The World Children's Land was closed for the night.

The land was once flat earth that stretched for miles. Now it was a human-made crater that contained the most eccentric amusement park in the world. It had everything: a big Ferris wheel that made families smile in joy, a space observatory with a telescope powerful enough to view distant nebula, science divisions designed to captivate and nurture young minds, and—serving as the park's main tourist attraction—the Godzilla Tower. Tourists were in awe at how lifelike it looked. However, any fears of it being the real legendary monster were quickly laid to rest, as it rested atop an elevator that went up between its cradling arms. Even though it wasn't a real monster, its silhouette at night sure scared the hell out of the security guards.

The Godzilla Tower served as the company's headquarters. Like a king surveying his kingdom, it watched in reserved silence. Visitors were encouraged to come up and see the panoramic observation deck at the top. Instead of seeing a bird's eye view of the Japanese countryside, which is what most visitors were expecting, many were surprised to see something more eccentric. Futuristic structures glinted in fields of green that stretched beyond the eye could see. Though the images were computer generated, it looked real enough to make every single person wonder what tidings the future would bring.

Chairman Fumio marched down a corridor. All workers at the World Children's Land wore the same orange uniform when on duty, from the janitor to the chairman. Only the security personnel were permitted to wear black vests over their orange suits. Fumio's glossy hair was combed back, his arms strutting back and forth as he paced. Anyone brave enough to meet his stern gaze would be astonished by how young he looked; Fumio could have passed as a high school student. He'd greet any visitor with a warm smile, offering to shake their hands like an old friend and business partner. His subordinates, however, were not so fortunate. All employees he happened upon immediately stopped what they were doing and bowed their heads in respect. They continued to do so until he was out of sight. One worker once made the mistake of merely nodding his head. For his disrespect, Fumio lured him into his office where he ruthlessly bludgeoned the poor man to death with a pipe.

In the main lobby, Kubota, Fumio's Second in Command, was tending to a group of children. They were orphans the World Children's Land were publicly gracious enough to adopt. Despite the initial bad press wrought by child protective services and wary journalists, the company ultimately emerged as a champion of children's right and succeeded in winning the trust of the government. Kubota smiled at the youthful faces that were in his charge. His demeanor was that of a fair but stern teacher. They looked to him for guidance. More importantly, they trusted him without question. That was their first mistake.

"Good evening, Chairman," Kubota said, bowing his head appropriately. The children did the same.

"I don't have time, Kubota," Fumio said. "We will have to reschedule for tomorrow. To perfect peace."

"Yes, of course, Chairman," Kubota replied. "To peace."

Chairman Fumio stepped into the empty elevator. The silver tinted doors closed, casting the image of a young man. Fumio had to remind himself that it was his reflection staring back at him.

Well not exactly, he thought to himself. The reflection belonged to the corpse he was using as a vessel. Fumio's cold face contorted into a selfish grin. His meatsuit was ready for the rough negotiations that lay ahead.

The elevator descended into an underground bunker. Neither the public nor the government knew it existed. To safeguard its secrecy, Chairman Fumio had its architect and construction crews executed. The mess was unsanitary, forcing Fumio to opt for the more generic orange suits he and his staff wore on a daily basis. When the elevator stopped, and the doors opened, Fumio took in a deep breath. Up ahead was a gigantic vault door. Two heavily-armed, masked bodyguards silently accompanied him. Neither dared distract him from his thoughts. He paced across a basement full of crates and supplies, the lights flickering above his head.

Fumio didn't need to pretend like he owned the place. He owned every inch of the World Children's Land. He owned every brick, equipment, asset, and merchandise; hell, as far as Fumio was concerned, he owned every person that stepped foot onto his property.

When Fumio and his guards entered the vault, its large door slammed behind them. Inside the vault was a unique cache of human weaponry collected throughout the ages. There was a tinted sword wielded by Alexander the Great on display behind bulletproof glass; a bow that supposedly belonged to Genghis Khan received a similar shrine; King Leonidas's helmet and red cape rested on a mannequin, which stood adjacent to a wall adorned with exotic masks and helmets. All manner of guns, cannons, mines, muskets, and bombs were on display. Fumio couldn't remember if they were loaded or not. It's then he stopped. Miyamoto Musashi's legendary katana had been left out precariously on the floor in front of him. Fumio picked up the sword and closely inspected its condition.

Did I accidentally leave it out? Fumio wondered. No, I'd only take it out to punish some half-wit, and I don't see any amputated limbs anywhere.

"You're late," rung a deep, masculine voice. It belonged to a man with a large, muscular frame. He wore a silver headband that coalesced into the head of his insect deity. His face had a grisly scar over his right eye. He wore a light tunic that was compressed together by a metallic belt. At the center of his belt buckle was a small person with outstretched limbs.

"Let’s dispense with the pleasantries, your highness," Fumio said, not even trying to mask his contempt for Seatopia's Emperor Antonio.

At a roundtable, Emperor Antonio stood firm. There were two others in attendance. At the center of the table was an old vinyl tape.

"To have done otherwise would've bored me to tears," Belvera cackled, levitating to the center of the table. She sported a royal looking kimono, the likes of which haven't been seen since the feudal days of Japan. Except hers was as black as gothic night, with lavender highlights. Belvera couldn't have stood more than a foot tall, but to underestimate her for her small stature would have been a death wish. Murder glowed like fiery coals in her hypnotic gaze.

Chairman Fumio sat down, setting Musashi's katana up against the table. Emperor Antonio towered over them like an impotent god, arms crossed. Belvera danced around atop the tape, subtly showing the hilt of her sword to Fumio with a daring smile.

"Welcome to the World Children's Land," Fumio said. "I called this meeting today because I'm moving ahead of schedule, with or without your involvement."

"So then why are you wasting our time?" Belvera said. "More importantly, why are you wasting my time?"

"Call it a courtesy," Fumio coolly replied.

"You're an arrogant fool," Emperor Antonio barked. "If you continue down this path, Seatopia will be your enemy."

Fumio snapped. "Keep your stupid mouth shut! Seatopia will answer to me if it knows what's best for it."

