Chapter 422
"Uranus World Shaking!"
"Neptune Deep Submerge!"
"Jupiter Sparkling Wide Pressure!"
The three attacks slammed into the negaverse commanders knocking them to the ground.
"All right!" Sailor Moon shouted.
The other scouts stood up. The crystals remained floating in the air.
Uranus and Neptune charged forward. They targeted either Zoisite or Malachite and attacked. The two leapt out of the way still in disarray.
"Hmm..this isn't good," Nisiran muttered, but still managed to send an orb of energy shooting in Jupiter's direction. She leapt over it and unleashed another attack. He blocked it with a shield and then struck back with his own attack.
Jupiter punched him. He stepped back. She punched him again.
"All right..I'll play that game," he said and threw a punch at her. She dodged it.
"Perhaps not!" Nisiran shouted leaping back. Spikes of energy flew from his hands. Jupiter fell back.
"Venus Love Chain Encircle!"
"BAH!" Nisiran shouted and grabbed it in the air tossing it upward and Venus with it.
She let out a screech and slammed into a nearby rooftop.
"Mars Fire Ignite!"
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
Nisiran whirled and met the two attacks knocking them away.
"He is proving to be quite formidable," Sailor Mercury said.
"So I noticed," Mars shouted as they dived out of the way of his next attack.
"All right..I'm going for the crystals," Sailor Moon said.
"Be careful Sailor Moon," Tuxedo Mask said.
"Cover me.," Sailor Moon said and leapt into the battlefield fray. She grabbed several of the crystals and stuffed them into the interdimensional pocket she stored everything else in. Then she grabbed a few more.
"Oh no you don't!" Zoisite shouted leaping at her.
Sailor Moon whirled and barely avoided the attack.
Sailor Uranus leapt over head and fired her sword. Zoisite backed up and sent a massive barrage in their direction. Uranus leapt in front of it and was blasted back into a wall.
Sailor Moon stood up still holding some of the crystals. Zoisite grinned.
Tuxedo Mask leapt in front of Sailor Moon and tossed several roses.
"I hate those roses!" Zoisite shouted charging forward, a shard of ice in her hands. Tuxedo Mask met it.
"Get the crystals Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask shouted.
"You got it!" Sailor Moon said.
"Pluto Dead Scream!"
"Oh now you want a piece of the action!" Nisiran said leaping out of the way. "I can take it!"
He whirled splitting himself into several others. The scouts looked around hurriedly.
"I'll find the real one just.." Mercury began before the real one blasted her to the ground.
Pluto and Mars charged forward shooting out their attacks. Nisiran blocked it.
"JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!"
"I can stop that too!" he shouted whirling.
The three scouts attacked again. He was blasted back to the ground.
"Guys! Little help here!" Sailor Moon shrieked.
Tuxedo Mask was blasted through the air. Zoisite laughed and threw her ice shard. Sailor Moon screamed and dodged it.
"You girls handle her, I'll take care of Nisiran," Sailor Pluto said.
The other scouts nodded.
"I'm surprised Neptune, you really think you can win!" Malachite shouted throwing out one of his dark energy globes. Sailor Neptune avoided it, but not Malachite's follow up attack which knocked her to the street.
"Not up to the task are you?" Malachite said.
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"
Venus leapt down and at point blank range plowed Malachite into a wall.
Venus landed awkwardly.
"Venus?" Neptune asked.
"Just woosy...it hurts," Venus said.
"Neptune! Deep Submerge!"
"Not yet!" Malachite said standing up and opening fire. The attack smashed the two into a house.
Malachite gasped for breath.
"Mars Celestial Fireball Surround!"
"Mercury Ice Storm Blast!"
"Jupiter Thunderclap Zap!"
The three attacks converged, but Zoisite flipped over them and threw another ice shard.
"Watch it!" Jupiter shouted and pushed Mercury and Mars out of the way. It sliced across her back. She screeched.
Mars and Mercury turned and launched their attacks. Zoisite was pushed back. She grinned.
"Just warming up!" she shouted and fired back. Mars and Mercury fired back.
Sailor Moon had since collected all the crystals.
"Darrien..are you all right.."
"Probably," Tuxedo Mask muttered.
"All of you fighting like this it's my turn.." she said.
"Let us handle it, you're weaker."
"Not if I can help it," Sailor Moon said. She held up one of the crystals.
"What are you going to do?" Tuxedo Mask asked.
"Watch!"
