Whelp, here we are again. That was quick, eh? I swear, we’re not sponsored by McDonalds, it’s just the gag.
(more…)

Author: Connor Clennell | Banner: Connor Clennell

It seemed like today that all you could see was violence in movies and sex on television. What happened to those good ol’ fashioned values, upon which the world used to rely?

At the heart of Tokyo’s largest metropolis brewed the beginning of the greatest conflict seen in this century. The events which had led up to this had occurred in plain sight, hidden under the world’s noses for decades, using the veil of consumerism to grow and expand until it was too late and the whole population was trapped within its clutches. None could muster the strength to fight back, slaves to the entity’s vile, yet addictive powers, poisoning the collective mind of the public generation by generation. By means of commercialism, internet trends and targeted marketing, its spirit and image was engraved into each and every brain.

Only history’s greatest monsters could stand a chance against this all-consuming enemy and liberate the world. It didn’t matter where their personal allegiances lay, not when the foe they faced held no discrimination towards whoever stood in its path to total domination. Monsters good and bad were forced to settle their debts for the moment and unite if they wanted to vanquish this menace, and through their combined strength, intelligence and ferocity, they stood a real chance at victory.

But fate had not been so kind.

Across ruined street blocks and crushed highways, the immobile figures of titans lay sprawled in defeat. Against what seemed like sure odds of victory, not even their power was enough to match that of the evil which infested these lands, falling to their influence one by one, until even the fabled King of the Monsters, too, had to submit to the menace, slipping under their control in the same manner that mankind had. Like them, these once-feared monsters would obey the orders of their new lord and master.

All would listen to the word of McDonald’s.

Slumped uselessly against the charred concrete wall of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the dethroned king of monsters wallowed in misery. Humbled in defeat, Godzilla’s only escape from his humiliation was the delicious taste of the Big Mac® burger. Consisting of two 100% beef patties sourced from free-range livestock, sandwiched between three golden-brown seed buns and layered with lettuce, sliced cheddar cheese, onion and pickles, drizzled with the legendary Big Mac® sauce, this mouthwatering concoction of ingredients was the solace that Godzilla craved endlessly for.

He took a bite from the burger, his eyes closing in pleasure as the textures and flavours invaded his taste buds, and for this moment, the suffering inflicted upon him and his allies was forgotten, lost in the ecstasy that this scrumptious meal provided. Before he knew it, the burger was gone, but his hunger had not been satiated. He tossed aside the empty paper wrapping, which floated down to join the growing pile at the atomic dinosaur’s side, while he reached out to grab another Big Mac® as it was deposited next to him, fueling his newfound addiction to the fattening product. Deep in his mind, Godzilla knew that he should not allow himself to fall prey to the influence that the creator of this fast food had over him, but the controlling power that the McDonald’s menu burger had was simply too great, causing him to fall deeper into sloth and gluttony with eath lip-smacking bite.

It was not only this version of the king of monsters that had fallen victim to this infectious gluttony. Sprawled uselessly around the crumpled, grease-soaked containers of Double Quarter Pounders™ with Cheese, Godzilla Ultima struggled to lift his obnoxiously thicc – and we are talking THICC here – thighs off the ground. The reality-warping abomination let out a muffled groan somewhere between displeasure and contentment as he chewed down the latest meal. His wobbling calves visibly expanded as the burger was swallowed down, but Ultima either did not know or did not care, ignorant to the increasing strain of his plight as he scooped another Bacon Double Cheeseburger from its box with his teeth, while his tiny arms wiggled pathetically in an attempt to prove purpose for their existence.

Next to the extradimensional monster, the Godzilla of the Showa era, the icon of the age of heroes, lay face-down on the asphalt. Unlike the others suffering from the corporation’s curse of consumerism, he was just straight up dead. Pie crumbs and melted chocolate coated the edges of his reptilian lips, betraying McDonald’s wide selection of freshly-cooked desserts as the cause of the justice bringer’s demise. Yeah, I bet you didn’t think the diabetes weakness would come up in a match, did you?

Kaiju from across the ages all joined the kings in their den of gluttony, devouring ton after ton of greasy, mass-produced food as if their life depended on it, which it did not. The Mothras wept as  their fairies shovelled vegan burgers and wraps into their mandibles, cringing not only at the taste and texture, but at the fact that they can consider this acceptable to give to vegans. I wouldn’t give this crap to a pig, let alone a human.

And of course, all the Heisei kaiju were there, because we’ve got to have the thunder thighs joke in here. Who here remembers that and how funny it was, right? Right? Body shaming is the source of peak comedy according to every twelve year old in existence.

Look, I’m not going to waste time describing everyone who’s here and what they’re doing and what they’re parodying, we’d be here forever and it’s already getting stale. We’ve got rivalries to establish, love triangles to set up, drama out the wazoo, loads and loads of quality content that I can’t waste time on writing out this fluff. We’ve established the main story beat here. McDonald’s is the bad guy, everyone you love is fat and shameful, let’s just get to the good part.

There, standing at the fringes of this calorie catastrophe, four characters stood united against the presented evil. Consisting of varying shapes, personas and beliefs, this mish-mash of individuals seemed, on paper,  like the worst team-up in history. Not Justice League of Antarctica bad (it’s a real team, look it up), but it’s down there. Instead, their differences formed the glue that made their alliance strong and easily marketable. Also, their dad said they had to work together and none of them wanted to say “No”, so here we are.

Standing at 80 meters tall, clad in neon purple and green armour which sparkled in the midday sun, this colossus forged of angelical flesh and human engineering was designed as the vanguard against the forces which sought to end the age of man. Controlling the monolith was the most unqualified person in history, a kid with so many issues that it would make a physiatrist rich for life. Out of all the people in the world, they went with the guy who thinks it’s socially acceptable to eat yogurt at the bedside of his comatose friend and not have the decency to wash their hands afterwards. The gall! And yet he manages to hook up with a purple-haired baddie without having to do anything?! It should have been me, not him! It’s not fair! But alas, here Shinji Ikari was, once again piloting the Shin Evangelion Unit 01 into battle against a foe he was unprepared for. Another notch added to his lifetime of depression.

Next to the mechanical giant stood another warrior, similar in many ways and yet so different in others. The silver giant waited patiently for the moment to attack, analysing the landscape with bulbous, glowing eyes to gather information about their foe that may be used against them. It might be a good idea to give him some of that evidence to orally test, if only to get some pounds into this guy. Holy hell, when was the last time that he ate something that wasn’t blended into a fine paste, he’s almost skin and bones. He looks like a stiff breeze would knock him over, let alone a trillion degree fireball. Get this guy some protein on the double, because Shin Ultraman will need all the muscle he can spare if he wishes to topple the tyrant present here and now.

Below the two monoliths sat the third member of the group, perched atop his parked motorcycle as he, too, awaited the call to arms. Black leather snugly adorned his form, layered with emerald green armour plates which paired with the character’s insectoid mask to complete his grasshopper aesthetic. Posed with his crimson scarf blowing in the wind, he was like an ant in comparison to his titanic allies. What the heck is bro doing here, he thinks he’s part of the team? Does anyone even care that he’s here, let alone watch his movie? Yes, thank you, KaijuX, I can see you at the back. Please put away the chest tattoo, nobody wants to see that. I guess only time will tell if Shin Kamen Rider will rise to the challenge before him, or prove himself as the Hawkeye of the team.

And of course, last but certainly not least, the one you’ve all been waiting for. Finally here, he’s here for you, the first member of the Anno crew. A towering figure like an icon of humanity’s sin or some stuff like that, crafted of crimson and black scarred flesh. There wasn’t a single thought behind those beady eyes as he just stood there, menacingly, reflecting on the impact he’d had on the fandom since his debut in 2016. If the cancerous freak could, they would weep at the amount of unoriginally spawned in his wake, as rapid fanboys jumped at the chance to out-edge him with their “unique takes” on the character. Shin Godzilla was the best and worst thing to happen to the franchise, and today, he and his allies would need to save their fallen fandom once again, in the name of Our Lord Hideki Anno.

The three heroes and Shin Godzilla stood as one unit, awaiting the arrival of the mastermind who had orchestrated this parade of gluttony. Their faith in the creator kept their minds shielded from whatever force had bent the Monster Kings and their ilk to the enemy’s bidding, but there was no guarantee, however, that it would last. All four had known the touch of the evil one inside their minds, used to push for the sales of their glorified junk without room for objection, then cast aside to chase after the newest trend. Today was the chance for all four to take their revenge, and deliver some form of justice to the world in this time of uncertainty.

Godzilla, Unit 01, Ultraman and Kamen Rider all tensed for battle, as the chosen warrior of McDonald’s finally revealed themself to the defiant quartet. Hovering above the chicken and cardboard flooded streets via soda cup-themed jet boosters, the garish machine softly descended. Its form was an insulting parody, most closely resembling the shape of a Gundam with the bright red and yellow colours of Jet Jaguar, sporting a gaping smile that lacked any of the latter’s charm or warmth. It was what it is – an advertising tool, constructing for one purpose and nothing more. It sold product, and sold it had, creating the largest profit that McDonald’s will ever see. Sadly for them, fictional money has no value, so even when they win, they still lose, which was a win for us.

But it also had a secondary objective: eliminate any and all competition in the market. And while the Shin Japan Heroes were no stockholders in the fast food market, their defiance to the will of the company marked them as targets for termination at the hands of… Godzillaburger!

Yes, I know that was the name of the campaign, not the mecha, but there’s bugger all information on this thing and it’s all in Japanese, so if there is an official name for it, touch luck, it’s Godzillaburger for the sake of this match. “Oh, but that’s not what it’s called, you should do your research better.” How about you research my foot in your mouth and shut up.

The four heroes knew that this was the best time to strike. If they were to defeat such a powerful opponent, their first blow needed to also be their last. Shin Godzilla led the barrage as his crimson hue turned to a heretical purple, as everyone knows that a true Godzilla’s atomic breath should be blue. That’s why no one likes you, Zilla Junior, Godzilla 2000 and Godzilla Evolved. His lower mandible split to open his maw unnaturally wide and spew forth his concentrated heat ray. Wow, a signature move!

Shin Ultraman rose his arms, glowing with extraterrestrial energies before slamming them together in the shape of the Holy Cross, because of symbolism or some shit, unleashing a blast of Spacium particles from the vertical extremity. Wow, a signature move!

Pulling its Pallet Rifle from out of its ass (because where else was it keeping that thing), Unit 01 lined its sights with the enemy and hammed down the trigger, unloading a deafening barrage of rifle fire with all the skill of a twelve year old with too much time to spend on Call of Duty. Wow, a signature move!

Kamen Rider stood at the front of the group, posed dramatically with his scarf blowing in the wind. Bro thinks he’s helping, lol.

The corporate paladin was consumed by the volley of attacks, disappearing in a cloud of flame and smoke. Debris erupted into the sky as a tremendous explosion ripped out of the ground beneath it, undoubtedly taking a sizable chunk out of the special effects budget. The group ceased their assault, waiting for the smoke to clear to see the outcome of their efforts. Had it been enough? Was their enemy slain? You’ve seen the word count, you know it ain’t over.

As the dark clouds parted, the heroes’ hearts sank. Godzillaburger emerged from the smoke, its sickeningly bright armour barely singed by the quartet’s attacks. It made no sound, yet the silence seemed even more mocking than if it did. They could not hope to defeat it with traditional means, for it was far beyond such concepts. It was a corporate icon, a symbol of business and commercialism, something that benefited from the existence of war and violence. It held more marketable opportunities than each of the heroes.

The answer was obvious, then. If separately their potential was not enough, combination was the secret key to their victory. Godzilla reared his head to the heavens with an ungodly stock roar, giving the command. Unit 01, Ultraman and Kamen Rider pumped their fists and nodded in unison, accepting the call to action.

Steam hissed from unseen joints as Godzilla’s head, back, feet and tail separated from his body, the neck swinging down to his torso, while the once whipping appendage became rigid and split along the center, connecting between the shoulder like a set of banana-shaped bananas. Ultraman and Unit 01 split in half, dropping their lower sections and flipping open their backs to each reveal a gigantic fist that swung down to fill the now empty void. Their lower halves connected with the stumps of Godzilla’s legs, becoming extensions of the limbs that further increased the behemoth’s height.

Ultraman became the right arm of the colossus, with his own arms firing another Spacium beam into the cavity of Godzilla’s floating back, transmogrifying into a solid blade. Unit 01 took its own place as the left arm, extending its hands to generate an AT Field as a physical shield. Another barrier formed around Godzilla’s head, securing it to the torso as armour and decoration. Finally, using the Cyclone’s boosters to propel himself into the sky, Kamen Rider activated the final transformation, configuring the motorcycle into the head of the combination.

Through the powers of merchandising and poorly-executed collabs, four had become one. The birth of the ultimate warrior yadda yadda yadda hype-up text hype-up text, we’re just finding new ways to praise our favourites, but here he is in the K.W.C. at long last.

The Shin Universe Robo.

The mechanical paladin stared down its corporate opposite with the fury of four minds combined. I mean, technically, it should be five minds, but who really cares about Shinji, am I right? Anyway, the combined swung its glowing sword with dramatic flair, exuding coolness with every swing to ensure maximum marketability and increase toy sales, because merchandise has all that this collab has been used for instead of, I don’t know, something cool like a movie or a game. Products that we’d all want to see. But no, you get this t-shirt with the Shin Japan Heroes on it and you’ll buy ten and like it.

As the sun began to set for peak atmosphere, even though it was two in the afternoon, the giants of merchandising faced down at one another, their glares like daggers trying to cut into the soul of the other. Both had everything to lose, but even more to gain. Only one could walk away with the prize at the end of this.

Flexing its powerful hydraulic legs, the Shin Universe Robo – – –

“Really Big Kick!”

– – – was cut down without warning as a silver boot sliced through the robot’s midsection, bringing its existence, but not, unfortunately, the collab that produced it, to an underwhelming end. It split in two halves, which each exploded in typical tokusatsu style as they hit the ground. I hope you guys kept the receipt for the suit you made for the whole of one commercial.

“I’m Reallybigman! Fuck you!”

Godzillaburger would have blinked in surprise if it could have. Who the heck was this purple clown? It would have asked more questions, like where did they come from, why were they here, and who was going to stay late and clean out the ice cream machine twice. All of these and more would never be voiced or answered, for the last thing in the mascot’s vision was a set of massive reptilian jaw snapping shut from behind it, bringing McDonald’s latest vision to a swift, but satisfactory end.

Ripping out the robot’s head and neck, the owner of the jaws tossed them aside and pushed the lifeless body to the floor, crushing it beneath its weighty girth. Reallybigman recognised the fiend at once – it was the Giant Liopleurodon, the greatest of all of Godzilla’s foes in the infinityverse. But now he was even stronger than before, having amassed a great collection of power in preparation for his battle with history’s greatest hero. He had unlocked the Apex State and Critical Mass, and acquired the Matrix of Leadership and a Green Lantern Ring. And he had learned the Kamehameha. And become the owner of One for All. And he was the host of the Spirit of Vengeance, Venom and Carnage, while also wielding the mighty hammer, Mjolnir and the Infinity Gauntlet while wearing the Power-Up Armour. He was the epitome of greatness. Isn’t this great?

Reallybigman had no doubts about defeating this overpowered monstrosity, who could erase Bagan, Super Godzilla, Grand King Ghidorah, Armour Mothra, Glitter Tiga, Shining Ultimate Zero and Mazinger Zero from all possible timelines just by blinking. After all, he had taken down the terrible Guhfyfbgyrntbha, the most evil being in all of fiction, so what was a giant pliosaur in comparison. Nothing, that’s what. He’s Reallybigman, fuck you.