Thousands of years ago, Nebula Space Hunter M's homeworld was drowning in pollution. Desperate, it dispatched a reconnaissance crew to find a habitable planet to colonize. Unfortunately, a mechanical failure altered the course direction and led to the crew crash landing on Earth. With their communicational device destroyed in the crash, they were unable to contact their homeworld. Knowing the planet's inhabitants would be horrified by their insectoid appearance, the Nebulans blended in by resorting to a little grave robbery. For a time, it seemed like they could coexist with the humans, some even went as far as starting families. Ultimately, these Nebulan pariahs were forced to live underground. Many years later, the Nebulans went from being a downtrodden group of refugees to establishing the most sophisticated civilization on Earth: Seatopia. Through gene splicing, the Seatopians forged a new legacy by merging with their earthling bodies.

The Nebula Space Hunter M invaders weren't exactly thrilled at the news.

"I am Seatopia's rightful leader!" Chairman Fumio loudly proclaimed.

"Not another word, boy, or I will castrate you," Emperor Antonio threatened.

There was enough tension in the air to ignite dynamite. Fortunately, Belvera's laughter snapped them out of their shouting match.

"You imbeciles would've accelerated your plans, too, had you known what I know," Fumio said.

"Then simply tell us what you know instead of hurling petty insults," said Belvera.

Fumio motioned for them to listen to the tape. It played a message at a frequency that was indiscernible to humans. After playing for more than a few minutes, the tape clicked off. Belvera shook her head, cursing what she had just heard. Even Emperor Antonio looked visibly worried.

"Uh, excuse me," said a middle-aged Japanese man. He was Captain Ryuui of the dreaded Red Bamboo terrorist organization. His imperial, fascistic uniform made him look like he had just stepped foot out of an old war film. Ryuui had a dragon sigil emblazoned to his eyepatch, which concealed his mark of shame.

"Oh, Captain Ryuui," Chairman Fumio said, looking slightly bemused. "I'm sorry, I forgot you were there."

"Would you-you all mind tell-telling me what was on the ta-tapes?" Captain Ryuui said, with a lump in his throat.

"No," Fumio said. "In fact, I'm going to bury you, acquiesce your pitiful human organization, and then feed you all one-by-one to that giant, loathsome shrimp monster you're so overly fond of. In exactly that order."

Captain Ryuui drew his pistol. "Idiots! You can kill me, but you are all as good as dead! The Red Bamboo will soon lay siege to this infernal place."

---

At the front security gate, guards stationed heard the rumblings of a squadron of planes.

Shenyang J-6 fighter jets roared out of the night sky, closing in on Godzilla Tower. However, the Godzilla Tower was far from defenseless; red particles of light gathered inside the Godzilla Tower's open maw. In pulse-pounding precision, its sweltering laser beams made short work of the Shenyang J-6 jets.

"What the hell just happened?" one of the security guards asked, his coffee trembling in his palm.

"Trust me, you don't want to know," replied the senior security guard, never taking his eyes off his crosswords puzzle.

Burning debris crashed down into the outskirts of the World Children's Land. Tongues of fire flickered in the night. Suddenly, the earth shook. Something huge was burrowing through the ground, heading straight for Godzilla Tower.

---

The distant explosions were deafening on the surface world. However, inside Godzilla Tower's deeply-secured vault, the explosions sounded faint. Nevertheless, the destruction of the Red Bamboo's air force was incontrovertible. It was a revelation that made Captain Ryuui nearly eat his pistol. Still, to the terrorist's credit, he stood his ground right up to the end. A pair of silvery horns punched through his chest. Ryuui's bloodshot eye rolled past its socket as his unseen attacker lifted his flailing body high into the air before laying it flat on the table.

Out of the shadows, a Silver Garoga stepped forward, snapping his horns back into place above his goblinlike head, fresh blood oozing from its curved ends. The Silver Garoga was a sinister looking creature that walked upright like a human. Its silver head contrasted nicely with its red vest and black sleeves. Without lips, its gritted teeth looked like an insidious scowl. Nobody knew if this is what it looked like or if it was just a mask used for fearmongering tactics.

"Get the hell out of my vault," Chairman Fumio protested. Fumio's bodyguards stepped forward, training their laser sights on the Garogan.

Emperor Antonio took a big step towards the Silver Garoga, his stern gaze meeting the creature's black bulbous stare. Belvera, likewise, didn't seem to be intimidated by the alien. Both she and the Seatopian were great at concealing their real emotions.

The Garoga's reputation preceded it. Long before life first began on this backwater of a planet, the Garoga had conquered most the Milky Way Galaxy. These anthropomorphic demons committed atrocities that made humankind's worst crimes look tame in comparison. The Garoga prided themselves on planetary conquests, subjugating entire civilizations to their barbaric rule, or destroying them outright. Then one day, as if fate granted the cosmos a miracle, the Garoga Empire abruptly vanished. There were many rumors and speculations, but one explanation in particular held more notoriety. It's believed the Garoga Empire was wiped out by a three-headed monster of their own making. This creature would go on to continue its masters' legacy, dealing death wherever it went.

Now it would seem the rumors of the Garoga Empire's destruction had been vastly exaggerated.

"I see you deciphered the Xiliens' message," the Silver Garoga's voice echoed, gesturing to the tape. "That is what my superiors intended."

"Did they intend for you to lose your head, too?" Belvera threatened.

With one hand, the Silver Garoga grabbed Captain Ryuui's ankle and swiftly flung his body into the back wall. He proceeded to join everyone at the roundtable.

"They don't know I'm here," the Silver Garoga revealed. "I'm here to negotiate the terms of your surrender."

"More like a desperate ploy to advance your station," Emperor Antonio sharply observed. "Request denied."

"Then you will all suffer my wrath," the Silver Garoga warned ominously.

---

A seismic force violently shook the vault, making the entire Godzilla Tower wobble back and forth. In the Control Room, Kubota demanded an explanation from his technicians who were dutifully manning their respective stations. He received an answer in the form of a giant, spinning drill tunneling its way out of the earth. A monster many-stories-high stomped on a science facility, reducing it to smoldering rubble.

Zandora flexed its shovel-shaped arms. Its head was a pyramid of metallic plates that formed into one big massive drill, with steam-spraying tubes protruding out of its neck. Zandora was a bipedal creature, clumsily walking upright. Its silver tail lazily dragged across the soil as it stomped towards the Godzilla Tower.

"Arm the laser cannon," Kubota ordered. "This creature thinks it can invade our land with impunity. I want its corpse to function as our future mascot."

