Author: Joshua Strittmatter | Banner: Matthew Williams

A playful screech pierced the twilight ambience of Monster Island.

Minilla, the son of the King of the Monsters himself, kicked a sizable boulder with all his strength, sending it rolling forward like a soccer ball- a really heavy soccer ball. But he was able to send it rolling a sizable distance; he was getting stronger by the month. One day, he would be big enough and strong enough to defend himself all on his own, and days further still he’d be King of the Monsters just like his father. But for now, he stayed here practicing on simple rocks and any other inanimate objects he could find.

Squeaking again, Minilla kicked the stone a second time, sending it crashing against a pointed rock face. As it came to a halt, however, an idea entered the toddler Godzilla’s mind. He was practicing for so long on means of physical strength, perhaps now would be a good time for him to practice on the weapon his father made infamous. Walking up to the distance his young mind judged fit for the feat he hoped to achieve, Minilla bent low as he tried to focus on his internal energy and build it up. His tiny dorsal plates lit up with a faint blue light, and with a deep breath he reared back…

Minilla lurched forward and a simple smoke ring flew from his jaws, briefly taking a moment to encircle the rock before fading out of existence, not leaving a single mark. Minilla stomped the ground in frustration before taking a moment to lurch forward, breathing in as he leaned back once more to try again- and another smoke ring flew forth before evaporating. The young Godzilla sighed. He had a very long time to go before he reached anywhere remotely close to where his father stood in the world. But that didn’t mean he would cease practicing, and the saurian toddler took a moment to regain his breath before preparing to try again.

A louder, more aggressive chirp suddenly stung his ears and Minilla coughed up another smoke ring as he turned to see the mutant cuttlefish Gezora lumbering towards him, waving his tentacles menacingly while staring at him with predatory orange eyes. The Yog cephalopod screeched as he stalked towards the son of Godzilla. Minilla screamed and quickly began to hurry away, only to stop mid-stride when he saw the mutant rock crab Ganimes approaching from the other direction, pincers snapping in anticipation and mandibles splitting to release a malevolent chirp.

A third cry made Minilla’s blood run cold with terror, and the trembling toddler turned to his left to view the unmistakable disturbance. His eyes widened as the biggest bully of Monster Island, Gabara, cracked his fists and loosed another cackling cry as he gazed down upon the young Godzilla with an evil gaze; electricity crackling up his arms as he began to lumber towards Minilla. The child screamed with fright as the bullies began to close in on him, each one more than ready to deal their savage torments on the young Godzilla. Instinctively, Minilla took a deep breath as he pointed himself at his biggest enemy of the three and let loose.

A smoke ring launched into Gabara’s face, briefly making him wince before all three kaiju stopped short. The cries that followed from the trio sounded akin to cackling laughter at Minilla’s feeble attempt to defend himself. Screeching as loudly as he could, Minilla puffed in and tried to fire an atomic ray at Gezora, but yet again only a weak smoke ring assailed the cackling cuttlefish. As their laughter died down, Gabara decided enough was enough. Cackling sadistically, he reared his fist back-

-and was stopped by a booming footstep.

Gezora turned to his left, Ganimes to his right, and Gabara a full 180 as a savage, feral growl rumbled through the island and their souls alike. Almost instantly, Gabara’s hair stood on end as he jumped into the air like a startled cat, screaming horrifically in terror. The moment he landed back on the ground he was scrambling towards the nearest exit point. This was just as a dinosaurian giant clad in emerald scales and underdeveloped dorsal scutes charged right past Minilla and pounced on his former position. Gabara howled as he tried to climb over a sizable hill, but the Prince of Monsters himself was right on his tail with snapping jaws. As Gabara started to run, he stopped short when he found himself faced with a massive fissure in the earth; one that went down for a long distance, and its interior was laced with massive strings of unmistakable webbing. And the distance to the other side was too far to jump.

He was trapped.

With a hollow screech, his attacker clambered quickly over the hillside and lunged at him. Before he even had time to think it over, Gabara had jumped clear off the ground and into the gorge below, his last howl of fear echoing through the web-laden canyon as he braced for the inevitable, and painful, impact. But to him, it didn’t matter. He’d rather suffer a bad fall and fight his way through Kumonga’s lair than face the wrath of Minilla’s older brother again.

Filling the air with a higher-pitched version of his father’s famous cry, Godzilla Junior turned back and lumbered down the hill to find that Gezora and Ganimes were scattering. His blazing orange eyes glared back at them contently, his upper lip curled in a snarl. They remembered full well what he had done to Kamoebas last time, and were unwilling to suffer the same fate.

Minilla screeched happily as he ran over to his big brother, hugging his leg as hard as his little arms could allow. Junior grunted gently as he patted his younger sibling on the head, reassuring him that he was safe. Looking up in the direction of the fleeing Yog monsters, Godzilla Junior beat the ground behind him with his tail and roared his warning to them one last time, grunting contently when Minilla cupped his hands to his mouth and screeched to try and imitate him.

Someday, Minilla would get there. Someday, his little brother would be a king.

But for now, they were both still young. Definitely not the strongest monsters in the world, especially the younger of the two. Not even Junior had reached the point where one could call him “king,” and like his little brother he too would take a while before he reached such a stage in life. But that wasn’t to say he was inefficient at sending Monster Island’s resident bullies running for their lives whenever they tried to pick on Minilla. Six months ago, a particular rock turtle had tried chasing the toddler up a rock spire like a dog would a cat, and had received a fatal laceration to his neck from Junior’s claws that sent him reeling back into the sea in return. The other bullies had been weary of the Prince of Monsters before, but after such an event they were now downright terrified of him every time he showed his scaly face. And today, the sent message was just the same.

Nobody messed with his family and got away with it.

As the immature Godzillasaurus grunted to his brother and began to turn to walk inland with him, he froze. Something had caught his attention, a scent had entered his nostrils. And it was a scent he didn’t like. It smelled unnatural, misplaced, foul with decay, and just… wrong. His prehistoric mind couldn’t put a finger on what it was about that scent that reeked so strongly of malice, but whatever it was already had his scaly build tensed as a stone column. Beside him, Minya squeaked nervously as he grabbed Junior’s leg, seemingly aware of the strange scent as well.

The clouds, already darkening from the unseen setting sun as twilight slowly began to descend into night, were getting darker for a different reason. A low rumble of thunder echoed across the reaches of Monster Island; a storm was coming. The occurrence briefly startled Minilla who screeched and huddled against Junior’s leg. The monster prince grunted gently to his sibling as he patted his shoulder, still keeping his eyes peeled for any signs of the unnatural scent he was on. Deep down, he knew it wasn’t the oncoming storm that had him rigid. No, there was something else amiss.

Even with the gradually dying light, Godzilla Junior could see just fine thanks to his enhanced eyesight. So, the growing darkness did not hamper his detection skills in the slightest as he looked around, picking up no signs of any immediate threat. So rather than relying on his eyes, he instead set to using his ears and nose; rearing his head up, he inhaled a deep breath through his nostrils and took in all the information needed from that strange scent. He widened his eyes when he realized that whatever it belonged to had gotten closer.

Another rumble of thunder. The clouds were beginning to gray, the weather growing restless… and that’s when the monster prince saw it.

A being began to slowly descend from the clouds, carrying with it an aura of pure evil. Floating down from the brewing storm clouds in a crucifixion pose, smoothly and flawlessly in a manner that was anything but divine. For a moment, the strange beast was all but frozen in his position; not a single sign of so much as a twitch as he gradually descended towards the ground. But the very moment he touched the ground the creature lurched forward a bit, as if in a bow… before standing up to his full intimidating height to leer at the creatures before him with four glowing red, seemingly soulless eyes that screamed pure malicious evil.

The creature was a skeletal, humanoid dragon that stood upright on two legs, a black body clad in bony armor gray as volcanic ash. Clawed fingers curled into fists as the creature swished its two tails behind it, steam wisping from its jaws as it half-growled, half-hissed at the irradiated dinosaurs in front of it. Within his hideous skull, the invader heard the orders of his alien masters loud and clear: kill those damned dinosaurs. An order that he was more than happy to oblige, and as the first streak of lightning silently lit up the ominous clouds, Monster X released a hissing bellow of malice towards the Prince of Monsters and his diminutive sibling.

Godzilla Junior would be his first target.