With their respective war cry, both compatents leapt towards one another, each launching forward the first strike in this battle of battles, this war between gods, the most awesome story that time will ever see-

“Okay, that’s enough.”

*****

“What? Why? I didn’t even get to the good parts yet!”

Around the table, the members of the Kaiju War Chronicles all turned towards the imposing figure at the foot of the table glaring daggers at the one that had spoken back. Anthony’s expression was one of silent disappointment, a reaction far worse than any violent outburst or scaving review.

“So far, all I’m seeing in this match so far is a collection of disorganised jokes without theme or purpose. You have buildup that goes nowhere, a twist that feels undeserved and unfitting, and comedy that only the childish and the ignorant would find amusing.”

“Hey, this shit is peak,” shouted FatBaconUnicorn in indignation.

“See how my point proves itself?”

“Hey, that’s his opinion to have,” boomed the voice of KaijuX, head writer of the K.W.C. “Everyone has the freedom to make their voice known.” 

“Except you, gottem,” Bacon retorted. KaijuX whined in dismay.

“Wow,” said GodzillavsJason.

MoarCrossovers, the author of the match being scrutinised, interjected. “I don’t see what the problem here is. These April Fools matches have always never taken themselves seriously. That’s their whole schtick. Whether or not we put effort into them shouldn’t matter as long as it entertains.”

“And that is fine,” Anthony responded. “So long as you aren’t repeating the same jokes over and over. I’m already seeing tons taken from past matches like Giant Condor vs. Everyone and Shin Godzilla vs. Star Godzilla.”

“Those matches don’t own the monopoly on that style of humour,” MysticHarley argued.

“And even so,” added on SoggyNoodles, “we have faith in Birdman as a writer that he will do a respectable job at using that style to form his own story. Inspiration is not a crime in itself.”

“I changed my name years ago, why are you still calling me Birdm- – -”?

“It really doesn’t matter if the match is good or not, it’s a joke!” GodzillavsRayquaza spoke up, adding their own thoughts on the matter. “And the audience will go in expecting exactly that. Humour and entertainment are the only requirements here.”

“Wait, what’s happening?” Nagoda asked. “I joined late, what are we talking about?”

“There are all very valid points,” admitted Anthony, linking his hands together across the table. “Counterpoint: you’re all dumb and I’m the boss, so what I say goes.”

“Damn, he’s right,” accepted KaijuX.”

“Wow,” said GodzillavsJason.

“Damb,” said GodzillavsRayquaza.

“Isn’t it weird how a lot of us have ‘Godzillavs’ in our name?” questioned GodzillavsZilla, in her only speaking role for the story.

The entire council was in uproar at the site owner’s decision and the unfairness behind it. How could he scrap a completed match just like that, without giving it a fair chance?

“Honestly, I have no idea how I let you talk me into doing an April Fools match this year. You already made a fool of me when you convinced me to drop the crossover restrictions and look where that got us. Dragon Ball and Fortnite and Naruto… I dread to think what you’re going to try and add next.”

Cautiously, SoggyNoodles reached over and pulled a cord, drawing the curtains over the next batch of combatants to spare them from the raging Anthony’s wrath until their public reveal in – whoops, almost spoiled that one. Good try, audience that doesn’t exist as I type out this part. Sorry, getting off-topic.

“Greyshot and Titano would have never allowed this to get as out of control as it has.”

“Actually, we were both all for this,” interjected the former from the retirement corner. This earned a furious scowl from Anthony that made the pair wither back into their respective cardboard shelter and dog bed like the whipped pets they were.

“You can’t just scrap all my hard work like that,” MoarCrossovers shouted, slamming his hands against the table as he stood up in rage. “You’re setting a dangerous example with that type of unbefitting behaviour.”

“Yeah!” agreed Bacon. “We only do that for the really ba- I mean, the matches that are in need of serious improvement so we don’t hurt the authors’ feelings. Yes, that’s totally it,” he said with sincerity.

“Nuh-uh!”

Gasps of shock filled the room at the sudden declaration. He’d pulled out the sacred ‘nuh-uh’! Now there was nothing that any of them could do or say that would change Anthony’s thoughts on the issue.

“And to punish you even further,” he further declared, “I’m going to redact my previous decision and remove all crossovers, distributed or overwise, from the roster. Forever!”

You could hear a pin drop in the silence that filled the chamber. For a moment, no one dared to make a move, processing the severity of the promise their leader had just made. The council all turned to look at one another – except Nagoda because he still didn’t have context for what was happening – looking to each other for any kind of answer to their predicament.

Finally, Bacon broke the silence with his response. “I think we’re gonna have to kill this guy, Bender.”

“Neat.”

The robot extended his arm and punched Anthony square in the jaw before he could react. Blood spurted from split lips as he toppled to the floor, too stunned to respond to the unexpected attack. Immediately, the council jumped their fallen leader and proceeded to pummel them into the floor without mercy. Fists, feet, diving elbows and steel chairs rained down on Anthony’s broken body as everyone vented their frustrations upon his flesh.

“You’re not going to take Tyrant away from me!” screamed KingLittleCaeser, who I didn’t totally forget was a member of staff until now. The chimera monster in question screamed in equal fury as it slammed its weaponized hands down on Anthony and doused his form in scorching flames.

“Or Showa Gyaos!” announced Soggy, as the bat monster’s sonic beams sliced through the administrator’s flesh.

“Or Rebirth Gamera!” proclaimed KaijuX, allowing the titanic terrapin to add further fuel to the burning fire.

“Wow.”

“Indeed, GodzillavsJason,” Optimus Prime agreed. “Freedom of speech is the right of all sentient beings… except this motherfucker.” His Energon blaster cracked back with each shot into Anthony’s immobilised form.

“We’re keeping Tiga,” shouted GvR, as the Ultra-Ancient Giant fired his Zeperion Beam.

“And Storm King!” screamed Bacon, while the herald of the Last Reality summoned meteors to rain down upon him.

“And Tigrex!”

The assault came to an abrupt halt. Everyone turned in unison towards the one who has spoken out, including the mutilated Anthony, and cast judging glares upon them. MoarCrossovers’ response was an innocent smile, holding out his arms towards the wyvern in an attempt to convince them of its inclusion. A chorus of unamused shaking heads was all the confirmation he needed, and sadly, he pointed the dragon out of the room.

The beatdown immediately resumed, as more and more characters from franchises far and wide joined in to utterly destroy the evil one. Even ones we got from sources we haven’t relieved yet, such as – whoops, almost got me again, you sneaky devils. The battle could be seen through the windows of the K.W.C. Towers from all corners of Toho Kingdom and even the borders beyond, where the banished looked on in envy.

“SKREEONK!!! (You know, I really hate this fandom sometimes. If I had known what that little gig in 1954 would have blown up so much, I wouldn’t have signed up for the sequel. It’s all raving fanboys whining either for more monster battles or more grimdark elements without any kind of idea of what made them work in the movies. It drives me to drink sometimes.)” roared Godzilla.

“REEAAAARR!!! (At least your fandom respects you for you. Nowadays, the only time I ever get brought up is in speculations on when you and I are going to have an official fight. No one likes me for me anymore.)” screeched Gamera.

“SHUWATCH! (At least people have some idea of who you are. I’ve been making a push into the global market for the past five years and the public still just know me as ‘the guy that looks like a giant Power Ranger.’ It’s humiliating.)” shouted Ultraman.

The three giants of toku watched as the battle continued to unfold into utter absurdity, burdened with the knowledge that this was the ultimate truth of the genre. That no matter how many awards they won, how many compelling stories were told, at the end of the day, this is what the world would remember them for. That fact alone was crueler than any Oxygen Destroyer ever was.

“GRONK! (Being popular stinks.)” Godzilla growled.

“Tell me about it,” lamented Big Man Japan.

Winner: Skullcrawler (The only win they’ll ever get.)

Author: Joshua Strittmatter | Banner: Andrew Sudomerski

[Continued from Match 377]

The age of monsters was about to take a whole new turn.

The collapse of an entire country began when Godzilla reappeared to lumber ashore in New York City, in the spring of 2031. The monumental metropolis, the largest city in the United States and the pride of its entire economy and trade, was also the first of many to fall to the living embodiment of nuclear abuse. Though the destruction was unintentional at first, merely a result of his colossal size and weight, it was when the U.S. military arrived on the scene to fight back when the monster king went berserk. Before a world paralyzed with horror, the atomic goliath turned the once proud city into an infernal graveyard not in hours, but mere minutes. His condensed beam and flame stream slashed and melted every inch of New York to the ground, taking the lives of over 7 million with it.

One moment the massive city stood untouched by a decade’s worth of monster attacks, and the next it was exactly that, ‘was.’

Rather than turning back to the ocean from whence he came, this time the King of the Monsters lumbered further inland to begin his countrywide trek. Eventually, Godzilla temporarily disappeared into the upper reaches of Chesapeake Bay, possibly to rest after his long travel.

And that’s when it happened.

On May 20th, the United States government proclaimed to the world that they had successfully killed Godzilla, after a giant bipedal reptile with dorsal spines ran loose in the city of Albany before being killed by F-18s. It didn’t take long, however, for such a boast to be proven the biggest lie of the century: the deceased creature was an entirely different animal, hardly bearing the slightest resemblance to the infamous God Incarnate.

And worse still, the animal hadn’t died without leaving behind a memento.

By the time it was discovered “Zilla” could reproduce asexually, it was already far too late. Before the month was over, multiple Zillas began to appear all over the already-devastated state of New York; the latest recorded instance of other monsters following in the wake of Godzilla’s attacks. The new creatures proved to be as troublesome as they were lethal in combat; using a deadly combination of speed, agility, intelligence, and coordination, causing catastrophic results. The military’s attempt to take back the state of New York from the beasts—dubbed “Operation: Lady Liberty”—ended just as well as their attempts to stop the real Godzilla had. Through their cunning and skills of working together as teams, the Zillas repelled the military offensive. Fatalities climbed even higher; whether from the massive animals stomping around, or collateral damage as the military failed to hit their targets.

In time, the U.S. made the decision to do the unthinkable: abandon the state of New York altogether, leaving however many remaining survivors to fend entirely for themselves.

The Zillas, subsequently, were left to their own devices. With an entire state to themselves, they wandered about at their leisure; some staying close together in the same area, venturing away only to go hunting for fish. Others patrolled to new regions, expanding farther out to stake territories of their own. Some on their own, some with offspring of their own in tow.

And some, entirely and utterly alone…

*****

Toronto, Canada; August 28th, 2031

It didn’t matter how common an occurrence it had become since the very first in 2016; a Kaiju attack was never not a national tragedy.

Not even a full month had passed since the United States had officially collapsed at the hands of Godzilla, and already Canada was looking to be next. The attack began with a great echo from the south, so powerful that it blew a noticeable wind through the depths of the city. It was as if a hurricane was on the arrival… but unfortunately, a far more terrible truth soon revealed itself. The source of the sound was quickly spotted shortly after, and it didn’t take very long for it to reach the capital city. Sirens began to blare even before the reptilian giant reached the outskirts, alarm devolving into full blown panic as screams started to join the terrifying chorus. They were all muted when the first building fell, smashed into dying rubble by a furious swing of the monster’s boxy skull.

Fiery red scales painted the huge saurian, turning a vibrant yellow only on the underbelly and chest. Twinges of gold gleamed upon its curved scutes, the biggest of which were easily larger than humpback whales. Despite this stark difference in color from others of its kind, the beast was easy to distinguish. It was another Zilla, highly likely an offspring from the population running riot in what was once New York.

But color was not the only difference in this particular creature.

As if its crimson complexion was a poetic indication, the rogue Zilla had arrived from the south completely drunk on malice, tearing through the reaches of Toronto with an unprovoked aggression. Only a few minutes had come and gone and already several buildings were nothing but demolished rubble; the animal’s massive tail swishing with violent intent packed behind, tearing anything in its warpath apart with a single strike. Smoke bloomed into the heavens from the fires that now raged in the beast’s wake, mounting by the minute as it rampaged.

The terrified howls of civilians screeched into the deathly soundscape as an entire drove of them ran down Lawrence Avenue; yet despite their desperate velocity, they were unable to outrun the fiery eyes that stared after them with a terrible bloodlust. Tri-taloned feet closed in rapidly on the poor crowd, shaking the earth as drums to foretell their imminent demise. It was a notion that didn’t waste any time proving true; a booming roar preceded a vicious wind blowing over the crowd… before a merciless firestorm rushed eagerly to meet them. In the blink of an eye, the wave of flame washed over the masses before they even had a chance to scream. Average store workers, park rangers, parents holding children or babies tightly to their chests, all were burnt straight down to the bone in but two seconds.

The very moment the blast died down, nothing but charred skeletons of various sizes littered the flame-dotted road. Towering above the remains of the atrocity he had just committed, ‘Zilla II’ as some had designated him, drowned the soundscape with a wrathful bellow before stomping further into the dying city. His eyes scoured the landscape for human beings, his pupils seeming to widen when he spotted more not far away. Roaring once more, he stampeded straight towards them, hounding them with the malice of a serial killer.

A massive far cry from his relatives down south.

The small group of fleeing citizens didn’t stand a chance; the multistory reptile was upon them in seconds. Toothed jaws snapped down upon the pavement they ran, crushing them out of existence with one fell bite. Shaking his head with a snarl, Zilla tossed the shreds of concrete and human remains all about, raining it all down below like a hellish confetti. Barely a moment passed before the crimson saurian was right back on the attack; chomping vehicles to flaming pieces, smashing buildings of all sizes and bellowing his incendiary breath upon whatever lived and breathed in his sights. The death toll was already in the hundreds of thousands, and rising steadily as the seismic squamate continued his furious rampage.

A familiar sound began to wound its way into Zilla’s ears, fishing his attention. Hissing, the beast turned about face to lay his orange eyes upon the source; a huge squad of attack helicopters were quickly approaching, several dozens in number. The very moment his eyes caught sight of them, a powerful roar exploded from Zilla’s jaws before he charged straight into the fray. There was no thought of fleeing or hesitation in the Kaiju’s mind; one look at them was all it took, and it was on sight.

The military vehicles instantly opened fire. Machine gun turrets of different variants peppered the rampaging reptile with powerful bullets; just the same, volleys of missiles flew forth to strike his velvet hide with blooming explosions. But unlike the original Zilla, who had died to just a select few of the projectiles, this behemoth was only further enraged by the attacks. His lithe legs powering him forth at unbelievable speeds, Zilla howled vengefully as he reached his attackers in seconds. All of the apaches tried to evade, with only some succeeding. Springing into the air with the efficiency of a serval, Zilla swiped and snapped several of the vehicles out of the sky. An array of bullets and a few missiles struck the lizard’s neck, earning a roar of rage as he snapped around. Two lone choppers hovered in place, firing all weapons in a valiant attempt to injure the enraged colossus.

But it was not to be.

They hardly had a second’s worth of time to comprehend the monster torpedoing towards them before they were taken down. A swipe of a claw sent one crashing to a fiery doom, while the other erupted into an explosion from a single chomp of the squamate’s jaws. His bloodlust unsatisfied, Zilla turned on the rest of the squad with a snarl. With the rage of a cape buffalo and the efficiency of a wild dog, the beast hunted. One after another, the helicopter squad was slain with merciless wrath; their fiery remains plummeting to decorate the ground below with burning debris.

