Match 212: Daigoro vs. King Kong (Showa)

Match 212: Daigoro vs. King Kong (Showa) is the 212th Match of the KWC and is written by Connor Clennell.

## Story

Darkness looked over the streets of New York City. The streets should have been alive with bustling cars and people, illuminated by the vibrant glow of sleepless residents and the advertisement of shows promising performances of beauty and splendor.

Tonight, however, the city was silent.

Rows of towering skyscrapers stood tall over the empty streets, devoid of life and light. The entire population of the Big Apple evacuated in preparation for was to come. The only source of illumination came from mounted spotlights that cut through the dark, scanning for an unseen target. The streets rumbled as lines of tanks and armored jeeps rolled into position, ready to intercept their chosen quarry. Yet as the cavalcade came to a stop, the ground continued to shake. Atop each vehicle, a lone soldier tightly gripped the handle of a machine gun, numb with fear. A shout came from one of the rooftops. Their target had shown themselves.

Beams of light swung into position to illuminate a massive beast coated from head to toe in fur almost as dark as the night sky. Its body rippled as powerful muscles clenched, allowing movement of its four bulky limbs. Held in the beast’s clutches, a young blonde woman stared, transfixed on the sight of her awesome captor. The creature’s human-like eyes observed the group of vehicles below, awaiting their intentions. With a single order from their commanding officer, the military forces began their attack.

The guns atop each vehicle sprayed hot lead as their operator squeezed the trigger. Tank shells blazed out of their barrels, coating the beast’s chest with bursts of flames and black smoke.

Such inferior weaponry was hopeless in trying to deter the might of King Kong.

The ape’s mouth opened, yielding a roar that boomed like thunder. Despite the onslaught barraging him, he continued his advance. The tanks and jeeps pressed on with their attack, despite knowing full well they could not stop Kong. One of the rooftop scouts took note of the massive ape’s hostage and reported it back to command. Moments later, the ground troops received the order to cease fire, lest they harm Kong’s female prize. Kong, however, did not appreciate their mercy.

The massive ape swung his free arm out and dragged it across the top of the nearest skyscraper. The soldiers on top cried out in terror moments before their fragile bodies were crushed by Kong’s massive arm. The roof of the building was demolished, raining down huge slabs of concrete rubble onto the vehicles below. Numerous tanks and jeeps found themselves buried alive under tons of debris. Their unprotected passengers riding atop died instantly. The rest of the battalion began their retreat, recognizing Kong’s intentions. They were lucky the giant ape allowed them to escape his fury.

Now unopposed, Kong continued his march, crushing concrete debris and trapped tanks and jeeps beneath his mammoth feet. Within minutes, he had arrived at his destination. Kong craned his neck up, trying to spot the summit of the colossal structure. But not even he could locate the top of the Empire State Building through the cloud cover. That only made it more appealing to the great ape. A king deserved the highest point from which to rule, and look down upon his kingdom and subjects. And he was the mightiest king of all. He reached out to grasp the skyscraper’s exterior...

...And was stopped by another gigantic fist.

Kong’s eyes widened in surprise. He rotated his head to face the one who would deny him his throne and was met with another fist that socked him in the face. Kong fell backward, annihilating the street beneath him. His face ached and his vision was blurred, but the King of Faro Island would not allow this attack to go unpunished. He quickly pulled himself up, locking eyes with the strange creature before him. Its earth-colored body was round and bloated, its flesh mammalian like his. Its arms were bumpy, segmented into sections, and ended in a pair of gargantuan fists that rivalled Kong’s own. Its legs were built the same way, but bulged with strong muscles. Three pairs of whiskers poked out of its hippopotamus-like visage. A set of tiny ears adorned its head. In Kong’s eyes, the beast looked absolutely ridiculous. Yet its eyes shone with an intelligence much like his own, and burned with a fierce determination.

