Chapter 5: Hurry up Gohan! Tridyx's Awesome Rage Knows No Limit
Despite Piccolo's warnings, Gohan couldn't resist the urge to kick up his power level a few more notches before his Namekian guardian admonished him for it. He couldn't help it - not only were Serenity and the princesses in danger, but judging from those titanic powers they had sensed, the enemy was looking to close out this war once and for all.
It all looks the same... Gohan mused as he stared downward as the land. Death and ruination as far as the eye can see...it's just like Namek...I wonder how many have died?
A mind-numbing picture began to materialize in Gohan's head - it was a vision of one of the Namek villages that Frieza had pillaged for the Dragonballs. He and Krillin had made it there and managed to keep themselves unseen from Frieza's superior forces, but he'd been consumed with rage as he had watched with helplessness as Frieza and his men brutally slaughtered the Namek warriors, elders, and even a small child. And though Gohan and Krillin had managed to save Dende from the massacre, the haunting images of the dead Nameks - Cargo, Morley, the three youthful Namek warriors and the two other elders - had instilled themselves in his mind for a long time afterwards. The eerie visions were plaguing him now as he caught glimpse after glimpse of dead humans scattered along the ground.
"How much farther do you think it is?" Chaozu called out.
"I'm beginning to detect some vague traces of their pure kis, but they're still pretty far off!" Tenshinhan answered him. "Piccolo, they won't be able to hold those guys much longer, why are we still going this slow?!"
"I told you already!" Piccolo snapped back at the impatient Tenshinhan. "It's too risky. If any enemy soldiers catch wind of our powers, their scouters will go off and they could call all of their friends to our location. Trust me, in the long run, we're saving ourselves time and energy. When we get clear of all of this active energy, it'll be full speed to the battlefield!"
Tenshinhan grumbled at the response, but Gohan saw that he knew that Piccolo was right - a contingent of enemy soldiers on their tail wouldn't be helping matters any. They could only pray that Serenity and her forces could hold the fort long enough until their arrival.
"Gohan," Piccolo said to him as he began flying alongside of him. His eyes were as solemn as ever, but the young Saiyan could sense a purpose behind his gaze. "That emotion isn't becoming of you."
"What do you mean, Piccolo?" Gohan asked.
"Fear," Piccolo stated simply. "It's fear, Gohan. You're overflowing with it right now."
"I..." Gohan didn't know what to say to his mentor - his senses were as keen as ever to pick out that trace of feeling from his adrenaline-powered heart. Or it had been the fact that he had been displaying the emotion out in plain sight for all of them to see, and his tremendous sense of urgency had merely blinded his own eyes to it. "It's just...something from a while ago...When Frieza was killing the Nameks, Krillin and I were next to helpless to save them...it just seems to be the same with these benevolent people...if we can't get there in time--"
"Enough!" Piccolo interrupted him, obviously not approving of his faltering faith in the abilities of the Sailor Soldiers. "Those princesses can last without us for a little while, especially after all that Kami told us about their unique skills. You're like your father, you know. He was always enveloped with that sense of protecting the innocent with his own pure soul. It's all he knew how to do - I shouldn't be surprised that his younger blood has begun to develop the instinct for himself."
Gohan smiled in thanks for the compliment, and Piccolo returned the gesture before the young boy turned back in the direction of his flight. His father...with his mother making him study twenty-four hours a day, he never would've guessed that his innocent smile would blossom into the steel-fisted fighter that he considered himself now. He wondered what the legendary Super Saiyan would think of him now.
Actions will speak louder than words at the battlefield! Hold on, princesses, we'll be there soon.
His senses were beginning to focus in on the pure kis as well, and from the huge amounts of energy surrounding them, not much more time could be spared.
* * *
"I was wondering where those other Sailor Soldiers got to," Zebus chuckled with interest at the new arrivals. The one who had cancelled out Tridyx's beam attack must've had even considerably more power than the other five soldiers, and she seemed to be the leader of the trio. "Too bad they couldn't arrive in time to save their friends."
Zebus clicked the switch on his scouters and began scanning the new arrivals. His eyes widened a bit in surprise as three separate power readings registered on the tinted screen. "Hmm...The leader's got a concentrated ki level of 2500, but the other two are a bit past 2000. They're certainly going to offer a more impressive show than the first five did."
Infernia wasn't paying much attention to her escort, and she was instead looking outward toward the night sky in the distance. Though nothing showed up her scouter, her instincts were telling her that something was out there...like a word on the tip of her tongue...something intangible that even her powers couldn't describe.
"Captain?" Zebus noticed his superior's concerned and suspicious gaze. "Is something wrong?"
"I'm not sure..." Infernia replied softly. "I have an odd feeling about the developing scenario, almost as if something we haven't considered into this equation is upon us."
"Could it be some more energy signatures?" Zebus guessed.
"No, my scouter isn't reading a thing," Infernia shook her head. "But my instincts can sense things that this machine cannot. Something bothers me about what's out there..."
"Relax, captain," Zebus laughed at his commander's caution. "I think I know: this battle is too easy, so you think the Sailor Soldiers have held back on purpose to spring some kind of trap on us while our guard is down. Trust me, captain, these princesses are too pure-hearted: they wouldn't sacrifice their own kind for a trick that could avail to nothing."
"So..." Infernia turned an insulted eye back toward Zebus. "You're saying that my superior intuition is wrong, Zebus?"
The smug grin instantly vanished from Zebus's face. "No, captain! I was merely suggesting--"
"Never mind about your suggestions, I am in command here!" Infernia snapped back at him. "You are so dense in terms of foresight, just like your race. You should've taken your early experiences in the military unit more seriously back when we took you away from that infectious slime pit that you called a home planet, Zebus. Perhaps if you had felt some more compassion and trust for those bloodthirsty vermin would've changed your outlook on this mercenary life..."
That remark shut the overgrown insect up in a hurry, but from the dangerous gleam that suddenly appeared in Zebus's eye, she was almost certain that he was going to lash out at her with his fist. Instead, she was on the receiving end of a raging growl before Zebus turned his back and stared once again in the direction of the fight.
He can be such a pitiful little cockroach at times...
Despite Zebus's love for murder and money coinciding with his natural hatred for his own people, Infernia knew that the insectoid was as crafty as he was powerful, and he had never been the same ever since General Damos gave the order that altered the lives of the Trisgamman race forever. Despite his grudges that Zebus held against his petty cannibalistic brethren, Infernia could sense that scars had been left on Zebus ever since. They were still there today; they were only covered over by rank, money, and the pleasure of killing that all Trisgammans enjoyed so much. For someone like Zebus, leaving his people for the life of a mercenary might've been worth it...at least if it weren't for--
Infernia shook it off, redoubling her efforts on the odd intangible feeling that had come over her. Staring back at the stars, they seemed to offer no answers, but she'd been in battle far too long to overlook such peculiar sensations.
Whatever it is, I'll be ready to kill it when it rears its deceitful face...
* * *
Sailor Uranus stood tall and glowered in the direction of the floating menace, who had a smug grin plastered over his large face. He clearly wasn't impressed with the Outer Soldier's counter-attack; in fact, it seemed to have amused him to a great extent.
"So, three of the final four Sailor Soldiers crawl out of their hole to witness my display," The bald-headed titan snickered. "Welcome to the show, ladies, although you've arrived a few minutes too late for the opening act. However, to make up for not waiting for the entire audience, allow me to present a homecoming present to you since this will be the last day you will alive to witness your home."
He pointed down toward the ground several meters below and away. Uranus looked over toward where the goliath was motioning, and she gasped with horror at the sight several yards away. Lying prone on the cracked pavement was a lone corpse, but it didn't bear the black uniform of the Crystal Tokyo Special Forces like so many of the others Haruka had seen - this body was donning a blue Sailor Soldier suit, and from the unnatural lump protruding out of her neck, Haruka could gather what had caused her death.
"Ami...!!" She heard Hotaru gasp. "Her neck..."
"That wasn't even a warm-up exercise. She was quite weak for someone renowned for her power on this planet. The red one was a bit feistier; she even nearly took me to Hell with her. Don't worry though - she went out with blazing glory."
"That explosion...?!" Neptune whispered to Uranus. "It couldn't have been--"
"Yes..." Sailor Uranus regretfully frowned. "She was inside the heart of the explosion - I felt her power radiating from it. It could only have been a suicide attack..."
"Rei and Ami..." Sailor Saturn was clutching her glaive tightly while clenching her teeth. She wasn't taking the shock well at all - despite her powers as the Soldier of Death, she couldn't seem to fathom what had just happened. "I can't believe it...my beloved friends...they're both gone..."
Uranus turned back toward her comrade as Neptune put a gentle motherly hand on the distraught Saturn's shoulder.
"There's no time for tears, Hotaru," Neptune lightly said to her. "Ami and Rei may be gone, but we've been as close to them as you have been as well, and though they're gone, they're with us now, giving us strength in their deaths. They want us to keep fighting with all we've got. Let's fight those demons for them, for the queen, and for Earth!"
Hotaru nodded back toward her mentor before the trio took up defensive stances as they faced off against the gloating monster. Looking down toward the ground, the princess of the planet Uranus saw the tired but cheery face of the princess, who seemed to have been rejuvenated by the appearances of more allies.
"Relax, princess, we'll take it from here," She smiled down at her.
"What?!" ChibiUsa's expression of happiness vanished. "But I can't just stand by while the three of you fight! Haruka, you don't understand, these guys are incredible! They killed Ami and Rei without even breaking a sweat! It's going to take ALL of us to beat them!"
"Don't worry, ChibiUsa!" Sailor Saturn stepped into the small princess's view and smiled down at her.
"Hotaru..."
Uranus saw that the young Sailor Soldier was still a bit weakened from their long hurried journey back to the city - her breath was heavy and fresh perspiration was slithering down her face. Of course, she wasn't letting it show, mostly because of ChibiUsa's worrying mind when it came to her best friend's health.
"Please, don't fear for our lives, ChibiUsa, you've endured enough in this fight already," She responded. "We can defeat this demon with our combined power, I know it. Just get your strength back and let us take this monster out!"
"...Okay. But be careful! Please don't die!" ChibiUsa reluctantly nodded back.
"How touching," The monster laughed aloud as the conversation progressed. He turned down to ChibiUsa and winked in her direction. "Don't be too concerned about their fates, princess, you'll all be reunited in Hell when we've finished with you!"
The bald-headed behemoth turned back to his other two comrades who were looking on from several yards away. Both had seemed quite surprised and thoroughly amused by the arrival of the Outer Soldiers, as if it were another round of play in their twisted game.