"Sir, other anomalies detected," one of the technicians exclaimed.

---

The Silver Garoga raised his hands to belittle his rivals. "You see? Unlike that one-eyed weakling," he boasted, "I didn't bring an army to bend you to my will. I brought my Terror-Beast."

Belvera met the Garoga's bravado with condescending laughter.

"You're an idiot," Belvera said nonchalantly.

A loud shriek reverberated off the vault's thick walls. The Silver Garoga knew it didn't come from his monster.

---

Zandora sensed a subterranean challenger rapidly approaching. Finally, an elongated horn burst forth. Red glowing eyes beheld Zandora with righteous fury. The creature had the shape of a gigantic caterpillar, with beetlelike facial attributes.

Battra shrieked an ear-piercing challenge out of his mandibles. He charged forward with his scuttling legs, not even waiting to see if Zandora was ready to fight. Zandora took several considerable gallops to meet the Dark Mothra in mortal combat. The two collided in a thunderous crash, the force of which shattered nearby windows. In the midst of their titanic clash, Battra and Zandora suddenly stopped. It would seem their agents were entering renegotiations.

---

Belvera walked to the edge of the table, staring up defiantly at the Silver Garoga. She was older than Chairman Fumio's ancient relics. In fact, she saw the men who wielded them, watching from the shadows as they fought and died as humans do. For most of her extraordinarily long life, Belvera watched with revolting disgust as humans senselessly raped, pillaged, and killed each other. There was no hope for them. No matter how advanced, sophisticated, or enlightened they claimed to be; humans could never be trusted.

The Garoga were worse than humans. All the more reason why Belvera hated her current predicament. She silently cursed the elder gods in the hopes she wouldn't have to bargain with such a loathsome creature. What wouldn't she give for a massacre right about now?

"This mudball will be ours," the Silver Garoga said. "How do you wish to play a part in our conquest? You can be an asset, one we will compensate with riches and power beyond your wildest dreams, or your bones can rot beneath our feet as our armies take this world."

"I've heard enough," said Emperor Antonio.

"I agree with the oaf, which seriously pisses me off," Chairman Fumio shouted.

The Silver Garoga taunted them one last time. "You're all fools. The Xiliens are coming. Billions will die screaming as we battle for supremacy. I offered you a seat at the table, but now I have no choice but to—"

One of Fumio's bodyguards unleashed hell on the Silver Garoga. Chairman Fumio fumbled in his seat, the gunshots impairing his hearing. The Silver Garoga went down, but the bullets kept flying. Belvera ran to the edge of the table and took a big leap, only to land in the saddle of her cybernetic-reptilian companion, Garu-Garu. Emperor Antonio lifted the table up as a shield, praying to his god for help.

During the uproar, Fumio noticed his second bodyguard was lying in a puddle of blood. Before Fumio could voice his unfathomable fury, his renegade bodyguard whipped around with a silencer in hand and shot Chairman Fumio right between the eyes.

The bodyguard quickly departed. After unlocking the vault door with an encryption hacking device, he turned to face the wretched beings he had observed silently. Then he threw his mask to the floor before dramatically putting on sunglasses.

"Kiss you guys," the man said. He was SSS9, Saradia's most elite assassin.

The vault door closed, locking Belvera, Emperor Antonio, and the Silver Garoga inside. That's when all hell broke loose.

---

A dazzling bolt of golden lightning seared out of Battra's horn. For maximum destruction, lavender beams simultaneously discharged out of his eyes. Zandora was immediately overwhelmed, his massive form engulfed in exploding sparks. Like a tree being cut down, Zandora slumped over and slammed his enormous bulk into the earth. Battra's body crackled with electricity as he moved to pounce on his enemy. However, Zandora raised its shovel-like hands and sprayed a molten cloud of steam into Battra's face. Battra cried out, his eyes—lacking any means of defense—were exposed and wholly vulnerable to Zandora's devastating weapon.

Battra's painful shrieks echoed for miles. He panicked, for his eyes had been melded together in sickening pools of smoldering flesh. Zandora activated its drill. At full speed, he ducked down to plunge its head right into Battra's face. With speed and momentum on its side, Zandora pushed Battra back as its drill spun in one of Battra's putrid eyes. Battra's ear-splitting screams succeeded in only exacerbating Zandora's fiendish resolve. Zandora rammed Battra into the raised outer walls of the World Children's Land, causing an avalanche of rock and dirt that subsequently buried the monsters.

Zandora retreated out of the avalanche, waiting for any sign of Battra. Out of the rumbling earth, Zandora sensed a star-shaped, elongated horn surfacing. Before Zandora could press his attack, thinking Battra was back in the fight, a new challenger made its presence known.

It was the most peculiar of monsters. It had the head of a beetle but the bipedal shape of a man. Antennas twitched above its bulbous, amber-looking eyes. His mandibles opened and closed randomly. Drill, cone-shaped hands clapped together. Its tiger striped wing casings rippled before it flew at Zandora at supersonic speed. It imparted so much force that when Zandora finally came to, he was lying in a massive crater.

Megalon had come to answer the prayers of his most devout follower.

---

The Silver Garoga leaped at Emperor Antonio. The Emperor of Seatopia responded by whacking his face in with the table. The master tape clattered to the floor, all but forgotten at this point. Belvera swooped down on Garu-Garu's back, the flying creature discharging purple glowing fireballs. The projectiles hit the Silver Garoga, succeeding in leaving only minor burn marks. The Silver Garoga quickly scanned the late Chairman Fumio's weapon cache. He picked up an MP 40 submachine gun, developed in the 1930s by the Nazi war machine. Ordinarily, he wouldn't dishonor himself by relying on such primitive weaponry, but these were desperate times. His finger squeezed the trigger, spraying hot lead at Garu-Garu. Before he could accurately aim the weapon, however, the gun clicked empty. The Silver Garoga threw it away in disgust. There was a more satisfying way to end this. He advanced on Emperor Antonio, detaching the horns from his head.

However, Emperor Antonio had other plans. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw all manner of weapons that could aid him in his endeavor. There was one weapon he saw, however, that made the warrior inside grin. With herculean strength, Emperor Antonio shattered the bulletproof glass that protected Alexander the Great's sword. While it's true Alexander wielded it in battle—and it had slain many men—it was, in fact, a family heirloom passed down to him by his father, King Philip II of Macedon.