Long ago, this creature had been lost and alone, saved only by the kindness of humans. Despite his clumsiness and child-like personality, he fought hard and well when the time came. With intense training, and the assistance of those who believed in him, he had beaten the mighty Goliath. But time had passed since then, and he now found himself alone once more. Desperate, he searched of those in need, to defend them from the less-friendlier inhabitants of this world. But humans no longer appreciated his kindness. In their eyes, he was just the same as the other monsters. But he did not give up hope. He continued on his quest, hoping to prove himself as a hero once more.

After decades of searching, Daigoro had found his calling once more.

Kong’s eyebrows lowered and his upper lip curled up in aggression, exposing his human-like teeth. He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles making ‘cracking’ noises as their joints loosened – then realized something was missing. He raised his hands and unclenched them, finding them empty of his prize. Kong scoured the streets for the woman he was prepared to risk his life for. Then he looked up, and growled in fury when he saw her in Daigoro’s grasp. The bumpy beast gently lowered her onto the roof of a nearby skyscraper, making sure she would be spared from the coming conflict. He turned to face Kong, his eyes narrowing. He did not know what the ape’s intentions for her were, but he would not let any harm come to her or allow Kong to wreak havoc on the city.

Daigoro expelled a furious roar, raising his arms and waving them wildly. Kong was not impressed by the creature’s attempts to intimidate him and raised his own arms, pounding his burly fists against his muscular chest. As Daigoro cried out in challenge, Kong released his own booming cry. The deafening cries of both titans echoed across the city, letting those still present know what was about to transpire.

Both realized neither was going to be intimidated by the other. A conflict was inevitable.

The two behemoths broke into a spirit toward each other. The ground quaked underneath their combined titanic weight. With each step, tarmac and concrete was dislodged from the streets and rose above their ankles, only for gravity to drag it back down to the earth. King Kong and Daigoro slammed into each other hard. The entire city block trembled under their impact, shattering thousands of windows and setting off car alarms. Both beasts grappled with one another, pushing and pulling to try and force each other to the ground. They smashed into the sides of skyscrapers during their struggle, leaving ape and hippo-shaped imprints imbedded into them. Daigoro finally broke off the stalemate with a mighty shove, sending Kong staggering back. He charged forward, bashing the mighty gorilla with his bloated belly. Kong was sent crashing to the ground, roaring and flailing his limbs in fury. As Daigoro raised his foot to kick the downed ape, Kong lashed out with his own, striking the tubby monster in his shin. Daigoro staggered back as hot pain surged through his leg and reached down to nurse his injury with his massive hands.

Quickly rising to his feet, Kong approached the distracted Daigoro. He pulled his right arm back, then thrust it forward into the younger monster’s face. Daigoro stumbled back, clutching his throbbing nose. Unrelenting, Kong ploughed his other fist into the tubby monster’s gut. Daigoro squealed in pain, but was quick to recover, sandwiching Kong’s head between his fists. Dazed by the blow, Kong was slow to react as Daigoro slammed his gigantic fists against the great ape’s chest with amazing speed and strength. Daigoro’s fists were like a blur as they crashed into Kong again and again. Kong roared painfully with each strike. Before Daigoro could shatter his ribcage, Kong grabbed his arm and pulled him up. With his Herculean strength, he tossed his foe over his shoulder. The plush beast smashed into the nearest skyscraper, obliterating the towering structure. Daigoro pounded his fists against the ground in a rage and rose to face Kong again. The mighty gorilla was already waiting, and slammed his fist into Daigoro’s ugly mug, sending him reeling.

Kong lunged forward, making use of every second at his disposal. With one hand, he pulled Daigoro close and wrapped his free, brawny arm around his neck. The ape sneered as he tightened his grip around Daigoro’s neck, cruelly suffocating them. His other head repeatedly pounded Daigoro’s oversized skull with the intent of hastening the hippo beast’s demise. Daigoro thrashed about in Kong’s grasp, fighting to free himself before he succumbed to asphyxiation. Kong’s clubbing blows eventually began to take their toll, and the tubby monster’s movements began to lessen. Kong curled his upper lip up to sneer mockingly at Daigoro as the young monster’s vision slowly became a blur.

