Chapter Five – To Love or Hate
The theater was now bleeding smoke from the cracks in the barricade, creating vaporous ghouls that disappeared into the night like being released from their ancient tomb. The sounds from inside the theater were deep, throaty roars that signaled that something intense was happening, though it was only six that were keen to it.
While they were concerned, Luna and Artemis had forced themselves to become accustomed to these times of extreme concern, instead focusing their efforts on analyzing the three mysterious figures that had led them to the threat. In Luna's estimation, Suteki seemed to run on hormones alone, but there was something more in the way he had been offering concern about the Sailor senshi entering, which is to say beyond his simple desire to be around them in their uniforms. She saw a strange honesty in him, something that forced her to believe that he was a good person. "I hate to be the squeaky wheel, boss, but why aren't we doing anything?" he asked, picking some worn paint from the frame of a nearby telephone booth.
This puzzled the small cat and she shot her white companion a short glance, yet Yamito's response only furthered their confusion. "We're just normal humans, Hitoshi. This isn't our world. We must leave the battles up to the senshi of this planet," he candidly replied, alluding to something secret about them. From his place in the dark, Yamito was content. Leaning against the theater gave him a cold, uncaring look, especially since people were battling inside, but he somehow fit the part as well, melding with the shadows, merging with them until he just flowed into the stretching blackness of the night.
Luna's assessment of him was vague. He was obviously the leader, but she knew he hadn't always been. There was just something sad about him that said he was put in this position and that he really didn't care much for the promotion. As deeply as Suteki wanted to help, Yamito resisted it. There was something about him that made her shiver. Inside this guy was a great and terrible power, but also a great and terrible grief. In the night, outside a palace of fire, she felt herself pitying him.
"I too question this. Surely it is our duty alone to confront these villains. Beyond that, Kage-sempai would be most infuriated if he knew Senso was here and we didn't tell him," Kurai added in a very grave tone.
"I gotta to agree, boss. We should be idoling it up in there. And I don't think even you can afford to piss K-chan off anymore. I think he's pretty much on the porch as it is," Suteki quipped with a waggling gesture at his sanity level.
It was Suteki's antics that relieved some of the tension and Luna found herself amused by him. He joked, he grinned and he looked in places where a boy was not to suppose to, especially with the degree of ease that he did, but still seemed nice. Out of all of the strangers, he was the most open, the most eager to bear his soul for them. Sometimes he even reminded her of Usagi so much that he could have been her brother, in looks and behavior. That alone made Luna smile lightly.
But Yamito was ignoring him; he said nothing, much to dismay of the other. "Sempai, please," Kurai requested once more with his meek, stirring voice. Sitting on the bench again, he was leaning forward with his glasses in hand, looking up to Yamito with a serious expression, as if his naturally gentle nature wouldn't allow this to continue even if it was directly against his character. Kurai was always very reserved unless there was something he truly believed in. "If not for Kage-sempai, at least because they are our shades alone," he continued, hoping to strike a chord within his dark leader.
Luna felt something when she watched him, like she was watching a boy that she had known all of her life. Kurai was the lightest one of them. He was calm, intelligent and always a step ahead of the others, though seemed to be suffering the same lack of confidence that plagued someone she knew very well. Although he was quiet most of the time and seemed to concede much to Yamito, Luna saw a staggering intelligence in him, even if it was suppressed.
Yamito was overwhelmed, but he did not give in. Above all else, this would only lead to their final conclusion – one that allowed him and his friends to finally move on past the horrors of their memories. He didn't want to see Tokyo burning again. He didn't want to see anymore of his friends dying. He didn't want to look into the place inside himself where darkness was like a tar that would pull him in if he got too close. There were so many things to be afraid of and so few explanations, so much that he allowed a great terror to consume him, to stutter him and make him stand by while others faced danger in his stead. He didn't know if these Sailor senshi could defeat the power of Anubis and a part of him was revolted by the fact he was using them as fodder, but something inside let him stand in those shadows, outwardly showing no ambivalence to the decisions he had made. For too long had he lived with the grief of the things he had done because of the powers he possessed and he no longer wanted to be known as the mysteriously gifted Scion who somehow out-powered even their own prince. It was a life he wanted to leave behind.
