VS.
Authors: KaijuX & GodzillavsRayquaza
Word Count: 8752
Banner: GodzillaFan8889
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Shallow, desolate landscapes stretched as far as the eye could see. Blistering winds rampaged through the deserted terrain, leaving little to be desired. Spiked rocks jutted from the planet’s surface, conjoined with the malleable sands that accompanied it. Sandstorms churned, a vast sea of dust wailed over the horizon, blotting out the searing midday sun.
Yet such an obstacle meant nothing when one could peer above such limitations.
Jagged rocks and soft sand vibrated under the supershear earthquake that shook the landscape. But this was no tremor, rather a colossal footstep of unbelievable magnitude. A minute passed before the next cacophonous blast filled the air, warping the diligent sandstorm that stood in her path. Each step sunk into the unstable particles, shifting her gigantic body disproportionate to her movement.
From a distance, it would appear that a mountain had somehow begun to walk through the vast desert. A closer look would not quite disprove this notion.
A massive mound of chitin, duller brown than the sands with a streak down the middle like a bloodstain, shifted with the occasional step. A collection of pillars terminating in thick, spiky pads jut out from the underside of the being, supporting her immense weight. One rose into the air once more, then came down with the force to send walls of sand flying before they succumbed to gravity. From her sides, two lengthy appendages coated in segmented armor dangled, nearly touching the desert below.
And nestled within the front of a head far above the ground, twin bundles of orange orbs congregated to create segmented eyes observed her surroundings passively.
Magita marched through the desert, uncaring of how the sands shifted beneath her bulk. She was used to such effects of her passing, as long as the ground held, there was no issue. As her main set of eyes looked forward, numerous ocular organs of bright green, located upon the underside of her neck, scanned that which lay below.
Many miniscule creatures fled, scattering in her presence. Some were caught under her next step, not of malevolence, but merely because one of her strides was equal to a thousand of theirs. It was natural for them to flee, she supposed, but the colossal arthropod had no intent to feast upon the herds. Not of benevolence, but merely because it would serve no purpose.
The chitinous mountain only desired those with high levels of energy. Shoveling hordes of tiny, unremarkable creatures into her stomach would do practically nothing for her, she needed giants whose very forms coursed with power and might. At least, giants compared to most life forms. To her, they were still diminutive.
As of now, she moved without purpose, slowly but surely in one direction until something came along that would force a change. A being of Magita’s size needed vast quantities of energy to survive, to even do anything at all. Something about this planet drew her here, but what exactly she could not quite tell. So, best to use as little energy as possible until it was needed.
A sizable hill stood in her way, something that would have been a harrowing, treacherous climb for most beings. The stone cracked like glass as she put her weight onto it, each further footstep crushing portions of it and sending tides of dust flowing out. She barely noticed when it collapsed beneath her, becoming a pile of rubble which the arthropod almost unconsciously pulverized into a flat surface.
Magita did not think much as she continued, there was nothing to think of. Until she began to sense something approaching, a mysterious sense that allowed her to find the prey she relied upon. As if on cue, a trio of roars struck her ears, intermingled with the sounds of distant explosions.
Her speed picked up, shaking the ground below like a beating drum. Soon, a large mountain range came into view, the tops of many of them being missing. Volcanoes, yet they were still at the moment. Magita only passingly contemplated this as her focus fell upon her new target.
A three headed dragon, coated in scales of a dulled gold, crushed animals between its jaws. He seemed to take pleasure in their devastation, staining his teeth with their viscera.
His ecstasy was shattered when the landscape was filled with the droning, booming echo of a roar. Even when Magita had ceased making the call, its rumbling bounced off the mountains. The dragon looked to her, quickly beginning to back away as his eyes widened.
Magita began to rampage forward, scaring her prey into leaving the ground. As he flew, the three mouths belched fireballs towards the arthropod. They burst against her in puffs of flame, doing nothing to halt the surprisingly swift charge. It would not have been immense speed were it not for her sheer scale, ensuring that even this ponderous charge was terrifyingly fast.
By the time she reached him, he had managed to fly above her head. The dragon continued his ascent, beating his thin wings as hard as he could, but it would do little good. One of the supreme predator’s arms swung up like a whip, the wicked dagger at its end primed.
The juvenile Ghidorah’s chest cavity was punctured, his agonized cry lost in the tides of gore that flowed from his mouths. His blurring vision was filled with the visage of his killer as she held him before her face. Mandibles parted, revealing rivers of saliva as a maw filled with horrific teeth opened wide.
And with a few bites, the destroyer-to-be was mutilated and converted into a meal.
Magita relished in the feeling of her energy rising, her prey being a bountiful feast indeed. She was content to wait here for a time, let this meal digest. Minutes passed, things seeming peaceful. The invertebrate colossus was content.
She suddenly grew greedy once more when her senses detected a surge of energy that outshined the one she had recently consumed. Miles away, a streak of fire illuminated the sky, descending from the stars. Magita watched it fall with great interest, knowing that this was no ordinary space rock.
Three minds connected by a central system contemplated what their senses told them. They had been driven here by detecting a being like themselves, one who carried the same kind of essence. But, it had disappeared. And in its place… something quite strange and menacing. Their curiosity had not faded, merely been transferred to another source.
It was time for their arrival.
