As the four massive leaves slowly closed in around him, Godzilla's eyes betrayed no fear. Not even the slightest flicker of emotion crossed his face — only a chilling coldness.
"After sleeping nearly a thousand years… it seems your brains have rotted in your sleep."
"You think this will hold me?"
"You've truly underestimated me, you pathetic gnats."
Zzzzt…
The moment his words fell, his golden, deformed, vine-constricted body suddenly crackled with arcs of golden bio-electricity.
The instant that current flared, it resonated with the storm clouds above.
In the past, whether releasing lightning or absorbing it, he always spread his wings — but that was nothing more than a habit.
So long as his body contained bio-electromagnetism, he could summon lightning into himself at will.
And he was certain — no matter what kind of plant it was, nothing could withstand the wrath of thunder.
"Ha… this time, you've miscalculated!"
But just as the storm churned overhead and the dark clouds gathered, another voice cut into his ears.
Looking up, he saw the gray-haired man floating high in the air, speaking slowly:
"Storms can bring disaster… but they can also blow everything away."
At his words, a violent gale erupted. In an instant, the heavens cleared, the black storm clouds scattered, and the blue sky broke through.
The man smirked coldly.
"Now… let's see how you fight back."
"Bastard!"
Ghidorah cursed furiously. Truth be told, the situation had caught him off guard.
His body thrashed violently, but the thick vines held fast, unyielding, no matter how savagely he struggled.
"Ha ha ha…"
The two men laughed with satisfaction at his frantic struggle.
They knew this level of attack could restrain him at best — but kill him? Impossible.
Everyone knew: Ghidorah was an unkillable monster.
Even if a way existed, they certainly did not possess it.
Meeting each other's eyes, the two men exchanged a subtle, wordless signal.
The gray-haired man suddenly appeared above the increasingly bound Ghidorah and spoke:
"If we manage to keep you trapped… you know what the outcome would be."
"So, what do you say?"
"Why not strike a deal?"
Hearing this, Ghidorah ceased his struggle, looking up with faint curiosity.
"Oh? And what deal is that?"
"For example… we could let you go."
Seeing he had taken the bait, the gray-haired man smiled thinly, continuing, "But of course, something like this would offend certain parties, so…"
"Heh… you want immortality?"
Ghidorah, with all his ancient cunning, pierced straight through their intent. His cold laugh returned, eyes full of disdain.
"So it seems that even after a thousand years, the so-called Twenty Kings are far from united."
Back then, the Twenty Kings had been an unbreakable alliance — sharing glory and shame as one. Yet ever since that unknown figure had obtained immortality, each King had begun to nurse his own schemes.
And that, Ghidorah found amusing.
"Heh. United front or not… in the end, immortality is all that matters," the gray-haired man grinned.
His words did not surprise Ghidorah in the least.
The war of a millennium ago had begun for immortality. All the lofty banners and grand lies were nothing but excuses atop that single, ugly truth.
"Heh… at least you're honest…"
Ghidorah sneered, then after a pause, his golden eyes grew cold, a predatory light blazing within.
Seeing that look, Doraine's expression finally changed. He snapped angrily:
"Damn you! Would you rather be sealed away again than make a deal with me?"
"Sealed?"
"With this?"
"Or with your laughable power to scatter clouds with wind?"
"Even without the thunder of nature, I am still Ghidorah!"
ROOOAR!
With a deafening roar, his three heads rose high. The central head fixed its gaze on Doraine and growled:
"Though I have little taste for plants — in fact, I despise them — there is one among us who is far less picky."
At that, the left head suddenly snapped its massive jaws wide and bit down on the vines constricting his body.
Shhhhhh!
The moment its teeth sank in, the vines shriveled as if all moisture had been sucked away, withering to dry husks in an instant.
At the sight, the two men's eyes widened. Buried memories resurfaced — a long-buried terror.
On the battlefield long ago, this beast had devoured countless ability users.
That left head carried a mysterious fruit power — the power to consume all energy.
And now, half the island around them had been conjured by Kraem's ability… continuously feeding energy into the plants.
"This energy… hah, how nostalgic!"
With the left head endlessly devouring, the vines binding Ghidorah withered away. Yet he made no rush to break free.
Instead, he lifted his gaze toward the massive leaves closing in overhead, golden eyes alight with excitement.
Pure natural energy like this was not something he encountered often.
"Kraem, stop at once!"
Doraine's face paled as he barked the order.
"I-It's… already too late!"
Far off, Kraem's green-haired face was drenched in sweat. His hands, still pressed into the ground, were being sucked in place by a terrifying force.
Sensing his comrade's plight, Doraine dared not hesitate. Raising his hands like a sword, he slashed downward toward Ghidorah.
"Gale Sever!"
With a thunderous hum, a massive azure crescent, hundreds of meters long, materialized in the sky.
The blade of wind tore through the air, friction igniting it into crimson flame — an azure slash wreathed in fire hurtled down like a blazing sunset.
Ghidorah spread his wings with a violent crack, shredding the withered vines. His roar shattered the air, abruptly halting his feast on the plants.
ROOOAR!
RUMMMBLE!
At his thunderous cry, the scattered clouds rushed back together, lightning flashing and thunder booming across the heavens.
ZZZZT!
Three golden gravity beams lanced forth, converging as one to meet the descending slash.
The colossal attack gradually broke apart under the force of the beams. Explosive shockwaves blasted outward, fragments of fiery wind forming a raging storm of flame.
The tempest tore across the newly-born island forest. In an instant, lush greenery was shredded, trees obliterated, grasslands ripped up and hurled skyward.
BOOM!
A golden lightning bolt struck down from the heavens, slamming into Ghidorah's back.
VMMM!
ROOOAR!
The golden beams, already fierce, surged in power, swelling with renewed fury. Ghidorah's roar echoed with exhilaration — and with killing intent.
Steel-Bone Kong had escaped… but these two Kings would serve as repayment with interest.