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Chapter Text

For many years, hundreds of years, back even during the Age of Myth, Man clad in armor bearing the eighty-eight constellations appear. Their fists were fast as sound and light, crushed stone and steel, and their kicks tore the sky. While these men carry a legend common from an epic, there was something else that they had: hope in their hearts. Hope. Living among the ugliness of human life, and to affront evil, Man's emotions elevate and their bodies explode with the power of the stars – Cosmos!

It was these characters who protected the beloved Earth: The Saints! Since the time of Saori Kido's recognition as the Goddess Athena, many entities of darkness have affronted Earth,and met their fate.

There was the God of War who nearly blanketed life with darkness in twelve hours – Mars. The dastardly God of Darkness who tried to consume light in Mars's stead – Abzu; the marionette Goddess who stood on the polar side of her sibling – Pallas; then, the God who, like the arms of a clock, waited patiently for his turn in rule – Saturn.

Threats continue to creep behind peace, waiting to spring out unnoticed.

"Hey Eden, look at this!" Many months passed since the withdrawal of Saturn. Kouga was a boy who didn't have family, and his friends were few in number. The only friends he made embraced one another as comrade in arms. It was the fate of a Saint, learning only the hardships of facing war. Outside of that was a refreshing change.

Kouga's travels brought him to a crowed town in Greece. He felt like a weight was lifted off from him, and a childish energy took over his body. He could now use his hands differently; they were hardened from fighting, and it lightened his heart to just open a magazine.

"Eden!" The lively red-haired boy bolted up to his friend and pushed the magazine up to his face.

"What is it?" Eden spoke dryly. It was his characteristic to maintain a cool, contemplative bearing. From an elite upbringing, Eden strove to become strong and couldn't shake off the habit of being a detached loner. Aiding Kouga many times in the past, it still took him a long time to understand how to connect with others, and to find significance in the world. He remained the quiet type in opposition to the emotive Kouga.

"Let's go the museum!" Koga suggested with a smile. Eden hummed as he looked into the magazine, seeing photos of nude statues in twisted poses, carrying javelins and discus. Some figures were dressed in rippling ankle-length chitons; there were also drawings of pottery. Eden refrained from asking Kouga about a reason, his eyes looking across tiny inked descriptions about the statues.

"Kings, Gods, and athletes." Eden muttered.

"Yeah!" Kouga looked into the magazine. "It's the museum of Thrýlos, and it has artifacts from long ago there. That can be our next destination."

Kouga's travels had been fruitful after the Pallas-Saturn war. The more days passed, the more he wanted to engage into a life of a boy, into his natural curiosities that were mired by fighting as a Saint. He could see that the world, in which Saori Kido protected, had many things that were important to one of million lives. There was more to Earth. He could see what the Gods he had faced abhorred, and that each "thing" had years of backstory.

Eden didn't smile, and his serious face deepened. "To think that mankind has been through much bloodshed to make these statues."

"Oh come on!" Kouga quickly swung his arm over Eden's neck and glowered. He would not accept any of his former rival's gloominess.

"Let's go the museum!"

"Alright, Kouga." Eden complied in his ever-so calm manner. It took, however, the luxury of peace to get him to finally address the Pegasus Saint by his true name; to finally make him realize that they were friends. The two boys padded through the crowd. The villagers moved their own way, while the boys reached a side street. Kouga had his face in the magazine.

"Ah—!" Suddenly, Kouga lost the light of day. He heard Eden call his name, and he was yanked into the darkness of the alley. Eden sprinted after his comrade, but he didn't have to go far. He stopped behind the red-haired boy, bracing himself.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" Kouga raised a fist. In front of him was was a guy no less than suspicious. The alley enclosed with shadow blanketed the stranger's features. The mystery deepened further from the thick hooded mantle that the stranger wore.

"It's been a while, Orion, Pegasus." The stranger said in a grave, masculine voice. Hearing the familiar title connected to his Cloth, Kouga felt an agitating squeeze in his stomach. He lowered his fist.

"Who are you?" Kouga asked. The mantle's hood was pulled down, revealing a man with a rugged face and bright purple hair. Seemingly older than Kouga and Eden with his goatee, he had a wild look to him; sharp, narrowed eyes that bore down on prey before a killing strike stared at Kouga. Kouga felt like he was facing an enemy.

"I am one of the Silver Saints of Athena, Hound Miguel," the Saint said with a jarring smile.

Despite Miguel's looks, both Kouga and Eden sighed in relief. They both were acquainted with the Silver Saint before. Kouga had fought Miguel on one occasion as an enemy, and even though they came together as allies and fought against Pallas's soldiers, the Hound's bellicose looks instantly made the notion of him being a soldier of justice waver.

"How did you find us?!" Kouga asked in surprise; frankly, he wanted to know why the Silver Saint was here, and doubted it was out of coincidence.

"My nose," Miguel let out a little laugh and pointed to his head. Mounted on it was a helmet shaped like a dog's head; it was a part of his Cloth representing Canes Venatici, latin for the Hunting Dog.

"Listen kids, sorry to disturb your fun, but you're needed back."

Kouga's heart shook hearing those words. Eden didn't say anything; he immediately felt the substance of the Silver Saint's words and knew what he meant. Kouga wanted to be in disbelief. He wanted to know if something happened, or was going to happen, and more importantly: did he have to return to the duty of a Saint? He stared at Miguel breathless, and the Hound Saint only needed to say a few words.

"Lady Athena wants you."

Miss Saori, the words in his head cleansed Kouga's anxiety, or rather it pulled him with chains of loyalty. The idea of seeing Saori warmed him. He hasn't seen her in a long time after all, his adoptive guardian, whom he'd do anything for. Without hassle, Kouga and Eden followed the Hound Saint out of town. Kouga tucked the magazine into his shoulder sack.

Outside the boundaries of the town were two others. Miguel was accompanied by Bayer, the short, bespectacled Silver Saint representing Boötes the herdsman, and Menkar, the burly Silver Saint representing Cetus, the whale. Both of them wore mantles as well.

"Got 'em," Miguel said to his companions, slapping a hand on Menkar's shoulder, "and off to the Sanctuary we go."

"And here I thought I had to rein you in, Pegasus." Bayer said with a wide grin, eyeing Kouga. He then gave a chattering laugh that only reminded Kouga of the days of Mars's war when the Bronze Saints were branded as traitors. Bayer opened his mantle, revealing the ribbon-like strands on his arms. They glow a fiery red; it was only a tease and the Saints walked as a close group without trouble. Eden leaned towards Kouga's ear and whispered.

"They're an uncouth bunch," he said, nodding his head, "but Lady Athena highly acknowledges them." Kouga easily believed it. He felt like he was in the right hands, but curiosity troubled him.

"Why were you guys looking for us?" Kouga asked. In his mind, he also wondered why they were dressed in cloaks. Cloths were indeed suspicious; so was carrying Pandora Boxes to store Cloths when not in use. The Cloths were donned only for training or battle, but after observing Miguel and Bayer closer, he could tell that the Silver Saints were armed for battle.

"It's because something is up, kid." Miguel was as discreet as his cloak. Bayer only nodded, uttering a hum of agreement.

"But surely, no one wants to bother the God-slaying Pegasus, right?" Menkar said with a laugh. "Aren't you lucky?"

Grimacing, Kouga felt disgust from the words. The title of "God Slayer" left an impression in him, reminding him of his painful journey as a new Saint, and the existence of the Dark Cosmos that plagued him and nearly had his friends killed. It agitated him; the Silver Saints' ambiguity that is, incorporating it with some cheery mood, the same kind of cheeriness that Kouga left behind in town when he wanted to visit the museum. All the while, he felt this undercurrent of worry. He definitely sensed that he had to battle again. The tension grew as he headed towards the Sanctuary.

Kouga and Eden's travel towards the Sanctuary went by without problems. Eventually, they reached the boundaries beyond Athens, and the outer premises of the Sanctuary. Kouga remembered the ruined stone temples at the foot of the mountain roads he descended. Greek ruins stood as shadows of battles long past and left an impression of warriors in long-scale combat. An orchestra was filled with Saints and soldiers in training. Kouga, Eden, and the Silver Saints reached the base of the Twelve Zodiac Temples. As they climbed the stairs, the wounds of memory returned.

The first house was vacant. Its guardian was titled the Gold Saint of Regeneration and Craft. During the Invasion of Pallasbelda, Aries Kiki died against Hyperion, one of the commanders of Pallas. He did so to protect his friends from the fatal backlash of Athena Exclamation, the Saints' strongest attack.

Mr. Kiki, Kouga thought of the Aries Saint and what he had done for him and everyone else. The sorrowful reminder told him that such events would repeat themselves, and it felt that it would be soon. Most of the other Temples ahead were also empty; Kouga and Eden couldn't help but wonder where Seiya, Integra, and Fudou were.

"Kouga!" A voice called above the Saints' heads. Everyone looked up as they approached the Pope Chamber. Kouga's worry was set aside, and he broke into a wide smile.

"Miss Shaina!" He rushed up the stairs; it was another face he hasn't seen in a long time. A face covered by a stoic mask comparable to the faces of the Greek statues in Koga's magazine. The mask was a common trait among Female Saints to keep them steady on a warrior path, and to avoid bewitching both enemy and ally. Shaina, the Silver Saint with the snake bearing constellation of Ophiuchus, was a long time friend of Seiya and Kouga. She was also Kouga's master.

"Welcome back," said Shaina.

"What's up?"

"Speak with Athena about it."

Kouga frowned at his tutor's words. Shaina's dignified character, side by side with how blunt she was, sent a little crack into Kouga's barrier of intimacy. Even thoough he wanted to know why he had to return, for once he did not want to greet familiar friends beside the notions of "war" and "combat", but only as Kouga. Shaina told the Saints that Athena was at her temple and led them pass the Pope Chamber. They escalated the stairs behind the Goddess temple, and reaching there, they saw Athena in front of her colossal statue.

"Miss Saori!" Kouga whisked himself in front of Eden and the others, looking ahead. Next to Athena was Sagittarius Seiya, who looked upset.

Shaina gasped in surprise. In front of the Goddess and the Gold Saint was another woman. Having her back turned to the Saints, the stranger looked over her shoulder.

"The destroyers of law have come." Her voice was a slow bass, and her choice of words was careful. Her waist-length hair shined like winter snow. With her grace, her presence felt overbearing. Kouga's lip tightened; his tendency to burst out in haste was bound by one look from the woman's piercing green eyes.

Who is that? Kouga took a few slow extra steps. He was curious, but didn't reach far. The woman's forehead was highlighted by a viny pattern, and Kouga had a feeling he was about to approach someone out of league with him. Eden stepped next to his friend. His eyes narrowed.

"That Cosmos," he said, "I felt it before." Kouga looked at Eden, surprised. He had a funny feeling in his gut when he saw the woman, but didn't think too deeply of it.

"Kouga, Eden, you're here," Athena's voice was soothing as usual; it was not hidden that she longed to see her Saints and "adoptive son". Despite the inexplicable tension, she gave out a gentle smile.

"I am glad. I'm glad that you're safe." Now Kouga, hearing relief from Athena, definitely knew there was something wrong.

"Miss Saori! What's the matter? Who is that woman?!" Kouga finally asked. Athena's face turned melancholy.

"That must be our malefactor," said Shaina. She advanced ahead of Kouga and Eden, the other Silver Saints following her. Her stride was confident.

"There have been reports of Saints being attacked," she said, "when Athena sent us to investigate a new presence during the Winter equinox. Some didn't return." Shaina's words confirmed to Kouga, to his dismay, that there was a new conflict for the Saints.

"I was attacked as well. When I was, among the fighting, I thought I saw a strange shadow, or maybe an illusion of a woman with long white hair. You fit the description!" Twitching her hand, an electric current flicked between Shaina's sharp nails. Her intent was towards the mysterious woman. She then halted as she felt a touch.

"Hey, don't worry Shaina," Hound Miguel said, having placed a hand on Shaina's shoulder, "we'll handle this!" The Hound Saint's grinned widely. A bellicose guy was someone of his word, and he moved right in front of Shaina, followed by Bayer.

"Here's the reins!" Bootes Bayer raised an arm and the strands across his wrist writhed around Miguel's own wrist. Fire streaked across the ribbons, setting it ablaze.

The white-haired woman only let out a humph. "This only makes things a lot easier for me," she said.

"Menkar, Bayer, let's charge!" Miguel ordered with lively confidence.

"Be careful guys," Shaina said.

The woman turned to fully face the Saints. She was not fazed at the slightest.

"Besides, I do need the key." Coming from her dry, fearless voice made her words ominous.

"And the key's life," she continued, "needs to be empty first." After her words, there was a soft sound, the cracking of stone or metal. Everything was still; only the wind blew.

"Guo!" A hoarse gurgle from a voice.

"S-Sh…" Koga's words were stuck. He widened his eyes; Eden had the same expression, completely shocked. Miguel's grin did not wane, as his fist engulfed in flame slipped through the cuirass of Shaina.

"Uooooo!" Collecting his breath, Menkar lunged behind Shaina and fastened her with both of his heavy arms.

"Kaitos Spouting Bomber! Ha!" With that one cry, Menkar heaved her and the Ophiuchus Saint was propelled fast into the air. Shaina grunted loud, surprised by the cosmic force that suddenly shot through her back. Her gut then reversed; at the same amount of force and speed, she was dropping. A whistling sound of her falling cut the air.

"Shaina!" Seiya cried out, and lunged towards the Silver Saints. He soared past the unknown woman, and suddenly his body spiraled into another direction.

"Guah!" Seiya struck a column next to Athena's statue.

"Don't interfere, Sagittarius Seiya, or should I say Pegasus Seiya?" The woman said calmly, her black mantle rippling from the gust she felt from Seiya passing her.

Shaina's body crashed hard into the stone ground, sending up dust and the noise of pounds of marble being destroyed in an instant.

Menkar grinned, and then laughed. "Heh heh, Shaina how does it feel being crushed by one-hundred and eighty tons of gravitational pull?" The Whale Saint crossed his arms, looking smug. When the smoke cleared, Shaina was seen spread-eagled in a crater.

The white-haired woman closed her eyes and softly uttered, "Good."

"What do you three think you're doing?!" Eden sprung forward, and threw a punch at Whale Menkar. He was without his Cloth, but that didn't hinder his resolve as a Saint. A companion was harmed, and Athena was betrayed right in front of her eyes. Menkar turned and grabbed Eden's fist.

"What?!" Eden observed Menkar's cloth underneath the mantle. His silver Cloth sparkled, and was warped into a pitch black hue.

Kouga felt his mouth trembling. He lost feeling in his legs and his knees dropped to the ground. He couldn't move, and his eyes were fixed on the crater. The body in the crater was motionless, and it shook Kouga's hope. He hoped to avoid the situation, and hoped that everything would turn out for the better, but it all seemed unlikely. The sight of it all sent a tremor inside his chest, and his eyes became welled with heavy tears.

Unable to contain his emotions, Pegasus Kouga, with a face expressing fear, let out a scream of anguish. "MISS SHAINA!!!"

Chapter Text

"Their Cloths!" Eden pulled away his fist, stopped against Whale's Menkar's hand like an impregnable wall. He backpedaled and squinted at the three Silver Saints. Bootes Bayer, Whale Menkar, and Hound Miguel cackled like mad men in a bar, and shrugged off their mantles.

Their armors luster like chromium, but a color like the night's sky during a new moon cast its color upon the Silver Saints. Eden's eyes widened, and whether it was his blood, as the son of a God, or something else, he didn't have an inkling of a doubt on what he must do.

"Whale, Bootes, Hound." While a calm spectator, Athena felt dread.

Menkar's bulked arm flew in Orion's direction. A Saint's fist did not confuse an enemy, and the force of the Whale intended to kill. A radiant glow flashed between Eden and Menkar, a wave of pressure rippling out like an explosion.

"Tonitruī Saltan!" Eden uttered the words to summon his constellation's technique. Menker groaned, his fist grazing off an orb sizzling of electric energy. The orb burst, flinging the Silver Saint back. Whale slid on his heels and straightened his posture, and his arms crossing expressed that even Orion's thunder was futile.

"Nothing hunts against a whale." Menkar said with a confident grin. Eden scowled and crooked his body into a fighting posture. A violet aura brimmed around him, his heart calling the Cosmos. A thunderous roar echoed shortly afterward and without a single gesture, a Pandora Box appeared. It split apart, and a white Cloth with violet highlights wrapped around Eden.

"Menkar," Eden spoke smoothly, the Cosmos around him splitting from his body, forming in a ring. A ring of orbs shining with lightning energy; Eden stared at Whale Menkar with a stinging gleam that confronted a foe.

"You will pay for what you just did." Along with the gleam, Eden, a Bronze Saint, spoke with a certainty of victory. The orbs trembled violently, and with a swing of Eden's arms, the orbs stretch out into bolts of lightning, wrapping into a lancing beam. The sight of it belied the coolness of Orion Eden.

"Tonitruī, Fera Caelos!"

"Grand Fang!" A shadow suddenly bounded over Menkar, digging a foot into the ground. A large clump of marble suddenly rose above ground and took Eden's Fara Caelos, scattering a mist of debris. An explosion like of heavy artillery fire landing inside of a hectic battlefield resounded above Athena's Temple.

"I should expect a God's son to be strong, but you don't underestimate us Silver Saints!" A wide smile splitting his face, Hound Miguel emerged from the debris cover, eyes surging with a belligerent desire.

"I ain't scared of you God kid, not when I've seen death with my very own eyes!" The Hound closed his hand around Eden's throat, and Orion's feet left the ground. His body arched overhead from one single heave, and he was launched midair. Eden sprung around, and was met by Miguel's flurry of punches.

The white-haired woman observed the actions of Eden and Miguel for only a short while, her eyes falling back to Whale and Bootes.

"Menkar, Bayer, retrieve the Ophiuchus Saint at once. Bring her." Her words were heavy with an exalting quality, and the two Silver Saints lifted a cry of compliance, lacking any deception in loyalty. Why?!

Menkar and Bayer crouched down next to Shaina's motionless body. The Whale Saint scooped her, and he next heard the faint sound of sprinting feet. A punch crashed into Menkar's face.

"You bastards!" It was none other than Kouga. A silver light swelled from his body like a beating heart, and the force from his fist made Menkar's arms taut. Shaina was left alone for now. Their Cosmos flaring, Kouga and Menkar entered a grapple. It could be seen from a distance that the Cosmos of Pegasus blended with the Black Cloths of the Silver Saints like a monochromatic painting

"Why did you do that to Miss Shaina?!" Kouga was shorter in stature, but he looked up at Menkar with a brazen fury that that did not discriminate hierarchy. It suited the one who faced and wounded Gods in every Saint generation; even Seiya faced virtually any opponents, including his fellow Gold Saints. Menkar's feet drifted back from the lithe Kouga pushing him, and away from Shaina's body.

"Not so fast, Pegasus!" Bootes flung his three reigns, wrapping them around Kouga's waist and neck. He strained as he pulled. The Pegasus Saint would not budge.

"Come, Pegasus!" Kouga cried out. Another Pandora Box, pristine like the Cosmos covering Kouga, materialized and opened to reveal a metallic-looking model of a winged horse. The horse broke apart and donned over Kouga; his Cloth sprouted feathery wings at the back. Bayer felt a strength shuddering him, and his feet began to slide against the ground as Kouga pushed Menkar.

"No Bronze is a match for us!" Bayer yanked at his crimson reigns, and they snapped. A passing electric current slashed them in half. Orion Eden, while in his bout with Miguel on the ground, found an opening and sent his Cosmos from his finger to aid Kouga. That sacrificed some attention on Miguel, and the Hound Saint, swift as a rodent, sent a kick in Orion's gut. Eden's pupils dilated, and Miguel used the same foot to slam the ground again.

"Grand Fang!"

"Ugh!" A chunk of marble propelled Eden into a pillar.

"Eden!" Kouga pulled away from Menkar's hands. He no longer felt Bayer's reigns tugging him, and his arms began to drift in a wavy motion.

"Rise, Cosmos! Pegasus Ryuseiken!" The Pegasus Saint threw a punch and unleashed his passion in a form of a cosmic flurry. Menkar was blinded by the speed of bright meteors rushing towards him, and they land on him, jerking his bulky body. It was enough to only make him withdraw to the white-haired woman; she had beckoned them to her side.

"The new Pegasus serving Athena," she said. At her far peripheral, she saw the Gold Saint Sagittarius Seiya on his knees at a distance, and could only think with rancor at how the boundless indiscretion of Pegasus continued to thrive.

"You lost your friend, now lose your Goddess. Miguel, Bayer, Menkar!"

"Yes!" At the woman's command, the three Silver Saints in black spun around and made a beeline for their former Goddess.

"Athena! Prepare to die!" They said in unison.

"Miss Saori!" Seiya rushed over to the Silver Saints, and much faster than any feet came a rain of gold upon Bayer, Menkar, and Miguel.

Chapter Text

The Goddess Athena stood rigid, perhaps from fear or from a strong level of conviction one needed to face fate.

A voice rose, an illusion of a constellation enclosing Athena and her attackers.

"Atomic Thunderbolt!" Between the black-stained Silver Saints and the goddess was a golden flash. Just like a lightning bolt, one could only blink and it was gone, followed by a roar from the atmosphere. Within a trained eye, or the perception of the divine, threads of light dappled the area. Whale Menkar, Bootes Bayer, and Hound Miguel were pummeled across the air. A flurry of golden bullets rain down on the Silvers, striking them from all sides like furious fists. The light speed fist of a Gold Saint left the treacherous Silver Saints writhing on the ground.

It had to be death for them next; but in the next moment, the Silver Saints arose stubbornly, chortles slipping from them as they lurched back onto their feet. Their faces were dark.

"That should've stopped them," said Sagittarius Seiya, "and their Cloths – their Cloths reflect the Underworld, but how can that be?"

After the array of Cosmos had calmed, Seiya lowered his fist and locked his eyes on the brilliant white-haired woman, and she answered back with her own verdant gaze filled with an imperious energy. Sagittarius's expression did not falter; his nerves always stood against a difficult situation.

"You are right Golden Pegasus," The rancor unveiled itself, filling the woman's words as she spoke. "Those are Surplice. I had your brothers killed."

The woman's reply elicited a shocking impression from Seiya.

"And I will," she continued, "keep doing so – as punishment."

"Surplice?!" Seiya retorted. He wanted to question the woman, but his mind blanked from a wave of agitation that he felt. The woman showed a smile, breaking her frigid countenance, and it conveyed a depth of wickedness that made everyone present at Athena's temple anxious.

"Golden Pegasus, Sagittarius Seiya, life and death are in balance of each other. This should not come off as surprising from his sister."

"That's—" Suddenly, Seiya clutched his chest and doubled over. A pain swelled inside him instantly, while at the same time his mind evoked a series of images. Ivory temples encompassing a garden layered by paperwhites, changing into a cascade of red that splashed over the heavenly image; the blood trickled from a large Greek water jar; Seiya saw a head – the head of a woman with long violet hair; the onyx glint from a bladed weapon. Seiya grabbed his head, groaning.

"Seiya?!" Kouga called to him in concern. "What's wrong?!"

"How does it feel Seiya? Do you feel the despondency of losing someone close to you? Or mayhap you are remembering something? Then understand, understand your crime and Athena's. For ridding the Underworld, the path to death will not be stabilized. But that is not why I do this, least not entirely. This is not why I personally feel pain."

It was a monologue of guilt often preached from God to mortal when the latter committed the sin of defying the vessels of the Mythological Age.

The woman slowly paced towards Seiya, continuing her talk. "While I may make nature fulfilling and prosperous, even I have, in this side of the world, the curse of being a forlorn mother. I already told you: Athena's Saints are criminals and deserve be executed. They imbalance the world more than enough, and you are the most destructive criminal of them all Seiya!" Her voice shook, narrowly holding back passion.

"That gives you no right to kill them!" A young voice rose in protest, and the woman seized in her tracks. She turned to see the defiant eyes of Kouga. It was to be expected from Athena's guardian. Eden was back on his feet and stood by Kouga's side.

"And not only did you kill Menkar, Miguel, and Bayer, you attacked Miss Shaina as well! Why would you call us criminals?" Kouga was brash as usual, and he believed what Shaina had said, ready to charge the white-haired woman. One look at his instructor's motionless body made him tremble with anger. He held back thoughts about the worse.

"What's with the racket up here?" called the gruff voice of a man. Ascending the stairs from the temple was a tall individual with a dark, heavy cassock. Gold highlighted the cassock at the collar, moving down the sleeves; a gold helmet adorned with wings, a pair of rosaries around the neck, it was the vestige of a true holy character.

"The one who holds the will of the Goddess, The Pope of the Sanctuary." The woman understood immediately.

"Heh, Hound Hollow!" Without warning or instruction, Miguel leapt high into the air. He stretched out his leg in a diving kick towards the Pope's face.

Precisely, his foot connected with the Pope's raised finger, and the Hound Saint grimaced. He heard a sound like a snapped twig.

"Uwaaaa!" Miguel crumpled to the ground, curling into a fetal position. He tightly grabbed his heel; the Silver Saint looked like a pathetic broken man.

"I think I broke your calcaneus, didn't I?" The Pope said, bending his fingers. The bones in his knuckles crack sharply. His face, or rather his eyes were shrouded in an enigmatic shade, but his gaze could never be averted. He looked at the woman.

"I believe there's a phrase that describes this very well: 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned?' am I right?. I know where this is going. Are you up for a fight, Goddess of Harvest?"

Chapter Text

"Goddess of Harvest?"

"So, it is a God after all." Eden said matter-of-factly, while Kouga pondered over the woman's intention. The woman was a cold beauty with rich apparel, but her actions against the Saints and her lament belied her divine identity. Those, however, were the thoughts of a naïve, ignorant boy.

The Goddess of Harvest Demeter was known, if provoked even the slightest, to turn anyone, God or man, into animals as punishment, or fasten heavy boulders against their limbs so that they wouldn't move. She even brought forth a famine to the entire world; she reproached Earth, assailing it in such a way just because her bosom was fragile.

"I was just telling Athena that I did not come to personally cleanse the world like the gods before," Demeter said to the Pope. She paced around freely as she spoke. "Your crimes are vast, as you raised your fists against gods countless times. However, I've always punished the ones who harmed my true love. The agony, in order to stop this agony I feel, I must restore balance to life and death. It is the same as the sun and moon."

"Agony? I don't understand!" Koga interrupted. "What did we do?! What are you going to do?"

The goddess only gave a simple statement: "I am going to restore the Underworld," She said. Those words brought a feeling of dread to Kouga, and he still didn't understand why, especially when the Goddess of Harvest herself was for such a seemingly contrary goal. So much that she had to kill three Silver Saints. According to Shaina, many Saints were being attacked.

"No, I won't let you," muttered a soft voice. A bright Cosmos slowly rippled around Sagittarius Seiya, and then it sprouted into a torrent of flame. His wings stretch out.

"I swear on this Gold Cloth, I won't let you, Demeter!" Seiya straightened his body, and his eyes burned as he looked at the white-haired goddess.

Surprised, Demeter distanced; her blackened Silver Saints bounced back into action, launching towards Seiya. Miguel scrambled on his arms and other working foot to make momentum for his leap.

"Menkar, Bayer, Miguel, I'm sorry. Atomic Thunderbolt!" The golden volley returned, and the result was the same as before. Whale, Hound, and Bootes lie on the ground battered and still. Demeter's eyes widened; perhaps her control wasn't the greatest, but she saw that this time her slaves had expired. They became ash and wafted out from the temple roof.

"I won't let you revive the Underworld! No matter what! If that happens, you will bring darkness upon us all. Not only that, not only that, Athena! Miss Saori!" Enflamed by his power, Seiya's body shook and he slowly advanced on the Goddess of Harvest. He seemed befuddled, but Kouga and everyone else sensed some kind of agony.

"Seiya, please!"

Seiya's movement suddenly seized, and his Cosmos and feelings calmed. He felt her arms against his back.

"That's enough Seiya." Athena's imploring voice was like a melody, characteristic for the goddess who showed great compassion for her Saints.

"Please don't anger her." Even Athena knew of the infamous tales about Demeter, but she didn't have fear.

"Killing your own friends," Demeter breathed; she spoke in a manner as if she felt sorry for a poor soul. The direct insult towards Seiya indicated her restored composure. Athena moved from behind the Sagittarius Saint and gazed at the other goddess.

"Demeter, we traveled to the Underworld to prevent Hades from completing his Greatest Eclipse," Athena said, her tone pleading for understanding. "Even if he shed tears towards what was ugly on Earth, we couldn't allow him to destroy it. An eternal winter would've befallen on all life, the life that you nurture."

Demeter said nothing; Athena was telling the truth.

"You should know well," the Goddess of Justice continued, "that life is the most important gift that humans possess."

Demeter closed her eyes before speaking. "It is the point of the Holy War: Those whose warriors who conquer the other get to choose the fate of the world. It is only divine decree as it happens every several centuries. If life dies, it is reborn under another ruler and nothing more. It is possible that the war with Hades will resume. It is out of consequence for what I plan to do, I'm afraid. I figured that you would want to stop me, so I took extra steps. I can't let you interfere."

"But why? For him?" Athena asked.

"No, for her." With those few words, the Goddess of Harvest crinkled her brow. "This is what I've decided: To quell my anger for losing my loved one, and to make sure you don't erase the Underworld again, I should destroy your Saints." Demeter then opened her eyes and took steps towards Shaina.

"Particularly her, so that I can get the key."

"Well well, if that's the case, come and bring your goons." The Pope finally spoke up. He strode next to Seiya and Athena. Uncanny for a majestic-looking man was his smile, a wide crooked smile. "You want a Holy War, then you got one! Come at us so we can break your bones!" The Goddess of Harvest stopped and spun around.

"You are wretched!" Demeter snapped, her face flaring. Hearing such disrespect from a figure standing in for Athena was enough to make her skin crawl. She almost wanted to kill him.

"I get that a lot," The Pope's grin was clean underneath his dark visage. "but you know what? Nothing's more wretched then one looking down on others and making them suffer. For killing Whale, Hound, Bootes, and Ophiuchus, I should break your bones lady!"

"You are a true reflection of scum on this planet! I have no idea how a battle-obsessed man like you became Pope. You're so ugly that I want to know this: When you're friends die, will you feel sadness?"

Suddenly, Athena let out a light gasp. She looked up, her face was filled with worry.

"The Cosmos are fluctuating."

"Athena?" Seiya looked with concern.

"Lionet….Cygnus…Dragon…Gemini…something is happening." It was the sign of a goddess sensing that her fellow companions were in danger – enveloped in great pain or tottering on the bridge towards death.

"It begins Athena. Can you bring your Saints together?" Demeter smiled.

Chapter Text

Once again, a war sneaked upon peace.

Two divine belligerents. An agricultural goddess, Demeter – her infamous anger, which brought stampedes and mudslides upon many, was no longer witnessed as a myth. She sought to restore the Underworld.

A pure goddess, Athena – her heart seemed to ache, and having faced various enemies in the past, seeing her feel uneasy was nothing out of the ordinary. As her foe welcomed war, where were the rest of her Saints?

"Left, right, left right! Stick with the rhythm, everyone!"

"Keep up with the great Master Ichi!"

The sounds of synchronized training echoed above the school of Saints: Pallestra, a camp endorsed by the Kido Foundation to supply the Sanctuary's martial capacity. Pallestra simulated the Sanctuary, sharing its Greek image. Outside the school there was even the semi-spherical theater where the training was taking place. At first, Pallestra served only as a home for the children who possessed the eighty-eight constellations, but now it combined with the genius of Steel Saint technology.

Lionet Souma stood in a readied stance and launched his fists in steady, left-right jabs. He paused and took a step forward before another jab. "Yah! Put weight into that leg! Let's go Emma, Josh, keep going!"

A while after, Souma took a break. Joined by Ichi, he climbed the theater's highest rows of seats. From there, the panoramic view only made him admire his students more.

"Ha! Ha! Haaa!" The students' voices boomed above the theater, and Souma and Ichi watch their students being well coordinated in their exercise.

"Hey hey Souma, why do they fight so hard?" Scratching his brow, Ichi also observed the Steel Saints. "It's not like they can burn Cosmos," he added.

"Heheh." Even at such a question, Lionet Souma kept his bright personality. It reflected in his flame-like image. He puffed his chest out and gave his instruction partner a grin. He felt nothing but pride for his students, ignoring their shortcomings as Steel Saints.

"It's like asking why fight in war?" He said. "Faith. They have reasons to protect."

"Yeah yeah," Ichi nodded his head. "I guess."

"It's Emma and a few others who survived the Pallasbeda war. Their hard work inspires others offhand," said Souma. From a higher place, the outlook of the training was ordinary.

Then, there was an explosion and a cloud of dust from the theater. Loud screams followed afterward.

"What the!?" Ichi and Souma immediately rushed down the set of seats towards the commotion. Emma, a blond-haired girl in a red training uniform, stood in front of the other students in a defensive stance. The kids slowly backed away. Emerging from the cloud was a figure shrouded in a black hood and cloak. It raised its arm towards the students, a gesture foretelling danger.

In between the youths and the dark figure was a wave of white – the lash of a long white mane.

"No one harms the students!" One of the teachers made it in time, and swiftly threw a punch at the cloaked figure. "OF THE GREAT ICHI!"

The punch was caught by the cloak's hand. Ichi grunted, then his mouth stretched into a grin showing confidence.

"Heh, this makes it easier. Mellow Poison!" Suddenly, a piece of armor appeared on Ichi's arm. A gauntlet with small openings on the knuckle guards. Sprouting from the holes were spikes, and Ichi could hear the sound of ringing metal. His Hydra Fangs pierced into metal.

Ichi guffawed. "How does it feel? My fangs poison?"

Souma reached the base of the theater, at first observing. The students weren't hurt and he believed that Ichi fully apprehended the enemy. An intruder that passed Pallestra's barrier, he wondered. There was a terrible feeling boiling in his gut. That was not possible for a standard intruder. He tried to calm his worries as he watched Ichi.

"The Hydra's bite is a myth." The cloaked figure finally spoke. It was the cool voice of a woman. Suddenly, a bright red wedge flashed in front of the figure, and the air above the theater reverberated with Ichi's scream.

"Master Ichi!" shouted the Steel Saint students. Ichi slowly stumbled back, his mouth gaping open. His ghastly face trembled, even his pale eyes wrinkled as his body underwent some tremendous pain.

"Ichi!" Souma finally lunged, and made up his mind about the intruder's intentions. He exploded with flame, Cosmos covering his entire body. Closing in, he brought back his right fist.

"Lionet BOMBER!" Throwing his entire weight into a punch, Souma struck the figure. A direct hit with a fiery explosion that could easily signify the defeat of the enemy. The smoke cleared, revealing the two Pallestra instructors and the figure-in-cloak. Souma slowly backed away. On his face was the look of utter shock. His attack was useless. The cloak was mostly burnt and tattered from the Lionet attack. It continued to smolder like a cinder, eating away the fabric.

"Your fire is cool, and the Hydra's bite is a myth like I said," the woman voice said. The dark cloak collapsed, the same time as the body of Hydra Ichi. Blood pooled underneath Hydra from a small orifice in his chest.

The once-cloaked figure smiled at the shocked Souma, having more to say. "But, the sting of the Scorpion is more real, and hotter than anything."

"What?!" Souma's voice was without doubt filled with disbelief. His attack didn't work, which wouldn't leave him shaken usually. There had been many cases of his attacks being warded off by a mighty enemy. This was different. The force of shock had hit Souma after his attack, when he noticed the silky strands of hair from under the hood. Long, flowing pink hair. When the cloak was gone, a woman was indeed revealed. She was wrapped in black, sparkling armor.

"What have you done to Master Ichi!?" A voice cried out. It broke Souma out of his daze, and he saw someone fly right past him. One of the students, a boy with black hair.

"Josh! No!" Souma cried.

"Master Ichi, Master Souma, I will show you the fruits of our training!" Josh's face was wrenched with anger and his fist connected with the woman's cuirass. Like the training, or beyond, Josh sped up his left and right jabs, pounding on the armor. He did not pull back.

"You can't become truly strong unless you know how to bear scars." The woman already indicated Josh's weakness. She stood there, unfazed by the blows. Then, in an unseen movement of speed, she stopped the boy. Josh could not fathom what happened. His barrage was suddenly halted by some writing pain in his wrist, and then he looked down, seeing the woman's finger in his chest.

The woman glowered and pulled back his finger, showing an elongated red nail. "Does it hurt? Know your place."

"JOSH!" Souma screamed again, seeing a stream of blood splurting from Josh's body. The student dropped hard on his face.

Chapter Text

"Lionet Souma. In the name of the mother goddess, I've come for your life." The woman's low voice conveyed the air of a grim reaper. Cool, calculating, a figure creeping behind a life to indiscriminately take it. Piercing eyes as green as the sea, beautiful yet cold and unfriendly. She looked hardened like a warrior. To complement that fearsome appearance, her black armor looked jagged, covering the majority of her body.

Souma said nothing, lowering his head. He couldn't absorb the situation clearly. He looked over to Josh and Ichi's fallen bodies, and the image of the blood that spurted out of Josh repeated in his mind.

"From now and through the afterlife," the woman continued, "you will bear the death of your friends and family, just as I did. This is the price of weakness." The pink haired woman looked down at the boy she had just took out, and then back at Souma.

"Yes, just like this Josh, and just like your father," she said.

"What do you think you're doing," Souma mumbled as he looked down at his toes. His vision blurred due to a tremble going through him. His blood boiled down to his toes.

Then, his body moved impetuously.

"SONIA!" The screaming Souma lunged towards the woman. His arm stretched out, and a funnel of flame sprouted from his fist. A heatwave from Souma's Cosmos circulate the entire theater. The Steel Saint students lift their arms across their faces, their clothes rippling.

"It's Master Souma's Lionet Burning Fire," said Emma. "It's huge!"

"Does Master Souma know her?" asked another student. The Burning Fire was usually a ranged projectile sized as the hand's own diameter, no more or less. However, Souma expanded his Cosmos and the attack, much like a true flame, got bigger and wider. The Burning Fire hit its mark and the target was completely engulfed.

Sonia swayed her arm once and neutralized the flame.

"These flames. I remember them like it was yesterday. These flames of revenge. For some reason, it's not enough." It felt like being chided. It was to be expected from the former Gold Saint who served Mars, and then honored after death. Scorpio Sonia was, by title, the Gold Saint that led through Judgment and Discipline. A big sister with a cool tone, she had this portrayal of one who must give direction. As a Scorpio, following in her descendants' footsteps faithfully, her actions were quite rough when confronting a foe.

"Lionet!" At his call, a flurry of light rays emerged from a distance and hit Souma. In a blink, panels of orange armor attached to his body. A cat like helmet covered his head. Donning his Cloth, he wasted no time to close in. Both Lionet and Scopio stopped each other; they were eye to eye, in a grapple to tranquil their fists.

"It's no mistake! Your Cloth is different, but you really are Sonia. Explain this now! How the hell is it that you're alive?! Why are you attacking us?" Souma spoke with an anger that exceeded his confusion. Indeed, Scorpio Sonia died in battle along with her mental conflicts, but she and Souma had fought many times before in the past. He could not forget her face; when Sonia attacked Ichi and Josh in cold blood, it triggered Souma and suppressed his sentimentality. He tried to wrench his arm away from her grip, his body shaking.

"My pride." Scorpio said with a smile. "A second chance. As a Gold Saint, I fight at the highest faith and duty."

"You're attacking your friends! That's being treacherous!"

"I serve someone who experiences a lot of pain. I am revived to ease that pain because I understand a tender heart. That is what I was told. So, I agreed on my revival, and I kill."

"You're doing this on purpose?!" Souma could not believe that was her true feelings.

"Since we were enemies in the past Lionet Souma, since I killed your father, isn't this easy to do? To turn against you?"

The hair in the back of Souma's neck bristled. "And do you think that I'll forgive you for what you just did?!"

Both Saints jumped back and distanced themselves. A fiery aura surrounded Souma as he flexed his limbs.

"You! Sonia, my friends…" He believed to have put his feelings for Sonia aside, knowing her difficulties, but his past was spurred and he couldn't tell if his Cosmos was reacting to the thought of getting back at her regardless, or to force her to explain her actions. In the back of his mind, he also thought it was meant to be. Would Sonia ever truly be a likable friend? She was a true Gold Saint: Since there were twelve in all, what made the Gold Saints interesting was how they contrasted one another in viewing justice.

"That's right, become angry Souma." Scorpio Sonia lifted her hand at eye level. The nail on her index finger extended, glowing red.

"Uooooooo!" Souma crouched and pushed his body weight forward. "LIONET BOMBER!"

The Lionet Saint lunged again, this time as a bullet of flame to ram into Sonia. Scorpio Sonia charged at her foe, her hand raised. Her feet lifted off the ground, and she leaped past the flaming Saint, swiping him. A tilting red thread of light followed her fingernail. Souma saw it with his peripheral.

Suddenly, his body yanked back in mid-air. "GUH!"

Sonia's crimson nail sparked, and Souma felt his body being pierced from head to toe. Then, he felt his neck being squeezed. Sonia clenched Souma's throat within her claw-like grip, and swung him into the ground.

Without worries of neglect and hate bounding her heart, in this day and age Scorpio Sonia was a forceful beast.

Chapter Text

Lionet Souma – A friendly boy once blighted with vengeance. Attacked by a former nemesis, that feeling of rancor returned without a second's thought. Like his battle brothers Kouga and Eden, Souma endured the same despair of seeing friends get brutally hurt.

Scorpio Sonia – Behind her deadly surface hid a tender side that only wanted to be embraced by beloved ones and good memories. Now, with the blot of Mars and his army gone, Sonia put aside her insecurities and fought like a Saint with unbridled Cosmos. She defended a goddess, but it was not Athena?!

The northern lands were known for its biting cold and, shrouded behind hazy mountains and frigid forests, its civil war. A man wearing a long hooded anorak, suitable for the arctic lands set in the far ends of the hemispheres, carried two wooden boxes in his mittens. He sat down on a flat-topped rock and opened the boxes, which revealed two rolled up parchments. One scroll was vellum covered in plastic. The other was ivory with a golden round seal. Furthermore, standing by his leg was a large white box with shoulder straps. The depiction of a long-necked bird was sculpted in each side of the box. Another Pandora Box.

The man would first unfurl the vellum scroll, revealed to be a letter. He would read it first.

"Hi Hyouga,

It's been a while since I wrote to you. I hope that you are doing well. I never thought that training could turn out to be so tough, but the more I did it, the more determined I became. This must be destiny Hyouga, since we've been friends for a long time. I don't know if I'll be of any used to you in the future. I wish I had a master like yours, Hyouga, but I do have very good trainers. And, they look up to you. One day Hyouga, we will rebuild the village. Take care."

Sincerely, Jakov."

The man felt a wind pass by, blowing back his hood, and brushing his long strands of blonde hair over his face. The cool wouldn't bother him; after he took in the letter's contents to heart, he was warmed, and Cygnus Hyouga smiled. He placed the letter back into the box to preserve it, and turned his attention to the next parchment. Upon touching the golden seal to remove it, a surge went up his fingers. He could feel something tangible, sharper then Siberia's cold, prickle the hands behind his mittens.

"Cosmos," he muttered softly, and slid off the seal to open the pristine scroll. Hyouga's eyes widened. The ink was in a cursive smoothed by the tip of a quill, and in golden letters was scribed the word "ordination". In his head, Hyouga read the phrase that stuck out to him the most. At the bottom of the letter read, "Axios! Synkentróno! Induction to the Golden Round."

The letter was from the new Pope. Hyouga have never met the Sanctuary's new leader, but heard that he carried an aspect similar to the previous one. The Pope that Hyouga rebelled against to save the goddess Athena by ascending the Twelve Temples. However, that was not his current worry.

If I go to the Temple, I will have to withdraw from Siberia, thought Hyouga. His face crinkled. He also knew that if he didn't oblige, it would be considered an act of rebellion. Hyouga wanted to focus on a task at hand, something that hit home, and felt was a part of his duty as a soldier of justice. It took a short moment, however, to realize that he could negotiate his intentions to the Sanctuary. He nodded to his thought and lifted from the stone, packing the scroll away. Suddenly, something fell on his shoulder.

"Hyouga?" In a Siberian Winter, a baritone chilled Hyouga. He felt a hand, and turned to see who was behind him. A bright spark entered the corner of his eye. Hyouga, after turning around completely, faced the hard gleam of a man covered in glistering gold. The man's long hair was blue as a sea.

"What?" Hyouga's shock devoid him any conscious of logic and sense. He would not question a thing. "Master?!"

"Indeed Hyoga, I stand before you," the man replied.

"It must be fate," said Hyouga, "or a hint." His master Aquarius Camus, having died twice, stood before him.

Chapter Text

"Hyouga, Athena wants to congregate the Twelve Gold Saints once more, or near to that," said Camus. "The Cloth of Aquarius calls you. I know it. Your journey thus far can attest to that."

Cygnus and Aquarius walked side by side together, a sure sign of their mutual respect. As they did, Hyouga quietly mused after his master's words. Under the auspices of Athena or some other God, Hyouga wondered, was a specter sent to him for guidance?

"Indeed, much time has passed," said Camus, "so I came to tell you that your power will bring about justice." Hyouga and Camus reached near a cliff, facing the wide Arctic Ocean stretching past the horizon. It was a mesmerizing view, and it gave Hyouga a sunken feeling in the heart. It was a feeling where he would have to leave something important, again. It was not Cygnus's type to hesitate.

"Two of my old friends joined the Temples and have guided Athena through the last war against Pallas and Saturn diligently. I just wonder why now?" said Hyouga.

Camus closed his eyes and replied, "Why not now?"

"The Cygnus Cloth has yet to find a successor. My friend is training, and if I leave for the Temples, I will leave my mission," said Hyouga. Camus said nothing after his student's words, but it was only for a short moment. He continued to usher Hyouga towards what was right.

"I believe that Athena wants your power. It is probably for a reason closer than we believe," he said.

"Master?" Hyouga looked at Aquarius Camus with stern eyes. "Do you mean a new threat?"

"If it ails you that much, return here after inheriting the Cloth." Camus then opened his eyes and turned to his student. "Do not trouble the Sanctuary over emotions."

Hyouga ceased his thoughts; they were pointless, and he knew that he should've known better. Then, his foot dropped.

"Hyouga!" Camus, seeing his student fall under the cliff rock, which cracked and gave way suddenly, swiftly curved over and grabbed Hyouga's arm.

"Are you all right?" The Gold Saint asked.

"Yes Master. Thank you." After catching a few breaths, Hyouga looked up at Camus and smiled. His feet dangled a far distance above the Arctic Ocean; in other words, he was going to plunge into the deep sea if Camus's grasp slipped.

"Of course Hyouga," Camus smiled back. A rare sight from the Gold Saint, and it was warming. "For a moment there, I got what I wanted."

"What you wanted, Master?" Hyouga squinted, confused.

"I wanted to see it." Camus tightened his grip and pulled up Hyouga right up to his face level. They were eye to eye, and Hyouga widened his eyes. Unlike the warm smile before, which amounted to an affectionate trust between master and student, especially a master known for his apathetic visage and strictness, Aquarius Camus's mouth drew out a wide grin. It was an abnormal sight to see Camus's face broken from calmness.

"I wanted to see…what your face would look like when filled with despair." The words from the Aquarius Saint made Hyouga blank completely that he did not realize he dropped under the edge of the cliff. Camus let go of his hand, and it was the fall's gravity churning Hyouga's stomach that awakened him.

He didn't understand at all.

"Master!" Hyouga's voice cried out in an echo, his body plunging towards the water. He looked up and was further confused. He saw his Master; then, his senses picked up a change in the Cosmos. His Master's Cosmos. A ghostly visual appeared behind Camus, manifesting as an Antikythera dial with gears and two large hands. A clock.

"Master's Cosmos disappeared. Wait, who are you?!" Then, the cold water hit Hyouga.

"Simple. As expected from a weakling like you, Hyouga." said Camus. A hand on the clock apparition behind him shifted, and then Camus changed. Gold strands entered his long hair; his Cloth, morphed from gold to black.

"Now, it's time for your doom as well." Camus, or rather the new man, a blond-haired man, turned from the cliff and walked away.

"Yes, I am coming for you, Haruto."

Chapter Text

According to Shaina, Athena's Saints were being attacked globally, and some didn't return. Their Cosmos truly disappeared. Some, including the remaining Gold Saints, were sent to investigate different strange incidents. Incidents such as little flower demons called "Hellebore", which attach to humans and posses them. Those possessed by Hellebore attack and infect other humans. They can also poison the water supply.

"To use children." Wearing casual clothing and a thin topcoat, Integra was in pursuit of a little boy controlled by a Hellebore. So far, her cool Cosmos managed to extract a few others possessions without putting any harm on the vessels, but the one she was currently chasing was a stubborn one. The demon was potent enough to distance even a Saint. A Gold Saint at that.

Giggling, the boy scampered up a fence, bounding over with inhuman speed before Integra could reach it. Integra's fingers grasped the steel lattice, and she stared at the back of the boy. The child looked over his shoulder, his mouth stretching from cheek to cheek into a grin. Integra gasped. Looking back at her were glowing red eyes; a demonic-looking umbra suddenly replaced the boy's figure. When a Hellebore was in possession for too long, they changed their vessels' bodies into a reddish, near-black color. However, that only happened many days after drinking water and absorbing sunlight. Integra only saw the possession happen today and was truly shocked.

"So lady, what is your favorite sound?" Being controlled by a Hellebore, the boy's voice modulated with an eerie echo. It rang like a tune, teasing the Gold Saint.

"I will not answer such questions. Remove yourself from that child." Even when demanding, Integra kept her tone suppressed from emotion.

"I know mine! I know what I like to hear. It's a favorite with everyone," the smiling boy giggled again and turned his head away from Integra, raising a finger. Integra swiftly pulled her hand away from the fence. Its metal suddenly began to glow, and then it became elastic, stretching over Integra. The Gold Saint, trapped by the energized fence, was lifted into the air. Suddenly, the energy shimmered intensely, surrounding Integra in a violet wave of strands tightening against her entire body. The air roared, and the sky darkened.

"Yeah, that's the sound." The boy closed his eyes and only listened to the commotion above. His grin remained. "Who doesn't like to hear the scream of their younger sibling?"

Gemini Integra could not move. Locked in mid-air, her body was being crushed within a cosmic surge, its power having a depth of purgatory. Against her impulses, she screamed out her pain. The boy spun and looked up, finally. Then, he vanished, and in his place was a young woman.

"Awww." Despite her bright hair and face, her presence was dark due to her black attire. Also, she didn't show any concern for the current situation. Her small, pink lips were in a smile like the boy from before. However, as she looked up at her rat caught in her trap, that confident smirk of a child vanished.

"Integra," Uttering Gemini's name calmly, the woman felt all of her facial muscles stretch. Clenching her jaw, her expression swelled with hostility, and became a demon. Her hair changed to the same color as her armor. Her blood trembled as she stared towards a mortal enemy, speaking its name – that sworn enemy was instilled into a younger sister.

That impish voice of hers changed instantly. "This time I will send you to Hell!" She did not only want to show Hell, but the despairing future of the townspeople possessed by the Hellebore. The Crossroad Mirage caused the illusion, leading the Gold Saint Gemini Integra into a trap.

The Specter's plan was to show Integra that her heroics were worth nothing.

Chapter Text

The crossing of time and space relate to some of Athena's strongest Saints, or rather, it was always a certainty that their alliances and aims lie elsewhere. Having a serious expression and a lofty air, Tokisada was obligated to feel that he was better than others. After all, he could control the measures of time, which either flowed like water or was as still as ice. Paradox, under the sign of Gemini, was fated to antagonize Athena, her fellow Saints, and her own sibling. However, like true Saints with strong hearts, if they deeply believed in something, Tokisada and Paradox would see it through.

The stars of destiny now lead towards China: Rozan of The Five Peaks. A mystical region said to contain the passage to Poseidon's temple, and also the tower holding the resting souls of the 108 Specters of the Underworld. The weight of their existence wasn't, however, felt over the rushing sound of the Rozan Waterfall.

Despite the waterfall's roar like a hundred lions, young Dragon Ryuho felt serene. The war against Mars and Saturn, his first real wars against evil Gods, were long past. However, he had long learned that his training will never end. As he continued to pursue being "perfect", he also learned that he could pass on his meditative guidance towards others. It was a suggestion that he made to his father, the Gold Saint Libra Shiryu. Ryuho kept still in his crossed-legged Lotus asana, eyes closed; Rozan Waterfall fell behind him.

"Stretch your back. Just breathe." Giving himself a new responsibility other than fighting, Ryuho recognized the benefit of spreading the art of healing. It was thanks to the attachment he had for his friends during his battles as a Saint.

Ryuho was still as a statue; then, his eyes flew open. Something crossed his senses as he looked over at his students. They all sat in a row, mimicking Ryuho's Lotus stance – or were trying to. Some grimaced, their lips quivering as their feet twitched from being crossed over. Sometimes Ryuho couldn't believe that he had the charisma to gather seven students to train with him, ranging from young child to adults. One was an elderly man suffering from hip osteoarthritis; everything started with interest, to trust a stranger.

"Oh!" Ryuho suddenly jumped up from his pose. "It's you!" His sudden exclamation made everyone awaken to see what happened. Ryuho looked elated, and his students turned around to see a figure looming out from behind a small grove of tall firs. Moving closer to the group, his features shined in the sunlight falling above the Waterfall. A man with long, jagged black hair, his eyes were just as dark, and all in all he looked a bit frigid and intimidating. He stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the others, who looked exuberant. He also wore a gray Taichi uniform, similar to Ryuho. Basically, it was a long-sleeved jacket with a wide waist sash and loose pants. He also wore a pair of cotton slippers. Was he one of Ryuho's students?

"I haven't seen you in so long!" Running up to the visitor, Ryuho expressed nothing more than relief and happiness upon the sight of the gloomy looking man.

"Your name, it was 'Baku' something." He tried hard to remember, tilting his head upward and holding his chin. "Shima? Sui? I know that there was a Baku."

"Suikyo." The man said, coolly, in almost a whisper. His face was as rigid as a hardened warrior who's seen many battles.

"Oh!"

"Suikyo Bakushima."

"Yes, that's right." Ryuho said, smiling.

It was first thought that Ryuho was being oblivious to the stern atmosphere of this Suikyo. However, the rest of the students looked back and raised a welcoming cheer. "Welcome back Suikyo!" The stoic Bakushima wasn't a new member; however, he had been missing his training for weeks. He hasn't written back and Ryuho, who grew attached to Suikyo due to his determination, became worried.

"What happened? Where have you been?" After instructing his students to continue their Lotus, Ryuho brought Suikyo over to a more private area. Suikyo didn't say anything at first, his mind thinking over his words carefully. Despite knowing that Suikyo was a bit quiet type, it only made Ryuho more concerned.

"Don't tell me, it's—"

"My brother is fine for now," After his eerie silence, Suikyo managed to smile. "Even when in bed, when he feels up to strength, he tries to meditate. He really wants to come to Rozan."

"Thank goodness." Ryuho sighed with relief. "Please make sure he sleeps and eats, Mister Suikyo." In his heart, even if he didn't mean to, he thought of the worse. Suikyo's brother Suisho was an ailing boy, much like Ryuho once was, but he was often in bed and feverish.

"However…" Suikyo continued.

"What?"

" I'm not sure how to explain this, nor do I understand why it is happening. Ryuho, you and your father are some kind of unique fighters, right? What do you know about demons?"

"Demons?"

"Or do you think they're real?"

"What do you mean, Suikyo?"

"It's hard to say. To be honest, I was afraid."

Chapter Text

"Athena!"

"Miss Saori?"

Back at the Sanctuary, no one, especially Kouga and Seiya, could ignore the distressing face of Athena. She gazed at the sky as if she was realizing something. The Pope gave out a disgruntled growl; Demeter's lips curved into a smile, her plan now put into motion.

"Now then." The Goddess of Harvest reached out for the fallen Shaina, and her hand stopped. Her fingers trembled from a spasm. Through dilated eyes, she saw the illusion of a viper biting through her skin. It froze her in shock; digging into Demeter's hand like fangs from a threatened animal were fingernails.

"A key huh?" The body of Ophiuchus Shaina shuddered, and despite a rough beating, she let out a light laugh. No one could see the snide smile behind her metal mask. She grasped Demeter's hand tightly.

"Are you truly that interested in me? Surely, you wouldn't go that far. Or maybe you would. So far, you desecrated the dead. If you go along with this, don't think for a second that Athena will stand for it, nor the other Gods."

Shaina would not avert her eyes from the Goddess. Her words, impertinent and true, elicited Demeter's rage clearly. Divine green irises flashed.

"You Saints of Athena keep interfering with me. You will face a pain that'll singe more than being bathed in Phlegethon!" Then, the Goddess withdrew. Her head swung upward, her voice roaring with that fury.

"Pan!" It sounded like nonsense. The word left Shaina confused; before deliberating the meaning, she began to lift her body. There was the sound of metal smashing open again. Shaina quickly froze, and her mask suddenly split apart, revealing her fraught face. Her hair rippled. Cosmos swift as light shafted through her and out her back.

"Miss Shaina!" A panicked Koga dashed towards his mentor, but tiny sparks entered in between him and her, dancing in midair. Kouga held himself in place. From a sharper look, he realized that what was standing in his way was a honeycomb-like barrier made of long, translucent strands.

"A web?" He then posed himself to launch at the barrier. No matter what he was getting through to Shaina. Suddenly, a female shrouded in a mantle appeared behind the web. Her body was covered, but her face delineated her youth. She was more or less younger than Kouga, her large hazel eyes staring at the Pegasus Saint in a bold manner.

"Who are you?" Koga's defiant attitude didn't wane.

"I am the Terrae of Dancing Fibre, Loom Pan. Stay away from mother or else." Her voice was nearly a whisper. She raised her hand, and the Ophiuchus Cloth was abruptly stripped from its owner. The Cloth's pieces were lifted above ground while entwined in strands, and then connected together in its complete form – a plated human coiled with snakes.

In her ordinary cold poise, Demeter strode next to the girl. "I have no patience for any more of your badgering, Pegasus," she said, her voice returning to its calm cadence. Her eyes slid towards the girl. "Come, Pan."

"But Mother, did he try to harm you? I will punish him," said the girl. As she spoke, she didn't look directly at her Goddess. She was focused on Kouga and lifted both hands, tweaking her fingers as if playing an instrument. The Ophiuchus Cloth drifted in another direction. The web in front of Kouga suddenly dispersed, and the threads form a tall wall, erecting above the Bronze Saint and swinging around like cobras. Pan's eyes narrowed, and it signaled a threat. One move and Kouga would get skewered.

"Before long. Come, to Naxos." Demeter's tone was soft and patient, like a mother to a child. There was no other talk. To prevent any more tragedies, and since everyone's intents were transparent, Athena allowed Demeter and the child to leave with the Ophiuchus Cloth. They departed from the Temple with a chariot drawn by winged reptiles.

"Miss Shaina, get up please!" Finally, Kouga was able to embrace his mentor. He lifted Shaina by her upper body, seeing her wounds. There was Miguel's punch that scorched through her chest; the last attack punctured a hole clean through her heart. She trembled; her face showed she was writhing in pain.

"Kouga." Unlike their reunion from moments before, Shaina's voice lacked vitality. Kouga cracked into hysterical whimpers. He could not believe that this suddenly happened.

"Miss Shaina, are you okay?! Please hang in there!"

"Kouga, you and the others, you must stop her. Please. Get the Cloth back before it's too late."

"Why did Demeter want your Cloth, Miss Shaina?"

"There's a secret behind it. It's to prevent breaking a divine rule in order for a God to not upset others Gods. " Even through ragged breathing, Shaina managed a smile. "I guess that's a little pointless isn't it? Gods would go leaps and bounds for what they want. In order for her to use the Cloth, I must die."

Kouga shook his head. "Don't say that!"

Shaina breathing slowed. She felt her consciousness slipping away. Despite that, and the feeling of water hitting her face, she maintained her smile. With her mask broken, it was a beauty to behold. Her face softened; her eyes were closed, but she knew that the Pegasus youth was crying.

"Kouga, you've grown so much. I have much faith in you. Everyone does." She passed a minuscule bit of life into her hand to raise it and touch Kouga's cheek.

"Why?" she continued. "Your Cosmos burn brightly for that purpose. Your destiny is for Athena. Your wings soar for her, and the planet that she loves. For Demeter to harm that for her selfish reasons, isn't it unforgivable? Kouga, please. No matter what, don't forget. In this massive universe, you shine bright for everyone to see."

"Miss Shaina!" Kouga's scream would not have a response in return. Shaina slumped softly; Kouga remained on his knees, holding his mentor.

"Shaina," Athena's melodious voice could not conceal sorrow. "Her Cosmos has disappeared." At those words, her tears flowed. Sagittarius Seiya was shaking. Eden and The Pope stood quietly.

Before Kouga was born as a Saint, while meeting the god Mars for the first time, he remembered his heart beating quickly. He remembered his mentor's words anew and understood them clearly. Now, it was an engraved memory for him to take, to leave the nest once more as his mentor drifted apart from the world eternally.

Her voice. Kouga suddenly remembered.

"Feel the explosion of the Big Bang within your body! It's the same as the creation of the universe, which is your Cosmo. As a Saint, you must protect Athena. Burn your Cosmos!"

Chapter Text

Demeter was gone, soaring the sky through her carriage. She left the apex of the temple, leaving Athena, The Pope, and their Saints in an overwhelming silence.

Pegasus Kouga was on his knees. He couldn't hear anything, having broken down from mourning. The boy repeatedly asked in his mind what had happened, why did it happen, and was this truly happening. All he could feel was the cold body of his master in his arms.

"It's tough isn't it?" The Pope strode slowly towards Kouga, and then his voice growled.

"Get up, Pegasus!" His hand suddenly gripped the collar of Koga's shirt, and with a rough tug, the two were face to face. "There is little time to mourn, do you understand?"

Kouga only replied with a sniffle. His face were wet with tears, and twisted from the sadness that harbored him. From his voice, The Pope was not distressed from the whole ordeal unlike the youth.

"I guess this is something you really haven't faced before, huh? Hate to break it to you but there's no time for burials and such. If you want to honor your friends then you must prevent the calamity first."

Kouga blinked his eyes at the words. "But…"

"There's no time! Go to Naxos. This is very serious!"

"Wait." Athena walked in, eying the two. She also gazed at Eden, relaying her next words. "This is indeed an emergency. Kouga, Eden, before Naxos, you must reunite with your fellow Saints."

Kouga sniffled again, still trying to comprehend the situation in his mind. When the Pope put him down on his feet, he wiped his face with his arms.

"I will send Safar to Pallestra, and Hermes for Integra. Everyone, even the Gold Saints, will need to reunite. If the worse should happen, then we must be heavily prepared."

The Pope looked at Athena and his voice rode. "Those two greenhorns?!"

"They should know their duties," said Athena. She then looked at Kouga. "Kouga, you and Eden should get Shun and Yuna at the southern village border. Please? Then, gather at the Athens Port." The Goddess's voice both held resolve and a small level of sorrow. She wanted Kouga to restore his spirit; she then looked at Seiya.

"Seiya, we must let Shiryu know. Also, I will send a messenger to Tatsumi and Haruto." The Goddess said. Sagittarius Seiya began to move towards her, the Pope, and Kouga. He didn't give Athena any eye contact; there was not one complying gesture, unbefitting of the Goddess's most ardent guardian.

"Kouga," Seiya whispered and reached out. His hand touched Kouga, and a large flare exploded in between them.

"Guh!" Kouga was suddenly propelled backwards from a force. He lost his footing and slid across the marbled ground.

"Seiya!" cried Athena. The Goddess looked at the Gold Saint with concern.

"What was that for?!" Eden sided with Athena, giving Seiya a glare of disapproval. Seiya's entire face looked fierce.

"Are you angry Kouga? Are you sad?" Seiya spoke as he again stomped towards his successor. "Shaina was your master and friend. She was also my friend." The Gold Saint stood over Kouga, who was splayed out on his back, stunned from the energy.

"After what we've been through," Seiya continued, "I never saw you as the type to drag yourself. If you feel the emotions that I've mentioned before, then unleash them. If you felt what you saw was unjust, then it is time for you to stand up."

Kouga was grabbed by Seiya this time, and was lifted back onto his feet.

"I don't want to see you in this sorry state."

Athena let in a small breath. However subtle it was, she now understood the feelings that were resonating from Seiya. Shaina was the one who clashed fists with Seiya many times in the past; in the same amount, maybe more, she stood by his side and helped him. She protected his sister, and would face Gods to make certain of his path to victory. Seiya would be the very one person that Shaina felt feelings for the most. At least, the one living.

Seiya looked back at the Goddess Athena and nodded his head. He made way for the stairs that led into the Pope Chamber. The Pope let out a huff of annoyance and followed. Eden called out to his friend and ran up to him.

"Kouga, come, you heard them. Let's get Yuna and Shun. Athena wants us together."

Kouga panted, and curled his hands into fists. He began to shake. He was trying to put thhe pieces together from Seiya's words. "At first, I felt some fear. I didn't want to fight again. Being with all of you, I felt a happiness that I didn't want to lose. That's pretty selfish, isn't it Eden?"

Eden sighed before giving out an answer. "'All'? I think we act and give our lives for what we believe in. Isn't that important?" He turned his back on Kouga and began to head for the stairs. His mind was decided.

"Resolve is strong. I think Seiya was trying to say that you know what to do, and can do."

It wasn't long until Kouga left Athena's Temple and the Sanctuary with Eden, ignited by fury and determination. He didn't want to fight at all, but inside he felt the urgency of the situation. Witnessing the death of Miguel, Bayer, Menkar and Shaina in such swiftness, seeing Demeter's relentless expression after what she had caused, after Seiya's message and Athena's prompt command, Kouga had to move. The southern village was a place where Yuna and Shun dedicated themselves to aid war orphans. It was proposed by Yuna herself, and it helped heal her from a tragic past of losing lost ones. Shun simply agreed as his medical practices were put to good use.

However, they were not expecting some strange company. A pair in dark cloaks. Upon entering, one cloaked man chanted a casual poem. The other raised his arms, and the ground beneath began to rumble and crack open.

"Doom, doom. My precious dove shines perched within the graves of men. Like silver petals in a garden," said the poet.

The other man grunted. "You talk too much. Can I really trust you to do this?"

"Muwah?"

"Death must spread, like a sweet fragrance. Including...your dove's."

Chapter Text

Pavlín. A village of the southern Attican border outside of Athens. It was built after the war in Pallestra to serve as a home for both the Steel Saints and even war orphans. In fact, it was rebuilt, having been attacked by rogues who took advantage of the ravages from past wars. That also included past wars of the Saints. So, it would be one young lady's ambition, a gold-haired angel some would say, to stray others from the way of theft, and teach them "strength" and "affection". When that young lady felt the earth quake beneath her feet, she tucked a child in his bed and rushed outside of an abode. She looked up and noticed the day sky swallowed in a deep, black haze. This occasion made her feel ice slide down her spine, and it was her first impulse to check the open yard of the village.

There, near the entrance of the village, Aquila Yuna was met with the two men dressed in cloaks painted in the same color as the sky. Lumbering behind them were a mass of people wearing tattered clothing. Their bodies were as dark as shadows, and their eyes burned red against crumpled faces. That feeling in Yuna's back was familiar to her; those who stood before her radiated nothing but a desire of battle. One of the blighted figures gave Yuna a second of a gaze and lunged at her like a wild animal, crying out with a hoarse voice. It was quickly thrashed to the side, tossed like a lightweight bag in a gale. Two others followed with a scissoring leap for the girl's head. Yuna spun around and raised her leg at a high angle, a rotating kick unleashing another brush of powerful air to push back the plagued bodies. There was no hesitation to battle from her. In the back of her mind, she knew that this wasn't an ordinary fight.

Watching Yuna defend herself, one of the cloaked men, the so-called poet, let out a sigh. "Now, that's a good wind." There was delight in his gentle voice.

"Who are you?!" Yuna's brave glare aimed at the two cloaks.

"Huh? Now, Miss Yuna, you don't remember me?

"Miss Yuna?" Amidst a scene where darkness drowned the sky and Hell slowly crept to the surface, Yuna became puzzled by the casual flaunt of manners and a melodious voice. It didn't occur to her that she had to use her memory, but something told her that she might've heard the man's voice before. The poet shrugged his shoulders, took a step forward, and disappeared.

"Huh?!" Suddenly, Yuna felt tightness across her neck. An arm overlapped in black metal plates, a piece of armor, grabbed Yuna from behind and pulled her back. She felt her body next to another's, pinning against more armor. She was then squeezed by her waist; from behind, the poet was fully grasping her.

He whispered in her ear, "Listen Miss Yuna, if you want to live, don't interfere."

"I will not stand down to the ruthlessness."

"Ahh, you haven't changed at all."

"Look at you two fools. Cuddling like close friends," the other cloaked man expressed nothing more than disgust. "I knew you'd have a problem, why bother being revived anyway?" He raised his hand and curved it towards the direction of the inner village. Without hesitation, the lumbering black bodies made their way towards the houses.

"No! Stop!" Yuna cried out in resistance.

"You have two choices, damnit." The other cloak clenched his hand into a fist, his voice still directed towards his partner. "You kill her or I will. You won't like neither, especially the latter. I can offer both of you to my collection."

"I guess it can't be helped." The poet sighed again, and Yuna felt her body become free. She spun around quick, and the poet had backed away to make distance between them.

"Miss Yuna, I've decided to take you to Hell with me." As this was said, the cloak was grasped and pulled off in one sweeping motion. A man with charming blue eyes and a sharp face was revealed. His short, upright hair was as gold as Yuna's; his body was wrapped in dark armor, intricate much like the warriors serving the mythological gods. A style much like fish scales overlapping each other. A low teal scarf wrapped his neck. "I'm sure you and I can set a couch somewhere and watch the other Saints fall into Yomatsu Hirasaka."

Yuna stood frozen as if she had forgotten the situation that she was in, including the bodies marching into the village. Through muddled thoughts, confused by disbelief, she achieved in saying only one word: "Amor?"

"Wa-ha!" The poet, a Saint, clapped his hands together, the glee he felt brought a wide grin to his face. "So you do remember me, Miss Yuna!"

"Then, that's-" Yuna looked over her shoulder to the other cloak, who would see her shocked look. Another man was revealed, dressed in black armor as well. The armor style differentiated between the two men; a jagged mask partially covered this man's face, but did not hide the long pink strands flowing from his hair.

His lips stretched into a wide, sadistic grin. "Schiller. Cancer Schiller." He was another Saint.

"Don't turn away Miss Yuna. Here I go!" Amor's words were unsettling and Yuna broke out of her shock, spun around to prepare herself into a fighting stance, and saw a strange scene. A large red swirl surrounded her, and shrouded her view of Amor. The next thing Yuna knew, adding to her confusion, there was a wafting, sweet scent. Her impulse told her to move her leg, but it bucked under her. She hit the ground on both knees and her body shook. The scent became strong in an instant, like a rush, so heavy that it stung her eyes and dizzied her. She looked up through one open eye, fighting to keep it open through her squinting face. Upon closer look, the red haze was nothing more but an assemblage of bright rose petals. In the poet's hand, he carried a fully blossomed red rose. In another moment, the petals fully enveloped Yuna. The body of the female Aqulia Saint completely collapsed. Amor looked over to his partner and pointed at him with his rose.

"There. Quick and painless,"

Schiller snorted. "I would've done better. She deserves to be in anguish."

"Rest in peace, my dear Aqulia Yuna." Pisces Amor pinned his arms and legs together and bowed at his waist. "I'll get you later, and then we can talk about the old days in Hell."

After the incident with Yuna, the village of Pavlin faced further commotion from the black, demonic bodies tearing through wood and brick. It was followed by the genuine cries of humans. Human children. Then, a large wind swept through; it roared, and the bodies ricocheted in different directions. Seeing that, Amor tightened his lips and looked down at the fainted Yuna, having wondered if he had awakened the fury of Aqulia. She looked tranquil, and Amor thought nothing more than complete confidence within his amazing Royal Demon Rose technique. Aqulia Yuna was dead for sure, he believed.

Then, the Pisces Saint screamed, his body being catapulted in the air by this new wind. "Whoa!" The red petals were blown off of Yuna as well. Her mouth quivered.

"Guh!" Cancer Schiller groaned and doubled over, feeling a strong blow against his lungs. When he looked down, he saw some kind of round-shaped weight. He did not understand the meaning. He then looked ahead, and saw a multitude of chains flying towards him.

Chapter Text

The strange wind must've been a call to the divine Gods against Schiller and Amor. In its deafening roar, it pushed out the blighted corpses of the Underworld and caught Amor in a spiral of pink energy. His body crashed down near Yuna's, and Schiller was shafted through the village gateways by chains. Both former Gold Saints, with their sadistic natures and blighted Cloths, were back on their feet. They weren't taken down by the stormy assault that struck them, but their attention was grasped by the motionless corpses littering the village grounds, and a figure approaching from a distance.

"What smelly vermin disrupts our slaughter?" Schiller said as he scowled. The blow he felt was real, and on par to his ability; with Yuna being defeated easily, he carried this thought that there was an obstacle. No, that is what he hoped. The figure drew near; it was a green-haired young man with delicate features and common folk attire. Despite the man's soft green eyes and all-around civvy quality, the long chain wrapped around his arms gave an impression that there was a will to fight.

"Yuna, are you alright?!" The boy asked with great concern resonating in his voice.

"Huh? No, she's dead," Amor responded with his usual nonchalance, frowning at the boy and lifting an eyebrow. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"It is more polite to introduce yourself first before asking for another's name." The boy's words flowed with a refined quality. Amor and Schiller couldn't keep their eyes off him, and both contained a wide beam distorting their faces, radiating with mercilessness.

"Okay then," Amor began, "I guess we can tell you before you die. I am—

"Wait!" The boy raised an arm twined in a chain, taking a moment to observe. The metal loops began to vibrate. "Your powers make sense now doesn't it? The aura that I've felt through the village, the flower petals, and that Cloth. Are you Pisces?"

Schiller and Amor were caught aback, their smiles quickly disappearing.

"Huh? I've never seen you before," said Amor. Despite his words, he had a feeling that there was more to the young man than what was on the surface. "But you're right, I am the former Gold Saint of Fascination and Guidance, Pisces Amor."

"No, we haven't met, but I've met the one who you follow in footsteps. I am the Bronze Saint, Andromeda Shun."

"Andromeda?!" Both former Golds said. The tales of Legendary Bronze Saints from recent history, from having escalated the stairs of The Sanctuary against the Pope, having fought Gods in more than one occasion, and having traversed the Hells with intrepidity for the sake of their Goddess, their many accounts were known among the high ranks. Having sided with Mars, Amor and Schiller were to watch for the return of these legends if they were to meddle with the rising of the Tower of Babel.

"That legendary energy. I will definitely collect it." Schiller's grin returned, a spark in his eye. Remembering the chain that struck him, and the shock he felt, it made sense.

"I don't like fighting," said Shun, "but if you revel in destruction, I will take action to defend this place. How could you even harm a kind soul like Yuna?"

Amor shrugged his shoulders and pointed at Shun with his rose. "We have to do what we have to do, even if we have to deal with a Bronze. No sentimental obstacle stands before me. So now—" Amor closed his eyes, fiddling the stem of his rose. His confidence lifted, and wouldn't be hindered by the appearance of a Legendary Saint. A Bronze was still a Bronze; he swung his arm to throw his rose, and his wrist quickly tightened. He gasped, a metal chain tightening around his hand , stretching between him and Shun. Amor dropped his rose; the force he felt from the chain left him surprised.

"I was told that many of the former Gold Saints were killed," Shun spoke calmly. "It looks like you're wearing the Surplice of the Underworld, but that is not possible because Hades is gone."

Amor moved his mouth to say his next words, but out came a scream as a current of energy blasted his body. It resonated from the chain.

"Underworld Fall!" Schiller's voice rose suddenly, and Shun was stunned. Both of his arms were grabbed by two corpses that lunged at him from the flanks. Shun screamed, his feet leaving the ground. He was thrown by the corpses; he flew up and his view of the sky darkened, a veil of darkness clouding him.

Schiller cackled as he watched. "You seem to know a lot about death, Andromeda, so enjoy this!"

Shun felt his body slow in midair and he couldn't breathe. His body then reversed. The clouds above were being covered by the gaping jaws of ghouls that followed him in his descent. He hit the ground with a loud crash.

"How would you like to die not knowing why this is happening to you? This will be the best despair. Yes I, Cancer Schiller, will definitely collect you," he said.

Amor felt the chain slack and release his hand. He rubbed his wrist. "So it's a fair deal. I guess we both get to take something today. You get the legend and I get the lady." While this happened, Amor took the moment to scoop up Yuna in his arms. He looked down at her motionless face.

"Oh Yuna, I almost want to kiss you, but that wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me," he said. He didn't expect a response; as he looked, he lifted an eyebrow, hearing a groan from Yuna. Her eyebrows were twitching.

"Eh? She's alive?" Amor tightened his lips.

"See? You failed! Underworld Requiem!" Schiller flung his arm, unleashing a wild barrage of crimson rays towards the falling Shun, striking him and the ground beneath him. The explosions result in a cloud of dirt enshrouding the target.

"Rolling Defense!" As Shun's voice rose, both Schiller and Amor gasped in shock. The dirt cloud was completely swatted away by the rotation of chains and a vibrating pink aura that surrounded Shun's body. He was unharmed, and a feminine rose pink armor covered him.

"Andromeda's Nebula. May it protect this village liek it did my brothers." After donning his Cloth, Shun was assured of what he must do. He waved his arm; through the eyes of Amor and Schiller, it looked like a blaze of stars flying towards them. In truth, it was a twisting array of steel chains.

"Nebula chain!" Shun's square and circle chains fly and then suddenly suspend in the air. Black flowers elevate between the Saints, and circulate the chains like a wind . There is the sound of metal rattling, then cracking under pressure.

"Andromeda, this is my favorite – The Piranhan Rose!"

"Not the second time I'm afraid," said Shun. He swayed both arms, his chains jerking at a sharp angle. Amor's eyes followed the length of the chains dancing in his view, and his head suddenly yanked back. The square end of Shun's right hand chain hit Amor swift in the chin. In another movement, Yuna was lifted away, wrapped in chains.

Carefully, carefully, Shun repeated those words in his mind as he kept his chains at an even brace around Yuna's lithe body. Without harming her, it was enough to lift her.

"Your sentiments will cost you, Andromeda." Schiller fired another sphere Shun, catching the Bronze Saint in the torso and throwing him back. Putting his focus on distracting Amor and saving Yuna, Shun left his guard open. He stayed on his feet, pulling Yuna to a distance behind him.

"Underworld Requiem!" Schiller released another barrage of energy, directing it all to blast Shun. Shun moved his arms, and a resembling flurry of bright hot light connected to Schiller's attack. The next action wasn't caught by Cancer's eyes, and he felt his face shake; his half-mask flew off his cheek.

"This Cosmos." He turned to look over his shoulder and saw another figure.

"Mister Shun! Yuna! Are you both okay?" The voice of a youth, and Schiller immediately spun his body to face the back of another Saint in a shining white Cloth.

"Please don't die! We're here to help." Dissipating Cancer's ray attack and striking with a fist at the speed of light was Pegasus Kouga. Accompanying him was Eden, who stood by Shun and Yuna's side. As per Athena's order, they made it to Pavlin.

Eden leered at the two village attackers and widened his eyes, recognizing one face already. "It's you Amor!" He said.

"And you're the former Cancer Saint!" Kouga realized quickly that they were revived as well. When he saw Yuna on the ground, he sneered. "You bastards! Are you working for Demeter too?!"

Chapter Text

"Demeter?!" Shun gave each Kouga and Eden a surprised look and shook his head. "This is Demeter's doing? How is that possible?" His disbelief was obvious; to Andromeda, he did not consider the Earth-prospering Olympian to be a war-waging goddess. Perhaps, after dealing with four divine beings in the past, it wasn't out of the ordinary. Still, he couldn't cast aside the thought that Demeter would act out against the world out of malevolence. What could be wrong?, he wondered.

"Why yes. It was the Mother Earth who gave us the opportunity for this reunion." The glee never left Amor's voice or face. "Orion and Pegasus," he continued, "it can't be any more perfect, right Schiller?" Amor nodded in agreement with his own words. He looked at Shun and Eden, and at the next moment, the smile he contained, along with his entire face, writhed into fury.

"What better way to make my sister roll then to kill her son?!" He said. As a response, Eden furrowed his eyes and daringly stepped in front of Shun and Yuna.

"That's true. So who will it be?" As Schiller spoke, he looked at Kouga. A wicked smirk appeared on his mouth. Unlike Amor, his anger did not surface, and his next words were like a poetic tune. "Who wishes to feel the breath of Thanatos? The deep, chilling waters of the river Styx? Anyone?"

Schiller paused and made steps towards Kouga. "No volunteers? Very well, I will decide. For sending me to my grave, I'll kill you Pegasus!"

"I'm gonna knock some sense into you idiots!" Kouga was still furious about Shaina, and swore in his mind that wouldn't lose to anything that Demeter threw at him. He lunged, and his fist connected with Schiller's lifted hand. An abnormal flame singed in Cancer's eyes. "You'll fit well in my collection."

"Shut up!"

"You seem angrier than usual. Do you hate me?"

Kouga prepared to pull his other arm and lure his fist into Schiller's face to shut him up. "Ah—!" He blanked quickly, a strike hitting his gut.

"You'll know real hate when you fail and die!" Schiller's fist hit Pegasus, knocking him back. "Compared to me, you're still a runt Bronze!"

Recovering, Kouga rushed back, leapt, and flung his foot towards Schiller's face. His leg is grabbed and flung right into the ground.

"You damn bug!" Anger appeared on Schiller's face as he grounded his foot against Kouga's ear, squishing and pinning the boy's head into the dirt. Kouga gritted his teeth and pressed both of his hands into the ground, countering against the foot's weight. He pushed himself up slowly. Vexed by his prey's stubbornness, Schiller continued to push down his foot.

"Schiller!" Kouga spun around quickly and threw out his arm, and a balled fist. Schiller was suddenly blinded by flurries of light. His hair rippled from the pressure of Cosmos radiating from Kouga. Before he could blink, he noticed that Kouga was back on his feet, pushing the former Gold Saint back with a punch to his cuirass. Schiller let out a vexing shout, crashing his palm into Kouga's face.

"I'll kill you worm! Underworld Requiem!" Schiller, using his other hand, threw out his attack. The cosmic barrage of dark and light exploded.

"Tonitrui Saltan!" Eden threw shock orbs at Amor, which were then met with a strange impact. The Pisces Gold Saint in Surplice didn't move, and a barrier of water rippled between Eden's attack and its supposed target. Amor pushed his hands and face outward, a splash of water scattering out and breaking the Saltan orbs. The barrier was split open by physical force. Amor swiftly dived towards Eden and the two were face to face.

"A slow death is too good for you," Amor breathed, his blazing eyes of the devil glaring closely at Eden. His arm moved, a fist swishing up into Eden's chin. "Bastard!" Eden was knocked upward, tensing his arms. Amor jumped to follow him. Reaching Orion's height, he then grabbed his throat.

"Hillia…Mastia!" Eden took the chance for Amor to close in and swung a punch. Amor realized it and prepared to catch it, but was then blinded by a flash of light. Another scream left his mouth as a web of lightning enraptured his body and shot him backwards. A swear word entered his mind; he remembered how much of an offensive fighter the Orion Saint was. In fact, the offense could intertwine with the defense, repelling enemy attacks through just sheer force alone.

When they both landed, they exchanged shots; a flurry of poison roses pelted against a large lightning surge.

"Heh, I guess it's to be expected from the son of Mars. You lucky silver spoon brat." Amor tried to suppress his agitation by reverting back to his customary gaiety. "I thought it was your fate to rule the world with power. So, why join Athena?"

"Father and Mother's ideals were wrong. They would not bring the light to the world. Even so, despite everyone's efforts, that hasn't changed at all "

"Yeah, humankind stinks doesn't it? That's why those with power can decide the right way to rule, whether its light or darkness. It's not wrong."

Eden furrowed his brows again and changed the subject. "Why are you helping Demeter? What is she up to?"

"My my, are the insides of your ears dirty? I said that she revived me."

"Would you not have to agree with it or are you her slave?"

"Like a free soul like me would ever become a slave."

"Then why? Isn't she not a peaceful goddess?"

"It looks like she just wants something simple done. It's neither right or wrong, but she believes in it. Furthermore, humankind has ruined her. She got me on contract; so yeah, upon her order, I gotta kill you! Deal with it!"

The cosmic waves disperse as both Saints were on an equal balance of power. The two had come to terms that they had to fight at the very end, and neither one of them were going to back down.

"I've made up my mind as well," Eden said. He placed his hands together in a cupped shape, and aimed them at Amor. On his conscious was only the mission. "Therefore, I'm going to turn you into ash and be done with it. You don't belong in the world of the living."

"Such fine words from a war god's son. Gravity Concerto!" Amor's grin tightened. He pointed a finger at Eden and Eden suddenly tensed, his arms slowly coming apart from his pose from a vibration. Suddenly, his feet left the ground again. He was propelled into the air; Shun raised a cry as he, along with Yuna, was also lifted into the air with Eden. The force emitted from Amor as he slowly maneuvered a baton in his hand akin to a band conductor. The baton glowed with a sea green hue, created by Amor's technique from Cosmos. When Amor leaned the baton downward, the trio of Bronze Saints imitated the movement - they plummeted right back into the ground.

"We're...being pushed down," Eden struggled to get his words out. A harsh pressure felt like the sole of a giant digging into his back, his body digging deeper into the soil, building a crater underneath him.

"Okay, contract success. Time to die Eden!" Confidence in his stature as a Gold Saint, Amor already felt like he won, and achieved his revenge. The Gravity Concerto could only hold his prey enough, but was the perfect defense to break through Orion's threat as a destructive hitter. In the hand opposite of the baton, Amor held a scarlet rose; it was time to finish off his former colleagues and move on the next phrase. He looked over to his shoulder and asked how Cancer was faring.

"I'll get you both!"

"Huh?"

It wasn't Schiller who answered; Amor gritted his teeth as tension entered his neck from a swung foot striking it. The Gravity Concerto ceased. Amor spun around quickly, his face wrapped with fury once more, and he saw Pegasus Kouga preparing to punch his fist at him. A distance behind was Cancer Schiller.

"Don't blame me if something happens to you, Amor. I'm getting that damn Pegasus rat!" Schiller wanted to make sure that turning a back on him was a terrible mistake. After a clash with Kouga, who refused to stand down even against a Gold Saint, Schiller gained nothing from his revival except blows to his pride. Why wasn't the gap of power between them larger, he wondered? How was it that the Bronze Saint progressively became stronger war after war? Kouga had no signs of slowing down, and while he rushed towards Amor, Schiller aimed a finger at the boy's back. He swore in his mind that this would be the true end. Eden noticed Schiller's stance, and ignoring the beating he received, he got onto his feet and lunged forward, passing Amor. Kouga noticed his friend flying by, asking what's wrong, and then felt a touch. Eden gave Kouga's shoulder a strong grasp, and tensed him arm. He prepared to shove him over.

"AH!" Schiller didn't make a move; it was Cancer's scream in the air. In the next instant, he fell backwards. Eden was puzzled; Kouga felt the tension in Eden's hand calm down and turned around to see the situation. Cancer Schiller was on his backside, spread-eagled, not moving at the slightest.

"Huh? Schiller, what's going on?" Amor's shock and curiosity was enough to prevent a counter against Kouga. In that moment, it felt like the village of Pavlin was saved. Everything was quiet; there was no commotion from within the village where the undead marched. Kouga and Eden looked around. Suddenly, Eden bounced forward. He felt a blow to his back and hit the ground; hearing Kouga scream his name, Eden expected it to be Amor having regained his senses to return the attack. A cheap strike.

"Are you alright?! No!" Asked Kouga in suspense.

"Yes I'm fine. Calm down." Eden rubbed the back of his head and turned his body.

"Eden?!" Kouga responded.

"What in the Hell is happening?!" There was worry in Amor's voice. It didn't fit the circumstances Eden had assumed, and he felt this edge of tension well up inside. He prepared to get back up and return to the fight; then he saw Kouga holding someone. Eden gasped and looked at his hands.

"What-is-this?!"

"Eden?! Eden!"

As Kouga called to him, Eden didn't fathom the situation. He looked at his hands, not connecting one and the other together. Similar to the situation back at Athena's Temple and Shaina, Kouga was holding Orion Eden's slumped, motionless body.

"Eden! Get up!"

Eden stared his hands, but saw his body before him? Pisces Amor began backing away in retreat. In the next moment, the entire atmosphere gradually turned dark, swallowing the image of Pavlin.

He reached out. "Kouga, look. I'm right here!" Eden could no longer see his friends.

Chapter Text

Orion Eden witnessed a darkness that reflected the days of when his mother and father were still living. They threatened the Earth with eternal destruction for it to bloom into a paradise. Despite the term's context of purity, the ambitions churned his stomach. Wherever he was, it was a dark place where the sun couldn't reach. Before his eyes, parts of the darkness slowly seeped away, giving form for Eden to finally perceive where he was. Looming from the shadows were hills structured in low canyons and reaching up to craggy mountains; soft, gasping voices howled from every direction. Eden got to his feet and looked around. The place was unrecognizable; faceless beings void of color hobbled past him. They joined a line and trudged towards the summit of a wide-mouthed rock mass. Scanning the area, he found someone known – not far from him was the figure of Cancer Schiller.

"What?! This is Yomatsu Hirasaka (黄泉比良坂)!" Schiller, a Gold Saint, looked around in complete panic. Yomatsu Hirasaka was a term describing a slope or hill coursing a road leading to the Underworld, the land of the dead. Nominal Japanese Gods had legends here and was said to be connected to China's Sanzu river and Japan's Matsue city in Shimane. Schiller's anxiety was peculiar to see, not only because of his rank, but because this was a familiar territory inhabited by the Cancer Saints.

His glare darted at Eden. "What the Hell are you doing here?!" barked Schiller. Eden didn't respond, in which the Cancer Saint grinned wickedly.

"Well, no matter. You're in my playground now. Once I wipe out your soul, I'm going back to get Pegasus."

"I'm afraid not!" An unfamiliar voice called from a far distance. It was a brisk tone, like fresh air within Yomatsu's ghostly ambiance, but combined with a heavy modulation.

"Hey Schiller," it called again, "your disgusting carcass doesn't belong in the living world, nor the dead."

Schiller was livid from returning to the place where he lost his life, only to be taunted by some expectation that it was about to happen again. He sought for the phantom that challenged him. He saw eighteen wisps of flames coming towards him. They were different from what he usually saw, unlike the tailed spirits of those who died, coursing through the air and entering the entrance to Hell at Yomatsu's tallest mountain. The wisps were tiny bundles of flame. Upon touching Schiller's body, they exploded, their size belying their force. A rippling flash blinded Eden, who shielded his face. Schiller screamed only for a short moment, and he lost his mind. When the flames engulfed him, he could not fathom the sight of image after image, one after another, of him being bludgeoned and ripped apart. The images came after a flash; a giant saw lopped off one leg, stakes entered his other leg, a fanged bald creature bit him in the stomach, and his body was dropped into a smoldering cauldron of boiling lava. It was not a dream. He could not remember much else; without thought, his hand reached out for someone, something, somewhere, for an exit. From Eden's point of view, the flame died and Cancer Schiller was nowhere to be seen; not even a hint of ash wafted into Yomatsu's air.

"Oh, it only took five lanterns?" Paying Schiller adieu was only a taunt; a shadow emerged from the cliffs, reaching for Eden. In an unknown place, Orion was on edge and expecting an enemy, posing to attack. Contrast to the bleak, deathly atmosphere of Yomatsu, a golden glimmer appeared before Eden. A body of shining armor; a smiling, bespectacled man with ebon hair greeted Eden.

"There we go, much better. Don't you feel safe?" He said, raising his palm up to his cheek in a greeting. "Hello!"

Bewildered, Eden was without words as he examined the man; by the looks of his armor's jagged style, particularly the shoulder and shin guards, it was much akin to Schiller. Without question, it was an authentic Gold Saint.

"I saved you, so mind if I know who you are?" The man sounded puzzled, but never lost his smile. Eden found his manners atrocious; in fact, he believed that the Saint had the same geniality, or disconnection, as Amor and wondered if he was truly safe.

"Shouldn't you introduce yourself before asking another's name?" Eden kept his ground and made the new Saint close the distance between them.

"Fine then. If I remember from upstairs, your name is Adan or something like that, right?"

"Bronze Saint. Orion Eden."

"Eden?" The new Cancer Saint looked surprised. "What a nice holistic name. As expected from the son of a God. I am the same, see? Eden." He pointed to the Bronze Saint, and then to himself with his thumb, his smile remaining. "Hermes."

"Hermes?"

The man in the golden armor bowed, "Gold Saint. Cancer Hermes. I have no holy relations though. All I have is the star that I'm born under."

"It makes sense now," Eden realized the confirmation; the controllers of the dead can send souls to Yomatsu and bring them back. He recognized the name from Athena before departing from her temple, but he didn't connect that she was referring to a Gold Saint, let alone a new Cancer Saint. It was the first time he met him, and he thought that Hermes was ordained sometime during his travels with Kouga.

"You brought me here didn't you?" He promptly asked.

"Looks that way huh?" The Gold Saint scratched the back of his head and guffawed. "You see, I happen to miss." His smile crinkled into a wry one.

"You 'missed'?"

"I got Schiller."

"Your aiming is atrocious." The Orion Saint frowned. "I assume you can send my soul back to the living world?"

"Absolutely!"

"Please hurry, I have to get back and go to Athens Port."