Many lifetimes ago, Emperor Antonio thought to himself. He gripped the hilt of his sword, reunited at last.

Emperor Antonio swung at the Silver Garoga's lashing horns. Their loud, clanging weapons echoed off the walls. The Silver Garoga gained the upper hand by delivering a bone-shattering kick to his gut. The Seatopian was sent hurtling across the room. Before the Silver Garoga could finish the monarch, Belvera telekinetically floated several grenades next to him before pulling their pins, laughing as they all blew up in his face.

---

At the front security gate, SSS9 made a pitstop. He changed out of his disguise, donning his usual gray striped suit and black biker gloves, all while ignoring the sounds of horror and sudden death in the distance. SSS9 peered into the security guard gate, noticing the guards were strangely absent from their station. He soon discovered why.

"Good dog," said the voice of his mysterious contractor. "I'm impressed you survived."

"I always deliver," SSS9 confidently replied. "Now it's your turn."

The Xilien Commander appeared behind the Saradian agent. He resembled a tall Japanese man dressed in leather spandex, who moved with the gracefulness of a cat. In his hand was a standard looking briefcase. He wore a darkly tinted visor. With it, the Xilien Commander could see x-rays of SSS9's skeleton, monitor his nervous system, and detect his heart rate. SSS9's heart rate was perfectly calm, much to the Xilien Commander's chagrin.

"Tell me what you learned, dog," the Xilien Commander demanded.

"I couldn't decipher the tape, but they confirmed the contents of its message," SSS9 reported. "The Garoga. The Nebulans. Seatopia. Dark fairies. They all know of your impending invasion.”

"Are they still alive?"

"I killed the Chairman," SSS9 said, with a subtle amount of satisfaction. "The others were at each other's throats when I locked them inside the vault."

The Xilien Commander laughed. "Then you did well. Per our original agreement with your Emir," he said, handing SSS9 a data-disc, "Saradia will be made a principal ally in the coming war. Your Emir now has the information he needs to invent an indestructible plant that will turn his country into the breadbasket of the Middle East. I'm impressed by your unwavering commitment to your country."

"Country and money," SSS9 corrected him.

"Yes, of course," the Xilien Commander said, handing him the briefcase. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go eradicate the competition. You better leave the area while you still can. I'm summoning my favorite pet."

The Xilien Commander vanished in a shimmering distortion of blue light. SSS9 looked back at the fighting monsters, reflecting on his recent meeting with the Xilien Commander. It wasn't the first time his country conducted business with extraterrestrials. Not too long ago, Saradia's Emir negotiated a weapons deal with the Black Hole Aliens. This walk down memory lane reminded him that he had unfinished business.

Moments later, the Saradian assassin was strolling through the desert before finding a large boulder. His hands felt around for a bit before locating the surface of a camouflaged tarp designed to blend in with the rugged environment. He pulled the tarp off a silver 1982 Mitsubishi Starion.

SSS9 set his briefcase into the trunk next to a large black bag.

---

Megalon's rapidly spinning drills hit Zandora's charging head as hard as he could. Zandora screeched loudly as its drill shattered on contact, which gave Megalon a hearty-chuckle. He soon learned the hard way this fight was no laughing matter. Molten steam engulfed Megalon, its scalding temperatures threatening to peel off the Seatopian Deity's skin. Suddenly, Battra's lightning beam blew off one of Zandora's arms. With Zandora temporarily distracted, Megalon furiously tried bashing its brains in—or whatever made the Terror-Beast tick.

Smoke curled off Battra's cauterized eyes. Despite losing his sight, Battra, an instrument of the Earth Spirit, was not deprived of access to his more preternatural senses. Bolts of lightning whirled around Battra's horn. At the same time, Megalon's star-shaped horn radiated with power. Megalon and Battra simultaneously unleashed their electrically-charged beams, but Zandora jumped out of harm's way at the last possible second. The two projectiles met in a blinding display of pyrotechnics. With so much energy building up in one place, there was only one direction it could go: everywhere.

The electromagnetic discharge floored all three monsters. Before the fighting could resume, however, another challenger arrived in the form of a burning meteor. It impacted close to the amusement park, completely leveling the smaller structures. The Godzilla Tower, designed to withstand a 9.0 earthquake on the Richter scale, nearly toppled over. Shockwaves disemboweled the earth, blowing Megalon and Battra back. At the heart of the impact site was a burning mushroom cloud.

A gaunt, anthropomorphic creature levitated out of the conflagration. It drifted down towards Zandora, poised to eviscerate it like a shark would a seal. Its flesh was as black as sin. A bonelike exoskeleton wrapped around its knees, waist, arms, shoulders, and head. At first, it looked like it had an eviscerated skull resting on each shoulder, like a pair of perverted trophies, but it was, in fact, an organ containing one of its many eyes. This creature had four red eyes visible. Its tail branched out into two, razor-sharp whips.

Blinding energy beams fired out of its eyes. In less than a second, the beams cut through Zandora like a hot knife through butter, and the Terror-Beast was blown to smithereens.

With one enemy destroyed, Monster X roared an ultimatum to Megalon and Battra: Fight it and die or die.

---

Emperor Antonio dropped to one knee, grunting in pain. The Silver Garoga had recently plunged one of its horns through his left leg. Belvera kicked Garu-Garu to fly around to ambush the Silver Garoga from behind.

A black boot stomped the master tape to pieces.

"You act like cattle," the Xilien Commander said. "You fight like cattle. You die like cattle."

The Silver Garoga forcibly yanked his horn out of Emperor Antonio's leg. The Seatopian quickly crawled over to the King Leonidas shrine, tearing a cloth of fabric from the Spartan King’s red cape. Like a tourniquet, he tied it around his upper thigh to prevent blood loss.

"Perhaps we can come to an arrangement?" the Silver Garoga groveled.

The Xilien Commander's smirk turned into a frown. "You dare speak to me like an equal? You, a low-level grunt?"