Desperately.
The conversation came to an end as footsteps invaded their group and caused each one to look down the sidewalk, beckoned by the frantic gallop of some maddened soul. A tall, determined figure was sprinting out of the night and towards them, his identity obvious in an instant to the three figures waiting in the dark.
Yamito's eyes fell shut as Kage came to a skidding halt in between them, his eyes alight with energy and his fists held tightly at his sides. Luna and Artemis stared at this figure, for they did not know him, but they did notice the others did merely by the way they looked at him, each with wide eyes and a reluctance to say anything at first. Kage was heaving, looking to the building with all of the rationale of a wild beast, his soiled hair still wildly waving from the run and the breeze.
For a moment, he didn't even acknowledge the others, but rather stared at the fuming building, as if trying to confirm his feelings. Then, at once, it hit him. "So it's true! He's in there, isn't he!" he bellowed and looked to Yamito with barely any sense at all. A very tense moment filled the air and the two cats sitting nearby were inclined to rise, if only because of the friction showing between the two.
When Yamito didn't answer, Kage quaked with anger and stomped towards the entrance, his fists still clenched at his sides. Nothing would keep him from going in after the splinter in his mind and his very essence quivered at the thought of seeing that person again. However, Yamito quickly stepped out from the shadows and dropped his arms down, looking at the storming figure with his dark, but somewhat guilty eyes. His own voice startled him as he spoke, "Stop, Kage! The protectors of this world are going to stop them. We are no longer…" His voice trailed away as Kage stopped and shot him the most horrendous glare, as if his glowing peat-green eyes would lunge from his head and attack just by their intensity.
Kage quivered once more where he stood, then stomped over to Yamito and gripped him by the shirt, wrenching him violently to the shock of all. Shoving the dark leader against the boarded entrance and causing planks of wood break away and spill to the ground, Kage could barely hold in the fury that he was cradling and not even the ominous dark eyes of Yamito could detract from his own electric malice. "I'm gonna walk in there, tear open that bastard's skull and piss on his brains! No one kills that piece of shit but me. If you want to stop me, then give it a fucking try!" he roared, jerking about Yamito until he could see the pain in his eyes, but it only seemed to fuel him further. Kage was at his end and not even Yamito had the leverage to keep those green eyes from burning. Even as inherently dangerous it was to grip Yamito in such a way, as the horrified looks from Kurai and Suteki testified to, Kage was swelling with every breath and waiting for Yamito to finally make good on all of his threats and orders. A part of him wanted that.
However, in the end, Yamito looked away slowly and relaxed in the grip of his furious companion.
Kage lingered only a moment, wallowing in his victory, then let flicked his wrist and thrust the silent figure into the side of the building once more, watching him spill a few more boards but still keep his eyes averted and silent. With a snort, Kage turned back to the entrance and tore it apart, shoving anything aside and stomping gleefully into the darkness inside. His ascent into the theater was only marked by the gaping mouths of all spectators, who looked first to the disappearing figure and then to Yamito as he held his opposite arm at the elbow.
Luna and Artemis were aghast at the level of dissension within these strangers and could not hide their suspicions about them, but their expressions were almost mirrored by the other two, which made this entire moment seem surreal. There was obviously more to these strangers than what they had been telling and the two cats looked to each other once more.
Kurai and Suteki were beside themselves as they stared at Yamito, almost unable to believe that someone had actually handled him in such a way and didn't fall prey to Yamito's very submerged but very lethal temper – and power. "Boss?" ventured Suteki and took a step forward, but he soon stopped. Then he looked to Kurai. They both were torn between staying and going, but also need and want. They both felt what Yamito felt; an undying want to live normal lives and be just another number in the statistical glory of the world. However, they also knew that Kage was doing the right thing, though not necessarily for the right reason. There was no greater division in life.
However, in the end both Suteki and Kurai left Yamito to himself, going into the theater after Kage and leaving the shaded figure alone with himself, looked upon wearily by the two guardian cats who were endlessly trying to understand who Kurobashi Yamito really was.