Minilla screeched in terror as he tugged on Junior’s leg, begging him to run. But the juvenile Godzillasaurus turned to him with a firm grunt, telling him to run and hide, quickly. His younger sibling tried to convince him otherwise, but Godzilla Junior was defiant. Minilla and him would only be able to make it so far before they were blocked off or killed if they ran. There was no way out of this other than combat. Junior was gonna have to face the invader, there was no other way to it. He wished it could be any other way, but it couldn’t be.

The monster prince furrowed his brow into a fearsome glare and bared his upper teeth in a snarl. How outmatched he was in the coming conflict didn’t matter to him. This creature wanted his brother? Well, it would have to receive his wrath first. Godzilla Junior nudged his sibling to run, and with a helpless cry the younger Godzilla finally obliged. As Minilla finally ran aside, his elder brother stomped the ground and roared a challenge to Monster X. Godzilla Junior refused to back down, flee or step aside; he would do anything to protect his brother, and see to it that he grew up. And Monster X would learn that the hard way.

So what if it was suicidal? So what if this was his last day on Earth? The Prince of Monsters would give the foul beast hell.

Godzilla Junior beat the ground with his tail as he screeched fearlessly towards Monster X. He was facing his first big opponent, his first true threat- and very possibly his last. If such a fate came to befall him, then so be it. He would meet the skeletal invader head-on long before it got so much as two hundred meters from his brother. But deep down, Junior knew that there was another reason that drove him in this moment: this was his time to prove himself. He was the eldest son of Godzilla, and one could not establish himself a future monster king without proving it first. Even though his instincts told him this would be his last battle, he faced it nonetheless. It was time for his reputation to heighten in the monster hierarchy, whether he lived to see it or not.

He wouldn’t run from his problems anymore. He would start facing them like a true king.

Monster X bellowed another alien cry, pawing the ground with one foot as his enemy charged at him without hesitation, lightning flashing quietly in the sky as he did so. The dragon broke into his own sprint, claws flexed to begin the combat. At once, both kaiju threw a punch the moment they were within arms’ reach of one another. Junior’s struck almost harmlessly against the alien’s skeletal armor, while Monster X socked the mutant dinosaur in the chest which sent him recoiling a step back. Capitalizing on the moment, Monster X leaped into the air and spun a full 360o, smacking Junior in the face with both his elbow and his twin tails. With a screech of surprise, Junior reeled back just as the dragon lashed out with a foot to kick him in the stomach, knocking him away.

Smoothly, Monster X levitated back to the ground.

Godzilla Junior howled in rage as he snapped back into a combat position, breaking back into a charge towards the nefarious alien. Monster X hissed as he spun on his heels, only for Junior to duck under his swiping tails and turn about on his feet, smacking the dragon in the face with his own tail. A bellow of surprise left Monster X’s jaws as sparks crackled off his head, moments before he got a face-full of searing nuclear energy when Junior fired his atomic ray. Surprise turned to agony as Monster X wisely backed off, keeping his arms held in front of his face until Junior’s heat ray cut off.

The very moment the river of atomic particles dissipated, Monster X flung his arms wide as a golden light sparked in his four eyes. Before Junior could react, four lances of golden light lashed out from the invader’s crimson orbs and stabbed into Junior’s emerald green scales. Screaming in agony, the monster prince fell to his knees, holding himself off the ground with his hands as he took a breather. Smacking his tail into the earth, Junior gave himself a boost as he stood himself up. He reacted instinctively upon seeing Monster X charging towards him a second time.

Roaring fiercely, Junior lashed out with his clawed hands just as Monster X swiped with his own. The two monsters locked hands and grappled, and despite his inferior size Godzilla Junior held his own fairly well against the alien dragon. That was, until Monster X suddenly twisted Junior’s wrists completely around and yanked upwards, suspending him in the air as he howled in pain. The bipedal hydra cackled with laughter as the dinosaur bellowed in anguish, but such laughter turned to screams of his own when Junior suddenly kneed him in the throat. Letting go of the monster prince, the dragon clutched his throat with horrid gags as he struggled to breathe, an opportunity Junior wasn’t one to waste. Snapping his wrists back into place, Junior lunged forward with a hard kick to Monster X’s stomach. Before the alien could react to the strike, the Prince of Monsters fired his atomic ray into his chest, flooring him.

Godzilla Junior didn’t waste a second; he had a fairly good idea just how dangerous this foe was, and he wasn’t willing to risk him getting any more dangerous. In a flash he was on the downed extraterrestrial, slashing and biting away like a frenzied wolverine as he tried to find a soft spot in his foe’s armor and draw blood. For a moment Monster X seemed on the ropes; struggling all but feebly against Junior’s furious onslaught, his blood-red eyes unable to widen when the juvenile Godzillasaurus clamped his double rows of teeth down on his throat. The dragon cried in pain when the reptile’s teeth managed to pierce his neck, drawing rivers of red that flooded Junior’s teeth.

But then Monster X refocused.

With all his might, the extraterrestrial jutted his leg up to slam it into Junior’s groin. Orange eyes flaring wide open, the monster prince’s jaws snapped open loose an ear-splitting cry of agony as he backed off the bipedal hydra, dry heaving to keep himself breathing properly. A process which became harder when Monster X leaped to his feet and socked him in the face with the speed of a martial artist. Junior’s roars of distress echoed across the island as Monster X assailed him with a speedy fury of punches and chops across his upper body and face, too quick for the irradiated dinosaur to keep up with. Despite every painful hit to his stomach or cranium, Godzilla Junior fought as hard as he could to keep focused on the fight at hand. He needed to stay awake and standing, wait for any opening he could find and exploit it when he did. It was his father’s key to overcoming his opponent’s in battle- he needed to take advantage of it now.

Monster X suddenly smacked Junior in the jaw, knocking out a dozen teeth. As the monster prince howled and shook his head in an attempt to regain his composure, Monster X hissed evilly and unleashed his Destroyed Thunder Beams upon him near point-blank. The burns on his chest and shoulders stung like the strongest acids, and Junior’s screams of pain were so loud they threatened to make Monster X’s ears bleed.

Not that the dragon cared; bellowing like a demonic alligator, Monster X slashed the Prince of Monsters across the face with his claws. Godzilla Junior tried to lunge up to fight back, but Monster X lunged forward to smash his skeletal cranium into his own in a headbutt so painful it crippled the dinosaur’s eyesight. Godzilla Junior was seeing not double, nor even triple, but six Monster X’s as he stumbled off his feet and fell to the ground with a thud!

Monster X hissed with laughter as he kicked the fallen Godzillasaurus in the gut, eliciting only a weak groan in response. A distance away, Minilla watched the scene with horrified eyes. He was trembling so bad it was hard to stay standing. His older brother, his best friend and second mentor after his father, lay defeated on the cold, dark earth at the feet of an interstellar invader that mocked him with its sickening cackles. The Prince of Monsters having been crippled in the mere first minutes of the combat with the evil hydra, beaten to the point of no getting up. But still Minilla internally screamed for his brother to get back to his feet, his racing heart only worsening when Monster X kicked the fallen prince a second time-

Godzilla Junior’s tail suddenly swept the dragon’s legs from under him, tripping him up to fall face-first towards him. The moment his face came within inches of Junior’s a burst of atomic radiation leaped from his gaping jaws, striking Monster X straight between the eyes and sending him stumbling away. His wounds stitching themselves back together while he shook his head to fight the concussion that plagued his brain, Godzilla Junior fired a second atomic ray that hit the skeletal demon in the torso, knocking him on his back. In the background, Minya cheered as the Prince of Monsters stood to his feet, taking a moment to look back at his younger brother before turning his fiery gaze back to the downed Monster X.

He had a new strategy in mind.

Screeching a higher-pitched version of his father’s roar, Godzilla Junior stomped over to the recovering alien and grabbed hold of his two tails with the firmest grip he could muster. Then, with all the strength his 25,000 metric-ton body could give, he yanked upwards, and he tried with every fiber in his mind to not widen his eyes with shock.

Monster X, heavy as he was, actually lifted into the air!

Quickly suppressing his initial shock, Junior roared and yanked down, smashing the dragon face-first back into the earth. Not even giving Monster X an opportunity to recover the monster prince yanked upwards, before slamming him back down a second time; a technique he had learned from watching his father in battle in the past. The third time he yanked upwards his arms ached, but through sheer determination he ignored it and thrust back down. He repeated the maneuver as many times as he could, Monster X’s cries of anguish a primal music to his ears as he repeatedly beat the skeletal biped into the earth with a vengeance.

