Author: Andrew Sudomerski & Dao Zang Moua | Banner: Dao Zang Moua
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: The God Slayer vs. The Devil’s Serpent
Chapter 2: The First Wave
Chapter 3: Tides of War
Chapter 4: Round 2 – The Cavalry Arrives
Chapter 5: Desperate Gambit
Chapter 1: The God Slayer vs. The Devil’s Serpent
To the ignorance of the mechanical warlord and the pathetic defenders who fought back in futile resistance, a disturbance began to make itself known. Next to the slain and broken body of the mighty Behemoth, the Prison of the Sealed One shuddered violently. The glowing veins of the Hollow Earth’s natural energy resource dimmed, having been siphoned by the wicked menace that brought death to this realm.
Without the energy to maintain its structure, the once firm and sturdy boulder began to diminish, the crystal veins crumbling into powder and shards alongside the naturally hewn basalt and dust. The fractured stone fell apart into large chunks, oozing remnants of the Hollow Earth Energy from within.
Amidst the one-sided war against the mechanical goliath of death, one of its stray missiles struck against the crumbling rock formation. An explosive burst scattered from the freshly formed crater, revealing beneath a horned brow from within its tomb. Droopy eyes opened up to reveal a fierce orange blaze from its iris, with the rest of its senses reorienting from within its prison. The sensory organs responsible for hearing were muffled, but it could make out the sounds of warfare and the heat of battle that resounded through the inner world. But the more the creature awakened, the clearer the chorus of destruction became.
The once imprisoned beast grumbled a quiet roar, locating the source of all the havoc brought unto the Hollow Earth. Orange eyes surveyed the chaos, locking onto the bizarre anomaly that was clearly not of this world. Its steel-brazen exoskeleton distinguished it from all other forms of life, making it an obvious target. As the rest of the casing gradually dissipated into dust, the creature heard the pulsating distortion from the mechanical fiend, its Alpha signature registering with the bumpy reptile.
Twisting its stoic face to a toothy grin, it knew a challenger awaited.
—
The Apex Titan let loose a mechanical laugh of joy as the residents of the Hollow Earth rushed to drive it out of their home, tearing through drone fire and missiles flying rampantly around them. Charging up its fist with energy, it slammed a large blue theropod that roared similarly to a former monster king into the ground. A stomp to its head drove it further into the dirt as the steel titan used it as a leaping point, jumping into the air and smacking the Warbat with a fist to the face. The flying snake slammed into the ground where it was quickly pierced through the head by the tail of the mecha, killing it instantly.
Immediately after the machine landed, what appeared to be a giant condor dove down toward its face, biting down on a drone as it descended. When it got close, the machine shot forth towards the bird, maw wide open as it clamped down on its wing, the grinders inside its maw tearing up the feathers and muscle into a messy pulp, ejecting it out below its jawline. Blood and feathers scattered across the mech’s chest as the condor screeched in pain, scratching with its talons as a metal hand grabbed ahold of its small body. The clenched fist tore it away from the grinder with saws spinning, slamming the bird into a rock, pinning it down as he charged up its molecular scream once more.
However, one of Mechagodzilla’s sensors detected an anomaly within the rock that it pinned the condor to, noticing movement on the side of his vision. It depowered its Proton Scream, analyzing the changing situation nearby. An eye stared back at him from within the stone, one filled with malice and fighting spirit. With a loud crack, the boulder exploded onto the machine, sending rock and dust flying as Mechagodzilla backpedaled, dropping the mangled body of the giant condor.
A loud baritone roar tore through the landscape, bringing joy to the Apex Titan’s mind as he scanned its frequency. The surrounding creatures began to back away or flee in fear as they heard the roar, leaving the steel titan facing an opponent hidden in dust. It was as if they knew this was no longer a fight they were capable of handling.
A memory sparked in the mind of the mecha, from its lost mind. A memory of its esteemed father quoting something about the king of the monsters, to let them fight. These creatures of the Hollow Earth knew it was time to let their strongest fight for them, as it should be.
It did not know how wrong it was in this assumption. The creatures had retreated, not because they were leaving their strongest to fight, but to run away from the demon that had been unleashed. Their genetic memories within their DNA were warning them of great danger. The Devil’s Serpent was free, and he was bringing hell down upon the world once more.
Unlike all the other creatures the machine had slaughtered down in the depths, it could tell this new one was a fighter. Its roar was strong, powerful, its Titan frequency similar in range to that of an Alpha Titan.
This might be a fight to enjoy.
Chest ports opened up as the mecha let loose a cluster of missiles to start off this fight, a test to see whether or not this creature was truly worthy of fighting a God of Steel and Fire. The stream of missiles exploded as they quickly split into dozens more devastating missiles as they dove into the dust. The iron destroyer would have grinned if it could as it waited for the oncoming explosions, only to be confused when nothing occurred. Laughter split through the dust as it began to settle, a hand splitting through and gesturing for more.
Surprise entered the mecha’s combined consciousness as it fired more missiles into the clearing dust. As they split, it watched with calculative precision as the dust cleared to reveal the opponent, the AI already scanning for weaknesses or data on this creature. It was bipedal with a body like an old upright retrosaur from back before their skeletal structures were better defined. Its flesh was a bumpy, reddish brown texture like a rocky mountainside. Its brows expanded into horns above fiery orange eyes, a short nasal horn on its snout. Ghidorah had fought many of this planet’s guardians, yet this one eluded their knowledge. Perhaps its species had not reached the surface for them to fight.
The machination of metal and destruction watched as the missiles struck the body of the beast, only to do nothing as they harmlessly bounced off his hide to the ground. As the reptile roared out in mockery of its attack, the artificial portion of the mecha’s mind found documents in the Monarch archives of theoretical titans yet to be discovered on the surface. Ancient cave paintings and scriptures about a servant of the Demon King Satan in one file somewhat matched the appearance of this beast and gave the mecha this creature’s possible identity.
Tsunojiras, the Brutal Beast.
The Enemy of the Gods roared with delight. After tens of thousands of years, he was finally free! It was time for him to conquer this realm and recreate his master’s reign once again! The millenia spent trapped between the landmasses, left helpless, healing his wounds and resting entombed within that stone prison unable to move or fight. His master was gone, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t continue his plan to destroy heaven and conquer the Earth. Taking a look at his opponent, the horned brute snarled with glee at having something to unleash millenia of boring aches and unfulfilled bloodlust onto.
This creature of iron had the appearance of those arrogant spiny reptiles, perhaps being a descendant? The call it emitted spoke otherwise however, alien and from the void outside heaven and earth. The thing before it exuded an unnatural symmetry to its body and shape, like it didn’t belong in the natural order. Almost as though it were built for destruction, just like he was made for conquest so many millennia ago. Either way, he would let loose his frustrations and rage upon this steel monstrosity that took the appearance of one of his hated enemies. Tsunojiras roared with the intent of war, charging forth through the missiles his enemy shot his way, with those that missed casting grand explosions behind his terrible frame.
The Steel King roared back as it rushed to meet him in combat. Steel met flesh as the two slammed head on into each other. Fists of steel began to spin and build with fiery energy while the enemy of God and Man clenched his fist with brutal determination. Though more powerful, Mechagodzilla soon realized that the foe’s body proportions and less mass made it far faster on its feet and more mobile than itself was without its rockets, as the horned beast ducked under the blow and struck with a powerful blow to the gut.
While the brutal beast weighed far less than the mechanical titan, he had momentum in his blow combined with his enemy’s unsteady footing from the leap. As such, the blow sent the Mechanical King recoiling back towards the now ruined jungle. Dirt and debris flew around as the metal mecha slid across the landscape, dragging trenches with its steel limbs. Swerving its head up to face its opponent, the machine hadn’t anticipated seeing the creature already in front of him. The horned monster quickly slammed a powerful blow to the chest with its claws, pushing back the steel titan further and slashed upward at its face. Sparks flew as the rough claws slid across the bloodied metal.
Quickly, the steel titan attempted to slam its fists into the organic monster, only for the creature to quickly move beneath the mecha’s longer arms, twisting its body to grab ahold of the right arm and drag the metal monster down. Tsunojiras roared as he forcibly tried to slam his enemy into the ground, finding it weighed a lot more than he was expecting as the two slammed into the dirt below, sending foliage and dirt flying. As soon as his enemy was flat to the ground, the brutal beast twisted the metal arm back and started stomping down on the steel titan’s back, attempting to tear out the limb.
Unfortunately for the envoy of the devil, his opponent had little in the form of true pain receptors, with the closest being warnings and code that activated the machine’s haptic nerves to simulate minor pain in the mind for its pilots. With no true pain being felt, the steel titan quickly swung its steel tail around, blades shifting as they slashed into the back of the brown reptile.
Tsunojiras recoiled as he felt the sharp steel cut into his body, releasing the arm as he slashed at the tail behind him. Twisting his body, Tsunojiras grabbed a hold of the sharp tail and bit into it, attempting to drag it around with his arms. He quickly realized he had no chance of moving a being over twice his weight resisting him, the metal monster took its chance and latched its hands and feet into the ground and flung the horned giant back with a flick of its tail. Getting back to its feet, the mechanical offshoot of King Ghidorah roared out as it rushed towards its opponent. The recovering dinosaur quickly responded by attempting to punch his oncoming enemy once more.
Mechagodzilla shot forth its own metallic claws in response, catching the oncoming fist as a shockwave of blue energy shot out from the impact. Tsunojiras roared out as his attack was caught, slashing forth with his other hand, only to be grabbed by the wrist as his metallic enemy stood high. Mechagodzilla roared at Tsunojiras as its sawed fingers began slicing in an attempt to cut through the brown hide of the beast before it as it swung its tail like a knife, gouging out small chunks of skin and fleshy sludge from the beast’s back. The brutal beast cried out as it felt the sparking saws grinding against its rocklike hide and the chunks of its flesh being torn out, quickly slamming forth its horned head in an attempt to disorient his opponent.
The sharp horns of the beast slammed into the metal face of the mecha, knocking it back with sparks flying. With the metal monstrosity briefly disoriented, the enemy of god kicked forth with his muscular leg and began using his enemy as a vantage point, yanking back his arms in an attempt to free himself from the grinding saws digging into its hide. The Apex Titan felt its enemy attempting to tear itself free and turned to face it head on to finish it off, the glow of its Proton Scream casting a red light against the brown hide of the beast.
Tsunojiras roared out seeing his enemy charging up an energy attack. Yanking harder, he felt the saws tearing apart his hide and sending goop like flesh flying. If he wanted to get free of this, he would have to use his other powers. Moments before Mechagodzilla could fire, Tsunojiras turned to face the mecha head on and belched forth a cloud of teal smog, the smoke quickly covering the head of the metal titan.
Mechagodzilla cackled as its sensors detected the smog as a toxin as they saw nearby trees wither away as the smog touched them. The blood covering its steel began to darken and rot, flaking off the metal in toxic chunks. How could one poison an entity without the need to breathe, or possess organic material to be poisoned?
Pathetic.
It wasn’t until errors began to blare in its mind that the steel titan realized this poisonous smog not only was effective on organics, but also on mechanical creations as its internal systems began to malfunction and clog with corrosion. Quickly he released his grasp on Tsunojiras and backed out of the cloud, firing the Proton Scream outward in an attempt to slice its foe to pieces. The beam tore through the smog and into the landscape, strafing across the bumpy hide of the retreating brutal beast and causing it to screech in pain, teal smog still leaking from its maw like mist.
Already, the face of the steel titan began to spark as it purged the poisonous gas out of its systems with pulses of fiery blue energy. Drones shot out and began to assess the damages as Mechagodzilla circled the smaller creature, who was now patting at the cuts and burns across his hide. The drones relayed what they saw to the internal computers, showcasing that the metal around the face and shoulders were now tinged with patches of corrosion, something that should have been near impossible. Rage built up in its mind as rockets charged up, firing and propelling the machine towards its horned opponent.
The brutal beast was not without protection however, as he saw the quickly approaching steel titan and fired off another stream of his poisonous breath. Unfortunately for the organic monster, his enemy was quick to adjust his course with a burst of rocket fire, pushing him around to the side of the horned beast and unleashing a powerful punch to the beast’s face. Tsunojiras screeched as it was knocked down by the blow, only for it to quickly lose its bearing as the mecha grabbed ahold of its tail and began to swing.
Mechagodzilla spun with rocket boosters bursting loud, throwing the brutal beast into the rocky cliffs of the forest ravines. The brown rocky hide of the organic monster slammed hard into the stone, sending rocks flying as he slid down the hill. It wasn’t much before the beast found himself pinned to the wall as the steel knee of the artificial titan slammed into his chest, sending a pulse of Hollow Earth energy flowing through his body. Fists clamped down on the beast’s horns, pulling back and slamming his face into the rock with a pulse of fiery energy.
Blue flames flowed through the steel veins of the mecha as it boosted itself forward, dragging the face of its opponent across the cliffside as they accelerated along the path. Trees and rocks grinded into the reptile’s face as he was repeatedly slammed face first into the stone at high speeds. Just as quickly as the pain came, so was it that Tsunojiras found that it ended as he was lifted up and thrown, slamming back first into the ground. The brown reptile attempted to get back up, only for Mechagodzilla to slam down onto him from above, pinning down the dinosaur with its heavier mass. Mechagodzilla roared out as he grabbed onto the dinosaur’s right arm. Very quickly it began to yank and pull at the appendage as its legs kept the creature pinned below him.
Tsunojiras roared with pain as he felt his arm twisting around, being gradually torn out of its socket. With an energy infused stomp, the steel titan snapped the elbow joint of the arm, causing an agonized roar to bellow outward. Mechagodzilla released its pulse of subjugation once more in an attempt to recruit this beast into his army, roaring into its face. The beast’s strength was not much compared to Kong or Godzilla, but something in its roar had shown it to be similar to an Alpha in power, and it wanted to see what that power was.
In retaliation, Tsunojiras opened his maw and began to release his poison gas once more. The moment the mecha saw the poison beginning to spread, it slammed a foot onto the beast’s head, stomping it into the dirt and stopping the flow of poison. It was with great pain that Tsunojiras found himself disarmed as a Proton Scream tore through his flesh, digging deep into the shoulder and allowing the beast to tear off the limb.
The Apex destroyer cackled with joy as it threw the broken arm to the side. As it looked down at its opponent, there were no signs of blood leaking from the missing limb. Instead, what was there was a sludge-like fleshy substance pulsing around the injury in place of blood and muscle. Immediately its mind found the odd substance intriguing, wondering if this creature could also regenerate limbs like the old body of its past life. Only one way to find out.
Grabbing a hold of the creature’s tail, Mechagodzilla quickly went on a path of devastation as it began to dismantle the enemy. Proton Screams fired against his enemy’s hide, tearing through flesh and bone. The drill-like tail spun wildly, stabbing through the other arm, but not quite tearing it off as the mecha threw the tail off to the side. Lifting the creature up by the horns, it stomped down on the back of its foe, roaring out as it pulled with all its mechanical strength.
Tsunojiras roared out in pain as he felt his flesh and bones popping from the strain. He let loose a loud, magnificent roar into the surrounding area, the mecha detecting it as some sort of promise of revenge as he continued to tear at the creature’s body. Tsunojiras began releasing the poisonous smog as fast as he could in an attempt to force the steel destroyer off his body. Corrosion began spreading on the metal claws and feet as Mechagodzilla pulled harder on the head, enraged that its body was being tarnished further. With a slash to the throat by its tail, the flesh finally gave way as the head ripped off the body, teal smog bursting upward from the throat one last time before stopping just as quickly.
Sludge like flesh went flying as the head was tossed aside. However, the rage of the steel titan didn’t end there, as this creature had tarnished its steel, the other’s pride and joy, which would take time to fix. Proton Screams fired out wildly in rage, slowly slicing the torso of the dead monster in half as the mecha punted the top portion away, the still attached arm flailing by a thread of flesh. The tail blades spun as they drilled through meat and bone, claws tearing apart the gooey muscles and tossing them aside in a maddening rage.
Unbeknownst to the enraged machine, unholy miracles were happening all around this bloodbath…
Among the slabs of living flesh splattered against the undefiled earth, they began to wriggle and writhe under their own power. Among the myriad of chunks derived from Tsunojiras, their twitching forms molded into many shapes. Bipedal in nature, the human-sized blobs were quick to become a diverse line of monsters far unlike that of their progenitor.
The first among them to achieve their codified forms were a pair of hominids, one green and the other brown with a metallic-colored skull. The fanged green one, self-proclaimed as Gaira, shook his shaggy hair as he popped his jaw in preparation. The other, the monkey-like Shilarji, raised his hairy arms high above him with the sounds of rattling bones, shooting a threatening glance at the towering monolith that tore the horned giant asunder.
Others came into their own, from the reptilian canine Tsunokera to the pair of Skeleto-Men and the aquatic bird-like Kappalge, each humanoid in stature. Even more creatures of different shapes and sizes came to be, following their utmost basic intuition to get by.
Off in the distance, the colossal arm of Tsunojiras twitched as it began to melt and reform. Accelerating in size to match its newfound body mass, the arm twisted and contorted, growing like a mountain of flesh as four limbs sprouted outward in a quadrupedal stance. The amorphous flesh continued to shift until its shape matched that of a terrapin, hardening its outer shell until its gelatin-like innards were well-protected. With a small screech, Kamoebas made itself known.
Another arm, still partially attached to the torn torso, warped and folded on itself, the genetic material computing the form to take as the small connecting flesh ripped off. A defined form began to take shape, molding into a towering figure of red warts and silver horns. Spikes ran down its back and along its tail, with a face with human-like eyes and a protruding, oblong nose. Its sharp tongue perpetually stuck out on the left side of its mouth, awkwardly holding its maw open at all times. The hideous creature, Tsunosilver, shrieked at the metallic menace that destroyed his creator, waving his two-clawed fingers at it. As he rushed to face his enemy, the blob that was once the torso remained bulging as trees fell onto it, leaving it to slowly form a future creation beneath the treeline cover.
From the tossed head, the three-horned shape of Tsunojiras melted and stretched out to accommodate its new body type. The crests merged with the rest of the head, the snout elongating as a theropodian body sprouted from the stump. In no time at all, the former head of Tsunojiras became that of Gorosaurus, raising itself high on its feet and clenching its claws into balled fists, roaring out to the landmass above as it stood ready to fight. The cerulean dinosaur held memories of his creator’s death, and their purpose in this realm. He wouldn’t let this usurper reign supreme!
The severed, thick tail squirmed on the ground, disheveling trees and dirt as it underwent transmutation. Once reptilian in origin, it quickly shifted into a puffed humanoid frame, with pronounced abs and a stocky build. Grumpy eyes and a permanent frown marked its distinguished face as Ghoston clumsily rose to his feet, veering his agitated growl at the mechanical menace that inadvertently paved the way for his existence.
With a whirring sneer, Mechagodzilla gazed upon the carnage of its own making. Little remained of the once mighty Tsunojiras, though its retinal scanners picked up unusual cellular activity with the shredded remains. The way they reconstituted themselves suggested the beast was still alive, but how could it after being torn asunder, limb from limb? The mecha was almost entranced by this bizarre and unnatural process, it almost couldn’t help but wonder what was to result from this.
Then, almost as if sudden, the putrid remains erupted into that of a violent burst of volcanic steam. An automated recoil had Mechagodzilla step back to see what transpired from this mysterious monster, detecting a new shape silhouetted against the fiery mist.
What came from it was an abomination like no other; though it failed to measure up to Tsunojiras, this new monstrosity was heavyset and rounded with a wide girth. Its front was tattered with wart-like bumps on its skin, its backside layered with dark green hairs and tufts of white fur lined on the sides, ending with a short, fuzzy, and rounded pathetic excuse for a tail. The thick neck of the humanoid fiend extended seamlessly with its large body, almost indiscernible from the rest of its figure. But its face was something else; nigh uncanny with a long, protruding nose, a pair of flaring orange eyes, pointed ears, and a human-like mouth that parted to unleash its piping screech.
Mechagodzilla could not efficiently designate such an atrocity, though the fiendish humanoid was comfortable identifying itself as Trunker.
