A Lover's Quarrel:
"Well?" Yuki demanded crossly of Zilla as he lifted the barbell once more.
"Well what?" the behemoth asked, lowering the weight onto his chest again. Zilla was laying on a specially designed bench-press, with five slits in it to accommodate his spines. Yuki herself had designed and built it... Zilla had merely collected the materials and of course, used it.
"I can't believe you, Zilla." Yuki said, placing her hand over her eyes. "Weren't you paying attention?"
"Four thousand two hundred ninety three..." Zilla counted as he lifted the barbell from his barrel of a chest again. He lowered it and raised it again before answering. "Four thousand two hundred ninety four... um, what?"
Yuki pursed her lips in frustration. "I asked when we were going to spar. I can't afford to lose anymore practice."
"Four thousand two hundred ninety five... Why should you need practice? I'm strong enough for the both of us. Four thousand two hundred ninety six..."
"Because, Zilla... what happens when you're not there." Yuki said, placing her fists on her hips.
"But I'm always there. Four thousand two hundred ninety seven... When have we ever been separated? Four thousand two hundred ninety eight..." Zilla said.
"It's just a precaution." Yuki said, her frustration becoming obvious. "Besides, how am I supposed to rule if I can't prove myself the rightful ruler? You yourself said that kaijuu understand only one form of government, and that's brute force."
Kaigaa seemed to appear from nowhere as he leapt from the floor to his master's chest, below the point where the weights would come down. "I think that this is more of an issue of an inferiority complex. Yuki, you know that Lord Zilla has beaten into every other monster that you are to be his unchallenged queen. That will do the rest of the kingdom well. None of them would dare challenge your authority for fear of invoking your betrothed."
Zilla lifted the weights again, this time, letting them slam to the floor behind him. The entire cavern shook as the tremendous wait struck the floor. The weights on each side stretched fifteen feet in boot directions and twenty feet into the air. They now rested in a deep, carved out trough, leaving the bar on the pathway between the troughs. The number on each side read: 2000 mgtn. "Is that the deal Yuki? A whatever whose-a-whats-it?"
"An inferiority complex, master." Kaigaa restated. He leapt to his lord's ear while Zilla stood and looked down into the troughs, where two artificial black-holes swirled, still tugging exponentially at the weight. With a wave of his arm, the dragon dispelled them. "It means, Lord Zilla, that she feels threatened tat you'll leave her behind by way of ability."
"I'd never leave her behind!" Zilla said indignantly.
"I meant a power gap, lord. She's afraid that she'll stay the same while you continue to grow in might." Kaigaa attempted to explain. Zilla looked towards his betrothed. She was blushing furiously and had an enraged glare at Kaigaa.
"Is this true?" Zilla asked deeply. Yuki's killer gaze at Kaigaa softened, her blush becoming that of embarrassment. Her eyes were downcast to the cavern floor. Yuki felt two, massive, strong, cool, fingers, an index and a thumb cup below her chin and force her head up to look into Zilla's eyes. "You never have to look away from me… or hide your feelings or thoughts." Zilla said softly.
Yuki locked eyes with the Monster King for a few moments before tearing her gaze away. Pulling away from his grasp, she stared into nothingness, bitterly. "Yes." She took a deep breath, soaked in an emotion Zilla couldn't quite finger, somewhere between anger and sorrow. "It's true."
"I see." Zilla said softly as he turned towards the doorway to his lifting room. "Then in that case, I'll meet you in the dojo in an hour." The large shape of Zilla's body vanished to the left as Yuki's eyes followed him out the door.
"Are you sure this is wise, Mistress?" Kaigaa asked, leaping to Yuki's shoulder, where he proceeded to pull from his yukata sleeve, an earthenware jug of tea. "Master Zilla is a fierce trainer, even with those he loves. You may find that raising your own power is not worth the pain you may go through."
Yuki continues to stare blankly into space. "I trust him completely. I know he'll only do what's best for me."
Kaigaa sighed and took a long draught from his tea before returning to top to the bottle and replacing it within his sleeve. "I see you will not be swayed. I give you this bit of advice. Don't hold back."
An hour seemed to pass quickly. Yuki spent the majority of the time meditating, preparing herself for what may be thrown her way. Before heading towards the dojo, she soaked in the castle's volcanic hot springs, in a traditional purifying ritual... not that it actually purified anything... she knew only God could do that, but it did relax her muscles.
An hour had passed. Yuki throw open the giant stone door, leading to Zilla's training ground. There he stood, having discarded his regular attire of his favorite shorts for a more suitable sensei's outfit. He stood in haragomo pants, whit in color, and specially designed to accommodate his tail. He wore a robe, open in the front and full of holes cut for his spines in the back. His abdomen and lower chest were wrapped in athletic tape, as were his forearms and fists. As usual, he was barefoot.