Godzilla Junior lifted again, but unlike before he did not thrust back down; instead, he blasted Monster X in mid-air with his heat ray, eliciting a cry on painful rage from the alien beast. Still holding his tails, Godzilla Junior thrust back down once more- and Monster X planted his palms into the earth with a painful effort, stopping himself. Before Junior could lift again Monster X whipped his lower body with a hard yank, breaking free of the monster prince’s grasp. Monster X whirled around with eyes sparking gold, just as Junior’s gaping jaws flashed a bright cerulean. Both kaiju fired their respective beam weapons at once, and a fiery rupture engulfed them both in short order.

But despite the massive size of the explosion and the flames that bathed their flesh, it didn’t take long for both monsters to clamber to their feet and wait for the flames to die down. The moment they did, they charged back out to engage in combat once more- neither had been put down in any way shape or form, and were more than ready to tear each other apart.

Lightning flashed in the cloudy heavens, and as the thunder roared in its wake, the first drop of rain fell out of the brewing clouds. One by one, it rapidly began to multiply in number as a full-rage rainstorm birthed into existence, an event not uncommon to Monster Island. Not that its current combatant’s gave a crap; Godzilla Junior’s shark-like teeth dug into Monster X’s arm in squirts of alien blood, the hydra retaliating with a hard punch to the dinosaur’s head which caused him to rip it off, taking strips of Monster X’s flesh with him. Another fist lunged towards him, but Junior caught it in his jaws and bit down hard. The Prince of Monsters yanked downward and sent Monster X bending over, but the alien spun around to slap Junior upside the head with his tails.

The immature Godzilla roared and fired his heat ray onto Monster X just as he finished turning around, only to be blasted by the full agonizing force of the alien’s Destroyed Thunder Beams. Junior howled with rage as he fought the excruciating pain, his receptors being tested to their limits. Monster X lashed out with a fist, but Junior batted it away before turning quickly on his heals and slamming his tail into the space monster. Another atomic ray lashed out from Godzilla Junior’s maw to sear into Monster X’s sternum. Digging his feet into the ground, Monster X held his ground as the juvenile Godzillasaurus unleashed his nuclear fury until it dissipated.

Monster X held his fists up just as Junior smacked into him with his full upper body strength, blocking the dinosaur from attacking his face or neck. The bipedal hydra clocked the monster prince across the face with a fist, catching him off guard long enough for Monster X to lash out with his tails- but this time, he employed them differently than just a mere blunt force weapon. Whipping them at just the right angle and speed, Monster X gashed open Junior’s chest, birthing a bloody spray to pain the dragon’s chest a contrasting red. His eyes sparking, Monster X hissed and fired his Destroyed Thunder Beams.

But Junior was ready this time.

Reflexes kicking in and nerves snapping, the Prince of Monsters hurled his upper body forward and ducked under the energy assault. Before the beams had finished firing, Junior had lunged in and smacked his head into Monster X’s stomach. Ignoring the pain of his wounds regenerating, Junior bent low like a big cat and clamped his jaws down on Monster X’s leg just above the heel. The hydra’s flesh being considerably less armored on the hind limbs, Junior’s teeth once more sank below the black musculature in spurts of blood. But rather than savor the running of his enemy’s blood or shaking his head to tear the wound, the Prince of Monsters pushed upwards with all his might and yanked his neck muscles, tripping up Monster X and sending him falling on his back-

-at least, until the extraterrestrial stopped himself short by planting his hands into the earth the moment he landed.

Junior yanked again, tearing his teeth through the leg while attempting to drag Monster X forward and pull him off balance, but still the alien held on. Monster X lashed out with his other foot, but Junior let go just in time and dropped the confused invader, who’s foot hit nothing but thin air and hard rain. All rain in the monster prince’s path vaporized when he fired his atomic ray into Monster X’s throat, eliciting a pained shriek from the space monster as he was knocked back down to the ground. Lightning flashed in the heavens as Godzilla Junior charged his downed opponent with a loud screech, and as Monster X looked up to gaze upon him with his four crimson eyes, he could’ve sworn the monster prince’s outline had changed; for a brief moment, the flash in the sky seemed to illuminate the silhouette of Godzilla himself!

But as the lightning faded as quickly as it came and the bellowing thunder roared across the island, such an illusion ceased to be, and Monster X found himself faced with the same youthful prince still trying to follow in his father’s footsteps.

A legacy that Monster X sought to put to an end.

Godzilla Junior turned around with a roar, rearing his tail above the skeletal dragon before slinging it down like a sledgehammer. The crack of prehistoric flesh slamming against skeletal armor was as loud as the thunder that raged in the stormy heavens, sparks flying off the dragon’s body from the blow. But despite the force of the hit, Monster X didn’t take long to recover; the moment Junior reared his tail up to hit him again, the hydra let loose his Destroyed Thunder Beams upon the dinosaur’s back, sending him stumbling forward with a howl of agony. Rolling onto his stomach, Monster X jumped to his feet and whipped around as quick as the lightning that danced in the clouds; so fast his tails cracked across Junior’s back like a whip and sent him falling to the ground.

The monster prince’s wounds were already healing, but even after they had sealed up the burning pain didn’t go away. And it only worsened when Monster X pounced upon him, pinning him back to the earth as he unleashed another barrage of painful punches. However, this time the barrage didn’t last long- focusing entirely on his tail, the Prince of Monsters swiped the appendage just as Monster X leaped into the air. For a moment, the meteorite monster floated back down, levitating like a demonic ghost as he drifted back towards his saurian foe.

But Junior rolled over onto his back, quickly enough that Monster X didn’t see his dorsal plates flashing to life. A volley of atomic flames roared from Junior’s jaws, but unlike before they were aimed at a specific target: the bite wound on Monster X’s leg. The dragon bellowed in pain as the injury was rended and blackened by the searing heat, but the Prince of Monsters wasn’t finished. Howling a Godzilla-like cry, Godzilla Junior fired a second atomic ray into Monster X’s neck; a blow of which knocked the skeletal beast out of the air.

Monster X somersaulted in mid-air like a cat as he managed to land on his feet- and with a loud screech of pain, he collapsed to one knee as a horrid pain shot through his wounded leg, the impact having been too hard on the injury to handle the stress. Out of more desperation than anything, Monster X fired his Destroyed Thunder Beams at Junior’s legs; the monster prince had mistaken the first signs as if he were going to fire at his torso, and as he bent low to duck he realized too late he had just exposed himself to the brunt of the blast. The beams lancing into his shoulders, Junior cried in pain and stumbled back, giving both monsters breathing room to recover.

The meteorite monster stared hard at the Prince of Monsters; his expressionless face unreadable. He had come here expecting an arrogant youth who would prove little trouble for him, with him being the Xilliens’ most powerful weapon of destruction. But, to his surprise, the son of Godzilla had proved to be a bigger challenge than he initially thought. He was wet behind the ears; but he was also strong, tactful, downright fearless, and mindful of the obvious. The young Godzillasaurus would notice when a weakness presented itself, and exploited it to painful effect on the hydra’s part.

He was more like his father then Monster X had previously thought.

The downpour grew harder, the rain roaring through the stormy night as another dead-silent flash of lightning illuminated the brewing clouds, and both monsters released their respective war cries before charging once more.

Mid-distance to his draconic foe, Godzilla Junior suddenly stopped and fired an atomic ray that singed Monster X’s feet. As the dragon reeled, an explosion of dust and smoke obscured his view. Taking this chance, Junior charged right at him- only for the hydra’s Destroyed Thunder Beams to lash out of the smoke and knife into his torso. Shrieking in pain, Junior recoiled as Monster X ran out of the fading dust cloud, taking the monster prince by full storm. Jutting out a curled fist, Monster X punched the emerald dinosaur in the face. Despite the headache he had just obtained, Junior tried to fight it as he lashed forward and snapped his jaws; his teeth chomping on nothing but rain mere inches from Monster X’s face. An unfortunate outcome as the dragon attacked again, socking the dinosaur in the throat. As Junior gagged, Monster X lashed out and delivered an uppercut to his jaw, a blow which sent Junior toppling onto his back.