The asteroid which had been approaching the world suddenly burst, spraying flames in all directions. The conflagration was parted by an immense body stretching out, revealing wings of pure gold. Black clouds began to form, releasing rain and bolts of yellow lightning as they swelled into a storm. The fires dissipated, no longer shrouding their body.
Six pairs of eyes divided evenly amongst three heads scanned the landscape, elaborate crowns of horns resting above them. Muscles bulged beneath golden scales, keeping them airborne as their powerful wings beat. Serpentine necks twisted and shifted, as twin tails flailed behind them.
In a matter of moments, the sky from horizon to horizon had become an ebony vortex drenching the desert below. The heavens trembled as three roars intermingled and became one screech declaring dominance and devastation.
King Ghidorah had arrived.
And far away, Magita felt her heart rate increase at the energy she sensed.
It would be the greatest meal she had ever had. She had never sensed a being so powerful aside from herself. With a burning sense of determination, she began to make her way to this waiting feast, prepared to dismantle this foe.
Large chunks were carved from mountains as the arthropodic colossus’ bulk cleaved through them, refusing to let anything stand between her and her target. Soon, she saw them, heading towards her.
It appeared that they had both thought along similar lines.
King Ghidorah was taken aback at the sheer scale of their foe. The one-who-was-many was so used to towering above all they surveyed, yet before this one they were so small. Magita let loose a bellow, shaking the mountain range and overpowering the roar of the storm.
The golden demon felt inadequate, for the first time in their long life. This thought was smothered by hatred and wrath almost instantly. No, they were the rulers of this cosmos, unstoppable and all-mighty!
Six eyes narrowed, before the golden dragon swept down, determined to prove their supremacy over all creation by slaughtering the first being to make them feel doubt. The arthropod would pay for such an indignation.
Magita opened her mandibles, feeling hunger gnaw at her belly. Good, this one was foolish enough to try to destroy her, instead of fleeing. She always hated the chase when her prey could fly.
Torrential rain bothered the three-headed tyrant naught, for they had almost always come to planets that harbored the right mixtures and elements to produce magnificent storms. Their highly conductive body sporadically discharged erratic lightning, a mere taste of their true might. Bolts found their mark against the living mountain, and although it did little to punch through the armor, the mild blackening proved Ghidorah was no slouch.
The pedipalps aligned on her monstrous face and neck chittered with ecstasy. Her senses proved true, but to see it with her many eyes heralded a very different feeling. Gluttony urged her on, serrated maw continuously salivating at the thought. A small ounce of pain was worth the price for this meal. Magita’s cacophonous boom reverberated like that of a French horn, deafening the soundscape and overwhelming the collapsing thunder that followed. Lifting her right segmented arm straight up, the very presence of which rattled the air around it, Magita prepared to impale this tri-headed snake much like she did the other.
Ghidorah was not ignorant of this predictable tactic. Their left head twisted around, tasked with the responsibility of observation, and noticed the segmented limb high above them. With this information processed to the others, the winged destroyer banked a hard right and narrowly avoided what came next. Air and water molecules tore apart as the sheer size of Magita’s multi-layered appendage sliced through the downpour, leaving a jet-trail in its path.
The pointed tip shredded the moist sand and hard rock, a cavalcade of earthy materials erupting from the impact zone. When she could regain control of her arm from the gravitational forces that burdened her enormity, Magita tried to yank it out from the surface--only to find it had plunged itself deeper than anticipated.
Using this moment of vulnerability, King Ghidorah veered around and began to funnel their electric prowess into three, focused points. Their necks ignited in divine light, a sign of punishment, and then unloaded with a volley of concentrated lightning at the mammoth arthropod’s shoulder joint, the one that had been submerged beneath the ground. A mild screech from the monstrous fiend was already indicative of the hydra’s testament, a statement that made itself known loud and clear.
When the three-headed serpent flew past her, their body radiated with electric streaks that scattered throughout, finding their mark on the target in various areas of her gargantuan body. The chitinous mountain grumbled under her saliva-filled maw, her neck-eyes falling prey to the electrical bolts. They twitched and darkened as lightning struck them, sending Magita into a crazed frenzy.
The vibrant earth quaked when the buried limb shoveled coarse sands and chiseled boulders away, the segmented arm curling inward as it dripped with loose particles and fragments. Guttural chitters rumbled from deep within her bronchial chambers, her bulb-like optics leering at the three-headed dragon that remained in her peripheral vision. The hydra was out of reach, at least for her more conventional means.
Bloodthirsty eyes gleamed at Magita’s enormity, viewing her girth from an aerial position. It was no exaggeration that her armored plating jutted out like protruding stalagmites along the posterior. Hills and valleys of chitin covered the rest of her gargantuan body, with soft, rubbery sacks pulsating within the crevices. Ghidorah’s left head observed a lithe appendage, plated in sharp armor similar to the body and affixed to Magita’s upper back. Curious eyes traced the path that ran along her tremendous form, situated between her trunk-like legs and monstrous physique. Beyond her rump, the tail-like limbs ended with spear-like protrusions that dragged along the soil of the planet, which twitched with long awaited anticipation…
As the central head guided the airborne vessel that was their body, the left observed the landscape, relaying the information through the rest of their being. Volcanic mountains veered off in the distance, brimming with potential yet to be unleashed. The middle head mused at such a concept, but one worth considering given their enemy. They circled around, prepared to make their move, until a rumbling caught their attention as the spiked appendage arched back, displacing the rain and air around it. The serrated tip threatened to skewer the great divine beast, its segmented chitin rattled under its colossal movement. Keen eyes saw obstructed flaps of skin compressed by the armor and the spear, yet self-preservation had to be prioritized above all else.