Sailor Pluto fell to the ground.
"You underestimated me, and a wounded person is always the most dangerous!" Nisiran shouted.
"I've been waiting for this for years!" Zoisite shouted and blasted Mars into the ground alongside an already prone Mercury.
"Yes..how pathetic," Malachite said.
"Now..now where are the crystals Sailor Moon?" Zoisite said.
"Right here," Sailor Moon said advancing clad in a immaculate uniform. She held an elaborately decorated Moon Sword in her hand.
"Would you like them? Come and get them!"
Zoisite, Malachite and Nisiran built their powers up knowing that they could break it off if Sailor Moon moved to attack. She didn't, instead clutching her moon sword in front of her.
The three launched the attack.
Sailor Moon stood there. The attacks exploded around her. She stared at them and then swung her sword.
A wave shot down the street and exploded into the them the three fell to the ground.
"Moon Healing Power!" she shouted.
They disappeared before she could hit them.
"I was this close," Sailor Moon said.
"You did good...Sailor Moon," Mars muttered.
Sailor Moon nodded.
Night fell several miles away. Two figures approached an SDF base and leapt over the fence.
"How exactly are we going to find them?" Sailor Earth asked.
"Just follow my lead," Maverick said. The two leapt onto a rooftop and crept atop it. They'll be around here somewhere.
"I guess so," Sailor Earth said.
They leapt to another roof top.
Maverick leapt down to the side of the building and peered inside.
"Certainly not," She said and leapt back up.
"Nothing?" Sailor Earth asked.
"Trust me..and what fascinates a group of army soldiers and fighting chickens anyway?" Maverick muttered.
They leapt to another building.
Maverick leapt down again.
"Not there either."
"There are a lot of buildings here," Sailor Earth said.
"I noticed," Maverick snapped.
"Say..can't you sense where they are?"
"I guess I could try," Sailor Earth said. "It doesn't always work."
"Why wouldn't it work?"
"There are complex factors."
"Oh.."
Sailor Earth closed her eyes and concentrated.
Maverick waited.
"This is odd," Sailor Earth said. "I don't sense them."
"Well maybe it's not working," Maverick said.
"No..I think I'm getting a definite vibe of failure."
"Oh? How does that work?"
"I really couldn't explain it. You would have to see for yourself, which isn't really possible."
"Guess it isn't," Maverick said. "But where are they?"
"I have no idea."
"Well you're the telepath. Work with it."
"All right, all right..I'll work with it," Sailor Earth muttered. "But maybe we should get out of here before we're noticed."
A group of lights appeared on them, and laughing emerged.
"Too late for that!" came a shouted.
"What!" Maverick muttered.
"Heh...we knew you were coming, wasn't really hard to find you ya know," an SDF officer said.
"You jerks! You know who we're looking for! Where are they?"
"We have no idea!"
"You don't do ya!" Maverick said leaping off the roof.
"Uh..Maverick.." Sailor Earth said.
"I'll be right back!" Maverick said and charged at the troops.
They began to scatter.
"Oh no come back, I'm not done yet!" Maverick said. "And one of you's going to explain the fighting chickens to me!"
"Ehh..the absurdity had to resume sometime," Sailor Earth said.
"I had to use a few of the crystals, Pluto. Do you think that'll keep me from being able to put up the barrier?"
"I don't know, but as I seem to remember the crystals energy can be returned to them," Sailor Pluto said. "You're just holding it right now. It's because you drew the crystal energy into yourself rather shooting out."
"Oh that's good," Sailor Moon said.
"But now..we have to get the others from Ircanite."
"I will," Sailor Moon said. "We should get back to Tokyo."
"You're right of course," Sailor Pluto said. "Still the others are very weak, we can't travel yet."
"I know," Sailor Moon said. "I hope they get better soon, I just hate seeing them in all this pain."
"Yeah..well..I have to rest myself."
"I know," Sailor Moon said. "You get some rest. I'll watch things."
"I have no trouble believing you'll do that," Sailor Pluto said.
I'm going to beat your Ircanite. Sailor Moon thought I'm going to take back this planet. You just wait. Nothing's going to stop me.
She sighed.
I'm going to do it on my own too. I don't want my friends to get hurt
anymore.
Back in Tokyo.
"Anything?" Maverick asked.
"Not yet?" Sailor Earth said. "It is very hard to telepathically scan a mass of people as large as Tokyo is in search of two people. That's assuming they're even in the city."