"Are you prepared?" Zilla asked flatly.
"Yes. I'll do anything required of me." Yuki responded, also flatly.
"Good… because I'll require all you have." Zilla said, his pupils becoming slits as he spoke. He motioned her to come forward, and then stepped forward himself to the center of the dojo. Yuki met him there.
It was then that Yuki realized Mosurai was not at her normal post.
Mosurai was always in the dojo when Zilla was training someone else, to ensure that he showed restraint and fairness, since not many opponents would ever be as strong as the King himself. She was the judge, making sure Zilla never went too far... and she was not present.
This did not bode well.
"Is... is Mosurai running late?" Yuki asked; her uneasiness showing in her tone.
"No. She wasn't informed about this session. This will be a private session, both intense and extreme. It is only this way that your power can truly grow. Now... BEGIN!" Zilla bellowed as he swept a left hook towards Yuki. She ducked and crouched, bringing a sweep into Zilla's legs, but to no avail. It was like kicking a mountain, and she missed his shins.
Zilla lifted a foot and slammed it down just as Yuki rolled out of the way. She flipped her legs up and shot them forward again, bringing her to a standing position. Zilla lunged, his fist raised in the air. He swung it down mightily towards her head. "HAMMERFIST!"
She ducked and rolled to the left, avoiding the blow and leaving her open to Zilla's weak point... his shins, what she had tried to attack earlier. While still on her back, she brought both legs back and delivered a full force blow to this tender area. Zilla reared and lifted his leg, holding his injured leg. He shouted in pain, legitimate pain this time. Taking this as the chance, Yuki braced herself with her left leg and swept with her right once again. This time Zilla crashed to the floor onto his back.
Zilla let out a cry of alarm as he fell, Yuki watching, knowing full well what would happen if his spines were driven into the floor... however, it was not to be. Zilla rolled in mid-fall, so his front faced the floor. He thrust out his arms and launched himself into the air, never even touching the ground. Yuki watched him as she threw herself to her feet. He flipped, actually quite gracefully, and landed in a crouched position, immediately launching himself, shoulder first towards her. She leapt to avoid him, but to short, to slow. One of his spines slammed into her, leaving a gash running from his upper right abdomen, down to the lower left.
She recoiled as she landed, and grasped at her stomach, and intense pain as he vitals were exposed. Slowly, it began to heal, but the pain was still overwhelming... and Zilla was still coming. She stood, and weakly began to back away from him.
"I'll require all you have."
All she had?
"I'll require all you have."
It was then that the realization came to her... all she had. It was a literal statement. It would require every single last drop of energy she had to survive... all of it. Now that she thought of it, Zilla had not forbidden her powers in the match, but there was always the fear that if she used hers, his would surface... then all would be lost. Even though he wouldn't mean too, he would kill her if he used his immense power. The realization, that if she didn't give her all she would die, slowly sank into her mind.
She loved Zilla, and he loved her... no doubt about that, but he was far from disciplined, and far from intelligent. An accident was bound to occur. Though it pained her to say it to herself, she knew she would practically have to fight Zilla to the death... even though THAT was hopeless. She couldn't kill him, but she could put him through torturous psychic attacks.
Zilla was almost upon her, his arms tensing as he prepared another round of punches. "SWINGING HAMMERFIST!" Zilla shouted as he began swing both arms with deceptive speed. She ducked, dodging the first strike, but as she rose to avoid the second, tow consecutive punches landed squarely on her, one in the cheek, and the other in the abdomen. She was again sent flying, this time however, she enacted a fall-break, catching herself and flipping to her feet.
She looked up just to see Zilla in a shoulder-check position as he charged forward. There was no more time to think about using her powers. Use them or die. She used them.
In a flash of blue light, Zilla was enveloped in psychic energy. Yuki stood with her right hand in the air, her left arm tensing as she channeled the power. "You finally understand." Zilla said with a grin. Without responding, she threw him against the wall, sticking his spines into the stone.
"MIND CRUSH!" Yuki shouted as he clenched her fist. Zilla felt a pressure begin to build in his mind. He was beginning to black out. He struggled fiercely against the wall, trying to release himself… but the psychic energy held him there. He'd have to defend himself.
"FIREWALL!" Zilla said, as his body burst into flames, the fires soon forming a shield around him. He kicked backwards at the wall, sending himself launching towards Yuki. The shield vanished as his fist came straight forward. "THROWN HAMMERFIST!"