"Hey, captain!" The goliath called to the red-skinned female. "Can I take care of these three, too? All of them seem anxious enough to die."
The 'captain' of the trio arched a golden eyebrow as she studied their three powerful adversaries. Uranus kept a close watch on her - after everything they'd gone through in recent times, she wasn't about to let her guard down for a second against someone who was emitting so much energy. She knew from personal experience that it only took one second for these aliens to strike with lethal force.
"Why not?" The fanged warrior shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "It'll just be more of a show for Zebus and I. Just try not to take too much longer, Tridyx - Damos will want the planet's capital in total control within the hour."
"With pleasure," Tridyx cracked his knuckles with an insidious snicker. "These three with be nothing but dust within fifteen minutes, I promise!"
Uranus was gazing back at his black eyes with disdain, not only for what he did to Ami and Rei, but also for how lightly he was taking the fight before him. He was either very cocky or extremely powerful...and half of Uranus's rage was fueled by the fact that the latter could've been the correct choice.
But, in as dire straits as they seemed to be in, Haruka wasn't about to let it show. "I've had enough! Your crimes against our people are unforgivable!" She fired at him. "For the sake of this planet and for the sake of our friends that you've killed, we'll destroy you once and for all!"
"Your bravery fits someone of such interesting power," The titan responded. "But even if the three of you give me your best, I'll still be standing tall while your corpses burn. The fifteen-minute clock is going, warriors, and I'm not about to break my promise to my captain."
"We'll see about that..." Uranus began to charge more energy in her fist and made a slight motion to Sailor Saturn and Sailor Neptune, who acknowledged in the same subtle manner. The energy bolts sparking from Haruka's fists covered their movements as they slipped out onto the sides of two buildings adjacent to the one they were standing on and began charging up their own attacks without drawing the monster's attention. Uranus prayed that the furtive attack would work while he was distracted. "...Now take this if you can!"
A gold spark flashed on the Sailor Soldier's palm and another World Shaking orb streaked toward their opponent with blinding speed. Through the glare of the sphere, Uranus could tell that the monster didn't look worried. But she smirked at his reaction - it was all she needed to see.
"Hilarious..." He muttered as he cupped his palms together and held out his arms. "...And worthless!"
The World Shaking attack struck Tridyx's palms dead on with a terrific detonation, but the results were less than satisfying for the leader of the Outer Soldiers - the demon was still floating in the air with no damage done. But out of the corners of her eyes, Haruka spotted her comrades powering up to maximum. The titan in front of her had been oblivious to everything except her low-powered attack.
"Was that it?" Tridyx laughed as he folded his arms. "I must admit, I was expecting more from--"
"Deep Submerge!"
"Silence Glaive Surprise!"
Two attacks - one an ocean-colored orb and another a quick motion of a deathly silent collection aura - fired from the two Outer Soldiers pincering Tridyx. Both forces struck the giant head-on, cutting him off in mid-speech. Sparking blue and black energy enveloped Tridyx from both sides, engulfing his entire body in a mix of violent power. Neptune and Saturn had put full power into their attacks, all right, and with his guard down, that alien should've been nothing more than ash. Uranus relaxed her stance, nodding approvingly toward the silent assassins, who were looking a bit more than drained after expunging even more of their dwindling energy in the surprise assault.
Suddenly, as Haruka was about to check on Saturn and Neptune, the smoldering energy cloud of black and blue instantly dispersed with a shock wave of energy. Uranus was thrown down onto the rooftop thanks to the concussion wave, and her head slammed hard into the solid concrete.
What the...??
Sailor Uranus dizzily rose from the ground, trying to clear her head as well as her vision as she stared with glassy eyes into the remnants of the energy cloud. Something was there, but in her dazed state, she couldn't quite make out what it was from the dark night sky and the distance.
"--someone of your boldness," An icy voice finished a sentence with a soft, ominous cackle.
Uranus gasped as she stared forward - she couldn't believe her eyes when the hulking figure of Tridyx came straight into her view, his arms extended to the sides. Somehow, by some mastery of speed and defensive skill, he had completely blocked both attacks seemingly without even knowing that they were coming.
"What?! But how...?!" Neptune was exasperated, not believing that the monster was still alive.
"Fools! Did you honestly think an ambush would pierce my defenses?" Tridyx laughed in her direction. "Do you think I'm as brash and stupid as the infantry soldiers you've killed so far? Despite your clandestine strategy, I knew those two attacks were coming from the moment you started powering up. It's a terrible flaw of yours, Sailor Soldiers - unable to disguise your own energies in order to surprise an enemy! What beginners..."
"Who said we were finished?" Uranus fired back, her senses regained from her fall. Her anger was beginning to swell up as well - she just couldn't believe that such a cocky ignorant fool like Tridyx could overcome her superior leadership and fighting ability. It was all the more incentive for her to annihilate him and his two associates. "That was only the beginning!"
"The beginning of the end, you mean," Tridyx scoffed. "Since you've been so insolent during this whole exchange, I believe you'll be the first one to die!"
Before Uranus could retort, a blazing ball of black energy from Tridyx's hand came rocketing down toward her. The Outer Soldier leader managed to bound into the air just in time to avoid being engulfed in an explosion that collapsed the roof of the building almost immediately.
"Not bad..."
Haruka gasped in surprise. The voice of Tridyx was coming from behind her! How had he managed to slip around her so fast?! There was no time to wonder now, as Sailor Uranus barely managed to recover in time to dodge what would've been a crushing uppercut. Taking advantage of the miss, Uranus slammed her two fists into the gut of Tridyx as hard as she could, volts of gold energy emitting from the impact. The effort, though containing a large enough amount of power, barely even dented the solid black armor of Tridyx. Instead, Uranus found herself staring up at the gloating mug of the alien warrior, not able to get clear from his range in her current position.
"Now that didn't hurt all," He shook his head. "But I can assure you, this will!"
But as Tridyx was about to bring another energized thrust down onto the stunned Uranus, Haruka saw a slim figure flying in from the left. Before the monster even noticed, a roundhouse kick cracked Tridyx across the side of his jaw. Spittle and a trail of blood flew from the alien's mouth as the impact sent him soaring backward into another wall.
Haruka looked up and saw Sailor Neptune staring in the direction of the crash. Though seemingly satisfied at her desperation move, great strain was on her face, and Uranus could see that she could barely keep herself afloat - the kick must've used up a great portion of her remaining energy. But the Sailor Soldier of the planet Neptune did manage to flash Haruka a small smile. The tan-haired soldier nodded gratefully with a small blush and a tender smile of her own. But as Michiru began to falter in mid-flight with a twinge of pain on her face, Haruka was immediately there to catch her and support her weight in the air.
"Today's fighting has taken much more out of you than you let on," Haruka scolded Michiru as she wiped away some sweat from the injured soldier's forehead. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Don't worry about me," She shook her head as she tried in vain to stay afloat on her own power. "I've got enough energy left to--"
Something suddenly exploded out of the demolished wall, and Uranus began powering up again as Tridyx sped through the air and halted several yards in front of them. The arrogance had vanished since Neptune's surprise attack, and an iron glare now dominated his visage along with a small trail of blood leaking out of his mouth. That was a bit of a relief - at least the behemoth bled, and if something bled, it was capable of being killed.
"It wasn't a smart move to enrage me by ambushing me like that," He spat some of the red fluid down onto the ground below. On second thought, I think I'll kill your lovely friend here before I do away with you!"
"I'll never let you touch her!" Uranus felt a second wind kicking in as she shielded her weakened counterpart, determined to keep the demon from harming Michiru.
"And neither will we!" The familiar voice of Makoto Kino rung in from behind, and Uranus whirled around to see Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus, and Sailor ChibiMoon floating slightly behind her, all of them ready and eager to battle.
"I thought I told you guys that we could handle this!" Haruka said to ChibiUsa with slight annoyance. The small girl could be as stubborn as her mother at times could, and she usually picked the worst times to show the trait. "Get out of here and let us finish our fight!"
"This isn't just your fight, Haruka," ChibiMoon replied with an unusual stern tone, something that Haruka had never heard from the young princess before. "We all have a planet to fight for, and we can only win against these guys as a team!"
Haruka smiled at the princess's support despite the show of recklessness, but with the nonchalant chuckle from Tridyx, she knew that her mind once again had to return to the task at hand.
"So, the little flies attack in a swarm?" Tridyx arched an eyebrow with curiosity. "Then come at me so I can swat all of you at once!"
"Fiend..." Sailor Jupiter clenched her teeth as she gathered her power. Unlike the depleted reserves of Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn, the three remaining Inner Soldiers still had much left to give, and they planned to exhaust everything until Tridyx and his two wily cohorts were destroyed. "...This is for Ami and Rei!"
Jupiter, Venus, and ChibiMoon shot past Uranus, all of them heading straight for the hulking monster. All three Soldiers began a vehement assault on Tridyx, each using a barrage of energized punches and kicks from all sides. But in spite of it all, Uranus couldn't tell if the combined attack was even touching Tridyx.
As much as Haruka wanted to help, she had other concerns on her mind at the moment, namely the wounded Sailor Neptune. She flew away a good distance from the fighting and lowered her injured mate onto one of the undamaged rooftops and rested her body against the edge of the roof away from the fighting. Before she could leave to join the Inner Soldiers, though, she felt Michiru latch her hand onto her ankle.
"Wait...!" She rasped slightly. Haruka could tell that her she was struggling to stay steady with her voice. If her last kick was enough to catapult a powerful being like Tridyx through a wall, it must've contained almost all of her remaining energy. The previous fights in the day hadn't helped matters either - even on their journey back to the capital, Haruka could sense Michiru's fatigue. Strong as the princess of Neptune was, this level of extended combat seemed to be more than she could deal with, but she seemed determined not to give up. "I can still fight...just help me up and I'll be--"
"No," Uranus firmly shook her head. "You've already spent too much power. Any more fighting could lead to something worse, and you know it!"
"Haruka..."
"I said no!" She pulled back suddenly, finding herself shouting at her beloved friend. "Michiru, you can recuperate quickly. Just rest here for a while, I can handle things with the Inners until you heal. Besides...I think something else is at work here as well."
"Are you talking about those faint energies we sensed before we got here?" Neptune arched an eyebrow.
"I know it sounds like paranoia, but these aliens haven't mentioned anything about any incoming allies, so I'm beginning to wonder if some other unknown force is upon us."
"It might have something to do with Setsuna's abrupt disappearance..." Neptune pondered. "What should we do? It's not like we can spare anybody to go and check it out."
