I found Rodan stirring from his volcanic slumber on Isla de Mara, his colossal form emerging from the smoking crater that had cradled him for centuries. The air shimmered with heat, warping the landscape around him. Molten lava dripped from his massive wings, sizzling as it touched the ground, and the surrounding rocks glowed a fiery red from his radiating heat.

A low, guttural hiss escaped my throat as I crept closer, my body coiled and ready to strike. I had veered off from Godzilla's path, tracking Rodan to this searing island to prevent him from joining forces with the three-headed pretender king. If Ghidorah gained Rodan as an ally, the battle would tilt dangerously in his favor. That could not be allowed.

Rodan's eyes snapped open, burning like embers beneath his rocky brow. His head whipped around, his beak parting in a snarl as he recognized me. "You!" he screeched, his voice echoing like a thunderclap across the molten landscape. His wings flared wide, lava bubbling and cascading off the rugged membranes. The ground beneath him trembled, cracks forming as heat and pressure rippled through the earth.

He screeched again, the sound piercing the air, sending flocks of birds scattering in terror. From the cliffs above, I heard the frantic screams of humans as they fled from the awakening titan, their tiny silhouettes racing against the fiery backdrop.

I waded up onto the shore, the frothy ocean water hissing and evaporating around my scaled talons as they sank into the blackened sand. The heat was oppressive, even for me, but I ignored it, keeping my focus locked on Rodan. His eyes narrowed as he watched my approach, his body taut like a spring ready to unleash his destructive power.

I moved carefully, weaving around the fleeing humans as they scrambled to get away. I could easily crush them underfoot, but that wasn't my goal. My quarrel wasn't with these insignificant creatures; it was with the flaming demon before me.

Rodan's wings flexed, sending waves of blistering heat toward me. The ground shimmered, and a distorted haze rose around us, but I stood firm, my own power crackling beneath my scales. "Stay down, Rodan," I growled, my voice rumbling like distant thunder. "I will not let you join him."

The volcanic pterosaur's beak curled into something akin to a grin. "You think you can stop me?" he taunted, his massive wings spreading wider, sending a gust of scalding wind in my direction. "Then try, dragon."

I lowered my head, eyes narrowing. This was going to be brutal, but I was prepared. There was no turning back now.