Sunlight heralded the end of night over Fukuoka, revealing the outcome of the colossal battle that had taken place after dark. Instead of bustling and busy streets, the city was silent. No living person was still around to give witness to what they had seen. A large section of the city had been levelled, replaced with a field of glowing white crystals, brimming with cosmic energy. Only a few buildings remained intact around the bizarre fortress, including the famous Fukuoka Tower. Instead of housing hundreds of tourists wishing to see the beautiful city from above, it served a new, sinister purpose...

The rising sun illuminated the battlefield, shedding light on the wreckage of Moguera. The once-powerful weapon lay scorched and dented on the floor, impaled in several places by crystal structures. Near the center of the fortress, Minilla looked out of the bars of his crystal prison, wondering if he’d ever get free and reunite with his father. Next to him, Godzilla sat unconscious in his own prison, the monster king now nothing more than a battery to further empower the owner of the crystals.

SpaceGodzilla cackled with evil glee as he watched the sunrise. The cosmic saurian was already a creature of immense strength and power, and now that he had captured his ‘brother’, his already mighty power was increased to even higher levels. Yet it was still not enough. The crystalline fiend craved for more. He wouldn’t rest until the entire planet, nay, the entire universe was coated in his power absorbing crystals. Once the sun had risen fully, he would set off for another city to convert into a crystal fortress to serve as a beacon from which to draw extra power. By the time SpaceGodzilla had finished with the Earth, his strength would be incomparable. The humans would look to him as some mighty deity of conquest and destruction. He would become a god!

SpaceGodzilla summoned energy from his crystals, charging himself with power as he prepared to leave. The sun’s light shone brightly through the clouds, drawing the crystalline beast’s attention. SpaceGodzilla knew something was amiss when he realized the sun wasn’t even high enough in the sky yet to be above him, so it couldn’t be the source of the light. Magnificent blue light flashed in the sky above, forming into the shape of a massive armored figure glowing with white brilliance. SpaceGodzilla watched as the figure slowed descended, shaking the ground as it landed just outside of the field of crystals. The light coating the figure faded, revealing gold and silver armor adorning every part of its body. A golden medallion in the shape of the sun adorned its forehead. SpaceGodzilla observed this new being warily. Whatever it was, it was clearly a threat. Everything was a threat to him. All other beasts in this pitiful universe wanted to slay him or steal his supreme power. SpaceGodzilla would let this mysterious creature do neither. But he could also sense power within his new opponent. It was strange, alien to the intergalactic tyrant, but power none the less. There was a lot of it too, even more than Godzilla had. SpaceGodzilla grew excited at the thought of beating the armored being and trapping it in one of his crystal prisons, having it serve as one of his spare energy sources. The deep space Godzilla shrieked as he finished absorbing energy from his crystals, issuing a challenge to the mysterious figure.

SpaceGodzilla had no way from comprehending the history and identity of the divine being he was about to do battle with.

Utsuno Ikusagami glared daggers at the crystalline creature before him. The mighty Sun God wasn’t about to allow such a creature of evil and greed roam freely on the Earth. He was here to finish what Godzilla and Moguera had started and vanquish this evil beast. The lives lost due to SpaceGodzilla’s rampage would be avenged. But there was more to the holy knight’s appearance that just vengeance. The cosmic creature’s desire for godhood were well known to Ikusagami, and SpaceGodzilla was sorely mistaken if he thought accomplishing such a feat was as easy as he thought. Ikusagami had gone through many trials and vanquished the greatest evil known to man to achieve his place as God of the Sun. SpaceGodzilla had done none of that. He wasn’t even worthy of consideration for such a title. SpaceGodzilla was all the things a god was not made flesh. Utsuno Ikusagami was going to teach the galactic reptile some respect, and show him what the power of a real god was like.

Galactic energies left SpaceGodzilla’s maw in the form of the crystal tyrant’s Corona Beam. Ikusagami made no attempt to block or defend. He wanted to test his opponent’s power first. The yellow bolt snaked through the air, striking the ancient warrior on his chest. Ikusagami staggered, but did not fall. SpaceGodzilla was disappointed to see the mighty paladin still standing, then shrieked in surprise when it saw his Corona Beam hadn’t even left a mark on the knight’s armor. The cosmic saurian’s dorsal crystals flashed with energy as he attacked again, firing Corona Beam after Corona Beam upon the Sun God. Sparks and smoke flew from his armor, but Ikusagami still stood. By the time SpaceGodzilla ceased firing, Ikusagami’s form was hidden by a cloud of smoke. The space monster’s eyes closed in on the smokescreen, waiting for his opponent to make his move.

