I know y'all totally hate me and think I abandoned this -again-. Sorry this came so late. On the plus side, I'm officially a RRT! So all that studying and internship paid off! With that out of the way, I can finally finish this story off. Expect one more chapter to act as an epilogue but this is the climax of the duel between monarchs!
Extinction
Time itself seemed to slow to a halt as the life-force of Rodan drained from his body. He knew his wounds were fatal. His left wing was useless, completely shredded to the bone. He knew he should be screaming in pain but all of his nerve endings were completely severed. Instead, all he could do was gurgle and sputter as his own blood filled his beak, dripping down onto the corpse of Godzilla, staining green with red. His own chest cavity was ripped open, his abdomen torn asunder. Pieces of flesh dangled from his mortal wounds and Rodan knew that the end was near. He attempted to adjust himself, but he couldn't even shift his weight off of Godzilla.
This was how he was to die…slain in battle by his eternal nemesis. Unable to settle the blood feud between his species and Megaguirus'. He crowed weakly, his vision falling in and out of focus. He was allowed a moment of respite due to a far off explosion that drew away his insect foe. It was only delaying the inevitable – the Prince of the Skies, last of his kind, was at his end. The radioactive brute that had bested him in combat before lay dead beneath him, having also been apparently slain in combat by the malevolent monarch. Rodan lowered his head, resting it on the side of the lizard king. A subtle and weak lub-dub resonated from inside, the beast's heart still struggling to perform its duty, trying to keep Godzilla alive but ultimately failing. Rodan's piercing eyes stared at the dying Godzilla, and the pteranodon took a moment to reflect on their battle. The ferocity of it, the animalistic brutality. He was truly a king, yet he had fallen victim to Megaguirus, although Rodan had a suspicion that the leviathan had some type of handicap. He had seemed weaker, more sluggish, and unable to fire off his infamous weapon with any kind of frequency. Rodan's gaze shifted towards Megaguirus in the distance, who was squealing in panic as the fires below her blazed brightly, devouring her egg from within, and annihilating her children. Rodan took grim satisfaction in knowing her line was being snuffed out by the flames – a task he would've been unable to perform in this state. Slaying the queen herself was a task Rodan knew he could not accomplish…but perhaps something could be done to ensure his death would not be in vain?
He opened his beak and released a raspy, pained shriek; a goodbye to the world as his life-force faded away. He shut his weary eyes and focused on the radioactive energy remaining in his core. His body seemed to shiver, as if a sudden icy wind had blown by and chilled his spine. His crown of bone crackled with violet energy, small bolts of energy flickering outwards and zapping the unconscious Godzilla. The monster King twitched and fidgeted with every sharp sting. Rodan's wounded body began to glow, a peaceful purple that was barely noticeable upon first glance, but soon began to grow in intensity until his entire wounded form was shining a royal amethyst, any features unseen behind the beautiful light. All signs of blood or gore…vanished. All that was to be seen was the light, with the outline of a prehistoric creature the only evidence remaining of Rodan's presence on Earth.
In the Prince's mind, all he could see before him was a world of white. He flapped his arms, and to his surprise, he had his wings. He peered down and saw his chest completely repaired, with no signs of damage. He was confused, scanning the description-less world he found himself in. A noise he hadn't heard in a long time drew his attention to the sky. His stern gaze followed the source of the sound, and his hard eyes softened as he realized the source of the cry. Two flying pteranodons circled above him, calling down to him, joyously. He responded back gleefully. Both were smaller than he was, but they were without a doubt the same species. The similarities were uncanny, even if Rodan had been altered physically by radioactive activity. One was a beautiful scarlet, with a plume of sapphire feathers on her small tail that wiggled to and fro in the sky. Her beak seemed to radiate with a rosy shade as she called down to the Prince of the Skies. Rodan's mate truly was a sight to behold. His son triumphantly cawed, folding his wings alongside his slim brown body, speeding towards his father below. The little one was the spitting image of his father. Rodan chirped, spreading his wings out, in a gesture akin to offering an embrace. Rodan knew his time on Earth was over, for he knew that his family had long since passed…taken from him by a Megaguirus and her kin eons ago… Peace awaited him now. An eternity with his mate and child was what he could look forward to now. Rodan closed his eyes and nodded his head with satisfaction, taking solace in the fact that though he failed in avenging his family, his sacrifice would aid another, and perhaps justice would be served after all.