This battle had unfolded strangely for the senshi, being nothing that they had expected before hand. Since Kiga had announced their different battle plan, the four Priests had done nothing but watch, eluding any attack directly but never responding, never lashing back. As the senshi attacked, they evaded the damage with great skill and managed to let the attacks damage the theater more than themselves, which was coupled by the spreading fire and turning the place into a super-heated oven of ash and smoke. The old building was coming apart at the seams and by now charred wood and glowing metal dashed into the battles objectively, falling around them like infuriated cherry blossoms on a spring wind. Only after each of the senshi had tried an attack on them, minus Sailor Moon, did Kiga held up a hand to momentarily cease the flow.
"That's enough. You senshi are strong and it's obvious mere strength cannot defeat you," he said, his voice still pulling at the edges of the senshi's recognition. The team was scattered slightly but showing the divisions that pleased the darkly cloaked Priest. An uneasy moment passed as the senshi waited, unknowingly, that this battle was about to take a step in a different direction. While the sweltering room was becoming a danger in itself, they all knew that the real attack was about to begin.
Senso was the first to move, which grabbed the attention of the two closest senshi. Super Sailor Jupiter and Venus both stood ready for the next round as the Priest presented himself benignly before them, his figure looming just beyond their attacking range. Red energy pooled under his hood in the distinct shape of his eyes, then burst in a violent flash of light, mocking the furious glow of the fire and jarring the attention of the others towards them. The two senshi were blinded a moment and stumbled, obviously affected by the flash. In her stupor, Sailor Venus took a bad step to her side and bumped into Jupiter, who quickly stood erect and glared, her face showing a shocking level of anger. "Watch where you're going, clutz!" Jupiter yelled, her attention all but directed from the Priest to her ally.
This surprising event made the other senshi gape in shock as Sailor Venus became very defensive and irate, facing her dear friend as well but with eyes that were teeming with anger. "Me? You're the one who ran into me, you tomboy!" she hollered back. Instead of battling it out with the villain before them, they suddenly turned their fighting prowess on each other, ready to use their incredible powers against one another. It seemed it would only be a matter of moments before it turned to this and the others were almost too shocked to speak. Years of friendship and love seemed to fade into the sweltering air of the theater and there was no deception in the words or tones of belligerence.
"Jupiter! Venus! What are you doing? Stop fighting!" Sailor Moon yelled in horror. However, the two began to circle slowly and the scene played out within her wide eyes. The two were the closest friends and had never gotten so angry with each other but they were soon at each other's throats. She had never seen them act that way before, so angry and quick-tempered. All she knew of them was the joys they shared and pain soothed in each other, for the connection between the girls was strong, so much that she couldn't believe that they were acting that way naturally. Then it only took her a moment before she realized what the cause of it was.
Knowing her friends were in danger, she took a jarring step towards the cloaked figure. With a passionate plea, she called to Senso, "Stop it! Whatever you're doing to them, stop it!" Senso paid no attention. In fact, the hero's valiant cries became nothing more than a distraction for the next move – for the next villain to drive forward.
While their attention for proximity was threadbare and unwinding slow, another senshi fell victim to an attack. Sailor Mars's eyes widened at the cold touch on her neck and this violation of her body, but the movements had been so quick and subtle that she didn't even realize what had happened until it was too late. Her body instantly froze with the foreign sensation along her skin and it only seemed to morph into something worse. Her knees began to shake and her pupils dilated slightly. Byoki's hand seemed to steal her very will as his finger's trailed across the curve of her neck. "Do you feel well, Ms. Mars? Do you feel a burning under your skin?" he asked, moving slow and deliberately, swooning her focus with his call. The very words echoed in her ears and inside she felt like her blood was on fire. Her stomach began to churn, spurning her efforts to resist and every part of her started to ache. Still under Byoki's touch, she fell to her knees and covered her mouth, staring weakly at the ground as it spun before her eyes. No matter how hard she tried, nothing could crystallize in her mind beyond the feeling of intense sickness. The very heat of the room couldn't cause such a sweat and she writhed in agony at the most covert form of torture – disease.
