The balloon slowly inflated as it adjusted to the high water pressure of the deep sea, and Godzilla's body slowly began to float away. As the depth became shallower, the balloon became larger and Godzilla's surfacing speed became faster.
Now, Godzilla's body was pulled up towards the sea surface at a speed comparable to when it sank. Along with this, cloudy white tumor-like things started to grow all over Godzilla, mainly in the areas where it had been damaged and repaired.
Depth readings from the observation booth on the deck also accelerated.
"Depth 1200, 1100, 1000"
Godzilla's hatred was clearly directed at the snow and wind at sea due to the various sufferings that came upon him in a short period of time. Then, the wire that had been winding up smoothly suddenly stopped.
"Depth 803... Stopped."
Noda, a wingman, held his head in his hands as he heard the deckhand's voice.
"Why! Why stop!?!?"
The answer was found floating on the ocean's surface as the remains of a balloon that had been torn into pieces.
"He'll eat it up."
Hotta shouted into the radio at Akitsu's conclusion.
"To Hibiki! Full speed ahead in the 12 o'clock direction. Pull left and right to pull Godzilla out."
"But two ships simply don't have enough thrust."
Hotta overruled the crew's advice.
"We have no other choice! We'll do everything we can!"
With the engines at maximum power, Yukikaze and Hibiki, who were separated to the left and right, began to pull Godzilla away. However, as the bridge crew pointed out, its internal combustion engine was too weak.
From the sterns of the two ships, which were unable to advance at all, large reverse waves, the product of the output that had no place to go, were rising high into the sky. The special crane that was supporting the cable was starting to make an unpleasant grinding noise.
"It won't be able to carry a crane like this!"
Almost at the same time as a Toyo Balloon employee who was anxiously looking up at the crane on the rear deck shouted, the specially constructed crane broke midway and collapsed. Toyo Balloon staff members who narrowly escaped looked at the broken crane and the floating fragments of the balloon with somber expressions on their faces.
Water was still spraying out from the stern, but neither Yukikaze nor Hibiki were moving.
If Godzilla were to remain in a halfway place, it would mean the failure of Operation Sea God. On the contrary, when Godzilla recovers from damage caused by high water pressure, the cables wrapped around Godzilla become a terrifying threat to Yukikaze and Hibiki. If Godzilla were to swing the two ships around with all his might... or if, like in Takao, he would fire heat rays from under the sea...
Probably none of the crews of the two ships would survive. Godzilla then lands again, turning the area that escaped destruction last time into a burnt wasteland. Noda and his friends, unable to make a next move as time slowly ticked by, could only continue to stare darkly at the cables through the spray of water at the stern of the ship.
"The engine won't last as it is!"
A heartbreaking voice came from the engine room through the speaking tube.
— What will you do? —
It was too pathetic to just sit here and leave Godzilla to decide his fate. At that moment, a familiar voice echoed through the ship's speakers.
"This is Fujimaru, which belongs to the Yokohama tugboat! I'll do my best to help."
It was his voice.
"I'm Mizushima. Are you the captain?"
"Kid! You?"
"Hi"
Radio communications began to fill Yukikaze's bridge one after another. I'll help out with Toyo Maru, which also belongs to Yokohama tugboat.
"I, Nikko Maru, belonging to Toyo Kisen! Cooperation!"
"Daisan Shiokaze Maru, I will assist you."
With that voice in the background, Noda and his team rushed out to the wing, where they could see more than a dozen tugboats rushing towards them. Mizushima's proud voice rang out from the speakers.
"If it is of no use to you, please return it."
He said with a smile as Akitsu took off his hat and waved it around as if he didn't know what to do.
"It's here. I'm afraid I'm Kishimojin of Iriya."
Hotta's voice echoes, unable to hide his happiness.
"Take the tugboats too. We'll pull Godzilla out with all the ships!"
The crew began preparing the ropes in a dancing manner. Yukikaze and Hibiki had many ropes tied to their bows, and more than ten tugboats were connected to each end. Tugboats, which are used to move large ships, are usually equipped with extremely powerful engines that do not match the hull of the ship.
There were more than 10 of them on either side... All of the ships had a much larger power than they looked, and gradually grabbed the sea while raising a big splash.
"The depth has started to rise!"
Noda, looking excited, shouted from the wing, which was shaking wildly.
"Come up, come up!"
and······
Godzilla finally surfaced on the surface of the sea. Its body was covered in ugly blisters caused by changes in water pressure, making it look more sinister than anything it had shown before. Just like the deep-sea fish that suddenly surfaced, its eyes became cloudy and even popped out a little.
Godzilla undulated her body in agony, violently tossing the two ships connected to her by cables and the group of tugboats.
Its appearance was that of a beast suffering from death, and the crew members of the two ships trembled with an uncomfortable feeling of guilt, as if they had hidden an area that humans should never touch. Godzilla's life will soon end.
Isn't that what killing God is all about?
But...
Noda saw a blue light in the sea. It was around where Godzilla's tail is.
"...Isn't there enough damage?"
The light gradually traversed the tail and eventually reached Godzilla's back. Pushing away a large amount of seawater, Godzilla's dorsal fins began to rise one after another, shining. Godzilla still has the power to spit out heat rays.