Monster X bellowed demonically as he pounced upon the downed saurian. As Godzilla Junior screeched in pain, the skeletal dragon reared one foot off the ground and brought it down onto Junior’s head with all his strength. The dinosaur’s head was buried beneath the soil, pinned at the side by the alien’s cruel foot. Junior loosed a muffled roar as he attempted to struggle, but his roar turned to a scream of pain when Monster X flicked his tail across his exposed torso a second time, whipping another gash in his chest. As the monster prince dealt with the pain, Monster X lifted his foot again before bringing it back down, smashing his skull further into the muddy soil.

His ears surrounded by dirt and mud, Godzilla Junior could barely hear Monster X’s roar of malice as he lifted and stomped his skull a third time- but he could hear clearly enough that the roar wasn’t directed at him. His eyes widening in the darkness at the thought, Junior’s spines flashed to life as he fired an atomic ray. The beam of nuclear energy seared a burning trench through the soil, rupturing it from the inside out as it carved a visible window to the outside world, all the while creating a slight tremor that began to give Monster X difficulty standing.

And a most horrifying sight he saw indeed.

Monster X had seen Minilla, his four crimson orbs focused on the toddler prince like a hawk with a mouse. An evil hiss gurgled from his toothed jaws as his foot reared back up, stamping into Junior’s head a fourth time, all the while his eyes showed the slightest hint of increasing in light.

Junior reacted without thinking.

Roaring more powerfully than any Kaiju thought he could- including himself- Godzilla Junior flexed all the power in his left leg before jutting it up, kneeing the skeletal dragon dead-center in the groin. His eyes flashing open as a substitute for widening like pizzas, Monster X clutched his groin as he wobbled off the monster prince, screeching his mind-numbing agony to the heavens. But his opponent did not give him time to mourn his losses; spines flashing and powering himself up with all the strength he could muster, Godzilla Junior fired an atomic ray that struck the same area, eliciting an even louder howl of torture and knocking Monster X on his back. Roaring with a righteous fury, Junior got to his feet and charged his crippled enemy with a ferocity unseen in the battle.

Pinning him to the ground with one foot, Junior slung his fist with all his fury into Monster X’s face. As the dragon recoiled from the blow, Junior punched him again with his other fist even harder than before. Again and again, faster and angrier with every strike Junior assailed his alien foe with powerful punch after punch to the face and throat; sparks and skeletal armor flying as Junior gave in to his burning rage. This foul beast had just attempted to murder his little brother, and now Junior knew full-well what he was going to do from here on out. He wasn’t just gonna beat him until he lay unconscious at his feet- he was going to kill him. He was going to massacre this evil aberration so utterly that whatever had sent it would never send another foe to this island ever again.

Blow after blow crashed against Monster X’s draconic skull, and unlike before these blows were dealt with such ferocity that the extraterrestrial howled in pain. The sickening cracks of Junior’s fists slamming into Monster X’s skeletal body were so loud they drowned out the roars of thunder echoing across the sky as the Prince of Monsters beat the attacker who had so foolishly tried to bring harm to his little brother into submission, not intent on stopping until he lay on the precipice of death.

Monster X swiped feebly as he attempted to fend off Junior’s attacks, but each attempt was either avoided or swatted away before the enraged Godzillasaurus landed another punch that sent waves of pain rippling through his head. Godzilla Junior’s bellow of rage howled through the downpour as he assailed the skeletal demon, and even through the sheets of rain he could see small cracks beginning to form in Monster X’s armor. Any pain the monster prince may have felt in his body had long been cast aside like an afterthought, doing nothing to hinder his prowess as he vented his rage.

Monster X suddenly jutted his skull up, his eyes sparking a golden hue just as Junior lurched forward with gaping jaws, his spines flashing a radioactive cerulean. Both monsters unleashed their beams point blank upon one another, and before either could put an end to it they were engulfed in a brilliant fireball.

Minilla screamed in the distance as he watched his brother and the vile space demon known as Monster X disappear in a near-blinding rupture. The explosion rattled the island to its core and sent shockwaves across the ocean that surrounded it, and Minilla had to hold onto the closest rock face he could find to keep himself steady before the tremors eventually died down. So strong were the tremors that Minya barely even noticed a slender form being sent flying out of the fiery mushroom cloud, slamming into the ground and digging a trench for several hundred meters. For a time, the flames continued to loom at an impressive height that dwarfed even the largest Kaiju, but whether due to the heavy rain or just sheer dumb luck they began to lessen and die away as the dust they kicked up unveiled the outcome of the event.

Monster X, his armor burned and his wounds rended further, hissed a wounded breath as he shakily attempted to stand to his feet. But the absence of Godzilla Junior sent a cold chill down the frightened Minilla, and his eyes widened as he comprehended what that meant. But a shrill cry of defiance crushed the growing despair out of existence and replaced it with the spark of hope the toddler always felt whenever he saw his brother appear on the horizon in the past.

And appear on the rainy horizon, he did.

Lightning flashing in the heavens to illuminate his silhouette against the clouds, Godzilla Junior managed to stand to one knee as he took a breather. His emerald skin was patched with burns, but unlike Monster X his injures had begun the gradual process of healing, clearing away the burnt skin as new scales regenerated and overtook their place. Still, his body ached with pain and exhaustion, and Junior decided to lay low to conserve his strength. His orange eyes shining with regal power, he glared at the recovering Monster X, who surprisingly looked worse for wear compared to him. As the monster prince let his breathing rate set into place, he heard Minilla’s distant cheering screech that sent a wave of pride through his exhausted form; the same cry that always gave him the strength he needed to carry on.

His spines flashed, water evaporated into steam from his back, and an atomic ray catapulted from Junior’s fanged jaws.

The nuclear flames bathed Monster X in a burning shower, scorching his thought impenetrable armor and searing the softer flesh beneath as the dragon reared back and howled in pain, so loud Junior’s eardrums began to ring. For ten impressive seconds he kept the blast going before his jaws finally snapped shut, the nuclear particles dissipating as Monster X fell to all fours with an exhausted bellow. Junior’s eyes narrowing with a vengeful gaze, the Prince of Monsters unleashed a loud roar that shook all and everything for miles, informing the space invader that his time was up. A gurgling hiss rumbled from Monster X’s vocal cords as Godzilla Junior stood to his full height, taking a step forward with the intent to end this once and for all.

A sickening laughter growled from Monster X’s jaws.

Junior eyed him, equal mix puzzled and alarmed. Standing on all fours like a dog, the dragon began to rattle and shiver violently as his laughter increased in volume, his blackened armor beginning to fester- and then a loud cackle tore from his throat as a pair of leather wings suddenly ripped from his back!

The two “half-heads” on his shoulders suddenly engorged, and in less than a split second both had become fully formed miniature heads. Glowing, lava-like veins began to ignite around Monster X’s middle head as his skin changed color and texture; the skeletal armor receded inward as his now-quadrupedal body engorged into brilliant golden musculature rippling with colossal strength. His tails lengthened, his hands and feet swelled into Ursid-like paws, his once humanoid stance evolved into a four-legged posture reminiscent of a giant bear. It was then that the last of the transformation took place; a pair of horns emerging from each of his heads, Monster X cackled a haunting laughter as his necks lengthened, waving like demonic serpents as the space dragon finished his horrifying alteration.

Godzilla Junior’s eyes widened at the beast that stood before him, a trio of demonic cackles echoing from the space monster’s three heads to burn themselves in the minds of both sons of Godzilla. Before his very eyes, Monster X had not only evolved, he had effectively ceased to be. A golden, four-legged, three-headed dragon that towered an incomprehensible 140 meters in height now stood before him, spreading his wings to beat the wind and rain with them to demonstrate his increased power. Monster X had merely been a disguise, for now the space dragon’s true identity had at last revealed itself to the Prince of Monsters.

Fingers of lightning streaking through the rain-laden storm clouds, the giant demon beast Keizer Ghidorah screeched with devilish laughter as thunder bellowed powerfully through the sky, as if to herald the coming of the great destroyer.

Godzilla Junior’s widened gaze lingered on the space dragon for a moment, the fangs of a feeling of dread unlike any felt in his life sinking into his flesh while he comprehended what stood before his very eyes. The three-headed drake that boomed with haunting laughter was bigger than any monster he had seen in his life; dwarfing even his own father, the King of the Monsters himself. There was no doubt that the creature’s power exceeded that of when he was Monster X, the monster prince could feel it just by looking upon him. The festering feeling that Junior was beyond outmatched had already spread throughout every inch of his being.