Synchronous to the others being attacked, Sailor Mercury became the target of Shibo, who appeared in a flurry of black fabric right in front of her. The sight of seeing one's enemy so close was enough to startle anyone but she was quick to hop backwards in reaction, her heart still leaping in her throat. Unfortunately, her evasion did little to improve her situation and Shibo moved in a manner that almost denoted his intense enjoyment at seeing her fear. As she stepped back, her balance still a tad off balance from the motion, Shibo opened his palm in front of her and light consumed her every sense with blinding articulation and speed.
When her eyes cleared, she saw utter terror incarnated in simple sights beyond her eyes. Tokyo was lying in waste and it burned, with the bare bones of wailing buildings looming in every direction and the smell of death thick in the air. Everything was as real to her as the theater was only moments before, even the heat from the flames spread around her in careless droves. And there were bodies. They were the bodies of her fallen friends; the tattered, ruined forms of the senshi strewn about like tasteless decoration of the grisly scene. All of them sprawled out over the scorched earth and reached upwards; all reaching towards her for help and salvation. Those empty eyes and tattered bodies left a deep scar in her and she stumbled backwards, her eyes wide and her knuckles white.
"No, it can't be," she said breathlessly. Her knees betrayed her and she fell, drowning in this vision. She knelt there before Shibo, her eyes cast at his feet and dull of thought, for she had never seen anything quite so horrible.
Nothing else registered and she did not even hear the words of Sailor Moon calling to her from beyond the lie. "Mercury! What's wrong with you? Can't you hear me?" she screamed but the girl was entranced and broken in the ground before the Priest. As much as she wanted to run over and help, Kiga's pleasant chuckle kept her feet from moving, throwing her attention back on him and pulsing out through angry breaths.
How he enjoyed the look on her face immensely. It made him warm and powerful inside. "You see? Beaten without even trying. Give up now, Sailor Moon. I may just spare you from watching your friends kill each other or suffer in sickness or even kill themselves!" The prospects thrilled him so much that he roared in laughter, much to her dismay. She didn't know how to stop this and her friends were suffering. She was only one and they were many. There had to be something she could do!
Luckily, she didn't have to. An electric air pierced the room and hammered a queer motion to the flames. Every one of the Priests felt this change almost instantly, but none felt it as intensely as Senso, who instantly tweaked at the presence. Momentarily stricken by the hue, his grip on the two senshi loosened and granted them a slight reprieve from their antagonizing trance. He turned slowly and found a single figure standing near the burning entrance to the main hall, the flames curling away from him as an illusion to all eyes. Though the heat was blurring the entire room, he didn't have to see the face to know who it was.
With a drawn out, throaty growl, Kage expelled the name which had been tormenting him for what seemed like a lifetime, articulated over bared teeth and pressed out from a tightened torso, "Senso!" Now his eyes were almost burning as brightly as the flames, for their prey had fallen into them and could not escape again. His muscles tensed up at the sheer pleasure of seeing his nemesis and there was a glow surrounding his right hand. With nothing else to be said, he broke forward into a manic sprint, the glow on his hand growing to the rest of his body. As he charged, the glow transformed him back to his Scion form, with a billowing cape refreshed from his hiatus and a net of electricity coiled around him like serpents waiting to strike.
When he hit Senso, the entire theater shook. In a brilliant form of martial arts, this Scion of Jupiter quickly severed any attachment of Senso to the senshi, forcing the Priest to concentrate all of his energy into defending the attack and pedaling backwards in a fit to avoid utter destruction. Kage was simply beside himself in rapture.
As the two moved away, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus were released from their exchange. A little dizzy at first, they soon found a new figure tangling with Senso in a fury of slashing garments and kicks, the sight like a uniform reflection across an unbroken pond. They had no idea what was going on, but they were awed at the style and technique both of the figures employed. Not even Makoto had seen such a beautiful technique of kicking and short range punches, even in her following of the martial arts and the fight between the two was nearly enough to relegate them to spectators. As malicious as the attacks were, it was hard not to stare at the languid motion and artistic danger.