Ghidorah’s right head sprung into action, channeling its wrathful might in the form of a gravity beam. Concentrated lightning pushed against the heaving spearpoint, but did little to deter its movement. Wise to know they wouldn’t escape, the golden dragon decelerated and combined additional gravity beams into the mix, exhorting enough force to thrust the gigantic pike down, now embedded with scorching burns. It crashed with an explosive thud, hearing the wailing cries of Magita over the torrential rainfall. Such exotic sounds vibrated air molecules from sheer volume, which in turn rattled the demon of the galaxy.
The leader head dictated their next move, supplanting the idea in the other heads. Flapping his gold-gilded wings, King Ghidorah climbed through the downpour that cascaded off their body. They were hewn in radiating light, discharging electrical bolts against the posterior of the living mountain. Plated armor and pulsating sacks alike were scourged sporadically and unbiased. The echoing chitter signaled to Ghidorah let them know that it would work. Flying overhead, the aurum serpent zoomed past Magita’s head, raising her ire as they released several potent strands in their wake. The tri-headed hydra descended into her line of sight, which caught the attention of the gargantuan arthropod.
Massive compound eyes were hooked to the power this winged creature radiated. To devour it would be nothing short of ecstasy. Her serrated mouth grinded the poignant drool that served as a stark reminder to her purpose in life. Urged to feed, Magita forced her enormous body to move at maximum capacity. What had once been a footfall a minute became earth-shattering quakes in a manner of seconds. Tremors vibrated the surface of the planet, drenched from the relentless downpour, as she stampeded across the rugged terrain.
The left head twisted around, noting the state of the target. It was as intended, with the behemoth crustacean in hot pursuit. Even the sky juddered under the rapid succession of Magita’s footfalls. The sinistral head eyed the environment, surrounded by volcanoes that teemed with life. It saw the mammoth arthropod plunge through a geothermal vent, spilling a blast of molten magma and pressurized smoke. Yet even this wasn’t enough to impede Magita’s hunger, her plated armor deflecting the lava oozing down her body.
Even as the living mountain awkwardly shuffled through the volcanic range, Ghidorah knew the time drew close. Without missing a beat, the dragon funneled their electric prowess through their form. Rather than their scales or mouths, lightning escaped through their winged membranes. Electric strands ripped through the skies, rupturing the peaks of the stratovolcanoes. Branching bolts slithered into the innards of the magma chamber, stimulating the molten rock. This in turn provoked a violent reaction, the volcano regurgitating highly pressurized rock, steam, and smoke, spilling over the side.
With a calamitous boom, the volcanic geyser shot raw material into the stormy skies. Yet that was simply one among many, as other eruptions subsequently followed suit. Each deafening blast overwhelmed even that of Magita’s ethereal roars and finally stopped her in her tracks. Lava rolled down the rugged slopes, quickly filling the valleys below.
Ghidorah’s sinister eyes gleamed with satisfaction, making the aerial ascent into the dark clouds. If their experience in destroying worlds had taught them anything, it was that clusters such as these were more than just a freak series of protruding rock. Beneath should’ve laid an interconnected system of chambers, and all that’s needed for the desired result was only setting off a few of them…
Without even the need to turn back, the destructive display that went on behind them was more than enough that the plan had worked. Cataclysmic roars from the stratovolcanoes systematically boomed across the mountain range, even the mighty screeches of Magita was nothing short of a muted afterthought in the wake of the chain reaction. Bursting air washed over the golden beast, even from high in the sky. Nevertheless, in spite of these minor setbacks, Ghidorah crossed the threshold and found themselves embraced by the blistering sun.
Even from heavens above, hell roared from beneath. Molten rock and debris skyrocketed beyond the threshold of darkness, going so far as to escape the planet’s gravitational bind that would have otherwise kept them within its influence. Heated rock pelted against the majestic framework of the golden devil, but did little to harm them.
Evil cackles emanated from their maws, spitting mockery at the lounging behemoth and bathed in volcanic lava. Yet as if responding, the horn-like wail resounded and warped the air around them. Somewhere in that hell, she survived. Then quickly after, they felt the sky rumbling. Unidentifiable cacaphonous booms generated rough turbulence, creating whiplash for the skyborne demon. What was that monstrosity doing down there? They dove down into the mixture of black clouds and volcanic soot--eager to find out.
Erratic lightning and heavy downpour coated their united body, with moisturized ash clinging to their beautiful scales. The rough, razor winds did little to deter them from their path; yet the turbulence became increasingly intense the further down they went. What was that foul beast up to? Their necks illuminated with divine fury, prepared to strike back one-hundredfold!
Shifting position and pulling their legs in front, Ghidorah fully intended to cling to the gargantuan creature and shred apart its armor with a hail of bioelectric fury. Yet the more they fell, in their ignorance, they failed to realize their greatest mistake.
Assumption.