Pawing the ground beneath him, Zilla wailed a most terrifying cry into the heavens; out of context, one might easily assume it came from Godzilla himself. Never before had a member of the species demonstrated such rage, so hot and heavy with the desire to kill and destroy. Many a brave soldier or unlucky civilian had met their end by the Zilla species, but never under such heated aggression.

It was almost as if the creature was becoming a carbon copy of the King of the Monsters…

Lumbering into the yet-undamaged recesses of Toronto to resume tearing the city apart, Zilla did not notice the sizable splash that occurred offshore in the Main Harbour Channel—nor the lump of scaly skin that briefly surfaced from the water’s edge before submerging. High on rage, the scarlet iguana gave chase towards another crowd of civilians with vicious intentions; his claws flexing in preparation to tear into them like a starving bear. So caught up was he in indulging, that once again he didn’t notice the scaly mass protrude from the Toronto Harbour.

It wasn’t until a reptilian head suddenly broke the surf to echo a fearsome roar, that the irradiated iguana ceased his fury and looked towards the water. The oceanic beast bellowed again as it snaked its way towards the shore, pulling with it a serpentine body with four tiny limbs ending in clawed paws. Baring its snake-like fangs, the lengthy newcomer echoed another lordly roar at the crimson reptile, sounding akin to a colossal lion. A lengthy tongue flickered out of the ryu’s mouth, tasting the air while he stared off with the plated saurian.

The new arrival was quickly identifiable as a Manda, but this one was different from the more infamous individual that currently claimed the North Pacific. This one lacked the hair, horns, and whiskers of the original, giving it a somewhat more snake-like appearance. Whether it was a less mature individual of the same species, or an entirely different species or subspecies altogether, no one knew.

And no one was interested in finding out.

Pulling himself fully onto land, the new Manda reared his upper body off the ground and roared at the bipedal lizard far ahead. It was a warning loud and clear: this is my territory now! Back off, or else!

Immediately standing to his own intimidating height, Zilla responded with an echoing battle cry of his own. He would not be backing down, and the snake wasn’t going to make him. The lucky, or unlucky, civilians that remained alive felt a cold chill go down their bones, realizing what was about to take place. Tragically, it wasn’t uncommon for two Kaiju to see one another and things subsequently got ugly; nonetheless, when they did, the results were often catastrophic.

And there was no reason to assume this was going to be any different.

Pulling himself along with his paws, Manda roared repeatedly as he drew closer to his crimson rival. Legs tensing to spring, Zilla snarled back loudly and crouched low in a stalking position. Seeing this, the sea serpent reared up once more and bellowed, attempting to look as threatening as possible. It was a final warning to get the lizard to back down…

His leg bones snapping, Zilla sprung towards the serpentine newcomer. Manda’s reflexes were just as fast, serving him well, as he timed his strike exactly when the squamate was in reach and lashed out. Maw agape with a ferocious roar, the lengthy leviathan buried his fangs into the lizard’s left heel before pulling forward. The dragon’s 300 meter body was yanked out of Zilla’s path, winding around beside him with a tremendous crash. Shaking his head in a wolfish fashion, the ryu tore his teeth up and down his enemy’s heel in an effort to cripple him there and then.

His efforts bore not the fruits he sought; quick on his feet even when caught off guard, Zilla was quick to fight back. Twisting around to face the serpent’s main body, the mutant iguana lashed out with a claw swipe. However, his prey was just as quick; pulling with his jaws a second time, Manda slung his entire body away from the offending forelimb before letting go, avoiding a painful fate. Knowing what was coming, the undersea monster reared back as Zilla twisted about to face him once more. Eyes agleam with predatory intent, the bipedal saurian lunged at exactly the same time as his opponent.

However, Manda had a different approach from the usual strike.

Head lowered, the sea dragon struck forth to bash his cranium against his enemy’s. Recoiling with an elephantine cry, Zilla was wide open for an attack as the ryu struck again. With the speed and prowess of an attacking snake, Manda plunged his fangs into the squamate’s neck and contracted immense force into his jaw muscles. The oceanic beast pulled himself along once more—but this time, he had a far more offensive approach in mind. With grace and fluidity so as to match a trained dancer, the hornless dragon wound his body around Zilla’s like a giant anaconda. Then, focusing all his might into his coils, he applied pressure and began squeezing.

Managing to get to his feet, Zilla loosed a bellow that made the planet tremble down to her mantle. The irradiated iguana began stumbling about with wild abandon, howling and snapping in an attempt to get his serpentine attacker off of him. It was a feat far easier desired than done; for the pythonic perpetrator of his pain clung with mounting tightness, refusing to let go. So when flailing about on two feet failed to yield results, Zilla dropped to the ground and began to rub and thrash about. The dragon’s scales were scraped and smashed against the concrete as his opponent’s flailing weight pinned several portions of it against the earth. At first it seemed tolerable, and Manda added pressure to his bite to hang on tighter. But when Zilla’s spines began to poke and wedge between his scales, the sea serpent found it too much of a hassle to continue any longer.

Wanting to ensure its quickness, Manda relinquished his coils and powered forth with desperate might, shooting as far off of his opponent as possible. While he was fast enough to avoid being bitten anywhere vital, he was not quick enough to evade being slashed along his tail by three sharp claws. A grunt of pain rumbled from the ryu as he repositioned himself, facing his scarlet adversary once more.

Zilla lunged in with jaws agape, snapping on empty air as Manda banked his upper half to the right. But one miss didn’t stop him; the massive iguana twisted around like a feline, lashing out with his claws. A bellow of pain rang through the devastated Toronto as the lizard scored a direct hit, his claws carving three bloody lacerations into the serpent’s face.

Recoiling in agony, it was Manda’s turn to be fully open for an attack.

Fury burning in his eyes, Zilla pounced upon the wounded dragon, landing atop him, feet first. In a ravenous frenzy, the mutated iguana began to slash away at Manda’s body with his claws, sending sprays of blood onto the streets about them. Howling in pain, the undersea monster thought fast and made an upward lunge; his jaws aimed for the one spot he knew would hurt his attacker. Whether he was lucky or just had good aim, the serpent’s jaws claimed Zilla’s snout—and one of his fangs plunged exactly into the soft flesh inside the lizard’s right nostril.

Wailing his elephantine sound, the ‘American Godzilla’ ceased his clawing assault and reeled back; shaking his snout and scratching in an attempt to dislodge the serpentiform. Though in his painful blunder, he took his feet off his elongated quarry—exactly what the latter needed to escape. Relinquishing his bite, Manda made a false strike; using the momentum to carry himself away from his wounded foe. Landing on his stomach, he felt a twinge of pain from the wounds Zilla had dealt him. Despite this hindrance, he turned about to face the iguana with a roar of warning.

Still feeling the pain of a pierced, bleeding nostril, the scute squamate screeched and bellowed as he shook his head about; trying in vain to shake the pain off. The lengthy water-dweller proved to be far more of a challenge than he thought, something Zilla needed to change…

The dragon took quick advantage of his quarry’s pain and made his next attack. Rather than head on, Manda snaked his way to the lizard’s side before lashing out with his head lowered. The sea serpent rammed his cranium into his opponent’s femur, sending the crimson saurian toppling to the ground. His enemy downed, the undersea monster lunged and sank his teeth into Zilla’s boxy head, just behind his left eye. The red reptile bellowed in pain, but he was soon to learn that Manda wasn’t done. Once more, the hornless ryu began to wind his coils around his foe—but this time he did not expand them to the lizard’s entire body. Instead, he wrapped them entirely around one portion of the biped and one portion only.

His neck.

By the time Zilla started to get to his feet, the sea dragon had already applied his strength. The horrible cracking sound reverberated through the savaged Toronto, the full strength of Manda’s coils already testing the lepidosaur’s neck to its limits. A raspy wail wheezed its way out of Zilla’s tightening windpipe, the lizard resorting to thrashing once more as his ability to breathe became rapidly more difficult. Worse still, his neck vertebrae could only handle so much force before the inevitable cracking point…

Keeping firm his toothy grasp, Manda shook his head from side to side, all while tightening his deadly squeeze. Knowing full and well what was coming, Zilla began to wildly scrabble at the dragon’s body with his claws. Dragon’s blood joined lizard’s on the ground, the flailing reptile waging a solo war against the forces to fight and breathe alike. Cringing in intensifying pain, the serpentine beast added more strength to his coils; the cracking of his quarry’s neck bones getting louder. A weaker, raspier horror of a cry trumpeted from the suffocating Zilla, yet the scarlet saurian scratched ever harder and faster into the serpent’s flesh.

The cuts were getting much deeper and more rapidly in their succession, shedding more of the ryu’s blood and making the pain skyrocket. Applying more strength both to his bite and coils, Manda growled and held his eyes tightly shut. Deeper and deeper the iguana was slashing, yet with every ounce of might and desperation he had the sea serpent refused to let go. The pain was incredible, but the dragon squeezed harder. He needed to keep holding on for just a few more moments, keep up the squeeze just long enough to break his opponent’s neck before it reached beneath his muscles.

The squamate’s vertebrae were cracking. Just a moment longer…!

The next few claw slashes from the iguana sent a whole new wave of pain over the dragon, whose eyes shot wide open with a horrifying realization: Zilla’s claws had just touched bone. The undersea monster could bear it no longer; releasing his bite to bellow painfully, Manda relinquished his coils as rapidly as he could and struck away. The leviathan’s body uncoiling from his own, Zilla inhaled loudly for precious oxygen again and again; stumbling away in a haze of agony just as great as the one that gripped his enemy. Blood still leaking from his jaws, the irradiated lepidosaur fell gasping onto his belly in his bid to regain the air he had lost.

A good distance away, Manda groaned torturously from the severity of his injuries. Blood was now flowing in the tons from his lacerations, staining his scales and the ground around him in a gruesome warpaint. The ryu tried licking one of his wounds, only for pain to stab it like a knife and elicit a hoarse snarl from the serpent. At best, these lacerations would leave the ugliest scars imaginable. And at worst…

The marine monster wanted to attack his adversary, but he couldn’t. Every movement was a lightning shock of pain, grounding him to the spot for the time being. And just as well, for across from him Zilla was doing better than he was. The dorsal plated saurian was still panting for breath, more exhausted than injured, but it was not bound to last for long. The lizard would be getting up soon, and Manda may yet be too wounded to book an escape back to the harbor in time.

The bipedal iguana hissed as he shook his head and neck, finding the strength to begin standing once more. His eyes seemed to burn like the fires of an atom bomb, glistening with rage—a rage that tripled when a familiar pair of projectiles detonated against his hide. Instantly, Zilla’s head snapped from Manda to the perpetrators who dared attack him. Machine gun fire and tank shells followed suit, exploding upon his scarlet skin all while he whipped to face their bearers. A second squad of military apaches, accompanied by a small battalion of tanks, capitalized on his seemingly vulnerable state and opened fire upon him.

They didn’t even need to attack to provoke the saurian Kaiju, just looking upon them was enough to heat his blood to the boiling point, to make his talons grit against the earth. A memory shot through his nervous system like a thunderbolt; fleeting as the blink of an eye, yet ever excruciatingly full of pain.

A memory of a charred heap of rubble and smoke, all that remained of what should’ve been a nest…

A bellow to shame the deepest thunder ripped from Zilla’s maw, taloned feet shattering houses and cars upon his wrathful stampede towards the offending constructs. Once more the iguana flew into a rage; the tanks were the first to die, smashed under his feet or swiped into the sky from a solitary swing of his hand. After this abrupt switch in targets, only two of the helicopters managed to survive; the rest were chomped and swatted into fiery ruin. Boxy jaws howled forth screams of outrage amidst the lizard’s venting, outrage fueled by a pain many could scarcely imagine.

Pain that could only be repaid through blood…

Vibrations started traveling through the ground, rippling through Zilla’s toes. The ‘American Godzilla’ twisted around reflexively, sheerly out of pure survival instinct— instincts that served him well. Manda had attempted to take him by surprise, seemingly having decided to put his luck to the test while the lizard’s back was turned. And he was just about right on top of him, already lunging for his neck—!

Memory and instinct joining forces to erupt into overdrive, the irradiated iguana twisted on his heels at full force. Before the ryu even knew what was happening, it was far too late; Zilla spun a full 360 degrees, smacking his tail straight into Manda’s face. Several teeth were broken or knocked out from the sheer power of the blow, stabbing into houses and roads alike as they fell all about the serpent’s former vicinity.

The reaches of Toronto echoed with a dreadful thunder when the dragon crashed to the ground, the ache of his jaws soon being accompanied by a bad concussion. A pantherine groan rippled from Manda’s lungs as he rolled over onto his belly, but he would have no time to recover; most unfortunate for him, for booming tremors shot through the ground in mounting fashion. Zilla was already back on the attack, charging the serpent where he lay with a bloodthirsty howl. The sea dragon only had a moment to move, just enough to put his head and upper neck out of reach of Zilla’s lunging jaws. He did not, however, have the speed nor time to escape completely when the lizard’s jaws chomped upon his body just above his tiny arms.

His head was at too bad of an angle to reach up and bite his foe effectively, but Manda was not entirely out of options yet. It would require more than a little pain tolerance to pull off, but it was still doable and may yet prevent the iguana from crushing his bones. Clamoring a leonine roar, the dragon coiled the length of his tail around Zilla’s neck and contracted pressure. The pain that shot through his wounds as a result was of the most vicious sort, but the serpent bellowed and fought it. Despite seeming frail and worthless compared to his entire body, the coils of his tail were far stronger than appearances deceived; before long, the scarlet iguana was having trouble keeping hold of his quarry from the pressures on his neck. To try and tilt the odds in his favor, Zilla bit harder and shook his head to savage the wound, but this only enticed Manda to roar defiantly and add more strength to his squeeze. It wouldn’t be long before the mutant would be forced to let go, leaving him vulnerable should the ryu decide to constrict him once more.

Something he could not allow.

His eyes spotting the flaming rubble all around him, an idea abruptly popped into the squamate’s head. Rearing up as high as he could stand, Zilla then released his bite and threw himself back down, slamming Manda’s head against the ground. Dazed from the impact, the serpent had no time to react to what his enemy did next; lowering himself flat, the mutant lizard bellowed a hurricane blast of gas upon the ground.

Exactly where plenty of burning rubble resided.

Ignited by the flames, the tornado-blast roar instantly erupted into a blast of fire. Manda was caught point-blank in the ensuing inferno, and howled in agony when the flames scorched his wounds. His grip relinquishing fast, the dragon recoiled and tried to make a break for it; but as Zilla moved his head sideways, the blast became too large and he was completely engulfed in its wrath. The agony of his wounds charring in the flames was immeasurable, so much so that for a moment the serpent lost his sense of pain.

The moment he ran out of breath, Zilla went back on the offensive. Jaws wide agape, the squamate chomped down upon the burning dragon—only to relinquish and recoil when he felt his mouth burn. Screeching in pain, the mutant backed off while Manda started to regain his bearings. It took little time for the serpent’s pain receptors to regain functionality, and a leonine bellow forced its way out of his jaws. But even amidst his grueling agony, he could still discern a notable change that was not present before.

His injured body was glowing with heat.