"Sure!" Hermes spoke with enthusiasm, even raising a thumbs up and a smile of fangs. He paused, and then furrowed his eyebrows. "But, I don't plan to."

"Say what?!" Eden's face changed as his credulous heart skipped a bit. His anger showed immediately, in opposite of Hermes' innocent mood. "Matter of fact, I need to show you something. Come with me." There as an oblivious manner in which he spoke, careless of life or what he did to Eden. Even with Cancer's optimism, Eden proceeded to follow him towards the top of Yomatsu's tallest mountain, where the hunkering bodies were making way for. At the top, Eden gasped as he realized that the bodies were falling into the mountain, which led into an abyss of unknown reach. Not believing his eyes, Eden was held back by Hermes's hand; he was told that there was no coming back from the fall and he'd float in limbo. Suddenly, a large roar rumbled Yomatsu Hirasaka. A giant tendril of light seeped out from the abyss and into the dusk air, slowly dissipating.

"Looks like we got a mean one." Hermes watched with a smile on his face, crouching before the maw of the gape that led to Hell, with strange light, the embodiment of spirits, seeping out of it. There was no concern from him.

"What was that?"

"Something that is going to wreck the Earth, I'm afraid. Here in Yomatsu Hiraaka, the dead are lead to the Underworld to wait being judged by purgatory." Cancer peered into the mountain depths, and then looked up to Eden. "But what if there's no purgatory, Orion Eden?"

"What do you mean? And what do you mean 'wreck the Earth'? Does that have to do with Demeter?"

"You have a lot of questions don't you? I guess it's great to be an inquisitive boy. In short, spirits that can't find a place to settle end up trapped. Rarely do the dead return unless there's some divine intervention, but in this case, the lack of an afterlife is so painful, a spirit escapes and to the mortal world bearing scars. So for that big one to break away from oblivion, it holds a bit grudge."

"No death?" Eden muttered under his breath; Hermes' words made him quite thoughtful of the scene, which led back to the behavior of the Goddess of Fertility. "Demeter was able to revive dead Saints. I'm assuming it's connected."

"She…" Hermes got back onto his feet and turned his back to the mountain's crevice. He started to walk away. "I can only make a guess since she didn't tell me yet."

"When she was asked at Athena's Temple, she said that she wanted to revive the Underworld and that what it was for 'her'."

"Ah-ha!" Hermes suddenly clapped his hands together. "Of course, that silly Mother Goddess."

"Also Hermes, what do you mean 'didn't tell you yet'?"

Hermes turned back and rested his hand onto his hip. Each moment, his postures are more and more easygoing. "I was supposed to get Integra, but instead I confronted the Goddess before reaching Pavlin."

Eden further remembered what Athena said, in which she wanted the Gold Saints together as the situation felt grim. From a growing disquiet within, he narrowed his eyes. He started to presume that the new Cancer was starting mischief.

"For what purpose?" Orion asked.

Lifting his arms into the air, Cancer Hermes answered with glee. "To save everyone!"

"You tried to convince her to stop her plan?" Eden asked dryly, to which Hermes lowered his arms and his mouth slid into the smirk.

"Not at all. There's nothing wrong with the Underworld, kid. It needs to return."

"What?! According to Athena, reviving the Underworld will bring about calamity."

"Would you rather have Hell here or Hell on Earth?" he shrugged. "I guess it doesn't matter to me either way, but I rather have what's easier. Because you are a Saint, are you worried about what will happen to Earth? It's fine. I do not concern myself with these things too much. However, wouldn't it be easier to stop Demeter by just letting her have her way?"

"Easier?! Kouga and I were told to stop her."

"Remember that big spirit that came out? That thing is going back to Earth."

"If you're concerned about these vehement spirits spilling out, then why allow Demeter to go along with her plan?"

"Hey Orion, it's all about choosing how you want to see things. The Mother Goddess's actions may ruin everything, but she has her own righteous cause. Essentially, the best ways to remedy this is to create a war and fight for a side. Indeed. People with her mental woes are easy to sway."

"Hermes! Are you saying that you're going to conspire against Athena? Betray her?"

"Athena is worried about the Underworld because of the past catching up to her. Anyways, I got a job to do. I have to let you stay here. Maybe at least until everything is done." At every word that slipped out of his mouth, Cancer Hermes hasn't moved his smile. A punch entered his hand.

Eden had lunged right at the Gold Saint. "Do you think that I'll allow you to do that?!" His fist was held tightly by Hermes's hand.

"Smartass, how are you going to get back? Your soul was sent to these deathly Hills with my Sekishi mekaiha. You can't return easily."

The bodies that dropped into Yomatsu's mountain kept going towards their destination, an unknown afterlife, and unperturbed by the bright flashes of Eden's Tonitruī Fera Caelos and Hermes's Cosmos clashing against one another. One power fought for the peace of Earth, and another supposedly for the Mother Goddess's plan. Every where he looked, upon returning to his activities as a Saint, he felt like he must face an enemy. It was one traitor to another; did Cancer truly want war? Or was it more death? Eden's frustration welled up as much as his confusion did.

It did not end as another voice entered Yomatsu Hirasaka. The tone was melodious.

"Indeed. Salvation comes in all forms, and indeed, the afterlife is needed. However, the bright conviction of Athena's Saints prospered the beauty of Earth. That has been proven for centuries. Evil is broken, and good is repaired."

The Cosmo clash died down and Eden stiffened, feeling a hand tap on his shoulder.

"It's been a long while, son of Ludwig. Don't you have somewhere to go? Hermes here, not unlike those who precede him, does not seek strength, right?"

Chapter Text

Eden felt someone stand behind him, and while facing Cancer Hermes's boastful smile, a hand on his shoulder put him to ease. He looked back, saw a gold gauntlet over his shoulder, and then a familiar face. Within Yomatsu, there was now a young man with a relatively dark complexion. He too wore gold around his body. His eyes were soft and gentle, despite being of different colors.

"Hermes, even the Cancer Saints can hold honor, despite swimming among the dead like a sport."

"Oh. The wishy-washy semi-God, am I right? High-handed men like you would take any side, whether it leads to the destruction of Earth or not."

"Yes."

"Well aren't you a hypocrite?"

"Indeed. I wanted to see the sins of the world burn from Mars's angry flames, but now Athena reigns true. Her justice and the spirit of her Saints have led to me to a new path. Evil still must be frightened and burn, even among our own if necessary."

"Heeeey," Hermes frowned and placed his hands on his hips, "are you implying that I'm evil, Fudou? Isn't fighting itself evil?"

"Did you get Integra like you were asked to? You are acting on your own and it's suspicious."

"Don't you worry, I got this."

"Got what, exactly? I am tasked to investigate the Underworld and what Demeter's plan may truly mean."

"And Athena wouldn't ask me? Shame on her."

"Enough Hermes!" Orion suddenly intervened. "You dare call Fudou a hypocrite? Didn't you not say that a war must be waged?"

Cancer waved his hands in front of his face. "Now now, I don't need to get ganged on. So I've decided. Okay Orion, the grown-ups need to have a talk." Hermes pointed a finger at both. "So, to the harbor you go." From Cancer's fingertip, a beam whipped out, hitting Eden like a bullet. It went black before his eyes again, and he then heard someone scream his name.

"Eden!" It was Kouga's voice. Eden opened his eyes and saw light – the light of the sun melting through a framed window, and the faces of his friends. There was Shun and even Yuna, who looked fine despite being out of commission through the entire fight. Kouga beamed widely, relief shining in his eyes.

"Thank goodness. Thank goodness! I thought, I really thought I lost you there. What happened Eden?!"

Eden lifted his upper body. He realized that he was lying in bed. His eyes were dazed as he regarded Kouga. "It's…hard to explain."

"Someone told me that your soul went missing," said Shun, "and I told Kouga to relax and help me take both you and Yuna to one of the village cabins. Amor is gone. Schiller just turned to dust."

Eden did not feign his surprise. He saw Schiller burn in Yomatsu Hirasaka, and since Shun's words connected with Hermes's explanation of the Cancer signature ability, he conjectured that Schiller's body died along with his soul.

"Your soul was transferred to the dead right? Not the first time I've seen that."

"You can hear voices?"

Shun sighed and smiled, a hint of embarrassment on his face. "Strange, isn't it?" It wouldn't take Eden long to get back on his feet. He had his own conjectures over what happened, such as meeting Hermes and what he saw and heard, but only lead the others into hastening to the harbor, and reaching Naxos. Shun explained that Naxos is an island cluster a short distance off the south Athens coast, and is said to be green and peaceful. Therefore, he recommended not going there with a sense of wanting to battle the island's patron God, and to not refer to Demeter as an enemy. To repair Pavlin and make assure of everyone's safety, Shun chose to stay behind; Kouga, Eden, and Yuna head for Athens harbor.

Back in the Underworld, Cancer Hermes and Virgo Fudou stared at each other, and neither regretted their choice of words. Despite the two being in the same rank, and despite Demeter's actions against the Sanctuary, there was a small, underlying rift. An unneeded tension between the two.

"Everyone thinks that this is all strange, Fudou. I'm only spying, that's all. Smart, no? Perhaps it is best for her to put her fury on us rather than the entire planet."

"Then why revive the Underworld? Or rather how?"

"I don't know about the 'how', but it seems to be connected to that Silver Saint. Also, you seem to be aware of the strange spirits that are coming out?"

"That is an utmost concern too. They radiate a great evil that I have never felt before. Peering into the depths myself, I saw nothing. No time, no direction, no answers, no theodicy, no will of the mind. It felt like a death that could not be fathomed. An inescapable prison? It could shake not only mortal but God as well."

"Mm-hmm. As expected from the semi-god." Hermes smiled, nodding his head. "The balance is upset, is it not? It is dogma to keep balance."

"Athena does not want the Underworld to revive because of a great threat that'll befall her and the world. The balance will truly be upset and there will be no theodicy. Furthermore, there is the threat that Demeter will be punished."

"Well, isn't this polar? Since this is a girl problem, how about we go ask her? You know, Athena?" Hermes's words left Fudou a puzzled look.

"Let's go back to the Sanctuary and let her be the goad." After saying such, Cancer winced and tried to repel Fudou's suspicion-digging stare with a wry smile. The side of his mouth twitched. Fudou raised his hand midway in a threatening gesture, a wave of cosmos coursing around his palm.

"Hermes, I don't like your peculiar language. The only matter we face is to uphold our duty. To prevent distress and suffering, and there's no excuse," said the Virgo Saint. Hermes only replied that he appreciated Fudou's forward convictions and his forgiveness, and that he'll get Integra immediately. He turned his back to Fudou and tightened his lip. His unusual tongue retreated into his thoughts.

"Demeter is going to be very upset, but maybe this will make up for it." Hermes's body phased out of sight, signaling his return to the mortal world. Fudou was still left with distrust in his heart, especially after he saw how Eden reacted. He would stay in the Underworld and sat in a cross-legged pose, crossing his hands between his knees and closing his eyes. The dead walked by him. All of the Golds would come together at the Pope Chamber to speak with Athena about the current situation. As soon as possible, if a terrible future was to be expected, he would want to come with answers.

It was true that the dead needed salvation, but how was Demeter going to come to her plan? Why was she so adamant about it? What was Athena's fear? Fudou placed faith into his Cloth, worn by many men closest to God. He assured himself that he would be lead to everything.

At Athens Port, five Bronze Saints and a Gold Saint were gathered: Pegasus Kouga, Orion Eden, Aqulia Yuna, Dragon Ryuho, Lionet Souma, and Hyouga. After a mysterious attack and the departure of his friend, Ryuho was given the news by his father; Souma recovered in the Palestra infirmary and was met by a new Capricorn Saint.

"It felt like a threat from him," he said. "He looked pretty damned serious. Also, Ichi tried to kiss Emma while she was trying to give him mouth-to-mouth. That's what it looked like. Then, Emma called him a pervert!" Despite being wounded by Sonia, humor wracked Souma's face, and he laughed from reflecting, slapping his knee.

Everyone except Hyouga came carrying their Pandora boxes on their backs. Hyouga was the only one of the original Legendary Bronze to join them, wearing his Gold Cloth underneath a cloak. Seiya reported to Shiryu and were to return to Athena. Hyouga had an independent type of spirit; he and Haruto could be considered kindred spirits, even though both had a profuse sense of responsibility. In fact, they both came together. The other Saints questioned why Hyouga was the only one who decided to come, and he determined that he was not ready to join the Golden Circle just yet.

"You could say that I'm serving as vanguard for Seiya and the others. I met one of Demeter's warriors in Siberia," he said. "I figured that if I travel to Naxos, I will understand the answer behind her transgressions. Why would a mother goddess do this?" There was sentimentality in Hyouga's voice, which was then followed up with a bit of assertiveness. "I will find out."

Former friends and enemies were being revived to deter the Saints, and there was the mystery deep within the Underworld. Without hesitation, the group of six departed and sailed into the Aegean Sea, and into a blinding fog.

Chapter Text

Out of the cluster of islands south of the Greek archipelago, situated within the Aegean ocean divided north and south, Naxos was the largest. Despite being neighbors, Demeter and her niece Athena hardly associated with one another; the former, being a patron of family and environmental prosperity, shunned battle and turned down most alliances. In fact, it was edict to not allow any warrior training on her island. In an army's stead, akin to the Saints, the Specters and the Marine Generals, Demeter established only four figures that'll rise up in arms to protect the island if necessary.

Athena's existence sustains battle and killing, Demeter would say, and that the Goddess of Battle would form warriors to fight with their own bodies and to barrier her. Despite that, Demeter acknowledged Athena's compassion for humans and also her belief in the burning hearts of youths who are the light of the future. She may have punished the Earth before due to her emotions, but Demeter hardly waged conflict that convinced the other Gods to send their forces against her.

Damn you, Hermes. Demeter's thoughts fumed as she looked far out at the sea from a coastal cliff. She had returned to Naxos moments ago, and was told that some of Athena's forces were on their way.

"Mother, that Gold Saint can't be trusted." Kneeling by Demeter was Pan, the blonde-haired girl that accompanied the Goddess to Athena's Sanctuary. Without her cloak, her young features were far more delineated; her short cropped hair, soft face, and worn armor made her seem like a pre-pubescent son instead. Perhaps an inexperienced page. Only her placid voice and lean physique described her as a female. Stubbornness and sense of courage hidden in the heart could be reflected in her eyes.

"He cares little for life," Pan continued to insist. "A traitor to his own could turn on you just the same. Then, I would never forgive him."

Demeter was silent; to a disputing child, she'd usually reply in retort or to elucidate her choices, but if her voice wasn't raised, it meant her mind was truly set. Their peace was broken by a bizarre squawk from the air, sharp to the ears unlike the morning sounds of birds. It forced the two to look up, and they saw a black bird circling above them.

"Agron?" Demeter seemed to recognize the bird, her eyes thinning. She noticed something round in the raven's talons. Pan rose from her knee and opened her hand. The bird flew above her and dropped the item, which landed into the girl's palm without fail. She pinched her fingers around the item, which was a tightened scroll. After unfurling it, Pan nearly fixed her mouth to read the contents out loud; instead, her face ruffled and she gave it to Demeter. As the Goddess looked, she only read quietly. She realized who it was from.

"I bet you're talking sin about me, Mother Goddess, but not too worry. You may have some company, but things will go your way. Gonna be late. The Sanctuary's Golds are coming together and I'll meet you in the future with a friend. Ciao. From Hermes."

"I hate him," Pan said, her face furrowing. "I want to write back and tell him that if he fails, Megaera and I shall kill him."

"Not needed," The goddess said. "If he is truly a disgusting man, do not speak like him, Pan." Demeter's voice was tranquil, and she even looked at Pan this time. "I will stop them, now." She then looked back at the ocean, and a glowing aura shimmered around her body. Her white hair rustled.

Pan wondered what was going to happen next, and only continued to press her affirmation. "Mother, if it all fails and Athena's Saints come, I want to commit all my strength to protect you and Naxos."

"I love you Pan, and I thank you. But I detest the idea of battle here. Do not wish it. If they truly reach here, then their dark intentions are quite strong. They will have to spill blood to get to me; they would be true sinners indeed. Despite Athena's kindness, they shall be the enemy. My purpose shall be the scatter them across Cyclades and the Aegean Sea." Demeter lifted her arm and a metal scepter tipped with a husked corn wrapped in a lace of wheat materialized in her hand. Gradually, the sky over the sea became gray and the air cold. The wind became heavy. Anyone would probably mistake this as an incoming storm. Pan tried to peer further across the ocean, noticing that a mist was forming over the water.

"I shall dim their eyes and freeze them in place. I also already sent the Saints there."

"Can they do it?"

"Under the power of my Thesmophoria, they shall obey. No, they will because they are wretched mortals and will not hesitate to battle. That is not all."

"Not all?"

"From what I can tell, they are the perfect candidates against Athena. They are poor beings having lived in the world with a hedonic purpose against the Saints. Their minds and bodies harbor wickedness that can't be put away, and I was able to reveal it. The ones called Pisces and Cancer desire destruction and revenge; Gemini wants to inflict pain on Athena and another; Aquarius is an arbitrary one and, even though he won't admit it, wants to try his might against his finest adversary."

"Athena would have such people in her company? Were you uncomfortable with using them?"

"It seems strange. Although, Scorpio is much like yourself, Pan."

"Why?!" Pan was in disbelief.

"Loyal, a fire in her heart, a yearning for love and the protection of the family, she agreed to her revival if it were to ease me. In fact, she insisted that she can take on Athena's boat on her own."

"To ease you? Why?"

"She said that she sensed and understood my feelings."

"Nonsense mother!" Pan's voice trembled with obvious scorn. Demeter said nothing in return; within her mind, she said her farewells to Athena's Saints. Also, she held anticipation for another person who was out there. The one, unlike the others, with a good head on the shoulders.

"Damnit, what is this?!"

"A blizzard all of a sudden?!"

"This must be Demeter's doing." The six Saints sent to Naxos Island were gathered on the boat deck. The entire atmosphere was bleak and gray; appearing suddenly was a fog so thick that there was no opening. Everywhere the Saints looked, they were lost.

"Both the keel and hull are stuck." Among the comments, Aquarius Hyouga looked over the railed deck and saw a bulky mass of ice coalesced around the boat's base. The ice swelled into chunks, growing up the boat halfway to the deck. It was similar to when foes were struck by Hyouga's Aurora Execution or Freezing Coffin, the ice growing from the base up upon impact. The boat shook violently, a loud cracking sound following after, then the sound of glass breaking. As Hyouga watched, he noticed the ice below the boat giving away, and that the boat was slowly sinking. He uttered a word of shock, surprised at such power; he believed it to be the goddess or another force. Furthermore, what were he and his comrades to do next?

Something jumped onto the deck. Suddenly, Koga leaned back. A knee was shoved into the back of his neck, throwing him into the boat's barrel house. In the next instant, there was a loud thud; Yuna screamed and slid against the deck. Something with unnatural speed was on the boat. And in the next instant, Souma threw himself against a black shadow. He flew over the railing while in a grapple.

"I have you!" Souma's face was in a deep scowl, staring down at before him. Long pink strands waved against his eyes.

"Don't interfere Souma. You won't reach Naxos." The cool, feminine voice unconcerned for Souma's rage was from Pallestra. It would haunt Souma since he was in the infirmary.

"Like Hell I'll let you defeat us, Sonia!" Both the former Gold Saint wrapped in black and the Lionet Bronze Saint crashed onto the ocean surface, which was now frozen solid by ice. Souma's voice rose into a yell as his body shot up in the air. He was kicked off from pinning down Sonia, flying overhead and landing further away.

"Blinded by the fog, which continues to spread, and with no means of travel, everything ends here." Returning to her feet, the revived Scorpio Sonia affirmed both her goal and Demeter's intrusion.

"How will you make it to Naxos now? Surrender your life and look forward to the return of Hell." As Sonia spoke, Souma stood and faced her immediately in a readied stance. Suddenly, his body jolted and he nearly collapsed onto his knee. He let out a loud groan. A fast surge of pain had coursed through him. Sonia had her finger pointed at him.

"Guys, you need to get off the boat now!" barked Souma, holding his wound, a small hole below his shoulder.

"Looks like you have some fight in you," Sonia's sneer came out in a voice suitably cold for a former assassin. "Scorpions don't kill slowly."

"He's right. We can't stick around fighting Sonia. We must find a way to get to Demeter's temple," Hyouga's suggestion echoed through the air to reach the ears of all aboard the ship. From what he could tell, Sonia was alone. He glanced over to Haruto, who was watching over the deck to see the two Saints.

"Haruto," the Aquarius said, "let's split."

"What?" Haruto looked astonished at Hyouga.

"The boat will not move and it's going to sink. The Aegean Sea is surrounded by other islands. If we stay here, we'll just become consumed by the fog. However, the ocean is frozen. Let us use this to move with our feet."

"How do we find Naxos?" Haruto's question left even him stunned. It took him a moment, watching Souma and Sonia, and something came to him. It looked like a desperate situation where all they could depend on was arbitrary faith.

"Vision impairment," Haruto mumbled out his thoughts. Kouga and Yuna came too, followed by Ryuho and Eden. The hull cracked again, and began to collapse quickly like a sinkhole. The six Saints jumped off the boat. At that moment, Souma broke away and ran off, challenging the Lionet Saint to follow her to finish their grudge once and for all. She held on to the confidence that the enemy forces were going to be repelled without fail.

"Let's follow Hyouga's advice," Haruto said, pointing in one direction. "The fog will distort our hearing," he paused, and raised his finger, "and it'll cover the sky, blanketing the sun and moon. Before the fog arrived, I managed to check the sun." With that, Haruto pointed in the previous direction.

"We must go further South. Kouga, I believe you said that you went to Naxos before right? What was the most distinct thing about it?"

"White irony buildings and hills. It's the village surrounding the island. We can probably hear its people from a distance," said Kouga, bowing his head. Haruto nodded in agreement. The Saints had decided; earlier, Souma and Sonia had gone in the same direction, possibly confirming that Wolf's hunch was correct.

Everyone moved, their boat crashing down and laying dilapidated in a hole crusted by ice. Entering the fog, further in, all of the Saints definitely reached an island, unclouded by Demeter's winter fog.

However, everyone was not together. And, every island wasn't the same. When Kouga caught his breath, he noticed that Ryuho was next to him. The two found themselves on a narrow strip of beach sand connecting two landscapes. Looking in different directions, a port loomed in the distance. The ocean water was still frozen and the entire atmosphere carried a somber, gray tone. It felt quiet and abandoned.

"No, this isn't it," said Kouga.

"Which island is this?" Ryuho wondered as he looked around. Both Saints crossed the sandy strip to reach a crescent beach. Buildings and vegetation were shrouded by the cold ghostly fog; the inhabitants, if any, may have been closed in their homes. Kouga was surprised that the fog and ice went so far, that Demeter would go to such lengths to impede them. Ryuho explained that even the Mother Goddess brought famine and drought to the world due to being upset or sad.

"As a goddess, this power shouldn't come off as unusual," said the Dragon Saint.

"Indeed," said a voice, which caused the two Saints to stop in their tracks on the beach. They saw someone approach from the fog.

"Pegasus Kouga, Dragon Ryuho, it's been a while." Entering the path of two Bronze Saints was a man dressed in black; just like before, a luster of armor recognized as a Cloth. After the Silver Saints, Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, Kouga and Ryuho were prompt to enter their guard. It was the voice of a male; thus, they expected Amor, but instead they froze from deep suspicion.

"Wait." Kouga's eyes widened.

"No, that's impossible!" Ryuho spoke as he shook his head. "Why would you stand before us?" Ryuho believed that, while it was quite candid of a thought, betrayal was never far below a decision for any soul on Earth.

"Former Gold Saint of Athena." The gray fog began to seep away. A break in the sunlight reached the island, highlighting the features of the Saints. Kouga and Ryuho found themselves facing a morose man with sharp blue eyes and bright red hair. Despite the Surplice, he didn't look destitute or wicked; there was a juxtaposition of a brave "black" lion standing before them.

"And, a soul from the Realm of Ashura. Libra Genbu." The former Libra Saint stood as an obstacle, one of the first challenges of Cyclades.

"Why are you against us?" Kouga's disbelief turned into anger, and it easily appeared on his face. He raised a fist in challenge. "If your heart has forsaken Athena, I won't forgive you either Genbu!"

"I told you before. The spirit of Libra will always be with Athena."

"Then why?! Why are you here with the Surplice?"

"That's right, Mister Genbu. You would have to agree with Demeter to your revival just like the rest." At Ryuho's words, Genbu paused and closed his eyes.

"Yes, the rest of the Gold Saints were revived for the very purpose of deterring you. Each had a chapter in life where they turned violence towards Athena." As Genbu spoke, he then opened his eyes. "Bronze Saints, I have something to tell you, but first you must get past me. You know how sincere I am."

"OK, I'm first then." With that, Kouga rushed forward. Ryuho called out in interjection, but the Pegasus Saint did not listen, going with his drive to move forward. Whether there was a deeper reason behind the revival, Demeter's actions, he could not forgive his friends being attacked and killed. He lunged at Genbu and swung a fist, which flew into a blazing flurry of hundreds of strikes. The typical Ryu Sei Ken that covered every side and corner of the enemy, even blind spots, there would be no escape. Genbu lifted his arm and balled his hand. As Koga looked ahead, he noticed that his attacks were hitting, but were also bending past Genbu. Genbu kept still; there was a deflection at the core of Genbu's fist. As the Ryu Sei Ken touched Libra's fist, it was being thrown behind him.

Kouga groaned at the defense and went closer. He noticed a hemisphere of energy around Genbu's balled hand and swung at him. Genbu met Kouga's fist with his, resulting in a loud shock wave in between them.

"Ah—!" Kouga slowly staged back and his punching fist juddered, waggling in the air from a deflection. Genbu didn't bat an eye as he saw Kouga's eyes blank out.

"Facing a warrior who went through the Hells of Ashura won't be an easy task," said Genbu. "You can go to Demeter's Temple Kouga, but you must go to the true source. If you don't awaken the universe to its truest strength, then it's too dangerous for you to continue. No matter what either of you say."

Kouga didn't return an answer and fell on his back.

"Kouga!" Ryuho made a move to check on Pegasus, but quickly froze after a few steps.

Now Genbu, as he straightened his posture, turned his gaze towards Ryuho. "Son of Shiryu, who is my fellow brother, will you fight too? Don't hold back. As we the Saints, who died during the last war and in this current time, were led by the Virgo Saint through the door of the Afterlife. Some of us were severely punished; I was as well, but was somewhat spared, being sent to the Realm of Ashura to quell my fists. As I did, I grinned and bore the Hell I had to endure. Even as a spirit, I challenged myself to keep a promise. However, death is forever, and I may have suffered. But I promise you Ryuho, Kouga, I keep my word as a Rozan warrior and as a Libra."

"You're not like the others Mister Genbu, so why? Join us!"

"Yes, indeed. I have not forsaken the will inherited by my master Dohko and my fellow brother Shiryu. Demeter has acknowledged my self-assurance, but I am still under her orders. However, she has given me the opportunity to see you nurture. Let's go Ryuho!"

"Rozan Shoryuha!" Determined, Ryuho stomped in close and angled his arm upward. His punch and then his entire body were haloed by Cosmo, taking the form of a blue dragon. Genbu saw the gaping maw of the dragon rushing towards him and crossed his arms in front of him. The jaw struck him and his feet left the ground. The Libra Saint was propelled into the air, still in a defensive form; an ellipse shell formed around his body. Ryuho had followed Genbu in a leap, his punch blocked by Genbu's arms. The boy grounded his teeth as he noticed his opponent's heavy guard. He wondered if it he was weak from his therapy training or was Genbu truly strong?

"If you die Ryuho, you can't defeat the true enemy!" Genbu yelled. Libra's words left Ryuho's completely perplexed, and the shock became further heavy as Genbu's punch struck his face. Another shock wave appeared, inhibiting Ryuho's scream. The Dragon Saint was out cold next to Kouga. When Genbu landed, he waited for the two to come back to their senses. He thought that since they didn't die from his Shinbuken, their fullest potential would come to surface.

"Pegasus Kouga, Dragon Ryuho, I will make this curt. Demeter is not your enemy. Your enemy is him!"

Suddenly, a wave of sand and both Bronze Saints were thrown into the air by a sudden blast after Genbu's fist flew over his head in an uppercut. Part of the fog around them dispersed like smoke against a furious wind.

"If you can't move ahead without being stronger, than the Earth is done for."

The pressure they felt nearly turned their insides; even if Genbu was holding back, there was still a threat of danger. However, they couldn't fight someone that was not perceived as truly evil. Kouga and Ryuho still had doubts.

Thinking back, Genbu remembered waking up in solid surroundings. It was unlike the Realm of Ashura, surrounded by flame and distorted, burned corpses pierced by weapons of war, by nails, and by fangs. Many times, he would have to lift his fists and weapons in battle. Instead, he heard a voice call to him, and then, he returned to the living world as substance. He was given a body, a replicate Cloth; he met the face of a woman and familiar faces. His former companions from the Twelve Temples were sent out to harm other former companions without question – under the charge of the woman with ease.

"This man is different." The woman told a cohort that stood beside her. The woman that Genbu met was Demeter. A beautiful goddess; her light hair flowed and her eyes were filled with green life, but within them, the Libra Saint sensed anger or sadness. Three figures stood within a columned chamber.

"Libra Genbu I presume?" Demeter spoke. "You are unlike the others who does not think for oneself; you are a man with a peaceful heart and feeds on justice. I summoned you to the living for a task. With your help, I will bring the Underworld."

Chapter Text

What to tell about the man of Rozan that bore the Cloth of Libra, his unshakable belief hailed by Athena.

His master Dohko taught him Eastern martial arts and tales of the past; following tradition, he walked along the path of protecting Earth and its inhabitants. No disdain could be harbored for Libra Genbu due to his good heart, unless one was a stubborn god. He would not lose his beliefs even after being revived from Ashura.

Demeter derived comfort from such a reputation. As she stared at the deceased Gold Saint, who was now wrapped in a blackened replicate of his Libra Cloth, she showed a gray flower lying in her hand. Its outspread petals were thinner than her fingers, their shape much like the frills of chrysanthemums or asters.

"Your impertinence is not accepted here," she said. "With this Thesmophoria flower, you are under my command. Even if you think not, you show respect before a goddess."

Genbu was silent, showing observation through a still gaze of defiance; the word "command" did not follow, and the goddess could sense this.

"Indeed, you would not turn against Athena wouldn't you?" said Demeter.

"Goddess of Harvest, no matter where a Saint's spirit wavers, through the abyss or through Heaven, our allegiance is always with Athena," he said. Demeter felt angered by his words, but it did not show upon her face. His voice harmonized a calm probity, rather than a sense of calamity that brought war. A feeling of watching a serene lake underneath the moon in a Spring night. It was unlike the other Gold Saints that she revived.

"I can tell that you're strong," the goddess said. "A true soldier, a disgusting thing that fights as an instinct, but I can also sense that you are a good man."

Genbu said nothing, only listening.

"Your comrades are fighting for me," the goddess went on. "Do you not know them? Tokisada, Schiller, Amor, Sonia, Paradox, Saints destitute of virtue. But you, you are different. It'll be difficult to turn you. No, I will not be wavered by your obstinate stance. Genbu, you will have to raise your fist at me to change fate."

"Very well." Genbu splayed his feet and entered a neutral, readying stance. Demeter was unsurprised, continuing her lofty discourse.

"Once you do, prepare for what you face after you sin. I do not accept cruelty and battle upon my land. A battle worth naught, and then you're sent back to darkness."

"I will face all Seven Hells to protect Athena's Saints, Demeter." Genbu said, tensing his fingers. "You have sent my companions to harm the other Saints, and you will bring calamity for what you plan to do. As a Goddess of Harvest, why do you turn to a vicious path?"

Demeter's face was composed, but her next words seem the opposite.

"You would dare refer to me as vicious?" Her voice shook behind little tension.

"Severe? Grievous? Spiteful? Concerning? I do not wish to fight you, for you were never an enemy to Athena, but I shall to protect her, her fellow guardians, and her world. Why have you turned your back on the Earth that you swore to sustain?"

"Enough, Libra!" A noble-looking man nearly rushed ahead to step in between the two. He was quickly stopped by Demeter's quick glance.

"It is fine."

"If you revive Hades," Genbu continued to plead, "he will seek Athena's head and destroy the world. That is his way. If you won't prevent that, it's the same as being his ally."

"Yes, his most exquisite foe since mythological times has always been Athena, due to her love of humanity. Humanity can be both beautiful and dirty, and in nearly every reincarnation, Hades conspired against her. Genbu, in honor of your piety and sense of principle, I allow your presence here. Still, the rule of my Thesmophoria stands."

Genbu said nothing. He relaxed his pose; he believed that she wouldn't be turned.

"Regardless of what will happen, I want the Underworld returned. As a consequence, Hades will regain his seat as ruler. That is the decree of the Gods. And, you must fight your comrades. At the least, measure them."

"Measure?"

"Does that convince you enough to face them? If you rely on them so much, see that they are allowed to protect this Earth and make wrong right. Other than that, I shall not let you defy a mother. And I predict that Hades will honor my actions and fulfill my wishes."

"Is one of your wishes to stop him from his destructive path?"

"Nay, Genbu. It can't be done. Believe or not, Hades and I are close. Those on Earth die and return to soil, to walk the cliffs of Yomatsu and towards the path of one of the prisons. Along it, more life comes and goes. Nothing is wasted. If Hades's intention is to purge the world and create another, then that is so. Life dies by his hands, and flourishes by my hands. That is also the decree of Gods."

"I see."

"Justice is different among all; balance is the same. We fight for and against our differences; if Athena bides humanity's peace with her life, then Hades must accept destroying life for peace. That is also the Holy War."

"I shall not resent you for this Demeter, but believe me, Athena will not allow it."

"Indeed Genbu. It is also the way of the Holy War to fight back."

"Then I know what I must do."

Facing Ryuho and Kouga, Genbu explained his first meeting with Demeter. Compared to Libra, she barely interacted with the other Gold Saints so closely; as long as her deeds were done.

"Demeter has not fought against the Earth. I assume she only wants one thing and nothing more. I don't think she completely trusts me, and refused to speak her reasons in full." Genbu said, rubbing his chin.

"That doesn't mean she get to recklessly attack us and bring the world's destruction upon us!" barked Kouga.

"I only heard stories from Master about how the Cloth of Ophiuchus is used. Again, I wasn't told the full details of Demeter's plan, perhaps for her own security, but that Cloth has a forbidden background. It's the key to a tomb."

"A key, Mister Genbu?" Ryuho showed interest.

"Ophiuchus is the serpent bearer is it not? How does it connect to the revival of the Underworld is the question? At this moment, there is no Hell. Virgo Fudo had to keep our souls at bay. However, I was sent to the Ashura Realm in hopes to cleanse myself. It's hard to imagine 'cleansing" anything in such a world, but it's indeed a test. That's when I realized—"

"Realize?" Now, Kouga wondered.

"I realized my own vanity. Perhaps it can be said about all Saints, especially Gold Saints and-" Genbu paused and raised a finger, pointing to both Bronze Saints. Then, a small motion, his finger aimed towards Kouga. "God Destroyers."

Pegasus Kouga grimaced. Once again, he was called such a title; God slayers, God destroyers, names that seem to follow Pegasus in every generation, follow a fate for a boy that went against all odds.

"So I stand here now to see how much you've improved as Saints. Have you felt the Universe? The Omega? Let me see. You must've felt it at least once."

Kouga stomped the sand. "You still want us to fight you, Genbu?!"

"If you can't, you cannot defeat Hades."

"The Underworld King, right?" said Ryuho. "Is that who you mean?"

Genbu said nothing.

"Back in China, I heard about that name from someone named Rouen."

Ryuho then explained what happened before he came to the Athens Habor and reunited with the other Bronze Saints. While he was training his students, and reunited with his old friend Suikyo, a bizarre thing appeared and propagated about the Return of the Dark King. A thing called the Terrestrial Guardian Star, Gargoyle Rouen that chased after Suikyo's soul, demanding him to join the Underworld. Ryuho couldn't penetrate Rouen's armor, and that's when Suikyo showed off something surprising. After that incident, Ryuho's friend insisted to stay far away.

"Indeed, Hades, probably Athena's greatest foe," Genbu explained. "For the Underworld to revive, it needs its leader. However, due to the stories of mythological ages, Demeter is not that intimate to Hades."

"We don't need to fight Mister Genbu. We are going to stop this Hades's resurrection. That's all we have to do right?"

Genbu breathed a solemn sigh. "Unfortunately, that can't happen."

"Why?!" Both Bronze Saints exclaimed at the same time.

"Because it's like I said before, if you don't tap into Omega, you can't face him. If you want to reach Demeter, you will have to travel to the Underworld yourself, in which she has personal entrance to. In other words, you won't have that much time. To revive a God? From what I heard, the Cloth of Ophiuchus's forbidden ability can make that easy."

Genbu's words left Kouga and Ryuho both in amazement. He continued. "Furthermore, upon entering the Underworld, you will suffocate from the aura of the dead. It'll feel like a barrier upon your Cosmos. The law of Hades forbids the living to walk freely. You'll be subjugated to that land's power. Therefore, you must become near God or..."

Pausing his words, Genbu entered a battle stance. "You can die. Enough talk. Awaken my faith. Awaken the Omega and you'll have a chance. If not, I'll end you."

Both Bronze Saints took stance as well; it was inevitable to fight a former friend after all. It would seem simple to charge Genbu, but the two feared a repeat of the last offense. Being a representative of the tortoise, Libra contained a sustainable defense within his very own fists. Ryuho turned his head to Kouga and lowered his voice.

"Kouga, you go on ahead."

"What do you mean?"

"If what Mister Genbu said is true about the time, then we must hurry. I want you to head for Naxos while I battle."

"You mean you want to fight Genbu alone?! I can't do that!"

"Don't worry. At the least, if we can retrieve Miss Shaina's Cloth, then it won't be used as a key, right?"

Kouga gave Ryuho a look of disbelief, but within, he had a second thought. Both boys had been absent from combat, particularly Ryuho who entered meditative training. Thus, they feared over the idea of Genbu, who boasts about battling in the Ashura Realm, being fought alone. However, there was the threat of Demeter accomplishing her plan and it was obvious that she was impeding them with brisk force. Kouga sensed the urgency, nodded, and ran ahead. He took a long leap, showing no attention to Libra. Genbu watched and grimaced, pointing towards the soaring Pegasus.

"Pegasus, you will not leave until you have my credence of you being a Saint's heir." Genbu suddenly jolted. A ray of Cosmos hit him.

"Mister Genbu, face me," said the young Dragon Saint, staring directly at Genbu with daring eyes.

"What?"

"I'm your opponent. If the Omega is brought upon our companions' Cosmos having merged once before, then I'll be a testament for Kouga."

"I will not accept any hubris, Ryuho. Modifying your strength is important."

"I'll show you our potential." Ryuho shut his eyes and his body glowed. Genbu hesitated, interested on what was about to happen.

"Rozan Hyakuryuha!" Ryuho stretched out his arms. A flurry of dragons, the Wave of one hundred dragons, manifested before Genbu. They consumed the Gold Saint. With a roar of his voice, Ryuho passed Genbu, his knuckles scrapping against a shoulder. A loud clang, an impact of metal, sounded out; the shield of the Libra Cloth flew off Genbu's shoulder.

Genbu held up, staying onto his feet, but his pose was shaken. He felt the blow, which surprised him. "I see. You truly are Brother Shiryu's son."

"How's that Genbu!?" Within, Ryuho wanted Genbu's approval; he did not want to destroy him.

"Indeed. At that moment, I felt your Cosmos explode at a massive level. A universal feeling, like someone was by your side." As he spoke, he turned to take his Cloth shield and reattach to his shoulder. "This feeling of union. Was it Omega? For now, it's a hint of something that's slowly reawakening."

Those words gave Ryuho confidence, and he entered a stance to prepare for another Hyakuryuha. He felt like it was the only way for him to break Libra's defense. In Genbu's mind, he knew that the Bronze Saints boast about the Dragon Shield having the great defense, but The Libra's Shields may have that title. It sustained no damage but enough force knocked it away with a blow equal to a Gold Saint.

"Very well. You will face my new technique: Tomoe Taiko Ken."

As Genbu entered an open battle stance, Ryuho wondered over the new technique. With Genbu's arms and legs splayed, Ryuho expected an incoming ranged attack much similar to his Hyakuryuha. The Rozan techniques were primarily melee, or were launched from the fist, and Ryuho took another chance to rush in. Closer and closer, he didn't see Genbu budge. Dragon expected another defense-to-offense move.

"Rozan Hyakuryuha!" A myriad of dragons extended towards Genbu, engulfing him, a jaw grasping a shoulder, a leg, a thigh, a foot. Ryuho closed in, and saw Libra throw a fist. Suddenly, the air was clear; the dragons dissipated. He was surprised, passing by the Gold Saint in black. He heard a beat, becoming confused as to why his attack was ineffective. Before Ryuho could turn, he felt a light slap against his back.

"Ah!?" His scream was caught in his throat. The surroundings faded to dark quick; he was facing the ground, and the plates of his Dragon armor were scattered about.

Libra Genbu was the only one standing.

"I am disappointed in you, Ryuho." Genbu looked over his shoulder for a short moment before walking away. In his mind, slightly debased by Ashura, he secretly damned the Bronze Saints as failures to Athena. Or did Ryuho die for his friends? Now all he held was his last desire – to battle Shiryu.

"The Tomoe Taiko Ken increases the warrior spirit or inhibits it. To fall against it means that your will was not completely invested into fighting. Thus, the reason why you Cloth collapsed from your body."

"It's…not over."

Suddenly, Genbu fell to a knee.

The Hyakuryuha, it is truly devastating. Genbu acknowledged a part of Ryuho's strength; the boy was able to inherit such a technique after all. Still, the one who looked the most broken was Ryuho. Flat on the ground, his Cloth removed, bare back exposed and covered in bruises. Genbu turned to look again; Ryuho wasn't moving, but the sections of the Dragon Cloth were vibrating. The former Gold Saint cupped his chin with his hand.

"I definitely heard his voice." He had heard that the Saints Cloth were reactionary to different situations; it's said that the former owners could spur the Cloth's power from the dead or even Cosmos beyond the Seventh Sense.

"Is this Omega?" Genbu wondered out loud, and then nodded to himself before walking away. He had a good feeling. The celestial powers above Hell were probably at work. He had never seen Omega himself, but one thing he knew – he sensed that Ryuho's Cosmos hasn't completely disappeared.

"Ryuho. A warning. There is a guy on Naxos who single-handled defeated a group of Saints effortlessly.

Libra Genbu left his cryptic message to the sleeping Dragon and disappeared from the Greek island. For now, his goal as a revived Saint under the mother goddess's was done. If she was watching, she would be convinced – Ryuho was dead and repelled from Demeter's home island. What of the Dragon Cloth's conscience?

On another island, there was a broken down amphitheatre. It was a coliseum, an ancient relic of the past where man fought.

"So you've come, Lionet Souma." Sonia's body loomed amidst the gray fog as she stood in the broken stage bleachers. "Even after being stung by my Scarlet Needle, you would dare face me. Soon, the Underworld will return and you will all die."

Chapter Text

After departing for Naxos, each Bronze Saint faced their own battles scattered among the Cyclades Islands. Libra Genbu defeated Dragon Ryuho; Kouga made a way for Naxos; on another island, within an amphitheatre, Lionet Souma was face to face with his nemesis.

"Like I would turn down a fight." The boy raised his arms, bracing a defensive pose like a boxer. "You're going down."

"You've always sparked with confidence," said Scorpio Sonia. "Yes, you truly are a father's son."

His fists tightening, Souma hissed in between his teeth. "Shut up!"

"Loyal to faith, strength, you are completely strong. Even with my father, I couldn't grow like you." Sonia covered the gap of distance between them, and her knife hand was caught by Souma's grapple.

"But that is fine," said Sonia. "I will not cling onto the distant past. As long as I breathe, I have a use in this world."

"I'll ask you again: does that 'use' mean to betray us? Are you lying to me again?" Suddenly, Souma's face turned in agony. A finger was plunged above his hip.

"Does this feel like a lie?" Sonia pulled away her other hand, showing an elongated, sparkling red nail as sharp as a talon, sliding from Souma's upper hip. At such striking speed, with Sonia being at a conveniently close distance, another Scarlet Needle had pierced the Lionet Saint.

"Keep wondering over it and you'll die," Sonia said as she stared directly into her foe's dilating eyes. Her arm was quickly released.

She's right, her uncertainties are gone, Souma thought as he grasped his waist, taking a few steps back. The pain was real and pulsing; sharp and merciless without a recede in level. When Souma fought Sonia a final time during the time of Mars, his Cosmos excelled above hers due to her emotional heart. Now, it was the complete opposite; nothing was dubious about Sonia this time. However, like before, there was her determination towards fighting for the wrong.

"It's best to admit things. I wanted to be a family's girl. I'd go through Hell for my father, but I lied to myself to avoid the past's innocence so I could become a soldier. Demeter is the same in a way."

"Yeah? No matter what you say or do, I can't allow you to help anyone who will probably destroy the world. Therefore, I must fight."

"Some kind of complacent justice?" Sonia stood and watched Souma with some interest. Doing so, she delayed her attacks since she believed that this persistence would inevitably end.

"What else?" Souma tried to grin through the pain. "That's what Athena's Saints do anyway. Fight for the sake of the Earth, for what is right. I made my choice."

"Funny coming from you. Have you really changed? I'm not lying to hide my emotions to battle, Souma. Not this time. Now, I must fight for what I believe in, just like you or so you say. Like a Saint so you say. Demeter's Thesmophoria flowers have me under oath to ease a tender heart. Isn't that worth fighting for?"

"You said something like that before. It's like you sympathize with Demeter. No matter what the answer, I'm still going to beat you. You made up your mind and so have I."

The pain surged as he moved, but when he did make up his mind, Souma wouldn't hesitate to close the gap between him and his foe. He delivered a flaming punch against another fist. Sonia had quickly parried and held Souma in place with her punch. Auras of Cosmos flared against each other.

"I wanted to fight to get revenge on the evil that killed my father and his partners. Yeah, I wanted to take on those damn Martians." Lionet said as he kept his grin of confidence. "But I'm a changed guy! Now I know what the Cosmos are truly for. If the Earth is going to fall because of Demeter's actions, then I'm not losing to you."

"No morsel will overcome the strong."

"Who are you callin' a morsel?!"

Eventually, Souma broke through and his punch pressed against Sonia's cuirass, and Sonia's feet felt a pushback. A kick to his face threw him back, the sheer force launching him into a wall below the bleachers.

"You fight for justice now? You trained and fought for revenge. You are nothing but a hypocrite, Lionet Souma!" Scorpio's anger began to flare up; she charged, closed in fast, and rammed a fist into Souma. Souma's eyesight blurred for a moment, feeling the blow course through his entire body.

"I'm going to beat you senseless until you can't feel anything. Hear anything. See anything. Until you run cold." Sonia then grabbed Lionet's neck and slammed him down on his back.

"Until your own mind dies." After shooting him with a few Scarlet Needles, punching, kicking and now grinding him into the dirt, Sonia felt that she got her point across. She was confident that her stingers would break Lionet Souma. They would make him bleed to death, or perhaps paralyze his system until he suffocated.

"One more. This shall do it. I won't let you suffer any longer." Sonia confirmed his impending death in her next move, and also her compensation for failing to destroy the other Saints on Athena's boat.

On the ground, Lionet Souma could barely move. His eyesight was getting dim. Having felt the Scarlet Needle's symptoms back at Pallestra, he managed to deter it somewhat with his drive to fight. It could only be for a moment, and but after every needle, he started to slow down. His nervous system was slowly breaking down and he could only move his mouth.

"Sonia, even if you fight for Demeter, it still only looks like you're only concerned about destroying me."

"You're still talking nonsense. Is this how Saints beg for mercy?"

On the face of a nearly broken Saint, a smile appeared. "Heh, I don't talk any nonsense. Real Saints care for each other. I think I've obtained courage for fighting with friends." Saying those words, Souma's body shook; he lifted his hip and slowly began to get up. Sonia, completely astonished, backed away and watched without a word. It must've taken Souma a good couple minutes to get back onto his feet. He was still unsteady, doddering from any movement of his feet, so he stayed in place.

"Something or someone is calling to me." Souma gave out a breathy laugh, looking at his hands.

"Are you mad Lionet? Aren't your senses gone?" Sonia watched carefully. Souma was stumbling, but still looked to have the ignition to fight. Her thoughts were confusing. He isn't bluffing is he?

Leo Minor or Lionet, a constellation that lies between Leo and Ursa Major, was known for stars that shined brighter than the sun itself. Setting itself between a bear and a lion, was there both a feeling of courage and endurance within that constellation? Seeing Souma stand, Sonia, now over thinking the situation, would not admit her shortcomings as an executioner. Souma could just be a fine opponent; she would also not admit that she was curious.

"Why do you still want to fight?" She asked.

"Fighting with Kouga and the others, training the youths at Pallestra, I realized that I appreciate life. Human life can be crap, but also the opposite. I like watching the sun rise in the morning. I like being told 'thank you'. I like dedication, seeing the young aid the old, those things."

Having listened genuinely, Sonia chose to select her next words carefully.

"That's fine and all, but we need to admit when we lost, Souma." Sonia raised and aimed all of her blood crimson nails at Souma, who slowly staggered towards her. She waited patiently whether there was a need to strike. She expected that he would collapse soon.

"By your words, perhaps it's best if you were not a Saint," Scorpio said. "Maybe you should've stayed quietly in your home town and grow into a family boy."

Souma was arrested in his tracks, surprised at the words to the point of speechlessness. The revived Scorpio continued, "Training youths, being told 'thank you', seeing the sun, you are speaking with your child-like sentiments once more. Here you are, about to collapse to death, sounding like a hero. "

"Shut up!" Souma coughed out. His words and breathing were getting heavier. "What are you talking about? As a Saint of Scorpio, you should understand this right? Sonia, you can change this. Why don't you use your Cosmos to protect the world? You said that you want to protect a tender heart. You have what it takes."

"You mean, as a Saint of Athena?"

"Athena is kind and forgiving. You sense all beings and lives for what they're worth. Why don't you—" Souma's words trailed off. He gritted his teeth, growled against his body breaking down. He fought to stay awake, keeping one eye open. He slammed down to one knee, but he still had words.

"We've always fought and kept moving forward, and made miracles."

Sonia didn't know how and why, but Souma managed to get back up again.

"This feeling, one to be near the limit and near death. It made me remember a little? My body began to remember why we fight and who we save. I can still fight—"

Sonia took a step and Souma was stiff. In a swift instant, he was pummeled by more Scarlet needles. His entire body was frail to a point that he could not process being hit over eight times.

"Are you dead Lionet Souma?" Sonia's question did not receive an answer. Like a child on his older sibling, Lionet Souma was resting against Sonia's shoulder.

"Souma. Time to go. I don't want to hear your voice again." Sonia grabbed Souma softly, placed him down on his back and took a few steps back. In her next gesture, the lift of a hand, the entire ground cracked. The area glowed crimson, shaking violently.

"Antares Maestrom." Her words were a slow breath.

When Sonia lowered her hand, all that stood before her was a loud blaze of crimson light. Souma couldn't see the blaze, nor hear the loud whistling of the attack. He couldn't make a sound. When the light died down, as did the flaming red torrent, all Sonia could see was Souma standing – wisps of smoke lifting off his body, his Cloth shredded and cracked to pieces. His pupils were swelled. In one move, he looked bruised from a mass brawl and pierced by bullets head to toe. He wasn't moving, nor did he fall dead. However, after the raging maelstrom, Souma's silence was as eerie as death.

"Yes, I'm no genuine Saint am I?" She said. "However, warriors standing for any god have a reason to fight. Whether it's Mars, Athena or Demeter. My reasons are kind and pure; they are just in opposition of yours. "

Sonia convinced herself that her ultimate attack, finally seen in its complete form, sent Lionet to the next world, and turned to leave to find the others. Souma was left dead in the theater. I am dead, Sonia made up her mind that she could not compensate anything for Athena now when revived with a Surplice. Under Demeter, if she rebelled for the sake of "being a Saint", she would be punished and sent back. She would then lose the meaning of being efficient.

The ocean was still frozen solid to allow travel between the Cyclades. Reaching the edge, she stopped; the air was still fogged. Battle training honed her senses to perceive falling stars, or the lives of others. It could be described as an indulging wave or a prickle; a strong warm radiating within the chest was another. She realized that two lives were gone, and then she felt a surge pressing her insides. Gods emitted massive power; was Hades finally revived or so Sonia wondered.

Human lives were fleeting. The goddess Demeter's grace comes from guiding human families. She did not find meaning in ruling the Earth. Love for her comes from the flame within her followers' hearts. Love of nature, growth and family.

It was the same for Athena, who expressed a love of the Earth, which she did not wish to see destroyed out of conceit.

Sonia turned her head again and everything went still. Her body tensed completely; from a surge of power, only her hair rippled in the air. A deep gasp passed between her gritting teeth.

Chapter Text

Why?!

She couldn't put her perplexed thoughts out as words. An inordinary, vibrant anger shined from Sonia's eyes. If she had worn her mask back from her days as a Hornet Martian, it would not have concealed her emotion. Both shock and fury was instilled in her face.

"Enough stubbornness! How do you expect to defeat anyone like this?!"

She wouldn't admit it, but her exasperation was from a couple of things. Again, she felt like her pride as an assassin was being questioned; was the sudden rise of Cosmos by some divine intervention meant to provoke her?

With the exception of her mouth, her entire body was in arrest from a single strike against her chest. The anger rousing from within made her forget the blow she had received. Lionet Souma stood before her with his outstretched arm in a punch; he did not say a word or moved after that. His eyes were dimmed ghost white. He looked how Sonia left him, a walking corpse without his Cloth, and she swore she had destroyed him. For a moment, did his Cosmos elevate? Was that even his? The great Cosmos she felt well up in her body, touching her senses, and then to see Souma before her, Sonia cursed her powerlessness. Athena's guidance reached her opposition, or so she thought. Why was such power needed and within Athena's possession?

"You must be very confident in yourself," said Sonia. Whether the reason was divine intervention or her own weakness, she would not openly admit being overpowered.

"But you're wrong Souma. You didn't win."

Somehow, lifeless eyes looked up at Sonia's face, showing shock. He could not see a warm smile upon the dead Scorpio's face.

"It is a draw." She said.

"How silly. I guess you sense something within me. Do you sense my passion?" Her words seem absurd.

During her father's reign of terror, when she was alive, Sonia never understood the Seventh Sense or what the universe contained as a macrocosm. She saw the strength of Gold Saints and Gods, she only fought superficially; she still wasn't sure why the Scorpio Cloth abandoned her before. She questioned nothing even under Demeter's wing.

Before she was struck by Souma's punch, Sonia's subconsciousness heard a muffled voice. And once again, she heard more voices as Souma stood before her.

"Maybe you're right." Sonia kept her smile and closed her eyes. Her black Scorpio Cloth, along with her body, slowly crumbed into dust. She reached out and grabbed Souma's shoulder before completely dissipating. She left one more uncanny statement.

"You can't win in your state, but just maybe…"

Lionet Souma stood alone on the island, his armor broken and scattered apart by Sonia's Maelstorm. His arms slumped. He indeed looked like he was in no condition to fight; no place in the living.

But, he thought otherwise. "I must keep going, but I could use some rest first. Sorry, guys."

Surrendering to his exhaustion, Lionet Souma dropped to the ground. With no opponent around, it seemed that his battered body had no reason to desperately take action. At least Sonia wouldn't have to listen to his snoring.

No one would know, but a short moment ago, the two had a quiet exchange beyond voice and reason. It could've been best described as "through their minds" or "through their spirits".

"You don't want the world to be destroyed right? You want to be a Saint."

"Don't put words in my mouth!"

"I'm not. I think Lionet or your Cosmos told me."

That was when Sonia smiled at a dead-looking boy. There was one thing that could not die – yearning. It was something a girl like Sonia had that made her commit to her death during the Mars war. Souma was stubbornly passionate; both combined, both characters complemented each other. Even with her destroyed body and wafting soul, Sonia could not remove her crave.

"Maybe I really want to know how to feels to fight like one."

Souma's life and Cosmos were ephemeral; he would die at this point, but somehow, so it seemed, another chance was given. With Souma and Ryuho out, and Sonia defeated, what phenomenon was happening on the Cyclades Islands?

"Looks like we took out two now. Yuna, I made a promise. It's going to be four."

On another island, Eden was about to lead the charge against Pisces Amor, but Yuna proposed to stay so that Eden could leave and hurry to Naxos. It was the snake against a bird of prey, and it's the snake's venom that would stretch into his flowers.

"Move out of the way Amor!"

"No." Amor was moving left and right to stay in Yuna's way.

"Stop it!"

"Can't do that."

"I said move."

"And I said you can't go there."

"You have every intention of fighting for Demeter, don't you?"

"But if I don't kill you, you'll have to face a bigger threat. And you just won't win."

Yuna wondered what he meant, but kept a stubborn look. "You know well the strength of the Saints, and that we must fight against a threat. What you're doing is wrong and will lead to destruction."

"I don't mind 'wrong' at all my dear, sweet Yuna. I do what I must do." Even if it meant serving Demeter to achieve the resurrection of the Underworld, nothing more. All of the Saints were completely in the dark; even with his sneaking around, not even Hermes could fully perceive Demeter's intentions.

"Miss Yuna, we're both opposite attract, but that's what makes it all so charming," said Amor with a smile. Both Saints circled each other in small, considerate steps, not breaking eye contact.

"You're compassionate, but darkness and power can suffice above all. As a fighter, striving to be strong should not come off as surprising. The darkness thrives from the brutality of the strong. There's no reason to clash will our ideals and how we see things, it's just a matter of who overcomes who. And, I do know one thing."

Amor raised a finger a matter-of-factly, never lowering his smile of confidence and cheer. In the Twelve Houses, the Pisces was the last guardian behind the Pope and the goddess. Despite being frivolous, Amor knew what that meant and his next words were assured: "I am indeed incredibly strong! And I like it."

When Eden dashed across the island, heading for the frozen ocean, he suddenly lost his footing. His sight distorted. His entire body convulsed against his will suddenly; if the icy surface of the sea cracked he would certainly drown. What was happening?! Beyond perplexed as he fought with his body rebelling, Eden would not notice the black rose pierced in his chest. Its flight felt like a warm breeze against his face, and Eden paid it no mind. With the rose's gentle, stealthy touch, it took moments later for the effects to set in. Yuna gasped, sensing the distortion in Eden's Cosmos.

"You cannot overcome everything with absolute justice Miss Yuna," said Amor. "Now, let's dance. If you love humanity so much, come and show me." Once Amor's last word left his mouth, he lifted his arm to guard against Aqulia's high roundhouse kick. Yuna's tactic was to hit hard and fast; Amor noticed her angry grimace.

"Blast Typhoon!' Yuna retreated back and touched the ground with the hands. Spinning on a handstand, the impetus of her legs thrashed waves of wind.

"She's so gorgeous!" Amor cried and lifted his hands. Ripples appear between him and the attack; the Blast Typhoon connected to a transparent wall of water and was absorbed.

Back onto her feet, Yuna's body glowed vividly. The wind and flora picked up in a fury, coursing around her. "Attack, my strongest kick! Please defeat Amor so that I can move on." Amor snickered to himself, sensing that what came next looked serious. Yuna rotated and placed all of her force into one leg, whipping it high. The Cosmos that burned around her exploded, howled, and then turned into a wisp of air, licking off the ends of her toes.

Yuna's eyes widened.

"Not sure if I heard this from you or someone else, but…" Amor said. He was standing there, still carrying a smile on his face. He looked more haughty than before with his hands on his hips.

"Can't Saints create miracles and become stronger?"

Completely perplexed, Aqulia Yuna lowered her leg and looked around. The island surrounded by sand, fog, and frozen sea was replaced by a new spectacle. The color of the land, and all sources of light, was vacuumed into darkness.

"My dear sweet Yuna, welcome to my Olbers Garden. One thing we fear is the unknown. Show me the fear of being unable to depend on your abilities or friends."

"What?!"

"None. Not at all Miss Yuna. Your infinite courage, faith in the Cosmos, what will you do without it all? Except to die?"

Chapter Text

"Can you imagine? Being able to do nothing Miss Yuna?"

As Amor persist in his taunts, Aquila Yuna stood befuddled by her surroundings, which were suddenly warped into a deep, dark abyss. If the sun was still out, its light could not be perceived by anyone's eyes; it could not touch the ground nor illuminate the air.

"How is that, you wonder?" As this was all this doing, Amor held an air of complete confidence. "It's like a dumb theatrical interpretation of a Greek epic. The light must defeat the darkness. It's all silly since darkness cannot exist without obscuring the light, and light can't exist without sight and substance to live on. In the end, whether dark or light, it'll be the strongest who wins."

Yuna could only register that despite the situation, and Amor's blathering, she was still alive. She could still breathe, she could see and she could hear the wind. She could also feel the cold chill of the frozen ocean and the fog surrounding Cyclades. She ascertained that she was not in space or some other location, a dimension, but still on the island that she was fighting on. However, the Cosmos resonating from her Shining Blaster had disappeared. She felt it slip away.

"Sorry Miss Yuna, my prattle is relevant, I promise., Amor said. "Dark, light. My Garden is named after a guy who hypothesized that the sky is dark at night because we can't observe the various stars sitting among an endless space. We can't "eye touch" them per se. However, because stars and surface brightness indeed exist, there is the possibility that much more light exists and can illuminate the space. That's the simple way of putting it."

My Cosmos disappeared because I lost sense of it? Yuna took a moment to make sense of Amor's description, considering her next words carefully. All Saints drew their powers from the constellations, which fed the entire universe. Therefore, an infinite universe was within the Saints' own bodies, harnessed for battle. Yuna thought back at when her Shine Blaster faded, and it felt that her own inner universe had reached the end of its life. However, she was still standing.

"Amor, if your garden is about tucking energy away to a distance, then it's very possible that Cosmos can still reach somewhere or someone right? By how you describe it, it is not completely gone."

"Indeed, but there is no way for a Bronze Saint like you to ignite your Cosmos in my Garden. The idea about unable to see extraplanetary light is true, but the part that more light should be visual is the theory. The night sky is quite real, thus your Cosmos cannot be discerned by you within this space. It's like a black hole sucking in all the explosive stars and there is no trace. My amazing dark curtain can even defeat a Gold Saint. Heck, I have every intention for this technique to destroy even Gods - for I am the strongest Gold Saint! Enough! Ready for the bite of my roses?"

Despite what's been said, Yuna posed and prepared herself. She still valued her close combat skills and speed of a bird. If she pummeled Amor, would she break the garden? Amor's smile stretched into a more devious form, his eyes flashing a glint of viper venom as he lifted a black rose to his face. A twirl of his fingers, a swing of his arm, and it was launched.

Yuna jumped right, but the rose's stem was transfixed into her heart. The touch was slight; Yuna hardly remember the speed of Pisces's strikes.

"Not the type of kiss that I hoped for." Amor laughed.

The Universe can never be completely wiped out, Yuna harbored no fear for the Garden or the rose's threat, reaching Amor with her eagle speed. With one bound, she launched a swinging high kick to his neck. Amor lifted his hand and the sole of Yuna's foot slapped the petals of another rose in hand. The flower felt like steel, unbending, and used like a knight's shield against Yuna.

"Did you think you stood a chance against my God destroying technique Miss Yuna?" As Amor continued to gloat, Yuna was becoming aware of weakness. Her leg slid off Amor's rose and she completely collapsed onto her back.

"Within Olbers, even though my Cosmos have to be a bit compressed, my Demon roses become a bit more…chilling. My rose will slowly, agonizingly, suck out the color of your skin and then impede you of your senses, quite quickly. Within minutes, your life will end."

It was not a jest. Aqulia Yuna felt her consciousness fading.

"You will feel the fear of darkness before you die. But don't worry, I have a sofa waiting for you and I in the next world, Miss Yuna. We'll be together just like I promised!"

Yuna's hearing was leaving first, silence drowning out Amor's boasts and laugh into a cave of echoes. Her eyes dimmed; she would not see her bright skin sipping into a gray color. If there was pain, she could not feel it; the cool scent of the island's moisture slipped away. It was a despairing circumstance that was void of definition. Yuna only imagined that death would arrive the moment she lost her sight. Her own thoughts twirled in confusion, clashing at not giving up, what to do, and the prospect of death.

The moment Yuna lost her vision, a man's voice reached her.

"Hello Aqulia." A man, but it was unlike Amor, soothing and friendly like a close companion. She couldn't move, but somehow heard footsteps. They came closer, and above her was a familiar face.

"You are. Virgo Fudo!" Yuna's lips moved by instinct.

A Gold Saint of green hair, discolored eyes and dark skin appeared. He smiled as his spoke. "In my practice, living things must follow Sanmitsu. The Three Densities."

Yuna was honestly fed up with the cryptic speaking, but she wouldn't say that out loud. Compared to Amor, she could have faith that the words of this Gold Saint could offer her reprieve and solution. Out of fear of loss, did she desperately seek help? Her eyes showed life and curiosity. Having the sense of feeling in her face, was she now able to move? Was she in another space?

"It's a term associating with the conjunction of your body, your mouth and your heart. The three basics of prayer form, speech, and sacred space. Within all living things, Sanmitsu exploits your true nature. With that in mind, impurities can be defeated and sealed away. Aquila, did you and the others reach Omega again?"

Yuna could not hide her surprise. She has not heard that term since the Saturn war; it was a word that could be compared to a miracle. It was something she thought that she would never witness again, and its presence was without comprehension. Her silence to the question made Fudo chuckle.

"What do I mean? Sanmitsu is still a bit mysterious, but I speak of it because you always show your strength and cleanliness. Omega only touches though when there is a strong connection to one another."

"Mister Fudo, why or how are you here?"

"Maybe because you and a few others are nearly dead? At this moment, I am evaluating the gate to the Underworld." Seeing Yuna's expression of obvious shock, Fudo continued. "But I carry no worry. You Bronze Saints have already achieved the Seventh Sense in previous battles by being pushed to the edge. You have defeated darkness before."

"Mister Fudo, my Cosmos has left me."

"I think not."

"Why? How?"

"In this darkness, you're losing what makes you whole. But that's not possible because everything exists, happens, and changes. Amor's technique is not an illusion, but this is where you have to reach what belongs to you. Can you feel it?"

"You mean my Cosmos?"

"Amor should've learned more as a Gold Saint. If only he had lived longer, would he have let go of this admiration of darkness? Your Cosmos has never left you or anyone, Aquila. Now it is time for you to decide on what to do next."

Fudou would not define it directly, but to give his speech onto the Bronze Saints sent on a grueling mission, it meant that he had complete faith and respect in them and Athena's precept of humanity. It was a turn around since he was under Mars' command and his friend.

"Buddha walks to serve the sick and suffering, chains form and we look after one another. Omega only answers the call of those not of oneself." Once Fudou disappeared, Yuna made the decision to concentrate on turning around her despair and defeating the blindness towards the Cosmos. To cultivate her Saint abilities and instincts – it's what she always knew and promised. Her heart and voice were sent out, and a surge formed. Her body began to glow in Amor's garden of darkness.

Form, speech, intimate space. My Cosmos is there, she thought to herself. Before long, Pisces Amor returned to Yuna's view.

"Hah? Miss Yuna?!" He looked absolutely surprised. He was still standing in his garden of darkness. "Is that Cosmos?!"

Aquila Yuna, amidst Olbers Garden, stood on her own two feet with her Cosmos making her body shine as bright as the sun. Her challenging glare pierced Amor.

"Heh, you continue to amaze me." Pisces's praise came out of a mouth that bent into a wry smile. He felt a bead of sweat down his face. Being a Saint, he could sense the level of ethereal power pulsing from Yuna. To compare, her life excelled beyond the expected; he probably had the same stormy feeling when facing Mars, if not more. Was it beyond the viciousness of Abzu, which Amor felt personally?

Amor lifted his hands and the petals of his Royal Demon Rose fluttered across the surroundings, extending towards Yuna. Like before, they'll land on her and a vivid poison will enter her skin, nose and lungs. The petals lithely land on her only to be swatted away by her aura's pulsing power. Amor clicked his tongue. Not only did she regain awareness of her Cosmos, she multiplied it to an enormous level, leaving Amor baffled.

Pisces's pause was enough for Yuna to make a move. Amor lost all of his words, his face warping into pain when Yuna shoved a knee into his gut.

My sweet Yuna, where did you get all this power?

The strike was loud like a blow to a wall of bricks, and pulverized it completely. It was enough to disperse the Olbers Garden and to release one devastating hit on Pisces. The atmosphere of the Cyclades returned to view, as did Yuna's senses. Her aura disappeared. Realizing that she could progress, she began to limp towards the frozen ocean, leaving behind the defeated.

Still in one piece Amor, splayed flat on his back and immobile, mumbled low to himself.

"No, I can't be defeated yet. I got to…"

When Yuna reached Eden, after nearly slipping off balance a few times on the ice, she fell next to him. On her knees, she lifted him gently and pulled out Amor's rose from his chest. It was nearly decorated in red; Eden was unconscious and his Cosmos was dwindling, but Yuna sensed that he wasn't in total danger. At this point, both Orion and Aquila were too exhausted to rush to Naxos.

It wasn't Yuna's power that defeated Amor. The circumstances that led to this was the defeat of Ryuho, Souma, Eden and Sonia shortly before.

After the Saturn War, there was a theory as to how Pegasus Kouga defeated a God with his companions. A phenomenon known as Omega gave him the ability to stand partially toe to toe with a God, but that was only after he collected many galaxies within his body. In other words, the infinite constellations of his companions. There was Kamui (God Robe), crafted by the Olympians like Athena and Demeter, the tears and blood of Gods, and there seemed to be other parallels; Omega was possibly a new discovery. According to Fudo, who was most curious about Omega's nature after the war, he hypothesized that mass despair, death and the disabling of the senses caused mortal lives to realize and grasp the celestial dimensions. Was it a gap in the balance?

"Pegasus particularly. The Cloth seemed to have crossed even Elysium," Virgo said. "That's what Sagittarius said. Also, Saturn froze the world into stone; before that, Kouga defeated a primeval god like Abzu of the Abyssal Sea."

But the question was when can it be triggered? Why? As the Bronze Saints from the Saturn War had unleashed it before, the "key" may still be lingering among them. Athena said that she was pleased by the theory, indicating that there was an emotional bond between her and Earth's inhabitants, including her Saints.

While they were strong, Sonia and Amor were not Gods, and therefore, were easily vanquished.

"Pf-fah!" Elsewhere, Pegasus Kouga fell on his face and a dry feeling entered his mouth, causing him to spit out in reflex. Sand was not too appetizing; before that, he actually thrashed through some ocean water. Compared to before, the sky was clear. Looking around, he realized the stacks of ivory buildings and the tall green hills ascending over the ocean. He was kneeling on a sandy coast lined by floral.

"I made it?" It was his first achievement for today, but he desperately looked back out to the ocean. The fog still lingered in the distance. After leaving Ryuho to fight Genbu, he felt some guilt. It was his high expectation to see his companions break out of the fog and reunite with him. All the way to Naxos, he felt everyone's Cosmos clash and undulate, and a few times he had to stop himself from going back.

And now, there was another sensation.

Koga panted, looked up, and howled in anger.

"It's a lie!"

Chapter Text

A big bang-like phenomenon called Omega seemed to prepare for a reawakening among mortals, and defeated Pisces Amor and Scorpio Sonia. When the Bronze Saints collapsed or were battered in battle, their potential shone the most. With his role complete, Libra Genbu disappeared from the islands. At the moment, Demeter didn't seem concern about an invasion, and noticed that some of her Thesmophoria flowers, set apart on a floating dish, were still intact.

Compared to the other Bronzes, Wolf Haruto was probably the least lost on his way to Naxos. He felt the Cosmos of his companions fluctuating, but kept his composure and moved ahead, instilling faith in his heart. By his side was Hyouga dressed in the Aquarius Cloth, who yearned to face the goddess and find the answer behind her peculiar attitude. Near a coast lined by frozen ocean, Haruto rose from a meditation posture. Haruto was consistent with tempering what made him – not just his form as a Saint but as a shinobi. As both, he found it indispensable to work on his senses, even closing them off to touch a higher intuition.

"Hyouga, we're heading in the right direction."

"How do you figure, Haruto?"

"The Goddess herself has her own unique Cosmos or ki. There are others there as well, powerful ones. " Haruto said as he stared out into the fog. "There are four of them. One's aura stood out as a lead, the strongest of the four, while another…was quite acidic."

"Acidic? To interpret, I suppose that means it's sharp like a knife?"

"Yeah. I guess you could say it's something that you don't want to meet, but we have to go there."

Haruto stepped onto the ocean's icy surface and traversed into the fog without fear. Hyouga followed closely behind, but the fog became thicker. If Haruto turned to gaze over his shoulder, he would see no trace of his companion. He was quite close to the destination, or so Haruto thought. Crashes of thunder roared out, or it was a similar sound in his ears. Ice beneath Haruto began to quiver and the fog around him warped.

The enemy has come, Haruto suggested in his mind and moved away. He wouldn't muster sense of it, but lances of ice stretched towards him from the fog. Which foe was capable of such Cosmos manipulation? Haruto couldn't recall from the past, and so far, the enemies were the revived Saints that he fought before. He weaved away from the ice that flanked him, and swung his arm in a chopping hand strike, shattering the lances into glass crystals. Only more came, thrusting out from the fog.

"Guh!" Two sharp ice limbs bit his back, causing Haruto to lose a bit of his breath. If I don't take them all out, I'll be a pincushion. From what he gathered, with all the ice around him, the force that fought him would only regenerate its limbs or lances when destroyed. Before he could react, there was another crashing sound, and the ice around Haruto started to split.

"Snarl, Cosmos! Fujiryu, Hiden Houkou Tenro Kuzushi!" Uttering his village technique, kuzushi being a martial arts technique to render the opponent off balance, Haruto stretched out his limbs and his Cosmos exploded outward. His surroundings elevated and turned into chunks of ice and water combined. It could amount to an intense storm.

Where are you?! As Haruto sought for his foe, his attack collapsed around him like an avalanche, leaving only him in the clear. In the end, a part of the fog was blown away and Haruto was seen floating in a large gap in the frozen ocean. He noticed the Aquarius Saint.

"There you are. The fog thickened even more and I lost you," Hyouga slid into the waters to pull Haruto back onto the island. Wolf's body was chilled to the bone. Swimming to Naxos was definitely not an option.

"Hyouga! Did you see the attacker?" Now the two were back onto the island asking questions, dreading that their own foe had arrived to stop them.

"No. It seems that our cowardly friend is attacking from out of sight."

"So it seems." Haruto looked around a few times as he took a moment to catch his breath. He then turned an inquisitive, calm glare to Aquarius. "There is something I do want to know, Hyouga."

"What is it, friend?"

"Why did you do that?"

"What do you mean?" Hyouga expressed genuine concern.

Haruto stretched his body and folded his arms in contemplation. "You're always keep cool, your motto, but I don't think I ever seen you being not prompt when it comes to taking action. I know you said that the fog thickened, which was true, but did you not follow me?" After his question, Haruto heard a light heave.

Hyouga would show this promptness as he spoke. "Your sense is good Haruto, but I assure you, I was mixed up by our invisible enemy and fought against the attacks."

"Because of the fog, was it your ice attacks that were attacking me?"

"Damn it. Did that happen?!"

Haruto did not answer, to which Hyouga followed up with a stinging pretense. "Do you think I…purposely attacked you?" His cold voice barricaded sadness, but there were painful words, pushing Hyouga's voice into a near whisper.

"Of course not."

"Then?"

Wolf Haruto's eyes sharpened. ""If you were Hyouga. When you were fighting, or so you say, your Cosmos changed. It became sharp, and I was able to discern that it was directed towards me. Sharp, a killing intent, not a burning sense of protection or concern."

Aquarius Hyouga became quiet.

"The energy of the swan is warm and confident. So, I ask again Hyouga – who are you?"

Wouldn't Hyouga have a cool, prompt answer without showing fear? It was not a situation he has even been through before when with Seiya. If at any time they clashed, the grounds were always straight-forward and true. Hyouga's answer would come; it would be true, cool, and not dripping with worry and fear.

"I see. You survived my cunning."

Haruto twitched; either his stomach or heart throbbed from Hyouga's sharp words.

"Wolf Haruto, you should be grateful to be so shrewd." Hyouga's tone changed considerably, and there was now this aura that Haruto was a foe. Haruto sensed this and posed himself into a stance, watching Aquarius.

Hyouga's body began to glow with his golden Cosmos. "There is no God that I believe in, but I appreciate this opportunity." In an instant, Hyouga's golden locks grew over his back and half of his face, and his Cloth deepened in hue. His eyes became slit, a deadly violet aiming at Haruto.

"So it's you." After hearing about the incidents at Athena's Temple and Palestra, and seeing Scorpio Sonia for himself, Haruto contained no surprise. "To think, you've been breathing down my neck this entire time."

"Indeed, Wolf Haruto. It was due to my grand skill with the Jikan Gyakko that I was able to mask myself as Hyouga convincingly," said a revived Tokisada in a black Surplice, which mimicked the Cloth of Aquarius. "Not just Hyouga but also his Master Camus. Jikan Gyakko makes me tap into the memories of Aquarius's wearers and adopt them."

"The other Saints have battled and fought strong, so I suppose it's my turn now."

"That's true." Few words were exchanged and both took a step forward. In a flash, they were next to each other and exchanged punches. Haruto registered no pain when the punch struck him, but his own fist was easily caught in Tokisada's hand. He saw that the motion of his arm slowed down. Tokisada's pulled back his punch and threw it again; this time, Haruto saw a blizzard. His entire body was launched fast in a distance, thrown into a stone slab. From the chill and the rush, his vision dimmed for a moment. He became confused.

Tokisada scoffed. "My Jikanken and my Jikan Gyakko. My Jikanken slows you down, and my Gyakko makes me tap into the memories of the wearers of Aquarius. I adopt their memories, their appearance and their battles. Being a Gold Cloth, you can imagine what's in my possession."

Haruto took in a breath. "Is he saying he knows Hyouga's moves?"

"I shall silent you and bury you on this island, Wolf Haruto. Be grateful that I'm willing to do so with honor. But first, I need you realize the difference between our disciplines: The Hakurouken and The Tokiryuu. Which do you think is superior?"

Catching his breath, Haruto rose to his feet. "Speaking so much won't prove worth in this battle. The Fuji and the Hakurouken work hard in their training, embed what their taught in their very bones. Nothing is stronger. As the Fuji chief, I can attest to that."

"That is where you're wrong," Tokisada chuckled and pointed to Haruto. "My Tokiryuu is only blessed among the elite. Only a man of high caliber, close to God, can withstand the strains of manipulating time and space. With such an ability, I can cease time and life easily. Therefore, for a being as myself, I have dictated that the Hakurouken is inferior.

"Are you here to just insult me? Until I'm defeated Tokisada, your words are nothing but bravado. You speak trivial."

"Then tell me why did you village fall!?

"What?"

"Oh yes. Using Hyouga's visage, they could not noticed me. " Tokisada turned his back to Haruto. Chuckling to himself, he recollected.

"After tricking and defeating Hyouga, I sought for you. Since you were absent, and I was impatient, I've decided to test my skill against the Fuji to leave a gift. However, it seems you wouldn't return to see my work. I heard that you were to depart from Athens Port."

"What…" Haruto paused for a second, the rest of his words in a whisper, but a hint of anger could be felt. "What have you done?"

Tokisada shrugged his shoulders and turned to face his foe. "I just left a mess that's all. If I killed them, then they wouldn't fear my strength, would they? Nothing is worse than to see destruction around you, to be devoid of nothing, to realize how weak you are. Despite their opposition, I was a little more considerate, and decided to just kill the chief.

Haruto suppressed a gasp, but his frigid face was broken.

"Yes that should do it. The death of the Fuji leader and the collapse of your village would bring fear, and force you to come to me."

It happened again? Haruto bowed his head. Since his brother's demise, Haruto strove for near perfection. He knew the feeling of letting someone down and seeing that someone perish, learning incredible guilt and being flooded by the memories of those he loved.

"By the way Haruto, you seemed to have a girl there who thinks the world of you. She thought she could stop me, so I gave her some bruises."

"Tokisada, you are a pathetic man."

"Beg your pardon?"

"Putting the pieces together, you say you're strong but the only thing you wanted to accomplish was to provoke me. And if you're strong, why kill a crippled old man who lived in retirement?"

His mouth bending into a frown, Tokisada actually winced.

"Perhaps they were inferior to you, but I'll do you the favor and become their lost strength."

"Meaning?"

"I will avenge them…by showing you that the Hakurouken is definitely not inferior. I defeated you before!"

Tokisada kept his eyes on the approaching Wolf, a stare of death. "Come Haruto!"

The Wolf was a swift Saint, closing in on Tokisada like before; Aquarius stood there, seemingly unworried and his defenses open. Haruto saw another punch coming towards him and he ducked under. He swung his arm upward, Tokisada leaned back, and Haruto slashed back down. An aura formed around his hand and expanded.

"My hands are fangs!"

Leaving himself open, Tokisada was quickly pressed onto the defensive. The slash was stopped midway as Tokisada blocked with his arm, the aura pulsing against his face, rippling his hair. Haruto's Cosmos sizzled.

"Your physical martial arts are pointless if you're unable to move," said Tokisada. "You're already inferior to Tokiryuu."

"I'll just have to prevent you from hitting me then."

"Is that so?"

Haruto only needed to reach closer; his used his other hand to push back Tokusada's punch by his wrist. He knew that if one punch hit him, he would start slowing down. However, he noticed ice forming around his hand and quickly pulled away.

"That won't stop me. Try and freeze this." Like before, against the lances of ice, Cosmos overflowed from Haruto's body. He lifted both arms and stretched them out.

"Hakurōken! Tenshin Musou!" A solid beam was unleashed, a simple bullet attack or so Tokisada thought. The beam then split into multiple rays towards Aquarius.

"The Hakurouken (white wolf fist) is not inferior!"

Before raising a defense, Tokisada noticed the rays swell into large howling wolves. Their gaping jaws grasp onto him, binding his limbs, tightening around him like ribbons. There's a loud crack and Tokisada yawped. Haruto breathed, seeing Tokisada collapse to his knees. At this point, the Wolf wondered if he succeeded in breaking his adversary's bones or his soul? He saw parts of the Aquarius Suplice break apart. A piece of the shoulder guards fell, but his Cloth was cracked in various places.

Tokisada's face stretched from an earnest, wicked smile. For a Bronze to harm a Gold Saint, and even a Cloth that was even able to stand the heat of Earth's atmosphere, bathed by the sun, it was a testament to all of the battles Haruto went through. His Seventh Sense was no farce, or was Tokisada's strength being betrayed by the Aquarius Cloth?

Haruto realized that it wasn't over yet. I just need to push a bit more, he thought. He changed his posture and cupped his hands together.

"Prepare to die, Tokisada! You will face my ultimate technique once more."

"Humph. Technique? I have an excellent technique for you Haruto, worthy of your pride. The one who used it was quite formidable, yes, quite worthy of a God, so it is only naturally for me to use it. As I emulate it, it may not be at its best strength but I can still use it nonetheless."

It seemed like folly from a man on his knees, but he slowly lifted onto a leg.

Tokisada rose only one hand. A sphere of energy crackled in between his flexed fingers. It didn't seem visually threatening, Haruto thought, but Tokisada's words made him believe otherwise. Once the sphere was released, it swiftly twirled towards Wolf. It struck fast, pushing at first; Haruto groaned as the sphere hissed against him. Right before his eyes, a giant light swallowed him.

"Ahhhh!"

Tokisada closed his eyes and chuckled. "I believe it is called Terrible Providence." To watch his carnage, he stood on both feet.

That small hand-sized sphere suddenly deflagrated. The roar of its explosion was parallel to a heavy storm, nearly muffling Haruto's scream. Once the light dissipated, it showed a burnt and bruised Haruto splayed out motionless, surrounded by some of his Wolf Cloth in tatters.

"That's how it is. Real warriors bleed and recognize their true value. I supposed I stand here before you because…I can respect your strength, Haruto. You're the only one I'll allow to stand close to me, but only for a moment."

Lofty as ever, Tokisada sneered, but his mind contained something else that he opposed to show. While he showed praise, he also held a great amount of spite for Wolf, stirred by the memory of his defeat from the Twelve Temples, then at Pallasbeda by him and Hyouga. Being stuck in limbo, having his body distorted by time, and then instantly dying from Absolute Zero, it all wasn't too kind to Tokisada. He had to prove that Athena's service was a hoax by making an "under exemplary" Wolf Haruto an example.

Yes, for a moment, feel like you can defeat me. You are strong but you will never make it. Only loyal to power, it boiled Tokisada in the inside to toy with his adversary.

"A snake like you doesn't deserve to say those things to him." There was a new visitor.

Tokisada turned towards the voice. He then sneered. "What?! How perfect."

"I will admit, you put up a quite a disguise that even fooled me. You were even able to mimic the Cosmos of an exemplary Gold Saint perfectly, but it's all a technique, and no technique works on a Saint twice."

"Cygnus Hyouga." Tokisada raked his front hair lock with his fingers, his eye trembling at the sight of the legendary Bronze Saint appearing from out of the fog. "You may have also survived my cunning, but your flattery will not make me spare you."

"Wait!" Hearing the hoarse shout, Cygnus Hyouga and Aquarius Tokisada looked and saw that Wolf Haruto returned to his feet. Even with most his Cloth in pieces, his entire body glowed from life.

"I must do this." He looked up and his only eye uncovered by hair stared at Tokisada with vitality. "Stay out of this Hyouga, please. This is honor that I fight for."

Since revealing himself, Tokisada showed a different expression opposite of confidence. His anger welled up, a dim colored Cosmos covering him.

"I had enough of your weak talk!" The revived Gold Saint lifted his hands, and both Haruto and Hyouga were both propelled skyward by a Terrible Providence. Within the second roaring deflagration, vehement blades slashed across Hyouga's Cloth; Haruto was completely stripped of his own armor. The defeat of the Wolf Cloth was the same sound as shattering feeble glass.

"I may be a former Gold Saint, but the War of 1,000 days does not apply to me."

Hitting the ground ungracefully, Haruto saw a vision. It was unlike Yuna seeing Fudou, but instead, it was a memory.

"Hey, are you falling asleep silly?"

"Nikkei."

"It's not Nikkei, its Nikuka! I told you to rest and now you're fatigued. Why do you work so hard? You can rest you know."

"It's nothing."

"When you say 'nothing', it's always something!"

Chapter Text

"Your duties as Chief don't mean to overexert yourself. Documents take a lot of patience, so rest and have some tea sometime. Even if you must get up and stretch."

"Thank you for looking after me, but I have it under control."

"But I'm telling the truth!"

"I know. Besides, I'm making tea right now."

"I know that!"

"You do? Did you add the leaves?"

"Oh crap! I forgot to get them."

"H…how can you even do that? And more than once?"

These were memories from the back of his head. Thinking back, Wolf Haruto was very patient with a girl named Nikuka (肉桂). Adopted into the Fuji, her named was spelled like Nikkei, the cinnamon tree that grew common place in the east and the tropics. The terms "spicy" and "sweet" would suit the girl well, as did her vermillion hair. Having been saved by Haruto and allowed to stay and train in the Fuji, to be treated beyond a tool or beyond a piece of trash tossed on a wagon, Nikuka gave her ambition to the Wolf Saint. From others, it seemed that her "ambition" would borderline to attempted flirting. Hilarity would ensure as Haruto was incredibly calm and closed in; he had the patience of an old man to tolerate Nikuka's liveliness.

"It's fine."

"You're so stuck up!" In truth, it made for good humor and, since he was away from the other Saints, it slowly helped him break out of his shell as the new Fuji Chief. Still, her assertive attitude made her probe into the lives of Athena's Saints.

After the dream, Haruto opened his eyes. The first thing he felt was a chill tickling his wounded body, naked from his Cloth. He saw Hyouga with his arms stretched out, hands clasped together, unleashing a beam. The entire surroundings were hazy from a freezing cold in the air, and it sparkled like shards of icicles.

"Hyouga, did you not say that the same technique does not work twice?"

Hearing the voice, Haruto winced and looked towards where the beam was reaching – Tokisada, receiving the impact of the attack. The constellations of Aquarius and Cygnus flickered behind their owners. Hyouga was said to achieve Absolute Zero with his abilities, where all heat is ejected and completely absent; Tokisada was not expected to speak.

"In its transition stage, The Boomerang Nebula is said to the coldest place in the universe due to removing itself from a red giant's energy via high velocity propulsion. That's a simple way of putting it."

Aquarius Tokisada stood hunkered down with his palms clasped together as he held something. The entirety of Cygnus Hyouga's attack hit him full-on.

"If someone is going to destroy everything, it's going to be me." Tokisada sounded unconcerned.

As Hyouga kept steady while using his attack, The Aurora Execution was absorbed into Tokisada's hands at a single point. That's what was believed from first glance. Suddenly, within a veil nearly deluded of color and patterns, Haruto sensed heat.

A master of time, wearing the Aquarius Cloth, tapping into memories from centuries of battles, Tokisada must've had plenty of ideas. After Terrible Providence, what could be next?

"Cygnus Hyouga, I believe you have achieved crossing various dimensions, including the road to Elysium and facing various Gods, because of the Cloths that you wore. You and the Cygnus Cloth survived Terrible Providence because you're familiar with it, correct? You are also familiar with the touch of Absolute Zero. But, you can't resist everything."

"What's this?!" Hyouga was genuinely surprised to see Tokisada surviving Aurora Execution. His body would freeze at a gradual pace, but would not coalesce into a prison entirely, and kept breaking into mist. When Hyouga ceased his beam, a cloud of mist shrouded them, and then a giant universe revealed itself, consuming the area. Forming behind Tokisada was a small, trembling core. The sound of energy collecting buzzed in Hyouga's ears, gradually becoming louder in timbre.

Truth be told, Tokisada had ablated Aurora Execution.

"I've done it!" He cried with glee. "I will use this to destroy your foolish Goddess barriers."

"You're insane! Are you that vile?"

"Silence Hyouga! Honor is only accepted by strength, and only the strongest survive in this universe. This is the power of Tokiryuu, those who can touch Space and Time."

"You will destroy yourself!"

"Wrong again! I will survive easily. I will use the abilities of Aries to transfer myself to another area."

Haruto's heart dropped. After Terrible Providence, he realized that it was not a jest – if Tokisada succeeded with his technique, everything around him would be destroyed. Tokisada's face brimmed with confidence, carrying a murderous grin.

"The core of the sun is fifteen million Celsius," Aquarius instructed. "Even hotter are supernovas, and the birth of new universes – the Big Bang."

The Big Bang. It was a type of devastating technique that needed to be unleashed to create a form or destroy division, and it didn't matter what was absorbed or what collided with it in the process. Scientists theorized that shortly after a Big Bang, a sea of ten billion neutrons, protons, electrons, positrons, photons, and neutrinos would be witnessed.

That was the equivalent to what Hyouga and Haruto saw before their eyes, arresting them in place from shock. It was the direct opposite of what Yuna experienced against Amor. However, it wasn't completely unfamiliar with Cygnus Hyouga. Athena Exclamation. Only those couple of words entered his mind to describe this, and to see its open jaws facing him, Hyouga was completely stunned. Facing Gods, however, and experiencing the Exclamation before, he only imagined doing one thing—

Face the impossible and create a miracle. Stretching his arms above his head, he posed for another Aurora Execution. He prayed that his cold could chill even the heat of a new universe; unbalance or implode it somehow. With a furious roar, Tokisada threw out his arm and the island was engulfed in bright light. Hyouga fired his Aurora Execution and winced against the light. The earth below them shook violently.

A short moment passed; Wolf Haruto screamed in pain, causing Hyouga to quickly open his eyes. He looked beyond his clasped hands, and standing behind the aggressive star core were two bodies.

"Fool! Do you think you can stop me?!" An irate Tokisada looked over his shoulder. His two arms were taut, yanked behind his back.

"Tokisada, I'll admit that you're strong. You're even capable of doing this. That's why you must be stopped." Bearing his teeth behind Aquarius was Wolf Haruto, the shockwaves of the attack causing his body to convulse. Tokisada tried to pull his arms forward but to no avail. They were tight, almost unresponsive; it felt like the pressure of a hundred pound weights were against them. Literally, it was bite pressure, and it was just from Haruto's own hands. The Hakurouken Tenshin Musou was being channeling through Haruto's grip. Like a crocodile cutting off the air of its prey's throat, force and pain was paralyzing Tokisada.

"Tokisada, you've become arrogant with your might," said Haruto. "but there is something you lack that's only obtained by my discipline: Courage and resilience." With Tokisada held in place, the mirrored Big Bang was kept stationary, receiving the Aurora Execution. The area was still suffused with light.

Haruto called out to the Legendary Bronze, his voice hoarse. "Hyouga! Keep shooting!"

"Haruto!"

"Don't give up! While I hold him, you must stop him and his attack!"

"But then you'll—"

"I know!" Haruto said. "I know. But if we don't stop this, we're both going to die and he'll go after the others."

Cygnus Hyouga hissed, holding his tongue. His thoughts reflected the pressure that he felt. Haruto, you're going to die. To think of those words, and of the valor of youth, to think it all came to this already, he felt his eyes water. It would not deter his Aurora Execution. Eventually, the power of the Big Bang-like technique would start a slow decumulation. This was happening as Tokisada was losing concentration of his Cosmos.

"Wolf Haruto, you let go of me now!" Aquarius screamed. His confidence changed into fear. With certainty, he felt his control over the supernova imitation slipping away. If Haruto didn't release him, he wouldn't be able to use Aries's telekinesis or even Gemini's dimension hopping to leave. Furthermore, his nova was being pushed back. Facing such reckless power, it felt like death. The Athena Exclamation mimic receded, followed with a burst of power. Hyouga closed his eyes and prayed; the water that was in his lids finally stream down his face.

