Sailor Moon - Rise of the Exalted Knights

by Lisseas

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Great Spire Awaits

Posted: 08/11/2018

The Sailor Senshi continued their advance, moving into the very heart of Tokyo. Chaos' great spire loomed overheard, impossibly large even now, at a distance. It radiated a sense of impending, inescapable doom, the signs of its corruption now apparent all around them. An ever-present storm raged above, swirling around the tip in an unnatural display of persistence, or even anger.

Mercury let her visor fade. "Just over half a kilometre to the base now."

"Huh." Moon had thought them closer. "Any surprises ahead, Ami?"

"Some scattered readings that could be life signs, but the interference just gets worse the closer we get. It's hard to tell."

"More survivors?" Chibi Moon asked, with a smile born of equal parts hope and fear.

"Perhaps," Tuxedo Mask answered, patting her shoulder, "But we need to be careful regardless."

Moon gripped the Eternal Tiare tight. "Right. Let's keep moving."

They continued on, forced to turn from the spire by the streets themselves. She found herself relieved; glad to have it out of sight, even if only for a moment. It felt wrong; evil, almost an extension of its creator. As if Chaos itself were staring down from its smooth, crystalline face. Her relief was short-lived, however, for it soon returned to view around the next corner, awaiting menacingly behind a fallen apartment building. There were bodies everywhere. They littered the streets and hung from shattered windows, a heart-wrenching display of futile struggle.

"There's no point to any of this," Mars murmured, slumping in a picture of defeat. "These people died for nothing."

"Nothing but Chaos' demented will," Uranus said bitterly.

Mercury spoke hesitantly after studying her computer. "Most of these people died after the building came down. I see a lot of the expected injuries, of course; blunt force trauma and burns, but..." She paused to swallow. "Stab and gunshot wounds are the main causes of death."

Sailor Moon looked out over the gruesome scene, silent for fear of losing her composure. She could almost picture it. They came from behind. Hunters, I guess…from the spire? Terrified, the people ran…and they cut them down without mercy.

Even Pluto couldn't manage her typical level of calm. "Chaos has a lot to answer for."

"Come on." Moon didn't dare say much else. Instead, she led them back to the intersection and down a block, searching for a way around. There was no doubt Chaos knew they were coming, but that didn't make running the rooftops and exposing themselves to attack a good idea. If we can just reach the spire without being seen, and get in a few good hits before it can react...

"Down!"

She reacted instinctively to Jupiter's warning, jolted instantly from her thoughts. "What is it?"

"There," Mars said in a low growl. "Hunters."

Peering out from cover, Moon could see at least six of them. And who knows how many more are lurking in the shadows? The closest pair paced across the street on patrol, a series of abandoned cars and other debris forming a choke-point. Or checkpoint, she realised. They're on the lookout for someone. Probably me.

"Waiting for us, I'd say." Uranus had drawn a similar conclusion.

"And they have backup," added Jupiter, as twelve-feet of bird-like Chaos Paladin lumbered into view. "It's gotta be running out of those things by now, right?"

Mercury grimaced. "How many Black Paladins were at the shrine?"

"No idea. I just know there were a lot of them."

"Exactly."

Jupiter swallowed nervously. "…right."

As her friends gathered behind her, Moon considered their options. "This is the first clear approach we've seen, but it's guarded...and there are probably more of them in hiding."

"Cowards," Mars muttered angrily.

"Human, too," added Saturn, clearly uncomfortable.

Pluto shook her head. "You assume. Chaos sent Constructs to the Space-Time Door, dressed as Hunters. Rinjirou believed there weren't that many real Hunters left."

"Let me see..." Mercury's visor reappeared in a flash, but her computer chirped mournfully a few seconds later. "There's no telling either way. Not from this distance."

"So," Uranus said smugly, "We get up close and find out for ourselves."

Chibi Moon glared back at her. "Or we could go around. Find another route to the spire?"

Sailor Moon wasn't convinced. "Maybe, but that means a lot of backtracking, and I don't think Tokyo can take much more of this."

"I still say we go up and over," Uranus said, sighing irritably. "Beeline it to the spire. Chaos is expecting us; what difference does it make if it sees us coming?"

"It's me it wants alive. The rooftops expose the rest of you to attack, and I'll need all of you by my side to have any hope of victory." Moon looked to Justice, specifically the T-shaped opening over his face. It was unnaturally dark, hiding his features with the same magic that obscured her identity. "If we fight them…?"

"You're asking me?" Behind the sarcasm she'd expected was a touch of genuine surprise. "Why?"

