking up and boiling, the rest of the guardians fired. A Wide Shot tinted with a crimson hue, a golden Mega Breast Cannon, a golden ball of burning plasma, a line of electricity, emerald flames, the Hyper Maser Cannon, and a Golden Spiral Ray soared towards Orochi. Kong leaped off the serpent’s back, rolling as he landed to come out on his feet. He ran, but kept his head turned to watch the fireworks.

Orochi was lifted off his feet by the wall of light that tore into him. He howled in outrage. His heart burst apart, the blood boiling into steam. Flesh, muscle, and bone were vaporized as he flew. Parts of his body burst outwards with geysers of energy, unable to contain the endless power coursing into him.

Above even the roar of the final attack of the guardians, Earth heard Orochi’s final call. His hatred and impotent fury echoed for every lifeform to hear, before being cut off by his explosive death. The land was bathed in a kaleidoscopic light show. The guardians shielded their eyes, bracing themselves as waves of heat and force rolled over them. Even the spectators had to shield their eyes, the flashing lights threatening to give them a migraine with their intensity.

As soon as it had begun, it faded. They opened their eyes wearily, half-expecting to see Orochi still alive, good as new and ready to finish them all off. This proved to be the opposite of the truth, as what they saw instead was a crater with nothing in it. Not a mangled corpse, or even a large burn streak in the dirt. Just… a crater.

Not a trace of the lord of the underworld remained.

No one said anything. They did not know what could be said, and nobody wanted to risk breaking the awkward silence. Until Godzilla stepped forward, and looked to the skies above. He roared in triumph, rattling the earth and his teammates. They let loose their respective shouts, prompting the spectators to cheer as well.

As they all did so, Godzilla began to walk towards Gomora’s body. Reaching down, he lifted the body of his comrade. He roared to his allies. Mournfully, he asked for help carrying Varan, Baragon, and Gorosaurus back to Monster Island. Gamera, Ultraseven, and Leo responded, rushing over to grab them. They all hung their heads, the weight of today’s losses hitting.

Back on Monster Island, the ceremony was short. Megalon and Zilla dug four graves for the fallen monsters, Godzilla laying the bodies within. Two other piles of dirt and stone were erected, representing those who could not be buried. Mothra Leo asked the King of Monster Island for permission to grow fields upon the graves, and he allowed it. So, the insect god used his powers over nature to do so, leaving six bountiful fields upon the hills.

It was what they would have wanted, to be returned to the Earth.

After this, they went their separate ways. After bidding farewell to his newfound friends and condolences, Kong began to swim towards Farou Island. He needed to be with those he protected once more. Megalon took a moment to observe the graves. He thanked his allies, before excusing himself as well. The rest began to leave, going their own ways after thanking and mourning. Soon, Godzilla was left alone. He took one more look at the memorials.

He began to walk back towards his cavern, just wanting to be close to his son.

Elsewhere, HEAT talked amongst themselves. “Let’s go back to New York, I imagine Z-Man’s going to want to nap for about a week or so after this.” Randy said, laughing. Zilla swam beside the HEAT Seeker as it moved across the ocean.

“A week? I want to nap for a week just from watching that, I can’t imagine how tired he is.” Mendel responded. “Probably the most stressed I’ve been… well ever.”

Elsie, who leaned on the railing beside Nick as they both watched Zilla, joined in on the conversation. “How do you think Nick’s probably feeling? He just watched his adopted son fight a god and barely come out alive.”

Nick nodded his head, laughing. “Yeah, I’m probably gonna be seeing Orochi in my nightmares for weeks. Oh well, at least I can wake up and remember the bastard’s dead.”

Monique spoke up. “Let us just hope nothing else sees the Earth in its weakened state and decides to take advantage.”

Randy turned to face the weapons expert. “Why are you such a killjoy?”

“Blame the military training,” she replied, shrugging her shoulders.

In the JSDF headquarters, Harou and Antonio talked one on one.

The emperor of Seatopia spoke. “So, how are Akane and Kiryu doing?”

“Akane’s going to need some time off to recover from heat stroke, and Kiryu’s going to need a lot of repairs. I’m surprised the thing was still working, even with a ghost keeping it up and running,” Harou replied. “Has Megalon returned safely?”

“Yes, he will likely be resting for quite some time. Thank you for asking.” Antonio responded genuinely, smiling.

“And thank you for asking about Akane and Kiryu.”

Antonio began speaking again, smile growing wider. “About Kiryu’s damages. Seatopia will be happy to help with them.”

“Why, you don’t need to-”

The emperor cut the general off. “Yes, we do. If it weren’t for him, Megalon would be among the dead on this day. And though the people of Seatopia as a whole may not be open to it immediately, consider us allies of humanity. It’s the least we can do to repay you all for what you have done today.”

Harou smiled as well. “I know it couldn’t have been easy for you to come to this decision, so thank you. I personally cannot accept for all of humanity, but I have no doubt the UN will be happy to do so. I look forward to a long and prosperous union of our people.”

“As do I.”

Months passed, time closed the wounds both physical and spiritual.

Zilla Junior rested on an island. Nearby, sitting on a colossal nest, was a brown reptile of a similar size to his own that resembled a Komodo Dragon. Komodithrax felt something stir beneath her, prompting her to call towards her mate. He got up, walking over to her as she stepped back from the nest. The two watched closely as the pair of eggs began to shake and crack.