Wolf Haruto would not heed any of Tokisada's words. He smiled, fading into the light.

"It's…fine."

"Maga-ziiiiine!" For his guest, a young man flipped open a few pages, showing off pictures of ivory naked statues of Greek emperors and gods from before the Hellenistic days. As expected, they were pristine and carved to beautiful form, said to represent the quality of men at their peak.

"Kouga, here. Have some water," said a young woman, carrying a plastic bottle in her hand.

After the battles, only one Bronze Saint reached Naxos Island unscathed.

Pegasus Kouga was found on the beach exasperated. His face was wet with salt water and tears; a guy in civilian clothing seemed to have recognized him and helped him on his feet. Kouga dragged himself as if injured. Eventually, they both reached a book store called Astoria. To prevent upsetting customers, both the young man and the young woman running the store lead Kouga to the back room and closed the door, setting him down on a stool. That was where they were now. Rather than being puzzled as to why Kouga was suddenly found on the beach, being more concerned about their friend, the two asked Kouga what was wrong.

Kouga only answer briefly.

"I lost a friend. This wasn't supposed to happen."

The young man's face became glum and he turned to his partner. "Jorie I'm sorry. Could you lead the desk for me?"

"Sure. Yes. Excuse me. Please feel better, Kouga. I'll be back."

Holding his face, Kouga made an oath within his mind. "I will make it to the temple, no matter what. Demeter, I won't forgive you at all."

The Cyclades Invasion was over. At the end of the three-man clash, all that's left was Cygnus Hyouga standing in between an enormous mass of ice. It could be compared to a cave of shimmering, azure stalactites. When he heard a crack, he did not mourn long. He sensed a new reaction and immediately left; he did not expect it, nor would anyone, but that part of Cyclades and a circumference of the frozen ocean would collapse into nothing. Rejuvenating, Tokisada's attack destroyed the ice and warped into a failed supernova, engulfing everything. Aurora Execution did mitigate its effect; however, if there was any chance of Tokisada or Haruto surviving, it did not exist. They could've been evaporated, killed by Absolute Zero or broken into nothing within a Black Hole.

It took minutes for it to decline completely. Had it been a real stellar mass of energy, either exploding for dying, it would've been hours or even years.

From a distance, from the windows of town homes in Naxos, the citizens of Demeter's island could attest that they saw a strange phenomenon across the ocean; attest to Aquarius Tokisada's dangerous might. Some people compared it to a coronal mass injection or an aurora at night. Someone informed Demeter, and all she did was secretly curse at the deadly power of the Cosmos used by Athena's Saints.

"They are indeed dangerous," she said. She noticed that Tokisada's flower had withered. Two Thesmophoria flowers were dead.

Back in Japan, in the Fuji village, everyone worked hard to rebuild their destroyed farm houses, such as damaged thatched roofings and slide shoji doors. Parts of the rice paddies had craters; the Chief's home was completely demolished and Haruto's father was moved towards the graveyard via a held canvas, covered in a blanket of hay.

Nikuka sat at a hill and looked up at the night stars to swear a promise before returning to work.

"I'll have to console you when you come back, no ifs and butts about it. And, you better bring a souvenir from Greece. Everyone is so busy and serious, I swear! And your house roof needs a new patching." This indigent and snooty front was something for Nikuka to pass her grief. She used jokes; unleashing her emotions, it made her get by and sharpen her resolve.

This was despite what she and the others did not know.

Against a foe who wielded a massive universe, did the Hakurouken win?

Chapter Text

"Damn it Haruto you fool. I was so close to getting those two goddesses."

Aquarius Tokisada's thoughts of frustration met with deaf ears as his life went by completely. His flower wilted; his demise validated a so-called god Saint's defeat to the "inferior". With that, the Cyclades Islands slipped into silence.

Demeter's plan to subdue Athena was an aphrodisiac for Gold Saints embraced with sins. Desire for wielding strength, to boast, and his hatred for Haruto, pulled Tokisada right into the Earth Goddess's fingers. It was more so for Paradox, Amor and Schiller; their childish minds, and dark souls, stringed like marionettes into the promise of revival. Was it that easy?

Libra Genbu's vanity was from a spirit world embracing a strong and weak society, a world of endless fighting, but his mind was kept unbroken, and his desire was to help the Saints and to defeat another. Still, that desperate desire to return, the belittling of the inferior and the constant battling was the passion that Demeter was able to cling. Desperation also stirred the spirit of Scorpio Sonia. Thanks to the interference of the Saints of Suplice, most of the Bronzes fainted; Wolf Haruto was dead.

As for Pegasus, the path to Demeter has arrived. It was time for a new battle.

After Kouga caught his breath, dried his face and steeled himself, Ginga led him back into the bookstore's main quarters and the reception desk where Jorie was. There weren't many guests today. Astoria was a small corner store by an intersection and another building, perhaps a residential. Outside, there were small stands carrying magazines.

"Hey Ginga, did you hear?" Jorie called. "Someone said that there is a sighting of gamma rays over the ocean."

"Huh? A geomagnetic storm?"

"In the day time?"

As the two exchanged looks, Ginga suddenly brimmed with enthusiasm. "Now that sounds like something I got to see! I wish my shift would hurry up. It'll probably be there all day and night."

"Hey, Ginga?" Kouga finally spoke up. His voice was a little dry. "Do you know where Demeter's Temple is? Oh, I mean, of course you know, but I m—I mean, I want to go there."

"You want to go to the Temple?" Ginga asked to which Kouga responded by nodding his head.

Ginga let out a little titter and slapped his palm against his chest. "That's a great idea! If anyone can cure your wounded heart, it's the Goddess."

His face gleamed with such confidence as he spoke with energy. Despite his worries and being glum, Kouga managed a brief smile. The purpose behind his visit tightened his insides since it was all held in by secrecy. When Kouga and Eden visited Naxos before, one of the first places he went to was Astoria. Jorie and Ginga were working at that time as well, and Kouga was easily pulled in by their welcoming charm. That hasn't changed; that charm and their work ethnic were said to be a talk of the town.

"Oh yeah! You never went to the Temple the last time you came here," said Ginga. "You spent more time in the town. Well it's a while's walk, but you can't miss it because it's a linear road to the hills. During festivals, especially New Year, we gather towards the entrance to the Temples, sharing grain, fruits, vegetables, and grape wine."

"Yes and we always tell you can't drink yet," said Jorie.

"Hah! A couple more years and its mine!" Ginga assured himself, raising a fist. With his hand, Kouga clamped his mouth to hide the second smile. While the light-heartedness was refreshing after the battles, he did not wish to carry it for long. He started to head for the door.

Suddenly, the loud cheer of girls rose outside, causing Kouga to freeze.

"I have a feeling I know what that's about," said Jorie, looking towards the door. Through the windows, she saw a female crowd pooling near the entrance.

"Mm-hm. I bet he wants another chapter of that Argonautica fiction series where Jason was turned into an eagle."

"I never thought he would like such a story." Ginga and Jorie exchanged glances again and giggled. The look on Kouga's face was nothing beyond confusion. A tall figure was seen passing by the windows, and the entrance bell jingled.

"Welcome to our store, stranger!" Beaming widely, Ginga spoke in his usual cheer with a tint of humor. When the door opened, a tall orchard-haired man wearing a robe appeared. As a first impression, Kouga could tell why he was some kind of celebrity. However, his face was like a bull. It was clean and handsome, but stone-edged serious; his gold eyes pierced steel, and he looked like he did not take any jokes. Kouga paid it no mind; he waved goodbye to Jorie and Ginga, passed the serious man, and went out the door. He did not notice the side glance he was given.

When the man walked up to the counter, Jorie promptly spoke. "Hello Sir Arion. What can I do for you today? I'm sorry but the new 'Argonauts' isn't here yet."

"Thank you for telling me, but current business has not to do with a purchase, but to speak with Ginga." From his low voice, from a spirit of a battle-hardened soldier, every word of Arion carried seriousness. However, the timbre expressed a quiet modesty, which did not make Jorie feel on edge.

"Oh? Sure. Do you need the back room?"

"If I may." As if in not in need of authority, Arion passed the counter and headed for the backroom after giving Ginga a quick glance. He opened the door to the back.

"Oh, um, am I in trouble?" Ginga quickly followed. No answer was given and the door was closed behind them. They would be in there for minutes, while Jorie led the counter. Much later, she would be hesitantly asked to call in a substitute if possible.

After leaving the store, Kouga had to backtrack and retrieve his Cloth Box by the beach, before heading south of town and towards the coastal hills. There was a linear, marbled path through the town to there, kept simple for the citizens of Naxos that wished to visit their patron temple. Only until the buildings were far behind him did Kouga reach the arch signaling the temple entrance.

However, according to townsfolk that he asked, there were more temples before Demeter's. Not one. The arch led to an incline stretching into the hills instead, which nestled other buildings with flora. The Goddess's own temple stood at the highest elevation between steep-sided mountains.

Knowing that it was time for him face a new great challenge, Kouga wondered what he would do once he met her. Many warriors lifted a hand against Athena, threatening to take her life; Kouga had faced one of the First Class Pallasites, Gallia, and defeated her. Since another God was an enemy, was it only fate to raise a fist against her without mercy? He donned his Cloth, looked behind him to make a wish to his friends, took a breath and advanced. He past the arch, and near the base of the stairs he saw a figure.

Koga quickly stopped in his tracks. Staring back at him was a golden gaze that shaved through the thickest ice. It was the handsome customer from the bookstore. Orchard hair and robe rippled through the breeze.

It's him again, Kouga slowly approached him with a casual stroll. The man said nothing; much like when he was in the bookstore, his face was like steel and never showed a smile.

"Um...you are...it was Mr. Arion wasn't it?" When Kouga looked up to the man, it only made him more wary; Arion kept silent, but he bore down Kouga with a stare that couldn't be further described as intense. Facing it himself, there was no better description.

"Um, I'm sorry. I'm in a hurry."

"Are you going to Demeter's Temple?" The man asked, level-headed.

Kouga bit his lip. Something about the man gave him a chill, or it was either the way he conducted himself that suggest that he might be in trouble. Kouga nodded his head as an answer.

"Yes. I'm sorry, but I am in a hurry. Excuse me." Koga said it to keep the man ignorant of the mission. An urgent mission; Koga strolled passed by Arion. Suddenly, Arion's palm cupped Koga's face, throwing him backwards. In a blink of an eye, Kouga lost his footing completely, and that force had him sliding across the ground. When Kouga quickly scrambled onto his feet, he looked at the man with complete astonishment.

"Mr. Arion?!"

"If you value your life, turn back now." The man said. Arion was a not normal town man of Naxos; his unfriendly aura now turned into something more imposing. Kouga had a gut feeling about him back at the bookstore, and it was confirmed. He realized that this Arion was not ignorant.

"Battle is not allowed here, Saint of Athena. I will not allow you to raise a fist against the Mother Goddess."

The Pegasus Saint grimaced and rushed right back, stopping in front of Arion. The orchard-haired man remained motionless.

"You don't like battle?! Then, why did your Goddess attack us with revived Saints?" Kouga's anger clearly showed and his fighting instincts were on high.

"It was her choice of will for what she admires. As her finest guardian, I stand before you."

"You want to fight?!"

"To prevent the sully of Demeter's Gardens, I will. I will fight in order to stop you."

"But if she's not stopped, there is a chance that the world will be destroyed. Don't you care about that? You won't even question that?"

Arion said nothing. Kouga continued.

"I'm sure my friends are with me. You're not going to stop us. Athena loves the human race and doesn't want to see it destroyed. We have to fight for her and go through, even if it means setting Demeter straight."

"Is it that what you believe? If that what your heart believes?"

Koga stared up at Arion with determination; he kept sturdy even when met with the stoic man's raptor eyes. He and his friends defeated the revived Saints after all. And with Haruto absent, nothing was going to change his mind.

Arion hummed. "I always hear about the 'burning spirits of the Goddess's youth', and I know that recently, Athena has been a felon among the Gods because she abets the humans, her Saints, to battle against fate. Battling even Gods to preserve the human world. With that said, I suppose I can't stop you...from trying. But I warn you, it won't be simple."

Arion turned and paced a short ways from Kouga. When he turned back, he raised two fingers and pointed them at Pegasus. Suddenly, the area dimmed into a dark crimson. Koga groaned his body folding over as something struck him swiftly. An egg-like projectile; he watched it bury through his Cloth like a parasitic mite, and it could not be undone. In next instant, his voice raised from a short moment's torrent of pain. The land returned to its original color.

Arion watched calmly, "I released a core inside of you. You may continue if you wish, but like I said, it won't be simple. There is only a one way road to Demeter's Temple, but you can't reach it without going through her four Gardens first."

After the surge of pain, Koga panted to recollect himself and ran past Arion. He only retaliated with a glare of defiance, having no idea what happened. The only path was forward, past the arched entrance and towards the first Garden waiting. Arion did not watch Pegasus leave; he kept his back turned to the Gardens and looked back out at the direction of the town.

"Finish him…quickly." He muttered to himself. He needed to return to his Goddess's side. Regardless, he couldn't help but feel a little worried.

Still, it's just Pegasus. Were the others not defeated?

Kouga ascended the hill via marble stairs, akin to the Twelve Temples of Sanctuary, and reached the first temple called a Garden. It looked like a roofed temple, expected for a Greek Olympian. Written on the cornice, twisted behind a leaf pattern, were a couple words: "Plutus, Thine Wealth".

"Plutus?" Koga went up the stairs and stopped. The moment his toes touched the pronaos, a figure loomed in his sight, standing between him and the entrance surrounded by pillars.

"Welcome to the Garden of Plutus." Directing at Kouga was the voice of pubescent girl. Taking steps forward, the figure's appearance entered the sunlight. Short blonde-hair tinted with a meadow green; hazel eyes were young like Kouga and radiated a natural defiance, an unhidden vexation from her face.

"Ah! It's you!" cried Kouga. "You're the one who killed Shaina!"

It was the girl who accompanied Demeter at Athena's Temple. She was covered in a mantle before, but now, before Pegasus's eyes, her battle dress was unveiled. A silk white pleated skirt rippled in the wind, covering her legs dressed in knee-high boots. Upon her lithe frame, her armor looked light, perhaps to not hinder her movement. Narrow strips of cloth hung from her shoulder guards.

"I'm the Terrae of Dancing Fibre, Loom Pan," she said. "Saint of Athena, I won't let you pass and reach Mother. Turn back now."

"I just told your companion that I refuse to give up. I was given the mission to stop Demeter's plans and I will see it through."

"Then, prepare yourself."

There were few words; standing by Demeter's side through the whole ordeal, Pan sensed her anguish and fury, absorbed the feelings, and harbored anger from Athena's interference of mother's plan. Within her heart, she hoped for this confrontation, even if Kouga was by himself.

Pegasus Kouga moved his feet and threw a Ryu Sei Ken. He and his fists soared at great speeds – then, his one punch was stopped by a panel-like barrier made head to toe. Pan had only made a single hand gesture. The barrier, with thin edges felt like layer after layer of metal.

"Ahhh!" Suddenly, his entire body convulsed violently, experiencing a shockwave. Kouga could only gasp; he felt like his lungs were filling up beyond capacity, imploding instantly right after. Pan noticed this.

"It looks to me that you met Arion didn't you?"

When the strange attack ended, Kouga fell to a knee. "What's wrong with me?"

"Yeah, this is his work," Pan said, nodding her head. She lowered her barrier and crossed her arms. Was she so confident to drop her defenses?

"As expected, he is wise. He used the Chthon Impulse on you, so you now cannot do whatever you wish here."

"Chthon (kee-thahn) Impulse?" Kouga looked up to Pan.

"It's said to ravage the living, when power destroys oneself. In your case, the essence that makes you a Saint, the Cosmos, will break down the more you exert it. You could say it's like a dying star. As you burn it, there is an imbalance; mass collects within your body and will eventually blow up. You'll rupture from the inside."

This absolutely shocked Kouga, having paid no mind to Arion's movements. He now remembered his cryptic words that didn't seem to make sense – "I released a core in you."

Pan had to add. "Arion told me that its victims don't experience anything messy, so you probably won't literally blow up or anything. But, if you keep exerting yourself, you will definitely die. He also told me that when he used the Impulse on a group of Saints, they all collapsed dead at the same time when they tried to attack him."

The Impulse was named after the Gods serving death below the Earth, but these Gods were just as essential as the sky and the sea. As everything had a meaning, it's said to be a natural technique that only made a person aware of the life cycle. The ability either accelerated cells like cancer or caused victims to lose sense of signals. The effects were various; did Arion choose the fate?

"You still won't leave? Then, I will give you a small taste of the move that killed your friend." Pan calmed a little after witnessing the effects of Chthon. She expected Kouga's inevitable downfall, and decided to avert a battle in the Gardens so that she could return to hers. As Pan watched Kouga got back onto his feet, she lifted her hand and flicked a few fingers. Tiny silver waves threaded in the air; in an instant, the sound of cracks or brittle glass. Kouga gritted his teeth, a gash and a few holes appearing in his Cloth, clear as day. The Saint was without a voice. The impact was so quick that its sensation already tapered away, but his body weakened. Kouga fell again; this time, right on his face.

"Leave now!" Pan demanded.

"I-I can't!" Kouga answered, voice muffled by his face in the pronaos.

"Are you that stupid?! Fine then! I do have a question for you, Pegasus, since you refuse to leave."

For now, Kouga managed to only lift his face and heed the girl.

"Hermes! Do you know him? What is he up to?"

"Who?"

"Don't play dumb or I won't forgive you! He is one of you Saints, the Gold Saint of Cancer!"

"If that's true, then I haven't met him."

"Hmm, how strange. I guess it's foolish to ask you, considering his movements. Or are you lying to me?"

What does she mean? The Cancer Saint's movements? Even though Kouga was confused, Pan's words made him remember what Eden said to him on their way to Athens Port. Back in Pavlin, Orion's soul left his body while fighting Schiller, and he was sent to the gate of the Underworld where this Cancer Hermes was apparently starting mischief. Eden only said that "there might be trouble among us", which made Kouga wonder if the mischief was meant for Demeter's forces. Whatever the case may be, he had his own mission, even though he realized that the questions made Pan beyond agitated.

Pan disappeared into her temple. With some damage to his Cloth, Pegasus Kouga got back up and pursued her. Darkness and an array of colonnades led him through, then the entire inner chamber, the cella, suddenly illuminated. Sunlight slipped through high rise windows. Pan stood by a raised bema surrounded by vase of flowers and vines; between her and Koga was expansive grassland. That was the court; a soothing, Eucalyptus aroma wafted through the air. Many temples articulated the craft of the Romans and Greeks, such as an ambulatory hoisting tall stalls or an apse, but it seemed that Demeter's choices were very simple.

"You won't leave after all. Very well. When Naxos and the Goddess are in danger, the true battles are held here in these Gardens. As this is my Garden, I now don't have to hold back, and as you would upset this tranquil land, it is the duty of the Four Terrae to punish you! Again, I'm the Terrae of Dancing Fibre, Loom Pan. With my own hands, I will weave your death."

"Bronze Saint of Athena, Pegasus Kouga!" Kouga made a stance. He showed his determination, despite the core inside his body. He made a promise to burn his Cosmos no matter the consequences. "I must get to your Goddess, for Athena and the Earth."

"Do you refuse to tell me about Hermes?"

"I told you, I don't know anything."

Pegasus Kouga and Loom Pan finally began their true clash. He was quickly baffled, seeing his sonic fists being parried like a blade against a blade, by none other than tense threads whipping the air. His body sizzled again by Arion's core pulsing inside of him, and left Pan an opening. Her Wefting Fibre move bounded Kouga's limbs and carried him high above into the ceiling. He got pinned; more threads, the sharp type that finished Shaina, bit right through his gut without effort. Like a threaded needle in sewing.

"Guaah!" Against a young girl, the Pegasus Cloth was defenseless. Were they strings or wires?!

If I burn my Cosmos, I will burn my life away. But, if I don't burn my Cosmos, Pan's attacks will shred me apart. Damnit! What should I do?! Miss Saori! Miss Shaina! I got to get through this. There must be a way.

From the blows, Koga understood that he was in a pincer attack with seemingly no escape. Even among a so-called peaceful Naxos Island, he faced enemies that were as relentless as a storm caused by two mythical beasts – powerful, capable of disabling him, reviving the dead, and breaking his Cloth.

There must be a way to beat Arion's Core, he thought. Bullheaded and even injured, once he touched the ground, Kouga made a dash for Pan. Her hands were raised while conducting her attacks.

"I'm defiantly avenging Miss Shaina!" He moved forward, as an unfaltering Pegasus against hundreds of strings that capered around him from all corners. Pan prepared to jab him like a knitted scarf, over and over.

Chapter Text

Wool, silk, cotton, flax, bamboo, asbestos, nylon, polyester – these were all found in the earth, plant or animal, grown and then harvested. They are then placed into bales, multiplied, and spun into textile materials such as yarn and malleable wires.

As the wearer of the Loom Stole (富地衣), Pan controlled fibers from her forearms and interfered Kouga's personal space. The strings multiple and quilt together at rapid speeds, forming claymores, spears, staffs, shields, walls, artificial things that take some shape. Using her Cosmos, she can also change the density of the fibers. They can be as soft as a blanket or hard and sharp as purified iron, stretching long reaches. Demeter compared the technique as an African Savannah, a balanced and nourishing ecosystem of both regenerative and consuming organisms. To represent the Loom Terrae, would Pan not fully understand the creation and destruction of materials?

Pegasus Kouga was hard-headed, but in a pinch; Arion took away Kouga's essence as a Saint, leaving the Pegasus Saint to avoid fighting to his fullest. Once he began to burn his Cosmos, he himself was the risk he had to face.

I am Shaina's student, so I must remember her training. Kouga pulled his hip back and threw all of the force he had in his leg and foot. It clashed against a large claymore-like sword; it felt like steel, but it buckled back from the strike. Even if he didn't use his Cosmos, Kouga placed trust in his physical output. However, he faced Chthulu, and there was nothing but limb after limb of danger coming in way in all directions. Pan's hands and fingers danced; her strings became wires, and snaked across the walls, sparks emitting from each frictional bend, and a shriek like steel scrapping against chalkboards.

"Damn, they're everywhere!" Kouga punched another weapon, and then his body stirred. More threads pierced him, back and front, and slid away. Pan did not boast and only showed focus.

Wefting Fibre was a technique initiated from the hands and wrists; Pan's wrists were cupped in guards, which functioned like a spindle, tapered behind her hands. Each guard had a groove, and all of the fiber derived from there, moving and multiplying beyond the human eye. Could Kouga win like this? After the attack, he fell to the ground like a full bag of rice, and even Pan felt bad for him.

"It looks like our difference of strength is obvious." She said softly. "I'm going to finish you like your friend. Then I'll wrap you up and take you away. Bobbin Edge!" At her call, a spear-tipped web stretched for Kouga's head, and then ignited in mid-air. Pan showed surprise, and something leapt in front of Kouga.

"Yo Kouga! Why ya on the ground, buddy?"

Koga lifted his head, and through a blur, saw a figure that shimmered orange. The voice quickly clicked with him, and despite his injuries, his eyes gleamed with life.

"Souma?!"

Standing in front of Kouga was Lionet Souma, and not a soul on the island would realize that he had been through one hell of a battle. He looked rejuvenated, and wrapped around his body was his bright orange, streamlined Cloth with strong arm guards and flame-shaped shoulder pads. Pan narrowed her eyes.

"Another one? So the revived Saints failed?"

"It was tough getting here, but we're still in one piece. I would call it a miracle," said Souma, winking.

"You stepped into my Garden, so I will destroy you as well."

Two strings slithered against the ground, snaking towards Souma. At their tips, they multiplied into more threads and bounced, surrounding Lionet and Kouga like a thrown net, diving down to skew them from above and all sides.

"That's quite a trick!" Souma grinned wryly. This time, range was his enemy and he had to somehow defend against pinpoint strikes while defending Kouga. Giving out a spirited yell, Souma put his whole weight in one leg and spun his kick in full circle. A wall of fire spurted in the air, grasping the threads. Pan blinked, and a fireball dashed across the temple grounds, stopping in front of her to reveal Souma in a crouched pose.

"Looks to me you don't like fighting up close." He said, looking up at Pan with a grin. Pan stretched her back, her chin narrowly missing an uppercut. He then raised her arm, and Souma's next punch was stopped.

"Somewhat, but that doesn't make me less dangerous." Pan's glare clashed against a smiling Souma. The Lionet's punch was caught by the blunt face of a blade, which was weaved by Pan's threads near her wrist.

"So you are strong! I put a lot into that fist. Ah-!" Souma's face turned with pain. Suddenly, the lithe girl's blade whipped and pressed against him, shooting him into a pillar like the hurl of a giant.

"My brother is better with close quarters combat than me, but we Terrae are known to control the world around us. With the fabrics under my command, close or far, I'm going to be a problem for you." Once she said that, threads underneath Souma pierced his back, launching him in the air. Not even Lionet could believe that something a millimeter in length, not even together, could have such a high ability in lifting something of far more mass. Heh, likes ants, he thought. Pan's threads wrapped around Souma, and began to squeeze against him, cutting against his unprotected skin. They hissed against his Cloth.

"Souma!" It wasn't Kouga who cried out in concern. Suddenly, the wires bristled and dispersed, releasing Souma as a surge of crackling energy surrounded them. Pan retracted her wires and turned towards the voice; a large twister appeared in her view, blowing her hair. Her threads weaved a tall wall, the wind striking, buckling it like heavy, echoing knocks against a metal door. Threads stretch out from the wall, swift as a scorpion sting, and directly hit Yuna. The Aquila Saint froze and flinched, feeling the threads piercing her chest and limbs. Pan released her barrier, her thread-wires curling high into the air. She saw a familiar face assisting Kouga to his feet – The Orion Saint from Athena's Temple. Then she heard another voice from above.

Looking up, she faced a maw of an azure dragon.

"Rozan Shoryuha!" Dragon Ryuho dived down her head. Pan lunge her arm and the tips of her Bobbin Edges twisted into a drill and struck the dragon, popping it like a balloon. Ryuho was driven straight into the ceiling, dragged across it and then released. He crashed right by Eden and Kouga.

"Tch. Looks to me she can control at a wide angle and scale, plus the threads' malleability, but it all requires her attention," Eden said as he held up Kouga. "We'll have to blind her and break through her defense. Attack her all at once." After the rough first meets, the five Bronze Saints gathered together and faced Pan.

"You're all here!?" Exasperation flooded the Terrae's young face as she raised her voice. "Those revived Saints failed! I knew they couldn't be trusted!"

Souma guffawed. "Trust us, they put up quite a fight."

"To be honest, we're not sure why we are all here." Ryuho said, helping up Kouga along with Eden.

Kouga's eyes glowered. "No, we're not all here Pan, but most of us all are. There were six of us."

Eden closed his eyes and bowed his head. "I didn't believe it at first. Even though I wasn't conscious, I felt it. His Cosmos leaving."

"We all did." Ryuho said, looking morose along with Souma and Yuna.

"You guys are just Bronze Saints but somehow, not only you faced against revived Gold Saints, you're even taking my attacks. It can't be this drivel of protecting the Earth that's pushing you."

"What's wrong with that? We are Athena's Saints after all. That is what we do," Kouga said.

"And I am a warrior of Demeter." Pan squeezed her hand into a fist. "Her passion for the Earth and for family is just as strong, if not stronger! You better not tell me otherwise!"

Pan then drooped her arms and taut her fingers. The temple shook and the wind whistled; in a snap, Bobbin Edges sprouted from the ground like the roots of large desert yucca. Whether from her Cosmos or her anger, they all skewered through the Bronze Cloths, crucifying Athena's Saints upon beams of light. They regenerated across the court, leaving no escape. Kouga, Eden, Yuna, Ryuho and Souma were all trapped and impaled back and front. From a distance, they looked caught in a thick field of large glass shards or stakes.

"I will finish you all! I won't let any of you reach Mother!" Once the steel yucca receded, the Bronzes fell flat. Pan sneered and took in a breath to calm herself, easing the tension in her arms and fingers. She realized that none of her opponents were moving. The Bronze Saints were useless after all; even the pieces of the Pegasus Cloth had shed off its owner. It was pointless with a Saint that couldn't burn his Cosmos.

Kouga then stood on his feet, his Cloth and his friends sprawled out around him, but he looked like his consciousness left him. He would not realize the baffled look on Pan's face.

"Kouga? How are you still standing?!" Pan was obviously astonished. "Mother told me that you were a God slayer, but if I hit your heart, just like that Silver Saint, even you won't survive." She stretched a hand and launched a thin, spiraling spike. The Bobbin Edge hit, twanged, and bounced inches from the target.

A barrier? What is this Cosmos? Pan launched two other spikes, and they did the exactly same motion, bouncing away before reaching the flesh of Kouga. She felt through the joints of her fingers that the impact was heavy. They were hitting, but not the intended target. She then noticed that the Cloths of the other fallen Bronzes were glittering. The air started to become hazy, then bright; whether it was real or illusion, Pan and her foes stood amidst outer space.

Pan looked around and her confusion was replaced with allure. "Beautiful." It was as if the sun was awakening from slumber.

"Is it?" Kouga spoke. When Pan looked at Pegasus, his eyes brimmed with life. His Cloth was abandoned and the others were slowly stirring back awake.

"Kouga, you can't burn your Cosmos, so what is happening?" Pan scowled, her voice in a low angry murmur.

"You're right. It's not my Cosmos. A while ago, I touched the universe as everyone fought a mutual enemy. When their lives stood still, I heard their voices and touched their power. Everyone has a Cosmos within them."

"Heh heh, Kouga, it looks like you got yourself into trouble." Within this visual milky way, Souma was the first awake and tapped a hand onto Pegasus's shoulder. Next were Ryuho and Yuna.

"Fighting Amor, I had to remember what I fought and trained for," said Aqulia. "The universe, whether we can't see it all or not, does exist."

"I'll admit Mister Genbu is very strong. I am partially at fault for being a bit weak," said Ryuho shrugging. "I focused more on spiritual connection these days. My current training and Mister Genbu reminded me the importance of union."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Pan flexed her fingers but not another move was made. Something deterred her, and she sensed that her attacks would be deflected over and over again. However, was she in danger, or was she curious?

"It means that together, we can defeat you. Since the Earth is at stake, we have to do it quickly. However..." When Eden spoke, he looked at Kouga sternly. "Kouga will have to set this one out for a moment."

The Bronzes' hubris was enough to stir Pan into action and she launched her threads. They whipped into a dancing furry, striking the unseen barrier and bouncing back over and over again as they attempted the reach the Saints. Why? What is happening? Pan's stubbornness made her not let down.

Until, she was forced to defend herself against a raging counter.

"Lionet Burning Fire!"

"Aquila Shining Blaster!"

"Rozan! Hyakuryuha!"

"Tonitrui Fera Cælos!"Out of the Cyclades fights, Souma was the only one who had his Cloth completely shattered. Fudou, and the Jamir records of Kiki and his assistant Raki, had other theories, connecting them to the appearance of the God Cloths and the general process of Cloth alchemy. It is said that a Cloth can die and can only be restored through Cosmic entities. The metals of Orichalcum, Gamanion and Stardust sand were the groundwork; furthermore, Cloths can be revived and renovated through a Saints blood, and even a God's. The metals and blood were imbued by Cosmos. Thus, in theory, if the Cosmos existed in any place or dimension, floating, it could touch a matter. This bewildering identity called Omega could influence the Cloths and its wearers.

After their desperate battles, Ryuho, Yuna, Souma and Eden became the strongest together and refused to back down. It was possible that their bodies or their Cloths became different. Pan made a full dome barrier. She heard the attacks strike, metal echoing intermittently as if lashed head on by a tornado's rotating winds. The attacks, Cosmos outside the level of Bronze Saints, were peeling off Pan's barrier, defying her, until they broke through.

After that passed, the Cosmic wave died down. The atmosphere returned to its original state – the visual of the garden.

"Pan!?" In her Temple, Demeter jumped up from her throne. She stalled for seconds before slowly falling down to her hands. Quickly, she was embraced from behind by a man and hefted off her knees. Even upon the iron face of Arion, he shared the same disquiet as his Goddess, just at a leveled manner. The war she brought forth to her island was not imaginary; Demeter sensed her daughter's spirit having calmed and she quickly predicted the worse outcome.

"Those wretched bastards! I will destroy them!" In Demeter's quarters was a female voice far harsh and condemning than even Pan or the Goddess herself. It dripped with a tiger's fury; it welcomed this battle. There were three within the room, and the third figure turned a back against Arion and Demeter, rushing to leave. The steps clattered against the ground, then there's a smash. The person's body flung back after touching a solid barrier standing before the exit.

"Meagara wait!" ordered Arion.

"Don't you dare hold me here, Arion!" screamed back the woman.

"Enough! Confronting them directly is not necessary. After Pan's Garden is Boron."

"Then, I will demand him to lure them to me. My fury is Mother's fury."

"Boron is quite capable of defeating them. Even if they manage to pass through, they'll still be very unlucky, no? Do not rush. Demeter and I need to leave to meet the Crossroads, and you should return to your Garden to prevent any passes. I'm sure they'll be handled."

"Oh they will be. There is really no reason for Pan to lose against kids, but there will definitely die this time. Not after what they did to her."

Arion nodded and slowly lead a despondent Demeter behind her throne, holding her by the shoulders. There were drapes over a door leading to the outside.

"I will hold the key," he said. "Come. We're almost there to your goal."

Back at the Garden of Plutus, soothed by the smell of Eucalyptus, Kouga was surrounded by his friends, stripped of his Cloth. The Pegasus Cloth stood in its assembled form with superficial damage. Orion Eden was listening to Kouga's explanation about Arion's Chthon Impulse and took a moment to think before speaking his theory.

"At first, I thought you had some kind of seal, but it's more like a nuclear reactor? Or is it like a star?"

Ryuho gave out a light laugh, amused by Eden. "Are you not over thinking it?"

"Maybe. 'Use your Cosmos and you destroy yourself because it's too much to control.' So, with that said, let's use an outward pressure to break down the core. If you stop burning your Cosmos, I can do it."

"And what else?"

Eden didn't give a direct answer and palmed Kouga's chest. Lightning suddenly danced, and the entire court flared with violet light. Kouga clenched his jaw and held in his scream as every surge stretched through his body. Once he ended, he collapsed with a sigh. Yuna, Souma and Ryuho gasped loudly.

"It was a 50/50 risk - feeding the core might make it worse or it'll die by imploding. My guess was that the core would serve no purpose if it 'did its job' by eating Cosmos and expanding outward. So, I directly attacked the core in the center of your body and caused a singularity point for the core to fall in." Did a stronger mass or force quell the Chthon Impulse?

Kouga was alive. Slowly, he managed to stand. "Still, it's like I can't feel anything."

"Right, you won't be able to fight. Your Cosmos has been burnt out after that," said a distant voice. The Bronze Saints turned to the bema, a raised pedestal, near the end side of the garden court.

Lying upon the bema was Pan. If she had not spoken, she could've been confused as a young, unfortunate body on display before a funeral procession. She was prone on her back; through half-open eyes, she looked at the ceiling casting sunlight within her Garden. This was her condition after the unison attack.

"So in other words, you're out of fuel for a while." said Souma, to which Yuna added that it would be too dangerous for Kouga to go on ahead.

"He won't be able to wear his Cloth either," she added.

"I am a Saint!" Pegasus exclaimed. "After seeing Pan's strength, there's no telling what will face next. However, we're gonna see it through together."

Eden gave out a light sigh in scorn. "Stubborn as ever. It would be foolish to have you fight if you're the same as a normal human, but it would also be strange to set you aside and make you watch. The question is when your Cosmos will return?"

"Eden, if I fight, maybe it'll return." Pegasus responded. "As long as I breathe, the Cosmos are infinite!"

"Like I said, 'stubborn'." However it would turn out, Kouga refused the thought of standing down or leaving his companions, assured that he would resume the fight. Eden loaded the Pandora Box containing the Pegasus Cloth onto his back; for now, Kouga was the same as a white dwarf. The five Bronzes nodded and headed for the exit, passing Pan's bema.

Once Kouga strolled by, the defeated Terrae lifted a raspy voice. She reached out with her hand.

"Don't….don't hurt her." Pan slipped into unconsciousness after those few words. Through her voice and body, she realized true defeat. It was probably her first time facing a power that rendered her life nearly naught. However, if it weren't for her wires mitigating the attacks, perhaps she would've been disintegrated. Kouga turned back. He gingerly took Pan's hands into his and placed them against her belly. Afterward, he confirmed that his time in Plutus was finished.

"Let's keep moving."

Together, the remaining Bronze Saints ascended the stairs to the next Temple. They ignored the cornice identifying the second Garden and rushed, prioritizing the time. When they went in, it was dark. The interior was just as open as Pan's; this time, in the middle of the court, stood a large pentagonal stone.

"Demeter is the type of person who will descend into madness if anything happens to her family, by her hand or others. I wonder if she'll blame herself for this fighting?"

Chapter Text

They did not notice, but the Five Bronze Saints entered a temple called the "Garden of Catasterismi". Its name upon the cornice was followed by the phrase "Thine Path in the Sky", suiting its domed observatory-like visual.

"It looks like the guardian isn't here. So, what is that?" Kouga gawked at the stone in the middle of the court. Ryuho offered an elementary reply that it just looked like a "shiny rock", but it still felt significant as his eyes were lured to it. An argent, amorphous rock with a crystal shimmer, a pair of cloth strips wrapped around it like a hung scarf. It vented an oscillating sound, akin to a Spring breeze before a storm. Yuna wondered if it was a light source as it prevented the second Garden, which was devoid of windows, from being completely drowned in shadow. The darkness and near quiet ambience was still unappealing, but there wasn't any form of malice or fear.

The second Garden was illuminated slightly by the stone, devoid of windows, casting an unappealing dark shadow within. However, there wasn't any form of malice or fear.

The term Catasterismi represented a string of narratives, over forty of them, that tell of the starry sky that we all know well. With popular renditions written by Gaius Julius Hyginus and Claudius Ptolemy, these astral myths told of how the galaxy and its bodies were made. The narrative had many arrangements; the brother of Athena, Apollo was mentioned to have high influence; also, the sisters called the Pleiades, and the life and death of the hunter Orion was also written. Therefore, the second temple was simply called the Garden of Stars.

"Let's just pass it by and go to the next Garden." Eden gave a simple solution and started to walk. There was no time for stone gazing.

"Yeah, it's just sitting there," said Souma, side glancing it while he strolled by. "All…menacingly."

"Is it menacing?" Before the Bronzes could move far past the stone, they heard footsteps tap, along with a new voice reverberating through the court. It came from the end side, and they forced themselves to stop and await the guest.

"It's the Boron Stole, one of the battle garments belonging to Demeter's Four Terrae."

"I heard that there were invaders on the island. Crossing fists with Pan, my little sister at heart, don't think you'll pass any further, Saints of Athena."

The man was first a silhouette, and then the Bronzes hear a snap of the fingers. The wheeze from the Stone intensified and unleashed a flash. A harmless wave careened through the temple, and ionic pillars slowly came into view. Their fluting shined like ice, reflecting light inside the entire interior, from the pillars to the dark, glazed surface everyone stood upon. Similar to a Planetarium, the walls and ceiling projected constellations, enforcing more light. An imitation of the distanced sun, and the brightest falling stars unveiled from the ceiling, brought dawn to the entire temple court. The Bronzes could seem themselves and where they were at its clearest. They scattered in front the glimmering rock and distanced themselves from it. In addition, the identity of the new arrival appeared, standing abreast the rock.

The light washed over a young man with eyes of amber sap, and the clothing of citizens from town. Kouga felt air get trapped into his throat; he suddenly remembered his travels from last year, including his first time on Naxos.

Despite clashing against a gaze of pure antagonism, he instantly recognized the face.

"Ginga?!" One of two popular names associated with Naxos's Astoria.

"The guy from the bookstore?!" Eden was with Kouga on his travels, easily coming to an understanding. Despite his austere front, he too was touched by Jorie and Ginga's charm, and it was left in his memory for some reason. However, the blue-haired fellow from the bookstore radiated an aura that was opposite of his usual cheery demeanor.

"Kouga, when you said that you wanted to meet Demeter, I didn't think you had the wrong intentions in mind," he said.

"Ginga, why are you here?" Hearing his friend's words delivered with contempt, Kouga could not determine his own feelings. He did not wish to expect a bad sign and took into ignorance. There was the other thought that maybe Ginga was exploring the Gardens, being well-versed in their lore and the rest of the island. That was the reason why he would know about the stone.

"I guess it may not look like it to you," Ginga said, folding his arms across his chest, "but I'm here to stop you. I don't look forward to a scolding and beating from Maegara and Demeter." The words slid out from his mouth with naturalness; there was no deception and it seemed to slap Kouga, and well informed the others, that he was an obstacle.

"Ginga, wait!" Kouga pleaded. " Please listen. You seem to know what's going on. If that's so then you probably know of Demeter's plan to revive the Underworld."

"That is correct." Ginga replied

"But if she does, the Earth may be destroyed. But tell me, is that what she wants? Is that what you want?" Kouga spoke in haste in hopes to reason. Ginga closed his eyes in a short moment's contemplation.

"Don't get me wrong Kouga," he replied, his antipathy lifting a bit. "I don't want this beautiful and ugly world to be destroyed, but I want my mother to be happy. I can't see her harmed." He then turned to look over to the rock.

"Boron, showtime!" Suddenly, the rock exploded and its amorphous, jagged form floated and took hold onto Ginga's body. It formed as an argent armor. It mostly covered him akin to the Cloth of the Gold Saints, but there's a sleek, streamlined feature. Like the tails of comets, the fabric that wrapped around the stone tapered near the end, hung by the alar shoulder guards. A crown with ailerons fitted his head and cheeks; small folded wings adorned the back.

"My purpose is to protect her, my mother. I protect her full intentions."

"Even if it means destruction?!"

"Even! This is your last warning – leave. If you don't, I will strike you all down. And I do mean all of you."

"We have no choice…" said Ryuho. He rushed forward and lifted his shield arm. He expected a frontal assault and took it upon himself to be bait. "Everybody go!"

"No matter what, Kouga, we got to move ahead. Quickly!" Yuna said, followed by Souma. It looked like a triangular attack, with Souma and Yuna passing over head. Ginga pushed weight into his hip and leg widely, and threw his arm out like a fast baseball pitch. Did it seem like an attack? Ryuho felt a breeze; Souma and Yuna suddenly screamed.

They flew right into an explosion and were propelled backwards like missiles. They hit the wall and were pinned above the Garden entrance, held there for seconds by a body of tailed, compressed gas. Their bodies vibrated as the jetting gas kept them fastened against the wall. Another similar explosion, and Ryuho flew right into Eden. Lionet and Aqulia dropped to the ground once the attack faded. Kouga stood completely surprised.

"Those were warning shots," Ginga said as he straightened his posture. "Not sure why my attacks look like comets. Stars and comets aren't even the same. Did you know that comets are made of ice shards and they mirror light from the sun? So they aren't hot and bright at all!" Ginga shrugged, a dubious look furrowing his face. He looked more like the guy from the bookstore. Despite the situation, he couldn't relinquish that trait of curiosity and astonishment of the world, whether upon and above it.

"But, comets can be super fast!" He continued to ramble. You can expect them to be faster when they start diving to a sunny doom in space. Kind of like falcons!"

In another attempt, Souma, Yuna and Ryuho rushed towards Ginga, who spread his posture open. Was it going to be another explosive attack? Souma unleashed a Burning Fire, a torrent of flame towards its target. The Terrae pushed out one hand and the flame swallowed him, but the flame cleaved in half, tapering behind the target. An orb formed into Ginga's palm; as it was re-directing Souma's attack, it started to grow bigger. Ginga backed away from the sphere, leaving it suspended in the air, and waved his other hand.

"Guah!"Souma and Yuna were again caught in an attack. This time, they were shot backwards but battered mid-air by unseen strikes. Ginga felt a strike against his chin; Ryuho took for the flank and a Rozan Shoryuha grabbed the Terrae, taking him off the ground. He quickly recovered with a flip as he floated downward feet first. Soon as he touched the surface, Ginga's arms and waist were grabbed. Ryuho made way for Yuna and Souma, who were on the ground. He helped them back onto their feet, noticing their exhaustion from taking an offense. Eventually, they caught their breaths and ran to the end of the court.

"Hey! Why are you running?!" His grapple was brief; he elbowed Eden to push him away and waved his arms towards the runaways. Explosions appeared near Yuna, Ryuho and Souma, but they managed to get out the court before getting caught.

"Aw crap!" Released, Ginga grumbled and turned to the remaining Bronzes, anger clear on his face.

"I'll be your opponent, Ginga!" Kouga stood before his friend in a prepared battle pose, but without his Cloth. Eden wasn't far behind; in fact, he had set the Pandora Box of Pegasus near the entrance.

"Kouga, stop!" Orion warned. "Your Cosmos isn't back yet."

"This is only a limit that can be passed. We're getting through no matter what," Kouga retorted.

"What do you mean 'not back yet'? Are you insane?!" Ginga grimaced, pointing to Kouga. You can't fight me like that."

"We stalled you for our friends to get by," said Kouga, "and it's only fine for friends to take each other on."

"And Jorie calls me 'bullheaded'. You sound like you guys got a chance."

"Always! While we have faith in the Cosmos, Ginga."

"Oh yeah? Don't get cocky because you guys are really unlucky to meet the one after me."

When they rushed, just like before, they didn't consider to stop and look at the description of the the third Garden: "Androktasiai; Thine Decline is Life". Inside was just as dark, and the three Bronzes wondered if it would it light up the same way as Ginga's. No, this darkness was far more unappealing compared to before. Once they reached the court, no time was wasted. Someone definitely waited for them, looming in the shadows, cackling.

"So you passed Ginga? Is he really that generous or is he foolish? No, I must praise him for this." Ryuho, Yuna and Souma knew simply that they were in the third Garden, and whoever stood in their presence was their next foe. They only told the Terrae that they were getting through no matter what and that they wouldn't be stopped.

"Imbeciles! You think you're out of the park? Even though I desired that he let you pass and come to me, do you think that your friends will make it out alive?"

"What do you mean?!"

"Do you not know what Ginga is called?"

Back at the 2nd Garden, Ginga illuminated the interior with a great light. Eden screamed out for Kouga, who blinked and missed the next move. It was too swift; next he was collapsed onto his knees, and Ginga pulled a fist away from Pegasus's abdomen. He jumped away and stretched out his arms. As this was happening, in the third Garden, a smirk crept upon the shadow Terrae's mouth, answering the question.

"I guess the fool forgot to introduce himself. That's unlike him. Fine, then I'll tell you. One of Demeter's four mighty guardians, Boron Ginga, bears the title 'The Terrae of Universal Supernova' (普遍超新星のテラ). In other words, the wielder of the galaxy."

Behind Ginga and suspended high above were small bright silver globes numbering in the hundreds; there was also the large one created from Lionet's Burning Fire. Their creator only spoke a portending phrase.

"Get ready for an astral Collision!"

Chapter Text

After the Saints passed the first Garden, the next test would be for the champion hunter himself.

"Cosmic Collision!"

Stars, collection of atoms and burning gas combined to form light, further illuminated the 2nd Garden of Catasterismi. After appearing, all of the stars dove down upon its intruders like a blinding meteor shower. It felt like facing one's demise without escape; in a flash, Kouga and Eden were caught in the falling flurry of stars, vaulting them in dizzying directions. Their ears roared. In space, meteorites or shooting stars couldn't be heard; only in the atmosphere and by spacecraft radios, these "sonic meteors" broke the sound barrier and imitated jets at full burn.

Before they could recuperate, Eden and Kouga noticed a large, bright sphere launched towards their way. Their retinas burned from the giant star's pulsing halo akin to a galactic neuron beam. It looked like it could swallow them whole. Eden stood on his feet and prepared to counter. He then gasped.

He heard a scream; the large cosmic ball was caught in front of him, held by his friend Kouga.

"No!" Eden obviously objected. Kouga was still without his Cloth, but because he rose from the initial attack, it gave him the spur to defy the odds. He pinned his hands against the star, which was formed by Ginga's Cosmic Synthesis. Rather than exploding upon impact, it was palatable.

"Are you a fool, Kouga?!" Ginga cried out. "You will die!"

"Kouga stop! Your Cosmos hasn't returned yet!" Even at Eden's banter, Kouga kept his arms up and pushed against the bright, hot sphere. He squeezed his teeth against the furious burning he felt welling up in his palms. Eden could see a simmering glow breaking through the dorsal side of Kouga's hands.

"I know," Kouga's words leaked through low, weak rumbles, indicating his pain. "But I am still alive. Therefore, my Cosmos can return. They have to burn. While I'm standing, I can't watch you fight for me."

As if he held the sphere himself, Ginga felt a tremble through his entire hand, a force defying his control. He pressed his arm forward, and the giant spherical star slid right down the Garden court. To his expectations, he heard his targets scream. Kouga, held by Eden, were being pushed back; next, the ball expanded and swallowed them both. Reaching the entrance, it imitated an explosion in the vacuum of space.

Seconds after, the bright glare that filled the Garden of Catasterismi cooled.

Eden had nearly collapsed, but held himself up by hands and knees. It took him a moment for him to get back onto his feet. His breathing was heavy and his Orion Cloth was cracked in places. After fighting Pan, he dealt with another opponent whose offense was not only forceful, but swift and pervasive. He felt it in his Cloth, and in his bones, that he couldn't endure too much.

"Kouga…" Eden saw Pegasus on the ground, unmoving. Filled with anger, he shot a glower at Ginga, who had his head lowered.

It's like the Cosmos within him are literally used as a weapon, such a thought occurred to Eden after hearing Ginga ramble about meteors and comets. Despite that, he made up his mind to continue fighting. Having felt the attacks with his own body, he suddenly had a recollection. The golden fangs of his master – anyone who had faced that luminosity could not forget it. Perhaps he felt like he was facing a Gold Saint or near that capacity.

Not the shock of the strength, but more importantly, the speed.

"I am the Bronze Saint, Orion Eden." He had showed his manners before engaging. "About your Goddess's goal. You can tell Demeter to prioritize Earth's safety after her goal has been fulfilled. Isn't that what she would do?" Orion gave Kouga's bookworm friend one last chance. He spread out his fingers, tensing them as tendrils of lightning wrapped around them. It was suspected that whoever was the fastest hitter would win. There should be no resistance.

"To be honest," Ginga began, his voice sullen, "because she has a faithful attachment to nature and family, if she felt that was trampled upon, Lady Demeter would release a fury that may unleash a great suffering upon the world or even its destruction. It's really not that surprising. She has been abstaining from such punishments…until now."

"I see."

"Lady Demeter is the type of person who will descend into madness if anything happens to her family, by her hand or others. Period. I can't change that. I wonder if she'll blame herself for this fighting? Furthermore, I want to see my friend again."

"Don't be sentimental! Not when the world is at stake!" After his shout, the room lit up; Eden suddenly faced thousands of stars and was in another barrage. His eyes whitened, but he kept his footing, crossing his arms in a defensive stance. He lost the initiative; the attacks could be described as an inescapable flash and an unseen enemy letting off hundreds of strikes at one time. After the wave passed, Ginga looked at the motionless Kouga. He still hadn't moved.

A rare vexation appeared. "Maybe I should blame Athena!"

Eden, a bit surprised at Ginga's raised voice, was wondering what he was going on about. He said nothing in response.

"Being her Saint, Kouga pushed himself to death, just for one woman. Is this pointless nobility worth fighting for?"

Eden could've answered his question, but he found an opening and quickly closed in. "Hillia Mastia!" His fist slammed right into Ginga, and a web of lightning sprang on the Terrae like a net.

"Guuuah!" Ginga took a direct strike; his body shuddered from the violet lances biting against his Stole. He stayed on his feet and his instincts moved his arm, throwing aside Eden's fist and countering with his own punch. Eden swerved out the way and the heaviness of the swing left Ginga open. Boron turned quick and his face folded in; a wet gurgle left Ginga as Eden shoved a punch against the bridge of his nose. Eden threw another punch but it slid against the Boron Stole's arm guard. Eden felt his knuckles shake and a ring chimed in Eden's ear. The Stole felt like refined metal. A lashing kick caught Eden in his stomach, bending him over, and without a gap in time, Ginga punched Eden's face. Retracting a few fumbling steps, Eden, who was a bit dizzied, missed the anger that sparked in Ginga's eyes.

"By the way, I am the Terrae of Universal Supernova, Boron Ginga! The stars serve the Mother Goddess perfectly, accurately." Long after the Saints stepped foot into the 2nd Garden, the man from the bookstore finally introduced himself.

"Maybe if Lady Demeter brought destruction upon the world, she'll place the Goddess of War and Justice into the Damned and the fires of Phlegethon, to cleanse Earth into something better!" Being the bookworm that he was, did he not know what he was saying? To erase all of history, the passions of authors and scientists, risk the lives of those from Naxos and abroad, everyone he met since he was born, would he accept such a radical outcome?

"I'll show you. Now I must become Iago!" Ginga rambled again. For seconds, the two exchanged punches and blocked each other's strikes.

"Tonitruī Saltan!"

"Cosmic Synthesis!"

At such close proximity, their fists decided the outcome. It became a street battle between friends, or who was the better friend to Kouga? Rather, who was the better warrior to the best goddess? Both Saltan and Synthesis were spheres that materialized in thin air, serving as barriers by batting away attackers with shockwaves. The Saint and the Terrae were in a stalemate.

Until, they both were thrown back by a blast. The spheres of Saltan collided with the propagated stars and popped them like bubbles. Once Ginga got back up, he noticed that he widened his distance. A chance was given to him to summon more tiny stars.

"Give up and go home! Cosmic Collision!" The air blazed and the stars fell upon Eden like a hail of bullets. Because of their smaller size, they were faster to create and faster than the eye.

Ginga had Eden in midair, pelted in all directions; to Eden, it felt non-stop. Since the walls, floor and ceiling of Catasterismi projected a visual constellation akin to a planetarium, Eden imagined floating in a vacuum. Nothing but fixed stars around him. It felt beyond imagination as no one in the world has physically reached a star. Instead, Ginga called the particles of his attacks "comets" or "meteors"; humans haven't touched those either. Whether it was burning gas or ice, the attacks felt like they had substance and the Orion Cloth was building pressure from each hundredth hit.

Once the Collision wave passed, Eden shook off the attack and flipped, landing on his feet, aiming.

"Fera Caelos!" Following Ginga's attack was Eden's large lance of lightning that flew across the court like a dashing animal. Ginga was forced to spring himself out of the way, but he then careened into a pillar—his arm caught Eden's spinning kick, but the force of it he could not suppress. Ginga slid down the pillar, ungracefully landing on his rear. It took a groan out of him.

"I guess you are quick and strong too," said Ginga as he rose back up, far from done. He smiled to commemorate the Bronze's strength, but that only lasted for a few seconds.

"To handle Collision and Synthesis so many times. What could be the excuse for that? What are you made of?"

Eden managed, but his Cloth looked more damaged than before. If they were nearly equal, it was Orion who looked the more worn out. It was evident that the Boron Terrae stood against a so-called Bronze who reached his Seventh Sense, faced Gods and experienced Omega. In fact, Eden was astonished that Demeter, being a so-called peaceful Goddess, had such fighters under her wing. Athena was peaceful too, but her sense of justice was well-known for being a magnet to various battles. In other words, her humans or her Saints were predominantly prepared for combat. In fact, it's been said that she stood on par with the butchering war siblings Eris and Ares.

Ginga also knew this and it was a little vexing.

According to the poems, the Boron Stole was blessed by the universe as Demeter is a descendent of the Titans. If anything, stars precede the flora and fauna of Earth, and can read our fates. Athena can't be so superior, Ginga's eyes narrowed at his thoughts.

"Whatever the reason, it looks like it's all over, but I can't let my guard down until I see you on the ground completely defeated." Ginga said, and then crouched. "This next move, this fist, will seal your warmth and sizzle your soul. Right?"

After his words, the air roared. Eden watched as Ginga entered close from a jet-like dash; whatever poetic drivel Ginga was saying, he didn't want to find out. He couldn't find out. His elbow caught a low straight punch.

"Tch!" Eden felt his back buckle from explosions. Two of them – where did that even come from? Boron's stars could materialize anywhere. The blows were weak, startling pats on the back, but that's all Ginga needed. One stagger and Eden dropped his guard. One arm swing from Ginga, and it was from below. Eden's neck stretched as he felt a large blow against his chin. His feet left the ground.

"Cosmic Chuukanken (中間拳)!" A new attack from Ginga!?

Eden groaned; the punch felt heavy for some reason. He expected to get back and engage in another tiresome melee, but that was not the case. His entire body, from one simple uppercut, was thrown high into the air. He was too confused to be shocked; he crashed right through the temple roof of Catasterismi and at a gut-wrenching speed, a force sent him hurtling towards the sky. Ginga raised his head and brought a hand over his eyebrows to watch.

"There he goes. I really sounded like a bad guy, huh? But maybe an antagonist wouldn't say "Iago', since he was very jealous. He or she would probably say, "I'll rip you to shreds."

Now that he was to himself—with Kouga unconsciousness or dead— Ginga again rambled about books and strolled around. He rubbed his chin to think; he suddenly remembered Demeter's dignity.

"'You will now feel my divine rage!' or 'I'll deliver you pain tenfold!' Something like that. That might work."

While Boron was thinking up some line fitting for a supreme malefactor, Orion Eden was still flying. Whether due to the attack or his injuries, he was unable to move. The flight felt like a jet engine in his ears. When he did stop, he turned his head only once to see where he was, and he suddenly couldn't breathe. He couldn't speak. "Ah-!" He caught a glimpse of a new atmosphere, a mix of night black and sky blue at dusk, but then his entire body chilled white. Crystals formed around him, trapped him; a white haze suffocated his vision, and then a sharp surge passed through him. When he blacked out, Eden wouldn't notice that he felt right back into Castasterismi— minutes later.

"Did you like it up there, Orion Eden?" Of course, Ginga was there to poke fun at his opponent.

If anyone were to witness from afar, they would say that Eden looked like a meteor falling from the sky.

"We all would like to go up and reach space personally," Ginga said, "but not without protection. My Chuukanken (中間拳) is a punch that sends you over eighty kilometers (over fifty miles) into the air. A little play on the term for the 'mesosphere' (中間圏; chuukanken)."

Once again, Ginga would prance around and go on his rambles again. Eden was motionless like a dead whale on its belly, scorched and bruised.

"It's the coldest layer of the Earth at ninety degrees below Celsius (-130 ° F)," he continued, "and that beats Siberia! Electrical discharges were also spotted in the Meso as well. I invented the technique to damage everything, even all kinds of armors. After you're launched up so high, you suck up both these electric sprites and the immediate cold. Not only that, your body heats up from coming back down. Pretty nasty!"

He then stopped moving around and pointed a finger at the downed Eden. "With that, the Saints of Athena are done! As for the others, there's no way you're beating Megaera." Ginga did not know the defensive miracles of the Bronze Saints Cloths. They had the ability to withstand a chilling temperature of -150 Celsius (-238 ° F). However, Eden was exhausted from both Pan and Ginga's attacks, and the Chuukanken simply compromised his Cloth's weaknesses. The charged particles that went through his body rendered him immobile, and flying back down from the Mesosphere, the friction from the fall was enough to break him.

Eden let out a cough. If he were a Gold Saint, he might've been far safer; if it weren't for his Cloth, he probably would've dissolved completely. Still, the Orion Cloth was turned into cracked ceramic. Ginga watched the two Bronze Saints for a moment, just to ascertain himself that the fight was over, before turning away.

"I wonder if Lady Demeter will let me return to Astoria." He led himself for the back exit to make way for the 3rd Temple. He wanted to check the status of the other Saints, and then head for the Goddess Temple for this report. When one is so full of confidence in an achievement, they won't notice small details. Such as the sound of something dragging or scrapping against his court floor.

A voice rose. "Eden? Eden!"

Ginga nearly slipped spinning back around. First, he could not believe his ears, and then even his eyes tossed him out from reality. He saw Eden leaned against one of the pillars, and a distressed Kouga on his knees next to him.

"Eden, are you okay?! Answer me! I don't want to lose you like Haruto!"

Ginga could only watch in awe as he was frozen in disbelief. Mostly stripped down to his under garments, Eden saw Kouga through half lidded eyes and managed a smile. His body was heavy and somehow, Kouga spruced back to life and dragged him over to the pillar. Eden only mouthed softly that he needed some rest; he told him to not start crying and "could he feel it?"

"Kouga!" Boron returned to reality. "You're alive? You shouldn't–" Ginga took a step forward and just lost his words. Stalled in place, his shiny diadem suddenly ripped off his ears and head. One thought was imbued into him – what was that power? Did his Cosmos return?

Kouga lifted his arm and closed his hand into a fist as if he had launched a strike. A warm, white halo formed around him and the collapsed Orion.

"It looks like I got you worked up," Eden mumbled and closed his eyes.

"Ginga, it looks like I got to thank you too." Kouga stood back onto his feet as if he had a full day's rest. A convalescence from a grave injury, crushed and blown back by a Cosmic Synthesis, and somehow his body shined. Literally. What he even hurt at all?

The same shine touched the Pandora Box of Pegasus, and it broke apart. Rays of light swiveled into the air, towards Kouga and surrounded him. Confused, Ginga looked around and noticed his entire Garden interior swelling in charged particles. The illusionary universe that paved the court was further discerned thanks to the new incandescing of Cosmos.

The Pegasus Cloth was rejuvenated.

Kouga smiled at Ginga, who looked impressed beyond words. "Because Eden is unable to fight, it looks like the Pegasus Cloth and I was able to perceive his Cosmos, and not only that, yours as well."

Ginga was put into a fluster. "What are you saying? Are you saying that I helped you regain your powers? What the hell are you, Kouga?"

Kouga said nothing, and the glow calmed. His body was covered in the silver Pegasus Cloth with lengthened wing primates and a cuirass with new highlights. The shoulder guards were more rounded.

"Are you saying it's because of Athena!?" Within his mind, was Ginga frustrated that there was more defiance against him?

"I am the Bronze Saint of Athena, Pegasus Kouga. It's time to do my part!"

Pegasus Kouga and Boron Ginga, the latter having a maddened face, dashed towards each other. They were locked in an interstellar space projected by their Cosmos. Two fists collide, and the fighters felt no distance between them in terms of strength.

"Even with powers beyond human, even with nine lives, we are still mortals!"

"Yo Ginga I got a question for you," said Kouga, who spoke with confidence. "Who is your friend?"

"Jorie. You know that."

"No, the one that 'you want to see' again." It was those words that made Ginga's face soften. He broke away from Kouga's fist and lifted his hands, summoning more floating photons around him. They were in a variety of sizes.

"Julia. Julia Baer. Well, that's what most people know her by."

"I think you want to fight me as a friend. Both of us pulse with a desire to protect someone."

"I said it before – I will protect my mother and see my friend again. That is the Goddess Demeter's goal, and I am her warrior, the Terrae of Universal Supernova (普遍超新星のテラ), Boron Ginga! If I beat you, Athena's miracles will become a hoax!"

"Pegasus Ryu Sei ken!" Kouga leapt and threw a punch, his attack appearing as flurries of light. At Ginga's scream, Cosmic Collision was launched; he then appeared in front of Kouga to ascertain the effectiveness of his attack with a high punch.

In a flash, Kouga saw a scene – two women and Ginga, all smiling warmly like a family. The stars quickly fell on him; Collision was always an efficient attack, and it was enough to batter him around, giving Ginga the moment to connect his punch.

"I'm not being surpassed by you Kouga!" Boron's punch flared. "Divine intervention is responsible for everything!"

"What is happening? That fire—" Ryuho had said.

Yuna was approached by the slow, predatory saunter of the 3rd Garden's Terrae. She could barely move, and more importantly, she couldn't hear the Terrae who mocked her helplessness.

"Fools. Do you not feel it?" The 3rd Guardian's voice – her words seeped out her lips in an insipid calming tone; by its mystic delivery, further apprehension brimmed inside one's heart.

"My hatred? It wills you to die." Her voice barely hid, sent forth without deception, this implacable malice.

"I will you die."

Souma and Ryuho were already unconscious. The blow felt like a bullet; Yuna took one punch and lost her breath, falling over. Tendrils of smoke hissed from her body, and the clawed gauntlet that struck her.

What happened in the Third Temple?

When Ginga went on a tirade about Athena and the destruction of the world, perhaps his thoughts went not only to his friends, but also his older sister.

Chapter Text

The path to the Mother Goddess was filled with surprising challenges. While Demeter and her confidant made way down a spiral of stairs into a deep pit, five of Athena's Bronze Saints struggled to get to her main quarters. Four temples called Gardens were led by warriors who looked up to Demeter like family.

First was The Garden of Plutus, guarded by the Terrae of Dancing Fibre, Loom Pan; the second was The Garden of Catasterismi, guarded by the Terrae of Universal Supernova, Boron Ginga.

Now, three Bronze Saints reached the third temple – The Garden of Androktasiai. The structure was built ordinarily; when Ryuho, Souma and Yuna reached there and went inside the hall, however, they began to feel sick. It wasn't visually revolting; to compare, it not like the masks plastered among the walls of the Temple of Cancer or perhaps the looming, demon-like structure of Pandora's castle. It was more like the feeling of unbelonging. Every corner, here and there, was shrouded in shadow, darker than Casterismi. The Bronzes only realized that they reached the cella when their eyes reached a spotlight that fell upon a throne. Sitting there in wait, basked in an eerie dim glow, was the next Terrae.

Androktasiai (an-dhrawk taah see-eh) sings of mortal coil. There are various ways to naturally feel pain, and to die afterwards - the clutches of diseases, the daggers and swords of war, the toil of labor, the searing aches and intolerance of pain, or oneself from complete despondency. To forget kindness and memories, to be destroyed by lies, or to be frightened by them would also be considered "loss" leading to "death". In other words, conflict, fright, and death were abided to. The goddess Eris, one of the greatest enemies of Athena, amounted to the word Androktasiai. They were her children: demons that ate battlefields' stupor like roasted flesh, bathed in it and wrought their lair. Therefore, the Garden was given the subtext "Thine Decline is Life."

To think that Demeter had such a temple?

"You're here at last," said the 3rd Terrae, another female after Pan. "Despite his title, my brother is a fool. He carries too much compassion for you all, but I have no such thing to hold me back."

After meeting Ginga, the contrast was obvious. The Stole wrapped her in a sleek darkness, its jagd shape alike to various weapons left on a battlefield; maybe the pieces of a torture device extracted and tossed aside. Her skin was near pale, and her long hair was the color of midnight on a new moon. With her crimson eyes, as she sat languidly on her throne under a shadowed baldaquin, her entire appearance invoked some devil in fantasy tales. Effused a malice to make anyone's spirit chill, opposite the mother of the Earth. Just who was she?

"Do you really think I'll allow you do harm my sister and survive?"

Pan was like a child who partially held back her impulsiveness to protect her mother; Ginga was an orthodox young man who was cheery, but also understood duty; but this one, her female voice possessed a calm rancor as if she was forever wronged for several lives. Her look and manner seized the attention of the Bronze Saints.

"You have no idea," she said, her words drawling, "the marrow in my bones pulsating… from the thought of this moment. Going to my arm, my fingers…"

"Itchin' for a fight?" Souma was the first to offer the challenge. Ryuho, however, felt edgy and desperately wanted at least one of Demeter's confidants to understand what was at stake. It was not that he was being cowardly, but after seeing that Kouga was the second Terrae's friend, he remembered the humanity in most.

"Surely, you must stop your mother!" Before there was another word, Ryuho's head suddenly veered. Seeing the female Terrae's hand lift, his instincts spoke to him and he felt a rush. He looked behind him and gasped – in the wall was a smoking, melted crater. It glowed, encrusted with magma. The woman's hand, covered in a clawed gauntlet, smoldered.

She continued. "Intoxicated by destroying you. The way you talk, the way to barge here with demands, it is like trampling through foreign lands and killing the weak."

Quickly enough, Ryuho, Yuna and Souma realized that this enemy carried no room for talk. Her eerie aura spoke that if she wasn't cast aside, their Judgment would lead them to the ends of Hell's rivers and prisons.

She finally stood up from her throne and faced the three Bronzes, but her posture was open. "I am the Terrae of Scorching Fury, Swithern Megaera. Those who face me with meet an inevitable death. My burning rage will take all of you, and bound you to the Abyss." Yuna, Souma and Ryuho prepped themselves in a side-to-side line. It was only a matter of who would move first, and how would this Terrae fight.

"Of course you are ready," said Meg. "The aphrodisiac of violence and war consumes humans."

"How in the hell are you different?" spat Souma.

"As the Swithern Terrae, as Demeter's guardian, I only represent what is natural. Even trees and crop are removed, whether cut or burned, to make room for land to be of more use. Even if it takes time to heal. Everything takes time to heal."

"That does not mean that must be the fate of the Earth," said Yuna. "We will see it through."

"No gloats!" Megaera swished her arm and the entire temple exploded with brightness. The Bronzes screamed as they were struck by an orange wave of flaming texture. It lasted for a few seconds; they managed to stand through it. Meg's lovely face showed in full briefly; she scowled under the darkness.

"Your arrogance to protect everyone makes me so angry."

After the attack, Yuna, Ryuho and Souma were completely puzzled, not noticing any sort of impact. They didn't feel harmed and they could still fight.

"A fiery type huh? I guess I am the right guy for this job. Lionet bomber!" Confident, the smiling Lionet Saint rushed and made a flying charge towards the Terrae. The fireball struck-

Two of Meg's fingers, dissolving the flame haloing Souma. When his Cosmos died down, the shock in Souma's face was appetizing for Meg, whose eyes fell upon him with callousness. She still spoke with a calm that bellied the flame she used earlier. Was something hiding itself?

"Eventually," she began "The Cloth you pride yourselves with, what makes you pride yourself as Saints, will be useless."

Yuna quickly realized that the Terrae was nothing to toy with and suggested a synchronized attack. Souma jumped away to join the others and in seconds, all three attack with Yuna leading with one of her spiraling kicks.

Her heel fell on the black Stole, Ryuho and Souma attacked with both fire and water covering their fists, striking low. Meg stood unfazed.

An anxiety welled up within the three Bronzes as they saw, for the first time, a smile creep upon Meg's mouth.

"You shouldn't touch things you have no comprehension of." There was no time to comprehend the statement as the Bronzes were sent backwards. They suddenly began to float, and then the entire atmosphere changed to a forest. Meg disappeared. It was no different from Virgo Fudo's abilities, just a visual, until the trees changed. A corrosion fell upon their trunks, the leaves, and then there was crawling smoke. Now, an attacking shockwave ate at the Saints. It wasn't over – after the corroded trees, Souma, Yuna and Ryuho saw, smelled, and heard everything from people burning and melting inside the Brazen Bull, people getting skewed by spikes on boards, wars, horses trampling on women and children, roaring iron cannons, people being corroded in iron barrels, Scaphism, sawed upside down, everywhere.

It lasted for a moment in order to bury in their bodies and minds that this was torture.

"Harbor whether bravado or fear," said Meg from behind the illusion. "Like a general and his army, my very presence will summon the powers of death and enrapture you."

The Three Bronzes could do nothing but scream in agony, dropping to the ground.

"Despite being warriors, despite your justice, you cannot protect everyone."

Souma was the first to get back up, but not without a struggle. His legs nearly buckled under him, and each step led into a stagger. He felt the hit, he was truly attacked, his ears whistled and importantly, and then a tight gurgle filled his neck. He gurgled. Everything around him was hazy and he was unable to respond promptly to a dark blurry block rushing towards him. Megeara caught up to him.

"You can't save everyone!" Meg grabbed Souma by his neck, and Lionet's eyes nearly rolled at the back of his head. He was a corked tight bottle; he heard a crack of bone from his neck stretching; Meg's grip was so strong, or enraging, Souma felt like his head was going to be pulled off.

"Souma!" Ryuho noticed Souma's agony and went in, but it took him a while to notice that when he moved his mouth, no sound came out. Did he imagine his voice in his head? He was also moving strangely, dropped and swung a slow hook for Meg's chest. Meg threw Souma away like garbage and caught Ryuho's attack. Her gauntlet's clawed fingers closed down on Dragon's hand, and Ryuho's jaw opened as he trembled. He heard cracks slipping through his knuckles. Meg let him go, his hand dangling, and not a second wasted, the Terrae throw a hook against Ryuho's face. From the strength of giants, he flew into the crater like a thrown ball, and fell onto his back motionless.

"You cannot accomplish everything because you're used to having your way…through strength," Meg looked over to the other two. "The strongest will eventually perish. All things perish. Did you notice that you're getting weaker?"

Souma only manage to get back onto his knees. Everything was completely out of wack and could not be recalibrated. He could not see, his ears whistled, and his muscles felt thin. As for Yuna, the moment she stood back up, her instinct to move completely ceased. She could not take another step, nor bend a single finger, and her entire flesh shuddered in helplessness.

"We're getting weaker?" Souma grumbled, to which Yuna's thoughts went for the worse outcome too quickly – "Then how, do we defeat her?"

Needless to say, the Bronzes were left confused. After Ryuho, Megaera threw a beam at Souma and launched Lionet into the air by a pillar of flame. At the summit, he exploded, the shards of his Cloth flying in different directions. He did not move after that. As for Yuna, she ate a heavy punch in the stomach. That's all it took to take her down.

That was when Megaera's demonstrated her will to have them killed.

And that was when Kouga faced his friend in a speed of light war.

Chapter Text

Back in The Garden of Catasterismi, Pegasus Kouga danced among an illusion-projected universe filled with bright stars and a distant sun. Even though he was fully rejuvenated, he was not entirely composed. He had to stay focused as he did not expect for his foe to be so resilient.

Boron Ginga was able to materialize and fling out "stars" in any direction. When they hit, Kouga felt the pressure, being battered into a float, moving when he did not want it. Until eventually, something arose in him and he was able to swerve out of some of their trajectory. Launching Ryu Sei ken, the punches reared off direction from touching the Boron Stole. They looked like silver bullets, and Kouga inched closer, and closer.

Ginga's ears heard a sound of something breaking – a part of the Stole's shoulder chipped off. A piece of the cuirass cracked. Ginga uttered a word and went in close, stalling Kouga in place. Two swings led to two punches left and right to Kouga's face. Pegasus was thrown around like a speed bag; in the third one, Kouga countered.

They both ate a punch.

"The Omega cannot determine your fighting skills; your instincts are still first and foremost, along with your faith in the Cosmos", both Seiya and Fudou had said. According to their point of view, the God Saturn was not defeated, but only repelled. He gave a reprieve, but admitted that he has lost strength during the battle with Kouga.

Ginga did not understand; while the Universe was infinite, nature was infinite, he felt some gaining from Kouga, and he just didn't know why.

"Cosmic Synthesis!" It only increased his vexation. Charged particles flicked in the air and gathered into one point. In front of his hands, it rapidly grew—bigger, bigger than him and Kouga, until Ginga couldn't be seen from Kouga's point of view. It grew the size of two men, three men, and further. Until it was, by a visual surface, a radius of about nine meters. It was far from the top of the ceiling, which had a hole in it from Eden, but it showed that Ginga was pretty serious. It was probably four or five times taller than Kouga. Therefore, it would definitely swallow him apart.

"Take this Kouga!" He launched the ball; it was just like when they began their battle. As it closed in to its target, Kouga, feeling its pulsating energy and its heavy breeze as it soared towards him, had every intention to catch it just like before.

"No move can work on a Saint twice!" Assuring himself, Pegasus Kouga lifted his hands and caught the synthesized star. He slowly slid on his heels, but the Synthesis sphere kept pushing right back, licking at his hands from its scorching halo. It was tangible?

It can be accurately implied that Cosmic Synthesis was the stars , which Ginga kept summoning, forming together. Absorbing to a point where they vary in size and become thick. In common cases, Ginga's attacks explode on impact, but with Synthesis, he could decide whether to explode them or just crush his targets under the weight of a burning "star".

After a moment, the pressure started to die down. Ginga's senses picked up a a strange jump in energy, and the sphere began to contract. Kouga's hands shook, and focused on pushing until they came together in a clasp. The wind died down and the sphere dissipated.

"You really are strong Pegasus Kouga," said Ginga. "I just don't understand why."

When Kouga emerged from the attack, the baffled Ginga turned his head to the other end of his Garden. Perhaps he found a moment of calm and escape with his friend, but in truth, he sensed something.

"The stars read everyone's fate and some has faded – Megeara took out your friends, guaranteed."

"What?"

"My elder 'sister' is the protector of Androktasiai," Ginga explained calmly, turning back to face Pegasus. "It is sometimes called the Garden of Pain and Suffering, or destruction, leading to death. A bizarre one. Many people find her repulsive, but she gets the job done when it comes to enemies. In fact, it was her and Arion who have greatly contributed to the assaults on Saints during the Winter equinox."

Kouga held in his protest. It was not a fluke; his senses lost the Cosmos of his friends. A shudder went through his arm, and then through a balled fist. His thoughts reversed to the beginning to when this all started, back when Shaina was killed, hearing about the revival of the Gold Saints, the struggle they all had crossing Cyclades, losing more through it all, just for Demeter's vengeance. It welled up inside.

His Cosmos haloed his entire body white from a tongue of flame.

"Ginga!" Pegasus flew in a straight line. The Boron Terrae caught his punch, then the other, and then both shredded each other in locked stares, eyes filled with anger. Neither one could overcome the other.

"Are you angry with me, Kouga?!"

"What is it?! What is it all for? Who is this Julia!? You may be a guardian, but no matter what we had, I have to go through you as well!"

"Then do it! Only one of us can determine the victor."

"I'm going to stop her. You hear me!" Before another word was said, Kouga was sent backwards by a hook against his face. One slide on his heel and he launched right back; Ginga already reached him and caught Kouga's best hand to prevent another punch. His other hand glowed brightly and a flare erupted in-between them. Another Synthesis! The expanded sphere grabbed Kouga and guided him high above ground. Ginga pursued, and watched his Synthesis break into sparkles from Koga's swinging arm. Boron saw his target and his foot dug into Kouga's ribs. I'm faster! I'm faster, faster, faster! He kept repeating in his mind, to keep faith in his fighting skills and to give Koga no quarter for any reason. He ignored the fact that he covered little to no ground in his battle, saw no weakness in his enemy, and kept up with his strikes. Eventually, as the fight drew out, that vulnerability would slip back into his head—he kept fighting, but nothing seemed to defeat Pegasus.

Kouga kept coming back, deflecting or evading the attacks, kept standing. Pegasus struck high below the neck, in the Boron Cuirass; when Ginga repelled, he blinked only once and saw a flurry of fists heading towards him – in the hundreds, multiplying, so fast that they looked like rays of light. Crossing his arms in a high guard, each blow felt like a hammer against his Stole. There were no gaps, a heavy rainstorm pelting all surfaces, the feeling of hard needles striking the body. Ginga's toes tensed to keep standing; the faster the punches, the more they flew, the more they pummeled, in a matter of time, Ginga eventually felt his defense break. His arms opened and his entire body careened high. Her mind juggled from what happened. He saw black once he hit the floor. When he opened his eyes and turned, he saw Kouga, who stood with his back to him.

How would either determine how to overcome the other? What determined it? Their battle was probably the equivalent to the War of Thousand Days – two dueling Gold Saints whose movements and attacks were at the speed of light. It was perhaps deemed like this not only by their parallel strength, but it could be a solution for Athena to not have her companions overcome one another. It was a possibility that Ginga and Kouga couldn't defeat one another because they were friends. It was impressive enough that Ginga was on par with a generational God Killer, who has achieved the Seventh Sense and perhaps more. Ginga did not see it in such a matter, and only grew angrier that his foe was too stubborn to go down. After the clash with Eden, his anger towards Athena, and his disdain for divine prominence, only grew.

What was the answer? What was the strength behind Pegasus?

"Ginga." When Kouga called out, he had relaxed his guard. "My fists are only meant to make evil fall. For some reason, I can't defeat you. Maybe because you aren't malicious."

"Shut up!" At Ginga's shout, Kouga turned around – and a fist slammed right into his chin. His feet left the ground and a force shot him right into the air.

"Cosmic Chuukanken!" The technique from before that was used on Eden. When Pegasus returned moments later, dropping back down through the roof in a tail of smoke, Ginga began to rant.

"Then what's the point of fighting?! We both have something to believe in. There is no reason to be so equal. If you were holding back Kouga, it'll be the biggest mistake you ever make."

Ginga's voice echoed through the hallow walls of the Garden. Like Eden before, Kouga was shot right through the roof, soared high into the sky and into the Mesosphere, falling back down. He landed after receiving blows of intense cold, electric currents, and rubbing heat, in addition to low oxygen, Kouga did not move. It was to Ginga's expectations.

"I am not malicious? Perhaps that's a compliment, but skill and strength will determine who will win. This is a war between Goddesses. Give me a b— !"

Ginga suddenly buckled, hearing another crack. He looked down and he saw gaps in his Stole. He felt a tickle in his bones; his arms and legs convulsed; his sight turned white for a few seconds, and hissing in a breath, he noticed Pegasus Kouga walking towards him. Now he and Pegasus were eye to eye.

"Why are you still standing, Kouga…" Ginga asked. Kouga refused to respond; his furrowed face suggested that he was hurt and wearing down. It was unlike Ginga however, who was broken in places. One thing that wasn't noticed before was that Eden compromised a break in the Boron Stole. His attacks worked, aiding Kouga's fight. They cut through; Boron was made out a semi conductive metal after all. Was it really Ginga that was losing gas?

"A star can only contain so much condensed pressure until it expands and obliterates itself. It's when its heart begins to dwindle will the star get overthrown by the energies of the other. This is not over yet."

"You look like you're about to fall over." At Kouga's words, Ginga immediately flexed.

"You don't have the say!" At his roaring shout, the air surrounding him and Kouga lit up. Hundreds of stars of various sizes appear once more. Everything was aggravating him, including the fact that his Chuukanken failed.

"What you said before about maliciousness – are you saying that you were being soft on me? No, you're strong aren't you? Because you should've been obliterated! As a Bronze Saint, you should've been done! But something, something is getting in the way. You survived Pan, you survived my attacks without a Cloth, and here you are with a renewed Cloth," Ginga's face was distorted with anger.

"Julia…Demeter will not calm herself until Julia returns. Good or evil, it doesn't matter. What we fight for matters. Our own sides matter. We just happen to clash on opposites. Whether we're friend or not, we must see through our goals. The only conclusion waiting for us is who bears the strongest purpose."

The Cosmic Collision stalled in the air at the ready. They only needed to burrow through Pegasus and blow him to pieces, soul and all. All Ginga needed to do was burn stronger and will his victory to happen. The two fighters glowed with furious Cosmos, projecting the vivid universe. Ginga saw the Pegasus constellation behind his opponent; Kouga saw the eyes of various balls of ice, dust and gas, charged by particles, glittering and staring down at him as a target. He flexed his arm to prepare a punch; in his mind, he believed in only a few things – his tie to the Goddess and to keep elevating his Cosmos, even if to the strength of the Big Bang. After that, what would happen?

Both Collision and Ryu Sei Ken flew towards their opponents.

Who was the strongest heart inside a star? Was it a battle between strength or justice? Since Eden's defeat, there was barely a hint of Kouga and Ginga slowing down. Ginga refused to believe that a God Killer held back against him.

Neither one of them understood but they kept seeing images. Perhaps it was a sign of their impending deaths. Both Boron and Pegasus saw their youths, training with their masters; Kouga with the masked Shaina, and Ginga being cheered on by two females, while watched by the steely Arion. Then, they saw something more eerie.

Demeter – Her composed face glowing as she knelt to accept a crown of flowers onto her head; embracing someone, stroking the curls of their hair, and then wailing in a field of flowers.

Athena – smiling, approached by a golden knife to her throat, tied in chains, looking up to a giant halberd; rallying around her many Saints, shining brightly.

Both Goddesses – sending two fighters against each other. One wore shining white armor, sprouting bird like wings; the other being steely gray and fast as a comet. The flow of these strange images - were they some of kind of memories?

They both fell. Both Pegasus Kouga and Boron Ginga were on the ground. Ginga remembered being in a room; wearing his town clothes, he sat next to a window, and a bed with a platinum blond haired girl nestled in blankets.

"It's not a normal sickness," the girl said. "I can feel it when the Winter months are approaching. Then, when it does, I fall into a deep sleep."

"This happens every Winter," said a morose Ginga.

"We call it a Winter syndrome, but is it too severe?"

"Yeah, this is too much to be called a 'slow down'." When the girl did close her eyes, the day transitioned in a morbid peace. It was taken for granted but not like a usual form of sleep – most would expect that once the sun rose, she would yawn awake, but that did not happen. The days grew colder by then. It was just another year of the "Winter Syndrome".

"Ginga, thank you for being by my daughter's side." A well-dressed woman stroked his hair like a mother. It was just her and Ginga in another room.

"Oh no need to thank me. She is a strong girl and understands. She never blames anyone for this."

As soon as she sat down, the woman's face showed despondency. "I cannot stop it."

"Are you going to the Green Forum? If you're not—"

"Ginga, its fine. Arion will be with me and I will muster all I can to get through the day."

"But I have to come anyway, so I can hear about ridding ourselves of yucky gas and pollution."

To which the woman laughed, "Ginga, you have it turned around. You need the gas, but there's too much gas, causing heat to become trapped within the earth."

It was a typical Winter it seemed. But for some reason, unlike every forth month of the year, Julia did not wake up. On that day, Arion told Ginga a strange story after his training. They were sitting upon the hills looking over the Aegean Sea.

"Did you know that the Goddess Demeter tried to kill Athena?" Arion was well known for his stoic projection, but he seemed content on conversing. To hear even him give stories, Ginga's eyes glittered. He scooted close to the violet-haired guardian, eager to hear.

"A 'half mother' I think. While their interactions were few, so I hear, Athena loved Demeter's daughter Peresphone like a sister. When Peresphone was taken away, Athena was there when it happened and tried to find her. I guess she and Demeter entered a bitter clash."

"Wow."

"But someone protected her. Someone with silver wings."

"What happened in the end?"

"There was no determined winner. However, the promised themselves to journey to the Underworld and confront the rapist himself. When mother and daughter united, anger towards the Gods ceased. I think you know the rest of the story."

Why am I seeing all of this? Remembering this? Am I dying?

Boron Ginga opened his him was the light of the sun, spilling out from the holes he made in the roof when he launched Kouga and Eden with his Chuukanken. He was unable to move; lying next to him was an immobile Pegasus Kouga.

He reached out for the ray of sun with his hand. "I want to stand. I want to help Mother. The bitterness in her chest, I want it to stop. I want her to smile. I can't be defeated here." His voice was feeble.

But I lost, didn't I? Ginga suddenly dropped his arm at the thought. Am I not fighting for a noble cause? So why did I lose?

Boron Ginga, Orion Eden and Pegasus Kouga lay motionless in the Garden of Stars, the sunlight touching their faces silently. Ginga closed his eyes, and what warmed his heart was remembering Demeter's kindness. Doing so hindered the notion that he had failed. In fact, Kouga's words, when he criticized Demeter for using battle, reminded him of another memory. It was years ago when he was younger, perhaps a year after he chosen to don the Boron Stole. Demeter always spoke about how round Ginga's eyes were, flowing with curiosity and zest.

"Ginga, my good son."

"Lady Deme…I mean, Mother, I never asked this before but I am just wondering. Why am I selected as a Terrae? Is there a need to fight?"

"In this mortal world, there is always conflict. There is always evil, crime, war, the threat of peace of being broken. Yes, as Naxos's guardian, you must protect it. And if you must, protect others."

"What is 'evil'?"

"Hmm?"

"Is the guy who tried to steal from the donation jar 'evil'? Or mugging girls? Kidnapping? The grandmother who tries to trick two siblings into her house and cook them?"

"You seem to have the right idea, Ginga. Just know this – people may not agree with you, but always believe what you think is right. Your strength will come from that."

"O..okay!"

"As long as you don't think that cooking children is 'right'."

"Of course not! That's just creepy!"

"Also, remember that many appreciate our services. There is always something we can do. As you can see, as a member of the Green movement, I am trying to serve in the industry of technology and politics. One day, I want to join the United Nations."

During one of the annual festivals on Naxos, the Four Terrae gathered and knelt before their Goddess to issue a verbal bond. He would never express it, but in his head, when especially compared to the older Arion and Megaera, Ginga would bear this insecurity that he was not mighty enough to protect everyone. He was a bookworm after all.

To his surprise, Demeter noticed this; perhaps it was due to her being a goddess after all. She had told him, "Ginga, one thing. Your Stole and Cosmos respond to your heart. If your heart wavers, shudders from despair, hatred, evil, it will drastically affect you." Ginga wasn't sure how to respond and only listened. She continued.

"I am going to send you meet the Meliads for a test to defeat an evil spirit. You will understand your Stole well. Besides, the Boron Terrae was known to be steadfast and to stay on the same direction, never giving up even if knocked away from its trajectory."

Demeter showed her guardians praise as lofty as Heaven and never less. Again, in his mind, Ginga had to ask himself, "Did I lose?"

"Why did I lose?!"

"Am I whining? Did I lose control over myself?I probably did. I couldn't defeat…a friend."

Much time would pass. More time undisturbed by the Saints was what Demeter needed to fulfill her task. Ginga did not remove the enemy from his home, but was offering the Mother goddess "time" an indication of victory? It was difficult to decide.

"Ginga, my good son. Please be well." Murmuring, Demeter held Arion's hand tightly as fear settled in. After sensing Pan's defeat, she worried for the others, but Arion kept her confidence as they descended down the stairs. The Goddess's inner worry amplified when she was completely surrounded by darkness. After the stairs, the two strode on an invisible road, and it seemed to lead nowhere, but did they know where they were going with confidence? The Ophiuchus Cloth floated closely behind due to Arion's powers.

At one point, they stopped. They were blocked by two silhouetted figures.

"If it isn't the Noble Mother and her Guardian of Heroic Hope."

"We are Myth, History, Secrets and Pathways."

"I heard of you," said Arion. "The Crossroads."

To which Demeter followed, "Yes. Ladon and Janus. I've come to seek a deal with you."

"We see that you contain the Ophiuchus. Surely you do not cross—"

"I sense that you are not ignorant?"

"We can see that the Noble Mother is still a horror." One of the silhouettes said after taking the shot from Demeter's fierce glare.

"My possible fate and the world's fate do not concern you. With this Ophiuchus, I wish to enter the prison and meet with him. Only he can change this."

Chapter Text

"Do you realize what I had to go through to get this Cloth?

The Mother Goddess's goal seems to be in reach, and she would be damned to make it so. Boldly she stood among two figures and demanded entrance to a prison – her mind was far from lost or rerouted. Her anger was still there, if not amplified from the Bronzes' interference. In order for Demeter's goal to advance, she needed the Cloth to be an empty vessel and deliberately planned for Shaina to be killed during the Winter skirmishes against Athena's Saints. Since she failed to fall, Kouga's master had to meet her fate at Athena's temple.

With a tranquil profile, the look of a beauty that seemed to gird herself for an important event, Athena sat on her throne in the Pope's Chamber. In front of her were three Gold Saints, knelt down at the base of stairs.

"The gathering of all twelve Gold Saints determine an earth-shaking destiny" she said, and paused. Her inflection lowered, which seem to indicate worry growing within her. "It's usually preordains a wide-scale war with much causality. With their spots gradually filling, it is a sign? It makes me a little uneasy."

"However, Taurus, Scorpio, Pisces, and Aries," Virgo Fudou began, "there is no sign of their successors. Kiki's lost is truly unfortunate."

"Pisces would be someone with immeasurable self-confidence," Seiya said, "possibly sadistic and also immune to demonic roses."

"I don't think Pisces must follow that fate to a tee, Seiya," said Athena. "If Hyouga arrives, I'm sure he will accept the Cloth of Aquarius. Despite the situation, we will always do what we must."

"The foolish stars seem to read something more, something far in the future." The doors entering the hall opened, and The Pope was the first to enter. Following his heels was Libra Shiryu. By his throne, the Pope stood by the Goddess's side.

"For some reason," he continued, "Antares is pulsating. It's like a stubborn heart that never gives out," he said.

"The brightest star of Scorpio," Athena said. "What could this mean?"

"Also," The Pope added, a rumble in his voice. "No one can have Taurus without the resilience and guts of one hundred armies." His words made Athena smile wryly.

"Lady Athena, I have arrived." Shiryu's composed voice was smooth, providing nothing below certainty that his duty will be fulfilled. It was true; Athena knew him too well as one of the Legendary Bronze Saints that served her as since her awakening. Shiryu joined the other three Saints on a knee, next to his long time brother Seiya.

"The only ones who are late are Gemini and Cancer," said the Pope, turning to the door. "I know that Leo kid ain't coming am I right?"

Athena answered. "Yes, I gave him a very important task. I communicated with him moments before and he said that he needed more time."

"Lady Athena, one thing," Fudou spoke, slightly lifting his head.

"Yes?"

"To be frank," he said, opening his different colored eyes. "I advise not divulging too much of your plans when Cancer arrives."

"What?" Shiryu was obviously surprised. "Does that mean he is being suspicious?"

"It's not only that he's taking a while to bring Gemini, it has to do with his current actions." The more was said, the more confusion it brought upon everyone.

Sagittarius Seiya held his words; he trusted that Fudou was more perceptive than most, and for some reason, his thoughts were conflicting. He reflected back to his first encounter with the Twelve Temples and the former Pope. Therefore, he could not shake off the possibility of some betrayal. His impression of the new Cancer was by far reassuring. Hermes was a bit too honest and lax, and sometimes smiled at inopportune times, but was a good person and agreed that any threat to humanity should be vanquished. He often moved on his own, and knowing that caused Seiya not to quickly step in for Cancer's defense. Still, he didn't want to fortify his beliefs in the worst situation. Athena also knew this quite well.