Bioluminescent eyes peered from the shrouded darkness, zooming in rapidly. The terrifying mumble of Magita came roaring in, face-to-face. Its ever-expanding mandibles split apart nigh-infinitely, Ghidorah’s lower body breaching the void of her salivating maw. The golden demon tried to pry themselves away from a flap of their wings, yet it proved to be for naught. In an act of panic, Ghidorah tried to climb out the reach of the gaping chasm. But yet…
CRUNCH!
A spray of loose bioelectricity jolted from the serpentine mouths and their stumps, sliced from the body effortlessly by the gnashing teeth that severed them. The loose heads fell into the abysmal darkness, but all of their eyes witnessed the horrific magnificence before them:
Wings. Sharp, jagged wings that sprouted from Magita’s back, amplifying her already tremendous size a hundredfold. Lining the base of the wings stuck out spears, one of which had already been charred from Ghidorah’s earlier bout. The severed central head realized then that those weren’t tails, but its wings!
Magita flapped her wide-spanning membranes, generating hellacious winds once again. All of it began clicking into place; a pity they didn’t realize it sooner. The severed head saw the others falling, screaming as they did. It could only make peace as the three of them fell into the lava-filled ravine that waited for them.
For Magita, what reckless stupidity of her prey! The dragon fell right into her maw. Grinding the electrified creature between her teeth, her body surged with newfound excitement and joy! The pleasure she partook was nothing like she ever had in a long, long time… Even as she swallowed the devilish fiend, and the erratic discharges irritated her innards, it was well worth the effort. Even so, her primitive mind couldn’t rely on mere luck forever.
She ceased flapping, using her massive wings as parachute gliders to descend back to the planet’s surface. She crashed into a nearby mountain range, disconnected from the active stratovolcanoes, and continued to feed. But once she was finished, her serotonin quickly depleted back to her usual instincts, resuming the hunt for the next bio-signature that crossed her path. With each hefty step, Magita trekked and destroyed the land, ruining ecosystems in the process.
Hell burned as lava flooded the volcanic range, rising higher and higher. While the native species had plenty to fear, there were three that did not. Miraculously crashing onto the slopes of the volcanoes, the three severed heads of Ghidorah moaned as they stirred from unconscious. They felt the radiating heat from the lava, which awakened them from their unwilling sleep. They basked in it, taking in its geothermal energy for their consumption.
Even without being connected to their bodies, the Ghidoran heads cried out, feeling the energy course through their slithering heads. Piece by piece, one by one, their bodies began to reconstitute from the stumps of their necks…
And with a wicked grin, Ghidorah would obtain victory.
***
How long had it been, aimlessly wandering on this desolate, barren world? She didn’t care. All she needed was to sate her insurmountable hunger. Once this world lost its value, she knew it was high time to traverse the empty space that brimmed with dying stars. No matter how many times she had done this, a void lingered in her gut. Many times over, she ignored such insignificant feelings, but many more times it returned to haunt her during her voyages.
Would mere consumption suffice? Was that the reason to live? Not because of the value of life, but the mere existence of gargantuanism. So long as the universe provided the sustainable needs for her instinctual addiction, was there really a need to change? Was there any reason to change if one had everything needed to move forward? She came to that conclusion eons ago, and she would continue to do so for as long as she lived.
Pulsating sacks that adorned her gargantuan frame swelled exponentially, all until they popped from the tremendous stress. Vile puss burst from the sacks, draping her mountainous chitin in a river of bodily fluids. The viscous covering would take weeks on end to fully harden into her space-faring Hive form. But there was no discernible lifeform on this devoid planet that could do anything to harm her.
Hours passed, the brimming sunlight fading behind a rolling storm cloud. A gentle wash of rain poured from the skies, cleansing her chitin of the filth of the earth. Deep down, the living mountain felt a disturbance in the air. Gale-force winds kicked up speed, the rainfall hailed from above like a torrential waterfall, and erratic lightning crackled all around her. The blackened clouds that invaded the once clear blue skies were further draped in violent storm clouds threefold, mirroring the depths of space.
Except there was only darkness.
Her compound eyes heeded the rocking hurricane that formed around her, seeing silhouettes flying amidst the dark clouds. The familiar three-headed titan clicked in her primitive consciousness. Her mandicles drooled with delight, even if unsure how another radiating with such raw power could exist. It wasn’t until she gleamed into the clouds that she saw what awaited her.
Certainly, her mind was not fooled by the return of the dragon--but behind them, there were two more just like it, each bustling with tremendous power. With a heavy crane of her enormous neck, she saw the winged serpents circling her from high above, only illuminated by the discharge of their lightning.
In unison, the three Ghidorahs cackled with rambunctious certainty.
Magita stood her ground, inhaling air to the point where it pulled into the chasm that constituted her throat. Then, unleashing everything she stored in her alien lungs, she belched a hypersonic scream that distorted the landscape around her.
She accepted their challenge.
As if they were still connected, the trio descended as one like birds of prey. Nine Gravity Bolts descended upon the arthropod, carving gaps in the slime that coated her form. Magita growled, raising her arms high as they drew close. The dragon who had led the pack raced towards her head, prompting her to swing her claws towards them.
They focused solely on dodging the spiked pillars racing towards them, allowing their colossal body to attain the agility needed to avoid a brutal strike. The left head of the central King Ghidorah stole a glance past the colossal head of their foe to see its fellow dragons descend upon Magita’s back.