Utsuno Ikusagami marched clear of the cloud of smoke, his armor unscathed by SpaceGodzilla’s barrage. The crystalline terror shrieked in rage at the sight of his unharmed opponent. His shoulder crystals pulsed with energy as he drew more power from his crystals. SpaceGodzilla lifted some of them out of the ground with his telekinesis, then with another flash of his shoulder crystals and a cry from the galactic Godzilla, they shot through the air toward the advancing Ikusagami. The knight paid no attention to them. Crystal missiles shot past the holy warrior, detonating against the ground and the few buildings behind him not destroyed in SpaceGodzilla’s initial landing. Several crystals smashed against the Sun God’s chest, exploding on impact, but did little to slow Ikusagami’s advance. SpaceGodzilla’s eyes widened in shock as the knight approached, undeterred by his crystal bombardment, and fired off another Corona blast that exploded against the mighty paladin’s face to no avail. Utsuno Ikusagami’s fists slammed against the space monster’s gut, causing SpaceGodzilla to stagger back with a cry of pain. The gold and silver warrior mercilessly pounded away at SpaceGodzilla’s chest, drawing a shriek of pain with each hit. SpaceGodzilla finally lashed back, striking his clawed hands against Ikusagami’s chest as the knight continued to strike him. Red energy surged through the crystalline saurian’s touch into Ikusagami, shocking him with every strike. The ancient knight barely felt them, continuing to assault SpaceGodzilla with his armored fists. As he pulled his fist back for another punch, SpaceGodzilla grasped Ikusagami’s head, discharging his cosmic power into the paladin’s skull. The Sun God felt these surges now, ceasing his attack as sparks erupted from his helmet as the intergalactic reptile continued to send energy into the knight’s head. Every fiber of his being urged him to scream, but the holy paladin refused. He wouldn’t allow SpaceGodzilla the satisfaction of knowing the god could feel pain.

Ikusagami grabbed the deep space Godzilla by his wrists, channeling his own holy energy into the space creature’s hands. SpaceGodzilla cried out as his flesh burned from the surges and released the Sun God, tearing his own arms out of his grip. Ikusagami watched SpaceGodzilla’s advanced regenerative abilities repair the damage in mere seconds. The cosmic fiend shrieked angrily at the ancient warrior – nothing was allowed to cause him pain and live! Green bolts of energy emerged from his shoulder crystals as SpaceGodzilla activated his Gravity Tornado. The bolts enveloped Ikusagami’s armored form, lifting the warrior above their master’s head. The crystalline Godzilla spun his helpless opponent around above him, cackling evilly at the trapped knight, before launching him into one of the intact skyscrapers outside his fortress. Ikusagami crashed to the ground, stunned by the impact. SpaceGodzilla wasted no time, unleashing his Corona Beam and repeatedly striking the holy knight. One blast struck the base of the skyscraper, bringing the entire building down upon Ikusagami and burying him under tons of concrete and metal. With his opponent down, SpaceGodzilla telekinetically lifted himself toward the pile of rubble, ready to secure him in his power absorbing crystals.

He failed to notice the mass quantities of light that was being drawn into the knight’s forehead medallion.

Utsuno Ikusagami exploded out of his concrete tomb, his body glowing with energy. Golden, jewel tipped wings appeared on his back with a flash of light. Bending his legs, the holy paladin took off, his new wings carrying him through the air toward his foe. SpaceGodzilla cried out in surprise and anger as he witnessed Ikusagami soar toward him. With a few blasts of light and energy, SpaceGodzilla transformed into his flying form and took off to meet the gold and silver god mid-air. Ikusagami’s wings began to vibrate at tremendous speeds, cutting into SpaceGodzilla’s flight crystals with a shower of sparks as the two passed each other. SpaceGodzilla fired off several shots of his Corona Beam, the cosmic energy snaking behind him and striking Ikusagami’s back and wings. The warrior spun around mid-flight, firing celestial energies from his medallion that struck the crystalline tyrant’s back. SpaceGodzilla cried out, feeling the crystals on his back heat up and his flesh vaporize as the Sun God’s beam struck. A second blast grazed his side, causing the galactic fiend to falter. Ikusagami fired off a third shot that detonated against SpaceGodzilla’s face, instantly vaporizing parts of it, including his eyes. SpaceGodzilla descended to the ground as his face regenerated, retracting his flight crystals in a flash of light and returning to his regular saurian form. When the cosmic Godzilla’s sight returned, he saw Ikusagami standing opposite him on the other side of his fortress, giving him a look that would have probably killed the galactic reptile if such a thing was possible.

