GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters (novelization)

GODZILLA Anime Trilogy tie-in novels
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GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters Author(s) Takahiro Okura, Gen Urobuchi (Supervisor) Publisher Kadokawa Publish date November 2, 2018 Pages 240 Genre Novel ISBN ISBN-13: 9784041074022

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GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters (ＧＯＤＺＩＬＬＡ 怪獣惑星,   Gojira Kaijū Wakusei, lit. GODZILLA: Monster Planet) is a Japanese novelization of the 2017 animated Godzilla film of the same name, as well as the first half of its sequel, GODZILLA: City on the Edge of Battle. It is a follow-up to the novels GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse and GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla, and will itself be followed by the novelization of GODZILLA: The Planet Eater. It is written by Takahiro Okura, supervised by screenwriter Gen Urobuchi, and published by Kadokawa. It was released on November 2, 2018.

Contents

At the dawn of the 21st century, the Earth became overrun by terrifying gigantic creatures known as kaiju. Humanity's military might was no match for these beasts, and millions of people perished at their hands. The most infamous among the kaiju was Godzilla, an unstoppable monster that killed everything in his path, be it monster or man. An alien race known as the Exif arrived on the Earth during this time, aiming to convert humanity to its religion in its time of great despair. This was followed by the appearance of the Bilusaludo, a technologically advanced race seeking to immigrate to Earth following the destruction of their home planet. The Bilusaludo promised that if humanity would grant them asylum on the Earth, they would rid the planet of Godzilla. By 2046, the Bilusaludo were close to completing their ultimate anti-Godzilla weapon: Mechagodzilla. However, Godzilla breached the facility in Hamamatsu before Mechagodzilla could be activated, and the Bilusaludo were forced to abandon their creation. This decisive defeat of the United Earth at Godzilla's hands was the final straw, and the planet's central government organized a desperate plan to evacuate 15,000 humans from the planet and search for a new homeworld elsewhere in the universe. 10,000 passengers boarded the Oratio, bound for Kepler-452, while another 5,000 were to board the Aratrum, bound for Tau Ceti-e. As young Haruo Sakaki was being escorted onto the Aratrum by Daichi Tani, he witnessed Godzilla appear over the horizon and obliterate one of the shuttles heading toward the ship with his atomic breath. The shuttle crashed to the ground and destroyed the bus carrying Haruo's parents to the ship. Haruo never forgot what happened to his parents, and developed a burning desire to avenge their deaths and destroy Godzilla.

Approximately 22 years after the Aratrum fled the Earth, it finally reaches the target destination of Tau-e. The ship's passengers have dwindled to 4,000, and resources are becoming extremely scarce. A Landing Ship carrying many elderly passengers, including Daichi Tani, is prepared to descend to the planet's surface to determine if it is inhabitable. Haruo, now a captain aboard the ship, believes that the Central Committee aims to rid the Aratrum of its elderly population and is sending these passengers to their deaths. Taking matters into his own hands, Haruo seals himself with a large amount of explosives inside a Landing Ship and threatens to set them off if the landing mission isn't called off. Haruo is contacted by Daichi Tani, who explains that he and the other passengers volunteered for this mission because they are too old and tired to continue living aboard the Aratrum. In Tani's own words, he would prefer to finally die on land rather than in space. Haruo begs his adoptive grandfather not to go through with the mission, but soldiers breach the Landing Ship and arrest Haruo. Haruo can only watch helplessly from a prison cell as the Landing Ship explodes upon entering Tau-e's atmosphere. Metphies, an Exif archbishop and colonel aboard the ship, enters Haruo's cell and says he has come to hear his confession, but in reality is there to give Haruo classified data regarding Godzilla so he can complete his anti-Godzilla plan. Haruo believes that with the right strategy, humanity could have defeated Godzilla 22 years ago, but instead chose to retreat and leave the planet at his mercy. He aims to prove that Godzilla could be defeated, and anonymously publishes his anti-Godzilla plan aboard the ship. Meanwhile, the Central Committee convenes to discuss measures since Tau-e is confirmed to be uninhabitable. Endurph, the Exif cardinal, says that their computer, the Gematron, calculates that the Aratrum could successfully make the return trip to Earth instantaneously using its hyperdrives. The Committee weighs the possibility of returning to Earth, and rumors of a return to Earth begin spreading across the ship, along with Haruo's anti-Godzilla plan. Metphies visits the cabin of Bilusaludo technical officer Mulu-elu Galu-gu to discuss the proposed return to Earth. Galu-gu says he has read over the latest published version of Haruo's plan, and by the time he accessed it it already had over 400 views. Galu-gu says he finds the plan interesting and admires Haruo's determination, but thinks that even if this strategy had been employed 22 years ago, humanity still would have been unable to defeat Godzilla. He says that in that case, the Exif still would have been unable to conquer the Earth by brainwashing humanity using their religion. Metphies counters and says that had the Bilusaludo successfully completed Mechagodzilla and killed Godzilla with it, they would simply have turned it against humanity next. Both aliens agree that these scenarios are simply a matter of what-ifs from a time long past, and they are in the same situation as humanity now.