Like a knee-jerk response in humans, the metallic reptile swung into immediate action, channeling its swiveling claws with condensed plasma. Without missing a beat, steel-forged fists slammed into the abnormal form of Trunker, knocking the obscene monster into a nearby mountainside. Flashes of illuminated light revealed the skeletal structure of such an anomaly, revealing its skull, ribs, and spinal cord in an instant. The anthropoid crashed against the rugged walls, with tumbling boulders skipping along the slopes. Trunker groaned in pain, trying to pick itself back up after that sudden strike. But before Mechagodzilla could initiate its programmed executive, a sudden blast of white energies struck the automaton on the dorsals, gaining its newfound attention.
Turning to scan the changing situation, the reaper-esque machine saw more monsters in its path, projected from the pieces it had so casually thrown aside. Likewise, the bustling trees swayed with activity, seeing human-sized lifeforms squandering about. Had these spawned from the strong and terrible Tsunojiras? Or had his promise of vengeance simply been a call for assistance? Mechagodzilla traced the residual particles left behind by the milky beam. From there he had found the source and identified his attacker in the distance. The bumpy creature, adorned with silver horns, red flesh, and a pointed tongue, shrieked at the destructive menace. Tsunosilver trudged through the treeline, as too did Gorosaurus, Kamoebas, and Ghoston.
It seemed there was more to Tsunojiras than it had originally anticipated. But the directive remained the same nonetheless.
Destroy every last one.
—
More spawn rose from their resting place, chunks of flesh morphing into an assortment of monsters. From the brown-haired Gorilla to the warty toad-like Gabara, and the cannon mounted Gegil, all gauging their primary target in the form of a mechanized colossus despite their diminutive sizes.
Yet among them all, one took the form of a man-like goblin. Swathed in pale green skin, the bare cretin shook… His… horned head and looked down upon himself. His brain surged with adrenaline, but not of the fight-or-flight instinct, but rather one of embarrassment. He saw his thorny arms and was afraid, so he hid himself in shame. His mind swirled with awkward and strange thoughts, that was until an instinct kicked in, one latent to his natural abilities.
He didn’t fully comprehend what he was going to do, but felt like the intuitive thing to do. Twiddling his fingers, the goblin felt a flow of unseen energy course from his core and into his fingertips, directing the magical influence at a nearby bush as a test dummy. Anxiety shot up, unsure of what the outcome would be from this little experiment. Could he even control it?
Extending the influence of his power, the bush became shrouded in powdery mist–when it settled, it revealed the leafy bush tattered with strings of cloth. He again directed his magical prowess at the bush, fortifying the cloth into distinguished clothing by making cotton appear. A rush of excitement overcame the green goblin! He did it! Though since the clothes had merged with the bush, there was no use pulling it out. However, confident with his newfound ability, he directed his fingers towards himself, enraptured by a blast of white smoke. When it faded, he found himself covered in a dark top with matching pants, his arms wrapped under silver gloves, equipped with red boots, and a black and red cape with golden embroidery lined along the neck. He flexed his fingers, getting accustomed to his tailor-made outfit, and felt satisfied.
But a thought dug into his mind, irritating him. He discovered his power, yet… Who was he? He glanced at his fellow spawnling brethren, who seemed more simple-mindedly preoccupied with the primary target, even if they were unable to actively do anything. Was it that they had already come to terms with who they are? Or did they simply not have his level of thinking? A primal obsession to fight, rooted in their veins?
The moment didn’t last, however. In an instant, a thunderous boom rattled the smaller creatures, sending them scattering through the forest as the titanic battle went underway. The greenish ghoul witnessed as Tsunosilver and Ghoston collided against the mechanical gargantuan, their massive footfalls vibrating the ground. Yet almost effortlessly, he saw as the menace threw out a whirring punch, bursting with sky blue flames as the puffy Ghoston fell over. The great shadow of the blue ogre covered the man-like goblin, realizing he was directly in its path. Panic overtook the caped magician, knowing full well that running wouldn’t do him any favors. Holding his arms out and reeling to the side, he closed his eyes and anxiously waited for the inevitable.
Then, he felt himself gone in an instant.
—
The grumpy Ghoston bellowed as he crashed into the dirt, his head ringing from the impact. It rubbed its nonexistent chin, getting back to its feet and grabbing ahold of a large log, ignoring that the log quickly sprouted legs and began screeching in panic. Tsunosilver unloaded another white stream of energy from its opened maw, sparking against the titanium-alloy that made the mecha’s armor. In response, the machine’s rocket boosters roared to life for a swift twirl, promptly front-kicking the crimson giant onto its back with a tremendous thud. In the time the mecha took to perform the feat, Trunker body slammed into its metallic frame, though barely able to even force no more than a couple of steps out of it.
The titan of steel swung around and elbowed the stoic faced monster in the face. Blue flames spread through the head of Trunker as he fell to the ground, his red face retaining no damage in his unblinking gaze as energy that flowed into his body showed only the thickness of his face. Kicking the downed beast, he was caught off guard as Ghoston leapt in, smashing a large Spore Mantis against the face of the metal Titan. The wood covered insect crumpled under the force of both the swing, and the hardness of the titanium as amber laden sap and body fluids splattered onto the machine. As the remnants of the insect’s broken body dribbled down from the machine’s body, Ghoston reeled his fist back for another blow against the metal beast.
The mecha let loose a powerful jab to the monster’s gut in response to being struck with an insect, taking the wind out of its enemy before sweeping out his legs with its powerful tail. As this was happening, the artificial intelligence portion of the android’s mind recorded and documented everything these creatures could do in order to systematically take them down, and others of their kind if discovered.
Ghoston struggled to breathe as Mechagodzilla charged its spiraling fist with energy, uppercutting the blue creature and sending him flying back. Another beam lanced into the back of the steel titan forcing it to return its attention to the warty red beast, returning fire with several missiles. Explosions rocketed across the land, striking both Trunker and Tsunosilver with powerful bursts. Charging forth, the living machine kneed Trunker in the face, knocking him to the ground.
A foot stomped on to the troll’s nose, causing Trunker some pain as he was used as a stepping stone for the steel titan. The resulting jump led Mechagodzilla on the path to slam its spiraling fist into the recovering Tsunosilver, only for the large head of Gorosaurus to tackle the leaping machine out of the sky.
Blue flesh met tarnished steel as Gorosaurus headbutted the metal titan away from his fellow spawn. The cerulean allosaur knew that they would need to work together to defeat this enemy, but out of his fellow giants, only he and another had the skill or strength to potentially hold it back. He could remember memories of his creator, the fight against this metal lifeform and how it imbued its fists with power for devastating blows. Watching the mecha beating down on his allies showed him that each hit and blow from the mecha was slow, but with great reach and power. This meant they could be maneuvered around if one had enough speed to get past that reach and into the guard of the metal thing. As such, he immediately charged forth towards the silver abomination.
Mechagodzilla cackled as it swung its fist out towards the oncoming dinosaur, only to be surprised when the dinosaur immediately ducked low, swaying his body left and right in a mobius loop like pattern, his arms tucked in tight to his chest. As soon as he ducked beneath the fist, Gorosaurus lunged forth and let loose a strong punch at his enemy’s chest, knocking it back a few steps before dodging to the left of the beast.
The Apex Titan was somewhat surprised at the strength of this dinosaur as the force of its blows managed to push it back. Quickly it swung another fist at the dinosaur, only to see it once more dodge to the side and rush in, letting loose a couple more jabs to the side of its chest before thrusting forth a powerful shoulder blow into its metallic body. A twist of his body slammed his tail into the gut of the metal titan, granting him some space to avoid a retaliatory blow.
The way the creature fought seemed somewhat familiar to the steel titan, as Gorosaurus continued to bob and weave around its attacks, swinging around his fists and unleashing his own strong body blows when the opportunity arose. The monster within only understood this beast was fighting smart to make up for its size, while the AI analyzed closely to try to figure out where this familiarity was coming from.
It then clicked to the machine as a memory from the remnants of its human side was brought to its attention. The AI mind overlayed a recording of the boxing match from that memory in the edge of their vision, showcasing similar movements in the boxer to the cerulean dinosaur before him. This dinosaur was somehow using human fighting techniques against it!
Gorosaurus swung around to the left of Mechagodzilla, letting loose more jabs to the side as he continued his best to dodge the titan’s swinging blows. Surprisingly, his plan had worked as each swing of his enemy’s fist was slow, and hard to make contact once inside the guard of the mecha.
As another fist came swinging towards him from the left, the blue allosaur knocked it aside with a quick shoulder blow to its joint as he twisted his body, swinging his tail into the mecha once more, knocking it through a rocky outcrop.
Unfortunately, he had forgotten that his foe fought not only with his limbs, but with other methods as well, as the mecha’s shoulder rockets took aim and fired off a barrage of cluster missiles, sending a cloud of fire and smoke to cover his body with pain. A fist shot through the smokescreen into the dinosaur’s face, sending blue energy burning through his skull, but he wouldn’t give up. No matter how much pain he would take, he would continue to fight and beat this creature. He would end its distorted nature and avenge his progenitor.
Gorosaurus continued his rush against Mechagodzilla, taking another powerful fist to the face as he charged forth, kicking at the titan’s legs and managing to get it down to a knee. Swaying his body left and right, Gorosaurus used the momentum he was generating to unleash several powerful blows against the steel face of his enemy. Each hit knocked the robot’s head from side to side as sparks and bits of corroded metal were chipped away.
A red glow filled the steel titan’s maw as its face was smacked to the side once more. Opening wide, the Apex destroyer unleashed its heat ray the same moment another fist rocketed into its face, pushing back Gorosaurus and leaving a fierce burn along the dinosaur’s side. A resounding knee knocked the dinosaur back further as Mechagodzilla slammed into the cerulean beast.
Wanting to finish off this dinosaur before it could continue its assault, the creation of man grabbed the creature’s face with its saw bladed claws and started prying open its mouth, the dinosaur’s hands unable to rip away the steel vice grip holding him.
That was when Ghoston leapt in, tackling the mecha off his powerful ally. The blow caused Mechagodzilla to turn his rage towards the blue ogre as he readied to fire its Proton Scream, only for another white beam to slam into its face sending the beam soaring into the land across the sky. Together, Ghoston and Tsunosilver rushed forth and tore the mecha away from the downed dinosaur, grabbing an arm each as they rushed him backwards.
The mecha thrashed violently as it attempted to free its arms, but the two held strong, doing their best to let the others recover as they stood their ground. The tail slashed forth in an attempt to spear Ghoston from behind, only for the recovered Trunker to lunge forth, catching the thrashing limb in hand and struggling to hold it steady as it swung about with its spiraling drill. A slot on the mecha’s shoulder opened up and unleashed several missiles toward the face of Tsunosilver, only to be met with his milky beam from his gaping maw bursting them halfway and striking the hidden port shut.
These creatures were fighting well together despite their different species. It was uncommon to see so many diverse beings fighting not against one another, but working together to overcome something stronger. It was almost human-like in how they fought and worked together.
All together, the three held back Mechagodzilla, struggling but succeeding for the most part against the stronger mechanical beast as Gorosaurus rushed back in.
—
There was no pain nor suffering, though his pointed ears were filled with the violent shockwaves from their tremendous weights. Taking refuge behind a protruding stone, the green goblin opened his eyes, much to his surprise. He clapped his hands, tapped his feet, pinched his nerves just to be sure he wasn’t hallucinating. And lo, he wasn’t; the last feeling he had recalled was panicking fear and his magical circuitry flowing with power…
He mentally recreated the high-stress anxiety, seeing if that was the trigger, yet it proved fruitless. He tried to harness his inherited powers, see if that did anything. In a snap, he found himself atop a cliffside that had stood above him just moments before, yet he knew his feet remained unmoving. He did it again, and found himself back on the ground below, though not where he had stood just moments before. He was getting the hang of it, although he had a hard time comprehending how he made such a radical jump from where Ghoston crashed to here. Was it just a survival instinct that teleported him to a safer place?
Still, no question about his powers could match the existentialism of the discovery of self. Suppose now would be as good of a time as any to codify something for him… self? Though he wondered if the other spawns felt the same. He glanced at his glove, recalling the arm under it. Green skin…
Green… Face? No, that didn’t sit well with him.
Green… Man? An instinctual gut punch told him that wasn’t the one either.
Green… Mask? Something about that felt appropriate. As far as he knew, his face was a real face; but much like a mask, there were secrets hidden underneath it. So many layers to unravel, all to be chipped away–but at least for now… He… had a name to abide by.
Green Mask tried out another trick. Since he felt confident he could make clothing appear, he had wondered how far he could take it. Holding his hand out, he felt the magical tingling against his fingertips, and with a concentrated thought, materialized a bamboo stick with a white flag. It was still a process, but at the very most progress was being made. He was mildly unsure why a stick and a flag, but if it was in service as a conduit, who was he to complain?
He scanned the hectic battlefield, seeing the odds being pushed against the spawn of Tsunojiras. The Titan destroyer threatened everyone here who dwelt in the Hollow Earth, and he only knew he had to do something. But… What, exactly? He surveyed the land and tried to locate some of the other spawnlings, spotting only a few of the Skeleto-Men and Tsunokera seemingly trying to figure that question out themselves.
Green Mask ran up to the group, squawking at them to gather intel on the situation. The first of the Skeleto-Men, with a bluish skull and proclaiming himself as the Number One, gestured to the metallic menace battling the giant spawnlings before them. Green Mask promptly slapped him. Of course that was the situation! The second Skeleto-Man, distinguished with a greenish skull and deemed as the Number Two, scoffed at the other’s humiliation with mocking laughter. Turning his frustration from Green Mask to his companion, the Skeleto-Man kicked No. 2 in the groin, sending him reeling in trilling agony.
No. 1 pointed and laughed at his companion’s misery, approaching the fallen Skeleto-Man for another kick to the groin. But a firm grip pulled No. 1 away from the fallen skull-person, Green Mask urging him to focus on the target at hand. The Skeleto-Man shrugged, unsure of any meaningful suggestions he could offer…
Tsunokera, a reptoid canine adorned with a stiff, bipedal stance and white hair running down its navy blue body, sniffed the air. Silence turned to a bark as he faced the direction of the distinct scent. The others likewise turned to Tsunokera, wondering what he found. Something rummaged through the trees, and it wasn’t long for the figure to be identified.
From the foliage and shrubbery, the humanoid creature stumbled out of the woods, armed with a distinct silver cannon-like appendage on the left arm. Two large eyes dotted with large pupils adorned the flattened head of the creature, whose “ears” resembled horns. A mirage of rainbow colors tattered the torso in a colorful display, standing out against the greenery of the environment.
With a shriek, Gegil made their presence known, approaching the group of critters gathered around. Another born from the flesh of Tsunojiras. Green Mask gazed at the arm, inquiring the rainbow-colored warrior of its offensive potency. They pointed it at him, trilling with confidence of their weapon.
He wasn’t sure what to do, but standing around and doing nothing was not an option. Assembling the rag-tag group of warriors, the Skeleto-Men got to their feet, magically summoning throwing darts in their hands. Tsunokera barked with an eccentric excitement. Green Mask raised his conduit, holding the white flag high above. This was not a sign of surrender; but rather, an order to do the one thing they can.
Fight.
With the dinosaur unleashing more hits against its metal hide, the mechanical titan thrashed in attempts to get its limbs free, nearly succeeding only for another blow from Gorosaurus to undo its progress. In a rage, the mecha opened its chest ports, unleashing a missile barrage against the cerulean beast in hopes to beat him back. Gorosaurus thrashed in pain as the missiles bombarded against his flesh, keeping him at bay as flames and smoke covered his form.
It was then that Mechagodzilla rose, roaring to the sky as it thrashed against the three holding it down. Rockets fired off at full power on one side of its body, allowing the machine to slowly twirl its enemies around into a spiral as the others shifted in an attempt to lift upward.
Soon enough, the three humanoid creatures were rushing to keep up with the speed being built up by the mecha. This was not to be, however, as the steel titan swung its left arm forward, managing to throw the struggling Tsunosilver off its arm and into the recovering Gorosaurus. This loss of weight was immediately known as the mecha shot to the side, slamming its fist into the thick skull of Ghoston, knocking the blue ogre back towards one of the rivers flowing down the ravine. The last to fall was Trunker as the tail swung his body forward into a powerful blow, the hit striking him in the nose and sending the red giant barrelling backward with the rest.
The destroyer cackled as it glared at the giants around it, each slowly getting back to their feet. Tsunosilver shot off his milky beam once more as the Apex Titan returned fire, the Proton Scream immediately shredding and overpowering the weaker ray.
An explosion of heat and energy burst against the silver horned kobold, throwing him back with smoke rising from his giant nose and face. Mechagodzilla’s eyes glowed brightly as they released a distorted alpha noise. It had no idea if the alpha signature would work, as it was but one of a trio of frequencies working in tandem. It would make do with what it had, however.
These creatures, while weak, fought with determination and tactics. It could have use for them in the future, if only for a possible future beat down. Turning its gaze at the rest, Mechagodzilla roared at them, daring them to either charge forth and die, or submit to its will.
Their defiant stances and growls gave the decision to enact on next. They would receive a painful death. The Apex Titan fired off a barrage of cluster missiles against them, sending smoke and flames bursting skyward as its shoulder missiles shot at Ghoston, knocking him further back. The joy it felt at hearing their pained cries was met by panicked noises to its side. Turning its gaze, the machine noticed that the blue humanoid was panicking as it backed away from a lake formed from a large waterfall, seeing some of the creature’s skin hissing from a splash of water.
Curious about this sudden show of weakness, the mecha rushed over and kicked the blue beast into the water to see what would happen.
Immediately, Ghoston let loose a roar of pain as it crawled away in panic, the water that touched its body melting and giving way to the whitish goo that made up its muscles. It was with great joy that the mecha took advantage of this weakness, grabbing ahold of the bulbous head of the panicking ogre, and slamming him face-first into the lake. The blue giant thrashed and pushed as his face was submerged beneath the life ending water, managing to lift himself out momentarily before he was shoved back into the mud. The steel titan watched with glee as his enemy quickly began dissolving and melting into the lake like styrofoam, his movement slowing down with each passing second.
Small blasts scattered across its mechanical eyes, catching the mecha’s attention to the smaller creatures in the surroundings. The AI mind quickly identified the culprit as an oil slick, rainbow skinned creature with a rectangular cannon on its arm. Dinks of darts signaled the mecha of the thrown objects, observing what looked like a pair of skeleton men in jumpsuits throwing darts, a strange bipedal dog-beast spraying resin webbing from its mouth, and another green faced creature wearing clothing and waving a flag on a stick. The goblin ordered the bat-headed creature with a gesture as it fired another bolt of white lightning at the machine, scattering across its chest.
Almost immediately the AI was surprised at these findings. There were beasts down here equipped with energy based weaponry! Not only that, sentient beings that gave orders, wore clothing, and worked together despite their differing appearances if its vision of the green one was any indication. Sentient beings potentially on par with humanity lived down here. These findings were immediately stored for future possibilities of the Hollow Earth within its mind, drawing ideas from their humanity for possible resemblances as an offshoot of some sort. Sparks flew off its face as another ray scattered across its metal hide, disrupting its thought process and annoying the machine.
Releasing the corpse of Ghoston, the malicious android kicked it into the lake, sending a wave of water and frothing bubbles washing over the tiny creatures and pushing them deeper into the woods. The body of Ghoston quickly began to melt down in the waters into bluish froth and bubbles as the wave made to crash over the group of monsters. The clothed goblin waved its flag in a panic, as the blue wolf-like creature seemed to disappear, teleporting away from danger.
How intriguing.
If those smaller abominations wanted a fight, it would just have to take them out as well. Best get rid of a potential threat before they can grow large enough to become a threat. Quickly it sent out a signal to the drones already circling the area as it unleashed more from its body, keeping some in reserve for future repairs. The signal called all the active drones to the current coordinates as it gave them all a singular purpose.
Search and destroy.
The drones began their assault immediately under the commands in their limited intelligence, allowing the machine to return to more pressing matters. As Mechagodzilla turned around to check on the other three, it realized there should have been a fourth creature, only for the smoke to clear out to reveal a massive spiked rock in front of the others. The rock shifted, turning around to reveal the angered face of Kamoebas standing in defense of his allies. The massive turtle roared out to the mecha, challenging its strength as he waddled forth with confidence.
