"Hey, Cuchillo?"
     Cuchillo jumped up from his chair.  He had been sitting in his office, working, but had been startled.  He turned around to see Nova, his enemy, behind him.  Nova was the Death Ladies’ third warrior, just under him in terms of rank.  Since he had been chosen for second warrior over her, she had hated him ever since.
     "What is your problem, Nova?" Cuchillo asked irritably.
     "What’re you doing, Cuchillo?" Nova asked him suspiciously.
     "What?  Oh, um…nothing, nothing at all," Cuchillo replied, obviously trying to hide something.  He got up and stood in front of his desk so that Nova wouldn’t see his work.  Nova tried to see what he was doing, but he wouldn’t let her.
    "Cuchillo!" she cried in frustration.  "You’re hiding something."
    "So what?" Cuchillo snapped.  He sat back down and returned to his work.
    "So, I want to know what you’re hiding and why," Nova said, taking pleasure in annoying her superior.
    "Go away, Nova."
    "I don’t want to go away."
    Cuchillo sighed.  "Nova, please leave me alone because I’m doing something important and—"
    "You are?" Nova interjected.  "You’re doing something important?  What?"
    "Nothing," Cuchillo said, wishing he hadn’t told her.  "Now will you please—"
    "Okay, you two, quiet down," Lady Espirita materialized behind them.  "I’m actually trying to think, and you two are being loud and distracting!"
    "Sorry," the two warriors muttered in unison.
    "Good!" Espirita said.  "Now both of you, stop your silly arguments."  She faded out, leaving the two alone again.
    "So what’re you doing?" Nova asked Cuchillo, picking up their argument where they left off.
    "If you must know," Cuchillo sighed, "I’m devising a new method of getting energy."
    Nova smirked.  "Oh really?  You do know that after you fail I will replace you?"
    Cuchillo glared at her.  "I won’t fail!  I’m positive about that."
    "Only fools are positive," Nova responded, twirling her ring around her finger.
    "Are you sure?" Cuchillo shot back.
    "I’m positive," Nova said, then clapped her hand over her mouth.  "Oops!"
    "So even if I do fail, and you take over my place, I believe that you too will fail," Cuchillo reasoned.
    "You wish, Cuchillo," Nova replied.  "Oh, by the way…you might be needing this…"  Nova held out one hand and a sword appeared in it.
    "Now what’s that, Nova?" Cuchillo asked, a bit suspicious.  "What kind of joke is this?"
    "Oh, no joke," Nova replied.  "This sword will suck more energy than any daimon would!  Plus, if you use it to suck energy from the Sailor Soldiers, you will also acquire their power…tripled."  She handed it to Cuchillo, and watched his reaction.
    "Tripled?" Cuchillo was stunned that the tool he was holding could do such a thing.  "Really?"  Nova only nodded in response.  "Okay, what’s the catch?"
    "No catch either," Nova said.
    "But…" Cuchillo began, sensing that there was something suspicious about this.  "But you’re my enemy!" he finally said.  "Why would you do something like this?  I know as well as you do how you hate me.  So what’s up with this?"
    "Nothing!" Nova said honestly.  "Geez, Cuchillo, you’d almost think that you trusted me!" she added sarcastically.
    "Well, I didn’t before!" Cuchillo defended himself.  "I mean, we were enemies.  Now all of a sudden you give me this amazingly powerful sword.  Don’t you think there’s something a bit weird about that?"
    "No," Nova said, acting hurt.  "I’m being generous for a change.  Have you ever heard of the human concept of generosity?  One makes sacrifices for another person.  Thus, I sacrifice this sword for your use.  I’m just trying to help you, Cuchillo."
    "This generosity sounds foolish to me," Cuchillo said.  "And you’ve never helped me in your life.  So why are you now?"
    "Just for a change of routine," Nova replied breezily.  "Hey, use the sword today and tell me how it works, all right?"  With that, she disappeared.