Eventually, the Central Committee approves the plan to return to Earth, and activates the Aratrum's hyperdrives. The ship emerges from hyperspace completely intact, and finds itself just outside of Earth's orbit. Reconnaissance Drones are sent into the planet's atmosphere to analyze the environment. The analysis concludes that at least 10,000 years have passed on Earth, and that the environmental conditions have changed considerably. Strange metallic particles float through the atmosphere, and a great deal of fog obscures the drones' vision. One drone detects seismic activity in a forested area of what once was Japan, and manages to capture the unmistakable roar of Godzilla just before going offline. Takeshi J. Hamamoto tries to suggest that the sound was caused by wind or some other natural cause, but Unberto Mori angrily declares that no one could ever forget Godzilla's roar. The Committee convenes to discuss further options since Godzilla is apparently still alive on the planet. Professor Martin Lazzari says that Godzilla may have survived all this time by undergoing periodic cycles of dormancy every few millennia, or that he somehow multiplied and only one individual is left. He also raises the possibility that Godzilla is simply immortal, as his existence already defies every existing law of biology. Metphies tells the Committee that he is prepared to reveal the author of the anti-Godzilla plan under two conditions. One, the Committee must drop all charges for leaking classified information; and two, Captain Haruo Sakaki must be released on bail. The Committee agrees, and Haruo is set free and allowed to propose his plan to the Central Committee. Haruo states that Godzilla's invincibility is derived from his asymmetrically permeable shield, an electromagnetic defense mechanism deployed from his body. He is certain that the shield is produced by a specific organ, and if they pay close attention when Godzilla deploys it, they may be able to pinpoint the organ's location. Haruo notes that the shield produces a noise when it deploys, and that if they can isolate the noise and play it back, they can determine at what exact points the shield collapses and redeploys. When the shield is down, they need to destroy the organ and send an EMP Probe into Godzilla's body before the organ regenerates. This theoretically should cause Godzilla's body to become overloaded with electromagnetic energy and make him explode. Haruo says that he will need at least 600 men to carry out the mission, which the Committee reluctantly grants.

Four companies of soldiers are deployed to the Earth's surface in Landing Ships, under the command of Colonel Eliott Leland. Haruo accompanies the expedition aboard a ship piloted by Leland, Metphies, and Major Rilu-elu Belu-be, still bound in handcuffs. Landing Ships begin dropping Thermo-Pressure Warheads onto the forest below to clear space for the ships to land. Haruo's company, Company A, touches down in a clearing while Companies B, C, and D station themselves near the old Tanzawa Pass to prepare the anti-Godzilla operation. Professor Martin requests permission from Leland to lead a scientific expedition into the forest to study the flora and fauna. Leland grants him a small number of soldiers to accompany him, while Haruo insists on coming as well. Leland agrees, but orders Sergeant Yuko Tani to watch over him. Haruo is shocked that Yuko, whose grandfather Daichi raised them both as children, volunteered for the mission. Yuko explains that she wanted a chance to meet with Haruo in person after her grandfather's death. She says that the Committee claimed it removed all of the explosives that Haruo had threatened to detonate, but that they were all still unaccounted for on the ship. She wonders if the Committee really did plan to reduce its elderly population and placed those explosives on Daichi's Landing Ship to ensure that the expedition would never return. Haruo says he wants to believe that the Committee isn't that corrupt, because he hates himself for not being able to trust his fellow man. He angrily says that Godzilla didn't just rob humanity of their home, but of basic human compassion and decency as well. While exploring the forest, Martin discovers that the plants are almost metallic, and their leaves are as sharp as razors. The team eventually comes upon what appear to be ruined buildings. Yuko is astonished to see a glimpse at humanity's old civilization for the first time in her life. Martin states that the buildings were able to be preserved because lichen used them as a seed bed, and the fungus was fossilized over time. Haruo falls to his knees and begins sobbing, saying that the Earth still remembered humanity after all this time. Meanwhile, a winged reptilian creature emerges from the forest with a soldier in its jaws and attacks Company A's base camp. The creature is joined by several more of its kind, which attack the soldiers. The soldiers open fire with their weapons and use Powered Suits to attack the monsters, but still suffer immense casualties. Martin and his team return to the camp and find the carcass of one of the creatures. Martin cuts off one of its teeth and brings it inside a Landing Ship for analysis. He determines using carbon dating that in reality nearly 20,000 years have passed on Earth. His analysis shows that both the creature and the plants from the forest share many similarities, and contain metallic material. He says that the winged creature in particular shares a large portion of its genome with Godzilla, and could be said to exist in the same family. The metallic particles in the atmosphere that produced the fog, he says, were most likely either pollen or chaff produced by the plants. Over the course of 20,000 years, Godzilla's DNA spread to the flora and fauna of Earth and created a new ecosystem built around his biology. Colonel Leland decides to abandon the mission, as the entire environment of Earth has become hostile and unsuitable for humanity. Haruo is infuriated and angrily pins Leland to a wall, saying that the Earth is still humanity's home. Leland says their best option is to colonize the moon and make occasional trips to Earth to obtain resources. Metphies agrees with Leland's plan, but points out that their Landing Ships were all damaged in the recent attack, and so they can't return to the Aratrum even if they want. Leland formulates a new plan to move through the Tanzawa Pass and join up with Companies B and C, then rendezvous with Company D to refuel and repair their Landing Ships and return to the Aratrum. Metphies says that their course is essentially identical to Haruo's original plan, but Leland makes it clear that they will make no attempt to draw out or engage Godzilla. In his words, this is simply a retreat mission.