The Sun God unleased his medallion ray again, washing it across the ground and SpaceGodzilla’s feet, toppling the space creature with a series of small explosions. More beams of holy energy struck the cosmic saurian as he tried summoning more power from his crystals, keeping the fiend down and slowly striping away his flesh faster than his healing factor could keep up. SpaceGodzilla’s crystals flashed as he uprooted more of his crystals, firing them at Ikusagami. The mighty warrior’s golden beams tore through the projectiles with ease, continuing on and peppering SpaceGodzilla’s body with explosions. Several crystal rockets detonated against the knight’s sides, cutting off his barrage as he clutched his sides. SpaceGodzilla floated back to his feet, his body quickly healing his injuries. More energy flowed from his fortress into his shoulder crystals, but the crystalline terror knew he needed more if he wanted a chance at winning this battle. Blue bolts of energy leapt from Fukuoka Tower, mixing with the green bolts from the crystal structures as they entered SpaceGodzilla’s body, boosting the fiend’s power. With an evil shriek of glee, he fired another Corona blast at Ikusagami. The Sun God just watched the beam as it drew closer. Was this the best SpaceGodzilla could do? For a creature that considered itself a god its power was pathetic compared to-

Ikusagami staggered back as the Corona Beam exploded against his chest, almost knocking him to the ground. The warrior looked down, shocked to see a large black smudge staining his armored chest. What?

SpaceGodzilla’s shriek of joy reached Ikusagami’s ears as he focused on the crystal beast seconds before another Corona Beam made contact with his face. Ikusagami clutched his face, blinded by the attack. SpaceGodzilla lifted himself into the air with his telekinesis and advanced on Ikusagami, raining down Corona Beams on the holy paladin. Ikusagami stumbled backward with every beam strike, his once immaculate armor now earning burn marks and dents with every strike of the galactic Godzilla’s energy beams. A Corona Beam detonated against the Sun God’s leg, taking him down. SpaceGodzilla was without mercy, continuing to blast the fallen Ikusagami. Crimson bolts of destructive energy leapt from his shoulder crystals, joining the assault of Corona Beams. Ikusagami was quickly overwhelmed, unable to get back up or fire his medallion ray, and so unleashed his holy power in the form of a shockwave that knocked SpaceGodzilla from the air and to the ground.

Ikusagami returned to his feet just as SpaceGodzilla telekinetically lifted himself from the ground. He fired his medallion ray again, only for the galactic reptile to summon a crystalline energy shield before him. The shield not only blocked the ray, but reflected it back at Ikusagami, striking his chest and pushing the armored warrior back, charring his armor further. Deactivating his shield, SpaceGodzilla let loose another barrage of Corona Beams, but Ikusagami was ready this time, generating his own shield that blocked the yellow energy beams in their tracks. The mighty paladin continued to maintain his shield as SpaceGodzilla continued to fire, trying to break through, but the rune coated energy barrier held, giving Ikusagami time to observe the crystalline terror. The first thing on his mind was finding out how SpaceGodzilla had gotten so powerful in a short period of time. At the beginning of the battle, his Corona Beams hadn’t even scratched his armor, yet now those same beams were capable of severely damaging it. Ikusagami knew the cosmic saurian was getting power from the field of crystals surrounding them, but where was he getting the extra power from?

Angered that he could penetrate his foe’s barrier, SpaceGodzilla summoned more energy from his crystals. Ikusagami watched as the intergalactic Godzilla absorbed the emerald energies into his shoulder crystals. Then he noticed blue bolts mixed in with the energy from the crystals. A closer observation revealed they were coming from Fukuoka Tower. SpaceGodzilla had somehow converted the structure into a transmitter to collect and transfer energy from space into his own body. As long as that tower was up, SpaceGodzilla would continue to gain energy, growing stronger and stronger with each passing moment. Ikusagami clenched his fists in rage as he realized he’d have to destroy Fukuoka Tower if he was to have a chance at winning this fight. The cosmic terror was forcing him to destroy the homes of the people he sought to protect. The Sun God promised to himself that SpaceGodzilla would pay, both for the damage and death he had wrought, and the actions he was forcing him to take.