"Is that so? Then let's put some pressure on him when he arrives," the Pope suggested.

"If what you say is true then will he talk? How will we know that he'll be truthful?" asked Athena.

"When I listened to him," Fudou explained, "I don't think he was completely beating around the bush about his suspicious actions."

"I know the Cancer Saints have been idiosyncratic, but they serve for what they believe in deeply. Connecting with him, I am sure he seeks the right thing, even if he takes a swerve in his road." Athena's confidence made Fudou's lips tight; he wondered if the goddess was too naïve and willing to surrender to deception.

"However, you can perceive things that many do not. While I do not wish to leave out Integra, I will garner a part of trust in your words and begin the meeting. We need to make haste after all due to the severity of this situation. Speaking with Hermes is inevitable."

There was no raise of opposition as the Gold Saints remained in their knelt postures of submission, albeit tight loyalty. No matter what would happen, they would see through Athena's victory and safety. Fudou compiled and leaned down his head again, closing his eyes.

"At this moment, The Bronze Saints are sent to Demeter's temple on Naxos Island to retrieve the Ophiuchus Cloth. It once served as a catalyst for another being; in regards as to how it's specifically used, and how it's a 'key to the Underworld', my father Zeus severed its information from me and other Gods, so that we don't run afoul with one another. I believe to even speak of it would spread its charm," The Goddess paused, and her expression became dire to reflect her next words.

"and perhaps sentence me to death."

All of the Saints furrowed their brows at the statement. If that were true, would that mean Demeter was committing a great crime? Or even worse, were Gods collaborating in breaking the taboo? Making an exception? A thought entered Athena's mind. Was it possible that Demeter knew because of her relation to Hades? Whichever the case, Athena explained her point and moved on to the next: how to counter what may be a devastating situation.

"I have been thinking over this for a while, even before Demeter appeared before me. One mission that I'll provide is the closure of active Hell Gates, which is necessary to prevent any belligerent souls from seeping out of the Underworld." Athena's words already made sense to Fudou, who figured via Hermes and by meditating in the Underworld that this was confirmed true. This may have been a threat trembling in the shadows.

She continued.

"There has been various demonic activities, such as Barren Island where Leo is. I have tasked him to find the fissure to Hell and to diminish the evil slipping from there, along with aiding one of our own." She paused and guided her eyes towards a Gold Saint with red hair. By his knee was his helmet, adorned by long goat horns.

"Capricorn Safar, your home region has a gate as well does it?"

His dry lips moved and out came a bear voice from a deep cave. "Yes Lady Athena." He opened his eyes, showing vivid green irises locked on the Goddess. An undivided attention. "Many Eastern people go there to honor the dead and to pray for good crops, but there has been rumors of strange activity."

Shiryu suddenly spoke up. "Hades is gone, therefore I am confused. I would hear strange dark voices in Rozan, calling out a name, but I would find or see nothing." Safar responded that his "emerald arm" trembled whether evil manifests. Shiryu wondered if Hades was resurrected and if Specters were reappearing, but his held such a thought to come out verbally. Hearing Athena and Safar, he now wondered if his home region was too experiencing "strange evil spirit leaking".

There was a loud sound at the doors.

"Hey hey, sorry I'm late! We're here." That cheery voice was never unfamiliar. Fudou's head snapped back quickly; at such an astute action, Seiya couldn't help but follow him.

"Fudou, are you sure?" He whispered to Virgo.

"We have to watch him." Fudou looked down at his hand, which made Seiya realize that he materialize a hemp rope around his arm.

"Touching these ropes, the truth will come out. If his vice is strong, he'll be destroyed." Sagittarius Seiya looked disturbed by Fudou's drastic actions, and more biased thoughts entered his mind. Hermes's predecessors magnetized towards the strong. He was told that Schiller was particularly into killing others; Deathmask was for destroying any fresh or old soul for the sake of "justice", even smiling among a massacre. He heard a story of another who was wicked on the surface but was a trickster, not abiding to the purity of Athena's "justice" and used deception to defeat the enemy.

The doors opened; indeed, the bespectacled Cancer with his wide smile appeared. He scratched the back of his head to feign his embarrassment for being late. Following behind him was indeed Gemini Integra. In contrast to Cancer, she was eerily silent.

"You're late you green crab." The Pope's burly demeanor contained no restrictions as he reproved the Cancer Saint. "Some temerity for you to joke when the situation is serious."

"Hey, it's not my fault. Integra and I faced some problems. A rough encounter."

"What part of 'pick up' don't you understand?" As The Pope rallied on with his criticism, Athena eyed Fudou and Seiya, who exchanged words. She noticed Fudou's dire change in face, and decided to take prompt charge.

"I think that we can all agree that sealing the Hell gates are of first priority due to Fudou and Hermes's information. I also spoke with Fudou as to what his task might be. These are really preparatory tasks for the protection of Earth if Hades were truly to be revived. Even if he won't, we can't let his vile influence touch anywhere."

Everyone gave the Goddess their attention once more.

"With that said, there is the next step - Seiya and Shiryu, you will go to Dodona and plead a pact with Jason's galley."

Sagittarius and Libra's eyes widened. "You mean!?"

Cancer was just about to kneel with the others, after Gemini, but his legs seized up. Behind his lens, Hermes's eyes shined at the ambition. He smiled wryly, "Surely Lady Athena, is that all necessary?"

"Truly," she said matter-of-factly. "As a prophet, Argo spoke to me about an evil that would reach even the stars. It said 'when that time comes, you will need my strength'. It was one time, and since it's quite rare, I was told to always take any message from Dodona seriously. Dodona is guarded by Sextans Agatha. Seiya, Shiryu, I can truly depend on you two."

"Yes!" Shiryu and Seiya uttered together with a mutual determination that was clear. But instantly, Shiryu raised his eyebrows.

"Actually Lady Athena, Seiya should go before me. I just need to confirm something back in Rozan."

"What is it?"

"As we all know my master, who has passed, guarded the Tower of the 108 Dark stars. I should see to it that the seal's strength is well preserved. Besides, my recent nightmare and the voices that I've been hearing, I must put my concerns to ease, plus assure Shunrei's safety. Seiya, I will definitely rendezvous with you."

"Very well." Athena nodded in approval, and finally, her eyes fall onto the late Crab.

"Hermes, now that you are here, a few things," she began, "including as to what Fudou brought up to me in addition to the Underworld."

Hermes's mouth bent into a smile. It was calm and sincere, perhaps appreciative of Athena, but some thought it radiated the same energy as when played a cruel joke on another?

"The Underworld beyond Yomotsu Hirasaka is unstable, and souls are seeping out to the mortal world correct?"

"That's correct my Lady. The gate to Hell apparently leads to some form of 'Limbo'. Souls suffer from lack of purgatory so they only float around. Pretty bad fate I'd say. Some souls got pretty angry and left the path to Hell." Athena nodded to Hermes's explanation. It confirmed that her approach to the situation was mandatory. No matter its state, she assured herself that the dead must be guided properly, but she fretted over Hades, who no longer sought himself as a pure death god, placing the conquest of Earth over all at every reincarnation. Thus, she wanted to thwart his revival.

In addition to the seals, she must speak more with Virgo in private about his idea. Intentionally, she hasn't divulged those details; so far, the plan about the galley was a shock to all. At this point, she wanted to choose her words carefully.

The goddess of war and wisdom stood up from her throne.

"Now Hermes, another thing, and I ask you generously—I have been told that you have been acting strangely. Rather than retrieving Integra, you've been moving on your own. You also tried to obstruct the movement of the Bronze Saints heading to Naxos. May I ask what this might be referring to?"

Hermes winked an eye close and flattened his smile. Such an expression read an "oops", some kind of recognition to a mistake, or perhaps Athena pushed a radical false belief out in the open. That demigod snitch! Fudou must've exaggerated everything, Cancer thought, but, was he considerately loud with his actions?

"Of course. Rumors are things that people tell, Lady Athena." He mocked. With that said, one of the Gold Saints buckled. He stood up and uttered a spell.

"Shogyo Danzai!" The rope wrapped around Virgo Fudou's wrist suddenly spun to life, and flew towards Cancer. He was caught, the hemp rope wrung tightly around his torso, limbs and neck, putting him into a grip stiffer than a titan's. Hermes's jaw clenched with tension.

"The only thing that comes out of your tongue is truth. Speak." Shiryu, Safar and Shiryu all stood and first gazed at Virgo, surprised at his outburst, and then to Cancer. The quietness of the Pope Hall collected a level of tension, and then it all exploded upon the arrival of Hermes. Integra wasn't as quick to stand but surely turned to watch.

"Hey man, I was kidding!"

"I don't think you were. These ropes will test your purity. If there's any decision of betrayal or any wicked acts on your part, you will die."

"Alright alright!" His voice was hoarse. He could feel the grip right up to his brain. He felt trapped, curled in a 16 x 12 x 8 tight iron box with little holes for air. "While going out to get Integra, I met with Demeter while she was on her way back to Naxos." Hearing the words, Athena approached Cancer slowly, but with confidence. She truly wanted to hear his words. Seeing her pass, Seiya reached out with a hand but held his back any words. Was this wise?

"Then what happened?" She asked, imploring for his toleration.

"To see why she was doing what she was doing. Unlike Hades, despite their relationship, Demeter is not into conquest. So, I've decided to make a deal with her."

"A deal?"

"Before she agreed, she told that she didn't want my help because she revived the Gold Saints. She's still tight lipped about everything. Heh, I couldn't even pass as an envoy."

"The Shogyo Danzai is reacting to you strongly, Hermes. Are you sure that it's just an act of watching her? Especially if she doesn't trust you." When Athena said that, Fudou twitched his fingers. Hermes pants as the ropes around slightly loosened.

"I do want to know – did she agree with you?"

Hermes said nothing; taking another step closer, Athena hammered further.

"Or rather, how did she agree with you? What deal or pact did you make with her? And why?" At such questions, despite his discomfort, Hermes's smirk returned.

"Demeter's actions have grown violent. Whatever her goal is, it's in Hell. So, I told her about its situation, and agreed to help her revive it."

Everyone gasped; the answer elicited a bit of surprise from Athena, her eyes flashing. "I am afraid to say that I sense no deceit. To do this, maybe you agree that its revival will stop the leaking?"

"Of course. After that, I got Integra. She was a little roughed up but OK."

"So Demeter won't tell you why she wants to revive Hades?"

"I have a theory since I've been snooping around her. I plan to go back to Naxos to do more snooping, but it may have to do with her close associates because of what one of the Bronze Saints said."

"Just know, the consequences will lead to the revival of the Underworld's leader, who desires the world's destruction, if not my death entirely."

"Speaking of Bronze Saint," Fudou interjected, "why did you plan to trap Orion Eden into the Underworld? Or maybe even kill him?" After that, the Shogyo tightened. Now Seiya narrowed his eyes. The details that were unwinding into the light made his heart palpitate. Very suspicious. He tried to think back as to what Athena said and to believe in her, but would the Cancer's so-called "idiosyncrasy" stretch too far?

"Agh-To get her to trust me!" Hermes grumbled the words through a squeezing throat. "So I thought of trapping Orion's soul and showing Demeter."

"You didn't answer my earlier question Hermes," Athena pressed further, slightly distraught by the idea of Cancer taking life to appease another Goddess, "how did you get Demeter to trust you? What deal did you make?"

"I…"

"Was it to kill Kouga and the others?"

"No!"

"Then why is the Shogyo reacting to you? Answer me Hermes, as a Gold Saint, show pride in your actions." For the divine rope to react, there must've been some divine evil dwelling within Hermes's heart; Athena's concerns grew. Was it necessary for Cancer to commit these actions for the sake of reconnaissance and individuality? She sensed something deeper, but couldn't touch it.

"I said that—" Suddenly, the Shogyo snapped into pieces, flying swiftly into different directions. The hemp hit the temple walls, and then started floating in the air. Gemini Integra, known for her burning heart committed to Athena, has been quiet the entire time. She raised her hand to her cheek level and flicked her fingers into a snap. Was Hermes's judgment about to be quickened?

Suddenly, the Pope and the Gold Saints sans her, Athena, and Hermes began floating in the air. The entire atmosphere turned dark, and rays of light appeared underneath their feet, forming an endless running grid. At the far end of the grid was a horizon, the edge of a galaxy. One in this space could see the bodies of stars and planets.

Athena looked around and noticed that she was in a spatial void. She turned back to Hermes, hearing his impish cackle. In the void, he stood like it was nothing, an air fluttering his hair like a comfortable Spring breeze.

"If I may answer now," he spoke, "I said..that I would help her make a funeral, Lady Athena."

In a speed of light, an array of gigantic planets appeared, soaring through the void as the floating Saints were magnetized into the galactic orbit.

A laugh from behind the universe taunted them. "All of you die! Explode!"

The Pope, Seiya, Safar, Shiryu, and Fudou each fell onto a celestial body, and a clap louder than thunder could be heard through even the vacuum of this projected space. They seemingly disintegrated into nothing, disappearing in sunlight and out of sight.

Hermes skipped up to Athena, smiling cheek to cheek, and leaned next to her. The short secret that was breathed into her ear – what was something that could make even Athena freeze in words? Her thoughts, perhaps dizzy, wondered why the Danzai rope was about to crush the Cancer Saint?

"You should see the look on your face, Lady Athena," he said with a satisfied face, which nearly burst into laughter. "But don't worry, I am truthful when I mean that it's for the good of the world. Besides, I would be the best agent to conduct a funeral right? The better the funeral, the better the outcome!" The Crab stretched out his arms in exhilaration.

Athena looked around, and in her heavy confusion, she just noticed that she was standing, or rather floating, inside another dimension. Immediately, her head turned to the motionless Gemini Saint, who had her head bowed. She was still as a statue, unharmed. The ability to cross and transport others to dimensions was well known to belong to Gemini.

"Integra?! Are you Ok?" The Goddess asked.

"A little roughed up but she is quite fine." Hermes's response to the answer was then followed by a feminine laugh. From behind the static Integra, a hand lengthened out from a tear in space, and slid across the Gold Saint's cheek. Integra lifted her head and her red irises flashed at Athena.

"Oh, I see now," said the female voice. "Despite my hate for you, we are strongest when together. Strongest when we love, strongest when we hate."

"That is…Gemini's controlling technique," Athena's shock never left her.

"Right you are you ridiculous goddess. How easy it was to trap you, or perhaps I'm just very clever?"

"Plans are best when many work together," Hermes said with a nod of his head. "Now Lady Athena, come with me."

Giving Athena some distance, the Cancer Saint lifted a finger above his head, igniting his Cosmos. The gridded dimension was completely absorbed into full darkness; somehow, four figures stood in a space without stars or any form of light. Were they still in a void or vacuum? Somehow, they could still see one another. A person had stepped from behind Integra, and Athena thought she was seeing two, but her consciousness quickly took notice. It looked like Integra, but her Cloth was painted with a glossy dark color. After all that has happened, and taking the mannerism in account, it all made sense.

Athena said only a couple of words. "Gemini Paradox."

The dark twin who had died during the war of Pallas, having joined the Pallasites, was also revived with, apparently, her vicious personality. Athena could only think of how pitiful Demeter was to go so far as to manipulate Paradox's inner feelings. She predicted that Integra was under Paradox's control, which surprised her. She never thought she would see the Demon Fist at work again.

"I want to see the despair on your face when you realized that you failed Athena. That despair will be delicious when I return to destroy you." After Paradox spoke her promise, she snapped her fingers next to Integra's temple, the control over her sibling fading. The good-natured sibling muttered Athena's name with a flavor of confusion and sorrow. Her voice carried a regret for what she has done, reverberating in Paradox's ear. The evil sibling felt an ecstasy from it, and it made wonder over what to do next after Hermes sent Integra away. What of the fate of the other Gold Saints, especially after being left in Another Dimension? Paradox promised in her mind to see to Athena and Integra's destruction, but she had to make ascertain first that there were would be no preventions to Hades's revival. Therefore, she left the sight of Hermes and Athena for another destination.

"She is surprisingly patient and loyal," said Hermes.

"What is the meaning of this? Were you so deeply involved in Demeter this whole time?"

"Like I said Lady Athena, I'm doing this as the best choice for humanity."

"Despite what you say, this is betrayal."

"I'm sorry?" Hermes rubbed the back of his head and pouted his lips.

Suddenly, the darkness exploded. A sunny glow generated behind the Goddess, bending into a giant spiral. A spinning entity darted past Athena's side and towards Hermes. The Cancer Saint raised his arm and caught a golden punch.

"There you are Hermes! You bastard, where are you taking Athena?! I won't allow this!"

Hermes may have had the smile of a clown, but could not contain his surprise. Perhaps he smiled out of exhilaration; he pushed his arm forward and forced back the attack, spreading distance between him and his assailant.

"Hello Sagittarius." Hermes greeted. "Isn't this all interesting? Did you follow us somehow?" It was indeed Sagittarius Seiya, who Hermes and Paradox thought they had left in Integra's Another Dimension. Having been familiar with Gemini's abilities, Seiya explained that he imitated his Cloth's Golden Arrow, which often destroyed all forms of evil and barriers, to follow Athena's Cosmos. Seiya also explained that he is familiar with touching the Underworld, and that The Pope saved the others from the Explosion. He will cross Hell and even the barriers of the moon to save the Goddess.

"I didn't want to believe it," he said, "even with Fudou's heavy suspicions, but it's almost fate that there are obstacles among each another."

"Then you are content with this situation, Seiya?" asked the Crab. "Deep inside, seeing Fudou's reaction, you might've thought that something could be wrong."

Seiya said nothing, perhaps indicating what Hermes said was correct, to which the Cancer Saint added, "Oh by the way, this is the 'Limbo' that I was talking about, which lies beyond Yomatsu Hirasaka and into the Underworld."

Obviously surprised, Athena and Seiya were prompted to look around, and wondered how and where they were even standing? This Limbo was nothing but darkness. Hermes also explained that if they wandered long enough, they would probably meet up with sleeping souls, stuck without purgatory or judgment to where they should go.

The Crab could not rid of his smile. "Seriously Athena, for you to send Safar to the gate, and to have some odd plan with Fudou, you probably believe within yourself that it's hopeless to stop the revival of the Underworld. Not only that, there is also your plan for Argo. That just guaranteed it. In a way, you are extending this little war because of your fears. There is no such thing as absolute justice. Absolute good, absolute evil. Hades must come back."

Seiya backed away and covered Athena with his wing to shield her from the Crab's sight. "Nothing will prevent Hades from destroying the Earth. Not when Athena is his boldest foe since Mythological times. How is this saving anyone?"

"Oh Seiya, why are you so worried about peace? You are a Saint. A knight, a warrior. Do you not fight? There is no such thing as 'absolute peace 'either. If there's no order among the dead, the dead will just rage upon the Earth. However, Demeter doesn't care about these things. No, if I go by what that Orion Saint said, I predict that there's really only one thing she wants."

"Why go to such lengths? I don't understand why inequalities, why all of this, mean so much to you, Hermes. Especially as a Cancer Saint. You are on our side."

"That's right." Athena finally spoke. Hermes's strange behavior was only extending the interrogation. "You know of the evils of humans quite well. You know of war, barbarism, death since youth, and tried to heal it. Thus, the stars chose you to make it right. But it can't be this way. Do not create unnecessary tragedies."

Hermes shrugged his shoulders. "Hey Seiya, if Hades has to turn sword to Athena's life again, why don't you just do something? Just like always. That's the only way to determine who is the strongest. Only the strongest can protect. That's right…you'll dominate with the powers of justice and love, am I right?"

Seiya held his next rebuke, putting extra thought from Hermes's words, and it became a more scathing criticism. "Do you think this is something to look forward to?!"

"If that's how you would like to see it." The Crab shrugged again. "Sorry Seiya, even though we're friends, I'll have to leave you hanging."

"I thought you had better sense, but you're just going on by a personal prediction. Are you some kind of coward!?"

"Nah." Such a simple answer. Seiya's instinct to attack Hermes and snatch Athena, to take her back to the Temple, somehow, was thwarted. Even though Athena was caught up in a strange plan, Hermes's words seem to suggest that there was something else happening. Seiya wondered if he could possibly know. Furthermore, after all the shenanigans, what was in it for Hermes himself?

The Crab chuckled. "But I will admit – watching this all unwind is interesting. Perhaps that's all that matters. Even though, I do like Lady Athena."

The nihilism of life, both mortal and divine, for gratification was enough; Seiya did not see this side of Hermes before, but for the reasons he had thought of before, he could not be surprised. The Shogo Danzai was correct. It was enough to well up his sadness, and his anger, and it showed in a burst of Cosmos exploding around him. For the sake of Athena, he prepared for a battle.

"You have no kind of righteous motivation for your current actions, for endangering Athena. Despite your words, I must make your face consequences. Prepare yourself, Cancer Hermes!"

"I'm afraid not Seiya. I have a walk with Lady Athena and I'm not going to be fighting today."

"What's that?! Fight for the evil that you believe in!"

"Hoh, cheeky." Hermes crossed his arms. He didn't seem concerned in fighting at all, his eyes turning away to look elsewhere.

"It looks like a beast is here?"

Seiya didn't pay it any mind at first, but a tingle clawed at his senses. His brain twinged, telling him that something vile was approaching. Somehow, in this strange space called "Limbo", all could hear the sound of steps falling onto a surface. An ashen gray fog appeared, blanketing the appearance of a faraway silhouette. Athena watched for a moment, but then quickly eyed Hermes as a strange thought entered her head. She wasn't sure why she considered it; maybe the Crab was making her second guess everything and giving her wild conjectures.

"It is not possible that he wants Earth's destruction. This is not like when I first met you. Don't tell me – Hermes, are you trying to take on Hades by yourself?!"

Chapter Text

Was it fun for Hermes to have him and the uptight Sagittarius, two Gold Saints on each end of a line when it came to justice, at odds with each other? One often smiled, even during grim times, and the other showed clear-cut vexation towards betrayal. For everyone who knew him, Seiya was clear-cut to begin with. For Gold Saint of Cancer, his inquisitiveness for the dead—and to further spur Athena's worry of a dark contingency—seemed to have bordered to insanity. Whether it was believed or not, it was just in this generation—years after the war with Hades— did Sagittarius and Cancer have a somewhat amiable connection. The latter was a star-fated choice, succeeding Schiller sometime after the Pallas War, and after training outside Sanctuary and within the Temple of Cancer's trials. After Fudo, Seiya appreciated Cancer's upfront temperament, his wit, and ability to hardly lose his cool even under pressure; also, a sociable buffoon who liked the simple, local life during peace. However, the two didn't always have a mutual understanding.

If the world were to go by their favorite astrological newspaper, the best compatibility partners of Cancer were Taurus, Virgo, Pisces, and Scorpio; three of those Gold Saints were no longer in existence right now; Sagittarius was above average, leaning towards Aries, Leo, Libra, and Aquarius.

In fact, at one point, Seiya berated and nearly decked Hermes for marking Hyouga as a possible coward for not joining the Twelve Temples punctually. If they had a chance to swing fists, it would be now, but Hermes backed up with the object of taking Athena away. A fog slipped into view and there was the sound of footsteps closing in.

After following Athena into the trapped Limbo, Sagittarius Seiya waited for the guest to arrive. A sparkle caught his eyes, prompting him to look down. Linked to the soles of his feet were ring chains wrapped in a dull white glow. He saw another one, of greater length, forcing him to look over his shoulder. That chain burned with a magnificent shine, to rainbow intensity, different colors magnetizing all who saw it. That chain led to Athena.

The meaning was not known, but Seiya and Athena couldn't help but believe to be caught in some kind of trap. The Cancer Saint was not nervous in the slightest.

"Hermes? You're here." The lofty voice of the woman pierced through the dark, but when the unknown figure, looming from a distance, showed its full form, the goddess and her Saints saw a, ashen-haired man in sparkling obsidian. With its gloss and dismal look, like a monster frozen on the man's body, it was easily figured to be the armor of the Underworld.

Quietly, the new figure gestured up his palm to show a flower. A gray flower with long, petals, similar to the Chrysanthemums, gathered in a spread out bloom. Athena recognized the flower, and it clicked to her as to who the owner of the voice was.

"Demeter!"

"That's correct my dear," blurted Hermes, "and look, I got Athena too! See? I kept my promise."

"Enough!" It was indeed the Goddess of Fertility; by now, that snapped rancor possessing her noble voice should not come off as unordinary. She still couldn't deal with Hermes's affectionate blandishing. She wasn't seen; when she spoke, her words fell out of nowhere in a watery echo. However, all eyes were on the man and the flower that he held in his hand.

"I suppose you weren't pulling my leg after all," she said, obviously referring to Cancer. "You are to meet me with Athena. Therefore, I have sent this creature as a guide."

Is that a Specter? Seiya wondered; it felt obvious. The figure standing before them was covered in a jagged armor modeling some fanged or spiked creature. However, it brought some confusion. He thought that the Specters were sealed or destroyed from the last war, and couldn't imagine that Hades had returned already.

"I don't really need a guide, Lady Demeter." Hermes smiled wryly.

"I assure you this is necessary, especially now that Sagittarius is here." Demeter seemed to hint that this was against her expectations, a tint of disappointment in her timbre. Or was it aggravation?

"This thing here happens to be a guide and guardian of the dead." The Mother Goddess continued. "He has the ability to chase down dead souls, assuring that they do not escape. This is through the use of his Path of the Dead, which can follow the "spirit chains" of others in order to follow and collect their owners. The chains glow when attached to someone, but specifically, a chain attached to divine beings have an intense sparkling color. Do you not notice them?"

Demeter convinced Athena and Seiya to look down, and it now made sense to them as to why they saw chains connected to their feet. The goddess further confirmed another grisly detail.

"But there is something else - these chains will only lead to those who have died or are about to, so that they can be collected and guided to the Underworld. Also, to make sure they don't escape. You abominations! With Path of the Death, this guardian can follow you anywhere, even across dimensions, and trap you to the dead's will. Athena, Sagittarius Seiya, it seems you have defied death to make me miserable."

"So, I wouldn't glow?" Hermes looked impressed. "But they glow because they died? I gotta say, that's a badge you two. But it looks like you should've stayed out of my business, Seiya."

"Now, get them Meadow! Bring Athena to me and make Seiya's death ascertain!"

The flower in the guardian's hand was lunged into the air, its petals scattering. Suddenly, a loud, thundering voice surpassed Demeter. The atmosphere grew heavy; the tight lips of the Specter finally parted open.

"I am Dark Meadow! Cerberus Dark Meadow! My fangs become steel and flame, and crush the enemy."

Cerberus?! The Hell hound?!  Seiya's thoughts wafted in wind after he found the Specter right in front of him. The Specter was ducked down, and Seiya felt a tremor through his body. An uppercut punch to his stomach paralyzed him, and it was enough to launch him high. Dark followed, and they were eye to eye. Seiya lashed out a palm and threw the Specter back with a wave of cosmos. They both landed, and they launched at each other.

"Seiya!" Athena cried out. "Don't fight! You must go back, and see to the others and the missions!"

"But Athena!" Seiya was too concerned in saving the Goddess, and welling inside of him was the shame of being hoodwinked by Cancer Hermes. He swayed, avoiding a head butt; his toes danced as he was forced to back away from a rake from Dark's clawed gauntlets. This Specter moved swiftly and fought like a beast, closing the gap between him and his golden target with ease. The Goddess had to explain it straight.

"If that Specter is here, then we are running out of time. Demeter and Hermes are trying to inhibit us from stopping the revival and defeating Hades. If you are trapped here, who will go to Dodona?"

That mistake occurred to him and Seiya froze – just enough for Dark Meadow to hook him in the face. He was shoved further back and in this massive Limbo, who knew where he headed. When he was back on his feet, his Cosmos waxed.

"Atomic Thunderbolt!" Seiya raised his fist and a web of golden rays flew out. Dark Meadow bounced along the invisible surface that they fought on. A lowered head and lifting up his back, he chased down Seiya on his hands and feet.

He really was a beast! Boldly running right into the trajectory of the Thunderbolt. The rays strike, and thin down until they broke into shards of light. Both Saint and Specter connected; Athena yelled out to Sagittarius again. Her voice of concern implored his safety and she wanted him to leave to check on the others.

"Did she say kill or torture him?" Hermes said and then shrugged his shoulders, turning in another direction. "Let's go elsewhere Lady Athena. You heard the Mother Goddess, you need to go see her. Hey Meadow Mutt, when you're done, just catch up okay?"

Seiya brought up his arms, his eyes following the punches of Cerberus, banging onto his Cloth. Usually, they would deflect and render the force of the attacker useless, but Seiya felt every blow like a hit to his knee. Five or tenfold. Even when defending, he could feel the hits digging into even his organs. At one point, he saw white. I'm guarding, but he's so strong. As expected, the three headed dog is an enormous sized creature with a giant's strength.

After Seiya was blown a distance again, the attack ceased and Dark Meadow turned to Cancer, who was walking away. He aimed a finger and a long, shimmering object flew in midair. Hermes stopped and turned; he raised his arm and caught a ring chain in his arm. It shimmered with a rainbow color.

"Oh, is this Athena's dead chain?" The Crab smiled and turned to resume his stride. The chain he held was linked to the Goddess's ankle, and it bounced up, snapping onto her neck. When Hermes moved, Athena yelped and began to follow him in the same direction, pulled as if leashed like a pet. Dark Meadow swerved his finger and two more chains appeared. They lay before Hermes and Athena like a path, gleaming brightly with multiple colors. Hermes only hummed impressively, thinking that whoever was at the end, he was going to meet some impressive guests.

OOO

Where do you think you're going?!

Hermes turned around again and the air voided of light was now suffused by a green cloud. A shock swarmed through Cancer's body as he couldn't believe his eyes – a garden of snakes falling onto him as rain. In the next instant, a swift strike caused him to buckle away from Athena and release her chain, which fell on the surface with a metal clatter. Seiya couldn't help but look towards the commotion, and saw someone standing next to Athena. Midst the Limbo, there was another form of warm radiance – a silver body that assured an allied presence. A hand took in Athena's own hand, and the goddess couldn't hide her surprise.

"Mirfak?!" Athena knew the person immediately. "How did you get here?" This Mirfak was a man with a serious expression and deep green hair, but wore a Silver Cloth with a pentagonal shield on his left arm. With his face, and the mace-like spiked guard that hugged his shoulder, did the man seem dangerous? However, he managed a soft smile towards Athena and spoke calmly with words of grandeur.

"How? I walk into the valley of death because I am that strong. It is piece of cake for the head of the Gorgons. Ah, I think I made a pun."

The whole battle was put to a halt as everyone's attention to pulled towards this cheeky man.

"My snakes rattled sensing a threat," he continued. "If I'm not a demon then how can I win? Indeed. I'll become so fearful, until I become the finest Silver Saint Champion. I still want to surpass Dragon and the Legendary Pegasus." Mirfak turned to Seiya, his face grimacing.

Snakes, a shield on his arm, and a craving to surpass Dragon and me. The Saint of Perseus? Seiya's precise thoughts couldn't determine anyone else.

"Seiya, you and Shiryu can't die until I have dealt with you. Now get out of here!"

"What are you about to do, Mirfak?" Seiya asked.

The Silver Saint pointed at Meadow, and then shot a rotten glare at Cancer. "I'm gonna deal with that thing, and this good-for-nothing Gold Saint. Already, he's paralyzed."

Shit, Hermes's curse slipped into his mind. When he got back onto his feet to see whoever or whatever knocked him down, his entire body slipped into a tightening hold. Silent and aghast, Athena watched Hermes's appalled expression as if he has seen a ghost. His limbs were splayed and tight, slowly contorting, his face and jaw quivering. There was no control of his own cells and responses; Hermes's neuromuscular junction enflamed. Did the Perseus Saint have such ability?

"Of course you would be defeated against my heroic Cosmos, you traitor!" gloated Mirfak.

"Mirfak!" Seiya shouted urgently. Mirfak looked back at Seiya, and felt a breath upon his neck. Instinctively, he brought up his shield arm—he heard a loud strike and a quake slid through his body. His soles rubbed against the unseen floor surface. Was he pushed back by an attack? Now standing between him and Athena was Dark Meadow. Mirfak lowered his guard to observe the guardian. He would not admit openly that he was impressed. It was his first time facing any of the forces of the dead. A closer look, and he noticed the grisly monster faces that were a part of Meadow's armor style. Particularly, the shoulders and helmet looked like the maws of canines.

"Dog faces huh? So, who are you?" The creature only responded to the Silver Saint with a quiver of his eyebrows. An animal's growl slipped out from his throat.

"Don't speak? Too bad. Give me those chains and head for Hell nameless one—"

Meadow took a step forward and his hand slapped into the Medusa shield. Mirfak's voice was caught in the back of his mouth by a sheer surge of surprise. He heard a cracking sound; with one swing of his arm, the shield bucked back; Mirfak felt his arm joint reverse in a rush.

A voice suddenly vibrated through the darkness. "I am Dark Meadow, Underworld's Dark Meadow. A brutal fang with tear the enemy with flame."

"No beast that grovels to evil is a match for me, the great Perseus Mirfak. Get ready for an onslaught, cur!" Mirfak bounded high into the air and a flurry of snakes stretch outward in parallel to his kicking leg. To him, a brute like Meadow will be simple.

"Ra Al Ghul Gorgoneion!" When his foot connected, an explosion erupted in between Mirfak and his target. Whether the Silver Saint could survive or not, it was a chance for Athena to return to the mortal world and release her of the Path of the Dead chain. While there was distraction, Sagittarius Seiya dashed for Athena and then his body evaporated. When the glow of the two clashing attacks died down, the only ones who remained in the Limbo were the downed Mirfak, a crouched Dark Meadow, Athena and a recovered Cancer Hermes. He had his finger pointing out where Seiya was.

"Well that was interesting. Meddlesome Seiya can now follow directions and get his boat. As for you Silver Saint, you're not enough."

"What's that you damn traitor?!" Mirfak got back onto his feet, his angry eyes on Cancer.

"That's quite a trick you got there. I actually couldn't move, but don't forget a Gold Saint is a class beyond yours."

"You talk too much. If Bronze Saints are able to climb their Cosmos to heights beyond our expectations, then what do you think my potential will be? I have improved on my technique."

"I'm sure the same can be said about me, since I managed to break through your improved technique."

"Cockiness will become your defeat. If you won't kneel to me, then I'll just freeze you into stone."

"You're up Mutt! Crush him for good." As Hermes's instructed, Dark Meadow swooped his arms spread out, and a curling smoke threw itself at Mirfak like a missile.

"Medu—" Mirfak was stunned again. A link of iron rings wrapped itself around his left arm and shield, pulling up his limb at a high angle. In a blink of an eye, Meadow was a hand's distance before him. He could see the glinting, ferocious spark from the Specter's red pupils; the Silver Saint was wide open. Meadow reached out, and a radiance like fire expelled from his clawed gauntlet. An attack that was burning Mirfak's face; singing everything, as if he stood too close to a 1300 degree Celsius kiln to stare inside of it. Mirfak swerved away to cool his face, and pulled his bounded arm. The Specter on the other end was not budging; he felt like a thousand boulders on top of each other, if not a mountain. Was this an ogre he was trying to drag?

"Don't struggle too much, Silver Saint," the Cancer Saint mocked as he picked up Athena's chain and waved his hand to bid goodbye. Once again, Athena moved beyond her command and followed Hermes. The chain was still clamped on her neck.

"Don't expect Sagittarius to save you this time. He won't come back while this guardian has his will bounded by the chains. Bye-Bye."

Mirfak groaned; he refused to counter any words that a traitor had to say, convincing himself that he could only show his true skill through action. In fact, he thought to be the best choice. Stars fated for him for survive in the Underworld as he was in possession of an immortal Gorgon. In other words, were he and theCerberus parallel with one another?

"He called you a 'mutt'?" Mirfak drew air into his nose as he rubbed his itching face. He had felt the heat singing his eyebrows and lips, and respired a bit of his composure back. "So you're some kind of dog. A tiango? Garm? Argos? Keelut? Cu Sith? A Thai Ridgeback? Doesn't matter to me. Any harbinger of death will be destroyed by my justice."

Dark Meadow slowly raised his hand and the metal chain slithered off Mirfak's arm, fading into existence. Mirfak wasn't aware of the Path of the Death technique and what it was capable of, making it out to a superficial chain. Right now, he was defying the laws of the death walking among Limbo.

No matter. The best shield was a petrifying one; within Seiya, he could determine that Perseus Mirfak would not be a pushover. The Silver Saint brandished his shield arm once more, pushing it out front. A fiery gleam came out of its eyes—the eyes of Medusa's protruding, horrified face frozen in polished steel. A silver wave washed over Dark Meadow; for a moment, moonlight poured into Limbo's darkness. Mirfak smirked and lowered his guard, expecting complete destruction.

Before his eyes, the so-called "mutt" wasn't moving. The Gorgon mask petrified evil, the wicked dog in the obsidian armor. A smirk brightened Mirfak's face as his expectations were met; he used the dead energies against his foes, and could also expand it to travel to Yomatsu and maybe beyond. The strange inconsistency did not and would not set well with the Law of the Dead. He was still alive after all.

Medusa screeched and abruptly fell apart into broken fragments. Mirfak entered another stage of shock as his arm was suddenly licked by bright red and orange flames. He grabbed his arm by instinct, screaming as the dolorimeter of pain shot up to a level of a hundred hornets. Would he see his bones at one point? It didn't go that far and the fire dissipated, leaving smoke and a tormented Mirfak holding his burned arm. He caught in a few breaths; the most insulting thing was how Meadow was letting him have a time of reprieve. The beast stared without blinking.

Noticing that his arm was still in one piece, and the pain slightly cooled, Mirfak's composure returned to him in a slow stream. He had saw visions of smoldering skin, flame melding into bones, and his roar of pain probably snapped him out of it.

"You bastard! Why are you still moving?!" Mirfak's shout of anger would be met with silence again. In fact, one of Meadow's arms was stone. The rest of his limbs were still flesh and the Specter approached the Silver Saint. His expression was placid; he looked barely unnerved by his handicap. Mirfak glowered and a fist struck Meadow's face, tilting him off his heels from a harsh blow. A few seconds after, and Mirfak was chopped on his shoulder. Meadow's hand made every feeling he had in him shatter. His body folded and collapsed, his face falling onto the shards of the broken Medusa mask.

The Specter looked down at the Silver and then to his frozen rock arm.

"I must say—you are probably my strongest opponent so far." Mirfak retreated into his mind after such words, and he told himself that while he had a chance to excel beyond Dragon and Sagittarius, he had to get up first. It was miraculous that even his bones were still together. Even with his shield ruptured, he could still contain faith as a Silver Saint that could touch the dead.

He rose back up like an uncoiled spring, taking in another breath. A lot of things he did not understand, but it was enough that he was alive and still could fight. He only figured that he just needed to try harder.

"Ra Al Ghul Gorgoneion!" A leg lashed out and a visual of green snakes hugged the Specter. Dark Meadow's arm was frozen, putting a part of his titanic strength to half. Translated as the Demon Head of Gorgon, a touch on the mythical Medusa and her iconic hair filled with snakes, Mirfak's attack was quite generic. Through arduous training, and his zeal to defeat Dragon and Pegasus, he evolved it in a way to be just as effective as his petrifying shield. The snakes, turning into real vipers, could strike even the neurological systems directly, causing a breakdown. To be specific, when the veins can't stem blood, it could lead to clots and tissue ruptures. The brain could be blocked completely. Without their senses, could an untrained Saint fall prey easily?

As Cancer Hermes recovered—was the Seventh Sense of the highest expansion the best defense? It would be a challenge among who lived the highest. It was obviously Perseus Mirfak due to his valor.

After the kick struck Meadow's palm in an effortless block, the target was left motionless. Mirfak scowled again; his foot was stuck in a locking grip. He pulled back his other leg and drove it for the Specter's face. A white halo formed around Mirfak.

"I will exceed them! Watch, beast!" His muscles extend and flex in rapid succession as his kicks fell on Meadow's upper body in a flurry. Sure enough, the quiet monster began to stagger.

When Seiya returned to the mortal world, he simplified what happened and wasted no time to depart from Sanctuary; he and the others was also advised by Fudo to stay clear from any part of the Underworld, especially with the appearance of the chain guardian.

Seiya had explained that while he was in Limbo, he was not in complete control of himself, and he sensed a deep, chthonic pressure from the ancient past.

That Guardian-was that a Judge? Was that a Specter?

Chapter Text

Mirfak suspected that he could still use Medusa in an act of faith, a reflection of the miracle from the War of Pallabeda, since the shield was an accessory to his Cloth and Cosmos. However, the shield was no longer a living thing but a material. The Medusa shield lay in fragments before Mirfak, and he could only now depend on his brute force.

It was frustrating to face a silent opponent. There was no praise, no criticism, and no taunts; more so, Mirfak would not fathom the fortitude of his enemy. The moment when mortal steps the path to the death, leading into the jaws of judgment, the chemical balance of life starts to change. It breaks down and is different among everyone. Dying is strange and can be painless; however, Perseus Mirfak was still living.

Dark Meadow had chains that juddered with light; his body apparently guided smog and flame, and had the strength of titans or two Taurus Saints. Under Limbo's darkness, the beast-turned man in obsidian armor reflected a spirit of death. A spirit that came from the dark corners of Yomatsu to take away the former living, while exploiting said former living's state of confusion.

Confusion was one symptom of dying. Because Mirfak was relatively young, his emotions were much stronger. Anyone can relate to him – to always think on what to accomplish and will refuse to die. No one wants to think about their final days. Mirfak kept on with his kicks to repel any form of counter, and then a chain snapped around his neck. His eyes nearly popped out his sockets as his felt his jugular veins being squeezed in. Crushing. He was stunned with a pain like choking, oxygen deprived, and the pressure made him black out. As lithe as the chain looked, it was able to slam the Silver Saint down.

The chain began to glow; Meadow's voice erupted in the darkness.

"The strong—the strong perish as well." Mirfak would not be consciousness to see the wide, abysmal smile of teeth Dark Meadow wore over his chin. The smile was a substitute for a peal of laugher that the monster prevented.

While the Cosmos and influence of Gods were weak when not fully awakened, it was the same for Specters when they walked upon the mortal world. Meadow's strength laid in experience.

A long time ago, the multi-headed Cerberus was birthed by two lawless reptile monsters from the sky and sea. Most monsters had gods for progenitors, and they "died not" nor "grew old". The Cerberus stood parallel with other popular monsters such as Orthrus, the Chimera and the Sphinx. It's unknown as to how it became under the subjugation of Hades the Unseen; it was best known for being defeated by the hero Hercules, the half brother of Perseus.

Therefore, why was a hero's star turning against the virtuous fate, which was laid down for him?

OOO

Athena was now in the hands of Demeter, and her Gold Saints would have to deal with the hurt pride of being tricked. Perhaps they didn't think things would take a devastating turn, and that Hermes would have the nerve to engage his plan right then and there. Then again, no one was aware of Gemini Paradox's return, nor thought she would have the ability to control Gemini Integra.

Despite Hermes's suspiciousness, it was a successful plan. When Seiya returned, he took charge along with Fudou. He stated that it was Athena's orders to go along with their missions. Seiya headed for Dodona; Shiryu returned to Rozan; Safar went to Israel while accompanied by a Silver Saint; the Pope, Fudou and Integra made plans to step into the Underworld safely.

"Lady Athena, you seem content with your fate." Hermes spoke with a neutral air despite pulling a goddess by her neck with a chain. They strode far, following the two rainbow chains seemingly to a destination of nowhere. Everywhere was dark after all.

"Hermes, I am assuming that when you mean 'make a funeral'," Athena said, "it refers to 'my funeral?'" Hermes stopped walking. The Goddess continued.

"I think back at Seiya's words. You say that this is 'interesting' but realistically, as a Gold Saint, it should not influence you so much to the point of changing allegiances. Even if you are into fun and games."

"Athena, you can't say anymore." For the first time, particularly when the entire fiasco began, Hermes spoke seriously. It was not threatening, but seemed to hint a consequence of bad fate. Even a treacherous crony dare sent the message that asking too much would make a goddess sorry?

"That is true, but imagine your fate. Once, you're done with your funeral."

"Are you concerned?" Hermes asked.

"I'll say this - I have faith in everyone. In all of the Saints, including you."

Cancer turned to look over his shoulder and gave Athena a wry smile. "That's fine and all Lady Athena, but if you're gonna die then there's no need to be so optimistic. I do believe anything can happen, but you're not the one to determine everything. Now, come along."

When the Saint resumed walking, Athena gave out a meek groan as her body moved against her will. The Cerberus's chain from the Path of the Dead held her hostage, and while in Hermes's hand, she couldn't help but follow him to her supposed execution.

"Let's just make it so," said Hermes, "that I now look like the villain who betrayed his Goddess, and nearly got his allies killed. Perhaps in the future I will have to face the consequences of fighting my own brethren. I am ready for it."

Athena quietly listened, perhaps in remorse.

"When there's no Holy War, maybe this is a good fate for Cancer," he laughed. "Our morals, our abilities are contested in moments such as these. If there's no sickness or problems, how can nurses and doctors practice?"

"That's right Hermes. You used to tend to the sick and injured in your home village." It was like a casual prattle, strangely with one person having a chain on her neck. No matter what Athena said, even though she enticed the so-called "villain saint" with her gentle composure, she couldn't reach a convincing argument to turn Hermes or to explain himself. He chose his fate as the "villain", and hoped that it wouldn't plunge him in a depth beyond purgatory.

Despite being a prisoner, Athena certainly had much to say. Maybe Cancer kept his guard down and was easy to speak to while confident in victory. It was either confidence or reliance in achieving that so-called "victory"; rather, was it not "positive outcome"?

"You know Athena, I am surprised that you haven't tried to break out. You are a Goddess after all." In truth, the Path of the Dead made it difficult for the dead to leave. They were literally braced to fate as if weaved by Hades' own hands. However, it was also possible that she intentionally went with him.

"I have a couple more questions for you," said Athena. "What is your theory on Demeter's goal?" In other words, what did the traitor possibly learn from his shenanigans of inhibiting the Bronze Saints, conspiring with Demeter and with Paradox?

"Like I said, it is Demeter," Hermes's voice rings as spoke in an open, honest manner. He lifted a finger to the level of his cheek. "Again, despite her love of family, she doesn't think much of Hades or world conquest. Therefore, I think it may all have to do with reviving someone else. The question is who? Who does Demeter care for the most?"

Athena would answer with a prompt confidence. "Her daughter."

"Heh, she has a family on Earth it seems. I see a young girl next to her all the time named Pan, who she sees as a daughter. I know she has a daughter from the Age of Myth, but there was no mention of her."

"When we spoke at my temple, she said to me that 'I'm doing it for her'," said Athena.

"She never specifically said it was a 'her" or her mythical daughter. At least, not around me. Che, how can anyone respect a God who thinks so petty of others over one thing? She couldn't just talk it out?"

With a chain around her throat like a dog, Athena was relatively static, but her thoughts were swirling. Hermes was annoyed by the Gods, she thought, which led to her next question.

"Also, out of concern—is it possible that you want to battle Hades yourself?"

The 'out of concern' first made Hermes pop his eyebrow, and the question itself made him freeze completely again.

"Now, now, that's not very nice isn't it? To revive a man to fight him," he said.

"Not necessarily – you say you want to save the Underworld, so are you planning to seal him in some way?"

"Even if I wanted to, I don't think that's possible for me, especially when Hades rules the dead. Sending a guy to his home and fight him, seems pointless." Hermes then turned and winked at the Goddess.

"But that does sound interesting does it? Me, a God Slayer!"

A villain to the end? Athena did think that the idea was reckless, but kept digging in hopes to find reasoning or good within her Cancer Saint.

"Well, since you're going to meet her," Hermes said as he resumed walking, "how about you ask her yourself?"

"Demeter's plan?"

"She thinks I'm a slug, but maybe she'll think differently now that she sees her plan progressing. So, let's go to her and ask her, you feel me?"

Before, when she was at Athena's temple, Demeter was too upset to unveil anything, taking a stance as another malevolent god that contended Athena. Therefore, Athena had her doubts inside of asking again. However, with Dark Meadow's chain around her neck and taken hostage, did she have a choice to but to submit to Hermes's plan?

Eventually, they would indeed meet. The Mother goddess with her platinum hair and verdant hair highlighted her beauty and could not be mistaken.

Those two chains that stretched upon where they walked led to two individuals. One was to a man in a thick, tattered robe and unkempt hair; as expected, Demeter was present along with Sir Arion; the second chain led to a strange smoke floating in midair. The man was crouched near an object that shimmered with a smoke like aura – The Ophiuchus Cloth.

"So, there you are, Athena. Good work Hermes."

"That's the first time you praised me."

"I suppose a little competency among the Gold Saints was finally realized." For once, Demeter's presence softened; she didn't sound too acrid despite the current situation. "The others except you and Gemini seemed to have failed. And yet, I put so much faith in Libra."

Athena was always demure in her speech and expression; speaking the Mother's goddess's name, and a cuff around her neck, she would feign worry and sadness.

"You must hate me from the bottom of your heart, Athena," said Demeter. Her resentment wilted and they could chat as equals. For now, she reached a point of ease; her plan was coming together and she expected her daughter and son to finish off the Bronzes on Naxos.

"Lady Demeter, Libra is still on the move it seems. He approaches a strong presence. I will attest that he fought well against the Bronze Saints. Perhaps he seeks a stronger foe," said Arion.

Demeter's brow furrowed, her voice sinking low. "Still, not a single Gold Saint prevented the Bronzes from coming to Naxos. No matter, they will face their fate soon enough."

"Your fear is reasonable, but there is no need to worry now that your plan is in motion." After Arion's reassurance, he turned his stoic eyes to Goddess Athena and Cancer Hermes.

"There is no hatred within me," Athena spoke calmly. "I just only want to know why you are risking the Earth's life for the return of the Underworld? Who is it that you truly want to revive?"

"Your intense concern for Earth has caused life to die, Athena. I am sure that we had this talk already—I plan to restore the balance of life. Yes, it is true that Hades's return might re-launch a Holy War, but you act out of fear for your own worst enemy. If you knew me so well, you'd fathom my needs."

Suddenly, Hermes's gestured a hand up for a moment to talk. "Sorry Lady Demeter, we were chit-chatting on our way over here. She really just wants to know who is she is dying for. In other words, who do you plan on reviving?"

"Only speak when spoken to, Hermes." Demeter said; she was still rather level-headed, but knew she was the one at lead. "This is not a picnic or a debate. Athena is now my prisoner, and soon enough, my own brother's. The only one thing you need to know is that you two may end up being bargaining chips. Athena will most likely have to die."

Eyes rolling, Cancer Hermes tilted back his head and held in a breath to imprison his own sigh of humiliation. I thought we were getting along too. Now I'm a real pawn on a chessboard kneeling to a king. Stubborn witch, he thought.

When his arms slacked, Hermes did not realize that the chain slid out of his hand. He only looked down once he heard the clattering ring of the chain hitting the surface. It slithered behind him and Athena, and jumped into the hand of another.

Stepping out from a gateway of smoke, Dark Meadow arrived.

Demeter looked at him. "Did you do it?" She simply asked, and the Cerberus simply gave a nod, uttering a deep growl to augment the answer. Athena gave out a faltering look. She sensed it and was obviously saddened—Mirfak's star wafting into nothing.

"The Silver Saint right?" Hermes interjected, cupping his chin. "Because Sagittarius got away."

"What?!"

"Easy, easy. There was an intrusion, but looks like Mutt took care of it."

From Hermes's talk or Demeter's anger, Dark Meadow never disconnected from his stone like expression. Waving it off, the Mother Goddess ordered the Cerberus to keep Athena in the same spot and watch her.

"Athena, Hermes, you will witness the mercy and pity Hades shows in his eyes. While in his presence, you will appreciate him and throw away any stubborn pride you hold for Earth. Or rather, for the disingenuous warriors you train for justice. The humans you trained to kill my daughter." That was when she and Arion took their leave. The Goddess returned to her comfort quarters, and Arion to his Garden to check on the Bronzes.

"I'll just look at the views." Smirking, Cancer left it at that and took his leave as well. He thought of standing guard with the dog, even thinking about checking on Paradox, but decided to stay on Naxos where "it's safe". What will be their next plan?

Now there was only three. His hands hovering over Shaina's Cloth, the cloaked man had shaggy white hair that would cover the smile he emitted as he gave off a shallow chuckle. Keeping a firm grip on Athena's chain, Meadow plopped down and lazily rested his chin on the dorsal side of his hands. Even with the chain slacked, Athena couldn't feel its grip alleviate. Despite the rise of the Eight Consciousness—the Arayashiki—she still felt trapped near death.

"Ah, scary isn't she?" The shaggy man finally spoke. He had a rainbow chain on him.

"So, it is her daughter. Even so, the divine punishment of death I still cannot allow."

"That dog guy over there rarely speaks, so I guess it's just you and me."

"Who—who are you?"

The man pulled his hands away from the Cloth and stretched up from his hunch. His palms were effused in a dull glow and they slid over his draping white bangs that curtained his upper face. Dreary eyes looked at Athena, coupled with the warmest smile he could probably muster. But it was the smile of a tired, defeated-looking man who seemed to have locked himself away in reclusion.

"I guess you can't recognize me at all. I haven't been out of Hell for ages. Oh yes. It's great to see a beauty in this murky place." The man paused to watch Athena's curiosity show on her face.

"I am Akelepsos." The name ringed familiar, and Athena raised her eyebrows in surprise. Did her heart jump from some fragility? She did not expect to see someone of a divine name to look the opposite of dapper.

"You can call me Akel for short," he said. "I am plain and simple, fallen from holy grace after all."

"I see. By using the Silver Cloth, Demeter released you from your prison to restore Hades's soul?"

"Yep. We are by the Tartatus gate," he said. He then pointed his thumb at the floating smoke behind him. "And this is Hades's soul under construction."

Athena's eyes followed, and she noticed that the rainbow chain was connected to the smoke. A feeling of dread welled up inside of her heart. While it only looked like smoke, Athena could not see everything before her as a farce. Did it all make sense? The Path of the Dead sought the spirit of the deceased; with Akel in mind, did that also include those who were imprisoned and the King himself? Especially since the King was known to perish?

"Right now, we need seven days," said Akelepsos. He crouched back down to resume his hand swaying over the Silver Cloth. "While I have the Ophiuchus Cloth, I can heal him and connect with his conscious."

"Like you said, 'you fell from holy grace' by doing exactly what you're doing now. Why did you agree with Demeter?"

"I know, I know. I could not help but take her offer of being released—if I help her make up what you destroyed. She and I might be in a lot of trouble, but it's pretty much a gamble. It's possible that this plan can compensate for any punishment."

"I could not allow Hades's lack of love to condemn everyone on Earth. Even if I made enemies of the entire Pantheon, I couldn't allow it."

The fallen god in tattered robes chuckled again. "Ahh Athena, your heart is so pure. How you protect the humans. If I could only dissect you from the middle and take out your heart. To study that heart."

"I assume that I am going to be here to witness his revival?"

"Yep."

"What is Cancer Hermes's role?"

"That guy. It looks like you're going to be sacrificed and he may contribute to it."

"Did I kill Demeter's daughter?"

"Oh come on, that's what she said right? Did you kill Persephone?"

"How? I don't understand."

"Is she not the Queen of Tartatus? I've seen her various times, but souls just don't disappear. To be honest, I hold a bit of resent for you for not seeing her. But the ones who are affected the most are Demeter and—" Akel paused and raised a finger.

"That guy." His finger stretched towards Cerberus Dark Meadow. The one who killed Mirfak and the current representative of Hell.

Chapter Text

The secret behind Dark Meadow, his ability and his heavy blows? It was the zeal for protecting his non-existent master and his ruling home for eons.

Is that where his strength came from? Increased tenfold? The strength of a Hell's Judge or two? Or perhaps near a God? When there's no Hell, the lamented became violent. To make up a fragment of his missing home, his missing Master, there had to be an answer. Like a true dog, he followed Hades to a tee. Therefore, he could process and accumulate all the workings and powers of the Underworld throughout the ages. Even when the Specters were locked away, he would remain loyal to Hell and its process of guiding the dead.

This has been going on for ages and even Holy Wars. Cerberus was not allowed to attack other Specters unless its order by Dead's Law, and if the Specter was considered a traitor. Even when the Specters invaded Earth, Cerberus was not allowed to go; in most Holy Wars, they took place upon the mortal world and both gods led their armies in person. Cerberus remained in Hell; it was a guardian and not a soldier. It was not allowed to interfere with the wars unless Hades willed it.

Dark Meadow was not a Specter, a dark star, to begin with. In a way, he was an experiment. As a soul, still young and on the path to resurrection, the first decree that Hades relayed to Akelepsos was to send out Cerberus in a human-like body. He was still the beast familiarized by Hades; an ancient relic was walking on two legs.

Only praise came from the Underworld King's own lips for his precious shadow:

Good beast, Meadow. After many generations of attempting to have the Earth under me, you inherited the loyalty beloved by all living things. Even among the dead, there is no difference.  This dog has transcended, watching Earth and below it by my side, learning the ways of all. With the strength and breath of dragons, and the speed and venom of vipers and lions, showing no mercy, isn't he my finest specimen?

As expected, as a creature of the dead, the fervent protector had obtained the Eighth Sense naturally; the Arayashiki (阿 頼 耶 識) that was beyond the touch of most mortals. Therefore, Athena and Mirfak were completely confined by Path of the Dead; while Sagittarius Seiya escaped, he could have the hound breath down his neck at any moment.

And that smile, which Meadow wore upon killing Mirfak, was a sign of achieving vengeance for the first time.

Chapter Text

"Looks like you're finally moving."

Imagine waking up in a cave that smelled of sulfur. Eyes meet mostly darkness, the body sluggish from days of sleep, but the voice of a little boy was like the chime of morning bells in a town. A man's first impulse was to stand, and his eyes followed a halo of warm light at the end of a tunnel. He stumbled to the light and reached out, passing through, and the smell of sulfur was replaced by wet salt. His ears could pick up sea waves thrashing each other, combined with an eerie, grumbling sound from above or beneath. His head void of sense, the man looked outward to the sea's horizon. Was he so lost that he didn't mind his bare feet being tickled by wet gravel and black, dry andisol?

"Hello?" The boy voice spoke out again, which made the man spin around.

Then suddenly, the man's muscles and bones froze. Against his control, his eyes were drawn in by the appearance of a petit stranger, crouched on a large rock taller than himself. It was indeed a boy— with hair as dark as the inner caves and skin much like the island soil. The rest of the boy's body was wrapped in a checkered, orange cloak; he shimmered with a warm light.

"An ordinary boy" many would think, but even a man, with fierce eyes and a scar over his brow, couldn't help but be enthralled by the boy's mysterious dignity. He especially could not imagine a prepubescent, in a heavy cloak, enveloped by an aura of gold. Not at the end of a dark tunnel and by the seaside. Now, the man wondered if he was crossing over to the dead.

"I hear that wearing peridot will prevent nightmares," the boy said, "because the gem was from the tears of a god."

Tearing away eye contact and looking down, the man noticed a small piece of peridot, a sea green gem, hanging from a brooch around his neck.

"You got to stay awake this time, okay?" The boy said. He then pointed to himself and asked. "Do you know who I am?"

The man's eyes weighted a look of being completely lost—staring at a boy seemed away from reality. The kid's stupid question was then followed by another:

"Do you know who you are?"

"I—no." Finally, the man's drawl and gruffy voice came out as his palm clutched his face. "No."

"I know who I am. I am a King," the boy said, baffling the other.

"King?"

"and I am your friend. I'm here to help you."

"Don't hastily label someone as your friend!" With his sudden outburst, the man dropped his hand to reveal a deep scowl on his face. "Who are you?! What do you mean 'help me'?!"

"You want to know who I am, but you don't know who you are?" The boy did not seem worried; carrying a smile, he looked to hang around for idle chit-chat despite the rise in the scar man's voice.

The man took in a breath and turned away, looking out at the sea. "All I know…is that something tells me that I have to fight."

"'Have to fight' huh? Other than that part, I guess everything's still a bit fuzzy."

"You're talking like I lost my memory." As he said that, the scar man felt a spiral of regret inside of him. Something tickled at the back of his lost mind; there were pieces within him broken, and there was no answer for it, or a path to go down on. He did not know that he had been lethargic for days. He kept to himself; at the times he had been able to stand on his feet and wobble to the seaside, he kept to himself, breathed in some air, and wobbled back into the tunnel to collapse. And each time, he would meet the boy; however, every time he woke up, he could not remember. The man had strange dreams of golden light, of well-dressed women, and a supposed childhood, but he could not remember reality. Therefore, he hardly opened to show his feelings.

"That spirit is one thing that can't be removed easily." Despite this miserable situation, the boy was a ray of sunshine. Usually, would anyone who met this scar man be scornful? But this boy's eyes looked on adoringly, like he had met a new friend. As if there was no trouble in the world, he showed an excessive expression of being star-struck.

"Depending on your soul, you'll be back in no time! You're not even trying to go back to sleep, so maybe there's progress." The boy slapped his knees as he gave off a cheery titter. What was this enthusiasm? With the way it poured out, it was definitely a child; by height, the round, unchiseled face and the thin vocal cords, the man thought the kid could have been about eleven or twelve at most.

"You didn't answer my question from earlier," the man said, and turned around to meet the contrastive youth. "Who are you?"

"I am Barren's demon slayer, and you— " From the high boulder, the boy leaned his finger down to the man. "Everyone calls you the 'Legendary Phoenix'."

The answer was met with silence. An over pompous, noble title was not enough to bat an eye from the scarred man, but there was some hesitation to ask what it meant. Rather, he stood there and seemed washed by contemplation or frozen by something itching at his thoughts.

"People call you a 'phoenix' because you have a spirit that can't die," said the boy. "You are a protector of Earth and of the Goddess Athena, who reincarnated on Earth to watch over it."

"A-Athena?" The name was the first words the man said after the reveal of his identity, spoken with an air of familiarity. It was in a way that he felt strongly about it; to the norm, maybe no one would believe in gods and goddesses.

"It was Athena who asked me to nurture you back, but I told her that it's all up to you."

A scowl again broke the confusion from the man's face. "Why in the Hell would anyone ask a boy to help me?"

"Why?" This mysterious prepubescent figure grabbed and rubbed his chin in thought. From his dark face, a glint from his eye could not be missed. Eyes orange like flames. "Because I know that I am the wielder." The boy's hand moved, and he threw a punch in the air. The scar man took off in mid-air, blinded by light. He felt his body being pinched head to toe. When he fell in wet andisol, the boy finished his sentence.

"-of the Lightning Dosa. It is time to bring out that fire again."

The man was flat on his back, punctured by bright golden stakes; was his crucified to the ground and destined to be swept out at sea? He wasn't sure; one pierced in and out his forehead.

"And I thought I told you to stay out of a body that's not your own," said the boy.

The so-called "phoenix man" stood up, and his eyes were death white. He stood, but he looked as if the life snuffed out of him. His lips twisted in scorn.

"You little brat." A different voice come out; a bewitching voice of the opposite sex dipping with venom, creeping from the shadows.

"There's another reason why I am picked." Another sentence from the boy and the seaside was wrapped by bodies of fog. "To take care of you and all like you." Rays of light seemingly pierce through the cloudy ghosts.

"For the will of Athena, it's time for you to return, Phoenix Ikki!" The boy confirmed his goal.

That man, Ikki, took one short motion before reaching out with his hand. His eyes were deadened and the voice was still a woman's.

"Not while he's in possession of my Milk Thread. Now I will make you mine." Suddenly, Ikki's hand stretched out, its wrist elongating like a thrown rope, twining in the air. Before it struck like a talon to its prey, the boy lifted his fist and let out another blinding web of golden stakes. His smile never faltered.

"Got to make sure that hallow shell of yours doesn't get controlled by an evil soul. Especially when you're in a weak state," the boy said.

As the stakes within him conflagrated into golden dust, Ikki dropped to the ground. Thick tendrils of smoke sipped out of him, leading into an inflorescence of another body. It started with a human-like face: wide, smiling, lilac lips holding the fangs of a demon. Her eyes gold, but frigid and pitiless; her dark plum hair nearly touched her feet and hung on the wind.

"I suppose you are not ready for my touch." The woman said in the same wicked voice that had spewed out of Ikki's mouth. An ample chest and voluptuous body defined her, but that buxom body was covered in sable.

"I have no interest in children, but you continue to meddle on this island, boy. Once my Lord rises, the islands and the rest of the region will be mine."

"As Barren's Demon Slayer, I'll fight you as much as you want." With his mission affirmed with a smile, without worry, he took a direct charge from the woman. He said that he would fight evil—while situated on Barren in the Indian Sea, near its only active volcano, he had been clashing with various evil spirits that haunted the land with their echoing voices. They were guided by hatred, looking to feed. The same woman had been about, provoking the boy, and the result has been the same. Thanks to her stubbornness, with each meet, her body would be left burned over and over. The boy threw a punch at close range, launching a shock wave. It blew back the woman in sparkling sable, her face contorting. Her jaw tight, stakes of gold speared her body.

Compared to when they struck Ikki, they were wider and longer.

If the stakes dissipated in thin air, they would leave 12 cm gaps in her body. They rippled with golden energy. Her neck, her chest, abdomen, arms, knees, her lower legs, her hands – just for good measure, and for the consistent pestering. Since she was a taller adult, she was an easy target. The same burning that grasped her cells, seized her movement, and defeated her. The woman retreated into smoke, leaving the seaside with a rancorous message.

"Stupid cub! Soon enough, I'll have my revenge on you, Shir Khan."

"You always say that. Stay away from Ikki!"

With the threat thwarted, the boy in the cloak stayed by Ikki's side until returned to his senses. He rose to his knees, rubbed his head, and eyed the boy in the cloak. He could not escape the smile if he wanted too; he felt like he looked at it all day. He straightened himself and looked like he had words to say.

The boy was decked in the face, crashing into ocean water that slid in. Following was the roar of the scarred man.

"That was for attacking me!" Ikki chastised the kid. Despite his sparkling display against the body-snatcher, the boy, named Shir, took time to shake off the daze he felt from having a heavy knuckle to his cheek. Salt water plugged up his nose and went into his eyes, prompting him to rub his entire face with both hands. When he didn't feel disoriented, he returned to Ikki.

His response to it all was just a laugh. "Ha-ha! It wasn't you, and it was the only way to get her out. What a hit! Your strength is returning. I am really happy for you Ikki!"

"Good," Ikki said and turned out at sea. "Then, I must go."

"Wait wait, you're not ready yet."

"Say what?!"

Shir explained while he stood by Ikki's side to watch the sea. "That woman has been the cause of why you haven't been recuperating smoothly. Your body tells you to go, but you are not yet complete."

"Why?"

"It's her ability. I had to keep her away a few times. Despite that, it's good that a part of you is recovering. If you face me and my Lightning Dosa a few times, your spirit will be purified."

Ikki was silent for a moment; he did not understand, but something told him that what he heard wasn't a lie. Even when his mind and body were against him, he had saw this Shir's power. The stakes that entered his body burned his flesh. He felt a surge of pain, but for some reason, the energy did not eat him away with maliciousness. He had saw images of his dreams again, saturating him with warmth.

"Are you telling me to fight you?" He asked. Ikki and the effused Shir would speak back and forth as they watched the sea.

"We're gonna duel a few times."

"You never told me your name." The two then faced one another; the boy looked up at Ikki.

"I am the Gold Saint of Courage and Virtue," he said. "Leo Shir Khan (希尔汗; शेर खान; 獅子座のシア・カーン)". The boy outstretched his hand in a gesture of greeting. "Everyone calls me Shir for short. Nice to meet you."

"Humph." The scarred man, however, did not follow with the same gesture and only closed his eyes, replying, "Ikki…Phoenix Ikki."

"That's what I want to hear!"

"Why are you smiling?"

"I'm happy because you're improving. You are also remembering."

"I don't know you other than your name, but it looks like I have no choice but to put up with you. There is something I want to know," Ikki said. He turned back at the sea. "Do I have family?"

The volcanic Barren Island was a tiny land, located off a chain of islands called Andaman and Nicobar, southeast of India. That was where the body-snatching woman retreated. She also looked out at sea, but she was not complacent. Her entire Surplice was dressed in holes by the gold stakes.

"Ah, the power of the Phoenix is delicious," she mumbled.

"So, you lost?" A male voice said behind her. "Good, then there's a chance."

"Not allowed. You can't go."

"I want to go now! Your defeat has nothing to do with me, Shiva!"

"We must see to our Lord's resurrection. We are not yet strong enough. Do you wish to die before achieving your goal…again?" The body-snatcher left the other behind to meditate on the plan.

The other evil spirit was filled with anger. It trembled his fist. "Just you wait Shir, you'll learn the despair of dying, knowing a hatred of someone you care about."

Chapter Text

During the Pallas war, Phoenix Ikki was said to be "completely destroyed" by the Jūbakuraizanba (重爆雷斬刃), the holy sword of First Rank Pallasite Aegaeon. It was said that this blade was created by gods near primordial times; is it not surprising that by name, it's implied to chop thunder and explode anything its blade comes in contact with?

Rather than fully reviving as usual by the volcano, Ikki was considered a lost husk. His memories were shattered, and he was in a void of confusion, thus the "destruction". Therefore, he had to go through a long physical and mental convalescence, but not on his own. Athena made the choice to use the new Leo, whose abilities could regenerate the character of Ikki. To do so, Ikki had to experience fear and the proximity of death to recall his anger and flames. He and Shir Khan, despite the boy being chipper, were a bit closer than believed. Was it fate for them to meet?

In another part of the world, by the Arabian Sea, there was another golden collaboration.

"You need not to come with me."

"On the contrary, you will find my contributions valuable to you." While he thought that could go alone, the Capricorn Gold Saint eventually agreed that he and his accomplice made a fair pair.

Crow Johann had a rough face; unlike his closer companions such as Hound Miguel, Whale Menkar, and Perseus Mirfak, who all died from Demeter's shenanigans, he kept his arrogance simmered down through a low voice. Parallel or excelling Wolf, among the Silver Saints, Crow could be the best among sentry missions. While he was a controller of wind, his birds could both serve for wide scale recon and killer attacks. During the youth times of Seiya and his brothers, the Crow Saint Jamien was near capable of killing the Bronzes and capturing Saori Kido. After the loss of various Silver Saints, Johann might have sought atonement or revenge.

When people think of mythical monoliths or megaliths, a collection of stones discovered—and struck with mystery and awe—through archeology, they may think of the European Stonehenge, the Nabta Playa of Egypt or the Moai of Rapa Nui (the Isle of Easter). They all contained spiritual value, especially when it comes to a reverence for the dead.

Slapped in-between Isreal and Syria was a land called Golan Heights, known for its megalithic tombs and agricultural settlements, some not recognized by the government. The ethnoreligious groups of the area had people who retired from politics or fled from genocide. Living reclusively in the mountains, they made a short connection with Athena from national wars pushed by malevolent gods. Particularly one of the Gold Saints had a close connection to the region.

Rujm el-Hiri or "The Stone Heap of the Wild Cat"—Golan's megalith was said to be directly linked to the Underworld, and there were rumors of dead souls rising from there.

The 5000 or so year old Rujm El-Hiri was coalesced 2-3m basalt walls forming into a wide spiral, with a tall mound of dirt in its center. Safar and Johann rounded the site, awing its construction; they had to honor where and how it stood, and were meticulous with their steps. On a clean sunny day, or even a cloudy day, the Golan monolith didn't seem out of the ordinary. If spirits were spilling out, what display would it show?

Safar stopped in his pace after he passed two of the three walls before reaching the center mound. His senses led him elsewhere; more paces lead him to a descent into a deep, dark cave. He stopped and crouched to peer down; no light could reach inside.

"Rujm el-Hiri was once called the Circle of Ghosts," he said. "It's rumored that the dead walked to the Underworld through this way, and that Giants walked across this region."

"A holy site, no less," said Johann.

"In the past, I don't think it was revered so highly. These days, some come here as a sign of the Summer Solstice."

"Is there a rumor that says that the rocks come from the sky?"

"I wouldn't doubt it. Perhaps that's why its connection to the Cosmos is strong as well." The red-haired Gold Saint cupped his chin in thought as he spoke, and he took a couple of steps back. His hand moved from his chin and angled at his cheek.

"My arm is shaking."

"Your arm?"

"I sense a presence."

The air hissed loudly, and the monoliths were swallowed by a torrent of ghost gray light. Such a sudden spurt of energy caused Safar and Johann to retreat from the walls. Each piece of basalt and the core mound began breaking and levitating high into the air, spiraling into a heavy wind. Dark lightning danced like a net in between the torrent; would the Gold and Silver Saints ended up caught have they had not moved? Both of their minds were in concord—something was coming, and it was something they were not going to like, Frozen stiff, their eyes burning, the hearts in their chests swelled from some force. Their cardiac veins were being squeezed by giant talons, preventing them to breathe. When the dance of lightning and stone ended, and Rujm el-Hiri calmed, falling from the sky like a dust storm, the center mound was replaced by a large shadow.

Was the leakage of the dead true? Safar took in a breath and hissed it out. "It's only one soul", he murmured. Johann gave the Gold Saint a short side glance, acknowledging. With how Safar explained the situation to him, it was expected that an army of ghouls were going to fall upon them. While there was just one, it was like a foul stench-unavoidable and nearly unbearable, painful, stinging all the senses. Safar and Johann could not break eye contact.

Sprouting from the shadow were metallic wings, larger than a man. The glow of a raptor's vicious eyes pin and target the two. Suddenly, Safar felt his torso veer inward. Pressing weight into the ground, he kept his stand, but his arms spaced out and tightened.

Shit, I can't move, Johann's thoughts were wracked with only despair. His thoughts could not move to his limbs; his muscles were fully stiff beyond his power. Rujm el-Hiri roared again and the stones took into the air, thrown towards the Saints like bullets.

The dorsal of Safur's right hand cut into Johann's line of sight, and the swell of ricocheting basalt vanished before they reached to take out Crow's head. Johann had not drawn a single breath, but the Gold Saint's voice brought him back to his senses.

"A truly evil force resides here," Safar said, composed. After saying that, someone lined up with him. Staring down the Gold Saint were burning gold eyes peering through strands of a flowing white mane. The shadow casted by its metallic wings swallowed both Saints.

"Saints of Athena?" The voice came out as a low grumble— through a jaw lined with sharp teeth. Upon a closer look between the long strands of flowing white hair, that jaw, and those gold eyes, were upon the face of a human. However, the human's face was distorted with large veins, distending with a fury beyond mortal reach. While a man, he looked larger with the wings splayed out from his back. Polished ebony covered his body. A demon? An Ibris, a fallen being from Heaven? Was it Anzu, Safar had thought.

"I must—I must rend your bones asunder. Kill you! Kill all of you!"

"You should not have gotten close." Saying those words, Safar's mission was affirmed; after all, the Capricorns remained stalwart to Athena. The right hand, the one before Johann's eyes, slapped onto the vein-filled face of the man. A large panel of viridescent energy suddenly sprouted between the three, separating the Saints from the evil demon-man. Safar's eyes casted the same light; the opposite deformed in pain, his face burning and the glow entering his pupils. Two steps back, and the same right hand crossed over his body.

"Zomorrod!" A bizarre calling as Capricorn swung his arm across the ebony armor, waist to shoulder. Johann winced at the flashy emerald display; he heard accounts that a holy sword lie in Capricorn's arm, and this generation was no exception. He had never heard of the term "zomorrod"; either way, he expected for their unknown foe to break or slide away in two.

The evil man in ebony still stood, a fissure in his body. Did the Capricorn not cut through? The man's back stumbling and trembling, and the pain in his face, showed a significant effect from Safar's blow. A green veil, the same color as Capricorn's eyes, covered him.

"You are no ordinary evil spirit, are you? Maybe one more cut should do it." Capricorn Safar's voice was dry, but full of certainty. "You probably would've lost your head or maybe your limb by now, but you seem resilient."

Johann was not sure what kind of swords Capricorns had in their arms, but he noticed an odd trait – Safar slashed diagonally.

The winged man's voice began to thrum in growling murmurs. "Damn you. Damn you, damn you, damn you." The repeating fuss elevating into a roar, breaking the air. "Damn you!"

A spread of the wings, and a shockwave washed over Rujm el-Hiri. The basalt and dust surrounding the monolith site blew outward, striking the Saints as debris hanging in the air. They were blinded by the forceful winds; as it ebbed, their arms were outstretched. Their feet were pinned tight to the ground, and they were pieces on a board until moved. Safar grunted as his sword arm swiftly slung backwards. A joint cracked loudly; it felt like it was about to be torn off. Capricorn's green eyes flashed again, and the winged man roared in pain. The fissure across his torso burned.

Johann's mind resume working; when his body could move, he took the initiative.

"We can't let him escape anywhere, neither to the Netherworld or in the mortal world. Your soul will vanish here." Johann raised his arms, and a flurry of crows glide above and over the monster-man. A passing gale, almost as strong as the previous shockwaves compelled his enemy to a standstill; night dark feathers began adding to the demon's dark body. They were breaking off the crows, scattering and sticking against the target, while also accumulating all over the monolith. The area of balsalt was covered, but the feathers exploded outward from the man in the dark armor.

"Die! Die! Die!" Through sheer force, he broke out of his feathery shell and charged full on to Capricorn. Knocking into Safar, there was a blast of light to signal the impact. Capricorn was stunned, sliding against the ground by his toes, carried by his opponent. The evil, brute force was adamant and vibrated through his head and down his feet, nearly paralyzing him.

"Athena Saint! Die!"

Safar realized that this was a brainless monster. Breaking apart the two, Johann appeared in front of his enemy and his palms caught a loud punch. The force he felt seethed his ears; with sheer will, he thwarted a blackout.

"Wind Jammer!" He mumbled a couple words and a funnel of Cosmos swallowed the monster. It was enough to buck back the brute. Johann raised a hand and closed it, and suddenly, the demonr's feet plowed into the earth.

No one will escape my Black Wing Shaft, Johann concentrated as he kept his hands outward. The crows hang above, glittering the sky and the furious enemy was again touched by dark night feathers. The monster gurgled, his body becoming completely smothered, and sank into the earth.

In an explosion, from a spiral of pressure, the feathers broke away and fell everywhere. It was only Rujm el-Hiri that was smothered—even further.

"You will know the fury of death and darkness right before you die," the monster-man declared, his face still wrapped in angry veins. There seemed to be a recuperation as he outstretched his arms and had the strength to bellow out more.

"More power! Feed me, Abyss! More!" A calm passed as the words entered the air as utter nonsense. Both Saints only watched without motion; in Safar's mind, he wondered one thing – did they succeed?

"It looks like your brutal power was sipping out from the monolith," said Johann. A grim, unforgiving scowl folded the demon's jaw. The Silver Saint, however, expressed no fear and directed a finger, and a steely glare, at his opponent.

"Burning my life made this possible, to stand on par with this fiend," Johann said. My Silver Saint companions did not sacrifice themselves for nothing." The Crow Saint used the Wind Shaft not once, but twice; it proved ineffective, unable to dispel the demon-man, but that was the only inadequacy. And gradually, a shell would break.

Another wave of emerald would lap the shadow with wings.

"Zomorrod!" The Capricorn Saint shouted again. Having appeared between his companion and the enemy, Safar unleashed another wave of his arm and the demon screamed within a green geyser. The white mane swished in the air; the sound of glass breaking, and the wings snapped and flew off. Shedding along with them were the plates of the demon-man's entire armor. It was more than a fissure this time, but an entire, finishing blow. Rujm el-Hiri entered a silence; in just trousers, the demon only stood hunched over. Did he die standing?

Capricorn Safar indicated that he felt little to nothing from the monolith's presence. The heavy weight that touched their chests, that overwhelming brutality, had vanished like a breeze, and the area was safe. Johann's eyes widened; he did not express it through his mouth, but the Crow Saint was deeply impressed. After all the stories he heard of the Gold Saints' strength, being a witness to it was another matter. So inspiring as a Saint of a class lower.

"Was it your blade?" Asked the Silver Saint.

"Zomorrodnegar." said Safar plainly. "The Emerald Scimitar." It seemed to not make sense., but dignity touched Johann's senses. Excalibur, Caliburn, and Zomorrodnegar; these swords hold both a legendary essence and intrigue within their names. The thought of many living beings having knowledge of them. Many evil felt to them; however, Zomorro's origins lie in the Middle East, but any intuition could tell it was like many other swords. An evil slayer? Johann felt relieved.

"I see. You sealed this area." In the area quiet of wickedness, it was not Safar that spoke.

"But now, I am here, and you are not safe." There was one flick of the hand, and Safar's arm suddenly jumped up. The joints in his elbow threatened to snap once more.

"I must thank you Gold Saint. Did you restore my sanity?"

Chapter Text

In his right arm, Capricorn Safar wielded the mythical blade, the Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegār. Having a complicated name, it was called the Emerald Scimitar or just Zomorrod (or zumurrud), as the latter Persian term was fitting to the green gemstone. Simsir meant "blade" alone; to show a form of genteel understanding among his coequals in Sanctuary, he allowed many names, even Shir Khan's diminutive "Zomo".

The demon of Rujm el-Hiri, stripped of his armor and leaving a bare-chest man in his trousers, seemed to have realized the threat. The pressure and fury of the monolithic site seemed gone, leaving room for a new situation. Safar found his sword him at a strange angle; his elbow hovered over his auricle. A standing enemy wasn't destroyed, Crow Johann had thought, and threw up his hand to launch an attack.

"Wind Trigger!" At Crow's call, the base of a tornado spiraled towards the demon-man's head. That demon's other hand moved, glowing; the tornado swiftly turned direction and flew towards Johann. The powerful winds lapped at the face of Crow, frozen in shock, but suddenly, it split apart. A gold flash appeared; Safar stood in between Johann and the man.

"This entire time," Capricorn said, "you've been trying to seize my arm." It was true—when this entire fiasco started, there have been a few cases where his body was snatched by some unknown force. Not fear, but an irregular pressure. Rather than paralysis, which was initially thought, his own muscles and bones would response to another furious mind.

"Zomorrodnegār cannot be controlled by the likes of you," the Gold said.

The "demon" of Rujm el-Hiri lowered his arms and let out a haughty laugh. He stated that 'his sanity was restored'; indeed, he looked more refreshed and humane compared to before. He probably lost some hair, his veins were gone, but without his ebony husk, he looked unlike a man suitable for battle. His eyes were vital gold. "This Zomorrodnegār. I assume it has some form to remove impurities. Impressive."

"You were like an insensible monster, but that went away." Capricorn Safar wondered if what he discarded was the brunt of the plague, but he was not completely out of the water yet. His arm did not tremble like before instead, a faint sensation prickling the end of his fingers.

"Your sword is useless." The man assumed, a voice dripping with a fine composure, hinting that there was still a threat. "I am not evil, for my God is not evil."

Crow Jamien suddenly stomped in confidently. "You work for the goddess who caused all of this, brute?"

The demon man arced his head, howling out a laugh. "Goddess? What nonsense are you talking about?!" His voice carried pride for the holy; he lifted his arms and looked to the sky, seemingly revering where he stood. With all that congested evil removed, he was an entirely new man. His whole heart was elated to speak openly about what gave him the right to breathe.

"I only follow the one and only God of the lower w—" At that moment, the "demon" froze in speculation. He lowered his arms and looked down.

"No, that isn't true isn't it?" He said, his voice morose, as if a weight fell heavily upon him. "That is no longer true. I disobeyed my Lord. Therefore, it is the reason why I became such a monster." There was a pause; a calm was allowed among the three, and all left Athena's Saints to listen with curiosity. However, to the new generation of Saints, everything said made little sense.

"Even though I dared step into the dimension leading towards—" Another pause. That remorse then became fury, balling his hands into fists.

"Those bastards…they were allowed to past me and Juideccca and into the Realm of Gods?! Was I truly fated to be forsaken?" The demon then dropped to his knees. "Oh, My Lord Hades! If I sacrifice these Saints to the Abyss, will you forgiveth me, my iniquities, and take me back into your command again?"

Safar narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?" Capricorn's curiosity was piqued heavily; out of the monolith came out an agent of Hades? Even though the God of the Underworld was removed, Safar knew that Athena contemplated thwarting his possible revival, which Demeter plotted, but he didn't think that any soldiers could return in a physical form. Seeing such an angry soul pour out of the monolith, did they disrupt the mortal plane and adopt, or even capture, mortal bodies?

A soft smile appeared; then, a foggy violet aura, like sweltering water vapor amidst a humid air, caressed the white-haired demon-man slowly. "I remember now. I am the Heavenly Star of Nobility." He left it there and raised his arms; Crow Johann and Capricorn Safar started floating, a large halo of energy consuming them. When the demon flicked a couple fingers, the Saints' bodies suddenly became malleable and threw back into arcs.

Did such a standard looking man have such power? Safar groaned loudly as his felt his body folding in different places; he realized the amazing Cosmos streaming through him. Johann's limbs tight into a squeeze; did his eyes want to pop out? Even his crows were arrest in the air, their tiny bodies bending. What was this force? Did the monster have an entire area under his command?

"Yes, a Noble Judge of Hell. I am Griffin Minos," said the demon. "Gold Saint! Why did your sword not work? I will tell you—we of the Underworld are not evil. Hades is not evil. No, he is the one of the purest souls in all the Pantheon. The power that we accumulate cannot betray if we bend a knee to our most beloved. That is not evil. That is why your sword is nothing. Prepare to die, Athena's Saints!"

Minos closed one hand, and the air was covered black. The first thing he heard was the hoarse scream of Crow Johann and the screeches of birds bursting into pieces. It was their ink black feathers that painted the sky. Johann dropped to the ground and was motionless.

"Your turn, Gold Saint!"

Safar felt useless against the unseen grip Minos had on him. His body twitched, his arms and legs angled in different ways, until everything was put to a complete halt. Minos took in a breath; that compression of lungs was the only time he moved. His fingers stopped; he could not move his head or his eyes. Minos's ears worked, and he heard footsteps approaching from his left side. Soon, a shadow appeared before him, and entering the air between the Saints and Minos was a half moon slash. An array of threads suddenly materialized into view, and snapped into pieces from he wave. Safar fell onto his hands and knees, catching his senses. Minos regained his movement, and was completely aghast.

"You seem to want to ask who am I?" The shadow that had arrived was a black-haired man in a heavy cloak. His identity seemed regal, dressed before God, but his gold eyes were tranquil.

"Another Saint coming to save your comrades? The number does not matter."

"Incorrect. I am the Holy Sword of Creation," the man said; on cue, a green-studded blade appeared from behind the man's cloak, held in hand and raised. "The First Class Pallasite, Titan."

Pallasite? Safar raised his head, just now realizing that someone else has arrived. He heard about the Pallasbeda War from last year, but he had been away training during that time. He had heard from peers that the enemy warriors, the strongest among the young sister goddess, were called Pallasites. Griffin Minos admitted that he knew nothing of the agents of Pallas, but Titan was easily deemed an enemy since he saved the Saints.

"My orders are to annihilate Athena's enemies," affirmed Titan, "and any evil that portend to come to the mortal surface. With my sword, I can seal off a gate such as this."

A glower holding his face—and without a Surplice—Minos could only gib at the Pallasite to do his worst. What does a Judge have to fear?

"Wait!" Before a move was made, Capricorn Safar stepped in and stared straight at Minos.

"You said that my sword is useless, but it seems to be that your technique isn't that effective."

"What do you mean? I would like to call your bluff," Minos said, raising his hands. His fingers flex, enveloped in a violet fog once again. "Only power can prove anything."

"Griffin Minos, if you are an agent of Hades, then there are two things—either the mission of Athena's Saints has failed, or you are not aware of what happened." Minos's eyebrows furrowed at the Gold Saint's words. Even at that moment when his body twisted and tore into pieces, his consciousness fading among the hyper dimension, Minos believed that the Bronze Saints faced their final judgment in the Gods realm, The Elysium. The Damnation they would face was ecstatic by imagination.

"According to my goddess Athena," Safar said, "Hades was defeated. As a result, the Underworld vanished."

Minos froze in place as he could not conceal his shock.

"So now," Safar continued, "there is a plot to revive him and the Underworld by the goddess Demeter. There are actions taken to thwart her plans. Apparently, according to my companions," Capricorn paused for a moment. His statement caused him to angle his brow; his mind suddenly reversed back to the Pope's Chamber. Witnessing the betrayal of one of those so-called companions, the one who explained the situation about the evil souls, was still fresh in his mind.

While Minos was immobile from confusion—along with anger welding inside for the Saint that dared insult the prowess of his master—Safar managed his next words. "The whole situation has caused evil spirits to leak out into the world and that's why we're here. Griffin Minos, you manifested as a raging, corrupted spirit. I have yet to defeat you, but all I need is one more strike."

The anger exploded.

"Silence!" After hearing enough arrogant banter, Minos thrusted out his fingers and cosmic strings danced into the air, threading towards Titan and Safar. The Capricorn Saint raised his right arm, and a green shine blockaded Minos's attack.

"My body and spirit are now familiar with your ability, which is a form of tangible control. You've been using it since you came out of the monolith." What Safar realized was that there were not telekinetic psychic powers at work, but an external force that could "touch" the enemy. As his sword arm cut down the swath of evil force from Minos, Zomorro also received, and reacted against, the attacks.

"Humph! A defense? Foolish Gold Saint, you can't defeat me by standing there. I've said it before—your sword is still useless."

"Not necessarily," said Safar. "Indeed, it is the best against those full of evil. Evil intent. I can rid of the most brutal of spirits in one blow. However, Zomorrod is said to be an eye to fate. Minos, my arm will decide if you should fall or not."

Safar took one step forward; Minos waved an arm and tendrils of energy drove up from the ground. Even with his master gone, a shirtless man expressed such cosmic power.

Griffin Minos's head curved back; his chest had split open after Safar closed the gap between them and swung his arm again. His chop hand slid across Minos. It was a reminiscence of the fissure his Surplice took. Did that same wound reach into his flesh without noticing it? Minos thought he had defended against it.

The steel in Safar's eyes, even though composed, burned with determination. "All forms of life have evil and plight in them, which takes much will to persevere against it. You are an immoral spirit of sadism. Look what you've done to Crow!"

"But…why?!" Minos felt the soles of his feet leaving the ground, his body swaying backwards.

"Even if you felt like your Cosmos were pure, it's still a sword. My arm that is."

It was that simple? It was still a scimitar—well known, by a single swing, to destroy mortals of an army when they saw a severed limb or head. On both hands, ventral and dorsal were covered by the Gold Cloth, but Safar directly struck by the ends of his naked fingers–and it felt like steel. He was a still a well-disciplined fighter with Cosmos like that of tempered steel, burning furiously to create the right form.

Peace finally fell upon the monolith. While he could stand triumphantly, a breeze grabbing his cape, Safar gave the fallen Johann a quiet glance. He could only think of returning him to Sanctuary to be buried. Once he lifted Crow, would he feel the dignity that he had during his life?

Titan closed his eyes in a muse, tucking his blade behind his cloak. "I don't think I have ever met the Gold Saint of Capricorn before," he said. "It looks like the job is done here. Other Pallasites are put on surveillance to assure that other gates remained sealed. To think that something as powerful as Minos would appear; I hope that won't be repeated."

"Therefore, the reason for my mission."

"I can lead you to other gates if your arm can sense it. What of the Goddess Athena?"

"She has been taken."

"What?!" Titan's eyes flew open at the answer. Capricorn Safar showed humility, his eyes leaning downward. His tone seemed to be pricked with regret.

"Before my eyes at the Pope's Hall. But I don't know where. I wonder if the Underworld or the so-called Limbo or so that is what…he said. A place between life and death, where there is no guidance for souls in the afterlife."

"An in-fight?" Titan's eyes narrowed. He was not unfamiliar with one's own turning against others; his mind led to himself.

"Indeed," said Safar. "The entities of us Saints are different; we may follow the same goddess but we are all not the same. It is only fate, but no matter what, I can't let the world to be destroyed. Cancer Hermes—I will find him and I will destroy him for his betrayal. But for now, I must continue with my mission so that not only that the mortal world will remain safe, but also—"

Fools! A thundering voice rose from the atmosphere, a heavy wind following. The entire area turned dark as the skies of Underworld, as the mouth of Yomatsu Hirasaka's mountain that led to Hell. In the darkness, there was an eerie glow. Titan and Safar looked towards the same direction and saw a spread of wings. The pressure kept their feet affixed to the ground.

Griffin Minos rose onto his feet again, the balsalt surrounding the monolith lifting into motion once again. Only light came from the crimson suffusing Minos's body, crackling like lightning. His glare aiming at his enemies glowed with blood. Neither Titan and Minos could believe they were still alive; a new force took over. The ground grew dark below them. Is the gate reacting again, Safar thought? The tremble that surged through his sword arm strained both flesh and bone. It felt like it wanted to shatter. The danger that showed itself only gave Safar one thought: he'll swipe Rujm el-Hiri as many times as needed.

In one movement, a cold breeze, something passed in between the Pallasite and the Gold Saint, and dashed towards Minos. The darkness below everyone's feet leapt up; it writhed around Minos's hands and arms like boas. His upper body was clutched by another, and as he leaned down his head, his bloody glare was met with a Saint.

"Titan, Safar! Unleash your Cosmos towards us and the gate! Trust me!" That Saint said.

Safar's eyes widened with life. "Johann?!"

"I will admit that your will is impressive," said Minos, "but you are facing a Hell's Judge, and the difference between a Silver Saint and a Judge is the same as a gnat against God."

"Who are you calling a gnat?!" Squeezing his eyes shut and focusing on everything in his muscles, it was Crow Johann's grip that held down Griffin Minos. "Just try to kill me, but know this— I know what it feels like to be at near death. I don't like you undermining me after the sacrifice was made to keep me alive."