One of the golden fiends madly thrashed their legs to scrape the claws against Magita’s back, sending sparks flying as they kicked and bashed. The other serpent was more methodical, slowly but surely making its way to a sheathed wing. Lowering themselves, the three jaws of the Ghidorah derived from the left head went to work trying to shred a hole in the membrane.
All six eyes had not been focused on their task, instead darting back and forth over the environment to ensure they were not caught off guard. This proved a wise move when one of Magita’s claws speared through the air towards them, intent on skewering the curious destroyer. Releasing their grip, they soared over the appendage. Gravity Bolts escaped their jaws, scourging the arm and sending a rain of chitin shards to the ground.
Magita groaned in fury as she pulled the limb back close to her body, all the while her eyes focusing on the dragon before her retreat back into the sky. The three conjoined lifeforms, threefold minds in each leading to nine brains coursing with ideas and strategies, flew back into the air as the living mountain unfurled her wings once more. The wind from the membranes folding out kicked up storms of dust and sand, and with a few beats which overpowered all other sounds, she was back in the air once more with a hateful screech.
How was this even happening? Never in her immense lifespan had she seen a being survive being torn asunder, much less duplicate from it and return for vengeance. Perhaps she should spare fragments of the three so that they may come back again and she may have another bountiful feast? An appeasing plan within the mind, but her primitive mind was able to swiftly realize that erasing this thing would be best, as no amount of food was worth the risk of sparing this pest once more.
She would scour the lands after disposing of these three and ensure nothing remained.
The three golden dragons scattered as she flew towards them, the winds nearly throwing them out of the air as she passed by. They turned, blasting her in the back. Armor charred black and began to crack under the strain of the alien electricity. Her wings slowly flapped as she turned around in the air.
With a shriek, the leading Ghidorah commanded their cohorts to charge forth. The two serpents followed, the one to the right shrieking with deranged pleasure from all three heads.
With each head regrowing into its own body, their personalities had grown further rooted into each one. Originally the three had balanced each other, the aggression of the right, the commanding and even keel of the central, and the curious scouting of the left. But now the three minds of each lacked distinction, the balance being split apart.
In the back of their threefold mind, only the curious Ghidorah had any pondering of what was to come after this...
Magita was shoved back with a screech as the trio of trios smashed into her body all at once, splitting open chitinous armor. Claws sank into the cracks, peeling away chunks of the shell as the aggressive King Ghidorah rabidly kicked and hit at the damaged portion. The other two serpents reeled back, sending bolts of lightning spearing into the wounds to further fracture them.
Magita slammed away her foe which physically assailed her, sending them flying with screams of agony as blood flew from their side. She looked to the other two, hissing her displeasure with their continued existence. They were actually harming her, a sensation she had almost forgotten. The two destroyers rushed forwards, sending dual kicks crashing into her gut, the force managing to once more push her back.
The chitinous mountain beat her wings forcefully, sending the two hurtling backwards like tumbleweeds. They howled with rage as they madly flapped their own wings to try and retain balance. When the gale which overpowered even their own hurricane’s winds ceased, they were shocked to see the green nodules upon her neck which resembled eyes begin to glow even brighter.
The third Ghidorah rejoined the fray, side stained with dried blood, just in time for all three kings of destruction to be assailed by a hail of emerald lasers. A cacophony of screeches echoed across the desolate plains as the streams of energy burned into their golden hides, leaving scorch marks as Magita continued supplying power to the assault.
Golden bolts tore through the green lines, sending sparks and stray energy flying in all directions as the eldritch power of the dragons clashed with the arthropod’s lasers. Magita screamed in genuine anguish as the nine rays speared into her gut, searing flesh. The eye beams ceased, and she lunged forwards through the air once more.
The burst of speed caught the three off guard. The leader shot upward in a panic, more instinct than any sort of cognizant dodge, and managed to mostly avoid the gnashing jaws of their monolithic enemy. Twin pillars sheared off their tails, sending the limbs falling into the cavernous maw of the hyper-predator, as her skull crashed against King Ghidorah’s stomach.
Bones cracked and shifted in their torso, streams of blood leaking from their maws as the leader was sent away like a ragdoll. The other two Ghidorahs body slammed her face, forcing her mandibles shut. Muscles strained beneath golden scales to fight against the thrashing of the monolithic invertebrate’s head, strands of saliva leaking from the slight opening of the mouth.
She hated using her abilities other than the most basic ones afforded to her by her sheer magnitude. Too draining, and most beings were not worth the expanded effort. But she would not regret anything that made life Hell for the most aggravating beings she had ever faced.
The pedipalps lining her neck shifted, and with grotesque pops, discharged the claws tipping them. Through processes that her primitive mind neither knew nor cared about, the stingers changed course in the air to immediately rocket towards the nearest source of energy other than herself.
Six anguished cries echoed out as the dragons were pierced by the stingers, freeing blood to spray out. Scale and skin parted before the projectiles, the white daggers ignoring the mighty armor. Their pain only intensified as Magita’s main arms shot up, carving massive gashes into their backs. Relinquishing their grips, they swiftly retreated. Emerald light built up in her secondary eyes once more, her focus falling to the two.
She missed the leader as they charged and unleashed their bolts of power once more, each one finding their mark on her secondary eyes. The air warped with the scream that left the arthropod’s maw, explosions sending geysers of fluid spewing out through the air. The pain only grew worse when the other two joined in, aiming precise shots at the sensitive organs.
