Match 29: By: Thomas Singleton

A battalion of tanks rolled across the sandy beach. Grainy clouds dampened the skies above, extinguishing drops of rain. The watery droplets pelted the tanks, drenching their metallic façade. Beneath the armored surface, humans and machines alike worked to preserve the sanctity of the tanks. Acres of sand vibrated, disturbed by the marching battalion. Atop each tank, a lone soldier sat quietly, inspecting the obscured land. Their numb hands clenched the handle of a machine gun, hesitant to pull the trigger. In front of the tanks, a long barrel pointed out. Its only purpose was to aid the soldiers in warfare.

The most sophisticated technology lay at their fingertips. And yet, fear wracked their youthful complexions. Military intelligence had reason to believe the monster Godzilla was set to arrive at their present location at any time. Even its name made the soldiers shudder. Rumor had it that Godzilla was indestructible. No amount of firepower could slay the radioactive behemoth. Despite these rumors, the soldiers marched into battle. Unbeknownst to the soldiers, the governments of the world had designed a robot to vanquish monsters like Godzilla. Only it had not yet arrived.

And the tanks were meant only to slow Godzilla down.

The tanks stopped a hundred yards from the shoreline. Waves of seawater overlapped one another. Fog lingered within the vicinity of the beach, obscuring the surf. Beneath the murky waves, jagged spines emerged, slicing the watery surface. A leviathan of black scales rose out of the water. Its demented shape made the soldiers freeze. To them, it was like peering into an era long forgotten. The world no longer harbored a profusion of titans. Only a few managed to escape the tapestry of time and haunt the world of today.

A long, muscular tail unraveled the waves. Gallons of water flowed off the creature’s muscular figure. Serrated teeth occupied its prehistoric jaws. Sharp claws laced its fingertips. Three rows of dorsal spines jutted out of its back. A low, yet ominous growl escaped its reptilian lips. Godzilla’s maw parted, yielding a thundering roar. The monster’s bellow vibrated the ground. It was a challenge to the world of Man.

Reluctantly, the soldiers replied.

Nature grew silent as the cries of war blanketed the sandy beaches. Tank shells blazed out of their barrels, battering Godzilla’s scaly hide. Even the tanks recoiled from their firepower. Plumes of black smoke and fire baked Godzilla’s flesh. Shells failing to explode remained dislodged inside the creature’s scales. After the tanks depleted all of their ammunition, an eerie silence pervaded the landscape. Godzilla’s savage gaze pierced the hazy smoke, locating the tanks.

The soldiers atop of each tank pulled the trigger. Hot lead burned out of the machine guns, failing to harm the monstrous entity. Godzilla raised his foot out of the water and drove it into the beach. Godzilla’s mass forced the sand to sink beneath his feet. Tremors jolted the beach, complying with Godzilla’s movements. Realizing the futility of their efforts, every tank backpedaled. But Godzilla had no merciful intentions. Azure-hued light weaved Godzilla’s dorsal spines. Nuclear flames irradiated his ravenous jaws.

Godzilla’s mouth launched an atomic beam, incinerating the sandy soil and the fleeing tanks. Thick metal melted from the intense heat of Godzilla’s flames. The soldiers were instantly reduced to ash. Godzilla’s nostrils captured the burning scent of charcoal. He advanced forward, leaving gigantic footprints behind. The thick fog enveloped Godzilla’s unnatural figure, concealing him from the rest of the world. But the creature’s erratic breathing echoed throughout the region.

Godzilla suddenly stopped.

A strange, yet familiar sound rasped his ears. Godzilla searched for its bearer, but even his binocular vision was suppressed by the fog. The sound grew louder. The fog started to unravel. Godzilla was a force of nature, a harbinger of destruction and life. No sentient mind dwelt inside his cranium. And yet, Godzilla’s primordial brain faintly recognized the sound. It was the same sound the tanks had made, prior to their desolation. Only unlike the tanks, the sound was louder, and wrought greater power.

Godzilla spotted fire reshaping the darkness. Its glimmering essence glinted off the metallic flesh of Godzilla’s newest foe. Godzilla peered at its odd shape. He had seen others like itself, only its robotic brethren had shapes similar to Godzilla’s own. Cone-shaped arms strode out of its sides. Its breastplate housed an unseen instrument. Between its amber glowing eyes, a drill eagerly anticipated its activation. Flames seared out of its tail, serving as its main form of propulsion. Beneath its thick clumsy legs, hidden thrusters were stored. A curved, peculiar apparatus fastened its backside.

