29: "Draconian"
"Okay, is everything ready? Emergency batteries and everything? All right, and plenty of discs? Good. And you're sure we're at a safe distance? Well, that's...not very reassuring, but it's the best we've got, and we've got a job to do, don't we? Okay, we're rolling live in ten. God, this is terrifying. Just let me get a few breaths in first. I'll be okay, I promise, just a few more. Okay, okay. In four, three...
"Good evening, this is a special live broadcast from Channel Five's eye in the sky. This is Kotono Sarashina, reporting from high above the remains of Shibuya, Tokyo, where devastation is spread as far as the eye can see. Those who have been able to get glimpses of the city via international satellite have attested that it's, quote, 'worse than Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the war', and as you see, it's difficult to argue against that. From what we know so far, an enormous creature ripped straight from giant monster movies has been laying waste to the city proper for the past hour. The creature, which resembles a three-headed dragon and is considered to be at least three kilometers in height, has not been identified, nor is its origin or true purpose known. No amount of political veneer can cover up this creature's presence or its effect on our country; indeed, not a few minutes before it appeared, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued a citywide evacuation, though there was no foresight regarding the creature's appearance in the Prime Minister's plans.
"We are currently two kilometers away from the creature's path, keeping a steady distance in concurrence with its position. So far, it has demonstrated an unrelenting and remarkable ability to destroy everything it touches, with little or no effort on its part, including leveling an entire skyscraper with a single blow. The Prime Minister has yet to consider whether the national guard or even United Nations intervention will have any effect, or if even nuclear offense is necessary. His main reason for delay is, believe it or not, what seems to be five women strongly resembling the Sailor Senshi. These five individuals, as some of you might remember, were strictly confined to the realm of fantasy, only making appearances in entertainment circles such as anime and manga. Over the past few weeks, however, their apparent resurgence has been tentatively regarded as factual, and if the Sailor Senshi did, or do, exist, and are currently battling this creature, then I have only one thing to say:
"Welcome back, ladies, and God help you.
"One moment, please. We have just received word of a lone motorist down there, leading the creature away from the city. They appear to be on a police-issued motorcycle, and... Could we get a closer look? Yes, Katayama, I know it'll put us in closer contact with the dragon, but our viewers need to know who's down there! That person is brave enough to face up to that monstrosity and... Uh, pardon the interruption, please; Channel Five's eye in the sky is undergoing conflict with its producer. We are currently unable to determine the identity of the motorist, as a closer inspection will expose our helicopter to an extreme level of danger... Yes, I know the risks! Closer, I said, and to hell with our producer! Um, pardon my language, everyone. We're moving closer now—yes, yes, your concern is duly noted, Hanzo! But I want that rider in our camera's scope pronto!
"Here we go. Get a shot of that dragon! My God, he's enormous! The spectacle of this monstrosity cannot be underscored. Even comparing it to Japan's massive library of giant movie monsters is an insult to the enormity this creature possesses. It truly is awe-inspiring. Ah, and we finally have a visual on the motorist! There, get a good bead on them! Keep focused! What do they look like? Pigtails? Ladies and gentlemen, our motorist has been described as having two long pigtails, blonde, a blue skirt... It's Sailor Moon! Ladies and gentlemen, Sailor Moon is our brave motorist leading the dragon away from the city! You saw it first on Channel Five news! The Senshi have officially returned!"
Sailor Moon's concerns were more focused on her driving and her survival, rather than getting any attention on the news. She didn't even notice the chopper hovering in the distance until much later; the roads were so broken and littered with debris that it required all of her focus just to maintain a safe path. Having a ravenous three-headed dragon larger than most of Shibuya's buildings pursuing her (usually going through said buildings) made the job downright Sisyphean. She was constantly on alert for dead-ends, curves, narrow alleyways, falling rubble, bridges that collapsed at the slightest touch, hunks of stone and metal hurtling through the air, deadly tremors and shockwaves—and of course, the dragon itself, who sometimes caught up to her despite the breakneck speed she was maintaining.