In the Xilien Commander's right hand, an energy sphere materialized. The Silver Garoga, sensing no other option, jumped at the Xilien with murderous intent. The Xilien Commander responded by telekinetically catching the Silver Garoga in midair. With what sounded like a snarl, the Xilien Commander blasted his Garogan enemy into a wall. The Silver Garoga slid down next to Captain Ryuui's corpse. A ray gun materialized in the Xilien Commander's hand. Without hesitation, he cranked it to full power and shot a burning hole through the Silver Garoga's chest. A second later, the Silver Garoga disintegrated. The ray gun overloaded and consequently blew up, its services rendered.

Emperor Antonio blindsided the Xilien Commander with a punch to the face. Unharmed, the Xilien Commander directly looked at him confused.

"You surprise me, your majesty," the Xilien admitted. "Truthfully, I had no interest in destroying Seatopia. I was only ever interested in exploiting Earth's surface-dwellers. They'll make a fine resource, to be sure. Then you dared to strike me, like some peasant."

With a roundhouse kick, the Xilien Commander knocked Emperor Antonio off his feet. Antonio felt the Xilien's squeeze around his neck before blacking out. When he regained consciousness, the Xilien Commander was holding him up by the throat with one hand. Purple fireballs raced to hit the Xilien from behind. With a contemptuous wave, the Xilien easily deflected the attacks.

"I'll be with you in a second, my dear," the Xilien Commander said, referring to Belvera.

"My friend," Emperor Antonio's voice garbled. "I could use your help."

"Belvera can't save you," the Xilien Commander gloated.

But Emperor Antonio wasn't pleading to Belvera for help. No, he was asking someone even smaller than her. The little person in his belt buckle came to life. It moved swiftly behind the Xilien, quickly altering his size to meet him at eye level. The Xilien Commander's surprise was paramount. The little person was a kaleidoscopic robot, with a permanent grin and black sunken eyes. Its slick, metallic head curved upward.

"Jet Jaguar," Emperor Antonio said, liberating himself from the Xilien's grip. "Punch!"

Jet Jaguar complied with a thunderous right hook. The Xilien Commander was sent flying into the vault door, hitting the door so hard he left an impression. Before the Xilien had time to recuperate, Jet Jaguar flew at him with his fists raised. This time the vault door was ripped off its hinges, making way for the speeding Jet Jaguar. Jet Jaguar slammed the Xilien Commander into the elevator. Two antennas folded out of the side of Jet Jaguar's head, tapping into Godzilla Tower's frequency. Then he reached out and hit the button for the top floor. Before the doors closed shut, Jet Jaguar gave the slowly rising Antonio an enthusiastic thumbs up.

---

Megalon spat several red-looking balls at Monster X. The balls exploded on contact, enveloping the marching Monster X in clouds of napalm. Monster X waded through the fire, unscathed. Battra's electrifying beam lanced into Monster X's unarmored abdomen, eliciting a stronger reaction from the gaunt alien. In a single bound, Monster X closed the distance between them. Then he twirled his body rapidly, whipping chunks of Battra's face off with his tail whips. Megalon tried protecting his ally by repeatedly whacking Monster X aside the face. Monster X caught one of Megalon's drills with a tight grip. The alien blew its hot breath into Megalon's face, goading the Seatopian Deity to do something foolish. That's when Megalon activated his drill, which used Monster X's strength against him: his wrist instantly shattered before he had time to let go.

In a blind rage, Monster X levitated his body high into the air—his right hand dangling limply at his waistline—and he incapacitated Megalon with a devastating strike to the head. Next, Monster X lashed out at Battra, gripping the Dark Mothra's sizzling horn while beaming it off with his energy bolts. Battra howled in despair before being abruptly silenced by Monster X thrusting the broken half of his horn through his forehead.

---

Meanwhile, Godzilla Tower's Control Room was frantically trying to reestablish control. It was out of the question to send a distress call to the Japanese Self-Defense Force. The Nebulans couldn't risk the exposure. Beads of sweat saturated Kubota's face. He couldn't believe this was happening. Suddenly, he heard the elevator bell ring. It was music to his ears.

"Oh, good," Kubota sighed in relief. "Finally, our esteemed Chairman has returned. He will know what to do."

The elevator doors opened. Instead of seeing Chairman Fumio, Kubota found himself face-to-face with Jet Jaguar. Kubota immediately backpedaled, nearly tripping himself over. Jet Jaguar threw the Xilien Commander into the center of the room, where armed guards surrounded him. The Xilien slowly rose to his feet, his broken visor crumbling to the floor. Other armed-personnel raised their weapons at Jet Jaguar.

"Shoot him," Kubota's voice croaked.

"Which one do we shoot?" one of the guards inquired.

"All of them!" screamed Kubota.

The Control Room exploded into a war zone. Jet Jaguar stormed through a hail of gunfire, the bullets ricocheting off his armor as he swatted the Nebulans aside like insects. The Xilien Commander, likewise, vented out his frustrations by pulverizing the others mercilessly with his bare hands. Kubota scrambled away, escaping down an emergency shaft. Minutes later, he arrived in the children's quarters. They climbed out of their bunk beds, frightened by all the commotion they’ve been hearing. Nevertheless, the children were happy to see him. Kubota urged them to follow him, which they did, thinking he would lead them to safety.

---

Megalon stomped over to Godzilla Tower. Dropping to one knee, he planted one of his drills deep into its foundation. It took only a second for him to drill a path straight into Godzilla Tower's hidden vault. Through the haze of smoke, Megalon could see Emperor Antonio looking up at him in gratitude. Without warning, Monster X seized one of Megalon's arms from behind and whisked the Seatopian Deity away.

Monster X stomped his foot into Megalon's chest, pinning him down. After fastening Megalon's arm tightly up against his chest, Monster X warped gravity by spinning rapidly upward. He didn't stop turning until he heard a sickening snap. When he looked down, Monster X was holding Megalon's severed, blood-spurting arm, its drill whirling mindlessly. Megalon collapsed from the unimaginable pain, his screeching cries winding down to a halt.

Emperor Antonio, surrounded by relics of war and a battle-worn Belvera, dropped to his knees, praying Megalon survived the night.

