Changed the name of one of the Karyu's crew members. Realized my mistake after I had finished Chapter 8. Apologies for any confusion. Monster action has always been key in anything Godzilla-related, so I hope I have satisfied you so far.

Respite

Osaka, 2000

"Mr. Miyasaka, are the reports true claiming Godzilla has been vanquished?" Shiro absolutely loved the attention. A crowd of reporters had gathered in front of the CCI Headquarters, thrusting the once under-the-radar organization into the spotlight. The interviewer in front of him was a woman, young and beautiful. He flashed a smile and eyed her up and down before answering the question. The cameraman fidgeted, attempting to get a better look at Miyasaka before the man began to speak.

"Well, we don't want to sound cocky but…we're confident that the monster that terrorized Tokyo last year has been killed." That statement caused the group to erupt into excited conversations with many bickering for a chance to talk to the man behind the operation. Shiro couldn't help but grin once again. He was the hero here. Well, maybe not the one who dealt the killer blow to Godzilla, but he certainly was the knot that tied everything together. He procured the funding and supplies necessary to craft the Karyu. He organized the many members of the CCI and helped forge a union between it and the JSDF.

It couldn't be helped his ego was getting a much-needed boost.

"How did the Karyu best such a monster?"

"Thanks to the ingenuity of the many engineers and technicians responsible for building the Karyu, as well as its three magnificent pilots; Major Kiriko Tsujimori and Lieutenants Hajime Kudo, and Yoshino Yoshizawa, ladies and gentleman!" The ecstatic crowd burst into cheers and clapping, unable to hold into their rejoice. The very real possibility of Godzilla's defeat was finally becoming clear. A man, sloppily dressed and looking like he was running on pure caffeine, bullied his way up to Miyasaka. He held out a cheap tape recorder, eager to catch-all of Shiro's responses

"Where did you get the funding for the Karyu?"

"What? That is classified information!" Shiro furrowed his brow as the irritating man continued to throw a barrage of questions at him.

"What about the reports of a giant flying dinosaur in the vicinity of Kumamoto? And the giant bugs seen around the same locale?" Everyone in the immediate vicinity instantly took an interest in the interrogation of Miyasaka. This was all news and, possibly, top-secret. They couldn't miss a chance like this to snag some covert intel.

"I am not sure where you received such information, but I am not going to support such ridiculous statements. My ride is here. If you'll excuse me…" He brushed roughly past the inquisitive, if annoying, man and entered a stylish all-black sedan. He quickly shut the door as reporters quickly swarmed the vehicle, attempting to soak up any more information. They were out of luck, as Shiro's personal driver sped off down the road, leaving the pack of scoop-hungry reporters in their dust.

"My, we've got a lot of work ahead of us."

It had been several hours since the defeat of Godzilla. The sun that had bared witness to the savage battles that had taken place had set, shrouding the country of Japan into darkness. The news quickly spread and many of the citizens were rejoicing, convinced they were finally free of any sort of giant monster threats. Japan could decommission the Karyu and finally avert any more controversial issues with the other countries of the world, although the United States were quite supportive considering they had just gotten done with their own lizard problems. However, not all information had been leaked to the general populace. A few scant details had been purposely left off, to stem any outbreak of panic among the celebrating citizens.

Very important details.

Ariake Sea

All access to the sea had been immediately cut off following confirmation of Godzilla in the body of water. Although he was dead, there was no doubt his corpse would still be a type of environmental hazard. The radioactivity on this second Godzilla was not as strong at the original's, who attacked Japan in 1954. Still, they couldn't take any chances with poisoning of the populace. A blockade of ships had formed a ring around the presumed location of Godzilla's corpse. Bell 212 Twin Huey helicopters surveyed the scene, spotlights roaming the waters. The JSDF had employed a select few aircraft and sea-faring vessels of the Japanese Coast Guard to keep the area on lockdown. Below the hum of the helicopters, several small patrol ships patrolled the sea, all surrounding the Shikishima, as if forming a barrier to protect her. The massive patrol ship guarded over Godzilla's grave, with hundreds of workers, scientists, and soldiers crawling all over the ship, each handling their task with a sense of reserved joy. Many were superstitious about the attempt to be made to disturb the dead beneath the hull of the ship. Anything could happen with such a freakish creature. Hell, some were convinced the ghosts of the dead would possess it and cause another attack!

Miyasaka stood next to a couple of scientists, both fairly aged with greying hair. He tapped his foot anxiously on the steel, awaiting their next move. Beside them, hanging above the indigo depths, was a man-sized submersible. It was structured much like the modern submarine; painted vibrant silver with a red graphic stating that it was property of the CCI. It was remote-controlled, and attached to the ship via a tether. Beside the trio was a desk in which numerous and advanced video equipment was placed, no doubt hooked into the ROV's sensors. One of the men stood by it, testing the platform in which he would utilize to control the mini-sub. A few button presses and a maneuvering of a stick led to the 'arms' on the submersible awkwardly stretching outwards, and the claws attached at the end gripping the air.

