Sailor Moon - Rise of the Exalted Knights

by Lisseas

Chapter Twenty-One - Questions of Conscience

Posted: 20/01/2018

The cool night air curled skyward in wisps of vapour, marking Rinjirou's careful, controlled breaths. Minato's suburban streets were quiet around him, most of its people already evacuated, in hiding...or worse. The only sound at all was the measured steps of the Exalted Knights behind him, and an ominous, rhythmic 'clomp'; the heavy footfalls of the so-called 'Chaos Paladin' they were tracking.

Sailor Jupiter's name for them, he thought, remembering a brief discussion with Rei. Fitting enough, I suppose. A twisted mess of the two, and a reminder that I failed. There's no saving them now.

"We need more troops, Boss."

Blain's dry assessment of their chances roused him from his thoughts. They'd stumbled across him in London's sewers, planning a last-ditch assault on the Order of Black's headquarters. Even taller than a certain Guardian Knight, the rugged American Paladin had proved a perfect recruit for Rinjirou's new army, and convincing him hadn't exactly been difficult.

He wants to hurt Chaos, and he can do a lot more damage as one of us than he ever could on some wasted suicide mission. The newly-minted Knight-Commander caught a glimpse of the beast ahead and slowed, not looking to fight it just yet.

"I don't see us having an easy time with that thing," Blain murmured, his thick, weathered brow furrowing above steely-grey eyes. "Not just the four of us."

"Hino-sama says his contacts have already secured some promising recruits." The priest had spoken at length of an 'old guard' with the Order of Black: men and women working from within, building a new future for the organisation even as they sought to break away. It was a shame many were likely dead after Chaos' corruption of the Paladins…along with however many more potential recruits.

"Yeah? Well, they can't get here soon enough."

Rinjirou responded by crouching even further, spotting movement above. The motion, simple in theory, was nearly enough to topple him and left him fuming. His 'new' armour was proving more difficult to adapt to than anticipated. The chest-piece and pauldrons were heavier than any armour he'd worn before, but a new, modern-style set was still a long way off.

Tactically, I'd be better off in the rear, he admitted to himself, but I'm their Knight-Commander and I need to lead by example. That means being front and centre through all of this.

Sure enough, his well-honed intuition proved correct: a lone Hunter appeared on the rooftop ahead. Rinjirou moved carefully into cover, a covered-over parking space occupied by an old Nissan, hoping they hadn't seen him. After several torturous seconds passed without attack, he scooted around the car and saw the beak-like mask turn before vanishing completely.

"Bastards," Morris muttered, in his thick Lancashire accent. "I still can't believe the Order we served was sending them after us."

"I can," Blain countered grimly. "There were always issues with the Order's approach. We may not have wanted to see the signs, but they were there."

"Aye, I suppose you're right."

A small part of Rinjirou still wondered why Chaos hadn't taken him that night at the docks with Rei. Perhaps you had to choose to serve by embracing the darkness within? It explained why some Paladins had survived its corruption, remaining themselves where so many others had been transformed. Something to ask Hino-sama later, he decided, satisfied they could move on safely. Looks like...

"Hey!"

He whirled about so fast he nearly fell a second time. There, in the shadows, crouched behind a just-as-startled Knight Ikari, was a familiar and unwelcome sight: Sailor Fury.

"Why did we stop this time?" she asked, sounding more bored than anything.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" he hissed, barely remembering to keep his voice low.

"I was bored," she answered flatly, with a cheerful wave to Morris that went unreturned. "I knew you were shorthanded. Thought I might tag along."

Rinjirou found himself receiving disapproving glares from three very unhappy Knights. "Look, we don't need…" He trailed off quickly, going over their odds again in his head. A Paladin, a Hunter, and whatever else Chaos decided to throw at them. "Just…stay quiet, okay?"

Fury's smile dropped into a pout. "Are you sure we can't just kill something instead? Say, Chirpy Bird or Beakface up there?"