Take me through the centuries to supersonic years
Electrifying enemy is drowning in his tears
All I have to give you is a love that never dies
The symptom of the universe is written in your eyes
Yeah
Usually it just lunged out and snapped at her, mouths big enough to gulp down a semi-truck nipping at her wheels. Sometimes it slammed its fist on the ground, cracking open the pavement and sending a gap slithering after her, which she had to outrun. It even attempted to stomp on her, picking up so much speed that it created fresh craters around her. The monstrosity was absurdly fast for its size, but as terrifying as every moment of her existence was, Sailor Moon really was making progress. They were gradually leaving the city proper behind them, heading for the vast sea.
Of course, what they would do once they reached the sea was another matter...
Sailor Moon saw a chance to get some elevation, and turned onto a byway, slowly raising herself until she was about at the monster's knee level. She shot her tiara again just so the dragon wouldn't forget about her, and used the jewels adorning her buns to amplify her voice, calling it every insulting name she could think of (most of them juvenile). The dragon responded by crushing the road behind her, its fists undoing hours of community work with every swing. She turned again, this time heading straight towards her gigantic foe, attempting to confuse it. The dragon slapped its palms on the road, squashing tons of asphalt but missing Sailor Moon by centimeters. She decided to take a risk and rode her bike onto the monster's outstretched hand, revving up full speed as she climbed up its arm.
Mother Goose is calling me back to her silver womb
Father of creation takes me from my stolen tomb
Seventh night the unicorn is waiting in the skies
A symptom of the universe, a love that never dies
Yeah
"How about that?!" she called. "Ya wanna swat at me now, ugly? Maybe I oughta ram this thing into one of your eyeballs, or shoot it through your ear canal! You wouldn't like that, would ya!?" Roaring wordlessly, she flew under the dragon's other hand as it reached to crush her, then decelerated as one of its heads clamped down on the thick scaly muscle. The bite drew blood, and for the first time since it appeared, the creature showed real pain. Sailor Moon quickly mounted the offending head, traveling up the mouth to its nose. "Borrowing" the bike also meant "borrowing" some police-issue equipment, and now was the best time to rummage through that bag and pull out something nasty. Her lips curled wickedly as she palmed a tear gas canister, and as she approached one of its nostrils (which was still large enough to contain her and the bike very comfortably), she pulled the pin and threw the canister inside, clogging the monster's nasal cavities. The reaction was immediate and extremely gratifying, but she had to move to another vantage point to enjoy it: the monster smothered its face with its hands.
The other two heads were a little disoriented by this attack, and the dragon squirmed to fling off the offending insect. Sailor Moon found better traction on the creature's shoulders, winding herself around the neck. She dug into her back of tricks and pulled out some flares, perfect to use against the monster's eyes. A sudden tremor upset her speed and sent her and the bike falling away from the beast; she saved herself with her transformation pen, extending an unbreakable cable that swung her to safety. As she came to a relatively hard landing, Sailor Moon noticed the titan was no longer on the offensive: it was bent over in pain, groaning, clutching its chest and stomach (with a curl of smoke still billowing from one of its noses). She lifted her visor, wondering what could be causing the monster such anguish—but then remembered her friends on the inside. They were tearing that creature's guts apart!
"All right!" she cheered. "Give em' hell, Senshi!" The monster's agony quickly turned to rage, though, as it lashed out at everything around it, puddles of putrid blood pooling from all three of its mouths. Sailor Moon grimaced as the block occupied by the monster was flattened, and disheartened as it forgot its quarry and resumed blind destruction, aided by more zealous anger than it had ever shown.
"No! They just made him angrier! But they can't stop, can they? Even if the entire city is leveled, we have to stop that thing! Just hurry up in there, okay? Cut out its heart and be done with it! Oh, crap! It's coming this way!" She panicked, lowered her visor, and revved away, but the monster's fury was merciless. Her footing was obliterated; she and the bike parted ways, one skidding across a street and the other hitting the side of a stubborn structure. Sailor Moon picked herself up quickly, thankful for the helmet, but her bike became a casualty as the monster rampaged down the street, flattening it carelessly.