"True..." Uranus glanced over toward the distant horizon, her eager senses falling upon the same mysterious energy that she'd been feeling for quite some time. She couldn't pinpoint who or what is was or where it was coming from, but she didn't trust it. Too many unexpected surprises had been occurring lately to overlook such an abnormality. "But there are more pressing matters to deal with at present. Please, Michiru, for your sake, stay here and rest...please..."
Haruka brushed some hair out of Michiru's face, and the water soldier responded with a pleasant and gratifying smile. "If you insist..." She nodded. She took hold of Haruka's hand for a moment. "Don't die on me, Haruka, do you promise?"
"I haven't disappointed you yet, have I?" She winked back at her one last time before bounding back into the air, trying to concentrate her power like before to keep her body suspended on the air. It was difficult, but a useful art nonetheless. She sped back toward the group with renewed vigor. After everything they'd been through, she wasn't about to let Michiru down.
* * *
Close hand combat isn't my forte...What was I thinking??
Sailor ChibiMoon was finding that out the hard way. While Venus and Jupiter were holding their own against the maniacal Tridyx, she had barely managed to get off any moves - she'd been too busy trying to dodge the demon's unrelenting counter-assault.
"What's the matter, Sailors?" Tridyx mocked them as he deftly maneuvered in and out of the Sailor Soldiers' combined attack. "You're looking slower with every punch! I hope the fun's not wearing you down!"
"I'm just getting started..." Jupiter suddenly exploded with power as a quick jab caught Tridyx in the jaw, sending volts of electricity crackling across his face. Sailor Venus seized the opportunity and dropkicked the monster in the stomach, forcing him backward and knocking the wind out of him.
"Now!" Jupiter gave a quick nod to Venus. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!"
"Venus Crescent Beam Shower!"
Both Sailors pressed their hands against the stunned giant's stomach and their respective attacks exploded against his armor, cracking the stomach section and sending Tridyx spiraling downward through the air.
"Now to finish you off..." Sailor Venus took charge, speeding downward after Tridyx. "Venus Love-Me Chain!"
A golden chain of hearts shot from Venus's wrist and looped downward, catching up with the plummeting titan and was nearly a few inches away from his mammoth chest when Tridyx stabilized his fall.
"What's this?!" He spotted Sailor Venus's trump card attack and extended his arms. "Never!!"
A sudden void of purple energy shot forth from Tridyx's palms, freezing the Love Chain in dead flight and surrounding it with a turbulent force. The chain's sparkling gold color faded into black as the negative field soaked itself into it like water in a sponge.
"What did he just do?" Venus gasped as she witnessed the sudden surprise move by their foe.
The answer came rather quickly, and ChibiMoon's eyes went wide as - with a motion of his hand - Tridyx sent the chain shooting back toward the trio!
"I..it can't be...!!" Venus's shock seized control of her reflexes for a split second, and by the time she attempted to dodge the incoming attack, her own chain slammed into her gut and wrapped itself around her, pinning her arms to her sides.
"Minako!" ChibiMoon gasped, but she couldn't stay too shocked for long as she spotted another possessed Love Chain materializing on Tridyx's palm and spiraling toward her and Jupiter.
"Look out, ChibiUsa!!" The princess felt the hard shoulder of Makoto slam into her from the left, and her small body flew off to the side out of danger. By the time ChibiMoon managed to regain her position in the air, she was horrified to see that the second demon chain had seized Makoto.
"I see you're impressed by this little trick, princess," Tridyx chuckled as Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus struggled futilely to escape the grasp of the chains. "My friend Zebus taught it to me. It allows me to seize control of any energy attack and manipulate it as if it were my own, as your two friends have just discovered."
"Let them go, monster slime!" ChibiMoon angrily retorted as her scepter materialized in her hand. "Don't worry guys, I'll get you out of there! Pink Sugar Heart Attack!!"
Though the energy for the attack was hastily gathered, the results fared much better than before, producing a stream of hollow pink hearts that struck Makoto's black chain dead on. Much to ChibiMoon's dismay, the attempt was in vain, as the chain retained its tight hold on Sailor Jupiter.
"Nice try, but now its time for them to pay the penalty for your weakness!" Tridyx's charged some more power in his hands and released a titanic electrical current along each of the two chains, electrocuting both of the immobilized Sailor Soldiers.
"No!!" ChibiMoon cried as Makoto and Minako screamed out in agony. They wouldn't be able to take such punishment for too long, and if ChibiMoon couldn't destroy the chains, she'd have to take out the source. "Leave my friends alone!!"
She bolted down toward the cocky giant with her scepter gripped tightly in her hands. Even if she couldn't damage the titan, she might've been able to break his hold on the chains. But suddenly, as she was inches away from striking the monster, a sudden gauntlet-hardened backhand from Tridyx slammed the small child in the jaw.
The last sound that echoed through ChibiUsa's head before blacking out was the ominous laughter of Tridyx drowning out the tortured screams of Makoto and Minako.
* * *
Sailor Saturn watched with dismay as her best friend's head was nearly taken off by the monstrous Tridyx. The small form of ChibiUsa went sailing through the air and crashed into the ground at high speed, leaving a small crater on the black pavement.
ChibiUsa...
As the young Sailor Soldier stared mutely at the fallen form of her friend, the weakness that she had been feeling after expunging so much of her remaining energy suddenly faded into nothingness. Instead, it was replaced by more emotions: anger, determination, and pure adrenaline. The demon had gone too far in his ruthless and cocky assault - he'd laid a hand on her princess and best friend, sending her into the perilous void of unconsciousness with one shattering blow. And as Sailor Saturn's gaze into the heart and eyes of the madman solidified, one goal became clear: she wasn't going to kill him - she was going to erase him from the universe.
But what to do first...
The crushing backhand from Tridyx could've done scores of damage to ChibiUsa - even with her energized state, she hadn't even been ready to defend against the cheap shot from Tridyx, and the fall couldn't have helped matters at all either. But Makoto and Minako were caught in the monster's grasp, and the amount of electricity coursing through the chains and into their bodies left little chance for survival if she went to heal ChibiUsa first. She froze in spot, unable to decide which of her friends to save first.
Hotaru...
"Makoto??" Saturn stared up into the air at the struggling Sailor Jupiter, who - along with her counterpart - was trying desperately to free herself and stay alive at the same time. Somehow, through her efforts, she had been able to sense her fear and indecision. "Hold on, I'll be there in a second to save you!"
No! Don't get near here, or he may capture you too!
Saturn didn't know how to respond. "But Makoto...you'll..."
We can hang on like this for a bit longer, trust me. He hasn't noticed you yet, so get to ChibiUsa and help her first! If she dies, then any efforts we may make after the fact would be worthless anyway!
Please, Hotaru... Minako's voice rang through the young Outer's head. Makoto's right, you have to help ChibiUsa! We can fight back against this monster, but she may not last. Please, hurry!
"...All right, but I'll be right up there to help you after she is healed! Please, hang on!"
Saturn rushed over toward the crater where ChibiUsa laid unconscious. A bit of tension passed as Hotaru was still able to sense a semi-healthy power signal radiating from her. She was very much alive, albeit a shock to the system as well as a bruised jaw.
Don't worry, ChibiUsa, you'll be okay...
Sailor Saturn focused her power, sending out a golden glow that radiated all over ChibiUsa's body, repairing the injury. Though every second sapped Hotaru's body of more power, she smiled gratefully as she felt the lost strength returning to her best friend's body.
Good, one immediate crisis resolved. Although it may take a bit before her senses return...
Saturn didn't want to take any chances, and she quickly took up her glaive, storing energy in it and raising it above her head.
"Silence Wall..." A brilliant field of purple energy streaked out from the tip of the glaive and surrounded the small princess. "Please protect my friend from the evil lurking close at hand."
Turning back to the other crisis at hand, Saturn was a little more than surprised to find Tridyx staring down at her with Makoto and Minako still trapped in the possessed love chains.
"Ah, that's quite a little trick," He admired as he stared down at Hotaru's handiwork. "The ability to heal and the power to cast a protective force field of considerable power. You certainly have succeeded in preserving your princess for the time being, little girl."
Saturn's grip tightened on her glaive as Tridyx manipulated the chains to pull Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus in front of him. The flow of energy into their bodies had ceased for the moment, but from the burns and exhaustion on both of their bodies, Saturn knew that they were barely hanging on to their lives. They must've been too weak for telepathy now - they could barely focus their eyes on one spot.
"Of course, choices of who shall live and who shall die always have drawbacks," He snickered with a portentous glint in his coal-black eyes. "Now, watch as your friends perish before your very eyes!"
"No!!" Saturn immediately concentrated power through her glaive. "Silence Glaive--"
"I wouldn't advise that, young one," Tridyx took hold of Makoto's chain, thrusting her in the path of Saturn's potentially lethal attack. "I've had enough surprises out of you Sailor Soldiers for one day. I won't have my fantastic show ruined by your unexpected ambushes! Of course, you can always sacrifice one to save the other. What's it going to be, little girl? Will it be one friend's life lost and some damage to me, or a one-way ticket to Hell for both of them?"
Hotaru froze in her energy charge as she spotted the weakened form of Sailor Jupiter floating between her and the cowardly monster. Still, despite the chicken-hearted tactic, she couldn't bring herself to risk killing Makoto in what possibly could've been an ineffective attack. Despite every bit of wisdom that Haruka always gave her on the importance of the mission, she couldn't bring herself to sacrifice one of her friends. Slowly but shakily, she lowered the glaive.
"So, emotion gets the best of the fighting spirit..." Tridyx mocked her indecisiveness as he clenched onto both black chains. "Now you'll pay for your soft heart with the blood of your friends!"
Before Saturn could re-energize, Tridyx whipped his arms out to the side, throwing the two captives into the sides of two nearby buildings. The impact shattered small portions of the material as both Makoto and Minako had punched through at maximum speed.
"No...!" Saturn clenched her jaw in frustration - even if she could power up an attack without the gargantuan detecting her, he could easily shield himself from it with the prone bodies of Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus. She wasn't willing to take such a risk, but such reluctance was eating away at her - either way, the result would be the same.
Her reflexes frozen, Saturn could only watch as Tridyx began toying with Jupiter and Venus, whipping them through solid walls and slamming them upon the ground with the possessed chains, laughing with each of the jarring, bone-crushing blows. He was practically as delighted as a small child as he marveled his chaotic work. The sinister incarnation of wonder in his eyes seemed to grow with every agonizing scream from the captive Sailor Soldiers.