---

Jet Jaguar caught a speeding computer console that weighed half-a-ton. The Xilien Commander's hand surprised him by punching through the console, hurtling the robot into a wall of expensive computer hardware. Jet Jaguar shot at him like a speeding bullet, but this time the Xilien was ready for him. With his right hand, the Xilien Commander caught Jet Jaguar in a gravity field and blasted him up into the ceiling. Large sections of the roof collapsed, its debris raining down with Jet Jaguar in tow. The Xilien pressed his advantage, striking the fallen robot with a flurry of kicks and punches. Jet Jaguar caught one of his feet and threw him through a wall. Thinking quickly, Jet Jaguar rushed to a bank of computers, his silver fingers rapidly typing in a series of commands on a keyboard. On one of the outside cameras monitoring the monster battle, Jet Jaguar saw Monster X stalking a helpless Megalon. Jet Jaguar knew he needed to act fast. He typed in the last command before pressing a red button. Right as the Xilien Commander grabbed Jet Jaguar from behind, the Godzilla Tower fired on Monster X. The laser struck him right in the back of his head. Monster X growled irritatingly, questioning whether he should retaliate or not. Jet Jaguar knew he wouldn't attack as long as the Xilien Commander was standing next to him.

With its target still active, Godzilla Tower aimed directly for Monster X's eyes. All but one of Monster X's eyes were now smoldering craters of charred flesh. Monster X, enraged beyond any hope of being reasoned with, moved to attack Godzilla Tower.

Hearing Monster X's bestial cries, the Xilien Commander knew he no longer had any control over the space monster. As Godzilla Tower fired a sustained laser beam that blazed into the advancing Monster X's chest, Jet Jaguar altered his body to the point where he was twice the size of an ordinary human. Jet Jaguar seized the Xilien Commander's leg like a twig and slammed him repeatedly into the floor. Satisfied, Jet Jaguar tossed him away like a ragdoll and moved with the intention of meeting Monster X in combat.

Suddenly, an electromagnetic beam burned into Jet Jaguar's back, short-circuiting his entire body. Jet Jaguar dropped to all fours, his body rapidly shrinking back down to the size of a human. The Xilien Commander sneered as he continued firing his energy beam out of his clenched fist.

"Behold the power of a Keizer unleashed," boasted the Xilien Commander. Amidst the carnage, he noticed Monster X's furious advancement, and not even Godzilla Tower's laser was powerful enough to slow him down.

The Xilien Commander wanted one last chance to revel before taking his leave. As his fist crackled with Keizer-energy, he planted his foot on Jet Jaguar's chest. Before he could disintegrate the grin from off Jet Jaguar’s face, Belvera and Garu-Garu swooped down in front of him. However, they were there only as a distraction. Jet Jaguar suddenly sprung to life, shoving the Xilien through a wall. Seconds later, the Xilien Commander burst out of Godzilla Tower's forehead, plummeting downward. He fell into the heart of Godzilla Tower's scorching laser.

Monster X's eye discharged a bolt of energy that slithered through the air like it had a mind of its own. It decimated the Godzilla Tower's head, blowing it to smithereens.

---

Kubota guided the orphaned children into the observation deck, which just happened to be their favorite place to play. Everywhere they looked, panoramic screens projected images of a utopian society promoting peace. The children huddled next to Kubota as he pulled a hidden lever on a wall. In response, unseen machines hummed to life. Half of the room's flooring panel opened, revealing a hellish meat grinder. The children gasped in horror at the revolving blood-soaked gears, which had strips of meat crawling with cockroaches.

"So, who wants to go first?" Kubota asked casually.

None of the children moved a muscle. Undeterred, Kubota grabbed the nearest child by the hair and pulled her to the edge of the meat grinder. The child pleaded for her life, hot tears streaming down her face. Kubota was completely unempathetic. To him, she was nothing more than a pig to the slaughter.

A loud explosion threatened to tear the entire tower apart. Taking advantage of the situation, the girl pulled herself free and ran to the other children for help. As one, the other children concealed her whereabouts. Kubota smiled like a sociopath. He wasn't going to play this game. He reached for a small boy and—

—Jet Jaguar came crashing down through the ceiling, landing on his knees. The robot stood to its feet, his hands cradling Belvera and Garu-Garu.

"We didn't need your help," Belvera said, wiping the soot out of her hair. Garu-Garu, however, couldn't have been more thankful. In fact, the cybernetic-reptile was positively beaming at the majestic robot.

Kubota tried to leave, but the children blocked his path. Out of nowhere, Belvera's sword cut a deep gash in the side of Kubota's neck. She dropped to the ground, standing between Kubota and the orphans of the World Children's Land. Garu-Garu hovered in front of Kubota's face, glaring at him with his beady eyes.

"Despicable," Belvera said, her old blood boiling.

Humans were hopeless in her eyes. However, even in the darkest depths of her heart, she reserved a sliver of compassion for children. For a brief moment, Belvera imagined what her sisters would think of her if they saw her now, risking her life to save these children. Moll and Lora would probably shower her with praise, maybe even embrace her as the sister they once looked up to eons ago. Yes, she would like that very much.

Jet Jaguar's clanging footsteps matched Kubota's frantic heartbeat. The robot grabbed the back of Kubota's throat, lifting his squirming feet off the floor. Jet Jaguar carried him to the meat shredder, intending to drop him into its gnashing teeth.

"Stop!" shouted a young girl. She was the one Kubota initially tried throwing into the meat grinder. In spite of everything this monster had put them through, none of the children wanted to see any harm befall their former teacher. Jet Jaguar complied with their wishes by dropping Kubota to the floor.

Jet Jaguar escorted the children out of the room, shepherding them to safety. Kubota couldn't believe his luck. First, he would catch his breath; then he would go and regroup with the Chairman, and together, plot their retaliation.

"Monsters like you don't deserve to live," declared Belvera.

Before Kubota could beg for his rotten life, Belvera's sword slashed open Kubota's gut with an energy cutter, torching his insides in one foul swoop. Kubota's entire world became a blur. He raised his hand, reaching for no one in particular.

"All I ever wanted was peace, perfect peace," Kubota begged. "For us."

Garu-Garu blew purple smoke in Kubota's face, which is all it took to topple him. Kubota fell into the meat shredder, his body brutally eviscerated by the gears. His blood circulated through a series of pipes and tubes, before finally being squeezed into a glass of wine.

---

Emperor Antonio crawled out of the tunnel carved by Megalon, entirely determined to help his god in his time of need. A giant foot stomped down several yards in front of him. It didn't belong to Megalon. Antonio cranked his head back, looking up at Monster X's towering form. The savage brute looked down at the lowly Seatopian. Monster X imagined several different ways of killing him. He could stomp him into a pulp, but that would end things too quickly. Maybe he could crunch him to death slowly with his teeth?