"Because unlike me, you've kept your head through all this. Your...moral compass." Her guilt and shame were quick to return, even now. "So, Justice…what do we do?"

He studied the spire carefully, a distant flash of lightning reflected in his helm. "Tokyo only suffers more the longer we hesitate. We offer them the same chance to walk away that anyone else gets. Then, if they decline? We go through them."

"You're sure? If we fight..."

"Then we fight. It won't be our choice, but we need to be ready for it all the same."

"Right." Somewhat assuaged by his counsel, she nodded. "They accept peace…or we fight." It would test the Senshi's mettle, certainly; the first openly hostile humans they'd encountered since finding their way again. If we don't include that mob back there, she admitted to herself, which I don't. They're not in the same league as these Hunters. Not by a long shot.

Perhaps sensing her hesitation, Tuxedo Kamen squeezed her hand. "Usako?"

"Right." Drawing a deep breath, willing her racing heart to slow, she stepped out into the open. The Hunters reacted immediately, fanning out in silence in a reminder of their original purpose; fighting Sailor Senshi. They're spreading out to avoid being caught in any single attack. Their stark white masks offered no clues towards their true feelings, and she was left to wonder. Are they as nervous as I am? Are they truly prepared to die for their 'goddess'?

Justice walked forward with her, at least a little ways. "Keep it short. To the point."

From behind them, Venus grumbled, "You've never liked our speeches."

Tuning them out, she addressed the masked figures. "We don't want to hurt you, but we must reach the spire. We must stop this."

There came no answer. Not a single Hunter spoke, or even so much as moved. They simply stared back at her from behind their featureless masks, practically Constructs in their behaviour. Perhaps they were?

"Please. We don't want to fight, but...if you should choose to stand against us...we will not hold back."

Again, silence. Only the bestial Paladin reacted, uttering a low growl and stomping its foot into the street.

"Still just a mindless animal," said Jupiter quietly.

"For now," Mars muttered, "But Chaos could pop in at any moment."

Finally, a lone Hunter stepped forward, drawing a long, black broadsword from beneath their robes. "We ask for no quarter, Sailor Moon, and shall give none in return. We will fight for Her, and we will die for Her."

"Chaos isn't a god!" Mars cried, her disdain apparent. "Surely you can see that?!"

"We heed not the lies of the Sailor Senshi!" he spat. "You shall not lead us astray from Her love."

Moon waved the fiery miko back. "But surely you can...see...?" The words caught in her throat as she saw it; a pile of twisted, broken bodies dumped haphazardly in the street. She saw an assortment of disparate uniforms, and recognised the so-called 'conscripts' they'd fought in the early days of this conflict; they'd been savaged to the point that some were unrecognisable as human.

He turned his head, following her gaze. "Ah, yes. These Faithless were weak. Shaken by the rise of Her great spire. They questioned their loyalty, questioned Her love…and we could brook no such blasphemy."

Mars surged forward, held back only as Jupiter snagged her arm. "So, they came to their senses and you murdered them for it?!" She pulled free and glared at them over crossed arms. "Somehow, I think I might just be okay with you not surviving this."

Justice stepped around her, drawing his sword. "Yield now, or suffer the consequences. You've been warned."

"And you have had your answer." The Hunter slashed down with his own blade and advanced. "Now die!"

He lunged forward, thrusting at Justice's chest, and the Guardian Knight blinked forward to meet him. Justiciar flared white as it met the Hunter's blade...and stopped just like any other sword; Chaos' power at work. They exchanged several heavy blows, each man looking for a gap in the other's defence. Moon had no doubt her friend would come out on top, though. He was more than capable of defending himself.

And I have other things to worry about, she told herself. The rest of them are coming for my friends!

Flame and spark, ice and gold; the Inner Senshi unleashed a barrage of attacks, holding nothing back. The Hunters continued undaunted, darting around the blasts or even blocking them outright. A startled Venus directed her friends into a minor retreat, clearing the way for Uranus, Saturn, and Pluto.

"World Shaking!"

"Death Reborn Revolution!"

"Dead Scream!"

Again, the Hunters spread out and avoided the worst of it. They retaliated in kind, throwing attacks of their own. Mercury let out a pained hiss, a violet dart suddenly stuck in her thigh. Mars slapped a second out of the air, firing back with Flame Sniper before she was enveloped in the mass of black robes. Sailor Moon found herself isolated as they closed around her friends. Not a single enemy would come near her. In fact, they actively avoided her when she tried to engage, pulling back or even blinking out of existence to avoid her.