At the last possible second Daigoro brought his foot up and slammed it down onto Kong’s own. Howling a terrible cry, the stricken ape released Daigoro, letting the bumpy monster fall to the ground. Daigoro let out a wheezing noise with each breath as he tried to suck air down his bruised throat. Kong, meanwhile, lifted his sore foot up and clutched it in his hands. He hopped around on his uninjured sole, seething with anger at such a dirty trick. Daigoro managed to pull himself to his feet as Kong lowered his foot to the ground. Their eyes met, and then they charged, colliding with each other with staggering force. Their gargantuan fists crashed into each other sides as they sought to shatter their opponent’s ribs.

At that moment, military reinforcements arrived on the scene. A new platoon of tanks and mobile missile launchers screeched to a halt and targeted the two warm-blooded mammals. Caught up in their battle, Kong and Daigoro failed to notice the tanks raise their barrels and the missile launchers raise their batteries to aim at them. Shells and missiles struck their mammalian flesh and detonated, bathing them in explosions. A pair of missiles rushed out of their holding pins and exploded between the two goliath’s faces. The giant ape and hippo forgot about their conflict, separating and clutching their burning faces, hollering in pain. Daigoro was quickest to recover and gazed down upon the military masses. He sympathized with them, understanding their fear of him. He had been born into a time where most of Earth’s monsters could be considered allies of humanity. But over the years those monsters had disappeared, perished, or returned to their destructive ways. Today, people only saw his kind as harbingers of destruction, intent on demolishing everything they loved. Daigoro wished to prove them wrong. But it would take more than defeating Kong for him to win their affection.

Several apache helicopters descended into view, their on-board computers targeting Daigoro and Kong’s warm-blooded forms. Dozens of missiles left their holding pins and rocketed toward the two goliaths, detonating on contact and leaving black stains across their skin. A violent grow was emitted from Kong’s throat as the ape god charged the airborne squadron. Realizing the futility of their attack, the helicopters made their ascent. One, however, was not fast enough.

Kong’s mammoth hand reached out and grasped the helicopter. Its rotating blades crumpled like tin foil and stopped spinning. Kong raised his arm above his head. Before he could hurl the aircraft to the ground, Daigoro leapt in. His hands wrapped around Kong’s burly arm and pushed back, preventing the great ape from annihilating the helicopter and its occupants. Kong grunted negatively and tried with his free hand to knock Daigoro away. Daigoro, however, would not relent, and released the grip of his right hand to allow him to jab Kong in his unguarded throat. The gorilla fell back, choking, and surrendered his grip on the helicopter. Daigoro relinquished his hold and stuck out his open palm, catching the falling aircraft. He gently placed the damaged helicopter on top of a nearby skyscraper out of the way.

With a thundering feral cry, Kong leapt onto Daigoro’s back. The tubby monster cried out in surprise as he struggled to support Kong’s weight. He realized he could not be allowed to be pinned under the ape or he would never rise again. Instead, he allowed himself to fall backward and pinned Kong between himself and the road. Kong roared in rage and pain as Daigoro’s 8,000 ton weight came down atop him, pressing him against the tarmac. Daigoro rolled off the massive ape and stood to his full height, then brought his foot down on Kong’s head. He repeatedly stomped and grinded his heel, determined to make the ape’s head one with the tarmac. Kong couldn’t take much more, but the relentless assault prevented him of forming a solution.

Eventually, Daigoro began to tire. He lacked the energy to continue going. Kong noticed the pause in his enemy’s assault and took full advantage of this small window of opportunity. Using both hands, he grabbed Daigoro’s attacking foot and pulled him to the ground. Daigoro cried out as he hit the street with a breath-taking crash and rolled down the street. He quickly pulled himself to his feet, while the still stunned Kong struggled to rise. Already his highly intelligent mind was devising a strategy to finish off the godlike ape. His gaze met the site of Kong’s first contact with the military. Rescue teams moved aside rubble to free their trapped colleagues from their would-be metal tombs. Daigoro moved over to the mess of concrete and metal, searching for the ideal tool. Soldiers scattered as he reached down toward them, but they were not the giant’s target. Instead, Daigoro pulled out an abandoned tank from the debris. Behind him, Kong finally stood on his own two feet. He beat his fists against his chest, roaring furiously, then brought them down onto the ground. Debris dispersed from the impact site in all directions. The God of Faro Island peered up, and Daigoro’s tank made contact with his face, exploding into a plume of flames.