Hotaru bit back her on her tongue, not able to bear the dismantling of her friends by the insane monster. With every crash and every hit, Hotaru felt her share of the pain - she'd never felt this helpless before, unable to do anything but watch her friends be slaughtered.
"Say good-bye to your comrades, brat, because I've just made them a date with the Great Beyond!" Tridyx called out from high in the air. "Now, die!!!"
The behemoth whipped the two chains hard, dislodging both ends from his palms and hurdling the Sailor Soldiers high into the air. Before Saturn could react to the sudden move, she felt herself bracing against the pavement as enormous energy swelled up within Tridyx's titanic body. Gazing up, she had to shield her eyes as black energy swirled like a typhoon around him. Tridyx cupped his hands together and held them out in front of his body. With a crazed cackle, the black mist was sucked into his center of his palms like a vacuum, and as the substance conflicted with Tridyx's own internal power, a huge energy beam in a violent purple color exploded from the demon's hands, speeding at tremendous velocity toward the airborne targets, who looked like they had no energy left to offer.
"No!! I won't let..." Saturn attempted to fight the huge windstorm that the beam had kicked up around her, but she couldn't find the strength to brace herself long enough to gather enough power for a counterattack.
Hotaru... Makoto's voice whispered to her through the cyclone. Take care of yourself, kid. Please don't let yourself or ChibiUsa die...
Remember us, Hotaru... Minako's voice echoed through the other side of her head. We'll see you on the other side...goodbye...
"Makoto, Minako!" Saturn called out to the whispers, but they both faded, evading her voice as the beam's screeching sound as well as Tridyx's maniacal laughter swallowed them. "Wait!!! Please...!!"
With tears leaking out of her eyes, Hotaru didn't bother scattering as the beam grew closer to its targets. On the contrary, she suddenly found herself chasing it - desperately trying to beat the beam to her wounded friends and pull them to safety. However, such was not so, and the beam impacted Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus with an awesome force, throwing Hotaru back through the air and onto the ground, her back striking the cold pavement with a dull thud.
She may have lost consciousness for a moment from the rough landing - the beam's screeching volume and the force of the explosion still rang through her skull. But after she had picked herself up, the aftermath was all she needed to see. On the ground a few hundred yards away, Sailor Saturn spotted two silent, dormant figures. She could sense no life force from them. She wiped a small tear away from her cheek as she stared at the devastation - on the list of brave souls who had gone out fighting the horrible aliens, two more entries had just been added. Makoto and Minako wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
* * *
"What do suppose that was...?" Krillin squinted out over the land in the direction of what appeared to be tremendous eruption of pure ki energy. If he focused correctly, he could make out a small dome of purple energy forming on the edge of the horizon. "Could it have been...?"
A horrifying realization occurred to him: for the past ten minutes - thanks to his keen sense - he'd been able to detect seven pure kis several dozen miles off in the distance. Now, as the huge impact of the ki blast began to dissipate , Krillin's worst fears had been confirmed: two of the kis had vanished along with the blast.
"Oh, no!" Yamcha echoed the sentiment, clenching his fists angrily. "We're too late! The fighting's already started, and it's in full swing!!"
"And at least two of them are dead..." Tenshinhan lowered his head in reverence.
Krillin looked ahead to see Gohan grinding his teeth and clenching both of his small fists as well. A small field of white ki energy was lazing around his body. He slowly floated up to his companion and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Gohan, relax. We don't know if those are the Sailor Soldiers or some other warrior with a pure ki," He tried to calm his partner down, but was having no apparent success, which started to make him worry a little bit. He knew how explosive Gohan could get when he was angry, especially if it was over loss of life. "Despite what's going on, we're still in the enemy's detection range: we have to stick to the plan!"
"Krillin, don't you get it, do you?!" Gohan snapped at him. "While we're here worrying about planning things out, those princesses are dying! Forget the plan, we can't let any more of them be killed!"
"Calm yourself, brat," Vegeta's smooth voice cut into Gohan's rant. "If there's one thing your young mind can't understand, it's the concept of war. Those Sailor Soldiers know full well what they were getting themselves into when they challenged these aliens - it's their own fault that they can't stand up to a fight!"
For a moment, Gohan did nothing except fume some more - Vegeta certainly wasn't the best at consolation, although telling his version of the truth was something that suited him best.
"Gohan, enough, we have to--"
Suddenly, a raging scream erupted from the Saiyan hybrid's lungs, throwing Krillin back as more energy enveloped Gohan's body. "I can't take it anymore!!"
Before anybody realized what had happened, Gohan had launched away from his position in the air and was streaking at full speed toward the battle. Krillin's stomach began to churn - Gohan could always be reckless when it came to life-and-death situations, and this time it was no exception. The little Saiyan had lost it, all right, and his emotional tempest was about to lead him to his grave.
"Gohan!! Get back here, now!!" Piccolo bellowed in anger at the fiery child. It was far too late, however - Gohan was making fantastic across the land. Even if he could hear Piccolo's reprimand, he wouldn't have stopped anyway. "That blasted kid..."
"So much for your brilliant plan," Vegeta scoffed. "The brat's little temper tantrum just attracted some company."
Krillin stared back in the opposite direction and his senses fell on several smaller approaching powers - more than likely, they were more of the weaker alien soldiers that Vegeta had disposed of earlier. Though they could've been easily beaten, the fact that they had detected them was more than enough to utterly ruin Piccolo's plan.
"Damn..." Piccolo cursed under his breath. "All right, we can't just leave Gohan to rush into the arms of the enemy and get himself slaughtered. I'll go ahead to the battlefield with him while the rest of you take care of these other warriors."
"But Piccolo, do you think you and Gohan can even handle that kind of power ?" Krillin objected. "The force of that power beam was radical - these guys definitely aren't amateurs when it comes to fighting."
"You call that power?" Piccolo smirked, revealing a pair of sharp white fangs. "That wasn't even close to what I'm capable of performing, and it certainly doesn't compare to what Gohan could do as well. We can handle ourselves without problems. Besides...you're going to be coming along for support."
"What?!" Krillin gasped, not expecting to be chosen as Piccolo's running mate for their pursuit.
"You've got the senzu beans, don't you? Well, you're going to be the extra hand we need to hand them out to any of the injured we may find."
"Good plan!" Chaozu nodded. "We'll stay back and hold these other goons off until we can catch up. Be careful!"
Piccolo and Krillin gathered their power and shot off after Gohan. They wouldn't be able to catch up to him at the speed he was going as well as the head-start, but they would hopefully be there in time to back up Gohan and anyone else who happened to be there fighting against the aliens.
Gohan, your power and emotion never ceases to amaze me, kid. But this time, you may have gone too far...
* * *
"Two more down, and with only ten minutes to spare. I'm running a little slow today," Tridyx shook his head in disgust with himself. Sailor Saturn, her mourning put aside for the time being, turned back toward the fiendish ogre with more rage than she'd ever felt before. Here they were fighting for their planet's life with every ounce of energy they had, and Tridyx regarded their lives with no respect at all - he was practically toying with them, throwing them around like rag dolls. Saturn's angered glare didn't cease, even as Tridyx's black eyes connected with hers.
"Makoto...Minako..." Hotaru was so consumed with rage that even simple words were hard to form. "How dare you...they sacrificed themselves to keep me and my princess safe...you have no right to steal such pure souls away from this world!!"
"There's no protection for anybody in war, little one," Tridyx folded his arms and smiled smugly at her. "But I am not a man without compassion. Since I value your love for our friends, I'll be more than happy to send you on your way to join them!"
"What would you know of love?" A soft but iron voice retorted from a short distance away, prompting the muscular giant to turn his head in slight surprise. "All you have been bred with is war, destruction, and greed. No concept of love can possibly exist in whatever black heart you have!"
Sailor Saturn gazed behind Tridyx and spotted a slim figure standing tall on one the remaining structures. Hotaru's eyes brightened as she recognized the garnet-tipped staff and flowing, green-shaded hair.
"Setsuna-mama!!" She called out to her. "Thank goodness you're okay, where have you been?"
"I've had some business to take care of, child, but I am now here on behalf of my planet," The soldier of time gently answered. "Hotaru, you have fought well, I see. I am very proud of you."
"Thank you..." Saturn smiled back at her mentor. "But it wasn't good enough...Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako...they've been..."
"I know..." Sailor Pluto saved Hotaru the pain of breaking the horrible news to her. "I felt their energies vanish from the world while I was rushing here."
"Heh, you don't seem too surprised that your weakling friends are all dead," Tridyx remarked. "You seem to be one of the more intelligent species of fools of the group. Taking you on should be quite enjoyable!"
* * *
Sailor Pluto was beginning to worry. She could sense the Z Warriors approaching, but they still were a bit far off from the palace. What was taking them so long? If they didn't hurry, Sailor Pluto wasn't sure how long she could hold off the raging monster before her. With Saturn at low power as well as the deaths of the Inner Soldiers, odds weren't looking in her favor at the moment.
"I was wondering when you were going to appear," The familiar voice of Sailor Uranus drew Setsuna's attention. She spotted her esteemed comrade touching down on the roof. A few bruises covered her body, but she seemed to be okay, nonetheless.
"Haruka, I'm glad you're safe," Setsuna nodded. "But where is Michiru? Has she been killed as well?"
"No, thankfully," Haruka shook her head. "But the day's fighting as well as the combat with this monster has depleted nearly all of her energy. I took her to an abandoned section of the city so she could regain her strength. She'll be okay...for now, at least. But I have a more pressing question for you, Setsuna. Where exactly have you been for the past day? You took off after the ambush on the palace and I couldn't even sense your presence anywhere near here. Where did you go?"
Setsuna's expression began to falter slightly as Haruka crossed her arms. She knew that look of suspicious sincerity on the face of the Outer Soldier - she was genuinely concerned about Setsuna's activities over the past hours, almost to the point of rigorous interrogation.
"Well...you see..."
She found herself stuttering and stammering, which only increased the glowering look of Sailor Uranus even more.
"Well?" Haruka asked simply. "What's the matter?"
Setsuna sighed in defeat. She couldn't hide it any longer - she had to tell Haruka the truth about her visit to the Z Warriors. She knew that she wouldn't be pleased at all about her actions - the last thing that Haruka would ever want would be considerably more powerful warriors entering the equation. Unless by some miracle Haruka came to trust the Z Warriors, Sailor Pluto knew that she'd never allow them to get within firing distance of the princess or the other soldiers. The fact that Setsuna had concealed this whole plan from the entire group wouldn't help much either.
Oh, well...nothing more to lose than we already have...