Frustrated, she swung the Eternal Tiare like a club, smacking one end into her palm. "Hey, no fair! Fight me, not them!" It was one thing to need rescue; she'd experienced it many times, and the shame that came with it. Being forced to watch helplessly as her friends did all the fighting, though? That was worse. Far worse. They won't fight me. Chaos really does want me alive...but I won't stand idly by while its Hunters go after my friends!

There, across the battlefield, was Chibi Moon...and she was in trouble. A pair of Hunters persisted, swinging weapons at her over and over, almost toying with her. The teen's shrieks and random movements were very familiar, bordering on plagiarism, but Moon knew they wouldn't keep her safe forever...and she wasn't going to just obliterate them with her powers. She'd spent too long campaigning against it to change now. They've been warned. Like Justice said, they wanted this fight. Not us.

Mind made up, she channelled the Silver Crystal through her Tiare and aimed. "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"

The pink blast enveloped Chibi Moon's attackers. Like Megumi before, however, it seemed to have little effect beyond confusion. The pink-skirted Senshi seized the distraction and dropped one Hunter with a powerful kick to the jaw before the second knocked her to the ground. She - the laugh made it clear - raised a hand, dark energy crackling all around her fingertips as she prepared another attack.

"Stupid!" Moon snapped, angry at herself for hesitating again. You're going to get Chibiusa hurt, or worse! She exhaled slowly, remembering Justice's earlier speech, and let the Silver Crystal loose again. "Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss!" Despite her conscious efforts to reign it in, the golden blast was far stronger. The Huntress fell immediately, the occasional twitch from her smouldering robes the only sign she was still alive at all; a sobering reminder of the power she wielded when not weighed down by self-doubt.

Chibi Moon looked over, eyes wide. "You have that much control? I thought she was…"

"I guess I do." Their exchange brought with it a little of Moon's old confidence. "Yeah. Maybe I can do this after all!"

Further down the street, Sailor Venus backed away from another Hunter. He raised his sword, closing on her slowly like a wolf to a cornered sheep. "Your pathetic magic is no match for my blade, Senshi."

"Oh?" She summoned her Love Me Chain, its serpentine links uncoiling around her arm. "Wink Chain Sword!" They rattled skyward only to fold back on themselves, forming a massively oversized blade of pure golden light. A smirk played across her lips as he stepped back. "What's the matter? Is my pathetic magic bigger than yours after all?"

Seemingly antagonised, he dashed forward. She sidestepped and brought her blade down on his, cutting it in half with ease. Reeling, he tugged a knife free from his belt with a menacing roar...and was struck with the 'flat' of her blade. The impact drove him into the nearest wall, with a second bat-like swing ensuring he stayed down and out. Moon found herself impressed by her friends' creativeness. They were actively trying to avoid any fatalities, even against these unrepentant killers, through unorthodox use of their abilities. As she looked on, Jupiter basically tasered one with a Sparkling Wide Pressure, proving once again how controlled she could be, while Mars corralled another pair using Burning Mandala, driving them right into Uranus' path. A single World Shaking caught them off-guard, tearing the very street apart beneath their feet, making an easy target for Pluto and Saturn to beat senseless.

Even Justice was following suit. The Hunter he was battling seemed his match with a sword...until he made a single mistake and overextended on a thrust. Justiciar vanished in a flash of light, leaving Justice's hands free. He snagged the Hunter's wrist in one and landed punch after punch with the other, pummelling him into unconsciousness. Yes, things seemed to be going quite well...until the Chaos Paladin entered the fray. Its hooked, misshapen beak snapped open, a red glow within preempting a familiar blast of crimson energy. Jupiter and Venus hit the ground as it passed overhead and continued on to strike a distant building - one of the few skyscrapers still standing. Ravaged by the earlier storms and earthquakes, it had little resilience left. The blast tore through the bottom floors, creating a violent explosion that destroyed what was left. The whole building shuddered, broken glass raining down around it in an omen of what was to come.

Jupiter began falling back towards Moon. "Where the hell is Rinjirou?!"

Visibly annoyed, Venus shrugged. "Maybe he's not coming?"

"He'll be here!" Moon wasn't quite as confident as she'd have liked, despite speaking with him herself. I hope so, anyway. He said he wouldn't let his personal feelings doom the Earth, so...?

The mournful groan of stressed metal cried out around them as the devastated building began to fall. It teetered on the very edge of balance, like a tree cut at its base...then toppled. It seemed a slow, torturous fall, though the rational part of Moon's brain knew it was simply so large and distant as to appear that way. A shadow fell over the street, then glass, steel, and other debris began crashing down around them.