Moguera stared silently at its colossal foe. Godzilla snarled, wary of this new weapon against his kin. Amongst his titanic kind, Godzilla was the fiercest. His ferocious power garnered him the title of the ‘King of the Monsters’. Godzilla had no quarrel with such a label. But the robotic titan, Moguera, on the other hand summoned Godzilla’s ferocity. Godzilla had seen combat with the other monsters. Despite their traditional rumbles, Godzilla was able to identity with them. But its new foe, Moguera, merited no emotion of any kind. It was as artificial as Godzilla’s atomic birth. Moguera’s dull face harbored no life.

It irritated Godzilla.

A violent roar escaped the bowels of Godzilla’s throat. The monster charged, determined to intimidate Moguera. As the ground shook in Godzilla’s wake, Moguera launched an attack. Orange streaks of light fired out of its glowing eyes and tore into Godzilla’s flesh. Godzilla’s scales absorbed the burning energies. The organic properties within withered and died, disappearing in explosive sparks. Godzilla stopped, surprised by Moguera’s fearless intentions. The surprise had nearly rid Godzilla of his pain. Moguera ceased its attack, cautious of Godzilla’s actions. Ribbons of Godzilla’s flesh regenerated its recently acquired wounds. Choosing to retaliate in kind, nuclear energy embodied Godzilla’s jagged spines. Thermonuclear fire pulsated out of his maw. The atomic beam singed Moguera’s armored chest. Its metallic flesh burned bright red, but withstood the intensity of Godzilla’s flames.

Even the concussive force behind Godzilla’s primary weapon failed to compromise the robot’s armor. Godzilla’s eyes widened. Not in shock, but in grief. How dare this robot withstand his atomic fury!

Godzilla’s beam ceased firing. Smoke sizzled around his jaws. Reptilian eyes stared out of their sockets, glowering at Moguera. Burnt metal blemished the robot’s breastplate. Godzilla’s flames had engraved damage, but it was only minimal. Without warning, Moguera’s cone-shaped hands sparkled brightly. Bluish lasers fired out, carving trenches into Godzilla’s torso. Godzilla opened his mouth, screaming loudly. The giant’s wails were heard for miles. The heat the lasers fashioned made Godzilla’s saliva disintegrate. But Godzilla’s unbreakable will rendered him immune to death. Moguera’s lasers disappeared, unable to project such power any longer. Craters of burnt flesh embroiled in Godzilla’s torso. Godzilla felt his regenerative cells rejuvenate the injuries he had sustained. Though the injury was gone, the pain never left. Livid eyes captured the lifeless shape of Moguera. Anger clouded Godzilla’s judgment, commanding him to charge.

Prehistoric feet plunged into the sandy soil, forcing it to rise above Godzilla’s ankles. Godzilla mustered all the strength he could to run. Moguera’s artificial eyes unleashed a barrage of lasers, succeeding in only intensifying Godzilla’s rage. Moguera’s hidden thrusters popped out. Sheets of concussive flames rolled out. The fire propelled Moguera’s mass off the ground, but it was not fast enough to avoid Godzilla’s assault. Godzilla slammed his bulk into Moguera, applying enough force to temporarily shutdown the robot’s thrusters. The atomic dragon’s strength knocked Moguera out of the air, sending the robot reeling backwards. Amidst the cloud of fog, a hilltop came within view seconds before Moguera’s toppling shape fell upon it. The hilltop was immediately flattened.

Godzilla gazed at the downed robot. Skeptic of its condition, Godzilla slowly treaded toward it. It was at that time Moguera’s thrusters returned to life. Fire incinerated the goblets of sand, enabling the robot to quickly rise to its feet. Godzilla immediately intended to ram into Moguera once more. But the robot’s drill activated. It swirled rapidly as Godzilla moved in. Beneath Moguera’s feet, treads anchored into the ground. In an incredible showcase of speed, Moguera met Godzilla head on and plunged its drill into his throat. Sparks were ignited the moment the drill touched Godzilla’s brawny flesh. No matter the durability of Godzilla’s hide, the drill pierced its target successfully. It caught Godzilla’s esophagus and twirled it around. Godzilla tried to express his pain, but his cry was lost in translation. Instinctively, Godzilla’s massive forearms gripped Moguera and pushed. But the treads beneath Moguera’s feet, along with its mass, proved beyond Godzilla’s strength!