Ikusagami’s shield finally broke, erupting into a shower of sparks. SpaceGodzilla didn’t even wait for the smoke to clear before firing his Corona Beam again. He couldn’t tell if he was hitting Ikusagami or not. His foe didn’t make any sounds at all. The eternal silence of Ikusagami slightly unnerved the crystalline saurian. Slightly.

Suddenly, one of his crystals shot out of the smokescreen like a javelin. SpaceGodzilla’s quick reflexes saved his life as he brought up his shield moments before the crystal could hit. The crystal smashed on contact and crumbled to the ground. SpaceGodzilla’s rage quickly grew. How dare that knight use his own crystals against him! They were his! His to control and his alone! Dropping his shield, SpaceGodzilla searched for Ikusagami. The Sun God was out of his cover and marching toward his target: Fukuoka Tower.

Realizing the paladin’s intentions, SpaceGodzilla immediately let loose with a series of Corona blasts. Ikusagami crossed his arms across his chest and face in an x-shape, shielding himself as best he could as he marched onward. Intergalactic energy bolts exploded across his arms and sides, hoping to stop his advance. Despite the power behind them and the pain they caused, Ikusagami kept going, fighting his way toward Fukuoka Tower. SpaceGodzilla howled in rage; why wouldn’t the knight fall over and die already? He hovered over to block Ikusagami’s path – and fell right into the warrior’s trap. Ikusagami extended his arm, creating a spear of light in his grip. Taking aim at the space monster, he hurled the spear at SpaceGodzilla, who raised his shield in response, expecting it to stop the holy projectile.

It didn’t.

The spear struck SpaceGodzilla’s crystalline shield, smashing it on impact. SpaceGodzilla cried out as the deadly construct of light plunged into his gut, sending him flying backward – right into Fukuoka Tower! The spear exploded as the galactic reptile slammed into the base of the famous landmark, leaving an imprint in its side and a large hole in SpaceGodzilla’s gut. He tried to free himself, but his tail and dorsal crystals were stuck inside the building. Pieces of concrete and broken glass bounced off SpaceGodzilla’s head from above, signaling the tower’s instability. The damaged metal supports groaned in protest, struggling to hold up the tower’s weight as SpaceGodzilla thrashed about. With a strong tug, he finally pulled himself out of the building, failing to notice the distressing sounds coming from the skyscraper. In its efforts to escape, SpaceGodzilla hadn’t noticed Ikusagami move closer. The first thing he knew about the knight’s presence was the beam of divine light that slammed into his chest, pushing him back into Fukuoka Tower. A massive fireball engulfed the base of the tower as SpaceGodzilla was forced deep inside it by Ikusagami’s beam. Its supports no longer strong enough to hold it, Fukuoka Tower collapsed, burying SpaceGodzilla under tons and tons of metal and concrete.

Ikusagami never once broke contact with the mountain of rubble, waiting for a response of SpaceGodzilla. After what the fiend had demonstrated with his power, Ikusagami doubted the cosmic monster was dead. A full minute passed before the debris exploded, SpaceGodzilla emerging from the remains of Fukuoka Tower in his flying form. He greeted Ikusagami with a blast of his Corona Beam as he passed overhead, knocking the Sun God to the ground. SpaceGodzilla descended to the other side of his fortress, deactivating his flight crystals as he lowered himself to the ground. The crystalline creature’s eyes burned with hatred as he focused on the still recovering Ikusagami. He still had no idea what the knight was, and now it had destroyed his energy source. Godzilla and Moguera hadn’t given him this much trouble. What was so different about this… thing? Whatever it was, SpaceGodzilla was sure about one thing: the knight would be dead by his hands before this day was over.

Ikusagami’s gaze met SpaceGodzilla’s as he got up. Both knew this fight was far from over. Although SpaceGodzilla’s energy source had been destroyed, the cosmic terror was still filled with energy from his last charge. The dented armor on Ikusagami’s torso was proof of that. Ikusagami had already formulated a plan to defeat SpaceGodzilla, but was unsure if it could work. He had to get SpaceGodzilla through all of his energy as quickly as possible. The plan was simple enough, were it not for the fact SpaceGodzilla was still capable of tearing him apart or blasting him to pieces if he got the chance. Ikusagami could burn up SpaceGodzilla’s reserves, but would he be able to handle whatever punishment the galactic Godzilla dealt out?