"Well, Haruka, to be honest, there's something that you need know..."
Despite Piccolo's warnings, Gohan couldn't resist the urge to kick up his power level a few more notches before his Namekian guardian admonished him for it. He couldn't help it - not only were Serenity and the princesses in danger, but judging from those titanic powers they had sensed, the enemy was looking to close out this war once and for all.
It all looks the same... Gohan mused as he stared downward as the land. Death and ruination as far as the eye can see...it's just like Namek...I wonder how many have died?
A mind-numbing picture began to materialize in Gohan's head - it was a vision of one of the Namek villages that Frieza had pillaged for the Dragonballs. He and Krillin had made it there and managed to keep themselves unseen from Frieza's superior forces, but he'd been consumed with rage as he had watched with helplessness as Frieza and his men brutally slaughtered the Namek warriors, elders, and even a small child. And though Gohan and Krillin had managed to save Dende from the massacre, the haunting images of the dead Nameks - Cargo, Morley, the three youthful Namek warriors and the two other elders - had instilled themselves in his mind for a long time afterwards. The eerie visions were plaguing him now as he caught glimpse after glimpse of dead humans scattered along the ground.
"How much farther do you think it is?" Chaozu called out.
"I'm beginning to detect some vague traces of their pure kis, but they're still pretty far off!" Tenshinhan answered him. "Piccolo, they won't be able to hold those guys much longer, why are we still going this slow?!"
"I told you already!" Piccolo snapped back at the impatient Tenshinhan. "It's too risky. If any enemy soldiers catch wind of our powers, their scouters will go off and they could call all of their friends to our location. Trust me, in the long run, we're saving ourselves time and energy. When we get clear of all of this active energy, it'll be full speed to the battlefield!"
Tenshinhan grumbled at the response, but Gohan saw that he knew that Piccolo was right - a contingent of enemy soldiers on their tail wouldn't be helping matters any. They could only pray that Serenity and her forces could hold the fort long enough until their arrival.
"Gohan," Piccolo said to him as he began flying alongside of him. His eyes were as solemn as ever, but the young Saiyan could sense a purpose behind his gaze. "That emotion isn't becoming of you."
"What do you mean, Piccolo?" Gohan asked.
"Fear," Piccolo stated simply. "It's fear, Gohan. You're overflowing with it right now."
"I..." Gohan didn't know what to say to his mentor - his senses were as keen as ever to pick out that trace of feeling from his adrenaline-powered heart. Or it had been the fact that he had been displaying the emotion out in plain sight for all of them to see, and his tremendous sense of urgency had merely blinded his own eyes to it. "It's just...something from a while ago...When Frieza was killing the Nameks, Krillin and I were next to helpless to save them...it just seems to be the same with these benevolent people...if we can't get there in time--"
"Enough!" Piccolo interrupted him, obviously not approving of his faltering faith in the abilities of the Sailor Soldiers. "Those princesses can last without us for a little while, especially after all that Kami told us about their unique skills. You're like your father, you know. He was always enveloped with that sense of protecting the innocent with his own pure soul. It's all he knew how to do - I shouldn't be surprised that his younger blood has begun to develop the instinct for himself."
Gohan smiled in thanks for the compliment, and Piccolo returned the gesture before the young boy turned back in the direction of his flight. His father...with his mother making him study twenty-four hours a day, he never would've guessed that his innocent smile would blossom into the steel-fisted fighter that he considered himself now. He wondered what the legendary Super Saiyan would think of him now.
Actions will speak louder than words at the battlefield! Hold on, princesses, we'll be there soon.
His senses were beginning to focus in on the pure kis as well, and from the huge amounts of energy surrounding them, not much more time could be spared.
* * *
"I was wondering where those other Sailor Soldiers got to," Zebus chuckled with interest at the new arrivals. The one who had cancelled out Tridyx's beam attack must've had even considerably more power than the other five soldiers, and she seemed to be the leader of the trio. "Too bad they couldn't arrive in time to save their friends."
Zebus clicked the switch on his scouters and began scanning the new arrivals. His eyes widened a bit in surprise as three separate power readings registered on the tinted screen. "Hmm...The leader's got a concentrated ki level of 2500, but the other two are a bit past 2000. They're certainly going to offer a more impressive show than the first five did."
Infernia wasn't paying much attention to her escort, and she was instead looking outward toward the night sky in the distance. Though nothing showed up her scouter, her instincts were telling her that something was out there...like a word on the tip of her tongue...something intangible that even her powers couldn't describe.
"Captain?" Zebus noticed his superior's concerned and suspicious gaze. "Is something wrong?"
"I'm not sure..." Infernia replied softly. "I have an odd feeling about the developing scenario, almost as if something we haven't considered into this equation is upon us."
"Could it be some more energy signatures?" Zebus guessed.
"No, my scouter isn't reading a thing," Infernia shook her head. "But my instincts can sense things that this machine cannot. Something bothers me about what's out there..."
"Relax, captain," Zebus laughed at his commander's caution. "I think I know: this battle is too easy, so you think the Sailor Soldiers have held back on purpose to spring some kind of trap on us while our guard is down. Trust me, captain, these princesses are too pure-hearted: they wouldn't sacrifice their own kind for a trick that could avail to nothing."
"So..." Infernia turned an insulted eye back toward Zebus. "You're saying that my superior intuition is wrong, Zebus?"
The smug grin instantly vanished from Zebus's face. "No, captain! I was merely suggesting--"
"Never mind about your suggestions, I am in command here!" Infernia snapped back at him. "You are so dense in terms of foresight, just like your race. You should've taken your early experiences in the military unit more seriously back when we took you away from that infectious slime pit that you called a home planet, Zebus. Perhaps if you had felt some more compassion and trust for those bloodthirsty vermin would've changed your outlook on this mercenary life..."
That remark shut the overgrown insect up in a hurry, but from the dangerous gleam that suddenly appeared in Zebus's eye, she was almost certain that he was going to lash out at her with his fist. Instead, she was on the receiving end of a raging growl before Zebus turned his back and stared once again in the direction of the fight.
He can be such a pitiful little cockroach at times...
Despite Zebus's love for murder and money coinciding with his natural hatred for his own people, Infernia knew that the insectoid was as crafty as he was powerful, and he had never been the same ever since General Damos gave the order that altered the lives of the Trisgamman race forever. Despite his grudges that Zebus held against his petty cannibalistic brethren, Infernia could sense that scars had been left on Zebus ever since. They were still there today; they were only covered over by rank, money, and the pleasure of killing that all Trisgammans enjoyed so much. For someone like Zebus, leaving his people for the life of a mercenary might've been worth it...at least if it weren't for--
Infernia shook it off, redoubling her efforts on the odd intangible feeling that had come over her. Staring back at the stars, they seemed to offer no answers, but she'd been in battle far too long to overlook such peculiar sensations.
Whatever it is, I'll be ready to kill it when it rears its deceitful face...
* * *
Sailor Uranus stood tall and glowered in the direction of the floating menace, who had a smug grin plastered over his large face. He clearly wasn't impressed with the Outer Soldier's counter-attack; in fact, it seemed to have amused him to a great extent.
"So, three of the final four Sailor Soldiers crawl out of their hole to witness my display," The bald-headed titan snickered. "Welcome to the show, ladies, although you've arrived a few minutes too late for the opening act. However, to make up for not waiting for the entire audience, allow me to present a homecoming present to you since this will be the last day you will alive to witness your home."
He pointed down toward the ground several meters below and away. Uranus looked over toward where the goliath was motioning, and she gasped with horror at the sight several yards away. Lying prone on the cracked pavement was a lone corpse, but it didn't bear the black uniform of the Crystal Tokyo Special Forces like so many of the others Haruka had seen - this body was donning a blue Sailor Soldier suit, and from the unnatural lump protruding out of her neck, Haruka could gather what had caused her death.
"Ami...!!" She heard Hotaru gasp. "Her neck..."
"That wasn't even a warm-up exercise. She was quite weak for someone renowned for her power on this planet. The red one was a bit feistier; she even nearly took me to Hell with her. Don't worry though - she went out with blazing glory."
"That explosion...?!" Neptune whispered to Uranus. "It couldn't have been--"
"Yes..." Sailor Uranus regretfully frowned. "She was inside the heart of the explosion - I felt her power radiating from it. It could only have been a suicide attack..."
"Rei and Ami..." Sailor Saturn was clutching her glaive tightly while clenching her teeth. She wasn't taking the shock well at all - despite her powers as the Soldier of Death, she couldn't seem to fathom what had just happened. "I can't believe it...my beloved friends...they're both gone..."
Uranus turned back toward her comrade as Neptune put a gentle motherly hand on the distraught Saturn's shoulder.
"There's no time for tears, Hotaru," Neptune lightly said to her. "Ami and Rei may be gone, but we've been as close to them as you have been as well, and though they're gone, they're with us now, giving us strength in their deaths. They want us to keep fighting with all we've got. Let's fight those demons for them, for the queen, and for Earth!"
Hotaru nodded back toward her mentor before the trio took up defensive stances as they faced off against the gloating monster. Looking down toward the ground, the princess of the planet Uranus saw the tired but cheery face of the princess, who seemed to have been rejuvenated by the appearances of more allies.
"Relax, princess, we'll take it from here," She smiled down at her.
"What?!" ChibiUsa's expression of happiness vanished. "But I can't just stand by while the three of you fight! Haruka, you don't understand, these guys are incredible! They killed Ami and Rei without even breaking a sweat! It's going to take ALL of us to beat them!"
"Don't worry, ChibiUsa!" Sailor Saturn stepped into the small princess's view and smiled down at her.
"Hotaru..."
Uranus saw that the young Sailor Soldier was still a bit weakened from their long hurried journey back to the city - her breath was heavy and fresh perspiration was slithering down her face. Of course, she wasn't letting it show, mostly because of ChibiUsa's worrying mind when it came to her best friend's health.
"Please, don't fear for our lives, ChibiUsa, you've endured enough in this fight already," She responded. "We can defeat this demon with our combined power, I know it. Just get your strength back and let us take this monster out!"
"...Okay. But be careful! Please don't die!" ChibiUsa reluctantly nodded back.
"How touching," The monster laughed aloud as the conversation progressed. He turned down to ChibiUsa and winked in her direction. "Don't be too concerned about their fates, princess, you'll all be reunited in Hell when we've finished with you!"
The bald-headed behemoth turned back to his other two comrades who were looking on from several yards away. Both had seemed quite surprised and thoroughly amused by the arrival of the Outer Soldiers, as if it were another round of play in their twisted game.