Amusement filled its mind as he released another volley of cluster missiles outward. Each missile split continuously until the entirety of the turtle was coated in flames and explosions, yet it continued walking through the assault. Having seen it withstand its missile assault, the steel titan strutted towards its prey. Perhaps this one would prove more challenging.
—
Surging waves crashed through the dense forestry of the Hollow Earth, washing through all the foliage and bending large trunks through sheer force. Green Mask, the Skeleto-Men, and Gegil were all forcefully carried by the relentless tide, just barely able to avoid the trees torn from the earth.
Green Mask struggled to keep his vision clear, but couldn’t amidst the water running into his eyes. Panic drove him mad… He couldn’t make it, he thought. And now he’d get them all killed. A new strategy was in order, but against a menace this powerful?… Suddenly, the goblin barely made out a splotch in the water, swimming rapidly through the surface. It wasn’t the trees, but rather an aquatic creature. With dotted pores adorned on its green skin, the bird-like kaijin was plated with thick green armor and a yellow beak, catching the drenched critters in its dark clawed arms. Hustling with its strength, the aquatic bird rode the tide until it thinned out into walkable mud.
Gently, the armored bird placed its compatriots on the mud, allowing them to get back up with their own strength. Green Mask inquired its name, and the creature replied with a screech and a nod. The aquatic fowl identified verself as Kappalge. Green Mask reached out, offering a handshake. A gesture of… His… Appreciation. His head felt muddled for a second. Why did he remember this gesture…? Why was he… He…?
He shook it off as the firm grip from Kappalge brought him back to reality. Kappalge nodded as ve pointed to a nearby cliffside, its limestone composition contrasting with the dark blues of Tsunokera, who waved and barked from a distance. Green Mask chirped loudly, affirming their ally they were on their way. Waving the flag around, Green Mask issued the others to get a move on.
Kappalge and the Skeleto-Men were quick to heed the order, the latter pair prancing and cartwheeling around to their destination. Gegil, the last in line and struggling to catch up, came to a stop. Their ears detected an abnormality, one closer to their relative proximity than that of the mecha or the others fighting. When the sudden wave of panic overtook Tsunokera’s barking, that all but confirmed it.
Gegil took aim, keenly waiting for the target to drop. The whirring noise it generated suggested aerial mobility, just barely hovering over the thick layer of leaves. shooting blasters from their arm cannon amidst the treetops. When the blast struck the unidentified object, sparks and fires erupted from its core as it spun out of control. Dipping underneath the treeline, the object was revealed to be an automated drone, carried by four propellers and mounted with a frontal gatling gun at its base. Even if their blaster took out one of its propellers, it didn’t stop the drone from spurting out rounds upon rounds of machine gun fire.
Gegil dove behind one of the trunks, shielding themself from the oncoming bullets. Even as they sprayed wildly through the foliage, the tumbling drone eventually crashed with an explosive burst, only for the flames to be dampened by the moist wood. Without a second thought, Gegil called out to their allies–no doubt that they too were targets to these things.
Green Mask grinded his boots to the ground and came to a stop, veering his eyes to the treeline above. Silhouettes blocked out the permeating light of the Hollow Earth, several of them whirring overhead. He called out to them, only to be found surrounded by a hail of gunfire. Bringing up his cape, Green Mask teleported out of the danger zone, spontaneously reappearing deeper inland–though not out of harm’s way.
Reorienting to his surroundings, Green Mask tried to track his compatriots. He saw laser fire coming from Gegil’s arm cannon, though they were a considerable distance away. Eyes swerved through the dense forestry to find the Skeleto-Men performing various acrobatics and teleportation maneuvers in short bursts to avoid the flurry of machine gun rounds. He eventually found the cliffside where Tsunokera was, only to see that the dog-beast was also surrounded by the attack drones.
But where was Kappalge?
It was the shrieks that gave the kappa-like creature away. And it wasn’t without reason. From the beak of the estranged fowl, a gum-like sphere inflated and discharged, flying towards one of the drones. The balloon collided against one of the propellers of the drone with homing precision, the sticky adhesion keeping the blades together. The automated weapon lost stability, but another blast from the gum-like bubble brought it down completely, crashing hard into the ground.
With Kappalge being the closest ally in proximity, Green Mask ran up to ver. But intrusive thoughts crept into his mind. What could he bring? He didn’t possess weapons like his compatriots. No darts, no blasters, no webbing, no elastic bubbles. What was his purpose? Maybe he didn’t have any…
He came to a stop, hiding behind the bark of the tree as more bullets rained down from above. The trunks helped sponge the barrage, but how long would it hold? Green Mask needed to think… And amidst all the mental turmoil perpetuating in his mind, a thought clicked. If he made things appear, could the inverse also be true? There was only one way to find out.
Resuming his sprint, Green Mask called out to Kappalge. The bird-like biped crossed vis arms around their head, unsure if ve could take the onslaught from the killer drones. But ve turned to face vis ally, whose white glove reached out to ver. Extending vis dark claws, Kappalge reached out and grasped them, feeling a magical surge throughout vis body. Then, in an instant… Ve vanished.
In the moment of contact, Kappalge disappeared. But Green Mask felt he hadn’t erased vis existence, rather stored in a magical pocket of space. His body felt the tingle of his spellcasting capability, but before he could dwell on it, Green Mask teleported away, avoiding the volley of bullets aimed at the spot where they once were. Reappearing elsewhere in the thicket of trees, catching his breath. His natural abilities drained at his lifeforce, and needed to rest to recharge. But the enemy would never allow for such an opportunity, so he had to make his choice matter.
Time became very pressing. Who else could he save…?
Panic settled as he turned to the Skeleto-Men off in the distance. Despite their best efforts, a bullet had successfully shot No. 2 in the leg, stopping all momentum from the humanoid. The greenish skeletal man collapsed, aching in pain from the flaring surge of the bullet. The bluish one continued to maneuver around the endless onslaught, knowing well he wouldn’t make it if he got hit. But he had to do something, even if his skeletal twin was a pain in the pelvic region. Materializing darts in his hand, No. 1 tossed them at the firing drone, embedding them in the steel hull of the machine. But unfortunately, it did nothing to deter the automaton from its designated mission.
It took everything in Green Mask to move forward, but it took even more to hold back, realizing their fate was already sealed. Before either he or No. 1 could do anything, the continuous fire of another drone shredded the grounded No. 2 into pieces. Chunks of bone and black gelatin scattered from where the corpse laid. The body spasmed until it fell limp, the life of No. 2 fading away. Then, rather abruptly, No. 2 vanished in an explosive burst, smoke drifting through the underground sky. Clenching his fists, No. 1 went on the offensive, materializing more darts in both his hands. He tossed them by the gloveful in reckless abandon, hoping they’d just do something!
But alas, it was not meant to be. A well placed shot put a bullet through the skull, splattering with pieces and chunks of his head. The ensuing rapid fire tore his body to shreds, ending in the same fate as his twin. And much like his twin, his body erupted in a shower of sparks and smoke, gone from the face of the Hollow Earth.
Green Mask fell into distraught, which was only amplified when he turned to face the cliff. Tsunokera was stuck in a predicament, swarmed by the drones firing away. The dog-beast teleported across the cliffside, evading the barrage the best he could. When he found room, Tsunokera sprayed his resin webbing at one of the drones. But next to the metal of the aerial turret, it was mere silly string plastering to the alloy. Inevitably, the bullets found their mark against the navy blue creature, puncturing through its hide effortlessly. Suffering from fatal wounds, Tsunokera dropped dead, his body rolling over the edge of the cliff and falling down to the forest below.
Green Mask fell deeper into despair. He had barely known them, yet felt like extensions of himself dying. Why did he have to feel this way? Did the others feel like this too…? Through this trauma, something sparked in his consciousness. Visions of another’s eyes from another time, staring up at the Titans that had once claimed this world as their own. Whose memories were these…? Suddenly, their perspective shifted after being engulfed in volcanic steam. They were no longer looking up, but rather staring at the Titans that defied them. Was this something their kind could do? Then, it faded, Green Mask’s sight and focus returning to normality.
His life force, perhaps through fear, drove him to his feet. If nothing else, it was to ensure that he and Kappalge lived. More importantly, to unlock the secrets of their kind and aid in the war against the mecha beast. But when the wails of Gegil reached his ears… Perhaps there was one that he could save.
Rushing through the billowing trees, Green Mask weaved between them until Gegil came into his sights. A chirping shrill echoed from the illusionist goblin, trying to gain their attention. He saw as Gegil blasted another of the ruthless drones out of the sky, blowing it to bits. Shrapnel scattered across the forestry, though did no harm to the creatures within its vicinity. Both of them hid behind another tree, one which had already taken the brunt of the hellfire slaughtering their kind, and Green Mask explained that he could keep them safe. Though Gegil felt reluctant, they took the offer. With a tap of his fingers, Green Mask whisked Gegil away, vanishing from sight.
Everything was wearing him down, but he knew he couldn’t stop for nothing… Not until they were all in a safe and sound place to recoup and collect their thoughts. He focused his mind to teleport somewhere far away… But the moment he did, he realized he barely made a move at all. Exhaustion was taking its toll, sapping his magic reserves dry. Then the droning whirs of the automated weapons drifted from the sky…
…This wasn’t good. Not at all.
Green Mask ran for it, mustering all his strength into his legs. Bullets flew from the shafts of the gatling guns, but the goblin just barely kept slightly ahead of the curb. Any moment of hesitation would certainly cripple him–or worse, kill him. The ground beneath him shifted between soil, rocks, and running water, trying to avoid the killer drones as they swarmed into.
This was it… It had to be.
Or did it?
A bellowing roar resounded from deep in the jungle, giving pause to even the artificial drones that recalibrated their priority target. Green Mask saw the trees ahead bend and sway, as if something traveled along the treeline… And just as he thought, something was swinging across the trees and branches with ease. A bolstering holler emphasized its presence as the ape-like figure busted from the trees, smashing against one of the aerial drones with its mass. Falling with the flying weapon, the beastly creature grabbed hold of the side handles and used its tremendous might to hurl it into another drone, which in turn smashed into another. The last of them changed its target from Green Mask to this new intruder, whose body buffered the barrage of bullets without much issue. Picking up a sizable rock nearby, the enlarged primate tossed it at rapid speeds, impacting the drone at high velocity. When the last of the drones went down, the beast roared in victorious delight!
Green Mask faced his savior, almost baffled by the miraculous turn of events. Though he felt cautious around the brute, he nonetheless had to place some faith that he’d be okay. His stamina was at a low, and rather than risking going out any further, Green Mask waved his flag around and pointed to the ground. In a puff of smoke, Gegil and Kappalge reappeared. The two of them turned, realizing Green Mask’s dire state. Almost instinctively, Kappalge knew what to do and carried the magic goblin to a nearby river for him to drink. Gegil meanwhile turned to the brutish ape, inquiring its name.
The beast roared. Gorilla.
Gegil wasn’t amused, but took it in stride. They all needed to rest, and until they were back in fighting mode, it was best to keep watch… Fortunately, they put space between themselves and the mayhem off in the distance. Unfortunately…
—
A massive shockwave of blue flames tore through the landscape as the destroyer slammed both its fists into the rocky shell of the turtle monster, knocking it to the ground from its bipedal stance. Kamoebas merely laughed as he felt the energy flowing through his body, filling him with warmth as he shrugged off the blow. In response, the turtle lashed out, biting onto the steel titan’s shoulder as he lifted his body up on his two hind legs, grabbing onto the machine’s hips with his forelimbs to push him back. Surprised, the steel titan initially began to lose ground, astounded that this beast had the gall to even attempt to overpower him. Energy built up in its clawed fist as it slammed it into the face of the turtle, forcing it to release its bite and recoil back.
Acting quickly, the mecha shot forth and slammed its foot onto the head of the massive turtle, pushing it into the ground with intense force, but doing little damage to the armored face of the beast. As the mecha lifted its foot to stomp again, Kamoebas flipped upward, knocking the mechanoid reptile backward by using his shell to push the steel titan over. Though half his size, the giant mata mata was a heavyset creature, and it utilized this by using its weight and build to push the heavy destroyer away from his allies. Mechagodzilla slammed into the ground with a resounding crash, dirt and dust flying into the sky.
As soon as the dust coated the mecha, Kamoebas had turned to check on his allies. The furry back of Trunker rose slowly as he attempted to get up, only for the troll to fall over weakly. Tsunosilver laid flat on his face with smoke rising from the body of the bumpy red kobold, craters revealing the bulging sludge that was his muscles twitching from exposure. As for Gorosaurus, the blue allosaurus was clenching its burn wound in hand as he tried to catch his breath, an oozing goop dripping from the cuts and missile wounds on his body with ashen smoke rising from them.
He knew he had been too slow to get to the fight, having used his shell to protect the newborns from flying debris so they could realize their potential. As a result, his fellow giants paid for his actions as they hadn’t had the defensive ability his shell provided. Hearing the rocks and metal scraping in the dust, the turtle spawn knew that he would have to keep the mecha occupied to allow the others to get back to their feet. Luckily for him, that blow from the mecha had shown him that his armored body was strong enough to withstand whatever the destroyer could output.
Kamoebas roared out as he rushed into the dust cloud, slamming head first into a glowing blue foot. The metal foot knocked him upward as the mecha rushed forth, grabbing onto the terrapin’s body and throwing him to the side. Kamoebas felt his shell dredging through the land as the mecha grabbed ahold of his face, dragging it through the purple ore rich soil before throwing the turtle with a rocket assisted throw. Through all of this, the turtle monster had felt very little pain at all, but was dazed at the sudden speed and twists his body was sent through as his airborne body slammed into the glowing riverbed.
Kamoebas screeched as he twisted his body, managing to flip himself over into the riverbank as the clanking of metal drew near. Acting quickly, the hardy terrapin braced his body and allowed the mecha to slam its fist into his shell, flinging his body upward to toss the mecha back. This sudden throw from the turtle caught the steel titan off guard, knocking its body upward as the giant turtle shot forth and began to slash at the steel making up its body. Sparks flew as claws clashed against metal, pushing back the metal titan slowly.
Mechagodzilla was angered that this irritable beast would not stay down. With one fist clenching the rock hard shell, the mecha began unleashing powerful punches with the other in an attempt at breaking through the carapace and cripple the beast, not wanting to risk a blow to the creature’s neck and face as they were too close to his own for potential self injury. Each blow was infused with the power of the hollow earth, sending pulses of blue flames and energy flowing into the turtle and its surroundings, yet not even a crack or chip in the turtle’s armor was shown as the two continued their contest of strength. As the Monster within continued to barrage the tough shell in wrath, the Artificial Mind within was split between analyzing the turtle for potential weaknesses and commanding the surprisingly evenly matched drone assault.
Kamoebas struggled to keep his body from slowly being pushed back, his enemy’s superior strength and its rockets quickly creating trenches in the dirt below their standing. The defensive power of this beast’s armor astonished the mecha as he continued to unleash blow after blow onto the pointed shell. A knee to the creature’s underbelly knocked it into the air, allowing the mecha to boost forward at incredible speed and slam the creature back first into a mountainside, yet it continued its grasp on the chest of the metal terror.
The missile pods on its back shifted and took aim as explosives bombarded the massive turtle, pillars of smoke and heat scattering across its infrared vision, but doing little to damage the creature despite the point blank explosions to the face. Acting quickly, the mecha fired off its Proton Scream against the beast alongside its barrage, hoping to crush it beneath the strength of its attacks, only to be surprised as it merely scattered against the hard carapace, making the shell glow with energy as the scattered protons dissipated into the surroundings. Kamoebas roared out for his recovering comrades to attack as he held tight to the mecha, the bombardment and blows to his body doing little to get past his ultimate defense. As if to spite the turtle, one of the rocket pods twisted and fired in the direction of his comrades, garnering some cries of pain over the explosions.
Twin fists spiraled in the sky, building with energy as the mecha slammed a knee into the turtle’s underbelly, dropping the fists down and striking with immense power on both sides of the turtle. As the power flowed through the shell, the steel beast was disappointed that it had failed to penetrate either side of the beast before it. That blow had crippled some of the strongest Titans in the world above, yet it barely even scratched the shell of the turtle. This body of theirs was made to end the existence of titans, no matter their shape and power, yet it was failing to even dent this deluded reptile!
This beatdown continued as the mecha was unable to dislodge the turtle from its body, firing off missiles from its chest port point blank into the underbelly of the terrapin as its tail attempted to drill into the beast’s shell. Beams, missiles, energy infused blows, nothing was working against the stubborn reptile and its impenetrable shell. The turtle monster slowly backed his legs into the cliffside as the onslaught continued to batter him about, until finally, he released his hold on the mecha and kicked off the cliffside, tripping the steel titan as his spiky shell shot between the steel legs.
The mecha fell to the ground face first as Kamoebas rushed out from beneath the automaton, the metal segments getting caught on his spikes allowing the turtle to drag the mecha alongside him. With great strength, he lifted himself onto his hind legs and threw himself backward, slamming the mecha between himself and the cliffside face first. With Mechagodzilla laying across the rocky wall, Kamoebas twisted about and launched his body forth, tackling the machine against the stone and shrubbery.
Mechagodzilla lashed out as it felt the terrapin keeping it against the wall, slamming its fist against the turtle’s less armored arm. The small grunt of pain was enough motivation for the mecha as it kicked outward, knocking Kamoebas onto his back. As the turtle monster thrashed about in an attempt to right himself, Mechagodzilla rushed forth and kicked as hard as it could at its enemy’s shell. The massive turtle screeched out as the kick forced his body to pivot and spin rapidly, sliding him across the terrain until Mechagodzilla caught up to his body with another kick, this time to the face. Kamoebas yelped as the metal foot smacked into his face, sending his upside down body barreling over multiple times. Dizzy from the encounter, he had no time to react as the mecha grabbed ahold of his shell and tossed him away with a rocket propelled twirl.
As the massive turtle slammed through a rocky outcrop, Mechagodzilla unleashed its proton scream, intending to embed the creature into the earth. If the beast’s shell couldn’t be broken, then he would be buried alive! Kamoebas felt his body slamming into the dirt and stone as a landslide fell upon his body, forcing him deeper into the pits. He knew he could handle the beam, but he was not too certain he could free himself if he were to be buried alive. Luckily, it was at this moment one of his allies leapt to his rescue.
The Apex Titan heard the scream of Tsunosilver first before feeling the massive body of the kobold land feet first onto his back. The jump kick knocked the mecha onto its chest as the red mutant reptile rolled forth, standing between the robot and his shelled sibling. The mechanical menace attempted to get up, only for Gorosaurus to slam his tail into his face, throwing his body sideways. Pounding his fists together, Tsunosilver roared into the air, his tongue waving about as he shook his head while Gorosaurus circled behind the machine. Behind the red kobold waddled Trunker, pulling off dirt and rocks to help Kamoebas out of his predicament, all the while encouraging his fellow spawn with an idea.
Mechagodzilla watched warily as its opponents readied to attack. The AI kept track of Gorosaurus behind it while the more monstrous aspect focused on the horned beast in front. Gorosaurus crouched at his back, his body coiled and ready to lunge forth, while Tsunosilver acted as a barrier between him and the other two giants. The machine could see it in their faces and their bodily actions, the exhaustion that came with being an organic lifeform. All of them were panting hard with breath as they were forced to match with his might, sustaining injuries which no doubt worsened their fighting condition further.
Unlike them, the mecha was no longer held back by such limitations such as stamina, only relying on its limitless power supply and the limits of its mechanical bearings. Where others would tire quickly during battle, it would still be perfectly at near peak physical and energetic might hours later. Even better was that the AI was recording and noting down information about each monster in its data banks, providing useful information on locations with the most damage to cause devastating injuries or the limits and range of their abilities so far. Crimson and azure energies pulsed through the mech as it began to enjoy the thrill of the challenge being provided to it, readying for the next move.
Tsunosilver was the first to act, firing off a pale streak of light from his ever open maw at the mecha. As a response, the titan of steel returned fire with its own red death ray, striking Tsunosilver’s own blast. Upon contact, the two beams created a pulsing lightshow of energy, shockwaves of red and white bursting forth from the meeting point which glowed like the sun. The contest of power quickly turned in favor of Mechagodzilla as the sphere of energy slowly shot towards the kobold as Tsunosilver put every ounce of energy he had into his ray to delay the inevitable.