King Kong howled into the night and clutched his burning face. With Kong distracted, Daigoro dashed toward him. He leapt into the air, bringing both feet to bear, and slammed them into Kong’s chest. Kong could not stay standing from such an attack and flew backward. His falling mass flattened a small skyscraper.

Daigoro rose back up. Kong’s prone form was obscured by a heavy cloud of dust. No sound came, except for the settling of rubble. No movement came, asides from several crumbling slabs of concrete. Daigoro nodded approvingly. King Kong had been dealt with.

Further down the street, Kong’s blonde captive had been watching the battle unfold. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Kong vanish under the rubble. Then, she realized Daigoro was making his way toward her. Daigoro peered down at her, making sure she was unharmed. Then, he extended his arm to pick her up. He flinched as the woman let out a terrified yelp and crawled away. Daigoro retracted his arm, failing to understand what he had done wrong. He’d saved her, saved the entire city from Kong’s rampage. Why could she not see that? He tentatively extended his arm again and reached out toward her, trying not to seem as threatening as possible. Again, she crawled away, her breath heavy as fear engulfed her. Despite possessing an almost human-like intelligence, Daigoro could not understand her fear of him. Was he missing something here?

A large chunk of concrete slammed into the back of Daigoro’s head and crumbled into thousands of pieces. Daigoro fell forward onto the skyscraper, nearly crushing the terrified woman. He regained his composure and spun around to face the attacker. The recovered Kong beat his chest in a frenzy. He bent down and picked up two tanks out of the rubble. Kong hurled them at Daigoro’s face with great strength and precision. But they never met their intended target. Instead, Daigoro raised his arms in an x-shape to catch the incoming projectiles. Both vehicles struck his bumpy arms and exploded. Flames briefly licked at Daigoro’s arms as the wreckage of the tanks fell to the ground. Daigoro lowered his arms as the fires died away and scowled at Kong. This time, he’d make sure the gorilla was dead. He charged forward to engage the ape in close quarters, sparing the woman from the conflict. Daigoro, despite his oversized belly, was agile enough to duck under Kong’s swinging fist. But now even he could avoid the ape’s other fist as it came smashing into his face.

Daigoro was thrown backward, ploughing through a skyscraper and destroying it in a second. Another skyscraper met its end at Daigoro’s flying mass. A third skyscraper finally stopped the plush monster in his path, and he came to rest, unconscious, in its remains.

Kong let out a grunt of satisfaction at Daigoro’s unmoving form. Like him, however, he did not bother to check if the monster still lived. Kong had a far more important quest at hand. The military watched with baited breath as he picked up his blonde prize. For a brief moment, their eyes stared in each other’s. Kong did not know why he was so easily captivated by the beauty of human women. Perhaps, as the last of his kind, he merely sought female companionship. Whatever the reason, he was prepared to give up everything for her. Kong brushed these thoughts aside as the military forces renewed their assault. He brought the hand holding her close to his chest to protect her and turned to face the gathered vehicles. With his free hand, he beat his chest with vigor, as he unleashed an enraged roar. He stopped pounding his chest to pick up a huge chunk of concrete, then hurled it at the congregation of tanks. Several vehicles were crushed and thrown aside as the slab skidded across the man-made street before coming to a stop. Kong used this distraction to sprint away, toward the Empire State Building.

He stopped at its base and studied its structure, determining if it was suitable to climb. He reached up, burying his fingers into its side. Steel, glass, and granite crumpled like paper in his grasp. Satisfied with his findings, King Kong began his ascent. Shells, bullets, and missiles assaulted Kong’s rapidly ascending form. The great ape was ignorant to this offensive and continued his climb undeterred. The squadron of attack helicopters was redeployed, spraying Kong’s hairy back with lead and explosions. Kong merely released a small grunt at the pain. He was determined to reach the top of the Empire State Building. He’d come so far. He wasn’t going to give up so easily. Higher and higher he climbed, out of the range of the ground troops. The air forces were able to continue their attack for a few more minutes, until the gargantuan ape eventually ascended too high for them to follow. Those in command were infuriated at the ape’s tactics, and decided to call in the Air Force.

