Chapter Eight: Tactics of Wins; A New Battle

With the return of Combat C, the new arrivals of Fighter D, and Sailor Victoria, I had to admit, there were a lot of us.

"Aijou??" I shouted, running down the path with the speed of a lunatic. "Hey, wait for me." I cried, as she and Naikou ran ahead of me. We were racing to get to school so we wouldn't get detention.

'Crap, crap, crap. Of all days to have a meeting, not to mention so early in the morning, I also forgot about the stupid test in math class,' my thoughts wailed. The others had taken a right turn and I followed suit. Only, unlike the others, I ran into someone.

"Oof," I fell backwards and I heard a distant bell ring. "Oh....rats."

"Are you okay?" Looking at me, the girl knelt down and her hand gently brushed my knee. "I'm very sorry for getting in your way."

"My way? It was me that wasn't watching where I was going." I protested. I stood up and brushed my hands off my shirt. "Besides, I didn't think I'd make it anyways."

"Make it to what?" She asked. I peered at her. She was about my height, with raven hair that fell in two braids to her knees. She wore a uniform, with the main colors dark green trimming and gray colored. The top was like a usual Japanese school uniform, only with no colored lines on the shoulder fabric and the bow was dark green along with the ankle length skirt. My uniform was sky blue and white. The shirt was white, the shoulder fabric, the bow, and knee length skirt was sky blue. I was wearing a long sleeved shirt, since it was a little cold today.

"To school. See, I was with my friends who ditched me." I huffed.

"Oh, well..."

"But that's okay," I shrugged. "I just won't buy them any ice cream again."

"Would you like me to walk with you to your school?" I wasn't expecting that.

"But what about you?"

She shook her head. "I don't mind."

I grinned. "Sure, why not? By the way, my name's Shukumei Shuushi, but everybody just calls me Shuu." I held out my hand.

"I am Tenbun Shusen. I go to Kagoshima High." She pointed to her left.

"And I go to Kagoshima Junior High," I giggled as I weaved my arm with hers and began walking toward school. I was unaware of her uncomfortable but she relaxed when she realized that I was just being me.

"So what are you doing all by yourself?" I asked as we walked.

"I'm still on summer break. So I thought I'd take a walk."

"Certainly are lucky," we neared the school entrance, and she gently pulled away. "Thank you for walking with me," I bowed to her, giving her my warmest smile. She smiled shyly in response.

"It was very nice to meet you Shuu." She also bowed before me, very primly.

I turned to go through the gate then I was struck with an idea. "Hey, Shusen? You want to meet somewhere after school? Do you know the nearby park, down by Sakurajima-sama?"

"Oh, well, yes, I know where that is."

"Great, be there by four, okay?" I shouted as I waved to her. I raced upward and inward and just prayed that the teacher was also late.



The sun was high in the sky as I paced back and forth. I, and Naikou, Aijou and Ban'yuu were waiting for Shusen.

"So why'd you invite her over? We should be meeting with Tai and Riku." Ban'yuu asked.

"She seemed nice. Besides, she was lonely." I answered, keeping my eyes peeled on the surrounding park. "Ah ha...oh wait, it's just Riku and Tai."

"What do you mean, just us? Show us some respect, Shuu." Riku snorted, winking at me. Combat C and Fighter D appeared behind them.

"Guys," I hissed. "What are you doing here??" I cried. "Shusen will be here soon."

"Who will be here?" F. D. asked, sitting back on her haunches and stretching her forelimbs.

"Shusen," I answered.

"Yes?"

"Ah," I turned with a start to see Shusen smiling uncertainly. "Shusen, welcome, welcome." I took her by the elbow. "These are my friends. Everyone, this is Tenbun Shusen. I met her this morning." I grinned nervously.

"Hello, Shusen. My name is Aijou," Aijou bowed slightly. "This is Ban'yuu, Naikou, Riku, and Tai," she added, pointing to each as she said their names.

"How do?" Shusen bowed. " I am Tenbun Shusen. I live near by Kagoshima High."

"Oh yeah? I go there." Riku nodded. "It's a pretty big place."