Company A begins moving through the Tanzawa Pass, with its Landing Ship barely able to maintain flight. They are joined by Companies B and C as they begin to approach their destination. Aboard one of the ships, Metphies says that Haruo seems to be lost in thought. Haruo asks what the point of coming here was if they were just going to retreat again. Metphies says that neither Haruo nor Leland seem to understand Godzilla's purpose. He says that in the years the Exif have wandered through space, they have witnessed numerous civilizations like humanity meet their end at the hands of creatures similar to what humanity calls "Godzilla." Metphies believes that Godzilla is divine punishment for mankind's arrogance, and will never let them escape. True to Metphies' prediction, Godzilla appears near the pass and begins to approach. Leland orders all units to take evasive action, but Company A's Landing Ship begins to lose control and shows a risk of exploding. Metphies sets Haruo free of his bonds and tells him to do what his soul commands. Haruo boards a Hover Bike aboard the ship while Yuko, Metphies, and Martin evacuate the ship. Haruo takes off just as the ship explodes, and begins firing his Hover Bike's guns at Godzilla. Martin says that the bike can't do enough damage to provoke Godzilla to use his shield, so Haruo flies the bike high into the air and prepares to nose-dive directly into Godzilla. Just before Haruo can crash into Godzilla, a Multipodal Battery piloted by Leland opens fire on Godzilla. Haruo diverts his course and watches as Leland bombards Godzilla with artillery. Godzilla deploys his shield and fires his atomic breath at the Battery, killing Leland. Using data collected from the encounter, Galu-gu is able to pinpoint Godzilla's electromagnetic organ as existing in his dorsal plates. The remaining units assemble in a clearing, while Metphies contacts the Central Committee to inform them of Leland's death. Metphies assumes command of the mission, but tells the Committee that he will need to designate his authority to Haruo. The Committee tells Metphies to do whatever it takes to bring as many people back as possible. Metphies addresses the surviving soldiers and informs them that Haruo is now the commander of the operation. Haruo addresses the crowd next, and says that although their situation is dire, they can be proud as long as they do not yield to Godzilla. All they need to do, he says, is finish this battle, and end Godzilla's reign over the Earth. Haruo's plan is put back into action, with Galu-gu moving the explosive traps deeper into the pass and Belu-be and Adam Bindewald leading a fleet of Hover Bikes to draw Godzilla there. Multipodal Batteries and Powered Suits are put in position just outside the pass, where they will attack Godzilla once the traps are sprung.

