Chapter 6: King of the Monsters
Amuro's scanners surveyed the current terrain as he and the rest of the strike team ventured deeper and deeper into the gnarled foliage of the Throne Room. It was the only way to see anything in front of him due to the dense fog which permeated from among the trees, limiting visibility to twenty feet in front of him. High above, the Sky Wings had gone into a a mixture of flying and hovering as they soared at a moderately relaxed pace. There was an air of unease among the troops which Amuro caught through his helmet's cameras such as soldiers keeping their fingers just inches from their triggers, rapid head turning, and the occasional pauses as they walked.
The half-Liyari prince didn't blame them. Anyone, be they human, Devonian, or Liyari would be scared out of their minds at worst or anxious at best traveling this far deep into the personal hunting ground of the two most powerful Kaiju on the planet. Behind him, Amuro noticed the Hammer, currently resting on a platform held aloft by tank treads. The entire weapon system was three times the size of one of the Multi-podal Batteries which, in and of themselves, were the largest of the artillery vehicles in the E.R.F. arsenal.
"Alright," Takashi announced, breaking the silence, "I want tanks taking up points to the east and west as soon as we reach the center. Rifle men, keep your eyes peeled for any activity in the area. This far deep in Godzilla's territory, the last thing any of you would want is to get caught off guard."
"SIR, YES, SIR!" the platoon replied.
An hour had passed and the soldiers ventured deeper and deeper within the Throne Room. Amuro could hear the anxious thoughts of his fellow soldiers as they journeyed further and further. While most of the thoughts were muffled due to how many people there were, one single thought was clear and shared.
This was a mistake.
He didn't blame them for thinking that. For all they knew, yes, this was a mistake.
"Hold up!" Takashi shouted, causing the platoons to stop in place. Apparently, they were getting closer to the center of the Throne Room. Hard to tell, considering the amount of fog in the area. However, it was there, the soldiers noticed the fog was less dense than before. They also noticed a large cliff with a canyon just among the horizon. It was also what lay below that made their blood run even colder than ever. At the bottom of the cliff lay the remains of various military hardware sprawled out like a graveyard of metal, machinery, and electronics. Some of them looked as if they had been flattened out like pancakes made of steel or Nano-Metal. Even through the fog, the soldiers noted the ash stains on the ground shaped like shadows. It was almost like a warning for any intruders; setting foot in the Throne Room was a death sentence.
"Alright," Takashi ordered seemingly unaffected by the sight below, "I want tanks and MPD's on the east and west sections while we get the Hammer primed and readied. I want heavy weapons stationed with them."
"Sir," a Liyari soldier spoke up, having kept his eyes on a radar system, "I'm picking up movement on the western sector heading our way. Whatever it is, it's big and not one of ours."
Takashi nodded before turning his attention to the gathered soldiers, "Look sharp everyone, prepare for engagement."
Almost immediately, the platoon got into position and aimed their weapons to the west, Amuro narrowing his eyes as the beeping on the radar grew ever louder, and the ground began to move beneath his feet, almost as if it were shaking. Soon, something massive appeared among the horizon. His grip on the gun tightened as it drew closer and closer, his heart began to race until something emerged from the fog.
It was a herd of Gardenbacks stampeding through the valley, their panicked cries echoed with the intensity of their footfalls while their eyes were rolled back into their sockets. Despite their massive size, the fifteen-story-tall flora-reptiles sprinted at such astounding speed, they were gone in merely three minutes. However, the sight of them was what caused everyone to lower their weapons. It was just a false alarm. These Gardenbacks were probably panicked on accord of their bombing run. Amuro, however, was relieved. Though, that did not mean he was going to put his guard down. They were still in Godzilla's home turf.
"I think that radar of yours has a few bugs in it!" called out Murakami. Amuro heard the thoughts of the Liyari who made the false calls.
Kama'Bulin, which was the Liyarian equivalent of the "f"-word.
Just then, there was another impact tremor which shook the ground.
"Major," the Liyari spoke up, "I'm picking up something else that's moving westward to our location."
"Yeah," Murakami piped up, "it's probably a straggling Gardenback."
"Murakami," Takashi snapped, "put a sock in it."
The major walked over to the Liyari and looked at his readings. Sure enough, there was a large mass moving slowly towards their location. Judging from the statistics, the object was far bigger than the Gardenback herd... and there was only a single object as opposed to an entire herd. There was no mistaking it this time.
"Troops!" Takashi shouted, "Get your guns ready and prep for battle."
Almost instantly as he said that, the ground shook again, nearly causing everyone to lose their footing. The impact felt much closer this time. However, the moment everyone recovered, a growl split the air, one that made it quite clear whatever was approaching them wasn't a straggling Gardenback. It sounded much angrier, and more familiar.
Amuro looked up, followed by the rest of the platoon and his heart began to beat even further as a one hundred thirty five-meter shape began to emerge from the fog. It stood on long, powerful legs in a very human-like stance as four-toed, human-like feet supported its massive body. As it moved out of the fog, more features began to appear such as charcoal grey skin that resembled the bark of a red-wood tree while its underbelly sported a much earthier tannish-gray coloration. Its hands, each sporting four, clawed fingers rested on two, sinuous arms. A long, segmented tail whipped through the air. On its back all the way to its tail, three rows of white/gray-centered plates in the vague shape of maple leaves clattered behind it like bony bells. Its head, connected to a thick neck, sported a look resembling that of a wolf crossed with an alligator. Its upper and lower jaws sported bony serrations resembling teeth while a cluster of spikes protruded from its chin giving off the illusion of a beard. The most frightening aspect were its eyes which glared upon the intruders before it, eyes that were colored and glowed like fire.
The sight of the beast was all too familiar for Amuro who glared up at the ruler of the Throne Room and the most feared living thing on the planet. "Hey," he told the beast, even if it (or he) didn't hear him, "I don't know if you remember me, but I remember you taking away my dad two years ago."
He gave a slight smirk behind his helmet, "It's certainly been a while," he added, "oh, King of the Monsters."
Almost as if in response, Godzilla narrowed his eyes into fiery slits as he opened his mouth, revealing twin rows of sword-like true teeth and an earth-shaking roar eruped from deep within his throat.