Deep within the young Godzilla’s mind, a beacon was lit; a signal blared to life. But, contrary to his days in infancy, it was not a call for help, not a telepathic distress signal directed to his father or his fellow Kaiju. No, it was a silent warning. A firm and direct order, directed at only one being: his younger sibling, watching the spectacle from a distance with frightened eyes.

It was an order to hide.

The juvenile Godzillasaurus pawed the ground as his gaze furrowed into a vicious scowl, a killer look in his eyes, body hunched over in a predatory manner. He was going to fight this “Keizer Ghidorah.” He was not going to turn tail and flee for his life from this draconic abomination. He was going to face him head-on just the same. And, if fate willed it so, he would lose his life trying.

To Junior’s relieved surprise, Minilla obeyed his request, scampering towards a nearby cave that was only just large enough for him to fit inside. A place where the hideous hydra could not reach him. Beating his tail against the ground, Godzilla Junior reared back as he stretched his neck towards the cloud-infested sky, letting loose a fearless roar every bit as loud as that of his father’s. The damned dragon wanted to fight the son of Godzilla? Then he could have it for all he cared!

Keizer Ghidorah raised his three heads skyward to scream forth a demonic chorus, answering Junior’s battle cry with a warning. An evil warning. A living apocalypse given form informing the monster prince of the inevitable:

His death.

The ground quaked with powerful footfalls as Godzilla Junior began to charge, but what happened next crushed any hope of physical combat. A trio of golden, gravity-guided beams of alien electricity launched from Keizer Ghidorah’s three maws and speared into Junior’s emerald form, lighting him up in a golden hue as the beams electrocuted him to his core. The Prince of Monsters screamed in torment as the beams thrust him back like a pinball, slamming him to the earth and dragging him a good two hundred meters back before suddenly ceasing to be. Junior gasped for breath as he flailed weakly, attempting to get back to his feet.

A notion Keizer Ghidorah would deny.

His triple jaws glowing as if miniature stars had birthed within them, Keizer Ghidorah unleashed a second round of his Antigravity Destroyed Keizer Beams- but upon striking their saurian target, they then enacted a different purpose. Not only did they continue to shock Godzilla Junior, but upon Keizer Ghidorah’s wishes they lifted the trapped dinosaur into the air! The Prince of Monsters was helpless as the golden hydra lifted him a good two hundred meters above the earth…then cut his beams off, dropping the immature saurian to the ground below. Before Junior had a chance to recover, a third volley of gravity beams reached forward and snagged him in their painful grasp, dragging him sideways across the muddy earth before ceasing.

The cosmic emperor roared with laughter before unleashing his gravity rays yet again, dragging the monster prince back the way he came before suddenly stopping. As Junior cried out in pain, the golden dragon cackled again with delight, relishing his foe’s suffering. Junior’s eyes snapped open with a lethal fury. This devilish aberration was laughing at him!

His spines flashed, and Godzilla Junior fired an atomic ray in an enraged haze. But a half second later and Keizer Ghidorah’s gravity beams had stopped it dead in its tracks and begun pushing it right back into its source. Junior was forced to swallow his own atomic energy as the shot knocked him back on the ground- and just like that, another burst of the hydra’s gravity beams ensnared him and lifted him up into the sky. Thrusting all three of his heads to his right, Keizer Ghidorah threw the Prince of Monsters across the battlefield like a baseball. As the accursed beams of alien electricity engulfed him again and began to pull him back the opposite direction of which he came, Junior now understood exactly what Keizer Ghidorah was doing.

He was toying with him.

Again and again the devilish dragon gripped the juvenile Godzillasaurus in his electrical grasp and slung him all across the battlefield, beating and dragging him across the earth like he was a present he had been waiting to open for years. But through it all, Godzilla Junior continued to roar and howl in defiance at the horrible hydra, refusing to give in even in his most desperate hour. No matter how painfully the electrical blasts shocked his flesh, no matter how hard Keizer Ghidorah beat him against the ground like a toy, the Prince of Monsters would not submit. He would not try to run for his life, nor even call for help for his fellow Kaiju.

Keizer Ghidorah was his to face, and his alone.

The very moment Junior hit the earth again, the monster prince suddenly lurched upwards to fire an atomic ray; this time, too fast for Keizer Ghidorah to counter, and the searing beam of nuclear power burned into its intended target. Keizer Ghidorah screeched in pain when Junior’s atomic ray burned into his middle neck, causing the dragon to take a step back before firing his gravity beams yet again. The golden fingers of lightning snared the young dinosaur and began to lift him yet again, but despite the terrible pain Godzilla Junior managed the slightest hint of his species’ equivalent to a smirk.

His attack had caused the space monster pain. Now he knew he was not invulnerable.

His six red eyes widening with a prideful fury, Keizer Ghidorah slung his gravity beams upwards before cutting them off, letting Junior drop to the ground flat on his stomach. Now the dragon was furious! With an angry scream, the dreadful drake began to charge towards the downed dinosaur like an enraged bear. Junior roared a defiant warning at the space demon shortly before Keizer Ghidorah jutted forth a golden paw to smack him in the head, knocking him a good fifty meters back.

But as he fell onto his side, another atomic ray catapulted from Junior’s maw, striking the hydra’s middle head and forcing him to recoil. Junior capitalized on the opportunity and fired a second heat ray that seared into Keizer Ghidorah’s middle neck, worsening his previous injury. An enraged howl all but shattered the stormy heavens as Keizer Ghidorah shook his heads back to regain his focus, his six crimson eyes glowing with boiling hatred. Now the space dragon was angrier than ever; a fact that Junior took note of right away. And if he was this angry, that meant he would too be far more dangerous.

Three yellow auras shone within the hydra’s mouths, warning Junior of what was to come. The monster prince ducked low, expecting the beams to take him from the front- and got a nasty surprise in return. Aiming his heads straight up, Keizer Ghidorah fired his Antigravity Destroyed Keizer Beams towards the sky- and then, to Junior’s shock, they looped back down, ensnaring him once more! Junior shrieked in anger as the dragon levitated him back off the earth, but this time the giant demon beast did not throw him like a pinball. Slinging his three heads downward, Keizer Ghidorah brought Junior crashing before his paws with an earth-rattling THUD!

Rearing up on his hind legs like a bear, Keizer Ghidorah howled his demonic laughter to the heavens as lightning flashed through the clouds, then brought his full body strength down on the so-called “Prince of Monsters.” His paws crashed into Junior like sledgehammers with a deafening crack that drowned out the roaring thunder, and a howling boom quaked from Junior’s fanged muzzle. The terrible demon reared up a paw and brought it down- and Junior’s palm crashed into it, shockingly stopping it in its tracks. However, such a pushing contest, brave as it may be on Junior’s part, did not last long as Keizer Ghidorah smashed Junior’s hand into the ground, overpowering it.

Before Junior could think of a way to counter, Keizer Ghidorah decided enough was enough. His three heads striking forth like demonic snakes, his three jaws bit down on Junior’s neck and shoulders, and in a show of incredible strength and utter superiority lifted the Prince of Monsters clear off the ground. As Junior struggled, a cerulean glow suddenly filled Keizer Ghidorah’s necks as the monster prince felt something happen. Something shifted; something went wrong. Dreadfully wrong.

Keizer Ghidorah was draining his energy.

A content growl rumbled from the dragon’s gut as he gorged, the brilliant blue glow of the very nuclear energy the dinosaur depended on flowing down his three necks like a sponge siphoning water. Junior roared weakly as he lifted an arm, trying to reach out for anything. He knew what the hydra was doing to him, knew what the inevitable outcome would be. For a moment, time seemed to stop for the Prince of Monsters as he comprehended everything. He was caught in the grasp of a terrible foe far more powerful than he had ever thought possible. A horrific being beyond his understanding was draining him of the very force that kept him alive while suspending him like a hanging victim, and there was nothing he could do about it. Far away, he could smell Minilla’s scent, knowing full well that his little brother could see what was happening, could see his elder sibling being robbed of his very life right before his very eyes. For a brief moment, Godzilla Junior let his whole life flash before his mind.