Belu-be and Adam lead the Hover Bikes to Godzilla's location and open fire, turning his trajectory toward the Tanzawa Pass. Some of the bikes are destroyed when they accidentally crash, while others are obliterated by Godzilla's atomic breath. A flock of the winged creatures flies out of the forest below and attacks the Hover Bikes, which are able to mostly evade them. Haruo contacts Belu-be and Adam and tells them that they need to draw Godzilla into the pass quickly. Belu-be reports that they have lost 10 bikes already and are running low on gas. Haruo tells Adam to break from the formation and assemble six ace pilots to take command of Landing Ships. The ships will fly in front of Godzilla and drop Thermo-Pressure Warheads, creating a path to lead him into the valley more quickly. He says that if the pilots know their ship is being targeted by Godzilla, to eject immediately. Galu-gu remarks that if the ships are destroyed, they will be stranded and have no way to get home. Haruo simply replies that they are already home. Adam complies and assembles six pilots, then takes command of one of the ships. The ships fly in front of Godzilla and drop the thermobaric bombs, which draw Godzilla into the valley. Adam notices Godzilla target his ship and ejects just as the ship is destroyed by Godzilla's atomic breath. Once Godzilla enters the target point, the explosive charges planted by Galu-gu's team are detonated, and the slopes surrounding the pass collapse onto Godzilla, burying him up to his chest in rubble. The Multipodal Batteries all begin opening fire on Godzilla, causing him to deploy his shield. The soldiers successfully isolate the noise generated by Godzilla's electromagnetic organ and play it back, allowing them to determine exactly when it will collapse. The Batteries open fire on Godzilla's back once the shield goes down, and destroy the organ. However, Godzilla's tissue regenerates in a matter of seconds, and the shield is restored. Haruo takes command of a Powered Suit and jumps onto Godzilla's back. He tells the artillery to open fire when the shield goes down, even though he could be hit by the attack as well. Galu-gu obliges, and the Batteries open fire on Godzilla's back again as soon as the shield collapses. The organ is destroyed again, and this time Haruo jams an EMP Probe into Godzilla's back. More Powered Suits follow, and numerous EMP Probes are sent into Godzilla's body. Godzilla begins breaking free of the rubble and forces several of the Powered Suits off of him. As the electromagnetic energy runs wild inside of Godzilla's body, he turns to Haruo and prepares to fire his atomic breath. Haruo exclaims that he has killed Godzilla, just as Godzilla completely explodes.

In the aftermath of the battle, Haruo and his allies stare at the remnants of Godzilla. Belu-be and Galu-gu remark that this creature truly was an unnatural monster. Professor Martin tells Haruo that in his opinion, the Godzilla they just killed probably isn't the same Godzilla that drove humanity from Earth in 2048. Haruo says that this Godzilla possessed the exact same appearance and abilities they had on record, but Martin says that is exactly why he thinks it is a different individual. Life is characterized by change and evolution, he says, and it is extremely unusual for a creature to remain completely unchanged for 20,000 years, especially one like Godzilla which has the ability to individually evolve. Martin proposes that this Godzilla was an offshoot of the original that inherited his form and abilities, and that for all they know there could still be more Godzillas in the world. Haruo is confident that they are prepared to confront more Godzillas if need be, because they just proved that Godzilla can be killed. Martin says he admires Haruo's confidence, but would prefer to never experience such a harrowing battle again. Suddenly, a powerful tremor causes the ground around them to shake. One soldier uses a computer to detect the source of the tremor, but the result tells him that it is within two kilometers. The computer detects a signal larger and stronger than Godzilla, as well as plasma energy. At that moment, a nearby mountain explodes, and the familiar dorsal plates of Godzilla emerge from the smoke. The computer detects that the creature is over 300 meters tall and 100,000 metric tons in weight. Haruo asks how this can be a living creature, but Martin says this makes perfect sense if Godzilla was able to continue to grow and evolve uninterrupted for 20,000 years. Haruo gives the order for as many people as possible to retreat, and numerous soldiers board Hover Bikes and Landing Ships. Metphies watches Godzilla from a nearby hill, and remarks that the "King of Destruction" has finally shown himself once again as Godzilla lets out a deafening roar. As the ships begin to fly away, Godzilla produces a super oscillatory wave from his mouth, which completely destroys the ships. As more soldiers try to evacuate on Hover Bikes, Haruo enters a Multipodal Battery and plans to distract Godzilla while the survivors escape. Godzilla watches the humans escaping, and turns slightly before whipping his tail through the air, producing a powerful shockwave that seemingly destroys all of the humans' forces in a fiery explosion. Haruo watches helplessly from the wreckage of the Multipodal Battery as Godzilla looms in the distance, and weakly vows that he will kill him.