The energy silhouette shimmered, and the form of Rodan began to break apart into orbs of light that rained down onto the prone form of Godzilla. As the spheres touched the jagged sage scales of Godzilla, they seemed to melt into his motionless body. Akin to a crashing patient being shocked back from the edge, the lizard began to jolt and shudder. The energy washed along the king's body, entering his body and purging it of the poison injected into his bloodstream by the insect swarm. A punctured heart lurched to life as the mangled tissue seemed to mend itself, sending a rush of blood into arteries and veins. Wounds and gashes along the outside of Godzilla healed themselves in seconds, showing that his regenerative factor was indeed back. The pure energy gifted from Rodan surged through Godzilla, merging with his own formidable radioactive to supercharge the King of the Monsters. The identity of Rodan, his grace and his ferocity, would forever be a part of Godzilla now.
His eyes shot open. Eyes full of rage and hate. A need to satisfy an agenda not quite his own. A being within him urging him to rise, to choose life over death. Razor-sharp talons gripped the earth, gouging into concrete streets and ruined structures. He forced himself up, feeling absolutely rejuvenated. No sensations of pain. All that he felt was a power bristling from within, greater than he'd ever felt before. Sparks of energy danced between his jagged spines, his very body overflowing with radioactive power. His eyes narrowed as he located his quarry, who was preoccupied with an intense blaze, squealing in despair. It was time to deliver retribution.
The Queen's remaining arm lifted upwards, a butcher ready to slice through a slab of meat. Yuji Shinoda lay petrified, awaiting the end to come swiftly and painlessly. If he was to die now, let it be known to the world that he had done some good with his time here, and perhaps made it safer for his daughter Io. Megaguirus screamed in rage, and she swung her cleaver-like arm downwards. Yuji closed his eyes and murmured a prayer, curious as to whether or not his wife would be awaiting him on the other side.
Death never came. Even with his eyelids closed shut; he could see the world being lit by a neon blue light. He snapped his eyes open and gasped in awe. An azure beam of energy raced through the air, directly in line to intercept the bug's attack. The brilliant ray vaporized the Queen's remaining arm, leaving her wailing in pain and thrashing about. She now had two stumps for arms, and nothing but agony and despair running through her mind. She turned to identify the culprit, and her compound emerald eyes appeared to widen in shock. Shinoda too, was stunned as he turned to see what, or who, had saved his life.
Godzilla stood a pillar of might and power. His spines dimmed, and the blue energy dissipated and dulled to normalcy. If one had not been witness to the giant monster melee, one would think he had never been in a battle. He looked completely healthy, completely fresh. Muscles bulged beneath his tough hide, and he seemed to move forward with a grace unbefitting of a sea reptile. Bolts of blue energy raced along his body, as if the power being concealed within him was leaking outwards. A fire raged behind his eyes – an inferno that could only be doused by the deliverance of vengeance.
"Godzilla…you're alive!" As if responding to the obvious statement, Godzilla unleashed a deafening roar, loud enough to shake the very buildings and trees in the ruins of Kumamoto Castle and nearby. Windows shattered. The refugees and soldiers alike covered their ears, horrified and amazed all at once at the risen king. Shinoda could hardly hear himself think as he ducked for cover. Megaguirus retaliated with her own battle cry and, with all thoughts of self-preservation out the window, she rushed forth to take on her attacker head-on.
-
Hajime wasn't sure if it was the blaring alarm system, the heat of the sparks sizzling nearby, or the painful throbbing in his head that forced him out of unconsciousness. He groggily raised his head up, cursing as the pain flared up with every movement. Wetness dribbled down his forehead and he was sure he must have a pretty nasty cut from the console. He unstrapped himself from the seat and stood up. His legs felt like jelly, and he had to support grip the chair just to prevent himself from falling.
"Yoshi? Kiriko?" The medic was slumped over in her seat, and for a moment he wasn't sure if she were alive or dead. He felt nauseous at the thought.
