Sailor Moon - Rise of the Exalted Knights

by Lisseas

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Preacher's Call

Posted: 18/11/2018

"This is weird," muttered Venus, skipping lightly from cubicle to cubicle as she neared the ceiling.

Sailor Moon was forced to agree, frustrated as she was by her seeming lack of effort. Grace was not one of her natural gifts; she had to work hard not to fall flat on her face, especially in a strange place like this. The Senshi were about halfway up the fallen tower now, and the angle it was slanted at had produced several confusing rooms like this: a maze-like arrangement of broken cubicles filled the far corner, creating the illusion of a level room…until your brain caught up with the situation.

To make matters worse, the building still shook periodically, provoking light panic each time. It didn't matter how mild; every quiver or shake threatened to send the building plummeting…with them still inside. Not her idea of a fun time, and it looked to be getting worse. Most of the 'floor' – really a wall – ahead was made up of broken windows, little left but the frames...and even they didn't look all that sturdy.

"We should move along the corner," Mercury said, dismissing her visor in a flash. "There's a main support that should hold our combined weight if we take it a few at a time."

Leading the way, Moon took her advice. She tiptoed up the wall – gravity was strange! – and through a small gap in the ceiling to the next floor. From there, the floor fell away, necessitating a quick hop to another pile of mangled cubicles. Her foot slipped as she landed, sending her boot through a discarded monitor in a flash of sparks.

It wasn't lost on Mars. "What are you doing up there?"

"Uh, nothing!"

The remaining Senshi followed her up, Jupiter nearly slipping on the same cubicle herself. "I'm gonna need a vacation after this."

"You and me both." Venus, of course, executed her own leap perfectly. "Cutie, you've got some cash set aside, right?"

The Guardian Knight blinked into existence at the very top – relative to the spire – of their floor, beside an opening that led to the next. "I have no job, no apartment, and I'm pretty sure I've lost another security deposit. Not only do I not have any cash set aside, I'm the very definition of broke!"

She waved him off as only she could. "Oh, not to worry. I'll just move back in with Mother. I'm sure she'll let you-"

"Nope! Not happening."

"Aw, I know she scares you a little, but-"

Pluto's displeasure was clear. "Perhaps you might continue this conversation after we've confronted the source of all evil in the universe?"

"Sorry, Venus." Justice helped Moon up to the next floor, his audible grin obscured behind his helm. "Pluto has spoken."

Tuning them out, the winged Senshi pushed back to her feet and surveyed her surroundings. "This looks like another office. Seems clear."

As the rest of her friends clambered up to join her, Uranus stomped over to a set of metal doors. "It looks like we can get into the elevator shaft from here. Might be faster than picking our way through all this."

"No, thank you!" Moon remembered their last adventure in an elevator shaft all too well; the Tokyo Skytree mission to rescue Mars.

"Seconded!" Jupiter said, quick to join her. "We, uh…we don't have a great track record in those things."

"Oh, I don't know." Venus flashed a saucy wink Justice's way. "I had a pretty good time…"

Somehow, Moon could almost see a blush forming on his helm. She coughed, masking an involuntary giggle. "What do you think, Mercury? How do the stairs look?"

"Mostly intact. The next few floors, anyway."

"Stairwells haven't been all that kind to us either," Venus reminded her, back to business.

"Maybe so," Tuxedo Kamen agreed, "But there's far less risk of a deadly fall."

"Agreed." Moon motioned them forward, towards the fire door. "Come on. We'll try the stairs."

It was dark inside, the walls intact as Mercury had suggested, lit only by faint, red emergency lamps. They began their climb, the angle making it a little more literal than usual. Justice blinked ahead, on the lookout for trouble. If nothing else, they'd worked well as a team so far. And that's something, she assured herself, given everything that's happened these past few weeks.

"Hold up."

Moon froze, hunkering down at his warning, Tuxedo Kamen by her side. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure."

A faint skittering sound echoed down out of the dark. The occasional chittering clatter accompanied it, oddly familiar despite her inability to place it.

Justiciar lit up moments later, almost blinding in the dark. "More Constructs! Spiders!"

Moon peered around the landing and saw them: familiar Construct torsos atop bulbous, obsidian abdomens, eight blade-like legs jutting out from the sides. They screeched in unison as they raced down, scuttling across wall, ceiling, and stair alike.