Shortly after the annihilation of the United Earth's forces at the hands of the now 300 meter-tall original Godzilla, the Central Committee receives a transmission aboard the Aratrum informing them of the situation. They see footage of the enormous Godzilla, and comparison with past data indicates that is indeed the same Godzilla that drove them from the Earth in the past. Deputy Director Takeshi J. Hamamoto asks Admiral Unberto Mori what their next course of action should be, but the Bilusaludo chieftain Halu-elu Dolu-do interjects, saying they can no longer return to Earth. He also wonders what would happen if Godzilla noticed them in the planet's orbit. The Exif cardinal Endurph asks the controller to estimate the range of Godzilla's atomic breath, and she reveals that it could pierce the atmosphere and strike the Aratrum. Hamamoto tells Mori the probability that Godzilla would notice them is low, but Dolu-do says they will have to exit Earth's orbit and retreat to the Moon's orbit. Hamamoto protests and says that they won't be able to send rescue ships, and Dolu-do responds by saying all of their forces on Earth have been annihilated anyway. Endurph says there is a probability of survivors, and that the Exif are opposed to leaving survivors behind. Mori says they will send Reconnaissance Drones to search for survivors, but if after 48 hours they can find no sign of survivors, then they will withdraw from the Earth.

On Earth, Captain Haruo Sakaki awakens in a strange hut, with a powdery scale-like substance all over his body. He is surprised that the air is breathable without his helmet on, and immediately wonders how he got here. Haruo puts on his suit and decides to go search for other survivors, but as he opens the door to the hut he comes face to face with a young woman in tribal garb. The woman drops the items she is carrying and runs away, climbing up a wooden ladder out of the crater where the hut is. Haruo calls out after the woman and begins climbing after her. As he ascends the ladder, he notices how the fog in the air does not descend into the crater. Haruo chases after the woman, but she easily outruns him. Haruo decides he needs to contact the Aratrum, and tries to locate a nearby surviving Landing Ship. As he walks through the forest, he notes that the woman hides as he advances but advances when he stops. Haruo detects a heat source on the other side of a marsh-like area, and believes it might be the Landing Ship. As he starts crossing the marsh to reach it, the mysterious woman stops on the edge of the marsh and tries to warn him of impending danger. Unfamiliar with human language, she mimics the exclamation "Hey!" that she heard Haruo say earlier. She then telepathically transmits a warning to Haruo's mind, and he notices vine-like tentacles writhing in the marsh in front of him. Haruo exits the marsh and thanks the woman for helping him, and introduces himself. The woman, not quite understanding, simply replies "Hey." Haruo slowly pronounces his name for her, and she replies back "Ha. Ru. Oi." Haruo asks the woman her name, but she receives a telepathic signal and runs off into the jungle. Haruo tries to chase after her, asking if any other humans survived, but to no avail. He then receives a radio communication from Master Sergeant Yuko Tani, and tries to find her position. Yuko is assembled with Major Rilu-elu Belu-be, Second Lieutenant Adam Bindewald, and Corporal Marco Ghione in the wreckage of a Multipodal Battery, where they are cornered by an unknown assailant. Yuko informs Belu-be that she made contact with Haruo, but he tells her now is not the time. The soldiers all open fire on the assailant with their Infantry-Employed Electromagnetic Induction Rifles, but are unable to hit it. The mysterious attacker fires an arrow that narrowly misses Adam's head and penetrates the Battery's armor. With the others out of ammo, Yuko fires her last bullet at a tree and manages to knock the attacker to the ground. They approach the fallen assailant, and remove its mask, revealing it as another tribal woman who looks identical to the one Haruo saw. The woman jumps back to her feet and runs back off into the jungle. Shortly after, the other woman appears from the jungle, along with Haruo. Haruo asks his comrades to stand down, but they protest by saying the woman attacked them. Marco panics and fires his gun at the woman, missing to the right. As Haruo tries to explain that the woman was with him the whole time, they are all surrounded by other tribal people wielding spears and bows. They all stand down and surrender to them, and are escorted to an underground village. There, they see many more members of the race, and witness the civilization they have built. Belu-be dismisses them as primitives, saying their "civilization" is more like an anthill. They are brought to a room and locked inside. There, they encounter Colonel Mulu-elu Galu-gu, Major Martin Lazzari, and several other survivors. Haruo asks if Metphies is with them, but is informed that he is not. As they sit in the room wondering what the tribe will do to them, Galu-gu suggests they will use them as a sacrifice, pointing out the skulls stacked in a nearby alcove. Martin says he doesn't believe they mean to kill them, as they treated many of their wounded. One of the women enters the room with two armed guards, and escorts the prisoners to a large temple.