He remembered his first days of life, breaking free of a shelled prison that enabled his gradual growth. His first memories being of one of fear and confusion, as he woke up not remembering or comprehending how or why he was in this big new world, or even who he was to begin with. Baby Godzilla had been born to complete absence, alone in a nest with no inhabitants, so he instinctively cried and cried for someone, anyone to hear him.

The following night, his very first in fact, he had received an unexpected response. A towering beast of charcoal black scales and jagged white spines arose from the depths of the vast veil of water surrounding the island in which he was born, roaring with a volume that rattled the mountains and shook the trees as if they were nothing to it. At first, Baby Godzilla had cowered in fear when the dinosaurian behemoth made his way inland and approached him with another deafening roar. But there was nowhere to go, and Baby’s little legs had barely even gathered the strength to walk. But to his surprise, as the dorsal-plated beast loomed over him, his once mighty roars softened, and he greeted the newborn infant with gentle rumbles and soft growls.

On that day Godzilla, King of the Monsters, adopted the newborn Godzillasaurus as his own son.

Junior’s eyes closed, remembering what followed his first day of life. They had come here, to this very island; a place to hide and live out in peace far away from the horrors of the outside world. Here on this very landmass, the Monster King raised his adopted son into toddlerhood; caring for him, protecting him from the unfriendly inhabitants of the island, teaching him the basics of survival all the while gradually mentoring him on how to defend himself from threats should they come his way. Day by day, month by month, Little Godzilla grew and learned under his father’s wing, slowly preparing to step out of his shadow and cast a shade of his own in the far future.

Junior’s eyes opened again, a weak roar resonating from his throat as he then remembered the day Minilla came into his life.

Godzilla had left the island, following a strange signal he had only felt before once in his life: when Baby Godzilla was born. So, the King of the Monsters made for the ocean, leaving a perplexed and confused Little Godzilla behind. At the end of the day, as the sun began to set over the horizon, he had re-emerged from the shores of the beach, carrying with him a little lump of infantile flesh, a stubby tail and four tiny limbs. A creature so small even Little Godzilla dwarfed it in size. At first, Little Godzilla didn’t know what to make of the new arrival and shied away in uncertainty. But as time passed and the new creature began to practice mobility on its little legs, the frog-like infant began to waddle everywhere Little Godzilla went; following his every trail while emitting playful coos and happy chirps.

And then, Monster Island’s resident bully had approached them, thus leading to one of his finest moments. Little Godzilla fired his first atomic ray into Gabara’s face that day, sending the ogre-like toad fleeing with a painful burn and saving his baby brother’s life for the first time. He remembered how strangely prideful he felt protecting his new sibling from the heinous bully, and how proud of him his father had been when he had known about what his eldest child had done in his absence.

Junior blinked again, remembering how he had grown as the years passed by. No longer a youthful toddler, Junior would charge straight out of the foliage of Monster Island whenever he had heard his brother cry out for help, proceeding to teach whatever arrogant fool who had dared try and bring Minilla harm a painful lesson; in the case of a certain rock turtle, a fatal one. Now the spitting image of his father, Junior began to teach Minilla the very things his dad had taught him at an early age. The student was now the teacher, the young pup a little wet behind the ears was now the big brother training and mentoring his next of kin. The two of them played together, traveled the island together, play-fought together, even though it dawned on Junior that they weren’t even of the same species despite being genetic relatives.

Junior’s weary eyes blinked again; the memories all gone. It had happened in three seconds, no more or less. But his eyebrows raised when a familiar noise reached his ears, one that made his head drift ever so slightly to his right to look upon its source. Minilla had emerged from his hiding cave, screeching at Junior. Cheering for him. Telling him to break free, to keep fighting, to fight until he killed the evil beast that fed on his nuclear power this very moment. Junior’s eyes stared at Minilla astoundingly for a moment, watching as the toddler Godzilla begged him not to give up now. Even in the moment of Junior’s imminent demise, Minilla refused to give up on him, refused to admit his brother was done for or defeated in any way. Minilla believed in his big brother every bit as much as the latter believed in him, and he showed it without hesitation.

His energy may be drained with every passing second, but if there was such thing as an aura of pride, then Godzilla Junior would’ve shone like a star with it. Deep within his mind, the monster prince thanked his little brother for believing in him, for praising him, for uplifting him even in what may be his final moments of life… and then, his eyes hardened into a killer glare as he looked over to his new target.

Keizer Ghidorah’s left head.

His fingers curled into a fist, Junior summoned his strength as he raised his arm, a defiant screech resounding from his jaws. This made the hydra’s eyes widen in surprise, not expecting such a display- and not paying attention as Junior’s hand reached up to grab his left head. Junior’s other hand strained up to grasp the same area, their fingers pressing down as hard as he could as he grabbed a firm hold of the hydra’s head. All six eyes widened as Keizer Ghidorah questioned what the monster prince was doing. And such a question would soon be answered when Junior began to pull outward. The dragon’s teeth cut through his emerald flesh, dragging bloody trenches through his skin as he pulled and pulled, but Junior cared not for it. He pulled until he was met with a searing agony when at last the left head’s jaws ripped free from his shoulder, dragging strips of his flesh with it. The left head cackled in surprise, the middle head raising its eyebrows- and then, Junior boomed a powerful roar that nearly made Keizer Ghidorah jump when he thrust his arms to his left with all his strength.

The jaws of the left head chomped down unto the hydra’s middle neck in a burst of blood!

Minilla cheered louder than ever in the background, jumping up and down at his brother’s spectacular move. At once, the middle head let go to rear back with a screech of agony, and the right head could no longer hold the monster prince’s 25,000 metric-ton weight by its lonesome. As it was forced to let go, Godzilla Junior fell to the ground at one knee with a resounding thud. For but a second, Junior let the extent of his predicament catch up to him. He felt drained, exhausted beyond comprehension. His wounds, despite beginning the gradual process of reworking and closing up, hurt like the lowest plain of oblivion. Part of him wanted to lie down, to rest, to give in to his fatigue.

The very next second, that part of him was extinguished and the other part of him that wanted to keep going, to turn the tide in his favor, to save the world and save his beloved brother ignited like a fire. Minilla cheered again in the distance, giving Junior all the strength he needed to return to his full 77 meter height.

The storm grew ever more powerful, and a new phenomenon of nature began to assail the entirety of Monster Island: it started hailing. But such an occurrence was nothing to Godzilla Junior. Thunder roared in the heavens, and Junior fired the strongest atomic ray he could. His attack struck the recoiling dragon’s middle neck, burning its injury further and sending the tyrannical Keizer Ghidorah reeling with a terrible howl. Capitalizing on the opportunity, Junior powered his legs forth with all his strength as he rushed the wounded space hydra.

Godzilla Junior threw his full strength against Keizer Ghidorah’s torso, knocking the dragon on his hind legs. Keizer Ghidorah cackled angrily and jutted two of his heads forward. The middle head bit down on Junior’s shoulder, but the monster prince caught the right one in his clawed hands. With an enraged bellow, he thrust it downward, slamming it into the ground with a great quake. Stomping down on it with his right foot, Junior turned about and fired another atomic ray into the middle neck, forcing its respective head to relinquish its grip. As quickly and powerfully as he possibly could, Junior reared his foot up before stomping it upon Keizer Ghidorah’s right head a second time with a loud crack. The other two heads reared back, and as the golden glow began to shine within their maws Junior reacted quickly the only way he knew how. Pressing low to the ground and turning quickly on his heels, the Prince of Monsters spun his lower body upwards and smacked the dragon’s middle head with his tail just as both heads fired their gravity beams.

The left head emitted a sharp cry of agony which was then cut off in a final gag as the middle head’s beam lanced straight through its neck, severing it from the great dragon’s body!

A third of his mind lost to oblivion and the other two reeling from a haze of agony, Keizer Ghidorah screeched a satanic wail to the stormy heavens, hail harmlessly pelting his eyes and jaws all the while Godzilla Junior grabbed hold of his right neck and bit down on it. His teeth sank below the golden flesh, but not by the margin the monster prince wanted. With his jaws unable to deal a serious injury, Junior sought to shaking his head like a dog- but all the while keeping the middle head in his line of sight.

He wanted to try something.