"Judicial Flames!" The Guardian Knight lit up the stairwell with a torrent of flame, enveloping two as they launched towards him.

More still raced past him, rushing Moon and her friends; a sword-tip leg descended towards her and stuck in the stairs. She thrust the Eternal Tiare at its underside and blasted it, taking out another as it reared back, blinded.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

"Burning Mandala!"

"Dead Scream!"

The rest of the Senshi dashed by her to meet the threat. A rainbow lit up the walls, each new colour a Construct defeated. By the time she found her footing, the danger had passed…but for the building itself. It shook around them with the groan of stressed metal, dust falling from above. She clutched the stairs tight, holding back an involuntary shriek through sheer force of will alone.

Mercury coughed as the dust began to settle. "We need to be careful. The tower's only growing less structurally sound the higher we get. One poorly placed attack and…well."

Nobody bothered to answer. It wasn't necessary; her meaning was clear enough. Moon carried on, a little more gingerly this time, hyper-alert for any new sights or sounds. Sure enough, she heard just a hint of sound from behind them; an odd pitter-patter. Confirming with a nod that Mars and Mercury had heard it as well, she dropped back a few steps and raised her Tiare towards the landing below.

"Starlight Honey…moon?"

A familiar pair of cats peeked around the corner, and Luna cleared her throat. "Oh. Hello."

Artemis let slip a nervous squeak. "Well, this is awkward."

"Luna? Artemis?" Moon's relief was short-lived. "What are you doing here?!"

"Yeah!" hissed Venus, making 'shoo' motions with her hands. "This is no place for you two! Get out of here!"

The black cat puffed up indignantly. "We'll do no such thing!"

"Right!" Artemis agreed irritably. "This is it, everyone; the final battle. We're not going to just sit idly by in safety, worrying ourselves to death while you risk your lives. We can't. Not again!"

Having heard the commotion, Justice stomped back down the stairs. "No! Get the hell out of here, the both of you! It isn't safe!"

"No!" The white cat glared back at him defiantly. "I know you lost Titus in a similar manner, Corey, but this is our risk to take. Just as it was his." He softened as the Guardian Knight sagged a little. "He loved you, as I love you."

"As we love you," Luna added, smacking him with a paw. "All of you. That's why we must come with you this time."

Venus relented. "Oh, Arty…come here, you idiot." She caught him as he jumped into her arms, giving him a tight, oxygen-denying hug. "I love you too."

Moon dropped into a crouch and embraced Luna. "Alright. I can't stop you from following us, but…if things get rough, I want you to run, or hide, or…" Her voice failed her a moment. "Just get away. For us. Please?"

The two cats shared a look of steely determination before nodding as one. "Done."

They resumed their climb, moving up the stairs in single file. Tuxedo Kamen followed behind her, his presence calming, even reassuring as always. She took a look around for her future daughter, a little ashamed at forgetting how distressed she'd seemed earlier.

"Chibi Moon, are you-"

"That's not actually my name anymore, you know."

Tuxedo Kamen turned, surprised. "No?"

"No." The pink-haired teen sounded almost distracted. "It's just Sailor Moon these days."

The elder Moon frowned. "But I'm Sailor Moon."

"And so am I." A little frustration began to show; an improvement over her earlier detachment. "I let it slide at first, because it seemed like the right thing to do given the circumstances, but…" She stood up tall and proud. "It's been a long time since my last visit. I'm older, and I've officially taken up the title of Sailor Moon!"

Pressing situation aside, this almost felt like one of their old, playful arguments, and that seemed like just the thing they needed for Sailor Moon. "Well, tough! I'm the only Sailor Moon in this time, missy! You'll have to make do with Chibi Moon for now!"

"Or," Luna suggested, with a pointed stare, "We could decide on a new name that keeps both of you happy?"

Chibi Moon flashed a smile. "Oh, I like that idea! I could be…Sailor Tranquillity!"

"I don't know, Chibiusa," Saturn said quietly. "It doesn't sound very…good."

Unperturbed, she continued on. "Sailor Purity! Sailor Celestial! Sailor…"

Venus peered back down the stairwell, wrinkling her nose. "I don't know, Chibi Moon. Those sound a little…tacky. Like something an otaku would come up with."

