SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 8 out, this is Chapter 9 of this fic. (Sighs) Every time I write these B.S disclaimers, I die a little inside. Remember, boys and girls, reviews are an author's subsistence.
Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny.
Chapter 9: An Assassin Master of Offense and Defense. Shun's Secret Chain Plan
"Go, Square Chain!" Shun let loose his attacking chain at the army of Pallasites before the group.
"Death Ripple!" Saturn slammed her Glaive on the ground, the wave of death energy knocking out the rest. "Our attacks have more advantage against large number of enemies." She informed the younger Saints.
"We'll buy time while you hurry toward Pallas." Shun agreed.
"Let's go." Koga instructed and the three Bronze Saints took off.
"Now the brats are gone." Saturn grinned. "How about we go all out?"
"Very well." Surtr remarked as the three younger Saints powered up. "I'll make this quick then."
"Nebula Chain!" Shun's chain flew in.
"Silence Wall!" Saturn's shield was immediately in place when Surtr reflected the attack. "Another day, another energy shield?" she joked.
"Good to know we made it in time." Shun noted.
"Another Saint, I see." Surtr remarked.
"When we attacked that barrier, I realized something." Shun stated. "The size of the Cosmo from our attack and that of the returned attack were identical. And he barely emitted any Cosmo at all. That barrier's been reflecting our Cosmo right back at us."
"Then if we'd attacked, we'd…" Souma gaped.
"Shun and Saturn saved our lives?" Koga realized.
"Even during battle, you mustn't forget to observe carefully." Shun advised.
"I'm impressed you noticed after only one attack." Surtr praised. "That's right. My Cosmo Reflector completely deflects your attack right back at you."
"Once, in my battle with the gods, I had all my attacks reflected back at me." Shun added.
"Then, you are the Andromeda Saint?" Surtr realized. "It seems you are more experienced than they."
"I have a request." Shun voiced. "Would you let us through? Even if you are my enemy, I'd rather not hurt anyone."
"I thought there might be something to you." Surtr taunted. "But you're only a coward. I can't imagine any warrior saying that. You can beg for your life, but I won't let you escape."
"If we speak to each other, even if we are enemies, we may understand each other." Shun stated. "It's sad that fighting is all we can do. But now, our task is to protect and lead the young Saints. And to accomplish that, I will not hesitate to defeat you."
"Our?" Saturn muttered. "Yare, yare." She sighed. "Guess now I know why Mercury ended up with you."
"Do you think that bit trivia about the Cosmo Reflector will help you beat me?" Surtr snorted.
"He's not only deflecting our attacks." Koga informed.
"He's attacking us with his own Cosmo, from within the barrier." Yuna supplied.
"And he's using the crystals to reflect the attacks, to hit us from behind." Souma added.
"Attacking from within?" Shun echoed. "Everyone, could you get him to attack again?"
"You have a plan?" Saturn smirked.
"Perhaps." Shun shrugged. "It may give us a clue to beating him."
"Guess Mercury's smarts been rubbing off you." Saturn joked.
"I've been married to her for close to ten years," Shun reminded. "I tend to pick up some things."
"Let's go." Koga gave the cue and the three Bronze Saints charged in.
"I guess I must use force to make you understand." Surtr noted. "You shall all perish from my attack. Cosmo Conduction! I'll kill you all."
"What?" Souma stopped in his tracks, Yuna and Koga following suit as the energy streams blocked off their path.
"What?" Yuna was stunned. "He's attacking from all directions?"
"His attacks are permeating from the barrier." Shun surmised. "If we attack now, ours should, as well. Nebula Chain!"
"Grim Edge!" Saturn swung her Glaive forward and a death energy wave shot from the blade. "If we concentrate on one point…" she frowned, focusing her attack.
"It's useless." Surtr taunted.
"This isn't good." Shun gasped when Surtr reflected the combined assault. "Circle Chain! Rolling Defense!" he used his other chain to protect the younger Saints.
"Your tricks won't help!" Surtr released the coagulated energy.
"Oh no!" Shun tugged at his square chain which had been embedded on the ceiling.