Not moments after, Shibo was being shot like a sled through the slope of tattered seats and Sailor Mercury was stood released, her breath gaping and her hands still shaking. When she came to her senses, she turned her head to find a person she had never seen before standing proudly in position to appeal to her eyes. Her voice had not yet returned, but she gasped as the Scion of Venus held his arm across his chest as an orange glow faded from it. Suteki was obviously having a good time and he hollered in wild fashion, perfectly pleased that he had punted his foe, "Come on! I'm beginning to wonder just who's your daddy, Xerox! Hurting a cute girl like this? I'm shocked and saddened by your actions." Sailor Mercury wasn't quite over the effects of the mental attack, but she was coherent enough to raise a brow at the candor of the new warrior. For some reason, she slightly recognized the fighter as one of the strangers which had warned them all of these Priests, but it was a groggy thought at the very back of her mind that mentioned it. Her suspicions about them had found solid ground, but the battles wouldn't let her dwell on it. Quickly, her guard went back up.
Byoki wasn't stupid. If he saw two Scion, it meant the rest were there. Sailor Mars felt the fingers leave her neck and she struggled to shake away the feeling that was molesting her. The Priest backed away and was diligent in his search all around the roaring inferno and soon enough he came across the Scion of Mercury waiting for him, as if the two were destined to battle it out. They were facing one another, two beings of shrouded intent, and their bodies were tense at the presence of the other. However, they both just looked at one another. The Scion was holding something in his hand and they both knew what it was. The stalemate testified to that.
"Why don't you use it? Is it because of what will happen when you do?" said Byoki, his voice quiet.
Kurai kept his eyes intently on him and twisted the object in his hand slightly. The realization that his fate was staring him in the face was not lost on him and it showed in every moment that he failed to act, forcing this moment of time in the midst of the battle to linger on in an unnatural way. "I am in no hurry to die. However, should you force me, I will indeed end it," Kurai warned, his hand tightening around the object. The idea was distasteful to both. They stood at odds while the floundering Sailor Mars was getting her senses back. Looking up at Kurai, a wave of concern came over her as the stolid reflection of his face burned with the flames in her eyes. Her suspicions about the new strangers, particularly the one named Yamito, were verified at the gentle face of Kurai marred by flames and power. These strangers were obviously far more than they had claimed to be.
By this time, Sailor Moon was beside herself. The three figures who had come into the fight were none other than the young men she had run into earlier and who had also come to warn them about the Priests, though how she was able to know this was something that was lost in the moment of time. Now it seemed they also had powers of their own and even held a semblance to her friends and their powers. It was confusing. "What's going on?" she asked, looking around at the new foray of action. Her words fell away as she felt the quiver run down her spine. Kiga had appeared behind her and his hand was shooting coldly up to her throat with the intent to end the largest threat he saw. His movements had been so sublime that she had hardly been able to react, her eyes held open even as the searing air stung them.
However, suddenly his resolve flattened and his hand stayed. It was not the physical which stopped him from completing his assassination, but the spiritual. Just as he felt it, Sailor Moon felt it as well, hitting them both like a new wave of heat even among the air that now cut through them like a thousand warped blades moving about the inferno. She stared past all of the others to the demolished entrance now cradled in flame, her eyes even more taken by the heat. Kiga slumped behind her, his hand falling away from its goal and his eyes lost in a sea of dread, as if hell itself had ascended from the ground and replaced the warm facsimile they now resided in.
A last figure strolled through the entrance.
The flames swayed with his figure, acting like a wreath of respect for him and moving as if they were all in ritual, cast down before the figure as holy men do to gods. Though he walked right through it all, the flames did not burn him. Hands in pockets, head slightly lowered, Yamito passed under the sweltering balcony as if such things were like masses of swaying leaves in a forest soothing to him and not holding the slightest bit of malicious intent. The flames continued their mass and rippled like a congregation divinely enriched by the mere presence of a deity. As soon as he came to a stop within the theater, the balcony fell behind him into a colossal mountain of flame, heaped like a great pillar of fire that finally severed any access to the outside world. He stopped the entire battle simply by walking in.