The younger teen considered a moment, then snapped her fingers triumphantly. "Sailor Luna?" The black cat responded with a single shake of her head. "Well, I can't just be the new Sailor Moon or something stupid like that!"

"Hey!" Moon declared, nudging her lightly. "That's not bad. Sailor New Moon."

Pluto actually cracked a smile. "It works on two fronts, Small Lady."

"Hmmm…" She scratched her chin a moment. "I mean, it's not terrible. Yeah, okay. Sailor New Moon. It'll do. For now, at least."

"Sailor New Moon it is," Tuxedo Kamen said, mussing her hair. "I'm very proud."

Pluto sighed wearily. "Excellent. Now, with that crisis averted, perhaps we might-"

An omnipresent chuckle echoed around the small space, cutting her off. "And yay, She did rise from the ashes of the Black, and a new flock rose with Her. These Faithful, true disciples born of Her love, did purge those who would not follow; who refused her gifts; who refused to be saved. They turned their backs on Her love, and they were cast out like the dogs they were. Finally, She looked upon it all and declared that it…was…good."

The newly christened Sailor New Moon froze. "But…he's dead. Right?"

"He damn well should be," Justice said, not pleased at all.

"Through Her, all things are possible. I fought for Her, I died for Her…a truly Black Death…yet, here I am; reborn through Her love, Her might, Her power...that I might continue Her great work. For while Tokyo lies in ruins, the purge must continue. All must be cleansed, washed away in blood so the new world may arise in its place. Stronger; greater than before!"

New Moon pressed into her side, any hint of antagonism long gone. "I'm feeling a lot like Sailor Chibi Moon again right now."

"He's just trying to mess with our heads," Mars said angrily. "Let's keep moving and get on with it!" She pushed her way through the group and continued up the stairs, the click of her heels a palpable reminder that she'd suffered through this as much as anyone.

Hurrying to catch up, they rose into unexpected moonlight. The final third of the stairwell had been torn away in the devastation, leaving a skeletal wreck of exposed beams and rebar; most of the cladding and outer structure had fallen to the street below. What remained did offer a path…but a risky one.

"Oh, I hate everything about this," Justice muttered, peering over the ledge.

Uranus rolled her eyes. "What are you complaining about? You can just blink up to the next floor!"

"That doesn't mean I hate heights any less, Stretch!"

Sailor Moon took a few deep breaths, doing her best to calm her racing heart, and stepped out onto the first girder. It twisted upwards like a gnarled tree branch, ending abruptly in a jagged point; that alone was testament to the destructive force that had brought the building down. She moved warily along its length, looking for the best path upwards…and caught a flash of movement in the shadows.

A muted, explosion-like blast triggered her instincts, and she darted back as the beam was peppered with dozens of sharp, metallic shards. Another Construct stepped onto a ledge above, its right arm a flared, cannon-like barrel.

"Huh. Haven't seen these guys in a while!" Venus raised her right arm, index finger extended. "Try a Crescent Beam on for size!" Golden light lanced out and punched through its head, leaving it to drop silently to the distant ground.

"Not since the Revenant Knight was still around!" Jupiter agreed, pointing out another pair. "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" The first was caught in the blast, stuck with dozens of leafy green blades even as the second returned fire. She pulled back, hissing in pain as a few shards pierced her skin.

"Scatter!" Sailor Moon leapt from girder to girder as yet more of these Cannon-Constructs appeared, their blasts ricocheting all around.

"Just be careful!" Mercury called, pulling back into the stairwell for cover. "We can't risk using more powerful attacks here without bringing the building down around us!"

"Mind telling them that?!" Uranus snapped, snuffing the World Shaking building in her palm. With a frustrated snarl, she leapt straight up and snagged the nearest Construct. Feet planted against it, she fell backwards and tossed it off the building, catching a nearby rebar rod to save herself. Dodging the next to come at her, she grabbed its cannon arm and swung it head-first into another support beam.

Back at the stairwell, Justice simply flung his sword skyward. No sooner had it skewered one enemy did he summon it back to his hand and lop another's head clean off. Now with some space, he went about shielding the nearby Senshi, intercepting clouds of shards as they were fired. Mars and Venus caught on quickly, teaming up behind him to take turns firing Flame Sniper and Crescent Beam from relative safety. Their more precise attacks began taking out the distant Constructs, leaving the closer ones vulnerable.