"Hey, captain!" The goliath called to the red-skinned female. "Can I take care of these three, too? All of them seem anxious enough to die."
The 'captain' of the trio arched a golden eyebrow as she studied their three powerful adversaries. Uranus kept a close watch on her - after everything they'd gone through in recent times, she wasn't about to let her guard down for a second against someone who was emitting so much energy. She knew from personal experience that it only took one second for these aliens to strike with lethal force.
"Why not?" The fanged warrior shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "It'll just be more of a show for Zebus and I. Just try not to take too much longer, Tridyx - Damos will want the planet's capital in total control within the hour."
"With pleasure," Tridyx cracked his knuckles with an insidious snicker. "These three with be nothing but dust within fifteen minutes, I promise!"
Uranus was gazing back at his black eyes with disdain, not only for what he did to Ami and Rei, but also for how lightly he was taking the fight before him. He was either very cocky or extremely powerful...and half of Uranus's rage was fueled by the fact that the latter could've been the correct choice.
But, in as dire straits as they seemed to be in, Haruka wasn't about to let it show. "I've had enough! Your crimes against our people are unforgivable!" She fired at him. "For the sake of this planet and for the sake of our friends that you've killed, we'll destroy you once and for all!"
"Your bravery fits someone of such interesting power," The titan responded. "But even if the three of you give me your best, I'll still be standing tall while your corpses burn. The fifteen-minute clock is going, warriors, and I'm not about to break my promise to my captain."
"We'll see about that..." Uranus began to charge more energy in her fist and made a slight motion to Sailor Saturn and Sailor Neptune, who acknowledged in the same subtle manner. The energy bolts sparking from Haruka's fists covered their movements as they slipped out onto the sides of two buildings adjacent to the one they were standing on and began charging up their own attacks without drawing the monster's attention. Uranus prayed that the furtive attack would work while he was distracted. "...Now take this if you can!"
A gold spark flashed on the Sailor Soldier's palm and another World Shaking orb streaked toward their opponent with blinding speed. Through the glare of the sphere, Uranus could tell that the monster didn't look worried. But she smirked at his reaction - it was all she needed to see.
"Hilarious..." He muttered as he cupped his palms together and held out his arms. "...And worthless!"
The World Shaking attack struck Tridyx's palms dead on with a terrific detonation, but the results were less than satisfying for the leader of the Outer Soldiers - the demon was still floating in the air with no damage done. But out of the corners of her eyes, Haruka spotted her comrades powering up to maximum. The titan in front of her had been oblivious to everything except her low-powered attack.
"Was that it?" Tridyx laughed as he folded his arms. "I must admit, I was expecting more from--"
"Deep Submerge!"
"Silence Glaive Surprise!"
Two attacks - one an ocean-colored orb and another a quick motion of a deathly silent collection aura - fired from the two Outer Soldiers pincering Tridyx. Both forces struck the giant head-on, cutting him off in mid-speech. Sparking blue and black energy enveloped Tridyx from both sides, engulfing his entire body in a mix of violent power. Neptune and Saturn had put full power into their attacks, all right, and with his guard down, that alien should've been nothing more than ash. Uranus relaxed her stance, nodding approvingly toward the silent assassins, who were looking a bit more than drained after expunging even more of their dwindling energy in the surprise assault.
Suddenly, as Haruka was about to check on Saturn and Neptune, the smoldering energy cloud of black and blue instantly dispersed with a shock wave of energy. Uranus was thrown down onto the rooftop thanks to the concussion wave, and her head slammed hard into the solid concrete.
What the...??
Sailor Uranus dizzily rose from the ground, trying to clear her head as well as her vision as she stared with glassy eyes into the remnants of the energy cloud. Something was there, but in her dazed state, she couldn't quite make out what it was from the dark night sky and the distance.
"--someone of your boldness," An icy voice finished a sentence with a soft, ominous cackle.
Uranus gasped as she stared forward - she couldn't believe her eyes when the hulking figure of Tridyx came straight into her view, his arms extended to the sides. Somehow, by some mastery of speed and defensive skill, he had completely blocked both attacks seemingly without even knowing that they were coming.
"What?! But how...?!" Neptune was exasperated, not believing that the monster was still alive.
"Fools! Did you honestly think an ambush would pierce my defenses?" Tridyx laughed in her direction. "Do you think I'm as brash and stupid as the infantry soldiers you've killed so far? Despite your clandestine strategy, I knew those two attacks were coming from the moment you started powering up. It's a terrible flaw of yours, Sailor Soldiers - unable to disguise your own energies in order to surprise an enemy! What beginners..."
"Who said we were finished?" Uranus fired back, her senses regained from her fall. Her anger was beginning to swell up as well - she just couldn't believe that such a cocky ignorant fool like Tridyx could overcome her superior leadership and fighting ability. It was all the more incentive for her to annihilate him and his two associates. "That was only the beginning!"
"The beginning of the end, you mean," Tridyx scoffed. "Since you've been so insolent during this whole exchange, I believe you'll be the first one to die!"
Before Uranus could retort, a blazing ball of black energy from Tridyx's hand came rocketing down toward her. The Outer Soldier leader managed to bound into the air just in time to avoid being engulfed in an explosion that collapsed the roof of the building almost immediately.
"Not bad..."
Haruka gasped in surprise. The voice of Tridyx was coming from behind her! How had he managed to slip around her so fast?! There was no time to wonder now, as Sailor Uranus barely managed to recover in time to dodge what would've been a crushing uppercut. Taking advantage of the miss, Uranus slammed her two fists into the gut of Tridyx as hard as she could, volts of gold energy emitting from the impact. The effort, though containing a large enough amount of power, barely even dented the solid black armor of Tridyx. Instead, Uranus found herself staring up at the gloating mug of the alien warrior, not able to get clear from his range in her current position.
"Now that didn't hurt all," He shook his head. "But I can assure you, this will!"
But as Tridyx was about to bring another energized thrust down onto the stunned Uranus, Haruka saw a slim figure flying in from the left. Before the monster even noticed, a roundhouse kick cracked Tridyx across the side of his jaw. Spittle and a trail of blood flew from the alien's mouth as the impact sent him soaring backward into another wall.
Haruka looked up and saw Sailor Neptune staring in the direction of the crash. Though seemingly satisfied at her desperation move, great strain was on her face, and Uranus could see that she could barely keep herself afloat - the kick must've used up a great portion of her remaining energy. But the Sailor Soldier of the planet Neptune did manage to flash Haruka a small smile. The tan-haired soldier nodded gratefully with a small blush and a tender smile of her own. But as Michiru began to falter in mid-flight with a twinge of pain on her face, Haruka was immediately there to catch her and support her weight in the air.
"Today's fighting has taken much more out of you than you let on," Haruka scolded Michiru as she wiped away some sweat from the injured soldier's forehead. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Don't worry about me," She shook her head as she tried in vain to stay afloat on her own power. "I've got enough energy left to--"
Something suddenly exploded out of the demolished wall, and Uranus began powering up again as Tridyx sped through the air and halted several yards in front of them. The arrogance had vanished since Neptune's surprise attack, and an iron glare now dominated his visage along with a small trail of blood leaking out of his mouth. That was a bit of a relief - at least the behemoth bled, and if something bled, it was capable of being killed.
"It wasn't a smart move to enrage me by ambushing me like that," He spat some of the red fluid down onto the ground below. On second thought, I think I'll kill your lovely friend here before I do away with you!"
"I'll never let you touch her!" Uranus felt a second wind kicking in as she shielded her weakened counterpart, determined to keep the demon from harming Michiru.
"And neither will we!" The familiar voice of Makoto Kino rung in from behind, and Uranus whirled around to see Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus, and Sailor ChibiMoon floating slightly behind her, all of them ready and eager to battle.
"I thought I told you guys that we could handle this!" Haruka said to ChibiUsa with slight annoyance. The small girl could be as stubborn as her mother at times could, and she usually picked the worst times to show the trait. "Get out of here and let us finish our fight!"
"This isn't just your fight, Haruka," ChibiMoon replied with an unusual stern tone, something that Haruka had never heard from the young princess before. "We all have a planet to fight for, and we can only win against these guys as a team!"
Haruka smiled at the princess's support despite the show of recklessness, but with the nonchalant chuckle from Tridyx, she knew that her mind once again had to return to the task at hand.
"So, the little flies attack in a swarm?" Tridyx arched an eyebrow with curiosity. "Then come at me so I can swat all of you at once!"
"Fiend..." Sailor Jupiter clenched her teeth as she gathered her power. Unlike the depleted reserves of Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn, the three remaining Inner Soldiers still had much left to give, and they planned to exhaust everything until Tridyx and his two wily cohorts were destroyed. "...This is for Ami and Rei!"
Jupiter, Venus, and ChibiMoon shot past Uranus, all of them heading straight for the hulking monster. All three Soldiers began a vehement assault on Tridyx, each using a barrage of energized punches and kicks from all sides. But in spite of it all, Uranus couldn't tell if the combined attack was even touching Tridyx.
As much as Haruka wanted to help, she had other concerns on her mind at the moment, namely the wounded Sailor Neptune. She flew away a good distance from the fighting and lowered her injured mate onto one of the undamaged rooftops and rested her body against the edge of the roof away from the fighting. Before she could leave to join the Inner Soldiers, though, she felt Michiru latch her hand onto her ankle.
"Wait...!" She rasped slightly. Haruka could tell that her she was struggling to stay steady with her voice. If her last kick was enough to catapult a powerful being like Tridyx through a wall, it must've contained almost all of her remaining energy. The previous fights in the day hadn't helped matters either - even on their journey back to the capital, Haruka could sense Michiru's fatigue. Strong as the princess of Neptune was, this level of extended combat seemed to be more than she could deal with, but she seemed determined not to give up. "I can still fight...just help me up and I'll be--"
"No," Uranus firmly shook her head. "You've already spent too much power. Any more fighting could lead to something worse, and you know it!"
"Haruka..."
"I said no!" She pulled back suddenly, finding herself shouting at her beloved friend. "Michiru, you can recuperate quickly. Just rest here for a while, I can handle things with the Inners until you heal. Besides...I think something else is at work here as well."
"Are you talking about those faint energies we sensed before we got here?" Neptune arched an eyebrow.
"I know it sounds like paranoia, but these aliens haven't mentioned anything about any incoming allies, so I'm beginning to wonder if some other unknown force is upon us."
"It might have something to do with Setsuna's abrupt disappearance..." Neptune pondered. "What should we do? It's not like we can spare anybody to go and check it out."