His weary eyes looking ahead, the undersea monster spied Zilla scraping his snout against the ground, trying to rid himself of the pain in his gums. Putting two and two together, Manda’s eyes broadened as a new plan entered his mind…

The ruby-hued reptile groaned a guttural rumble as he took the brunt of the agony, despite his best efforts to rub it off. The serpent just seemed to always have something up its sleeve whenever he was close to felling it then and there, and whenever it didn’t, luck seemed to favor it one way or another, even extending to outside intervention. This battle should’ve been over a while ago, and himself free to enact his revenge against the tiny destroyers that called this constructed jungle home. The usurpers and killers that had taken what mattered most to him, when they had done nothing wrong…

A pain unmatched by any gnashed into Zilla’s heel, bringing forth a trumpeting wail. Looking down, the lizard saw that Manda had bitten down just above his foot, his teeth grazing bone. The lepidosaur swatted his enemy’s face with a clawed hand, but recoiled when its glowing skin burned his own. Even worse, the bite on his heel was burning just the same; the crimson skin actually charred black the longer the serpent held his grip. However, such painful burns would pale in comparison to what the sea dragon had planned, as Zilla would soon realize.

Releasing his grasp, Manda roared and struck again. The agony of his own wounds, still fresh and deep and burning to the bone, was now in the extremes; but in this moment, he fought it with every ounce of his very being. Using the scorching agony to boost his fury and desire to kill the lizard, the dragon plunged his fangs into Zilla’s throat before twisting his glowing body. Unlike before, this time the iguana was quick to realize what his adversary was doing, and quickly touched his arms in to try and push away. But not only did Manda’s coils prove too strong, the sweltering temperatures of his body speedily began to scorch the squamate’s red and yellow flesh with terrifying ease. Acrid smoke pouring from the superheated constriction, Zilla thought fast as his attacker put on the squeeze. His limbs restrained and his body both convulsing and burning, he did the only thing he had left.

Lunging his head forward, he snagged the lower portion of Manda’s neck and crunched down as hard as he could.

The shining heat instantly set to burning his gums, but like the dragon, he too was used to the agony fueling his relentless drive to triumph. Despite the horrible pain in his mouth and body, he persistently continued hanging on, biting down even harder.

Focusing all his power and will to emerge victorious, Manda contracted his muscles and squeezed. That same sickening cracking of muscle against bone was mixed with a loud hiss as Manda’s body temperature became even more vicious; the smoke pouring from their conjoined bodies thickened exponentially. The urge to howl in torture, to relinquish his agonizing grasp was immeasurable, yet still Zilla persisted against it. Survival instincts soaring high, the mutant iguana added more strength to his savage bite. Once more, it was a war of pure relentlessness; an instinctual shoving match of who could outlast who the longest. A battle of who would be the first to fatally breach the other.

Adding more strength to his own bite, Manda growled furiously as he felt the pain in his wounds worsen. Yet still he refused to give in, squeezing harder through the haze of agony that felt like it was tearing his body apart. So far had his pain columned, that he almost couldn’t distinguish Zilla’s jaws continuing to bite further into his lower neck; focused and unyielding with the intention of going all the way.

The irradiated iguana didn’t waste the air to growl, for as if the pressure on his bones and the burning of his body wasn’t enough, his lungs were starting to give in to the dragon’s constriction. Every ounce of what effort and strength he had left, he focused solely into his jaws. The lepidosaur felt like he was roasting in a giant furnace, while simultaneously being crushed by a cliff. His entire world was pain, from the tip of his snout to the end of his tail. Head to toe, he felt nothing but agony that would make just about anyone want to give up on life.

Alas, Zilla would accept no such release.

The pain that ravaged his body was, in some ways, but an illusion. For there was no greater pain to be given, than the pain he already bore. And it was that pain that super-fueled his resolve to keep on living, to keep fighting until this battle was over and done. For if he relinquished and died now, the source of his pain would triumph over him just the same. He would die, and the bringers of his pain would get off scot-free and devoid of any consequences. The consequences they deserved.

Something Zilla refused to allow.

Thus with no other path to victory than what he had, he bit back the urge to scream through his grasp and chomped down harder! Blood boiled before it could fully shed, popping into a fiery sludge that frothed in Manda’s wounds. Waging a one-monster war against a world of agony all his very own, Manda only strained stubbornly and squeezed harder still. It was an utter deathlock to the very end, with neither yielding or attempting to back out. The demise of one or the other was all they gravitated towards, and both would focus every last ounce of might left into that very goal. Bones in both bodies were starting to crack as they bit and squeezed harder, with the outcome based around who’s would break first.

Manda didn’t know if he was reaching his breaking point, or if he was the breaking point. As far as he knew, pain and wrath were all he recognized; with nothing but those to accompany him, he did nothing but keep his unrelenting grasp. His enemy’s skeleton was caving, he swore he could perceive it. The pressure in his bite mounting, Zilla felt likewise and pressed onward just the same; the iguana running on the same victory-or-death mindset as his draconic foe. Both wondered if painlessness would be a stranger to them should either emerge alive after this. And if either died, well… at least the pain would be over regardless.

Either way, the end was near and neither was holding back a single ounce of strength…

Zilla shut his eyes as they had begun to water, a sure precursor to reaching their boiling point…

Manda’s irises broadened with a heated bloodlust, fueled by levels of adrenaline that reached for the sky; encompassing his eyes with a terrifying blackness…

CRACK!

That deafening sound, of the sort that chills bones and twists stomachs into knotted spheres, echoed, fell, and repulsed across the devastated battlefield Toronto had become. There was no mistake in what it conveyed, all still alive knew it: one of two titanic monsters had just been breached. The prolonged, relentless death dance had finally yielded a decisive result, and the world held its breath to look upon it…

The agony that wracked Zilla’s body was so high and unforgiving, that initially the lizard didn’t notice Manda’s coils loosening from his burned physique.

The ryu’s jaws released as his upper neck fell back, hanging limply from the iguana’s jaws like a soaked rag; its position revealing a crushed vertebrae. The blackness of his eyes, once driven by an unrelenting thirst for victory, now remained etched upon them forever with the eerie blankness of death. Everything the dragon had ever been—fighter, swimmer, predator—was gone from his serpentine body, no longer a part of his brain. If his consciousness truly was still around and not erased entirely, it was never to be a part of this body again; it was going to places unknown, leaving behind this empty shell that had already started to lose its glow.

The sensation of being released finally catching up to him, Zilla wasted not a second in tossing Manda’s corpse aside. Once a terrifying killer in his own right, the dragon careened sluggishly through the air before crashing upon a selection of surviving houses. Tongue hanging limply from closed jaws, the great wyrm never moved again.

There was no victorious roar, only another sharp inhalation as the ryu’s killer collapsed onto his belly, panting for precious breath. His burns, black and horrific enough to empty the strongest stomachs, still wailed on him with incredible pain. Smoke trailed from him with a thick and organic stench, smelling like a hybrid of roasted fish and pluming sulfur. The inner recesses of his gums and even his tongues were seared hideously, some of his teeth long broken apart or fallen out from the ordeal.

Yet the iguana still breathed, his soul refusing to evacuate his body.

Even within, his bones ached madly. His muscles were more than just sore; ranging from contracted to their limits, to burned just as badly as his skin. The lizard wanted to keep rampaging, to finish what remained of the city and resume tearing the populace around him apart. But his body was just too exhausted to continue. He had shoved himself beyond his limits just to vanquish his draconic opponent, and now he would have to endure the cost.

But unlike what he had been enduring for some time now, this cost would eventually end.

His lungs having regained the air he lost, it was then that his fatigue truly kicked in. His muscles could take no more, and the pain was now getting to him. Slumping as if his bones had become jelly, Zilla finally collapsed.

A deep rumble boomed from the pit of his gut, as his closing eyes escorted him to the world of slumber.

*****

The first boom rippled through the ground like a tsunami, startling Zilla stiff.

Jaws full of fish, the peaceful piscivore jerked his head up with pupils narrowed into tiny dots. The fight or flight response at its full height, the iguana felt frozen to the spot for a moment. Fear, amongst the most powerful instincts in the animal kingdom, held him in its icy claws from the sheer force of that distant sound. At first it was fear for his very own safety, for the utter power of that sound instinctually told him there was danger nearby. As such, Zilla held still as a rock; not daring to so much as twitch a muscle. It was the standard response in all animals when danger audibly presented itself, to hold perfectly still and wait to see if anything else took place.

However, in time the iguana found it necessary to at last look behind him, where it seemed the sound had originated—and when he did, his blood ran arctic-cold. From places far behind one of the mountainous hills that surrounded the crimson lizard bloomed a colossal fireball, seemingly taller than a skyscraper; towering hauntingly far into the overcast sky. As if such a sight was not fear-inducing in of itself, a realization slammed into the mutant lepidosaur with terrible force.

The blast came from the same direction from whence he had traveled…

Tantamount to the lash of a thunderbolt, fear evolved into full-blown terror which sent the saurian running at the top of his speed. The fish plummeting from his jaws forgotten as the scarlet squamate stampeded straight towards the distant blast, his fear was no longer for his own safety, rather… He clambered over the tree-covered hill like it was nothing, on the other side and running onward in less than a second. With the hill no longer present to block his view, so free to look upon were closer details of the explosion’s origin… and Zilla found himself wailing as he ran faster. A most heart-wrenching sound, trumpeting and filled to the brim with a begging terror on the verge of breaking. As if it were the cry of a banshee beside herself with her worst fear, on the verge of coming true.

Miles and miles of forest and meadow passed Zilla by as he ran onward, the point of origin of the blast becoming more and more clear with every crater his talons embedded into the earth. Five-hundred miles an hour he sprinted, filling the air with his begging cry a second time. Beseeching, pleading for a response from what was most precious to him while he drew rapidly closer…

One moment he was the fastest land animal on the planet, and the next the stillest.

A mass flock of metal objects were flying speedily away from the blast, powered by rotating blades on their tops—and they were all led by a gigantic black metal bird, triangular in shape and faster than its fellow peers. But it was not the departing vessels of humankind that held Zilla’s attention. What instead held his horrified gaze was none other than the flaming, smoking remnants of his very own home.

His nest was utterly destroyed. Once a perfect mound of trees, shreds of buildings and rock, now was a blackened ruin pluming with unending clouds of smoke. Back on the run, Zilla ignored the departing vehicles and closed the distance between him and his destroyed nursery in but a few seconds; another trumpeting siren wailing from his maw. Alas, even this close still his call went unanswered.

It didn’t take long for the iguana to find out why.

At the edges of the desecrated nest, his fiery eyes caught sight of a body. Tiny in comparison even to his head alone, its theropod-like body broken and twisted by forces it could not withstand. Its big eyes wide open and staring blankly into space, its square-shaped jaws gaped open in a silent scream. Not too far away from it lay two others, their bodies just as broken and unmoving as their sibling. A woeful groan reverberated through Zilla’s throat upon him kneeling down, nudging the nearest body with his snout. The Baby Zilla remained motionless, no matter how many times its father nuzzled its lifeless form. Within the recesses of the ruined nursery, Zilla made out the charred remains of other bodies. Some were intact, others in barely recognizable pieces. All of them had one thing in common.

Not a single one had survived.

The velvet iguana gradually looked up, his gaze locking back on the airborne killers now nothing but dots on the horizon. But they wouldn’t be mere dots for very long, for they fatally underestimated the severity of what they had just unleashed. A roar to quake the mountains erupted from Zilla’s jaws as he gave chase, hounding after his children’s murderers more efficiently than any projectile in their arsenal.

More than ready to rend metal, shred concrete, and taste blood…

*****

His eyes fluttered open upon the feeling of rain pattering upon his skin.

His sense of reality returning by the second, Zilla roused awake from the dream. The saurian didn’t know how long he had been asleep. It could’ve been for hours, days, perhaps even weeks. He didn’t even know how long it had been since the last time he slept at all. However, the agony that once scourged his flesh was no longer present, feeling as if his battle with that sea dragon had never happened to begin with. His skin seemed all but fully healed, with some wounds remaining behind as scars. The smell of smoke and fire no longer tainted the air, indicating that they had long since gone out. Perhaps he had been asleep for far longer than he thought.

His nostrils inhaling a breath of air, the lizard tried to lift his head—only to feel the sensation of something cold and lengthy trying to stay it.

It was then that Zilla’s sense of clarity returned in full force, his irises narrowing upon realizing that from snout to tail, his prone body was tied down to the ground. A battalion of tanks and soldiers surrounded him on all sides, their weapons aimed at him from the moment he realized they were there.

In the literal blink of an eye, his clarity was not the only thing that came rocketing right back to reality.

In an instant, the irradiated iguana was shoving against the earth with his limbs. The ropes and wire holding him barely lasted a few seconds before they began to snap, breaking one after another until he violently sprang back to his feet. At once, the military forces all about him opened fire; bullets, shells and missiles exploding against his colossal form. A powerful roar boomed from the reptile’s boxy muzzle, filled to the brim with venom of the most hateful kind. Even the strongest shots from his oppressors did no more than enrage the lizard further. From the moment it became apparent he was still alive, the situation had been revealed to be utterly hopeless from the very beginning.

Lightning flashed silently in the dark gray heavens as Zilla lunged down, grabbing a tank in his jaws and crunching it like a tin can. The thunder that inevitably followed was drowned out when Zilla howled his incendiary breath upon the battalion around him; but amidst his roaring fury, something broke within the scarlet squamate. Something changed that had never occurred before. Perhaps it had been obtained by the lizard’s battle with Manda; maybe it had only just been unlocked out of nothing but the sheer paternal rage he felt at this moment.

Whatever the case, it would prove to be a devastating occurrence regardless.

A flash of light traveled up Zilla’s spines; his eyes sparking briefly before the ignition happened. In a flash, the tornado-like roar was replaced by something much more destructive: a concentrated blast of atomic fire, jade green and hotter than the most sweltering wildfire. The atomic blast engulfed the battalion, melting into glowing slag who or whatever wasn’t outright atomized from the blast. Taking a moment to dwell on the surprise of this newfound ability, Zilla quickly shook it off and fired again. Sweeping the blast over his enemies, the mutant lepidosaur didn’t stop until every last one was drowned from sight in a sea of emerald flame.

The images of his murdered offspring still filling his head, Zilla whipped about and tromped right back into the undamaged reaches of Toronto, resuming his rampage. He didn’t even notice the maimed corpse of his draconic adversary, Manda, as he stomped right past him as if he were no more than a distant memory. Roaring blasts of atomic fury leaping from his jaws, the victorious Kaiju spent the next hour razing the hapless city to the ground. But he wouldn’t stop here. Once this habitat was turned to ash, he would seek out the next and deliver upon it the same fate. Vengeance, pain and a dark sadness reigning supreme his embittered mind, Zilla roared an ominous warning to humankind.

They had wanted a monster.

So they got one.

Winner: Zilla

Author: Michael Allen | Banner: Matt Ng

Dying rays of sunlight shone over the South American jungle as it had for countless centuries, the sense of peace in the wild as day began its transformation into night was disturbed only by the colossal red skinned reptile soaring at breakneck speeds above. Its angular mouth glistened obscenely in the yellow light with fresh blood as it finished scarfing down the remains of humans it had snatched up from the village not too far away. For a smaller Gyaos, this would have been a substantial meal, but for an adult of its size a whole village could hardly even be called an appetizer. But hunger aside, it had little to complain about. It could roost among the hundreds of trees or even a good sized mountain and there was a lake to drink from.

Powerful wings carried it forward until, much to its shock, it rammed into something. Or rather, something slammed into it.

A gust of air and frothy spit escaped the Gyaos’ maw as it dropped to the earth, trees snapping like kindling and bits of ground shot into the sky high from the weight of the beast. Giving a distorted screech as it flailed around, now more angry than surprised, the Gyaos regained its bearings, wings folded in a combative stance and crimson talons slicing into ground in anticipation. It knew it hadn’t connected with an inanimate object, at its current size few things could knock it down with such ferocity and to top it off it had been in flight.