Godzilla summoned all his available might to push Moguera away. He succeeded in only removing Moguera’s drill from his wounded throat. Blood dribbled out of his torn neck. Channels of blue bolts coursed through his exposed veins. It wasn’t difficult to predict Godzilla’s next action. As his throat patched itself up, Godzilla spat radioactive fire. The robot’s outer hull burned beyond recognition, but held up.
Amid the radioactive inferno, Moguera’s breastplate opened, revealing a gigantic maser. As a result of his curiosity, Godzilla’s atomic flames faded. Godzilla’s feral orbs scanned the maser, faintly recognizing its significance. Taking advantage of Godzilla’s naiveté, Moguera activated the maser. An eerie luminance glimmered from the maser. Plasma harnessed its glossy core. At the tip of its projector, powerful energies blossomed. Godzilla felt an excruciating pain emanating from his abdomen. The maser had unleashed a surge of energy that punctured Godzilla’s hide and fried his internal organs. Painful shrieks departed Godzilla’s gaping maw. Unable to withstand it any longer, Godzilla toppled to the ground. The sandy surface ascended above Godzilla’s crashing mass and rained down upon him. Moguera activated its thrusters. Above the fallen kaiju, Moguera’s targeting computers zoomed in on Godzilla’s ruptured abdomen. Loads of blood seeped out, staining the sand. Godzilla’s cellular activity began the process of reconstructing its vital wound.

Chunks of black scales covered the beach.

Chasms of light endowed Moguera’s maser. Godzilla’s ears heard the gathering energies. Godzilla fought the immense pain, determined to strike the robot first. The monster pushed its palms into the sand, providing the leverage for him to rise.

Godzilla faced the aloft machine, revealing the back of his mouth. Thermonuclear light shimmered, eager to escape and spread its chaotic lust. In unison, the two titans fired. Godzilla’s atomic beam met Moguera’s rushing plasma, forging a great ball of light. The energetic sphere radiated the region in its spellbinding beauty. Moguera diverted the majority of its energy to the maser. Godzilla closed his eyes, devoted solely to the conflict at hand. Both the robot and the monster fed the energetic sphere, enlarging its mass. Without warning, the sphere exploded, dispersing powerful shockwaves. The tremendous force blew Godzilla hundreds of feet away. Moguera’s electrical circuits shut off. Gravity pulled the colossal robot down. Moguera’s feet crashed into the ground.

In the distance, Moguera spotted Godzilla’s weary figure struggling to rise. To eliminate the threat, Moguera’s cone-shaped hands opened. Tucked inside, the metallic heads of two spiral grenade missiles silently waited. An order was given, enabling the missiles to activate. They simultaneously left their compartments, and rapidly closed in on their target. Fire seared behind the missiles, creating thick layers of smoke in their wake. Godzilla turned just in time to see Moguera’s projectiles detonate. A towering ball of fire consumed Godzilla. Shockwaves rippled out of the explosion, tearing the land loose from its foundations. The sky became lit by its awe-inspiring beauty.

Moguera watched on as the enormous fireball died down. As it did, it revealed the silhouette of the King of the Monsters. Godzilla’s charcoal black hide seethed with smoke. Burnt flesh dangled from his ravaged pores. The flickering flames and dense smoke faded, granting Godzilla the chance to see his attacker. Without hesitation, Godzilla charged at the robot. Moguera activated its drill, along with the treads beneath its feet. The robot mimicked Godzilla’s galloping speed.