"True..." Uranus glanced over toward the distant horizon, her eager senses falling upon the same mysterious energy that she'd been feeling for quite some time. She couldn't pinpoint who or what is was or where it was coming from, but she didn't trust it. Too many unexpected surprises had been occurring lately to overlook such an abnormality. "But there are more pressing matters to deal with at present. Please, Michiru, for your sake, stay here and rest...please..."
Haruka brushed some hair out of Michiru's face, and the water soldier responded with a pleasant and gratifying smile. "If you insist..." She nodded. She took hold of Haruka's hand for a moment. "Don't die on me, Haruka, do you promise?"
"I haven't disappointed you yet, have I?" She winked back at her one last time before bounding back into the air, trying to concentrate her power like before to keep her body suspended on the air. It was difficult, but a useful art nonetheless. She sped back toward the group with renewed vigor. After everything they'd been through, she wasn't about to let Michiru down.
* * *
Close hand combat isn't my forte...What was I thinking??
Sailor ChibiMoon was finding that out the hard way. While Venus and Jupiter were holding their own against the maniacal Tridyx, she had barely managed to get off any moves - she'd been too busy trying to dodge the demon's unrelenting counter-assault.
"What's the matter, Sailors?" Tridyx mocked them as he deftly maneuvered in and out of the Sailor Soldiers' combined attack. "You're looking slower with every punch! I hope the fun's not wearing you down!"
"I'm just getting started..." Jupiter suddenly exploded with power as a quick jab caught Tridyx in the jaw, sending volts of electricity crackling across his face. Sailor Venus seized the opportunity and dropkicked the monster in the stomach, forcing him backward and knocking the wind out of him.
"Now!" Jupiter gave a quick nod to Venus. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!"
"Venus Crescent Beam Shower!"
Both Sailors pressed their hands against the stunned giant's stomach and their respective attacks exploded against his armor, cracking the stomach section and sending Tridyx spiraling downward through the air.
"Now to finish you off..." Sailor Venus took charge, speeding downward after Tridyx. "Venus Love-Me Chain!"
A golden chain of hearts shot from Venus's wrist and looped downward, catching up with the plummeting titan and was nearly a few inches away from his mammoth chest when Tridyx stabilized his fall.
"What's this?!" He spotted Sailor Venus's trump card attack and extended his arms. "Never!!"
A sudden void of purple energy shot forth from Tridyx's palms, freezing the Love Chain in dead flight and surrounding it with a turbulent force. The chain's sparkling gold color faded into black as the negative field soaked itself into it like water in a sponge.
"What did he just do?" Venus gasped as she witnessed the sudden surprise move by their foe.
The answer came rather quickly, and ChibiMoon's eyes went wide as - with a motion of his hand - Tridyx sent the chain shooting back toward the trio!
"I..it can't be...!!" Venus's shock seized control of her reflexes for a split second, and by the time she attempted to dodge the incoming attack, her own chain slammed into her gut and wrapped itself around her, pinning her arms to her sides.
"Minako!" ChibiMoon gasped, but she couldn't stay too shocked for long as she spotted another possessed Love Chain materializing on Tridyx's palm and spiraling toward her and Jupiter.
"Look out, ChibiUsa!!" The princess felt the hard shoulder of Makoto slam into her from the left, and her small body flew off to the side out of danger. By the time ChibiMoon managed to regain her position in the air, she was horrified to see that the second demon chain had seized Makoto.
"I see you're impressed by this little trick, princess," Tridyx chuckled as Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus struggled futilely to escape the grasp of the chains. "My friend Zebus taught it to me. It allows me to seize control of any energy attack and manipulate it as if it were my own, as your two friends have just discovered."
"Let them go, monster slime!" ChibiMoon angrily retorted as her scepter materialized in her hand. "Don't worry guys, I'll get you out of there! Pink Sugar Heart Attack!!"
Though the energy for the attack was hastily gathered, the results fared much better than before, producing a stream of hollow pink hearts that struck Makoto's black chain dead on. Much to ChibiMoon's dismay, the attempt was in vain, as the chain retained its tight hold on Sailor Jupiter.
"Nice try, but now its time for them to pay the penalty for your weakness!" Tridyx's charged some more power in his hands and released a titanic electrical current along each of the two chains, electrocuting both of the immobilized Sailor Soldiers.
"No!!" ChibiMoon cried as Makoto and Minako screamed out in agony. They wouldn't be able to take such punishment for too long, and if ChibiMoon couldn't destroy the chains, she'd have to take out the source. "Leave my friends alone!!"
She bolted down toward the cocky giant with her scepter gripped tightly in her hands. Even if she couldn't damage the titan, she might've been able to break his hold on the chains. But suddenly, as she was inches away from striking the monster, a sudden gauntlet-hardened backhand from Tridyx slammed the small child in the jaw.
The last sound that echoed through ChibiUsa's head before blacking out was the ominous laughter of Tridyx drowning out the tortured screams of Makoto and Minako.
* * *
Sailor Saturn watched with dismay as her best friend's head was nearly taken off by the monstrous Tridyx. The small form of ChibiUsa went sailing through the air and crashed into the ground at high speed, leaving a small crater on the black pavement.
ChibiUsa...
As the young Sailor Soldier stared mutely at the fallen form of her friend, the weakness that she had been feeling after expunging so much of her remaining energy suddenly faded into nothingness. Instead, it was replaced by more emotions: anger, determination, and pure adrenaline. The demon had gone too far in his ruthless and cocky assault - he'd laid a hand on her princess and best friend, sending her into the perilous void of unconsciousness with one shattering blow. And as Sailor Saturn's gaze into the heart and eyes of the madman solidified, one goal became clear: she wasn't going to kill him - she was going to erase him from the universe.
But what to do first...
The crushing backhand from Tridyx could've done scores of damage to ChibiUsa - even with her energized state, she hadn't even been ready to defend against the cheap shot from Tridyx, and the fall couldn't have helped matters at all either. But Makoto and Minako were caught in the monster's grasp, and the amount of electricity coursing through the chains and into their bodies left little chance for survival if she went to heal ChibiUsa first. She froze in spot, unable to decide which of her friends to save first.
Hotaru...
"Makoto??" Saturn stared up into the air at the struggling Sailor Jupiter, who - along with her counterpart - was trying desperately to free herself and stay alive at the same time. Somehow, through her efforts, she had been able to sense her fear and indecision. "Hold on, I'll be there in a second to save you!"
No! Don't get near here, or he may capture you too!
Saturn didn't know how to respond. "But Makoto...you'll..."
We can hang on like this for a bit longer, trust me. He hasn't noticed you yet, so get to ChibiUsa and help her first! If she dies, then any efforts we may make after the fact would be worthless anyway!
Please, Hotaru... Minako's voice rang through the young Outer's head. Makoto's right, you have to help ChibiUsa! We can fight back against this monster, but she may not last. Please, hurry!
"...All right, but I'll be right up there to help you after she is healed! Please, hang on!"
Saturn rushed over toward the crater where ChibiUsa laid unconscious. A bit of tension passed as Hotaru was still able to sense a semi-healthy power signal radiating from her. She was very much alive, albeit a shock to the system as well as a bruised jaw.
Don't worry, ChibiUsa, you'll be okay...
Sailor Saturn focused her power, sending out a golden glow that radiated all over ChibiUsa's body, repairing the injury. Though every second sapped Hotaru's body of more power, she smiled gratefully as she felt the lost strength returning to her best friend's body.
Good, one immediate crisis resolved. Although it may take a bit before her senses return...
Saturn didn't want to take any chances, and she quickly took up her glaive, storing energy in it and raising it above her head.
"Silence Wall..." A brilliant field of purple energy streaked out from the tip of the glaive and surrounded the small princess. "Please protect my friend from the evil lurking close at hand."
Turning back to the other crisis at hand, Saturn was a little more than surprised to find Tridyx staring down at her with Makoto and Minako still trapped in the possessed love chains.
"Ah, that's quite a little trick," He admired as he stared down at Hotaru's handiwork. "The ability to heal and the power to cast a protective force field of considerable power. You certainly have succeeded in preserving your princess for the time being, little girl."
Saturn's grip tightened on her glaive as Tridyx manipulated the chains to pull Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus in front of him. The flow of energy into their bodies had ceased for the moment, but from the burns and exhaustion on both of their bodies, Saturn knew that they were barely hanging on to their lives. They must've been too weak for telepathy now - they could barely focus their eyes on one spot.
"Of course, choices of who shall live and who shall die always have drawbacks," He snickered with a portentous glint in his coal-black eyes. "Now, watch as your friends perish before your very eyes!"
"No!!" Saturn immediately concentrated power through her glaive. "Silence Glaive--"
"I wouldn't advise that, young one," Tridyx took hold of Makoto's chain, thrusting her in the path of Saturn's potentially lethal attack. "I've had enough surprises out of you Sailor Soldiers for one day. I won't have my fantastic show ruined by your unexpected ambushes! Of course, you can always sacrifice one to save the other. What's it going to be, little girl? Will it be one friend's life lost and some damage to me, or a one-way ticket to Hell for both of them?"
Hotaru froze in her energy charge as she spotted the weakened form of Sailor Jupiter floating between her and the cowardly monster. Still, despite the chicken-hearted tactic, she couldn't bring herself to risk killing Makoto in what possibly could've been an ineffective attack. Despite every bit of wisdom that Haruka always gave her on the importance of the mission, she couldn't bring herself to sacrifice one of her friends. Slowly but shakily, she lowered the glaive.
"So, emotion gets the best of the fighting spirit..." Tridyx mocked her indecisiveness as he clenched onto both black chains. "Now you'll pay for your soft heart with the blood of your friends!"
Before Saturn could re-energize, Tridyx whipped his arms out to the side, throwing the two captives into the sides of two nearby buildings. The impact shattered small portions of the material as both Makoto and Minako had punched through at maximum speed.
"No...!" Saturn clenched her jaw in frustration - even if she could power up an attack without the gargantuan detecting her, he could easily shield himself from it with the prone bodies of Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus. She wasn't willing to take such a risk, but such reluctance was eating away at her - either way, the result would be the same.
Her reflexes frozen, Saturn could only watch as Tridyx began toying with Jupiter and Venus, whipping them through solid walls and slamming them upon the ground with the possessed chains, laughing with each of the jarring, bone-crushing blows. He was practically as delighted as a small child as he marveled his chaotic work. The sinister incarnation of wonder in his eyes seemed to grow with every agonizing scream from the captive Sailor Soldiers.