What perplexed the red monster was the fact it couldn’t locate what had hit it! Rumbling to itself the Gyaos swiftly surveyed its surroundings, nothing but wilderness for miles around. Nothing that big could just up and vanish!

The faint sound of wings beating at high speeds drew its attention elsewhere, turning sharply to find… nothing! Another quick buzz brought its head snapping sharply to the right. The Gyaos roared when it realized it was being taunted.

Megaguirus, seemingly appearing from nowhere swooped down towards the Gyaos with a shriek of her own; the tip of her right wing connected with the Gyaos’ gut and as she expected it went down with a startled cry. Megaguirus, like all members of her species, was extremely aggressive and would fight anything whatever the size to either protect or expand territory. She’d come to this jungle in hopes of starting up a proper nest and she thought this oversized flying lizard would make for a worthy first meal for her children. Grinning to herself she flew in close, stinger lowering to skewer the intruder through. However, offense instantly transformed to evasion as the Gyaos let loose its sonic beam. The ray of yellow light pierced through the mountain top effortlessly and were it not for her speed, the Meganula Queen would have been dead right there.

It was at this time Gyaos properly laid eyes on its foe. Megaguirus was unusual looking for an insect. Rather than mandibles, she processed a toothed and disturbingly mammalian mouth, massive claws that doubled as pincers and a tail ending with a blood red stinger matching the shade of her eyes. Opting for another surprise attack, the Gyaos blinked in shock as she reached a speed so blindingly fast she simply disappeared. But still, Gyaos had not lived this long by being incompetent. Whipping around it fired its beam again, hitting only empty space.

Apparently Megaguirus wasn’t as predictable as anticipated.

Instead, she swooped in from the side, bashing her body hard into the devil bird; but unexpectedly, the reptile had prepared by keeping its talons anchored to the jungle floor and instead of collapsing, it only stumbled for several seconds. Gyaos retaliated, utilizing its wings to batter and brutalize Megaguirus’ head as she swiped and struck its face with her pincers. The ancient beasts shrieked and howled in a battle frenzy at one another as they rapidly exchanged blows and jaws snapped at throats and teeth glistened. Hissing, she drew her right arm back and swung hard, the fierce avian stumbling to the side, but to her annoyance still refused to fall. Pressing her attack she raised her claw again… Only to receive a massive swat from the Gyaos’ wing. Shrieking demonically, the Gyaos shot its beam again to successfully score a hit on Megaguirus’ cheek.

Stunned, the prehistoric insect landed hard on the ground, shocked she’d been hit this early on in a fight. But there was little time to dwell on the fact as Gyaos gripped her tightly with its feet. She thrashed wildly but it was of little use, the queen getting a face full of dirt, grass, and trees as the reptile dragged her along the ground, definitely to “repay” her for her earlier taunting. It lifted her up only to release her two seconds later to effectively send her, quite literally, head first into the side of a mountain. Rocks rained down on her carapace, seeing double as she feverishly shook her head to clear it. She could hear the Gyaos shrieking to itself with triumphant bloodlust, wings carrying it in the form of a sharp right turn back towards her.

Megaguirus rarely made use of her legs, but at a life or death moment like this, they proved to be quite useful. A quick, simple hop allowed her to avoid the slicing ray of death and rapid flapping of wings brought her back to the sky where she was at her most comfortable. The two soared at each other head on, jaws clipping millimeters away from the other’s jugular when their bodies connected. When Gyaos saw Megaguirus’ face contort into a sinister grin, it realized it had been tricked.

The sharp red stinger burrowed into Gyaos’ belly, a distorted warble of hot pain left the angular needle lined mouth as the two spun and flapped without direction, the world a splotchy blur of colors. The Gyaos locked its red eyes squarely on the grinning face of his enemy, maw wide open… But nothing happened!? The reptile’s eyes traveled to the stinger, or more accurately, the throbbing yellow light traveling into her body. The damn bug was siphoning its energy!

Giving a harsh jerk of the body, the Gyaos spun to the right and successfully dislodged the queen, her stinger glistening and dripping with the Gyaos’ unusual purple hued blood. She judged that by the way it was still flying, it wasn’t hampered by the injury. And she still had a few moments before the demon regained enough energy to use its beam. Adjusting herself she rushed it once more, her stinger cutting along the membrane of the left wing. Howling in pain the Gyaos spun out of control like a fighter jet and unceremoniously crashed into the once undisturbed surface of the lake. Waves several miles high mercilessly washed over the jungle, uprooting weaker trees and drowning any unfortunate animal in its nigh unstoppable path.

The queen loftily buzzed over the lake as waves became ripples and ripples became stillness. Surely that couldn’t have been all? She was just starting to enjoy herself!

Gyaos carefully inspected its damaged wing, carefully crouched behind some rocks lest the bug be searching for it. Flight would be slower, but not impossible. And drowning wasn’t even an issue that crossed the monster’s predatory brain, for the perfect lifeform could thrive in any environment. So it waited with malicious patience. It had the element of surprise…

Megaguirus snarled in irritation when the familiar sonic beam blasted through the water’s dark blue surface. It hadn’t come too close for comfort, but she found it was better to be safe than sorry. Hissing and without hesitation she plunged into the water that which her kind thrived in, ruby eyes scanning for any sign of possible movement and stinger poised to thrust into her prey at any given moment. As her wings carried her towards the bottom she still saw no sign of Gyaos. Bubbles erupted from her mouth as she roared at it to show itself, jeering at how she had turned the tables in her favor.

Until it suddenly lunged at her from the darkness just beyond her peripheral vision. Teeth dug ruthlessly into the side of her neck as she was forced into a sizable rock, shattering it to pieces upon impact. She deflected the Gyaos’ talons with a claw before opting to plow into its midsection in a short burst of speed. Screeching defiantly the Gyaos fired its devastating oral weapon, the insect queen instantly falling back on evasive maneuvers to avoid being sliced to bits, wincing as it grazed her back.

Both fliers broke free of the water at a staggering speed and it was at this point Megaguirus made her next move. Though she was not as aerodynamic as the Gyaos, her great speed compensated for that perfectly. Faster than Gyaos’ crimson eyes could process she performed a fast loop, and sent her stinger stabbing into Gyaos’ back.

The reptile cried out as she forced him to the ground, the earth shuddering with the titanic landing, dirt obscuring their vision as she siphoned more of its energy. Her claws gripped the Gyaos by the neck, crushing the life out of it simultaneously with a gleeful high pitched cry. Vision blurring and its throat burning the Gyaos purposefully backpedaled until Megaguirus was bashed squarely into the mountain, screaming as the stinger now protruded from its sternum. But despite this, the ancient evil persisted. Boulders and shattered stone rained upon the two battling giants and the earth trembled frightfully, far from civilization they were the only two in the entire world as far as their warring minds were concerned.

Gyaos’ agony was worsened by Megaguirus firing her stolen energy in the form of its own signature weapon, slicing through its chest. Blood oozed down its front and the bloodthirsty Meganula Queen shoved Gyaos away disdainfully. Buzzing overhead she prepared to come back around to properly finish the job, keeping it in her view at all times now she drank in the thing’s pain like the most exquisite of elixirs the planet had to offer.

Gyaos growled to itself, fixing Megaguirus with a cold stare as she came closer and closer… Bloodied and wounded, but far from dead, she waited… Now! All it required was a simple shift of its body and the stinger stabbed harmlessly into the earth, her eyes bulging when it dawned on her that it had been a trap. Red talons opened her neck in the blink of an eye, and suddenly every bit of her screamed to retreat. Wings carried her higher and higher until she was suddenly falling. Now Megaguirus was confused. Why was she falling?

Out of the corner of her eye she saw most of her right wing falling uselessly away from her moments before she greeted the earth back first. The moon was out now, so were the stars. Megaguirus had never really cared about such things until now as a sense of failing overwhelmed her. The queen had failed both herself and her kind. The Shadow of Evil loomed over her now, wings spread to their fullest extent, mouth bloody and frothing, a foot pinning her deadly stinger tipped tail to the ground, the other kept her body down. Its red eyes glowed like a demon from some unseen nightmarish Hell, and fear took her heart in its cruel and unfeeling icy grip.

For Megaguirus, this was the end. A violent end to a violent life.

Gyaos gave a triumphant screech into the night as it dug into the most rewarding meal of its existence.

Winner: Gyaos (Universal)

 

Author: Dao Zang Moua | Banner: Dao Zang Moua

[Continued from Match 313]

Monsters exist. Initially, monsters were thought to be creatures of fiction and myth, meant to scare young ones or explain natural phenomena. However, even common knowledge changes with time. People believed the Earth was flat until it was discovered the Earth was round. People believed the Earth was the center of the universe until heliocentrism caught on. To the world, it was a common fact that monsters didn’t exist. That is, until several years ago. In 2014, three massive unidentified terrestrial organisms awoke and destroyed several cities in their battle to the death. Monsters, or should I say Titans, are real, as much as the government would like otherwise, and they are everywhere. With the worldwide reveal of Titans came the knowledge of Monarch, an organization dedicated to hunting down, killing, and studying these massive organisms that inhabit our world.

Thus leads to now. Every once in a while, Monarch hears tales of mysterious creatures and myths about various unknown Titans. Rumors of sailors spotting a massive creature in the Pacific led a group of researchers to the island of Sergio. Once inhabited by natives centuries ago, it is said that a violent eruption forced them to migrate to other islands nearby to survive. Nowadays, the volcano remains more docile as the natural life that was once taken returns.

A billowing wind brushes against the cold railing of the ship as the slight salty taste of cold sea spray touches my tongue. The rough scent of the vast ocean fills the air around as waves splatter across the outer hull. In the distance, a green island overtakes the view as sailors go about their duties. My name is Dr. Kyoichi Miya, a scientist working for Monarch. As one of the many paleo-biologists at their disposal, I was tasked to inspect and possibly identify any Titan that may reside on the island. My team was to reside on the island for a month’s study of both the natural inhabitants and for signs of a Titan. A sigh escaped my mouth as I watched the cold morning air freeze the warm breath in front of me. Others in the team were walking about the deck excitedly checking to see if they’ve packed all the equipment they need onto the landing ships. Unfortunately, for this mission, my team was made up of the new, young recruits to the organization, this expedition meant to serve as their “final exam and testing ground.”

Staring into the distance, I began rubbing against a small amber pendant given to me by my mother. The distant bickering of my fellow researchers caught my ear, speaking about the dangers of exploring an island not visited since the early 1700s due to its volcanism.

“Doctor Miya.”

Turning my head, I noticed an acquaintance of mine, a young woman in her early 30s, slowly making her way over. Professor Saki Kobayashi, a specialist of linguistics and paleography. She is also a descendant of the Sergio Island natives that migrated centuries ago. As such, she was familiar with various ancient languages and texts of the world, including her people’s ancestral language. Another reason for us to be sent on this task due to our long partnership in the field.

“Ah, Saki. You needed something?” I quickly inquire, putting the amber back into my pocket.

Saki briskly walked over with various documents about the island. Passing some over she looked back to our men with what seemed to be concern.

“Though the documents state there shouldn’t be much danger on an island like this, I can’t help but remember all the stories my grandfather would tell about the native fauna”. She quickly flipped through folders before pulling out one filled with the various legends and tales passed down by natives. “He would always speak of the terrible creatures that would try to breach the village walls. Large beasts that would drag people into the jungle to devour them.”

Slowly I began checking through the various legends Saki had translated. Various myths and legends of old recount tales of mythical creatures that inhabited the island. Creatures whose hide was said to be stronger than most man made weapons. Information of any type would be helpful in exploring this island.

The crew of the ship then began prompting us to board the landing vessels starting our journey towards the lush green island. Unfortunately for us, the seafaring vessel we rode on had only two aircraft on board, nowhere near enough to take all the scientists and soldiers, but enough to gather air intel and drop supplies from the ship to the camp. Instead, we were to take several landing ships to the island’s shore. The smaller boats started on their way, pushing through the salty blue waters of the Pacific. The brisk morning air flew past our faces as the sounds of churning water and the roaring boat engine encompassed our hearing. The island slowly grew larger yet our minds remained focused only on the task ahead.

As we drew closer, we began to notice the black sandy beaches, evidence that the volcano was still somewhat active. Lush jungle greenery and the distant mountains made for a beautiful landscape. Far, near the center of the island, smoke rose from the peak of the ancient volcano. Altogether, the island seemed like a beautiful paradise untouched by modern man’s corruption.

The moment we reached shore, a small platoon of armed soldiers quickly began checking the perimeter for anything dangerous. As they did so, our men began unloading our packs of supplies onto the beach. Gathering everyone together, I began briefing the team on our mission.

“Alright men, we will be staying on this island for a month of exploration and study. I should remind you that if you die out here, what’s left of your body will be brought back to your families. Should we actually find any Titans calling this place home, we will most likely be stationed here for far longer than a month. Marked on your map is the location of the village ruins that we will be making our base. Now grab your stuff and let’s get started.”

“Sir, a question,” one man plainly asked, “What dangers might there be on this island?”

I stopped a moment due to the idiocy of the question before responding promptly.

“If we knew what dangers reside here, we wouldn’t be staying here for a month now would we? Don’t forget to follow Lt. Fernandez’s instructions because her men have all the weapons”.

With that, Saki and I grabbed our bags and began to trek through the wilderness with soldiers following suit. Very quickly, the rest of the team gathered their remaining supplies and equipment and followed after. The overgrown plant life in the jungle took some time to get through. The various sounds of birds chirping and creatures rushing through the brush kept the soldiers ready to act. It didn’t take long for our mission to turn for the worse.

Upon finding an open clearing in the jungle, the team decided to take a short break. On the edge of the clearing, a male soldier began flirting with one of the new recruits near the edge of the clearing. I almost didn’t hear the high pitched chitter through their laughter. Looking closer, there was a shadowed figure hiding in the underbrush behind the soldier, two glowing blue eyes hidden in the darkness. The chittering resonated with the silent jungle air as a massive pincer clamped down onto the soldier’s shoulder.

The man screamed as he was dragged into the jungle, all of us giving chase into the green depths. By the time we had found him, his body was strewn upon the branches of a tree as a massive insect, nearly 8 meters long, feasted on his flesh. Soldiers began opening fire upon the creature causing it to screech in rage. The bullets merely bounced off its tough chitin carapace as it slowly made its way towards us.

“Get out of here!” Lt. Hernandez shouted as they continued to fire into the giant insect. We scientists obliged to the soldier’s command and quickly started back to the clearing. More bullets and screams echoed behind us as everyone rushed to get out of the jungle.

Before long, we had managed to get out of the outer jungle and into the inner island landmass. The trees cleared up more as there were now open plains with a large lake and river near the opposing edge. Dotting the outer edges of the plains were several large holes releasing what seemed to be volcanic fumes. Catching our breaths, the rustling of leaves and grass forced us to turn in panic, only for what remained of the soldiers to leave the underbrush.

“Damn thing is slow but hard as hell to kill,” the disgruntled lieutenant said as she and her small platoon entered the clearing. “Any clue to what the hell that thing was?”

Her questions were quickly interrupted as more chittering entered our hearing. Moving away from the foliage, the soldiers took aim as two more of the massive insects left the jungle. They waved their massive pincers into the air as they started rushing forth. A hail of bullets fired into the insects, striking the first in its eyes, piercing the softer flesh. The first insect dropped to the ground in pain as the second shielded its face.