"Ugh. Sorry, Asagiri. I'll have to make it up to him once all this is over." She scampered away, pitifully helpless and vulnerable, whimpering softly as debris rained down around her, many pieces unfortunately striking her. A rather large one burrowed itself on her right kidney, knocking her flat again, where she coughed and groaned and laid helpless as the monster diverted its rampage her way. Sailor Moon felt the ground shaking but could do nothing about it; she dismissed the pain and weariness as far back as she could, going on full tenacity as she pushed herself off the ground, groaning once more as her efforts to ignore the pain backfired. She plopped down, wincing, blinded, shuddering along with the ground. Her head turned, and through bleary eyes, was witness to the titan bearing down on her. Across the vast distance their eyes met.
Look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair!
"Just bring your filthy feet over here," she snarled, raising her scepter. Something prevented her from making a last stand, though, as an earth-shattering blow rent the beast's left flank asunder, followed swiftly by a torrential tsunami on its right. Time itself became slovenly as the dragon reeled from this unexpected attack, and a wailing orb of a thousand deadly screams dredged from the vortexes beyond thought and imagination slammed it dead center. Sailor Moon found herself picked up by a smiling guardian of time, burdens and wounds meaningless.
"Pluto..."
"We cannot linger, princess. The creature will break free from my hold ere long. There is a place where we might rest, but it is some distance away, so we'll have to be quick."
"Is it always business before pleasure with you, Pu?" Sailor Uranus grinned at the duo from her perch, still sparkling from her attack. Opposite her was Sailor Neptune, breathing heavily, radiant but rather frizzled.
"Some people truly do prefer it that way, love! Ah, but give me a moment; it's been awhile since you've asked me to keep up with that breakneck speed of yours!"
"Hey, glad you two could make it!" Moon cheered. "I knew you'd come around eventually! But isn't Hotaru with you?"
"Sailor Moon, please." Pluto clenched her arm firmly, pleading with soft crimson eyes. Moon nodded, understanding what was at stake, then looked to Uranus.
"Haruka, I assume you've brought a means of escape?"
"But of course. I must admit, despite the lack of traffic, it wasn't easy getting here."
"Our chronologically-distorted reptilian behemoth spread some very disquieting havoc," Neptune concurred. The two leaped down from their lofts, leading Sailor Moon to their car, with Pluto covering them should the creature rouse early. They all got in and sped away, Sailor Moon filling them in on the situation.
"It's much worse than either of us anticipated," Neptune murmured, glancing at Uranus. "We understood there'd be trouble when Abe ordered the evacuation, but...something of this scale is beyond anything we've ever known."
"Mercury said it was probably stronger than everything else we've fought put together. After seeing what it did to the city, I don't doubt her."
"I'd like to say I'm surprised those girls did what they did," Uranus said, crossing her arms thoughtfully. "But...I suppose desperate times really do call for desperate situations. Logically speaking, it's probably the only thing they could do. I doubt we'd even be able to slow that thing down with all of us, much less kill it. In that regard, I suppose it's best that Hotaru isn't here."
"So she's still in college? At a time like this?!"
"Kyoto University," Pluto said. "It's far enough away from all these horrors. She wouldn't even know about it unless it made the national news."
"The news...?" Sailor Moon suddenly remembered seeing a news chopper in the area, and implored Uranus to turn around. Uranus didn't even slow down; stopping was tantamount to suicide, and actually returning was just begging for a death sentence. No: they needed to wait out the other Senshi. If they could find their way to some of the dragon's vital organs and destroy them, the rest would take care of itself. There would be no point in putting everyone else in danger just for the sake of one news helicopter.
That's what she said—but in the face of Sailor Moon's heartfelt pleas, no argument could survive. She cursed and turned the car around, charging back into the maw of hell.
