Faith and Monsters

A burst of fire erupted across the glowing Shinjuku skyline as the God of Swords made his way to the top of a towering skyscraper to assess the dire situation. They were clearly outmatched: Jonathan's army couldn't even scratch the massive dragon kaiju. On the other hand, the Kaiju King was even more formidable, wielding all the monstrous attributes of his dragon form while maintaining the speed and precision of a human. Adding to the imbalance, the Kaiju King was bolstered by the backing of global film industries and fans of the monsters, tipping the scales further in his favor.

Finally reaching the rooftop, the God of Swords observed Jonathan narrowly evading the King's relentless grasp, desperately searching for a safe place to land as the King pursued him.

"BEHIND YOU, DUMBASS!" the god yelled, summoning an array of swords with a mere gesture. The weapons streaked toward the King, catching him off guard. Blocking the onslaught, the King was momentarily distracted, allowing Jonathan to bash him with a shield. Channeling his newfound ability, [Godly Steps], which greatly amplified the power in his legs, Jonathan raised his foot and brought it down in a thunderous kick that sent the King plummeting through an entire building.

From above, Jonathan locked eyes with the injured King. "The look in your eyes… You're not egotistical or evil. You're just grateful for what you have," he said, studying his adversary.

"S-shut up... I'll complete my orders," the King shot back, brushing off dust as he began to summon his kaiju once again. However, his attempt was interrupted as his dragon was pierced from all directions by the God of Swords' relentless barrage, forcing the creature to flee with the god in pursuit.

"Keep fighting us, and you'll only bring total destruction to this area—or maybe even your death," Jonathan said coldly, now with a hint of confidence. "Why not serve me instead of the Shogun?"

"Are you crazy? The Shogun is far more powerful than you. Do you think the USA hasn't invaded us for no reason?" the King retorted, baffled.

"I believe in my power and in my allies, as should you. I won't break my promise."

Before Jonathan could finish, the Kaiju King unleashed a skill of his own, [Destruction Breath] towards him. In the chaos, the King noticed a mother and child in the blast's trajectory, their faces resigned to death. At the last moment, the King leaped into the blast's path, shielding them and collapsing to the ground. He urged them to flee as the searing energy engulfed him. From the rubble, Jonathan emerged unscathed, the affected parts of his armor glowing with an intense, blue radiance.

"You understand your position now?" Jonathan asked, staring down the weakened King.

"How…?"

"How what?"

"How do I know you'll keep your promise not to take over the world?"

Jonathan extended a hand to help him up. "Because there's no way I'm going back to being a nobody. I have one chance to change things—and nothing left to lose."

A whirlwind of thoughts filled the Kaiju King's mind: his dying mother, whose love inspired him to enter the world of cinema; his younger sister, the light of his life; and the Shogun, who had enslaved him as one of Japan's Five Kings. Though he never sought harm, he now understood that changing the world would demand sacrifices he had long avoided. Yet, he felt compelled to believe Jonathan's words.

"So strange," he thought. "I'm going to help a terrorist because of a speech. Is it his power to inspire others—or have I simply gone mad?"

Shaking off his doubts, the King accepted Jonathan's handshake, his armor transforming from dark green to luminous blue.

"Welcome to the family," Jonathan said, grinning, as the God of Swords sighed in disbelief.

The attack miraculously left no civilian casualties, leaving witnesses to wonder—was it truly an attack at all?

The three stopped at a remote location where no one could see or hear them.

"I'm impressed—you really only wanted my head and didn't harm any powerless civilians. I knew I was right about you," Jonathan said, smiling from ear to ear.

"Cut the bullshit. You wanted me to hurt them to gain more legitimacy for your goal. I understand your position, but I won't hurt innocent people, so forget it," the Kaiju King snapped, his thoughts drifting to his actions and the moral code his family had instilled in him.

"We have to keep moving," the God of Swords interjected. "The rest of the Kings have probably already heard about your betrayal. So, what do we do now?" he asked, looking directly at Jonathan.

"Don't worry; I've got it all figured out," Jonathan replied with confidence. "First of all, the Kings aren't going to come after us right now. Think about it—I just convinced one of Japan's major leaders to betray them, and his power rivals theirs. They wouldn't dare risk attacking three leaders at once. Secondly, this buys us time to plan our next move. You didn't have any land, I'm guessing. But they do. For now, let's keep moving forward."

With that, Jonathan walked on, leaving the other two trailing behind, confused and worried about their fates.

Some time passed as Jonathan and the God of Swords searched for clues about the god's revival but found nothing. The God of Swords couldn't fully comprehend Jonathan's Overrule, a power too complex to be tied to a single concept or element. He concluded it must truly be an anomaly. While the God focused on uncovering leads and preparing for the Kings' response to the war Jonathan had declared, Jonathan himself acted unusually quiet and distant—almost absent. The once egotistical and impulsive young man seemed subdued, raising the God's suspicions.

"Are you really okay, Jonathan?" the God asked him one day.

"Never been better," Jonathan replied coldly.

Their growing isolation caused a rift between the two over the next month. Meanwhile, Shinjuku became a no-man's-land, its streets abandoned due to the constant threat of war. The self-proclaimed "Lord of the World" lay dormant, offering no explanation.

One night, a month later, Jonathan wandered through the dark, deserted districts of Tokyo. His movements were unsteady, almost drunken, and no one recognized him as he aimlessly roamed the shadows, isolated from the world. A chilling aura began to emanate from him, and he felt as though thousands of unseen eyes were watching him, though the streets were utterly empty.

Suddenly, a searing pain ripped through his body—like nothing he'd ever felt before. He looked down to see his stomach sliced wide open, though no weapon or attacker was visible.

From the shadows emerged a tall figure with striking white hair and glowing red eyes, a twisted smile on his face. The man stuck out his tongue and laughed like a hyena as Jonathan collapsed to his knees.

"Looks like your friends abandoned you. This is where your story ends, Leader," the figure said with pride.

Jonathan began to chuckle faintly, to the man's surprise.

"Abandoned? Nah. I ditched them—kept them out of my way for a gamble. And now that it's worked? Oh, I knew one of the Kings would come for me. I prayed it'd be you, Shadow Leader—Japan's most infamous serial killer."

Jonathan stood, steadying himself despite the gaping wound. He started swaying, moving rhythmically in an almost taunting dance.

"You think you're going to survive this?" the Shadow Leader snarled, his annoyance mounting.

"That's a question for you, dumbass."

Jonathan drew his sword and shield, spreading his arms wide. His grin was wild and unrelenting.

"Welcome to your final act, The Murder of Yourself."

TO BE CONTNIUED....