"She's alive. I need you to take her to the last pod." The commander was freeing the limp Yoshino of her restraints, and beckoning Hajime over.
"What? What about you!?"
"The Karyu still has some juice left in the tank. It's operable from my position up front. I have to finish the job."
"This ship is beat to hell! You can't –"
"That's an order, Hajime. Take her now, and jet. The port side is free from debris, and you can direct the escape pod south." Hajime frowned and the two engaged in a staring contest. Kiriko remained firm and squinted her eyes. With a loud curse, Hajime gently picked up his knocked out teammate in both arms and strolled towards the exit elevator.
"Commander…"
"Don't you worry. I'll make it," Kiriko remarked, letting a slight smile slip out. Hajime looked to be on the verge of tears, his anger making way for sadness. He gave her a curt nod, and then stepped backwards into the elevator and downwards to the way out. The commander waited for a moment, processing what she had to do.
"One last run…" She assumed her position at the helm of the ship, typing in a code onto her arm-chair panel. A square of the floor of the ship began to lift up, and revealed a control console complete with navigational and weapon controls. Calling upon all the memories and training she had drilled into her head, Kiriko readied the Karyu for a battle that would determine who was stronger: Man or monster.
She cast a glance at the monitor displaying the status of the escape pods. The final one had just been ejected, and the dot representing it pinged constantly until it made its way off-screen. Now, she was truly alone in this war machine. She sighed audibly and smiled grimly.
She wouldn't have it any other way.
The ravenous insect slammed into Godzilla's mighty bulk, stopping the behemoth from further advancing. Her legs jabbed and poked at the king's flesh, slashing into his scaly flesh. Her fangs found their target deep within his right shoulder, drawing blood. The King barked in outrage, the feeling of pain a mere distraction from his powerful rage. A mighty clawed paw reached and slapped his attacker, sending her reeling backwards. Her vision blurred momentarily, trying to regain her senses, yet Godzilla would offer her no reprieve. He continued his assault, slamming his fist into her thorax, sending her sputtering to the ground. Her wings seemed unable to function as her limbs twitched. Like broken television monitors, many of her compound eyes shut off. Godzilla turned around and brought his tail careening down, slamming into the fallen insect. Again and again he clobbered her, each time shattering more and more of her carapace until her armor barely held together. Megaguirus screams echoed throughout the battlefield, and she knew she was in a precarious spot. Her mind was panicky, uncertain. She needed to do something. As Godzilla raised his club-like limb up again, she forced herself to take flight, dodging the crushing blow. Her shattered body barely holding together, she created a sizable distance between herself and her attacker, and then turned to face him.
The monster King hardly looked like he'd been in a battle at all. The wounds she had caused him had already healed. He growled as he began to approach her position, otherwise lacking in emotion. Physical attacks would not slay the dragon… no, she would have to use her energy to incinerate him. Destroy every inch of him. She managed a grin, with what remaining teeth she had left. Her tail curled forward, stinger directed at the encroaching beast. She released a screech, hell-bent on slaying the King, as an orb of energy began to appear on the tip of her stinger, colored a bright magenta. Godzilla slowed his approach, snarling as he recognized what she planned to do. He realized this was her most powerful attack…and her last. His crocodilian maw seemed to curve into a smile. He would show her who the true alpha of this planet was.
The helicopter maneuvered towards the charred location that was once Kumamoto Castle, as stealthy as a clunky aircraft could be. In the distance, two titans wrestled for supremacy. They were not the priority right now, though the occupants were constantly reminded of their presence by the battle cries and impact of attacks. Upon reaching the scorched area, the chopper hovered momentarily before beginning its careful descent. Below, two fatigued figures waved and cried out for aid. The blades of the helicopter blew up debris and clouds of dust as it landed in the grassy field. One of the figures supported the other, who was clearly limping and in considerable pain. Yet the joy on his haggard face was unmistakable. The side doors slid open and out leaped…
"Io!?" Yuji seemed utterly shocked at his daughter, who innocently grinned while holding up a radio transponder. Robert and Yuki peered out from inside the aircraft, looking absolutely nervous and terrified of a father's wrath.