"No!" he growled, convinced he could actually feel his blood pressure climbing. "Just follow along and keep your mouth shut, okay?"

Morris ran a hand over his mouth as Fury flashed a quick 'thumbs up'. "Mind explaining why we're letting her stay, sir?"

Rinjirou glanced first at Blain, then Ikari. From their incredulous expressions, they were clearly asking the same question. A defeated sigh slipped from his lips as he rose up and began moving again. "Because Blain makes an excellent point about our chances...and Fury is really good in a fight."

"Fair enough."

They spread out, moving carefully down another secluded backstreet. Rinjirou picked his way around pieces of broken glass and other debris, before creeping by a pair of old roller doors and into another car space. No door this time, but its low ceiling and solid walls made him feel far less exposed. Well, about as little as he could with the ragged, gutteral breathing of the Paladin in such close proximity.

"Right around the corner," Morris whispered. "Camp?"

"Could be," he agreed, already contemplating plans of attack. "We should-"

"...those things creep me out."

Voices, low and hushed. Rinjirou pulled back into the shadows as a woman in dirty police gear appeared. She led several mismatched and weary-looking fighters around the corner in a loose single file. They spoke in bursts of Japanese, native speakers to his ears, and carried an assortment of firearms and other weapons.

No Hunters, he noted cautiously. No Order uniforms at all, in fact. Not grunts, then. No, these were regulars: recruits or conscripts not actually sworn to Chaos' service...or so he hoped. It didn't feel right, hiding in gold armour like this. He was convinced they were going to spot him, and hunkered down appropriately. Sure, there was tradition, but some compromises had to be made for practicality, right? I am the Knight-Commander now. Maybe I can make a few changes?

"You don't say," said a thin man in blackened JSDF fatigues, continuing the conversation. "I still don't know about all of this, especially when I see one of those…things."

"Not to mention the creepy guys in masks," another muttered.

"Hey!" The lead policewoman turned, her voice rising in an authoritative bark. "We're alive, aren't we? Maybe it wasn't the most honourable decision to make, but I stand by it. I will survive this, damn it!"

The first bowed his head meekly. "Right…"

Rinjirou was surprised to hear very real shame from some of them. They weren't all like that traitorous grunt back in London, killing for fun or some sick sense of revenge. It was all about survival. Even if that meant bending the knee to Chaos.

"Nobody's coming to save us," said another woman bitterly. "Not the police, not the JSDF. Not even the Sailor Senshi! We've got no choice but to take care of ourselves." She slumped just barely, apparently resigned to her fate. "If that means fighting for that...woman, so be it."

That woman. Rinjirou's heart ached with the lingering sting of guilt. She means Megumi...only it's not her. Not anymore. That monster is walking around in her skin. Wearing her face like some morbid mask. Using her to found this messed up religion or cult or whatever you want to call it! Still, even through the pain, he was beginning to put it all together. Police. Self-Defence Force. Security guards. There were no elite special forces or Order of Black remnants to be found here; just regular people. Regular people in an extraordinary situation, just trying to survive.

Who am I to judge, he wondered. I've done terrible things in the name of the Order, and I can't exactly justify them with fears for my own survival. Am I really any different to these people? Are any of us?

The final 'soldier' passed by, a nervous looking young 'man' who looked more like a kid wearing his father's old uniform. Rinjirou pulled even further back, not wanting to take any chances...and cringed as his right pauldron scraped loudly against the wall. The 'kid' whipped about like he'd been tasered, levelling a rifle that looked about twice as big in his hands as it actually was.

"Who's there?!" he called, beads of sweat dotting his forehead. "Come out now!"

Cursing his choice of attire all over again, Rinjirou tried to flatten himself against the wall as best he could, but it only resulted in more noise. He locked eyes with Morris, who was starting to move, and shook his head. The Englishman sank back down reluctantly, his eyes screaming 'what are you going to do now?'

In response, Rinjirou rose slowly and carefully, emerging from cover with his hands up. "Easy."