Deranged laughter erupted from the trio, a chorus of mockery and a declaration of triumph as their foe struggled to even stay airborne.
Truly, they were the grandest beings in creation. To be rent asunder and reduced to severed heads was the end for the rest of creation’s lifeforms, but for them it had only been the beginning! All of existence would cower before its masters, a threefold god! How mighty they would soon become when they drained this wretched beast’s corpse of her energy to fuel their further conquest. The universe’s apex had arrived.
Gravity Bolts continued dancing across Magita’s body, some doing nothing as they blazed against her undamaged armor, others inflicting great anguish as they passed over what was weakened or already sensitive. Ichor fell from her, staining the sands below.
She had not felt this weak since her infancy, when the world was scary and could kill her at a moment’s notice. Before she grew strong, before she became the terror instead of the terrified. She remembered nothing of her origins until this moment, and all that was dredged up were the painful, haunting memories. Predators that sought to make her a meal constantly, every moment of every day spent in fear.
No more. She was the predator now, and all life was either below her notice or prey.
Four tails suddenly extended out from Magita’s back, catching the trio of destruction off guard. Massive appendages that waved through the air and ended with wicked, gnarled pinchers.
With a renewed vigor she hurled herself back into the battle, letting loose no war cry. Her actions did more talking than a yell or shriek could ever do when her homing stingers discharged and speared into the three Ghidorahs as she flew by them. Their agonized replies were cut off as the coils swung like whips and sent all three away like trash. As the leader and the aggressor cursed and spat wrathful cries, the curious serpent found themselves mesmerized by the display. Magita’s size had increased even further, with wings spread out and tails extended, she was almost incomprehensible.
Perhaps they were not this universe’s god. Perhaps this immense, complex being who moved in ways that even their minds could not fully grasp, who continued putting them on the back foot with each new reveal of an ability, was the true lord of this cosmos.
Their musing was cut off when one of the pincers they were just admiring like a serene waterfall lashed out, shearing off a wing with a sickening sound of flesh and bone tearing, sending them plummeting like a stone.
The aggressive serpent shouted and sang in rage, unleashing another volley of golden streaks of harmful light upon their foe. Magita turned, her secondary eyes which still remained glowing brightly. Like blazing spears the beams shot forth, penetrating the membranes of the wings keeping King Ghidorah airborne. With perforated, smoking wings, they smashed into the sands.
Something pricked her tails, inflicting a searing pain. She swung them, deriving great pleasure from the crack she heard of one of her limbs crushing a wing of the leading dragon.
The three destroyers stood to their feet, breathing heavily as they tried to withstand the pain coursing through their bodies. Blood stained their golden hides black. All three were baffled at the turn in the battle, how they found themselves once again on the losing end against this nightmarish beast.
Magita landed, sending walls of sand rolling, obscuring them and making them need to dig their heels in to remain upright. When it faded, they found her with her wings folded in as she charged across the land.
Like hammers her primary arms came down, intent on skewering her prey. The aggressor demon, with the bones of their wings still intact, was able to run away and avoid the strikes, only being forced to stumble from the shockwave of impact. The central dragon ran on all fours as well, but staggered the whole time as each placement of their broken limb on the ground seared with horrid pain. They were sent flying head over heels.
The eternally curious was forced into an awkward run on just their legs, which they had not been built to do. A colossal wound was bashed into the back, peeling back layers of flesh and exposing ribs.
Magita’s pedipalps flailed and twitched once more, discharging the stingers which raced through the air. As well, her eye rays flared to life at the same time. The leading Ghidorah was unable to dodge the hail of attacks that fell upon them, leaving them to scream into the blackened heavens of their own creation.
One stinger crashed through the thin heel of the serpent, pinning the leg to the ground. With the countless scorch marks and blade wounds forming upon their once immaculate body, King Ghidorah was unable to pull themselves free.
Their three connected minds started racing for answers. They saw their other selves, one still moving and running about as they fired Gravity Bolts sporadically and lashed out with teeth and claws at their mountainous adversary. And in a complete contrast, the other sluggishly trying to escape.
From the leader’s throats emerged a demand for the only one of them still fighting to distract Magita, and for the one escaping to crawl over and help them escape their binding.
Holes in membrane filled in as writhing tendons connected and reinforced each other, allowing the Ghidorah still locked in battle to initiate a shaky flight. Magita cursed as she turned to attack him, the dragon flying past her and harassing her with shrieks and growls.
The leader’s mouths curled into grins, which only grew as the third dragon sauntered up to them, and lowered themselves to pry at the thorn in the leader’s foot.
Fools.
Lunging down, their three maws clamped onto the flesh of their separate aspect. Their teeth began to glow as they pulled the energy out from the other Ghidorah and into themselves. Red light filled their throats as flesh began to mend all over their form.
As their skin turned pale and ashen, the weakened Ghidorah attempted to fight back. Their heads rose slowly, seizing as they tried to move forth and bite. The foot bound by the stinger lifted up, ripping open the bone and sinew which already began to mend. It stomped down on the central head, forcing it to the ground as the swiftly dying Ghidorah moaned in anguish.
Gold light shined from every inch of the triumphant dragon’s body, filling them with a sense of power they had never felt before. The slaying of their kin was barely even considered a sacrifice for such a boon.
Their foot smashed through the flaky skull of the once curious Ghidorah’s center head, the fortitude of the body so withered that it could not even sustain its own weight. Releasing their grip, the supercharged demon watched their other self crumble away into dust.