    Cuchillo studied the sword, frowning.  "There’s a catch, I know there is…"

     Meanwhile, Nova had rematerialized in her own office.  Thinking of what she had done to Cuchillo, she began to laugh to herself.
     "What an idiot," she muttered.  "Why’d the Ladies even kill Oscurio in the first place, and have Cuchillo take over?  Cuchillo is totally incompetent…"  She shook her head, thinking back on how stupid he’d been.
"But the situation is not that bad," she added, thinking aloud.  "He’s going to die soon anyway, my sword will guarantee that.  If he tries to use it against the Sailor Soldiers, he will absorb their energy and be able to use their attacks…as a matter of fact, their attacks with tripled power.  But the sword will also build up an invisible shield around the soldiers, and the attack will bounce off of it…and hit Cuchillo himself!  Since the strength of the attack is tripled, it’ll probably kill him…him being so weak and all.  And of course, I’d take over."
    Nova turned to the mirror next to her desk and flipped her hair, winking at her reflection.  "Once he dies, I’ll take over his position and complete the mission.  Nothing’s going to stand in my way."

     "Good afternoon, class," the teacher said as her students walked into the room.  Among her students were Dani, Sara, and Ryan.  They took their seats as the teacher called roll.
     Meanwhile, outside the classroom, Cuchillo was waiting in the shadows.  He held his sword up and let the light from the sun reflect off of it.  "The perfect energy-collecting place," he whispered.  "What these humans call a school.  So many people wasting their energy here, there’s always a lot of it to collect."  He stood up and stalked towards the back wall of the classroom.  He held out his sword toward the wall, and a blinding blast shot from the tip.  The blast exploded the wall outwards, and the students inside shrieked in terror.
     "Excuse me, sir!" the teacher cried.  "I believe you have…AAAAHH!"  she screamed as Cuchillo swung the sword at her.  It zipped by inches from her face.
     "It’s Cuchillo!" Sara whispered.
     "No, it’s someone else from Darkdeath," Ryan whispered back sarcastically.  "Of COURSE it’s Cuchillo!"
     "Well, it could have been someone else!" Sara argued.
     "You guys…I think we’d better transform and contact the others," Dani said.
     "But everyone’d see us!" Ryan argued.  "Even Cuchillo.  We shouldn’t transform."
     "Ryan!" Dani whispered angrily.  "We’ve got to.  Let’s just go out into the hall, transform, and then we’ll call the other Sailors."  She and Sara started out the door.
     "Must we?" Ryan sighed.  Daniella glared at him.  "Okay, I’m coming."  He followed them out the door, and they transformed.
     "Orion Astral Star Power, transform!"
     "Io Astral Star Power, transform!"
     "Zephyr Astral Star Power, transform!"
     Once transformed, Sailor Zephyr contacted the others via telepathy.  <Sailor Astros?  It’s me, Zephyr,> Zephyr called to them.  After a few seconds went by with no response, she tried to contact them again.  <You guys…Cuchillo is here.  He’s at school, attacking our class.  We’ve got to stop him!  If you can, leave class, transform, and come to room 181.>
     "What did they say?" Sailor Orion asked.
     "I didn’t get any response from anyone," Zephyr replied.  "I hope somebody comes.  Even one would be all right.  But for now, let’s just go get Cuchillo, okay?"  They went back inside.  Cuchillo was standing on the teacher’s desk, looking over the room of unconscious students and the also unconscious teacher.  When he saw them, a smile crossed his face.
     "Sailor Astros!" he greeted them.  "Just who I wanted."
     "Cuchillo, why don’t you not mess with innocent people!" Orion said.
     "You’re right…" Cuchillo agreed, much to the Sailors’ surprise.  "Why don’t I mess with you instead?"
     "Uh oh…" Sailor Io whispered.
     "Good thinking, Orion," Zephyr muttered sarcastically.
     "Well, excuse me!" Orion snapped.