Wild eyes darted about with frantic, nervous energy. "Who the hell are you?!"

"My name is Rinjirou." He kept his hands raised, grimacing as he heard some of the 'kid's' friends stop. "What's your name?"

"What are you doing here, and...what the hell are you wearing?!"

There were definitely some frayed nerves at play here; Rinjirou made sure to speak as calmly as possible. "I'm here for the Paladin and the Hunter. Not you. I want to stop it. I want to stop Chaos. The...the woman."

"The Paladin and..." The rifle quivered slightly, its owner near-hyperventilating. He clearly wasn't handling his newfound position well. "So, you are my enemy!"

"No," Rinjirou repeated calmly, "I'm Chaos' enemy. We want to stop it, and return Tokyo to-"

"We?!" Those same wild eyes widened even further at his inadvertent reveal. "Who's we?!" The kid began to turn, searching the darkness until they locked on the far corner, and the barrel of Morris' sub-machine gun.

"Just breathe," Rinjirou told him, heart skipping a beat as he realised what was about to happen. "You don't have to-"

Whether out of fear or indifference - which wasn't immediately clear - the kid opened fire. Rinjirou span away, slamming into the rear wall, but not quickly enough to avoid a string of muted dings as several rounds struck his armour. Fortunately, the hits were diminished, even dulled by the metal and the adrenaline as all hell broke loose around him.

Morris broke from cover first, firing a quick three-round burst into the kid's chest. Swivelling with the practised ease of a veteran, he fired again at the rest of the squad. They dove for cover, scattering like antelope before a hungry lion. Blain rose next, the bark of his rifle impossibly loud as he zeroed in on them. Two hit the ground, one missing a chunk of his skull. Another was driven back against the roller door behind him, clutching at his bloody stomach.

"Wait!" Rinjirou's pleas fell on deaf ears, quite literally with all the sudden noise. Cursing his decided lack of options, he lunged at the approaching policewoman. He grabbed the barrel of her rifle in his gauntlet and pulled hard, tugging it towards the street as she fired. Bits of broken bullet and asphalt alike peppered them both, but he stayed cool and followed through, adding his momentum to the punch he threw at her face. She fell...as he took several more rounds to the chest. The magic plate held, but Rinjirou was winded all the same.

"Leave her alone!" The thin man in JSDF fatigues closed on him, reloading as he advanced. With great reluctance, Rinjirou drew his pistol and dropped him with a bullet to the knee. He stopped his pained screams with a swift kick to the face mid-stride.

I have to stop this somehow, he thought desperately, before they're all...

"Finally!" A wild cackle announced Sailor Fury's entry into the fray. "It's about time!" She straightened up and drew her katana, the blade gleaming with ill intent to match her wicked grin...

...and Rinjirou was having none of it. "Stop!"

The Marauder turned to stare at him, her cobalt eyes wide in confusion. "Why...?"

A frustrated snarl tore from his throat. "Because I don't want anymore-" He stopped at a very depressing sound; the heavy, stomping footsteps of the rapidly approaching Chaos Paladin. It appeared at the end of the street, clawed fingers tearing through brick as it tried to support its unbalanced frame. Rinjirou emptied his magazine into its chest, but received only a laugh in response, a low, booming chuckle of contempt.

"Seriously!" Fury called, as if oblivious to its presence. "Why am I stopping?!"

"Damn it all," he muttered, at last resigned to their fate. "Fine! You want to kill something so badly, Fury?!" He jabbed a finger towards the large, bird-like monstrosity and roared, "Go kill!"

The confusion faded, replaced quickly with a sinister grin far more becoming of her Marauder name. "Here, Birdie, Birdie, Birdie!" She stepped forward, twirling her katana like a terrifying baton. "Faye wants to play!"

It surged forward, massive, tree trunk-like legs propelling it at a surprising pace. The obsidian beak snapped open, spewing forth a cloud of thick, crimson plasma like some mangy, feathered dragon of legend. Fury dashed to one side, running up the nearby wall as they closed on one another. Her free hand rose, index finger outstretched like the barrel of a gun, her thumb the hammer.