"So what do we want to do?" Aijou asked the air. "Should we go to the game center, the zoo or maybe check out the flowers?"

"Um, I can't stay too long. I'm going to my father's tonight and well, it's a special night."

"Oh, well," Aijou fumbled.

"How about going to the swings?" Tai asked. She grasped Shusen by her arm, dragging her behind as Tai raced to the swings.

"You know, for someone who is a senshi, she's pretty, what's the word? Juvinile." Naikou commented.

"Yea, but she's so sweet." Ban'yuu said.

"I was talking about Tai." Naikou spoke.

We didn't have much time. We all soon went our separate ways and I went home with Combat C. That night, as I brushed my hair, and prepared for bed, I and Combat talked.

"What do you think of Shusen?" I asked.

"Very timid, but I think she'd be a good person."

"Good for what?" I put down the brush and glanced at Combat C. He was splayed over the bed covering, watching the ceiling with a thoughtful look.

"Well..." He was interrupted by a loud ringing. I grabbed the phone. "Hello, Shuu here, may I ask who's calling?"

"Shuu," Aijou's cry had the phone about three feet from my ear. "There's some kind of freak attacking downtown at the Heaven's Turf. Get down there quick. We'll meet you there." Aijou hung up before I could say a word.

"Well, you heard her. Let's go," I said to Combat C.

Soon I raced, as Sailor Janus, down the streets of Kagoshima to Heaven's Turf. Combat C followed closely at my heels. In the distance, I saw people run in frantic paths away from the building. There was a huge loud crash as the creature ripped through the front walls.

"That thing's huge." I gasped.

"You're not kidding," I spun around to face Riku and Aijou.

"Let's go," I commanded. We surrounded the monster.

"Hey, beast, as the senshi of beginnings, it's time to start this battle." I shouted. "I am Sailor Janus."

"As the senshi of the love, you will be healed of your evil. I am Sailor Cupid."

"Being the senshi of the army, I will lead us to your defeat and our glory. I am Sailor Mithras."

It roared and reared it's head. It had a huge brown, fuzzy head, with three black eyes and four limbs. It stood at ten feet and had the hugest fangs I had ever seen. It spit out balls of fire and we jumped to the side.

"Cupid's Love Arrow," Aijou shouted, her hand outstretched at the beast. The arrow was caught by it's teeth and it snapped it in half.

"Crap." I muttered. I then heard shouting. "Shusen?" I spotted her behind the monster, trying to drag a man away from the beast. The beast also realized this and turned toward her.

I screamed as it neared her. In panic, with a racing heart, I cried out, "Morning's Light." A light shot from my chest, past the monster and surrounded the two. I fell to the ground, exhausted. I watched as the light was suddenly increased and it cleared to reveal the two. Only Shusen wasn't herself. She stood in dark green clothing completely like my senshi form. She had black boots, with green crescents atop of the rim. Her shoulders were lined with green buttons, and she had a tiara with a green circle. Her eyes glared out ward at the beast.

"As a senshi of wisdom, I know when to fight. I am Sailor Minerva and you will be defeated." Shusen shouted. She jumped upward and cried out, "Mercury's Wisdom." She sent out a blue wave of energy that surrounded the beast, trapping it.

"Janus's Beginnings of Chaos Create," I shouted. It blasted through the beast and it crumbled into dust.

"Well done, senshi." A man's voice rang out. "You are as powerful as one would hope." The voice laughed coldly. "But General Destruction in coming. Do you really think you will win?"

In the few seconds of tense waiting, nothing happened.

"I . . . think . . . he's . . . gone," Aijou spoke.

Indeed, who ever that had been was now gone. With the monster destroyed, and the police sirens going off, I began to panic yet again.

"Quick, quick, we got to get out of here." I shrieked. Riku snorted and dragged me away from the ruined buildings. I watched Shusen un-transform and watch us in a daze. I hoped that she and her father would be alright.

Meeting Sailor Minerva, or rather seeing her in action gave us a clue as to who our next member was. Only thing was, now we had to find Shusen again. Until next time,

End Combat Mode.