They felt nothing except exhilaration.
Magita screamed in agony when she was suddenly torn into by a trio of golden bolts which illuminated the darkness like miniature stars. She and the space dragon beneath her, who had been reeling back, turned to see a shining beacon barreling forward, bellowing mightily.
The dragon born from the battle-hungry head glared at their counterpart, snarling in jealousy. A glance around the arena revealed to them the lack of the third, revealing just where this boost in power had come from.
Even in its wrathful mind, they were still capable of strategic thought. They slinked off to stay out of sight, awaiting the result of this in order to make their move…
A beat of the wings carried the supercharged demon above the swinging arm of their foe, their claws shooting down to dig into the limb and spray torrents of blood. Magita pulled her arm back, shrieking in shock, before bellowing in agony as another set of Gravity Bolts tore into the wound.
The end of the chitinous mountain’s arm came off, the point imbedding into the ground. With a roar of rage, she shot forth more homing stingers. They raced through the air, tearing into the golden scales. As soon as they entered, they were already being pushed out by the reforming muscle and skin.
King Ghidorah shot forward, newly regenerated tails flailing behind them as the serpent raced towards Magita’s skull. Her mandibles opened wide, revealing the abyss of her throat. Lunging forth, she intended to crush the torso and devour this wretched thing.
The extra energy coursing through them allowed the dragon to avoid the gnashing fangs and slam a dual-kick into the colossus’ forehead. Magita staggered back, cracks crawling from the point of impact as she flailed her head. The threefold destroyer cackled as they basked in their power for a moment, only to be suddenly snapped back into reality as the side of Magita’s mandible crashed against their gut.
They tumbled through the air, madly beating their wings to remain balanced in the air. Another massive wall of dust rolled beneath them as Magita unfurled her wings, then beat them as she ran forwards. Her feet left the ground as she crashed her bulk against the dragon, sending them flying like a ragdoll from the wall of muscle.
Quickly getting back to their feet, the cracked bones already mending together, King Ghidorah raised their wings high as their throats filled with power. Magita sailed towards them, charging fearlessly as the entire body of her foe shined like a full moon.
From the claws of the wings and from the three maws of the serpent came lightning, illuminating the darkness as over a dozen beams raced through the air. Magita cried out as they tore into her form, several blazing into the membranes of her wings. King Ghidorah noticed this occurrence, and aimed the totality of their assault upon just the wings.
Light tore through them, sending five hundred thousand tons falling from the heavens. King Ghidorah found themselves screaming as a wall of force and sand washed over them, making them struggle to stay standing on the loose terrain as it was upheaved.
After what felt like an hour, but was likely only a few seconds, the turmoil died down. Sand was still all they could see, leaving them to stumble forth as they listened for anything.
There was a booming shift as Magita stirred, the sand swirling like a whirlpool from her movements. King Ghidorah charged blindly towards the sound, eager to attack with the element of surprise.
Something tore into their form, those blasted stingers! They shouted involuntarily, giving away their position. As the stomping of the colossus echoed again they cursed themselves and their enemy. Why would this thing not just lay down and die? How could anything be so durable as to withstand this much?
Suddenly, jaws clamped onto their skin, an identical set of three heads emerging from the sand walls. Lashing out with their own foot, they kicked the traitor in the gut, forcing them to back off slightly. Both dragons outstretched their wings, flaring up and cackling in intimidation.
This had been assured ever since the one who was many became separated.
Claws scraped down the belly of the leader, sending out a shower of sparks. They replied by stepping forward, whipping their heads against the necks of their foe. The aggressor attempted to bite down on the necks, but they retreated before the teeth could connect. The serpent born of the central head lashed out with their own jaws, only for their foe to bash them aside with the sweep of their wing.
The sand surrounding them was forced away as Magita stomped the ground, looming over the dueling dragons. She cared not for the fact that they were fighting each other, it just made things tremendously easier for her.
Rushing, she attempted to crush them beneath her elephantine feet. Craters formed in the sands as the pillars that supported her slammed down, the twin Ghidorahs barely avoiding being crushed as they temporarily ceased fire to run. This truce ended in a second, the leader twisting around on one wing to spring towards their other aspect.
The two rolled over each other, flailing and snapping, as Magita turned sand to glass with her emerald beams. Several of the rays fell upon the golden destroyers, but they ignored the burning pain.
Rising to their feet, the leader had a clear advantage in strength as they bashed their rebellious comrade against the ground twice before kicking them hard in the side. Even with the energy expended by the brief fight with Magita, the supercharged serpent still retained a significantly higher level of power.
The rebel’s tails wrapped around their foe’s leg, spikes digging into skin, before pulling towards themselves. Rising at the same time, they staggered their foe then clamped down with their jaws onto xanthic scale. Feeling their energy begin to drain, the leader was swift to bite down as well, absorbing power.
They both started flailing and striking, wings slapping against torsos and legs crashing into legs. It was a stalemate, one the supercharged dragon was slowly but surely winning.
But unlike the other two, the one born of the center head had retained some aspects of the separate personalities. So as five of the six heads were busying themselves with overcoming the opposition, the left head of the leader looked around to spot the third party still marching onwards.
The brain’s synapses fired, alerting the rest of the storm bringer of this development.