Gorosaurus rushed forth in the chaos, bobbing his body about as he rushed the mecha from the back. Sensing the approach of the blue allosaurus, the engine of human and titan malice twisted around one of its missile pods, firing a couple cluster missiles at the dinosaur. What surprised it was when the dinosaur rushed through the explosive assault even as it tore into his flesh and grappled its mighty tail. Smoke rose from blistering wounds seeping with bulging goop as the monster roared out to his allies. Hearing this, the silver horned spawn of the beast ceased his own ray and leapt high into the sky above the conflicting blast. This let the built up energy to shoot past below him, straight into the shell of Kamoebas.
The blast slammed into the shell with incredible force, pushing back the hard carapace for a brief moment before Trunker continued his charge. The turtle monster had his back turned to the mech as Trunker held his body, using the shell like a massive shield to push through the burst of energy firing their way. Like a battering ram, Trunker rushed the shell of the massive turtle through the fiery power of the proton scream and barreled into the automaton.
Mechagodzilla lost its footing as the massive shell slammed into its face, pushing it backwards while Gorosaurus twisted with the tail held tight. Together, they managed to lift the mech into the air and flip it, just in time for Tsunosilver to drop down feet first into the machine’s chest, slamming it into the ground.
The impact sent debris flying as the shockwave tore through the surrounding foliage. Dust flew into the surroundings, covering up the damages. The silver horned reptile leapt up into the air past the dust, and landed on the chest of the machine, dispersing the dust cloud around them and to see the crater they had made beneath the robot. Trunker set down Kamoebas as they slowly made their way over. Gorosaurus held tightly to the tail, stomping down on it to hold the robot down as Tsunosilver leapt high once more. Only this time, he was met with a series of rockets, firing from the chest cavity into his legs.
Mighty explosions billowed across Tsunosilver’s lower body as chunks of flesh went flying. The kobold crashed down onto the mech harshly on injured legs, smoking and burnt with ashen craters. Before he had the chance to roll off, he felt the saw covered graspers ripping into his already injured legs, and yanked upward, flipping the reptilian menace face first into the ground meters away from the cybernetic terror. He twitched briefly before going still.
The metal tail began to thrash, the drill end shifting back into blades as it flipped over Gorosaurus, swiping a cut across his face as he held tight to the appendage. As the robot twisted its body to get back up, Trunker rushed over and kicked as hard as he could, smacking the steel jaws of the robot to the side. In response, the titanium brute fired forth its rockets, boosting into Trunker and wrapping its arms around his chest as the two dragged through the dirt. The moment they shot forth, Gorosaurus was caught off guard holding the writhing tail and ended up dragging along behind them. Kamoebas attempted to keep up, but he was too slow compared to the rocket boosted trio, taking a short glance to the now broken legs of Tsunosilver.
The turtle let loose a small chirp to the broken monster, leaning down to allow him to climb onto his shell for transport. Tsunosilver powered through the pain of his broken legs and lifted himself onto the shell, holding on tight as they slowly rushed to the fight ahead of them.
Trunker felt the brunt of the earth furrowing around his fuzzy back. The land around them slowly changed from a forest to a more open landscape with scattered patches of trees and large jagged rock formations, the sight of a volcanic wasteland in the distance. Scrapes and bruises formed as they continued forth, a red glow filling the mecha’s eyes as he suddenly twisted their bodies. With a snap, Gorosaurus was sent flying as Mechagodzilla boosted their bodies into a sharp twist. The blue dinosaur went soaring into a jagged stone pillar of purple ore, the earthen structure crumbling atop his body as several shards stabbed into his injured hide. As for Trunker, he felt fear in his mind as the deathly glow of the mecha’s eyes held tight to his own, hearing the machine’s evil laughter as the grip he held was used to slam his body back first into the ground.
Swinging his fist forth, Trunker attempted to blindside the titan of man only for a steel grasper to clamp down on it. The same happened to the other fist, immediately getting grabbed as soon as it punched forth. The pressure on his chest increased as a sinister idea formed in the minds of the apex destroyer. Blue flames flowed through his arms into his graspers, holding tight as the saws dug deep into the troll’s fists. Then, they began to strain harshly as they twisted in opposing directions.
Trunker felt his round arms twisting as they were pulled taut, using all the strength he could to try to resist the might of the machine. He screamed as he felt the flames and pressure twisting his limbs against his will. More energy flowed into the four steel claws, fueling the intense power of the grasp as it flowed into and revealed the twisting, fracturing bones inside the arms. Blue flames crept across bulging red arms, veins of fire and ash spreading downward as the energy literally burned its way through the red troll’s flesh.
A loud crack resounded out as the joints in his hands gave out, shattering bone as his flesh began to twist violently. The burning flames and twisting pressure inevitably allowed the machine to rip them off, crumbling to ash in his claws as what remained of the burning arms fell to the ground. Trunker weakly let out a painful breath, unable to handle the pain surging through his body. A stomp to both arms finished what the twisting hands couldn’t, shattering the fractured bones and burnt flesh into a mess of charred goop.
It was always a joy for the portion of Ghidorah still in the machine to see another monster’s spirit break beneath their might. Holding tight to the beast’s throat, Mechagodzilla lifted Trunker up, rocketed himself upward, and slammed the red monster into the ground with a powerful boom. Pulsing flashes of blue surged through his body, revealing his ribs and skull, but most important to the mech was the sight of a spine in the creature. Grabbing onto the monster’s arm, it twisted the beast around and wrapped its tail around his chest in a crushing grip. Trunker thrashed weakly in the grasp of the beast, not aware of the joy within the minds of the machine readying to kill.
Both the monster and the remnants of man within their combined consciousness felt some joy as they gripped tightly to the base of Trunker’s neck, the other hand wrapping around his stoic yet dispirited face. With a sinister cackle, the apex titan crunched its flaming saw fingers into the troll’s back, sending chunks of burning flesh flying about until finally it grabbed ahold of his spine. Clamping one foot down on the monster’s leg for support, Mechagodzilla pulled as hard as it could, ripping out the spine and head of Trunker from his body. He roared to the skies as he held the hideous head high, the body falling down below lifeless.
The screech of Kamoebas echoed behind him, prompting the machine to drop the head and grab ahold of the decapitated body below. With a mighty twist, it swung and threw the headless body in the direction of the turtle monster, releasing a salvo of missiles soon after. With a loud thud, the remains of Trunker smacked onto the shell of Kamoebas, the blob-like flesh that made and formed their muscles sliding across his face as missiles exploded across his body. Tsunosilver was knocked off the back of the turtle by the explosions, crashing to the dirt as he watched the flames and smoke cover his armored brethren. Almost immediately, Trunker’s body seemed to combust alongside the missiles, a large explosion rocketing and dazing the mata mata turtle.
Kameobas shook his head trying to clear his mind from the light and noise, trying to focus as he stopped in his charge. As soon as his vision began to clear, the blue flames of Mechagodzilla’s palm shot through the smoke cloud and slammed into his face, sending his head and neck extending out to the side. Almost immediately after, he felt the rough graspers catch hold of his neck.
The grasp of the steel titan was tight as he dug his feet into the earth. With a mechanical roar, he yanked the neck of the beast upward, and following it came the rest of the turtle monster as he flipped the beast into the sky. Kamoebas felt dizzy as his shell spun in the air above, his neck hurting from being used to yank his entire body into the air.
The resounding roar of rockets grew closer towards him. The feeling of steel grasping into his shell was quickly met by his vision suddenly being aimed downward toward the ground. Mechagodzilla smirked in its mind as it rocketed downward, its targeting systems locating the perfect landing zone. Kamoebas screamed as the ground grew closer, then screamed louder in concern as he noticed where they were rocketing towards.
Gorosaurus shifted beneath his makeshift grave, his body sore and several bones broken from combat. There were shards of sharp rock sticking out of his side from where he slammed into the stone, though there was no blood to be seen dripping from them. He looked around as he heard the screaming of his fellow spawn, but could not see any of his companions or their metal enemy anywhere in the surroundings. Then, he looked up.
The massive spiky shell and face of Kamoebas slammed into the head of Gorosaurus with great velocity, slamming his face into the earth below as Mechagodzilla crashed into his back. A loud crack echoed through the plains as the trio slammed into the pile of red and purple rocks. Gorosaurus twitched for a few moments beneath the two before slowly going still. The steel titan rolled off the duo and got to its feet, staring happily at the carnage it just caused, the broken body of Gorosaurus lying beneath the tough armor of the now stunned turtle. The dinosaur’s broken body then lit up suddenly, a fiery explosion bursting from within as chunks of amorphous flesh and shards of rock went flying.
Kamoebas rolled over and lied in shock. The lifegiving blob-like flesh that once made up Gorosaurus and Trunker covered his body, leaving him too stunned to process what had just happened. His stupor was broken as he felt the shuddering of the earth from each step of the metal titan. Fear and hatred filled Kamoebas as he turned his body and screeched at the false god.
This rage was met by a knee slamming into his jaw. As his body was knocked upward, the massive turtle felt both hands of the machine grab onto his head and neck, attempting to pry open his maw.
Kamoebas refused to let his opponent get the best of him after what had happened, and slowly began to retract his neck back into his shell against the pull of the arms. He grappled the arms with his own forelimbs and began trying to pull the machine closer. As he did so, he noticed the glow surging toward the face of the beast and closed his eyes to brace for the surge of energy. A foot then slammed into his shell for leverage, as the apex of war unleashed his destructive scream.
The blazing hot laser seared against his head, a red glow spreading across his armored face as he stood strong. Though it caused little pain from the growing heat, the worst of the pain was the struggle to not breathe or open his eyes in the stream of energy. Then, almost suddenly, the burning heat stopped. Kamoebas continued his attempt at prying off the metal arms and took a peek at his surroundings, just in time to see the blazing, spinning saws on the machine’s hands dig into them.
True pain surged through the turtle beast for the first time in this battle as the saws carved and gouged into his eye sockets. His wheezing screech of agony puttered out from his throat as he felt the graspers shift over his face. Empty was his vision as he roared out in pain and rage, the graspers clamping down and keeping his mouth open wide.
Mechagodzilla let loose a mechanical chuckle as it held open the now blinded turtle’s maw. The bladed drill on the end of its tail began to spin with burning flames as the mecha yanked the mouth open as wide as it could. The moment Kamoebas let loose another scream of rage, the machine stabbed forth its tail, shoving it down the throat of the turtle with glee. If it couldn’t damage and kill the beast from outside, it would do so from the inside. The Ghidorah within knew he could have very well killed the turtle far quicker by firing its proton scream into the turtle’s gut as the AI originally plotted, but he wanted this beast to suffer for making them seem weak.
The whirring of the drill as it blended up the turtle’s insides were loud as blazing radioactive energy flowed through the tail. The energy surging into the tail rendered the inside Kamoebas into a burning chaos, lighting up his innards and skeleton blue from within as smoke and goop slowly seeped out of the mutant’s mangled maw.
Kamoebas could only gurgle in pain and agony as he felt his innards ripping apart and burning. When his grip on the machine’s arms went limp, the machine yanked the tail out of his enemy, a chunk of amorphous flesh beating once before melting down into liquid biomass. The ground shuddered as he dropped the corpse to the ground, blackened fluids flowing out of the ripped open neck and mouth. The moment his shell hit the ground, his entire body burst into a burning explosion, confusing the AI within the machine as they had not fired any missiles, nor did they do anything to prompt such an explosion other than pump the turtle full of energy. This same phenomenon had happened prior with Gorosaurus, as well as with Trunker, though the latter could have been attributed to its missiles.
Either way, victory was certain. Mechagodzilla screamed into the sky as it claimed a successful hunt over these beasts. A victory quickly tainted as a white beam shot into the back of its head. Twisting its arm to block the milky ray, it turned around to see an astonishing sight. Tsunosilver had dragged himself upright despite his broken legs, showing the machine the resolve this creature had to die. The red fiend was leaning against a rock, firing what little energy he had left at the machine. His legs were a burnt and mangled mess, and his broken nose and mouth were covered with sludge. But he would not let this monster win!
The Apex Titan merely grinned at this development. It seemed like this one just refused to die. It would savor this kill, as it could be the last until he tracked down all the creatures who had fled when Tsunojiras showed himself.
Rockets boosted to life as it shot towards the injured reptile, cackling with glee as the beam washed over its steel. Tsunosilver screamed as the foot of the metal titan slammed into his nose, the momentum dragging his head and body sliding across the ground for a few moments. As his dazed mind began to recuperate, he felt Mechagodzilla straddle his body. Then came the pain, as metal fists began to pummel into his sturdy face.
Right punch. Left punch. Right blow. A monotonous cycle of punches rained down upon his face in an unending force of demented glee.
The android’s monstrous side began to overtake all judgment as it grabbed onto Tsunosilver’s right horn with its left grasper, and began to unleash punch after punch into the monster’s face. Glowing blue flames surging with each blow into the creature’s extremely hard skull. The Monster within decided it would take its time for this one, savoring each punch as it stabbed its tail into the giant’s leg.
Chapter 4: Round 2 – The Cavalry Arrives
Kappalge hauled the exhausted magician around, trekking away until they reached the river. Emerging from the swaying trees and dense shrubbery, Kappalge held the goblin as ve guided him down, allowing him to drink the crystal clear waters. Green Mask had reservations, trying to force himself away. Ghoston died from it, and they were nearly drowned by it. But Kappalge insisted it was not the case. Reluctantly, he gulped down, letting it slither between his sharp teeth, feeling the life-giving fluids course through his body. He was not like the native creatures who relied upon it for sustenance, yet his senses tingle at the sensation.
It felt… Right.
He released himself from the gentle hold of Kappalge and sat back down on the riverbank, feeling a sense of refreshment he was in dire need of. Odd, considering how the ability to give life was able to take it away just as easily.
Even with how far they were, it was hard to ignore the pained screams of their giant compatriots. One by one, they fell in battle; Trunker, Gorosaurus, Kamoebas, and Ghoston were all slain by the robotic menace, their voices becoming silenced as the rampaging machine mutilated each one of them. Likewise too, the endless rounds of distant turrets gunning down any of their remaining allies did not bode well for their chances out here. But when the two heard the blasters of Gegil going off, they knew trouble was closer to their doorstep than anticipated.
The burly cries of Gorilla and the laser fire of Gegil rang from nearby, the two creatures backing out of the foliage. The ape-like beast hollered in dominance, standing straight and using his body as a buffer to protect the goblin and the kappa from anything the enemy had in store. The flat-faced ghoul had their cannon ready, discharging white beams to the treeline above, destroying the enemy drone in a dazzling explosive display. But for every one Gegil took down, another quickly took its place.
Kappalge took a stance, spreading vis arms and preparing to join vis comrades in battle. But Green Mask fell into contemplation. What good would this do? Fighting was their nature, but could they overwhelm a foe whose resources were abundant, whose stamina yielded to none, whose pursuit was ruthless and savage? Perhaps his vision contained the answer they needed, but what good would it be to think at a time like this? His eyes scanned in a panic, trying to–
–at that moment, he spotted something amidst the cliffside. A wreckage of some machine, unlike that of the mecha and its pawns. All they needed was a plan… one that couldn’t be conversed here. So he’d have to take them by force. Green Mask screeched loudly and boldly, summoning his magical prowess once more. Using his cape and stick, in one swooping motion, the other three vanished in a puff of clouds, stored in his magic pocket.
Now, it was time to run.
Green Mask sprinted along as fast as his body would allow, mustering more of his prowess in short bursts of teleportation. The attack drones were relentless in their pursuit, but even their scanners eventually lost their target, who kept skipping ahead through unnatural means. Even if he wasn’t in full health, Green Mask found the strength and confidence to evade the enemy–hoping to take refuge in the rusted vehicle engraved in the cliffside.
Once he reached the base of the cliff, Green Mask looked up and saw the steepness of the cliff. However, time wasn’t on his side, and needed to act quickly. Clasping the ridges of the rock face, the magician repeated his tactic of teleporting along the precipitous formation, making sure he still had a hold every time he reappeared. When he reached the edge, Green Mask pulled his lithe body over and rolled onto solid ground. Dusting himself off, the goblin took a quick glance behind as he dashed for the wreckage–not seeing the pursuers in sight.
The closer he got, the more defined the features became on the wrecked ship. An armored hovercraft, reinforced with a titanium alloy able to withstand immense amounts of pressure… But was unable to last for its voyage. Where it came from was of no concern for Green Mask, but the cavernous hole in the vehicle was worrisome–and it seemed fresh. The shattered glass that used to adorn the hovercraft was now nothing more than millions of shards that lay scattered through the interior. When he finally got the chance to peek inside the hole, it didn’t take long to identify who–or what–was responsible.
Laying its back on the backmost layer of the steel wall was a reptilian creature, bipedal in nature with a long tail and warty skin. Its head was adorned with a trio of horns, two jutting from the brow and a nasal horn from its maw. The beastly reptile laid dormant, seemingly in a deathly sleep. Upon seeing the unconscious monster, Green Mask was taken aback. If the deaths of the Skeleto-Men and Tsunokera were like losing parts of himself, then this was like looking at his own reflection. A dark, twisted version of… Himself? A beast he’d wish not to become. And as if almost by pure instinct, he knew its name.
Tsunojiras.
But time was soon going to catch up with him, and every gut feeling screamed that Tsunojiras had to be saved. Mustering his magic spells, Green Mask pointed his fingers at the dormant monster and stored him into the same pocket space as the others. Tsunojiras vanished in a puff of smoke, freeing space in the cockpit to hide in. Slipping into the hole, Green Mask tightly packed himself under the control panels, waiting…
The buzzing whirrs of the attack drones became more and more evident, the soulless machines surveying the area for any additional targets. Green Mask stood still, each second expanding into minutes of excruciating waiting. It was only when the drones flew off that he felt like he could move again; but just as he did, his gloved hand intermediately knocked into something. Retracting his hand, Green Mask eyed the strange object that rolled to the side. A bleach white skull came to a stop, with decayed bits of organic material unlike that of the Skeleto-Men. Frontal trauma was apparent with the fracture embedded in the skull and missing teeth, and the head was long detached from the skeleton it was a part of.
What was he looking at? The failings of one that preceded him? Or a grim fate that was coming to get him? He tried to dismiss the dark thoughts plaguing his mind, crawling out of the abandoned vehicle and onto the dirt of the Hollow Earth. Waving his wand, Green Mask pointed it and triggered a large burst of clouds–bringing all the others back to this plane of reality.
Gorilla waved wildly, but stopped when he realized he was no longer under attack. Gegil retracted fire, noticing there was nothing to aim at. Kappalge was stunned and confused, unsure of where ve or the others had been for the last few… Minutes? Even vis sense of time was completely off. But they all turned their gaze to Green Mask, but before anyone could react, they also saw the still form of the reptile at Green Mask’s feet.
Collectively, they jerked back at the sight. If Green Mask had to guess, the others must’ve had the same reaction he did upon seeing Tsunojiras. Which, if he was speculating right, meant that this creature wasn’t some derivative like they were; rather, a fragment of the original creature that gave them life. It strangely made sense in his head. The shrieks of Gegil inquired the place of origin for the dormant reptile, to which Green Mask simply pointed behind at the destroyed hovercraft.
They looked beyond, seeing the chaos unfold before their very eyes. It seemed the mechanical destroyer proved itself victorious and would continue its rampage unopposed. All the while, the drones it deployed scoured the dense foliage and shot anything that moved with extreme prejudice. The question that lingered in their minds was what were they to do? No one came to a proper conclusion. Green Mask thought… And pondered… What was that vision? Then, something in his mind clicked, and planted his fist inside his palm.
That was it!
Green Mask jumped up, much to everyone else’s surprise, who eyeballed him with skepticism. He vocalized the prospect of their kind, those derived from Tsunojiras, being able to alter their size on a whim, or bring out some kind of innate talent that each one of them possessed. The brown-haired Gorilla scratched his head in confusion. Gegil responded with a squawk, asking a simple question. How so? To that, Green Mask wasn’t sure…
Then they all looked down at Tsunojiras. If anyone held the keys to their mysteries, it had to be him.