"What are you—" Griffin Minos felt a gripping pressure squeezing him down into the earth. It was a power out of his own. He did not notice at first because it was so dark and he was so enraged – small, edged shapes fluttering around him. They stuck onto his body and felt like tons of weight accumulating.

"I wanted to face the ones who killed my companions, but I will remain loyal to my duty by defeating a threat to the world. If it weren't for my companions, I would've been lost. I cannot betray their sacrifice."

Even with his gravely voice, his words were impassioned. Crow smiled warmly. "Just you watch. Besides, it was a crow that taught man how to bury the dead."

There was nothing else said after that. Both Safar and Titan raised their blades, a material one and one imbued in a limb, and both swung in sync. In an instant green flash, Minos saw nothing.

Am I a lost husk?! My Lord Hades. I did everything for you. My transgressions were all for you, and even you still won't forgive me?

Chapter Text

Word's been told that Camelopardalis Bartschius stretched her neck out for Crow. He nearly lost his life against a mighty "she-demon of flame", but Bartschius, at the cost of her life, transferred her Cosmos to Johann so that he could report to Sanctuary – there are indiscriminate attacks on Athena's Saints. After losing Bartschius and Caelum Michelangelo, Johann hid his anger. They were just at a smoothie stand; before his life burnt out, Johann wanted to seek out that witch and defeat her. He had hoped to find her at one of the gates.

Now, Johann's crow feathers covered Rujm el-Hiri. There was a permanent calm that eased the heart; however, even as a Gold Saint, Capricorn Safar was left with a feeling of both respect and regret for human life. Crow Johann would not be able to have a proper burial. With his smothered body closed around Griffin, fasten in place at the core of the monolith, the Crow became the new trammel for death's evil spirits. A true symbol since the era of Adam and Eve.

What of his soul and Griffin's however?

Bartschius, Michelangelo, Miguel, Bayer, Menkar, probably more…

Shaina, Haruto, and probably Kouga and the others—how much more blood will even the Mother Goddess allow to be shed? All due to her surfeit methods through anger?

The Rozan Mountains in Jiangxi, China was location to many noteworthy sites such as the Five Elder Peaks, the gate to the Poseidon Temple, and the stacking Sealing Tower of the 108 Specters, where both Hades and Athena used to battle centuries ago. It was past dusk when Libra Shiryu returned to his home region and approached the Tower. Among the rocky peaks, amid chilly thick fog, it looked tall and enormous as it was intimidating. But that was it – it was just a tower. A mystic awe like that of the Mayan ruins of Mexico. Then, what was that feeling that kept gnawing at him? His wife told him that Ryuho had a student with" deep concerns". Maybe it was his nerves; Shiryu felt the fog, a cold chill, touching the back of his neck like a creeping predator.

"Still, nothing seems to happen, or does this portend something? No matter what, it looks like I will eventually return to Underworld." Shiryu mused as he headed for the pristine Rozan Waterfall, his old training spot. Watching the soft fallout, emitting a gentle mist upon reaching the talus, was a stark reminder of his former master Dohko—his serenity and patience in particular—as he could stay in one spot for hours and days near the rushing water like a gargoyle. It was an ideal mediation place; it was now the spot for Ryuho's spiritual training for both himself and his students. It was also here where Shiryu heard voices.

The Tower was idle, but Shiryu was met with a greeting.

"So, you're finally here." Someone directly spoke to him as he entered the site. A serene, amicable voice, but something seemed to prick Shiryu's nerves with sharp needles. Standing next to the base of Rozan Waterfall was a silhouette, surrounded in a violet aura. A lightning gaze shot towards Libra.

Shiryu gasped; Rozan was completely enveloped by the curls of black clouds. Emerging from the clouds were limbs, then biangular heads and noses, mouths lined with ivory fangs, then came spears, the head of axes and swords. Pale skinned demons spilled out of the darkness, surrounding Shiryu, absorbing his attention like a mural. All of the demons wielded weapons; they wore death white robes or breechcloths. Shiryu could see four or six limbs attached to their torsos. Some had two or three heads.

With one of snap of the fingers, the grisly visual was whisked away by the silhouette.

"My fellow Brother."

Returning to his senses, noticing Rozan Waterfall regaining its pristine nature, Shiryu looked closer to the new arrival. Fiery hair, cold icy eyes, and an emulation of his Libra Cloth faced him. There was only one Libra Cloth, the one that Shiryu wore, but what he saw a dark interpretation of a fallen warrior. It was worn by a familiar face, but it was face, pale and callous, seemingly drained into the abyss.

"It's you, Genbu! You are one of the Gold Saints that were revived?! For it to come to this."

"That's right. I think you understand why I'm here. You do realize that this is the perfect setup?"

"What do you mean?" Shiryu almost sounded like he was pleading. Being a veteran Saint, a dark duplicate Cloth upon the deceased was something he witnessed before. He fought with former allies, but for some reason, those he fought still contained a form of honor from their previous lives.

"I don't know how much time I have left, but I guess the goddess offered me a chance to fulfill my wish: To clash our fists."

"As a man of honor and of Athena, for what purpose?" Shiryu immediately brought up that Genbu defied the creed of Mars even after obtaining the Cloth of Libra.

"I am from Asura," said Genbu, "therefore, I must test strength. Will you take my challenge?" The violet aura around Genbu returned; a heavy force entered the area, causing rocks to levitate and the land to rumble.

Asura? Shiryu was aware of that term – one of the eight legion gods (八部衆) to protect Buddha's teachings and one of twenty-eight guardians of Lord Kannon (二十八部衆). There was also the Six Worlds of Reincarnation (六道): The Shurado was where the spirits live angrily and battle without end. In the wheel map of the Six Worlds, The Asura were positioned near the "lower worlds", which contained bad karma, greed, and ignorance. In some cases, even though they loved battle, they could be seen as good or evil. They fall from the Heaven world and the Human world. Shiryu couldn't help but wonder why his fellow Rozan brother would be a part of that.

"The Bronze Saints have reached Naxos," said Genbu, "but will they have the power to defeat the Underworld King? We'll just have to have faith. Come, Shiryu!"

Shiryu closed his eyes and collected a breath within, along with resolve. His companion shared the same fate as fellow Gold Saints from years ago. He came to the decision that it was best for Genbu to follow through with his goal. The only way to convey his respect and stand as an equal was to battle.

Libra Shiryu reached Genbu in an instant step and threw all force into his arm. "Rozan Shoryuha!" He glided ahead until his fist reached his target. A vertical swing into an uppercut changed into the jaws of a dragon. Genbu was propelled high, but the dragon burst apart into air. With his attack repelled, Shiryu could see that his fist was caught in the dorsal side of Genbu's fists, which were covered in half-spherical barriers. Both landed a short distance apart and locked eyes with each other.

"Creatures such as sharks and gators have the strongest bites, and box tortoises can withstand the pressure hundreds time their weight. In other words, my Genbuken is as hard as a tortoise's shell. A warrior is a master of defense and offense."

Spreading his hands and legs in a preparatory pose, Shiryu observed the stretch between him and his opponent. At this point, this is a War of a Thousand Days. Or is Genbu's Cosmos stronger?

"Allow me to show you my spirit," Genbu appeared in front of Shiryu without a sound. He was just as fast, and a punch aimed at Shiryu's lower abdomen. Shiryu felt a tremor gush through his entire body, freezing him.

"How does it feel? My Tomoe Taiko ken?" Genbu pulled back his fist and observed.

Shiryu grabbed his head and squeezed his eyes shut. "Taiko? A drum?" His words slipped out through a groan as he felt a loud thrum-rum-pum in his cranium. Wooden sticks slamming against animal leather; the rattling of drums was being imitated in his ears, beating into a faster, captivating rhythm. Genbu watched Shiryu's entire body vibrate.

"Humph. I made it short from Tomoe Jindaiko. What does it sound like? The sound of hooves advancing, an approaching army that'll charge an enemy even when their bowels are gorged by spears?"

Was Libra Shiryu paralyzed? The last time Genbu used it, Ryuho was completely immobilized, his Dragon Cloth removed. However, despite the ringing through his ears and the tremor through his body, Shiryu was able to remain on his feet.

"Tomoe Jindaiko ken, make Shiryu fall to his knees!" At Genbu's strange command, Shiryu heard a loud, heartfelt wail in his head in combination with the drums. It was all stirring his heart. Did it shake his entire nervous system? His Cosmos was starting to waver. He opened one eye, and he was met with blurred vision. Soon enough, it cleared. Shiryu shook his head, shut his eye, and followed his instincts. When he opened both eyes, he was in front of Genbu. Genbu pushed out his arms; in the revived man's entire line of sight was a bright spark. It expanded, effusing into a flight of soaring green dragons.

The Hyakuryuha?! Genbu's sky blue eyes blazed with passion. "Rozan Shotenha!" Roaring his attack, the entire area— where the national treasure of Rozan Waterfall fell—was swallowed by light. A burst of Cosmos devoured the dragons. As it faded, the two stood idly. Such a flashy display seemed like nothing, just passing by like a fresh breeze.

"My Taiko, did you alleviate its effects?" The voice of Genbu was placid as he gazed hard at Shiryu.

"Maybe I did," said Shiryu. "I couldn't help but think of my times with Master Dohko…and you."

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that a Gold Saint can repel my attack. This also tells me that you are committed to fight."

"The sound of the Jindaiko was jarring, but I should not lose my sense of honor and my spirit. Like I said before, my times with my brothers, Master Dohko, and you, seeing everyone live and die, that is what nurtured me."

Genbu was struck silent, and a scowl flashed across his face.

"Having bled so many times," Shiryu continued, "Is there some sort of approval that I must pursue? Do you realize that to fulfill your wish means to send you back to the grave?"

Genbu thrashed his arm across the air. "Enough sentiments!" His shout pierced through his icy exterior. "In all honestly, there is no choice. I will return to the grave whether you face me or not. And eventually, you will face the Underworld King."

Shiryu relaxed his fighting pose and straightened his spine. His eye contact with Genbu was sincere. "Even so, it will not be my first. My brothers and I have faced that thing years ago."

"What?"

"It was dreadful, his body pure and noble, yet contained such vicious power that wanted to kill Athena and the world. And to see Seiya lose his life." He stopped there as his face became both morose and sad. Genbu long realized that Shiryu has seen much. During his time of living, he heard of a story from both Sagittarius Seiya and Dragon Shiryu, on how they faced the biggest turmoil of their lives years ago—The Underworld. Seiya recalled it the memory as if it was a hairsbreadth away in time. Their Cloths, even the Gold Cloths, were instantly destroyed, and the Gold Saints lost their lives.

"Saori Kido, Lady Athena that is, she too nearly lost her life to Hades." Shiryu added. Athena had entered the Underworld by partially sacrificing herself, and her soul was nearly lost in darkness, but the danger was where she showed her finest light. For her Saints and the mortal world, she would break barriers and show a magnanimity beyond human. After the war with Mars, Athena had relayed the same story to Genbu, and she stated that the sacrifice of youths—such as Kouga and the others—was generational. She also said that their lives burnt the brightest during such calamities. Such magnanimity, however, was a bit difficult to replicate when one was of Asura.

"Then you understand," said Genbu. "You understand how dire this is. The drastic choice of Demeter."

"Yes."

"If you were to possibly face it again, what would you do?"

"Protect my family and friends." Shiryu easily decided without holding his breath.

"Shallow words, Brother. Let me see!" In a blink, Genbu was inches from Shiryu's face, and a pummel of ebony fists flew him into disarray. Shiryu parried at the speed of light, brushing away the punches by striking Genbu's wrists. They were so quick, he couldn't move his body away, unable to break from the fluid rhythm of attacks. Eventually, the sound of the Taiko thrummed again. He could see ripples of sound in the air. Every time he touched Genbu, even after evading and subduing his strikes, Shiryu's Cloth and his senses received the Taiko Ken. Multiple times.

The air was bending, undulating. Sound waves everywhere, seen by the naked eye like ripples upon a lake's surface. The sounds of drums were accelerating.

"Guh!" Libra Shiryu reversed from the flying fist, his body buckling. His upper body bent over, Shiryu's legs shook as he fought an internal force. The Tomoe Jindaiko ken beating in his ears, stubbornly sheering down his spirit. Genbu ceased his attack to watch his attack debilitate his foe.

Shiryu panted; his words were still stubborn. "The pride of Libra means to not...kneel to evil, even...the fighting lust...of Asura." Contrary to his words, he fought a deceased spirit that was swallowed by constant battle, probably oversaturating the sliver of loyalty that clung to Athena.

"Even from Asura, I can't face you completely with anger. Still, stop saying what you want to believe." Libra Genbu saw Libra Shiryu in anguish; he wanted to hear nothing after pummeling his Rozan comrade with fists of lights, bearing twenty thrums of Tomoe Taiko ken. The sound of demonic drums quake through the target's entire body; Shiryu felt a force in sync of a war march from an enormous Japanese army with men numbering in the thousands. It took him sheer will to keep his knees from buckling under him. At this point, Genbu could easily use a finishing attack.

"Shiryu! What are you—?!" A new voice reached out to the two fighters. The kind voice of a female easily grasped the attention of Genbu as he looked behind Shiryu. Touching Genbu were blue eyes of inner peace. It was a woman in a pink qipao and braided hair. Genbu steeled his face as he instantly recognized her.

"Have you come to see your husband die, Shunrei?" He said it with such dispassion that it left Shunrei frozen. Her eyes wavered in shock.

"Is it…really you, Genbu?" Her mouth nearly spasmed. Clearly the dead was standing before her, and Genbu decided not to answer, unconcerned by sentiments. Her appearance meant nothing; she could not fight, raising a fist against her was pointless, and she was more in danger for being present. Shunrei had seen the dead walk before, evil spirits that chased Shiryu. She had remained persistent with Shiryu, having to deal with his physical and mental scars, while being the beacons of support for Ryuho as well. She too also harbored a great memory for Dohko.

"Are you a restless spirit?" Shunrei asked. "Genbu, after you died, we never forgotten you. We, Shiryu and I, made a grave for you along with Master Dohko."

"I am restless indeed," said Genbu, "but not in the way that you think. Shunrei, I am a spirit of Asura and was revived by the goddess Demeter to battle Athena's Saints. That's all. All I can understand is to fight." For him to state it so direct and honest, maybe he could bear a concern for Shunrei. At this point, Shiryu was doubled over; his wife could not process the situation. Genbu lifted a finger and Shunrei screeched.

Her arms stretched out against her will. The white demons from before, two-headed Asura from their home realm, suddenly faded in sight and grabbed her limbs, cackling. Genbu stomped in closer to Shiryu and pulled back his arm.

"No!" Shunrei screeched. A loud echo hit the air as Genbu's punch landed. The fallen Libra Saint gritted his teeth, his knuckles burning even behind a metal gauntlet. His punch connected to an arm; above it was Shiryu's dreary eyes looking up to Genbu. It was Shiryu's arm crossed over his face in defense.

Genbu's eyes widened as he saw a familiar mirage—a weapon. He had seen various weapons in Asura; favorite preferences among the fallen demons were large clubs and swords. Genbu's punch was touching the foible of a double-bladed sword.

Shiryu pushed up his knee joints and stretched his arm above his head, then swiped it down against Genbu.

"Gwaaaah!" A scream of pain? In one heavy wave, Shiryu slashed against Genbu's black Cloth, a bright spark indicating an impact. It shocked even Shunrei and the Asura that held her. The demons relaxed their grip on her as they stared with awe.

Genbu's pulse suddenly escalated. He nearly fell, his feet buried to keep himself standing. The former Libra slowly stepped back to slowly recuperate from the strike.

"You…are truly mighty," He mumbled. Shiryu straightened himself and turned around. The glare he gave was enough to shoo away the Asura, who screeched and faded out of the existence. Shunrei ran to her husband and quickly embraced him.

"Shunrei," his voice was already imploring. "Stand back. It's dangerous. Genbu is…different now. I must fight him for his sake. And the world."

"What do you mean? Please stop this!" Shunrei knew that Hades was gone and did not understand Genbu's appearance, despite what he had said. Did Demeter brainwash him? Maybe the Asura realm did. She wanted to have faith in the Libra Saints who maintained their sense of honor and justice through the years.

"The only way to stop this is to fight him. I know its difficult to watch, but please trust me," said Shiryu.

Shiryu turned back to his fallen friend, noticing his new gesture. A shadow appeared over Genbu's face; he raised his palm and parts of his dark Cloth broke apart. A remarkable sight levitated in the air:

A pair of swords

A pair of nunchakus.

A pair of triple rods

A pair of tonfas

A pair of tridents

A pair of shields.

The famous Twelve weapons of Libra, suddenly became a wide funnel of sixty weapons, floating at the fore of Rozan Waterfall. The weapons, through Genbu's Cosmos, were multiplied. They all glowed with a ghastly aura. Was Genbu trying to destroy an entire army and end an era? All this power against one man? Maybe he found it suitable against one of Athena's mightiest warriors.

"Asuras perpetually fight for years, decades, hundreds of years, to a thousand. Only they made this technique possible. Yes, I have become beyond my previous self. My Cosmos is tremendous for leaving the mortal realm and fighting beyond it. Therefore, the only thing that can defeat me is a true Hero, a true god, severing my head."

The choice of words, the way Genbu's voice simmered slowly with passion, nearly breaking through his usual calmness, it left a feeling of terror. Shiryu held Shunrei tightly, a couple witnessing a sight that marked the beginning of destruction. They were both frightened.

"Do you plan to die together?!" Genbu boomed.

"Is that your intention, Genbu?! Including Shunrei!"

The dark Asura Libra glowered with powerful intent. "I want to see it – the power to defeat evil Gods." Genbu said no more and swung his arm down. With weapons that were able to destroy Poseidon's Pillars and crack the Wailing Wall, what could be done? Shunrei felt her husband's arms slip away. She didn't protest after seeing strength in his eyes. She gasped, seeing the weapons fall towards her and Shiryu like rain—like artillery from above. In that same air, the color changed.

You're not the only one who has trained. To wear the Cloth of Libra, to follow its predecessors, there was a feeling of immense pressure. It was as if Shiryu's reverence towards his Master was not enough. He could carry and launch thousands of dragons from his hand but wanted to do more. When Dohko faced the former Pope Shion, Shiryu was a helpless spectator blown away by their power; why would Master train him so hard even for a Bronze Cloth? And as a Bronze Saint?

Libra Shiryu leapt high and towards the weapons. In mid-air, his body slowed and entered a spiral. The site of Rozan Waterfall, Shunrei was well, was engulfed into a wave of clouds adopting the color of the sea. A loud sigh resonated through the air, and there was an atmosphere of peace. Shiryu waved his limbs around in a slow grace.

The Ranbu SenUnRin (乱舞 仙雲鱗). Imitating a powerful keratin of long-lived Chinese dragons, the divine beasts swallow the danger that enveloped the era. Exorcising demons, eliminating the destructive intent and the deep dark Cosmos of the enemy, following the will of Libra Shiryu. The clouds were cool to the touch.

The weapons in the air were swallowed by the clouds, vanishing into a void.

"Ah—!" Shiryu crumpled. A sharp feeling like hot iron entered his gut. He heard Shunrei shout for him as he flew in a nauseating rush backwards. His backside crashed into a rocky wall.

Libra Genbu's black Cloth loomed out of the sea green clouds that were slowly thinning away. He looked up and noticed Shiryu skewed by his trident. As the multiplied weapons shared a portion of the original weapon's strength, it was the real trident that caught the prey. With its piercing power, it managed to hold out against the Ranbu and strike Shiryu, the tip melting through the Gold Cloth of Shiryu. Now, Shiryu was trapped, a small cascade of blood flowing from where he was pierced.

Genbu waved his arm and his Cosmos collect into his hand again. "You won't escape this!"

Shiryu could only watch, expecting another wave, but Shotenha was replaced by a dim spheric Cosmos. It floated towards him like a bullet.

"Seitenha (星天覇)!" Genbu shouted a new, bizarre attack. The moment it struck the golden frame of the Libra Cloth, Shiryu was inundated with the light of the sun. His eyes completely whited out; he heard his wife scream out his name, but her voice immediately drowned into nothing.

Now you have died, Shiryu.

Chapter Text

n an eruption of light, Libra Shiryu was instantly gone. There wasn't even a remainder of his Cloth.

As Libra Dohko was well renowned for his strength, and a remnant of the old Holy War from centuries ago, Genbu aspired to be a menace of force that even the demons of Hell would fear him. Even as a spirit, no longer apart of the mortal world, he wondered why Virgo Fudo would put him in one of the worst realms.

"Purity is difficult to obtain" he had said, and the Gold Saints were so powerful, essentials of Holy Wars due to being at the highest tier of mortal power, that their reputations would not allow them endorsement before the Gods. It's said that many entered Tartarus.

But then again, no one predicted that Genbu would return from the dead. Genbu was in Limbo before Ashura, and for him to ascend, he had to eliminate all forms of jealousy and arrogance. In fact, his discipline was influencing the other Ashuras during their constant battles, and some started to respect him like a fellow brother. However, despite having a chance to become free, he couldn't help but feel sad for the other Saints that had died. And Genbu also harbored a hidden envy for Shiryu and Dohko. In the Realm, he perfected techniques to survive, and Demeter took advantage of that hidden envy and desire for triumph. All men were impure.

Shunrei opened her eyes, which itched from the intense glare from Seitenha, and realized that she was encased in a spherical barrier. Genbu reached out to her with his hand, indicating that she was trapped in his technique. Was it the Genbuken? Shunrei looked around first, and then above where Shiryu was impaled high on a stone pillar. He was nowhere to be found.

Shiryu's widow shot the dark Gold Saint with keen, upset eyes. "Genbu, what have you done?!" Her voice raised.

"I scattered his Cosmos into stardust." It did not make much sense hearing it directly. Stars died and shed particles of helium and hydrogen; sometimes, "dust" peeled off meteorites that flew across the nebulas. It sounded like Shiryu had permanently exploded and disappeared out of the human visual plane. And his Cosmos, his lifeforce, would disappear. Was he struck by a nova or became one? A shinsei was a nova; a chūseishisei was a neutron star or a negative black star; a chōshinsei was a supernova.

"Attack after attack," Shunrei fell onto her knees as she murmured; from all the anger in her stomach, she exploded, "You had every intention to kill him!" Her cute voice shrieked with anguish.

"It is commendation for his strength that I fight so hard," said Genbu. What was done was done, and he wasn't sure what else to say to Shunrei, preparing to take his leave. Before he could pivot and find his place to spend his final moment, he heard Shunrei draw in a breath.

The barrier around Shunrei suddenly tore apart. Genbu's brow crinkled; his ears caught the sound of metal in the air. Suddenly, a groan slipped out of him. His Cloth received another blow, a weak but a clean vertical hit from neck to groin. His defenses were open?!

"What is it?!" His senses saw or felt nothing, not even his Seventh. Was he in the presence of a lingering ghost? Genbu was not expecting anything to form in front of him. The perpetrator slowly loomed into view like fog— floating in the air was an item: a double-edged sword with a golden hilt and a runed chappe above that hilt. Its fuller was clean and deep; it was a pristine blade that gleamed like new.

It was the second time that Genbu saw it.

"Is that…Excalibur?!" Genbu raised his arms and the material blade struck his Genbuken fist barriers, each swing sending a shake through his body. One lunge of his arm and the sword was flung away, collapsing onto the ground. Shunrei scampered towards the sword and placed her hands on it. She quickly identified, from watching Shiryu's training, that Excalibur was the name of the holy sword within her husband's arm. However, she was as much as confused as to why she saw it in a bodily form. Genbu was the same; he did not sense Shiryu's Cosmos, but felt that a part of him stubbornly clung onto the living plane. He held his tongue to rebuke Shunrei, entering deep thought.

"Shiryu, Shiryu." Shunrei embraced the sword, suppressing the urge to wail out. Both the disbelief of Shiryu being gone, and the scorn she held for Genbu, welled up inside. Her thoughts secretly pleaded his return—he always returned. He returned from battling Gods, returned from Hell, various battles. It could not be believed that he had exploded into nothing thanks to a ghost.

But Libra Shiryu had indeed exploded. Genbu believed that to his core, saying nothing and turning away. He did not want to witness the tears brimming from Shunrei's eyes. She would soon crack and express her deepest despair. Like with the war dead, like all the dead Asura he killed and left in a heap, he would stoically turn his back and leave. He stared down at his hand-he himself truly killed Libra Shiryu. Genbu killed the famous Shiryu, a celebrated Bronze Saint and the successor of Dohko. Even he was impressed by his own massive Cosmo, having obtained it by fighting consistently to survive. Was he so much stronger compared to his former life? How long would he remain in Asura? Remain on Earth under Demeter's command? Someone touched his shoulder, and he felt like it was the Goddess or maybe one of the Asura coming to claim him. Secretly within himself, he wanted to see Athena one final time.

"Genbu." It was a soft male voice. The dark Saint's head shot up and he saw a face, which caused him quickly scamper away. A pellucid form had touched him; it was indeed a ghost. It evanesced and then back into view, slightly.

Genbu was shocked beyond sense. His mouth moved but did not make words, stuck within his throat. The syllables of a word manipulated his lips.

"Shi..ryu?" Then his thoughts further confused him. Am I imagining him out of grief?

Libra Genbu saw Shiryu. It could've been a flashback near the end of his resurrected life. A time when they trained near the Waterfall nearby. The golden form flickered back and forth; Shiryu's body, wearing the Libra Cloth, was ethereal, but a hint of him appeared in view. Genbu saw Shiryu panting in exhaustion, and he would continue to cling onto the belief that he was probably delusional from a flashback about training, or maybe a dream. It would be Shunrei's shout to her husband that would confirm to Genbu that it was no vision. A farce perhaps, but not a fake. Shunrei ran past Genbu and shot past Shiryu's body.

"Shunrei…I won't…leave." The Libra Saint's words came out slow pants.

"Shiryu, you're alive?!" Shunrei turned around and even she couldn't believe it. But her face easily brightened up and her eyes wavered. Did her heart swell at the same time? Shiryu's body blinked, regaining color and form in sporadic intervals.

Genbu suddenly crowed. "Amazing Brother!" His body shook and his eyes shined.

Shiryu was returning to life! As astonished as he was, Genbu could only reach one answer—The Cosmos of Shiryu's body gravitated back into form, restarting as a "source". It was indeed infinite, and Cosmos never could completely die. In fact, Tidal Disruption could accelerate waves out of a galaxy's negative zone – Genbu had witnessed a phenomenon. Much like a "zombie star"; it was also possible that Shiryu's form consumed a part of Genbu's attack. A symbiotic dead man.

There were also the green clouds from the Ranbu SenUnRin, its thinned down tendrils lapping against Genbu. While weak, its influence remained hanging in the air as Shiryu's Cosmos. Did it somewhat repel or dilute the nova like attack?

"Of course! Cosmos never disappear!" Genbu said, raising his arms. "That's why you survived my Seitenha!" He could only imagine this by the power of a Gold Saint, or even a God. A form of massive Cosmos; therefore, witnessing Shiryu's power elated Genbu. As quickly as it appeared, however, Genbu's passion receded, and he lowered his arms.

"It looks like it's over. Therefore…" His body now rippled with a cold blue haze. As Shunrei stood by Shiryu's side, who continued to regain his body, she keenly watched Genbu, wondering what would happen next. The dark Saint once again elevated his arms; again, the atmosphere turned dark.

"This technique was also formed out of inspiration of Asura, the ghouls who fall and rise after every battle, craving for more. It is not for the living. Much like Cancer, it'll devour even your soul."

"Genbu please stop!" Shunrei pleaded.

"Devour all and everything around me! Including…my own life." Genbu's words brought a shock to Shiryu and Shunrei's faces. What could they possibly face now after the Seitenha and the multiplied Libra weapons? Genbu tightened his lips and retreated into his thoughts.

However, in Asura, as I used it and improved on it, I could not die. I was in pain every time because I was an Asura spirit, but it did its job. Furthermore, I became more imbued with knowledge and insight from those I caught in my attack. Infinite experience - a tribute to my many battles. Maybe I am meant for longevity? Is this immortality? Shiryu…this I offer, it all depends on your strength. If not, you will die completely. Let's see if you can surpass Bakasura, my rival.

"Kitami Fubuki (北秘吹雪)!" A name for a technique that seemed connected to the true God of the North, befitting of the one who used it. Shiryu lost Genbu in his line of sight. He couldn't move, nor breathe or hear. He lost everything. Before that, his former comrade's last message was relayed through his ears: "Farewell Shiryu, my Rozan Brother."

It was brief, but Shiryu managed to catch Genbu's last smile.

After the duel between two Libra, a peculiar sight was left next to the Rozan Waterfall – a castle of thick, jagged black ice, containing the bodies of Genbu and Shiryu. Shunrei was caught up in it as well, embraced in the arms of her husband. Their eyes were closed in a seemingly serene sleep. The trees adjacent to them were suspended in cold air. The only sound that existed was the unstoppable, hissing descend of Rozan Waterfall. It felt deathly silent before long.

"Hah?! Interesting! Who even won?" Someone crawled out from the nearby groves. Stretching out of his haunches was a short man, edging towards the trapped three on his fingers and toes like an apex predator. A short-statured anything didn't seem much to worry about, but he wore the armor of the Underworld, which sprouted scaly bat-like wings and large claws for every limb; fins and a long horn adorned the helmet, which was shaped like a bird's beak. Did he snoop around The Five Peaks without being noticed?

"So now the Saint of Libra is dead. Even such a hot battle can set my blood alight. If only I could obtain that power. No sign of that boy, however. Wanted to shove the bad news in his face." The Specter looked around before reaching for the ice and placing a palm on it.

"GUAAAH!" A loud screech burst out from his mouth soon after. His black armor detonated from a web of light rays; the source erupting from within took his entire body, blowing off his limbs and head.

Genbu wasn't certain how much time passed. It was possible that Demeter crushed his flower, ending his time prematurely; maybe he was able to defy her and keep moving until his goal was reached. Either way, the Fubuki will ascertain his demise. Withering to the afterlife, he heard his goddess's woeful voice calling to him.

"Genbu…please be well."

"I'm sorry, Athena. Thank you."

Chapter Text

When Demeter emerged from her island's Hell's gate—located behind her Temple— to return to her quarters, she felt a sense of relief. Arion went ahead of her to check on the Bronzes. An angst occasioned flowed and ebbed from the well-being of her "daughter" Pan and her "son" Ginga. Because of the Goddess's provocation of Athena, her guardians paid the price; secretly, she would blame herself. She checked the grayish Thesmophoria flowers inside of the dish, floating above her arm rest. Only two remained. She genially slid one onto her fingers and held it to her eyes. Its petals were rapidly wilting.

"Have you accomplished your desire, Libra Genbu?" Demeter's voice carried a strange aura of morose disappointment. She really had faith in him, long enough to keep him alive. She had considered crushing the flower prematurely, only to be delayed by Arion when he said told that Genbu was chasing a Saint. She would crinkle its petals to relay a bit of pain to Genbu and to reduce the time he had. Who knew what these incompetent, perhaps sullied Saints, could do in three days? Especially what she had heard about Hades's attempt in doing the same. At least Genbu was honest about her feelings—and quite brazenly so—before the goddess.

"Still, you were quite stubborn," she mused.

"Did Genbu fail, O Mother Goddess?" A lively voice rose from the corner of Demeter's quarter. She quickly snapped to the right, seeing a shadow standing between pillars. There was only three people she recognized for their cheeriness.

Demeter's eyes narrowed at the shadow, her voice deepening to a tone of being letdown. "Amor, where have you been?"

"I will admit that my precious defeated me." The scarved Pisces Saint took a few steps forward into light, revealing himself. While describing failure, he's as pleased looking as ever. "I thought I was going to die."

"Genbu had just died. The other Gold Saints perished," Demeter said; a tad of anger entered her voice. "and yet you remained alive. Thus, you could've pursued them! Now, the Bronze Saints are at my Gardens!"

"It isn't a problem no?" Amor shrugged. "I can sense the power of God, so it looks like your task is complete."

"That is true." The Goddess calmed and turned away.

"And that means I outlived my usefulness to you, correct?"

"If that's how you like to see it as. To be simple: You may choose to stay at my side or designate yourself a new resting place."

The Pisces Saint whistled, completely struck by her coldness. "Well, since I'm done, I wish to be with my Yuna or at least make sure she stays safe.

Saying nothing, The Goddess turned again and only stared coldly. She found his words quite peculiar. The Saint suddenly pulled a rose from behind him.

"I am a simple man," said Amor, placing the stem of his Rose between his lips.

"You would dare?"

"I did what you asked, so I should do like a Gold Saint of Pisces right? Show my beauty."

Demeter's face bends into a scowl. She gives Pisces a death stare. "You Athena Saints are never trustworthy! However Amor, as you wore that Cloth, you served a dark God who wanted to destroy the world, cleanse it of all and renew it. Those were your thoughts when I rose you from death. So where does your heart truly lie? Don't tell me it's all for that girl?"

As she was rattled, the color of her temple chamber suddenly faded to black. Demeter's face changed as she became transfixed. She looked down; in her line of sight was the head of a red rose.

"Call this pantomime, o Mother goddess," Amor's smile was wicked; a black rose had hit Demeter's sternum. An unfamiliar feeling creeped through her body, and became to drain her senses. She wasn't sure if it was pain, but her brain responded with true fear that devoured the worries she has been harboring? What would cause that – being targeted? Death?

The Saint's smile then bent down as he spoke curtly. "You are out of line, using me."

The cause of the darkness was Amor's Olbers Garden, the technique he used on Yuna back at Cyclades.

Amor explained if he achieved the defeat of God, an an annoying one at that, it'll be worth his pride.

"You know Demeter, I hate being disrespected and manipulated," he said, "especially by a woman."

When he admitted this, veins pooled his face and expressed fury. "Especially a human vessel of a goddess! My cursed roses will rot you away!" It all burned from his memories, or perhaps grievance, of having lost to his sister and Abzu, who had controlled Kouga. Olbers Garden turned everything around him unto a featureless ambiance. It's said that a normal human would fade out, a body unable to process being in a void. Skin and tissue would dissipate. It was particularly deadly to those who used energy like Cosmos to fight, making one an easy target to Amor. Then, Amor's roses would seal the deal – they're the only matter that could be utilized in the space, sucking its target into the same "nothing".

Demeter slumped over. Her lips moved. "So, you are the one to determine my fate? The words caused Amor to buck an eyebrow. He held nothing but confidence; he wondered if she was wallowing in despair, mumbling words appropriate for her incoming death.

"Indeed," she said, her voice chimed with vitality. "Perhaps I am arrogant, stubborn, worth your resent, but you are a worm far below me, Pisces Amor."

However, Demeter was a goddess. She arced up her body, which began to glow vividly like sunlight. The Temple returned to its original state.

"Gh—!" Amor's ears ringed; he was suddenly immobile. Demeter watched him as he shivered.

"Vitriol to the gods, or perhaps to women, has not taught you to conquer," the Mother Goddess said, her tone and choice of words ever-so lofty—she fragmented whatever notion Amor had of defying anyone.

"You reflect the worst evils of human being. You are not worthy to be a holy Saint Amor, and there is no kindness or justice inside of you. The one who controls you, including your darkness, is me. Do you really think your darkness will have an effect?"

Pisces Amor's body curved backwards and flung into the temple wall. Demeter calmly strode towards him with a razor-edged gaze. Amor convulsed, every muscle in his body bound to an unseen force. His joints felt like they were crushed between jaws; against the wall, his arms and legs turned in another direction, twisted on their joints. Suddenly, giant rocks materialized around him, against his limbs.

"I really wonder who dare gave you an appellation of 'love'? You carry no such thing."

During his aches and pains, Amor gritted his teeth and all of his veins popped across his face. Bones were heard cracking as he lunged his neck over, against the mighty force, to get a look at the Goddess.

His blue eyes flashed with venom. "You bitch!" His manners wouldn't be put to mind if he was dead.

"Maybe one day Amor, you'll be reborn a better man. A butterfly who appreciates the flowers and the short life of nature."

Damnit! To die to another God?! No! Amor's sight was giving out, but even the aura and cold eyes of Demeter pierced him. The last thing he saw was a boulder careening towards his head.

Rough towards others, a self-control fairly holding behind a barrier of patience with Pan, there happened to be one man whom the Mother Goddess devoted her entire warmth, tolerance, and trust to. Sometime later, his violet hair brightened the dark corners of her temple. He entered her eye, grabbing her attention quickly.

"Demeter!" When the Mother Goddess lost strength in her legs, she fell into the arms of Arion. He looked over and saw Pisces Armor fastened to the temple wall by boulders, almost completely consumed by them. What might've been his last words? Last thoughts? He was still a warrior of Darkness. He stole the mantle of Athena and would not care about justice.

For some reason however, perhaps after experiencing purgatory by Demeter's rocks, a tint of desperate rectitude touched Amor. Some form of "what-if": Maybe, if were born under the mantle of Athena, perhaps he would be a hero of burning justice that protected beautiful women. His roses would be imbued with chivalry; a man like Percival or Robin Hood that supported the poor and weak; many would dislike him for his asinine flirting but noble. Amor of light—what would that be?

"Did Pisces attack you?!" The face of collected Arion burst out with concern. He came rushing when he sensed her Cosmos suddenly disappear a moment ago.

"Indeed, but it was futile from a man who moved by his foolish instincts." Demeter didn't sound as jauntily as before; while she garnered strength to break out Olbers and to fight against the rose, its siphoning effects lingered. Arion's eyes narrowed; without saying another word, he carried the Goddess back to her throne.

"Wait here. I'll place a barrier on the doors." Shortly after, he returned to the Forth Garden.

Using his Dragon's Vault—a golden ring like gadget that projects a picture from any area on the Island—Arion checked the temples in quiet contemplation. Pan's Garden of Plutus felt empty when its guardian lay unconscious; in Catasterismi, Ginga—once alone and unconsciousness—was now missing. He had wondered the worst, building a dread that he kept hidden as he consoled Demeter. In Androktasiai ironically, the unliveliest temple, Megaera was bursting with life as she faced a Saint.

The Cancer's Saint figure appeared within the ring, a fool lounging around the beachside like a tourist. Arion disappeared; in an instant, his feet sunk into sand and he was greeted with a smile.

"Oh! Who was it again? Sir Arion right? That's what the girls 'round here call you." It was Cancer Hermes's smile, and familiar geniality, that Arion met on the beach. Demeter's closest confidant said nothing to the Gold Saint.

"How is your Goddess by the way? She should be more placid now that her plan is going her way right?"

"Indeed."

Cancer decided on his next words, but they were caught in his throat through open air. His protrusive headpiece flew off. He saw a haze; Arion socked Hermes in the gut, sending the Saint crashing down to his knees. The force was beyond a man and nearly knocked him cold. He looked up to meet the sharp gaze of Arion; probably the first time, or in a long time, his face furrowed with anger.

"What the Hell was that for?!" He grumbled at the stoic man.

"Pisces attacked Demeter," he said.

"That's on him, not me!"

"Perhaps, but how is it known that the Gold Saints are not up to something? You, and you especially, have been most suspicious and insincere of all. You beat around the bush and move out of your own accord. You have no reason to subjugate to the Mother Goddess, do you?"

"Heh! What's it to you?"

"Don't ask such foolish questions. I am Demeter's faithful servant after all. If any movement conspires against the Goddess, I will not hesitate to kill you."

Cancer brought up a smirk. "I almost want to see what you'd do. I really don't like being threatened. My moves are getting Demeter's plan into motion…so, I can't have you trashing me now."

"Very well," said Arion as he backed away. He clasped his hands over his lower abdomen, his whole form carrying an air of confidence. While it looked like Arion deferred his anger, Hermes still felt his haughtiness. After approaching Cancer to personally reproach him, Arion proved that he was an authoritative figure. Hermes lifted from the ground, keeping eye contact on the Goddess's dog. His smile returned; even though, a trickle of sweat itched his temple.

"Something has been on my mind - you have no reason to subjugate to the Mother Goddess, do you? Maybe you're being a 'mediator' for Athena; by sacrificing her, however, a mediator does not go through these...underhanded deals. Even for fun? Maybe you're just an ignoble man. And with that backhanded tongue of yours…well…"

"I will admit," Cancer Hermes said, holding his gut, "I do like doing things my way. The wicked and the radical resounds within 'justice'."

"Very well," Arion said once again. "Keep at it. Do it your way, Cancer Hermes. But, let me establish what is expected from you – loyalty."

Arion blinked his eyes and Hermes felt an enormous shockwave, stilling his body. His head jolted back, and he lost his scream. His eyes nearly popped out his sockets as the pain he registered was beyond anything he has felt. As if his body was beneath a waterfall of scalding hot water. The entire beach melted into a crimson flare.

"Despite her fury towards Athena, Lady Demeter, with her benevolence, allowed your aid. It's going to stay that way. Maybe you worry little because you don't fathom fear?"

Another shock. Hermes couldn't speak. If there was fear, it entered Cancer's head. Aghh….this guy!

"Use your foolishness to send Athena's Saints to despair and complete Demeter's goal. Show me your madness."

Hermes's body began to slowly bend at the waist, as if he fought a giant weight falling against his back. Was he being controlled? He couldn't calculate what was happening, but he settled that Arion was demonstrating himself as atop the hierarchy of the Mother Goddess. When the wave stopped, Hermes fell over into the sand.

"You have to wonder Hermes. What do you insist on doing once this is all over? When Athena is imprisoned or dies? Or do you feel that you have a hidden faith in the young Saints on Naxos? Do you still have faith in Athena? Maybe I should destroy you."

Hermes only reacted to scratching the sand with his fingers. His body was heavy.

"Do you want to die?"

Suddenly, Arion caught Hermes's punch. He saw a wicked gleam below Cancer's oval spectacles.

"Athena will die," The Cancer Saint said with a subdued tone, a smirk folding his face. Arion stared quietly, his fearless eyes staring back.

"By the way, that's a Hell of a Cosmos you have. You are right: your goddess allowed my aid. Therefore, since you're her best dog, maybe trust what she's doing?"

"What was that?"

"You can't kill me you schmuck…cause it's against her plan."

"Do you think that you are required to kill Athena?" Arion released Cancer's hand and the Gold Saint was abruptly thrown back by the heavy force. He pinned his fingers together, of both hands, and launched three spheres at Hermes. Upon their touch, Hermes lost all sense of reality. Unlike the wave from before, he now experienced a breaking pressure touching his Cloth, digging into his flesh; will his stomach rupture and spill out his bowels? In combination was the electric current attacking his nerves. The area around him turned blue like the depths of the sea.

Damn him! This gravity! I'm going to—

Hermes couldn't continue speaking.

"It was also her plan to revive those incompetent Gold Saints. Things doesn't always work one's way. If eliminating you eases her worries, and eliminates the possibility of betrayal, then I will accept any punishment from her." To hear those words from a drawl out voice still felt passionate, comparable to maybe Pegasus or Sagittarius. That commitment to a beautiful Goddess. Hermes, a free soul, did not want to act like a straitlaced dog; surely, the Earth must be protected, but was Arion's allegiance creating a compelling power?

"Submit, Gold Saint of Cancer. Show off your uncompromising nature to your former companions." The attack ended and Hermes's legs buckled under him. His eyes whited out. He was completely lost; even chosen by the star of Cancer, perhaps he didn't know fear after all. It seemed that this constellation was quite unlucky, always besmirching the living. However, Arion was surprised that Hermes was still in one piece. Perhaps it was to be expected from a Gold Saint, ones at the apex of Athena's army. Slowly, Hermes rose from the sand, only reaching halfway. His body was hunched over.

"Trying to make me behave like some kid, you bastard?" A flare appeared over the scowling Hermes, and the tips of his fingers held tongues of blue flame.

"So, you live. You are a Gold Saint after all. Maybe this experience is unveiling your fighting spirit a little bit. The will to survive is opening you up, isn't it?" Hermes only replied with an upset huff.

"I have yet to test my strength against Gold Saints." Arion blinked and the atmosphere turned an abyssal violet. Teeth filled Hermes's wide grin.

"Let's change that!" Cancer raised his hand and pressure went up Arion's spine. He turned, and saw an enormous, outstretched hand. A hand devoid of flesh; only bones grabbed Arion, and his limbs were pinned together. He looked straight ahead at Hermes, whose vitriol could be felt at eye contact, no matter the distance. No matter the smile.

"I know a good spirit when I see one. For you to lecture me…you have much confidence in your power. What would happen if it was taken?"

Arion groaned; a grip from an ethereal-like hand was as real as a hundred men. Cancer emitted a small cackle, his body still shining with an aura.

"I see. You do know that…the mighty do not serve others? Then why? What is it that you have? And why? May Hell eat it and make it mine."

Suddenly, their actions are interrupted. A voice called to them. "Enough!" Both Saint and guardian looked above and everywhere. It was a voice that could not be ignored-it was Demeter using telepathy. Hermes's giant hand dissipated from around Arion as the goddess projected her voice.

"Arion, why are you attacking Hermes?"

"I wanted to assure that he submits to us, Lady Demeter. May I propose that I send him against the Saints on Naxos and finish them off?"

"You know well of the island decree." The low, simmering jaundice Demeter set forth, even towards Arion, was as indiscriminate with how she spoke to Athena and her enemies. "Do not commit to reckless actions. There is no need to worry."

"I apologize." Arion said as he sunk his head. It throbbed his heartstrings that she understood him.

"As for Hermes, bring him to me. He will stay at my side. Dare he imitate Amor…"

"Now now Lady Demeter," Cancer interjected. "I've been good so far."

"Hermes, I think you realize that whatever possible thought you have of crossing me or Hades will unquestionably fail. It's too late. Despite your golden body, this is now your fate to restore balance to the Underworld. You understand?"

No answer was returned. The Goddess continued.

"While it would be interesting to have you destroy the Saints, to see how Athena would feel, and perhaps that would truly cement your loyalty to me, that is not a priority now. Come to me."

Demeter's voice disappeared. Hermes sighed and thought of how callous the Goddess was. Arion lifted his head and eye Cancer.

"I have met the Pegasus Saint before he entered the Gardens," he said. "For some reason, his eyes carried a shining hope."

Frowning, Hermes listened to him quietly.

"To travel across the frozen sea, to not be intimidated by their former comrades, and even both Pan and Ginga…" Arion stopped there and looked up; deep inside, he wished for their recovery.

"Facing such a threat," he continued, "with complete defiance…something had lit inside of me. However, I am sure Megaera will deal with them."

"Taking a liking to a bunch of brats?" Bitterness seeped inside Hermes's voice. He had nearly died after all, and he was further aggravated from Arion's change of attitude.

"They must be defeated at all cost. But they made me wonder—what do you fight for, Cancer Hermes? When you are aware that you have betrayed your allegiance to Athena?" Demeter's guardian would not be given an answer, but rather, a condescending smirk. All he knew that Arion and Demeter had the crab in their grasp like a hostage. Both men returned to the Goddess's Temple with an instant teleport.

Both stood before Demeter, giving her full eye contact. Offering his usual smile, Cancer posed unnerved by the previous situation despite being in the presence of gods. However, he kept quiet. Demeter sat on her throne, relaxing her face, contorted with anger. Rather than dust, Pisces Amor was a splayed, calcified husk upon her wall, hefted by boulders. A stark reminder on not to cross her.

"Athena's Saints has reached the Third Garden. I am certain that they'll meet their doom there. With the power of the released Akelepsos, Hades will revive in a week. Today, it'll be his soul; tomorrow, his corporal form and blade. His body will be prone, but then gradually, as days pass, his senses, his movement and his power will revive. As well as the Underworld."

The Goddess took in a breath before continuing. "I took an oath to preserve Earth's growth, and yet, this all may potentially lead to its destruction. Without death, the gods have become enraged; the malicious have appeared on Earth, some directing their ire towards Athena, being Earth's most valiant protector. You see, mortal and divine fear an era without gods."

Arion finally spoke. "I cannot imagine."

"I thought nothing of it at first since I've been so busy with my daughter's health and Europe's Green protocol. But the most important part is what Hades's intentions are after the revival. I thought of pleading to him to keep Earth safe, at least Naxos. When he revives on Earth, according to my memory, he always wages war with Athena, and he is insistent of purging the evils of the world."

"My Goddess, is it possible that humankind will end?" At Arion's question, the Mother Goddess was quiet. He continued as if pleading for a sensible answer.

"What if he doesn't preserve Naxos? Will he reconstruct the entire world through destruction?"

"It is possible, Arion. We may lose everything, just to let it begin again."

Arion bowed his head and closed his eyes; a weight fell on his heart and even he didn't think it would end up this way. He did not want such a severe result, even though his convictions were fully committed to Demeter.

Humph, letting your guts out are you? Gods can be so selfish. Hermes's thoughts boiled as his smile crooked into a slant.

"Cancer Hermes?"

"Huh?"

"I still don't understand your choices, but you carry a darkness that has led you to become my ally. Did you feel that sacrificing Athena was the better choice for the world? No matter the cost, you will keep your promise to me. You, as a Saint, are a reminder of Hades's shame, but perhaps your contributions will be considered. If not, do you want to die? After all, you are human."

Hermes's smile returned, but it was puckish smile familiar to the Gold Saint of Cancer. "Heh. Oh, Demeter. I can only say one thing – because you are the Mother Goddess, I think you'll definitely succeed in your request to save Naxos."

Demeter furrowed her brow. "At what point have you come to try clairvoyant nonsense?"

"Not at all. Let's just say that Gods love gratitude, and miracles happen when they are given love and gratitude, even through dalliance, betrayal, and deceit."

"You were always sharp-tongued, but you are indeed not wrong."

"I still want to know why you fight or why you obey us," Arion gave Cancer a side glance. He was still simmering from Amor attacking Demeter, and their scuffle on the beach.

"The Underworld's part in the world is as rudimentary as breathing. As a former practicing doctor, I must see to graves and to palliative care of the seriously, terminal ill. I stand before you because of my justice. If the world isn't protected, then Athena is a degenerate goddess unworthy of the power to rule or heal."

Hearing those words, Demeter and Arion were chilled silent by Cancer's broad grin, which was ample with passion. Did they possibly agree with him? But what of his subterfuge? Taking action by his disinterest in others, including former allies. Speaking of which…

"I also believe another thing," the Crab said. "I will have my chance against the Saints."

Later on, Arion returned to his garden not far from Demeter's temple, and Hermes would remain at Demeter's side. No issue arose between the Saint and the Mother Goddess, even though the latter had to bear the usual picnic-like prattle as if they were confidantes. That was when Demeter would learn that the Cancer Saints prioritize their job with high esteem, even if women and children died, even if they disregard their patron deity. They were also ruthless in battle; if anything, their affection was hidden from most. Demeter merely replied that even Athena's Saints were presumptuous. Cancer did not seem like the type to needlessly die?

Before Arion left to return as a guardian for the fourth Garden, he left only a single tidbit.

"When it comes to our intruders, I only know the one called Pegasus. He is very impulsive and stubborn, but he also seems noble and cares about those close to him, including Athena." He wouldn't admit it openly to avoid Demeter's ire, but he was impressed by Pegasus and the rest of the Saints. For them to reach so far as the Third Garden, and seeing Kouga collapsed next to Ginga—it all gave him a lot of thought. Perhaps his gut sank with nervousness, especially with Ginga's disappearance.

"My Chthon Impulse," Arion began talking to himself while sitting out on an open beautiful field. It illuminated as if bathed in summer sunlight. It looked like the outside, a marble path cutting through a grassy field, leading to an arched gate.

"How did you surpass it? I heard a story that in the ancient past, the Impulse could be averted into another dimension. Was the core destroyed from the outside? Pocketed into another 'space'?"

Floating before him was his Dragon's Vault as he watched the Third Garden, which was plummeted in a deathly black fog. As expected from the garden of decay and death. He did not expect anyone to pass there, no matter what. In fact, right at the doorway, Pegasus and Orion collapsed. After Loom and Boron was Swithern, who was supposedly a reminder that all life faced death essentially; not even the innocent was barred. But it was also effused by its guardian's inner fury, and it was near unwelcoming. For visitors to reach Demeter's temple, the goddess herself or Megaera had to mitigate its atmosphere.

.

Chapter Text

Dodona was a valley region in northwestern Greece, a ruined landmark that was home to a famous Hellenistic theater. Many bronze weapons and pottery were found here throughout history. Much like Athens, much like Athena's Sanctuary, Dodona was a restored Acropolis. In fact, it was a Sanctuary of Zeus; there was also a bouleuterion, and temples for both Dione and Hercules. Sagittarius Seiya reached there around dusk, the setting sun giving the site a more mystic aura. Soon, the stars would appear, and the ivory of standing relics would shine. Seiya had took a step into the fortification, but then his sense of vision warped. Next thing he realized, his feet were on grass. The night sky was above him, and a cluster of tall trees surrounded him; was he in the forest that led to the sanctuary? In his confusion, a gasp left him. Someone appeared directly in his sights, kneeling vanward a tree trunk. Seiya was completely transfixed, and he slowly approached.

The figure was a lithe lady with long silver hair, a black leather blindfold covered her eyes.

"108 Stars of Hell," she began to speak; a young, shy cadence, but carried an omnipresent wisdom that reached even Seiya's ears and stilled his steps. "Saints, Marinas, Black Saints, Specters, Martians, Berserkers, Angels, Terrae, Blue Warriors, The Golden Tribe of justice, Pallasites, The Giants. The world holds many armies within the Cosmos, divine and human. Oh, I'm sorry?"

"You must be Sextans Agatha," Seiya said. The two had never met; a figure probably more elusive than the Virgo Saints, she felt like an eerie ghost among the living. Highlights of blue among her silver hair, her body covered in a constellation-patterned cape; awe, magnetism and confusion washed over anyone who saw her.

"Hello Sagittarius. Was there supposed to be two of you?"

"My companion Libra Shiryu said that he would come to Dodona with me. He should be here soon enough."

"Nay. He has disappeared."

"What?! It can't be! What happened to him?!"

"It seems he has faced or is facing a struggle himself," she said. "His star, his Cosmos…it flickered out and in like a lifeline, until it completely faded. However, I can't tell if he has left this world or not. Libra is very strong. So is Dragon. But, I do not contain the eyes of the world, thus, cannot tell you what truly happened."

Seiya closed his eyes; rage suddenly emerged inside and shook his fist. He had to finish the mission. If this war was taking more of his friends and family, he had to least contribute to ending it and to prevent any more casualties. He took a long intake of breath.

"I think you know why I'm here," he said.

"The divine oars, right?" Agatha offered a brief smile before her mouth quickly flipped downward with her next words. "Her voice is weak, sleeping soundly until her time has arrived, but her pride is strong. You'll have to convince her." She said with a frown.

"Sextans, Athena was captured by Demeter. Within our ranks…" Seiya was hesitant to say it. "A Gold Saint turned on us and took her away. It's my fault!"

"I saw stars blaze like fire. Who was it? Was it Scorpio? Cancer? Leo? It is only fate. You had no control; you just now need to face it and make it right." Because justice was always different, Sextans seemed deeply aware of the conflicts within the Saints. Seiya wondered how she adjudicated any matter through just watching the stars; did stars have a path laid out for them? Did they give off some spontaneous reaction due to current events or were they speaking to her?

"Sagittarius Seiya, Sextans is not a dominant galaxy," she said. "Sometimes I am called a "myth'. I have minimal participation in the world, even in its Holy Wars, but I still have my purpose. The only ones who usually reach to me is the Pope and Athena. I am only a star reader. Strangely, my dreams, perhaps bestowed by God, would project various events, but only you can witness what's truly real in the outside world. I can only suggest the 'truth'. Like I said before, fate can change."

Somehow, Seiya was unconsciously patient; even though he sensed a faint Cosmos, he stood unmoving to listen to this bizarre lady. Truth be told, Sextans was a Bronze Saint, but despite the class, she was historically potent. Seiya was not sure as to what extent, and wondered if Agatha's position was due to her being incapable of battle or serving as the world's surveillance. The latter seemed likely as she was in Dodona and had a connection to the so-called "Jason's Galley".

"Agatha, I'm sorry for asking this," said Seiya. "But, how old are you?"

Sextans blurted the answer immediately: "Two hundred and thirty years old. Are you surprised at my presence?"

Seiya was frozen stupefied. The oldest person he has probably met in his lifetime was Dohko, but not as an old man like Shiryu did. After him, it might've been Tatsumi, but the girl-like figure before him was past two centuries. Perhaps his insight wanted to confirm the importance of Sextans.

"Perhaps we are elusive seers. Stationed at Dodona, We Sextans try to live for as long as our Cosmos can bear, but like all fates, it is not always predicted correct. Just like you could not predict the betrayal among yourselves."

Seiya's eyes narrowed. "Did you bring me here?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I manipulated your Doppler Shift and brought you here. Say that you were followed, your prior location would've left a 'mark' and unless someone could sense your heat or Cosmos, hear your footsteps, or if you have a funny odor, they won't reach you until a later time. However, you stand in my safe terrain, so you can't be sensed. Once you leave, you enter a 'reionize phase'."

She sure likes to ramble, Seiya thought, and then hoped that she didn't read minds. He abruptly bowed from his hip. "Forgive me Agatha! As for my reason for being here, I need to speak with Jason's Galley as soon as possible."

"Sit."

The single word caused Seiya to lift his head, shooting the young-looking old Bronze Saint with a puzzled glance. "Pardon?"

"If you don't relax, you will be removed from this space." At first, despite her calm voice, it sounded like a complete threat, causing Seiya to twist his eyebrows. However, he didn't protest and sat cross-legged. She explained soon afterward that Seiya must adopt a form of zen or meditation - to throw away anxiety or aggression.

"Evil forces will sniff out your wavelengths, if not your Cosmos," Agatha said, "and more importantly, Argo will not speak with you."

"Jason's Galley?" Seiya asked.

"That is correct – it is so, the Galley of Jason is Argo. Sextans holds the key that leads to Argo's domain, the greatest vessel made by gods. My honorable purpose." Seiya calmed at her answer. She entered a soliloquy.

"Sagittarius Seiya, Argo's call is perhaps driven by a Goddess's revenge, and the ignominy towards Athena; but, she needs more—compassion, joy and courage. As a vessel, she can make any trip, from Hell to Sky. Even the seas of Poseidon. Castor and Polydeuces, and even Hercules set foot upon it. It's said to be so powerful, and so valuable, that the only one who can destroy it is Zeus." Seiya remained patient, his eyes glittering as he listened.

"Demeter and Hades. There are records of Hades being connected to the sky. For Argo to tremble, there may be more."

"Athena said that 'Argo' spoke with her. She said that 'evil would reach even the stars.' Do you know what that means?"

"So that's it. I found it funny that even at this time and era, you would come to Argo." Agatha cupped her chin. "During my sleep, she told me in a dream that an agent of Athena would come. Sagittarius Seiya, the stars lent their voices- Hades's revival will likely happen."

"Why? Does that mean the Bronzes fail against Demeter?"

"Probably. I feel that the stars' voices lent me a prognosis—this is a desired result."

"Of whom?!"

"Heaven maybe? The question is what will happen along that branch of fate? Will the world be destroyed by Hades's malice? Will he retreat to the Underworld, put aside war, and let things go as normal—where humans live their average lives and believe whimsical Gods? However, what of Athena being captured? If something happens, it's the fault of Demeter and the Gold traitor."

The answer struck Seiya with a bit of confusion, and he felt more desperate. "Then please, I beseech the aid of Argo."

"Nay, do you really think it's that easy?"

"Probably not. If it's compassion, joy and courage that she wants, I will gladly show her that."

A smile bent Sextans's mouth – after she scoffed. "As if a great divine vessel will be convinced. For grit to shine, a great disaster must befall Earth. Evil must upset balance and then be countered. Argo will not be needed if such things don't exist. I have a task for you."

"What is it?"

"An evil force seeks me. Could you remove it?"

"Guardian Hecaton was cursed by a witch. Do you think you handle such a challenge?"

Sextans could not battle.

Seiya had left Agatha's safe zone and wondered past the relics of Dodona, finding himself at an open coastal field to the east. There was a six-metre high column serving as a phylax, or a guardian. Crouch atop it was a sculpture. Seiya reached the pillar and placed a hand upon it. A few seconds after, the air turned completely dark. A heavy thunderstorm suffused the air, lancing the air with violet lightning bolts. As soon as Seiya pulled his hand away, two figures lunged out from behind the pillar and towards the Gold Saint. One was an enormous dark humanoid with ten arms, and another was a winged black armor.

"I am the Celestial Murder Star, Impundulu Gunnar. Today, I will become a mighty warrior."

After that phrase, Seiya found himself with fists stretching towards him—multiplied to the hundreds. The pummeling felt like getting crushed by a rockslide – heavy blows blinding him, caressing him, careening him into the ground. The last thing Seiya saw was a flaring red eye.

As expected from the tribe birthed by one of the primordial gods, some being enemies to the Olympians. Many of them were downed by arrows; was it not fitting for Sagittarius? Could the eye follow steps that moved at the speed of light? Sagittarius Seiya elevated at the level of the giant's head, which locked its eye on the Saint. Hecaton used ten arms and nothing more, forming an optical illusion by bending the atmosphere with a refraction. In other words, a manipulation of a thick air density. A normal human would have their soul crushed, but Seiya's body and senses gradually make out the trick. His Cloth was grazed by the air-like pressure emitted from the barrage of arms. The next thing he faced was a bounce of lilac lightning, burrowing through his back. It was not an illusion.

Back in her Safe Zone forest, Sextans Agatha waited. "Hecaton is a powerful being, and Gunnar is a witch bird that controls storms. However, Sagittarius is strong. Strong. Only a star burning with light and hope can defeat the cursed giant. Afterward, Sagittarius you must remain here. Having crossed worlds, you may be the one to save the Saints on Naxos. I wish Zeus and more of his family could offer a vocal solace in the situation, but alas, there is nothing. This branch of fate…"

Chapter Text

Demeter's Guardians, one of the Four Terrae, The Universal Supernova – Boron Ginga. A gentle, inquisitive man who worked at a bookstore; that, and his kindness bursting like fireworks, charmed his Goddess. He always questioned his role as a warrior. Why fight on an island with a decree of pacificism? When donning his Stole—his armor—it seemed to flip that rule on its head.

In an era of antiquity, it was endorsed by the Gods that they too battled one another, along by their followers. The Boron fighter rose against the insurrection of the Titans to assist Zeus, Demeter's brother. The Mother Goddess had just escaped the intestines of Cronus, and was offered protection in Oceanus's home, while in turn, she sent her strength among four individuals. Demeter was particularly chauvinistic about herself and her region promoting the growth of the world, but it was always her anger and vindictiveness that led drastic measures against her.

Just like now.

Among Pantheon and mortal, the defiance towards Gods grew more favorable. Demeter became a target to the vile, thieves, the like. A typical world. Perhaps, it was Athena that would pull out the Terrae's full power. However, Ginga's mind was wracked with feelings of incompetence and guilt. His Earth Goddess was powerful, in mourning, yet he didn't have enough to stop Athena's Saints. A dream cursed him as he concerned himself over the fate of Naxos.

When his eyes flew open, the first thing he saw was the hole he made in his temple roof. His body was heavy, but his thoughts burned – "I must find Kouga and the others." He believed that they may have crossed over to the third Garden, where his diabolical sister was. She would easily handle them, but there was spite inside his body. If it was not freed, by the defeat of his enemies, he wouldn't accept himself as a guardian. He would not be able to free his fear either. He wasn't sure how he was alive, but he got onto his feet and made way for the exit, until a voice called him.

"Wouldn't go after them if I were you. You're clearly weak."

A careless voice. Ginga was directed towards one of his pillars, seeing black hair and a body of gold. He was met with a teasing smirk, impish eyes behind spectacles. The Terrae had never seen such a man before, but when demanding an identity—and promptly given it with a chortle—Ginga flew into a rage.

"Bastard! You're one of them!" Ginga's punch was caught easily, and his shots from Cosmic Collision soared into the figure and dulled, cracking into nothing like black holes.

It was the Gold Saint of Cancer, Hermes. Stating that he was assisting Demeter would not hamper Ginga's anger, but a familiar face would. Froze him in place.

Jorie, the girl from the Bookstore, being held by the neck. She materialized out of nowhere and into Hermes's palm. The Gold Saint offered a proposal.

"Heh. I figure to fully placate Demeter is to bring her beloved ones to Athena's funeral. You'd like that would you?"

As in, to join witnessing the Underworld's revival? Hermes had infiltrated the Astoria Bookstore and had this sick, whimsical idea to send Jorie to Hirasaka. She and Ginga were delivered to the land of Limbo, chained in darkness until it was time to release them. To think the Crab would be strolling in town and on the beach after that, and Arion did not catch wind of it with his spying image apparatus.

What no one realizes is that this would lead to a path of hurt for Ginga.

Near death in the Third Temple, Dragon Ryuho had a flashback. He had a friend, who wanted to see him in private.

"I am a messenger of the Underworld, and Suikyo, I've come for you."

"That's him, the demon!"

It was night. The crystal mist feathering from the falling Rozan Waterfall pulled the training grounds into a ghostly ambience. Creeping out of the grove was a short homo-sapien in black, protruding armor. The appearance invited a deepened brow from Ryuho; by his side was a tall man with dark hair and solemn looking eyes.

"Are you harassing my friend?"

The Specter cackled. "Not at all. As the one with an invisible body, even with the sealed Specters, I remain behind as the protector and voice of the Dark Lord himself. In other words, I know his will. I know you, Suikyo. Your fate.

"My fate?"

Suikyo, a trainee under Ryuho, kept remote due to a…particular problem. It came as a surprise to Ryuho when he was told by Suikyo-known for his reticence- that a monster or demon had been following him. A monster named the Terrestrial Guardian Star, Gargoyle Rouen, the creature who died against Genbu.

"I suppose you don't know, but your heart is telling you isn't it? You belong to Death's Kingdom. That is His desire."

"Enough foolishness. Are you saying that I'm dead?!"

"You are pretty much alive, but your spirit is connected to a dark star. Your star radiates quite brightly."

Nothing seemed to make sense, but what was clear was a threat: "Exchange your life for the safety of your brother." Ryuho moved with anger, but his dragon fist could not break anything. The Invisible Gargoyle Rouen? The Surplice seemed hard like a diamond beyond imagination. As Gargoyle kept still, no offense seemed to make him budge.

That was when spears of ice pierced him. The Gargoyle was forced into retreat.

Ryuho was aghast, "Suikyo….?!"

The quiet man stared at his palms, an expression of disturbance upon his face. "I'm sorry. I must…leave." Despite Ryuho's wails, Suikyo left Rozan in a stupor and never returned.

"A gift from my Lord. You should be grateful that he sees potential in you: This will reach into your deepest mortal despair and make you defeat your enemy."

"What do you mean?" The boy looked at the shard; with its glossy and smoky aura, it seemed like a knife from Hell. Something stabbed his heart with fear at the sight of it.

"What is human love? I was just a mere tool to calm his insecurity and ensure his legacy, but now I will take it all."

"Humph. You are undeserving of anything, woman. Neither life or even a forgiving death. I'll burn that wicked heart of yours."

"I fell to claws and fangs. Being brave is useless. When you die, you'll remember that pain for the rest of your life. Even through Judgement."

"You, who conceded to darkness—-Don't preach to me about a brother's love."

"This is all your fault! I'll kill you!"

"I don't plan on dying in this shithole."

"I see. It's almost a relief that it came to this-but does that mean that you have to meet your end? Would that be justice? Can I not save both of you?"

"Has your impudence grown boundless?"

"There is a difference between 'God' and 'God-like' or even 'Close to God'"."

"Are you surprised? When something withers and dies, it is only necessary—- they shall bloom again. From the seeds of grass and flowers that spread and stimulate the world around us."

"Heh, sounds like you got a strong root then?"

"Maybe I'm just impressed. Your love, your courage."

"Did you finally figure it out?"

Chapter Text

Hecaton or Hekatónkheires was said to be a Giant with a hundred arms, offspring of gods, a weapon during the Titans War. Muscular limbs sprang out from their shoulders and torso; wielders of flame, swords and shields. They even had many heads. Their fury and monstrous savagery were appeased by Zeus, and since they owe him well, they married and were offered mansions. The "hundred arms" might've been a myth or they were removed from either various battles or as a form of incapacitation. Despite being a guardian on Dodona, Hecaton's strength have been tempered to the mortal world. In fact, it became a sleeping statue until a great chaos beckoned it. Besides, Sextans couldn't protect it and Dodona was overall docile land without valuable resources or socioeconomical positions.

Thus, how would a human Saint face against a terrible identity that fought Titans and Hell beasts such as harpies and gorgons? Especially when it was a Hell beast that cursed the Giant? Sextans Agatha contained faith in her bosom as she waited on her knees. She didn't think that a Specter had some power of manipulation, or was Hades returning?

"Impundulu Gunnar. Also called the Izulu. A spirit—passed down generations since antiquity—to reflect our insatiable war hawk tendencies. He appears before and during every war because he wanted to face a powerful specimen." Agatha chattered to herself while waiting in her Safe Zone. It was a strange dimension surrounded in a dusk-like sphere; below her knees as she squatted was a wide, cloudy platform.

"For some reason, I often see visions of Sagittarius and Izulu fighting." She smiled wryly. Sextans was tormented by this dark spirit for being weak, and the Specter lamented, its soul unable to rest until it could battle and improve. This battle tendency evolved into a lack of fear for even authorities, a metaphor for gods and warriors outside of Hades and the Underworld. Gunnar strived to be the most productive Specter beyond the Judges. To him, he did not worship to the idyllic setting. Down history, Specters would adopt this primitive thinking such as Namahage, Shutendouji, Garuda, and Behemoth.

Despite his egomania, Gunnar was still a vein, a cog, within Hades's army. The God of the Underworld was still a foggy cloud without a husk, and his resurrection determined the strength of the Specters. Therefore, it was foolish for the Izulu to stubbornly force his revival—and he was far from ready— to prove his imperial thinking. Especially as it clashed against Seiya's burning motivation to protect and save Athena, blended with guilt from having her taken before his eyes.

A fulminating fist that painted the sky gold!

After the trick behind Hecaton's arms was discerned, the Giant's upper body was torn open by a burst of sunlight, scattering into multiple drops of burning meteorites into the Mediterranean Sea. Sagittarius Seiya caused a counter, absorbed feathers of Cosmos shedding from the Giant, and sent it back in one punch. He was then clustered by a dark cloud flashing lightning and roaring with thunder. A storm of violet discharges danced around Seiya, lashing, and stabbing at his Cloth. Seiya bounced through the cloud.

A photonic storm effused the air; Sextans felt it, the Cosmos of Sagittarius that became dense and struck her spine with bliss. It's the same as to experience watching a new life taking form. Agatha's mouth crooked, and she suddenly wondered how Athena felt when man under her rule contained so much power.

"I think your challenge may be with another," she thought out loud. "Is it with Hades? While standing by Athena's side?" Sometime later, she sensed Sagittarius's Cosmos, which seemed calmed from battle, and his Doppler Shift was moved to her newly changed Safe Zone. The Gold Saint went down on his knee.

"Did you do it?"

"Yes."

"Very well. Now, you must remain here. I apologize."

"Why?!"

"Argo will sleep until her time comes. Your Cosmos and others will be beneficial to her awakening. Like I said, chaos upon the world will be needed, which is a test for courage and diligence.

Seiya bit his lower lip; deeply upset from his shame, and it took his growth to suppress an outburst. Had it been during his first days of becoming the Pegasus Saint, he'd probably run off in defiance, but this mission was given to him by Athena. His Goddess trusted Sextans after all.

"I thank you for defeating Hecton for me, Seiya." Agatha said, her mouth frowning. "Hecton should be able to heal if the Gods allow it. While I am relived and appreciated, I am uncertain as to how Argo will extend a helping hand. You may have shown your courage, but maybe the influence of the other Saints is needed."

"You mean the Bronzes?"

"It's possible."

"You said compassion, joy and courage. This could…require the hands of many. "

"Indeed. Also, Seiya-I do have a safety device here that you can use. Now is not the time yet. There is an ability Argo and I share."

"I know you can't predict the future or the present accurately, but is there anything you can tell me about the activity of Naxos Island, where Koga and the others were sent?"

"Do you know who was specifically sent there?"

"I know Pegasus and Orion exactly. It is quite possible that the closest friends tagged along with them. That being Dragon, Wolf, Aquila and Lionet."

"Among the 88 stars guarding Athena, some have passed on." Agatha had entered a meditation, inverting her hands. "The ones you have mentioned seem to dim or blink." She paused, hearing Seiya's groan. "But Wolf," she continued, "Wolf's star is lost."

"What?!" The shout was Seiya's obvious reaction to the anxiety plaguing his body. Thoughts of the worst began to emerge.

"Do not dismay Sagittarius. Even intractable problems can have a solution."

His sweaty face prone on the slate gray brick flooring, Dragon Ryuho had a flashback. It was back at Rozan Waterfall with his students. One student stuck out to him because of a dark, forlorn presence and a quiet voice; despite that, the student extended his heart with his young master and willing to go with the training.

Why was there a memory? Suddenly, an eerie cacophony pulled him out of his dream; wind, churning worms or guts he wondered. He slowly looked around, taking in nothing but an air of shadow. Did he just black out? He wasn't sure. He could not fully perceive the happenings, but dread was real. His eyes were seized towards a wall at the left.

Large vines from the ground curled up the wall and hung there, grasping a pair of elevated, grotesque statues. Their limbs completely pinned, the statues' mouths were open like ghastly gargoyles, frozen with wide-eyed fearful expressions. Ryuho's mouth opened; there was no sound that could relay his horror.

"Do you see them, Saint of Athena?" A woman's voice reached Ryuho. "Your friends?"

My friends?! Ryuho could not feign shock as he turned to the voice. He managed to rise up to his knees; he could not tell if he sweated or if his heart was palpitating with an indescribable pressure welling up. Gazing back at him, piercing through the darkroom, were two crimson pupils belonging to a woman dressed in a black armor. A few steps closer, and her pale skin was easier to discern.

"You seem to look like you want to ask 'what do I mean'?" She said. "They are petrified because their lifeforce is being drained by Limbo. Trapped by my tendrils of death until they truly become lifeless as stone, dead and chilling to the touch. Demeter's temple contains a gate to the Underworld, but this garden, my Garden of Androktasiai is connected to a crevice that borrows the land of the dead's power."

"No!" Ryuho's voice abruptly came out. The shock jostled his memory; right—he was fighting the one woman called Megaera, the third Terrae serving Demeter. He could not remember what happened, but after seeing those strange images of torture and doom when he attacked Megaera—along with Yuna and Souma— Ryuho's body started behaving weird. Now, Yuna and Souma's bodies were against the wall as frigid statues. Stone cold? A euphemism , it seemed, for ascertain death. After passing Pan and Ginga, would the Bronze Saints meet their end at the third temple? Who was even after Meg? Ryuho's mind conjured such thoughts of despair, but in the mix of that, he knew that he was still standing.

"One more pest left." Megaera strode closer without any worry, until her eyes fell upon the young Ryuho like prey. An unflinching impression that showed a disregard for another's suffering. "Or is there more of you?"

Ryuho looked up and said nothing. Koga and Eden were still in the Second Garden and hasn't arrived, leaving Ryuho to wonder if they were still fighting.

"Well, no matter. Soon, you will join whatever flounders in the Underworld's place, Saint of Athena. Surely, your Goddess will be saddened, but that is the price she pays for fighting mother." Meg's voice perked as she mentioned Demeter, and Ryuho got onto his feet, taking in a few breaths. He could see, and somehow his voice returned, but he still sensed missing constituents of what kept his body working together fully. Either his brain was rewired or his muscles were deconditioning.

"I am a Bronze Saint of Athena, Dragon Ryuho," he said as he looked up to Meg. "Demeter must be stopped, so I must burn my Cosmos to reach—"

Dragon saw an array of blurry lines for one second. Ryuho suddenly buckled from the dorsal of Meg's clawed gauntlet. He held onto the ground with only one foot as Meg unenthusiastically spoke.

"You intend to pass me?"

What's this strength?! Ryuho thought he was rammed by a goat, and it froze his senses. A pressure ran through Dragon's entire body by only Meg's back hand, and as he caught his breath, he staggered a distance from the Terrae.

"I learned that among Athena's Saints, there were Bronze, Silvers and Golds," said Meg. "I've only met Bronzes and the Silvers, and they fell before me. If you're a Bronze, then you don't stand a chance."

"What do you mean?" Ryuho regained his footing as he listened.

"During the Winter Solstice, before she considered reviving those idiotic Gold Saints, mother provided the order for us Terrae to seek out Saints and destroy them. It was to send a message to Athena."

What?! He could only withdraw back to his thoughts.

"To tell her that she was wrong for causing her grief. Athena causes grief with her consistent interfering with saving humans from the judgement of gods. While mother—Demeter is usually not a belligerent goddess, there are two individuals among her Terrae that she trusted with this task of slaying anything." Megaera explained with a calm, matter-of-factly tone; Ryuho sensed none other than a terrifying aura as the Terrae mostly blended in her temple covered in shadows. The Stole carried little highlights, but the reflections showed the armor's jagged design. Her pale skin wasn't fully obscured. Her eyes burned, but were fierce and cold, belonging to a Goddess's daughter that obliged in destruction. Ryuho could not get over such an antithesis.

"And one of them just has to be me!" The ground began to tremble, and so did the rage that was slowly emerging back into her voice. "The Swithern Terrae of Scorching Fury (焦げ激怒のテラ), Megaera! You will be next, Dragon Ryuho!"

"Rozan! Shoryuha!" The Dragon technique was yet to be used on Swithern. Ryuho swiftly closed the gap between him and her, his punch reaching her gauntlet. The blue dragon that emerged from his knuckles crushed down on Megaera's entire arm to shoulder. Ryuho's thoughts simmered; he had forgotten that his fist was shattered earlier.

"Judgement of Gods?! Why would Gods have little care for humans if they oversee the mortal world? Especially Demeter, the Mother Goddess? That is why we fight!"

Ryuho pulled back his weight and threw up his left arm, another shake hitting his form. He kept his feet pressed into the ground; his Dragon Shield took Megaera's straight inside hook. Ryuho was quickly aware of her strength and was not going to receive it for a third time. However, he flinched as if he guarded from a raging storm.

"I will admit, you are very persistent, Dragon. However, the strongest of any era faces death. It's too necessary to die." Meg was unfazed by Ryuho's attack and countered. She sounded unworried as she continued her prattle.

"Four Great General of Zao, Li Mu died along with his country; French leader Napoleon Bonaparte deteriorated in captivity under the British. You can't hide from it, Dragon. Remember what I said about the crevice leading to the dead? This entire Garden is influenced by it."

Ryuho contained his surprise while focusing on his defense, something swiping against his shield and causing him to stagger. His ears were open, all the while, he wondered why of Megaera's high martial power.

Ugh! A flashing light, and a sweeping motion breezed across his lower torso below his shield., The Dragon Cloth—being of Bronze rank-provided as less protection than a scale suit. Just a breast plate, pair of vambrace, greaves, and faulds, but despite the faulds, the midriff was open. Something tried to sliver through him, biting into his skin. It was a blade?! Pushed back more from the same brute force, Ryuho looked from behind the shield with one open eye. Meg's arm was lifted, and at her ulna side of her vambrace was a thin scythe.

"In other words, life really has no room here," said Megaera, carrying a wicked smile from pink lips, "and when you're about to die, you'll be sucked to Hell. However, there is another function. The two first Gardens, Plutus and Catasterismi, serve as a fundamental defense against the enemy. But, if any unfortunate soul had the luck to reach here, my Garden, not only do they have to experience my power, but they also have to face the rule of the dead."

"Are you saying that whoever walks in here will slowly die?"

"The Rule of the Dead means that the living's will is inhibited under the imposed power of Hades. However, while there is only Limbo, the effect remains. The strength of you and your friends are grasped by chthonic entities. Your Cosmos have no reach. A fine mechanism for enemies who dare bring conflict to Naxos."

Was that it?! Megaera is overpowering me because of this crevice?

Meg gave out audible chuckle at Ryuho's shocked expression. "Don't get me wrong. Despite that…"

Another punch, another lift of the left arm in defense, and Ryuho's Dragon shield flew off. He backed further and slumped against the wall.

"My strength and my Stole are not to be trifled with. Nothing to contest with." This crevice could not be seen; it was perhaps a 30m long slit that ran underneath the Garden base. Connected to Hell directly gave it its atmosphere. Ryuho could feel the strength of the blows regardless. The crevice could be at blame completely, but that did not explain the pursuit and deaths of various Bronze and Silver Saints.

Ryuho got back from the wall., and sprung his body further, retrieving his Dragon Shield. Flying over him was a bright fireball, smacking into the wall that was behind him.

"You talk about death Megaera, but the same should apply to you." Ryuho stretched up and waved his arms around. His movement having lacked finesse earlier seemed to have faded away. Highlighting the shadowed Garden was blue Cosmos, slowly blanketing inside as a foamy cloud, touching the air with a tepid air. The bizarre change in scene caused Meg to subdue her next attack and look at her surroundings. The confusion on her face was evident. In the space, everything covered, Dragon and Swithern could see each other far easier.

"This is my technique-Ranbu SenUnRin (乱舞 仙雲鱗)."

Megaera lunged; Ryuho kept his footing firm, his gentle glare bearing down at Swithern. She had reached him easily enough. Her behemoth punch stalled against the Dragon Shield. Meg's crimson eyes widened.

"To embrace death under the guardianship of Demeter," Ryuho spoke softly, "who are you even, Megeara?"

Chapter Text

There was the question as to whether if a Gold Saint could defeat Swithern Megaera?

"My technique will mitigate your evil Cosmo that appreciates and welcomes death. For someone like you to be under the guardianship of Demeter: Who are you even, Megaera?"

The entire Third Garden was consumed by a sea blue cloud. Among closer inspection were the textures of scales from Chinese Dragons. Had Libra Genbu been alive, even as a Specter, he would not have known that the Dance of Hermit Scaled Sky—The Ranbu SenUnRan (乱舞 仙雲鱗)—belonged to Ryuho.

Meg's behemoth punch stalled against the Dragon Shield; shocked to not see her opponent fold against her might, she backed away to process the situation, staring directly at Ryuho on the defensive. She was aware of the cloud caressing her and her Garden, thought less of its scaly image, but it did pique her curiosity. The SenUnRan worked; her mind, her spirit, her senses touched by a cool stimulation projected by Ryuho's Cosmos. It seemed ironic to apply serenity in battle; SenUnRan was a theory, an attempt to diminish fighting capacity. Swithern Megaera's unflinching intuition to battle like a monster could surprise anyone corresponded to Demeter. It still did to Ryuho, seeing his current foe as no different than who he faced in the past.

"Who am I you ask? I embrace Demeter as my mother. She is the one who saved me from despair and raised me, even though she and her beloved daughter are considered chthonic goddesses. Even though I am not of her blood." She was perhaps like Pan. Demeter taking them in as a part of family assured their loyalty.

"Mitigate you say? You will play see-saw with me? Are you saying that my fists and kicks won't reach you? Never. Never in years! What is stronger? Aggressive or calm." The answer seemed obvious now that she froze against the Dragon Shield; even Leo Mycanae and Libra Genbu did not falter against the so-called strongest shield of the Bronze Saints. However, even though she assumed that this aromatherapy-like mist would last a prolonged time, Meg remained stalwart. "Cosmostherapy"? It seemed like an ability projected by illusionists; Dragon was no delicate fighter and understood penetrating the senses. What made Swithern stubborn? The protection of her Goddess or more?

"You have an interesting defense, Dragon Ryuho," said Meg. "However, the point of your defense is to not reinforce the offense, is it? Besides, I will not let you." In a duel, it did not make sense for Ryuho to retrograde and prepare for a better attack. In fact, he was still puzzled by Meg's abilities.

Suddenly, an orange flare up. The SenUnRen's aura conflagrated from blue to orange as a funnel of flame sprouted from Meg's palm. Ryuho's eyes stung, watering as he could gradually feel the temperature rising behind his shield.

"Castle fortresses are deadly due to giving one an ability to counter from high ground while the enemy is finding a way in. even when you come in, there are more traps. What is your counter, Ryuho? You are alone; if I live, I am sure that my attacks will eventually reach you."

In the back of his head, Ryuho agreed, and pushed energy into the meat of his legs. He took a stomp forward; the spouting fire crashing into him felt like a giant or a speeding rig. Another stomp; Megaera continued.

"In this Temple, the realm below the earth conquers all. You who gloat of your Cosmos, whether its Athena or Zeus, despite your exploits, you do not determine all fate. Despite your technique, you are still weaker."

Ryuho realized how wise Megaera is, and her fiery attack—even having seen in a few times over already since he, Souma and Yuna entered the 3rd Garden—carried that aggressive propulsion that didn't taper in strength. Compared to Ginga, her prating of historic war events carried more weight. Her brutality seemed core of her fighting style and she loved to emphasize that that discharging human innate aggression was fundamental in war…and so was dying. Megaera knew that there was no veneer in her fury that can propose an opening for Ryuho. Still, Ryuho felt a bluff in being called weak.

The analogy of castle walls – it would take rams to break lime mortar, but what of a few shots from a catapult?

Castle wall? Ryuho suddenly thought of those words, and in an instant, the floor was below him. So was the stream of flame that came from Megaera's hand. She saw Meg's crimson gaze follow him and he pulled his arm forward.

"Rozan Shoryuha!" Meg had a dragon diving down on her head, shot like an archer's arrow. The blue Cosmos lit up the room again and Megaera angled her body to avoid the arm. She wrapped her hands around it clutching Ryuho and yanking him into the floor; again, Demeter had such a warrior in her ranks? Ryuho quickly realized that she was nimble with apt responses.

"Have you forgotten about my Grove of the Dead? Enough of your stupid resistance Dragon!"

Ryuho was slow to react and unable to comprehend what she meant. Was that the name of the crevice? It didn't amount to any sense; "Augh!" He felt a foot digging into his back, which he arced up to push himself against the ground. He still put faith in his technique; despite what the enemy had said, Ryuho still felt a damper in aggression. The question to it all came to the stamina. How long could he, his body, Cloth, and his shield could hold?

Back at Demeter's Temple, a goddess and a Gold Saint sat quietly. The guardian Arion remained in his Garden, putting faith that his goddess would remain safe. It was not his desire to leave her at first, especially after the fallout with Amor and Hermes, the latter still being alive and among their presence as a so-called "ally". Still, the two kept an adequate mood. Demeter wasn't touched by the contagious amicableness of Cancer; somehow, he did not bore himself to tears, but being trapped in with her tore at him in the inside.

"So, the Saints are at Megaera's Garden," the Goddess said, giving the Gold Saint barely any eye contact, watching the doorway that led to Arion's Garden. She often imagined Arion coming and going, but recently, she had also envisioned the Saints encroaching her area. What did those little beasts look like, she had thought. Perhaps she had wished it.

"Indeed. They will perish there. You would like it there, Cancer. Someone such as myself, while I stand for nature's prosperity, know death just as much."

"Oh?" Cancer Hermes leaned close to the flank of Demeter's throne, where she was sitting. "An aura of death is a distinct one that I know well."

"She came from a terrible land. I pulled her from her knees; even in modern days, there are still…global disorders."

"Go on, go on."

"Even on Naxos, with a chance to placate herself among peaceful citizens, she burdened an anger towards the world. She became an imperial patron towards myself. If you thought Arion was bad, you could say that she would never tolerate any of your silver tongue. That's what happens when covenant politics destroy everything around you."

"She is barely seen, yeah?"

"She keeps a distance, but the majority of Naxos knows her station well. She is a type that carries a mysterious, yet fearful aura while she walks. She took it upon herself to contain her anger and use it some form. Unfortunately, this is her fate. Even though, I believe she is kind."

"Humph, it's not like she's wrong. Anger is indeed a powerful energy. But there is more isn't there?"

Demeter said nothing.

"Yes…She does have that foul stench on her."

"That is enough from you."

"Fine fine."

"The Swithern Stole is a unique Chthonic creation, a result of a collaboration by two. Only specific chosen ones can wear it. You probably wonder Hermes: If I forbade battle upon this island then why do I have such a monster willing to battle and kill? Would I be repulsed by my own family?"

"Would you? Or are you just that magnanimous?"

Demeter could not come up with an answer.

Perhaps Megaera was toying with him; Dragon and Swithern entered a conservative battle. Ryuho threw punches through the weight of his trembling hips and Meg lifted her arms, taking the blows with her guarded arms. Even with the billowing blue clouds surrounding them, neither one nor the other had the upper hand. Ryuho went low again, dodging a swipe to his head, and he swung up into the Swithern Stole.

Only I can do this! The boy thought. One fist knocked into Meg's stomach and she froze. He felt the Stole's toughened hardiness clearly. It was a pure armor that didn't buckle easily from force…but she froze! Ryuho looked up and saw Meg's stupefied face. Those crimson eyes, usually vicious and fearful, nearly burst out from an expression of disbelief. Her knees nearly buckling under, Megaera scampered back and slapped her hands against her face, covering it.

Dragon Ryuho gave a sigh and pulled back his punch arm. "I did it," he said. Someone like him should know that placating the aggression, or wearing down the enemy, was also a perfect tool for battle. With that known, having created the Ranbu SenUnRan, Ryuho could analyze another technique that he experienced with his own body: Tomoe Jindaiko Ken (鞆絵陣太鼓拳). It was Genbu's move that affected the mind and spirit promptly with beating sounds. If Ryuho could not smash the opponent, it was up to time. The time to motivate oneself, the time to wear down and confuse the enemy to find an opening, to pass to the next stage.

The Jindaiko could achieve all of these.

The Third Garden was silent for a moment. Dragon Ryuho heard breaths. Inhales through her nose, her face covered, then the room's silence gradually went away. Low, feeble sounds that seemed to weaken Ryuho's heart. He could not break eye contact from Meg. Bit by bit, the Swithern Stole fell apart from its owner's body, hitting the ground. Her greaves and faulds hung on. Ryuho's eyes were pulled towards her pale skin, blood pooling through his face. Around that same skin were many brown tissue marks.

Megeara is crying?!

Chapter Text

"There is it, the Third Temple. Are you alright?"

"I'm coming to, but I feel like something is sapping my energy."

His footsteps heavy, and his body weight down by another, Pegasus Kouga only looked up the staircase leading to the next Temple. It was still far off, a dusky looking temple, and who could even count how many total steps were left. Orion Eden supported by Kouga's back like a bag. Both he and Kouga had regained consciousness after fighting Ginga, but something tightened Orion's chest and legs. He felt like the reverse was happening, his Cosmos being dragged by the gravities of a dark, black hole.

"Kouga, that place," he said, referring to the Temple that they approached, "something's off about it. Yuna and Souma's Cosmos disappeared, but Ryuho…"

"Right. Ryuho is fighting hard, so we got to try hard for him too." But then, Kouga panted and fell to a knee.

"Kouga! That place isn't anything I've felt." Orion Eden had felt the powers of darkness before, but being the son of a God, he braved its destructive, empty power. However, something commanded his life to turn around, and he knew that sensation came from the structure ahead. Some wafting wind; Kouga also began to feel his strength sapping against his will. To both, it fell like a storm of weights falling on their heads and spines one by one, chipping away at their consciousness.

There is only one way to Demeter's Temple, but you can't reach it without going through her four Gardens first. Kouga recalled Arion's words. He and the others must've been so close to Demeter – that she had a barrier as a final resort, knowing that she disliked fighting. More steps, moving closing, and their guts were eaten. Something seemed to watch them and drove knives into their hearts; something wanted to kill them, and the intent grasped them tightly. The dark aura swelled around The Garden of Androktasiai.

"Ryuho-!" Kouga groaned, his eyelids dropping from weight. He fell against the stairs with Orion on his back. They both stalled; using his knees, gripping the edges of each stair, Kouga crawled up the ascent. He pulled on each step. At times, he had to stop.

Dragon Ryuho entered a daze as the sight of Swithen Megaera who was stripped of her Stole. Her arms and elbows buckled in, most of her pale skin was exposed. Her hands covered her face. Her body, in a distraught expression, was blotted by brown stains and curves. Peculiar; was it a skin disease, the young Saint had wondered. However, what stunned him the most was the sound of sniffles. Meg's hands slid down her face, and it was contorted in pain. Through her lips were stifled breaths, and a stream of tears ran down from her burning red eyes. Naxos's monster of death shed genuine tears.

"Megaera, are you…okay?" His voice thinned near to a whisper, Ryuho could not obscure his compassion for others. In truth, he did not expect the Jindaiko to cause a teary breakdown.

"It seems you have bore my wounds," The Terrae mumbled. "My history…"

Wounds? Ryuho was frozen stiff. That gap in a follow up attack, invoked by both Ryuho's curiosity and surprise from what he had witnessed—

Meg was a human being. Back at her Temple, an answer about her magnanimity and her tolerance of Megaera would come to the Mother Goddess Demeter: "Rage exacerbates her abilities. Nothing more." To which Hermes followed with a chuckle: "Keh. You gotta fight like a demon sometimes, you foolish goddess." As the cycle of nature was rudimentary to Earth, so was the concept of fighting; even Athena, a bloody war god with a noble heart, understood this. And Demeter was no stranger to fighting.

Ryuho lost his balance, and he was point blank met with Megaera's exasperated eyes—on a face wholly unfurled with rage.

The Dragon Shield had flown away again - in various directions.

"Dragon Ryuho!?" Swithen Megaera screamed out from her throat. Her long black hair poppled in the air. Ryuho could not process. The inside of the Garden began to heat up, and the blue clouds shredded into emptiness, plunging the chamber back into darkness. Dragon felt heat caress through his entire body, up to his face; complete loss of breath, his eyes felt like there were going to be yanked out – from one single punch by Megaera. Her bare fist smashed into his gut. His vision whirled as her hooks crashed into his face, one after another. It was the same swift but stout fists, albeit just one, that destroyed the Dragon Shield. The final hit warped his legs downward and, before he collapsed, Meg threw her palm against his head, clutching it in a tight raptor grasp.