The deceptive speed Zilla had used in executing his Firewall technique and then launching himself at her took Yuki off guard. She raised her arms to defend herself as Zilla's watermelon-sized fist collided with the center of the X her arms had formed. She slid backwards do to the force. Zilla again began to charge her, taking a tackling position. She unfurled her arms, sending multiple, large psychic blasts towards the dragon as he came. Each found its mark. One hit Zilla's eye, blinding one side of him, one hitting his shoulder, setting his tackle off-kilter, many striking his shoulders, slowing his assault. She waited, and at the last moment ducked to Zilla's blind side. She began to charge her power as quickly as she could... if this attack failed, she was doomed.
"MIND GAME!" Yuki shouted as she through both palms forward into the beast. A massive blue light followed, engulfing Zilla. The light turned quickly from blue to violet to black. The illusion was successful. Zilla was shrouded in shadows within his own mind. Demonic shapes seemed to take form in front of his very eyes. The lights had long since died away, leaving the room completely clear... giving Yuki an complete advantage. Zilla swung at his non-existent foes, only for them to de-materialize and re-appear a moment later.
Yuki took to Zilla's back, away from the wild and pointless swinging. She charged and leapt, kicking downwards on his spines, bringing him off balance in a backwards position. Then, as she descended in front of him, delivered a mighty high kick to his jaw, completing the move. Zilla toppled backwards, arms flailing, driving his spines into the floor.
"Psychic Hammer!" Yuki said as she formed her energies into a large object and slammed it down of the trapped Zilla. She re-performed this attack multiple times until on the fourth slam, Zilla brought up his arms and blocked. He may not be the sharpest crayon in the box... but he knew when there was a pattern to pain in the dark.
She raised her arms again, forming a white ball between them. "WORLD CALAMITY!" she shouted as she threw the white orb towards Zilla. He watched as the illusion within his mind shattered... but with it, so did his body. He felt bones break and tissues tear. Yuki had used one of her most powerful attacks... an attack that destroyed illusions, but caused serious damage to the target. It was a gamble, because it released the opponent from the prison of their mind... and the damage might not be severe enough to quit.
In this case, Zilla knew he could keep going. He unleashed a nuclear blast from his spines, shattering the floor and sending him upwards to his feet. He land, and his leg gave way beneath him, taking a sickly shape. She had broken his left leg. "Impressive." He said as he re-set the leg. There was a sickening popping sound as he placed the bone back together like a puzzle, not even wincing as he continued to watch Yuki. She knew that his Regenerator G-1 would make quick work of this injury. She had to act fast. Her strongesttechnique had failed, she had nothing else to try or lose.
A tear welled into her eye, partly in anger that Zilla could shake off her strongest with such arrogance, and partly in emotional wreckage... she loved him, but he was likely to kill her by accident, which meant she had to try to kill him. Either way, this would not end well. Granted... Zilla couldn't be FULLY killed, and if she died, he could resurrect her with his blood, but death is still a VERY painful thing, regardless of how many times you've done it.
She ran forward once more and prepared to attack. She swung her leg out for a high round-house just as Zilla stood up again. In a swift motion, he caught her leg by the ankle... and simply held it. No counter-attack, no throw... he merely held it. He raised his eyes to meet Yuki's. His pupils were round again. He looked deeply into her eyes, as though feeling her emotions.
She grimaced, still outraged with him. He could have killed her! "LET GO!" She shouted as she tried to bring her leg out of his grasp. The behemoth stood quietly and remained holding her ankle, his eyes still diving into hers. Her tears began to flow freely now. "Let go." She began to mumble quietly, over and over again. Zilla released her and drew close. She felt two massive forces at her back as she was brought forward a few inches. She looked up to find herself in Zilla's embrace.
She began to weep freely now. "What were you doing! You could have killed me! I thought you cared more than that!"
They stood in silence a moment, Zilla's eyes never leaving her face. "Death should mean nothing to you in our line of work." He said softly. "We sacrifice our comfort, our very lives, multiple times in our case, to ensure that we are victorious over our enemies, that the greater good is accomplished." Tears began to flow down Zilla's cheeks as well. There was another long pause as his embrace with her strengthened and began more intimate. "I wouldn't have harmed you." He said, still softly. "You are the world to me, my dearest. My betrothed, my Queen-to-be... I would sooner cast myself into the depths of hell for all eternity before I allowed anything to happen to you." The embrace tightened even more, Yuki herself throwing her arms around Zilla, returning his embrace.
And there they stood, weeping and embracing. Zilla crooked his neck downwards, planting a light kiss in Yuki's forehead. She looked up to return the favor and locked into deep kiss with her sire. When the kiss was broken, Zilla caressed the side of her face and her hair as he quoted to her his one and only Master Piece.
"Through trial and torment my heart is yours.
In darkness and light, through Chaos' course,
Shall you inhabit the foreground of my heart.
My love for you exceeds all portrayed by art.
Our merger of spirits and romance made holy
You are my first, my love, my angel, my only."