53: "Unsafe Passage"
When Akwan, the monstrous fiend, and Illuyankas, the hideous dragon, were released upon the world, the gods were stricken with confusion and dread, for these were enemies far beyond their expertise, unknown to them, capable of atrocities they could not begin to imagine.
The Senshi just confronted them like they would any enemy.
"Hold still, you freak!" Venus spat, swerving as great splinters of wood and stone slashed by her face. Akwan had picked up a small house and threw it at the Senshi, scattering bits of it everywhere. Mercury shot a stream of bubbles at the fiend's face while Mars drew up a wall of fire, stopping the shrapnel. Akwan burst through it before she could react, swatting her away with such ferocity that she tore through a neighboring house, ending up on the back lawn. Jupiter flitted from the rooftops, calling forth the thunders, chaining them together with all the weather vanes, telephone lines, and cables she could find, slowly surrounding the monster.
"Are you ready up there yet? Whoa!" Sailor Moon slid under a car as it sailed overhead; Akwan was grabbing them and flinging them like rag dolls. She rolled as one smeared against the ground, coughing up sparks and smoke, and scrambled through the ruined house until she came across Mars. "Hey, Mars! Don't quit now! We've got him on the run!"
Both of them could hear Mercury and Venus shrieking in panic and pain. Akwan's triumphant roars were shattering.
"Is that a fact?" she grunted, slowly climbing to her feet. "Sounds like we're getting our butts kicked out there."
"Yeah, what else is new?" she blurted, helping Mars to her feet. The house began to collapse on them as Akwan tore through it; the two Senshi stood their ground and repulsed him with a united attack. Mars regained her strength just long enough to jump over a fence into the next yard, while Sailor Moon kept the fiend at bay with her scepter.
"Jupiter!" she screamed. "Are you ready or not?! How long does it freaking take, anyway?!"
"You wanna switch jobs?! You're more than welcome to try!" Sailor Jupiter, glowing hot greenish-white with energy, glanced up to see a vile sallow ribbon flailing in the air, teeth and claws and noxious fumes flashing. Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and Pluto had mounted the wyrm early in the fight, and were desperately trying to hang on as it bucked wildly across the sky. Occasionally scales would fall, dropping like acidic hailstones, each one burning a hole through the rooftops. Gathering energy to fight against a malicious monster was honestly the least of her worries.
"We're kind of in a tight spot down here!" Venus yelled, leaping over an uprooted fence. Mercury was pinned down by a mound of dirt Akwan had dug up, and was trying to break through before deadlier projectiles came her way. He was already tearing up the house he had shot Mars through, using every bit of it as a weapon to keep the Senshi at bay.
"So put him in a tight spot!" Jupiter jerked aside, cringing as one of the scales brushed against her skin. The contact was faint but already she felt burning, illness, intense pain.
"Yeah, right," Venus muttered, "like it's really that easy." The gears in her head began to turn, and a light flickered in her eyes. She turned round to Mercury, who had freed one hand.
"Ami!" She fired a beam of precision energy directly at her lover, who thankfully caught on. With her single free hand, she called up an ice prism, which caught the beam and dispersed it, cleaving her prison apart. Without hesitating, she called forth a veil of mist, closing it around Akwan and diluting his vision. He grasped hold of a refrigerator, but the condensation caused it to slip out of his hand.
"Can you see him?" Mercury called. Venus grinned.
"Oh yeah. Watch me roll, baby! Venus Love Me Chain, encircle!" A glowing lasso coiled round the fiend, binding him long enough for Jupiter to complete her charge. The circle of lightning surged towards Akwan, focusing into a single point, bringing forth a smoldering blast that blackened everything around it—and for good measure, Mars thrust her hands into the earth, calling forth a column of flames to incinerate the beast. His screams only lasted a moment, then were stilled.
"All right!" Sailor Moon squealed. "Triple Tech! You totally smoked him, girls!"
"It's not over yet," Jupiter called, jumping down from the rooftops. "Sailor Moon, put up a barrier around this town! Everyone else, we need to enforce it. That dragon's gonna dissolve everything if we don't hurry!"
"We're not going after that scaly freak?" Mars said. Jupiter gestured to it helplessly.
"Hey, if you wanna try flying up there, be my guest."
"We could Sailor Teleport!"
"We'd never be able to precisely pinpoint its location," Mercury said, watching the wriggling creature carefully. "Besides, Jupiter's completely tapped out."