Not content to simply watch, Moon leapt out into open air and grabbed some exposed rebar like the gymnast bars she'd used in high school. She swung up and around, launching herself at one of the nearest creatures - boot first. "Sailor Moon KICK!" The impact snapped its head back, very nearly taking it off completely; she completed her flip to land evenly on the girder it had occupied, pleased with her efforts.

"Usako!"

Reacting to Tuxedo Kamen's warning, her eyes darted up to see another levelling its cannon-arm at her. A rose tore through it a second later, pinning the weapon under its chin as it fired. With a muted 'boom', the Constructs blew its own head apart and collapsed in a cloud of dust.

"Thanks!" She started back down, cross with herself for such a lapse…and shrieked as another blast rocked the tower. A gout of smoke and flame poured from its side several floors down, a monstrous Chaos Paladin tumbling backwards from a new hole. An Exalted Knight peered out after it, watching it fall as he raised a long metal tube over his shoulder.

"Is that a rocket launcher?!" Mars screamed. "Did those idiots seriously just do that?!"

"I can't really argue with their results," Venus said with a shrug. "They blew that thing clean through the wall!"

The miko wasn't swayed. "Seriously?! In what world was that a good idea?"

"In their defence," Tuxedo Kamen said calmly, "They don't have as many options as we do, and-" He trailed off as she turned an angry glare on him. "…and that's really no excuse. I, uh…I'll talk to them!"

Venus continued to stare down at the street. "I hope they're okay."

Below, Moon saw a mass of swirling black shapes; Constructs. Rushing to meet them was a familiar blonde in black armour and several more Exalted Knights; Sailor Fury and her newfound allies. They looked to be doing their best to defend the building and bar the creatures' entry. "They've got Fury with them. If anyone can deal with those Constructs, it's her."

"Yes," said Artemis, popping onto his charge's shoulders. "Enthusiasm counts for a lot; something she doesn't lack in the slightest."

"Yeah." The Senshi of Love didn't sound completely convinced, but she nodded all the same. "Come on, Sailor Moon. They're buying us time, and we shouldn't waste it."

There were more tell-tale groans from above; metal stressing and bending to the point of failure. An overhead girder gave way, snapping free of its companions and tumbling by, narrowly avoiding the Senshi beneath it. Saturn raised her shield and deflected it, sending it spinning out over open air.

"We need to move!" Sailor New Moon cried, beginning a frantic game of hopscotch between beams.

"Tell me something I don't know!" The elder Moon followed, leading the rest of her friends towards the top. The spire was as smooth as it looked up close; like a perfectly cut gem, impossibly dark. She spotted what looked like the remains of a ceiling – or floor – and clambered up around it. It was still intact for the most part, without much debris or other clutter. Vacant, perhaps? Awaiting a tenant?

They raced up the last few flights of lopsided stairs, encountering no surprises, and emerged into an open, jagged mess of twisted steel and shattered concrete. The spire itself awaited, the falling tower having left not so much as a scratch in its surface. Above, an arch-like opening beckoned, even closer than it had appeared from below.

Or it's moved, Moon thought darkly, remembering Rinjirou's suspicions. Chaos is waiting. It wants us to get in.

"We doing this?" Jupiter asked, her voice full of nervous energy.

"What choice do we have?" Pluto countered, raising the Garnet Rod. "We must stop Chaos."

"Yes," Saturn echoed quietly. "It must be stopped, or Earth will fall into eternal silence."

New Moon glared at her. "Do you really have to get all creepy now, 'Taru?"

Unable to quite still the butterflies in her stomach – or the doubts creeping into the back of her mind – Sailor Moon took a wordless step forward and leapt through the arch, into the spire. It was almost perfect; her boots clicked against the gem-like surface a millisecond apart, a slight stumble. The spire was dark within, as if the walls themselves were swallowing the light, and yet…she could see. Silence was their only greeting, and not just in the usual sense; this was a complete absence of sound.

"Not the most welcoming of places," Tuxedo Kamen muttered, likely picking up on her mood.

Uranus snorted mildly. "What were you expecting? Appetisers and some smooth jazz?"