     "Will you ever stop arguing?" Cuchillo asked of them, rolling his eyes.
     "Oh, shut up, Knife Freak!" Zephyr yelled.  "Zephyr Comet Fireworks!"
     But as her attack flew toward him, he just smirked at it.  He held up his sword, and the attack hit the sword.  The sword seemed to absorb the attack.
     "Huh?" Zephyr said, confused.
     "What happened, Zephyr?" Io asked.
     "I have no idea…" Zephyr muttered.
     Cuchillo held up the sword and pointed it at Zephyr.  Suddenly, she fell to her knees, screaming in pain as Cuchillo began to absorb her energy.  Just then, Sailor Andromeda arrived on the scene.
     "What’s going on here?" she asked.  Then she saw Zephyr on her knees, doubled over with pain.  "Sailor Zephyr!"  Andromeda attacked Cuchillo with all the strength she had.  "Andromeda Star Symphony!"  When she said this, glowing blue musical notes of energy flew from her hands.
    The notes hit Cuchillo, throwing him backwards.  He was knocked over, lost his concentration, and stopped absorbing Zephyr’s energy.  But from the effort it had taken to use her attack, Andromeda was weakened.
    Cuchillo took her vulnerability to his advantage and began to absorb her energy as well.  He pointed his sword at her and she collapsed to the ground in pain.
    Io, who could not stand to see him abuse her friends, became extremely angry at Cuchillo.  "Cyclone Trap!" she yelled.  Cuchillo was trapped in one of her cyclones, spinning around, and was forced to stop absorbing energy.
    "Not again!" Cuchillo cried out in frustration.  He struggled to break free, and after trying to pull out a few times, succeeded in defying the cyclone.  He fell out of the cyclone, but was tossed against one wall.
    "Okay, Io," Orion, who was acting as the leader for the time being, said.  "Get him!"
    "Right!" Io agreed.  "Io Thunderbolt Shock!"
    "Orion Speed Arrow!"
    The two remaining sailor soldiers attacked Cuchillo, but he jumped out of the way just in time.  "Zephyr Comet Fireworks!" he yelled, pointing his sword at them.  Sailor Zephyr’s own attack shot from the sword at them.  The two were so stunned that Cuchillo had Zephyr’s power, that they just stood there and let the attack hit them.  The force of the attack caused them to fall over.
    "Hey!" Orion said.  "Since when can Cuchillo use Zephyr’s power?"
    "It’s none of your business!" Cuchillo answered.  "Andromeda Star Symphony!" he yelled, using Andromeda’s attack at them.  They were once again thrown over, against the door.
    "He’s got Sailor Andromeda’s attack too," Io realized.
    "And he can escape your tornadoes," Orion added.  "What are we going to do?"
    "You’re not going to do anything," a voice said.  "I’m going to do the attacking now that you all are knocked out."
    "Sailor Spica?" Orion asked.  And sure enough, it was Sailor Spica.  She had appeared behind Cuchillo, and held her own sword out toward him.
    "Spica!" Cuchillo hissed.  "That stupid girl is getting on my nerves!"  He turned to face Spica.  "What do you want?"
    "For you to return the energy you stole!" Spica demanded.
    "But…that’s impossible!" Cuchillo said.  "I am only capable of stealing energy, not giving it back."
    "Well too bad!" Spica said.  She was about to attack him when he swung his sword around at her.  A glow emanated from the sword, and the glow spread out towards Spica.  When it reached her, she fell to the ground.  Cuchillo was absorbing her energy.
    Once he was done, he tried to use her attacks.  "Daydream Rush!" he said, twirling his sword around.  But the attack didn’t work.
    "Trying to use my attacks?" Spica asked weakly.  "Well you can forget it.  You won’t be able to use my attacks unless you have the Dream Sword."
    "Dream Sword eh?" Cuchillo repeated.  "You mean…this!"  He grabbed the sword out of Spica’s hand.  Spica, being too weak from having her energy absorbed, couldn’t grab it back.
