Chapter Twenty-Eight
* Yami-sama: The King of Hell *
Annika had been following the aura for nearly an hour. She finally stopped off in the outskirts of Crystal Tokyo. Her feet hurt and her breath came slowly. But she felt it. Gloria's pain had multiplied. Annika felt her cry turn desperate, almost like she was dying.
The thought froze Annika's heart. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the Venus aura and the Venus aura alone.
"Mars Power! Make Up!"
She closed her eyes tightly as the rush of fire cut through her blood again. She swore she felt her blood bubble within her veins. In any other creature, that would cause death but to Annika, all she felt was the pain. It was agonizing but not fatal. And it passed swiftly.
The girl gathered her balance and then concentrated again, hoping for a better response in her Senshi uniform. Sure enough, the aura of Venus became blazingly clear and bright.
It was originating directly beneath her feet. She stepped back and then knelt in the praying position.
"Mars…"
Her whole body took on a red, then a purple glow. She held her hands straight up but still in the praying position.
"Eternal…"
she made the traditional prayer signs with her hands and her nails hummed so brightly beneath her gloves that they became visible.
"Fire…"
Overlapping violet rings appeared over her wrists. Narrowing her eyes, she pointed her hands downward and cried,
"Circle!"
A blast of violet fire burst from her palms, creating a tunnel in the ground. Annika dismissed the power and slid down the natural slide her attack had generated. She summoned the attack again in case she had to clear more room. Thankfully, her attack had gone completely through.
She put her hands to the edges of the tunnel to slow herself as she neared a light at the end of the tunnel. She peered through cautiously. It was clear so she slid out of the tunnel.
"What is this place?"
It was like cave. The ceiling was high and stalagmites and stalactites were common place. The ground was a little muggy. But Annika ignored that, wiping the sweat from her forehead. It was warm but for some reason it was warmer than Annika felt it should have been. Coming from a soldier of fire, this worried her.
Closing her eyes, she concentrated. Then she heard it, Gloria's terrible scream. This was followed by another yell of pain and then a cough. Annika now felt the aura of the force of Mars. Her power…it was being abused and somehow, she knew that was what was causing her best friend's agony.
The girl took a breath and then slowly headed towards what she recognized as her power. Her heels clicked across the stone floor. It was the only thing that distinguished it from a true cave. A real cave would have had dirt floor. But this was like a demon's lair.
As Annika ran, she heard other screams, terrible cries. People that Annika could not see were crying for help. If Annika had not known better, she would have thought that she had emerged into hell itself. Her heart was beating fast and she grasped her fuku's broach tightly, as if to protect her heart.
"hello Chibi mars."
Annika prepared her attacks. An ice cold laugh froze her heart.
Hiroshima materialized in front of her.
"Where's Gloria?" Annika demanded. She could feel Gloria's force but it was weaker…much weaker.
"That is not your concern. How do you like my little domain?"
Annika growled low in her throat, "You're a demon,"
"Why thank you, I do try."
Annika merely took a sharp intake of breath.
"Where's Gloria?"
"Where all my victims eventually go." Hiroshima moved so that Annika was less than a foot from her.
"To the next life."
* * *
The Original, Chibi, Cosmic, Elysian, and Crystal Senshi had managed to track Annika's aura. Now they gathered around the hole. Screams could be heard from within. The Chibi Senshi entered easily. All but Chibi Uranus. She looked at Elysian Mercury.
"you sure this is the enemy base?"
The Senshi nodded. Faith swallowed and said as she slid down,
"I see Yami-sama down here, I'm beating it."
The Senshi could not argue. Truthfully, they were wondering themselves if they were truly descending into the enemy's lair or if they were descending into Hell itself. The screams sounded like that of tortured and condemned souls forced to endure pain for all eternity.
The Original Senshi waited. The Elysian Senshi followed their children and then the Crystal Senshi. But when Raye and the others approached, alight temporarily blinded them. When they looked again, the hole was gone. In a flash of silver light, Queen Serenity's spirit hovered in front of them.
"Iie, Gomen Senshi. The Elysian and Crystal Senshi are with them. But you cannot be. Your children must do this alone."