Kaiju (The Continent)

''This article refers to the gigantic creatures that inhabit various parts of The Continent. For the dimension-hopping reptilian creatures, see Kaiju (Otherworld)''

"Chaos"

- on Kaiju UR.

About
Kaiju (怪獣, kaijū) are gargantuan beasts that serve as sentries that prevent mortal Souls from entering regions on The Continent meant only for use by Gods and other divine beings.

Similar to Holy Beasts, kaiju are extraordinarily large creatures, with each being roughly the size of a mountain. There is no apparent consistency between their physical appearances, making every individual of the species totally unique from its brethren.

Due to being created solely for the purpose of warding off mortal beings, kaiju have incredibly simplistic minds, and do little more than move around their designated territory until a foreign body approaches them. When confronted by an intruder, they will begin attacking relentlessly until the threat is eliminated, demonstrating a ferocious level of tenacity in the process.

As the guardians of the Gods' Realm, kaiju possess power far beyond most other creatures on the Continent, making combat against them all but impossible in most instances. They are naturally capable of penetrating the Invincibility Field, rendering even the average Dark Lord helpless in the face of them. Kaiju are also functionally immortal, and will instantaneously return to life only a few short moments after being defeated, meaning that it is impossible to ever truly win against one.

Currently, eight kaiju are known to exist. Of these eight, four are located in far-off reaches of the Continent: UR, who dwells deep underground; Raidboss, who resides in the transient stretch of water known as The High Tide; Multibattle, who lurks somewhere within the distant skies; and Gogo, who prowls beneath the River Styx that transports departed souls into Hell. The four remaining kaiju each inhabit one of the massive floors along the hidden pathway behind the Gate of the Gods in the Ancient Ruins that leads directly to the domain of the Creator God Ludo-Rathowm. As all of these locations are exceptionally difficult to reach, very few people have ever encountered a kaiju in their lifetime, and even fewer have lived to tell about them.

In Kichikuou Rance, kaiju are supported in battle by organisms known as Dragonflies (トンボ, tonbo). These creatures do not receive any kind of dedicated graphics, however, making their appearance and function a mystery. Dragonflies are not mentioned during the appearances of either of the kaiju depicted in Rance X, leaving it unclear as to whether or not they are still considered to exist in canon.

Capsule Kaiju
In Kichikuou Rance, a pair of creatures referred to as "Capsule Kaiju" (カプ セル怪獣, kapuseru kaijū) can be found in the abandoned Horus battleship in northern Helman and obtained for the player's use in battle. These kaiju are sealed within small capsules which break open and instantaneously summon them to assist their user when thrown on the ground. Despite sharing a common name, these creatures do not otherwise resemble the kaiju of the Continent, making their exact nature a mystery. Capsule kaiju do not make any further appearances outside of Kichikuou Rance, making it unknown if they are still considered to canonically exist within the Rance Series.

Trivia

 * The capsule kaiju featured in Kichikuou Rance are directly inspired by the creatures of the same name that appear in the tokusatsu series Ultra Seven, which similarly were monsters contained within small capsules that assisted the protagonist in battle when summoned.
 * The three kaiju introduced in Rance X seem to be based on the Three Great Beasts of land, sea, and sky referenced in Jewish mythology.
 * The three kaiju introduced in Rance X each have names relating to mechanics in smartphone-based gacha games. According to TADA, the director of the Rance Series, this was done to make them evoke the feeling of being "event bosses that everyone wants to beat".