"Please don't be mad. She really wanted to come and-"
"You know how your daughter is, so we couldn't-"
The father and daughter embraced, with Miyasaka managing to keep his balance before Robert hurried over to guide him to the helicopter.
"I don't care where you were. You're here now. I'm guessing you overheard Shiro's distress call?"
"Yup. We could only go so far on wheels. Luckily, we found ourselves a pilot at the HQ who seemed pretty keen on getting close to the monsters." The survivors and rescuers crowded into the helicopter, which was certainly more cramped now. The pilot looked backwards, gave a thumbs-up and removed his helmet.
"Good to know you're both ok," Kimura responded, grinning from ear to ear. The pteranodon specialist happened to also be an avid pilot… who would've made the connection? He slapped the helmet back on and readied for take-off. The aircraft rumbled to life and slowly ascended into the air.
"So Shinoda…what the hell happened here?"
No response.
"Shinoda?" Kimura looked back and saw all of his passengers gazing out eastward, and he too followed their gaze.
The orb was massive, intense energy dancing inside for the world to see. Magenta rays bounced to and fro, its intense heat beginning to sizzle the very air. It pulsated and hummed, as if it too were a living entity, and it grew to match the size of Megaguirus, if not larger. A display of power that would be intimidating to most, but not to a king. Godzilla was not unnerved by the show of might. His rosy spikes began to glow, flickering an all too familiar scarlet before turning a neon blue shade. Sparks of energy leaped between the rows of bony spines, and the very energy being released was palpable. Megaguirus could wait no longer. With a scream, she released her energy orb, which sailed through the air directly at Godzilla.
Yet he too, was ready to unleash his attack. With an earth-shaking roar, Godzilla's mouth shot open and a blue beam of radioactive energy shot forth. The two forces met in the center of their trajectories and seemed to halt each other's approach. Godzilla's eyes narrowed and with a bellow and a surge of energy from his spikes to his maw, his brilliant blue beam cleaved straight through the orb, sending twin slices fragmenting into empty buildings and smashing the ground. The atomic ray raced directly at Megaguirus, whose shock and awe delayed her evasive maneuver a few seconds too long. She flew skyward, but Godzilla anticipated her movements. He jerked his head up and his attack hit its mark – the tail of Megaguirus. In a flash, it was incinerated, destroying the flying fiend's most sinister weapon. The pain was overwhelming, and so was the taste of defeat. The disgraced Queen cratered towards the ground, colliding into a plaza of buildings, which hardly softened her landing. Chunks of steel and concrete pierced through the cracks in her carapace, and her rear was a blackened husk. One of her glorious wings had snapped from the impact and she knew flight was impossible now. She hacked up a torrent of blood, which would seem like a waterfall of ink to a human below. She attempted to crawl out of her landing site, as the thuds of footsteps got louder and louder, but her body resisted, having taken too much punishment. All her body sought was rest, even as her mind screamed for action. The once proud, malevolent queen was reduced to a broken, battered peasant, unable to rise to meet her rival. Her emerald compound eyes saw his approach, albeit fuzzy and discolored. She saw him stare with rageful eyes, a look of cold vengeance upon his gaze. And the last thing she ever saw was his foot rise up and come surging down above her head.
"The reign of Megaguirus comes to an end," murmured Robert as the helicopter witnessed the slaying of a queen. He wouldn't deny the joy he felt knowing she was dead – her and her murderous spawn. For as big a threat as Godzilla was to the world, he had once again taken out a much more sinister foe. Yuki's camera was rapid-fire clicking, taking in every intense moment of Godzilla's triumph. He reared his crocodilian head backwards and roared victoriously, his primal celebration reaching ears miles away. It may have been short-lived.
"Look! Is that-"
"The Karyu," Shinoda proclaimed, finishing up Io's statement. Indeed it was, the battle-damaged war ship was speeding toward the remaining titan. The silver hull was bashed and scratched, the paint giving way to the dull gray of the ship's structure. Godzilla's ears perked up, and he turned around, growling in annoyance at the recovery of the man-made opponent. The Karyu hovered momentarily, the two engaging in a 'stare-off' of sorts before the ship lowered to the ground, engaging its landing gear and readying itself for its last resort.