"I guess I'm still a fool for pretty girls," she grumbled, trying not to let Neptune's expressions fluster her. "But we're not going in there without a plan—and none of this cavalier crap you kids are famous for. We think this through carefully."
"Kids?! I'm older than you were when we first met!—by at least eight years!"
"Seriously, Usako, if you don't have a plan—"
"Just distract it! One of you in the car, two hitting it on all sides, while I snatch the chopper! I just need to get the people out, then maybe we can crash it on one of the dragon's faces or something."
"Usako..."
"I've got no objections," Pluto said, silencing the duo's doubts. They stared at her, wondering just how much influence Minako had held over her, but she seemed perfectly sane. "Sailor Uranus will want the car, so let's give it to her. I presume you were trying to lead this thing away from the city when we rescued you? Then I'll handle the assault. Neptune will amplify the ocean with her power and stir up a huge tidal wave. Once the people in the helicopter are secure, I'll need Sailor Moon to help me wrangle that monster closer to the ocean. With any luck, Neptune's tidal wave will wash over the city and draw the monster in, and then we'll have him. Uranus, you'll have to weaken the ground so he doesn't have anything to cling to. I'll do what I can, but I won't alter time unless there's no alternative. Are we clear?"
Sailors Moon, Neptune, and Uranus looked at each other silently, nodding and smiling.
"Okay. Now, this plan requires my full concentration, so—"
Sailor Uranus turned her car's radio to a metal station and blasted it full power.
"Sorry, Pu! I concentrate better this way!"
"She really does!" Neptune shouted, covering her ears as she smiled.
"Whaaaat?"
"I said Haruka concentrates best when she—"
"WHAAAT?" Neptune rapidly tapped her love's arm, motioning for her to turn the music down a little, which of course caused her to do the opposite.
"No can do," she smiled, slowing into a half-leveled parking lot. "Okay, ladies, this is your stop. Do what you have to and hurry back in! The meter's running." Three got out, relieved of the noise, even though they could hear it plainly as Uranus rolled away, getting the dragon's attention. Sailor Moon rubbed her eardrum.
"How do you stand it, Michiru?"
"Oh, we've made an arrangement," she smirked. Sailor Moon lit up as she remembered Haruka saying something to that effect, and grinned in accord. "Anyway, we had better get to it. Do you know where this helicopter might be?"
"Not really, but I'm more resourceful than you think!" Out came the transformation pen again; Sailor Moon turned it into a miniature radar device. The dragon and Haruka's car came up immediately; a few expansions caused a third blip to show up. "That way," she pointed, taking off in a sprint. Neptune and Pluto nodded at each other.
"Well, Setsu, this is your plan. I suggest you lead."
"Ah, but this was our princess's idea. You and I are to make sure she's not killed."
"Ah yes, 'death by heroics'. Still babysitting after all these years..."
"Such harsh words, friend," she laughed. Neptune sighed and leaped to position; Pluto found a similar vantage point, leveling a stare of ageless fury against the demonic megalith.
Take my hand, my child of love come step inside my tears
Swim the magic ocean I've been crying all these years
When our love will ride away into eternal skies
A symptom of the universe, a love that never dies
Yeah
Sailor Uranus's loud car stereo had drawn the dragon's ire brilliantly; it followed her around the city in much the same way it had chased Sailor Moon, complete with the wanton destruction and near-death experiences. Pluto summoned the remorseless grasp of time to slow the monster's rampage, digging icicle-sharp claws into its hide. A blow impacted one of its necks; a second hit the monster's enormous claw as it reached out to grab the car. The dragon was faintly sluggish after having recovered from Pluto's hold, and the ill effects it was suffering from within were also taking a heavy toll, but the beast remained relentless and terrible, even when Neptune occasionally augmented the assault.
"I can't save you forever, Pu," she muttered, reaching out to the distant ocean. The powers of Earth's waters were astounding; the sea could consume a thousand of these beasts carelessly, along with Neptune, the city, all of Japan, perhaps even the entire western section of Asia. Neptune could be a little reckless with her link to the ocean since Tokyo no longer had any people to endanger—just the Senshi—but too much would damage the city in ways even this abomination could only imagine.