"Silence Wall!" Saturn barely had the time to summon her own shield. "Guess my endurance still need work." She joked, falling onto one knee.
"So, humans are stupid, after all." Surtr mocked. "Lowering your defenses to protect one another, I can't understand it."
"Why did you protect us?" Koga was confused.
"Your stamina won't last much longer." Shun explained. "I tell by your Cosmo."
"And, it was our miscalculation." Saturn admitted. "His barrier stayed up even during his attacks."
"That's right." Surtr agreed. "My Cosmo Reflector will only allow Cosmo to go outward from it. It's the perfect offense and defense. I can attack and defend without disabling it. My attacks will hit you but yours can't hit me. There was never any way for you to win. This Mystic Stone was created to render the Saints powerless. Because you are Saints, my Cosmo Reflector cannot be broken."
"When you are certain of victory, you talk too much." Shun stated. "Apparently that's true for both Pallasites and Saints." With a tug, he recalled his square chain, the movement allowing a rock to roll into the shield. "The barrier reflects all Cosmo outward. But what of something without Cosmo? That stone gave me the answer. Your barrier cannot affect things without Cosmo."
"So what?" Surtr shrugged. "What can you do without Cosmo?"
"Shun, any ideas?" Koga asked.
"Yeah, but it's a risky gamble." Shun replied.
"Let me do it." Koga offered.
"Fail, and you could die." Saturn warned, having an inking what Shun meant.
"I'll do it." Koga insisted. "I have to."
"Yuna, Souma." Shun stated. "Make a barrier of wind and flame. Conceal us from him."
"Show me what humans can do." Surtr declared as Souma and Yuna took their places. "I expect great things of your last, futile struggles."
"Winds of freedom, show your power." Yuna summoned her element. "Storm Tornado!"
"Lionet Flare-storm Bomber!" Souma let loose his flames within the hurricane.
"That girl can give Uranus a run for her money." Saturn remarked.
"You're blocking my vision?" Surtr snorted. "It won't do more than buy time. I'll kill you all." He charged up, but was taken aback when Koga shot through the fire tornado. "What?" he gasped when Koga took off his Cloth. "Fool! You removed your Cloth. Die!" he released his charged up energy.
"Rolling Defense!" Shun blocked out the attack.
Koga shot through the barrier and slammed a Cosmo-charged fist into the Mystic Stone, shattering it.
"You took off your Cloth and erased your Cosmo, to charge at me, reckless and unarmed…" Surtr muttered.
"It wasn't reckless." Koga corrected. "I have friends I believe in. I entrusted my life to them. With them at my side, the impossible becomes possible. This is the power of humans. The power of the Saints."
"You've got guts, Pegasus." Surtr praised. "But don't forget that you're standing helpless before me."
"Oh really?" Saturn was unamused.
"I've stopped you from moving." Shun retorted. "Look at your feet. Depending on your Cosmo, my nebula stream will transform into a storm. You shouldn't attempt to attack. I'll say it once more. If you wish to stop this fighting, I will not fight you."
"You're already exhausted from my attacks." Surtr snapped. "You think you can beat me? I may have lost my Mystic Stone, but I'm still at nearly full power."
"Not anymore." Saturn muttered. "I was waiting for a time to try this. Saturn…" white, translucent energy started swirling around her Glaive. "Wrath's…" the energy then took on the shape of a ghastly female figure, its eyes blank and its face taking on the 'Scream' face. "Cry!" at that, the wraith shot out of the Glaive with a blood-curling wail and passed through the trapped Pallasite's body.
"What's this…" Surtr muttered, confused as he slowly kneeled to the ground. "My energy…"
"Your energy?" Saturn echoed, the wraith splitting into five smaller versions, four of them entering the bodies of the rest of the group and reenergizing them as the fifth melted back into Glaive. "Not anymore."
"I told you I wouldn't let you attack." Shun repeated. "Explode, nebula… Nebula Storm!"
"Impossible…" Surtr stammered. "I can't… what is this overwhelming Cosmo?" he screamed as his Chronotector shattered. "The power of humans…" he muttered, falling back to the ground. "Now I see… why Aegaeon-sama is so interested in you." With that, he took his last breath.
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.