Meters away, in the streets below, Daigoro returned to consciousness. He managed to sit up, groaning softly as he tried to clear his head. The military forces that had gathered backed away as the giant bumpy beast got up. Daigoro stared down at them, and they stared right back. An eternity seemed to pass as the soldiers kept their gaze locked with Daigoro’s, both sides waiting for the other to make their move. It was Daigoro who broke off this tense staring contest, scouring the city in search of King Kong. As he saw the imprints left in the side of the Empire State Building, Daigoro knew where the ape had gone, and started toward the structure. Dozens of military vehicles barred his path to the building. Daigoro carefully maneuvered through them, making sure not to step on any of them. Drivers moved their vehicles out of the way as his feet came down, unintentionally clearing a path for him. Seeing as the plush monster was making no move to attack them, military command ordered the troops to clear a path for him. Daigoro came to a halt as the vehicles moved out of his way, looking from side to side to keep an eye on the retreating forces. After a moment of waiting, Daigoro realized they weren’t going to attack. They were clearing the way for him. The young monster nodded in thanks, and resumed his march.

Daigoro reared his head back to try and spot the building’s summit, and Kong too, but was unable to see past its foggy barrier. Kong was a much better climber than he was, and had probably already made it to the top. Daigoro hesitated, refusing to climb and give chase. He had a fear of heights, and his bulky hands and extended belly made him unsuited for climbing. If he fell, he may not survive the drop. But Daigoro clenched his fists, his eyes burning with passion as they narrowed. There was no time to focus on his fears. A human life was in danger, and only he could save her. Daigoro wanted to be a hero, and a hero always put the people before themselves. He grabbed onto the building, using the imprints Kong had left as hand and footholds, and slowly began to climb.

The wind blew fiercely against Kong’s face as he reached the top, parting the fur of his face and head to reveal the tan flesh underneath. Gently, he placed his prize inside an open window of the observatory. Then, he reared up to his full height. His hand grabbed the antenna, supporting himself, as he looked over the city below. To an already huge creature like Kong, the buildings below had never looked smaller. Under different circumstances, he would have seen the city actually alive, lit up like a Christmas tree, and called it beautiful. Instead, all he saw was a land shrouded in shadows. In the distance, the Sun began its rise over the horizon, casting its orange-red glow and warmth over the ocean’s surface. Kong has seen this phenomenon many times, back on Faro Island, from his mountain lair. Yet, from his new ‘throne’ overlooking the city, it seemed to be more beautiful than ever. For a moment, Kong was at peace, and then, it was shattered. An unfamiliar sound assaulted Kong’s ears, and the massive ape turned to face the source as it grew louder. Several fighter jets zoomed in, ready for combat.

Kong threw his arms into the air and shook them around without care or reason, as he simultaneously released a deafening cry of challenge. The jets wasted no time in accepting. The pilot squeezed their triggers, blasting the gorilla’s hide full of bullets. Small fountains of blood erupted all across Kong’s form. With a press of a button, three of the jets jettisoned their missiles. They struck Kong hard, the giant ape roaring in pain and rage as he fought to keep his balance, fire and smoke rising upward. With his highly developed brain, Kong correctly deduced the jets were circling back around. He roared again as he pounded his fists against his chest. Once again, blood and explosions bathed his chest as the jets unleashed their arsenals. This time, Kong was prepared, and swung his massive forearm out. One of the jets, foolishly flying into the ape’s range, crumbled like a toy as Kong’s fist smashed into it. It fell like a rock to the ground below. The jets came by again for another attempt, bringing with them more pain for the giant gorilla. Amidst the carnage, Kong thrust out his hand, catching a jet mid-flight. Not wishing to be crushed, the pilot ejected from the cockpit and activated the parachute in his chair. Now Kong had a weapon to use. The jets maneuvered themselves for another assault. Kong tossed his jet at the group as they approached. It collided with another, destroying both aircraft in a ball of fire.