The Terrae trembled, her face contorted in anger.

"I'm going to make you suffer!" Meg released Ryuho by shoving him back a fair distance. The temple lit up again; following right after Dragon was a head-sized fireball. All his senses screamed into action.

Uwaaaaaaaaah! Dragon's jaw jumped open as the fireball thrown at Ryuho touched and rolled against his Cloth, gripping there as a bee sting, shuddering. He then felt it eroding through his torso. His first impulse was to grasp it to prevent it from eating his ribs.

"Do you like my Alecto Fire? It will sear your body right through. Yes, have something like I have—when a spear went through me." Meg said as she kept her launching hand upraised.

"You faced the wrong opponent, Dragon Ryuho!" Meg watched the agonizing Bronze Saint desperately clutch her fireball in attempt to pull it away from him. "My sister Pan may simmer, but if anyone who contains the same scale of hate that my mother has it's me!"

Ryuho continued to scream, bending back his head, the fireball singed even behind his Cloth. His palms felt like tearing as he tried to shove away the flame. It had the weight of iron. He only moved it an inch.

"Then Megaera…" His words strained out his throat, "do you..enjoy…th-AGH!"

"Of course I love to destroy my mother's enemies! Even though I faced the aggression of war, felt no hope, I learned that someone like me could be adopted. Humans. Why do they kill so brutally?! The term 'Swithen' comes from deforestation and scorching fields, which supposedly supports humanity and the Earth, but not without consequence. But why should there be love in killing?"

Those stains that shocked Ryuho-down Meg's arms and legs were closed cells. They were holes and thinned gashes. In her abdomen, below her breasts, was a large one, a 10 cm healed puncture. It was a history of either abuse or worse, a distasteful memory that she kept locked behind her warrior visage. That sudden burst of tears, and anger afterward, was result of her being violated when stripped of her armor, revealing a tragedy.

The stench? What Hermes did not mention was when he stepped in the Second Garden (and he dare not tell Demeter), he could sense the cold presence of the dead. It lingered from the Third Garden even at a higher elevation, and he dared not to approach as such presence of losing one's mortal life suffused over the heat of the sun. Even it gave the Cancer Saint—the one Gold Saint that felt at home in the Underworld—a bit of a tremble. Plus, due to her elusiveness, he has never seen Meg's face.

"To revive the Underworld—," Meg continued, "Persephone and I were true friends. Even I was allowed to meet with her when she stayed with her beloved. She was the only one I spoke to, and the dark spirits hated me there because I was human, but I would quiet them. That was my purpose. In other words, I had the purpose of easing mother's worries every Winter. You Saints ruined that!"

Haaaaaaa! Ryuho felt compassion again, but this time, it came as a surge. If he died now, would the Saints fail completely? Even more so, Dragon wanted to answer Meg's question. Somehow, an act of will, Ryuho hefted and threw away the fireball, which flew into the wall and burst apart. Ryuho doubled over, panting. Even Megaera, her eyes trembling, was a bit stunned by his persistence.

"I thought you were dead like Mister Genbu and the other Gold Saints, but you are not dead at all are you?" Asked Ryuho.

"I am pretty much alive."

"You ask 'Why people like killing?'" Ryuho paused after his question; an answer wouldn't come quick, perhaps due to the shock of the attack or maybe he wanted to give a sincere one after some thought. Or maybe Meg already knew the answer.

"I don't like to kill if I can avoid it." After some breaths, Ryuho looked up from the floor and to Meg. "I don't like it but, I fight because…toxicity lives in Heaven and Earth. Even martial technique can bring peace, in the heart and mind."

"You are a fool and a liar!" Quickly, the Terrae grabbed Ryuho's head again.

"Enough! Grove of the Dead!" Megaera groaned through her teeth, and her Stole floated, reattaching to her body. That included her clawed gauntlets, which consumed Ryuho's head. The Dragon Saint screamed as he was once again assaulted by the illusions from before. The wooden stakes within men, torn by spears, the screams of women and children, mowed down by bullets; limbs stretched and torn apart; flesh simmered in cauldrons. The Grove of the Dead - that was the source of weakness among the Saints' five senses and their Cloths, breaking easily. An illusionary attack that expressed grief, torture and pain among man's destructive techniques. Meg released Ryuho and he fell to the ground in silence, his eyes pale. A loud whistle or ringing pierced through his ears, and he could only pick up a part of Meg's voice.

"The past is the past," she began to ramble again, "my wounds are wounds, but now Dragon Ryuho, I am with mother. Even though I am a repulsive monster, I serve her. Despite the vices behind the Swithen Stole, the Diamond of Tartarus construed by both Hades and Demeter, I've made up my mind. Weakening my heart is not possible and you failed to turn around this battle."

Eventually, her voice would drown out completely. Her body, that ivory skin now covered by the Stole once more, melted further into darkness.

"Not yet!" This time her hand closed onto the boy's neck. Ryuho dangled in her grasp; Meg's other hand, taking a chopping knife form, began to vibrate with a bright coral blaze.

"Die Dragon Ryuho!"

Ryuho couldn't hear her words, see her flustered face, but somehow his body was conscious of her anger. Everything was a haze; running through skin and bones, Megaera's smoking hand exited out of Ryuho's back. Meg may or may not have missed his heart. She felt certain she aimed in the right place to at least nick it with her flame. She pulled away and there was an explosion between them. The Bronze Saint fell onto the floor once more. There was not a twitch or shudder, just a lifeless boy with a smoking gape in his chest. The Dragon Cloth was in burnt, broken pieces everywhere, and seeing Ryuho fallen in the middle of the fragments made Meg fill with calm. It was over and she could breathe. A smirk touched her lips. This affirmed that she was one of the strongest Terrae; she had avenged Pan and Ginga and eliminated the threat that agonized Demeter. Three Saints from the Naxos Invasion fell before her. She almost dared for them to be more. Waving her finger, giant vines spun around Ryuho and slowly elevated him. He was now going to join the wall with his friends.

Dragon Ryuho had never experienced the feeling of being near or truly dead. He would often say that battling two evil gods had let him near that point, but life still trembled within his body. Still, something about this predicament felt different. Meg's raging fire and Grove of the Death made him feel completely empty, pulled out his organs and severed his spirit. It was an indescribable feeling; something pulled him away from the determination to awaken.

It's like he was in the depths of water untouched by sunlight. The sky gradually faded from sight, stretching further way, but below was so deep that you couldn't see the bottom. The heavy pressure of the ocean, while falling, causes the veins to hyper function and eventually rupture. Human lungs are compressed, such as atelectasis, thus the reason why humans can't breathe under water. Sea creatures that live around 1800 feet could survive 800 psi; it could be imagined that angler fish and viper fish could go much more. If we reach that far, only God could deliver you to the next path.

Ryuho, at this point, actually felt like a mortal. But something anchored him to a plane above Yomatsu Hirasaka, the mountain that led to the next world.

Chapter Text

So far, it has been a war of dissent between various warriors.

Souma and Sonia – Defining a commitment to fight for a good reason.

Amor and Yuna – Faith or sheer power was the answer to adversity.

Tokisada and Haruto – Pride within their techniques, to use them for a purpose.

The Terrae – To protect their Goddess, some who see her as their mother.

Ryuho and Megaera – Hostility and placidity, to decide on how to face the enemy

Lionet Souma, Aqulia Yuna, and now Dragon Ryuho had perished in the 3rd Garden. If anyone entered now, they would see their ghastly faces pinned upon a wall, their bodies petrified in stone and entwined by heavy vines. Megaera assured her mother, in her mind and heart, that Athena's Saints—fallen from grace as filthy humans defying gods—would atone with their deaths. She stood victorious. Dragon Ryuho, drifting into a black landscape, sensed a mock from the Swithen Terrae: How did it feel to enter the path of inevitable death? As he sunk, Ryuho's thoughts reached a trail of despair: Did we fail? After all we've been through, did we reach an unopposed opponent? How?

"Im sorry…I failed."

Thanks to Meg's assault and her words, Dragon Ryuho had forgotten—or rather, he had surrendered everything. "Kouga, Souma, Yuna, Eden, mother, father, Suikyo…I'm sorry." He fell and hung suspended in the darkness. If the Yomatsu was at the bottom of the abyss, he could not see it. He expected that his sight and hearing would leave him, his heart to stop beating, or maybe his brain will forget what he looked like. Ryuho heard voices, perhaps an ailment of reaching his demise. Would his memories go away too?

In many cases, Athena's Saints defied belief because of their goddess. Ever since Demeter left Athena's Temple after affirming her goal, the Saints has expressed amazing fortitude, but for what reason? What of the Gods? What was the "strength" that exasperated Ginga; Megaera insisted that they would die by the Terrae's hands and that there would be no miracles, not while she, as the bearer of the Swithen Stole, existed. Furthermore, Athena was enclosed in Limbo, chained there by a dog with a man's visage. She will be forced to watch the slow rebirth of her nemesis.

Still, even if she felt the worst to come, as always, Athena did not feel despondent. She felt that the Saints' deaths were her fault, carrying a guilt. Still, there was a "strength" from her expression that made Asklepios start to fall for her. That strength could be called – if it could be described in such frivolous words—the inheritance of a bright will. Unlike Athena, Demeter and her Terrae has not faced the calamity of Earth time and time again, thus do not adopt the value of heroic justice. But did death meant that they were abandoned? Or was it fate? Was one's Constellation inferior compared to another?

Why did many Silver Saints die? Why did Haruto die? Why did Ryuho, he himself, die? Why did Suikyo leave him? Those thoughts hung darkly in his head. Even if one felt that everything was lost, completely used up—yes, this was the best opportunity.

It was only in these moments that a guardian remembered what role he or she had to fulfil. It was easy for Ryuho to think that he was at fault for his loss. He hardly trained to become stronger when conflict was absent, but he was the best kind of human being that sought the untaintedness and wellness within others.

Reaching the limit of his mortality, he would not realize…

From the brims of his whitened eyes came tears. His surroundings were not tangible, and he thought his ears ceased functioning, but as he floated, his mouth moved.

"I am alive? Who…who is there?" A sliver of energy entered his arm; he raised it and reached out with an open palm. He could see nothing, but he sensed a jagged scrape touching his fingers.

"Show me," said the young Dragon Saint. Something or someone was there he knew. In the Realm of the Dead, something ridiculed a so-called false Grim Reaper. A slow wave of light effused from The Third Garden of Androktasiai, the Temple of Decline, stimulating Eden and Kouga's movements up the stairs. That decaying feeling that zapped their energy was fading away.

Ryuho could not see the expression, but Swithen Megaera—who stood before him—was frozen stupefied. The boy's body was wrapped in a gleaming green halo, a color like the sea touched by sunlight, unobscured by the clouds. A current of air flowed from him, touching every part of the Garden chamber and his enemy.

"They said…it is my destiny to protect the peace," he said. Wings were often associated with the God of Death, the Lord of the Underworld himself, but upon seeing a pair of them sprouting from Ryuho's back, it was not fear that steeped Megaera. Rather, there was disbelief.

"You said that everyone, including the strong, are often destined to die…but then it would be the same case with you." His voice was very mellow.

Megaera's brow folded. "Are you threatening me?!" Despite the choice of words, her tone was subdued to a near whisper. She felt patronized, but at the same time—such a soft, warm Cosmos, seemed to go through her Stole and touch her heart.

"They told me," Ryuho continued, "Hades's domination of the world is not the correct solution. He is a God that does not understand the beauty of Earth and the creatures that live in it." Ryuho stood on his own two legs; form was motionless, his eyes closed, but the aura around him pulsed with energy.

Megaera's protest, to defend her mother and her choices, was trapped in her throat. Instead, her thoughts voiced, "What happened to you?"

"They also said that you made a mistake."

Dragon Ryuho's body was covered in a new steel. A rich, emerald body that no eyes could turn away from. What made that further impossible were the gold, wavy patterns adorning the shoulders, arms, legs, and waist. Each pair of Ryuho's wings were a knife-like triad much like a bat's patagium. A protrusion, which could be best described as a scaly tail, stretched from the back of his diadem. On Ryuho's arm was the return of the Dragon Shield. It seemed like his Cloth was fully restored, or rather, from diadem to sole, it became gallant beyond words.

Something inside Megaera snapped.

"Who the Hell are they, Dragon Ryuho?!" A ray of Alecto Fire jettisoned from Meg's palm, its speed like a racing, raging cannon towards its target. It smashed into Ryuho and tapered away. Ryuho stood unfazed—leading an assembly of white, incorporeal forms. The scene of Meg's attack rendered useless, and Ryuho surrounded, made the Terrae clench her teeth tight.

Ryuho answered: "The Dragon Saints that fought through the Holy Wars." By sending a Dragon Saint to the Realm of the Dead—that being Meg's "mistake"—Ryuho's Cloth resonated with the spirits versed in many battles and awakened. Ryuho felt a tap on his shoulder; opening his eyes, he looked to see a hand, and directly behind him, a familiar, smiling face.

"So, it has returned."

"F-Father?!" If he was being embraced and guided by remorseful souls of the past, Ryuho was completely flabbergasted to see a misty image of his own father Dragon Shiryu behind him. He had thought it was a simulation.

"Ryuho, my son. This is a Cloth imbued by the blood of the mightiest Saints and the Goddess. This is the Dragon God Cloth. Its legacy reveals itself before you."

"A God Cloth? Are you saying that I win with this?"

"I'm sorry, but there is not much time; I wish I could tell you more, but I am forbidden to. I can only lend my strength for a moment. You must pass this enemy and save Athena. "

"Save her?!"

"That's right. We are all here. Let's do it together."

Ryuho surmised that his father was dead, and sadness tried to crawl inside and bite his feelings. Instead, he nodded, took in a breath, and faced Swithen Megaera. Her face darkened. The Terrae was speechless from the haphazard events. A recursion of victories, and then afterward, she was plunged deep in disbelief. All from being useless against a boy.

"Megaera, your malice shall not reach me," Ryuho said. Meg's eyes exploded from anger again and her entire body splayed out.

"Enough! This is MY Garden to protect! And your grave!" The Chamber of the Third Terrae temple bloodied red from a surge of temperature. Throwing out her arms, she unleashed a large body of flame. It closed the gap between the two like a gushing sea wave. Phantasmal Shiryu and the similar bodies all mimicked Ryuho's movement: He threw out a jab. When the red wave struck them, a shockwave rocked through it and shattered it into steam.

Why are my attacks not affecting him?!

"Say something!" Meg spat.

"The many fallen don't appreciate you appointing yourself as some figure of Death. It is true that God encompasses death. But as the one raised by Demeter, you should also understand that the Divine leads us to not just to the end of life, but also to pioneering. Good fortune, nature, growth, virtue."

"That means nothing here."

"I felt that you were badly hurt in the past Megaera, but even you know the purity and virtue of humankind."

"When you speak, it's like you're pleading for your life. We are fighting Dragon Ryuho. I fear no man or ghost. If it's for mother, I will stop you, whatever it takes!" Meg prepared for another attack, widening her arms again.

If it was a fortress, she could eventually penetrate it.

"I fear no Cloth! I fear no Saint!"

Inhaling through his nose, Ryuho turned his waist, pulled back his arm and threw it out as a swinging punch. All the spirits mimicked the move. At this moment, Swithen Magaera would see a sequence of three visions. The first one was the large myriad—in the hundreds or thousands—of blue-green Chinese dragons devouring her, leaving her breathless. Her black Stole ripped apart like fragile glass, flying off her figure. Her body and mind were flooded by a void. She completely froze. Was it the cognizance of meeting one's end?

A pillar of light shook the ground and took Megaera into the air. When her senses returned to her, she saw a spherical form below her. This was the second vision. All around her was mostly darkness; she floated in a black body surrounded by sparkles

"Only my Rozan Kouryuha can show you this view." Thoroughly stunned, Meg could hear Ryuho's voice behind her. His arms wrapped over her shoulders and clung to her like shackles.

"The harmony of various lifeforms exists down there, and to appease Demeter's anger you wish for it all to go away?"

'Down there'? Upon a longer inspection, Meg saw a large orb painted in a mural of swirling white, blue, and patches of brown. That second vision-the spectacle was only met by a little over thirty highly-trained human beings: Astronauts who traveled to the low orbit of Earth and reached the moon.

Megaera's thoughts turned silver, and the third vision was a familiar face. A memory of when she smelled blood in the air, and her body was dominated by so much pain that she was stock-still. Even with her lacerations, her entrails nearly slipping out, someone's arms wrapped around her like a parent. The tightness of those arms seemed to implore her to live. Through half-lid eyes, Meg saw the green stare of a woman above her. Seeing long platinum blond hair so graceful that it warmed her; a hand touched her breast where her heart thumped. She wasn't sure if she was going to live, but felt like if she didn't, she would fall into purgatory.

Back on Earth, Arion rushed outside from his Garden and looked up. Every cell in his brain emitted a name: "Meg!"

On his Dragon Vault, he saw everything. His Goddess's "daughter" entering the sky and somehow, the worse thoughts elevated in his mind. His composure broke; no one would witness the panicked look on his face. And, the man falling to his knees, muttering that same name again.

Up in the sky, in which he watched, a twinkling star appeared.

Back at the 3rd Garden of Androkitaski, Ryuho opened his eyes and slowly rose to his feet. He recognized the Garden's surroundings and quickly realized that all his senses exisied. From above, the sunlight reached inside the Garden interior and touched his back. It illuminated the entire chamber, exposing the damage made from the battle. The large vines were gone, perhaps disintegrated into nothing, leaving Yuna and Souma leaning against the base of the wall. While they were unconscious, the sunlight revealed their skin revitalized in color. The same with their Clothsm standing nearby in their animal forms. The air felt light and Ryuho's ears met silence. The souls that supported him were also gone, perhaps back at rest. Looking only ahead, between his draping bangs, the first thing he saw was a body, on the ground and unmoving. He lifted his feet and moved closer, slowly. He stopped by it and recognized the face smothered in long black hair.

"Megaera…are you okay?"

There was no answer. Ryuho took in a breath. His feet were sluggish; he felt chained by iron weights. When he moved by the body and made for the exit behind the throne, he uttered an apology.

"…She passed. I'm sorry. I must stop Demeter." Ryuho got to the fringe of the opposite hall and reached out with his hand. The exit was between his fingers. That was when he realized that the God Cloth was gone, replaced by his original Dragon Cloth. Then, his eyes blurred. His entire body dropped.

After seeing the star in the sky, all Arion could think was rushing to Demeter's temple. His body burned with urgency; his ears confirmed a loud wailing.

"Demeter, what's wrong?!" He called out as he flew into the main hall.

In a half-knelt pose, Cancer Hermes looked down at the goddess with a complex expression of uncertainty. Judging by his bent arms, he was going to grab her. That was when he turned and realized Arion's arrival. With a hand wave, the Gold Saint gestured Arion to come. Demeter broke down, holding her face, which nearly touched the ground. She could not muffle her cries. She felt the spirit of Megaera entering the world of the dead.

"Those damn, violent Saints."

"Demeter?"

"They killed her," Those three words vibrated under a whisper. Then, her tone raised. "After war sent her in limbo, she clung onto the living for so long and they killed her!" Anguish was clear in her voice. It was a surprising change in her that left even Hermes in shock, or maybe it was the scream. Her fury was nothing unusual, especially recently, but she showed a sadness as it pierced her inside—for a monster like Swithen, who she thought was infallible.

"Maybe...is what I'm doing wrong?" The goddess said. Her distress surfaced to a point where she unveiled regret in her decisions. "It's all my fault, isn't it? I instigated this war." Was defying Athena, the daughter of Zeus, the worst thing she could have done? Was she fated to fail in her attempt in…anything? Was Athena and her Saints able to fall by any means? Such thoughts clouded Demeter's mind.

As Arion approached, Hermes backed away, allowing the violet-haired guardian to kneel and take hold of her shoulders.

"I understand what you're saying Demeter," Arion said, "but like them, you follow your own convictions. You must see it through. Athena does not dictate you."

It took a moment for Demeter to answer. She looked up to Arion's eyes, her own wet from crying. "You question nothing? Even if it meant the end of the world, the end of Naxos? Everything?"

Silent at first, Arion wanted to choose his words carefully. He knew the Goddess well, who would bring even Earth's destruction from a minor encroach upon her feelings.

"I…I know you mean well," he said. That was when Demeter's well-known fecklessness returned.

"Then why?" Like water in a trench, anger began to spill back into her voice. "Arion! You had the opportunity to stop Pegasus at the gate! Did you not?!"

At her outburst, Arion's hands slid from the goddess's shoulders, up her neck, and to her cheeks. He held them there and saw Demeter's face soften.

"I was respecting your decree to not bring battle to the island and lure attention from the city," he said. "It should be in the Gardens. I used my Impulse, but it seems that Pegasus and his friends got through the tribulation. I thought it would be enough for Pan or Ginga to defeat them…" His voice trailed off and he bowed his head. He realized that was not the case. The first three Terrae failed; against all expectations, the third guardian was defeated and dead, and Arion was the only one capable of fighting. Technically, Hermes as well.

Arion regained eye contact. "I feel like I am responsible for all of this. Not you. But don't worry, I will be the one to finish the job. Now that we met with Asklepios, your plan cannot be stopped."

"Arion…I hope you carry no compassion for them."

"That was Ginga's weakness. I will admit that I admire their fighting spirits, but that's far enough. I am your strongest warrior and shall not fail." After those words, Arion was motivated; he ordered Hermes to take Demeter to her bed chambers and left the Temple. He made it clear to Cancer that if he did anything to her, he would be killed.

Two women would cry today. When he saw Megaera's body lay on the ground, Ryuho couldn't help but freeze in amazement before passing by. A serene face in the sunlight. Tears had streamed from her eyes and a smile curved her lips. Besides, in full, Megaera had seen four visions: The fourth being the beauty of a God Cloth worn by an authentically kind boy named Dragon Ryuho.

Chapter Text

When they opened their eyes, Aqulia Yuna and Lionet Souma did not expect to see their surroundings bathed in sunlight. They didn't expect to have strength in their bodies—to be alive—and were able to stand off from the wall and onto their feet. They saw their Cloths nearby, in their restored, constellational forms, standing in wait. A turn of their heads, and a gasp of shock left both Saints, seeing Megaera on the ground. Then, further ahead, they saw another motionless body.

"Ryuho!" Yuna and Souma ran up to their fallen friend and knelt next to him.

"That Cosmos we felt…he must've beaten the Terrae." Yuna slowly turned Dragon onto his back and saw his mellow face. His eyes were closed. Neither Saint could sense his Cosmos from him. Yuna looked pained. Souma's face contorted in regret.

"Damn it." He mumbled, punching the ground.

Rapid footsteps—a clatter clatter— echoed in the chamber; Eden and Kouga appeared in a rush.

"Ryuho!" Kouga was exasperated; he felt the entire battle of clashing Cosmos while on the steps, which he suffered climbing up to no fault of his own. Right before reaching the threshold, it was Ryuho's Cosmos that rose than ebbed. If only he made it in time, he thought. Eden crouched down and placed an ear on Ryuho's heart, a finger on his wrist. Everything was slowed to a near stop.

"It's hard to say, but it looks like he may…" Orion stopped there and bowed his head. Kouga swiftly broke down onto his knees. All that effort he pulled on the stairs, the pain he felt, welled up and exploded in snuffles and loosened tears.

"Don't cry Kouga," uttered Eden in a low breath.

"I thought I was a goner," said Souma. "Ryuho, somehow, he defeated the Terrae and saved us. That should be proof of his powerful will,"

"Therefore, we must fight hard for him," said Yuna. Kouga, who took in a deep breath to calm down, was pulled back onto his feet by Aquila, Orion and Lionet. Kouga glanced at the door and clenched his teeth.

"One more. Just one more."

Outside the 3rd Garden, as they rushed up the steps, the four Bronze Saints talk it over on what might be the best approach to stop Demeter. Should they face the next Terrae, or pass him or her to confront the Mother Goddess about Shaina's Cloth? They had to leave Ryuho's body, still carrying the idea that he would reunite with them. Whichever fate he faced, Dragon Ryuho was out of commission and would not make it to the next tribulation with the others.

The Saints passed the temple threshold, ignoring the cornice above that read the name of the last Garden: "Horae, Thy Phases of Everlasting Life." The outside was a typical Ionic architecture with scroll like capitals—the volutes— atop the columns, and extra stairs. What made it stand out the most was the paint: a sky blue contrasted with bright white and red. In fact, at higher levels, there were more polychromies upon simple shapes such as suns, crescents, arrows, stars, leaves, and thin waves. At the doorway were two sculptures of kneeling Trojan archers.

Inside, the 4th Garden evinces a breath of relief after experiencing a long, arduous journey or a nightmare. The atmosphere felt charged by incandescent magic: The walls and spirals were typical for a temple, painted sky blue, but there was an open grassy field in a sunbeam, severed by a marble road. The road led to a carved in arch door, which stood upon a higher platform after a small flight of steps. Two sculptures of small ivory dragons stood aside the door.

However, despite anticipation tightening their chests, no one was around to greet the Saints. Souma mentioned that it was best not to get caught like in the 2nd Garden, and they all headed for the other side. But when the Saints did, a bright discharge appeared between there and them, bouncing them off the exit doorway.

"A barrier?" said Eden. As they stared, the Saints realized a glass like shimmer across the arc door.

"If Demeter Temple is just ahead, then this makes sense, right?" surmised Souma.

"Let's attack it at one time!" Kouga's impulsiveness had rallied everyone in a row in front of the door. They locked their arms at their hips and gathered their Cosmos around their bodies.

"Hold it." A voice, an imperious echo, reached out and froze the Saints in place, and a gold halo suddenly appeared before them. Right after that, Yuna's voice raised in a cry; alarmed, the other Saints broke formation and leapt backwards in a retreat.

"Look out!" Eden warned imperatively, then he felt a jolt in his body, clenching his teeth. Flying out from between the halo was a swaying red bullet with a tail, which swooped back and forth like an insect. It threaded through each Saint, starting with Yuna and ending with Kouga, landing everyone on their backs. They groaned loudly, their eyes filled with a deep red visual; a caustic burn consumed each of their bodies.

"Welcome to the Garden of Horae, Saints of Athena." The gravitas of voice was enough to pull the attention of Kouga and the others to the halo. A man emerged from it, the halo then compressing to a small size below his feet and sliding onto his wrist. A robed man with gold eyes and a chiseled face now stood before the barriered door.

After the redness and the burning went away, Kouga looked up and saw a violet mane in the wind. "It is you after all!"

"Pegasus."

"Arion! If you're the one that's left, then prepare yourself!"

"You express such confidence even in the 4th Garden of Horae." Hands crossed below his waist, Arion stared down at the Saints sitting up from their backs. Compared to the last three Terrae, he would seem the most patient and placid, but a suspicion rose that he was hiding massive power.

"Hark. Horae is everything," Arion spoke as he slowly went down the stairs. "The cycle of the seasons, the time of earth. In other words, order. Correctness. The nature that all the deities has brought us. Twelve hours of day, twelve hours of night. Everything contains substance and prosperity."

"I say that to every visitor. Had it been an address to the people, who come to pray to the goddess Demeter, my words would be ideal. But the situation is different."

The burning of their bodies went away and the four Saints returned to their feet. Arion continued as he reached the base of the steps.

"I can't help but praise the effort of you all. But, how could you kill Megaera, Pegasus?"

Kouga's only answer was a defiant scowl. He knew well that he didn't kill the Third Terrae, but Ryuho's effort and pain during the battle could be shared among all the Saints. He was a testament for what the youths would do for one another to reach their goal.

"To go through Terrae, particularly Meg, who has a direct attachment to the Underworld. That can only be described as…a miracle." Rather, Arion wasn't surprised that a warrior with a God-flouting spirit could make it. He knew the myths of the Cloths, which appeared when Athena was in peril during the first war of the gods.

"You are here, so the question is now – how will you Saints celebrate Athena's death?"

"What was that?!" As Kouga's shout, the other Saints glowered at Arion.

"Saints, as of now, your Goddess is imprisoned in Limbo, standing in wait for the soul and body of the Underworld King to return."

"Say what?!"

"Yes, she is in our custody, thanks to one of your…ilk."

"You're lying!"

That was enough to set Kouga off; he cared none for the reason, and light billowed his entire body. He pulled his arm back; the others follow suit and advance on the Terrae in a synchronized leap. Arion kept still; Yuna, Eden and Souma suddenly convulsed in mid-air, dropping again. With both arms, Kouga held himself tightly to stay on his feet.

"This feeling!" He groaned through a surge of pain that went up and down.

"Remember Pegasus? Chthon Impulse."

"Shit!" Kouga barked. "Guys, don't use your Cosmos!" Damnit, did he get all of us? That attack from the ring…Pegasus immediately guessed; it all came back to him when the "bullet" struck him and felt that burn afterward, but shortly afterward he felt fine. It was just like when he first met Arion when he approached the Four Gardens.

"This way you'll be defenseless, and Demeter's safety is assured," said Arion. He held his tongue, and almost told the Saints to turn back now. In the back of his mind, however, he wondered if he should deliver a death sentence.

"The same attack won't work on me twice!" Kouga rushed in and threw a punch, which floated in mid-air inches from Arion's palm. His fist caught in compressed air, furious eyes were fixed on Arion.

"You lie about Athena!"

"Do I?"

"Get out of our way!" At this moment, Arion raised his other hand—He took Yuna's foot, took a step forward and shoved Kouga and Yuna back. Then, he nearly doubled over. A punch was pushed into his stomach. He wrenched back; Eden landed a punch, and then his kick went into Arion's thigh.

"Heads up pal!"

Arion's head turned to look over his shoulder, and his cheek was pressed in. He stumbled a step to one side, then the other; Yuna's kick pushed him into Eden, and he was then punched and kicked by Orion and Pegasus. The swiftness of the attacks made him disoriented and distracted to the point that he lost the thought of defending himself. All four Saints cardinally surrounded the Terrae.

'I see. Their martial prowess beyond the Cosmos. Did they train diligently?"

And so fast his promise to the Goddess, to rid of their enemies who caused them grief, had left his conscious.

The pounding, randomizing attacks kept to him like a spiral of wind. Arion danced on his heels as he tilted and twirled from the shocks against his body. Back of the head, his waist, his face; the swiftness from each punch and kick left him addled, and with bemused thoughts.

What made the four Saints—who triumphed over Gold Saints and three Terrae— fight so diligently? As the fourth and strongest Terrae, to drop his guard for a second, was perhaps due to him respecting them.

What is it!? Anger? Determination? Sense of justice? Belligerence? Or is it…love? I see. Human passion. Love. But he woke up and found a slight window opening to act. Arion crossed his arms ahead his face. Then, the Saints are caught in a thick, pressurized layer in the air. Between his hands, swerving his eyes, he could see Kouga, Eden, Souma and Yuna in mid-attack. Their limbs outstretched or withdrawn, arm and leg, it looked to be in slow motion.

"Amative Saints. I seek only the perseverance of the Mother Goddess. An amicable Goddess."

Even though they had moxie, the Saints were still in trouble from being unable to use their Cosmos. Unlike their opponent.

Arion swung out his arms and the layer of hidden pressure dispersed—in a wave of force that threw the four Saints backwards. Shortly after, he faced the eyes of those that never gives up; Kouga gained footing and charged forward.

"Pegasus, without your Cosmos, you are like a normal human, facing a powerful mass. You are quite useless before me." Cosmos rose around Arion's body, and his eyes flashed a golden light as he reached out with a palm.

"Chiron's Pride."

Kouga and the other Saints looked ahead for only a second or two: An apparition of a group of men—with the lower half of their bodies and legs that of horses—carrying recurved bows, drawn back taut with arrows. The arrows were painted pristine white. When the bowstrings were released, the Saints saw flashes, and then black. It was not an illusion; Arion saw each Saint struck by an arrow of light and pinned flat against the ground on their faces. The shockwave that hit them unleashed an adrenaline that made them blind. It didn't feel as if their skin, and their hearts, were torn, but rather, it felt like being hit then mowed down by a stampede of buffalo. They would not realize it was the work of a superlative venom; the Terrae's attack was meant to immobilize the target without fail, if not kill. Arion held his hands, crossing him over his abdomen as he eyed the Saints on the ground, each one with an arrow in them. There was no motion, and all he thought of was an assured victory. He turned to walk away, but didn't leave. The "miracle" that the Bronzes made continued to itch at his mind: After all, the weakest of the Saint hierarchy having managed to pass three Terrae. Arion turned to look over his shoulder.

A moan had entered his ear. Looking a bit further, Arion saw a body moving and blandly spoke, "I do not like hurting women."

"That is unfortunate." The one who stood was the Saint with golden locks, Aquila Yuna. She took in a few breaths and widened her legs in a readying, attack stance. She wasn't a least bit perturbed by the arrow in her body, or her friends lying prone on the ground. Rather, she contained her courage and kept herself intact to fulfill the mission. She felt the Chiron Pride to the depths, the heaviness that threatened to revert her back to the darkness, but her body and Cloth kept together.

"Megaera nearly killed us, but our friend sacrificed himself to help us forward. I am proof of that, and I must fight."

After taking some steps towards Yuna, Arion grabbed the cuff of his robe's sleeve and pulled it back, revealing his right bare arm. Over his wrist was a brown, three-pronged tattoo; his face did not show it, but he burdened a swirl of thoughts, his golden eyes transfixed on Yuna.

"What's your name, young lady?"

"Bronze Saint of Athena, Aquila Yuna."

"I see. Yuna, I must correct you. It is not unfortunate that I dislike fighting women." Yuna cocked her eyebrows at Arion's words, wondering what he meant, while also thinking that he was rather talkative. However, she was convinced that the Terrae harnessed high attack power that she had to be cautious of.

"On the contrary—it is fortunate."

"What do you mean?"

Arion didn't follow with an answer, and thrusted out his palm. Yuna expected to be blown back, but instead, her instincts chilled. A sensation caused her eyes to widen; a loud ethereal sound, like the propeller blades of a helicopter, roared through her ears. Her stomach churned and no courage or positive thoughts could stabilize her anxiety. She turned her head away from Arion and looked behind her.

Holding his arm up with his other hand, the Fourth Terrae spoke as a vibration captured his body. "It means that you will have to die quicker than most. Immediately."

Before Aqulia Yuna's eyes was dark matter. A vacuum, dotted with dimly lit stars, suddenly materialized behind Yuna in a fissure across the air. The rip was about her size. Before she could wrap her head around what was happening, her feet began to slowly float from off the ground. A force was pulling her body, and she helplessly began to drift into the rip. Arion trembled, bending his knees, and holding the soles of his feet against the ground.

"Yuna!"

Before Aquila entered the rip headfirst, something grasped her leg.

"Yuna! If you go in there, you may surely die!" Attempting to hold the ground with his other hand, while attempting to pull Yuna back into the temple garden, Lionet Souma had regained consciousness.

Arion's eyes widened. Those two…how?! That can only mean…no, they should die.

The Terrae spread out his fingers, and the rip expanded by its edges. The pressure increased; the unconscious Koga and Eden began to drift into the air and towards the rip. Souma's voice raised at his hand pulled off the ground, and both he and Yuna would be the first to go in.

The moment they crossed the threshold, their eyesight began to dim; it felt that their souls were gradually slipping away.

"No, I won't give in here!"

As a promise was made, a great light cupped Souma. He and Yuna malleably stretched within the dark matter. Their screams bated Arion's insecurity as he waited for their demise. All he needed to do was wait for Pegasus and Orion to be sucked in.

Those two were caught—-in Lionet's hands outside of the fissure leading into the dark matter. Arion's face could not hold back surprise. He murmured low as to there being one possible reason, then one of his knees fell to the ground. As his body vibrated, his eyesight fuzzed; the pupil of one of his eyes constricted. He hissed in a low breath. Then, the voice of God would reach him.

Arion stop! Have you gone mad?!

Chapter Text

A rift leading into the black matter—its presence so strong, it stretched out to any mortal near its vicinity and impacted all five senses. Arion and the four Saints felt it; the Terrae was already on one knee and getting blind. If the rift's threshold was crossed, one's body would stretch and then exfoliate. While Arion waited for the Bronze Saints' death, at his own body's expense, someone called to him.

Arion, are you out of your mind?!

He heeded it immediately; lambasted by a voice inside his head—and only one voice of such level of nobility would dare to do so and succeed in reaching him—it was impossible to ignore. The one who spoke to him was no stranger of chastisement.

I cannot lose you! Past the fourth Garden was Demeter's temple after all. The Mother Goddess was in her private quarters prone in her bed, resting, and racked with the devastation from losing her "daughter". Cancer Hermes quietly watched the Goddess's face, which creased to denote that her brain was undergoing some activity. Little did he know, she was speaking to Arion through telepathy.

To do such a heavy-handed thing. Why would you open a way to the Path without me there? Anymore and you'll…

"I understand." Arion's lips moved in a whisper, and he promptly shut his hand. At the same moment, the rift leading into the dark matter squeezed to a close, disappearing.

All four Saints dropped to the ground. Through his lidded eyes, Lionet Souma looked to Arion and wondered why he suddenly closed the portal. The Terrae knelt completely still as he had a mental discussion with his Goddess.

I know. Anymore and I'll…he'll…

For you to even risk that, are those Saints even that powerful?

I don't know what I was thinking. Maybe I wanted to show them that their miracles were useless by destroying them immediately. Demeter, something drives them.

What?! Are they still alive?!

They…They are strong, but I am stronger. Rest with ease. It's just one more.

Arion...please…I'm afraid.

I understand. Fear not and understand that you give me hope. I cannot imagine seeing you fall.

I await your return.

Yes.

Lowering his arm, the Terrae panted to regain his senses. The blur from his one eye was gradually vanishing. He could see one thing: Souma standing on his feet, readying himself in a fight stance. One more small draw of breath and Arion rose off his knee. The talk between the Goddess and the Terrae would be a secret between them; what would the Saints think of Arion expressing concern?

"I guess it's up to me," Souma said. "Ryuho set an example for us to be here, so I gotta put in the same amount of work somehow."

"Even though I was compelled to close the rift," Arion said, narrowing his eyes into a glare straight toward Lionet. "It still should've been the end of all of you."

"Heh, I'll keep standing for my companions and Athena. If it's for this Earth. I've decided that," Lionet said, offering a peppy grin.

"Such words cannot create a miracle."

"All my friends are pretty cool and don't know how to give up. That's why we keep burning. That's why we're here."

"Who are you?"

"Bronze Saint of Athena, Lionet Souma."

Lionet's Cosmos. For him…or rather, he is still in one piece. Even to surpass Chthon.

"I am the 4th Terrae of the Garden of Horae, Arion. Well Lionet, I should be enough to rid of you."

"Keep talking pal. You can't extinguish my flame that easily." Souma held up his enthusiasm despite knowing that his friends were out for the count. Instead, he said a prayer within before setting off.

Father, Haruto, Ryuho…and Sonia, watch me.

"Lionet Bomber!" His body glowing, Souma threw himself forward and erupted into a racing fireball. Arion brought his hand over and stopped the Saint's charge before he could reach, dispersing the fiery Cosmos from around Souma. Souma growled, a wave of invisible pressure holding him in place. It was emitting from Arion's palm.

Barriers and anti-Cosmo gimmicks huh? This guy likes defense.

One tossed punch, and a yell, the pressure dispersed, and the fist went straight toward Arion. Surprise flashed across his face as he caught the punch, and quickly grasped the other one. Now both clutched each other's hands. Souma's body blazed with a heat-like Cosmos, clashing with Arion's. Their auras mingled, creating a furious rise of galvanism around them.

"Not gonna fight back after taking a knocking?"

"Be careful what you wish for." Arion carried confidence, but somehow, a piece of doubt slipped into his thoughts: He dare believed that Lionet might've been on par with him. It was confirmed that Lionet had a power that protected him from the rift leading into the Path. To survive that and from Chthon, and to survive from Chiron's Pride as well, it made sense. Arion focused on raising his Cosmos, the ground shaking. Souma gritted his teeth, preparing himself for what was to come. He had to create a lethal blow to pass Arion, but he couldn't if his hands weren't freed.

Suddenly, Souma saw blue, and his body was filled with an eating tension. An electric current went through him. When Arion released him, the Terrae threw him back with a shot of force. One flash of his eyes, and Souma screamed. He buckled forward.

Heavy! Souma's mind shouted. The first thing that came to his mind was that it was some aggressive gravity. However, after entering the Path, he inhaled in a breath and bore through it. How long was Lionet's miraculous power going to last, Arion wondered. The attack passed, and the Bronze Saint approached again, entering close without resistance, letting out punch after punch. Arion raised his arms in arcs, mitigating and redirecting the blows, but Souma kept in close with rapid blows. Were they even? Lionet's speed was keeping Arion bound in one place. However, even if it's for time, the Terrae noticed that his force attacks gave him a gap. He brought a palm towards Souma and shook his small, young body with more pressure. Hit by a stronger force this time around, Souma lost his footing, his arms flinging backward. Lionet's balance compromised, Arion went forward and twisted his hips, shooting his arm out. His fist went right into Souma's abdomen.

Lionet froze completely. No one was conscious to see the punch nearly plowing out his back. A normal punch that felt like a giant's own, but it wasn't amazing strength from muscles or size. Arion could counter malleability; different, but parallel, to Megaera's ability that affected an armor's durability. The Terrae could have confidence that his technique worked. Ignoring the Cloth, which will bend rather than break, he could affect organs. When Arion pulled his hand away, Lionet was doubled over, his arms hanging.

"Are you dead?"

The reply would come seconds after a couple retches. "Not yet," Souma coughed. "Not giving up. We all got something to do."

Arion's eyes slimmed. Curious. Maybe the Saint would die momentarily, or maybe he needed a few more punches.

"There are many times when I was on the brink of life or death, but I believed in hope. Now, I am an instructor to aspiring fighters for Earth. To share that hope and enthusiasm for the planet keeps me up," said Souma.

"The Silver Saints who died…they too had a will to live or had a strong will for Athena I'm sure? Yet, they still died." As Arion said that, he turned away from Lionet and walked to make some distance. So far, such basic attacks did not work, but a couple of ideas gathered within. When he turned back, Arion raised a finger.

An accusatory finger pointed at Souma.

"It matters not. Lionet Souma, your Goddess who gives you strength is a Goddess of war! Whenever you raise your fist, someone is hurt or killed. Humans or divine beings, you hurt them."

"Look pal, I am not some blood-thirsty little lion. I just want to do what's right, and we damn know well that battle cannot disappear." Souma was not touched with culpability. Was he not facing the killer of so many Saints throughout this whole ordeal? Facing someone with so much power?

As he continued speaking, Souma's hot passion gave him the energy to straighten himself. "Everyone keeps fighting, whether it is human or divine. If it's for the wrong purpose, Athena guides us to defeat it."

"Are you trying to justify your actions? Do not speak of Athena as the absolute justice."

"And your Goddess would ruin this world! Just like other Gods! When they do this, we must fight. Wouldn't you do the same?" When Souma charged forward, he nearly bounced off his feet. He was further from his enemy this time. Another go, and he threw out a punch. Arion kept still. His hands forward indicated that he unleashed a new technique. Through his eyes—and only through the trained eyes of a Saint or a warrior with heightened senses—Souma noticed an oval-shaped vortex taking hold of his fist. A barrier?!

Arion grimaced. Not working at all. My pressure should shred his flesh apart. Is he really a Bronze Saint? However…

Another push and Souma broke through the vortex; unhindered, the two charged at each other. Two fists collide.

"Got it!"

When they strike, Arion vanished—facing a large funnel of flame. The Lionet Burning Fire! When the smoke billowed off, fanning away to reveal the results, the body of Arion was still in the same stance. The fist of his opponent slid off his own. Souma's mouth jumped up, and smoke erupted from his body. The Lionet Saint crashed to his knees as a near-searing pain enwrapped him. His nerves barely responded, leaving him on the ground in shock.

Shit, what was that? Souma slowly lifted his head to stare at the Terrae.

"Hey, aren't you a nature Goddess's warrior? Where did you get that much destructive power?"

"What are you implying? You face your greatest adversary thus far."

"Then, are you a true warrior?"

"Carrying the title of the 4th Terrae, the guardian before Demeter's Temple, there is not a gap in facing war. To become one, there is a requirement to face the conflicts of the world. Demeter would use me as she sees fit. The reason why you're in such a condition is that I've seen you battle."

Souma's thoughts stalled. What?

"Not only that, I've seen many Saints like you with forward martial prowess. I can harness that Cosmos and send it back. What holds true is my fighting spirit." Arion's arms moved, and the sunlight within the garden courtyard sunk into deep violet. Souma bit down as he felt his ears whistle.

"You are very resilient. Perhaps this is a testament to Athena's love for you. Thus, I must not hold back. Even if it takes me some time, your resilience will eventually break." Arion lifted his hand upward; Souma followed, and his eyes widened. Above his head, floating within the violet atmosphere, were three enormous, almost spherical bodies. They loomed within the deep air. With one swing down of Arion's hand, one of the bodies dropped down on Lionet. The Terrae jumped away.

Souma lifted his hands, his palms taking the full brunt of the object. He immediately felt his body being crushed; his feet dug into the stone street, his joints squeezing. Lionet kept his scream inside his throat, his focus on his feet pinned to the ground and his palms holding up the nearly obscured weight. Through his palms, he felt the tough texture that could be described as ore. Rock and ore mixed together. Arion quietly watched Lionet's flustered face, veins nearly popping out.

Upon closer inspection, and going by its size and its hard, solid texture, Souma could only amount to one logical thing on what was on his hands: an asteroid! Arion summoned three asteroids large enough to fall upon a small group of people – each about fifteen meters up and across.

"You're doing well," Arion said, "but a horrible fate awaits you." After those words, a hiss sounded out.

GAAAAAAAAAAH!

The sound of steam running out of a boiling pot was followed with Souma's voice elevating with pain. Arion continued to watch. The front of Souma's left arm dissipated, leaving a black stump at the flexor joint.

"I'm not done!" Souma screamed in his mind to rage his Cosmos; his body flared, and his legs began to curve outward. Missing a part of his arm made the asteroid plummet on him more. Arion figured it would be only a matter of time: Lionet would either be crushed or disintegrated.

"Souma!" Someone screamed out, and the asteroid flung off Souma's hands.

By a foot! With each kick, wind pressure gradually pushed back the rock. Arion could not conceal his surprise. One kick after another, until the asteroid was flown upward into the violet air and crashed into the other two.

"Spinning Predation!" In one cry, a giant torrent of silver air ripped through the fore asteroid, and with a loud thundering boom, all three burst at once into pieces. What remained of the dark rocks fell as stardust. A clear, bright presence returned to the 4th Garden; everything that had happened left Arion standing in total silence. Lionet Souma let out a groan, his hand squeezing his black stump; losing strength in his knees, he was held waist up by the arms of Aquila Yuna. She whispered to her friend to hang in there. Rejuvenated by Athena's power, they could do this. Was this the power that aided Ryuho? Passed from him?

"You two. You did it."

Hearing Arion's voice, the two Bronze Saints gathered their breaths and composure, looking up to their enemy.

They did not expect to see a smile.

"I must congratulate you. You somewhat…survived and defeated my Tri-X Cluster. So that confirms it more than before. Athena somehow must've blessed you."

The Saints' strength to battle through such drastic situations has officially broken through Arion's steely temperament. To see them pass against two of his direct combat techniques, both meant for certain death, Arion was deeply intrigued.

"I understand now. The reason why we Terrae have lost. Why Megaera died, why you—Lionet and Aquila—survived Chiron's Pride…and the rift to the Path. Now, my Tri-X Cluster. You even surpassed my Chthon it seems. Maybe this is good. Facing such a great threat, I can release myself."

"The hell you yappin' about?" Souma spat, tightly holding the remaining half of his left arm.

"The admiration that I have for my Goddess and Naxos Island can burn bright. Under the Heavens, I can show my true might. To protect the peace."

"Whatever strength you contain, we must face you no matter what," said Yuna.

"If I can defeat you, I can defeat anyone. Right now, it looks like you're about to drop. How long can Athena's 'miracles' hold?"

"For as long as our Cosmos burn!" Aquila Yuna and Lionet Souma rushed toward Arion simultaneously.

I fight you til you break. I will avenge Meg here and now.

Yuna advanced first at rapid speed, forcing Arion to lurch back to avoid her kick, a breeze slapping against his face, forcing his eyes shut. Suddenly, a low hunched Souma rushed past him, his right fist—his remaining one—outward.

Suddenly, Arion's left knee quivered. "Tch!" It felt like something bit or drilled through his knee, a searing pain that swam up his entire leg, stalling it in one spot. Looking down, he saw a small spurt of flame flickering by his knee. A pinpoint attack?

Both Bronze Saints engage at the same time, front and back, unleashing their greatest attacks that could level the ground. For good measure, they advance close for Arion. They strike another pressured field but pierce right through.

Pegasus Kouga's eyes slowly open. The notion of how long he'd been out was put aside when his ears picked up the roars of battle. His body was still stunned from the poison of Chiron's Pride, but he aggravated himself enough to direct his attention to where the sounds came from. The voices of his friends echoed. When he looked ahead, he saw his two friends and Arion. The Terrae walked in between Lionet and Aquila, and then a few steps right past them as they were still as statues. The scene sent adequate strength through Kouga's body.

"What did you do, Arion?!" The Pegasus Saint's upper body rose.

"Within a human womb, the first thing that begins to construct within you is the cardiovascular system. If that ever were to fail, death is guaranteed."

An evasive ramble for an answer? Pegasus Kouga's face grew dark, folding in from anger.

"Yes, life, while predictable, can also be unpredictable. When we face traumatic disasters and diseases, how do miracles happen? How do we defy death? How do we cling to life? Is it the Gods mocking us? Is it our persistence? Our sheer willpower to live?"

Kouga scrambled to his feet and jetted right past Arion. Reaching his friends, a gasp left him; Yuna and Souma were standing, but their eyes were rolled back, showing nothing but a pale sclera. Breathless; from Yuna and Souma's chests were what could be simply described as a web of pink, clumped goo. A small crescent of that same gooey clump protruded out.

"I said what did you do?!" Kouga snapped.

"I regressed their hearts."

From Arion's answer, that imagery of a "web of goo" changed into a chunk of pink flesh and webbed veins spilling out from an open chest cavity. Fear seeped into Kouga's own heart, chilling him. It was sensed that Souma and Yuna's Cosmos were void. In Embryology, the heart does not have chambers but starts off looking like a "crescent", which would eventually grow into the conotruncus. The ghastly sight of the crescent-mimicked flesh made Aquila and Lionet look as if they barely touched the living world.

"Saints, even I," Arion continued, "are still corporeal. We are not Gods after all. Blessed or not, whether containing the Cosmos that can kill Gods or not, you cannot escape the life cycle, Pegasus."

Arion spun around and with blinding speed, he caught up to his target and his hand clutched Kouga's chest, where his heart is located. A light emanated between both. Hearing Pegasus's cry, Orion Eden sprang into action and wrapped his arms around Arion's torso. Kouga looked up, seeing a giant violet vortex wrapped in active lightning.

"Towa Tornado!" It was Eden's voice. It was a display of Cosmos that eyes couldn't turn away from—Eden and Arion swallowed by a giant tornado storm. The entire temple was swept by a heavy wind, which prompted Kouga to hold Souma and Yuna. He ignored their chilling skins. As he did, his friend and the Mother Goddess's guardian had their clash. Arion flew out of the apex of the vortex and his body fell prone to the ground.

Guh! After landing, Eden embraced his body and fell to his knees. It felt like his insides were about to explode; the Chthon Impulse was still affecting him. He had considered what he did to Kouga before, to diminish the so-called "core", but he conflicted over whether it would leave him defenseless or "burnt out".

His power. Maybe he is on the same scale as a Gold Saint, maybe more. A first class Pallasite?

Eden also affirmed to himself—he faced three Gods and should fear nothing. Eden brought his arms together and charged a sphere of Cosmos between his closed hands. His Cosmos elevating gave out a whizzing sound, accumulating to a higher volume. The sound of a charging attack.

"I am Bronze Saint Orion Eden. Arion, before you die, I want to know something."

Arion did not respond in return. He was slowly returning to his feet, his body coursing with electric currents and smoke. His left knee bucked from the sting of flame from Souma's attack. With a lift of his head, he shot a gold, hard glare at Eden.

"Are you really a Terrae?"

The 4th Garden of Horae was flooded with blinding light as Eden unleashed his attack at maximum Cosmos, the Tonitrui Fera Caelos. A large lightning bolt fired from Eden's hands, striking the knelt Arion. There's a discharged explosion, and the Terrae was swallowed by a large billow of smoke. The attack's loud rumble quieted down, leading to absolute silence. It seemed to mark the end of the battle.

Calling out his friend's name, Kouga rushed and quickly grabbed Eden before he collapsed, hefting him up by his waist. He felt Orion's arm slide behind his neck.

Eden's face was in a closed-eye grimace; he spoke as if holding back pain. "That Chthon Impulse that you once felt. I feel like my strength is gone, and I'm fighting to keep my consciousness."

"Is it over?" Kouga looked at Orion with concern, then turned to the smoke. Eden used all his power in that attack, he thought.

"I don't know." Eden breathed.

"Why?"

"I just thought about it: He seems different compared to the other Terrae. We've only saw two, but those two had their armor and a title."

"Right. Pan was Dancing Fibre and Ginga was Universal Supernova."

"Arion, however,…" Orion paused for a moment; he could've been overthinking, and picked his next words to prioritize the mission.

"Kouga, now is your chance to reach Demeter's Temple. The barrier could be down or at least, weakened. Put me down and get out of here. If what Arion said is right, then Athena is in Limbo near the Underworld. You must save her. Confront the Mother Goddess."

"But—"

"Have faith in yourself. You must—!"

Before Orion Eden's next words, Kouga looked down. Kouga, after seeing Eden's shocked face, noticed a pit within the Orion Cloth. It went through Eden's stomach; the Hunter Saint's weight dragged down Kouga as he collapsed to the ground.

"Eden! Eden!" In a panic, Kouga shook his friend. One by one, throughout this entire ordeal since entering Demeter's Gardens, the Cosmos of his friends seem to dissipate. He could not have anticipated this; he did not desire this.

"I must apologize for two things: First, a censure about the lack of care and heart within Orion Eden. That is why he was unable to defeat me." The voice of a man emerging from a cave. Kouga stood up and glued his eyes on the smoke cloud, hearing footsteps. He gritted his teeth; he felt a blade behind his neck as a rising Cosmos hung in the air, submerging the surroundings into a deep red and blue. What he felt restrained was his anger.

"And second: For holding back. 'Am I a real Terrae?' Orion asked? Indeed!"

Kouga peered as a sharp appendage slid out of the fumes and whipped upward, swathing it away to reveal a half-obscured form slowly stepping out.

"I am the strongest member of Demeter's Four Terrae, the one privileged to stand by her side as a symbol of what she wholly stands for. Owner of the most esteemed title personally given by Demeter herself, as proof of her trust and benediction." It was clearly Arion's voice; it wasn't over, but Kouga stood stupefied. A man wearing purple armor with gold fittings had appeared from the smoke. The thing that had cut through the smoke was one of a pair of wings. Metallic, falcon-like wings out of the back of the armor.

"That title: I am known as Life Cycle Arion, the Terrae of Heroic Triptolemus (トリプトレモス英雄のテラ). And now, out of the invaders of Naxos Island, there is only one left, Pegasus. You."

Chapter Text

Your hearts are burning with…ambition. Despite that, all I know in the world is that all living things are fated to perish.

Arion's thoughts reflect a man that refused to give up. He also dreaded Demeter's fate, which gave him enough to pursue his enemy's defeat.

What prompted Orion Eden to ruminate over the enemy was beyond anyone's guess. If he compared his foes thus far, they were mostly warriors of the divine or divine themselves. However, he felt that Arion was different. Even the Gods wore armor on mortal grounds, much like his father's Galaxy and Saturn's Chronotector. The visual of a lower peasant Terrae with a robe, but carried the air of nobility, struck Eden as odd.

Loom Pan was the Terrae of Dancing Fibre, Boron Ginga was the Terrae of Universal Supernova, and Megaera was the Terrae of Scorching Fury. But what was the well-mannered Arion supposed to be? In a blink of an eye, it seemed that everything was revealed, and seemed to take a step towards the worse for the Saints.

Kouga was at a lost to react. Why did a Stole appear only now? It was blue as the sky, carrying wings, wrapped around the enemy's entire body. Such a color and shape would maybe invite calm and safety, a rite of passage for Kouga to somewhere that dissuaded him from anger and fighting. A color of trust, authority, and assurance; about 50% of the world's national flags had the color blue to them.

"Before we resume," said Arion, "I'll give you time to move your friends". As Arion used the wings sprouting behind his Stole to brush away the rest of the smoke, Kouga returned to his senses. He growled and picked up his friends one by one as Arion continued.

"You seemed confused, Pegasus. Did you know that the 4th Garden of Horae has another name? The Garden of Triptolemus, the immortal warrior that served Demeter."

As he listened, pacing, Kouga was particularly gentle with Yuna and Souma when he set them down next to each other by the right wall. The scrappy-looking flesh puffing out their chests could not be made out, but Kouga's instincts told him to be delicate.

"After the Mythological Era, it stands as a reminder of a guardian temple for Demeter—a Garden—to remember the mortal that Demeter blessed and sent all over the world as her priest."

"Are you saying that you're a divine being? A descendent of Triptolemus?" After setting down Eden, Kouga strode away and stood face-to-face with Arion.

"Triptolemus was the son of a King, who was in Demeter's debt. Becoming a Terrae, I was given the Prince's spiritual power by Demeter's Imítheós Angigma (ημίθεος άγγιγμα). Therefore, it is my duty to serve as both a leader in Naxos, and as a second for Demeter and her human host. But enough of that. I'd love to tell you more Pegasus, but we are enemies."

Glowering, Kouga twisted at the hip to an attack stance. His Cosmos swam around his body in a silver-bluish hue.

"Maybe in the afterlife, there will be hope for even you," said Arion.

Kouga closed one hand into a fist and pulled it to his waist. "Earlier, did you say that my friend lacked care and heart?" He asked, shooting a fierce glare at Arion.

"Orion? Indeed."

"I'll use one blow." Those few words from Pegasus made Arion's brow crinkle. Even after everything that has happened, with each Saint falling to his abilities, Pegasus still carried a nerve.

"After I defeat you, you will apologize, and you tell me where Athena is. Take me to her!"

"Very well."

"Pegasus Sui Sei Ken!" Kouga brought his arm forward, and Arion whited out. Or rather, it felt like his entire vision, his entire space, was swallowed by an explosive light. Arion stretched out, then wrapped his wings around himself; behind them, he heard the roar of air from Kouga's attack. So, he won't give up.

The light flew through and tapered behind Arion, who unfurled his wings. Staring with gold eyes that burned toward his opponent, the 4th Terrae stood quietly.

"Then I'll punch a thousand holes into your Stole!" Kouga showed no despondency, fierce eyes asserting to not give up-or was it unforgiveness? With another punch, the air split apart and glimmered; Arion nearly lost sight of Kouga in an endless flurry of meteors. When they struck, it was hit after hit from punches. Even initiated from a distance, they felt like heavy punches from up close.

Arion didn't take the blows – that would be a man who lacked common sense. He had to create an aura around his Stole with his Cosmos. Even from the Sui Sei Ken, he felt a buckle and then a shockwave that threatened to knock him away. Once again, he had to ask himself where the Bronzes' strength came from. He knew full well that the Cosmos from Athena's Saints, most of them, brought destruction to sky and earth. Fortunately, he was a Terrae of barriers. Loom Pan managed her shields through a weaving technique, imitating metal weapons that took blows. The resilience depended on the items' physical size and her own ability; Andromeda's Rolling Defense was similar; Arion's scale of power simply surpassed that through his own Cosmos.

Agh!

The wave of punches ended. Before he moved, Kouga pulled in a huge amount of breath. Completely freezing the Pegasus Saint, Arion's fist had pummeled into his Cloth cuirass.

"Your friend Eden lost because your Saints lack something!" Arion pushed his punch in further, severing the Cloth's elasticity. It felt sore and heavy in comparison to the softness of his gold eyes, frozen within an austere face.

"And that is Chivalry!"

When Arion pulled back his fist, Kouga fell. He had not experienced the ferocity of Arion's close combat firsthand and it surprised him. So far, Arion fought with tricks to deter or divert the enemy's strikes, and he clearly had launching attacks that could literally break bodies. The ability of pliability— like his goddess, Triptolemus also had the ability to create grain from the ground, which was home to the minerals that formed a god's temples and mankind's weapons and armor. Did Arion's own hands contain some form of "governing"? Even for hypermetal?

Pegasus managed to stand back up. After all, Arion was not allowed to snuff out his life if he had anything to say about it.

As Pegasus transcended the bounds of what fate is supposed to be, or the Life cycle, the strong consuming the weak, Demeter moved downstairs in a furious gait. It was the stairs behind her temple, which stretched into the well to Limbo. There, she met her nemesis, bounded from neck to ankles by the Cerebus's chains. What brought along such abuse?

"Athena!" The Mother Goddess roared. "The strength of your Saints, tell me how!"

Athena, in the face of Demeter's furious gaze, stood expressionless, and Demeter could not help but define that as obstinance. Her brow caved when Demeter squeezed her chin.

"You took my daughters from me. You will answer."

"Faith." Despite being a prisoner, Athena could say a word with an unclouded belief. When that word slipped from the tongue, tales of the many times she reincarnated on Earth and betrayed the Gods to aid the mortals felt genuine. Warmth radiated from her eyes in this Limbo.

"What?!"

"Faith in their Cosmos. A burning feeling in their hearts and the love they have for their planet. When I see this demonstrated, I can't help but cry."

"Is that why you can sacrifice yourself so easily?" Demeter asked, which led to no answer; Athena closed her eyes as affirmation.

"Whether brave, selfless, or pious, the sin of harming my family will not pass by me lightly," Demeter opined. "Furthermore, Megaera should've never lost to them!" She then turned to the Specter laying on the shadowed ground limbs flat like a dog. In one hand was the lithe chain wrapped around Athena.

"Meadow! Did she do something?! Anything?!"

Dark Meadow curved his neck to look up at the Goddess and could only shake his head. Demeter was obviously exasperated like a child. With Arion away, she was not satisfied staying in bed and had to disgorge the fire that was churning in her body. She did not know how to properly mourn and her negative emotions were usually dished out as anger. She will go up and down as long as the assault on Naxos continued.

"That's right, Chivalry. The reason why we Terrae are first-rate warriors. We respect and protect all life because of holy Chivalry." Arion construed that word, and with cool confident reason, as some form of edict among his people. "The Mother Goddess Demeter blessed us with great power after all, and you are people of a War Goddess after all. Creatures of emotion who grow through fighting."

"So what?!" Was the only retort Kouga could muster.

"Still standing Pegasus? Why? Were you too touched by God? I will see to it that it won't last." The fact that four Saints made it to his Temple made Arion reflect on his battle with Souma and Yuna, despite having defeated them. Maybe the defeat will eventually come and there will be no defiance. Even Kouga wasn't sure himself. But he knew to always continue fighting.

Pegasus's leg reached out, his foot lunging into the Stole's lower trunk. Arion felt a shake and was momentarily shocked for a couple of seconds. When he regained focus, he threw a punch at Kouga again.

"Are you being presumptuous, Pegasus!?" Arion bit his lip as his haughty words left a silent trail; his punch was caught in Kouga's hand. Anger bubbled inside the so-called Strongest Terrae—did the enemy dare to fight toe-to-toe with him as an equal? Arion felt the Bronzes' punches and kicks before, and it was like a true battle that he hasn't experienced in a long time. People of Naxos hailed him as a hero, a sorcerer with infallible magic. Because Naxos hardly faced threat, were there a few times when he could invite his "magic" to protect his island and Goddess?

Before The Saints, there were the cursed ocean nymphs called Oceanids. Fifteen years ago—it may have been Orphne that emerged from the sea in an uncomprehending frenzy. Because it was a Divine Spirit, Arion struggled, but it was said that his powers and his courage emerged the greatest at that time. He was a young boy, took it all to heart, but after that, did he strive to be a warrior? Demeter insisted that her Terrae learned how to battle even in present-day just like back in Mythological Era. She made them local police and even sent them around the world to handle threats to the growth of Earth, usually evil spirits. However, the Swithen Terrae rarely had an owner and was rarely sent out; when it did, he or she faced terrorists that caused war crimes. Was their pride truly strong?

Arion threw out his hand and Kouga, with no room to escape, was captured in a vortex that had him frozen on his toes. His techniques were efficient so why?

"You will pay Pegasus!" With Kouga in place, Arion shoved a punch in the Pegasus Cloth.

"You instill fear and sorrow within my Goddess."

Another punch, swinging against the face; with that furious attack came the anger that emerged from Arion's stomach, entering his voice.

"Because of you, Megaera is dead!" Another swing against the head again.

"Pan is devastated!" Kouga gasped as Arion struck his gut.

"And Ginga has disappeared!" After that, the vortex released Kouga and the Saint fell against the ground again, catching himself with his hands and knees. The marbled path that cut through the temple chamber blurred before Kouga's eyes. Hit after hit, he felt like he would pass out. He would not notice Arion's exasperated face.

"Your Goddess started everything! You are a poison to this island, Pegasus!" Hardly anyone witnessed venom radiating from Arion. Getting back onto his feet, Kouga's standing body convulsed, nearly a dead man walking. Arion could turn his back on him.

"My passion to protect my Goddess is stronger, is it not? Do you now understand that you don't stand a chance?"

"I won't…" Words slowly sipped from Kouga's pants, "give up." He looked up and Arion shook before him like an illusion. Was his reaching his limit? Could he burn his Cosmos with his senses in disarray? In the back of his mind, he wondered just how to win.

Arion's eyes narrowed. "Are you stubbornly standing out of concern or regret for your friends?" From such words, Kouga's eyebrows bucked. Did it come as a shock?

"Are you angry with me?" That question seemed plausible, but did anger ignite the willpower of a Saint? There was also another notion that came to Arion, but it never left his mouth.

Fear? Such thoughts are plucked up like flowers as ideas. He became more impressed by his enemies, but he never applied the thought that Pegasus was stronger. Nor "could get stronger". Kouga took a slow heavy step forward.

"Pinpoint," he uttered low. "She said…focus."

Arion stood unworried, ruffling his wings. He thought of a way to break apart his enemy's body and was going to suggest it openly, but he watched the Saint with interest.

"My Cosmos…explode. She…said…" Another step forward. Then, his eyes wavered. It shined with recovered stamina.

Many years ago, there was a time when Kouga couldn't walk. He had to remain wrapped in a blanket, but he could not cling to a mother. There was no mother or father; Kouga was abandoned at ruins, the site of a legendary battle against Saint and God. Maybe he fell from the sky? Saori Kido, the vessel of Athena, would raise Kouga at both Sanctuary and at her secluded home after repelling Mars.

"Make him a Sanctuary child?" Someone told Athena. Someone who was too familiar with Athena's magnanimity…a silver-masked Saint. The Goddess said it was fate from the stars; with much regret, the boy called Kouga would not grow into an ordinary boy, but contained an intense warm Cosmos. She had wondered why? As Kouga grew, taking steps, Seiya disappeared after another battle with Mars and the stars had yet to choose a new Pope. Since the death of Saga, and other Gold Saints from the Sanctuary war, the highest authority remained vacant. The gap stretched more so after the war with Hades. Athena was too aware of the dwindling of power.

She turned to the masked Silver Saint. "Shaina, there was a message in Sagittarius temple. Etched on the ground."

"He's alive?!"

"He must be. It states 'Show the path of the constellations. The path of light.'"

"Sounds like something he would say. But for it to appear-"

"Shaina, I have a request. The boy in my care, Kouga, when he is of age, teach him the way of the Saint."

Kouga would scorch the memories of the training in his mind, especially with Shaina's aggressiveness. When an energy burst from his body, it completely startled him. He didn't realize its importance, having not seen war himself; how his life would change so much. As he remembered his teacher, Kouga wondered if he was about to die. He remembered those days: Cosmos were like a constellation born in his body, he had to concentrate it on one part and unleash it. "Feel it burn inside of you" and "everything is made up of energy" she used to say.

"Focus where you want to strike! Turn your fist into a Meteor!" If anything, Kouga wished he would completely apologize for each time he complained.

"Arion…" Another heavy step, and the two propelled towards each other. Their thoughts were simple: Arion would finish it and Kouga wouldn't yield. Arion wanted to plunge his hand into Kouga's body and take out his heart.

But a fist then pummeled against his head guard. Wallowing in confusion, he heard Kouga's scream.

"You live, therefore, I can defeat you. God or man! Do not underestimate the courage of humans!"

Another flurry of Pegasus Ryu Sei Ken entered Arion's vision; for some reason, his mind recalled something completely different.

"Read this story yet, Arion? You got to appreciate them—the courage of human beings."

Ginga?

"Arion! This Cloth and this fist is used for righteousness!"

Chapter Text

After he threw out his hip with all he could for the punch, Kouga squeezed his eyes shut and stood there with his fist out. Being familiar with Chthon Impulse, Pegasus's Cosmos possibly broke the core that attacked his body, then reignited the Cosmos that was supposed to be diminished. Or maybe it wasn't fully diminished. A simple excuse for something outside Arion's expectations. He had to deal with these contradictions and miracles over and over; at this point, Arion considered just fighting until one or the other was defeated. Just one more enemy was in front of him.

The Ryuseiken passed by, and the memory of Ginga whisked away in seconds as Arion reorganized himself, holding a part of his face. The Terrae thought of his next attack, and lifted his other hand to prepare. He was then stopped by another magnetizing sight.

"Miss Shaina, Miss Saori...you Terrae took them." With his fist outward, and speaking in a dejected, choking tone, Pegasus Kouga was crying. Shaina made him remember the flames in his heart; even though she was suffering, and kept her identity as a goddess hidden, Saori embraced Kouga like one of her children. That's how it felt to Kouga; it was those two who stood for him and raised him. Now, one was taken permanently and the other was taken beyond safe boundaries to be executed. To face those facts shook his heart and flooded him with memories.

"You took my teacher, Miss Shaina. She taught me what it meant to be a Saint, she taught me about the Cosmos…and all I did was complain. I didn't understand! And Miss Saori, who is Athena…she raised me, taught me love, and you're telling me you're going to have her killed?!" Kouga has yet to walk into a mood where the opponent showed sympathy. Arion's only answer was an astute stare; sympathy aside, he was not going to stand for complaints while battling the enemy.

"Pegasus. I will use the technique that defeated your friend, Eden." The Terrae's hand rose high above his head and the atmosphere drowned in dark purple once more.

"Tri X Cluster!" Three giant bodies of stone materialized in the air and flew toward Kouga. It was the same technique that was used on Souma and irradiated a part of his arm; Kouga assumed that the sizes could change since Eden was struck by a smaller projectile. It passed Eden smoothly—in other words, it was a dangerous attack.

No matter what danger he faced, Kouga had to remember Shaina's words: Everything could be destroyed by his fist and kicks; human and God, everything had atoms as targets.

The asteroids flew to Kouga quickly and everything went white. He expected to take them out with his own fist, placing faith in the Cosmos. However, being at the best of one's ability did not prepare him for the gravitational forces that sucked him into the impact. Kouga felt like he was being eaten—when the three giant asteroids broke into multiple pieces from an attack—still smothered him.

There was a secret to the Tri X: Without a "unique" energy of magnificent scale, maybe indefinable, it could not be destroyed. Very few knew the underlying reason, but to most, it was considered an infallible attack using real meteorites. For Souma and Yuna to destroy it, Arion supposed that they carried the identical Cosmos of a God. That had to be it.

Kouga fell to the ground still in one piece, with dust and multiple shards of rock and metal raining down on him. Arion narrowed his eyes seeing the Pegasus Cloth still attached, secretly praising Pegasus's endurance in his mind, while at the same time, annoyed that his opponent won't completely perish. Kouga slowly rose back to his feet; his body looked to stand in a forlorn display as he was surrounded by a regolith.

Kouga took in a few breaths and mumbled, "They are reaching out to me." Still physically and mentally attached, Arion figured, but who was "they"? The Terrae stood still as he discerned a moving pressure that suffused the air. Pegasus is gathering something, Arion wondered. There had to be a reason why the enemy was still alive. The pressure he felt could be traced like a ribbon floating in the wind. Arion's gaze averted to the left, to the far end of the temple wall. Arion saw the fallen three: Yuna, Eden and Souma. His eyebrow bumped. He remembered regressing Yuna and Souma's hearts to a small immature size. Eden still had a hole in him.

"Focus on me, Arion!"

Hearing Kouga's voice rise, Arion looked ahead again and lifted his hands, an unseeable barrier materializing between the two. Kouga's fist landed on it, blinding the two in a flash of light. The Pegasus Suiseiken could only be subdued to a point where it wouldn't hit Arion directly. At least, not immediately. It being condensed to a single point, Arion could feel the attack pushing through. An impending impact may arrive in seconds, he thought, his body protected by Demeter's strongest Stole even vibrating. Arion had a sudden epiphany—a burst of strength that both he and Pegasus realized was not out of thin air. The words came out slowly through Arion's gritted teeth.

"They're…alive?!"

It was them!?

Lionet Souma, Aquila Yuna and Orion Eden were considered clinically dead; in this state, even if the heart stops, oxygen remains in your veins. However, the heart must remain beating via resuscitation techniques before too long. Still, it was this state of Clinical Death being the reason why people could reattach limbs, but recovery was not fully guaranteed due to ischemic damage. The ability to repair became unstable due to lack of nutrients, but did the Cosmos rebrand the theories of therapeutic study? Overcame that challenge? Yuna and Souma's hearts still carried life and pumped; Eden hung by a thread. Even Kouga survived Tri-X Cluster—perhaps the answer to a person reviving from unpredictable circumstances is a rapid function of the body, especially if one has control of the Cosmos, possibly keeping them alive. It was also true that the energy of other stars could shed off or eject and pass along to others, such as after an explosion. Even if would be strange to think of humans having magnetic fields, it didn't seem like a stretch. The Cosmos of Gods could influence an entire world after all. For a mortal, what was the potential? An infinite potential?

The Suiseiken's glare died down, and an unfamiliar sound reached Kouga's ear: Arion's scream. The Fourth Terrae doubled over to his knees, holding his side. After sliding by, Kouga turned around and saw a bubble encapsulated in one side of Arion's waist. It pooled there in a gape. Kouga praised himself in his mind—he was sure that he injured his opponent and was confident that he could do it again. When Arion looked down as to where that surging pain came from, seeing that gape coated in a "black substance", his face changed from twisted agony to shock.

He then shot the same gaze to Kouga, which froze Kouga to perplexity. To see those gold eyes burn with a disturbance, his mouth quivering.

"It can't be….Pegasus?!" Pulling up one leg, Arion's movement belied his injury. The two were face to face. The Terrae suddenly snatched Kouga's strike hand and scanned his eyes up and down the boy's arm.

"Let go you bastard!" The words came out fast, but Kouga did not resist and held everything still, including his mouth, for the next minute. He was honestly surprised.

"The entire time, who or what was I fighting?" At Arion's question, Kouga only hummed in wonderment. He contained to break out a scowl. Pegasus thought of it as a stupid question, but why was it even asked?

That power you contain…Those were Arion's only thoughts as his face had yet to relax in tension. He looked up at Kouga, mouthing strange words.

"Erebus."

"What?"

"Pegasus Kouga…why do you have this?" The battle went still.

Chapter Text

Pegasus Kouga's arm was within the enemy's grasp as it was examined with zealous curiosity. When he looked down at his wrist, he saw veins bubbling and crackling with a black current, and it left him without words. Then, the Fourth Terrae that he yearned to defeat uttered a strange word: "Erebus".

Arion released Kouga's arm and took a few steps back. "The primordial of darkness," he said. "Erebus was among the Cosmic Ocean as it created the universe." Kouga looked stupefied.

In the 1960s, a man proposed SSPS to end fossil fuels: Using the eternal energy of the sun by converting it to electricity in hopes to replace oil. Aside from that, there was another study that remains in the grasp of theorists and phenomena interpreters –the interest in Dark Matter and Dark Energy may have existed since the 19th century, but popped into records in the 1960s. The sun made our sky blue; why was space black? An ultimate reason has yet to be reached. Even high-end physicists took a jab at it, implying that there are weak massive particles of abnormal matter—maybe white and brown dwarves—and giant black holes, making up outer space's darkness. It was a form of rapid acceleration that makes the universe. Or so it's said, despite the matter being hardly detectable.

In the Era of Myth, during creation, it's said that Khaos formed space before the children of Sea and Earth. It was often described as "water"; theorists called it energy fluid. From Arion's description, Kouga's mind immediately went back to his first Holy War. When it came to the term "darkness", it could be the embodiment of everything that made Kouga become, and fight as, a real Saint. It led to only one question.

"Are you saying that this in my arm, and your wound, is it a dark Cosmo?" As a baby, a sorceress summoned a large meteorite and plagued Kouga's body with a "dark Cosmos", which served as a forthcoming to a great threat.

"You are aware of it in some way?" Arion said, releasing the Saint's arm. "For you to understand that, you must've faced one of the Ocean. But to ever see one? And to be alive somehow?"

"You mean Abzu?"

There are many dark or night deities that are among the primeval waters, including Abzu and Orphne. Their purpose was being a part of balance above all, and it can be said that the universe was truly theirs. If such Gods were to eye the earth for a reason to rid of it; for them to do so means that their anger was triggered somehow…it hardly happens. Maybe there was despair in an enclosed land? Arion was completely perplexed and Athena's Saints were getting more questionable by the minute.

"That name…did a dark god become radical?"

"Abzu used another god to rule the world. He took my body, but I defeated him in the end with the help of Athena and my friends," explained Kouga.

"That explains why you would have that Cosmos."

"No!" Kouga shouted exasperatedly. Remembering back then, he could recall the fear he had of losing control to the darkness and harming his friends. How the Dark Cosmos injured Seiya and the other Legendary Bronzes.

"That cruel Cosmos…it's not possible for me to have it because Abzu was defeated!"

"That type of Cosmos cannot just disappear, Pegasus," said Arion. "It is difficult to explain: The power of the Cosmic Ocean is not described as fire, earth, and air. It's not evil or destructive per say, but it is everything. A true power in the hands of Gods. It beholds a limitless power that we cannot see, but we are certain of its purpose to expand and attract the worlds. It's called the Cosmic Ocean Cosmos or primordial waters Cosmos."

"Primordial?"

"Let me get to the main point: because it is an Ocean Cosmos, it's said that its essence remains in your blood. Our very bodies, like our Earth, contain water and make it prone to the effects of an unknown space. You can think of it as a scar or mark. Pollution. Phantom Pain. It will probably stay in you for years, if not for good."

"That's not true!"

"A power from the Cosmic Ocean cannot easily fade. If what you say is all true, then perhaps its resurgence is my fault." Arion opened a palm and raised it to his face level. Floating above his hand appeared a small meteorite. A piece of the Tri-X cluster.

"This."

"What about it?"

"My meteorites from the Tri-X Cluster, said to be abstracted from the depths of space, contain a dark matter and a dark energy."

The true secret behind the Tri-X Cluster—it was imbued with steel that contained a "curse". Cursed stars. It was said to be dark matter, the very thing that caused the universe to expand, but almost nothing is known of its existence. It can't be observed. This leads to the asteroids being called X Type, objects with an unknown taxonomy. Some objects were made of iron or nickel, or the common clay and rock. Despite being called very rare, X Type can have multiple familiarities with common asteroids, but could also contain magnetic fields, gases, and strong radiation albedo. Even so, Arion's attack contained a metallic, absorptive surface. It was capable of disintegrating Souma's arm as it contained a repelling matter that "throws away" familiar energy like atoms.

"Therefore, because both dark matter and energy cannot be touched and seen, holding the universe together in a void, the Cosmos that we are born with cannot fully destroy this asteroid. Especially not a Bronze Saint's. I assume when it hit you, it awakened the Cosmic Ocean within."

He would describe that as the one who holds the title of Life Cycle, Arion had the world in his hand. The barriers and the way that he repelled attacks, it all came from his ability to touch the barometric pressure of the entire land and even space. Thanks to the Gods, and a 19th century Chemist named John Dalton, it was discovered that all things we see, smell, hear, taste and touch carried "fundamental, undivided bits" that are alive. It was the same as the universe even though significantly less compared to Earth; the majority of it was a mysterious, dark field, a land that influenced the Tri X Cluster.

Because it lacked perceptible matter, reviving the power of the dark ocean from someone's body was a very rare thing.

As he stood, ignoring the open gap at his waist, with darkness undulating there, a shade crossed Arion's face.

"Pegasus Kouga…my thoughts about you seem to get worse," Arion's voice becomes a drawl that seems to lean behind a barrier of insanity. "For you to wield this power and live, to have it embedded in you, you are beyond even your own imagination."

"Stop talking like that! I am only one thing—!"

"How do you do it? Nothing makes sense. Does it slake you defeat and kill anything? Kill Gods?"

"I am Pegasus Kouga, I was taught by Shaina and I am a Saint of Athena, of Miss Saori!"

"Maybe the Cosmic Ocean has a mind of its own. Maybe you live because you're currently ideal to its desires? So that battle and living can evolve? To support Athena?"

"I managed to make it here with my own power!"

"Nonsense! Your own power is never enough without the touch of God. Kouga, even if it cost me my life, I will stop you. As an agent of Triptolemus, I am the only one who can!"

Arion would not mention it, but there was a reason behind his shock and fear – he now realized that Kouga not only has a unique power, but has a probability to truly kill Demeter. The Cosmic Ocean was called the Cosmos which could overcome everything as it pertains to the creation of the universe. It was an ancient power overwhelming to even the Titans and Olympians. For such a creation, it took life into its own "ocean" and contain it there.

"I will say this, Arion—the impossible can be possible!"

Both Saint and Terrae swiftly charged one another. They strike with one punch and explode. Arion thought of sending Kouga's power right back. The same ability Arion used against Souma, and Seiya against the Dodona guardian Hecaton: As Cosmos reached out and opposed one another in a concentrated field, seen by a trained eye, the atoms are absorbed in one spot briefly and thrown right back. Using another's force against them – the same as drawing an opponent off balance and into attacks. But they must move at the same time. Arion straightened his axis; good form and pinpointing the aim of the knuckles was the key. It's like a swift ramming attack - Tie Shan Kao (鐵山靠) or Tetsuzanko (鉄山靠).

Like a thrashing wave, The Cosmic Ocean ejected behind both Arion and Kouga. It lashed at the left and right side of Arion, and consumed Kouga. A splash of Cosmos mixed with silver, purple, and black. Through battle practice, according to records of Erebus and other dark gods, once power from the Cosmic Ocean hit a lifeform, it won't be taken by a "destructive" power, but have its presence absorbed. It will disappear. It is a faultless power that should not exist in the hands of humans.

It was also very erratic—for its property of acceleration increased Kouga's Cosmos tenfold. What was the probability of that happening? It was that window of probability, small or not, that Arion feared. After the punch, Pegasus Ryuseiken collided with a mass unleash of X Cluster. To the human eye, it would be a flash.

Perhaps being familiar with the X Cluster and its origin was the reason why Arion, the agent of Triptolemus, survived to any extent. To think that his techniques would first prevent the Saints from using their Cosmos, and then, would cause it to expand in power. He regretted awakening the Cosmic Ocean inside Kouga.

On his knees, his head bowed down, an image ripped through his head—seeing Demeter's body pelted by holes or missing limbs. It was anxiety. Being consumed by the Ocean, the Goddess would contain a disturbed look on her face. Maybe in her mind and heart, which would slowly disappear, she would realize that death approached.

A voice vibrated through the entire courtyard; Arion's body trembled.

"Pegasus!"

Kouga, a distance apart, heard Arion's scream from a nearly downed body. The Stole was broken here and there, a part of a wing snapped off, and all Kouga felt in his body was lightness. It was a familiar feeling where the insides of his body slowly swelled with a warm Cosmos. It was visible around his body as a thick, silver halo, and it felt like he could get through anything. He remembered seeing an avalanche of meteorites coming his way, and when he lifted his fist, one by one, the rocks exploded.

"Stay away from her!"

Pegasus Kouga was trying to orient his mind. The atmosphere was clear again, but his body continue to wax inside. Despite yearning to defeat his enemy, and having thought that he was on the brink of death, it didn't feel real.

"I won't let you!" The Terrae's voice seeped into a whisper. It felt safe for Kouga to approach slowly. The Terrae was a man who fell to his knees after all.

"Kouga…you can't…"

Kouga blinked; Arion wouldn't see the boy's face show some expression of comprehension.

"Arion…do you…?!"

"At the least, I could prevent it or mitigate it…so you don't use it on Demeter."

Arion's arm reached out, and the Dragon's Vault appeared spiraling behind Kouga. Kouga looked over his shoulder and saw a bird's eye view of an ocean. Suddenly, a regolith elevated and threw itself upon the Saint, smothering him up to his neck in residue. Kouga's mouth opened to gasp, shocked that he felt a heavy weight crushing his body.

But that weight slowly slid off. Arion's arm lowered. The image of the sea disappearing, The Dragon's Vault contracted and fell to the ground.

Damn it…please move. I can't die here.

The Fourth Garden of Horae became silent. Eventually, Pegasus Kouga would leave for Demeter's Temple.

Chapter Text

He felt their lives trying to reach out, but he had to leave them again.

"I made it...I made…"

Pegasus Kouga climbed another flight of stairs—leading to the last destination—all the while, steeling his resolve as he left his friends. It was combined with anger. Passing the threshold of large double doors, his eyes met majestic surroundings; columns of the Doric order ran parallel to the back end of the chamber, which was covered in towering curtains.

"Demeter!" Pegasus Kouga's voice reflected as an echo, reaching nothing inside the empty room.

It didn't feel that different from Sanctuary's Pope Chamber. A small stairway reached up to an elevation to the throne. The throne was empty; Kouga was filled with a sense of hollowness, and calmness touched him. How is the temple of his enemy empty? Kouga looked around while taking slow steps toward the throne, then he froze. It wasn't an attack, but his eyes met with a sight that put his brain in shock. Like watching a train wreck, his attention was inevitably grasped. On the left wall was a decoration. Plastered like a trophy or a ghastly image of an open-jawed stuffed game from the woods—a practice called taxidermy—was the petrified body of Pisces Amor. He was nailed by boulders at each of his limb joints. That incident with him and Demeter—his face was definitely crushed by a rock, the last thing Amor saw, but did the Goddess preserve his body and face for the moment when the enemy arrived?

The Saint suddenly sensed a rising Cosmos—a dangerous one that did not feel like from an ally—and there was a voice.

"Even though he's long gone, she said that she wanted to make an example of that fool."

Pegasus Kouga swiftly turned again, and the next thing he saw was a jagged silhouette, which was then obscured by something erected from the ground. The Saint saw a bony structure, a skeletal hand, larger than him. Curling its fingers, it grabbed Kouga tightly. With a burst of Cosmos, running through his body, the hand flew out in fragments. Bone clattered the ground loudly, then became wafting dust.

"Wow, that's some power. So, you beat Arion after all. You must be that interesting guy called Pegasus." The figure that had just arrived moved closer, revealing his features. Impish eyes seem to laugh at Kouga as they suit the wide, stretching smirk and the black hair of this person. Kouga looked perplexed.

"Wait? The Gold Saint of Cancer?" In the temple of his current enemy, sensing an antagonistic Cosmo, the young Bronze was face to face with another of his own. It was also not a revived Gold such as Schiller, Amor or Sonia; Kouga clearly saw a Cloth as bright and gold as the sun. So, he felt a bit of relief; a strong ally had come to help him fight Demeter. Maybe. It might've been a desperate wish.

"Nice to meet you, Pegasus. Aren't you a resilient son of a bitch? Sorry, but I can't let you through or touch the Mother Goddess. I'm finishing you here."

Kouga immediately thought back at what Pan said. "Are you Hermes?"

"Nailed it. I am the Gold Saint, Cancer Hermes."

"You're working for Demeter after all!?"

"Look pal, I just had a long convo with Athena about all of this. I don't feel like repeating myself, and besides, you're just too late."

"Why 'too late'?! Where is Athena?!"

"Athena is in Limbo right now at the Prison of Tartarus."

Arion had told Kouga the same, but the young Saint wanted it truly confirmed. Maybe he didn't want to believe it; adding to the confusion, why was Cancer Saint telling him this so matter-of-factly?

"Then what the hell are you doing?!"

"You're good with jokes. Anyways, I'm in no mood for questions. The Cloth of Ophiuchus will revive Hades's soul and you can't do nothing." Cancer Hermes often smiled, but it was a smile that aimed to kill—his viciousness was boiling to the surface. White-violet will-o-wisps appeared at the top of five raised fingers.

"So just die."

Now Arion's words—about the "Athena being in custody due to Saints own ilk" or the like—were remembered. Kouga also knew of Cancer's specific ability to take souls to the Underworld. Something sparked in Kouga's body and clear anger emerged on his face, wide eyes aimed towards Hermes.

"It was you!"

Before a step was made, a loud voice interjected. "STOP!" The two Saints were brought to a standstill—it was like a chill. Another Cosmos entered the chamber. Kouga turned towards the throne and saw a sparkling, thick aura cast over a body.

"It's been a long while, Saint of Pegasus." A beautiful figure in a Greek dress.

The Mother Goddess appeared from the shadows of her curtains. Her platinum hair and verdant eyes were magnetic; narrowing his eyes, determination welled inside of Kouga as he always made up his mind to fight a true God once more.

"You're here, Demeter."

"It seems you made it this far, you disgusting warrior."

"I am the Bronze Saint of Athena, Pegasus Kouga. This was all to protect the Earth; even as a Mother Goddess, you seemed to have abandoned that ideal." Kouga faced the burning verdant eyes of Demeter. By the way they looked, she would kill a child after the defeat of the Terrae. They clashed with Kouga's own eyes that read courage.

"Impudent as always, Pegasus. It is always humans who nearly destroy the living. Struggling to survive, the progression in evil, greed, technology, and desires. I, Demeter, have nearly driven life to extinction due to my family and their safety. It's an adversity that both God and man have faced. It is not 'evil' you face, but only something "'disagreeable'. As the Mother Goddess, my grief has such power. Would you blame me?"

"So what?! Many Saints died because of you. Haruto died because of you. Why cause us grief when you grieve? How selfish can you be?! Say what you will. I've come to defeat you!"

Compared to Kouga, he was superficially angry, and it showed through his voice, Demeter somehow contained her fury. Each word from her lips came out with meticulous heed, but the words she chose hinted a closed, simmering furnace within her.

"Silence. You have committed a grievous act. To invade my Gardens and attack my family…"

"Do your worst."

"Hermes, move." The Goddess growled the order, and the Cancer Saint stepped to the side without a word. A lithe hand was raised; that sparkling aura continued to pulsate. Plants embellishing vines sprouted from the ground, snaking around Kouga's ankles and wrists, holding him in one spot.

"You probably won't turn back, but know that it is too late. Still, my fury will be intense. Meagara will have her vengeance. You harmed my family, and now, now Pegasus, I will become a demon."

Before there was another word or answer, the atmosphere quickly turned dark. The plants became dark, and they wilt and die. Kouga doesn't suffocate, but instead, the force upon him is quite strong. Vines held him in place; then, something rattled his very spirit like being crushed between the largest boulders. It happened so fast that he didn't have to time be surprised at a God's power. He could not describe the force that was taking his body; he felt elastic and that he was going to snap in half from the waist.

"I opened the gate, unlocked the shackles of Asklepios and asked him to restore Hades' soul," said Demeter. "Soon to follow will be his body and the rest. The Cloth of that Silver Saint is necessary since Asklepios does not have his staff."

Kouga could not move. He struggled to get words out. "Give…back..Miss Shaina's Cloth. Stop reviving the dead."

"Don't be a fool. Hades is the dead. It is his realm. That is not a fate that you will unturn. Your Goddess Athena is nothing but a coward that quivers before Hades. Do you not know what you all have done?!"

Kouga could not retaliate. Demeter's anger began to build; Cancer Hermes distanced himself further, sheltering himself by the shadowy peripherals of the temple walls. He would definately not stand next to dead, stoned Amor. The Mother Goddess went off on a verbal tangent about what was on her mind, the fuel of her rage.

"Before you die, I will tell you Pegasus! Because of the Underworld being gone, my daughter is now in permanent limbo. Every Winter, I have to deal with her entering a short-term sleep. It's one of the strange routines that both she and I must face when being reincarnated into the world. Our presence here are important on Naxos and to preserve life…and yet, I must suffer this Winter Sickness. Every. single. year. For 3 agonizing months. Then, I would have Winter depression and would not have the strength to maintain my political post." At her words, Hermes couldn't help but mock the Goddess from inside his mind. So it was about her mythological daughter after all, he thought.

"My family," Demeter continued, "and now, Arion… You harmed Pan, you harmed Ginga, you killed Meg, and now…Arion! It is not possible…where is he?! What have you done to him?!"

A green spark from Demeter's eyes and Kouga agonized.

Ahhh…!

Suddenly, green and red poppies began to blossom from the Pegasus Cloth, connected along vines that snake and sewn through his body. Plants were invading the Bronze Saint. He could not resist, and felt like he was being squeezed and bitten. As if the plants carried a poison concocted from Demeter's fury, an acidic neurotoxin of pain and paralysis ate Kouga from within. He couldn't help by wonder if it was real. It was the true source of what was binding him in place.

"Perish from our love!"

Somehow, Kouga strung words together with conviction. "No! I must carve a path!" More poppies sprout; what would happen if they smothered his entire body? How would he break out? Kouga shut his eyes. He put feeling in his fingers, curled his hands into fists and could only think, "Burn! Burn Cosmos!"