With a firm and confident growl, Gorilla was on the case! Throwing his hairy body onto the dormant monster, Gorilla used his strong hands to slap the unconscious beast awake. Slaps evolved into fists, pounding against the rough bumpy scales of the reptiloid. Despite this, Tsunojiras showed no signs of waking. In an urgent act of rage-fueled annoyance, the muscular primate grabbed the immobile reptile by the shoulders and slammed him repeatedly against the ground he rested on. The pressure from the force cracked the rock-solid earth beneath them. Still nothing.
A frustrated nickering seethed from the hulking ape, throwing his hands up and giving up on the cause. Just as he did, Gorilla felt a sudden thwack knock him upside the head. Everyone else stood stunned as they witnessed the large tail pummel Gorilla in the head, thrusting the gorilla-beast to the ground. And with it, the reptilian figure of Tsunojiras rose to his feet. Devilish mist oozed from his clenched fangs, enraged. Then, a loud, baritone roar resounded from the brutal beast, leaking traces of residual fog from its mouth. Upon hearing his cries, they all fell to their feet in an instinctual act of submission. Gegil trembled at his might, Kappalge was deathly afraid, and Green Mask joined in sharing the same sense of anxiety. Even Gorilla, dazed and confused, turned and bowed submissively.
Fear ran through their bones. But when the bustling roar of Tsunojiras died down, it was Green Mask who, albeit shakily, was the first to speak up.
How were they to wage war against the tyrannical machine that tormented these lands?
Tsunojiras snorted, jeering at Green Mask for his inquiry. But nevertheless, it was a question he was at least willing to disclose. The terrible monster barked, bringing their attention front and center. He wasn’t going to repeat himself.
Their natural talents were skills to be unlocked, through rapid evolution and self-actualization. And that could only come if they accept just one truth: that they were all slaves to his will, and his alone. Like the loosening of a hinge, their minds flooded with a new sensation. A realization that never dawned on them before… Was it really that simple? Even if that was the answer given, Green Mask had reservations. Yes, he felt a tingling sensation, but he still had his sense of mind. Looking over to Kappalge, he saw that ve was on the same wavelength. But Gegil and Gorilla, on the other hand, felt completely overwhelmed by a neural sensation.
The two of them changed their focus, aiming their eyes toward the mechanical behemoth. With a sudden surge of adrenaline running through their forms, they both simultaneously ran and leaped off the cliffside. Green Mask reached out, trying to call for his compatriots. But they ignored his pleas, vanishing in a sudden wave of misty clouds. When they reappeared, the two of them had grown exponentially! Their newfound size dwarfed the very trees they had once used for cover, crashing into the ground with a booming thud. Without a beat, Gegil pushed himself with all their might, sprinting towards the destroyer of the Hollow Earth. Gorilla, though far clumsier in his landing, was also able to get to his feet and charged, prepared to continue the fight.
Green Mask watched helplessly as they ran to the warzone, not able to do a single thing to stop them… He turned to Tsunojiras, who snorted with contempt. A bark from the brutal beast told the goblin to look to the trees, to which he reluctantly complied. Scanning the horizon, most smoke erupted from the trees, with a set of hominid creatures likewise growing gigantic in size. The scaly green one balled his fists and smashed the drones, which became little more than gnats to him. The brown-haired one followed suit, eradicating the forces of the mechanized tyrant with ease by summoning a Morning Star by its own volition, smashing them to bits with it.
Such a sight took Green Mask aback. They were nowhere near hearing range, but yet they too achieved the power of growth… Was there fruit that bore from Tsunojiras’ knowledge? Or was it a truth twisted for its own ends? He… didn’t know. Or maybe… He… didn’t want to know? Seemingly satisfied, Tsunojiras turned his back to the two, only for Green Mask to call out one more time, much to the reptile’s ire. The beast was half-tempted to ignore the inquiry, but decided to hear the goblin out one last time.
Green Masks screeched… What was… His… Purpose?
A snarl exposed the razor teeth of Tsunojiras, jeering at the lowly slave with a nasty growl. His purpose is to fight. Anything less… Made him useless.
Hearing that sneering growl made something snap in Green Mask’s mind… Was that all he was? The caped goblin only stared on in stunned disbelief as Tsunojiras leapt over the cliffside, likewise growing exponentially in size. The rumbling crash from the giant reptile made Green Mask lose balance, falling to the floor without the will to catch himself. Trees snapped like twigs under the reptilian’s large legs, watching Tsunojiras become farther and farther as he approached the battlefield with Gegil and Gorilla.
Green Mask contemplated that growl. Was that all he was good for…?
His sense of feeling had numbed, not realizing that Kappalge had started to lift him up. Ve patted his back, trying to comfort him. But all he could hear was that growl of disapproval… Of shame, of humiliation. Green Mask clenched his fists tightly, to which even Kappalge grew concerned. A newfound sense of determination flowed through his body.
Green Mask rose to his feet, turning to Kappalge. The bird-like kappa nodded, understanding what must be done. With a twiddle of his fingers, Kappalge was stored in the magic pocket in a puff of smoke, leaving Green Mask by himself. Disappearing from sight, Green Mask scaled down the cliffside until he safely reached the bottom, in which he sprinted as fast as he could.
Even if he wasn’t gifted with the same abilities as his now-giant brethren, he’d prove his master wrong.
—
Chunks of bumpy red hide were strewn across the ground as Mechagodzilla let loose another powerful punch into the head of Tsunosilver. The kobold was somehow still clinging to life, his ragged breaths only motivating the deadly hunter. His large nose had been broken and crushed into a bruised mess as the machine continued his onslaught. The red bumpy flesh that covered his head was now swollen, with some having been ripped off by the constant hits as his face was a slurry of bruised sludge and cracked bone.
While the machine’s AI saw the inefficiency of such actions and urged the other side to just finish the beast with a Proton Scream, the Monster within was stubbornly wanting to break his oddly tough skull. The monster within was enraged that he couldn’t get through Kamoebas’ shell, but he would not stand a simple skull being too tough for its mechanical strength. Another hit shattered off the last remaining horn on the beast’s skull, with one last hit finally cracking it open completely. The mecha felt some satisfaction that finally, its punches had broken the skull.
Then the deceased body of Tsunosilver ignited and popped with a flashy explosion, briefly blinding the mech as the force pushed its body upward. Chunks of sludge like flesh dripped off its body as the machine’s vision readjusted, stumbling backward. This was just like the others. It seemed that these strange organisms were just very combustible apparently. Perhaps due to the large veins of energy rich ores everywhere, or perhaps a diet of explosive energy rich ore to subsist their bodies reserves of energy? Or, perhaps something else was at play here.
Standing upright after the sudden combustion, the Titan of Man began preparations for the next hunt, readying to check in with the AI on the attack drones when its sensors heard a loud, familiar roar echoing with the promise of vengeance. This was followed quickly by the sound of grunting and pounding footsteps getting closer to its location as the mech began to turn to find the challenger.
Brown fur filled his vision briefly as the mecha was tackled by another newcomer. Machine and beast rolled across the ground. Purple, ore rich soil and rock flying astray as they dredged through the landscape.
Mechagodzilla kicked at the opponent’s chest, receiving a fist to the face as the two rolled away from each other. Getting to its feet, it roared out as it turned to face its newest opponent, a realization of joy that his combat could continue much sooner than he thought. Then shock and excitement filled his monstrous mind as the massive brown ape roared back at him, pounding his chest with long fur covered arms and a dead eyed dopey face.
Another Kong!
Happiness filled its bestial mind at the possibilities of finding others like the titans of the surface down below to crush and test his metal against! Then the AI portion of his mind ruined the thought with its more logical processes. It showcased images comparing the two titanic apes, revealing that this creature was either a subspecies, or just another form of massive ape like the fossils and skeletons of those lemur titans would suggest.
Though the resemblance was there, this Giant Gorilla was no Kong, its roars and mannerisms befitting more a beast than the protective and cunning nature of the King of Skull Island. Drone footage of a smaller man sized version of the beast gave birth to the idea of this being a parent to the smaller creature as the footage cut short from its destruction. Perhaps it came to protect its young from danger. No, this creature was no Kong. Just an imposter from down in the Hollow Earth. He would brutally crush this ape for getting his hopes up, then start his search for the origin of that roar.
Hearing more roars of anger and the sounds of more rushing footfalls around him told him that he wouldn’t have to search for long, as three more creatures began to circle around him, looking awfully familiar to the beasts he sent his drones to hunt down. But most concerning of all was the three horned reptile that followed with them, rage in its eyes almost as though it knew what he had done.
Tsunojiras, the Brutal Beast, had returned.
The same type of creature which had left rust and corrosion on his powerful body. He could feel a similar titan frequency in this one, nearly the exact same as the one he killed just before, though he could sense his rage through more obvious observations. He let loose a loud roar into the surroundings, pounding his fists together.
The others roared out in united rage at his command as they circled hungrily for combat, quite similar to how Godzilla and himself, when he was part of Ghidorah, had once done when they were King of the Monsters. So it seemed the beast did have an Alpha signature capable of leading lesser beings to his commands. His servants were an interesting lot as he looked closer at them.
Of course there was the Imposter Kong, a massive brown gorilla pounding away at its chest. To his side was a bulky green gargantua, who flung his arms into the sky as an intimidation tactic with teeth clacking hungrily. Beside Tsunojiras knelt the boomerang headed, rainbow skinned creature with a sturdy looking cannon arm, the same species as the little one who shot him in the face when finishing off Ghoston. Lastly was a large brown furred, silver skull faced beast, chittering with the sound of rattling bones while swinging a morning star at his face.
Brief confusion overtook his mind at the last thought as the large spiked ball slammed into his face. Sparks flew as Shilarji swung his Morning Star at the metal monstrosity once more, knocking him into the waiting arms of Gaira. Gaira grabbed the mech by the shoulder, and let loose a powerful palm strike to his chest to knock the machine away.
With a warcry and a wave of his arm, Tsunojiras ordered his hellish spawn to destroy their enemy.
As Mechagodzilla caught his footing, a blast of jagged white lightning shot into its side sending the mecha reeling further. The robotic monster returned fire with his Proton Scream, only to see the iridescent creature return fire with its lightning blast. The two beams intersected in an intense struggle between the two.
With both competing for dominance, Tsunojiras acted quickly, summoning forth a cactus-like orb. The red death ray quickly began to overpower the lightning attack, only for the mech to receive a series of needles shot at his face and body, each exploding upon impact with his armor. The distraction allowed Gegil to let loose a surge of power into per lightning, overpowering the steel demon’s destructive energy with a burst of energy. White electricity coursed and sparked across the robot Godzilla in an attempt to damage and paralyze the circuitry, only to find resistance in the form of pulsing blue and red energy surging through the steel titan.
Lifting a hand into the path of the attack, the machine surged energy into its arm to counteract the electrifying energy as more explosive spines popped across its metal hide. The assault stopped suddenly, putting the demonic dragon on alert for why, when the spiked ball of the morning star struck down from above onto its head.
As this was happening, the AI mind quickly began to assess the situation while the monstrous side continued their fight, assigning names to each creature for documentation by translating their screeches through its access to Ghidorah’s mind and memories. Time seemed to slow down for the AI as it processed the information at high speed.
All these new beings were similar in appearance, down to various minor wounds, as the smaller ones which were fighting the drones just moments before. They all seemed to have some form of anger against them, and worked together greatly, like a mob or pack. These were no parents or simple giants coming to defend their home. These were the same little creatures who worked together to fight and take on their drones.
Perhaps something within had triggered a massive form of growth in them? Some drone footage had managed to capture footage of Gaira and Shilarji being coated by some form of steam mid fight, then it cut out as they seemed to expand and crush the drone.
If so, this potentially meant that any small creature in the Hollow Earth had the potential to shift from a smaller creature into a large titan going off these four beings. The science behind this process made very little sense, as it broke all laws of the conservation of mass, and yet there were oddities in the hollow earth that were constantly changing humanity’s thoughts on the world and its rules.
It was then that an odd occurrence happened in their minds. Theories slowly surged forth from the fragments of Serizawa’s mind, having been slowly coming together since their journey into the underworld.
Fragments of observed information linking together to showcase how some of these creatures were able to grow larger, while others like the green faced goblin still remained human sized. How they seemed to be skilled in the use of weaponry as well as basic strategy despite their differences in species. An observation of something humanlike in their behaviors and actions guiding them to work as a team. Something was uniting these beasts together, and somehow they had a trigger mechanism in their bodies that allowed for massive growths in mass in a short amount of time to combat Titan sized opponents.
It theorized that these were not natural creations at all, but some form of Titan Mutations or Offspring.
If Tsunojiras was one such being capable of altering and commanding these types of mutants into their massive forms, then the three horned beast would need to die quickly before he could grow an army of giants large enough to wear them down through sheer numbers.
Yet even as this epiphany went through their minds, the computer felt there was still vital information missing, something that would link everything together. It prodded at the gathered fragments of the human mind buried beneath their massive presences for an answer, but received but a few memories in its sudden silence.
As the AI shared this information to the monster side, their body was still in the midst of being smacked by the spikes of Shilarji’s weapon. With a lurch of its arm, Mechagodzilla grabbed ahold of the weapon and swung the skull-faced ape into the path of an energy blast. Shilarji screamed with rattling bones as the lightning coursed into him. The moment the electricity stopped coursing through his armor, Mechagodzilla unleashed a barrage of missiles at its ranged opponent, swinging its bladed tail at Shilarji’s arm to potentially disarm the hairy beast.
It was but a few moments late however, as the silver faced beast released his grip on his weapon and stumbled back to avoid the sharp blades. Gegil meanwhile, was already on their way to avoid the missiles, rolling away from the explosions as they returned fire with a volley of energy blasts from the cannon arm. Each blast sent explosive sparks flying off the tough metal, acting more like a concussive explosion than a blast of hot plasma. The energy blasts were enough to push the steel monster back and keep its attention long enough for Shilarji to roll out of danger.
Tsunojiras however, merely waded through the missiles as they bounced off his hide, roaring for the others to jump the machine as he lifted the orb off his head, tossing it at the mechanical titan of man.
The Anti-Titan Weapon swung its arm to intercept, opening his fist and grabbing onto the cactus-like sphere to throw it back at the reptile. This was a mistake, as upon contact, the orb exploded in a burst of heat and large amounts of smoke, blinding the machine briefly as it rushed headfirst into battle.
The machine’s charge was met with feet to the face, as Gorilla had leapt forth into a drop kick toward the blinded machine. The hairy ape snarled with anger as he hit the ground. While he only felt some kinship with but a few of the other spawn, this thing was responsible for many of the others deaths.
The whirring of machinery caught his ear as he turned toward the machine, watching as it lunged toward his fallen body. Crossing his arms over his face, the ape prepared for the impact, only to feel nothing as a tail swung over his body.
The thick tail of Tsunojiras slammed into the metal monster, knocking the mecha to the ground. Dust flew into the air as the horned monster quickly began to stomp onto the steel head of the machine. The servant of the devil snarled out to the grounded Gorilla to join in. He immediately responded by picking up and throwing a rock toward the two, striking down a fist which was shooting up towards Tsunojiras.
Gaira grunted over to the others as he rushed over and began to kick and punch at the robot. The spinning blades of the tail shot towards the green menace, only to be wrapped up by the chain of Shilarji’s weapon and dragged down. Falling from above came the Gorilla, slamming his fists down onto the mech’s tail as the others unleashed their own anger.
Altogether, the four monsters began to stomp and kick at the downed machine, making sure to strike the arms and legs of the mech to prevent it from getting back up. Gegil stood off to the side, watching the beat down and taking potshots when they could.
The AI worked hard as alerts pounded into its systems of errors and damage being taken to their body. Metal was groaning and creaking under the stress of the enemies attacks, causing the interface to warn its monstrous cohost to do something to stop the damages. The monstrous mind retorted that he was doing his best, as another attempt to fire missiles from shoulder pods was quickly slammed down by another creature.
Each attempt to kick or swing their arms was immediately stopped by one of the other monsters watching out for their fellow monsters. An attempted elbow was kicked into the ground by a green foot as the tail continued to be tied up by the skull faced monkey. Looking up, the mecha could now see teal smoke leaking from the maw of the brutal beast as it sneered down at them. Its stare told the monster within that it saw him as a lesser being, looking down upon him as though he was lesser. That he was weak.
Rage filled the part of Ghidorah within the machine as he saw the look of superiority and condescension in his opponent. He and his kind had conquered worlds! He had traversed the cosmos to lay claim to this world and prove his strength as the greatest in this system! He had destroyed monsters far stronger than this simple reptile for merely existing, to show their power was the strongest around, to show they were the strongest around. They were a King, a God amongst Monsters! And though he might not have his siblings with him or his old body, he would destroy this insolent insect for ever looking down upon his being with pity and superiority!
As toxic smog billowed down onto titanium frames, slowly but surely corroding the metal into rust, the apex destroyer roared out as it ignited its boosters. Despite fists and kicks slamming into his steel body and disorienting his movements, he shot forth towards the horned reptile, a singular rage flowing through its monstrous mind even as it spiraled from each blow. The machine slammed into the horned serpent with its full bulk, knocking the air out of him as they barreled forth.
Sinister red eyes glared into fiery orange as the two alpha titans blasted past the others, both filled with an intense hatred. Mechagodzilla snapped its maw down upon Tsunojiras’ shoulder, grinders sawing away at rock hard flesh as the horned beast pounded away at the steel exterior of his foe. The two slammed into a hillside, slamming away at the other in an attempt to rip each other apart.
The impact caused the duo to split from one another, rolling upward and ready to fight. The horned serpent roared as he rushed the steel menace. This annoyance was not dying as fast as he’d liked, and this irked him to no end.
Mechagodzilla felt the same as it met the false Titan’s charge itself, boosting itself forth with rockets.
The two struck at the same moment, a kick from the servant of the devil slammed into the mech’s gut as the machine landed a powerful haymaker to the reptile’s head. Both attacks proved devastating in different ways, the blow to the gut off balancing the Mecha to the point its rockets slammed it head first into the ground while the machine’s own haymaker sent the brutal beast’s mind into a confusing mess as the blistering pulse of heat shot through his brain.
His face hitting the ground forced him to regain some sense of himself, but his balance was somewhat shot as he fell to his side while trying to stand. As the dinosaurian creature held himself up on his hands and knees, a titanium foot slammed into his face from the side, sending him rolling in a confused heap.
Mechagodzilla screeched in rage as it rushed for another kick, hitting the brown skinned beast in the gut and sending him skidding back in pain. It could hear and sense the others approaching quickly to their location, but it mattered not to the machine. If it killed the head, the rest would soon follow.
Having the sense knocked back into him, the horned serpent was quick to roll himself out of the path of the next kick, quickly getting back to his feet as the machine turned to face him. He could see the energy building up in his enemy’s maw, remembering the searing heat of that blasted beam from his past life. All he had to do was stall for his minions to catch up, then he could let them weaken his enemy for him to finish off. A flash of light flickered atop his head as the spiked cactus-like ball reappeared on his head.
Proton Scream met spiked ball as Tsunojiras launched the ball into the path of destruction, creating another smokescreen. Using the smoke to cover his path, Tsunojiras rushed under the beam and swung with all his might upward. Fist met steel as the devil’s serpent uppercutted the machine’s head upward. Not wanting to let up his advantage, he immediately began to claw and punch at his enemy, slowly pushing him back.
Then things went wrong as he felt steel slash into his leg, the tail of the machine having swung from below. Tsunojiras attempted to blast the machine with another burst of toxic smoke, only for a hand to slam down on his face with an explosive burst, momentarily disorienting the beast as it clamped the mouth shut. Yanking him forth, Mechagodzilla quickly bit down on the beast’s shoulder, grinding away at rocky flesh as it slammed the monster into the dirt. Drones flew around the duo as Mechagodzilla stomped down on the writhing tail, keeping his prey pinned. The other hand clamped down on the arm being bitten as Mechagodzilla’s grinding maws began to glow with a radiant crimson glow.
Pain filled the horned dinosaur’s being as the Proton Scream seared into his flesh. Chunks of burnt flesh grinded down into the machine’s industrial crushers, spewing down the machine’s body. The reptilian demon could do little as the grasper on his face continued to lift and slam his head into the dirt with bursts of azure energy as the mecha began to slice through his shoulder. While one arm slammed the beast into the dirt, the other was pulling at flesh, trying to rip off the arm as soon as it was severed.
