On a South Pacific Island, a group of five "archaeologists" were exploring a large, underground cavern, much to the chagrin of the locals.
They were warned of a deadly curse that would bring great pain and suffering; in their native tongue, they called it "Barugon". No one - especially any outsider - was allowed in the Valley of the Rainbows. And that's exactly where this cave was. And, as is the rhetoric of many cautionary tales, no one ever should have set foot there.
The team thought maybe the curse the natives spoke of was a warning about the extremely toxic scorpions that resided there, whose venom could kill in agonizing minutes. Or maybe there were discarded munitions littered about when the island saw action during World War II. Or maybe it was all hullabaloo to deter treasure hunters from plundering any riches stored there.
The head of the expedition, a Japanese man known only as Onodera, knew the scorpions were no joke. And given he was stationed here during the war, he was certainly cautious of any hazards that may have been left behind. But most assuredly, he knew there was treasure here - an opal, bigger than his fist. He had gotten separated from his unit when a nasty storm had struck and happened upon the cave, where he had found the opal. Stranded for a couple days, he had time to think, seeing it best to leave the gem behind, for he would not risk it being confiscated...or possible have equally greedy eyes compete for its possession. So he placed it in a small box and buried it in a spot that he would find upon his return, should he gather the proper funding.
And sure enough, there was the box containing the opal, right where he had left it.
After the team was dazzled by its vibrancy, Onodera had it snugly placed into a sturdier container. Taking hold of it, he bolted out of the chamber. That is when the explosives he had smuggled with him and planted when no one was looking detonated. The less number of people to return, the less the money the rock could fetch would be divided.
As he confined himself to his bunk on the ship, Onodera eyed his prize. He was somewhat perplexed by how unusually cold the opal felt. He shone a UV lamp onto it, and the gem glowed a dazzling iridescence, almost as if it were being brought to life! This little tidbit might sway the investor to pay even more, he thought.
The sound of approaching footsteps startled him, so he slipped the opal under a blanket. It was only a crew mate on his break, hoping for an extra hand in Mahjong before the ship reached port in Kobe. A bit reluctant at first, Onodera felt he could use a little bit of fun. After all, he was about to be set for life, so what does he have to worry for?
However, he had forgotten to turn off the UV lamp. Even from under the blanket, the opal glowed...then began to burn through the fabric...then crack apart...
The ship had barely been docked when a sudden explosion engulfed it. Then it was...covered in ice...?
Of those who made it off the ship, Onodera was one of them. He so happened to meet with his investor, who was in no mood to pay for merchandise that wasn't present. Before he could explain how he had left the opal on the ship, something stirred in the harbor, moving toward shore. From the churning tide arose a gigantic chameleon-like creature. Smashing the dockside warehouses and refueling tanks for ships, the ensuing fires dazzled the scales of the creature. Try as he must, Onodera could not deny the monster's scales looked a lot like the iridescent shimmer of the opal.
That was the last thought to cross his mind as the beast's foot trampled him and buried him in the rubble.
As Barugon advanced toward Osaka, exhaling a mist that froze all it touched, the JSDF was doing all they could to repel the beast. Close range attacks could do little against the sub-zero vapors. Having enough of the irritating shells pelting it, the monsters spines began to glow, then a rainbow-like beam poured from its back, burning, melting, and disintegrating all it touched.
It was then that a strange swirl appeared, streaking across the sky...then descended toward the creature. It was GAMERA! Barugon fired its beam again, but it had no effect on the giant turtle's sleek carapace. Barugon lashed its tongue out, grabbing Gamera by the arm and pulled him in. Gamera winced as the monster bit down. He wrestled the chameleon loose, then retaliated by blasting a powerful fireball from his mouth! Striking hard, Barugon shrieked in pain as the blast had left a laceration on its side.
Barugon angrily puffed up and belched its icy vapor. Gamera held up his arm to block it, but there wasn't much he could do. The ice that gathered on him began to render him immobile. With one final gust, Barugon froze Gamera where he stood.