"I have enough to hold the barrier steady," she smiled, "but I'm going to need everyone's help." They quickly moved into action, putting up a large dome that protected the town from the dragon's deadly molting. Meanwhile, sailing furiously through the clouds, Illuyankas fought to shake its passengers off. Saturn had dug her glaive into the wyrm's body and was clinging onto it; Pluto had grabbed one of the dragon's long horns; Neptune had to settle for her own grip, and it was failing fast. Uranus was the only one who stood upright, controlling just as much as she was controlled by the omnipresent breeze biting their faces.
Whenever she sensed that the dragon was calming, she signaled her companions to strike. Saturn cleaved at the wyrm's body, ripping apart countless scales, opening the monster's skin up for an attack. Illuyankas could regrow his natural armor, was large enough to endure many attacks, and never kept still for long, so the battle drew out. Neptune was failing first; she barely had any time to rest during the wild flight, much less summon any strength to fight. Sometimes one of the scales would loosen on its own and fly at them, its acidic coating hissing in the wind. The Senshi could move out of the way or knock them back, but contact was inevitable, and excruciating.
Suddenly Illuyankas thrust itself higher into the air, causing everyone to tumble back. Pluto and Neptune both lost their grip and fell; Saturn reached out for them just as Pluto swung her rod, narrowly catching it. Neptune caught Pluto's boot; Uranus grimaced.
"Catch!" she shouted, throwing her dagger. Neptune took it and thrust it into the wyrm's body, giving herself some leverage.
"What about you?"
"Don't worry, this ugly monstrosity's right in my element. Just hang on a little longer! Hey, Pluto, can I borrow something real quick?" Pluto gazed at her, pulled herself up until she could grip Saturn's glaive, and tossed her garnet rod. "Thanks," Uranus smiled, "I'll give it right back." She then started the long ascent up the monster's body, impervious to the intense squalling that battered around them. Slowly, she crawled up to its head, and whirled Pluto's rod around until she had it clamped in the monster's mouth like a bit. Uranus twisted the rod, calling out to the wind to aid her, and gradually regained control of the monster. Saturn and the others were now on an even level, but couldn't relax just yet, as Illuyankas had a lot of fight left in it, and Uranus had to struggle every moment just to keep him steady.
"Okay, let's clip this lizard's wings," Neptune called. She and Pluto focused their attacks onto Saturn's glaive; she caught them, whirled around wildly, and tossed them at the monster's wings, adding a little of her own deadly powers for extra oomph. The wings burst upon impact, leaving nothing but mutilated husks, and the dragon rolled, sending them all careening helplessly into the air.
"Shit!" Uranus screeched. "Hold on, I'm coming!" She pitched Pluto's rod with all of her strength, causing the wyrm to jerk back and downward, piercing the sky sharply. The wind clawed mercilessly at her face, far too powerful even for her to influence, blinding her and whipping her hair. She squinted against the biting storm, only just making out the three falling shapes, and steered Illuyankas towards them. With another deft turn, the beast whipped around, catching them onto its back. All three were knocked senseless, Saturn nearly losing consciousness. Neptune struggled to rise, her eye bleeding from the impact.
"S...S...Sunday driver..."
"You guys scared the living crap outta me," Uranus stuttered, offering a weak laugh. The wyrm had recovered as well, sprouting a second pair of wings and shedding its old skin. Uranus's face turned dark, and she gnawed on her lip, not sure what to do next. Pluto put her hand on her friend's shoulder.
"I think we need to bring him to the surface. If we kill it now, it'll just fall onto the city. Who knows what kind of a mess that would make!"
"Yeah, you're right. I...ugh!" Uranus tottered backwards, collapsing from fatigue. It had taken everything she had to control the dragon and save her friends, and now there was nothing left. Pluto watched helplessly as her rod fell out of the creature's mouth, and the beast began its gut-wrenching flight anew. Their hopes shifted as the evening sky lit up, and one of the flaming creatures called gods emerged. It was Adad, of the storms, disgusted by the cowardice of his people, and by the fiend which flew.
"Sailors...you can hear me, can't you?"
"Whoa, that's weird," Neptune whispered. Adad was on the ground; they were at least two kilometers up. Seeing the gigantic beacon of divinity was one thing, but hearing it across such a distance...
"I know not what this monstrosity is," Adads resumed, "or from whence it came, but I may yet control its demise." The world trembled as he gathered his power; the Senshi immediately guessed his intentions.