"Vengeful Caress!"

Her thumb snapped down, sending a bright red bolt of light lancing out. It blasted through the Paladin's left eyes, eliciting a howl of pure, unbridled rage as it staggered. The beast lashed out wildly with its massive forearm but Fury leapt skyward, flipping over a second attack to land behind it. With a roar all her own, she launched herself into its chest, burying her katana to the hilt in its thick, armoured hide. There she hung, laughing manically as she somehow dodged its attempts to grab her.

It was then that Rinjirou lost sight of her, a sudden blast of heat and light leaving him blinded. He stumbled in place, belatedly recognising the fireball for what it was...and its probable source. I got lucky. My armour took most of it. Without it, I'd be dead!

"Rinjirou Payne." A Hunter, probably the same one from the rooftop, shimmered into being as he strode through the chaos. His voice was unfamiliar; probably not anyone of note in the Order, then, and certainly not a friend. "Oh, how my Lady shall reward me when I bring her your head."

"It isn't a lady!" he retorted, trying…and failing…to separate all this 'Lady' nonsense from his memory of Megumi. It only made him angry. "And don't you think you're getting a little-" He groaned inwardly, but it was too late; his mouth was already moving, completing the order from his brain. "…ahead of yourself?"

The Hunter seemed unimpressed by his pun, however unintentional. He dashed forward with purpose, his robes lending him the unnatural appearance of gliding across the street. A second fireball drove Rinjirou further back, forcing a shaky new defensive position as he fumbled Solguard from its hilt. Then, before he could prepare, the Hunter struck; a flurry of cuts and thrusts that drove him even further back. It was a familiar tactic, one he'd used himself as a Black Paladin; all offence, all the time. Worse still, it was working! Solguard felt big and heavy and slow in his hands; a few sparring sessions with Mamoru had left him feeling barely competent, and he'd foolishly left his other more familiar weapons behind.

"Idiot!" Barely making contact with the Hunter's blade, focusing all his efforts on evasion, Rinjirou had to try something. Anything! Recalling something he'd seen during his journey to the past, he muttered a curse and thrust his off-hand forward. "Faith's Flare!" An oddly comforting heat began to grow in his chest, focused around his heart. The sensation spread, working its way to his shoulder, then his arm...before fading away at his bicep like a candle extinguished. "Damn..."

The Hunter laughed callously. "It seems you need more than some fancy new armour and a sword to be an Exalted Knight, Payne."

"Why didn't it work?" he growled, more to himself than anyone else. "I did the hand thing, the call..."

The assassin's blade swished through the air in a flourish. "Now you die, for my goddess is-" The side of his head exploded without warning, scattering blood and viscera all over the street. He fell in a heap, mask shattering as it hit the ground to mirror his ruined skull.

"So..." Blain sauntered over, the barrel of his rifle still smoking. "I guess those masks aren't bulletproof after all."

"Yeah…" Still a little jumpy from the adrenaline, Rinjirou tried to mask his nerves as best he could. "Nice shot."

"Nothing any recruit out of basic couldn't make. He was so locked in on you he didn't even see it coming."

A high-pitched, gurgling screech tore through the air, startling them both. Rinjirou whirled about, Solguard raised, to find the Paladin on its back. It writhed in pain, a second screech cut short as Sailor Fury drove her katana into its throat. She stabbed down again and again, thick, black ichor spraying into the air with every thrust until, after what felt like an eternity, it finally stopped moving.

"Gents," she remarked casually, stepping off its carcass with a friendly little wave.

"Right..." Morris noted quietly. "I get it now."

Blain shrugged and, evidently unfazed, shouldered his rifle. "No losses on our side, Boss. Seven hostiles down, plus Big Bird and the Hunter."

Fury exploded into a fit of giggles, a most disturbing image given her current gory state. "Big Bird?! Why didn't I think of that?"