Soldiers backed up as the insect drew near. As it made its way closer, the ground shifted beneath it slightly as it moved near a hole. A loud squeal resounded in the air around us as a massive black figure launched out of the hole and onto the insects back. The two creatures started rolling and tearing into each other until finally the black creature tore off the head of the insect.

“A giant rat!” One man shouted as we watched the massive man sized rat tearing apart the insect with its sharp teeth. “Might be a descendant of a rat that stowed away on ships centuries ago. It’s possible that the isolation could have forced a form of Island Gigantism in the animals of the island, similar to that of Skull Island.”

The giant rat screeched at us as it reeled back aggressively. The soldiers took aim only for the creature to tense its body. It then grabbed hold of its kill and dragged it into the underground for feeding. A sense of relief filled our minds as the danger resolved itself. Walking over to the remaining corpse, our men began to inspect its features. One of the researchers soon identified it as an ancient species of dragonfly nymph called Meganulon. It could have survived all these years isolated on the island, hidden underground or deep in the jungle.

“We should get going to the village before more of those things come out to hunt.”

It didn’t take much longer for the group to find what remained of the village. A long damaged stone wall surrounded what remained of the village. Various vines and plants covered several weathered down huts made of wood and stone while others were decimated by fallen volcanic debris. But what surprised most was the still mostly standing temple-like structure in the center of the village. Upon reaching the village, Lt. Fernandez shot up a signal flare to inform the ship of our location. Quickly, soldiers began combing the area for threats as our crew began placing down our equipment.

“Alright men, let’s set up base here.”

While many began to set up camp, several others were readying camera’s and exploring the remnants of the village. Fidgeting with the small pack on my belt I pulled out a small handheld digital recorder and slowly made my way towards the temple. You see, all Monarch scientists have their own way to document findings and research on Titans. Serizawa has his famous notebook on Gojira that never leaves his side. Dr. Emma Russell tended to make video recordings of her research. As for me, I tend to keep my work a little more simple, keeping audio journals of my findings.

“Journal #197-O, this journal will document the research and results on Sergio Island. The date is August 1st, 2018. We have arrived at our destination of Sergio Island, though with some casualties. Along our journey through the island, we encountered an ancient species of dragonfly nymph called Meganulon. The creatures appear to be bulletproof in all areas but the eyes and are ferocious hunters.”

Looking around, I began to make out the edges of what might have once been a large altar for worship in the midst of the stone structure. The stone seemed to be made of black basalt with various engravings decorating its sides. In the center of the altar were engraved three figures forming a triangle. One appeared to be a mountain like creature with a long protruding neck, another a crab like figure covered in hairs, and the third a large eye with six tentacles protruding from it surrounded by fish. Beneath the altar frame, a fourth, more humanoid figure could be seen molded in flames, holding some sort of weapon in hand. However, its appearance seemed to be more demonic than the rest.

“Upon arriving in the village ruins, my team had come across what remains of the village temple, finding various texts and engravings.” Placing my hand on the altar, I wiped away some rubble and dirt revealing some ancient text. Wiping more of it revealed the entire altar seemed to have various engraved texts along its surface, though some were worn down by weather.

“Saki, can you read this?” I asked as photographers documented the ancient text. Saki carefully looked over the worn text and began deciphering its contents.

“It’s a bit damaged but I can make out some of it. This speaks of the three great ones, the gods of Sergio Island. Strong Ganimes of the Lake, Mountain Guard Kamoebas, and Cunning Gezora, Defender of the Sea. It’s said that the three Gods of Sergio protected the island from great dangers to its shores, including something here called the War God of Kumaso.”

“So there’s a possibility that these gods may be Titans yet undiscovered.” There was something about one of the names that left a nagging feeling in the back of my mind, yet I couldn’t remember for the life of it. It took a moment longer to realize something odd and important about the text on the monolith. “Wait, did you say Kumaso? As in the ancient Japanese Tribe of Kumaso in the tales of Yamato Takeru?”

“It’s possible that it could very much be the same Kumaso. Monarch has discovered Titanus Yamata no Orochi hibernating in Mt. Fuji,” she replied before continuing her translation. “This here states that one day, invaders from a far off land came in conquest of their island, bringing with them a great fire demon they worshiped as god. It took the combined strength of Ganimes, Kamoebas, and Gezora to drive off the invaders.”

“It’s possible that this War God could be another Bio-Volcanic Titan, similar to Titanus Rodan,” I suggested, staring at the altar’s engravings. The fire demon staring back at me from its position in the stone unnerved me for some odd reason. The sounds of helicopter blades slicing through the air alerted the rest of us to the supply drops for our stay here. Documenting the various findings of the village, I began to wander about, watching as soldiers began putting up fencing, preparing to hook up a small generator to electrify the defenses for the moment. Watching the soldiers, I noticed a large group of tropical birds flying skyward from the jungle, as though something dangerous was about to arrive.

The ground started to rumble as our men began to panic at the powerful shaking. The tremors grew in strength suddenly, forcing some men to the ground as various equipment fell from their position. The roofing of some of the less stable buildings collapsed inward with screams echoing through the air. The shaking continued on for nearly a minute before calming down.

“Is everyone ok?” I shouted out as the rumbling came to an end. Groans of pain came from one of the collapsed buildings as soldiers rushed towards the building. Rushing over, I watched as they lifted and pulled out one of the researchers trapped beneath the weathered wood. Worried about the seismic activity, I turned toward the smoking volcano. “I hope this doesn’t mean an eruption is coming any time soon.”

The next morning, a small group of researchers and a squad of soldiers left camp to explore the island. Included in that group was Saki and myself. Traversing the edge of the jungle, we entered the large grasslands of the island in search of what other life might inhabit this island. Giant rats and Meganulon scoured the land, hunting one another along with various other enlarged rodents and mammals. After several hours of travel, the group stopped at the foot of a large mountain, in which several of our men began to scale in order to get a better look at our surroundings.

“It appears that the native fauna here seemed to be far larger than their mainland counterparts, similar to the effects on Skull Island,” I spoke, recording my notes as the researchers in the group all took a rest, drinking water and snacking on their lunch rations. “Based on the studies on Skull Island and the aftermath of the 2014 battle, it is quite possible that the long term presence of Titans in an ecosystem might be the trigger for massive growth in both plants and animals.” In the midst of our rest, a small shudder started to shake throughout the ground before becoming far stronger very quick.

“An aftershock!” Someone shouted as they flattened themselves to the ground. The shaking was over far faster than previously prompting us to ready to leave. One soldier began radioing back to base as our men slowly got their stuff together.

“Something’s wrong, the village base didn’t feel the shaking,” the soldier pointed out as we stared around us.

“What do you mean? That aftershock should have been felt across the island,” I replied. Suddenly, the mountain began to shake. The ground remained stable as the men climbing screamed in panic, barely managing to slide off with minimal damage. A loud screech roared around us as the very mountain itself began rising up. Dirt shook from its mass as everyone rushed to get away from the rising landmass. The loud chittering of Meganulon deterred us from the jungle as a group of the massive insects started chasing after us.

After getting some distance away, we watched as the dirt and vegetation shook off the mountain revealing a large shell underneath. The shape of the shell seemed to create points angled towards the front of the creature as a large reptilian head separated from the shell. The structure of the shell suddenly sent memories flooding through my mind of an excavation site several years ago.

“No wonder that name seemed familiar. It’s a Megalo Mata Mata,” I said, watching the massive spiky shell rising into the air. “Otherwise known as Kamoebas”.

Other researchers stared at the turtle behemoth as it slowly awoke, its rising body shaking off dirt and stone. As it opened its eyes, I heard someone asking about its classification and whether it was a Titan.

“Not all Titans have the Titanus classification,” I replied. “Take the Skullcrawlers for example, their species classification is Cranium Reptant, and Kong was once going to be Megaprimatus Kong before he continued growing far larger than estimated, entering the range for the Titanus species. Besides, the largest skeleton we’ve found only reached about 20 meters, this one has to be at least 50-60 meters. It’s no mistake the name seemed familiar, considering there was a Sergio Islander among the group that discovered the first fossils.”

The massive rock turtle released a loud screech into the air as it shook dirt and rock off its rocky head. It stared at the ground around it as a multitude of Meganulon rushed about trying to escape. Very quickly, its head snapped outward, snatching a Meganulon into its maw and crunching down upon the insect. It continued to do so for several seconds before a loud scream caught its attention. Nearby its head was one of the female scientists as Meganulon surrounded her. Soldiers instantly rushed forth and began firing at the Meganulon, only for their bullets to do nothing. Her screams echoed in the air as the Meganulon went to strike. Suddenly, the insect was dragged into the sky as Kamoebas devoured it quickly. Turning to the human, it leaned down towards her as soldiers prepared to fire. Before they could, the massive turtle seemed to find her unappealing as it turned to continue feeding.

“It appears that this Titan might not be a Destroyer like some of the others,” I noted, watching as the large turtle continued to eat before suddenly lifting its head, sniffing the air. It then roared into the air as it turned toward the jungle. The creature then started off on its way, its thunderous footsteps shaking the land around it. “Well then, welcome to what could very much be the newest Monarch outpost men.”

Over the course of several days, we continued to track and study the now active Titanus Mata Mata in its natural habitat. Every once in a while, we would find readings of seismic activity in various parts of the island, yet it didn’t seem to affect the volcano or the land itself much. Our study of the creature led us to learning its habits and hunting methods, finding that the various Meganulon and other large creatures made up its diet. Even then, the creature seemed indifferent to us as it continued on with its life, as though it were searching for something.

A couple of days later, a celebration was held as we were given news that this island would become a new outpost under our helm. Drinks were passed out as soldiers and scientists alike celebrated their “promotion” with a barbecue. However, both Saki and I were troubled by the constant tremors around the island and put aside celebration to work.

“There’s something off about these reports,” Saki looked inquisitively over the reports. “It’s almost as though something is traversing beneath the island, perhaps burrowing through the land.”

“Don’t be a downer, what could possibly do such a thing with that oversized turtle wandering about?” One of the drunk researchers belched as they all laughed at her assumptions. Saki frowned at their behavior but continued.

“What do you think could be causing it? Another Titan perhaps?” I asked as we looked through the various files on Titans unaccounted for in the past couple years.

“I’m not too sure, it might be one of the other ‘gods’ of the island.”

The ground started to shake once more around us causing our equipment to fall to the ground. Part of the jungle seemed to explode upward as a baritone roar nearly burst our eardrums.

“You might be getting your answer right now,” I said as scientists and soldiers alike started rushing. The drunken researchers began screaming as they rushed to get out of the danger zone.

Dirt rained down upon us as a massive reddish brown creature began to rise out of the earth. Its body was reptilian in shape with several ridges going down its back. I noticed a glowing horn atop its head as well as two floppy ears rising into the sky. It was then that I realized what this creature was.

“Titanus Baranosdragon.”

“Baragon,” Saki muttered fearfully.

The massive ancient dinosaur shook the dirt off its head as it walked out of its tunnel. This Titan was a troublesome creature. First discovered hibernating in rural Japan, it managed to devour an entire village of people and livestock before tunneling away. The disappearances were chalked up to a natural disaster, yet we could never track down where it went. It constantly reappeared in several different locations away from overpopulated areas showing some intelligence before devouring all life, almost as though there were more of them. The dinosaur appeared to be crunching down on a giant rat as it left the confines of its tunnels.

“Everyone! Hide before it sees us!” I shouted. It was too late though as the screams of our men and the scent of burning meat attracted its attention. Baragon stared in our direction before letting out a low growl. Walking towards our camp, it ducked its head down, readying itself to grab a bite of human flesh. It was not to be however as a second roar filled the air.

Something large slammed into Baragon’s side knocking the subterranean dinosaur away from the camp. The long appendage then retracted as Kamoebas rose into the air. It let loose another shrill screech towards Baragon as the dinosaur turned to its foe. Fear and excitement filled my mind as I fumbled to pull out my recorder. We were about to bear witness to a territorial dispute between Titans.

“Journal #197-O, Sergio Island, Entry #7,” I started as the roars of the Titans thundered around us, “The various minor earthquakes around the island were caused by the Rogue Titan, Titanus Baranosdragon, Codename: Baragon. It has surfaced near camp and is now in a territorial dispute with Kamoebas.”

Baragon roared as the two charged. Hard shell struck tough flesh as the two behemoths clashed. Wood and dirt shot into the air as the two slammed into each other. Lifting its forelimbs into the air, the subterranean dinosaur pressed against the large shell and pushed its bulk against the turtle monster. Kamoebas screeched as it pressed forth, using its heavier bulk to slowly push back against the larger monster.

With a burst of strength, the gargantuan turtle managed to knock back the massive dinosaur. Kamoebas roared out as it rushed forth and tackled the vulnerable Baranosdragon through the jungle. Baragon roared back in outrage as it felt itself being pushed back. A bright flash of its horn near Kamoebas’ eyes briefly blinded the turtle allowing the dinosaur to get back upright. Quickly, the dinosaur stood on its hind legs as it flailed its ears wide as a show of intimidation, its horn pulsing with light like a rhythmic heartbeat.

“This is incredible! It appears Baragon’s horn seems to function as a portable light source for the creature to see underground,” I spoke as soldiers began rushing us to evacuate. Some scientists began running while some others took photos and videos of the deadly battle before us.

Kamoebas shook its head free of the blinding light and stared up at the bipedal creature. The turtle roared as Baragon slammed its claws into its back. The fleshy paws of the ravenous beast bounced off the hard shell, stinging at the sheer strength of it. In retaliation, Kamoebas quickly shot out its head and bit into Baragon’s leg. A scream bellowed from the dinosaur’s maw as it began slamming its claws onto the tough shell.

“So who do you think is going to win?” Saki asked as we moved to get out of range of their battle.

“Hard to say, Kamoebas seems to have the greater defensive measures, but Baragon seems to have far better mobility.”

“By the way, why is it called a Baranosdragon?” One man asked while photographing the battle.

“If we are lucky, you won’t have a chance to find out,” I replied quickly.

The ground shook as Baragon continued its assault on the tough shell of the turtle. Kamoebas continued to shake and tear its hold on Baragon’s leg as it felt the large dinosaur slamming him into the ground. With his body slamming down constantly, the giant rock turtle suddenly threw its head upward. The subterranean dinosaur was surprised when he found himself being thrown onto the back of the large turtle creature. With the brown monster on its shell, Kamoebas threw itself up onto its hind legs, launching Baragon away from the village site.

Baragon slammed into the jungle ground, stunned momentarily by his opponent’s feat of strength. Kamoebas turned itself around and roared angrily at the invading Titan. This creature came onto his domain and thought it could eat his animals. The giant turtle then rushed forth with surprising speed and slammed his pointed shell into the dinosaur’s side.

The subterranean drake screeched as the sharp edges of Kamoebas’ shell pricked his hide. As the turtle began to back up, Baragon quickly managed to roll onto his feet and face the turtle. Right as Kamoebas charged, Baragon leapt high into the air, soaring over the turtle’s shell. Kamoebas slowly slid to a stop as he turned to face his foe. Screeching out in anger, the turtle monster charged forth once more. Seeing this, Baragon reared up onto his hind legs and opened his maw wide.

A red hot beam launched out of the subterranean dragon’s maw and slammed into the turtle kaiju’s neck. The fiery heat ray forced the massive rock turtle to rear back in pain as pure heat struck his skin.

Having gotten to higher ground, both scientist and soldier alike watched with awe as the subterranean dragon unleashed his molten wrath against his foe.