As Kong battled with his aerial foes, he became aware that the structure he stood on was shaking. The sound of granite and glass being crushed reached his ears. Meters below the Empire State Building’s peak, Daigoro scaled its side as fast as he could. He dared not look down for fear of losing his grip. Above him, Kong’s furious roar echoed down. The ape had spotted him. But Daigoro was not deterred and continued his ascent, increasing his rate of climb. Kong watched him grow closer, already thinking of kicking the bloated creature off of his tower. His attention was drawn away as more missiles struck his exposed back. He reached out to grab a passing jet, missing by mere inches. Daigoro’s hand suddenly wrapped around his ankle, catching Kong by surprise, and tugged. Kong grabbed the antenna in an attempt to impede Daigoro’s efforts. It groaned in protest and began to bend, a concept it was not designed to withstand, as Daigoro pulled Kong nearer and nearer to the edge of the building. When the Empire State Building had been constructed, it had not been designed to hold the weight of a large monster, let alone two. Granite split open and steel frames buckled as the rooftop slowly came apart underneath Kong’s feet. But it was not the ape’s titanic weight that triggered the collapse.

Nobody knew why the missiles from one of the jets missed its target. Perhaps there was a last-second miscalculation in the targeting system. Perhaps it had never been on in the first place. Or maybe the pilot had seen the collapsing rooftop and taken advantage of the situation. Nevertheless, the missiles buried themselves into the side of the most famous landmark in New York and burst into powerful balls of flame. Kong and Daigoro simultaneously cried out in surprise as the rooftop was blasted away, and the two began plummeting to the ground far, far below. In mid-air, Daigoro grabbed hold of Kong’s furry body and pulled him closer, putting the ape between himself and the street, in the hopes of softening his own landing. Kong thrashed around in desperation to try and break out of Daigoro’s grip. A flash of yellow color out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Meters away, his blonde companion was falling alongside them. She did not move or made a sound, her eyes closed shut. Kong struggled valiantly and finally managed to break free of Daigoro’s grasp. With one hand, he grabbed hold of the hippo beast’s throat. With the other, he reached out and grasped the woman, pulling her close. Just before they were destined to meet the ground, Kong managed to twist himself and Daigoro around to put the bumpy beast beneath him.

The impact shook almost the entire city. Tons of tarmac, granite, concrete and other debris lost their connection to the earth, and rose into the air, spreading in all directions. Nearby buildings could not stay intact as the tremor spread throughout the air, and became nothing more than piles of rubble. A dense haze of dust rose in the air, reaching up to almost a third of the Empire State Building’s height. Amid the cloud, soldiers struggled to come to their senses and aid their injured comrades. At the point of impact, a mountain of granite towered over the surrounding structures. Neither creature could be located.

For a moment, there was silence; peace, even. And then, the rubble stirred. A burly, tan-colored hand emerged out of the mountain. It began brushing aside the rubble in order to free its owner. When enough debris had been removed, the owner of the hand revealed themselves to the world. Rubble and dust were spilt in all directions as King Kong pulled his dust-stained, hairy form out of his would-be tomb. He groaned painfully and tumbled down the mountain of debris. People and vehicles scattered as he came crashing down into the streets, breathing heavily. The battle with Daigoro had finally taken its toll on the great ape. Kong desperately sought the strength to rise, but he had none left. Kong’s hand pawed the street, uprooting the asphalt road and exposing underground power cables. His colossal fingers caught them as he clawed the ground again, and he pulled his hand back, ripping the cables in half, exposing his hand to the electrical power contained within. Kong lifted himself up as the power coursed through his arm and through the rest of his body, feeling the voltage recuperate his godlike strength. But it was not enough to restore him to his full potential. He craved more. Kong let out a grunt of dissatisfaction as the massive gorilla made his way deeper into the labyrinth of New York’s streets, seeking the source of the power that flowed underneath his feet.