"So he's gonna kill two birds with one stone," Uranus spat. "Or in this case, five."
"Well, we did sort of mess him up," Saturn squeaked.
"Are you saying he has the right to do this?!"
"Be quiet," Adad boomed, his voice clapping like thunder. "While it is true I hold thee in contempt, the emergence of these abominations supersedes all vitriol between us. I am willing to cooperate if it is to banish this filth from our world."
"Our world?" Saturn whispered. Sailor Moon, still holding the barrier steady on her side, was also stricken.
"Guys, he said...our world."
"Yeah, we heard," Mars said. "I don't know if it's presumptuous or poignant."
"Think what thou will," Adad said. "In this case, hatred is a blessing." He shouted, shattering earth and sky, summoning such radical forces from the heavens that all of Japan could see it, and trembled. The blast sent Illuyankas crashing to the earth, the Senshi still upon it, and Adad rose to meet his foe. The monster's jaws snapped tight onto the god, gushing pools of blood and a piercing cry. Adad was stunned only for a moment, though, before he grabbed hold of the monster's mouth.
"Sages! Servants! Sailors! Whatever thou art, we finish this together!"
"No, you can't!" Sailor Moon screamed, relinquishing her part of the barrier. Jupiter buckled trying to keep it up; Venus cringed from the strain.
"What's going on, Sailor Moon? We need your help!"
"He's going to destroy himself! Adad, you can't! I...I didn't want this!"
"Foolish girl!" he screamed. "I am dead already! I perished long before this battle! But then again...perhaps we all did." He nodded with blood-splattered eyes to the Senshi, and together they united their powers, blasting the rear half of the dragon apart as Adad committed himself to oblivion.
The remains of the dragon bounced harmlessly against the barrier, and were dissolved. The other Senshi surfaced with considerably more poise.
As the barrier lowered, Sailor Moon walked off to be alone. Nobody called out to her; nobody gave pursuit. Even back when they first knew her, they could understand how compassionately she felt about the lives of other, even her enemies. If anybody, friend or foe, showed the slightest trace of redemption, she would grasp onto that with all of her being—and if it was lost, especially by circumstances beyond her control, she would be devastated.
All of that was now compounded, ten years older, wiser, and more loving than ever.
At last she turned around, woefully reconciled with what this battle portended.
"There'll be more," she said emptily, "won't there?"
…...
Nergal had known about the destruction of Akwan, Illuyankas, and Adad long before his chamber was breached, before the report was given, before the king of all demons, his ally Ravana, could have conceived a reaction. He knew because it was all part of his master design, because he had summoned them and could feel their life go, and because he once held esteem with the other gods. Of course the true source of his knowledge was his deepest secret, locked safely away within his own mind, so deep that even those he would call ally would never know—and those who would stand against him, well...
They would find out eventually, and by then, it would be too late.
All the same, he allowed Ravana to enter, announce everything, and have his surprise.
"You knew? For how long? The news is scarcely a moment old."
"I have made it a point to know these things. Your behavior indicates some concern regarding this loss. I can't help but wonder why."
"They were powerful creatures, Druj and demon beyond your knowledge and influence. The world once trembled under their might—"
"They were fodder, Ravana. An experiment. A gauge. The fact that they inadvertently eliminated Adad remains their only saving grace."
"That is another issue: are you not alarmed by the strength of our foe? By the ease in which they destroyed our allies?"
"Which foe are you referring to, Ravana?" The king of all demons drew up, astonished.
"Why, the ones called Sailors." Nergal's mouth curled.
"Are you certain they are our enemies?"
"They killed my people! Anyone...anything that dares to raise its hand against my kind—"
"Then why not do something about it? Or shall I call upon powers even greater than yours?"
"Foolishness does not become you, Lord Nergal!" the demon spat. "There is no power greater than mine! You may be lord over death, but I have all the armies of evil at my beck and call! What is death to that?!"
"There is Mahisha."
Ravana froze, his face locked in amazed fright. The King of all demons had stared into the darkness behind all nightmares, the everlasting void beyond the icy clutches of blackest space, and knew every depravity of the heavens, earth, and underworld, but to dare even whisper the name Mahisha...
"And there is our other ally," Nergal added, turning and gesturing broadly. "For you see, my dear lord demon, one does not wage war against gods relying solely on devil's minions. One must drink deeply of the Pit to find worthy companions. Is that not so, my friend?"