Almost instantaneously, rocket pods twisted to the side and fired, sending a cluster of missiles rocketing behind the machine and into the aerial form of Gaira. The green gargantua had been the first to catch up to the dueling giants, having leapt forth in an attempt to knock off the steel monster, only to receive a barrage of missiles against his body, knocking him off to the side with explosive force. Chunks of scaly flesh and fur were sent flying as the smoking body of Gaira slammed to the ground.
The green gargantua clutched his smoking chest, gasping for air as lightning shot past overhead. The mecha reacted quickly, almost as though it had known the attack was coming as it twisted its body and swung the injured Tsunojiras into the path of the lightning, electrocuting the horned saurian as the Proton Scream fired back. Gegil was unprepared for the oncoming beam, their body being hit full force and sent flying backwards in pain, burns already spreading from the impact. The searing pain filled the mind of the armed fiend as they crashed into the ground, clutching the burns with their hand. Gegil had never felt this much pain before in their life, even if said life was less than an hour or so old.
For Tsunojiras however, the pain had only just begun, as the force of the swing combined with the burning beam and Gegil’s electricity contracting his muscles was too much pressure for his arm to bear. The bone dislocated from his shoulder as contracted and burned flesh gave way, ripping off of the dinosaur’s body.
The steel apex discarded the arm quickly as it kneed the shocked monster in the gut, sending a pulse of burning plasma searing into his body. Releasing the hold on his face, Mechagodzilla rocketed his body sideways, twisting rapidly to slam his tail into the gut of his enemy and sending the tyrant flying, taking the air out of him.
With the horned serpent soaring away, the mecha clawed and lunged forth toward him. One arm grappled onto the neck of Gaira, surprising the gargantua as Mechagodzilla charged forth, dragging the gargantua with him. The green giant grabbed onto the offending arm even as he was dragged through the dirt and trees, scale and flesh scraping across the land.
Gorilla acted quickly, catching his flying master and setting him down, watching the reptile struggling to breathe from the attack. The thundering footsteps caught his attention as he turned back to the mecha, only to see Gaira’s body being thrown at them. With the gargantua slamming into them head on, the trio collapsed to the ground in a pile atop Gorilla.
The Gorilla struggled as he lifted the duo up, trying to push them off when he heard the whistling of the missiles. With Gaira and Gorilla covering his body, Tsunojiras was unable to counteract a majority of the missiles as they struck hard. Explosions blasted across the trio, covering the pile of bodies in flame. As they laid in pain, the steel mech finally arrived, falling down from above with cerulean flames. Though in pain, the Gorilla managed to shove the others away just in time for the steel feet of the artificial Titan to slam into his chest with a crack.
Gorilla gasped in pain as his ribs shattered, the steel foot digging down hard. The mecha began to build a charge in its maw, rage filling its vision as it glared down upon the ape. Before the beam could fire upon the primate, a chain wrapped around the neck of the machine as Shilarji yanked with all his strength. The beam shot off to the side as the silver-faced ghoul did his best to drag the mech away from his allies.
Off in the distance, the cannon armed demon known as Gegil slowly got back to their feet, breathing heavily as they pepped themself up to rejoin the fight. If needed, they would fight up close to protect their allies from harm, or they could draw its attention with ranged fire. Seeing Shilarji already drawing the ire of the beast, Gegil took cover behind a boulder. Taking aim, they tried to focus as the mecha thrashed about trying to shake Shilarji off its back. Before either could do much, Gaira had gotten back into the fight, slamming a fist into the mech’s face, granting Gegil the opportunity it needed to take a shot, making a glancing strike against the machine with a blast of energy.
—
Dense foliage was the only real protection he had, but even then that didn’t stop him from being spotted by the drones. Quick maneuvers prevented an untimely demise, but Green Mask still had a promise to keep. One to… Himself? He wasn’t sure why he detested the feeling. Why was this a promise to uphold? For his sake? Did he not deserve freedom? He did, but it is as Tsunojiras said: they were slaves to his will. What was… He… To do?
But Green Mask couldn’t ponder for long; rapid fire whirls of machine gun bullets zipped through the air, the magician performing a teleport-strafe to safely move out of harm’s way. Even with a firm hand on his teleportation ability, Green Mask couldn’t avoid the rumbling earth beneath his feet. The closer he got, the more intense it became. As the mechanical menace tossed his large allies around like ragdolls, he knew none of them would be reliable; they were too close to the action for Green Mask’s liking.
That was why his destination lied with Gegil. The one who maintained the most distance from the fight. They blasted away with their arm cannon, launching concussive bursts at the mechanized threat. But for every one that hit, at least three more missed the mobile target, scattering at its feet.
Reality came crashing back as rapid fire bullets shredded the foliage around him, the high-pitched whines of their traces indicating they were close to their mark. Had it not been for his inherited teleportation, he would have met the same fate as his brethren ages ago. But no matter the case, he had to keep running. To see the full extent of his capabilities–to his use for the cause.
The gap was closing. Almost there.
Gegil stood high and tall, doing their part in the war against the machine. As Green Mask came in range, he snapped his fingers; from a puff of smoke, Kappalge returned to this plane of reality. As the mechanical drone broke through the treetops, its turrets aimed squarely against Green Mask, Kappalge took action. Vis beak swelled with a large bubble, discharging it as soon as ve could. Propelled by pressurized air, the gum-like bubble crashed against the drone’s rotary wings, spiraling out of control. It slammed against the ground, breaking its internal mechanisms and disabling the machine from participating in the slaughter of their kind. Kappalge turned around, bearing witness if vis compatriot’s efforts will bear fruit.
Green Mask planted his gloved hands against the foot of Gegil, mustering all his power to store the giant ally in his magic pocket. So large they were, Green Mask felt his hands glow, trying to open the gap to store the giant. But alas, a massive spark blew back against him, sending Green Mask hurling away from Gegil. No matter the quantity Green Mask could hold, his power rejected him. Storing his supergiant brethren proved for naught. Kappalge came running to him, aiding him in getting back to his feet.
Pain coursed through his body; all the more dejected by his power’s limitations. A stern reminder of his uselessness. But at that moment, the two of them looked up and saw Gegil staring down at them. The giant still recognized their smaller allies, they leaned over and offered them to hop on. The pair do, leaping onto Gegil’s massive palm. When they steady themselves, the giant brought them up to their shoulder; the tour of which was filled with immense pressure from Gegil’s newfound size. Their movements were slow compared to their smaller state. When the hand pressed against the shoulder, they hopped off and tried to find a hiding place along their neck folds.
Now out of the field of view of any drones, Green Mask slumped against the wall of flesh. Doubt gnawed at him. There truly wasn’t anything he could do, could he? Kappalge saw vis comrade in clear distress, leaning over next to him. Ve reached around him, holding him close. With gentle taps from vis hand, Kappalge cooed assuredly.
It was going to be okay.
As the others fought, the last chunk of amorphous flesh that was once the torso of the first Tsunojiras pulsed with life, still buried under the trees knocked down by Tsunosilver’s birth. Whereas the rest of the first wave of giants had already perished, the one forming from the torso was taking its time to come free. Nearby, a couple of flying drones chased the injured spawn called Gabara away from his comrades, one managing to finally shoot the legs of the warty toad. Unbeknownst to either the drones or Gabara, the mass of flesh seemed to detect the pain and need of a fellow spawn, and began to accelerate its formation.
Gabara stood tired as he leaned against a tree, seeing the drones taking aim at his bullet-ridden body. He attempted to rip off one of his claws only to get shot in the arm by a drone he didn’t see. He began to accept his fate as the machine gun turrets began to spin, hearing the telltale hissing pop of a new spawn forming right as they opened fire. As the drones unleashed their hellfire upon the warty toad mutant, a large fist slammed onto them, claws dripping with toxic sludge. The drones not smashed by the fist began to rust and corrode from the toxic fumes around the claws, breaking into rusted junk onto the dirt.
Gabara stared at the familiar looking hand, twisting his head to see what had helped him. Upon seeing the new spawn, he let loose a choked out giggle, met by an equally familiar chuckle from the newly formed giant, the green warty hand grabbing and cradling the dying monster in comfort. The sound of combat in the distance caught the giant’s attention, knowing instinctively the path of destruction would lead him to his enemy. As for Gabara, he had a simple thought before he perished and popped in the hands of his fellow toad. If only he could see the face on that bastard machine when his brother showed up.
As one spawn of the devilish beast died, another had taken his place, fresh and ready to continue his battle on a grander scale.
—
Sparks flew as blasts of energy slammed into the steel hide of the apex destroyer. The mechanical titan killer made another swing at the duo of Gaira and Shilarji only for the two giants to roll in opposite directions, allowing another blast from Gegil to strike its arm. Shilarji took another swing with his morning star, only for the machine to grab and yank it out of his grip. With a rattling shout, the weapon seemed to ignite and explode in the mecha’s grasp, filling the mech’s vision with smoke and damaging the hand saws as Shilarji taunted the machine.
This was a mistake as several missiles blasted through the smokescreen. Explosions slammed into the furry creature, throwing him back in a ball of fire. The skull-faced demon quickly began to pat the fires that had ignited on his body when the mechanical screeching of the mecha dawned on him. A silver fist slammed down from above onto his head, sending Shilarji’s skull bouncing off the ground with blue flames. As the second fist came down, it was quickly intercepted by Gaira, wrapping his arms around the steel arm and struggling to pull the steel titan away from his ally.
The green bigfoot began to pummel his fists into the tough steel of his enemy’s face with as much strength as he could only to feel the stinging cut of the tail blade slicing into his side. Still he held tight to the mecha’s arm with all his might. The steel fist of the destroyer swung towards his body only for Shilarji to leap forth and grab onto the opposing arm, yanking tight as the two of them dragged the machine to the ground. With a shout, Gaira called for Gegil to fire. Electricity slammed into the chest of the mecha, shocking its systems as it was forced to focus energy to mitigate damages.
Gaira took a quick glance over to the others, seeing Gorilla holding his broken ribs tight, while Tsunojiras seemed to have finally regained his breath. The one armed monster glared with an intense hatred as he clutched the burnt flesh on his shoulder. He watched as the horned beast lifted the injured ape to his feet and pushed him towards battle, commanding the injured beast to fight his battle.
Though he knew Tsunojiras was his superior and creator, Gaira felt that the beast only saw them as tools to be used to fight his wars. He cared little for them, and would throw them into the forefront of his fights while he sat back watching, waiting for them to do the job for him. A screech of pain made him turn to look at Shilarji, seeing that his ally, his friend, had taken a blast of the mech’s energy attack to the face and was now reeling back on fire. Hearing the hissing of missiles above him, Gaira rolled away from the mech just in time for the barrage of missiles to slam into the ground where he once stood. He turned to glare at the mecha as it shifted its attention back to the source of the electrifying beam.
With electricity coursing through its body, Mechagodzilla turned its beam towards the distant Gegil, torching the land as the cannon-armed monster was forced to stop their assault to move. Gegil continued to fire their cannon blasts as they ran, explosions bursting up in front of the mech in hopes of blinding it momentarily to escape. A barrage of missiles shot towards the large headed beast, only to be met by blasts of electricity bursting them in the sky.
While this did little to stop Mechagodzilla, it was enough for Gaira to return to action, throwing a fist into the machine’s face from the side and sending it reeling and stopping the beam. Gaira then went to throw another punch into the face of the mecha only for his fist to be grabbed. The mecha cackled as it began crushing the green bigfoot’s hand in its grip. The green giant growled in pain as it went to punch with its other fist, only for that one to also get grabbed. Lifting the gargantua up, Mechagodzilla began to pull the scaly giant taut by its arms, garnering roars of agony.
Sparks scattered across Gaira’s back as he was used as a shield against Gegil’s attacks, yet the gargantua did not yield despite that. It was only when he saw what else was coming that he began to feel fear for his life. Chest ports opened and back missile pods took aim, the sinister glow of the mech seeming to grow brighter as it looked into his eyes. Missiles of various size and power began to fire onto his body, coating his body in bursts of fire and smoke. Flesh and scales were sent flying as explosions rocketed across the gargantua’s body. The bursting roar of the explosions drowned out the agonizing cries of the green giant. The assault soon came to a stop as the shoulder pods turned to the side, the missiles suddenly veering behind the duo and into the body of the Gorilla.
The ape growled as the bombardment struck his flesh, but he pushed through the pain. Tsunojiras had given him orders to fight, and fight he would. The acrid scent of burnt flesh and fur filled his nostrils as he leapt to slam his fist into the back of the machine, only to be hit mid jump by the mech’s tail.
Mechagodzilla tossed away the burnt and damaged body of Gaira as he turned his attention to the burning ape. Snarling a mechanical screech, it rocketed forth and slammed its claws into the chest of the ape, revealing and shattering the broken bones further into his body with blistering azure flames.
A cry of pain bellowed from the ape’s lips as he felt bones stabbing into organs. His breathing grew harsh as he swung back, only to get another blazing fist to the chest as the mecha blocked his assault. The damages continued onward with each failed strike resulting in another devastating body blow. Each hit lighting up the gorilla’s chest with a pulse of blue energy as the bone grew more and more broken. Even as explosions slammed into the mecha’s back, he only used their push to slam the gorilla further back in pain.
On the side, Shilarji crawled over to the burnt body of Gaira, holding onto his burnt face with one hand as he shook his friend with the other. He could see the blackened body was still moving, taking ragged breaths with vicious coughs in between. His body was littered with holes and pits, burnt and pulsing with amorphous muscles. Gaira let out a groan of pain as he laid on the ground, leaning up to grip onto Shilarji’s less damaged body.
They could hear Gorilla’s screams, knowing he needed help, yet as they leaned on one another, Gaira took note in his mind that Tsunojiras simply watched as Gorilla was beaten and broken by the enemy, still on the sidelines watching the machine fight. Their boss could have joined in at any time, summoned another spike ball even to assist their comrade. But he stood there, clutching his missing arm with hatred burning in his eyes. Waiting for them to do the job for him. Grunting to his fellow spawn, the green gargantua started the beginnings of a plan as the silver skulled demon held him close.
Gorilla felt his back slam into a pillar of stone, doing his best to protect himself from the powerful strikes of the titanium titan. Silver claws slammed into his arms, searing his bones with its fiery energy as missiles occasionally blasted him from the sides. Then suddenly, the hits stopped. The ape took a deep breath as he took a glance at his opponent through his arms, wondering if someone else had gotten the machine’s attention.
Gorilla then screamed out in pain as the spiraling blades of Mechagodzilla’s tail speared into his broken chest. Sludge like flesh and fur were sent flying as the drill dug into the ape’s body, pumped full of energy. Mechagodzilla shoved the tail further into the monkey’s chest, hoping to burn the ape’s organs from the inside as ethereal flames seared through its steel into its opponent. The machine pushed the gorilla’s body against the stony pillar, firing missiles around them to stop the others from getting close. The Monster within the Machine wanted to savor this moment, this kill, on a creature so closely resembling Kong, and it would not have the others interfere.
He heard the chuckling of the robot as it shoved the tail further into the monster, stabbing into the rock behind. The Gorilla could feel his life slipping from him as the tail twisted and pulsed energy into his body. Yet, he wanted to show this invader that he still had some fight in him. He wanted to prove himself to be more than just a simple beast to be put down. Before the machine could draw back its tail, the Gorilla latched onto the metal appendage and held tight. He then kicked the robot back, feeling both the tail and his own body being pulled off the stone.
With the enemy’s tail gripped in his dying arms, the giant gorilla heaved with all his might. Mechagodzilla felt some surprise as he was pulled off his feet, the massive ape spinning him around with incredible strength. Metal slammed into stone as the ape swung his enemy through the rock he had been pinned to, roaring with all his remaining rage as he did so. Then he released his grip, sending the machine, and the tail in his chest, soaring into a cliffside, stone and foliage quickly landsliding over the mecha’s body.
Gorilla roared out in agony, clenching his burnt and broken torso as the machine slowly began to dig itself free. As he felt his life fading, the ape slammed one arm into the crook of the other, his forearm raised upward with his hand flipping his middle finger to the mech as a final act of hate. Then, his movements and breathing ceased as he fell to his knees, collapsing to the ground as what strength he had left began to fade. Moments later, a burst of flames and energy exploded from his body, ripping his corpse asunder.
Rock flew as steel arms ripped upward in rage. Mechagodzilla screeched into the sky as it turned to see Gorilla’s final moments, the dissatisfaction of seeing its prey rebelling even in death. Turning to survey the area, it saw the burnt skull faced monkey holding up the injured gargantua. In the side of its vision it saw footage of the cannon armed imp from the drones the AI had tasked to keep track of the beast, and two additional cretins holding firm against the creature’s neck. And there? Behind the two injured mammals was the one armed coward, glaring at him.
As the mecha readied to rush back into combat, two feet slammed into its back from above, the cackling of a new creature echoing into its audio systems as the creature shoved it into the ground below. Almost immediately, the machine felt sharp objects jam into the joints of its boosters, before alerts clued it in that a corrosive poison had clogged the top two rocket boosters in place. A swipe of its tail sent the intruder rolling off its body, as drone footage revealed claws jammed into the joints of his rockets with a corrosive patch spreading over them.
Snarling in rage, the mecha turned to his new opponent, who was cackling with glee as it patted its warty hide.
Gabara laughed as he stared down at the machine before him. Venom dropped from his claws as he taunted the steel beast before him. He would take out the machine and prove himself the most useful and powerful of the spawn. Arms outstretched, the mutant toad cackled to the skies as he charged forth, ready to fight this enemy.
The machine dragon simply snarled, weaving low as it let loose a powerful uppercut on the warty beast, sending him flying into the air.
Pathetic. And yet these lowly creatures are the ones that keep tarnishing its body. Disgusting. But they’d be terminated sooner or later–not if, but when.
—
War waged in the distance, with Gegil keeping them safe first and foremost. But even so, Green Mask held onto doubt. Was there truly nothing he could do? Kappalge insisted they’d be fine. But wasn’t there more they could do…?
Even then, the gnawing doubt spread into the depths of his mind. He questioned himself again; why? If his progenitor could care less, then why was he hardwired to pursue a fight he wasn’t going to survive? Green Mask muttered his doubts, but a caw from Kappalge cut through the string of anxiety.
Did he not realize? They were hardwired to fight because the machine was a threat, nothing more. If their sole purpose was to fight, what would be their use after the menace was conquered? Kappalge’s inquiry struck a chord with Green Mask. How could he have held onto such a narrow-minded belief? How did Kappalge even come to that realization?
The magician asked. How?
And Kappalge responded. It was simple. The only one to define your path is you. It could be in service of others, it could be to the self. But the choice was yours to make.
Tsunojiras was never going to fulfill that aching desire. It is why ve is who ve is. Ve made that choice after they were molded into the world. Ve fought because everyone had a common enemy. But the choice was vis to make.
So then the bird rebuked vis compatriot. What was Green Mask going to decide?
At this time, the green-skinned goblin had no answer. But the euphoria from this seldom reflection connected the dots in his mind. Maybe he didn’t have the answer to his existentialism now, but to contribute to the battle–a spark ignited within him, albeit rather suddenly. Green Mask squawked at his bird ally. Thank you.
Propping up to his feet, Green Mask swung and jumped up to Gegil’s gigantic ear. He began relaying strategies and ideas to the arm-cannoned imp. The giant nodded in compliance. As Green Mask instructed their giant ally, Kappalge kept a keen eye out for any drones; any that got too close were shot down on sight.
Now, it was a matter of pushing his luck… and to put words to action.
—
There was no time to waste. Not when its efforts were this close. Heavy footfalls crunched against the tattered, war-torn environment as the relentless anti-Titan superweapon was on the move. It refused to let up, prioritizing the fresh meat that just entered the fray. A series of stomps and punches put the warty toad on the back foot, wailing on the green ogre with deliberate strikes. The pathetic creature shrieked and cried at every blow, but still maintained integrity regardless.
And fortunately for Gabara, he wasn’t alone.
From both sides, the sudden jump of the hominids pulled its wrathful machine hands back, mustering all their collective strength to hold the mechanical devil back. Gaira and Shilarji possessed incredible strength, but they couldn’t hold back Mechagodzilla forever. Overwhelmed by artificial power, the two hairy giants were thrashed by the full might of Mechagodzilla, ragdolled and dragged against the earth, hanging on for dear life. The ruthless tyrant finished the ordeal by slamming both of them together, channeling its fiery might in that last blow. In doing so, the machine was freed from their pathetic grasp.