"So, you'd say it's ready to check things out?"

"Yes, Mr. Miyasaka. Everything is set; we ran the diagnostics and the Search-Godzilla-System should be one-hundred percent ready to go."

"Excellent. Time for some grave-robbing, wouldn't you say?" He chuckled at his own joke, whilst the older scientists simply smiled before reading the SGS for its first official run. Its claws were designed to be able to pry any kind of flesh sample from Godzilla's scales. It was built to survive even in the highest of pressures that Godzilla would find himself in. A variety of canisters and tubes were hidden on its underside, used to hold any sort of interesting data it scrounged up. Most importantly, it had an ink launcher, very much like a tank cannon, on the underside, a crude attempt at mimicking a squid's natural defense system. If the situation got too hot, it would dispense the load near Godzilla's face and, hopefully, blind him, leaving the SGS enough time to jet away to the escape.

It would most likely be a futile attempt, but it was something done to prevent a very expensive toy from being crushed. That very toy was now being deployed into the Ariake Sea, on its way to see firsthand the body of Godzilla, cold and motionless.

Outskirts of Kumamoto

In the heavy forest, there was yet another secretive mission to analyze the corpse of a monster. This was not as heavy an operation as the one to disturb Godzilla, but this one was still very important. Jeeps with armed men surrounded the fallen creature, keeping their eye out for any intruders seeking a scoop or with loose tongues. Behind their barrier, several biologists, technicians, and scientists were all setting up mobile lab platforms. Nobody was really sure how to go about procuring tissue samples and obtaining useful data from a giant monster right next to them, but they had to give it a shot.

"Did you already use the Geiger Counter to measure the radiation?"

"Yeah, area is completely safe as far as that goes," the younger man, probably in his late twenties replied, before shaking hands with Yuji Shinoda. "There were slight traces, but nothing some safety precautions can handle.

"Name's Shigeru. Shigeru Kamura. I was called in because of reports of a 'fossil find' but this…this is unbelievable!" He turned back towards their prize, which lay prone on the ground.

The flying reptile had been sent flying after the battle with Godzilla. The navy membranes on his left wing had been torn and burnt, while one of his horns was dangling off awkwardly. His beak was open, with blood pooling out of his mouth, while his lounge lolled out to the side. Based on the reports of the battle, and the vomit-inducing stench of burnt flesh, it was wise to assume that the front of the creature was in worse shape. The prehistoric creature's bronze skin was blackened in some parts and bloodied in others. Clearly, the animal had been outmatched when it had taken on Godzilla.

"Well, what have you discovered so far?" Yuji had found this find particularly interesting. Godzilla was a mutated dinosaur, to put it in broad terms. Yet, here before them, was an actual relic from the prehistoric age. It was massive, arguably the largest aerial predator in history. The estimates had put its height around 35-40 meters, with a wingspan of 100 meters. Still, even it was no match for the King of the Monsters. Well…formerly the King. Yuji still had conflicting emotions about it all. The threat had finally been ended. Even so, Yuji felt emptier for it, as if his purpose on this world had been stripped away from him. Without Godzilla, he was no longer the savvy professor who could predict Godzilla's movements and analyze everything about Godzilla. He was the expert. Now, the radioactive dinosaur was dead.

It was too easy…

He had reservations about whether they had truly succeeded. Godzilla had yet to rise up from the depths like he had so many times before, so perhaps the Karyu had finally completed the task it was designed and built for; to slay the dragon.

"Yuji? You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry. Lost myself in my thoughts," he replied, chuckling as he scratched the back of his head.

"Alright. As I was saying, we have no previous fossil records that give any insight as to when this animal existed or where it lived or anything of the sort. The largest pterosaur we know of is Quetzalcoatlus northropi, but even it is a dwarf compared to this behemoth. We have to assume it fed on marine animals and perhaps even dinosaurs, but that seems so unbelievable. No trace of feathers, except on the tail. The beak is filled with razor-sharp teeth. The horns on its skull were most likely used in mating rituals, but I envision they would also work well as weapons. It certainly doesn't fit the modern interpretation of a pterosaur. This animal is certainly an abnormality of evolution; how it survived is a complete mystery to me. My theory is that, wherever it came from, it must have exposed to something to alter the size. Whether it mutated back in the age of the dinosaurs or while it was in hibernation, I do not know. "

Yuji nodded his head, his eyes studying the ancient reptile. Once again, a one-of-a-kind beast had arrived in this world, only to be quickly smitten. He heaved a sigh and shook his head. Death was a part of everything, it seemed. Perhaps he should go into zoology. It seemed they would appreciate his efforts to conserve life rather than to snuff it out.

"What do you want to call the reptile, Kamura?"

"Well, I think traditional naming has been thrown out of the window here," the pterosaur expert replied, laughing. Yuji joined him, allowing himself a respite from his negative thoughts.

"I think we shall call it…Radon."