It took a moment and an intense push on her brain, but Sailor Moon realized that all four of them were somehow connected to the guardian planets which connection them in this world and thus began her journey to connect this strange sensation she felt in their presence with the familiarity of their powers. It was the piece which had eluded her since she had seen them, but now came forward. Temperaments and powers connected and she understood all of them; except for Yamito. She couldn't understand Yamito. She watched Yamito with flames dancing in her eyes and chest, making the external fire seem like nothing but a match. He was the exception. His power was different. Although the flames obeyed and he embodied the very heart of Mars, there was far too much depth to his power to play the guardian. His eyes were not that kind.
Was he of the moon? Was he the same as her?
For a moment, she considered with a heart quickening, hoping to see the ties between them. Whatever drove this young man, Yamito, was a power beyond anything she could imagine and his very presence was like a saturation of energy that drained her, made her feel weak. However, she felt no resonance in him. His power was not hers. "No," she thought breathlessly. The flames bowed to his presence and obeyed his will. The image of a great fiery beast superimposed itself over him and she knew, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that his power was of that place – that planet. Her breath came out in the only word she could mutter, her eyes filled with him, "Mars."
"The Fire Child arrives. I should have assumed you would be where that Compass Rose sent us as well. You're brave to come in as a mere human," Kiga snarled from right behind her and she shivered at the sensations of words being passed right through her towards another as they were teeming with fear and anger. When Yamito's head lifted to show his eyes, the flames seemed to bring them to life, as if they never held anything until flame flickered in them. The darkness lived in the light and the soldier of the Moon had never felt more ill about anyone than the calm young man standing at odds with the voice behind her.
"Nothing more is needed. I've never wanted anything more than peace," he replied dryly. Yamito spoke the words with serious resolve, words that shook Sailor Moon. But life never allowed such joy to be taken. That fact caused him to sigh and slip his fingers from his pockets, dropping them to his sides as if a man finally allowing himself to believe that there was no greater keeper than Fate and Time. "But since you're here, the Scion of Mars will fight again. You will die, I will die, the others will die and our kind will fade into nothing. However, this world won't burn. I promise you that," he said with a distinct air of sadness in his voice. Surprisingly, that promise was more directed to Sailor Moon than Kiga, for his dark eyes had fallen to her and his lips were pressed, trying to hide the words that were meant for her alone.
Although this whole thing confused her, with the shades and flames dancing all around in her mind, Kiga knew one thing for certain and he knew it well. He eyed Yamito's hand. Lustfully. On that right hand was a ring that held the key to a vast field of power and darkness that had escaped him ever since the moment he was created and knew what he was created from. Mars was the guardian symbol emblazoned on it and currently, Yamito was running the nearest finger across the cold metal, much to the thirsting response from the shrouded Priest.
That didn't sit well with Kiga, who felt the rage growing in him again. It was an old rage, but it consumed him – made him quiver in pain. "I guess it's about time you accepted that fate. Unfortunately, you're wrong about one thing…" he said and found the resolve he once had. In less than an instant, he reached up to grip Sailor Moon's neck again, his actions very deliberate and no lacking in cause.
However, before he could, another stepped in. A rose impaled the hand of the Priest and he recoiled, gripping it near the depths of his cloaks and turning his flame-shaded hood towards a valiant figure standing tall amidst the flames. Kiga was annoyed, shooting a glance at the girl only moments away from his reach. The more attempts to crush the girl before him, the more defenses showed to save her. It was obvious that this girl would not be easy to kill. Amidst the fire, Tuxedo Kamen stood tall on the back of a plush, VIP seat. The flames also seemed to avoid his figure and his cape teased them like children waving their hands in front of a mad dog. Even the heat rippling the air accented his appearance. "I don't know who you are, but I cannot allow you to harm Sailor Moon in such a manner. You should learn not to play with fire," he called in a deep voice, raising up another rose and threatening to attack once more, "You'll only be burned."
Kiga was almost amused to the point of laughing running pale fingers across the thorny rose in an attempt to verify its authenticity. Some inside joke taunted the hero without him knowing and the rose was pulled from his hand with no reaction or blood, but the extreme interest of the hooded figure. "Who would have thought so many people would choose a burning building to play in? What a gallant man, so regal and well-clothed. However, flowers and poetry are for love, not death!" he yelled and once again committed to throttling the soldier, knowing that he would have to move quickly in order to outmaneuver the two protectors, but also her own power that had so far been off balance by Yamito's appearance. He would use that.