    "No!" she cried in protest, but Cuchillo didn’t listen.
    "Now this will work!" he yelled triumphantly.  "Daydream Rush!"  Spica could only watch in horror as her own attack came rocketing towards her.  It hit her and she was thrown through the hole in the wall that Cuchillo had made when he entered the room.  She landed in the hallway in back of the classroom, totally unconscious and powerless.
    "What are we gonna do?" Io whispered to Orion.  "He even got Spica down, and now he has her powers!"
    "Only one hope…" Orion whispered in reply.  "And that’s telepathy.  I’ll try to get Vega or someone and they can come rescue us…maybe."  He concentrated with all his might on contacting the others.  <Sailor Astros, do you hear me?> he called to them.  <Sailor Astros!  Come quickly to room 181.  We’re in a very bad situation…Cuchillo has knocked out Zephyr, Andromeda…and even Spica.  We need you guys right away!>
    But by that time Cuchillo had left, taking with him the Dream Sword.  Zephyr and Andromeda were beginning to awaken, but not Spica.  Spica was completely unconscious, but still alive.
    "Okay, where’s that sewer rat Cuchillo?" Sailor Vega demanded as she stormed into the classroom.  Just behind her was Sailor Inferno.
    "Um…hey, what happened here?" Zephyr whispered as she began to sit up.  She had regained consciousness, as did Andromeda.
    "He left," Io said.
    "Who?" Zephyr and Andromeda both asked in unison.
    "Cuchillo?" Inferno asked.
    "Hey, what happened to Spica?" Andromeda asked.  "How did she get here?"
    "Not Spica, Cuchillo!"
    "Who?"
    "Cuchillo."
    "What about Cuchillo?"
    "He left!"
    "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!"
    "Oh great, mass confusion," Vega sighed.
    "All right, Sailors," Orion explained, trying to clear things up a little, "here’s what happened.  Cuchillo was stealing energy from our class, so we transformed. We fought him and he sucked Zephyr’s and Andromeda’s energy and they got knocked unconscious.  Then Cuchillo started using their powers against us!"
    "How’d he do that?" Zephyr gasped, she was obviously in shock since she hadn’t seen it happen.
    "We have no idea," Orion said.  "So then Spica came and they fought.  Me and Io—"
    "To be grammatically correct, Orion, you should say ‘Io and I,’" Andromeda interrupted.
    "Yeah, Io and I, whatever," Orion corrected himself hastily.  "So Io and I got knocked over when he used Andromeda’s and Zephyr’s powers against us.  We were conscious, but we just couldn’t fight…we were too weak.  So then Spica came, and she tried to fight him but he attacked her and stole her energy.  Then he stole her sword and used her powers to knock her over."
    "Uh…" Spica was returning to consciousness as Orion finished his recounting of the battle.  "Hey, guys?  What just happened?  The last thing I remember was Cuchillo stealing my sword."
    "Oh great," Orion muttered, then he retold what had happened to Spica as well.
    "So he just got away?" Spica demanded.  "That kind of stinks.  I mean, you guys didn’t even do anything?"
    "We did!" Orion argued.  "We contacted Vega and Inferno.  They came, but by then Cuchillo had left.  We were too weak to fight ourselves, so we had to just sit there.  But we did do something about it…or at least we tried."
    "So now Cuchillo’s gone," Inferno sighed.  "He slipped away again.  How does he do that?"
    "Never mind how he gets away every time!" Spica wailed in obvious distress.  "He has my sword!"
    "So you’re basically powerless?" Zephyr asked.
    Spica nodded.  "I am.  But at least I can still transform and all that.  I just can’t attack."
    "Oh great," Io muttered.  "Now whenever we get in trouble no one will be there to save us!"
    "Worse yet," Spica said.  "He has my sword!"  With that, she threw back her head and screamed as if it was the end of the world.