"They might be insane, but they're not going to go too far away," Maverick said. "That's just too dangerous."
"Perhaps you're right," Sailor Earth said. "So far I am finding nothing."
"Those jerks," Maverick said. "Why do we put up with them?"
"Because they normally don't act like this," Earth replied.
"Good point."
"Maverick why don't you sleep some, I will keep searching."
"Sleep? For all I know they could be fighting right now."
"I would notice that."
"Oh...well that's a relief. All right, I'm going to sleep, you keep looking."
"I will," Sailor Earth said.
"Ehh..stupid men and their stupidity," Maverick said and stalked off.
Sailor Earth smiled slightly.
I know how she feels. Sai really is taking unnecessary risks. But then again I know how he feels too. I guess I can't entirely blame him.
She sighed.
Still..I don't know what to do. I want to at least be there whatever happens.
So I'll keep searching.
"Ante up," Mike said.
The eight other Guardian Scouts were all sitting around a card table.
"I've never liked this game, I rarely win," Akiro said.
"Watch it, that could be a set up," Mike said.
"You'll find out soon enough won't you?" Akiro asked.
"Touche," Mike said.
"I must warn you I have been known to destroy entire tables in less then an hour," Rick said.
"Yes, but that's only because you're angry at having lost you're entire pot," Steve said.
"All appearance, and no substance ey?" Seiya said.
"Well..I think you would know the value of appearance over substance Seiya," Rick said.
"Sounds like fighting words," Seiya said.
"The poker game will be a sufficient battlefield," Rick said.
"Why do I get the sense that we won't even be able to play a simple card game without this getting out of hand?" Yaten asked.
"Probably because you're learning," Greg said.
"I wager a fish on this next one," Mike said.
"I'll raise you," Akiro said placing his own fish on the table.
"Amazing, they are actually spontaneously able to counteract each other's jokes," Taiki said.
"Strange isn't it?" Mike and Akiro asked.
"I'm out," Steve said.
"Out already?" Seiya said.
"I'm just getting bad vibes from the whole hand in general," Steve said.
"You and the vibes, what you really need to do is get off the caffeine," Rick said.
"I've been off the caffeine, I'm on the pills now."
"And what pills would those be?" Rick asked.
"Not sure, but I like em!" Steve said.
"I knew this wouldn't last long," Yaten said.
"There was little hope for anything else occurring," Taiki said.
"Just..how many chips are equal to a fish anyway?" Seiya asked.
"Ah...I see you have not played with fish rules before," Mike said. "Fortunately...neither have we...so it's wide open."
Everyone sighed.
"Our strategy should be relatively straight forward," Sai said.
"We'll see after you explain what it is," Patterson replied.
"Well..my power is greater then yours, so I should focus on hitting him, you should focus on distraction."
"Yes, at the basic level, but he'll catch on fast enough."
"And then we switch. The idea is not to create tactics he is incapable of figuring out, but instead to make it worthless for him to have done so," Sai said. "The objective is speed. The ability to avoid his attacks and respond quickly and accurately."
"That does not pose a problem for me, you?" Patterson asked.
"I think you are aware of my answer," Sai said. "Do you approve of the general principles."
"Of course."
"Now you are much better skilled with the sword. I will leave your actions up to you, and then react accordingly."
"How gracious, but I assure you I'm in command here."
"This is not about command."
"I prefer to control my own destiny," Patterson said. "We have to work as a team, but we don't have to like it, and given our skill level there is a certain degree of independence we can have, so I'll take it. You just attack him when he's open to attack. I will do the same. Once we weaken him we can target those areas. Until then..it is wide open."
"Perhaps..it is good that we know where we stand though."
"Agreed," Patterson said. "We will win, he can't fight the two of us."
"As long as we do not get in each other's way."
"We are too competent to do that."
"Yes..well..let's see just how competent we are," Sai said.
"You seemed to be a little big on the control issue," Patterson said. "Something wrong?"
"I am merely trying to make sure all the bases are covered that possibly can be? I figured you would be interested in doing the same."
"I would prefer to study what I know about his tactics and react to that rather how then spend time we're going to deal with working together. We don't have the time to become a well functioning team."
"Yes I suppose so."
"So Sorophyte you have you're little duel to do you?" Ircanite asked.
"Yes, I assure you we will have two fewer Guardian Scouts to deal with by the end of it."
"I assume so, but aren't you concerned about their extreme hatred for you?"