Osaka lay ominously quiet in its spontaneous winter, as Barugon scuttled to the outskirts of the city to allow its wound to heal. Rain had begun to fall, and it was noted the monster seemed to be in agony, scrambling for any cover it could find before furiously digging out a small den in a hillside.
Scientists who had hoped to collect samples of Barugon's blood were astonished to discover a possible ace up the sleeve. This was why it was agitated by the rain - direct contact with fresh water caused the blood to turn corrosive! If it could bore a few feet into solid pavement, imagine what the cocktail was doing to the creature's insides. It was also noted that some buildings struck by the rainbow beam, particularly ones with large, shiny windows, seemingly had little or no damage. The hunch was confirmed when vehicles, found burned to a crisp, were left with their rearview mirrors unscathed. The beam could be reflected!
As tiresome as it was, a series of large mirrors were erected during the downpour. The timing of its completion couldn't be better, for as soon as the storm exhausted its last drops, Barugon emerged, its wound healed.
Crawling into the designated target area, the JSDF fired upon it in hopes of goading the lizard into shining its rainbow at the mirrors. The plan was working - the beam struck and bounced right back into Barugon. The creatures shiny scales were stained with its blood, already beginning its volatile reaction as firetrucks doused the monster in water. Furiously, its tail uncoiled and swatted away the trucks. Despite its agonizing howls, it was not mortally wounded. It was a much wiser creature, unfortunately, as it had no intention of using its rainbow beam again. All anyone could do was watch in despair as Barugon trundled away, unopposed.
Meanwhile, Gamera, thought to have been frozen to death, stirred to life! Breaking the ice that gathered across his body, he retracted his hind legs, fired his thrusters and took off, heading toward Barugon. When he got there, he immediately pulled in his arms and head, ramming forcefully into Barugon, flinging it to a nearby lake. Barugon knew how deadly the body of water would be with its open wounds.
Gamera landed in front to impede its escape. Once again, Barugon unleashed its tongue and snared him by the neck this time, yanking him to the ground on all fours. Though slightly fazed, and with Barugon's tongue still gripping him, Gamera took hold of the tongue with his hand and began to pull...towards the lake.
Barugon was filled with panic. With a hesitant but sharp bite, its teeth sliced into the elastic flesh of its tongue, severing it. Both monsters reeled in opposite directions. Barugon tried to shake off its pain, but before it could do anything, Gamera's head lunged out, his jaws clamping down on Barugon's neck.
Barugon tried clawing at him, but Gamera's thick scutes wouldn't allow any kind of devastating strike. It tried to freeze him with its breath, but it was unable to point itself at him. It tried to grab anything with its unfurled tail, but nothing was strong enough for it to anchor itself. Barugon could only flail, but it was futile. True to his turtle-like form, Gamera was not letting go. Finally, both monsters submerged beneath the lake.
Barugon's blood seemingly boiled the water as the creature began to dissolve. After a long silence, the lake suddenly caught fire in an opalescent array of color, as the cocktail of Barugon's hydrated blood ignited. Gamera rose up and gradually began nourishing himself on the flames, down to the last spark. With Barugon vanquished, Gamera looked toward the spectating defense force...but none felt he had any intention to attack. With a roar of triumph, he tucked himself into his shell and spun away into the sky.
Did Gamera only fight Barugon the way a predator seeks prey? Animals disputing territory? Or could it be...
As time passed, word had reached the village in the South Pacific that Barugon was destroyed by Gamera. The people no longer lived in fear of the curse, knowing that if another should appear, Gamera would be there to stop it. The sole survivor of Onodera's betrayal chose to live out the rest of his days on that island, to start his life anew. While his curiosity did pull at him once in a while, the more he realized the Valley was not for humans to capitalize. Who knows what other "curses" could be out there, waiting to be unleashed by someone's greed?
He couldn't answer that definitively, but any fears over such things he had were quashed, ever since he came into possession of that comma-shaped bead out there in the Valley of the Rainbows.
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