"It is as you say, my lord," the form whispered. Ravana gave a start; he had not noticed the entity before. There was something familiar about the creature—familiar and very, very powerful, strong enough to arrest the demon king's awe. Nergal smiled.
"You understand what I need."
"And how to acquire it."
"Lord Ravana has his doubts. Perhaps you can prove yourself to him." The figure said nothing, allowing only a smile before it vanished. Ravana stood as one struck dumb.
"And what manner of draught are we drinking, Lord Nergal?"
"From the everlasting wellspring, dear King. That one has strength in abundance."
"Strength has failed before, Lord Nergal, whether it was from the gods or the demons," he answered coldly. "How is...that...any different?"
"You misunderstood me," he offered quietly: "The strength of that one is abundance."
…...
An unusually chill wind blew against Sailor Pluto's hair, whipping it askance, causing her to squint. She raised her hand to calm her long emerald mane, and when it lowered, Ea stood before her, beautiful and terrible, a striking and awe-inspiring visage which no one dared to look at yet could never avert their gaze from. The gods and Senshi had formed a fragile alliance in light of recent events, but Pluto could not guess the meaning behind this unexpected appearance. No doubt this wise entity knew of Adad's destruction, and knew better than to spare words reminiscing on it, but then...
"You are the Hadean sailor, correct?" he said. Pluto stiffened, on guard. Ea had never revealed himself as an enemy of the Senshi, but she wouldn't take chances.
"My guardian world is Pluto, yes."
"Ah, so you are identified by his Roman counterpart. But this is not the time for semantics, is it?"
"I was wondering why you appeared before me," she admitted. Ea nodded grimly.
"I have reason to believe your lot has knowledge of my kin. Does this hold true for Nergal?"
"No," she trailed off. "While we have access to that sort of information, we didn't think it was necessary to look into it, since he wasn't a factor at the time. Since his arrival, we've not had the time for research."
"I suppose it would not do you much good in any case," he sighed. "Nergal is difficult to comprehend, even for us. He swears retribution and wrath upon us, yet there has never been any particular discord between us. He managed to overpower both Marduk and Anu, using abilities beyond his strength and our understanding, and released Azhi Dahaka from his binds. He seems not to take any interest in your lot or the servants, can summon unfamiliar Druj and demon, and is presently surpassing our ability to find him. Did you know, he was our chief war god before he invaded the Dry Lands?"
"What are the Dry Lands?"
"Why, your domain, dear lady. What the servants might call Hades, Sheol, Tartarus, the Underworld. He invaded them and married Ereshkigal, thus becoming King. A very strange turn of events there."
"Ereshkigal is...was...the ruler before him?"
"Aye."
"And Ninurta took his place as war chief?"
"Correct again," he nodded; then, muttering, stroked his beard. "Very strange indeed. None of us expected it or knew what to make of it..."
"Do you know what Nergal is planning?"
"No," Ea whispered, his thoughts focused elsewhere. Pluto's brow furrowed.
"It's clear he wants an end to your people, but beyond that...? It does seem he has no interest in humanity or the world—not yet, at any rate."
"Yes," he whispered, "most strange. It would be wise for us to double our efforts in finding him. I understand you do not trust my kin, and would not want to help those you have hitherto fought, especially seeing as how Nergal is more our enemy than yours..." Pluto smiled sadly.
"Knowing the other Sailors, we'd end up working with you anyway. We can't resist being drawn into cataclysmic events."
"Is that so?" He smiled somberly. "Though you are not the Sages we once believed you were, I have no doubt you were cut of similar cloth. Heroes...yes, that is what Usmu called you." Pluto mirrored his smile, and as the wind picked up and blew her hair in her face, Ea disappeared, leaving behind no clear answer to these new mysteries. She drew in a deep breath, closing her eyes in an attempt to meditate on it. Her communicator broke the reverie.
"Pluto, are you there?" It was Rei; she sounded very agitated.
"What's the matter, Rei? It sounds urgent."
"Yeah, you might say that. We've got trouble, and we're gonna need all of us if we're gonna survive!"
"Where are you?"
"Kabukicho, but we've been on the move—Shibuya, Harajuku, Omotesando..."
"Basically everywhere in Shinjuku. Is our enemy that fast?"
"Just hurry, okay? We're in a lot of trouble!" Rei cut her off, greatly increasing Pluto's concern. She dismissed what she could and flitted across the rooftops, mounting onto a passing tram. She was sure there would be an answer to all their problems, an end to all this...
But from where she stood, it was far too distant to see.