Rinjirou gestured to the Paladin, then her sticky, ichor-covered outfit. "You, uh…you feeling okay?"

She stared back at him in confusion. "Uh-huh?"

With the adrenaline wearing off, he just gave up. "Never mind." He slid Solguard home in its sheath, still unbloodied, and took in the scene around him. There was sporadic movement here or there but, by and large, his Knights had effectively slaughtered their opponents. "What a waste."

"They did fire first," Ikari pointed out, reloading her weapon. "At you!"

"Yeah…" Rinjirou mused, remembering Hino-sama's thoughts on the matter, "And we sure made 'em pay for it."

"Oh, boohoo," Fury said, in a faux whimper, crouching to wipe her blade clean on the Paladin's feathers. "They chose to fight for Chaos, the biggest, baddest...Big Bad of all time. That makes them bad guys too, and bad guys die. It's a...uh...occupational hazard of villainy!"

"I can't believe I'm actually saying this," Morris muttered, "But I agree. How can you look at that monster, or a Hunter, and not realise what you're signing up for? How many innocent people did they kill before today? How many of their own?"

"So they deserve death?" Rinjirou asked, well aware he was making a choice of his own. "What about us? When we served Chaos, did we deserve death?"

The tall Englishman frowned. "Well, we didn't know we served-"

"We knew where our abilities came from," he countered, with a searching glance to the others. "We knew Chaos was involved, however indirectly for us as individuals, but we knew, Morris…and we let the Order put those slivers in our bodies anyway, because we thought it was worth it." A moment passed in silence as he studied the dead again. "It lies. I know that better than most. Maybe some did choose to serve willingly, but what about the ones that didn't? What about those who were afraid? Threatened with death, or the death of a loved one?"

Blain frowned. "You can't possibly know that, Boss."

"No, we can't," Rinjirou agreed, "And that's my point. How do we judge them without knowing either way?"

Morris nodded slowly, realisation dawning on his weathered features. "You're right."

"I hadn't thought about it like that," Ikari agreed, sombre. "I just went straight to my Order training when they opened fire. I didn't even blink…"

Rinjirou looked her straight in the eyes. "And that's my failing as much as anyone's. I didn't think all this through. Not enough, at least. We were all Black Paladins once, and that training won't be easy to forget, but...forget it we must." His voice hardened just a little. "We are not the Order of Black anymore, and we only use lethal force as a last resort from today on. Understood?"

"Got it," Blain answered quietly. "We'll do better, Boss."

"I know you will." Unsure what else to say, Rinjirou settled on moving forward. "Alright. Group up and check on the survivors. They get whatever aid we can provide. Then, they get a choice. Go home and wait it all out, or join us in the fight against Chaos." His gaze settled on the inhuman Paladin and its dull, dead eyes. "We will drive it back to whatever hole it calls home." As he turned away, relieved beyond measure to be done with speeches, he came face-to-face with none other than Sailor Fury.

Her usual chipper smile was nowhere to be seen. "You're wrong, you know."

"Oh, I don't think so."

"Is that right?" She grabbed his arm hard and span him around, pointing to the Hunter on the ground. "Look at Robey McBeakface over there."

Another nickname. "Sure."

"You couldn't give two shits that he's dead," she continued, "But a few sob stories and you're ready to fall all over yourself excusing the others?"

"That's because it's different."

"Is it?" Fury was far more lucid here than he'd ever seen before, except maybe in Smythe's tomb back in London. "Whether for power, or greed, or whatever other reason, he chose to serve Chaos. Right?"

Rinjirou didn't like where this was going, or her newfound clarity. "Right…?"

"Well, the rest of them? They knew what serving meant too, and whether it was power, or greed, or saving their own skin, or the skin of a loved one…they decided their lives were worth more than anyone else's."

"But if they had no choice-"

She exhaled in an irritable hiss. "Pay attention! They had a choice, dummy! They could have died with a clean conscience. Instead, they chose to serve evil...and they died for it."