Holding the neck up with his hands and jaws, Godzilla Junior held on while it struggled, still shaking his head in a rather vain attempt to tear its flesh and deliver some serious injury- as if that were even his plan. No, he kept a weary eye on the middle head… and his eyes widened when it did exactly what he wanted it to do. Its jaws gaped open, a sun-like glow sparking in its throat as it lunged like a viper, attempting to blast Junior in the face point-blank.

Just as Junior jutted the right head in its way.

The middle head fired too late, and its gravity beam severed the right head from its body in a burst of sparks and charred flesh. The now disembodied skull falling to the cold wet earth, its eyes flashed once before dimming forever. The dragon wailed so loud, Godzilla Junior’s eardrums broke- but once more, the Prince of Monsters stood through it with a determination that matched that of his father. Roaring angrily, Junior spun around and slammed his tail into Keizer Ghidorah’s torso with all his strength, a booming shockwave reverberating off the hydra’s body from the force of the blow. Hail and rain blew away from the massive combatants for a brief moment, the ground quaking from the thunderous impact, before their bodies were once again showered by an endless rain of water, liquid and frozen alike.

Keizer Ghidorah staggered through the haze of agony and confusion, just as Godzilla Junior backed up for a charge. The juvenile dinosaur bellowed a Godzilla-like cry and stormed towards the detestable dragon like a maddened bison, right as Keizer Ghidorah regained his senses just enough to fire a gravity beam at his saurian opponent. Stopping mid-charge, Godzilla Junior fired the strongest atomic ray he could muster, and once more their beams locked- and this time, the struggle was not so one sided. With no two other heads to aid the middle, the beam fight was an even match. Neither one could overpower the other, and as seconds passed the mix of different energies colliding with one another for so long began to spiral out of control.

For the third time in this colossal conflict, the two Daikaiju disappeared in a fiery explosion. Minilla was forced to take cover again as the flames licked the battlefield and the tremors ripped through the earth’s crust for a few miles.

It took a surprisingly quick three minutes before the flames died away and the ash cleared to reveal the state of the combatants.

Godzilla Junior was struggling to one knee, breathing heavily as his fatigue displayed itself at last. But still, he kept trying to stand. Trying to end this before it got any worse. Far away from the monster prince, Keizer Ghidorah looked every bit as battered as he was. Sprawled on his stomach like an exhausted dog, the now one-headed dragon writhed and cackled weakly as he endured the full agonizing torture of having but a third of his mind left. His jaws snapping open and closed, the hydra’s remaining head tried to turn about to nurse the burn that adorned its neck, but it could barely move so much as a few feet before having to contend with his own neural pain.

The hailstorm died away, but still the rain continued to fall in great sheets. Even through such a watery blanket pelting his emerald scales, Junior could still see the crippled Keizer Ghidorah not too far away, and still he pressed on to get up. The hydra was at its most vulnerable as of right now- he had to act quickly. His legs shaking like weakened tree trunks, Godzilla Junior managed to stand before plating his toe claws firmly in the muddy soil… and then, he took a step. Nearly stumbling from the motion, he held himself forward for a bit, then stepped again. Step after step, he began his march towards the wounded extraterrestrial, digging his feet into the ground to keep himself from falling as he got closer and closer to his objective.

By the time Keizer Ghidorah could comprehend what was going on, Junior had literally stomped onto his back, standing atop him as he turned around to glare down at him. With a feral snarl, Godzilla Junior reached down and grabbed the dragon’s neck, claws digging at the golden flesh as the young Godzillasaurus assured his grip and began to pull.

Keizer Ghidorah’s wings began to beat the ground, his tails began to rear and flail and a distressed cackle emanated from his jaws as Junior increased his strength, pulling up with all his might. Lightning flared in the rainclouds above Monster Island as Junior pulled harder and harder, his hands beginning to shake and his muscles throb like they had never in his life. But the thrill, the urgency, the need to finally finish his evil opponent off eclipsed all other senses and thus harder he pulled; his teeth grinding so hard the smallest broke off as his clawed feet pressed harder into the alien’s back. Keizer Ghidorah cackled weakly in defiance at the Prince of Monsters, a yellow glow beginning to build in his throat just as a series of loud rips and cracks echoed from his burnt neck and Junior pulled harder still-

-and with an organic, splitting crack and a sudden thrust upwards of his arms that nearly made the juvenile dinosaur stumble off his feet. Godzilla Junior ripped Keizer Ghidorah’s middle head clean off its body, holding it high like a grisly trophy!

Without hesitation, Junior threw the disembodied skull forward, letting it crash and roll about before finally coming to a complete stop. As Junior reared back his head and let loose an awesome thunder-drowning bellow of triumph the hydra’s body quivered rapidly in a death seizure…and then slowed down, gradually perishing as its movements came to a complete stop, its once powerful form going entirely limp. Ahead of it, the severed head gaped its once formidable jaws once and closed them, a dreadful gurgle billowing from its ruptured vocal cords and then stilled entirely as the last fading glow in its crimson eyes died, and the once terrible tyrant passed away.

Keizer Ghidorah was dead.

*****

Within the Xillien mothership, the Xillien controller screamed in furious anger, stomping his foot down on the ground like an overgrown child. His face steaming red and his eyes dilated; his front teeth crossed his lower lip as he prepared to utter forth the queen mother of all words.

*****

The last ounces of air vented from Godzilla Junior’s open jaws as his roar faded to a fading guttural hum. The last resounding echoes of his triumphant cry fading into the roaring wind and the pouring rain, the monster prince hung his head low as he finally allowed the full, furious fatigue of the battle crash down upon him. He had done it. His tyrannical oppressor was finally defeated, by his hand. He, the son of Godzilla, had slain the imperious space dragon known as Keizer Ghidorah; had proved his worth to the world at long last, had proved his position as the Prince of Monsters. And had done so all by himself.

A screeching cheer echoed from his left, and Junior tried to smile. Well, almost by himself.

It was then that the fatigue and pain finally took hold of the victorious prince, and his muscles began to go numb one by one as the full extent of his battle wounds caught up with him. The immature dinosaur staggered, a weakening screech venting from his tired jaws before his legs suddenly caved, his feet slipped out from under him.

With a final groan, the Prince of Monsters collapsed on top of the motionless corpse of his slain oppressor.

Minilla cried out in fear as he finally rushed out of his hiding place, running over to his brother’s side. The saurian toddler climbed on top of the slain dragon with a strained effort, chirping to his elder sibling who remained motionless as the corpse he lay upon. The younger son of Godzilla squeaked louder, trying to wake his best friend up, but once more he was met with no response. Curiously, Minilla leaned forward and pressed the side of his head against Junior’s immobile body, listening for a heartbeat.

His eyes widened in terror at what he found.

Crying out in distress, Minilla pushed against Junior’s body, but barely succeeded in making him budge before he relented. His cries evolved into full-blown screams as he did everything he possibly could to wake his older brother. He pushed, he kicked, he hit, he screamed louder than ever through the thunderstorm that brewed above, but even after doing so for a heartbreaking two minutes the Prince of Monsters remained unmoving, his half-closed eyes staring blankly at nothing. Eventually, the toddler was so weak he too could barely stand, and with a defeated groan of grief he tumbled back, sagging against his brother’s corpse. His eyes closed, his body curled into a tiny shivering ball, and he lay there next to the fallen prince, all by his lonesome.

Another silent streak of lightning, a roar of thunder to follow it, and the rain continued to pour through the night.

*****

When the first rays of sunlight began to brighten the early morning sky, few signs of last night’s raging thunderstorm remained. As minutes passed into hours, the sun slowly rose from the mountainous distance of Monster Island, bathing the glistening wet aftermath of last night’s conflict in a heavenly, warm glow. Droplets of water and dew still clinging to the remaining foliage began to glisten beautifully as the sunlight reflected off their mirror-like surface. As the warm glow slowly spread across the island, a trio of unmoving bodies were bathed in its beautiful light.

Weary, tired eyes drooped open as a tiny form gradually uncurled itself, chubby hands grasping golden flesh as they pushed a small body up to its full minuscule height. Minilla looked about, noticing that the storm had long since passed. The night was over, and a new day had just birthed into existence. And, even still, he was alone.