“With flames that broil and scorch the earth, and a hunger fiercer than the demons of hell, the insatiable dragon of Bara prowls through the darkness! Just like it is told in the myths, behold the signature weapon of the Baranosdragon!” I recited as we watched the massive drake open fire once more upon the giant turtle. “Baragon can fire a heat ray from his maw to soften the surrounding rock for burrowing, hence older civilizations referring to him as the insatiable earth dragon.” As Baragon fires off another heat ray, Kamoebas ducked down, his shell now taking the brunt of the rays searing heat.

“What is it doing?” Saki stated as she watched the massive turtle slowly charging forth, tucking its limbs as close to its shell as possible. The heat ray struck the turtle in the face, only for Kamoebas to close its eyelids and continue its slow charge.

“I see! His shell and armored parts are insulating and negating the heat ray’s effect!”

“Professor Miya! A fire’s broken out in the jungle!” A soldier stated as we turned, seeing Baragon’s heat ray had indeed set the jungle ablaze in their onslaught.

Kamoebas screeched as he slowly made his way towards the larger monster. As another ray struck his shell, Kamoebas could feel the heat rolling off his tough armor. Thankfully, his face was just as armored as his shell giving it some resistance to the drake’s heat ray. Seeing a chance, Kamoebas shot out his neck at full extension, snapping his maw around the dinosaur’s arm and tugging forward. The sudden pull managed to unbalance Baragon as the subterranean monster fell forth onto the now burning hot shell. The searing heat did little to harm the dinosaur, having lived in environments much hotter than this. The sharp points were another matter altogether.

Burning hot shell spikes prodded Baragon’s flesh as the dinosaur slammed his claws against Kamoebas’ neck, dislodging the turtle from its bite leaving bleeding holes on his flesh. Kamoebas screeched in pain as Baragon’s claws slashed into his softer flesh releasing his hold on the dinosaur’s arm. Tearing back, the turtle tucked his neck back into his shell as he charged towards Baragon, intending to barrel him with his heavier bulk.

Not wanting to be tackled once more, Baragon reared down and met Kamoebas’ charge with his own, slamming their bodies against each other head on. However, this time Baragon had a plan. The moment they collided, the burrowing kaiju put his arms underneath the turtle’s underbelly and flipped upward. Losing his balance, Kamoebas found himself flipped onto his back, struggling as he tried to right his position. Baragon seemed to chuckle at his foe’s misfortune as he began to slam his mighty claws against the turtle’s underside. Sparks flew as the strong burrowing arms and sharp claws slashed across the tough plastron.

Kamoebas roared as his foe continued to pummel his helpless body. Seeing his foe unable to do anything, Baragon began to fire his heat ray into the surroundings, setting ablaze the jungle around even further, intending to cook his foe alive. Tucking in his limbs, Kamoebas knew he only had one chance to get free of his current predicament.

Baragon stared in confusion as he watched his foe hiding in his shell as the flames surrounded the two of them. He then realized that if his foe was hiding, the flames wouldn’t damage him. Roaring in anger, the subterranean terror rushed forth to try to bite and tear out the turtle’s limbs in order to force the creature off. That was Baragon’s first mistake. The moment the dinosaur drew close, Kamoebas’ neck shot out like a piston, slamming into the dinosaur’s gut and knocking the air out of the monster. Biting onto the fatter monster, Kamoebas used Baragon’s writhing body to flip himself over.

Now right side up, the turtle kaiju screeched in anger as it rushed Baragon’s downed body. Biting down on the dinosaur’s neck, Kamoebas attempted to tear out the earth dragon’s throat. With sharp fangs sinking into his flesh, Baragon struggled to get free as he slammed his claws at Kamoebas. This did little however, as Kamoebas had tucked his softer flesh within the protection of his hard carapace. Biting harder, he began swaying his head about as blood seeped into his maw.

Baragon roared as he felt the turtle’s sharp teeth tearing into his flesh. Twisting his body, the subterranean terror managed to get his two back legs upright and started to slowly right himself. Now on all fours, Baragon struggled to get the turtle’s grip off his neck, seeing only one option left to him. Tending his leg muscles, the brown-red dragon leapt forward with surprising strength. Flesh tore leaving small gashes as Baragon broke loose of Kamoebas’ toothy grip. Landing several meters away, the primitive beast fired his heat ray upon the earth and started to tunnel beneath the earth.

Seeing his foe retreating, Kamoebas shrieked as he used his head to send rocks flying towards the burrowing kaiju. Once Baragon’s tail sank beneath the earth, Kamoebas roared in triumph.

“It appears he’s won!” A scientist shouted out as people began cheering. I was of a different mind however.

“No,” I spoke, scanning the burning battlefield, “Baragon is smarter than this. He is probably trying a new approach.”

The ground began rumbling as the Kamoebas searched his surroundings. The ground then began to collapse beneath the titanic turtle causing it to screech in surprise while we all watched as the ground seemed to collapse, our camp along with it. As the dust began to clear, we could now see Baragon staring out at Kamoebas from a tunnel above as several acres of burning jungle had now been devoured and extinguished by the dinosaur’s rough burrowing.

With a howling roar, Baragon leapt from his tunnel towards the giant turtle, slamming horn first into the turtle’s face. The sharp bone sparked as it collided with Kamoebas’ face, causing the turtle to recoil in pain. Rushing forth, Baragon slammed his body into Kamoebas’ off-balanced body, using his horn and powerful limbs as leverage to lift the heavier monster up. With no way to retaliate, the giant terrapin uselessly flapped his arms as Baragon managed to push the turtle against the edge of the sunken earth. Backed against a cliff, Kamoebas was left immobile as the brown-red dinosaur backed away.

Scraping his back legs against the dirt, the subterranean dinosaur leapt forth with surprising strength, slamming horn first into the turtle monster’s body. Kamoebas screeched as Baragon’s horn stabbed into the joint between his shell and his forelimb, blood seeping out from the wound. Backing up, the subterranean terror growled as he pawed at the ground once more, preparing for another powerful headbutt. Hearing his foe readying to stab him once more, Kamoebas extended his neck outward to stare at his opponent, twisting his body as for his foe to ricochet off his tough carapace.

Baragon backpedaled and pawed at his head, having headbutted the turtle on its spikes. Kamoebas continued twisting his body, hoping to roll over at some point to regain his footing. Baragon growled as he watched his foe twisting on the cliffside. Opening his maw, the dinosaur bit onto the turtle’s back leg and attempted to drag him towards his lair. Kamoebas screeched as he felt his foe tearing into his leg. Smoldering earth seeped with smoke as the underground Titan continued trying to drag his heavier opponent into his caves.

Not wanting to fall into his enemy’s home turf, the massive turtle quickly began flailing his large body about. The reddish brown monster tried his best to ignore the flailing limbs as he tore into the leg some more, blood pooling into his mouth as he sunk his teeth in further. Having been pulled off the cliffside, Kamoebas quickly twisted his weight towards Baragon, flipping his body over and onto the dinosaur’s head. Now trapped beneath the heavier monster, Baragon screeched as he slammed his bulky forefeet against the turtle’s hard shell, trying to dislodge his trapped head. Kamoebas roared in rage as he felt his opponent trying to escape his predicament. Now with all four legs on the ground, Kamoebas lifted himself up onto his two back legs, releasing Baragon for the moment.

Freed, Baragon backed up as he pawed at his head before a shadow overtook his vision. The ground shook as Kamoebas slammed back first into Baragon’s body as a loud crack was heard. The subterranean dinosaur screeched in pain as the turtle’s heavy mass pressed his face into the dirt. His horn was cracked and his head bleeding as Kamoebas flipped off the dinosaur’s body. Now righted once again, Kamoebas was quick to attack as he tore into Baragon’s neck, his sharp fangs tearing in at opposing angles causing the wounds to bleed more.

Lifting up his forearm, Baragon attempted to swat at the turtle’s neck, only for Kamoebas to lift his own forelimb onto the subterranean terrors body, forcing the other monster’s limb to slam weakly against the tough shell. Tearing backward, Kameobas tore a gash into his foe’s neck causing blood to drip from the wounds as Baragon backed away. Kamoebas waited for his foe to submit to his will. Baragon glared at the massive turtle in front of him. His horn was cracked along with parts of his skull and his neck was injured. Before he could roar back, Kamoebas quickly rushed forth, slamming his body into the weakened Baragon causing the dinosaur to stumble back into his underground cave. Seeing no other choice at the moment, Baragon unleashed his magma heat ray on the roof of the entrance, closing it up with a landslide. Waiting for a moment for his foe to return, Kamoebas braced himself for another attack. Moments passed before finally, Kamoebas roared to the skies victorious.

“How terrible,” Saki stated as we all watched the end to the bloody battle from a distance. The camp had fallen into the newly formed ravine along with most of our equipment, save what we had on hand.

“Terrible, yet amazing,” I said in response, watching as Kamoebas slowly stumbled about, digging against the side of the ravine to escape his current predicament. As smoke and dust settled amongst the ravages of the battle, all our remaining forces grouped together. Amongst our ranks, several were missing, having run off in panic.

“Everybody, listen up!” Lieutenant Hernandez shouted, catching everyone’s attention. “Our base has been destroyed, and as such we will need to be searching for a new location to set up camp. Several of our men are missing and we will be searching for them as soon as that monster leaves this area.” Gathering what little supplies we had, our group began a long trek to search for a new place to set up base camp.

Smoke dribbled out of the volcano as magma bubbled within its confines. An oddity about the magma chamber were the various chains of volcanic stone spread throughout the volcano’s midst, all interconnecting towards a large island-like structure in its center. Echoes of battle bounced about within the walls of the magma chamber along with a screech of victory. Screams of man and roars of Titans vibrated the cavernous chamber as the pointed rocks quickly opened revealing molten eyes within. The time of his release was near.

Winner: Kamoebas (Showa)

Released in 2022 by Jade City Foods, Varan the Unbelievable hot sauce is yet another addition to the growing collection of Godzilla-themed sauces. Advertised as a mango habanero hot sauce, it offers a distinct flavor and heat profile that sets it apart. Given the expanding line of sauces, I expected the flavors to start blending together, but fortunately, that hasn’t been the case. In this review, we’ll explore Varan’s hot sauce, from its heat level to its overall flavor and ingredients. (more…)

Author: Michael Menei | Banner: Vincent Rodger

Iceland, 1783

It came without warning. The Laki Fissure erupted, spewing forth massive amounts of hot magma, while its gasses and smoke spread and began culling 25% of the human population living below. To date, it was one of the deadliest eruptions in history, but what history failed to note was that it also became the battleground of two lava-based goliaths.

Rising up from the hot magma, the devil from a lost era, Kumasogami surfaced to continue his reign of terror upon mankind. It was his conviction to never cease his onslaught until every last one was wiped from the earth. Kumasogami saw this budding lava waste land and decided to begin his murderous campaign here at Laki Fissure. Unbeknownst to him, he wasn’t the only behemoth here…

As lava bubbled behind him, Kumasogami turned to see a rock-like kaiju rise from the pool of magma, Obsidius. Kumasogami grinned, why start his destruction of his puny human appetizers when he could start his day off with dessert. After all he was a powerful goliath, why shouldn’t he get to enjoy a nice fight before total domination?

As Kumasogami was thinking this, Obsidius spotted the demonic golem. Unlike Kumasogami, Obsidius was less focused on world domination and more on finding a suitable environment on the surface. His power had been forged from a crystal from beyond the stars that embedded itself within the Earth, thus needed a place like this to harvest his power. It was hard enough to find a passable spot like this and was unwilling to share it with another monster. He bellowed out a roar, beating his chest like a gorilla.

It was a challenge Kumasogami gleefully accepted.

The devil of Kumaso started off by morphing his hands into a notched bow with arrows. He arched them and fired, managing to land two on Obsidius, detonating on impact. Chunks of rock blew off the molten golem’s hide as it shrieked and fell backward into the lava below. Kumasogami chuckled with a twisted grin. This was definitely going to be fun…

Obsidius burst forth from the lava and curled himself into a ball, racing towards his foe. Before Kumasogami had a chance to react, he felt the tremendous force of the rolling giant crash into him. The impact sent the volcanic golem flying, crashing onto his back against the wall of the fissure, with rocks and dirt collapsing around him.

Kumasogami was about to peel himself off until Obsidius crashed down upon him. Arms became interlocked and a war of strength began, pushing the molten muscles of the demonic beast to their limits. Kumasogami gained clarity on his enemy. His foe was physically strong, much more than even he. The primal lava golem roared in the face of the volcanic demon as it disengaged the grapple and began to punch the molten warrior with a flurry of fists. Kumasogami ceased Obsidius’ assault with a swift headbutt, forcing the primitive berserker to stagger back.

Walking towards his foe, Kumasogami threw another punch, but this time with more power behind it. The incoming blow to Obsidius knocked the wind out of him and sent pieces of his rocky flesh flying off. Kumasogami leaned back to avoid a retaliatory blow from his foe, one that would surely earn him some serious damage he was rather keen on not taking.

Obsidius shook his head in an attempt to clear his head, before initiating a charge at Kumasogami who quickly sidestepped out of the way. As Obsidius barreled past him, the magma monster collided with the same wall he had pinned his foe against earlier.

Not giving Obsidius the time to recover, Kumasogami quickly morphed his hands into his signature bow and arrows, launching them just above the lava creature. The arrows hit the rocky wall and erupted into explosions, sending tons of rocks pouring down above Obsidius. The molten goliath tried to cover himself but couldn’t react in time to block them all and those that escaped his defense left completely dazed.

With his foe handicapped for the moment, Kumasogami wasted no time and raised his bow. Kumasogami fired another round of arrows that turned Obsidius’ surroundings into chaos as the rain of arrows were accompanied by lava spewing up from the fissure.

The demonic titan was rather disappointed, was this the best his foe could do? Turning his back to the fissure in disappointment, Kumasogami was ready to move on to his main course, obliterating humanity.

That was when Obsidius quickly burst out from the slurry of lava and rocks, sending them skyrocketing into the air.

Spinning around, Kumasogami had no time to react as Obsidius picked up one of the large rocks and hurled it at him. The impact of the rock against his body made the hellbeast stagger backward. The impact struck him in the chest, chipping off pieces of his thick hide. He was about to make a move, but was still too slow as the molten goliath threw another rock. This time the hurling piece of geology struck Kumasogami in the middle of his face, sending him tumbling onto his back, sinking into the lava below.

Rushing to his foe, the molten goliath placed his hands into the lava, pulling the Kumaso devil out. As Obsidius lifted the flailing Kumasogami above his head, he reared his arms back and threw Kumasogami so hard, the titanic demon found himself at the other end of the fissure almost instantly, splashing into the lava at the back of the fissure.

Kumasogami slowly began regaining consciousness, and lifted himself from the pool, with lava pouring down his body like molten sweat. The burning titan caught sight of his foe charging towards him and again morphed his hands into bow and arrows. He arched them towards the goliath, but just as they were about to hit their mark, Obsidius curled into a ball and began bowling right at him as Kumasogami found himself again being sent hurtling backwards upon impact.

Uncurling himself, the molten goliath marched over to the downed Kumasogami. Reaching down, he grabbed him by the neck, and lifted him off of his feet and into the air, preparing to finish his foe off. However, Kumasogami had other plans. This time, rather than use his now trademark bow and arrows, his left hand morphed into a sharp blade.

As Obsidius was about to plunge his fist through Kumasogami’s weakened and shattered chest, The demon of the underworld swiped his hand blade, scraping it across Obsidius’ body. The molten goliath roared out in pain as he felt the steel-inforced nature of the blade gorge his thick rocky hide, leaving a large gash. The pain caused Obsidius to drop Kumasogami as he reared in agony.