Brown snouts broke through each eggshell, until the rest of the construct fell away to reveal the hatchlings. The interspecies couple were ecstatic, nuzzling against each other. They were not Zilla’s kin by blood, but he cared little. They were still his children, and he would defend them with his life.

Elsewhere, watching through a pair of binoculars, Randy could not help but make a quip. “Well pal, you’re a grandpa now. So, is Audrey their grandma, or…”

“Let’s not unpack this now,” Nick replied, grinning. “Let’s just enjoy this for what it is.”

Outside the JSDF base, a lone man stared up at the stars. Two figures stepped behind him, a man and a woman.

“Are you sure you have to go now, Dan?” Akane asked the black haired man.

“These past few months have been great, it was wonderful being able to catch up on what I missed in the past few decades.” He turned back to face them. “And to know that humanity can save itself from aliens and destroyers. But I must go, Orga has broken free of the Monster Graveyard and I’m the only one for the job.”

“Well, it was great to see you and learn from one of humanity’s best defenders.” Harou replied. “I still don’t get much about this whole Monster Graveyard thing, but I know Orga, and I know you can kick his ass no problem.”

“But still, stay safe! He can be a tricky one,” Akane added.

“Thank you both. Take care, and goodbye for now.” Dan Moroboshi bowed, before turning back towards the stars. Reaching into his coat pocket, he withdrew a colorful pair of glasses. He placed them over his eyes, and in a flash of light, he became Ultraseven once more. He took off into the heavens, Akane and Harou below waving to him as they yelled their farewells.

The flaming body of a Gyaos crashed to the ground, breaking apart from the impact. Gamera landed nearby, another of the Shadow of Evil clutched in his grip. With a quick twist of his hands, he snapped its neck, before dropping it to the dirt. More shrieks echoed nearby, followed by thin, yellow rays of sonic energy. They lacerated the ground where the Guardian of the Universe had just stood as he dodged them.

He was right. His draining of the Earth’s mana had thrown the planet out of balance and unleashed many evils upon the world.

Igniting his jets, he soared into the air. Clotheslining two of the Gyaos, he slammed their skulls together. They screamed until another fireball incinerated their heads, leaving their bodies to limply fall from his grasp.

…but if the Earth could survive his first usage of the Mana Beam, it would be able to survive this.

Elsewhere, Kong swam through turbulent waters. Near him was a colossal, wooden ship constructed by his people. The villagers had constructed it in case they needed to flee their homeland. That time had come, seismic activity sinking Farou Island in a geological event that scholars would discuss and debate for decades. A storm battered them from above, the intricate team work of the villagers keeping the boat from overflowing with rainwater.

Why Kong had led them to this place, he did not know. Something primal had driven him here. They pushed through the walls of the storm, the skies switching from dark to sunny as if they were two different worlds. As they made their way onto land, Kong’s strange feeling only intensified. What was this place?

Another colossus sensed a new arrival. Getting up, he walked over to investigate, determined to see just what had entered his territory. Friend or foe? If the former, he’d be happy to welcome them. The latter, they would receive no mercy.

Life on Monster Island had improved since the grave losses on that day. New denizens had come, making the place feel livelier.

Mothra Leo and Battra were perched atop hills, conversing with a third giant moth atop a third hill. She was much thinner than the two, with scythe-like forelimbs and more bioluminescence on her body. Leo recognized her as at least the descendant of the last of the other Mothra’s that had battled Orochi that day. She was happy to meet others of her kind, especially those with as much experience as them.

Soaring through the air, casting flames behind him, was another Rodan. His wings burned with the molten blood that flowed through his body. Watching him roll and maneuver through the skies was always a spectacle with the grace he moved with and the trails he left.

Another Anguirus rolled across the ground, before unfurling and letting out a sharp honk. He had come from the sea one day out of seemingly nowhere, but no one was complaining. Even if he would never be able to fill the void in Godzilla’s heart, the King of the Monsters still enjoyed his presence.

Rows of spines cut through the waters surrounding Monster Island, attached to a second nuclear leviathan. One far more ancient than any of the land’s denizens, even those who had lived since the dawn of civilization. For he predated civilization by eons.

Even Megalon marched along the plains. Monster Island had become a home away from home for him, when he wanted to get away from Seatopia and see the sun. The underground kingdom was now allied with the surface world, so they raised no fuss over this.

To mingle with those he had considered enemies was strange, even after all this time. Perhaps it would never stop feeling strange to the beetle, but it did not feel bad either. After storing so much bitterness in his heart for so long, to be purged of it was a wonderful sensation.

The clouds parted before a colossal ship, spherical and shining without blemish. Three protrusions came from its base, resembling claws. A chorus of roars and shrieks echoed across Monster Island as they looked towards it. Godzilla, Leo, and Megalon recognized it immediately. The Xilien Mothership had returned.

Sweeping down from the skies was a cyborg with green armor plating so dark it was almost black. Raising his scythes high, Gigan screeched, his single, red eye observing the landscape and targets below. Megalon and Godzilla stood side by side, letting out their respective calls towards the assassin. The beetle clanged his drills together. Gigan paused, taken aback. Megalon, his closest ally, fighting alongside Godzilla, their greatest enemy?

That two-timer!

Winners: Godzilla (Heisei), Mothra Leo, Kiryu, Zilla, Megalon (Universal), Gamera (Heisei), Ultraseven, King Kong (Showa)