Megalon slammed into Monster X at breakneck speed. Monster X groaned as he struggled to regain his senses. Megalon tried hammering his face in, but his drill ineffectively bounced off Monster X's nigh-indestructible exoskeleton. Suddenly, a golden energy bolt exploded out of Megalon's shoulder. The Seatopian Deity staggered back, his wound steaming the air. Monster X wrestled Megalon to the ground and, reaching for where Megalon's arm used to be, dug his claws deep into the poor creature's bleeding stump. Megalon thrashed wildly, pleading for the one thing Monster X was incapable of giving: mercy.

"Please, if any other god can hear me," Emperor Antonio prayed aloud. "Help Megalon. Help us!"

One god heard his prayers and answered.

Cracks splintered through Battra's lifeless carapace. Bolts of swirling energy, endowed by the life force of the planet, converged on a single location hundreds of meters in the sky. In the nucleus of a red-hot storm, Battra's spirit underwent a fiery resurrection. The Dark Mothra's bat-like wings seethed with pulse-pounding fury, its red-yellowish markings symbolizing his eternal war against injustice. Gone were his many legs, replaced by six powerful claws. A crown of horns rested atop his fearsome looking head. Red glowing spikes jutted out of the side of his abdomen. An ear-splitting shriek thundered out of his mandibles, making even Monster X freeze in terror. Monster X met Battra's newly anointed eyes and knew he was in for the fight of his life.

---

Emperor Antonio watched in stunned reverence. Belvera flew down next to him on Garu-Garu's back, smiling ear-to-ear.

"Thank you, Belvera," Antonio said, with a curt nod.

"Count yourselves fortunate I didn't bring Desghidorah," said Belvera, with a nervous laugh.

"You should count yourselves fortunate," shrieked a familiar voice, "that I don't kill you where you stand."

Emperor Antonio, Belvera, and Garu-Garu turned to see the reanimated corpse of Captain Ryuui staggering towards them, dragging Miyamoto Musashi's katana in one hand while tipsily holding a glass of red wine in the other. Ryuui's pale, translucent eye was crusted over. Black ichor oozed out of his chest wounds. Flies buzzed around his rotting carcass as he stammered closer, the headless Godzilla Tower looming silently above his head.

"Fumio," Emperor Antonio said under his breath.

"That's Chairman Fumio, to you, maggots," Fumio coughed, still adjusting to Ryuui's rotten vocal cords.

---

Battra scorched the air in his wake. His red eyes unleashed lavender-hued beams of destruction, blowing fragmented chunks off Monster X's exoskeleton. Never before in his dreadfully long life had Monster X ever been wounded. Then again, when was the last time he received the chance to kill the same creature twice? This revelation made the Xilien Beast howl with laughter.

Monster X tried pouncing on the speeding Battra but was forced to hold on for dear life instead. Monster X dug its feet deep into the earth in a desperate attempt to slow Battra's advance. Battra answered by pumping Monster X full of electricity. Fighting through the surging pain, Monster X reached out with his only functioning arm and placed Battra in a chokehold. Battra fired a series of energy beams at point blank range. Monster X slumped over Battra's back, dark blood ebbing out of his terrible wounds. Battra hooked his claws into Monster X's body and, with a thunderous flap of his wings, carried the alien invader upward.

All of a sudden, a pair of golden wings sprouted out of Monster X's back.

In a snapping motion, Monster X buried his teeth into Battra's armored-cheek. Battra cried out in alarm as green blood spurted out of his face. Fighting through the pain, Battra knew what he had to do. He moved his body into a rapid descent. Battra intended to slam Monster X at hypersonic speeds, which would either destroy or disable the fiendish creature. However, seconds before hitting the surface, Monster X's flapping wings forcibly overturned Battra's body. Monster X used Battra as a bulwark against the earth that was rising very quickly to meet them.

For the third time this night, the World Children's Land was rocked by yet another earthshaking event. The Godzilla Tower's upper body, destabilized by the previous quakes, finally crumbled apart.

---

A falling chunk of rubble threatened to squash Emperor Antonio. Belvera ordered Garu-Garu to blow it up. Chairman Fumio nearly lost his balance, falling to one knee. He was successful in preventing his glass of wine from spilling, exposing the black thorax sticking out of his human host's back.

"You're nothing more than a parasite," Belvera said.

"You call us parasites," Fumio crowed. "My kind survived the Garoga. We surpassed the Xiliens. We have risen to be the dominant species. You are all beneath me."

"Don't be so sure," threatened Emperor Antonio.

"I propose a toast," Chairman Fumio said, raising his glass of wine. "Fermented from the most pathetic children in Japan. To peace!"

Fumio toasted his drink before downing it in one gulp. Then he shattered the empty glass on the ground next to him. He stared intensely at his rivals while gripping the hilt of his blade. These foolish beings believed they were better than him. He curiously studied them one last time, taking great pleasure in reading the disgust on the Seatopian's face. However, Belvera's expression genuinely surprised him. For her part, she tried putting on her best poker face, but to no avail. Her smile betrayed her.

"What's so funny?" Chairman Fumio asked.

"Tell me about your right-hand man, Kubota," snickered Belvera. "Did you happen to find him distasteful in any way? Would you say he had a refined personality?"

Suddenly, Emperor Antonio saw something beyond Fumio that made him smile with pride. When Fumio turned around, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Jet Jaguar was striding over to them, leading all of the orphaned children.

Chairman Fumio touched the fresh wine on his lips. A familiar odor assailed his senses. Recognizing to whom the scent belonged, Fumio gaped in horror. Then a lightning-blue beam torched a hole through his chest, killing him instantly. The body that once belonged to Captain Ryuui melted into a puddle of human goo. In its place was Chairman Fumio's original form: the smoldering carcass of a human-sized, space cockroach.

---

In the heart of an impact crater, Monster X took immense pleasure in strangling Battra's blood-soaked face. Battra's claws tried desperately to break Monster X's grip, but he wasn't strong enough. With nothing else to lose, the Dark Mothra's eyes unleashed beams of purple light. Everywhere they hit, pieces of Monster X's exoskeleton blew off. Monster X stood up, bellowing like an enraged god. He stomped a mudhole into Battra's thorax, pinning the Earth's defender to the ground. Monster X delighted in making Battra squirm, but even he knew it would take more than that to kill the quarrelsome creature.