Yes. Yes, he could. He had to. Ikusagami had come this close to beating SpaceGodzilla and wasn’t about to give up. This wasn’t just about honor or vengeance. Earth was the home to guardians and warriors that had helped save the planet from destruction. When he had been stuck in his realm unable to help, they had stepped in to protect the world in his absence. Even Godzilla, a creature born of war and death, had been responsible for saving the world on multiple occasions. Earth’s guardians had done so much to keep the peace in his absence, and Utsuno Ikusagami was going to return the favor by saving Godzilla and his son from the clutches of his power-mad clone.

SpaceGodzilla war cry filled the air, his shoulder and forehead crystals flashing with power. Ikusagami responded physically, creating another light spear and throwing it at the crystalline terror. Having learned from his previous encounter with the weapon, SpaceGodzilla destroyed the construct with a Corona blast, the task distracting him long enough for Ikusagami to take to the air. SpaceGodzilla immediately opened fire on the holy warrior, peppering Ikusagami’s body with explosions. As Ikusagami drew closer, SpaceGodzilla started to become nervous. With the amount of punishment, the knight had taken, he should have been dead long before this point in their battle. Ikusagami hadn’t even shown any signs of injuries up to this point. He may have damaged his armor, but SpaceGodzilla had yet to see any trace of flesh and blood injuries. He wanted to see his foe bleed, hear him cry out in pain, something that reassured him that Ikusagami could be hurt, and to an extent, killed. Ikusagami was almost upon SpaceGodzilla now, who cut off his barrage of Corona Beams and began to activate his Gravity Tornado. It fired up too late to stop Ikusagami from bringing his fists down on SpaceGodzilla’s skull.

SpaceGodzilla’s crystalline crown fell to the ground and shattered.

Shrieking in pain, SpaceGodzilla backed away from Ikusagami, mourning the loss of his crown. Blood dripped down the sides of his head from around the crystal stub where his crown once was. SpaceGodzilla quickly turned his pain into rage and assaulted Ikusagami once more, striking the holy warrior with his claws. His strikes were slow and clumsy, but served their purpose of conducting energy into Ikusagami. Unlike before, Ikusagami felt these surges as they ravaged his body, causing the knight to spasm in pain each time SpaceGodzilla’s claws connected. Having enough of this assault, Ikusagami reached out and caught SpaceGodzilla’s left arm mid-strike, conducting his own energies through his grip. Sparks flew from SpaceGodzilla’s elbow as Ikusagami’s energies made contact, burning and searing the cosmic terror’s flesh. SpaceGodzilla howled in agony, but his howl quickly became a full-out scream as his arm detached from the rest of his body. Ikusagami immediately dropped SpaceGodzilla’s severed arm and prepared to do the same to the other only to be met by twin bolts of crimson energy from the galactic reptile’s shoulder crystals that forced him back. SpaceGodzilla contemplated the stump where his arm used to be, his thoughts a mixture of rage, pain and frustration. How had everything gone wrong so quickly? Just as it seemed he’d had an advantage, it had been taken away just as quickly it had appeared. Now he had lost his crown and his left arm, items his regeneration couldn’t replace. Sure, his skin and flesh could be repaired just fine, but inorganic materials such as his crystal bones and armor were a different story. Replacing them would take a lot of time and energy. He wasn’t even sure if he could regenerate his arm. He’d have to find out if he survived this fight.

There was little time to dwell on this, though. He still had a knight to kill.

SpaceGodzilla’s shoulder crystals flashed as he pulled some of the crystals littering the landscape into the air. They floated above him for a moment, suspended in his telekinesis, then, with a cry from the crystalline terror, they rocketed toward the ground. His crystals exploded all around Ikusagami, knocking the knight to the ground.

Die.

He unleashed his Corona Beam again and again, striking Ikusagami repeatedly, making sure the knight couldn’t recover.

Die!

He ceased firing and activated his Gravity Tornado, securing Ikusagami in its emerald energies. He lifted Ikusagami into the air, then slammed the warrior back into the ground with enough force to create a small crater under him. He repeated the motion, lifting Ikusagami up and slamming him back down again and again.

Die!