"Move!"

She watched Justice deflect a huge chunk of steel with his shield, the impact still enough to drive him to his knees. Before she could react, Tuxedo Kamen had pulled her into cover with Chibi Moon, sheltering beneath the nearest overhang. It wouldn't save them if the tower struck dead-on, she was sure of it, but...what else could they do? Slowly, inevitably, the tower continued its descent, trailing smoke and flame in its wake; a behemoth of glass and steel, with all the sheer, unstoppable force of thousands of tonnes behind it. She clutched Chibi Moon tight as it passed overhead and continued on, finally striking the side of the obsidian spire with a resounding crash. The impact shook the very ground beneath their feet as the top-most floors were sheered off. The remainder carried on, grinding along its ebony face until it slowed to a halt, seemingly wedged in-place.

Chibi Moon peeked out from under her arm, staring wide-eyed at the massive structure now hanging above them. "Whoa…"

Moon's heart pounded in her chest. It was certainly a surreal experience, staring up at something normally hundreds of meters in the air. "Uh-huh."

Mercury, sheltered with Venus and Jupiter under Justice's shield, coughed as the dust began to settle around them. "Well, that was lucky." Then, as she studied the point of impact, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Perhaps even luckier than I thought." She started typing furiously on her palmtop, surveying the spire through her visor. "If one or two of you could cover me...?"

"Cover you?" Venus blanched as a giant piece of concrete flew by, the Chaos Paladin rising in its place. "Oh, right. That thing's still going!" She hurled her Love Me Chain at it and caught its knees in a loop. With an almighty tug, she managed to stagger it and create an opening for her friends.

"World Shaking!"

"Dead Scream!"

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

"Death Reborn Revolution!"

The downed Paladin was smashed between Uranus and Pluto's powerful attacks, set alight, then dashed to pieces. It managed a weak, final growl before collapsing into a large pile of dust.

"Good work, everyone," said Moon, surveying the scene. All the Hunters were down, and most were still breathing. In fact, those killed had been crushed by debris, ultimately the work of the Paladin, not her friends. "I knew we could do this!"

Jupiter nodded, the beginnings of a smile on her lips. "I have to admit, it feels good to have done this right."

"Very good," Saturn agreed, propping herself up with her Glaive. "I'm glad we didn't have to kill anyone else."

The moment was interrupted by an insistent chirp from Mercury's computer. "Look," she called, pointing excitedly up at the spire. "At the point of impact!"

"What is that?" Squinting skywards, Moon followed her fingertip and saw it: there, barely visible against the spire's black exterior, was a darker shape. Almost... "An archway? An entrance?"

Uranus strode forward, hands on her hips. "Sure looks like one."

"That's it, then," Moon breathed. "Our way in."

"What?!" Mars' face grew pale. "You're not actually suggesting we climb up through that?" She gestured to the ruined skyscraper for emphasis, her expression one of abject disbelief.

"It's barely holding together!" Chibi Moon agreed, nodding emphatically.

Support came from Venus. "What other choice do we have? We tried Sailor Teleport back at the school. There's way too much negativity-"

Mercury coughed a second time. "Negative energy."

"-to get through," Venus finished, shooting her a dagger-like glare. "We're not climbing the spire itself, so the building it is."

Pluto offered a relatively serene nod. "Agreed. It's our only realistic option."

After the rest of her friends provided their agreement, however reluctant, Moon motioned towards the now-ruined base of the tower. "Well, then. Up we go."

They began to move, picking their way across motionless Hunters and debris alike as they retraced their steps down the street. Jupiter fell in beside her, a questioning look on her face. "So, we're not waiting for Rinjirou and his buddies?"

"I told him what we had planned." She didn't break stride this time. "He agreed to help us, yes, but we can't wait any longer."

"You think he changed his mind?" The brunette glanced furtively Mars' way. "Would he?"

"I don't know," she conceded. "It's not like he's my biggest fan at the moment...for good reason. None of them are."

A familiar smug voice answered from beside her. "Very true."

Moon let out a little shriek despite her best efforts as Rinjirou appeared out of thin air. Okay, so Minako's right. He really is a jerk!

"What do you think?" he asked, spreading his arms wide. "It took work, but I finally figured out how to replicate Shadow Walker with the power of Solguard. Seemed to work well enough on you lot, anyway." There was something off-putting about his smirk. It seemed more malicious somehow; any good will had well and truly dried up.