Even if the beach had been reduced to glass, it succeeded in supporting the duel mass of Godzilla and Moguera. They rammed into one another, neither offering the other remorse. Moguera’s twirling drill sliced Godzilla’s face. Godzilla angrily clenched the spinning drill. The resulting friction between Godzilla’s hand and the drill created a shower of sparks. It ripped open Godzilla’s palm, spraying blood in all directions. Godzilla gritted his teeth. The fingers splintered, causing its bones to puncture the flesh. But Godzilla’s fractured hand cluttered the drill, resulting in it impediment. Godzilla ripped the drill out of Moguera’s face and tossed it aside. A shower of sparks spewed out of Moguera’s damaged mug. In retaliation, the robot bombarded Godzilla with its lasers. The blistering lasers scourged Godzilla’s hide, yet the monster would not be denied its retribution. Godzilla leaped forward, aiming to bash Moguera with his body. The atomic saurian bounced off of Moguera’s outer hull, splintering its internal circuits. Black hydraulic fluid oozed out of the robot’s fractured exterior. Godzilla was quick to bash the machine with his razor-sharp claws. But even the force of his swipes could not pierce Moguera.

He resorted to his original strategy; Godzilla repeatedly slammed his bulk into Moguera. Moguera stumbled from every impact, but did not fall. As it approached the breaking point, Moguera raised its left arm, moving to fire one of its spiral grenade missiles. Godzilla recognized Moguera’s intentions. The creature seized the machine’s arm, twisting it in the opposite direction. A spiral grenade missile launched out of its port, disappearing in the distance. Godzilla buried his teeth into the arm’s joint, ignoring the ball of fire erupting in the backdrop. Sharp teeth shredded the sleek alloy. Godzilla yanked the arm from its host and chucked it aside. He twirled his entire body around, directing his tail into the machine. The impact nearly sent the robot tumbling to the ground.

Before Godzilla could carry out another assault, Moguera’s maser circulated with plasma. Godzilla stopped, recollecting the previous encounter. Energy tore out of Moguera’s breastplate. Godzilla felt it rush over him. The destructive energies burned his flesh and tore it asunder. A newfound emotion pledged for him to remain standing. It commanded him to destroy.

Godzilla marched forward, ignoring the blistering temperatures. He reached down, aiming to ensnare the sparkling maser. The flesh on his hand burned away, leaving only the meaty interior. But even it began to breakdown, slowly revealing the skeleton within. Alas, Godzilla’s skeletal grasp squeezed the maser. Godzilla’s heart rapidly pounded in its chest. There is a limit to how much pain a creature can take, before it finally becomes nonexistent. For Godzilla, the pain no longer thrived. His bony hand squeezed the maser, cracking its polished shape. Godzilla augmented the strength of his grip and shattered the projector. Broken shards faded in the light. Moguera’s plasma ray was redirected through out its mainframe, leading to the machine’s immediate shutdown. Moguera’s glowing eyes blinked on and off.

As Moguera started to shut down, Godzilla curled his upper lip, revealing his carnivorous teeth.
Straps of flesh blanketed his skeletal hand, regenerating its lost muscle and skin tissue. Crimson energy fluctuated within Godzilla’s dorsal spines. Its aura blanketed the entire beach, casting its light upon the tank graveyard. Godzilla’s jaws parted, ejecting a scarlet burst of energy. The crimson beam carbonized Moguera, melting its dense metal and destroying its sleek makeup. Portions of the robot exploded, breaking away from its body. A third of Moguera became consumed by pillars of fire. Godzilla surveyed his defeated opponent. After a few minutes, his gaze ascended to the heavens, unleashing a victorious roar.

The triumphant beast turned, eager to return to the sea. Amid the burning wreckage of Moguera, an escape pod flew out of its quarters, escaping a horrible fate. Godzilla contemplated the pod, wondering if he should destroy it. It was then his cold gaze inspected the tank graveyard. He did not know why. Perhaps it was the sulfur flooding his nostrils. It could’ve been the steaming remains of the soldiers. Whatever it was, the foul flagrance of war made the animal feel disgusted with its wretched life. This is not what it wanted. It came searching for sustenance, compelled to satisfy its lust for nuclear energy…

Lives had been lost this day. Godzilla was an engine of chaos, a product of Man’s folly. But even his primitive instincts knew of sacrifice. Whether it was to honor the lives lost or to reserve its energy, Godzilla allowed the pilots to escape. The creature later returned to the sea. For Godzilla, the past was dead. Only the cold depths of the ocean could provide comfort to his lonely existence. It is there he’d dream.

And it is there, Godzilla would at last know peace.

Winner Godzilla® (Heisei)