"Oh, mother ocean, please forgive me," she whispered. "I have been absent, I have been neglectful. I am selfish, only coming to you in time of need, only turning to your side when all other matters have failed. Your abundance surpasses my own in measures I cannot describe; your greatness overshadows all I know. You have been there when no life crawled upon this soil, and you will be there when all is ash and dust, ever consistent and relentless. I humbly beg of you to aid me. Rid this world of the blight which threatens our existence. Wash over the filth which it has wrought. Cleanse the putrid stain of its vile life away; draw it into your embrace where it will be humbled and vanquished by your everlasting darkness and strength. Let it be known that you are one of the great powers of this world, and you will not suffer the usurper to live!
"NEPTUNE...DEEP...SUBMERGE!"
Both Sailor Moon and Sailor Uranus heard Neptune's cry. Moon had finally found the helicopter, or what remained of it, after scrounging through a ruined parking structure littered with blasted bits of cars. The helicopter had been nearly indistinguishable in the mess, but luckily the crew was still alive. They had managed to wrench themselves out of the vehicle but could not escape the garage since the only exit was blocked by a mountain of smashed cars. Sailor Moon solved this problem by blasting a hole in it with her scepter.
"Aha! Found it! Hey, are you guys okay?" Kotono Sarashina felt her heart leap as the one-and-only Sailor Moon ran over to check on them. It took a great deal of effort not to squeal and embrace her.
"Sa...Sa...Sailor Moon! It's really you! I knew it! What's going on out there?"
"Never mind, we need to get everyone out of here! It's too dangerous!"
"No kidding! We were actually trying to get away from that thing when we got shot out of the sky. The most embarrassing part is that he didn't even hit us; we got blown away by a shockwave. All things considered, though, we're very lucky."
"We couldn't salvage our recordings, though," her cameraman called. Kotono crossed her arms, scowling.
"Yes, there's that, but luckily we transmitted live. Hopefully that'll be enough to get promotions all around."
"Same old Sarashina," Sailor Moon grinned. Kotono winked; her crew looked confused.
"Huh? How do you know her name?"
"N-never mind," she stuttered, "let's focus on getting to a safer place!"
And then the hair on the back of her neck stood up as she heard Sailor Neptune unleashing her powers. In moments the entire city would be flooded.
"Like, right now!" She tapped the jewels embedded in her buns, signaling Sailor Uranus to rendezvous, and escorted Kotono and her crew out of the garage. She recommended that they climb as high up as possible; Kotono shrieked that this was tantamount to suicide, as it would put them in direct path of the dragon's rampage. Sailor Moon countered by glaring patiently.
"Trust me, Sarashina. We'll be much safer on top." Kotono gawked for a moment before coming to terms with her old friend's convictions. They raced up the long spiral staircase just as the first signs of flooding took place. The dragon's fury intensified the higher they went; huge stones smashed into the garage like meteors, some almost bowling into the small group. Sailor Moon had to keep a barrier going the higher they went, and all the while she worried for the other Senshi.
Oh my child of love's creation, come and step inside my dreams
In your eyes I see no sadness, you are all that loving means
Take my hand and we'll go riding through the sunshine from above
We'll find happiness together in the summer skies of love
"Damn, it's too soon." Sailor Uranus frowned as her love's shout echoed across the abandoned city. She was already pushing her car to its limits; any faster would overheat the engine and shred her tires to bits. Sailor Moon's signal came in on her Senshi communicator, so she banked a hard left and headed straight to the garage. A dull thump hit the roof of her car, and she cringed, hoping it wasn't a stray bit of skyscraper.