"We'll just have to agree to dis-"

Fury adopted an oddly vulnerable pose, arms wrapped around herself in a loose self-hug. "I know evil, Sourpuss. Have you already forgotten why?"

Rinjirou stared back at her warily, ignoring the return of his least favourite nickname. He knew how, but somehow that didn't stop him from answering. "No..."

"I was evil." There was no mania in her voice. No wildness to her eyes. This truly was Faye, the person; not Sailor Fury. "I made my choice when it came, no matter why. I too chose to give up on good and follow a monster. All until, eventually…I was stopped." Her eyes locked on a dead man to their left, strangely devoid of emotion. "Just like they needed to be."

He remained silent, unsure how to respond. That silence persisted, too, until…

"Hold on a minute!" Blain marched over, pointing an accusatory finger. "That's a terrible example! It might work better if you hadn't been magicked back to life, avoiding any real punishment for what you'd done!"

"Oh, bugger…" Fury's expression of triumph fell into confusion. "Now even I don't know what my point was."

Rinjirou sighed heavily, hating everything about his newfound position in that moment. Is it too late to give back the sword?

"Get him!"

Justice tried not to roll his eyes at Chibi Moon's breathless command. "Really? I thought I might just hang back and give him the run of the place!"

"Oh, real funny."

He stood between her and the approaching Hunter, his sword, Justiciar, at the ready. Thankfully, his 'Spidey-sense', a nausea-like feeling he got around strong sources of evil or injustice, had provided a warning in time. It was the whole reason he'd campaigned for defensive duty in the first place: there was nobody better suited to locating mostly invisible Hunters. Hell, he knew this one was here and it was still difficult to focus on him!

Where'd you come from, he wondered. Must be a scout, sent to check out reports of a Senshi protected safe zone. Tell-tale embers began to form around the Hunter's hands, prompting Justice to take a precautionary step back. You're about to find out this is no easy target.

The first fireball exploded harmlessly against his shield, followed quickly by another. Yet again, the Guardian Knight was surprised by how little effort everything required. His connection to Selene, once tenuous, was now well and truly restored in full...and that meant he had certain rules to abide by.

"You're not going to win this." Unlike the arrogance or even bravado of months past, this was simple confidence. He knew he could take this Hunter with Selene's aid…but he had to give him the same chance he'd given the last one. The same chance everyone got from now on. "Just walk away. Tell your boss this place is off-limits, and stay gone."

He left the last of it unsaid, an implied threat that hung in the air regardless. It didn't really matter in the end. He knew what was going to happen, what had to happen...and it didn't take long. The Hunter exploded into motion, lunging without warning. Justice bashed the strike aside with Justiciar, its blade flashing silver as it crossed with the coal-black broadsword. He broke off and retaliated with a sweeping crosscut that missed wide as the Hunter withdrew.

They circled one another, blades sparking as they clashed again and again, each feeling the other out. Justice remained calm despite certain...setbacks. By rights, Justiciar's power should have let it cut right through the Hunter's sword with ease. Clearly, Chaos was upgrading its minions' weapons as well! With his opponent's face obscured by his now-familiar mask, the Guardian Knight focused instead on his footwork. The assassin moved with an unnatural smoothness, a grace rarely glimpsed in most human fighters, and he had yet to say a word. Well trained and focused, more so even than most Hunters he'd faced.

All the while, Chibi Moon watched on, providing 'moral support'. "Kick his butt, Justice!"

It was difficult enough staying focused without her tempting him into eye-rolling again. Who even talks like that? It's ass! Kick his ass! Such irritation was tempered by a new, more mature element of his personality. Then again, I don't really want to be known as the guy who corrupted Earth's future princess, do I?