Mere meters behind the beast, the rubble from which he had emerged from shifted again. The side of the mountain burst open, granting Daigoro the freedom he so desperately needed. He crashed to the ground and lay there, inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide loudly. His body was spotted with small cuts and ugly bruises, courtesy of both Kong and the fall. His clenched left hand fell to the pavement and unfurled its fingers, revealing the prize within: Kong’s beautiful captive. Armed soldiers carefully removed her from Daigoro’s palm, cautious as to what the plush beast would do next. Daigoro regarded her sleeping figure with relief that she would now be spared from the conflict. With what little strength remained, he rose up from the streets and onto his feet. He concentrated on Kong’s limping form. He tightened his fists, snorted in anger, and made his way toward Kong. He would finish this.

Kong grunted and winched in pain with each step he took. His target stood mere meters away: an abandoned power station, still surging with electricity. As he drew nearer and nearer, he became aware of thunderous footsteps behind him, gradually coming closer and closer. Kong was so close to the station he could reach out and touch it when Daigoro performed a flying kick and struck Kong square in the back. The strike knocked Kong into the power station, flattening the complex and severing power cables. They entwined Kong’s mammoth form, releasing their electrical prowess into the gorilla’s flesh. Daigoro watched on with a triumphant expression adorning his face, expecting the ape’s demise. He had no way of knowing what would happen next.

King Kong surprised Daigoro by rising from the rubble. A powerful roar left his throat and shook the nearby buildings. He flexed his arms, severing the cables that entrapped them. Millions of volts of electricity surged through his veins, augmenting his strength. Daigoro’s eyes widened in surprise and horror at these events. Instead of killing Kong, the electricity had returned the ape to his prime. The Eight Wonder of the World beat his hands against his chest, each strike causing electricity to crackle across his chest. He dashed forward, smashing his fist into Daigoro’s jaw. The hippopotamus-like beast shot back, flailing his arms and spitting blood. Daigoro moaned in pain. It wasn’t just the ape’s strength to contend with now. Daigoro could still feel the sting of electricity on his face. Kong advanced, driving his fists into Daigoro’s rib cage. Daigoro hit the ground with a might crash.

The impact kicked up a cloud of dust, hiding Daigoro from sight. But that alone could not hope to save him from an enraged and empowered King Kong. The godlike ape assaulted the younger monster with strikes laced with electricity, zapping his flesh and draining him of his strength. Daigoro battered the living god with his massive hands, only to receive more shocks each time he made contact with Kong’s skin. With both hands, Kong grasped Daigoro’s throat, lifting him up. Daigoro’s flesh unwillingly conducted Kong’s searing electrical prowess. With his augmented strength, Kong tossed the bumpy beast over his shoulder. The air was forced from Daigoro’s lungs when he hit the ground, leaving an impression of himself embedded there for many years to come. Kong cruelly mocked Daigoro with laughter as he moved closer.

Suddenly, several cannon blasts and missiles exploded against the ape’s torso. Kong, hardly fazed by the blasts, looked down to see a number of tanks, jeeps and missile launchers move into position to block his path. Daigoro was more than willing to risk his life to save their city. They were equally willing to risk theirs to save his. Kong mocked their efforts by releasing a roar of pure rage and raised his forearms to smash the masses to scrap. But Daigoro prevented this by rushing in and grabbing the gorilla’s forearms and pushing against him with all his strength. He tried not to scream as bolts of electricity coursed through his arms and fried the outer layer of skin to a crisp. Kong growled and kicked at the younger monster in order to force him to relent. Electrical shocks shot through Daigoro’s stomach, legs and groin each time the mighty ape’s foot planted itself on him. Yet still he chose to defy Kong. This was unacceptable in Kong’s eyes. He ripped his arms free of the bumpy beast’s grip. Daigoro never saw the ape’s fists slam into his chest, they moved so fast. He landed roughly, coughing up blood, and clutched his bruised chest. It hurt to breathe. Kong must have broken a rib or two. Despite all the punishment he had taken, he managed to stand and face Kong. He would not submit to the so-called ‘King of the Apes’. All around him soldiers cheered him on, motivating him to keep fighting. Kong would not allow this, and charged forward.

Daigoro gathered his remaining strength in order to perform his next feat. He flared his nostrils, taking in a deep breath. Then, he opened his mouth and belched forth a stream of scorching flames. Kong howled out as the flames made contact with his face. He collapsed to the ground and rolled away, patting out his flaming fur. Daigoro was on him in a flash, driving his foot into his gut and sending him rolling further away. The plush monster ran up to pummel Kong further. He didn’t expect Kong to be ready for him, though, as the King of Faro Island rolled onto his back and swung his fist into Daigoro’s side, toppling the young beast. Both mammal kaiju got up at the same moment and were instantly upon each other. Daigoro struggled to do any lasting damage to Kong’s superior form. His powerful fists rained down on Kong, conducting electricity each time. Kong grasped Daigoro’s sides, allowing electricity to fry the hippo beast’s flesh. Before Kong could inflict too much damage, Daigoro thrust his forehead into Kong’s. The giant ape released his grip and staggered back. Thinking and acting quickly, Daigoro reached down and grabbed hold of one of Kong’s legs. With quick reflexes, he yanked the leg off the ground with one hand, before slamming his other hand down into his kneecap.

An audible crack filled the air. Kong fell back, roaring in unimaginable pain, clutching his broken kneecap. Daigoro studied the ape, considering what to do next. In the distance, the rising Sun reflected off the ocean’s surface, making it seem as if they were sparkling. This phenomenon caught Daigoro’s eye. Water conducted electricity. Perhaps the waters of the Atlantic held the key to victory. Before him, Kong was beginning to rise, supporting himself on his hands and remaining leg. Daigoro broke into a sprint, hoping to lure Kong toward the bay. Kong watched the tan-colored beast retreat. Normally he would have allowed his foe retreat. But not anymore. Despite his broken leg, Kong was still fast enough to give chase after Daigoro. Before Daigoro could reach the coastline, Kong tackled him to the ground. He pushed the bumpy beast onto his back and wrapped his hands around the hippo monster’s throat, choking and electrocuting him simultaneously. Daigoro struggled under his physically superior foe as the life was slowly drained out of him. Pointing his head upward, he spat out a sheet of flames into Kong’s face. The godlike beast cried out but did not relinquish his hold, instead tightening his hold on the tan monster’s throat. Daigoro kept up his stream of fire, but found it getting harder and harder to do so as Kong slowly cut off his oxygen. Kong squeezed tighter, constricting Daigoro’s throat further, the flames within beginning to burn and sear the plush beast’s own esophagus. With his throat closing up, electricity zapping the outside, and flames burning the inside, Daigoro was losing the battle to stay conscious. His flames began to lessen, as darkness overtook his vision…

Suddenly, the pressure on his throat was gone! Daigoro quickly cut off his flames and greedily gulped down air. When his vision returned, Kong was nowhere to be seen. Daigoro slowly sat up, confused. A black shaggy mass next to him caught his attention. He quickly scrambled to his feet and took up a battle stance, but Kong did not get up. The scent of burnt flesh filled Daigoro’s nostrils. Fighting the urge to vomit, the young monster gently nudged Kong. He did not respond. Daigoro kicked the ape over, revealing the extent of his flame breath. Kong’s face was unrecognizable, a nightmarish mixture of blackened bone and strings of flesh. Smoke gently wafted out of the ape’s open maw. Daigoro’s flames had roasted Kong’s lungs inside his own body.

Daigoro roared into the dawn sky, raising his arms into the air before drumming them against his chest. The military forces regarded the savior of New York City with mixed opinions. Many cheered, throwing their helmets into the air and embracing their fellow men, celebrating Kong’s demise and Daigoro’s victory. Other kept their weapons trained on Daigoro, unsure on what he would do next. And miles away, watching this events from a portable television, a tired blonde woman wept into her hands over the loss of her champion.