"That'd be nice," Justice said, his tone anything but jovial.

Sailor New Moon remained silent, but she stepped forward slowly with clear trepidation, wide-eyed and unsettled. The other Senshi followed along, the air thick with nervous tension.

"Sailor New Moon?" the elder Moon called. "Are you alright?"

"This is the Crystal Palace." She gripped the Spiral Moon Heart Rod tightly in both hands. "It isn't just some replica. It's exactly the same…except for the colour. We're not that far from the throne room."

The 'room' they were in led to a larger chamber, immaculately carved crystalline pillars framing the walls and leading towards an opulent staircase. Sailor Moon entered hesitantly, her heart pounding in her chest as she spotted something lying on the floor ahead; a cracked and bloodied Hunter mask.

"That can't be good," Luna murmured, creeping forward alongside her.

"No." The winged Senshi steeled herself and took another step. "You two find shelter. Now."

As if in answer to an unasked question, the mask began to glow; a subtle violet light. The cats bolted as an unnatural wind picked up, hightailing it back towards the opening.

"Witness Her might. Her strength. Her power." As the Black Death spoke, the mask drifted slowly up, into the air. It crackled with power, arcs of purple and indigo crossing its surface. "Behold now a promise kept. A sacrifice made…and rewarded."

Swirls of energy now crossed the room itself, coalescing from the pillars and the walls around them. A ghostly visage took shape; a flutter of robes, skeletal arms sweeping back, then shrouded as Chaos' herald appeared once more.

He took a step, his boot-heel clicking against the floor. Solid. "Her love sustains me. Empowers me. It is all I am, all I need. I am one with my Mistress now…and it…is…good."

Justice drew his sword, the blade gleaming with Selene's divine power. "I ended you once, monster, and I'll end you again."

A bored chuckle was his reply. "You will try, but as with all things it is futile. You see before you Her love in its purest form. Where once I was broken, She made me whole in Her image. My devotion knows no bounds, for She has granted me this gift that I might end the legacy of the Wicked Senshi once and for all."

Sailor Moon readied herself, the Eternal Tiare bursting with the Silver Crystal's power. "Stand aside. We've come for your master, er…Mistress?"

More violet energy surged around him, seemingly from within; he gripped it in his hands, forging an impossible blade of raw power. "This world cries out in pain, Sailor Moon. Can't you hear it?" A cold chuckle followed. "Fear not. You shall all experience its pain in time."

"Enough with the sermons already!" Uranus growled, her hands balled up in fists. "Move, or we will move you ourselves!"

"You will try." He raised a hand, talon-like fingers beckoning her forward. "Come, Senshi. Taste of my Lady Chaos' power…and die!"

He flew forward, a blur of motion swinging at the Sky Senshi. Dark energy unfurled around him, his 'blade' slashing through the air in wild and frantic arcs. It roiled and twisted, ever-changing; small tendrils lashed out ahead to snap at her, almost snake-like in appearance and impossible to read.

"Crowd him!" Venus cried, flinging her hand forward. "Venus Love Me Chain!"

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!" The brunette fired a barrage of leafy shards into the chain, combining their powers in a typically lethal attack.

"Pitiful!" The Black Death swung his spectral blade, cutting through the golden links mid-air, ending Venus' attack before it really began. He followed with a second sweep that blasted purple lightning across her form. She crashed to the floor, writhing in pain, with another sweep taking out Jupiter too.

"Let's see how you like this!" Uranus swept her own sword down in a furious slash, sending a pair of red crescent blasts at him. "Space Sword Blaster!"

He brought his 'blade' up and deflected them with ease. "My turn." An orb of violet energy erupted from his outstretched hand and struck her, wreathing her in lightning that set her skirt alight and left her limp. Yet another swing took down Mars and Saturn as they tried to flank him; this fight felt completely different from the last.

After witnessing her friends' pain, Sailor Moon didn't hesitate. "Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss!" Her most powerful attack at point blank range; this wouldn't be pretty. But, as the golden blast reached him, the very air itself turned dark and cold to absorb its power in a moment.

A familiar feminine voice whispered in her ear, "Oh, no, Princess. It won't be that easy."

"Chaos!" she cried frantically. "It's protecting him from me!"

