Sailor Mars has a nightmare where the other Soldiers, and the world, are destroyed. The only hope is a mysterious being whom she thinks is the Messiah. Rei wakes up studying with the other girls for their high school entrance exams. Though the others worry because they can tell Rei is upset, she insists nothing's worng. Meanwhile, in a dark, dusky laboritory, a mysterious professor and his assistant, Kaolinite, have dark plans. The professor explains that he needs the Sacred Cup. The way to find the Sacred Cup is to bring together the three Talismans found in the pure hearts of people. He develops Daimon which can draw out these pure hearts, and sends Kaolinite and a Daimon after their first target. The Daimon egg embeds itself in a tree at the Hikawa Shrine, and Kaolinite explains that when the Daimon senses a person with a pure heart, it will attack and get that pure heart. Rei arrives back at the temple and begins praying at the tree. The tree then becomes a monster and attacks Rei.