In the temple, they see many of the tribe's elders seated. The mysterious woman who escorted them walks up an altar along with the woman who helped Haruo, revealing that the two of them are identical twins. They place their hands on a wall on the altar, and begin telepathically speaking to the prisoners, their message converted into the mother tongue of each species. They reveal the name of their tribe as the Houtua, and ask why they have come here and destroyed their home. Haruo responds by saying they have come here to kill Godzilla. The twins respond by saying that Godzilla is a being of destruction and fear, and the enemy of their God. The twins determine that they are not enemies, as they oppose Godzilla and defeated his "servant." They warn that Godzilla cannot be defeated though. Godzilla destroyed their God, they explain, and all that it left behind is the Egg. All who oppose Godzilla, they say, are consumed by fire and disappear. Haruo interjects and says that isn't true, that they can defeat Godzilla. The twins respond that they may reach the end of their journey, but the Houtua will continue to follow a path of peace and harmony. The Houtua elder allows the troops to reclaim their weapons and leave. Marco confronts Haruo, asking if he really intends to fight Godzilla again. When Haruo answers that he does, Marco loses his patience and accuses Haruo of already leading many men to their deaths at Godzilla's hands. Belu-be defends Haruo, stating that Haruo's plan succeeded in destroying one Godzilla, and if they can repeat it they can destroy the larger one. As they are escorted to the exit to the Houtua's village, Haruo asks the twins to thank the elder. Yuko says that the twins can't understand them, but to everyone's surprise they respond by insisting on accompanying them. Galu-gu believes the twins simply want to observe them, but Haruo allows them to come along. As the party passes through the forest, Martin suggests that they learn the twins' names. The twins introduce themselves as Miana and Maina. Haruo recognizes Miana as the one who had rescued him and brought him to her hut, while Maina he says "glares a lot" and is the one who attacked his comrades. Yuko is irritated by the twins accompanying them, and begins picking up a signal which may be the Landing Ship. She wanders off to try and find it, and begins crossing a marsh. As she passes through, the root-like tentacles lash out and grab her, pulling her to the ground and trapping her. Several worm-type Servum emerge from the ground and approach Yuko, who screams out for help. Haruo and the others arrive and open fire, their bullets having no effect. Miana and Maina begin firing arrows at the Servum, which pierce their hide and kill them. Haruo and Martin help Yuko out of the marsh, while Galu-gu asks Maina if he can see one of her arrows. Galu-gu reaches out to try and touch the arrowhead, but Maina pulls it back, warning that it is "poison." A flock of flying-type Servum descend on the marsh to eat the worm types' carcasses, but they quickly turn their attention to the humanoids. Fortunately, a Multipodal Battery emerges from the jungle and opens fire, killing several of the creatures and forcing the others to retreat. Metphies emerges from the cockpit and greets Haruo.