As SpaceGodzilla slammed him into the ground for a fourth time, Ikusagami’s body began glowing with energy. Summoning his divine power, the Sun God released it in the form of an energy pulse, sending SpaceGodzilla crashing to the ground and freeing him from the clutches of the Gravity Tornado. Once back on his feet, Ikusagami marched over and grabbed the base of SpaceGodzilla’s tail. He began to spin, dragging the dazed reptile across the ground as he gathered momentum. By the time SpaceGodzilla had returned to his senses, Ikusagami had lifted him off the ground and was swinging the galactic Godzilla through the air. SpaceGodzilla’s response was immediate, sending orange energy through his dorsal crystals and down his tail, exiting through the cluster of crystals at the tip of his tail and blasting Ikusagami’s hands. To his surprise, Ikusagami didn’t let go. He tried again, discharging more energy into the holy warrior’s hands. Still Ikusagami held on, increasing speed as he spun faster and faster. Ikusagami knew what SpaceGodzilla was trying to do, but wouldn’t let him. He’d let go when it wanted to – which was now! As more cosmic energy entered the tail crystal, Ikusagami conducted his own power into the cluster as well. Galactic and divine energies met inside the crystal cluster, and did not react well to each other. The cluster exploded, sending SpaceGodzilla and Ikusagami flying in opposite directions. Both slid across the ground, uprooting and smashing crystals as their forms dug deep trenches in the earth, before coming to a stop.

Utsuno Ikusagami slowly rose to his feet. SpaceGodzilla levitated his form off the ground. Divine being and cosmic monster stared each other down from opposite ends of the crystal fortress. For the first time since the battle had started, silence fell upon the battlefield. Neither made a move, waiting to see how their opponent would respond. When the two finally struck, it was swift and powerful. SpaceGodzilla and Ikusagami unleashed their respective beams at the same time. The yellow lightning-like bolt that was the Corona Beam met the smooth, golden stream of the medallion ray in the middle of the fortress with a flash of light so bright that anyone watching would have been blinded. The two beams fought for dominance, each trying to push the other back. The meeting point struggled back and forth between Ikusagami and SpaceGodzilla, neither able to overpower the other. SpaceGodzilla was eager to change that, charging his beam with the energy reserves in his shoulder crystals. Slowly, his Corona Beam began to push back Ikusagami’s ray, inching closer and closer to the knight. Ikusagami struggled to fight back, pushing back the ray with all the power he had, but the Corona Beam continued to advance. Guilt filled Ikusagami’s soul as he realized he had failed. He had let down Earth guardians, whom he owed so much to, by allowing SpaceGodzilla to best him. The creature that wished to become a god had beaten the genuine article…

…no.

No!

He refused to give up just like that. He was not going to die here at the hands of this mutant mistake. SpaceGodzilla’s power may be great, but at the end of it all, he was just as mortal as the humans he sought to destroy. SpaceGodzilla was a creature pretending to be a god. Utsuno Ikusagami was a true god, and his power was infinite!

A new burst of divine power coursed through Ikusagami’s body, elevating his strength to new levels. SpaceGodzilla’s Corona Beam stopped its advance, unable to move further. Then it began to be pushed back by Ikusagami’s medallion ray. SpaceGodzilla’s eyes widened in shock at the sight of his own beam being forced back. The cosmic reptile summoned every reserve of power and pumped it into his Corona Beam, but his efforts failed to stop Ikusagami’s beam from advancing. SpaceGodzilla found himself in the same situation Ikusagami had been in moments before, except this time, there would be nothing to save him. Both the Corona Beam and medallion ray were shoved back into SpaceGodzilla’s mouth, creating a massive explosion that engulfed the crystalline terror’s upper body. SpaceGodzilla fell to the ground, devoid of life.

Ikusagami studied the fallen form of SpaceGodzilla. The entirety of his face and chest was void of flesh, exposing crystal bone that glinted in the morning sun. There was no way SpaceGodzilla could have survived the blast with such injuries. The fiend was dead. Ikusagami had prevailed.

SpaceGodzilla’s chest moved. Ikusagami paused, uncertain if he had actually seen that or not. No, SpaceGodzilla’s chest was definitely moving. The fiend was still alive!

The galactic reptile slowly rose. New flesh began to form across his skeletal form, covering his chest and face. He blinked, testing his new eyes, and scowled at Ikusagami. A garbled, nightmarish shriek came from SpaceGodzilla’s still generating vocal cords, slowly becoming a more natural sound as the organ finished healing. Ikusagami was in shock at what he had just witnessed. It left him open to an attack from SpaceGodzilla, who parted his newly restored jaws and spewed forth a Corona Beam. Acting on reflex, Ikusagami raised his arm to defend himself, allowing the jagged bolt to strike it. The Corona Beam exploded, throwing sparks from the god warrior’s armor but little else. Ikusagami’s plan had worked. SpaceGodzilla’s energy had run out. Realizing this, the galactic Godzilla quickly began siphoning energy from his crystals. He wasn’t going to lose. Not now, now ever. The knight’s armor was still damaged from his earlier assaults. There was still a chance.