But just as one set was temporarily beaten back, the return of another made his presence known. Lunging several poison-coated spears, Gabara’s nails lodged themselves into the chest of the mechanical devil, the oozing poison corroding the surrounding metal. Mechagodzilla swiftly swiped at the embedded nails, removing them before they could contaminate its systems further. Glowing crimson orbs glared at the mutant toad, who cackled with delight at the inflicted wound. With a handful of nails in its hands, Gabara began flinging them once more, this time all at once.
Mechagodzilla braced itself, but rather than the poisonous fluids of the previous batch, the scattered nails erupted into warped explosions upon contact, taking the machine aback. Gabara took advantage of this, rushing towards the distracted machine and tackled the massive mecha, burying his face into the forearm of the steel goliath. Teeth clamped into the mechanized exterior, actively consuming and stripping the titanium alloy that made up Mechagodzilla’s form. Among the many hidden compartments laced across Mechagodzilla’s body, a missile launcher peeked from the upper biceps, spurting missiles directly into the face of the warty behemoth. Pained shrills resounded from Gabara, sending the mutant freak off of him and casting him aside in favor of the machine’s prime target.
Redirecting its aim, Mechagodzilla glared at the one-armed Tsunojiras. The horned titan growled with animosity. This was not a favorable position; down an arm, and the rest of its spawn nearing death’s door. It was given no choice but to fight… But then something caught its eye. And no doubt it caught the machine’s attention as well, especially as the lumbering form of Gegil began rushing towards the towering titan of steel. Taking quick potshots, the cannon-armed giant launched an array of missile-strength blasts at the machine, somehow irritating the steel beast despite its stoic, unmoving demeanor. In spite of the range advantage Gegil possessed, the large imp continued to close the gap between them. Tsunojiras questioned the decision, his orange eyes scanning what on earth would force Gegil to move like that…
…Then he saw them on the shoulder. Green Mask and Kappalge hung in there, with the kappa protecting the goblin from the drones that buzzed around them. It seemed Green Mask found some kind of vigor. Was he finally going to be useful to the cause? He’d better. With a hefty snort, and hoping to capitalize on this sudden arrival, Tsunojiras began to paw at the ground…
The closer they got, the higher the anticipation became. The crimson light of Mechagodzilla began to glow anew, preparing its Proton Scream. But when Gegil came in range, they pointed their arm-cannon at the machine and fired. But rather than being the potshots he had been inflicting, Gegil shifted gears and fired a jagged beam of electricity. Too close to dodge, the electrical blast struck the neck of the metal creature, its crimson light dulling by the second. Next thing it knew, its internal circuits were malfunctioning. Instead of the boisterous, powerful roar, out came a distorted blur of rageful screams.
The damned imp disabled the Proton Scream!
But thankfully, that wasn’t the only tactic in its arsenal.
Missile compartments began to open up, gearing up for an onslaught like no other. Gegil knew they couldn’t avoid it; and if they couldn’t survive, neither would the tiny lives resting on their shoulder. They had to protect them. But this time, fate proved kind to the rainbow imp, as the sudden rush from Tsunojiras toppled the mechanical tyrant off its feet. Missiles launched from the ports, but now without direction, spiraling out of control. Gegil braced themself, unsure if they could avoid the chaos ensuing.
That was, until Green Mask stepped up to the plate.
Teleporting to the giant’s arm, the diminutive goblin placed his hands out, willing to bet it all. His cries reaffirmed what had to come next, what he had whispered to them earlier; and all this hinged on whether or not this crazy plan would work in his favor. A stray missile veered straight for them, and with the loudest shout he could, Green Mask insisted for Gegil to stay still…
Within mere millimeters away from his face, Green Mask’s hands glowed–and just as suddenly, the missile vanished into thin air! Be it from the fear of death or the amount of power it took, Green Mask fell to his knees in exhaustion. Kappalge rushed up the arm to meet vis compatriot, but Green Mask knew it wasn’t time to rest. But this proved his suspicion; while he couldn’t store supergiants like Gegil or the like, it seemed missile-sized objects were the largest things he could store consecutively. The problem was, he needed more–now.
Almost as if recognizing his wish, another stray missile began barreling towards them. At Green Mask’s instruction, Gegil turned to face the missile, only for it to quickly vanish amidst the magician’s magic pocket. For each stray, Green Mask was able to store them. By the end of it, the small goblin possessed seven missiles in his extradimensional space. With a chirp, the green goblin asked for one last request from their giant friend. He pointed at the foliage with a distinct imprint. Unlike some of the other pieces of their progenitor, the arm that had been dismembered had yet to grow.
And if they were going to win this fight, they needed to recruit more allies…
Gegil could hear the roars of anguish, and the cackling of the metal monstrosity. They watched as Gaira was knocked unconscious from a vicious blow to the head, only avoiding death by the swift actions of Shilarji. Missiles bombarded the brown furred friend as he covered Gaira’s body with his own. Gabara was still struggling to regain his wits from that strike to the head. Their master rushed in immediately, but with only one arm he wouldn’t last long. Looking down at their friends holding onto them, they let out a quiet murmur. They were needed here. Green Mask looked at the fight happening, at the damage being wrought and understood.
Placing down their friends, Gegil wished them luck on their mission, pausing briefly as Green Mask and Kappalge shouted up at him, wishing them luck on their mission as well. Thanking the two for their brief friendship, they turned back towards the battle. Their friends needed their help, and they would fight until they dropped to give them the time needed to complete their mission.
Tsunojiras pressed the assault, slashing at the mechanical goliath with his remaining hand. The brutal beast was just as relentless as the machine was, following up with a spray of toxic gas from his maw. Smoke corroded the metal of Mechagodzilla’s exterior, eating away at the metallic ‘flesh’. With its Proton Scream disabled, the mechanical menace launched its gripper claws at the bumpy-scaled dinosaur, pushing against the one-armed beast with all its autonomous prowess. Rocket boosters revved up, accelerating the force tenfold. Try as he might, Tsunojiras couldn’t keep a firm placement atop the downed foe, lurching off from the powerful thrust. As Tsunojiras fell and rolled over, Mechagodzilla rose to its feet.
With a distorted shriek, the apex of destruction boosted itself to close the gap, proceeding to stamp the downed reptile with an aggressive assault of plasma-charged stomps. The horned beast cried out in pain as his assailant continued its ruthless onslaught. But before Mechagodzilla could gain the satisfaction of prolonging its foe’s suffering, another electrical beam struck its dorsal fins, short-circuiting portions of its body. Though functional, Mechagodzilla knew full well what this entailed–and none of the consciousnesses within were happy about it.
A defiant cry rang from Gegil as the giant imp made their charge. Data collected from the drones indicated the hideous cretin had dropped off the smaller pests within the forest, with the kappa defending its goblin ally from any of the offensive drones raining bullets on them. Even earlier, the drones captured the sudden disappearance of some stray missiles… Was this the culprit? It remembered seeing them earlier, leading the charge only to be swept away by water… If this pest persisted, then it’d have to be exterminated sooner than later. But right now, there were more pressing matters at hand to deal with.
Shifting its deadly gaze, Mechagodzilla surged with tremendous power. Just because it couldn’t dispatch it with the Proton Scream didn’t mean there were other means of disposing such pathetic creatures. It just had to make this quick. A quick stomp to the three horned beasts head sent it into a restless sleep like all the others, as it rushed forth to meet this thing’s charge.
The imp fired successive potshots at the towering behemoth, each blast exploding against the metallic hide of the mighty foe. Every time Mechagodzilla got in close, Gegil barely avoided the wrathful, plasma-fueled punches that swung their way. But before the rainbow-colored giant could discharge another lightning beam, a sudden swing from the tail of the metal overlord tripped the imp off their feet, collapsing onto the ground.
In a matter of moments that dictated the line between life and death, Gegil rolled out of the path of the metallic feet that crushed the dirt beneath where they laid, each stomp more fervent and destructive than the last. A burst of plasma, debris, and shockwaves chased the rolling giant. If the imp stopped now, they’d meet certain death. So, they had to improvise. Halting for just a moment, Gegil aimed their cannon at the foot of the rampaging mecha, discharging an electric beam at the soles of its lifted foot. The blast short-circuited the foot, cutting off access from the plasma flames that endowed the rest of the body. Reeling back and distracted by this sudden tactic, this opened room for Gegil to leap up and resume a bipedal stance, armed and ready.
They began to unleash a barrage of concussive blasts against the stationary robot, each knocking the machine slowly backwards and casting sparks flying across its metal hide. Mechagodzilla forced energy to pulse through its arms as it did its best to block the oncoming explosive attacks, rage building within its animalistic mind as it roared out.
With one foot still unresponsive, Mechagodzilla took to rushing on all fours, its leg dragging behind as it lunged at the imp with death in its sinister eyes. The iridescent humanoid leapt into the air, flipping over the rampant machine as they quickly swung their blaster arm downward, firing upon the mech’s head and blasting it into the ground with a quick rapid fire. Upon landing, they were forced to rapidly block with their blaster, a fierce tail jab pushing them backwards. The spiraling tip drilled against their metal arm, sparks flying as they found themselves pushed back. Sparks of electricity crackled across the machine’s head before a pulse of azure flames washed over its systems, the crimson glow of its eyes growing brighter with hatred.
The mechanical dragon rocket forth once more, boosting forward as they rolled to the side, just inches from being grabbed by the saw tipped graspers. With their enemy’s rockets jammed, it could only make boosting movements in forward bursts. It could no longer do quick turns like it had in prior fights, and they could take advantage of this sudden weakness. Or take it away entirely to make this fight more fair for them all.
Gegil took aim, firing another beam of its paralyzing lightning. The cascading electricity shocked through the machine’s systems, flowing across the boosters and shutting them down as the false king crashed into the ground. Pulsing waves of azure flames attempted to counteract the electricity jamming their systems, doing little but act as a brief barricade as the metal titan got back to its feet. The boosters sputtered out as the mechanical being attempted to move forth. Suddenly, its leg had recovered, blue energy arcing across its circuitry once more. A soft, machine-like cackle resonated from the steel destroyer.
The imp grimaced at the unfolding situation. Not good. Their opponent was recovering from their blasts faster than anticipated. They glanced at their cannon. Maybe now, it was all or nothing. But in that quick moment, Mechagodzilla closed the gap.
Now or never.
With a thunderous strike, Mechagodzilla struck Gegil in the eye, sending the large headed creature spinning with flames bursting across their face. Just as it seemed the monster would fall, the iridescent shooter suddenly stomped hard onto the ground, catching themselves mid spin and twisted around to their knees to take aim. Mechagodzilla immediately lashed out, fists blazing as it readied to finish this insect.
A desperate gambit was all they had left in them, and they would not let it go to waste. With the last of their strength, Gegil unleashed all their power into a single overcharged blast. Their blaster ripped apart, shards of metal and electric sparks scattering as a powerful beam fired forth point blank into the aspirating flaming fist. An explosion of cascading fire and lightning tore between the two fighters, blasting both backwards as though they were trees in a hurricane. Gegil’s body caught flame as they skidded across the dirt, agony filling their limp body as they clutched tightly to their broken arm.
For a brief moment, Mechagodzilla had shut down from the electrical backlash as it skidded across the dirt and foliage, coming back online moments later. Shock and fear pulsed through its mind at the brief, but terrifying thought of being shut down with no way to recover. Alarms were blaring in its digital mind, damaged systems and circuitry slowly coming back online, with one exception. Lifting their arm, the machine stared down at the burnt and fractured stump where its hand had once been.
Crippled.
They had lost a limb in this fight! Rage surged through Mechagodzilla as it turned to glare at the burnt and beaten body of the beast who did this to him. Leaping into the air, the rage fueled mind of the golden destroyer could focus on nothing but ripping this insolent insect to pieces. Blue flames coursed through their limbs into the body of the beast as the machine ground the saws of its remaining fist into Gegil’s throat. The once rainbow colored monster simply smirked, laughing in the face of its death, knowing that even in death, their enemy would always remember them.
Clutching tightly with one foot clenched against their chest, Mechagodzilla pulled with all their mechanical strength, until finally something gave. Holding up the head of Gegil, Mechagodzilla roared out to the world before tossing it to the ground. Both head and body began to melt into primordial ooze before exploding.
The event processed through its systems, quickly circumventing the damage caused by the nuisance. Stiff, robotic gurgles resounded from the machine as it went under a full reboot. It was only a matter of moments before Mechagodzilla returned to partial functionality. Its thrusters were having trouble rebooting, but its Proton Scream was back in action. The other beasts had gotten up, preparing to circle and fight once more.
As the mechanical Titan roared out with its metallic rage, it heard the sounds of another explosion behind it. Turning its head, it watched as the once severed arm of the brutal beast had burst into chunks of goo like flesh, strewn about the locale. How useless it was to destroy an arm not attached to any threat, especially one belonging to the one who led you. The monster within turned to focus on his enemies once more, yet something else inside them continued to watch the fleshy blobs, casting drone footage into the sides of their vision. It watched as they began to shift and morph, slowly taking form.
“The final piece of this puzzle has been revealed at last,” a third mind spoke, catching the attention of Ghidorah and the AI. A couple drones split from their formation and turned to watch the shifting flesh as the mecha began to fight.
Drone footage revealed as the first of many blobs began to steam and take a humanoid shape, growing brown, shaggy fur along a bulky frame similar to the Green Gargantua they were currently fighting, roaring out in a similar manner. Others began to shift into their own beings, covered by hissing steam and smoke as they shifted into their new forms. This triggered a memory within the monster side of the machine. A memory of having been rebirthed many times in a similar manner. It was then that the mecha finally linked together how and why these monsters all seemed to serve Tsunojiras, and how the brutal beast seemingly had returned with a vengence.
It was through the formation of these smaller abominations that the various theories and ideas given by the “fragmented” mind finally clicked in the logical processes of their AI. It brought up the remaining files in the Tsunojiras entry, the folders marked “uncertified potential links”. Myths from around the world, speaking of creatures and spirits whose body birthed forth monsters and evil unto the world of man and those below.
The Indian Asura Raktabīja, whose blood, even a single drop, would form innumerable other Raktabīja to fight his battles upon hitting the ground and was only stopped by having his blood be collected in a bowl, and his spawn swallowed by a goddess. The Demonic Hmong God Nyong and the misshapen egg his wife bore, which, upon his unwillingness to burn the egg to ashes upon the words of his father, birthed evil spirits and demons who spread plague and death to the world of men below after eating their mother and escaping the heavens. Last but not least, legends of a demonic serpent, loyal only to the devil himself who led armies to war for hell. Many other myths and legends of creatures who could create new lifeforms from their very essence with similar appearances or powers revealed themselves in great similarity to the monster before them.
All these myths pointed out an ability Mechagodzilla had not thought an enemy to be capable of. The ability to birth a variety of monsters from their body, and be reborn to fight their battles once more. The power to create a loyal army filled with hatred at your enemy with little more than the flesh from your body. It was no wonder that the enemy they had torn apart had suddenly reappeared, and all these monstrosities were rushing out of the woodwork.
It was then that the formerly fragmented third mind within, the mind of Ren Serizawa, showcased the truth of their enemy to the other two. The creature they were fighting now wasn’t another of its species, but a reincarnation with all its prior memories born from the flesh of its progenitor, just as how Mothra inherited the memories of past lives through her own DNA. The rest of these beastly spawns ignored the calls of their Alpha status as they were genetically linked to obey Tsunojiras, with an inbuilt hatred of Them. Drone footage linked together by the ingenuity of the human mind augmented by his new cybernetic systems showcasing why all these creatures of varying shapes and species would work together so well against a foe they would never have met before.
It seemed that this creature was one of the hidden secrets of the Hollow Earth, and this ability was the reason the beast was similar in frequency to an alpha. Unlike true alphas who commanded other titans with no relations due to their sheer strength and willpower, Tsunojiras was the Alpha of the beings born of his own flesh and blood, and only those of his bloodline. But the scientist within also spoke to him, that this was not a natural occurrence that should be possible, which led to the idea of the now labeled Titanus Tsunojiras and his spawn being some ancient weapon, created by another unknown being. A mutated spawn of devilish origins unknown to man. Only the beast before him knew the truth of its origin.
With the monsters continuing to be formed and spreading around them, ready to fight to the death, The Trinity of Minds came to a realization. If they truly wished to destroy this beast and the rest of these lesser creatures, they would have to work together to fill out the others weaknesses and vulnerabilities within their minds. They would have to be united as one.
For Ghidorah, the task was one he had dealt with since he was born, having had two other personalities and minds watching his back, and him theirs together in one body. The AI knew it could follow this process and interject information and logical actions to the others, having been built for this very purpose, while taking control of the various drones deployed onto the field alongside linking the trio together. As for Ren Serizawa, he knew his mind could work to figure out weaknesses the others would not see, using the cruel intelligence of his humanity to assist in the fight.
A sense of peace and belonging filled the mind of the Ghidorah within their metal shell as he felt the other two connected to him in the machine’s systems. He no longer felt alone inside this metal body, for he once more had two others to share his joys, his victories, his thoughts. It, no, They felt complete, for the first time since they had killed the Kings of the Surface.
A Monster for Combat, a Human for Ingenuity, and an AI for Communication. A trinity of minds, working in tandem to destroy and subjugate all in their path.
—
When they had parted ways from Gegil, Green Mask had advanced into the deep neck of the woods. A desperate gamble to turn the tide of war in their favor–for everyone that had fallen in this merciless war. Their progenitor had lost their arm earlier in combat, and had yet to fully form into a new creature. While Green Mask saw glimpses of the past incarnations cycle in his mind, an intuitive thought occurred. The bumpy flesh that wrapped Tsunojiras was immune to the effects of these missiles… But the secret lay in the innards. Since they were all the same on the inside, then perhaps this insane plan of his was going to work.
Reaching just before the arm began manifesting, Green Mask unloaded the stored missiles from his pocket dimension. One by one, each blast ruptured the gooey innards of Tsunojiras’ arm, blasting it apart piece by piece. Chunks and fragments scattered across the battlefield, with the explosive blowback from the missiles pushing away Green Mask and Kappalge. Their tiny forms flew through the dense foliage, slamming against the tree trunks that withstood the intense explosions. Wind and heat washed over them as they clung for dear life. When the dust settled, Green Mask saw the soaring pieces fall into the forestry around them–it was only a matter of time if this plan worked or not…
They turned their attention to the leftovers of the large-scale piece, which began transforming into a new beast. Perhaps a giant that could use its strength to aid in their war. As the residual arm of Tsunojiras began to morph and contract, it suddenly expanded into a new monster. From the dark goop came a blue, hairy mass. A humanoid creature covered in blue and silver fur, each hand tipped with three-pronged claws and a sharp underbite. But most distinctly was its odd head and oblong nose, which covered its thick furry mustache. It remained slouched against the ground, content to sleep peacefully.
Green Mask echoed trills at the sleeping giant. But just as he did, its eyes shot open. Red veins clouded the piercing orange eyes of the sleepless giant, who roared in anger at his disturbed slumber. How dare this small cretin interrupt the sleep of Gejiruba! He raised his blue-haired claws, almost ready to swing it down at the goblin. But before he could bring it down, Gejiruba yawned, inhaling air through its hideous mouth. It wanted none of this. Instead of using its raised fist to kill, the blue giant instead stretched himself outward, shuffling in an effort to get to its feet. In a matter of moments, the tired hominid slumped off into the distance, dragging his drowsy self until he was far away from the ongoing chaos. Despite Green Mask’s pleas, they ultimately fell on deaf ears as Gejiruba traversed further and further away, eager to sit this one out.
The goblin sighed, disappointed. It proved short-lived as the chaos unfolded. His anxiety spiked, unsure if any of them were going to make it out alive… But even if they weren’t, then perhaps now was as much a time as any to let everything spill.
He felt unsure of himself. A poison that lingered, a doubt that gnawed at him. A grunt, a growl that held him back. You’re useless. But it was wrong! You’re useless! He… did something right, didn’t he…? You’re useless! They proved themselves! Useless! Green Mask shrieked in despair. Useless! USELESS! USELESS!