"The hell...?" She peeked out and saw Sailor Pluto clinging to the roof, her long hair undone and billowing wildly. Uranus nearly spat out her heart and careened wildly before getting things under control. "Whoa! Warn me next time you're gonna jump on my car, Setsuna! What the hell are you think—" The guardian of time found footing and raised her scepter, blasting away a huge chunk of rubble blocking the way. Bits of metal and rock hurled everywhere; she struck them down with whirlwind defense.
"Just keep a steady course, Haruka. Sailor Moon's going to need both of us if she's to leave here alive."
"Yeah, but did ya have to put a dent in my car?!" Pluto smirked, even chuckling.
"Call it bad aim. Don't worry, I'll reimburse you fully. Taking care of cute, reckless blondes is what I do best."
"Who are you calling reckless?" she grinned, throwing herself into the garage. Pluto's attacks continued to clear the way for her as she wound her way to to the top; meanwhile the city was fully flooded now, the waters of nearby Tokyo and Sagami Bay rising a centimeter every second. Sailor Neptune had to devote all her concentration to keeping the tsunami under control, leaving her totally defenseless. The dragon hadn't noticed her yet; it was more interested in the microscopic vehicle whirling up the parking structure. Sailor Moon and company reached the roof just a minute or so ahead of their rescuer, coming face-to-fang with the demonic dragon. Sailor Moon froze in abject horror as she stared down the razor-lined abysses, and even jaded reporter Sarashina joined her.
"Tsuknio," she whispered, "just what is that thing?"
"Evil," she answered grimly, shuddering. "That's the only way I can describe it. It's just unadulterated, malevolent evil."
"And it's going to kill us," she swallowed, "isn't it?"
"You trust me, don't you?" she said nervously. Kotona tried putting on a brave face.
"I trust in Rei, and she trusts in you... But you do have a plan, don't y—"
Sailor Uranus couldn't have timed it better. Her car came roaring out the exit at that very moment—and so did the enormous claw of the dragon. The parking structure would be another smoldering husk in five seconds: Sailor Uranus did the only thing she could, and floored it.
"JUMP, DUMPLING!"
"Princess!" Sailor Moon grabbed Kotona and her crew and leaped off the structure's edge, just as the dragon's fist smashed through the roof. The car, the princess, the guardian, and the civilians soared breathlessly through the air, time slowing to a trudge, noise silencing, pulses and breaths held in anticipation. Sailor Moon slowly took out her transformation pen and called out to it, turning it into a giant magnet. She hugged Kotona and her crew tight to her as the magnet drew her to Haruka's car; she, Sailor Pluto, and every soul there slithered in through the windows, leaving Sailor Uranus to curse wildly as she braced herself for the crash. Sailor Moon's transformation pen came to life one more time, becoming a grappling hook that latched onto the dragon's body, swinging the car and its passengers onto the hard scaly surface.
The impact was spectacular: every window shattered and every air bag deployed. The engine was crushed and the chassis all but collapsed on itself. Sailors Moon and Pluto had been protecting their passengers, but it still felt like every bone had snapped and every bruise had flared. The rough ride didn't end there, either, as the dragon took notice of its passenger and shook it off, sending the car splashing into the rising water below. The smash pried open one of the doors, spilling all contents save the driver. Pluto sputtered out first, followed by Kotono, her crew, and Sailor Moon. None of them looked particularly pleasant.
"Everyone okay?" Pluto called. Sailor Moon coughed uncontrollably.
"Where's—kff, kff—Haruka?" Pluto winced ominously. Sailor Moon entrusted her with the news crew as she dove back down. The driver's side car was welded shut, and Sailor Uranus's head was resting against an airbag. She was not conscious. Sailor Moon had to swim back inside the car, unbuckle Uranus from her seat, pull her out (getting both of them cut badly on shards of broken glass), and swim back up, sputtering and hacking. Uranus still wasn't conscious, and the water was rising every moment. The inevitable surge would come at any moment, and if the Senshi and the news crew didn't find safe ground soon, they'd be swept out to sea.
"What do I do?!" Sailor Moon shrieked. "She's not breathing!"
"This is hardly the time or place for CPR," Pluto said.