The party joins with the survivors accompanying Metphies, and all assemble near the surviving Landing Ship in a clearing. After establishing communication with the Aratrum, they learn that the Central Committee intends to withdraw from Earth. Galu-gu and Belu-be pull Haruo aside and ask to speak with him. Galu-gu excitedly informs Haruo that they have a way to kill Godzilla. He states that the Houtua's arrowheads are made from Nanometal, the autonomous metal used to construct Mechagodzilla 20,000 years ago. He and Belu-be returned to the Houtua settlement and noticed that they fashioned their tools and weapons from large chunks of Nanometal, and therefore were likely harvesting it from somewhere. He also notes that the Nanometal has evolved over time, likely because its limiter decayed. If they can find the source of the Nanometal, he explains, they can harvest enough to construct weapons capable of killing Godzilla. As the location of Mechagodzilla's production facility is not far from the Tanzawa Pass, they should be able to reach it on foot. Haruo addresses the troops, saying that he plans to continue the mission to reclaim Earth from Godzilla. No one has to stay, he says, but anyone who does stay will be continuing the fight to take back their home and no longer be forced to live in misery aboard the Aratrum. The Bilusaludo all immediately agree to stay, as do Yuko, Adam, and many of the other soldiers. Haruo and the others watch the Landing Ship depart with all of the soldiers who chose not to stay behind. When the ship arrives on the Aratrum, only three soldiers exit, one of them being Marco. Hamamoto angrily asks Marco where everyone else is, but Mori immediately knows Haruo has chosen to remain on Earth to fight Godzilla. Back on Earth, Miana and Maina escort the soldiers to the location of the Nanometal, the site of Mechagodzilla's facility. They pass through a cave covered in glowing moss, where Martin pulls Haruo aside. He reveals that he researched the powder the Houtua secreted from their skin, and his analysis revealed that part of the Houtua's DNA came from insects. He hypothesizes that just as the planet's other life became more like Godzilla, the Houtua inherited a different "monster factor" to survive and adapt to the planet's new environment. He says that he believes the planet has "selected" Godzilla as the lord of creation. After humans damaged Earth's environment due to pollution and nuclear testing, monsters arose and destroyed their civilizations. But instead of the planet's ecosystem returning to its original state, Godzilla irreversibly altered it to the point all life now serves him. Haruo concludes that it is then humanity's responsibility to destroy Godzilla. Galu-gu tells Haruo that he is detecting a unique signature up ahead, one that only Mechagodzilla could produce. After all of these years, Mechagodzilla is still alive. Miana and Maina point out an exit to the cave, but when the party exits they are descended upon by two flying-type Servum. As the creatures prepare to attack, they are suddenly skewered by spikes of Nanometal that erupt from the ground. Their carcasses are then absorbed by the Nanometal. Yuko looks down into a crater below, and cannot believe her eyes. Haruo and Martin look down as well, and are stunned to see what appears to be a city. Galu-gu and Belu-be look as well, and recognize it as Mechagodzilla's production facility, only made entirely out of Nanometal. In the 20,000 years that passed, the Nanometal from Mechagodzilla's carcass continued to grow and rebuild its facility, creating what they dub "Mechagodzilla City." Several Houtua appear from the cave exit, having noticed the twins were missing. Miana and Maina prepare to leave with their comrades, but warn Haruo before leaving that the City is a "sinister thing, poison." As Galu-gu and Belu-be follow Mechagodzilla's signal, they pass several more Servum carcasses that have been converted into Nanometal. Martin theorizes that Mechagodzilla City was absorbing them and using their metallic tissue to further multiply its Nanometal to construct the City. Adam asks if the City will Nanometalize them too, but Galu-gu assure him that it is only carrying out its directive to destroy Godzilla. Martin points out that the Nanometal is emitting a gas that creates a fog which conceals the City.

As the party approaches the entrance to the building where Mechagodzilla's signal is originating from, Galu-gu acknowledges how astounding the Nanometal's evolution is. It managed to proliferate at several hundred times its original size to create a full-scale replica of Mechagodzilla's production facility. Galu-gu tells everyone they can remove their helmets, as Mechagodzilla City can regulate its environment and make the air breathable. Haruo points out that many of the structures in the City look strange, with Galu-gu responding that Mechagodzilla constructed them itself. With this City's capabilities, he explains, they can construct even more ambitious anti-Godzilla plans than Mechagodzilla itself. The troops enter the facility, and walk along a corridor as they approach the source of the signal. Behind a door, they find the Nanometalized corpses of several humans. Adam angrily tells Galu-gu he thought Nanometal wouldn't attack humans. Galu-gu replies that it won't attack living humans, and these humans were only absorbed because they couldn't get away in time and were already dead. They eventually reach the source of the signal, and behind the door find Mechagodzilla's head. Belu-be determines that the signal is coming from its head, and after inspecting it finds that half of its artificial intelligence block is still alive. He then accesses Mechagodzilla's artificial intelligence, causing it to recreate its control room. While Godzilla destroyed its body, Mechagodzilla's discarded head continued functioning and fighting Godzilla. Over 20,000 years, its Nanometal grew and created Mechagodzilla City. Monitors are generated in the room that display the area around Mechagodzilla City. Yuko notices that the area is seemingly gouged out of the Earth. Belu-be explains that Godzilla had melted the area with his atomic breath fired from 200 meters away, destroying the facility and killing 730 of his comrades. Metphies remarks that that is nothing compared to how strong Godzilla must be now, since he is six times his original size. Since Mechagodzilla was built to destroy Godzilla from 20,000 years ago, rebuilding it might not be effective against Godzilla now. Galu-gu scoffs at the notion of rebuilding Mechagodzilla, stating that with the power of Mechagodzilla City they can deploy an overwhelming attack strategy with new advanced weapons. Haruo confers with Mori over a monitor, saying that if continuing the fight against Godzilla is disobeying orders, he is willing to accept any punishment. He then cuts off the communication before Mori can respond. Using data transmitted from the Aratrum, Adam points out that Godzilla occasionally wakes up and patrols the area. Belu-be proposes this is because Godzilla is looking for Mechagodzilla City. Haruo agrees, as Godzilla appeared shortly after the smaller subspecies was killed. Martin says Godzilla is suspecting that something happened in this area. Galu-gu assures Haruo that Mechagodzilla City's fortifications should be complete before Godzilla finds it. Later, Belu-be begins analyzing Yuko's Powered Suit to find a way to improve it using Mechagodzilla City's technology. Haruo convenes a meeting to discuss the anti-Godzilla strategy. He explains that once Mechagodzilla City's fortifications are complete, they will lift the cloud bank concealing it. Godzilla will then be lured to the trap point just outside the City by new modified Powered Suits called Vultures. Once Godzilla is diverted to the trap point, the ground beneath him will be detonated, causing him to fall into a channel leading to a capture point. A thermal energy buffer layer of Nanometal particles will be dispersed to prevent Godzilla's atomic breath from damaging the City. Once Godzilla reaches the capture point, the channel will be closed and filled with liquid Nanometal which will instantly harden and immobilize him. They will then isolate the noise of Godzilla's asymmetrically permeable shield, and Mechagodzilla City's railguns will open fire on his dorsal plates as soon as the shield drops. With the shield disabled, EMP Harpoons will be fired into Godzilla's back, overloading him with electromagnetic energy until he explodes.