For Noda and his friends, it was a countdown to death. Thoughts such as "I've done all I could" and "I've come this far" went back and forth in Noda's mind in a short amount of time. The crew remained silent, waiting for the final moment.
Blue light began to gather around Godzilla's mouth. At that moment, Noda and his friends heard the roar of a propeller cutting through the silence.
"What do you think he's going to do?"
"No way!"
"Shikishima?"
Noda, Akitsu, and Mizushima thought the same thing at the same time. Yes, Shikishima was the kind of person who could do that. Especially at a moment like now when so many lives are at stake...
"No, Shikishima!"
Akitsu's voice disappeared as if being sucked into the roar of the engine and waves. Shikishima, along with several bombs loaded into his torso, continued to fly just past the ocean's surface, straight toward Godzilla's mouth.
Inside the plane, the photo of Noriko that she had brought from her Buddhist altar swayed with the vibrations of the engine. He seemed to smile. And Noriko's sparkling smile returned to Shikishima's mind. Shikishima pulled out the explosive safety device and knocked down the control device next to the seat.
Crash! A lightning bolt pierces Godzilla's mouth.
There was a momentary pause, and the delay fuse of the explosives equipped on the Shinden activated, causing a huge explosion deep in Godzilla's mouth. With a roar, most of Godzilla's head was blown off.
"Shikishima!"
Akitsu shouted. The three members of the wing, as well as the crew members on board the ship who were watching the incident, all understood exactly what had happened.
Everyone just stood there, looking at Godzilla, who had lost his head and was emitting a huge cloud of black smoke, with expressions that were a mix of confusion, apologies, a little anger at Shikishima's choice, and a lot of emotion.
Tachibana, who was listening in on the radio in the hangar, gasped as he realized what had happened. At that moment, Noda suddenly looked away from her and noticed something.
"No, that!"
Where Noda was pointing, he saw something white.
It was a parachute.
Before Shikishima's departure, Tachibana conveyed another "important thing". It was about the German-made self-propulsion escape device that was installed on the Shinden.
"If you pull this lever, the seat will pop into the air."
Shaken, Shikishima looked into Tachibana's eyes. There were unexpectedly kind eyes there.
"Live"
The shoulder Tachibana was holding was hot. Shikishima thought about how much Tachibana was feeling when he said those words, and then he thought about everyone on Odo Island, and he just looked at his knees. A voice over the radio echoed to Tachibana in the hangar.
"Pilot, he ejected safely!"
Tachibana, who had been half-standing, finally took a deep breath and sat down in his chair.
And he nodded again and again. The heat rays that were about to be released inside Godzilla's body began to burn various parts. The heat rays then pierced through the weakened parts, causing Godzilla's body to disintegrate as it ascended into the sky.
Pillars of light were born from all over his body, and his body began to crumble and sink into the sea. Shikishima watched the situation from his parachute in the sky.
It's over.
Godzilla, who had been tormenting Shikishima, now returns to the sea. The feeling of his accomplishment should have filled my heart. However, all Shikishima thought from beginning to end was that it was over.
The people on the ship watched Godzilla's final moments as if they were watching a religious painting. They may have accomplished something that humans should not have done.
Gradually, people began saluting Godzilla, no matter who they were.
It was the greatest expression of requiem for the men who had dedicated themselves to the war until three years ago. If you think about it, you could say that this beast is a victim whose appearance has been transformed into an ugly one, burned by human stupidity.
Perhaps it was this feeling that made them salute involuntarily. Godzilla's body completely sank into the sea, leaving behind a trail of black smoke. When Yukikaze and Hibiki return, a sea of people fills the port to greet them.
The people gathered there after hearing the news that Godzilla had been defeated. When Shikishima and his friends got off the gangway next to them, Mizushima, who had arrived a step ahead of them, jumped out.
"You did it! You did it!"
As Mizushima said this, his eyes filled with tears, he jumped towards Shikishima. Noda and Akitsu shook Mizushima's head as if praising General Gaki. At that time, Shikishima found Sumiko in the crowd, carrying the child Akiko and her appearance changed.
"Sumiko-san?"
Sumiko suppressed her overflowing emotions as she handed the telegram to Shikishima. Shikishima quickly checked what was inside it, and he looked at Sumiko in disbelief. Akiko looked at Shikishima and Sumiko in turn, as if she didn't know what was going on.
Instead of answering Shikishima's question, Sumiko patted him on the shoulder over and over again. His unsteady steps made him feel like he was running on clouds, and the contents of the telegram did not change. That's all he wanted as he climbed the stairs with dancing steps.
When he opened her door, he saw Hope sitting on her bed. She asked as she looked at Shikishima with nostalgic eyes.
"Is Hiroshi-san's war over?"
Even when he was running up the stairs with Akiko in her arms, Shikishima didn't feel it at all. Noriko was painfully wrapped in bandages, but she was still breathing, and Shikishima stumbled closer to her and hugged her, and all she did was say, "Yeah, yeah," like a child.
At that moment, something like a small black bruise appeared on Noriko's neck.