A chance Ikusagami wasn’t going to give him. This battle had gone on long enough. It was time to finish this.

Ikusagami held out his right hand and in a flash of light, his sword appeared, its blade coated in divine energy. He slashed the sword experimentally through the air, testing its weight, before taking a step forward and leaping into the air. Immediately, SpaceGodzilla opened fire with every energy weapon at his disposal. Yellow and red bolts continuously struck Ikusagami’s armored form in the hopes of breaching his armor, but just like at the beginning of the battle, they failed to even slow Ikusagami down. When the warrior was in range, he swung his sword down. The divine blade cleaved through flesh and crystal bone, creating a diagonal cut across SpaceGodzilla’s chest. As SpaceGodzilla registered his new wound, Ikusagami swung again, slicing the crystalline fiend’s right arm off at the shoulder. SpaceGodzilla’s screams of agony failed to convey the amount of pain he was in right now. It didn’t matter in the end though, as Ikusagami thrust his sword into SpaceGodzilla’s gut, silencing him. Ikusagami pulled his blade out of the space monster’s stomach, allowing SpaceGodzilla to fall to his knees. The deep space Godzilla’s only response to this situation was a low moan from his maw that conveyed a multitude of emotions. But mostly rage. Rage for being harmed. Rage for being beaten. Rage for being denied his destiny as ruler of this universe. He was the strongest. The worthiest. He’d beaten his inferior ‘brother’. There was nothing in this universe that could have stopped him! He was a god, and the only thing that could have hoped to stop him was-

SpaceGodzilla’s eyes widened as he finally realized the knight’s identity. Of course, he’d lose to an actual god, the genuine article, not some pretender like he was. That didn’t mean he’d go down peacefully. SpaceGodzilla looked up and roared in defiance in Ikusagami’s face, refusing to surrender. Ikusagami hadn’t even considered giving him that that option. With that, he lifted his sword, its blade glowing brightly, and swung it across SpaceGodzilla’s shoulders. SpaceGodzilla’s shoulder crystals shattered on contact with the blade, but it was a few seconds before the tyrant’s head fell from his shoulders. SpaceGodzilla’s head hit the ground with a thud, his body following suit shortly after.

Ikusagami lowered his arms to his sides, content in his victory. Mankind was finally safe from SpaceGodzilla’s wrath and he had avenged the lives of those lost. But there was still one more thing to do. Ikusagami unleashed his medallion ray once more and swept it across the battlefield, targeting SpaceGodzilla’s crystals. The structures melted and warped on contact with the divine ray before exploding into showers of sparks. Ikusagami’s beam washed over Moguera’s damaged form, destroying the anti-Godzilla weapon in a mighty explosion. SpaceGodzilla’s crystal prisons were the last to go, vanishing into a cloud of sparks and smoke. Shortly after, a dazing blue ray pierced the air, followed by the sound that gripped the entire world in fear. Godzilla walked clear of the smoke cloud, flexing his arms and rearing his head back in a thunderous roar. He tilted his head in confusion as he fixed his gaze on Ikusagami, trying to figure out what the knight was exactly.

Minilla’s own roars dragged him from his thoughts and he turned to face his newly-freed son. After a long and tiring ordeal, father and son were finally reunited in a loving embrace. Godzilla turned his gaze to Ikusagami once more and nodded to the knight. He’d saved both him and his son from a terrible fate. That made him an ally in Godzilla’s books. Ikusagami nodded in response, but his opinions on the King of the Monsters were quite different. To him, Godzilla was the lesser of two evils, and he had only spared him because like it or not, the Earth needed him. That did not make them allies. Despite what Godzilla had done to save the Earth, Ikusagami would not be so quick to spare him, should the monster king return to his destructive ways.

Deciding to end his time on Earth, Utsuno Ikusagami bent his legs and leapt into the sky, ascending into the atmosphere. Godzilla and Minilla watched the Sun God ascend before a bright blue light enveloped his form and he vanished, returning to the realm of the gods.