Turning to lunge, Kiga was once again confronted by a morose Yamito, who stood before him fearlessly and even grabbed the pale wrist, scowling into the hood and the face that lay beneath. With Sailor Moon at his back, Yamito gripped the dangerous creature with seemingly no fear, but it was only toppled by the fact that Kiga was motionless, as if staring right back at the face of the young man with an equal amount of reverence.
This all confounded Sailor Moon. Yamito was human, but he was holding this powerful dark entity like there was no danger to him. He had been so quick to protect her that she had almost missed him slipping between her and the Priest, but also whispering to himself as he did. "Again?" she questioned openly. Not again? The words puzzled her. She wondered if he somehow had been through this before and was putting his life in harm's way to stop it from happening again. There were four of these Scion so far, so maybe there was one for the moon? If there was, it seemed Yamito had cared for him deeply, she agreed to herself, but there was also a great sorrow that came with that passion and she knew that something must have happened to that person. There was a hidden box in his voice and his stoic movements which betrayed the fact that his past was infested with these Priests. For as much similarity she found in these four fighters, she also found as much in contrast. For as much as she marveled at the power she could feel from Yamito, she feared the realm from which it came. He and Kiga had almost the same energy coming from them. This was a revelation which didn't sit well with her.
Even in the heat of the battle, she looked upon Tuxedo Kamen. He was crouched and ready to aid her as well, his cane resting dangerously within his hand and trademark rose waiting to be hurled like a missile. Once more, her beloved was there to protect her and stop any who would want to harm her. So many people loved her enough to put their lives on the line, but Yamito didn't even know her. This made it all very hard to concentrate. Once again, the drama appeared in her life. Despite having that moment to consider it, she was denied any more time to further that breath.
Kiga laughed. "So passionate, Yamito. You don't want to see her die like Ryu did?" he asked to the visible flinch of Yamito. At the very name, he felt the hand tighten around his wrist, but due to fear or even respect, Kiga let the human have the upper hand, not moving against him even with his great power. "We both know what you can do, but I know, better than anybody, just how afraid of yourself you are. You're a coward, Yamito – a weak coward. The thing you fear is a gift! A gift for both of us! Let me show you how great out gift is!" the Priest yelled.
A red glow appeared around him and Sailor Moon was ripped from her thoughts as he became hotter than the fire around them, sending off waves of searing air that cut at her skin and eyes. She let out a loud yelp and tried to protect herself, but soon the underside of her arms were assaulted and she could barely stand the pain. Yet, Yamito held the wrist, unflinching. This display of power didn't seem to impress him at all and he stared viciously at the hooded figure, his eyes burning twice as bright with fury.
No matter what was going on in Yamito's head, Sailor Moon's concern was for the human she had been struck by and she was worried about him. Despite the intense pain latent in the air, she moved forward, fighting the wind and taking the blasts of searing heat, even as her uniform was beginning to peel away in places. Her only thought was to save him from the proximity and she finally got close enough to place a hand on him, calling to him a stressed voice, "Look out, Yamito!" Much to her surprise, her hand burned right through the glove, charring the white into curls of black and sending great pain to her flesh. With a yelp she pulled it back and stared at him, aghast that he was still in human form and somehow putting off that much heat. The light around Kiga kept growing brighter until it began to consume everything, bellowing in the innards of the hall. The theater began to rumble and break apart under the heat as timber became black, charred reminders of support and the walls grew eyes to the outside. The seats were a sea of waving flames and even the others were hard to see through it all. The theater was now a beast in the throes of a fiery death and not one of them was untouched by the sudden arousal of Kiga. None of them could escape the magnitude of this awakening and all were stunned into stillness, looking to the three.
In all of this fear and trepidation, Sailor Moon looked back to Yamito and her heart stopped in her chest, her eyes wide in spite of the wind. The last thing she saw was him looking back to her, his eyes cast low from the Priest before him and peering beyond his shoulder to those same shocked eyes.
Sailor Moon was speechless.
His eyes were glowing the same color as Kiga's body.