Hotaru bit back her on her tongue, not able to bear the dismantling of her friends by the insane monster. With every crash and every hit, Hotaru felt her share of the pain - she'd never felt this helpless before, unable to do anything but watch her friends be slaughtered.
"Say good-bye to your comrades, brat, because I've just made them a date with the Great Beyond!" Tridyx called out from high in the air. "Now, die!!!"
The behemoth whipped the two chains hard, dislodging both ends from his palms and hurdling the Sailor Soldiers high into the air. Before Saturn could react to the sudden move, she felt herself bracing against the pavement as enormous energy swelled up within Tridyx's titanic body. Gazing up, she had to shield her eyes as black energy swirled like a typhoon around him. Tridyx cupped his hands together and held them out in front of his body. With a crazed cackle, the black mist was sucked into his center of his palms like a vacuum, and as the substance conflicted with Tridyx's own internal power, a huge energy beam in a violent purple color exploded from the demon's hands, speeding at tremendous velocity toward the airborne targets, who looked like they had no energy left to offer.
"No!! I won't let..." Saturn attempted to fight the huge windstorm that the beam had kicked up around her, but she couldn't find the strength to brace herself long enough to gather enough power for a counterattack.
Hotaru... Makoto's voice whispered to her through the cyclone. Take care of yourself, kid. Please don't let yourself or ChibiUsa die...
Remember us, Hotaru... Minako's voice echoed through the other side of her head. We'll see you on the other side...goodbye...
"Makoto, Minako!" Saturn called out to the whispers, but they both faded, evading her voice as the beam's screeching sound as well as Tridyx's maniacal laughter swallowed them. "Wait!!! Please...!!"
With tears leaking out of her eyes, Hotaru didn't bother scattering as the beam grew closer to its targets. On the contrary, she suddenly found herself chasing it - desperately trying to beat the beam to her wounded friends and pull them to safety. However, such was not so, and the beam impacted Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus with an awesome force, throwing Hotaru back through the air and onto the ground, her back striking the cold pavement with a dull thud.
She may have lost consciousness for a moment from the rough landing - the beam's screeching volume and the force of the explosion still rang through her skull. But after she had picked herself up, the aftermath was all she needed to see. On the ground a few hundred yards away, Sailor Saturn spotted two silent, dormant figures. She could sense no life force from them. She wiped a small tear away from her cheek as she stared at the devastation - on the list of brave souls who had gone out fighting the horrible aliens, two more entries had just been added. Makoto and Minako wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
* * *
"What do suppose that was...?" Krillin squinted out over the land in the direction of what appeared to be tremendous eruption of pure ki energy. If he focused correctly, he could make out a small dome of purple energy forming on the edge of the horizon. "Could it have been...?"
A horrifying realization occurred to him: for the past ten minutes - thanks to his keen sense - he'd been able to detect seven pure kis several dozen miles off in the distance. Now, as the huge impact of the ki blast began to dissipate , Krillin's worst fears had been confirmed: two of the kis had vanished along with the blast.
"Oh, no!" Yamcha echoed the sentiment, clenching his fists angrily. "We're too late! The fighting's already started, and it's in full swing!!"
"And at least two of them are dead..." Tenshinhan lowered his head in reverence.
Krillin looked ahead to see Gohan grinding his teeth and clenching both of his small fists as well. A small field of white ki energy was lazing around his body. He slowly floated up to his companion and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Gohan, relax. We don't know if those are the Sailor Soldiers or some other warrior with a pure ki," He tried to calm his partner down, but was having no apparent success, which started to make him worry a little bit. He knew how explosive Gohan could get when he was angry, especially if it was over loss of life. "Despite what's going on, we're still in the enemy's detection range: we have to stick to the plan!"
"Krillin, don't you get it, do you?!" Gohan snapped at him. "While we're here worrying about planning things out, those princesses are dying! Forget the plan, we can't let any more of them be killed!"
"Calm yourself, brat," Vegeta's smooth voice cut into Gohan's rant. "If there's one thing your young mind can't understand, it's the concept of war. Those Sailor Soldiers know full well what they were getting themselves into when they challenged these aliens - it's their own fault that they can't stand up to a fight!"
For a moment, Gohan did nothing except fume some more - Vegeta certainly wasn't the best at consolation, although telling his version of the truth was something that suited him best.
"Gohan, enough, we have to--"
Suddenly, a raging scream erupted from the Saiyan hybrid's lungs, throwing Krillin back as more energy enveloped Gohan's body. "I can't take it anymore!!"
Before anybody realized what had happened, Gohan had launched away from his position in the air and was streaking at full speed toward the battle. Krillin's stomach began to churn - Gohan could always be reckless when it came to life-and-death situations, and this time it was no exception. The little Saiyan had lost it, all right, and his emotional tempest was about to lead him to his grave.
"Gohan!! Get back here, now!!" Piccolo bellowed in anger at the fiery child. It was far too late, however - Gohan was making fantastic across the land. Even if he could hear Piccolo's reprimand, he wouldn't have stopped anyway. "That blasted kid..."
"So much for your brilliant plan," Vegeta scoffed. "The brat's little temper tantrum just attracted some company."
Krillin stared back in the opposite direction and his senses fell on several smaller approaching powers - more than likely, they were more of the weaker alien soldiers that Vegeta had disposed of earlier. Though they could've been easily beaten, the fact that they had detected them was more than enough to utterly ruin Piccolo's plan.
"Damn..." Piccolo cursed under his breath. "All right, we can't just leave Gohan to rush into the arms of the enemy and get himself slaughtered. I'll go ahead to the battlefield with him while the rest of you take care of these other warriors."
"But Piccolo, do you think you and Gohan can even handle that kind of power ?" Krillin objected. "The force of that power beam was radical - these guys definitely aren't amateurs when it comes to fighting."
"You call that power?" Piccolo smirked, revealing a pair of sharp white fangs. "That wasn't even close to what I'm capable of performing, and it certainly doesn't compare to what Gohan could do as well. We can handle ourselves without problems. Besides...you're going to be coming along for support."
"What?!" Krillin gasped, not expecting to be chosen as Piccolo's running mate for their pursuit.
"You've got the senzu beans, don't you? Well, you're going to be the extra hand we need to hand them out to any of the injured we may find."
"Good plan!" Chaozu nodded. "We'll stay back and hold these other goons off until we can catch up. Be careful!"
Piccolo and Krillin gathered their power and shot off after Gohan. They wouldn't be able to catch up to him at the speed he was going as well as the head-start, but they would hopefully be there in time to back up Gohan and anyone else who happened to be there fighting against the aliens.
Gohan, your power and emotion never ceases to amaze me, kid. But this time, you may have gone too far...
* * *
"Two more down, and with only ten minutes to spare. I'm running a little slow today," Tridyx shook his head in disgust with himself. Sailor Saturn, her mourning put aside for the time being, turned back toward the fiendish ogre with more rage than she'd ever felt before. Here they were fighting for their planet's life with every ounce of energy they had, and Tridyx regarded their lives with no respect at all - he was practically toying with them, throwing them around like rag dolls. Saturn's angered glare didn't cease, even as Tridyx's black eyes connected with hers.
"Makoto...Minako..." Hotaru was so consumed with rage that even simple words were hard to form. "How dare you...they sacrificed themselves to keep me and my princess safe...you have no right to steal such pure souls away from this world!!"
"There's no protection for anybody in war, little one," Tridyx folded his arms and smiled smugly at her. "But I am not a man without compassion. Since I value your love for our friends, I'll be more than happy to send you on your way to join them!"
"What would you know of love?" A soft but iron voice retorted from a short distance away, prompting the muscular giant to turn his head in slight surprise. "All you have been bred with is war, destruction, and greed. No concept of love can possibly exist in whatever black heart you have!"
Sailor Saturn gazed behind Tridyx and spotted a slim figure standing tall on one the remaining structures. Hotaru's eyes brightened as she recognized the garnet-tipped staff and flowing, green-shaded hair.
"Setsuna-mama!!" She called out to her. "Thank goodness you're okay, where have you been?"
"I've had some business to take care of, child, but I am now here on behalf of my planet," The soldier of time gently answered. "Hotaru, you have fought well, I see. I am very proud of you."
"Thank you..." Saturn smiled back at her mentor. "But it wasn't good enough...Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako...they've been..."
"I know..." Sailor Pluto saved Hotaru the pain of breaking the horrible news to her. "I felt their energies vanish from the world while I was rushing here."
"Heh, you don't seem too surprised that your weakling friends are all dead," Tridyx remarked. "You seem to be one of the more intelligent species of fools of the group. Taking you on should be quite enjoyable!"
* * *
Sailor Pluto was beginning to worry. She could sense the Z Warriors approaching, but they still were a bit far off from the palace. What was taking them so long? If they didn't hurry, Sailor Pluto wasn't sure how long she could hold off the raging monster before her. With Saturn at low power as well as the deaths of the Inner Soldiers, odds weren't looking in her favor at the moment.
"I was wondering when you were going to appear," The familiar voice of Sailor Uranus drew Setsuna's attention. She spotted her esteemed comrade touching down on the roof. A few bruises covered her body, but she seemed to be okay, nonetheless.
"Haruka, I'm glad you're safe," Setsuna nodded. "But where is Michiru? Has she been killed as well?"
"No, thankfully," Haruka shook her head. "But the day's fighting as well as the combat with this monster has depleted nearly all of her energy. I took her to an abandoned section of the city so she could regain her strength. She'll be okay...for now, at least. But I have a more pressing question for you, Setsuna. Where exactly have you been for the past day? You took off after the ambush on the palace and I couldn't even sense your presence anywhere near here. Where did you go?"
Setsuna's expression began to falter slightly as Haruka crossed her arms. She knew that look of suspicious sincerity on the face of the Outer Soldier - she was genuinely concerned about Setsuna's activities over the past hours, almost to the point of rigorous interrogation.
"Well...you see..."
She found herself stuttering and stammering, which only increased the glowering look of Sailor Uranus even more.
"Well?" Haruka asked simply. "What's the matter?"
Setsuna sighed in defeat. She couldn't hide it any longer - she had to tell Haruka the truth about her visit to the Z Warriors. She knew that she wouldn't be pleased at all about her actions - the last thing that Haruka would ever want would be considerably more powerful warriors entering the equation. Unless by some miracle Haruka came to trust the Z Warriors, Sailor Pluto knew that she'd never allow them to get within firing distance of the princess or the other soldiers. The fact that Setsuna had concealed this whole plan from the entire group wouldn't help much either.
Oh, well...nothing more to lose than we already have...
"Well, Haruka, to be honest, there's something that you need know..."