Minilla, youngest son of Godzilla, turned around to see his brother’s lifeless body once more, his heart breaking all over again upon looking at it. The saurian toddler stepped towards it, sitting back down as he stared at the unmoving form of who was once his biggest hero and inspiration alongside his father. Godzilla Junior had fought for him without so much as a second thought, giving it his all to shield him from the revolting hydra he currently sat upon. And in the end, had given his life to save him. That Minilla was now the next in line in Godzilla’s footsteps was of no thought or concern to him; his brother was dead. His best friend gone forever, and now he had even larger footprints to fill in his wake.

A snap of trees made the young dinosaur jolt, and he stood up to view the disturbance.

With a bellowing honk, Anguirus emerged from the rain-soaked flora of Monster Island. Not too far behind him, the ground caved in as Baragon rose from the subterranean realm he called home. A piercing screech echoed through the trees as Kamacuras lumbered out of the foliage, gazing at the sight before him with big golden eyes. Chittering his bird-like cry, the giant spider Kumonga lumbered into view, just alongside the giant mantis. Gaira, Sanda, Titanosaurus, Ganimes, Gezora, Oodako, Varan, Manda, Rodan; one by one, the monstrous inhabitants that gave this island its name were coming out of hiding, all awestruck at the sight before them.

A booming footstep echoed across the island, shuddering it to its core. Hearing it, all monsters jolted and looked to the beach. Minilla turned around, eyes widened as he watched the island’s newest arrival burst forth from the oceanic blue with a powerful roar that split the heavens. His ivory dorsal plates glinting in the sun, seawater falling off his charcoal black scales in sheets; his ugly chest scar, rended by two terrible battles each a year apart, gleaming under the morning sunlight. Godzilla bellowed again as he waded inland with thunderous footsteps. However, five steps forward, and he stopped dead in his tracks with widened eyes.

The King of the Monsters stood like a tree as he gazed upon the unexpected sight before him. The other kaiju fixed their king with unmoving gazes, knowing full well what his reaction would be. Even Minilla, Godzilla’s youngest child, had no idea what to do even in spite of his father’s arrival. At first, Godzilla’s gaze remained solely on the fallen Junior, his nerves feeling a horrible chill as he felt like his entire body had just gone cold. It wasn’t too long, though, before he noticed Minilla standing at Junior’s side, the look on his face confirming his worst fears.

And yet, the body of the slain menace lay beneath him. As if-

A shrieking cackle made Minya jump, the other kaiju’s eyes widening in surprise when they saw the severed middle head of Keizer Ghidorah suddenly twitch to life, its demented jaws snapping as it gazed at Minilla with its foul stare, promising evil intentions. Instinctively, Godzilla’s paternal instincts kicked into gear and he began to charge-

-before an angry shriek caught everyone off guard, and a sudden burst of movement made Minilla stumble, nearly knocking him off his feet as a blur of jade scales rushed right off the hydra’s body to clasp the still-living head in a pair of razor-toothed jaws. All the kaiju jumped back in shock when Godzilla Junior, still very much alive, bit down on the end of the squirming head, holding it fast before he proceeded to sling it around, beating it repeatedly against the ground in a rage. Again and again, the seemingly resurrected monster prince rammed the serpentine appendage against the earth all the while occasionally loosening his jaws before fastening them, securing a tighter and firmer grip on the reanimated head. The dragon cackled in vain as Junior slung it all around like a dog with a toy- then screamed in pain when Junior’s spines flashed to life, nuclear energy building in his jaws.

Already Keizer Ghidorah’s head was cooking alive from the inside out, a glowing blue light beginning to radiate from his deteriorating face and neck as his eyeballs suddenly vaporized in a puff of cyan haze. And then, pointing his neck towards the sky, straightening his back as he stood to his full height, Godzilla Junior let loose his atomic breath. Caught perfectly between the center of the radioactive blast, Keizer Ghidorah howled weakly one last time as the nuclear particles consumed him; his entire neck and head charring black, his flesh, blood and muscles devoured in seconds. Soon, even his charred bones crumpled away like paper and evaporated into ash- ash which then evaporated into wisps of glowing vapor that blew away into the wind. Only after the last bits of nuclear power expelled from his jaws did Junior finally cease fire, shaking his head with a grunt as he took a moment to breathe.

Keizer Ghidorah was dead- for real this time.

The Prince of Monsters barely even had time to take a moment to stand before a familiar screech caught his attention, and a small lifeform suddenly clasped onto his leg in a hug. Bending down to one knee, the juvenile Godzillasaurus embraced his little brother, grumbling to him that he was safe. The entire time, Godzilla Junior had not been dead; exhaustion had overcome the victorious prince, so he did what any lifeform would’ve done had they been pushed to such extremes. He had fallen into a temporary coma, slowly regaining his strength as the storm passed by and night decayed into day. Even now, Junior still felt twinges of tiredness ache in his brain that tested his need for sleep.

A booming footfall made Junior’s eyes open wide as a familiar sight trudged up to meet him. Minilla screeched excitedly as Godzilla lumbered into view, walking right past the motionless corpse of Keizer Ghidorah as he came face to face with his eldest child who stood back to his full height. Godzilla towered over Junior, his grace and majesty surpassing that of his son in but every way- and yet, the Monster King looked at him as if the opposite were true. A low grumble of prideful approval quaked from Godzilla’s jaws, telling Junior how unspeakably proud of him he was. He knew full well what had occurred here, and none of the kaiju that surrounded them were more surprised nor overjoyed than he was. Junior had fought an otherworldly evil beyond his scope of power, had stood up to a deadly bully far above any other he had faced in his life, and through the slightest margin of sheer unbreakable will had vanquished the evil of the alien beast- all just to protect his younger sibling.

Even now, Godzilla didn’t think Junior seemed to fully understand how huge this was.

A rustle of trees made Godzilla’s gaze avert from his sons, watching with flaring anger as, with a painful groan, Gabara emerged from the undergrowth. Battered, bruised, strands of webbing attatched to his body, but still alive nonetheless. The very moment the amphibious bully laid eyes on Junior, his eyes narrowed arrogantly and he bared his teeth in fury. But when Junior widened his eyes in a deep and terrifying glare, snorting wisps of vapor from his scaly nostrils, Gabara took a wide-eyed step backwards. That one look communicated everything the dumbstruck bully needed to know, and after a brief moment of hesitation, the ogreish fiend took a knee… and he bowed to the Prince of Monsters.

Snorting, Godzilla Junior turned his gaze to Ganimes and Gezora, fixing them with the same deadly glare. And they too, bowed at his beckoning. But, to Junior’s surprise, the most surprising was yet to come.

Taking a few steps back until he stood amongst his kaiju peers, Godzilla almost seemed to smile as he took a knee and bowed before his triumphant son. And, at this, all the monsters around him followed his lead. Anguirus took a step forward and bowed. Rodan spread his wings and did the same. One by one, ally or enemy, great or small, bully or familiar alike, all monsters- even Minilla- knelt low as they acknowledged Junior’s success. By the time ten seconds had passed, all of the islands colossal inhabitants lay low, bowing to their prince.

Under the rising light of the new sun, Godzilla Junior spread his arms wide and straightened his build to the sky, letting loose a fearsome roar of victory reminiscent of his father’s famous cry that resounded across all and beyond Monster Island, rippling the surrounding sea with its power as he proclaimed his unmistakable position to all with auditory receptors.

He was the son of Godzilla, the Prince of Monsters, slayer of Keizer Ghidorah, and he was not to be messed with.

*****

X growled and snarled in fury as he curled his hands into fists, shaking like a child as his temper flared. And then, almost regretfully, he let it pass. He allowed himself a moment to take a breath and cool his anger down, slowly returning to his normally nonchalant composure as he contemplated what to do next. But, no matter how many options or scenarios he played over in his mind, the Xillien Keizer couldn’t come up with anything truly useful for the time being. Begrudgingly, X considered the only safe option for the moment: lay low, and wait until a better opportunity presented itself.

A familiar cackle caught X’s ears, and he whirled back to the screen as Keizer Ghidorah’s laughter-like cry sprang back into existence. One of his heads still lived?!

“Wait a minute!” he held up his hand as he allowed his excitement to flare-

-which was quickly extinguished when a blue flash engulfed the screen, and Keizer Ghidorah’s last fading scream was drowned out by the familiar flow of an atomic ray. A sound which then died down, as Godzilla Junior’s shrill bellow resounded through the room. X sighed quickly, eyes narrowing as his shoulders sagged in defeat.

“Oh, forget it.”

Winner: Godzilla Junior