And Demeter could only think "You will not escape!" The Saint was the last living obstacle on her island; she did not know how Athena's Saints passed adversity when it comes to the Divine but that thought never reached her mind. Pegasus was at her mercy, his consciousness fading as the flowers from his body sip his entire essence. Like sunlight being absorbed into flowers as a source of energy to use, Kouga's life force was probably the same. His hands became limp as he felt his sense of touch leaving.

He had to reach out for that power that defeated Arion—where was it? As he was becoming a hollow shell, where was that incredible power?

Demeter extended her arm out to the side and a staff suddenly materialized into her hand. A metal scepter tipped with an ear of husked corn wrapped in wheat. Kouga bowed over, his lips quivering.

"Everyone..we..can't die…not here. Please."

The Goddess walked closer to Kouga. "You pathetic boy. This is the end. For you and Athena."

"Love…"

"Why do you still speak? Love, strength, affection, Cosmos…nothing is effective against me. I am a Goddess, one of the Olympians after all. You are a mere human who is trained to fight with the Cosmos. You dare anger me and truly think that you would live?!"

"Demeter, did..he…love you?"

"What did you say?!"

"A…ri—"

"Do not speak his name! It means nothing to you, so die already!"

"Demeter!"

A voice rang out, shaking Demeter out from her anger. It came as a shock as it was completely unexpected—it was from Cancer Hermes, who was in a full-on sprint toward her. The dark air created by Demeter was being suffused by bright stars. Hermes bounded over Demeter and Kouga like hurdles and reached out.

In mid-air, his palm caught a punch. His mouth twisted into a wry grin. "Another powerful Cosmos is here. Who are you?"

"I'm just here to save my favorite rival, the one who taught me fervor and connections. Unlike you, you bullshit traitor."

Demeter snapped her neck back fast and looked up, seeing Hermes and another body in midair. Something rattled her senses.

"A Primordial Cosmos…why here?! Who are you?!"

The other body was nothing more than a boy in a casual dress. Blue hair and red eyes, it was a simple rebellious brat, but he fearlessly faced Hermes, and did not crumble against the strength of a Gold Saint or before the presence of a Goddess. Both traitor Saint and boy landed a distance apart; the boy raised his hand and a bright red burst of energy enveloped Kouga. Suddenly, the roots and poppies from Pegasus's body began to regress, and life and breath returned to him. Kouga tilted his head up and took in a large clump of air. That was when the strange atmosphere disappeared. Staring directly at the kid, Cancer Hermes frowned as he was perplexed, while Demeter scowled.

"Who am I you ask?" Raised the chirpy, assured voice of the boy. "Hehe, I am a Saint of Athena."

"Reinforcements huh?" Cancer rushed forward and again, the boy raised his hand, tapping Hermes's punch.

"Stop the clock," the brat said. Hermes may have gone to sleep. He wasn't sure, but the face of the red-eyed child blacked out for a moment. Then, his ears heard: "Start!"

Hermes's life returned and the first thing he felt was pain. The boy's foot was thrown into his face from a high roundhouse. The Gold Saint was thrashed behind Demeter, landing on his back like a useless sack. Holding his face, Hermes lifted his upper body and shot a furious glare through his spectacles. That ain't a Saint, he blurted. The kid's strength belied his looks. It took the Mother Goddess a moment of contemplation before she spoke up.

"Are you mocking me?" Her eyes narrowed, a sip of fury in her voice. "To take the face of a human, a figure who boldly disrespects us. And even more so, the face of a Saint. You are derelict in your pride, you who started the last Holy War and failed-Saturn."

"You have a bold, scary temper after all," the boy said, cracking his knuckles. "Even though you face the son of a Primal."

"It matters not. Why would you defy me?! Surely, it's some selfish reason to start a Holy War and obtain the Earth for yourself."

Kouga was regaining realization of the situation and looked over his shoulder. His eyes widened at the sight of a face he hasn't seen in about a year. It was the face of a friend, formerly, but so quickly, did his body feel confusion and dread.

"…Subaru?!"

"Hehe, long time no see, Pegasus Kouga. My hot-blooded brother." The boy itched the bridge of his nose while smiling. The cheeriness of the boy baffled Kouga; he did not have the high-handedness of the last Divine enemy he fought and thought tricks were being played on him.

"Why are you here?! Did you just save me?!" Indeed— why was the form called Subaru here? The boy who was the vessel of a dangerous God who nearly destroyed humanity. That God was called Saturn, the ruler of Time and Space. He put a lock on his memory and took steps on Earth to observe the humans before unveiling his true identity. This "Subaru" went on many adventures and fought with Kouga as an ally, even though he was just trying to reach Pallas and steal the energy of two goddesses. After he and Kouga fought, Saturn admitted that he underestimated, and respected, the courage of humans and spared Earth. Outside of Athena, it's what few Gods allow themselves to do. Once more, Saturn brought himself on Earth as "Subaru" but he seemed to retain his memories and quite a bit of strength. What was he up to?

"You said you wouldn't return to Earth!" Kouga said.

"I return because you inspired me Kouga. Remember? It was you, your friends and Athena. The strength of love. Something that most Gods lack in understanding unless they walk in actual shoes and step on Earth." Subaru gestured a hand at Demeter. "Surely, it was euphoria to try to take over Earth and challenge the strength of humans, but Demeter is so pathetic, she's willing to ruin anything for her selfish needs. Reminds me of someone."

"Saturn, do not think that I won't raise Hell upon you," Demeter said. "I will not tolerate even your pompousness. You step into my temple and will show respect."

"Oh Demeter, would you like to face two youths with the Primordial Cosmos?"

At Subaru's words, Demeter's face lift with shock. It quieted her, meaning it was a serious threat. In fact, it sounded so matter-of-factly. Pegasus having the same power as a God? It dawned on her, even though she tried so hard to mentally deny it, that there was a reason why Arion was defeated. However, it made no sense. Subaru lifted a finger high above his head.

"Tch. You goddesses. Even Pallas! Someone as capricious and selfish as Pallas cannot comprehend true love and fiery hearts. Gonna have to teach her. I had to tell her to send her vassal to help Athena's goal."

"I said stop mocking me. You mean to tell me that you take a human form out of respect, and you do this out of sympathy or care?" Demeter tapped the floor with the end of her staff. "Out of a whim? You would interfere out of a whim?!"

Subaru dropped the smile and said, "Demeter, in order to see you placated, we Gods always have to make deals with you." Then, the boy turned and took steps away from Hermes, Demeter and Kouga. All the while, Kouga slowly rose to his feet. Subaru ended up near the open doors of the temple. Standing there, then turning his head to gaze at the Mother Goddess.

"You say I do things out of a whim. Sure I do. For now, I want the Earth to remain safe. I'll admit that I enjoy watching the humans, who express their amazing growth."

Demeter titled and crossed her staff in front of her, a loud veil of green light consuming her; Pegasus Kouga's punch struck a barrier between him and Demeter.

Subaru's smile returned. "And Kouga's strength is proof of the significance of Earth. Show her, Kouga! Show me again why I want to raise fists against you."

"You are nothing, Pegasus!"

His body outstretched, flowers bloom around Kouga once again. Just with the same amount of speed as they bloom, they turn black, wilt, and die. Demeter couldn't help but think of the worst: Is Saturn going to let this Saint kill me?! Why?! The Mother Goddess waved her Staff with all force from her arm, propelling back the Saint.

Ahhhhh! Next move, fast as lightning, and Kouga felt the explosion of gigantic rocks landing upon him. The same boulders that fell on Amor and ended his life now weigh upon Kouga's limbs. More came, rushing at him like a stampede. Rocks of various sizes smother him; the surface of the hardest rock in the universe felt like a thousand giants. Kouga felt his flesh thinning. Did he become elastic? Did he lose his bones? There are anecdotes that those who incurred Demeter's wrath were transformed into animals and pinned down to Hell by rocks—this was no exception. She feared no one, not even Giants born from the true God of Earth. Kouga's senses could not compare the force of Arion's Tri X Cluster—probably inspired by his beloved Goddess—to Demeter's own.

It was far beyond the blades of Pan's strings and fabricated weapons, far beyond the heat of Ginga's soaring stars. Facing Demeter, the attacks went to an indescribable enormity.

Flexing in his arms by the elbows, squeezing his hands into fists, Pegasus Kouga stood trembling on his feet, held tough against the ground. The rocks continued to embrace him. What was supposed to happen next? The last time he felt like he was going to die was against the true form of his rival, Subaru, or the God of Time Saturn.

He heard Subaru's voice. "My hot-blooded brother, you can do it! Even if you must face death, you can do it!"

But pain or some sensation from another dimension assaulted Kouga's body. His thoughts were about to burst apart. Unlike the poppies from before that were eating at his energy, it was a rage attacking him. While he had thoughts or a brain left, he tried to console himself: Carve a path! What Pegasus says is hardly a farce, he could have confidence in that.

He could stand. Against Demeter's devastating rage, he could still stand. As he felt like he was plummeting towards death, like he was sinking, a tactile presence touched him. It was like a prick on his fingers. He angled his arm back and the rocks suspended in mid-air, floating within a large blue projection. Subaru, Demeter, Kouga, and Hermes stood within a deep blue universe. It looked like the night sky. The constellation of a winged horse appeared, and Kouga, looking exhausted, straightened his posture and pulled his arm and thigh back. Suddenly, the Cloth of Pegasus broke off his body.

Subaru's eyes widened. "Kouga took off his Cloth! No, the Cloth of Pegasus is rejecting him? Why?"

Kouga's determined eyes stare directly at Demeter.

Subaru laughed and crossed his arms. "Don't forget Kouga, you can do this because you are not alone. Remember—" As the little Time God paused his words, Demeter's own face was covered with the emotion of fear. Her eyes widen.

She saw Kouga preparing to punch her. Then, four battered-looking bodies stand by his side, their hands on Kouga's shoulders. At this display, Subaru finished his sentence.

"You also have hot-blooded brothers and a sister that fight by your side."

"Carve a path! We will go through even Hell for Athena!"

Chapter Text

"Pegasus Ryu Sei Ken!" Cosmos swelled like a fog around Kouga and his friends.

The reason behind the Cloth's removal—The Cosmic Ocean, the polar opposite of the atoms in our bodies, has reoccurred as Kouga's Cosmos expanded and accelerated again. Only for a moment. Demeter, raising her staff, was pelted by the Pegasus fists. It seemed like a flash; Demeter and Hermes stood behind a barrier and held their breaths, their bodies embraced by the gold and green lights of Cosmos. Even Demeter's hand trembled against her staff. She gritted her teeth. Once the attack passed, the body of the Mother Goddess gave out one or two shivers.

"Saints of Athena, even if you rise your Cosmos to the limit, and attempt to imitate the power of Divine beings, you still face God. A true God." She managed those words from her lips, even though her thoughts swirled with concern. Rather, fury was threatening to surface; the last time she spoke with Arion, she admitted to him that she was afraid. Despite that, she would stand her ground. Kouga lowered his fist and took a moment to look around, unable to hide his surprise. Every Saint before his eyes smiled.

"Everyone, why are you—"

"It was Saturn," said Eden. Everyone eyed the blue-haired youth named Subaru. The kid pointed himself with his thumb, letting out a giggle.

"No-no. Athena's Saint, Equuleus Subaru," he said.

"Why did you save us?" asked Yuna.

Souma scowled, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah! Or rather, what are you after?!"

"This is the reaction you give me after saving you, Lionet Souma? Aquila Yuna?" Subaru protested, then he turned to the Dragon Saint and Orion Saint, quite curious about their thoughts. Perhaps it should not come as a surprise. Kouga gave Souma a quick glimpse, realizing that his left forearm was still missing. Healed from the black substance, the stump at the flexor was cleaned with new tissue. Rather, everyone was fine. The hearts that were spurting out of Souma and Yuna's bodies, and the cavity that nearly blew open Eden, seemed like a dream.

"Do you have a reason to face Demeter?" asked Ryuho. The Dragon Saint looked fine as well; Kouga did not personally witness the battle against Megaera and the burns that Ryuho received.

"Everyone, now is not the time for another prolonged Holy War with many casualties. Among the mortal world and among the Saints," Subaru said, shrugging his shoulders. "If Demeter wants to revive the land of the dead then fine. However, due to Athena's actions, and her current state, perhaps more is to be expected. Even though, if a situation arises where your limits are tested, I am all for it."

"It is not necessary to fight!" Kouga squeezed his hand into a fist. "This did not have to happen! Miss Shaina and Haruto did not need to die for all of this! For Demeter's daughter!"

"Oh?" Subaru frowned and side glanced Demeter. "So, Mother Goddess, what do you think will happen after Hades is revived? Will the world be in peril?"

Demeter held her tongue as her glower twitched, as to which Subaru continued. "No telling at all. You clearly are bargaining. After all, you are a selfish Goddess, and Hades is one of the biggest threats through Athena's legacy."

The Mother Goddess closed her eyes and lowered her head; perhaps for the first time, her mind became dark, and she crooked her mouth into a smirk.

"Tossing Athena to Hades will result in saving the world." As those words came out, Hermes followed suit with his own grin, stifling a laugh.

"Why you!" Kouga chomped, appearing to get ready to lunge, but Demeter continued to speak.

"Asklepsios suggested me something interesting, as did Athena." Hearing the Goddess's name was enough to freeze everyone in place.

"Wouldn't you like to know? Perhaps I am simple, a fool, an angry mother that takes exasperating actions. Now that he's released, Asklepsios is the only one who can connect to Hades, hear his voice, while he revives his spirit and all. According to him, his hatred for Athena and her Saints burns. Who knows what will happen. It matters not. I just want to see my beloved again."

"Surely, Athena's Saints will not stand to see their Goddess die," said Subaru. After Saturn's words, the rest of Athena's Saints had their say in.

"Someone, God or man, has to take responsibility to set what's right," said Ryuho.

"Athena's Saints do not wish to see the world destroyed because of one person," said Souma.

"Yes. We passed barriers, our old comrades and your guardians, just to get here. We even fought wars against evil gods. Haruto once said that humans take pride in leaping over adversity;  God or not, we'll see to that you'll be stopped regardless!" Kouga fixed a serious glare at Demeter.

"Even if it's for your family, others get hurt. We must raise our fists. Not because we enjoy it, it's because it's right. Prepare yourself and face our determination."

"Guys," Subaru interjected suddenly. "Despite everything, Demeter is not an evil Goddess. She has a terrible temper but first and foremost, like a mother. She is also a Goddess who has garnered respect. I'm sure you realized that from her Terrae."

"Arion most of all," said Kouga. "His respect for you Demeter boiled the most, almost beyond reasoning. I could feel it in his attacks."

"Arion…?" Demeter's face softened at the sound of his name. She then turned her back to the youths.

"Humph, he is always like that," she said. "He opened the Path of the Gods and even you survived. Still, he never swayed from his beliefs and would become a weapon if need be. Therefore, I must not sway from what I believe in. He also told me this. Now, you must know what that means."

The Saints prepared their stances to which the Goddess replied, "He said that he admired your fighting spirits, but they mean nothing before me. Now get ready!"

Suddenly, a loud laugh reverberated through the Temple; all eyes from the Saints, including Subaru, were led behind Demeter—striding to her side was the bespectacled traitor, Cancer Hermes. A gold aura billowed around him, and his wicked gaze on the Saints seem to devise that they were going to fail or descend to the depths of Hell.

"Is that it? Is that why you are all here?! Surely there is nothing to fear, Demeter. These Saints borrowed their strength from a God to defeat all Four Terrae. Unlike the transcending strength of a Gold Saint, it's all a fluke. Shame on you, Saturn."

"You know nothing, Hermes!" Kouga grimaced. The Cancer Saint already gave out a disturbing aura, shrugging and laughing in the face of his so-called "allies" while standing abreast the enemy Goddess. The wrong Goddess.

Subaru swiped his nose with his thumb. "Don't get mad cause I hit you, Cancer. Well deserved." Hermes's words were enough to spur an annoyed glare from even Subaru. The blue-haired boy lifted his hand, a finger reaching out towards the Gold Saint. He uttered low under his breath, "I got you."

"Get ready traitor, you have no future!" At Eden's words, everyone lined up with Kouga and their bodies glowed. With one swing of Demeter's staff, the Saints were standing on grass; they stood in an open pasture. Whether they thought of it to be an illusion, or if they were transported to a warm, Heavenly land, it did not weigh on them for too long—as they saw a wide wall of erupted dust. There was a faint sound of something approaching from yards away.

Behind the dust was a horde of animals. Then it made sense—the sound of hoofs and paws, small and heavy frames, and the Saints were in complete shock and awe. Rather, they could not escape. The animals pressed close in seconds! Those animals were the face of the catastrophic power of a God that could level the world from her grief. Even though she looked like a frail, but regal woman. Their pompousness, the courage held within the chests of the Saints shattered. The collective mass of natural beasts collided and swallowed them whole, and they disappeared into the debris. It was Demeter's answer to be silent. Prostate and be silent.

"Asklepsios, the one who is connected to Hades's voice says this:" the Mother Goddess explained. "If she dies, Athena can save Naxos". She wasn't sure if her words reached the Saints, except Hermes, but scattered along her floor were Kouga, Eden, Yuna, Ryuho and Souma's collapsed bodies. Subaru was tightly clutched in-between two enormous hands devoid of skin. The skeletal hands that tried to grab Kouga before had returned, now wrapping around Subaru. In just seconds, the hands broke apart from Subaru's inflamed Cosmos.

"That might be more than enough!" Cancer Hermes bounded, reaching Subaru.

"Stop the clock!"

"You think that'll work again?!"

Cancer Hermes began to glide, his consciousness holding itself in place. A burning glare behind spectacles reached Subaru and the boy couldn't move. When he did, it was from a shockwave launched from Hermes's hand, surprising the so-called Equuleus Saint. He flew upside, his mind left to process what happened.

Time stopped on my side. That bastard, did he extract my energy and made it his?!

"Not so fast Hermes! Pleiades Tempest !" Before descending, Subaru turned himself upright and watched Hermes below. His body glowing, a rainbow of spheres collected around him. The moment Subaru threw a fist out, Hermes was blinded by a bright agglomeration of falling stars, something unimaginable unless fighting a Saint or even a God. Hermes let out a punch as well; both saw an image of two winged horses crashing into one another. Meteor per meteor fly towards one another, washing the surroundings in rays of light that last for seconds.

Kouga's—?!

There wasn't time for reasoning.

Subaru's toes touched the ground, and then his spine-something bit into his back, draining his thought to retaliate. No, all his thoughts diminished. Before his voice escaped, the Time-Space God miniaturized into a boy fell forward onto his face. A surprise attack?!

"Heh! Done huh?" Cancer Hermes grinned wryly and hunkered down on his haunches, slinking towards the downed Subaru. Then, he was pushed back. It felt like a snapping whip hitting his chest. A growl left him and he stood up. The Cancer Saint looked ahead and then, an impact stunned him. While not deeply, the pointy end of a sword skewered into his cuirass. His head went wild: Why was there a sword?!

Subaru grimaced as he turned his face away from the ground. He was probably more surprised than hurt. "Ah, someone's rage." It's not like he refused to move—a long, silver thread had entered his back. Little did he know, it was keeping him pinned down.

"Correct!" Another new voice entered Demeter's Temple. The voice of a young girl. Hermes bent over and grabbed the sword's handle, yanking it out. He threw it aside with an exasperated groan. His annoyed eyes reached the Temple entrance. He saw short blonde hair.

"What's wrong with you, girl?! I am on your side!"

"No Saint is an ally of mine!"

With his back turned to Demeter, Hermes would miss the shocked look on the Mother Goddess's face. Cancer continued to argue with the girl dressed in a white pleated skirt. Strips of cloth hung from her shoulder guards, indicating that it was Terrae. That Terrae had eyes that shined with rage, all the while, pooling with tears. That blonde hair had a light green tincture.

"Dear Ginga..he is gone…dear Megaera, she's dead..and Arion. Arion is not moving. Unresponsive. I'm so angry—"

Loom Pan could not control her labored breathing.

"—that my blood boils and made me blind!"

Subaru eyed and called out to each Bronze Saint, who were all prone on the ground. While he was busy with Hermes, he had felt Demeter engage in an attack, but did not witness the stampede. With a groan, a deep violet Cosmos suddenly raged; the wire in his back snapped and vaporized, and he rose back to his feet, turning around to meet with Pan. She met the challenge with a furious gaze and an instant attack. Nearly blind, any sort of body that was not Arion or Demeter was a potential enemy.

"Die Saint of Athena!" Lifting her arms, a multitude of wires burst out of Pan's wrist guards and reached towards Subaru. Their edges tipped like blades, Bobbin Edge can make her tiny thin wires like tungsten bullets. A quick moment after, the wires paused in mid-air.

"Tokiryuu: Stop the Clock!"

Immediately, the moment Equuleus put his eyes on Loom, Demeter roared in panic. "Don't you dare Saturn!"

It took maybe a second or two, but Pan woke up, and with her arms out still, she was next to Demeter. She suddenly fell over, her mother's ankles seen through half-lidded eyes. Inside, she felt livid, but her body couldn't respond. I'm suddenly weak…why?!

Demeter's furious eyes stared at the back of Subaru. "What did you do?!"

"I retrograded her atoms," explained Subaru, "to the level back to when she fought the Saints." In other words, it was back when she was defeated, and on the slow road to recovery. It was when she lost consciousness. The boy spun to place bold eyes on Demeter.

"Good enough?"

"Don't taunt me! You are obviously deriding my family with your power."

"As I Saint, I am fighting with my hot-blooded brothers and sister."

"Then, you will perish as well." Demeter tapped the ground with the butt of her staff. A new change in the surroundings; Hermes, Subaru and the Mother Goddess standing in darkness lit with dim stars.

"Whatever you choose Saturn, you too will be punished. Because Athena's Saints is my current enemy."

Rippling currents stretch out from Demeter and washed over Subaru, keeping him still. In the next moment, giant boulders materialize in between them, launching toward Subaru. The rocks touch him and are frozen in a blazing red Cosmos, slowly cracking as they crumble and burst apart. The same fate awaited every rock that followed, deflating into pebbles, and then regolith dust.

"I am a man who became God! My rivals are the God slayers, my hot-blooded brothers and sister. I cannot fear you, Mother Goddess!"

"You do not interfere as a 'God'. You will fear me, Saint!"

Despite those words, Subaru would not fall.

Her fury being countered, Demeter grew exasperated at Saturn's faith in a particular set of humans. It was the same as Athena when asked about her opinion. Her manhunt, sending Megaera and Arion to remove Silver saints across the world, led to her frustration on how life and death chose their whims. Furthermore, she wondered what scale of power Subaru was suppressing or selecting here today, fighting Demeter and her allies. For him to interfere, it would undoubtedly result in either Demeter's loss or a stalemate. Was it a Fool's Errand for her guardians to attack Saturn? Usually, a third God never directly meddled in another Holy War unless it was incredibly dire, or both Saturn and Athena joined hands. To impersonate a Saint and serve as some honest broker between God and man—while wielding power perhaps equivalent to the Twelve Gold Saints or beyond—Demeter used her anger to shield herself from uncertainty. A situation that seems to not turn in her favor.

The rain of gigantic rocks, whole and shattering, finally stopped and Subaru regained movement. A strange thought occurred to Demeter.

"Saturn, or should I say Subaru, if you are to stand before me today as a Saint, does that mean you have condensed yourself into a genuine human?" The Mother Goddess's question made Subaru lift an eyebrow.

"I noticed that Hermes, a Gold Saint," Demeter continued, "has bridged the gap between you. Even if a little. I suppose I can complement his strength a little. I heard many legends about the Gold Saints even fighting against Gods; perhaps you can measure yourself as the same. Still, you have yet to end this."

"End?"

"I still stand before you. You cannot stop Hades's revival and this is not a Holy War between Gods, directly."

"Are you saying that I should attack you directly?" Grinning, Subaru pulled his arm back, and the rainbow spheres from before circled around his fist.

"Pleiades Tempest!" The cry of the attack caused Demeter's face to break open with surprise. A light flickered across her Staff and two seconds passed. Hermes was nearly crouched down to his knees, and Demeter's body buckled as she held her shoulder. A bullet went through her, leaving a black hole. It was similar to Arion's wound from fighting Kouga, a gooey black bubble condensed inside. A mark leaving no trace of "living". Whether human or God, anything with a body could not live within the Cosmic Ocean. She managed to guard herself to an extent; to even imply that he was weak...she was wounded for the second time.

"Holy Wars are between God and His or Her's army. Demeter, you do not cause wars. Therefore, you grasped someone's hands to assist on your behalf. So, there's no cheating here. Even if I reduced myself to a human, I will use the same hot blood to grow stronger with my brothers and sister. If Saints, the humans who participate in defending Earth, stand strong, I want to witness it. I want to know how I, and Gods before me, were defeated. Thus, I won't interfere too much. Why? So humans can face the threats of the future that are brought far from all corners. You have that same potential within you too, Hermes."

Cancer's face showed a bit of agony even though he managed to give an awkward grin. Each time Demeter guarded, it was irradiated by Hermes's Cosmos. He had felt the impact of the Tempest as it was mitigated, leaving his nerves shaken. Even though-for those who knew the Saints of Cancer-it was strange to see such ambition within guarding the wrong Goddess.

"Seeing the humans stand against adversity—it's a beautiful sight to behold. Right, Kouga?"

Demeter took her eye off Subaru and at another angle, the Pegasus Saint lunged towards her head. It left the Mother Goddess frozen in shock; the words that wanted to come out of her mouth were in her head.

"Why?! Why won't you die?!" Die like their Silver Saint brethren? Their Gold Saint brethren?! What was she doing wrong? Why couldn't Pan, Ginga, Megaera and Arion succeed?

"Uwaaaah!" Bringing his fist forward, Kouga's gauntlet suddenly shattered apart. A shockwave threw him back. When he regained his footing, he saw a golden ring lined with spikes, and a hand jutting out in the middle. Kouga blinked, and Demeter was in an embrace. A dreary voice reached Kouga.

"You all won't die because of your love and passion, right? But what does that mean for those who have died? Does that mean that the enemy was far too strong or was their 'love' and 'passion' too weak?"

Her eyes shining, Demeter's lips managed a few syllables, spelling out a name. She was in the arms of a man covered in armor. Her anger, and the pain from her wound, cooled a bit – from a breeze of relief that touched her body. Even Kouga remained stiff from surprise.

"I will admit," the man said, "that the ambition of Athena's Saints glow heavenly." After the words, he looked over his shoulder. Kouga was pierced by a golden glare.

"Allow us to continue…Pegasus."

The Mother Goddess breathed, "Arion?"

The violet-haired Terrae from the previous temple looked back at his Goddess and cupped her chin. "You're wounded again, and it's my fault. Never again. Demeter, I appreciate how humankind faced destiny. It is a force to be reckoned with and you know this. However, I can still stand today because of y—" Then, there was a slump. Arion's mind went white and the man, in cracked armor with a pair of broken wings, dropped heavily to the ground with a clatter-clatter. Demeter looked down, her lips quivering. Her countenance could not be defined more than close to despair.

"Arion?" The Mother Goddess kneels pitifully; her staff loosened from her hand. Her palms fell onto Arion as she called his name again.

"Arion!" She shook him. "Arion?!" Bending down, her head was on the Terrae.

Then, she pulled up with all her anguish, and a scream gave out another name.

"MEADOW!"

Suddenly, the entire temple chamber slipped into darkness. Complete chilling darkness where light could not reach. But, forms of some kind entered view. A myriad of chains erected from the ground, and so does the ashen-gray man with the three-headed dog Surplice.

Chapter Text

"What's a sailor without a boat? Or rather, what's a sailor without directions? What is this?!"

Sitting in the ferryman Acheron Charon held his oar and rowed through the darkness. His surprise to see himself take form in Limbo didn't last long and his instincts to ride the river Styx took hold. But, there was no river. Maybe it was below him? Was it nearby? But what was his boat sliding on then? Thin air? If he could make a comparison, even had no experience, Charon felt like he was traveling through the night sky. Despite that…

"Mmm, I smell them. I smell a really severe one." He mumbled through his baring fangs; Charon knew there were souls about and he ushered himself to that point. Eventually, a light flickered through the dark. It was a tongue of blue flame: A soul.

"Ahh. Who might this be?" Charon parked in front of the soul and reached out for it. Before he could touch it, the tear of flame exploded. Rather, it stretched and expanded into a pair of angular shapes. A roar of volcanic decibels pierced through Limbo's darkness, and Charon shied away. He clearly was not in outer space. A squeal left between his gritted teeth out of unconscious fear; was he starting to regret his curiosity?

The blue flame took the form of the body. Slowly, it cooled, peeling away to reveal ebony mineral across a body towering over Charon. It was Hell, truly a demon of Hell appeared before him. Large curved horns adorned the man's head, or rather, his helmet. It suited the heavy, blade-like wings sprouting from the back, and the jagged guards across the arms, shoulder and legs. The wings lift and fan out, and gold eyes reach through Charon's heart.

The ferryman managed to move his lips, slowly, whispering out a long name.

"Charon." The taller Specter replied. "I heard a voice. If it's our Lord, then I must go to him." He did not seem concerned about this Limbo. Would he wander aimlessly through darkness? Maybe, but he knew, if his soul existed, and someone called to him with some intimacy, that was his lead. Charon followed this other regal Specter until another soul appeared. Or rather, someone entered their path.

It was an actual body, standing in Limbo as well, but a Surplice was absent. The wing-horn Specter asked for a name, and his body shook.

From a bellowing roar of rage. A violet fire, his Cosmos, sprouted around him. He raised his arms and cupped his hands together; it was difficult to define the visual in this Limbo that lacked light and seemingly air. Charon uttered a sound of amazement as he saw the body opposite of him being pummeled in mid-air.

Before being struck and nearly losing consciousness, the other body—a Saint—had seen the image of a dragon towering behind the assailant. His body bucked back and in a flash, he felt holes rapidly eating his body over and over. A moment later, before the winged Specter could take him under his arm, the Saint threw a knife hand against his arm.

The Specter's face froze in shock. His arm was paralyzed. "Impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible," said the Saint, "for the courageous Hakurouken has faced many powerful enemies."

"You dare speak to me that way, the great Rhadamanthys?!" For some reason, the other arm wasn't taken into account; a tight hand grasped the throat of the bespectacled Saint and he was lifted above the head of the Specter.

"I don't know how you're walking around, but I will crush you."

Chapter Text

One of the Twelve Olympians Apollo—the God of the sun, healing, dance and more— fell in love with a princess of an ancient valiant tribe and birthed a son. That son was writhed in tragedy, having his mother killed by the Gods; whoever advanced on her or touched her was hunted and killed by Apollo or his sister. The son had barely lived himself, but he became eternalized by the symbol of the caduceus, the snake staff that represents healthcare primarily in the Unites States.

That son. When the public thinks of physicians and healing, they think of that figure.

And in this abyssal darkness, yearning to regain its former form of hills, temples, rivers and wandering dreary souls, the Mother Goddess threw herself down on her hands and knees. One of the Olympians—who fought the Titans clan—pleaded to a son of one parallel to her on the pantheon. Pleaded in Limbo.

"Demeter? Is it rough up there?"

Asklepios. He raised his head a little to heed the Goddess. Even in this dank world, draped in tattered clothing, hooded like a prisoner, there was still somehow a dapper presence within his face. It was curtained with shaggy white hair, suspended from his hood, but maybe it was his [ability[ to crouch for an extended time and gather focus on the Cloth before him that did not make him seem entirely like a poor man. Somehow, he emitted regality.

"Please," the Goddess begged, grief seeping into her voice, "save him." In front of her bowed head was the collapsed body of Arion, in between her, Asklepios and the Cloth of Ophiuchus. This was a fact only known among the gods: despite not being an Olympian, or a Titan—just a third-generation divine son of god and woman—Akel, at his peak, was capable of healing any and all wounds.

"Now hold on Demeter, if I deplete the population of Hades's Underworld, I'll be in trouble again."

"Are you saying that I should let him die?!"

"I cannot always give in to your sentiments."

Demeter lifted her head, a rancorous stare wet with tears striking Apollo's son. "You will not? Or you cannot?"

Her words left Akel in silence.

"Are you unable to?"

Stilled by their lack of exchange, the two Gods disregard who was nearby.

"Miss Saori!" The cry of Kouga rose through the dark; amidst Limbo, there was a light that caught his eye—the so-called trapped Goddess who led the Saints. It confirmed the truth that she was taken by the enemy. Furthermore, she would not take a step as her body was twined in chains. It etched into Kouga's mind and his first impulse was to lunge through the darkness toward his beloved Goddess and adopted mother. Even without wearing his Cloth, the yearning to save her pushed him. Athena's eyes widened as she turned to see her Pegasus advance towards her, absolute shock on her face. Or rather, it was shock and alarm.

Kouga completely ignored reality, what might've been an illusion, and what was looking at him.

With a manner of indifference, the man with the obsidian armor—a Surplice reflecting a three-headed dog—turned a red gaze on Pegasus Kouga and Equuleus Subaru, the latter having followed his so-called brother. A black cloud snaked in between Athena and Kouga, and Kouga stopped in mid-air, his forehead slamming into something. He felt something breathe down the bridge of his nose; crimson eyes burned, staring right into Kouga's face. An awkward, stunned voice was uttered by Pegasus. Seeing Athena, he threw away his fighting will for a moment and did not check his surroundings. That resulted in a hard jab in the stomach. Dark Meadow was a completely new foe—in an instant, he had closed the gap between himself and the newly arrived Saint.

"Gwah!" Subaru was given the same treatment except with a swift backhand to the cheek, causing him to spiral into the air. Kouga wasn't deterred for long. It was dark, but there was somehow a surface that everyone stood on. Regaining his footing, he advanced again.

"Pegasus Ryu Sei ken!" The meteors flew with the throw of a fist. At the same time, multiple chains danced across the darkness. They flew in an omnidirectional, haphazard frenzy, seemingly sinking into the ground and air, all around, remerging from invisible voids or portals, until it created a steel net trap around the Saints. The chains thickened to a rotating dome in front of Meadow and took Pegasus's attack, mitigating the Cosmos.

Eyes widening, the Cerberus-turned man raised a lively growl and pursued Pegasus. Black claws, Meadow's clawed gauntlets, dropped down onto Kouga. Kouga arced his body, moved backward, and watched the slashes to avoid them; he believed that he could fight a brute.

"Kouga, retreat!" Athena cried in alarm. She did not expect to see him; then again, she did not expect to get betrayed by Cancer and get taken either.

The word "retreat" did not register with Kouga. Did he not fight Gods and Gold Saints to get to her? To rescue her? It may have been Athena's instinctive concern to say such a word, despite her intense faith in humans, despite sacrificing them in war. She could've said something else to cheer him on, but was she that worried? Was it because of Mirfak's death?

Light suddenly rose in the darkness; from one slash, a swirl of flame licked at Kouga. Barriers surround the Saint, pushing against him. In a swift impulse, he crossed his arms over his face.

Lowering his arms a bit, the Saint pushed forward against the wave. Kouga was like a newborn star as the Pegasus Cloth returned and wrapped him. Cerberus dropped his hand and watched Pegasus advance towards him without obstruction. Kouga's thoughts cracked.

Ah?! Pain swelled up his back, spreading through his limbs. Kouga fell onto his cheek, stunned.

"Kouga! I—" Subaru was back onto his feet, but his face widened from being distraught. His arm was raised, a steel chain wrapped around his wrist and hand, binding the hand into a fist. To the rest who could witness it, Subaru was tied down by the chains that were dancing around. The miniature God turned Saint clenched down his teeth, from the chains binding him and the anger that welled inside of him.

That bastard! He can control me?!

"Everyone! Watch those chains!" Subaru cried out. Shortly after, four figures approach Dark Meadow from the front and the back. Blow of punches land on the Surplice, kicks digging into his back; the attacks slightly shake the man-creature.

It was Lionet Souma, Dragon Ryuho, Aqulia Yuna and Orion Eden. From Demeter's despairing wail, it turned out, Dark Meadow had swallowed and transported everyone from Demeter's Temple to Limbo. Keeping Meadow at bay, or so they thought, the man in the Surplice raised his arms and the chains dance again. The Saints let out cries as they, unable to follow the lines of steel, are bound by their limbs and necks, suspended in mid-air. A booming voice thrashed through the black atmosphere, and it was Dark Meadow.

"The living… is unfit here." The man looked up at the Saints with his stern red eyes. Since he moved, he paced backward and returned to the spot he diligently kept watch over—right by Athena.

"Meadow, do not kill them. No, restrain them. Let them know the despair of uselessness," Demeter said as she looked at each Saint, "as their Goddess die right before them."

The Mother Goddess finally acknowledged who was at her back. She had turned from Asklepios to meet the Saints with eyes of hatred. Her hostility is easily sensed.

"It would be torture for you," she said, "to retain you here for days so that you may watch Hades's revival, unable to do anything."

"Release Miss Saori and give back Miss Shaina's Cloth!"

"You are in no position to make demands, Pegasus you fool." Demeter's voice became biting again. She turned away and looked back at Asklepios.

"What do you need of me?! Or rather, what does Hades need of me?"

"You are digging into a deeper hole," the demi-god said.

"I will kill this planet to protect my family. You know this. We are already crossing borders."

Submitted to silence again, Akel wondered if the Mother Goddess was truly resolved. She would indeed kill this planet. He had told Loom Pan, laying next to him and mumbling, that he would rejuvenate her body "for free" if she did not attack Hermes and the other Saints. Thus, she could stand by her Mother's side and not look like a useless heap on the ground. Such a display would only aggravate Demeter after all. The young Terrae only responded with a disgruntled moan; while awaiting her answer, Akel kept her there.

"Boy oh boy. Seriously, you Gods have caused me so much grief," said the son of Apollo. "The Black Deal becomes ever so larger. I will heal your wound Demeter, but in exchange for saving Arion's life, that's a different matter. For a start, the Holy One wants to know where Ginga is."

Everyone except Meadow, Hermes, and Pan looked at Akel, completely shocked. Kouga choked on his gasp; when he left the second Garden, Ginga was unconscious. He was never aware that he had disappeared.

"Or rather, the Holy One wants the one named Ginga."

"Wants him?!" Demeter felt a weight in her chest.

"As for the rest, I'll let him tell you Himself."

"Nonsense! There is no need for me to wait."

The demi-god's lips trembled at first; through white bangs weighed down by years, centuries of imprisonment in a dreary land, his eyes shone toward the Mother Goddess. The son of Apollo drew out a sickly smile.

"Are you sure about that?"

"What do you mean?"

"It'll only take a moment, Demeter. Aside from bringing the Saints here, do you realize what is happening?"

"Tell me in haste."

"Very well. A mass of souls are coming in. Furthermore, powerful Cosmos call out to Hades."

Chapter Text

Asklepios recoiled in his crouched posture. Everyone was within the cone of his austere glare.

"You Gods always cause grief," his words churned through a groan from his stomach. Did that include the humans that serve the Gods as their warriors?

Above Limbo—back in the living world—many were useless against their fate. Where was Heaven? The Heavens were blotted with clouds suffused with darkness. Like rainclouds that block out the sun—the more water condensed inside, the darker the clouds became.

"Uh oh!" was the first impression from a boy watching this display. At Barren Island—a tiny land west of Andaman and Nicobarin the Indian plate— its only known active volcano came alive. The two known residents of Barren—a boy and a scarred man—stood there in awe. Anyone with common sense, and the instinct to take flight in the face of danger, wouldn't marvel at bright magma bumbling out of the mouth and flowing towards them. But it wasn't magma. The movement of force was the opposite of magma; what was seen was a blue-white vortex slowly sinking into the volcano's mouth. Maybe the best word was either "funneling" or "collecting".

"There is a fissure under Barren Volcano," the boy began a soliloquy, "that leads to Hell, but only the influence of a God can cause demons and spirits to emerge through the magma chamber, beneath the sea floor, and its ash layers. You will rarely see them til now. With its ash clouds, it's difficult to approach close." The scarred man only replied with a gruff sound; he wondered why he would meet a child at such a dangerous place.

Suddenly, the child's voice peeped with excitement.

"But we can do it. Ikki?" The boy turned to the man, and a beam across his prepubescent face opposed the situation. "It's time to go."

"Idiot, do you not have a sense of fear?"

"Sure I do, but fear is something to conquer. Even if it's a little bit."

"Even if it's against a God?"

Shir Khan mused over Ikki's memory; seeing the spectacle at the volcano made him wonder if the Phoenix was truly awakened, even though facing the grievous dangers may provide the best results. Not too long ago, an agent of Sanctuary gave Leo the word that Athena was in Hell, which left the boy quite confused. He wondered when it was his time to act; his time to challenge his valor against something more fearful than a tiger's fangs. Or maybe an enemy that had the strength of fifty tigers. Remembering that he had amends to make, Shir reached his answer.

"Yep! Parents fight evil to protect their young. If it's to protect something, you'd be surprised. It's like your spirit is filled with brotherhood. Spirit, man, and animal are the same. "

"What are you babbling about?" Ikki scowled. He tried to bring the pieces together from Shir's words; the kid did not sound like his age.

"Ikki, do you know who Hades is?"

A groan. Something cracked in Ikki's head and he clapped a hand on his face. Shir did not realize the flashback that entered Phoenix, suddenly conjured by his body, still healing from being deconstructed. They poked at his mind in seconds—brief scenes that flicker from one to the next. He wasn't sure if he had imagined himself, but one that stuck out the most of a giant silhouette standing amidst the red and purple skies of dusk.

"The Goddess Athena said that he is one of her greatest enemies. I want to help her with all my courage." A gap of silence stood between the two until the scarred man spoke.

"Should I go there? Something tells me I must."

"The volcano? Why?"

"Because…I hate it." At the words of Phoenix, Shir uttered a sound of confusion.

"Something there must be destroyed. Something relentless."

Shir watched Ikki's eyes fixed on the volcano with diligence.

"OK! Let's get to it!" Shir's cadence rose at the same time his hand did. Ikki was suddenly blinded by a sunny flash. It was from golden light spilling out of the cave at the volcano base. A checkered orange cloak, which was worn by the boy, floated in the air, having been discarded. In the next moment, the boy was wrapped in genuine gold plating from head to toe. A white cape flowed; a helmet reminiscent of a lion's mane, and to see it upon the smiling boy's head, Ikki was frozen stupefied. The display—the light and the boy's new image— pierced through his hippocampus, and for reasons he could not realize, he saw himself wearing the same Cloth.

"Leo…?" The Phoenix mumbled through his teeth, which tightened as his body stiffed. When he regained control of his legs and feet, he followed Shir to the base of the volcano. Rather, they moved behind it. There was a clump of rocks with a paper tag on it; in Greek, the name "Athena" was penned on it.

"As Barren's Demon Slayer, I feel like I'm making everything worse." Shir touched the tag with his gauntlet and the clump of rocks collapsed.

"But everything is worse already," Shir looked over his shoulder, flashing a grin at Ikki. "Right?" After the rocks fell, the open cavity that appeared shone with red and icy blue rings curving downwards. A cloud of ash emerged and billowed out, causing the little Gold Saint to back away a few steps.

"What are you so excited about?" Ikki crinkled his face again.

"Maybe because I feel heroic and I will defeat the bad guys. Just that, I'm not sure we can return with our bodies and souls intact. Ready Ikki?"

The scarred man closed his eyes and huffed. "I'm not following you anywhere."

"That's OK."

Whether Ikki found Shir a fool, or if his body acted out of fear, he was not sure. He recalled the Gold Saint's words that only they could enter the volcano, and tucked hidden inside was a sense of trust. Shir expected a long fall; he did not know where the cavity would lead him, but a voice called out before he stepped in.

"You're not going anywhere, Leo!" The voice was not Ikki, but something echoing deep from the opening to Hell. Shir Khan backed up even further, and swinging up and out was a dark, ribbony substance. It landed in front of Ikki and Shir, and molded into shadowy figures; they could only be discerned as human or human-like with hot white eyes. The eyes glare with hostility, freezing Shir and Ikki in place.

"Prepare to die, Saints of Athena!" When those words were aimed at him and the Phoenix, Shir suddenly remembered the Goddess.

"Shir Khan, no matter what, do not go into the Hell pit at Barren. It's dangerous even for you." He remembered not just her warning, but also her eyes of grace and perhaps concern. Like a true boy, Shir turned away from her looks of solicitude, looking at the ground instead as he tapped it with his toes.

"How come? It's the enemy's den right?"

"The living does not belong there. On the other hand, the dead and the demonic should not thrive among the living. Please make sure that any evil from the volcano is thwarted, Shir."

"Okay, got it." It seemed simple enough; do not give into some cat's curiosity and end up dead in Hell. It would be her and Sagittarius Seiya that told him that he may lose his body and soul without divine protection. Shir suddenly giggled.

"Hee. Maybe she meant 'not yet'."

"Your best path is death," hissed one of the shadows. "Listen, Prince of Tigers, there is only a cruel fate to face down in Hell."

"Are you trying to scare me? I was told that Athena is down there," said Shir. His arm raised; he closed his hand into a fist and his knuckles glittered. Right after, so did the cave he, Ikki, and the Shadows stood in. A fiery gold dyed the surroundings, the darkness cut apart, by swift threads of light. The threads were straight like bullet tails, ricocheting in all directions. Ikki gasped in amazement—above the little Shir Khan was the projection of a fierce, roaring lion.

"So, I must go!" Shir Khan still held the title of Barren's Demon Slayer. The shadows melted within the rays of light. Both the young Shir Khan and Phoenix Ikki reaffirmed something in their minds—entering the abyss, they knew that they may not return. Before considering death, Shir first believed to avoid the regret of not doing anything; as for Ikki, he knew that he will revive in Hell…just like before. Something else, aside from justice, further resolved them to take the plunge. Justice was at the helm, but neither the Phoenix or Leo would reveal their deepest sentiments. Not when combat was likely ahead. Unfortunately, the cave Shir and Ikki were in was very ideal for their enemy, and they ended up being swarmed.

Little did anyone know—and certainly not with the same gusto as Shir—that these shadows were appearing all over the world. They appeared at any given time, even under the sun, where shadow could still prosper. Stretching from a static body that blocked light, such as a tree or building, these things erected from said body's shadow and could walk in daylight in the shape of an undistinguishable person. Two arms and two legs. They looked plain, but an average human would find them intimidating. Otherworldly, and how did they serve as a threat? These Shadows all had one job function: whatever they touched, they consumed. Humans would not realize it in seconds. A punch to the head left a man or woman without a face, and a brain, in a bloodless display. When a body dropped, it led to a frantic panic akin to a sudden natural disaster.

From the Middle East to the tropical gardens of Sri Lanka, Capricorn Safar and First class Pallasite Titan were approached by the same Shadows. However, those Shadows bifurcated into pieces, and the bizarre pair-up was met with a woman with platinum blonde hair. Despite wearing a long coat over her simple tunic, her breathless beauty—fair complexion, flowing hair, and pure, soft sea-green eyes—was as magnetizing as the power she displayed. It was from her fingertips that a wild gale kicked up petals and lilies, attaching to the Shadows, and sending them to an end. If those things were real, would there be organs and bones spilling out in traumatic shapes?

"We are the darkness that brings forth these evil spirits." Those cryptic words came out a near whisper; even from her piercing eyes, it felt like cold gloom spilling out. She continued.

"Our power has caused this. Those figures of darkness who speak of the end—I hated their stench and drove them off. The world is evil, true, but Gods have lost their luster when they carelessly sacrifice their own creatures. No matter how many sins were committed."

"Who are you? What's going on?" asked Titan, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. An arm was raised in front of him to hold back the Pallasite. He was forced to look at the Saint next to him.

"Her Cosmos," the Gold Saint of Capricorn, Safar, said, "is the same as mine. Am I right?"

Titan's eyes widened. "You mean, a Saint?!"

Without answering, Safar stared at the woman.

"When our powers collide," she said, "the Gods sense us. Now they are causing a massacre to awaken the Dead one."

A counter?! Safar and Titan could not conceal their shock. Safar couldn't help but wonder if what he and Titan had been doing was pointless; was Johan's sacrifice pointless? Immediately, he suggested going to Hell and save Athena, but the woman stated that's probably what the enemy wants, and they would be at a disadvantage. Rather, they would be steeped in an enemy force that they could not comprehend.

"I can't let her die!" Safar raised an outburst. In his heart, he said "I had already failed her once". How was the Capricorn Saint the best knight to Athena if she was killed without doing a thing? Especially now that there was a path laid before him to reach her. But while Limbo existed, there was no guarantee where the living would end up, or if Safar could find her.

"We must defeat these evil shadows who kill people indiscriminately. Send a message," demanded the woman. Only then they could make way for their Goddess. That was when Titan suggested that his sword—a perfect sword given to him by God— could seal the gate and halt all its activity within Sri Lanka, while the Saints hunted the Shadows. With calm, relaxed breaths, she could move. Her fingers threaded the flowers; sometimes, she closed in and swathed the air with her hands.

"I will never revere Gods who do not forgive." From those words, which seem to teem with purity and justice, she moved forward and killed those Shadows.

"You are not worth my mercy or my tears."

Sagittarius Seiya was still with Sextans; if the Golds moved on their own to save Athena then were the oars of Dodona even necessary? Or was it beyond their expectations? Or would they play in Hades and Demeter's hands?

"Something is happening," said Agatha. Seiya harbored such surprising patience.

"Sagittarius, the stars of Pegasus, Aqulia, Dragon, Lionet, Orion. I'm not sure where they went."

Seiya shook as he began to remember Sextans's words that the Argo would not easily lend help; it would take a "great disaster to fall upon Earth" to stir that ship. Boiling inside, he wondered what he was waiting for. However, Sextans would assure him that despite the reading of stars or fortunes, the universe was enormous and free. Anything could happen. In fact, it was like a roller coaster in a drama; Sextans's words kept changing as she relayed news about the Bronzes' stars, how they kept fading and coming back, how "Powerful Cosmos" appeared. Since she couldn't see an exact image or see a future, her words were still ambiguous.

Thus, Seiya thought to himself: Hades does not need to be revived, Kouga and the others will succeed. They can. Athena will create a miracle.

"Here is something I will promise you, Sagittarius: I will allow you to use my device to save someone." Agatha cupped her hands together, and an emitted spark revealed an arrow-shaped mural instrument. In between its framework were smaller intersecting beams; a ruler is lined on the lower edge with a movable slat attached to it. At each end, the slat was tipped with a ring. The bottom ring hovered over the numbers representing the degrees of angles.

"You can use this to bring him, her or them here to the dimensional Safe Zone."

"A retreat device?"

"Yes, transportation. Without fail, across sea and space." Sextans replied. "Do not peep into the upper ring. Once you think of a star and look into the ring, you will transport it immediately. As long as someone isn't dead or 'completely vanished'."

"What about Athena?" Whe Seiya asked that question, Sextans Agatha gave out a cute smile.

"That's the other way around. She can reach us, but I can't reach her. Gods don't have stars—after all, they are the creators or rulers of the Universe. As her Saints, of course, we can feel her Cosmos."

"You said that the Oars will need many of us, right? Are you saying that this thing will help create a gathering?"

"Yes. But it's a matter of when is the right time. Only Jason's Galley can will the right time. Aggravating. Oh—"

"What's wrong?" Sagittarius Seiya's brow twitched as he watched Agatha's expression. Her eyes were shielded by a sash, but nothing could conceal excitement. She breathed.

"Antares and Phoenix are boiling like a crimson fire."

"Ikki?!" Easily read by his face, Seiya could not hold in his surprise. Sextans had told him when she sensed 'the activity of stars", it meant that their "activity" was burning brightest or were quite active. They were releasing energy; in particular, the Bronzes were going through a flux. If "fading", they were entering a state of death. But not necessarily at Stellar's End.

"So is Leo, Capricorn, and Pisces. And then, there is…an unknown one."

"Unknown?"

"I have theories: While there can be new stars in the universe, born like children, there are the ones that are unknown or obscured. Not cataloged; these are stars from the time of the Ancients."

Seiya's eyes narrowed. "What could that mean? For an aura like that to suddenly appear?"

"God's will."

"If you can sense it, then that means it's one of us?! An ally?"

"It could be, but I wonder what this all means? There are many fading stars and I can feel souls moving about. Everything is going in another direction, whether for the better or worse. If only Argo or Athena could speak to me. I'm sorry Sagittarius, for being useless."

"It's okay. Besides, everything is not always determined accurately. That is what you told me right?"

"Yes."

"And I know a thing or two about breaking pre-determined fate."

"It's not possible for that foolish Mother Goddess to have such power." Someone had told the Pope the current situation: Shadows appear, and the deceased are increasing. Virgo Fudou and Gemini Integra were in Pope Hall, and Gemini assured that the rest of the Saints would fight back against the new threat, thwarting the damage. If not completely, they could mitigate it; she had faith in her Bronze and Silver Saint companions. Accompanied by Andromeda Shun, Aquarius Hyouga—the real one at that, after having mourned Haruto and returning his Wolf Cloth—left for a location called Heinstein Castle. Hyouga stated that was the way he and his brothers entered Hell in the last war with Hades, but it was perilous without protection.

"Our Cloths were protected by the blood of Gold Saints," he said. Therefore, the Gold Cloths were the best chance. Also, Fudou shared his own absurd plan, which would lead him to depart from the Hall, leaving the Pope and Gemini alone.

"That damn Demeter and Hermes," the Pope mumbled while slouched on his throne. Most of his Gold Saints were away from the Sanctuary and he stubbornly insisted that he was powerful enough to protect himself. But even Fudou was concerned at the turn of events.

"Are they trying to separate us?" The Pope thought out loud. Integra contemplated those words; in Athena's absence, she stood by the Pope. There was no such thing as an empty Sanctuary, or an abandoned Twelve Temples, she said confidently. The Sanctuary would still be protected. The Chamber seemed to melt in low light from the Pope's gloomy thoughts. At first, he did not notice the shade from the curtains, the wings from his peripheral, slowly stretching onto the rug leading to his throne. Underneath his metal mask, the Pope gnashed his teeth. The Pope Chamber suddenly roared; the curtains rippled and the air somehow distorted. It couldn't be described as any more than a straight-laced breeze, but it packed a fatal punch. Any normal human being in its way would probably lose hearing and die on the spot, unrealizing their broken bones and slipping into a state of vertigo.

"Show yourself!" The Pope demanded.

Within this flustered wave was a tall and wide shimmering panel. Behind it were Shadows; after the attack calmed, one of them took slow steps toward the Pope. Except for their fuzzy white eyes and human figures, the Shadows had no distinguishing features. Without light, shadows weren't cast, but there was also an umbra, blocked-in darkness completely shielded or devoid of light. Easily imagined by a room without electrical lights, windows, or lamps. However, when this Shadow walked forward, perhaps when a sunray above touched it, a cape appeared. It flowed from the back of a true body belonging to a man. He wore a sacred garment with a deep, sleek outer layer.

"I should expect such a tough, bull-headed greeting from you," he said.

"What do you take me for?" Despite his mask, the Pope's scowl could be realized even if partially. "Did you think you could defeat me—by abandoning your rank as well?!"

Towing a group of Shadows behind, the man in the black armor stopped around twelve meters from the throne. The meaning behind the distance was either for safety or surrender. Tender but fearless violet eyes reach the Pope.

"I've come to explain everything to you, and…to take your life. A life that lacks a kind heart."

The Pope and Integra would eventually learn that they faced the darkest of the dark – An Umbra. Gemini Integra moved in front of the Pope, resolved eyes staring at the face of the new enemy. That man, or assassin, was then joined by another of the same sleek body.

"What do you mean the dead swells?!" Back in Limbo, Demeter sounded like she was in a panic. There was still the incredulous wave that struck her body when Akel mentioned Ginga.

"Souls. Cosmos. Limbo will be saturated and encumbered by souls. Not just from the dead, but also the uninvited living. As they do, Hades's soul trembles." For the first time, as if invigorated, the Demigod sprouted up from his crouch and stood on his two feet. He moved ahead Shaina's Cloth.

"Are you saying that…the revival will be early?" The Mother Goddess's voice lowered from the knot of disbelief in her stomach. Were seven days cut into perhaps an hour or a minute? From Demeter's words, Athena stared at the Demigod with disbelief; her Saints could only watch helplessly, their faces contorted as they struggled against the chains tightened against their bodies.

"I'm sorry, Demeter. You invited a situation where everyone is devoured by violence."

The Mother Goddess and the Demigod—the son of Apollo—were eye to eye. Asklepios's eyes reflected the clearest Summer sky in between his soggy gray bangs. In Limbo, those eyes contrastively sparked with the most life.

"You will watch this spectacle," he said in a dreary tone, edging on anger and a bass arrogance, "watch as the humans clash desperately. For your family. Why don't you keep your promise? Cross those borders, Goddess. Kill everyone and everything for your happiness? Do you want to see who triumphs from this chaos?"

Demeter whispered, "What is truly happening?"

A smile appeared. "Hades's spirit will rise not only due to the increase in dead, but also his most hated enemies coming forth. He can smell them all, can he? Now, he will come," said the Demigod. From what Demeter could surmise, she assumed that Hades was getting agitated by the Cosmos of Athena and her Saints. Also, if Limbo swelled with dead, this could all come to fruition and force Hades to act. Was it enough? To become a welcoming atmosphere? Asklepios turned and walked away, stretching out his arms with renewed vigor as if little care in the world.

"Let's kneel to his royal presence. If only for a short moment."

Demeter took in a low, shallow breath and looked to Dark Meadow. "Release Athena and the Saints."

There was no hesitation; the dog Specter nodded and raised his hands. At winding speed, Kouga and the others were freed, dropping onto the invisible ground within the Limbo darkness. At a far distance, something flickered into view. It was caught by Kouga, grasping his attention. He looked around, and he seemed to catch the outline of horizons. The image waved in and out of view, and Pegasus thought he was in an illusion. Then, he looked at Asklepios and Demeter. A towering arch slowly faded into view above the Demigod's head.

"What is going on? Why were we released?" Orion Eden reached Kouga's side.

"Fools." Demeter finally spoke up, but with her back turned. "No, I am a fool as well, am I? You were released to prepare yourself. Athena, and her worthless Saints, get ready to witness the arrival of a King."

After those words, Limbo grumbled loudly. Lionet Souma looked down as he felt his feet above a strange texture. A familiar surface that reminded him of a usual walking road on the sidewalk or a mountain path. Pebbled land flicked in Souma's view; it made him wonder if Limbo was taking some kind of shape.

"Kouga!" Eden's eyes became intense as he looked over to Pegasus. "Regardless of what they say, this is our chance: Let's get Miss Shaina's Cloth and get Athena out of here." A nod of agreement, and in a blink of lightning, Eden and Kouga lunge and their hands reach out for the Ophiuchus Cloth. They weren't sure about the conclusion, but Eden figured that Athena was a pawn within the Gods' plan, and taking the Silver Saint Cloth would prevent a full resurrection. That would be confirmed as Asklepios reacted for the first time. One finger lifted and a flurry of white needles swished past the two Bronzes like a gust of hail. Eden growled in frustration; everything in his body was being attacked by rapid protein dystrophy. When he dropped, his fingers—too weak to lift, and with his core muscles shut—his fingers were inches away from Shaina's Cloth. Lacking strength in his chest and pelvis, his spine and lungs would also weaken, and led to his cognition and movement being discombobulated. The spine was connected to the brain; along with his sudden physical weakness, Eden's mind turned to hopelessness. It was the same as dying for an unknown reason and at an abrupt time, passing out and not regaining consciousness to see familiar faces. Fear emerged, then hopelessness. Pegasus Kouga's own body took a large shock, throwing him backward.

"I need that," said Akel. "That Cloth will be the key to restoring my power. I'm owed that much."

"What did I tell you before? You will know the despair of uselessness," Demeter added more insult to injury. "Don't see this as an opening to attempt as you please. Athena can't be saved."

"Won't know unless we try, right?" With just one usable arm, Lionet Souma was chirpy as usual. "Sorry, I'm a bad listener."

They weren't sure how to get their Goddess out of a land bordering life and death, but all they had was faith in their Cosmos. Yuna, Ryuho and Souma rushed for Athena, and their path was immediately intersected by the grin of Cancer Hermes.

"Get out of our way, traitor!" yelled Souma. "Turn around and fight the real enemy!"

"Why would you want Athena to die?!" Ryuho pleaded for understanding.

"Heh, don't you dummies know anything about Athena? She is the kind of person to save the world. If more people are dying for Hades's resurrection, then she probably can't help but feel sorrow. Right?" Cancer's eyes swerved as he looked over his shoulder.

"But who or what is causing this?" said Athena with a stern look. "If demonic activity is on the rise, the answer can only be other Gods."

"You all are terrible!" Pegasus Kouga returned to his feet and made a leap for Asklepios; did his anger drive him again?

"Subaru, get Miss Saori out of here!" he called out to Equuleus, who swiftly made for Athena's side as well, but then was met with Dark Meadow. Everyone had a barrier except for Asklepios, and somehow that gave Kouga confidence, but what did pummeling the Demigod accomplish? He wanted to knock him over and clear an opening to get the Cloth. With the way it violently glowed, his former mentor's Cloth was the catalyst needed for the resurrection. Kouga thought he either had to get it away from Akel or, if possible, destroy it. Miss Shaina was gone—was killing a Cloth allowed? Without Akel and his astounding powers, it was pointless; without the Cloth, it was pointless. Eliminate the possibility of both!

"Pegasus Sui Sei ken!" An enormous meteor appeared, advancing in a straight line for the Ophiuchus Cloth and Akelepios. Miss Shaina, I'm sorry!

As Kouga apologized in his heart, the sky of Limbo roared with light, and then broke apart.

"Huh?" Kouga wondered if his attack was useless against both the Cloth and the Demigod. That was inaccurate – his attack dissipated before it reached either. A swath of air bifurcated it, leaving a small, corona-orange spherical anomaly in mid-air. A hiss, in rising decibels that got louder, until it became a deafening thunderclap. That sphere swelled and disappeared in a second or less; instantly, Kouga's body bucked, and he had no idea what happened. From the others, who could only spectate, Kouga was grabbed by his neck. Curls of smoke poured out from his entire body. He nearly lost the light in his eyes as his head was completely lolled back.

Soon after, a tree of energy sprouted from the Ophiuchus Cloth. Limbo sunk into a blinding light; did it indicate the end of the reach for Heaven?

"Due to this banquet of universes and souls converging into Hell, I can only project the Holy One here. Momentarily. He says, 'I will take Athena now.'" It was the voice of Akelepios. When the light died down, the Demigod was back in his crouch behind Shaina's Cloth. It glowed dimly behind a cold blue halo.

"Do not avert your eyes, Pegasus. Behold Hell's King." The grip on Kouga's head was like a steel clamp. He regained consciousness, heard a voice, and did not register the stranger that was holding him from behind. Kouga only remembered seeing sharp violet eyes from a young man with black-gray hair. Black and gray together could compare to thin storm clouds making way for a dull sky. What impressed Kouga the most was the amount of pressure that shoved him down to a knee. The stranger only held him with one hand. Was it Ginga, he had thought. No, aside from the different appearance, the words from before were from a voice like biting, murderous ice, but also respectful. With his head being pulled up, Kouga couldn't help but look in a fixed direction.

Next to Athena was a tall incandescent figure, looking down at her. Her head was leaning back as the tip of a palm took her chin.

"You," Athena whispered. Limbo was submerged into a strange silvery fog that gave it a presence beyond death. Somehow, it was calming, leaving everyone to hold their breath. The darkness had disappeared, and a tall arch appeared from a distance. But, everyone's eyes were on Athena and the strange projection next to her. When the fog dwindled, sliding away, it revealed a dark sky with reddish clouds. Below were hills and craggy rocks; obscured plains stretched as far as the eye could see. Everyone stood on a brick road leading to the arch. What the current generation of Bronze Saints did not know was that this was a true world. With flower fields, rivers, high cliffs, lava rivers, forests, waterfalls, mountains, swamps, artic fields, deserts, and it was all under a Chthonic God.

It was only for a moment.

"The opposite of Olympus is Tartatus," the figure said to Athena. "This ugly Limbo should not exist."

"Hades." As Athena sighed his name, she had forgotten that she was not in chains. Everyone else was magnetized by the projected body which, despite carrying a lofty name of a God, was only displayed as some blue wiry spirit. However, that spirit had long hair and two pairs of wings from his back. The strange power or charm being emitted was convincing. To make it more convincing was seeing a man reach for the spirit's side and then prostrate silently. It was Dark Meadow; Subaru was on the ground knocked out. Cancer Hermes stepped away, giving Yuna, Ryuho and Souma a view of the bluish-looking Hades.

"That's the King of the Underworld?" Ryuho said.

"Were we…too late?" Yuna's voice was tinted with a sense of failure.

"That guy said something about 'projecting him momentarily," said Souma, who eyed Asklepios. "Does that mean he's not corporeal?" Considering these Bronzes were not from Seiya's time, nor witnesses of the last war, they were not fully aware of the demands needed to revive the Underworld King. The truth was that Souma was correct—Hades needed a week to return to himself, body and soul, and the Hades that they saw now was ethereal.

"Athena, a deep resentment for you burns inside of me. I cannot forgive you. When I return to my land, once it revives, I will take everything from you. But first…" A partial turn of his body and ethereal Hades flicked his arm back. Everyone's eyes swished in the opposite direction of Hades to follow something; something cleaved the air as a beam of light.

And it transformed into a blue, double-edged sword; everyone was at a standstill. No one trembled. The process of speed could not be followed. Furthermore, the process of making sense could not elaborate on what was falling backward.

"Hermes?!" Yuna nearly shrieked. A strange, anguished sound gurgled from the Gold Saint of Cancer as the double-edged sword that Hades threw was pierced above his clavicle. As he dropped onto his back, his Cloth's helmet bounced across the rejuvenated pebbled ground, it was all a sign of the door opening to the uncivilized Black Deal. That temporary image of Hades became more imposing. Everyone will soon learn how greedy he is.

Chapter Text

God is impartial. God is wise. God is almighty. God is everything because God created everything. Therefore, for all reasons, God must be listened to. But when looking at a God, cold cuts the skin. From mortals and a Goddess, there were many incredulous gazes; it came out of all who froze in either reverence or fear. They watched a King, one of the Olympians. His presence was able to emit an illusion of the Underworld itself and more. Souls gathered at his location, many in the form of walking silhouettes. They looked like the Shadows that were at war with the Saints and the Pope on Earth's surface. It's all a sign that The Underworld and all those who inhabited it were truly incomplete, but those lifeforms weren't without their emotional substance.

To see Hermes's death, each person present had one of two thoughts: The swift judgment of a God was befitting for a traitor, or a Gold Saint was struck down by his greatest enemy. Either or, one thing was certain for everyone, it was well established that Hades, King of the Dead, existed before their eyes. Asklepios healed Pan, Demeter, and Arion around this time, and the two Terrae gathered before their divine patron as they quietly spectated.

Athena called out to the Gold Saint in a genuinely worried voice. She was answered by words wrapped in exhaustion and pain.

"Yeah? Ugh, that hurt." The sword that skewered through Cancer Hermes's chest had that same blue, wiry form as Hades. It sparkled then peeled away into atoms. The Gold Saint jolted, only capable of bending his upper body. For only a few seconds—he fell right back down and splayed his legs. It was a blow so hard that he needed a moment to regain his strength.

"Interesting." Hades looked disappointed, his eyes thinning. "Looks like your spirit isn't entirely for me. Very well. You will still stay here and serve me. That is one soul I will take."

No one understood what that meant. Was it because Hades was a temporary presence, his strength dwindled? He was unable to kill the Saint? No matter the strength, and courage, even a Gold could struggle and fall against a God. Despite that, he still contained authority over all those present. To chain Hermes to his command, was there still a seething hatred for his enemy?

Hades pulled his hand from Athena's chin and turned to look at everyone else for a moment until his eyes fitted on Demeter. ""Thank you, my dear sister, you've done well. However, you've been adding demands to the Black Deal. All I wanted was Athena's life and the world."

Demeter may have succeeded in her goal, but she broke away from her confidants and advanced on Hades's blue corporal form to kneel before him in humiliation.

"I know that I've sinned, and I want to be forgiven," she said. "Thus, I offer Athena as a form of respite. Trade her body and soul in to face her punishment and to spare Earth. I crossed forbidden lines, but I hope that your revival will please the Gods."

"Forgiveness? I do not know how other Gods will see your transactions, but they may be pleased by the sacrifice of Athena, the truest of sinners. But all that you ask for will cost you. For the worry and pain you've caused, you may have to experience the same. I will need more of course. Now, I will need Ginga."

Suppressing a gasp, Demeter's anxiety returned; she had forgotten the words Akel had relayed earlier. It was brought up when Demeter asked for Arion to be saved. Overall, the deal meant that Demeter had to allocate what she owned to prevent being punished. Show her own humility—in truth, Demeter was a feared, and behind closed doors, a hated Goddess. Maybe it wasn't unknown to her; thus, she trembled with her eyes to the ground.

"Arion, what is this Black Deal?" Pan looked up to Arion by her side; the leader of the Terrae narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice as if to not break this lofty gathering.

"In order to revive her daughter and the Underworld, and to ascertain her safety from punishment from the Heavens, Demeter and Hades, the latter through Asklepios, has been making trade plans to please the latter. That requires some... 'gifts'. The question is the elaborate contents. Looks like I've been added to it, so now Hades wants Ginga. Also, it turns out Asklepios and Athena were talking as well when Demeter was away." Pan gnashed her teeth, a burning gleam facing Athena, but that anger would soon slip away at Hades's next words.

"As a reprieve to the mortals, I will delay the destruction on Earth. Naxos Island will be spared. As I do not request more is miraculous."

"My..." As she spoke, the shake in Demeter's hands and knees intensified. She looked up to the temporary Underworld King. "My dear Lord Hades. Why Ginga?"

"He has failed to defeat the Saints because of his weakness. I suppose the same could be said for the others," Hades said as he looked over to Pan and Arion. The Wefting Fibre Terrae flinched, seething within. The ones who defeated her and killed her sister were within her sights, but she was unable to move. Perhaps out of fear or respect, or perhaps out of necessity, as the grounds now belonged to Hades.

"What weakness?" Demeter asked.

"He is most human. I doubt you want him to die so bring him to me," The Underworld King demanded.

Demeter's heart was truly heavy – perhaps this was worse than any judgment from Zeus or the other higher gods. What a greedy, demanding God. Holding her words, she wondered deeply what Hades planned to do with her son. That wonder and worry drowned out her ignorance; she did not know where Ginga disappeared to.

Two screams fell from the upper void, the dark firmament planted with crimson clouds. Unfurled wings cut through that darkness above Hades and Athena's head. The illusionary Underworld has been shrouded with shadowy figures, but realistically, there were exceptions. Such as the black-gray-haired guy who held Kouga by his head—

And the man known as Wyvern. Flexing his knees, The Judge of Hell landed near the Gods with the boldness of an army, and in his hands were two humans. He was quickly acknowledged.

"My esteemed Lord Hades. I believe this is the one you seek."

"Rhadamanthys." The name was spoken with warmth; this was a true, reliable confidant of Hades, and to see a true, visible form represented that trust, and the sheer willpower of Wyvern that opposed fate. He looked like a powerful, astringent man in a Surplice with wings and horns. Opening his clawed gauntlets, the Judge released the two people – a boy and a girl. They dropped to the ground.

"Ginga!" Demeter couldn't hide her relief; her exclaim was followed by also Kouga's. Everyone, especially the two Terrae, was shocked. It was Ginga in his Boron Stole; he had disappeared into the Underworld? This entire time, through his Dragon's Vault, Arion had watched the second Garden with utmost apprehension, seeing Ginga unconscious at one time and then gone at another time. Arion's immediate thoughts were "Was he dead?! Or was he transported there?" Fallen next to Ginga was an ordinary-looking girl in citizen clothing. Anyone recognized Jorie from a popular Naxos bookstore. She was Ginga's partner at work.

"Now where are we?!" Rubbing the back of her head, Jorie looked up the same time Ginga did, seeing Demeter kneeling in front of them.

"Lady Demeter!" They both said in unison. Suddenly, Ginga was pulled into Demeter's arms. She raked a hand into his sky-blue hair.

"I thought—I thought—!" Demeter's voice was on the verge of cracking from sadness. She thought he—her only "son"— had died as well.

"Did I worry you, Lady Demeter? I'm so sorry." Ginga cooed and felt welcome to be in the Goddess's bosom again. His confusion melted.

"Release him, Goddess of Harvest," someone cut in. "Did you not heed what my Lord said? This Ginga is no longer your property."

Demeter's head snapped up quickly, the most venom exuding from her eyes looking up to one of the Judges of Hell, Wyvern Rhadamanthys. In return was his peer of solid, absolute pride. Even if he was high rank and she was a Goddess, he would dare say that to her?

"Stand down, Rhadamanthys. I understand that even these humans are important to Demeter. Let her have her peace for now," Hades said. The Wyvern Judge backed a few steps, giving the boy and girl room to stand on their two feet. Someone called out to them.

"Ginga! Jorie!" Breaking through was Arion's voice. "What are you two even doing here?!"

"Lord Arion!" Jorie shrieked. "A guy in Gold took us here and trapped us. He said something about going to Athena's funeral." There hasn't been a stop to the surprises since Hades's so-called "temporary revival". Everyone was at a loss for words, but the Bronze Saints immediately turned in another direction – the fallen body of a Gold Saint. Cancer Hermes was still unable to get up and had been slipping in and out of consciousness throughout the ordeal. When he heard Jorie's words, he couldn't help but laugh.

"Hahaha, using me as some pawn to keep the world safe huh? I guess I'm doing my job right, Athena?"

Then he heard some steps.

"What is she talking about?" Hermes kept one eye open and saw Demeter standing over his body. To be prone on the ground, he could feel a bit of fear; he would be helpless against whatever Demeter would place on him. He was not unfamiliar with that rage slowly emerging in her voice, and he wondered whether to lie for sarcastic fun or to tell the truth. Or he could hold his tongue—Jorie was right of course. Against his predictions, to "invite the Naxos family to the enemy's funeral", Demeter wasn't too happy. But, Hermes also realized that due to Hades's plan or "deal", he was probably safe. At least from her.

Man, that girl snitched on me so fast. Cancer Hermes thought, managing a smile through his face contorted in pain. Athena showed a pitiful expression. She knew that Cancer was always doing something peculiar on his own.

"This Gold Saint has no reason, Lord Hades!" Demeter turned to the Underworld King, her voice raised. "You have may him, but Ginga—"

"Ginga belongs to me. That is a part of the deal," Hades said. Demeter quickly strode back to the Boron Terrae and stood between two Olympian Gods and Rhadamanthys, with Ginga and Jorie behind her. Her eyes were full of panic as she pleaded.

"No wait, please! He may not be from my own womb, but I respect him as my own son!"

"Your son?"

"Please don't harm him." The panic welled inside Demeter; she had been parted from Ginga for so long, and the fear of him being just gone—accumulated by Megaera's death—was finally released at this moment. She had no idea what Hades meant, but she imagined it being the same as her daughter. It would be the same where she is in mourning every Winter. She thought of the worse: will Hades takes Ginga's soul?

"This is all for you, I promise," said Hades. "We are still tasked to defeat Athena's Saints who dare traverse our sanctuaries. I will put Ginga to use."

"Use?"

"Indeed. Your family contributes. Your son, your daughters, and your right hand. You followed your way, resulting all of this."

"You say that you are giving out a reprieve, but Earth and all living things are still under threat." This time, it was Athena who spoke out. "Hades, I still do not believe that you have a right to resume world domination."

Athena's presumptuous remark was enough for eyes to return to her.

"Even if I disagree with her, Demeter went through this entire process to save the dead souls, including her daughter, even if breaking taboo. Cancer Hermes was worried about the erratic demon activity and souls coming to Earth."

Athena paused for a moment to choose her next words.

"With that said, if I offer my life, will you leave the Saints and Earth be? Instigate Hermes' 'funeral' like he said?" Immediately, there were raised gasps among the Bronze Saints, nearly drowned by the cackles of the wide shadowy gathering that surrounded them. Kouga cried out to Miss Saori.

Hades closed his eyes and spoke in a calm voice. "Athena, it was you who devised the trade for Viento right? To appease Demeter?"

The deafening silence returned except for Kouga's groan; his face was slammed into the ground. The man in the black-gray hair casually made way for Hades and at a distant spot from Rhadamanthys, next to Dark Meadow, he kneeled. This man did not wear a Surplice but a regular-looking suit of armor reminiscent of a standard low-tier Saint. Across his neck was a hanging aviator's scarf. The stretched length of his leg and arm guards gave him a somewhat regal feel.

Athena promptly answered Hades's question with a "yes". As they spoke, there was a small chat between the Bronzes.

"Is that a Saint?" Yuna looked over to Souma and Ryuho.

"I've never seen him before," Souma said. He grimaced. "But he ain't no ally of ours if he's kneeling to Hades." It was certainly true by how he treated Kouga.

"But Hades said a 'trade'," said Ryuho. "A 'trade' for what?" That was when Ryuho heard Hades stating that Demeter would be pleased, and that Athena's courage is admirable. He had thought about sparing the world, but he also could not release his fury.

"You are a decent Goddess Athena," the King said, "and there are times when I can deeply respect you. However, you can also be disingenuous."

Hades took Athena's chin again.

"I noticed something through Asklepios. Are you using someone to delay my revival?" Athena kept quiet, her eyes glittering.

"I will figure it out later. For now, you are mine."

"I will say this Hades: I know those who understand a soul's salvation and the love of humanity more than you." Her words seem angry but under a noble, collected voice. "I cannot forgive the evil upon the world that is brought from these events."

"My dear." Another voice entered the area, but it was not addressed to Athena. Demeter's head snapped back quickly, and she saw someone looming in from the far depths. The person wearing a winged Surplice; much like Rhadamanthus and the so-called Viento, it was not an undistinguished "soul", but an actual flesh and blood figure that looked like it came from the living. A pale woman with neck-length platinum hair.

"J..Julia?" Ginga's eyes froze on the woman. She stopped and gave out a warm, welcoming expression on her face. Her voice was like a Christmas bell chime. Every name she spoke, she acknowledged with a look, starting with Hades and then around.

"My beloved King. Dear Ginga. Mister Arion. Dear Pan. Mighty Rhadamanthys. Loyal Dark Meadow. And...and my precious mother." So swiftly, the woman's wings moved and wrapped around Demeter. The Mother Goddess had bolted and threw herself against the Specter, wailing madly. She fell onto her knees, forcing the woman to crouch along with her. Her hand coursed through the Goddess's hair.

Rhadamanthys spoke. "The Queen of Tartatus, Persephone."

In other words, Hades's wife and Demeter's daughter. Also, on Earth, the girl with the Winter Syndrome known by Ginga and many others on Naxos: Julia Baer. Julia was the vessel of Persephone, thus, the reason why she went into a deep sleep every Winter. It was one of the cruelest fates of the mother and daughter duo being reincarnated on Earth.

"Now now, mother."

"Please! Stay with me!" Demeter's body and voice were shaking; how much grief and shame did she go through for this moment? She deeply did not wish to cause such happenings on Earth, but followed her desperation to the end at the expense of looking pathetic. This was all she wanted. Even if no one died, if not Athena, whom she hated, this was all she truly wanted.

"I will mother, I'm here. Thank you. I missed you so much. But, there is still more to do. My beloved?" Julia, or rather Persephone, looked up to Hades.

"By taking Athena, I also suggest a delay in ruling the world." Persephone released her mother and when she stood, it was like she took command of a whole room, and all attention was put on her. She demanded it.

"Or spare the world entirely, but leave one thing—our vengeance. We will cast these Saints back to their world. When all we hold dear, and our strength, is restored, we engage in our war anew, and keep the planet safe."

Is it a speech to leave anyone breathless? It didn't seem real from the cute voice of Persephone. She was truly Hades's right hand. Sometime before her arrival or shortly after, Eden, Hermes, and Subaru were revived from their injuries. They needed to see this or so the Demigod Asklepios thought.

"Are you saying to battle you?!" Lionet Souma snapped.

"My amicable Queen, are you agreeing with Athena?" Hades said, referring to what the Goddess said about world domination.

"Please contemplate at great length, my dear King," said Persephone, "for your body and soul have yet to return. One step at a time."

Hades's heart was at a flutter. He was sometimes stirred by his Queen's ruthlessness, but he knew that she spoke and acted for his sake. To kill Athena and his Saints would truly be a blessing, but to have Viento, Hermes, and Ginga, how would he use them?

"I am not Ares. I do not battle for fun. I rejoin the world to claim it," said Hades. "That is the Will of the Gods. Earth will be mine to cleanse. The Holy Wars are proof of who holds the reigns. For dominance."

"Then screw you!" Pegasus Kouga pulled himself off and darted an angry glare at Hades. The guy with the lengthy arm and leg armor, and scarf, rose and turned to face Pegasus.

"My dear, do you hold on stubbornly to this Will because you're fuming inside?" asked Persephone; Hades did not return a prompt answer. The Queen of the Underworld continued. "Surely, those of our stature, can make exceptions. We can do this out of respect and hate for Athena. Her mortals are worthy of praise. Such a choice should be considered at length."

"If it were you on the throne in my place my love," said Hades, "then what would you do?"

The Will of Persephone? One who has never instigated a War and only stayed by Hades's side like a Queen in bed, or with tea in her hand, speaking to the King sweetly. As Demeter's daughter, she too represented healthy vegetation and souls crossing into death to be judged, then branched into the afterlife. By Hades, and in mortal scripture, she is known as a wise woman who touched anything that moved. She brought the light, whether it was like the sun or like the light reaching into death. Other than that, her activities were mysterious. She was also called a Savior Maiden.

"I want you and my family to be well, my King. We always sacrifice as a means to appease ourselves. I believe the Underworld is first and foremost." The Queen took steps ahead to get a closer look at the Saints, including the pawns. Little did anyone know, both King and Queen could share minds. Conversing with Hades, as Persephone slowly revived, she knew of the pawns.

"Dear Ginga, Viento, Hermes and Athena will stay with us as you desire. Let us initiate Athena's funeral."

Was that it? Pawns and a Goddess's death? Did that trigger the end of all violence if the Saints' patron was killed? Would it be a victory for Demeter and Hades? However, didn't Demeter state before that Athena would save Naxos? Kouga, Yuna, and the others saw this as a complete surrender. What kind of life would they live without their Goddess? Would it be more peaceful? Grief was not peaceful; that feeling of having failed was not peaceful.

"Are you out of your mind?! Do you think we would stand for this?!" Kouga retorted of course, eyes on the Queen's mother, the very thing that caused all this suffering. Everything was due to Demeter's desire to revive her.

"Athena is a guardian of Earth. More benevolent and wise than any of you. You can't just take her away because of your revenge!"

When it came to the death of Gods, it was usually recorded in writing. Gods killed other Gods. During the Holy Wars, the souls of Gods were sealed. The people who fought for them would die but revive every different generation. Their souls, connected to stars, would live on.

Hades turned back to Athena. "Her patience is admirable. She looks down upon no one. Very well. One step at a time."

"Oh no you don't!" Pegasus Kouga dashed, and his path was cut by the guy in the aviator scarf. He moved ahead, stopping Kouga's advance.

"I went easy on you earlier," he said. "Anymore and you would probably be blown to bits."

"Eat your bluff."

"Do you want to die?"

"I'll do whatever. Die. Live. I won't let you strike Athena down as if she's evil!"

"Everyone, hold." Called Persephone. She lifted her hand at chest level and with a small curl, her lithe fingers seemed to pluck the air. Kouga, Yuna, Eden, Souma and Ryuho heard a sweet note in their ears, and their bodies were suddenly gripped by an unknown power. They lost their voices, but their minds were filled with confusion. They remained upright— to see what was ahead of them.

Hades and Athena.

"Everyone, witness," Persephone demanded in a mellow, lovely voice. In this entire gathering, there was anticipation; for the loyal Saints, it was like watching an execution, with bated breath, chained against their will. A modern metaphor could be like "being glued to the TV" or "watching a train wreck." They refused to turn away, no matter where their minds were.

When the Queen's grip left him, Kouga fell onto his knees. Persephone continued to speak as everyone was chilled to the bone. It was a scene hardly witnessed in the records of Gods and mortals.

The world stopped. No one breathed, not even Athena.

Standing next to Hades, Athena's facial expression opened with anguish. She could not describe the ice that went through her body. She looked up at Hades with her soft face; it read an embrace in her fate. There was no fear or anger, but acceptance. She looked shocked but knew what happened and slouched backward. Then, as Athena closed her eyes, Persephone went into a soliloquy.

"In a collective world where different Gods and men stand, fight, and fall in love, our passionate will," Persephone added, "has reached this result: Athena must be punished as Death's victory."

As a distant spectacle, the long protruding end and middle of a black sword was seen pierced out of Athena's back. This is what Hades wanted to see – her face, the drain, that release, that instant where she felt the blade and, without a word or breath, truly met death. It was an unexplained euphoria.

Kouga felt as if his soul left his body.

Cancer Hermes expressed a countenance and smile as warm as the sun, and behind his spectacles, his eyes seem to glow. When his Goddess leaned, like a cascade of water, she fell back into his arms. Not a single voice was raised. To see her unmoving, he could not describe it. It wasn't lust, but rather, it was a vulnerable feeling that derived from humility, something that couldn't be witnessed by a mortal. Again, it must have been that unexplained euphoria. Maybe she was beautiful. Seeing her body made Hermes remember the conversations they had together. Cancer snapped his fingers and then hefted Athena's legs over his other arm. She really wasn't moving, and it still couldn't be believed. He spun around and headed in the opposite direction.

Carrying the Goddess, Hermes stopped next to Pegasus Kouga to look down at him. He heard a sniffling sound. His grin couldn't widen any further; his jaw tightened, Kouga's eyes reflected nothing less than despair from within, creating a brim of tears. He wanted to ask "why?", but the dejection was too strong, and he knew Hermes wasn't one for direct answers. Kouga, if not now, was completely convinced that Cancer was a relentless monster whom he wouldn't reason with.

"Boy, oh boy. Look at that face." The corner of Cancer's mouth turned up into a smirk. He put down Athena for a moment and placed his hand onto Kouga's head. More like a tight grasp against the skin, and he taunted the boy by harshly ruffling the boy's face and hair. Like rubbing a stubborn stain off with a towel.

"Neener-neener. It's fine Pegasus, cry. It's fine to mourn," Hermes said as he retrieved the Goddess. "You lost a beloved person after all. That's what happens at funerals, yeah?" To say such words with his childish grin; it was as if he got away with a crime.

"Miss Saori." Somehow, that snapped Kouga back to reality. "Give…her back."

Hermes headed for Persephone, who stood in front of the black coffin. It was summoned by the Cancer Saint by his finger snap. Before long, he heard Kouga's anguished scream. It exploded throughout the mass gathering.

"GIVE HER BACK YOU BASTARD!"

Kouga has not understood that going forward has been pointless many times, but it was his initial thought, and his adopted parent was in front of him. In the arms of a traitor, walking away, with his back turned as if Kouga was a broken enemy. Hermes didn't turn to meet the angry face of Kouga; Kouga's expression changed immediately. He stopped mid-stride with one leg flexed by the knee. Did the air freeze? Did he lose his muscle fiber? Asklepios?! He couldn't even move his eyes to see what the Demi-God he was doing. He heard Souma, Yuna, Eden, and Ryuho call out to him.

He had felt something slide through his body in a second, a soft pelting, which could be passed off as nothing. Kouga's knees, ankles, wrists, and shoulders were covered in some silvery substance. Best described as some skin smear, mist poured out from them. Kouga doubled over, losing movement. Was he shot in specific areas, but the effect pervaded his entire body? Immediately, the other Bronzes coalesced around him. At this time, Cancer Hermes had sunk Athena's body into the black coffin and slid on the lid.

Facing the ground, the Bronze Saint cursed his helplessness. His mind repeating the scene of the sword going through his adopted parent, and having to regard the reality that someone else he appreciated was truly dead, Pegasus Kouga shook the Underworld with his scream of exasperation.

Something attacked him at an unknown distance, and it prompted Dragon Ryuho to look around. He searched left and right amidst the forest of souls, even the "living ones" such as Rhadamanthys. Then he suddenly wondered, why did Wyvern, the Queen of the Underworld and the scarf Saint have genuine forms? Something quickly took his eye, a tall silhouette with curled, inverted wings. An icy blue sphere glowed in its palm; horns atop its head and wide shoulders, Ryuho could tell that was a fierce spirit. For some reason, that silhouette backed away into the masses as if to obscure its view.

A word entered Ryuho's head. "Leave!" Telepathy?! The son of Shiryu did not know how to respond except to stare into space.

"You are polluting my land," said Hades. "Either you leave or I destroy you all. I rather do the latter."

"With the exception of Mister Hermes and Mister Viento, will all Saints leave at once? I have returned to catch up to my beloved ones." Persephone tried to plead to soothe her King. He rather have the eyesores for Saints to disappear at the least. With a dejected Kouga on the ground, the other Bronzes glared at the Queen.

Both Souma and Yuna couldn't help but protest.

"After what you did to Athena?! What do you plan to do with her?!"

"If the Earth is still under threat, why the Hell should we back down?"

"Athena loves you dearly and did this for you. Why would you do something that saddens her? Do not die needlessly. I am willing to show mercy this time. This is an opportunity to contemplate future actions."

Orion Eden, Equuleus Subaru, Aquila Yuna, Lionet Souma, and Dragon Ryuho stood together, and a wide aura of Cosmos gathered around them. Their stances showed they were ready for battle. Rather, it showed their fury, their eyes shining with tears.

"How do you feel about this? Are you willing to raise your fist against them? Your own brethren?" Hades spoke, looking nearby, towards the man with black-gray hair.

The answer was prompt. "It will be like defending my family. Allow my presentation to inspire you and your choices."

"Then do it. Quickly."

Viento thought of his Queen being harmed and moved like a lightning bolt. He appeared before the six Saints, angrily staring at them. Hades swung his arm, a reddish wave of energy dashing towards the scarf man. The Saint raised his palm, and the wave compressed into a corona-orange sphere in front of it. He brought the sphere in front of him, launched it towards the Saints and before it reached, he closed his hand.

Wasn't it seen before? The sphere snapped like a balloon, then shortly afterward, a powerful thunderclap. It took a second or less; Limbo was deluged by a distorted, shaking air that surrounded the Bronze Saints.

They were separated in mid-air as if floating freely in space, slowly, like gravity sucked out of a room and unfixed. Within this "distortion", various fragments of metal flew everywhere. The Bronze Saints fell lifeless, surrounded by their broken Cloths. There were sounds of awe within the gathering. Viento wandered and looked down at each Saint: Each one, naked from their Cloths, sans Subaru, had dilated pupils.

"Well done, Viento." Persephone clapped for the newest traitor Saint. The response was stoic; he turned to meet Hades with a gruff sound and nod, then he froze. Something hot entered his back, and the air was now suffused with golden sunlight. Viento looked over his shoulder and he saw metallic wings.

Wyvern Rhadamanthys pelted forward, swinging a punch. His arm was stopped with another, which was covered in gold. The Judge's eyes widened, brimming with fury. It had been many years, but he would not forget.

"You!" Wyvern's eyes burned against the aura surrounding a familiar face. Even Hades and Persephone were shocked at the sudden appearance.

"Rhadamanthys, stand down," ordered Hades. "Even though I am as vexed as you are, this man has no power here." Both the Judge and Viento promptly backed away and created space. Belligerent sounds exuded from the collection of shadows. This man Hades referred to, standing in between the fallen Bronze Saints, glowing with a bright aura, was the Golden Pegasus: Sagittarius Seiya. In his hand was Sextans Agatha's device.

"If there's anyone I am truly willing to sacrifice, it's you." Hades's contempt was clear.

The Gold Saint, and Legendary Bronze Saint, turned his head and a resolute stare reached the wiry blue soul of the King. "Hades."

'Heh. Did you come to be a hero again, Seiya?" Mocked Hermes. When Seiya gave him the eye, as if asking for Athena's whereabouts, the traitorous Cancer Saint tapped the black coffin close by with his heel.

"You are too late. Your beloved Goddess, Athena is dead." At Hades's words, a tremble went down Seiya's arm and was visible through Agatha's frame device.

"This exasperating feeling, I am familiar with it." Seiya breathed inward and calmed his shake, but the grip he had on the device tightened. He wanted to explode and destroy everyone here, clear Limbo of his enemies if possible. He continued.

"Athena was willing to put herself on the brink of death, and when I thought I had failed, the words of the Pope inspired me to move forward with Athena's goal. And then, and then…" He didn't want to say anymore; instead, he summoned anger to cast away his bad memories. It was because of that memory, his brothers and his Goddess survived and fought valiantly to the end.

"I regret nothing."

"This all happened because Athena was a coward," Demeter interrupted. In this chthonic circle, all of the Gods prepare to place pressure on Seiya, but the man would not buckle under it.

"She is never a coward! No, even if she felt like she lost everything, she believed in miracles. That's how magnanimous she is. That is why she lives on Earth and protects it every time she is reincarnated. Why do you think the Bronze Saints pushed themselves across the sea and your warriors?"

There was a silence, prompting Seiya to add: "Tell me Demeter, and you as well Hermes, how did you feel? When you killed her, did you feel nothing?!"

The Gold Saint turned and shot Viento a brief look. "What about you? Were you excited? Entertained? Appreciative? Are you that far gone?"

Sagittarius Seiya probably did not care for anyone's opinion, but there was one thing he did know—he knew how Agatha felt. Even though her eyes were covered by a sash, her voice relayed her expression and she had shed tears. With no words to return, Hades was stilted with anger. He began to remember his last moments: when he himself was defeated by Athena. The words of "love" she had uttered while also judging Hades's post. Even now, he was questioned by a mortal. No less, a mortal he had thought to have killed. No, even though he stood now, Pegasus Seiya was definitely killed.