"I'm trained," Kotona's pilot said. Nobody ever got the opportunity to revive Sailor Uranus, as they were all lifted out of the water by the dragon's immense claw. Sailors Moon and Pluto turned pale and clutched onto the news crew as they were met with the dragon's enormous eyes and insatiable mouths; they were drawn closer and closer to the damning chasms, crumbs to be shoved into a voracious gullet. A blinding, terrible light overcame them, even causing the enormous dragon to reel back in pain, giving them time to be swept away by powerful, gentle arms. The group found themselves thrust into a flaming chariot and whisked into the sky, higher than even their enemy could reach. Sailor Moon caterwauled at the driver, almost driven senseless.
"Waah! Wawawawawawawhat was that? Hahahahawho are you, what's going on?! Wait, never mind, we have to save Sailor Uranus!" The driver whirled around and extended his arm, bathing Uranus in a golden glow, sealing her injuries and erasing her wounds. She groaned and stirred; the wounds accumulated by Moon, Pluto, and the news crew were also cured. An ominous hush fell over the passengers as the driver nodded respectfully.
"Apkallu," he spoke, shattering the heavens with his words, "imagine my surprise when I learned there were eight of you."
"Ah, so you're one of them!" The illuminated being bowed.
"Marduk, at your command. Yet the mystery surrounding the addition of Great Sages pales in the shadow of our most dreaded enemy, the bane of all that lives and breathes. You have already been witness to its horror, I see. Rest assured you have scarcely seen the smallest pebble which the mountain may offer. There is no force in this world that can match the wretched glory of Azhi Dahaka."
"Did you just say 'Azhi Dahaka'?!" Pluto shot up like a bolt, ghastly white and perspiring heavily with renewed terror. Marduk nodded grimly. Sailor Moon looked confused, but Kotona seemed to understand.
"You mean the servant of Angra Mainyu, the dragon which threatened the entire world with plague and destruction? The beast even the gods could not kill?"
"You know him well, good servant. The very same, released from his chains, though I will never understand why. Not even our basest, wickedest enemies would dare unleash such a bane on this world. Always was it prophesied that Azhi Dahaka would have reign at the end of days—but perhaps that time has come after all."
"Not if we can help it!" Sailor Moon said. "Right now, we've got four of the best warriors in the world traveling through that thing's guts, cutting out hearts and livers and everything else! They'll put an end to that monster in no time at all, just you wait!"
"And once they're done, the beast will be washed out to sea," Pluto said. "At least, that's the idea. I'm sorry to say it's the only one we could come up with." Marduk quietly pondered this unusual turn of events, and was granted firsthand access to its unfolding as Sailor Neptune called back the waters she had opened, summoning a huge tidal wave to sweep across the city. The dragon's monstrous size and boundless fury were no match for the ocean's power, and soon it was caught up, roaring and flailing helplessly, spewing rivers of blood as its insides were being torn asunder. Marduk, the Senshi, and the news crew watched in awe as the monster was dragged into the sea, and were left to wonder and hope that all of this would work.
Because if this last measure failed, then even the gods were powerless to save them.
To be continued...
Author's notes:
Diehard fans will recognize Ittou Asanuma (police officer) and Kotono Sarashina (news reporter) from the Black Moon arc of the series. I will be bringing back as many of the Senshi's friends and relatives as I can, and I will even have them all starring in a few chapters later on, so keep your eyes peeled!
At long last, we learn the dragon's identity. Everything Sarashina describes him as is basically true, ripped straight from mythological descriptions (and she would know, being obsessed with the paranormal). Well, except for his size, of course.
The song is Black Sabbath's Symptom of the Universe, which, although having fewer lyrics than I thought, is nonetheless awesome and appropriate (even Sailor Uranus approves!). Once again I encourage disbelievers to peruse iTunes and prove my choice incorrect.
Finally, Shinzo Abe (AH-bay) is the actual current Prime Minister of Japan; I have decided to not fictionalize the government head just to bring that extra pinch of realism.