"Where were you?" Venus stomped over, jabbing an accusatory finger in his face. "We could have used your help a few minutes ago!"

Trying to calm her with a raised hand, Moon ignored his taunts. "Thank you for coming."

"Well..." He seemed almost uncomfortable with her civility. "I said we'd help you defeat Chaos, and we will." He turned his attention to the Senshi of Love. "It just took time to muster everyone, you...you stupid...Dumb-nako!"

Venus actually cringed for him. "Wow. Hope you didn't spend all night thinking that one up, Rinjerko."

He grumbled something noncommittal as a dozen or more Exalted Knights rounded the corner. Their classical plate armour clashed terribly with the modern rifles they held, but times had changed, and they were former Order of Black Paladins. Old habits could be hard to break; Moon knew that as well as anyone.

"Here we go," muttered Jupiter as Sailor Fury appeared behind them. Unlike the Senshi, several of whom were visibly on-guard, there were no signs of tension on her face. She even had a quick wave and smile for Venus, who returned it with a small amount of confusion.

"I guess she's not holding a grudge," said Justice wryly.

Shooing Venus away for a second time, Moon focused again on Rinjirou. "That's more than good enough for us, I assure you." She pointed out the fallen building - probably unnecessary, in hindsight. "We have a plan. Climb the tower and enter Chaos' spire via the roof. What's left of it, anyway."

He studied the towering crystalline structure a moment, cold blue eyes narrow. "That seems...convenient. Was there always an entrance at that specific point?"

"A very good question," Tuxedo Kamen noted, nodding approvingly.

"We're...not sure," she conceded, "But there are no other options. Unless you have a...?" She smacked herself across the forehead, frustrated by her lapse. "A helicopter! Of course, you do!"

Rinjirou let out a dismissive snort. "Chaos might want you alive, but it has no qualms about killing the rest of us. Piling into a flying metal box just makes for a single, juicy target."

Moon grimaced at the visual. "Right. Well, I suppose we should...?" An odd sound, like a faint tapping on glass, became apparent in the distance. "What is that?"

With an unnerving skitter like glass on concrete, a veritable horde of Constructs tore around the same corner. A pair of Chaos Paladins clomped along behind them, screeching in unison. The Exalted Knights opened fire immediately, unleashing a hail of gunfire into their ranks. Several of the mannequin-like creatures fell, peppered with bullets, but it was nothing against the greater mass as a whole. Sailor Fury dashed forward with a gleeful cackle, slashing several to pieces before she was swallowed up in the madness. To their credit, the Knights drew swords or other blades and followed her in, crashing into the horde as one golden mass.

Unable to attack the Constructs for fear of hitting their allies, the Senshi instead swarmed the Paladins. A concentrated barrage of attacks melted feathers and shredded thick, armoured hide alike, provoking another screech of pain. Despite their fearsome strength, the first was no match for their combined power, and Moon finally brought it down with a blast of Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss.

Amidst the confusion, Rinjirou pulled back to join her. "Start climbing! We'll provide cover and join you when we can!"

Tuxedo Kamen frowned quickly. "But your Knights-"

"Will do what they must." The unlikely Knight-Commander clapped him on the shoulder with the hint of a smile. "Now go! We'll meet you at the top!"

Sailor Moon managed a quick nod and began backing towards the burning remains of the tower's base. "Come on, everyone! We're going up!"

Some of the Constructs broke off from the horde to follow, moving faster than the Knights could react. In a blur of black and blonde, Sailor Fury emerged unscathed from the writhing mass of bodies and let out a high-pitched scream.

"Beautiful Rage Crescendo!"

The Constructs were tossed like a child's playthings, struck by a literal wall of sound and crushed against the nearest building. Moon cringed as it echoed around them, mostly impressed by the attack if not the volume itself.

Venus winced too. "Ouch. I forgot she could do that."

In the clear again, at least for the moment, Moon led them into the wreckage. With Mercury's quick directions, they located a stairwell still mostly intact. Uranus tore through the 'ceiling' with a weakened World Shaking, opening a path to the next floor, and the Senshi began their ascent of the fallen tower. The top awaited...along with Chaos, and their final confrontation.

AN: Back once again. I'm a little later with this chapter than I'd hoped, but 5 weeks isn't too far over my usual 1 month goal. Not too much to say about this one, just that I hope you're all still enjoying the ride as we build towards the finale. I'm guessing we're about 4 or 5 chapters out from the end, based on my outline, but...as always...things can change. Looking forward to your thoughts and feedback as always. I'm off to start plotting the next one!

Lisseas