Magita swung her intact arm down, intent on spearing both enemies at once. The central Ghidorah leapt back, still gripping the rebel serpent. They staggered and nearly tripped, but the split-second plan succeeded when the aggressor was nearly impaled. A choked trio of screams left their maws as gore flowed from them, allowing the energy draining bite of the original to take full effect.
The chitinous mountain pulled her stained limb out, finding herself transfixed by the display. Her foes were also energy predators it seemed, though once more she found herself disgusted by them regardless. To devour one’s own kin just to gain more power, not even of desperation but just to overcome a foe that one could easily flee from, what did it serve? What did these things gain by continuing to oppose her? Her wings were burnt away, she could not pursue them through the air.
Wheezed, agonized curses fell from the lips of the withering Ghidorah, darkness eclipsing their vision. The fact that all was dimming despite the unholy blaze of light forming before them revealed that it was the void. Rage ferried them into the abyss in place of a companion, the last death knell carrying venom to kill a world.
Magita found herself stepping back as she nearly shut her eyes, so grandiose and intense was the glow of King Ghidorah now with the life essence of two of their “siblings” flowing through them.
Power. It was what they had craved, had idolized their whole life. Power was what defined what was worthwhile and what was not, to lack power was to lack meaning. They had thought they had it before, it was why the xanthic nightmare called themselves the dominant lifeform of existence. But this, what they currently had coursing through their veins, made their previous strength look like the embers of a dying flame before a volcanic eruption.
It hurt, a burning pain flowing through their body like magma in their bloodstream, but it was pleasant at the same time. This mortal body was not strong enough to contain what they had now, and it was the most glorious thing they had ever felt. Perhaps they could shed this coil of mortality and become something even grander?
Magita grew tired of her foe’s posturing, and blindly swung her arm down once more.
The appendage became dust in the wind when King Ghidorah retaliated with energy from their maws. It had been a short burst, but it had been the brightest thing Magita had ever seen. She could barely even comprehend what she was looking at, what this whole situation was.
The storm above had faded into what it was before one became three, but when King Ghidorah beat their wings to enter the air, it spasmed. Lightning bolts which tore open rock and glassed sand fell like spears from the heavens, randomly and often. Every surface crackled with static electricity as the winds raged, and sheets of rain fell and bounced lightning strands between them.
A scream erupted from the blotch of light racing towards Magita, before their maws and wings erupted with the energy of death and destruction. The arthropod could not even roar in anguish, any noise beyond a wheezing exhale would simply not come forth from her maw.
Her underbelly was shredded as vast gouts of steam began to pour forth, her ichor and organs being evaporated. If the beams were in any way focused on a specific spot she would have already perished, but fortunately for her they all waved madly.
The power erupting from their maws made it impossible for them to keep their necks straight, the serpentine limbs flailing. But this did not matter to King Ghidorah, all that mattered was the raw pleasure they felt from watching their divine power smite the first being to put them at death’s door. It was glorious, the most beautiful thing they had ever witnessed. Their other aspects would have agreed, surely would have had no issue with their sacrifice if they knew what it would have accomplished.
The membranes of their wings were incinerated, countless flakes flying off into the wind. This went unnoticed by either party. As Magita began to fall forth, her legs being lacerated past the point they could sustain her weight, the bones of Ghidorah’s wings began to glow somehow even brighter for a moment. Then they exploded, the power flowing through them too much for the thin parts to contain.
King Ghidorah fell, still unleashing their Gravity Bolts. A chaotic maelstrom of conflicting thoughts churned through the three minds in one, no conclusions being reached as they clawed over each other and forced one another into the slush of confusion.
Then the necks of the xanthic demon began to unravel, stray streaks of molten death erupting from the wounds and only making the damage to themselves worse. The body began to pulse and bulge, flesh bursting with steam and electricity.
The minds of King Ghidorah screamed a primal, reasonless bellow.
Magita was hurled into the air by the explosion which seemed to consume all, landing upon her back. Cracks coated her shell as boiling fluid poured from her front. A hissed moan left her jaws as she tried to cling to consciousness, knowing that she would not awaken if she passed out.
Alas, all the fear and agony in her system was not enough to stave off unconsciousness. Her heart tried to beat rapidly from the signals her terrified mind sent to it, but it simply lacked the energy, being reduced to a sluggish rhythm that barely supported life much less vibrance.
This universe was cruel, to all life no matter its size and power. That was the last thought she had before slipping, her body going limp as the exposed heart slowly beat on.
Death would have claimed her soon, had it not been for a hidden onlooker descending from the now clear skies. A colossal vessel, coated in what looked like the armor plating of an insect, a glowing light of crimson shining from its front.
“Capture that creature’s body and keep it from dying,” Came the commanding, baritone voice of an alien who stood upright on tentacles, his flesh scarlet.
“Yes sire!” His underlings replied, before racing to relay the orders and prepare numerous ships for the massive undertaking.
“Lord Karkaro, are you sure?” Asked another Cryog next to the emperor’s throne. “That thing may be too much for even our might to control, what if it attacks us?”
The imposing figure turned, his head framed by a sizable crest which denoted his royal status. “Do you doubt me?” When the underling shrank back and frantically nodded his head to deny the accusation, the emperor smiled darkly. “Why wouldn’t we want that creature? She contributed to the death of our planet’s killer after all.”
Winner:
Spoiler:
