Chapter 9
'Fuck...'
Dominic released a soft screech, still lying on the beach.
Doubt in his mind.
'I'm not going to fall apart at the start,' He thought, 'I won't turn into a used car or some junk. I'm not a piece of machinery,'
'I...won't...break.'
There was a ring in his hearing. His adorable appearance came to be this messed-up abomination.
'NO!' Dominic had realised his mistake, 'That's a massive red flag for anyone who will die!'
Even so, he couldn't help his panicked self.
'So what? This is far from a story with a beginning, middle and end,' There was a glint in his eye, 'I would sacrifice anything to become stronger.'
'If I had the behelit, who could I...'
In this world, there was no one he cared about.
'This isn't Berserk, idiot!'
Dominic shook his head, sand flying.
'No matter, I'd sacrifice myself then,' He thought, his mind deteriorating, 'My eyes, my antennae, my wings, my head, thorax, abdomen, hell, take my blood, take everything!'
'I'd do all of that to not be a failure,'
A wave splashed close. Dominic laughed.
'Look at me,' He turned, and walked to the other end of the beach, 'whimpering like a lost puppy. I'm better than that.'
Dominic looked at the ground in disappointment. Not the first time he ever did.
'What would my parents think of me?' He frowned, 'Probably try to sway the truth and soothe me with 'You can always try next time' or 'I'm still proud of you'.'
The beach hit its end.
He turned.
"Oh my word," Dominic muttered.
In the distance, he saw a formation of dark clouds.
'Whatever, I have rain to add to my failures,' His eyes widened, 'I'm still talking like I'm broken.'
Dominic shook his abdomen in frustration.
'That monologue was a massive red flag!' Dominic thought, 'Idiot,'
He decided to run through the little options he had.
'I have two weapons, but many weaknesses,' He looked at the ocean, 'No plot armour either, but a little luck,'
'Gojira looks cool like that,'
'Luck can't win against a giant lizard, what can I do?'
His gaze was straight.
Body? locked in place. The hairs on his skin stood on end. His heart nearly jumped out of his mouth. Dominic's wings battered the air with each vibration.
'What is that sound?' Slowly, he turned his head, 'I've heard this song before,'
The ground shook as Godzilla stomped, her reach of the shoreline grew smaller and smaller.
She grew bigger and bigger the closer she was.
Instinctually, Dominic tried to fly, but he couldn't move.
A weight, a towering mass of fear held him down, making any means of escape hopeless.
Dominic knew the only way out.
'S-Shit...' He thought, watching her body move effectively past the powerful waves, 'I must do this...'
'I'm afraid...but...'
After a moment, Dominic's wings flapped hard, finally taking him to the air.
'I...can prove...to myself...' He thought, eying the kaiju, 'that I'm not broken.'
With an exhale, Dominic flew forward.
His worries were right.
This was not a dream, but a nightmare.
A nightmare he had to conquer.
As he circled the Godzilla at a sizable distance, it let out its devastating roar.
Something that sent chills down Dominic even then.
"I have found you!" It was also Minus One, '"You cannot get away, moth,"
Dominic could've, but if he did, this kaiju would just find him over and over.
It was a cycle he needed to break.
Yet, he didn't attack as she spoke.
Perhaps his mind had other plans.
"I see," Minus One laughed, watching him circle her, "you're just like that creature, back on that island,"
THUMP!
"But, I have been thinking,"
THUMP!
Dominic's heart stopped as the plates on her tail jacked up.
THUMP!
"All this time..."
THUMP!
Should Dominic try and attack?
THUMP!
"That name,"
THUMP!
Perhaps her aim will be thrown off?
THUMP!
"Gives me meaning,"
THUMP!
"One way or another,"
THUMP!
THUMP!
THUMP!
As the dorsal plates jacked up with a blue glow, Minus One began to inhale, her mouth blue.
THUMP!
THUMP!
CRACK!
Two beams crashed into her hard skin. Nothing changed.
CLICK!
At the climax, her dorsal plates shoved into her back all at once, and Minus One moved forward, her mouth locking open.
The beam flew in a singular pathway.
Right past Dominic.
Past the clouds and vanished into the atmosphere.
The waves splashed around Minus One as she kept her angered gaze on Dominic.
Dominic stared elsewhere.
Her jaw.
Gone.
'Shit,' His eyes widened, as it fell into the sea, 'mmm...'
Minus One was injured. As she regenerated, Dominic saw a strategy.
His heart jumped.
It was something he could do.
"...t...ha..." Minus One attempted to talk, but her mouth didn't fully form.
"That doesn't hurt a lot, not anymore," A few seconds later, she could.
"Although, I-"
A powerful wind battered her hardened skin, the waves were shoved away. Minus One stood.
'Why did I do that!?' Dominic screeched at himself, still shaky from the blast, 'Whatever,'
"Although..." He heard her continue, her tail breaching the water, "...I will not kill you,"
'What?' Dominic was caught off guard when he heard this.
THUMP!
"That'll be too easy,"
THUMP!
THUMP!
Dominic waited as once again, her plates shot out until she inhaled.
CRACK!
Another pair of beams thundered down at Minus One.
CLICK!
She fired.
Inches away from Dominic.
He could feel the air still radiating with heat as he flew.
And his exoskeleton nearly jumped off him.
'I can survive.'
He took a long look at his enemy.
Minus One was slashed with scars, the flesh on her face exposed to the salty air.
"Y...Y..." It took some time for the healing, "You're good,"
THUMP!
"This time's different,"
THUMP!
For as long as this battle went, Dominic had the advantage.
THUMP!
Such a neat way to combat her beam.
THUMP!
'This time...' His skin hair stood on end.
THUMP!
'I must...'
THUMP!
THUMP!
THUMP!
CLICK!
CRACK!
Like before, Minus One shrugged off the attack and made sure she inhaled.
The release was potent.
Right into nothing but sky.
With her face burnt off and flesh exposed, Minus One watched Dominic revolve around her.
In the opposite direction.
'Fuck... I can't do much but only mess up her aim.'
For as long as the battle went on, Dominic had the advantage.
Yet, there was really nothing he could do.
Anguirus was too far away. Minus One would have a clear shot on Dominic.
'Her defence is too strong, she's unbeatable-' He groaned, 'don't say that!'
This time, he watched as Minus One's regeneration went to work. Her body was the worst he had seen it in.
'I can win this!'
"He...H...eh"
As Dominic circled Minus One as the moon does to the Earth, he noticed her laughter.
It came from a messed up and damaged mouth.
"Heh...Heh...Heh..."
Minus One glared at Dominic. Not in anger. But in a way described by a single word:
'Checkmate,'
That's what he thought as she kept that gaze, raising her tail.
THUMP!
'What was that?'
THUMP!
'A plan?'
THUMP!
As each plate jumped, Dominic's thorax twisted with worry and tension.
THUMP!
He was curious. Too curious. Yet fear kept Dominic back, flying around Minus One.
THUMP!
'I must not be a coward,'
THUMP!
'I don't want to be...'
THUMP!
'...Broken.'
THUMP!
THUMP!
THUMP!
In her repetitive nature, Minus One inhaled and brought her head back, readying her atomic breath.
Dominic prepared himself.
CRACK!
The beams tattered her skin lightly, however, this opened a window for Dominic to dodge.
CLICK!
His moth body tensed up, surely to dodge the beam.
'What...'
Minus One threw her head forward.
Until her mouth was in line with the sea in front of her.
Dominic was flying over the sand at that point.
Close. Too close.
He could only screech as Minus One unleashed her nuke.