"My Lady's love knows no limits!" The Black Death slashed at New Moon, seemingly revelling in her cries. "You cannot harm me, Sailor Moon, for She does not wish it. Now, watch as your friends meet their end!"

His mask began to glow again, the energy spreading out to consume his body. Raven feathers began to sprout, his robes tearing away as he doubled in size. The bloody mask that defined him broke apart, its nose falling away to reveal an ebony beak below. A Chaos Paladin in appearance, and yet...not. This was no hybrid, no forced change, but an actual willing supplicant; more beast than man, perhaps, but not the empty vessel the Black Paladins had become.

His beak snapped open, loosing a hideous screech. Crimson eyes blazed behind the remains of his mask. "Her will be done, your time…has…come."

Justice got between them, his shield appearing to deflect the attack. "Not yet, it hasn't!" He thrust a hand out, sending a gout of flame into the once-preacher's face, and the beast withdrew...but not in a way that screamed hurt. More...inconvenienced.

That was when the spire began to shake, a deep rumble reverberating throughout their crystal surroundings. Mercury struggled to her feet, a wicked burn linking her ribs to her thigh. "That storm is getting worse again! If Chaos keeps this up, there won't be much left of Tokyo to save!"

"Go!" The Guardian Knight blinked ahead, striking the Black Death repeatedly. Justiciar flared white with every hit, but failed to penetrate the darkness around him.

Like the Revenant Knight and his minions, Moon recalled. An aura of darkness, but…the Silver Crystal got through those. I'm still not strong enough to face Chaos, am I?

Venus leapt to his side. "Love and Beauty Shock!" Her attack was absorbed, or perhaps cancelled out altogether; she couldn't tell. "You can't take him alone, Corey! I won't let you!"

"We've talked about this!" he snapped, spinning about to unleash a Crescent Blade Slash. The aptly-named golden blast dug into the Black Death's aura but was ultimately ineffective. "You go with Sailor Moon! Do your duty, and I'll do mine!"

She reared back like she'd been struck, her expression conflicted before slackening into neutral - her dutiful side taking over. "Right." She backed up, re-joining Moon to wave the others forward. "Don't you dare die, you hear me?!"

"Wasn't planning on it!" Another burst of flame pushed the Black Death back, granting them precious seconds.

"There's no way you can hold this guy yourself!" Mars fired a Flame Sniper into the mix but found it blocked with ease. "And we're gonna need your help against Chaos!"

"I'm right where I need to be!" The Guardian Knight took another hit on his shield and was driven to one knee. It flared brighter than normal, becoming almost solid before he pushed the monster off. "Now, go on! Get to Chaos and end this!"

As the Black Death closed in again, a ball of flame seared past his face; Rinjirou stepped through the opening, with a fireball floating above his palm and Solguard clutched in the other.

"You heard the man!" he called, as several Exalted Knights fanned out around him. "You go ahead! We'll silence this preacher once and for all!"

"Ah!" The great bipedal raven-thing reared back, eyes blazing red behind his cracked and bloodied mask. "The pariah returns! Come, Payne! Give yourself over to Her love and be absolved!"

"Absolve this!" The Knight-Commander slashed down with Solguard, sending a curved blast of flame right at his face. The Knights opened fire in unison, a deafening barrage of gunfire and magic alike. The hulking 'Hunter' let loose another screech and stomped forward, swinging his blade wildly. Four Knights went flying, dark energy scattering in arcs across their armour, yet they got right back up and fired again.

Rinjirou turned back to Moon. "I'm not an idiot. You've got the best chance to stop Chaos! Now, go on! Get out of here! We'll join you when we can!"

With an uncertain nod, she backed towards the grand staircase. "Come on, everyone!" They rushed up the steps two at a time, the sounds of battle fading behind them. She only hoped that she'd made the right call as they raced towards Chaos...and their date with destiny.

AN: Hey, look at that! Ten day turnaround! Super stoked with my progress this time out. It helps that we're on the home stretch and I've had these chapters summarised for what feels like YEARS! Hope you enjoyed this outing. I was aiming for a good mix of action and comedy - the classic Last Guardian Knight formula. As always, I look forward to your thoughts and feedback, and will endeavour to keep up the pace on route to the final chapter. Thanks for reading!

Lisseas