"Prepping the Dimension Tide…" Kiriko punched in a code and a secondary console rose up from beneath a glass case. With a series of commands delivered from the command console as well as the D-T activation hub, the Karyu's magnificent cannon rose up, the yellow aura of energy brimming inside. The six panels that lay on the exterior of the weapon stretched outwards, like arms ready to hold the immense energy until the time was right to fire. This was now or never – Kiriko knew this. She re-routed all the ship's power to the Dimension Tide weapon, along with all of the stored radioactive power absorbed from both Godzilla and Rodan. A golden light began to manifest inside the mouth of the cannon, glowing ever brighter. Intermingled with the yellow were shades of red and magenta, creating a beautiful if not frightening sight. The Karyu began to shake as the weapon prepared to fire – the charge bar climbing ever closer to 100%. "This is for Tokyo…for Kumamoto…for everyone who's lost their lives in your and your kinds attacks, Godzilla!" Kiriko set the Dimension Tide to fire upon full charge, removing the need for a manual activation. She had little time left before the weapon fired. Rummaging inside of a footlocker underneath the command chair, she tossed out documents and folders before finding what she was looking for – a keycard. Glancing at the map of the ship, she ripped off a post-it note reading "Not Tested" and jabbed at an extension at the bottom of the bridge of the ship, with the word "Griffon" hastily scrawled beneath it. The edges of her mouth curled upwards, a flicker of hope ignited, and took off running, leaving the command room in disarray as the Dimension Tide readied to fire. Time was short but…she had a chance.
Godzilla snarled, taking a step back and planting his feet into the ground. He too began to charge up his weapon, a brilliant blue light radiating from the spines along his back and from within his mouth. This superb energy had given him a boost, yet it was only temporary. He could feel the energy waning inside of him even as he readied one last blast. He had to make it count.
"We have to go – now!" Kimura shouted, adjusting the helicopter's position southwards.
"But – the Karyu's crew," Robert protested, realizing that they were about to flee the scene.
"The Dimension Tide was meant to finish off Godzilla… but it was never meant to be fired from a ship so heavily damaged, nor did we expect Godzilla to have such an increase in power. Kiriko is doing her duty for humanity – there's nothing we can do. " Miyasaka looked grimly at each of the other passengers, before nodding at Kimura.
"I'll radio all remaining refugees and units and tell them they need to leave immediately. We don't know the extent of the damage this could cause, nor the reach of it."
"Farewell, Kaiju Killers…" The helicopter fled, with Shiro gazing wistfully at his prized ship making one final stand against the King of the Monsters.
The ground began to rumble and shake and gusts of wind beat against the landscape against trees and metal, concrete and flesh alike. The clouds above seemed to be sucked in by the energy field being created by the two powerful entities below. Miles away, soldiers ushered civilians to distance themselves from the oncoming clash, given a heads-up from Kimura and company. Kumamoto was truly lost, and the only thing it would be remembered for was as a reminder of the brute strength of monsters, and the valiant effort of those who opposed them.
The meter hit 100%. A robotic, emotionless voice announced to an empty room, "Dimension Tide: Firing." The rainbow of light doubled in size, cradled by the arms of the Dimension Tide. The pulsating bolts and waves froze momentarily, before a loud boom, akin to that of cannon fire, launched the stream of power forward, directly at the beast that stood in front of it. Godzilla announced the firing of his own beam weapon with his fearsome cry, and the beautiful blue ray sped out from his jaws. A blue lance raced to meet a fist of mixed light – the power of creature and vengeance up against the might of technology and desperation. As they collided, for a brief moment, time seemed to stop. Godzilla's ferocious eyes focused intensely on the energy duel, while the Karyu lifelessly stood, committed to its programming. The two energies engaged with each other, and with that unstable union, an explosion rocketed the battleground, sending shockwaves that collapsed buildings and cracked the very earth. The energy backlash engulfed both the Karyu and Godzilla himself, who unleashed a cry of pain. Thunderous noise followed and a bright light blinded all who attempted to see the result of the tug of war between monster and machine, leaving the aftermath unknown…