Sure enough, the distraction almost cost him. Fortunately, the Hunter was nowhere near fast or strong enough to get by his guard, even on a bad day. However, in a bait-and-switch move, he let his momentum carry him straight by Justice to rush the Sailor Senshi! Caught by surprise, she stumbled over her own feet and landed square on her rear end. Justice blinked, popping back into existence between them, and took the blow intended for her. Then, as he grit his teeth and prepared an attack of his own, he caught a blur of movement in the periphery of his vision.

"Justice!"

He was already moving before Chibi Moon's warning cry, spinning as he summoned his shield. A shimmering violet dagger glanced off its surface, Justice able to hold against the strike where once it might have cracked or failed entirely.

"Where did you come from?" he grunted, forcing the newcomer back with a quick burst of extra power. Not as effective as it is against nosy Senshi, though.

"We are everywhere," the assassin hissed, recovering his footing, "And nowhere. Instruments of Her divine will and-"

"More pseudo-religious bullshit, huh?" Justice lunged at him, Justiciar swinging in several rapid cuts before he retreated towards Chibi Moon. "I've had my fill."

As always, the pink-skirted Senshi had other plans. She leaned around him and thrust out her hands palms up. "Celestial Tide!"

The luminous blast tore by Justice, forcing the Hunter to adjust his trajectory or risk being hit. The first seized the distraction, dashing forward in hopes of catching her off-guard again, but Justice was faster. He feigned an attack on the other, then swung around with a quick overhead cut. Her attacker tried to recover, but it was too late...and Justiciar took his arm off just below the elbow.

"What the hell...?"

There was no blood or viscera to be seen on either stump or arm; just a solid black mass, like a roll of playdough cut in half. The Hunter shuddered in place a moment, as if unsure how to proceed...or perhaps waiting for new orders.

"A Construct," Chibi Moon murmured.

Secure in the knowledge it wasn't and never had been alive, Justice smacked aside its weak defence and took its head off. Turning to the second, he raised a finger almost contemplatively. "That explains how Chaos keeps replacing you guys."

His now sole opponent glanced back and forth between them, like he couldn't decide who to attack.

"Chaos finally figured out how to make its own Avan the Trickster, huh?" The Guardian Knight levelled his sword, now completely serious. "Want to reconsider walking away now?"

In clear response, the Hunter thrust his gloved hand forward...and the world around Justice vanished. He staggered backwards, not expecting such a tactic, and tried in vain to disperse what seemed like a thick cloud of smoke now encircling his helmet. Then, he heard it; a cry of pain from Chibi Moon that turned his blood to ice water. Acting on instinct, trusting a faint voice in the back of his mind, he summoned Selene's power once more and invoked her Judicial Flames. They erupted around him, wreathing him in flame from head to toe...and burning away the haze in an instant.

The Hunter loomed over Chibi Moon, circling her like a lion stalking its prey. A small metal dart jutted out of her leg, her porcelain skin marred by blood. As if in slow-motion, he began to move, the same violet dagger in hand. Justice acted, trusting in his instincts once more as he closed his eyes...and appeared over Chibi Moon, Justiciar extended before him. The magical blade slid effortlessly through the Hunter's armour and into his chest, the hilt coming to rest against his robes.

"But..."

That was all he made out as the assassin gurgled and went limp, falling back as gravity pulled him towards the ground. Justiciar slid free of him with a wet squish, a thin, crimson veneer coating its surface. Justice cringed; definitely not a Construct then.

"Huh." It wasn't meant as a question. More mild confusion. Looks like Constructs don't talk, and real Hunters do? Any shock at having killed someone didn't last long when he realised how inherently stupid it was. He'd killed plenty of youma, and they were sentient, living beings. For that matter, he'd killed dozens of men as Corval while fighting to save the Moon Kingdom. Get your head out of ass, McLeod, and focus!

"Is he...? Chibi Moon limped over, leaning against him for support as she peered down at the body. "You know...?"

"Oh, he's dead alright." He really did feel very little guilt now that he thought about it. The Hunters had been more than adequately warned about the dangers of fighting him, but had chosen to attack anyway. He regretted that any of this was necessary at all, really...but his conscience was clear. "Pretty quick, all things considered. Heart shot, right between his ribs."