Falling to his knees. Kumasogami clutched his throat, air finally returning to it. Noticing that Obsidius’ chest was vulnerable and exposed, the Kumaso demon got up to his feet and jabbed his blade inside the molten goliath’s chest and attempted to pierce through to the other side.

Just inches from victory, Obsidius launched a beam of magma from his maw, smothering Kumasogami’s face in molten lava. Although he was immune to the beam, it didn’t mean it was ineffective. Kumasogami’s face now covered in lava was unable to see what was happening now and could do nothing to stop the beam from continuing to blind him.

Obsidius continued to spew his deadly magma as he grabbed a hold of the now blinded Kumasogami’s blade buried in his chest and began pulling it out. Unable to continue the beam, Obsidius relented, giving Kumasogami the chance to wipe away the magma. This was all he had time to do when the primitive berserker threw him over his shoulder and slammed him down, forcing lava into the air, with some splashing Obsidius in the process.

Not giving Kumasogami the chance to get back up on his feet, the molten goliath spewed his magma beam a second time. This was all the time he needed to turn around and jump backward to land on top of Kumasogami.

Kumasogami found himself being pummeled with a volley of punches Obsidius was smashing against him. Every blow cracked Kumasogami’s hide more and more and he knew had to get out of this quickly if he didn’t want to be turned into pieces of lifeless rock. Kumasogami grabbed the next fist that was swung and yanked Obsidius off of him.

Struggling to get up at first, he managed to eventually get to his full height. Kumasogami reverted his hands back to a bow and arrows and shot them toward his foe as more eruptions and explosions of lava went soaring everywhere. Unsure as to the state of Obsidius after his first barrage, he started to fire another, only for Obsidius to suddenly appear behind him and wrap his arms around Kumasogami in a bear hug.

Surprised by the ambush, Kumasogami changed back to normal looking hands and tried to force Obsidius to let go; however, his attempt failed and the bear hug only became tighter. With Kumasogami at his mercy, Obsidius decided to dive below the lava with his captured foe.

The volcanic berserker began to squeeze with all his might in hopes of breaking his grappled foe in half and Kumasogami could feel his body cracking as Obsidius neared victory. Fortunately his arms were freer than his torso, giving him a chance to escape Obsidius’ grasp. His hand returned to a blade as he swung it down full force to chop off one of Obsidius’ arms off his body.

Obsidius shrieked as Kumasogami freed himself. Kumasogami began his ascent back to the surface, relieved about not being dead now. He heard Obsidius begin to follow him out and he turned around staring at him. The molten goliath was extremely enraged, so full of anger even the lava around him seemed to boil heavier with his rage. Obsidius made a full sprint toward Kumasogami, hellbent on destroying his foe. Despite the loss of his front arm, he was still capable of fighting as ever.

Taking notice of the large opening in Obsidius’ chest, Kumasogami went back to his bow and arrows and fired them all at Obsidius’ exposed chest. Before the molten goliath knew it, the arrows all landed on their target and the molten goliath erupted into that of lifeless rock.

Kumasogami watched as the large chunks of what was once Obsidius landed in the lava and slowly sank below. The devil of Kumaso roared in triumph. This was probably the greatest fight he had to date and would be one he would always remember.

Nevertheless, the fun was now over and Kumasogami left the Laki Fissure to begin his reign of destruction on Iceland, and soon the rest of the world.

Winner: Kumasogami

In concurrent celebration with the newly christened Fortnite page and the Chapter 6: Season 1 Battle Pass having just wrapped up yesterday, here are the Combatants you are free to write with! As well as a series of overhauls.

(Trailer by FatBaconUnicorn / Vincent Rodger)

Updates/Changes:

• Ant-Man – Formerly Yellowjacket; allows both depictions of Scott Lang and Henry Pym (Ant-Man icon will primarily represent Scott and Yellowjacket icon will primarily represent Henry, a la the MUTOs)
• Frankenstein (Universal) – Frankenstein has been converted, with a whole host of new attributes
• Titanus the Carrierzord has been added as an Assist to the Dragonzord and Megazord (this includes the Ultrazord combined Form)
• Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Zordon, and Alpha 5 added as Assists to the Megazord
• Green Ranger added as an Assist to the Dragonzord

Special thanks to TitanoGoji16 for the stats provided for the additional Power Rangers material; and likewise extended thanks to users GodzillavsRayquaza, GodzillavsZilla, GodzillavsJason, SoggyNoodles2016, MoarCrossovers, Nagoda, and FatBaconUnicorn for their substantial help with all the other bios and images provided herein.

Anything that may be missing will be added gradually. If you feel like we’re missing anything, let us know on the Forums. Said new Combatants and additional material have been added to both the K.W.C. Announced Combatants and the K.W.C. Forms, Assists & Enhancements pages. Please check both of them out.

After the success of Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire (2024), another installment in the MonsterVerse series is now in the works at Legendary. This article is a roundup of news related to this Godzilla X Kong sequel, which will be the sixth in the MonsterVerse franchise. The current release date for the upcoming project is March 26th, 2027.

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Author: Matthew Freese | Banner: Matthew Williams

It was a calm and peaceful day on Monster Island. Wind blew through the dense forests, and the bright sun shone down on the beautiful lands. Well, it was mostly peaceful. One small section of the island was filled with the sounds of pain, the source being Minilla, the younger son of Godzilla. He was being bullied by the ugly, green, warty, and petty ogre, Gabara. Gabara took a sadistic joy in torturing kaiju weaker than him, which were few and far between, and Minilla was definitely easy to pick on.

The pained groans and screeches of the child monster mixed with Gabara’s laughter echoed through the air in a demented cacophony, which attracted the attention of another kaiju, one more than capable of defending itself and its brother.

A thin, blue beam of nuclear energy struck Gabara in the arm, knocking him away from his victim. Arriving from the forests was Godzilla Junior, the perfect smaller image of his mighty father, to stop the bully from harming his little brother any further. Minilla ran to hide behind his older brother, making joyful noises that sounded like a donkey’s brays, while Gabara tried to make himself look intimidating before an actual foe.

Junior’s spines flashed blue, signaling another blast of his miniature atomic ray, this time blasting the evil toad right in the face. Gabara squealed in anguish, pressing his hands over his smoking and sizzling face. Dropping his arms with a scowl on his charred features, he charged forward with a war cry, slamming his fist into Junior’s stomach. The monster prince gasped for breath, lashing out with a swipe of his claws and drawing trickles of blood from the ugly toad’s leg. Gabara slapped the palm of his hand on top of the reptile’s head, transferring massive amounts of electricity into the saurian’s head, drawing grunts of pain from Junior. The monster prince’s spines flashed azure, but the surges of lightning made it hard to focus on a specific target, forcing him to release the beam at the first opportunity. The ray struck Gabara in the crotch, sending the ogre reeling back in agony. As Gabara held back tears, the indomitable prince turned around and slapped the ogre in the face with his tail, knocking the bully to the ground.

The young saurian walked up to his downed foe and began kicking the toad in the chest. Doing his best to endure and ignore the pain, Gabara grabbed a close boulder, then slammed it into Junior’s face, knocking the monster prince away. The ogre stood up to his full height, swinging out his arm and backhanding the juvenile Godzilla across the face, following up with a kick to the nuclear dinosaur’s chest. Godzilla Junior managed to recover quickly and stand back up, and the two combatants stared each other down, daring the other to make the first move.

But something else attacked first. Minilla ran past the two combatants, calling for help, as loud chirps sounded throughout the battlefield. Gabara and Junior turned to face the calls, only for both to be face-to-face with two giant mantises. It was a pair of Kamacuras, but that wasn’t all. Leaping in from seemingly nowhere was a colossal, yellow-and-black spider, the horrid beast known as Kumonga.

Both bully and brother expected Kumonga and the Kamacuras to immediately begin fighting each other, only to be horrified when the colossal arachnid charged straight towards the ogre and the saurian, while both massive mantids darted off in opposite directions and flanked the two former foes. The Kamacuras charged in and tackled the two, bashing their scythe-like claws into the two’s bodies. When the bully and monster prince tried to swing at the mantids, the two insects dashed away, allowing Kumonga to rush forward and slam both of his front legs into the pair’s sides. Gabara and Junior were knocked to the ground, allowing the Kamacuras to land onto their stomachs and resume bashing them with their claws.

Recovering from the initial shock of the new attackers, Gabara reached out and grabbed both of the mantis’ claws, pumping the predators full of electricity. Junior followed this by grabbing the claws of the Kamacuras atop him, holding it still while he blasted his atomic breath at the mantid’s face. Both insects screeched loudly at the overwhelming agony, but the duo’s plan was cut short as Kumonga slammed his front legs down onto his prey’s feet, piercing their skin and forcing Junior and Gabara to relinquish their grips on the Kamacuras.

The two giant mantises flew behind the gargantuan spider, waiting for their moment to strike, while Kumonga began attacking the ogre and the saurian. A thick spray of off-white webbing jetted out of the spider’s mouth, spraying Gabara and Junior with strong silk. The pair quickly began to be ensnared in the webbing, unable to break through it no matter how hard they struggled. Both knew they would have to think of something quickly, or else they would both be the deadly alliance’s next dinner.

Junior’s spines flashed azure while lightning danced around Gabara’s horns. A cocoon had almost formed around the two, but a blue ray broke through the study casing and caught the silk on fire, while the other side also began combusting from the heat generated by the toad’s electric hands. Junior and Gabara burst from the blazing cocoon and charged towards Kumonga, the monster prince firing another atomic ray which lanced into the spider’s face, distracting it long enough for Gabara to grip the creature’s legs and blast it with insane amounts of electricity. Kumonga tried lashing out, but the lightning was burning his legs, stopping her from fighting back.

Coming to their ally’s defense, the Kamacuras cloaked themselves, moving next to the distracted Gabara. The two mantids dashed forward, carving two trenches into the rotten ogre’s back, forcing a shriek of pain from the lips of the ogre and causing him to relinquish his electric grip. Kumonga immediately threw his front legs up, sending the bully flipping over the spider’s back. As Gabara landed with a thud, Kumonga shot a toxic barb from his mouth, piercing the scales of Junior’s stomach.

The young Godzilla stumbled back, overcome by shock, pain and numbness all at once. He turned around and smashed his tail into the arachnid’s face. A Kamacuras dashed in front of Junior and began slicing at the saurian with his claws, forcing trickles of blood to run down the monster prince’s abdomen. Junior lashed out with his claws, striking the mantid’s thorax with his fist, then stomping one of the Kamacuras’ fragile front legs, and finally head-butting the large mantis. The Kamacuras stumbled back, but had served its purpose of distracting Junior as Kumonga shot out another stinger into the young Godzilla’s back. Junior had regeneration which could allow him to survive this poison, but it wasn’t strong enough to stop him from collapsing to the ground. Just before he fell, he managed to fire a weak atomic ray which pierced the Kamacuras’ eye, frying the mantid’s brain instantly. Its corpse fell to the earth, smoke pouring from the hole in its head.

The other Kamacuras came back with a bloodied but living Minilla, callously tossing the infant next to his brother. Across the field, Gabara came to and noticed the scene before. His mind immediately began racing about how to proceed. Should he let the two brothers be devoured? If he ran away and they died, he’d have no one left to torment. But if he charged in, Kumonga and Kamacuras could possibly kill him. As he brainstormed, the bully was suddenly overcome by a vision…

Gabara was huddled in a crevice, sweat pouring down his face, when a loud screech sounded out. Suddenly two clawed feet closed around his shoulders. He was being carried through the air by Rodan, and was dropped before he could fight back. The ogre landed to the ground, and when he recovered, he was face to face with a nightmare. Godzilla stood before him, a rage in his eyes that would terrify gods. The ogre looked behind Godzilla to see a green puddle, and resting in its center was a Kamacuras head with its scythe stabbed through its skull. Next to it was the smoking silhouette of a colossal spider.

Gabara turned and ran, but a purple-and-blue beam adorned with white spirals speared into his right calf and blasted the whole leg away. As Gabara lay on the ground, his mind blazing with agony, Godzilla came up and broke the ogre’s remaining leg with a brutal stomp. An azure glow built up in Godzilla’s spines and mouth, then the light slowly turned red, and then the red blaze soon changed to…

Gabara cried out as the vision passed. What had he just witnessed? A glimpse of his future if he fled here and now? Abandoning the sons of the monster king like some lowly coward?

He picked up a boulder and tossed it towards Kumonga’s back. The spider turned to face his attacker, only to be surprised when the toad grabbed him by the face and shocked the arachnid with every volt of electricity he could muster. Smoke began rising from Kumonga’s head, prompting the Kamacuras to stop trying to bite off Minilla’s arm and help the mighty Spiega, only to be surprised when Junior reached out and grabbed its leg.

Gabara didn’t have a long term plan for dealing with Kumonga, in fact he had no plan at all. He just hoped the spider’s head would eventually explode. Junior weakly swiped at the Kamacuras’ eye, which the mantis easily dodged. The oversized mantid lashed out with its jaws and began biting Junior’s muzzle, but the young kaiju hardly had the strength to cry out. The spider’s venom and blood loss were taking their toll, bringing Junior slowly into unconsciousness…

Suddenly, the Kamacuras recoiled back with a screech. Minilla had dropped a boulder on his own tail, forcing out an atomic breath which knocked the giant mantis away from his brother.

Kumonga was flailing and thrashing as Gabara blasted it with as much electricity as possible. Four of Kumonga’s eyes had burst, and most of the hair closest to Gabara had burned away. But the smoke began to fade, and so did the electricity as Gabara’s energy reserves ran dry. The ogre’s heart nearly exploded as panic and horror flooded his mind, then began beating much slower as the horrible spider’s venom filled his system.

The primal insectoid shrieked out in rage as the miniature atomic blast struck its body, dashing upwards out of the beam’s path. It flew forward, scythes outstretched towards the youngest Godzilla. The organic daggers sliced through Minilla’s neck, killing the poor creature instantly. Junior had been fading in and out of consciousness before this, but the moment the claws pierced his brother’s neck, all grogginess disappeared immediately. Junior cried out in sadness and rage, and charged towards his brother’s killer.

The Kamacuras slapped the sharp end of its claw into the monster prince’s neck, causing blood to spray out. Junior grabbed the claw, then the mantid’s other claw, and began squeezing with all his might. Adrenaline coursed through the saurian’s veins, increasing his strength and allowing him to crush the scythes with a sickening crack. Yellow blood spilled all over him and soaked the ground, and the Kamacuras shrieked out in agony. The mantis lashed out with its jaws, but Junior responded by slamming his mouth shut over the mantid’s mandibles, tearing its jaws out. The Kamacuras tried to scream in horror, but all that came out was a wet gurgle, before it fell limply to the ground.

Junior crushed the mantis’ head with a stomp, coating the nearby ground and his feet with brain matter. He let out a triumphant roar, then turned to face Kumonga and Gabara. He heard wet crunches, telling him all he needed to know about Gabara’s fate. He stepped forward, but stumbled as the adrenaline wore off and his injuries caught up to him. Junior knew he couldn’t beat the territorial spider, but he could at least live for another day. The young Godzilla turned to face his brother’s corpse, and with a heavy heart and teary eyes, he ran as fast as his weary legs could carry him away from Kumonga. He promised that he would avenge his brother one day, but the taste of defeat was still bitter for Junior, and the taste of victory, and flesh, was sweet for Kumonga.

Winner: Kumonga (Universal)