Monster X felt a sudden euphoric rush of cosmic energy pumping through his veins. He would use the same power as his master to smite his enemies. The power of the Keizer would transform Monster X into an unimaginable engine of death and destruction. He felt the walls of his mind surrender to a higher state of consciousness. Every fiber of his being was ascending. On the eve of his metamorphosis, Monster X, or what little remained of his fractured mind, couldn't help but suspect he was being played by some abstract entity that was using his body as a gateway. Monster X saw premonitions of what appeared to be the future. He saw planets burning, entire solar systems reduced to dust, the universe as a whole howling in despair. To Monster X, it was the most beautiful thing he ever saw.

Megalon begged a differ by shoving his drill deep down Monster X's throat. Monster X was on the precipice of omnipotence. He was about to become a god to a god. Megalon had other plans, however. Within the bowels of Monster X's chest cavity, Megalon's drill whirled to life, shredding organ, muscle fiber and bone alike. The Keizer-energy's golden luminescence flickered before fading like a dying star, taking with it Monster X's life.

Exhausted, Megalon recuperated next to a battered and worn Battra, his drill drenched in Monster X's putrid blood. Battra lauded him with a thunderous roar, for victory was theirs.

---

Emperor Antonio and Belvera were stunned. They could hear their monsters roaring triumphantly in the distance. However, the war was far from over. Chairman Fumio's second vessel lay at their feet, smoldering like fried meat. Jet Jaguar moved to come to his master's defense, but Antonio stopped him with a raised palm.

A persistent enemy stepped over mounds of debris. The Godzilla Tower's laser had taken from him his earthling disguise. Against all the odds, here he was, still very much alive. No longer resembling a tall Japanese man, the Xilien Commander at last seen walking around in his true form. At first glance, he looked like a robot. But the Xilien Commander was far more advanced than any robot, or any other Xilien. He was a living, breathing techno-organic marvel. While most of his body was mainly composed of black-metallic armor, a vital organ—the Xilien equivalent to a heart—was beating at the base of his neck, protected by a transparent surface. Exposed veins pulsed through his chest and forehead. He had neither ears, eyes, nor nostrils. It's then his piranha-shaped mouth opened to speak.

"I'll give credit where credit's due," the Xilien Commander said. "You all sure know how to have a good time. However, I have to confess. All this fighting was nothing more than a ruse. There never was an invasion plan. I made the whole thing up."

"Why would you do that?" Belvera questioned.

"Why, to set you against each other, of course," explained the Xilien Commander. "The humans are nothing more than cattle. They're weak and stupid. But not you, my dastardly friends. You all posed a significant threat to my ascension. Rejoice, my worthy adversaries! Die knowing the humans will follow you into oblivion."

Sensing the lives of their agents in peril, Megalon and Battra moved to thwart the Xilien Commander's plans. With a terrible grin, the Xilien knew they wouldn't make it in time. He waved his hand, trapping Emperor Antonio, Belvera, and Garu-Garu in a gravitational field. At the same time, he pointed his Keizer-empowered fist at Jet Jaguar and the orphaned children. An electrified beam meant for the children ended up striking Jet Jaguar, who jumped in front of the tiny humans to protect them. It was like hitting a candlestick with a flamethrower. Jet Jaguar knew he had only a few seconds left before the Xilien's energy beam would melt him down into a puddle of molten slag. The Xilien Commander chuckled as dawn started to break.

A high-velocity bullet shot through the Xilien Commander's heart to the tune of a loud ping. The Xilien Commander turned in bewilderment, his punctured heart gushing out gallons of blood.

"Sunovabitch," exclaimed the disoriented Xilien Commander, recognizing the identity of his attacker. "It's that Saradian agent again!"

Less than a mile away, SSS9 loaded a second Space Titanium bullet into his Barret M82 sniper rifle. He peered down the lens of his scope at the Xilien Commander's magnified head and took a deep breath. Then he pulled the trigger.

The Xilien Commander reached out to pluck the bullet out of the air, but the bullet's unique composition made that impossible. The bullet pierced through the Xilien's hand and blew a gaping hole in the back of his head. In the last few seconds of his life, the Xilien Commander peeked through the hole in his hand before slumping over dead.

Battra and Megalon arrived, casting their humongous specters over the survivors. Megalon bent down to hiss at the human children, spraying slushes of drool in their faces.

"No, Megalon," Emperor Antonio said, stepping between Megalon and the children. "They are not our enemy."

Megalon backed away in compliance. Bidding farewell to Battra, the Seatopian Deity burrowed a direct path to Seatopia.

"Children, you are free to go," the Seatopian Emperor proclaimed. "You may return to the world of Man if you so desire, or you can come with us. Believe me when I say you will always have a home in Seatopia."

None of the children moved a muscle. What they wanted more than anything in life was read plainly on their youthful faces. Jet Jaguar escorted them down the passage that would lead them to their new home, his bright eyes lighting the way.

"So, the great Emperor of Seatopia does have a weakness," said Belvera, hovering next to him on Garu-Garu's back.

Antonio looked her directly in the eyes. "Thank you, Belvera, for saving my life."

"Given how many times I risked saving it, it might not have been worth the trouble," Belvera quipped.

"Be it as it may," Emperor Antonio said. "When next we meet, I hope it is under warmer circumstances."

Belvera watched him leave with a blank expression. Garu-Garu looked over his shoulder at her when she started to blush, his scaly lips peeling back into a grin. Belvera kicked him with her boot, ordering him to take her far away from this wasteland. Together, they joined Battra somewhere over the skies of Japan, their shadows fading in the sunrise.

---

Less than an hour later, a silver 1982 Mitsubishi Starion parked next to the humongous foot of what remained of the Godzilla Tower. SSS9 exited the vehicle, leaving the engine running. He breathed in the fresh smell of napalm before uncapping a bottle of whiskey. He chugged half the bottle before spotting the Xilien Commander's body lying nearby. Saradia’s most dangerous assassin walked over and stomped his foot down on the would-be conqueror.

"To perfect peace," SSS9 jested, dumping the rest of the whiskey over the Xilien Commander's head.