She was silent for a long while. "I guess there was no avoiding it. You..."

Justice studied her curiously. "What is it?"

"I..." The pink-haired teen hesitated a moment longer before sagging, defeated. "I was so angry with Usagi over what happened at the shrine, but this? I just hand-waved it all away like it's no big deal."

He stayed quiet, giving her time to draw her own conclusions. This was clearly important to her.

"I guess it's different when you're really in the thick of things," she said finally. "When there isn't any time to think. When it's you they're trying to kill." Her gaze was one of disquiet. "You were protecting me. The same way she thought she was protecting Hotaru and Haruka. The same way I was..."

"Go on."

"The same way I was protecting Usagi," she whispered, barely audible, "Back at the store. I hit one of those Hunters pretty hard, and...I think he died."

So, that was part of it. She feels guilty over the life she took...so Usagi's mistakes at the shrine hit especially hard.

"I understand now," she grumbled, as if annoyed by the fact. "It doesn't excuse it, but...I understand."

"That's a very mature perspective to have," he offered helpfully. "You can disagree with someone's actions while still understanding the logic behind them."

"Mm."

Sensing her melancholic state, Justice nudged her playfully. "At least we know, if there was ever any doubt, you're definitely your mother's daughter. Falling on your, er...butt like that!" Somehow, despite his good intentions, a note of steel entered his voice next. "Though I seem to recall telling you to stay back."

"I was!" Chibi Moon retorted, with a warning tone all her own.

He raised an eyebrow. Silly when he thought about it; she couldn't see it through his helmet. "So, you weren't creeping forward, then? Not even a little?"

At long last, she caved a little and uttered an exasperated sigh. "Okay. Maybe I thought I'd watch your back a little more closely, but-"

"These guys are dangerous. Real dangerous, and-"

She glared up at him, arms folded across her chest. Any pain from her leg was apparently forgotten...or ignored. "If you're going where I think you're going with this…"

He raised his hands in surrender. "You're right, you're right. You've faced down worse at this point."

Chibi Moon didn't answer, instead staring down at the Hunter's body one last time. "I need to find Usagi and apologise…don't I?"

"I don't know," he answered levelly. "Do you?"

Still apparently undecided, she sighed again and turned towards the school. "Come on. We should sweep the grounds one more time. Make sure there aren't any more of them lurking around. I'll figure out the rest as we go."

"Just be careful," he warned her, with a smirk. "I wouldn't want you to fall on your butt again."

"Oh, so that's the way you want to play this?" she retorted, with a wicked grin of her own. "Sir Justice?"

"...damn it."

AN: Well, it took a while longer than I'd hoped but still...Happy New Year everybody! Please enjoy this admittedly overdue chapter featuring, funnily enough, a long overdue look at Knight-Commander Rinjirou and his troops in action. It felt like I'd focused on the Senshi for several chapters at this point, so I wanted to do something different and change things up somewhat. Plus, I haven't written Badass Justice in a while. Felt like he was due a moment, especially after his upgrade.

I must confess, I'm finding it harder and harder to get through these chapters. Even the last one felt like a slog. It's not that I don't like my own story anymore - at least, I don't think so - but I'm definitely feeling a little burned out. I pulled up my FF stats the other day as I procrastinated, and I published Chapter One just under a year and a half ago! I'm not making progress at the rate I'd like to, and THAT frustrates me too...which doesn't help the writing. So, while I'm not abandoning RotEK anytime soon, I'm giving notice that new chapters will likely continue to suffer from delays, at least for the near future.

With that said, I hope you'll continue to enjoy the story and support me with your feedback. It definitely helps with motivation, believe me, knowing I have people actually looking forward to reading some words I typed up about some characters I grew up loving. I am determined to finish, even if it takes longer than I anticipated. Thanks again, everybody. Your kind words and encouragement mean more than I can say.

Lisseas