In a panicked sweat, Green Mask lurched back, letting all the pent up anxiety flow through their body. How was any of this madness supposed to work? How was their plan going to unfold? Was it all for naught? Why? WHY?
An assured hand clasped onto his shoulder. Kappalge squawked with the same, strong confidence ve always had. It wasn’t about satisfying the needs of others, ve reiterated. It was about asking yourself who you really are:
A slave to Tsunojiras’ will? Or someone you can be proud of?
Ve once again guided the troubled soul to the river. Ve squawked; look into it. See yourself for who you are.
And so Green Mask looked. Even as the destruction of all surrounded them, it was time to shed this mask… And find who Ze truly is.
Ze was Green Mask. And this was hir choice, hir declaration.
To move beyond the will of Tsunojiras, and fight for a cause worth fighting for. For the friends and allies that respected them for who ze is. To finally achieve the actualization of the self. Even if it meant nothing to the havoc-inducing world around them, it meant everything to hir. And that was all that mattered.
Kappalge nodded, pulling in vis beloved friend into a bear hug. Even the smallest of victories was something to celebrate about. Then almost just as suddenly, the flattened jungle around them sprang to life. A burst of smoke rose as the miracle of Tsunojiras’ flesh had achieved their own self-actualization.
It was now time to fight back. Even if ze could only watch, Green Mask was beginning to feel content with hirself. Why? Ze didn’t know. Maybe because for once, it wasn’t some base instinct driving hir decision, but rather something ze came to conclude all on their own.
And there was something to be proud of about that.
—
Mechagodzilla kicked away their enemy as their prey circled them once more, ready to jump and tackle their body into the ground in an attempt to destroy them. Signals triggered and pulsed within their eyes as they roared into the sky, releasing their alpha call promising subjugation over this world. A call that was not only monstrous in nature, but also very Human. The combined roars of Ghidorah, the AI, and Ren Serizawa synthesized together into a terrifying mechanical screech of conquest and destruction.
The others felt it within their souls, the chilling call of the steel predator before them. What was once distorted and incomplete, was now augmented into a threatening and fear inducing melody of war. The one third alpha frequency of King Ghidorah, patched up and augmented by the growing artificial intelligence was now combined with Serizawa’s own alpha signature of humanity, restoring and amplifying their call beyond its past restraints. A true majesty of terror.
And as such, they garnered a response from the titans of the world around them. One not unwelcome in the circumstances.
Things would go awry if action wasn’t taken. Ren had detected the rumblings of life beyond the battlefield. More importantly, new spawn were being produced. The odds were being stacked against the mechanized conglomerate that unified their minds if they didn’t dispose of them quickly. And like all great thinkers, it was always wise to have a contingency in place… And it was then Mechagodzilla unleashed a booming, artificial roar. Drones launched and gathered in the air above as the AI took control, set on monitoring the surroundings and annihilating anything it could.
With all systems green and a new improved mindset, the mechanical king of the monsters rushed forth. The green one moved next, swinging its borrowed weapon with wild rage as the silver faced one did the same. Twisting their body around, he caught the chains of the flails onto his tail spikes, and swung as hard as he could. The duo were torn off their feet, directly into the path of the mecha’s outstretched fist. Blazing blue flames burst across the face of Shilarji as he made impact with the green gargantua. Their bodies went soaring as the resulting pulse of energy knocked them both to the ground.
Shilarji bounced off the earth from the blow, directly into a kick to the side from the destroyer which knocked the breath out of him. Gaira stumbled to get his wits about him only to receive a foot to the face, slowly crushing him into the dirt as he punched away at the leg holding him down.
The sounds of a mad cackle alerted the AI to the oncoming danger, quickly finding Gabara approaching from the side with Tsunojiras on the other. Pushing down hard on Gaira’s face, the machine leapt high into the air, twisting as they fired off a blast of their Proton Scream. Crimson energy tore into the landscape in a spiral, sending dirt and debris flying into the air. As the toad and reptile rushed through the dust, ready to strike, they quickly found themselves ambushed from above as the serrated blades of Mechagodzilla’s tail slashed across their bodies, followed rapidly with a flaming metal fist to Tsunojiras’s head. Missile pods twisted and fired upon Gabara at point blank range, cascading him in burning flames causing the monster to backpedal in surprise.
Waving his arms in an attempt to clear the smoke and fire did little to help, as did the surprise tail swipe slamming into his gut sending him sprawling across the ground in pain. The Mecha stomped down on his chest, pressing hard against him. Poison dripped from his claws as he attempted to stab the leg, only to receive another barrage of missiles against his upper body. The tail of the mechanical monster lashed out suddenly into the air, stabbing the green gargantua in the chest and drilling through his flesh, hanging him in the air clutching tightly to the metal limb.
“Foolish beast thought he could catch us off guard? Think again, you seaweed ridden simpleton,” Serizawa spoke as he swung their tail forth, dragging the impaled gargantua to the front of their body, scratching and pounding against their tail. “He’s all yours, Ghidorah.”
The monstrous mind felt some glee at this proposition, slamming Gabara’s face into the ground as they turned to face the struggling humanoid. Energy built up in their maw, staring the green monster in the eyes to watch as life faded from the beast. Gaira roared out against his foe in rage. If this was how he was to die, he would not go calm, but proud and rageful like all his kin before him.
An alert sent from the AI was sent to Serizawa, catching on quickly to the message and acting. Missile launchers twisted as Serizawa took control of them, directing a barrage into a seemingly empty portion of dust, a smile growing on his mental face as the silhouette of Shilarji lit up in flames, crashing to the ground in pain. The brown monkey crawled in pain towards the two, fear in his face as he saw the fate of his friend.
The skull faced monster roared out in fear as crimson light blasted forth into the face of his only friend. Scorching flesh and bone scattered into the surroundings as the beam pierced through the gargantua’s head, splattering the earth. Swinging their tail violently to the side, they dislodged Gaira from their tail and into the crawling body of Shilarji, sending the two rolling backwards. Tears streamed down his silver face as he placed a hand onto the headless body of Gaira. Missiles bombarded the two of them, causing Shilarji to cover his face as the body of his friend self-destructed, knocking him backwards away from the conflict with scorched fur. As the missiles burst against his body, Shilarji had but a single thought left in his mind. That silver demon would pay for this! He would die for this!
While one mind bombarded their enemies, another had gripped Gabara by the throat, lifting the mutant into the air and slamming him back into the dirt repeatedly. Gabara could barely think as his head collided with the earth repeatedly, stuck in a daze and unable to escape his predicament. He attempted to call for help, only to have his face shoved into the dirt. His mind blanked out, his vision turning black, all he could feel was pain with each strike, until suddenly, it stopped.
Slowly pushing his body up, he tried to search for the mechanical monster, weakly twisting his body into a sitting position. A small distance away, he could see his master clawing and slashing away at the metal hide of their enemy, creating mere sparks with each swipe of his arm as the machine seemed to laugh in his face. He could see the brown one, covered in smoking pits with rage in his eyes, yet too tired to get up and fight. The one with the blaster had died, as had the green one. He wasn’t sure if they could defeat this thing as they were now. Already the mechanical menace had knocked his master to the ground, pummeling him relentlessly. With his mind somewhat confused and his footing unsteady, Gabara hatched a plan. He would buy them time to grow, to become strong enough to defeat this abomination. Even if it cost him a life of exile to do so.
A steady hand helped him up, two freshly born spawns holding him by the shoulder as they stared into their new friends eyes. Gabara grunted in thanks, asking them for their assistance in hopefully ending this battle, no matter how briefly it lasted. And with two grunts of approval, Gabara told them his plan.
Blow after blow slammed into the face of Tsunojiras as Mechagodzilla relentlessly swung. Horns began to crack as pulses of blue flames coursed through him with each strike. The Serpent of the Devil could feel his mind slipping away as more and more punches sent pulses of energy coursing through his brain. If this didn’t stop soon, he would be gone, and would need to hope the next incarnation would finish what he continued.
As another blazing fist swung downwards towards the face of the destroyer, the sound of a spinning object caught his attention. Missiles twisted and fired into the distance, bursting in the sky as they collided with some other object, yet the noise continued. Through the smokescreen of the missile barrage came two spinning tops, which slammed into the head and body of Mechagodzilla, knocking them off the one armed tyrant. The confused and dazed Tsunojiras didn’t know what exactly was happening, but was happy all the same that the punches had stopped.
With a loud roar, a green and red creature with a massive heart shaped head with a silver cracked disk in the center strutted forth. Crossing his arms into an X formation, the freshly born spawn known as Valingar roared out, multiple spinning tops flying out of the crack at the top of his head. Each top began to soar through the sky like flying saucers, circling Mechagodzilla and flying in at random intervals to attack the machine.
“They can make drones as well?” Serizawa shouted as he launched a missile barrage at the top-themed spawn of Tsunojiras. Valingar did little in the face of the barrage, standing still as his drones continued to assault the mecha. He had little to fear after all.
Within moments of the missiles splitting, a second newcomer rushed into the path of the missiles. It appeared similar to that of Gaira, but with sandy fur like Shilarji, and this was no coincidence, for the Gargantua known as Sanda roared out with glee. With rapid movements, he snatched each missile out of the air, piling them up on his arms. The sandy haired beast then began to toss them into his open mouth like popcorn, chewing and devouring each missile like they were tasty candies instead of explosive ordinance.
The gargantua then burped, a cloud of pink smoke billowing from his mouth towards Mechagodzilla, covering the mechanical monstrosity with noxious fumes. The smog began to clog up the mech’s more vulnerable joints, making moving some parts more of a struggle than others.
Mechagodzilla swung wildly, trying to knock the tops out of the sky as they continued to strike at them from many angles. Already, the AI had marked nearly twelve of the spinning drones circling above and below them. Missile pods attempted to spin, only to creak as the pink mist gunked up their joints as another top swung down from above, smacking into the back of the machine’s head.
A quick swing of the tail knocked one top out of the sky, preventing it from striking them in the side. However, as the deflected top was knocked away, a second top flew in, striking the first in the side and into the path of a third, enhancing the first top’s spin and bouncing it from below into the body of Mechagodzilla like a punch to the gut. Two more tops joined it, managing to actually lift the mechanical dragon into the air momentarily.
Before the machine could act, Sanda had already struck, body slamming the machine into the ground and grappling with it. The titan of steel opened their maw, preparing to blast the gargantua with their Proton Scream when another top slammed into their face, sending the beam scattering into the distance. Missiles burst free from the machine, targeting the tops circling around them and blasting many, but still some emerged from the missile fire, smacking into the machine at high speed.
Valingar was sweating as he struggled to maintain his control over his tops. It was taking all his concentration to keep the dozen or so tops continuously moving and striking at their enemy, but the strain of manipulating so many drones was wearing on his mind. He watched as Sanda punched and grappled with the machine, doing his best to assist with his tops where he could to allow the hairy beasty to avoid anything too damaging, like that energy beam. But he was starting to tire. Worse, he watched as the drones of the machine began to act, chasing after his tops and firing upon them with a rain of bullets to knock them off course.
A stray missile flew past his barrage, a top just barely missing due to a drone crashing into it, allowing the explosive to strike him in the gut. Valingar keeled over, his tops briefly falling out of his control due to the pain before he yanked them back into order. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep producing and controlling his tops to keep the machine at bay. Bullets shot into his back, feeling like pricks of needles against his giant hide. While not damaging, they were irritating to his concentration. With a shout, he told Gabara that it was now or never, as several more of his tops were destroyed by a secondary missile barrage.
With the irritation decreased, Mechagodzilla could focus on the furry Bigfoot grappling his arms. The hairy beast let loose another belch of pink smog into his face, which he met in turn by head butting the shaggy creature directly in the face. Dazed, Sanda attempted to swing his fist at the mechanical dinosaur, only for Mechagodzilla to grab onto his fist and yank him upward. High he soared over the machine before slamming back first into the ground. Eyes glowing red and their beam charging up, they readied to end this pathetic insect here and now.
The rattling of bones was their only warning as the spiked ball of Shilarji’s flail smashed into their skull. Rapidly they found themselves under heavy assault. Various tops slammed into them from many different angles, while the heavy hitting Shilarji continued whaling away with his weapon, striking heavy blows against their sides. Missile launchers fired, but were rapidly countered by the quick handed Sanda, munching down on the explosives and belching another cloud of noxious fumes at the mecha.
The machine could do little to counter. A swing of their fist was met by a kick from Sanda, while an attempt to bite or fire the proton scream was rapidly shut down by a strike from the flail or an errant top drone spinning into their face. Sanda and Shilarji unleashed their rage against the machine, punching and swinging at any area they could.
An alert signaled in their minds.
All systems functional.
The crimson glow of their mechanical eyes intensified as with a loud bang, their boosters activated. The machine burst forward with an intense burst of speed, knocking both hairy apes to the ground. Twisting their body, they used their tail to swat away several oncoming tops as missiles fired in every direction. Explosions erupted against the land, cascading fire and ash flying as most of the tops were shattered in the ensuing destruction.
Another shot towards them, only to be grabbed in their hand and crushed like a toy. Sanda swung from his downed position, attempting to uppercut the machine only to receive a flaming punch by the stump of their arm. Lifting up a foot, they stomped hard on Shilarji’s leg, causing a swing from his flail to miss their body. The monster within began to charge up the Proton Scream once more, lifting Shilarji up by the throat. Finally, he could kill these beasts without interruption.
And yet, it seemed fate was on the Devil’s side, as a sudden burst of poison smog splattered against their stern. The corrosion ate the metal, which in turn began to gnaw away at the boosters inside their back compartment. With its mouth gears grinding without remorse, Mechagodzilla prepared to turn and face down Tsunojiras, even if it destroyed them to do so. Then, just as suddenly, Tsunojiras backed away.
The mecha was stunned. What was it?
The source revealed itself as a manic cackle roared through the air. Clogged launchers failed to pivot towards the oncoming threat which they detected as that toxic bipedal toad. Mechagodzilla turned to blast the approaching toad mutant with its Proton Scream, only to reel back in surprise as the beast’s mouth seemed to encompass his entire vision.
Gabara grabbed hold of Mechagodzilla, ripping him away from his fellow spawn and bit down, swallowing the machine whole in a single gulp. Patting his belly, Gabara laughed at his successfully enacted plan, nearly stumbling over his own feet in a daze. Holding out a hand, he helped his fellow spawns to their feet, grinning in victory as his master seemed pleased with him. Tsunojiras stared at the mutant toad and nodded with a backhanded grunt. All things considered, it was exceptional to gain Tsunojiras’ high praise.
Sanda and Valingar roared out in glee, as the injured Shilarji watched on with a smile from where he stood. He wasn’t certain how long he could hold the machine for, or if perhaps his stomach would crush and destroy the machine. But a win was a win!
—
Even if there was nothing they could do, they could only watch in hope and belief as the tides turned in their favor. Valingar and Sanda brought the help, and their brother Gabara managed to encase the mechanical menace within his stomach. In doing so, the drones that littered the forests of the Hollow Earth began to spiral out of control, losing their functionality. By stopping the tyrant mecha, they had incidentally brought peace back to the land.
Green Mask sighed in relief, and Kappalge cheered. This was their victory! Their battle won! Even so, Green Mask mourned the loss of hir fallen comrades. Melancholy washed over hir, wishing for a chance to know them better. Who they are will be lost, only stored in memories of a time past.
They didn’t deserve such deaths.
As everyone congratulated Gabara, ze could only look up at hir progenitor. There was a score to settle, something ze had to come to grips with. But before ze could confront Tsunojiras, ze heard something.
A pulse. But from where?
Ze began squawking, trying to get the attention of their giant brethren. But their clamors of sweet victory drowned out hir warning. When Kappalge realized what ze needed, the kappa began to expand gum like never before. Vis bubble expanded until it was nearly as large as ve was, Then, ve fired, spurting through the air until it reached within the range of their heads. It suddenly popped, startling the giants and forcing them to glare down at their tiny brethren.
Kappalge pointed to Green Mask, who in turn screeched as ze pointed at Gabara. At first, they almost dismissed hir claims, until they heard it. A thrumming heartbeat, for the lack of a better term. Originating from Gabara’s belly, where the devil machine was stored away at. But just what was it? A cry, a signal for… help? From a lethal machine such as itself?
Tsunojiras vented an order to Gabara. Find a volcanic vent and dispose of the machine, no matter the cost. Green Mask glared at the callous commands of hir progenitor, even if there was truth to it. But no matter hir personal feelings, it became very apparent that, although they had won the battle, this war was far from over.
The soil began to tremble, rocking the foundation of the earth they stood on. Then the dirt of the Hollows began to shift, it became apparent that the Titan-slaying machine had brought its own reinforcements. Skull-capped lizards began to rampage through the foliage, leveling the once beautiful trees that stood in their midst.
Their hideous visage took the spawn-creatures aback. Green Mask was unsure if they could outpace these hellbeasts. Their sizes varied, with the larger ones zooming past them and towards their giant allies. But the smaller ones–the scouts that scurried the flattened woods–had their sights set. With little time to spare, Green Mask grabbed hold of Kappalge and used hir magical prowess to teleport out of sight. Such a sight took the slimy cretin by surprise, but in reality Green Mask knew its range was limited; ze just prayed they wouldn’t be able to locate them.
The skull lizard stumbled around, confused, sniffing the ground where they had once been. But the higher call that drew it here demanded its attention. Releasing a breath of relief, the two spawnmates nodded at each other.
Get out of here, find who they can, and book it.
—
They began to hear multitudes of growling and snarling from their surroundings. Skulls began to rise from the earth and approach from the forests, tongues flicking out as many two legged reptiles of varying sizes began to circle and snarl at them. The rest of the spawn got to their feet quickly, rushing over to their master in a protective circle as more and more skulls began to show themselves. The lizards roared out, tasting the fear and blood in the air.
The Skullcrawlers had arrived, and they were starving for a meal. Most of them immediately honed in on Gabara, the signal calling them faintly echoing from within the toad. A smack to the head told him to follow his master’s orders, or else. He moved away from his master and friends slowly, watching as the bipedal horde followed his movements closely.
He could see the molten lands in the distance. If he could make it there, it was possible he could cause many of the two legged reptiles to die from the heat of the steam and lava. And if he fell in battle, dump the remains of the mechanical terror into its molten depths. He would need to act fast. A quick grunt told the others of his plan, as the venomous toad took in a deep breath, steadying himself for his journey.
As one, the serpents of gluttony charged forth like a sea of monsters, and with a powerful leap over their masses, Gabara of the Devil’s Army began to flee. He would buy them as much time as he could, as hundreds of serpentine devils followed closely behind.
This was his duty to undertake. This was his prime directive.
—
Mechagodzilla’s minds began to panic at the ungodly and impossible event happening before their very eyes. They were being EATEN ALIVE! By a creature barely taller than themselves, and nowhere near as fat! How was this happening!? The tight space of the esophagus they were sliding down was slimy and disgusting to all three of their minds.
Ghidorah was enraged that such an occurrence could happen at all! Not even Godzilla could eat an entire monster in a single bite! And he knew, because he could remember many times where that damned radiation spewing reptile had ripped him off his body with those jaws, and not once had he ever eaten an entire head whole, instead preferring to burn them inside out.
The AI was suffering from logical failures at the very occurrence happening, unable to process what exactly had just happened as fact. Its processors were stalling as it attempted to find any logic in this event while struggling to monitor and control the drones outside this predicament. The few that were still connected followed and monitored the now mobile toad running away from the Skullcrawlers, while the rest were on mission to hunt down the minions.
As for Serizawa, while he was shocked and confused at what the hell just happened, he was on a mission. They would not fall like this. Already Serizawa could detect dozens, if not hundreds of signatures spreading across his Titan frequency radar racing toward their location. This wasn’t just any Titan he was detecting, but one he was quite familiar with during his time at Apex. Something he could and would use to their advantage.
All he had to do was tweak some frequencies just right and activate the ORCA-Z. He dove deep into the depths of his research files for exactly what he needed, latching onto the frequency of his favorite test subjects and pouring power and rage into it. After all, what better to take on an Army of Beasts, than an army of his own? And so he let loose the frequency needed to cause a massacre. Though their rampage was halted, their rage would continue to burn.
May they all be devoured by his children of gluttony.
Winner: Tsunojiras (Universal)