Later, Metphies approaches Galu-gu and says that in the original Mechagodzilla facility, the Bilusaludo used their technology to repair the Exif's Gematron calculation crystal. He asks Galu-gu if they can replicate that technology using Nanometal. Galu-gu asks Metphies what he wants to do with it, and he replies that he wants to repair a Garbetrium, a ritual component that is important to his race's faith. Back at the Houtua temple, the tribal elder Munak cryptically warns Miana and Maina that the humans in Mechagodzilla City are in great danger. At Mechagodzilla City, Yuko takes the finished Vulture on a test flight in the sky over the City. Galu-gu, Belu-be, and Haruo watch, noting the mech's improvements. As long as Yuko is within five kilometers of the City, her Vulture will be provided with limitless energy. Belu-be remarks that Yuko possesses excellent compatibility with the Vulture. That night, Haruo finds Yuko working at a computer monitor trying to determine how to fix any flaws from her test flight. He suggests she get some sleep and turns to leave. Yuko tells Haruo that the City reminds her of being on the Aratrum, but somehow different. He expresses his doubts about being a leader, but Yuko tries to comfort him, explaining how he provided her with hope while on the Aratrum and saying she trusts his judgement. Yuko tries to embrace Haruo, but he reels back, saying his wounds from earlier still hurt. Haruo then departs, and goes to sit down in a room. Martin enters and tells Haruo that he noticed many of the soldiers who were healed by the Houtua are experiencing health problems when inside Mechagodzilla City. He asks Haruo if he is feeling okay, but Haruo simply says he's fine and leaves. Haruo visits Metphies' quarters after he has just delivered a sermon to several soldiers. Metphies asks if Haruo has come to join the gathering, but Haruo insists he just wants to talk about their situation. Metphies invites Haruo inside, and expresses his reservations about the Nanometal. He says that it is inherently a wicked thing, and it seems as if the Bilusaludo want to become as monsters themselves. Near the end of every civilization, he says, they often perform actions that lead to the emergence of monsters. He worries that the Bilusaludo may be about to repeat this mistake. Haruo asks if the Exif homeworld was destroyed by monsters as well, with Metphies replying that it was. He says the Exif are hesitant to carelessly speak the name of the being that destroyed their planet, as words possess that much power. However, he says he should tell Haruo its name, so that he can remember it when in battle with Godzilla. Just before he is swallowed by fear, he can know something far more destructive than Godzilla is lurking in space, and compared to it, Godzilla isn't even worth the fear. Metphies leans in and whispers the name "Ghidorah" into Haruo's ear, and warns him never to speak it to anyone else.

Differences from the Film

TBA

Appearances

Monsters Godzilla Godzilla Filius Godzilla Earth Mechagodzilla / Mechagodzilla City Servum (Flying-type and worm-type) Mothra (mentioned) Ghidorah (mentioned)

Weapons, Vehicles, and Races Humans Exif Bilusaludo Houtua Aratrum Landing Ship Powered Suit Multipodal Battery Infantry-Employed Electromagnetic Induction Rifle Thermo-Pressure Warhead EMP Probe Nanometal Garbetrium

Trivia

• This is the first tie-in novel for the GODZILLA anime trilogy not written by Renji Oki. This novel's author, Takahiro Okura, would go on to write the novelization for GODZILLA: The Planet Eater.
• Despite being an adaptation of GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters, this novel is being released as a tie-in for GODZILLA: The Planet Eater, just as GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse and GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla were tie-ins for the first two films of the trilogy.

References

This is a list of references for GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters (novelization). These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: ^[1]