"That's the beauty of it. Guardian Moon and Mercury are the most tactical minded scouts out there. But now they've got their destinies hanging over their head. The time for tactics is over, and thus they are less effective."
"I see..so you hope to use that as an advantage?"
"Oh I will," Sorophyte said. "I'll have them so angry they won't be able to think straight, and then..well..it's over."
"I hope so," Ircanite said.
"What? You actually think they can beat me?"
"I don't know. Revenge can be the distraction you speak of, but only...if those that quest for it let it control them."
"That is exactly what they have done," Ircanite said.
"It's been years Sorophyte, remember that."
"I'm not getting overconfident if that's what you think, I'll be fine."
"So you will," Ircanite said. "I will make my own preparations."
"Okay," Sorophyte said. "For what exactly?"
"The destruction of all the Guardian Scouts."
"Oh...I see....that shouldn't be much of a problem."
"No I don't think it will be," Ircanite said.
"I can't sleep," Maverick said. "I'm just too..worried..I mean..they can't win this."
"I think you're underestimating them," Sailor Earth said.
"But the two of them, they don't even like each other."
"That won't matter."
"And..you know..they're going..to be angry..anger's..not a good thing when you're in battle."
"They thrive on it." Earth said.
"Oh.."
"I'm surprised I have to explain it to you Ayeka. I thought you knew your boyfriend better."
"Well.I..it doesn't matter he can't win..he's going to get killed and I have no idea where he is."
"Do no worry..when the battle begins I will be able to find them."
"But what if we can't get to them?"
"We will..if we have to."
"Oh stop the wishful thinking. You're not helping."
"Sorry, I understand your concern though."
"How are you taking this so calmly. You seemed to be as worried as I was."
"I am worried, but I try to put things in perspective. What I do realize is that Sai needs to fight Sorophyte, it is one of the reasons he continued to live. I am sure that is true of Patterson as well."
"Yes..but..it's the wrong reason to live."
"They both have more now to live for now..and that is why they are going fight hard and succeed."
"What?"
"The two of them have lived parallel lives in a way. Both of them have fought very hard to protect what they believe is important. As time passed their quest for vengeance was overshadowed by their concern for others. If that had not occurred, I would be much more concerned about them. However, they are fighting as much to defend Earth as to kill him. And that is a good sign."
"Guess you're right..but I still don't know if that's enough. Sorophyte is so powerful," Maverick said.
"And he is going up against his worst nightmare."
"I don't think he has nightmares."
"Everyone has nightmares."
"Oh come on! Not another flush!" Seiya snapped.
"I'm a regular toilet today," Akiro said taking in some more chips.
"I really had a hope that one day we would evolve beyond this," Yaten said.
"Give it a few thousand years," Taiki said.
"All right Akiro, so you've got your flush, but now's the time when I get really serious," Mike said.
"Serious?" Akiro asked.
"Oh yes," Mike said. His eyes narrowed.
"Cut the cards," he hissed.
"This shall be an experience," Yaten said.
"I've never really seen him serious in recent memory,"Greg said.
"Maybe we should take notes for whatever mental institution he'll be checking into someday," Taiki said.
"Mock me now..regret it later," Mike said and drew some cards.
He glared at all of them.
"Prepare to feel my wrath infidels!" he shouted.
The group all sighed.
"All right..I'm in.." Akiro said.
"We're out," the rest of the table said.
"I will only venture so close to this tsunami of insanity," Yaten said.
"Take a look," Mike said.
"Nothing at all.." Akiro muttered.
Their communicators went off.
"What?" they said.
"Trouble," Gmerc said. "Ircanite's on his way."
"Wonderful." the group muttered.
"You up to it guys? This is the time to shed your past history of ineptitude," Gmerc said.
"He's right," Guardian Moon said. "Today, the Guardian Scouts must fight harder then ever before!"
"Yeah let's do it!" the scouts shouted.
"Galactic Earth Power!"
"Saturn Crystal Power!"
"Uranus Crystal Power!"
"Neptune Crystal Power!"
"Pluto Crystal Power!"
"Jupiter Crystal Power!"
"Venus Crystal Power!"
"Mars Crystal Power!"
"They could use our help you know," Guardian Moon said.
"And Ircanite and Sorophyte are attacking at the same time. We have to take care of Sorophyte first."
"True," Guardian Moon said.
They landed in the park and advanced. Sorophyte soon came into view.
"Ah..yes.." Sorophyte said. "I'm ready? Are you?"
The two drew their swords.
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