And that same Seiya still exuded that haughtiness and stubbornness from back then. His voice raised to reflect his heart.

"Hades, you may gloat," Seiya said, turning back to the incomplete King, "but you are a worthless God who underestimates our Cosmos: You have killed nothing!"

The gathering growled loudly, including Rhadamanthys. Everyone cast angry glares at Seiya except for one.

"Gold Saint of Sagittarius I presume?" Persephone finally spoke and the commotion quieted down.

"Everyone here was touched by various feelings, hidden and open. I almost wanted to shed tears. Athena can be considered close to a sister to me. However, my sadness is stifled by my anger, and my yearning to see my King again."

Despite her words, she carried composure. "Reviving the Underworld is top priority. Athena has deliberately given herself to us, and in return, we leave you Saints and the world. When everything has returned, I wanted to discuss with my beloved King on the next move."

"And what would that be? You have honeyed words, but I find it hard to believe that someone like Hades would leave the world at peace. You Gods are too obstinate and cling to the belief that only your judgment is absolute, no matter who suffers."

A smile slipped from Asklepios; since he was not the center of attention, he could hide it from anyone's eyes.

"Be careful. I will not allow another insult towards my King," said Persephone. "As you can see around you, your friends had to suffer." Her words pressed Seiya to look around; Kouga and the others have yet to awaken. Before he left the Sextans Safe Zone, Agatha had told him that various Bronzes were near Stellar's end. It looked like an absolute defeat.

"Sagittarius, back in the days of Myth, I understood what it meant to fall in love with a mortal. I am currently reincarnated on Earth as a resident of Naxos and felt the love of mortals as I do a garden of young flowers." Persephone was a kind Goddess; it was the reason why Hades wanted her so badly. It was enough to abduct her. Seiya held his tongue as he wished to ask "what has changed?" If what she said was true, would she go along with conquest at the demand of her King? Or were the two opposites attract?

"Right now, even though some of us, including myself, were able to wander with a form, reflecting our desires and strength, we are still only here temporarily. We are still incomplete. Soon, Limbo will return, and we will disappear, reverting to wandering souls. Asklepios will continue with his resurrection process." As Persephone kept her eyes on Seiya, she did not heed her mother Demeter, who gave her an incredulous look.

"There is something I do want to know," said Seiya. "If what you said is true, how is it that you are attacking Earth at a mass scale?"

"Oh, it is not us."

The Queen's words caused Seiya's eyebrows to jump. He jolted his arm into the air and the Sextans device fervently glowed in his hand, blinding everyone. A rainbow dome formed around him, the fragmented mess on the ground, the fallen Saints. Furious eyes watched Persephone, then moved over to Hades.

"I won't forgive any of you. Hades, if you threaten this world once more, I'll be back. We'll be back."

That promise was also towards the Goddess laying at rest in a coffin. In a blinking flash, Seiya, Eden, Kouga, Souma, Yuna, Subaru and Ryuho disappeared.

Chapter Text

There are three Kingdoms: Heaven, Hell, and Ocean.

Since the Age of Myth, man clad in armor bearing the 88 constellations appear. Serving a goddess that rules Earth with benevolence and equity, these men could strike Earth and Sky with the speed of sound and light. The Saints of Athena. Their bodies explode with the power of the infinite Cosmos, destroying the planet's atoms unveiled by the writer Epicurus—according to him, atoms made everything. In modern time, a shadow cast gives rise to anxiety—as the Cosmos can shudder the balance of the worlds and the universes. Those divine denizens that humans felt obliged to revere…the human consciousness, which desperately and eternally reaches for truth and understanding, wished to crumble apart.

The daughter of Heaven's King, Zeus—Athena was given Earth to rule.

"Take care of yourselves and be strong. Believe in yourself." It was like the words of a mother to her younger children as she breathed her last in a hospital bed. As she died and slept in a coffin, Athena recalled memories with Kouga and the others. She remembered Kouga resting in her arms as an infant. Her face and touch were a piece of unforgotten light. At that last shard of light, even she gave a placated face. Her reign on Earth has ended.

Hades. Lord of the Many Dead. The greedy Underworld King wanted to bear an iron fist against Earth and its disloyal humans, reigning in dominion to quell his flames. But the daughter of Demeter—a Goddess of Harvest, Wealth, and infinite anger—set her King aside to remember his important place in the universe: To control death and to punish those who cheat death. However, as of now, he was only a half-awakened soul.

The King's Queen managed to urge the punishment of one man: Seiya. Rather, Seiya and his defiling brothers: Shiryu, Hyouga, Shun, Ikki. However, because he could only sit and lay in the internal night of Hell, Hades only depended on the oaths and words of his subordinates. Perpetual sacrifices appeased his soul and his mood. Eventually, Hades will return to his rule in the Kingdoms. However, he stated that Earth remains if Athena is dead. Unprotected, without a ruler.

"I want to see how I can govern a new generation of humans. If there is no King, then even worse Gods will come and claim Earth." He also knew that this was enough provocation for Athena's Saints to come. He can claim their lives in retribution.

At the time of Athena's death, it seemed that the calamity on Earth began to slow to a halt. Did time pass like a calm before the storm? Those Shadows, who suddenly infiltrated humanity across the globe, began to retreat. At Barren Island, the youngest Gold Saint—the Leo Saint Shir Khan—fell to his knees, weighed down by the pain called failure. Looking down at a defeated-looking Gold Saint was enough to keep Ikki silent.

"You may put on the airs like a lion, but you are nothing but a cub who has failed his Goddess." As the sky carried a voice that looked down upon another, the hunched-over Shir held his face, sobbing. His archrival on Barren, the voluptuous Shiva, laughed with a teeming hubris after she and her companion prevented Shir and Ikki from entering Hell. Along with thumbing her nose at a child—albeit a powerful warrior child—Shiva also swore to take his life.

In Sri Lanka, a green explosion engulfed a flowery garden that was encompassed by moving Shadows, creating peace. Silently, with a shade falling over his face, the Capricorn Saint pledged revenge. The Gods mocked him; the brutal removal of innocent mortals and of Athena at such short notice.

It was Sextans Agatha who said it was a prognosis that Hades's revival would happen. The Bronzes would fail she stated, but why did it come true?

In Dodona—

The first thing Pegasus Kouga saw was a pink and orange sky like dusk. Stars dotted above; when he lifted his upper body, he noticed floating clouds beneath him.

The next thing he saw was a blindfolded girl. Within interstellar surroundings, confusion had long set in; Kouga could've sworn that he faced the end in the Underworld and doubted his life, but he was given a moment of chance to open his eyes. He did not want to die. At least he figured, if he could live, then much time had to pass.

"Welcome Pegasus," said the blindfolded girl, with a pleasant cadence, none other than the silver-haired Sextans Agatha. "This is my Safe Zone."

The next thing Kouga saw was golden wings, and it was enough to sprout him back onto his feet. He cared little for the reason why he could stand, nor did he notice familiar faces from the corner of his eye. Eden, Yuna, Ryuho, Souma, and Subaru lay unconscious or in a near-death state amid a shattered mess. Their Cloths were broken like collapsed glass, including Kouga's.

"Seiya you bastard!" He spoke while collecting heavy pants. "Why did you bring us here? Why didn't you save her?!" Ahead of him was a winged Gold Saint staring right back at him passively. It took all of Kouga's secret strength to pull his face into a furious scowl. What probably awakened him and fueled him was the memory of Athena's last moments, seeing the Gold Saint of Cancer carry her away as if to give up the oath of saving the world.

"Answer me!" Kouga demanded. A couple of meters stood between him and the Sagittarius Saint; they only reached out with their eyes. Kouga was only answered with a single bat of the eyes.

"Just because you're angry," Seiya began, "doesn't mean you can say those things to me."

"Don't be full of yourself because you're a former Saint of Pegasus or a Gold Saint! How else can I vent my frustration?!"

"You get even."

"Not when I feel so useless. And now, now I won't forgive you!"

Before there was another word, Sagittarius Seiya raised his hand and caught a punch from Kouga. Sextans Agatha opened her mouth, but held in a gasp. It was contrary to belief that she should see what unfolded, but she didn't interfere and submitted to a focused silence. She grasped the anger of Athena's strongest guardians. and then was touched by Seiya's next words.

"We Saints never fight alone, even if it's one one-on-one," said Sagittarius. He never released Kouga's shaking hand. "We still think of each other. I think of Athena, my brothers, my teacher…my rivals and friends…my sister. Therefore…"

That was when Seiya's face changed, channeled with ferocity, while still holding on to a bit of composure. A golden flash blinded Kouga and he flew into the trunk of a forest tree.

"Kouga, if you want to understand, then raise a fist towards me! That's the only way to mitigate your anger," said Seiya.

High above was the night sky.

The interstellar zone had disappeared. The three Saints were transported by Agatha's Doppler Shift technique; as she distanced herself from the two, did she agree with the clash? As useless it might be; Agatha was well aware of both a Gold Saint's power, and Seiya defeating a Giant of famous myth. A conformer of the stars, Sextans felt that neither Pegasus Saints would be perturbed with despair or passion. In her years of wisdom, incapable of battle, she must've felt it was a necessity to witness or to have this type of passion from young boys. But now, that passion was directed into a reminder of what was clear—a failed essay in duty.

Kouga sipped a breath through his nose and gritted his teeth. Ahead of him, he saw the image of his forced contempt, but why for his comrade? He was confused and did not know how to release it. It was his contempt for having Athena's magnanimity to fall before evil. He hated losing, and thus, he quickly took Seiya's invitation.

"Pegasus Ryu Sei Ken!" Without his Cloth, he threw his arm out as if in a real fight, his red eyes shining.

Striking the Gold Cloth, the punches are malformed and broken into filaments, becoming tiny stars in different directions. Seiya only partially raised his arm. A negative thought forced itself into Sextans Agatha's mind: the belief of an unfair, one-sided battle that would disparage Kouga. But again, Kouga hated giving up, and his eyes flared again. A high-lunging arm flew over where Seiya once stood, and the forest was bathed in flashes of light from each attack. Now, Agatha felt worried as she watched both; did Kouga fight Seiya as if he were an enemy? She began to mumble to herself, "Saints execute the enemy with thoughts of justice." That was the fate of the stars, despite knowing that anything could change.

"With Athena's death, was hope and fate abandoned among us?" She continued to talk to herself and she quickly wondered why a cynical thought had risen from her. She felt the Star of Pegasus pulsating between Stellar Death and stability. Perhaps it was best described as hanging on the phase of collapse, but it could not be determined when. Regaining stance, Sagittarius Seiya pulled back an arm and opened his hand.

"Oh no you don't!" Kouga screamed; along came the largest flash of the night. A giant comet flew towards Seiya, blinding him. A moment after that, head-on, Pegasus Kouga saw what he could only describe as a storm. Long, straight-laced lances of light headed towards him, and his only defense was to dodge. Kouga curved forward, a beam ripping through his limbs and chest. The distance between them instantly vanished. Because of the Sui Sei Ken unleashed on Seiya, or rather returned, the attack on Kouga left little to no openings. Golds were as fast as light, if not more. The same ability Seiya used to defeat the thousand-armed giant. It shared the same concept as a thick wall of a punching bag, decreasing acceleration and absorbing force, and it damages the opposite side because the absorption is reflected. To defeat that wall, to defeat Seiya, the hit must be completely overwhelming. More importantly, it had to be a physical attack; it also depended on the defender's mental fortitude.

It would be one-sided after all, Agatha thought. What did Seiya hope to accomplish? To insert sense into Kouga? Even though, Seiya himself as a Bronze Saint had fought against the most dangerous of enemies, from Gods to Gold Saints, without fear. That was an indelible archive in the stars that Agatha knew about.

"Faith?" To fall on the ground and get back up again – a fallen warrior who knew defeat, etched it within oneself, and increased their ability. As she contemplated, Agatha saw a one-on-one fight to convince one and the other that victory could come true.

Cursing Seiya's indomitable Cosmos, Kouga struck against another tree trunk and crumpled to the ground. The clear victor, a man with gold wings, slowly and coldly approached Kouga.

"Destiny and the world might be crazy. Maybe humans and God want to rectify it, but I believe in the world that I live in. There is good and evil in all, and second chances. When we, Athena and I, fought Hades, we carried what he lacked. He had no love for humans."

The younger Saint saw someone who looked at him with the same manner as a pest. Kouga's body stirred with anger, rising back to his feet. This desperate gesture made Seiya halt and watch in silence. Does he loathe himself? Is it me? Seiya thought, which led to his next words.

"I do not pity you Kouga. All I know is that you have the fiery heart to fight for Earth. That is why you stand today."

Kouga's face exploded in fury, his jaw contorting as he screamed out all of his emotions.

"THEN WHY DID SHE DIE?!" It was the emotion of feeling weak. The emotion of pushing so hard to the limit, just to collapse at the finish line and seeing everyone else walk over him and advance far from reach. As for his question, the Sagittarius Saint had no answer.

But, a voice from open space fell upon all three Saints: "A mighty Cosmos, but you bicker among yourselves?"

Agatha gasped. "The Oars! She is relaying a message." Seiya looked up and around, and Kouga's entire body trembled.

"Fools conjured by mishaps and mocks. Weakness. Athena won't stop breathing if there is evil in the world!" The Oars, also known as Jason's Galley, the very thing Seiya was seeking. The Boat of Dodona known as Argo, is said to traverse any divine space and void, a necessity to Athena's plan.

"Away hench, Pegasus!" A searing resent from the boat faded into space; such biting insults were like an untrustworthy elder who desired to be left alone in her home. Sextans Agatha bowed his head in chagrin.

"Kouga. You cannot stand any longer." Soon after her words, Kouga grumbled a low, rancid "shut up" and got back up. He pushed his leg once and threw out another punch. Seiya was right in front of him, and his arm was locked in mid-air. Seiya hooked Kouga's elbow joint with his palm, and the strength of a giant froze Pegasus from his elbow to his shoulder. Whether he froze in shock or from Seiya's technique, he was uncertain. Kouga's elbow retracted a bit. Seiya grabbed the balled fist with his other hand and Kouga was fiercely flung to the side. The Bronze Saint rolled off his feet and fell onto his side with a loud thud.

"To answer your question, Pegasus," Agatha said, "It's because fate can change."

The stubborn Pegasus Saint could no longer ignore his situation; Agatha supposed he only had two minutes, moving like a savage monster and washing his Cosmos everywhere in hopes of crushing Seiya. Kouga's ears managed to pick up Sextans's words before fading out of consciousness, perhaps to finally meet his Stellar's end.

"Athena's spirit is eternal."

Eternal, as a Goddess should be, but the mortal vessel Saori Kido was last seen in Limbo. A place where average humans could not reach. Surely, the media would pick up on that: "Graude Foundation Conglomerate leader, Greek connoisseur, host of Galaxian Wars tournament, and secluded princess, Saori Kido, disappears?!" If it was many years ago, how would have the evil Pope Saga reacted? Rather, how did that come to be? Days will pass and Tatsumi will have to placate the media.

After the scuffle, the Bronze Saints were teleported to the Graude Hospital by Agatha, channeling her Cosmos to a familiar place. She has saved people from the sea, refuges, injured Saints, those who died afterward from their training injuries. Nevertheless, miracles can happen even through medical intervention, she said, and even stars need oxygen. Agatha and Seiya watched the bedridden Bronze Saints morosely, exchanging some words.

"They cling to life, but it is up to them. If Athena was here, her warm Cosmos could awaken them."

"Those with fiery hearts and courage mend the future. I still believe it. He asked me 'Why did she die?' I was stunned, but because he was flustered, what would he have thought if I said 'to create a miracle?'"

"I often give thought to what happens to those who lost the Holy Wars, for those to repeat every reincarnation. The gods lose various soldiers and end up failing themselves, but what happens to the survivors? The dead, including the gods, bequeath their duties of justice to the next generation. There is always evil."

"When I first started training as a Saint, I thought it was an unrealistic fantasy. I was following the goals of a now-dead old man, just to find my sister. But, was it my fate to fight evil and protect the world? Because that old man felt so strongly about it?"

At Seiya's loose questions, Agatha turned her face towards Kouga. "You told me that Pegasus saved you once with his light."

"Yeah, he did. He and his friends went through adversity, and defeated the darkness and even Saturn. This time, he felt like he truly failed. But, nothing is luck or coincidence. Athena is eternal after all." Seiya spoke as if to sip his words through the ears of the comatose. Then, his head bowed, his front bands shading his eyes.

"Even though, there's a chance where I may not see Miss Saori again. Still, as long as I breathe, if the unrighteous Gods continue to fight, I will fight back. That is the legacy of Athena; also, the legacy of Aiolos, entrusted to me by Mitsumasa Kido."

"Your words encourage me, Sagittarius," said Agatha. "With that all said, what of the Bronze Cloths?"

Seiya did not return an answer, but both Saints realized that they were still entrusted with a mission. Except for Subaru, whose Cloth was in Sanctuary, the others were in tatters, and the leading repairer was a young assistant of the deceased Kiki. The broken Cloths were left in Sextans's Safe Zone. Another thing that puzzled Seiya was Subaru himself, his condition matching that of the mortal Saints. Before reaching a solution, without warning, they had to rush to Pope's Chambers: Taurus's star was fluctuating. They teleported again.

Materializing through a wink of light, landing at the base of the carpeted steps before the Pope's throne, Seiya and Agatha found the Pope seated tensely on his throne. The atmosphere seemed clear and familiar, but the Cosmos could read a past battle. Ordinary, except for the different-sized pits that covered the Pope's body. The only thing that moved was the skin on his face; his fingers subtly trembled.

"Lord Pope!" exclaimed Seiya.

"Shut your ass up and listen." The Pope's rigid jaw slowly moved, a low, aggravated voice.

"I'm not dying from this. I want the Leo kid and whoever ain't dead right here." Despite his situation, The Pope gave out a burly grin. When he demanded it—the moment his shadowy adversary had disappeared and he felt the pierce of Athena's Cosmos meeting an end— the summons were absolute. Every agent in Sanctuary was already cast out to get Capricorn, Leo, Pisces, Libra, Aquarius and Virgo. Libra and Gemini were in a predicament, however; Cancer was obviously a traitor, and the stars of Taurus and Scorpio were emitting some kind of activity.

Sagittarius and Sextans knelt in front of the Pope throne. It was clear that there would be another gathering, and while the Bronzes remained in the hospital, action would be executed.

"Lord Pope, could you tell us what happened?" Seiya asked.

"It was Kiki."

"The Aries Saint?!" Seiya's voice was coursed to inquire, but he was quickly cut off.

"Listen up! We ain't shedding tears now. For Athena, we got a war to win. If we don't, we're falling to the gods' schemes." With absolute resolve, The Pope would ensure Athena's goal was realized. What was the point of devising it just to abandon it? It was for the sake of facing Hades, and it was Hades's mistake to underestimate the humans.

"Look at my body. Are you damn Saints or not?"

At the meeting, Leo and Capricorn would express their anger and uselessness, desiring to make up for their lack of action. Matter of fact, little Leo was so angry that when he returned to Greece, he saved Integra from her predicament, her objections notwithstanding.

"Who are you, brat?!"

"This is our home! Get out now!" He gave no chance for the enemy to ramble-a body covered in darkness was propelled high into the air by a storm of light. Shir returned on his own; Ikki remained on Barren Island where the Phoenix Cloth resided. As a parting, Ikki simply stated, "Go. When the time comes, I am going to Hell, with or without you." In other words, learn of the next steps; Leo imagined that Ikki would meditate in patience, finding promise in his sleeping Cosmos.

For the Pope, another surprising guest arrived. Also, a letter:

"I know Hell better than anyone. Soon, come and join me."

Back on Naxos Island, there was a mingling with the Goddess Demeter: Two Saints and her two remaining Terrae joined her in her own chambers. They knelt before an Olympian and a Demi-God. As expected, Arion makes a stand to placate Demeter's grief. Despite reaching her goal, she still needed to wait patiently…and with a cost. However, there was something that Arion could not help but bear in mind.

"If Hades is revived without a human vessel, then he cannot engage in a Holy War," he said.

Confirmed by Asklepios, who laughed at the remark of Demeter's demigod representative, Hades had recently revived with a human soul and the war was the consequence of his death. With Athena gone, Earth is left without its guardian and The Underworld King is considering a restart of his war with the Saints.

"Gods are fickle just like the creatures they created," the Demi-God continued to be Hades's mouthpiece.

"It may be out of line of me to speak, but you plan to spill more blood after being revived? And invite the Saints against you once more?"

"I have Athena's body and soul. They will come for me after everything."

"Lord Hades, you are not the victor of the last Holy War, thus, not Earth's leader. We welcome your return and nothing more."

"Not Earth's leader?"

"That's right! The one who has a word in this decision now should be the King of He—."

"Zeus, you mean?" After those words, a curve crossed over Asklepios's mouth, trembling as he held in laughter. Demeter sat on her throne quietly, facing the back of Asklepios. He was indeed in the mortal world unchained, but still in ragged clothing. Shaina's Cloth remained in between his hands. He behaved like its owner as he sat cross-legged on marble flooring.

"As long as Naxos is safe," the Mother Goddess said, "I'll oblige."

"Mother, does Hades intend to cleanse the world?" Pan finally spoke, her pleading eyes reaching Demeter. She couldn't help but contain a little fear inside of her. The rest of Earth couldn't fall to destruction as she and the rest of the Naxos population were left outside bloodshed. Ignoring destruction within their own sanctuary; to her, that lacked dignity and Naxos couldn't reach the world. She knew that was her beloved mother's wish.

"What about your political post?! The Saints are defeated because of Viento! We no longer need violence." She added, to which she was quickly interrupted.

"That is incorrect Miss Pan," Asklepios said, his smile slanting underneath his concealing bangs. "Contemplate carefully, Demeter. You have til the revival. Can't wait to hear your answers. I'm sure you mean well, Goddess. Matter of fact—how would you like to rule the world?"

"What?!" Demeter's eyes widen.

"You're clearly qualified," Akel spilled his own thoughts.

-To be continued in Part II-

Chapter Text

Kiki, I order you to defeat the Pope and cripple the Sanctuary.

“So, it’s just us. Do you really think a person who abandoned his rank can defeat me?”

The Pope and his enemy were a distance apart, about eight meters now as one slowly made way for the throne, and considering who they were, the risk of engagement was still high. The Pope sat in his throne, unmoving, staunch, but tension folded the jaw beneath his mask.

“Do not preach to me when you lack a kind heart—Kiki!” The one opposite of him was none other than the elegant Aries, who died in the previous war, but one look at the Saint brought consternation and confusion. While The Pope was aware of Demeter’s ability to bring back the dead, adopting the abilities of her sibling in a limited matter, something felt dissimilar. Kiki stopped at about six meters, and his body---it was incongruous to say that it “radiated”. The Aries Cloth was stark black as if the sun it was bathed in had died forever. It was unlike a Hades Specter, rather, it felt deeper into the reaches of nothing. To perhaps consolidate with the Cloth’s change, Kiki’s long fawn hair had completely grayed.

“Stardust Revolution.” Kiki raising his arm was a trigger of a battle, and his soft pitch, a near whisper, was unlike a usual Saint’s battle cry. The entire Pope Chamber went dark; the same color also consumed Kiki’s skin, leaving hot white eyes. His body’s aura ran around him like snakes of the blackest clouds. Kiki lashed out his arm, and the attack emanated as smoky gray wisps rapidly zipped through the dark air. Even in a consuming darkness, the target wasn’t out of sight.

“Great Horn!” At the Pope’s call, the tailed wisps connected to a burst of light that entered the darkness. With normal eyes, it would look like an explosion that burned the retina, and faded, then the Pope Chamber would return to its normal colors.

“If it weren’t for my new abilities, the Great Horn would have probably defeated me. I truly respect your abilities and your tenacity. But—”

When everything cleared, the Pope was stiff on his throne. He tightly held the armrests; parts of his body were blemished by small, black pockmarks. Bloodless.

“Because you’re strong, you were able to at least evade a fatal blow.”

“What the Hell…” The Pope strained to get his words out, looking as if fighting inner pain.

“An uncanny man becoming Pope,” Kiki scoffed. “You may be a meathead, but I may have underestimated you. You do honor your star, Harbinger.”

Amid tensioned skin across his jaw, the Pope’s mouth managed to crook into a grin. “Come on now, you know that I’ve seen that move before.”

When his skin color returned, Kiki revealed a genuine warm smile. “True. However, I devoured your attack without receiving a scratch, and reached you with my attack. You will eventually die from the High Dark King (至高闇王)’s power. Do you think this is a War of a Thousand Days?”

“Don’t mock me. This body can’t fall from something as pathetic as this.”

“My Stardust Revolution has adopted the Aether. Since it didn’t destroy you, its impact expands and metastasizes through your body. You may have lived from the first and only strike, but even stars eventually explode and die.”

The Pope stubbornly believed what remained of his lifespan was up to his tenacity. He lurched forward a little in his seat; he could not describe what was going on. When the Stardust hit, even mitigated by this Great Horn, he felt a rush of pain like a true attack, and then it tapered, leaving numbness or tingling. Then, against his own will, his body fought back a myriad of spasms. Was it fatigue? He came to suspect that if his body wasn’t obliterated by Stardust, it was on a slow path to reaching there. To disappear or die.

“Let’s just see, Kiki you bastard. Until I do die, I believe you have a story for me?”

Kiki’s eyes narrowed; tucking his smile away, his face became solemn. He did say that he “would tell everything”, but he confidently foresaw the Pope being dead after his strike. With this presumption, he would spill out his plan while expecting it to not be leaked out. In other words, a taunt to a corpse. To see the despair of the victim of an assassination.

“I’ll start with this: Athena will die in Limbo.” Kiki’s words were on cue as the Pope Chambers sunk into complete silence. Only those with Cosmos felt the loss of a familiar life.

Athena…the Pope bit down further, veins popping across his half-veiled face. While they were not there to witness the moment, it was at this time that Hades projected himself as a temporary spirit, and stabbed Athena with his sword. As she fell, the traitor Cancer Hermes placed the Goddess into a black coffin.

“Looks like you failed, Harbinger.” Kiki crossed his arms in front of him, gleaming at the Pope. Should I attack him one more time, the Aries Saint wondered. Should I finish him off? Am I being wishy-washy? The one hint that he was losing his dignity as a Saint, outside of attacking his former companion, was his hesitation to act. He began to remember what he was advised before embarking on his mission.

It'll take time for you to get used to being an Umbra. Maybe you need to bathe in the Quintessence more. My concern is that your Stardust Revolution simulates the stars of the galaxies, so when you use it, you have to imagine not just smashing or exploding your target. You have to imagine their entire body disappearing, becoming empty. Their life sheds and contract to nothing. In other words Kiki, your attacks need to be entirely fatal. Also, with your abilities, it is possible to turn The Pope into one of us.

Leaving his thoughts, and standing on caution, Kiki instead began to ramble.

“Hades, the greatest enemy of Athena. To reawaken, would he resume his Holy War? Will he rule the world in Athena’s absence? We’ll have to see.”

“Quit your blathering,” The Pope said, his voice guttural and trembling. “Now I just won’t forgive you. We’ll take on anyone, including you Kiki.”

“Perhaps that is what Lord Hades desires,” Kiki said; he came to the belief that the Pope could live long enough to usher his orders, bait the Saints to come to the Underworld, and let Hades’s Army have their retaliatory war. He also believed that the removal of the Pope would be an advantage—or maybe, his heart wasn’t completely consumed by the void.

“I was ordered to kill you, while my group moved in an act of stewardship. The mass extermination caused by the Shadows will propagate the insufficient Limbo with souls, which will call out to Hades. Through the Ophiuchus Cloth medium, Hades can absorb the souls to revive himself and reconstruct his body, then release them into a new Underworld. Perhaps..this is a lack of moral cognition, but how is it different from Hades ruling the world that defied Gods?” For such words to come out of a former defender of Earth; The Pope was fuming, hissing back his retort to preserve his strength. At one point, the surroundings blurred before his eyes. One of the shorter Shadows, pitch black figures with hot white eyes, tugged on the Aries Cloth’s gray cape. It was like a little child of knee height.

“I see. Pull back?” Kiki looked down at the Shadow and then back to Harbinger. He smiled.

“I’ll keep watch. If you’re still alive, I’ll return to finish you, Harbinger.” Taking steps back, Kiki and the group of Shadows behind him melted into the hall’s darkness. Athena’s defeat, and the interference of the Shadows, may have given the Aries Saint hubris.

When Kiki faded from sight, The Pope remembered an anecdote from his own Goddess: when Athena crossed the Underworld and felt the nobility of the Gold Saints even after they lost their lives. While animating the Saints’ bodies, Hades couldn’t replace their humanity as soldiers attached to Athena. Nonetheless, Kiki may have surrendered his soul or it was completely seized; he’d like to think the latter. If Hades didn’t have that power of the Gold Saints, who did? Maybe The Pope could think better now that eyesore Kiki was gone, but he realized that the attack on him was unusual. He looked like he was sprayed with a shotgun, which could hit with 20 or so pellets. However, the damage wasn’t completely widespread;  thanks to his Great Horn, the Pope mitigated the Stardust Revolution and ended up with less than half. Most of the inch sized diameter black holes were in his upper torso and arms. From Kiki’s description, the Pope slowly realized that the holes signified an attack on his vital points.

Without a scratch he said? Damn it…this can’t be the power of Hades…

“Lord Pope!” Someone called from a corner of the Hall. A Sanctuary assistant had arrived; promptly, he was given the order to retrieve the Gold Saints.

*****

Far outside of the Sanctuary’s Twelve Temples, Gemini Integra found herself flat on her back, nearly losing her senses simultaneously. Her consciousness teetered back and forth. Moments before, she was floating across an infinite space—the enemy before her was a near-mirror image of herself. The only difference was that the enemy wore a deep black Gemini Cloth. They expected their abilities to be on par, but when unleashing her Galaxian Explosion—a volley of planets summoned, thrown against the enemy, and then exploding to emit an unmissable fatal shockwave upon impact—Integra found herself swallowed. She clashed with the same technique. Spectators often assume the defeat of those on the Explosion’s receiving end. Integra felt confident that she would defeat her foe once and for all, but something unusual happened. As she attacked, she saw the planetary objects hurled toward her take a dark violet hue before exploding. They cracked open and the clap of thunder was lost. Integra didn’t make a sound and dropped high from the air.

“Hahaha, I keep holding back,” the Umbra cackled in a pitched cadence. “So you can suffer more. Your Goddess is dead! Oh, what should I do? Should we continue or should I finish you once and for all? But then, I won’t be able to see you again and kill you over and over. Get up Integra! Mustn't siblings continue to fight?”

The second person who joined Kiki in the Pope’s Chamber earlier was none other than Gemini Paradox. She was also revived by Demeter, but later, after collaborating with Cancer Hermes and manipulating her sister to trap the Gold Saints, she was sidelined and returned as an Umbra. As Integra was by the Pope’s side, she quickly became furious and was easily dragged outside to battle her sibling. She could not cool her frustrations to rest until she defeated her older sister and decimated Paradox’s love to destroy. No, she had died, and it had to stay that way; Integra thought her sister was being manipulated by her vices.

“I'm sure you can get up. Come on, take another lick of my Umbra powers!” Paradox glowed with a smoky aura, her eyes glowing white as her skin was smothered by a shadow.

Regaining her senses, at least her consciousness and movement slowly, the younger sibling slowly raised her torso. Integra knew that she was revived by Demeter, but they hadn’t met face to face. Is the older twin now saying that she is embraced by a new power? She had convinced herself that the only reason she survived was because they were Gemini Saints.

“You’re taking too long!” Paradox thrust her arm out, and a wave shot out toward the downed Integra. Then, a new face crossed their paths. With a swing of a glowing golden arm, the wave was knocked away and broken apart. A bright golden object cracking with energy—standing in between the sisters was another Gold Saint with blue eyes. They were directed furiously towards Paradox.

Integra became shocked by the image of a young boy standing before her, his Cloth as bright as the sun on the clearest Summer day.

“This is our home! Get out! Now!” The boy cried, his back to Athena’s Gemini Saint.

“Young Leo, stay out of this!” She said. The Leo Saint Shir Khan, about eleven or twelve years old, did not heed, his eyes still affixed on Paradox.

“Aren’t you cute?” Mocked Paradox. “Don’t be upset with me because you failed!” A sadistic grin split her face. She could writhe both of them with despair.

“I am Gemini Paradox of the Umbra! What can you possibly do against the Ocean of Darkness?” Staring at her sister and the boy Leo, Paradox raised her arms in a cross form and the entire air blanked.

“In the beginning, there was no space. In such an atmosphere, in the Aether, your Cosmos means not—”

The next words were cut off as Paradox was stunned by some kind of collision. In the space of darkness, Leo Shir Khan delivered one punch that only those of the Seventh Sense could see. By any other spectator, it happened in a flash.

“But why?!!?” Paradox was flustered as her entire body was propelled out of Sanctuary. The darkness she projected was broken. Wasn’t she a Gold Saint…

Another Gold Saint that held on to enough faith, Shir unleashed a Lightning Bolt with a raging shockwave that pierced the darkness. Using the fist as a nucleus, the Bolt narrowed to a trajectory to facilitate speed, and focused on one target at its center. Not even Paradox has personally seen or felt the move. Even in Aether, the Big Bang became the start of everything. Just because the stars and galaxies didn’t exist at one point, doesn’t mean that space was immune to energy. In the end, anti-matter, because of its rarity, was defeated by the superfluous matter in space. The power and development of one’s burning Cosmos made the answer. When Paradox flew away, later retreating into another dimension, she swore to kill her sister and whoever interfered with her again.

Both Kiki and Paradox weren’t meant to forsake the Cosmos which made them Saints. It was still too early to theorize how to battle within a vacuum and how to create vacuum techniques. The only reason Integra could stand was both this weakness and Paradox holding back to taunt her younger sibling. She still felt a bit shaken. She was about to rebuke her fellow younger Saint for interfering with her chance to wipe away the past demons nurtured by her sister, but held her words when he spoke morosely.

“I’m sorry,” Shir said, looking into the sky, “but I don’t want to see siblings fight right now.”

“Shir…”

“I don’t want to see a sibling die.”

This was Gemini Paradox’s 2^nd strike.

****

The Saints of Athena.

Since the Age of Myth, these legendary warriors fought through fierce wars to protect peace on Earth. Using a power called Cosmos, burning inside their bodies, the Saints can rend the stone of Earth, and reach even the sky, God, time, and planes, to a point of divine singularity.  As long as evil manifested on Earth, they came forth. Imminent battles between God and Man were called the Holy Wars.

Recently Demeter, the Olympian Goddess of Harvest and Agriculture, utilized ploys to have the Goddess Athena captured, and the key to Tartarus opened. All to revive her beloved sibling Hades, but more importantly—her beloved daughter Persephone. As a result, Athena loses her life to her mightiest opponent, who was expecting to return in a week or less. What was the fate of the Planet Earth—
There was one objective fact—Hades was not the victor of this current conflict. Having passed his time to revive with a human vessel, his so-called “strike down of Athena” was purely out of spite, and it was not possible if it weren’t for the actions of Demeter. The Goddess of Harvest herself walked on Earth as a politician named Josefien Baer; her offbeat actions have led her to face opposition after so long. As Subaru, or Saturn, once said--- Demeter was hardly a goddess for battle. As myth long suggests, it was Demeter who needed to be calmed and bargained with every so often. Having gained her wish, she took a step back and felt solaced in her Temple on Naxos Island.

Gathering before the injured Pope were Sagittarius, Capricorn, Leo, Gemini, Aquarius, Virgo, and Pisces. Along the carpet that stretched for the Throne, they stood parallel to each other. Are these the ones who remained? And without a Goddess? The bullheaded Pope—the former Saint of Taurus—spoke before any voice was raised about his condition.

“Don’t think for a single second that I’ll give you room to despair. The fighting ain’t over, after all.”

He was within this strange reality; the Aries Saint had arrived earlier, but revived as an enemy. Libra was late or in a dire situation; Cancer was a traitor. No Scorpio, nor a new Taurus, or an Aries. If the Golden Round wasn’t complete, then fate wasn’t connected, and the Saints weren’t ready for a true Holy War. No, did the stars really align correctly for this moment? Was it really a new war or were they cleaning up an old mess? The Golds turned to their Pope and kneeled.

“Hades killed Athena, and her body and soul were taken.” The Pope’s fingers flexed, scratching his throne’s armrest. It was either out of pain or frustration as his thoughts couldn’t fully connect, now depending on his impulses. The only thing he can do now was keep his Saints confident, prepped with a sense of justice and will to fight no matter what. Even if they died one by one during a Holy War, they never gave up until the end. However, no one could shake off the sentiment that their lives may end.

“Maybe in this age, this is our finest battle.” The Pope wanted to emphasize that there was no such thing as dwindling combat power. “We will go according to Athena’s plan and prevent Hades’s clutches from reaching Earth. No matter what, you hear? No objections!” The Pope paused to quietly catch his breath. The Sagittarius Saint raised his eyes to acknowledge.

“At this moment Lord Pope, the enemy’s den is still Limbo,” said Seiya. “Without a sense of navigation, it’ll be even more dangerous to approach Hades. In Dodona, the Jason’s Galley, or Argo, has a divine consciousness of its own that needs persuading. According to Dodona’s guardian—the Saint of Sextans, Agatha—there are two things. First, she predicted Hades’s revival and that Argo will only help us if ‘a great disaster falls on Earth.’ Only when humanity’s fortitude can shine.”

“Such nerve!” Integra protested. “It would be ludicrous to allow Hades to come forward at full strength.” Perhaps deep down, she was still fuming at the appearance of her sister. After all, Paradox used her to fool her companions and the result led to Athena’s capture and eventual death. She burdened feelings of unforgiveness towards herself.

“That boat needs to learn the ideals of our Goddess, Gemini. It is aware that Athena wishes for its aid.”

“There is also the appearance of a strange enemy,” said Capricorn Safar, a Gold Saint with long red hair and green eyes. His eyes reflected his signature weapon, which was called the Emerald Scimitar.

“Those shadowy guys right?” The Pope said. “I cannot confirm who they are yet, but Kiki and Paradox are with them, and they can create spatial vacuums.”

“Those things were not members of Demeter or Hades’s armies?” Asked Capricorn.

“Afraid not. Their presence was different. That damn Demeter—surely she is not alone. Sagittarius, what else did Sextans tell you?”

“Second: Libra Shiryu has disappeared. Sextans cannot tell if he left the world or not, but assumes he’s in his own battle.” There were a few gasps among the Golds; it was to be expected and the Pope followed up at once.

“I’d say that’s a relief,” he said.

Seiya furrowed his eyebrows. “Sir?”

“She didn’t say that he died, right? Either way, everyone, the way I see it, Hades’s resurrection cannot be stopped. If we could, then there would be no Holy Wars. That would be unprecedented in our destiny.” At a pause, the Golds lowered their heads and heeded carefully, expecting the Pope’s next words to be an assignment. Capricorn and Leo trembled with impatience coupled with helplessness. It was their form of lament for their Goddess; Gemini Integra kept her frustration under a cool barrier, but wasn’t less aggrieved. The same could be said for Seiya, Virgo Fudou, Aquarius Hyouga, and the Pisces from Sri Lanka.

“The nucleus of this resurrection plan is a Greek figure called Asklepiós,” explained The Pope, “ who now holds the Ophiuchus Cloth and is capable of spectacular healing powers. He would be a primary target, but his whereabouts are unknown. It is also unknown whether Demeter will continue to affiliate with Hades now that her goal has been reached. We also need to keep guard of this third party if they attack the Earth again, while also targeting Hades. The remaining Bronze and Silver Saints will stand as Earth’s guard; the ones that were sent to Naxos still need to recuperate in the hospital. When the time comes, they will face Hades in Hell. I was instructed by Athena that no living being should go down there without viable protection akin to the Gold Saints.”

To which, the young Leo shot up from the kneeling group.

“Please let me go Lord Pope!”

“The Gold Saints are assigned to defend Sanctuary kid, but I did think two or three of you should suffice as backup as an initiative.”

“I promised Ikki!” The Leo Saint’s words urged a prompt expression from both Sagittarius Seiya and Aquarius Hyouga.

“Shir! How is he doing?” Seiya asked.

“He’s gradually coming back and he wants to go to Hell! ” Leo flashed Sagittarius a smile; surely that gave Seiya and Hyouga confidence that it was a future sign of the Phoenix’s return. Leo looked back at the Pope and dropped the grin, becoming serious again.

“Also, there is someone down there who I must defeat!”

“Are you saying to use yourself as bait?” asked the Pope, which led to silence.

“Hah?!” Thinking of only battle for atonement with a tint of payback, the young Saint could not prompt an answer by being flabbergasted. The term “bait” gave him a little chill behind his neck. It may have represented all the punishment, purgatory, and satanic sin that accumulated in the Underworld. If he went down there, the end might truly reach him.

“Nonsense!” The next Gold Saint rose from his knee, placing a closed hand against his chest. “The most loyalist saint of Athena is Capricorn! It is I! The sword in my right arm can dispel any evil. Let me go!”

“Lord Pope, Hyouga, Shiryu, and I fought Hades and his army before,” said Seiya. “It is a broad matter that will require more of us. I think about what Sextans said: If Sanctuary’s strength converges, maybe Argo will understand.”

Another Gold Saint responded.

“Therefore, I will stand as a sentry and tell you when the Underworld has emerged for us to traverse into it.”

“Virgo Fudo, you have been in the Underworld. Do you think your insane plan will work?” The Pope asked.

“I am but a Kagemusha, but—”

“But,” the Pope interjected with a groan, “you’re the best person to do a convincing job. A man closest to God.”

Fudoh gave a warm smile. “Hades would be deeply upset if I do this,” he said, his eyes turning to Shir Khan. “If anything, young Leo, I’ll become the bait.”

“Lord Pope!” Entering the Chambers was a young servant. “We have a guest.”

The door leading to the outside rotated open to reveal two figures. One was immediately recognized by Safur as the man with the other emerald sword. The man who helped him at Rujm el-Hiri, a cloaked warrior with a cold state and black hair. Next to that man was a young blonde woman in Roman dress. Her skin was dark, and her scarlet eyes seemed to invite a threat. Everyone froze, despite a few being aware of who it was and her current involvement with the situation. The truth was that she was a former enemy and no one expected her to appear in person.

Athena had called upon the aid of 1^st class Holy Sword Pallasite, Titan, and his Goddess Pallas. It was she who requested assistance from Saturn, who returned as Subaru.

“If I may, everyone. I owe Athena, my beloved sister, a debt. Since the last war, I’ve sought to make up for my ways. I’ve sent Titan around to help with the sealings of Hell portals. Lord Pope, a suggestion. Allow me to stand in Athena’s place.”

 The Golds couldn’t help but express surprise.

“Is it because you are her sister?” The Pope said.

“We shared the same Cosmos, connected to one another. I can tell you now that while its faint, her Cosmos still exist. I cannot rule the world, but I can at least be a chain.”

“Right, the label of Pallas Athena, an infallible city guardian with a shield.”

An impudent grin from the Pope. “So, have you learned to become a more loving Goddess?”

“What I do know is that Athena respected you, Pope of Sanctuary. You wouldn’t be able to sit there, despite your abrasiveness, if your heart wasn’t in the right place. You wish to protect the weak, and surely, you don’t have mercy for those who invade in disregard for others. Have you finally come to respect Athena? The fury you have towards Hades will prevent you from dying.”

“Yeah?”

“Athena seems to have strange tastes. You really are a bull.”

“Trials given by God can be overcome.” Everyone turned to Fudou, who spoke up again.

“You could say that Pallas’s idea is the same as mine: To serve as a stand-in for the missing. Like this, I can project the framework of the Underworld and we can take the charge to Hades. Furthermore, I can interfere with Asklepiós.”

“Virgo Fudou, who said that you were able to do this?” Aquarius Hyouga asked.

“Someone told me. Someone who has seen Hell. Maybe it was a spiritual intervention.” Hyouga bit his lip at Virgo Fudou’s words. Right, he was the Saint of Virgo, the predecessor of the man who sacrificed himself to find Arayashiki.

“Nirvana is the ultimate aim, surpassing the usual cycle of birth, suffering, and death. I would like to challenge Hades, who is unfit to rule the world,” said Fudou.

Hyouga couldn’t help but hold his tongue at such impudence. But he could also respect the strength emanating from Virgo. Indeed—Fudoh Myoo was a demon of fire that extinguished evil. Hyouga couldn’t help but smile at an idea he had reached...where Fudoh felt like he could surpass death.

“Lord Pope, I too have a suggestion that the Lady Goddess and I have discussed,” said Titan. “Can we use Pallas’s blood to repair the broken Cloths?

*****

When the meeting ended, more messages when sent out, including to Dodona’s guardian. Sextans Agatha occasionally went to check on the Bronzes in the hospital and instructed to send the broken Bronze Cloths to Jamir. Not long ago, those Bronze Saints who battled Mars, Abzu and Saturn landed on Naxos Island to take on the Goddess of Harvest, Demeter. While a peaceful land, it was guarded by four warriors called Terrae. The Bronzes traverse the Terraes’ temples, battling almost as desperately as they did against Mars’s Gold Saints, Mars’s Four Divine Lords, and Saturn’s Four Holy Swords. It was believed that the Bronzes managed due to two things: Their exposure to the Omega Cosmos, and the Terrae’s lack of combat might. In the end, after being transported to Limbo and seeing Athena killed, they were sent into comas by a traitor Saint named Viento. Seiya managed to save them by using Agatha’s teleportation device to send them to the hospital. It was all a failure. Furthermore, before even reaching Naxos, Wolf Haruto was killed on one of the Cyclades Islands after a fierce battle against one of the Gold Saints revived by Demeter. When Hyouga returned to Sanctuary with the broken Wolf Cloth, he couldn’t help but shed tears. He broke down on his knees before Seiya, Shiryu, and Integra, and then accepted the Aquarius Cloth.

Agatha dreaded a battle with Hades; Hell was difficult to traverse and infiltrate without the right pieces, and the denizens of Tartarus have been Athena’s mightiest foes for generations.  Athena knew that facing Hades would mean a true war— a relentless loss of life. She also feared that she would lose her closest friends, being Seiya and the others. As Hades’s era of resurrection on Earth had passed, he would be not allowed to commit to another Holy War against Athena.

In the hospital, someone opened his eyes.

******

Strictly 24 hours later, Aries Kiki returned to the Pope Chambers.

From the shades cast by the corners of the Hall, he slipped back in just like before. The Gold Saints were there again, and Kiki’s eyes widened at the new appearance of Titan and Pallas. Nearly every Saint recognized him despite his black Cloth and gray hair. Approaching close, and alone, his welcome was quickly met with a green flash. He saw Safur’s arm in a slanted motion; they had never met, but the aura of malice was immediately sensed between two subconsciousness. Or rather, the extraordinary senses of a Saint. As the Saint of Capricorn, Safur’s arm unleashed the shimmering wave of a sword, the Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegār. It pressed against a transparent wall that appeared between Kiki and the other Gold Saints, shattering. Kiki’s violet eyes were dour, which was rare to see from one usually poised. A tinge of anger pierced his heart. His Crystal Wall emanated from his hands held on.

“Are you Aries? My sword tells me that evil was welled up inside you, and to destroy it.” Safur’s words confirmed what gave Kiki consternation. If the Crystal Wall wasn’t put up, he probably would’ve dropped dead before the Pope. Zomorrod was an evil destroying sword after all, the more malice, the more power.

“I am here to relay a message only from the Queen of the Underworld, Persephone,” Kiki stated. He gestured to lower his defense, standing as if he were a welcomed guest. Maybe it was as if he continued to pose as a Gold Saint.

“As established by the will of the gods since times of myth, Earth and many lives will be spared. Because centuries have not passed since Hades’s rising and Demeter has been placated. However, there is one condition. Hades desires the lives of Athena’s Saints as ‘equal justice’.”

“Enough hypocrisy Kiki! I don’t want to hear that word from your mouth again. Even if you fell into an abyss, a sense of justice, as a former Saint of Athena, should never have left you. But, you serve a power that caused a mass genocide across the world with Shadows.”

The Pope’s words riled up Leo and Pisces, their toxic glares lancing towards Kiki. Pisces, a woman named Dione, had firsthand seen the massacre caused by the Shadows in Sri Lanka. Seiya quickly had to grab the younger Leo’s shoulder, holding him down.

Kiki alarmingly reached his arm out in hopes that his former companions will heed him. “There is a way to fulfill his wish. You do realize that Athena cannot die peacefully in this situation?”

A glimmer of hope immediately entered the minds of Gold Saints, and they surmised that Athena wasn’t completely dead. What they were told that until Hades was revived, the Underworld would be modified under another name and structure to home the Specters. They must come as the deaths of the Saints, the destruction of their Cosmos, can help revitalize the Underworld. If they didn’t come, Hades will use Athena’s Cosmos to destroy the world. Pallas declared that Athena’s body and soul can be saved; The Pope calls a bluff, to which Kiki smiled.

“Why would Athena’s most dangerous enemy lie?” Aries inquired before melting back into the shadows like he did before. He left a provocation: “Those are the conditions, now come. Avenge Athena, Saints. Defeat her evil enemy!”

Elsewhere, Kiki emerged from a shadow cast by a projecting cliff. High above with a bird’s eye, he overlooked Sanctuary. With Athena swept from the mortal world, her base would be less guarded, but that would be eventually covered by Pallas. The Saints were not prepared for a severe Holy War; then again, no one was prepared for Demeter’s actions.

“Before disappearing, the Heavens king Zeus established the three rules of Heaven, Earth and the Underworld. When the Underworld fell, it entered its primordial state, Limbo. It is then delegated by another until rule is restored. After all, before there was an Underworld, there was Chaos.”

Hades’s home reformed into the Chaos Underworld.

It was a bland, monochromatic morph of a land of mountains, rivers and lakes, deserts, flower fields, forests, and Roman structures. They were now blanketed by black paint, leaving plain borders and edges, dotted by faint stars. High above was a gray and white sky with a moon. It was either a moon or a distant bright star much like the sun. One would wonder, if a body was dipped into hellfire that lost its hue, would it burn?  The spirits of the dead, including the evil 108 spirits, were under the protection of the High Dark King. It was only on the condition that they couldn’t leave; that includes the Shadows and no intrusion or attack was permitted on Earth. The gates to Hell were sealed unless a Saint neared one. Their own sanctuary looking different, the Specters felt like they were in a labyrinth, and awaited near familiar Prisons for their prey.

Even more Hellish—only battle was allowed in the Underworld. Baited to die, the Saints’ Cosmos will feed the Underworld and expedite the revival of Hades and his Kingdom. War sickened Demeter, but she was too far in mud to complain after what she had caused and done. For both mother and daughter—Demeter and Persephone—there was a slight, hidden fancy for revenge on the Saints.

Asklepiós was free from Tartarus and never wanted to enter that darkness again…as long as he pleased the Queen. Athena and the bluff to rule the world will be bait to bring the Saints. If the Saints were defeated, he wanted to use that as a proposal for his complete freedom and for Demeter to be the new ruler of Earth. Only if she wished it; she was in deep contemplation over the idea. In the back of his mind, Akel did think, “If only they accepted a half God like me, but I doubt it.”

Akel also proposed how to start this little Kill Saint game: Virgo Fudou would be the first bounty as someone seeks to throw him into the Fourth Bolgia in the Eighth Prison and twist his head. He would have severe guests.

The one who would tackle the “game” first was the youngest of the Gold Saints.

It was Shir Khan of the Leo sign. Awaiting him was his nemesis from Barren Island. The enemy was easily recognized by her sultry taunts. They were either tepid and subtle, or completely blatant, but it was all strange upon the ears of eleven-year-old Shir.

“You desire to touch, do you? As much as I wish to kill you, there is someone who slightly wants you more.”

On his left, Shir heard the trampling of hooves. That’s when he quickly bounded out of the way.

Shir held his head. From what he sensed, the sound egress from the object’s charge reached his ears and his senses.

Chapter Text

Anyone who observed the Chaos Underworld could simply define it as a land covered by outer space, a near coal-black color, and whoever collaborated with Hades had too much of a strange taste. Because ice and metallic rock were discovered in the Milky Way, some of the surfaces of the Underworld adopted a reflective shine. Rather than having the morose sentiment of awaiting death, the place felt mythical and empty. Perhaps like the Kuiper belt-mysterious and dark, leaving a chill of loneliness. Like nocturnal animals, the Specters lie in wait. They either guarded their territories, where they suspected their prisons were, or just hoped that a form of life wandered around.

One young Gold Saint could navigate himself under an eternal moon. Stepping into craggy land, above his head, leaked out a sharp, golden gleam.

"So you've come," a woman said. A figure stood atop a cliff splashed with stars. "Of course you have. That's how boy youths are: Can't turn down a challenge. Impulsive, willing to be curious, willing to touch. And, willing to fight. Just the way I like it."

"Sure I'll touch you. You're gonna get these hands alright! And its's gonna hurt really bad! You can't escape now, Shiva!" Currently the youngest Gold Saint, Leo Shir Khan promised to unleash the fury he felt from losing Athena, elevate it five or ten times than usual towards an enemy. After all, it was Shiva and another evil spirit that prevented him from reaching Hell from Barren Island's gate.

A Specter of the Terrestrial Slave Star; her sable scaly Surplice, even though it took the motif of a serpent, was simple enough to flaunt her buxom body and seize any eyes that touched it. Merely because the Specter was a mythical beauty beyond theatre. Her long plum hair nearly melded with the darkness. This may have been the first time Shiva has seen little Shir's face unlike a child's happy expression. She was well known for her smug sneer.

"The urge to wrangle with my body. Good! I desire you, cub. Desire to crush you with my bare hands and squeeze your life dry." Her taunt followed with her sigh as she leaned her face into her hand. Her posture relaxed as she sat near the cliff edge.

"Alas…I can't split my prey can I? Maybe there should be a race as to who kills you first."

"Race?"

"Someone else yearns for you. But whose has the privilege to deliver the killing blow? I'd say it is me, but I'll let this impatient fellow have a little fun with you first." Shiva points behind the Leo Saint. Turned his head a quarter, he bounded to one side, and then he lost his bearings. Shir clutched his head, his ears ringing, his sight dotted by black and blue, the star-like surroundings of the Chaos Underworld waving like water. Before he jumped out of the way, Shir was certain that he did not imagine the hooves of a charging animal. When he regained his senses, he saw a bulky body leaning low. It was another person in a Surplice, wearing a masked helmet. The mask was designed like a wild cat, a lion or a cougar, covering the face entirely. Large tusks protrude around the neck and across the shoulders, clawed gauntlets. It seemed like the perfect opponent.

Shir straightened himself and scowled, lifting up his fists in a readied stance. It was finally time to face something beyond the worked demonic spirits spilling out of a volcano. Something with substance, with personality, radiating evil so thickly that it fired up Shir to take it out.

"Just now, my body could blow you away even from a distance. You think you stand a chance against the forces of nature?" The voice of a male. The Specter's mask turned to the Gold Saint. Even without a discernable face, the ambiguity of the enemy made it fearful. From the question, Shir implied that a vortex covered the Specter as he was running. It was a high-decibel sound that had entered Shir's ears even when the Specter rushed by.

"I'll fight whatever evil throws at me," said Shir.

"Evil?" The Specter hissed. "You ill-treat everyone with your recklessness, but you never paid the price. Until now."

"Now now," mocked Shiva. She was now lying on the cliff edge, being a gibing witness, "after all of those tiffs from you about wanting to kill the Leo Saint, aren't you going to introduce yourself?"

The Specter stretched his spine, not even turning his face from Shir Khan for a moment. One clawed gauntlet touched the mask, and then it was yanked off, tossed against a nearby cliff. Next, the Specter held his feline helmet.

"I guess you wouldn't recognize me with this on, wouldn't you?"

Staring back at Shir Khan was a tanned youth with dark hair bound back like a long cat tail—except the stern blue eyes, upon the face of a human that has only seen darkness, it was a face that mirrored Shir's.

"I don't plan to be a lion's meat, my boy," Shiva taunted more. "Behold!" The Leo Saint, who prepared his heart for battle, lowered his fists. He had to tighten his jaw to prevent it from dropping.

"Hey Shir," The Specter also tossed his helmet to the side, and squatted down in a slant. It looked like another charge. In a blink, he covered the distance; a single punch in the abs and Shir was launched high into the air. His arm and fist crested, The Specter cried out to his enemy.

"Stop looking pathetic!" The Leo Gold Saint elevated so high that he disappeared into the gray-white sky. As the Specter looked up, Shiva spoke up.

"You can have some morsels, little one," she said.

"Shut up!"

"But I'm only giving you a few minutes, you third-rate hero. I doubt he's going to die from that."

Eventually, Shir Khan would crash back down hard, his entire body engulfed in a continuous vortex of wind. His body felt hot.

Apogee Storm Blow (アポジーストームブロー)!

Whoever takes the attack is sent flying far or high in the opposite direction. After traveling a far distance, if their body was still intact, the heavy blow "remains" as a geometrical force that tears against said body until death. The pressure of an elephant's underfoot was within that force. However, didn't a Gold Cloth handle the pressure of the sea?

Shir Khan was only eleven years old, being the youngest in the current generation of Gold Saints; now he faced his first war donning the Gold Cloth of Leo. It was about four years ago that he first tried it on, hearing Athena's voice like a melody in his ears. "Did this Cloth choose you? Walk your path courageously and wisely." At that time, the boy did not register the word "destiny", its importance, as he trained. All he knew was that he had nowhere else to go. He could not return to India after being "collected" by a man named Ionia.

Then, about a year ago or two, the Leo Cloth was "stolen"; rather, it was monopolized by a God named Mars. Despite a red orbital body inflaming the sky, Athena's voice comforted Shir's mind to continue training. Evil spirits morphed into animals has leaked into Myanmar and Thailand, testing his martial mettle against them. He was told when he officially took the Cloth, he would join the 12 Temples as one of Athena's greatest voices and protectors.

Now was not a good time to dwindle the defenses of Sanctuary, even with Pallas at the head, next to an injured Pope. At the forefront of the Temples was Gemini Integra, guardian of the third house from the mountain base up. Following was Cancer, then Leo.

Shir was only allowed to go to the Chaos Underworld to sweep up an insect that was bothering him; without divine protection or the Gold Cloth, he could survive to an extent. He was also ordered to find the person who wrote a letter to the Pope: "I know Hell better than anyone. Soon, come and join me." The Pope can be assured that the cub wouldn't be alone. Was he really bait as the Pope said?

With an energetic cry, the vortex that strewed over Shir Khan's body like a web heated up and shattered, replaced by an aura of sun gold across his body.

"So you broke out," said the Specter of The Heavenly Defeat Star (天敗星). The Specter's face—that face that looked like Shir—deepened with creases, his jaw tightening with anger. An accusation finger pointed at Leo.

"You're so stubborn! To think someone like you could become a Gold Saint. It must truly be fate that I become a dark star, and to face you as an enemy. Only the Underworld King could've predicted this."

"An enemy…." Shir spoke under his breath, a dismayed expression on his face as his blue eyes were kept locked on the Specter. His voice then rose.

"HOW are you my enemy, Tabaqui?! That doesn't make sense at all!"

"Because you are my obnoxious little brother!" With the speed and aggression of a giant hunting cat, and the pressure of an elephant's underfoot, the Specter crossed the distance between them in one bound. A low crouch, a leg lifting to knock Shir in the chin. Another Apogee blow.

This anger—no, it must've been something else, Shir thought; he was so flustered that all he could think of was catching the foot. He used both hands for the catch. A screwing vortex of air covered Tabaqui's foot, and Shir heard a thunderclap from the impact of the kick. Why was there hatred?

That too much thinking had Shir by the throat. Shiva laughed. "Now now, you golden cub brat. You are suddenly stifled? It almost breaks my heart to see you like this."

He ignored the taunt and suddenly remembered. Before leaving for Sanctuary, he lived with his uncle, mother, and other children in a rural village near a river. The only true family he remembered having was his—

Immediately, his emotions are directed to the female Specter on the cliff.

"You are a coward, Shiva!" Yelled the Gold Saint.

"Beg your pardon?"

"You turned my brother into one of your slaves, didn't you?!"

The female wailed in laughter. "There's the child-like cub that I know so well. You misunderstand, my boy," said Shiva. "Do you not know? I'm sure you are aware that your brother died. Seeing him before you means that he was chosen and reborn with a star of darkness. We just so happen to meet."

It would've been the perfect opportunity to hit him up close, but the weight of despair—the feeling of seeing that weight upon the enemy—made Tabaqui throw down the Gold Saint like a stack of paper instead. With his newfound strength, a Gold Saint felt like a tiny stone in the hand. Shir Khan hit the ground, an explosion cratering the black-soiled earth. Whether it was the impact of the ground or from seeing his brother, Shir's face showed that his body was full of shock. Shiva continued to scoff.

"It's strange to see him look so unsure and defeated. Now I wonder if you have the hate and courage to defeat your own brother, Tabaqui."

"Shut up! Of course I do!"

"With your new body, your wicked Heavenly Defeat star, as a Specter, you can definitely do it. Because Hades is an almighty God. Your ambitions will make you powerful!"

A weak mumble from a Gold Saint. "But why?"

The Specter looked down at the weary-looking Gold Saint. "We just happen to serve two different Masters, Shir."

"Tabaqui…do you want to defeat me? Is it because of what happened?" His eyes closed. "Over something…so petty? It can't be."

"As a Specter, I would say that I have no choice. Lord Hades has given me the chance to reconstruct myself!"

"And do what?!" The 11-year-old Gold Saint blurted back. His exhilaration to fight evil with a child-like energy and smile, the impulsive drive to confront with a heart of justice were held back. He was still confused about raising his fist against his only family. It still didn't feel real. Tabaqui stalled his answer, looking at his brother while taking an attack stance. His eyes looked serious. If there was a difference between the two, it was in height and the longer loose strands of hair that was free, and not slicked back and threaded into Tabaqui's hair band.

"Before my death, those villagers placed the seed of doubt in me. I became restless with anger after experiencing that…dreadful pain. That suffering. I will destroy the arrogance of humans. The dark star has seen my despair and chosen me to make up for my failure. You faced a tiger, now you think you can face God? You are the face of this polluted humanity, Shir!"

Shir took in a breath and closed his eyes. "So, you're a restless spirit?"

"An immortal spirit! I am much stronger now! And I will fulfill my duty."

Then, those child's eyes snapped open. The sunny glow around his body and Cloth returned.

"I had to make very sure. Because if it's true, if I stand proud to fight, I will even face and free my own brother! That is my courage."

"Good! But I warn you. Being brave is just as foolish. That is why you're going to die...for even thinking you can come here and have the faith to make it out alive. You will feel the despair of failure!"

"You'd know that very well wouldn't you, you older brother?"

"Stop bothering me because you're doing nothing up there, Shiva! You taunted me and made me wait long enough!"

"But can you do it?"

"What did I say?!"

"Perhaps it's your fate to try, and then to feel disappointed as you die again."

"What was that?!"

"Isn't it useless if you don't succeed?"

"Those words…" Similar to the Leo Saint, a foul violet aura covered Tabaqui. He gritted his teeth, "Courage and heroes—I don't want to hear them again. Shir, prepare to die…against the Heavenly Defeat Star, Yali Tabaqui!"

"Leo Shir Khan! Unless our Lord says otherwise, you must fight one another. Your brother is your enemy!"

Shiva's constant jeers, a fanged smile crawling over her plum lips, gave rise to a searing memory. The day that fueled him—no one dared to follow the trail of blood that led to Tabaqui. It wasn't a common occurrence, the shock falling upon everyone. It was said to be the work of gods or demons.

In his heart, Shir apologized to his older brother and brought forward a punch. It didn't make sense at a distance, but a golden flash appeared between the two siblings. Shir appeared before a barrier, a rectangular stone pillar. It suddenly rose before him, blocking his view of Tabaqui, which he tried to reach. He could not see the wicked grin on the older sibling's face.

Chapter Text

If your mind is flooded with a bad memory, do you react in anger and perhaps, instead to sulk, have the urge to retaliate?

Gold Saint of Athena, Leo Shir Khan (獅子座のシア・カーン) is 11 years old.

Specter of Hades, Heavenly Defeat Star Yali Tabaqui (天敗星ヤリのタバキ) is 14 years old…when he had died.

Because their masters were different, their loyalties transfixed into them by a historical fate, they had no choice but to fight. It was easy for Hades to stir up and capture Tabiqui's resentment in his heart, and twist it towards humanity.

On Earth, there is much to fear. Humans, war, illness, sounds. The roar of a large cat could imbue fear among all animals. An average human could only handle sound decibels of 85dba without pain; for a lion and a tiger, its roar was over 110dba, with fireworks being 140dba or more. The sounds tremble the body and leave their mark.

A Tiger. Tabaqui was a coward, but he went in front of his brother and family to protect them. He thought he was urged by the spirits to do the right thing. Yes, the roar of the tiger, heard miles away, was terrifying, chilling his bones. Still, despite his fear, he stood before claws and fangs. He urged within his mind that his younger brother and the village women and children should be protected, so why?

It was the sensation of regret – of protecting his brother, and then feeling the claws and fangs of the tiger digging into him. The sensation of being mauled to death, being certain that blood came out of him, and having to inevitably deal with that pain was overwhelming. His hand was bit first, he dropped the torch; what pierced him with that lightning of fear first was the realization that his own hand was locked into a cat's mouth, and unable to pull it out of its slimy tongue. One of its four large fangs burrowed a hole into his hand. He was pulled forward by the tiger's strength, and then, its weight shoved forward. Tabaqui fell back and was mauled in the neck and head. When those ivory teeth reached and entered vitals, both pain and fear of death registered together. It was an unfair death one could imagine.

Since reviving with an evil star, Tabaqui's glare fell upon the younger brother with a fit of selfish anger that was not fit for Nirvana. It may have stemmed from his violent death.

"Why did Athena choose you as a Gold Saint, Shir? And why do you think you can take the name of Master? Did she give you that name?! I'll teach you humility!" Why did he speak with such hatred for his brother, if it was a tiger that took him? Did the evil star amplify his anguish from dying for protecting his weak family, and harbor the idea of destroying humans? It had to be true. Such a thought enflamed Shir's heart; with it, he could battle Hades if the damn God was standing in front of him now.

The pillar that erected from the ground between the brothers was a piece of architecture much like in a temple of ritual. At its apex was the head of an avian animal. Unlike a real pillar, it showed life in itself as the head pivoted downward. Its eyes and gaping mouth started to glow with a flame. The air roared again, right behind Shir were more pillars emerging from the ground until it simulated as a hall. Ten pillars erode; if Shir took steps back, he would have an animal pillar to the left and right of him, all looking down at him. Each pillar was topped with the head of a feline, a snake, a simian, or an avian.

"Holy Mandapa!" At Tabiquis's voice, the surroundings changed. An air-shaking roar came from each head of the pillars, projecting a pressured detonation. From a distance, the Mandapa generated an explosion that engulfed the Leo. Shir lost the image of the Underworld around him. In the next moment, the ground was before his eyes. Was it hubris, and despite his boast earlier on defeating his brother, it was some ruse to regain his sense of duty, a bravado to face his own brother. But that was the problem—he faced his brother who shouldn't have lost to any sliver of "evil" in his heart.

"The lion and the tiger are sacred among our people, but you are no such thing."

Shir's body were not commensurate with the words he stated earlier. He still did not agree that Tabaiqui's mauling should bring envy and resentment towards his younger brother. The sight of his older brother convinced him to warp reality; he remembered the days of being an even younger child and could pretend that he shared days with his kind kindred. To see him again, he imagined, he could've been greeted generously and wear a happy smile. That happiness, along with admiration; because of that pretend nonsense, Shir's body was thrashed by a storm.

"Maybe you're weak because you're young," Tabaqui continued to mock, pointing at the Gold Saint on the ground. "See now?! Bluffing and courage get you nowhere!"

But was that even true? Athena could not have made a mistake. To reach out to little Shir Khan, Athena could not have been erroneous in her choosing. She had come when Shir was in one of his down days. No matter how many times he wore a smile, he could not evade the juncture of life's ups and downs, from when his heart was hurting. In this state, it was easy to refuse anything and any word given, but somehow, Athena managed to coax the boy.

Shiva had the lion cornered. Observing from the cliff, Naga Shiva—who was filled with ecstasy for retaliation, imagining that victory was hers—nearly lolled onto her side from a weight of disappointment almost taking her body. The same as in her mind. That foolish cub can't do it. Those thoughts brought a scowl to her face as she watched the two.

He can't fight his own brother. To think it was a simple, sentimental thing. As much resentment as she held for the baby Gold Saint, coiling her jaws around him might've been equivalent to killing prey wrought by illness. It would only be necessary for the King and Queen's goals, but would leave Shiva with perhaps disdain to have her revenge.

"Isn't this not belittling of your stature, boy? The Leo Gold Saint." Shiva's voice hissed with a subtle edge as she was reduced to a useless heckler, a critic. That would be something for the archives: An almighty soldier of Athena, a Gold Saint, falls in war due to his feelings. He knew siblings fought: Back home, in that rural Indian village, Shir and Tabaqui would duel with tree branches. Shir was overcome by memories of imitating the hero, Hakuman, swinging his tree branch to defeat the world's impurities. It would not prepare them to face a real threat, however, nor this fateful meeting of today. Not when there was no longer a childhood.

Still, Shiva had her reasons to be wrought with disdain for Leo. After all, she was expelled over and over again from Barren Island when she attempted to take Phoenix Ikki's body and spirit. Despite the cloak of a cute young face, the boy still wore a Gold Cloth and was still a threat for unlimited potential. Athena—her master's greatest nemesis—could not have been a fool.

The one Goddess who extended her hand towards a poor boy, she asked him what was most important to him in the world, and if he wanted to save it?

While he clambered back to his feet, Shir Khan began to remember his first meeting with her. Despite Tabaqui's words, the little Leo had to gain the courage to face reality. Eyes that were lightning blue, vivid unlike the surrounding land that was devoid of life, stabbed Tabaqui with a fighting spirit. The older brother winced, and a lash from a leg crossed before him. Low to high, he leaned back and felt air scratch his nose, barely missing the foot that stopped over his head. A leaping Leo?! Shiva continued to watch and she felt her head judder. She may have her fight after all, mocking Shir in her thoughts again as he engaged in an unorthodox style of combat. Or rather, it may have been obvious, considering that Leo was a child. She always heard of the "Lion's Fangs" being bare in the fist of the Leo Gold Saint, and anyone would slowly take in to account that Shir could move with spry dashes, jumps, and even kicks. What Shiva did know was that this kid never moved needlessly and that his attacks were aggressive. She had expected the Underworld to glow from Shir's attacks at any moment.

The speed of light arrived as fast as it left, the surroundings blinking like burning headlights. Once Shir landed and brought a punch toward Tabaqui, the older brother and Specter was suddenly caught in a web of luminous rays, emitting shockwaves batting him in various directions. To which, Shiva suppressed a chuckle, remembering all of the times he reminded the stubborn Yali to not rush in for an act of pitiful revenge against his brother. Now she watched him as a twitching spider in mid-air, and then landing on his face.

"Letting siblings fight one another...you are a true cowardly snake!"

Her contemplations suddenly disturbed, Naga Shiva felt an essence trembling behind her; blossoming like condensed steam inside a kettle that was about to explode. Something that makes her heed with caution; despite that, she still lay languidly on the edge of the cliff.

"If you don't want to spectate, then stand. You're going to die, witch."

She leaned her head, a golden pitted eye as sharp as a knife looking over her shoulder to regard a white figure with violet hair. That white "figure" was the Cloth of the Saint.

"Are you threatening me, Phoenix Ikki?" Rarely anyone murmured that name with ease.

Shiva judged, by the scarred man's words, that he may have been observing for some time. It was one of his lone wolf quirks, appearing without notice to face the enemy, and with a haughty confidence.

"And are you implying that your strength has returned?" As Shiva glared over her shoulder, while daring to keep lounging on her side, she gave Ikki an unpleased face. She knew that he had been under the Leo Saint's care, and to see him now was a reminder of her failed efforts to take his essence completely. She shuddered, and her body finally moved to stand, but her attention had to turn from the brothers. She glared at Ikki, her mind flashed, leaving her soundless.

What was that, a premonition?! For seconds, something seized her body—and her guess that it was borderline fear. First, it was a shock, then it was the fear of seeing or imagining such a destructive image: An illusion of some sort, her body suddenly exploding within a web of bright, splashing flame. She ignored him for a moment as Ikki strode past her and looked over the cliff at the two fighting brothers, who were at a standstill.

"What the Hell are you doing, Shir Khan!?

"Ikki! You're here!" Looking up, The Gold Saint responded easily like a surprised child; all thatwas missing was his welcoming grin.

"Are you not the Saint of Leo, idiot?!" And Ikki often felt embarrassed by Shir's easygoing, childish bearing, which was a reverse from usual, taking the form of hesitation. For someone who seemed to always move ahead, perhaps a defense against the inhibitor called "fear", it was easier for Ikki to react abrasively. Especially after Shir was struck from the Holy Mandapa.

Hesitation, yes, but still in one piece. Had the Gold Armor cracked or broke, it would be a tragedy to the army of Athena. Any Saint that wore one of the twelve strongest Cloths could withstand the sun's surface and the ocean's depths; the temperature just below absolute zero, the vacuum of outer space, and the kingdom of Hell. In other words, Ikki should know that there should at least be a sliver of competence in even an 11-year old boy.

"Don't look away, Shir!" That came from Tabaqui, who got up from the Lightning Plasma and charged ahead. His momentum was straight and reckless; Shir remembered that a blow from the Specter's body was like a giant, an impact creating a vortex that tackled the entire body.

Both brothers advanced each other, pulling back their biceps, reaching closer. Anyone would probably think they were hallucinating, seeing the frame of a giant lion and an avian-elephant hybrid charging each other within a scenery of stars. Impacting, the animals denoted a battle between predators. The Gold Cloth of Leo discharged an aura, reversing the wave of the Apogee Storm Blow. Somehow, the brothers couldn't finish themselves.

After they distanced themselves, Leo Shir Khan exasperatedly pointed at the Specter.

"Are you angry at me or yourself?! Don't insult yourself!"

"What did you say?!"

"Let me tell you something! What you did was not a useless act. Because of you, our village was saved! No matter how scary something looked, even if you lacked confidence, you wanted to help. You wanted to try! That's my loving older brother!"

Tabaqui bit his trembling lower lip, his thoughts seething at words saturated with "annoying human emotions". Human emotions for his brother and village that had him killed, but he couldn't grasp whether it was right or wrong. Maybe it was both, and for him to make it complex caused him to hesitate. The Leo's expression then softened, as did the manner of how he spoke,

"Tabaqui…you shouldn't be standing here. Because my brother is dead. I hate saying that," said Shir.

"I hate it. I was so sad." The words, coming from a 11 year old boy—whose cadence has yet to break into—could sear into most sympathetic hearts. Coming from his former younger brother was enough to bring silence to Tabaqui, who wore a curious expression.

It must've been four years ago. The boys faced poverty but still stood strong; they worked, loved, learned, and saw illness and death. The gaping hole left by his missing older brother, who sacrificed himself to a tiger left Shir with the reality of sadness. That scene where he had to live without a significant other to not play sticks with. To not laugh and smile at, to eat with. Then, to bear the fear of the dangerous tiger returning for another neck to take.

"Despite the evil among the living, including our fellow animals, this world is still blessed. When I was falling down, someone reached out to me. She said that she was a goddess, but she was not how I expected Durga to look like. She helped me find light—"

"Stop talking Shir. Despite being brothers, we are enemies!"

"You're right." Shir's promptness to see reality was tragic; but in his mind, he warped his fears and told himself that his brother was dead. A good brother, not a zombie who would be frustrated at getting killed for his village.

"This is no longer childhood!"

It may have been a coincidence or on cue, but the Yali Surplice—representing a divine monster with avian, felidae, and elephas parts—fissured in various places like it finally broke under heated pressure. One of the horns that served its collar snapped. The Apogee Storm blow, rather than an attack, served as a barrier, and both pushed each other away at an equal distance.

My brother is dead. Therefore...I will destroy this evil spirit that dare wears my brother's face and carry resent for humans.

It could've been a little fathomable to be angry at the cowardice of the villagers, who could not defend against a tiger, but if one had the power to destroy humanity, would cowardice and then death lead to a sufficient reason to kill people? Would one should kill the villagers for their cowardice?

Elsewhere, in his lonesome, another Gold Saint contemplated to himself in a Suksahana pose. Despite the gloomy Chaos Underworld, he seem to fit at home as if Hell was his abode. Silhouettes surrounded him, growling in aggravation, but their approaches were slow and cautious. In fact, there were already bodies around this Gold Saint. He wore a soft smile.

"Leo. A killer of great evil. In his hand, he upholds the strongest lightning and is like a bullish chariot. If I burn defilements with my wrathful flame, then the boy's light purifies it. Specters, ever are you in front of his charge, you are to meet certain death."

Yali Tabaqui was unable to move. It was not that he was weak; he insisted that he wasn't, bearing the strength of various animals to portray a divine beast that protected many temples, but something snatched his ability to—his brain could not process electrical signals to any of his body parts. He felt like stone. Tabaqui wasn't too divine after all. Rather than having his innards evaporate, like lightning striking tree bark due to water ingress, his entire body, said to have been created by the Big Bang, began to betray itself. The matter inside of him were chained, suffused with heat, and began to crystalize. From above the cliff, Phoenix Ikki quietly observed Leo Shir Khan standing before a white, sparkling figure.

"Interesting. Maybe that's why he was chosen to protect you; you both give off a lot of heat, don't you...Phoenix Ikki?"

"What are you rambling about, snake?" Ikki turned around, seeing the back of Naga Shiva, who was grinning to herself.

"I heard a funny rumor about that little cat. He's long been a pain on my side because apparently, when Athena found him...she had to gain his trust."

Chapter Text

"Gain his trust? Athena had to?"

"Maybe it's his rebellious time peaking out? Ah…no, he was probably too young. I wonder when did they meet?" The Specter finally turned to face the scarred man, with her usual carefree demeanor. A smile that seemed fearless or had no knowledge of fear, or maybe that feeling was momentarily discarded.

"Stop rambling nonsense to delay the inevitable." Against Ikki, rousing his anger either stimulated the snake or she had hoped to lower his guard.

"What is inevitable, Phoenix Ikki?"

"I know it was you who tried to enter my body, my mind, and eat my Cosmos." The scarred man kept his scowl, and boiling slowly under was an altercation predicted to happen.

"Now now Ikki, you don't seem to be aware of where you are and what you're dealing with. I can understand being a little addled—"

"I am well aware of being in Hell."

Shiva's lilac lips flattened; unlike her usual hedonistic pose, her tone became serious.

"You do, don't you?" Such composure was a reproach towards the Saint, while she hid a curiosity at the back of her mind. She held back her question "Are you home here?" Perhaps the lack of a smile hinted a clash of two resplendent beasts. She couldn't afford to lounge around this time. Between Specter and Saint, the prescience for a great conflict was not needed.

Below the Cliff, only one figure was in motion, closing the gap between him and a diamond statue. Similar to someone missing his lover, the 11-year old Leo Saint touched the face of what used to be his older brother. His beloved family member. The years after his death seemed to have passed in a blink of an eye, much like what happened now. Both brothers closed in, and a golden light discharged. After some words, Yali Tabaqui seemed to have physically and mentally collapsed, turning into a diamond a moment later. He was not trapped inside the diamond, but became it instead, sealed as a frozen atomical structure that could only be destroyed by a Gold Saint or God.

It worked. If it did, then that means you had a body and soul. If such words came out of Shir's mouth, it would've spelled the regret that was filling—or hiding—inside his body. The only thing that inhibited him from breaking apart was to cling to an anger towards the Gods that fated this war. Perhaps with his technique, he assumed, he could find Hades and rid of him. After all, Athena reached out to him because of Shiva's earlier gossip.

That gossip….

Suddenly, little Leo remembered when he was sought out and selected, it seemed to have been fate. It was raining heavily. To take care of the lonely boy who had fangs of justice, but Athena was glared at in a way as to have no justice. Somehow, the Lion and the Goddess stood with a gap between them, separated by hostility.

"It is essential that you tell me why I should aid you, sinner." The face of a boy looked at Athena, but the nuance of his voice edged towards resentment or disappointment.

"I am surprised you have appeared through this boy. Everything has a reason, or have you come to take my life?"

"I am to keep the sun from being stolen. In the future, the sun is in danger. Take this sad boy and use his fire." The memory was still hazy, perhaps due to grief. Whoever that was may have had a foresight for this current situation, and was amused to keep Athena in check after her "crimes" against Heaven. Then, Leo returned to reality upon hearing Shiva's voice. He had to remember that he was in the Chaos Underworld, and because he was chosen, he believed he had to keep a brave, reliable front to protect "God".

Looking up at the cliff, Shir Khan prepared to go after his next target, but a snarking insult that he was expecting didn't fall his way. Instead, he heard a roar of battling Cosmos and a struggling groan from the Naga Specter. Two beings were grasping each other's hands, and they stood as equals. The young Leo saw, projecting against the background, surrounding them, a large fiery bird and a glittering serpent.

"What are you doing Ikki? I'll take care of her!" Shir called with all of the anger he regained.

Ikki kept contact with Shiva's burning golden irises, while replying as if to an intruding child. "Why don't you get out of here, Leo! Don't you have to find Athena?"

"But she is my nemesis!"

"I said get lost! Don't need anyone with emotional attachments to tell me who and where to fight."

The little Shir managed to smile. That hubris. Before leaving Sanctuary, he explained to the Pope and Seiya that Ikki was on the road to recovery, but the question was how much? Whether he was at any right state to join combat? He had to regain his stamina, his memories, his Cosmos, which had been under back-and-forth assault by Naga Shiva on Barren Island. The stubborn desire to eat Phoenix, rather than Leo, made Shir suspect two things. It was clear that Ikki was in a vulnerable state, compared to Leo who seemed to have been divinely protected from anything trying to reach him, but Naga was resolved tosomething beyond and more sinister than obeying her Lord.

Thus, Shir clambered up the cliffs to meet with Ikki. Both Phoenix Saint and Naga Specter stood apart, smoke curling off from their bodies. Shortly before, they exchanged blows.

"It seems that the cub was able to win," Shiva smirked. "Your brother was weak after all."

"Shut up, Snake! Your opponent is me!" Ikki breathed in after his retort. One quick exchange, a full offense that focused on aheavy blow, turned into a barrage, and he felt like he wanted to collapse. Perhaps his essence didn't completely return, no matter how he willed it. He was puzzled by the smoke from his body. His memory shuddered; his body reverberated when Shiva's knee struck his abdomen. Then, his body became hot.

"Whether its you or Leo, it matters not. Athena cannot be saved. The dead is dead, and both the Mother Goddess and the Queen of the Underworld desire Hades's revival. You are here as morsels to dinner. If you desire to save the world, then surrender!"

"Who are you to say that Athena will die?! And say that the world will be saved?" Shir Khan spat. "And besides, even if those were the rules, humans are not safe from you, Shiva!"

Naga Shiva sprung toward Ikki like an unexpecting shadow, her gold eyes shining with ferocity to devour her target. Leo Shir Khan was mesmerized for a moment seeing Ikki take a blow, or maybe it was safe to say that they were both distracted by Shiva's sudden movement. Her power came from not training her muscles, and she had enough boldness to approach both Saints as they stood together. Phoenix bucked, then the nearby Leo Shir, who had a smaller body, was launched back with a direct kick to the chin. Did both of their bodies and mind drift for a second? Was confusion imprinted in them?

Nava Shiva then embraced Phoenix Ikki, a feat that was probably unprecedented that it may have threw Ikki out on a loop. One of her legs around his waist, the other pulling his leg in between hers, seizing it; arms around his neck like a boxing clinch. She could breathe against his neck. Both of their bodies began to smolder, but it seemed out of the ordinary for a Phoenix Saint to shed vapor. In comparison, Shiva shouldn't be able to lean and overwhelm Ikki with her own body weight. Her grip was tight and unbreakable, a smile creeping across her face as she leaned towards Ikki's ear. A yearning intent? A sexual intent?

A whisper reached Ikki's ear. "I have you…now, come to me. We're fated to battle, Garuda. You who rebels against Gods."

"What are you doing?!" Phoenix Ikki's arms were not locked, but any electrical signal to his limbs refused to obey him. The heat vapor from his body and Shiva's fogged his eyes.

"That pride of yours…is it because you don't know how to die? I'm going to exhaust you with your own power."

It may have been too soon, or it was not an opponent that Ikki has faced before. He could not determine the sensation he had from the enemy's embrace; his mental neurons began to outreach reality and towards the memories of his former battles.

"You remind me of one whose excessive pride led to his downfall. Do you not know why that cub's brother lost?" Naga Shiva's words were near mute to Phoenix Ikki. Usually, remembering the past was a sign of bodily functions going out or being mixed up, but it was difficult before, and ironically, signaled his gradual return to humanity.

Guilty, Seiya and the others, Silver Saints, Virgo Shaka, Gemini Saga, Lyumnades Casa, Sea Dragon Kanon, Poseidon, the Three Judges of Hell, Thanatos, Hades, Mars and the Four Heavenly Martians, Miller, Aegaeon. Filling the holes in his mental faculties will restructure the strongest warrior called Phoenix Ikki, who faced great adversity.

"My power? Don't screw with me." Ikki's voice was calm and dry,but smoldered with an anger that threatened to erupt.

"It's not yours to have, witch!" Then, Shiva was ignited off Ikki's body. Shiva carried a unsettling face and her brain had two thoughts: Her touch was resulting in a reversed effect or Phoenix really was that strong.

There was a third thought, giving Shiva some comfort that she could smile again: Everything now depended on who could either contain or build up the strongest Cosmos at the right time. There were centuries old records of many casualties on both sides of Hades and Athena's army. It was an indication that neither warrior should be underestimated.

"Shiva!" Leo Shir Khan cried out and got back onto his feet, riled by feelings of concern and a desire for retaliation, but he froze when a voice entered his head.

"You can't be complacent here, even as a Gold Saint. There are many dangerous threats in the Underworld."

Leo Shir Khan looked around aimlessly, confused at a male voice that entered his mind. But he had recognized it, especially when he shared an interesting connection between the owner's voice. Out of twelve, Leo guarded the 5th temple of Athena's Sanctuary, and the one afterward was the second man who swore to protect a Buddha with an evil cleansing flame. The 6th temple was the Temple of Virgo. So far, it was these two Gold Saints, outside the Legendary Bronze Saints, who were suitable for walking the mortem land. An aberration of Gold Saints that will blossom within the dead. What does that mean? The lacking of adversity to express the answer wasdifficult for now. Tabaqui lost to a technique called the Lightning Rathna, which was only possible by a youth who also protected a Buddha with a cleansing "flame". Tabaqui lost by changing for the worst, by condemning himself and not being that beloved older brother.

"Fudou?!" The name came out of his mouth, but it made no sense towards Ikki and Shiva. It was telepathy.

"In Holy Wars, the key is to defeat our opposite deity. But we need the help of Athena. Even in this dark, desolated Underworld, her voice touches us. We as her Saints need to gather around her to win."

"Fudou, I want to save Athena if I can. If not, I defeat whoever is in my way, including God. Please tell me where she might be."

"I do not have that information just yet. Once I do, I have to inform Pallas. Everything depends on whether we survive, she may make a move."

Pallas? Shir was a bit surprised, holding a breath in. If he recalled, the sibling served as a substitute. Perhaps she will be the key to either defeating Hades or saving Athena, perhaps buying time. With that closeness, would she make an appearance in the Underworld?

"You, or maybe you and I, still have much to learn as a Gold Saint," said Fudou.

Many times, the Goddess Athena—being a benevolent war genius—has lived beyond her circumstances. That is one thing that inspired her Saints. While this game Hades and Persephone created was to buy time, while sating the Specters, The Sanctuary's Pope and the Goddess Pallas assured that Athena could be saved. However, was it a race to reach Hades's Temple in an abyssal-looking Underworld? And who was it that would lead the so-called rescue?

"Do you desire a pas de trois?" Naga Shiva regained her composure, either out of confidence or as a defensive measure. She was tight-lipped about her power, leaving Ikki to shudder at her absurdity. It didn't seem real for such power to emit from a lithe woman, or worse, were they equal?

"I defeated my first opponent," said Shir, staring at Shiva's back.

Fudou remarked in the young Gold's mind, "Shir, are you sure?"

A fall on his shoulder, and a breath into his ear. A breath of exhaustion. It caused even a Gold Saint to freeze out of apprehension. A second of hesitation was a grave error on the battle field, the boy learned. Shir's head turned a ninety and then he veered his upper body, a glittering fist passing against his cheek. It came from the body covered in diamond.

"I am a star of a divine vehicle for gods." And today, that God was Hades. Shir spun around entirely and a heavy fist twisted his head. It was a brutish attack from an older brother that was perhaps beyond scolding. For some reason, Yali Tabaqui could breathe through his new "form".

A third, a full swing missed, and a quick swing in return touched Tabaqui's diamond face. The Specter was a diamond body, the hardest mineral on each, but his head pulled sideways from the blow. The Specter staggered, and from the gap between them, the brothers glared at each other. Shir's eyes sparked like sunlight touching the ocean surface. In his mind, he could only utter "How?" Animalistic instincts maybe? A secret weapon, or maybe his final parting attempts to connect with his brother.

"Shir Khan, Athena is dead. And you will die too!" Tabaqui's words came out in slow parts as if his lungs were gradually failing or compressed by diamond. Again, it wasn't a husk that he could break out of like an insect. He somehow clung to life; his body, supposedly, should have shut down completely because his matter evaporated. The Lightning Rathna should've voided his life completely. Shir still had confidence in his technique and watched his brother, stalling, unsure on what to do. Tabaqui did not hesitate; years ago, even though it was just child's play, he was no coward when swinging play sticks against his younger brother. The diamond Specter lunged and threw straights; he was unsure on how much time he had left.

Fudou may have said all he wished. Mentally, he still continued to ask about what the Gold Saints were lacking, despite Athena's acceptance. With Shir being the youngest, Virgo couldn't help but think, "he lacks concentration and takes his power for granted." Shir launched first into Chaos Underworld as a means to reach Shiva, but Fudou, while an important piece in Athena and Pallas's plan, happened to be in a bind himself. The Barrier of Om managed to hold his enemies at bay, and they groaned in frustration as they were unable to approach. A little light emerged inside Virgo's heart. He believed that both he and Leo would experience uncharted territory with their powers. That warm smile of his would have to lay low as something parted the gathering around him, making way towards him.

Back to Leo and Phoenix, while the brothers were in a brawl with Shir on the defensive weaving out the way, there was a snicker from Naga Shiva again. "Phoenix Ikki, you may have been and seen Hell before, but understand that this is different. How do you wonder? It's because Hades hasn't awakened yet, but the result is the Chaos Underworld."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"A few things dear Ikki. Hades is the leader of the Specters, but this encounter was only possible by reverting to the origins of time. Before I laid eyes on you and the cub, I was in darkness. I would have dreams of the noble man I had my hands on many times. Oh, but I am rambling am I? Where I'm getting at is...the High Dark King has emerged to make up what was lost. You and the cub are trapped here, and the living can not stand in the darkness."

The brothers' fate could be read in the fortune-telling cards.

Due to his birthday, Yali Tabaqui was suitability connected to the Tower and the Devil. Two bad luck cards together that only meant ruin, betrayal, and disgrace, but perhaps it also meant getting up from the ashes. On the other hand, the Sun connected Shir Khan the Leo, the card of victory, the light, and a promising future. Pride and arrogance, standing too tall, eventually being humans' downfall described the Tower. For Tabaqui, the same Devil card also meant, when reversed, to start over or revive. Getting up from the ashes. Eventually, his barrage stopped and he stood frozen, his head low.

Is it over? Shir wondered. He waited, then there was a shadow behind him. Leo Shir Khan lost sight of his brother at first, and he did not expect a scream to emerge from him. It was like a blink of the eye, and Tabaqui was now behind the Leo Saint, extending his arm in some forward striking motion. Shir didn't see him because he was confused. At first. The speed was tremendous, but that wasn't all: Yali had blended with the dark surroundings. Tabaqui's body was no longer diamond and replaced by a casing of shadow. Now he moved with a refreshed vigor.

Shiva's words to Ikki earlier…

Was it possible that ever since the former Aries Saint Kiki last laid foot in the Pope Chambers, explaining Persephone's conditions, Athena's Saints were already sentenced to death?!

Ikki was startled at first, nearly shouting the cub's name as he fell to his knees. He noticed an opening in Shir Khan's back. He scowled at the female Specter, holding a firm, arrogant stance.

"Shiva was it? Even if the 'situations' are different, I can only respond in kind by what I know through years of fighting and dying."

That stance changed to an open fighting pose, and the Phoenix lunged.

"My power is not yours to take!"

Their bodies crossed as Shiva leaned to dodge Ikki's punch, but flames took her entire body. She managed an excited grin. Suddenly, after hearing the shriek of a bird whistling through her ears, her mind went back to something unrelated.

Men are always forthright and stubborn. Leaving you all blind to the venoms of women. Isn't that right, my dear sovereign?

Shiva felt the flames and the attack's shock burn from her head to her toes, but she didn't show an expression of despair or defeat. Some of Ikki's strongest adversaries may have been Seiya, Shaka, Saga, Hades and Aegaeon, so why was a Specter so stubborn to fall? To stand toe-to-toe with him, one of two things may be needed: A Cosmos close to God or to acquire Ikki's power. Despite what Ikki said earlier, Shiva was surviving, and it was her ability to absorb the matter or essence of living beings, using it against them. Since Cosmos could burn eternally, defeat for one or the other was only determined by who fades out first. In other words, whoever had the highest surge in the Phoenix's Cosmos, overtaking the other, won. What Ikki might not have realized was that his Cosmos was fluctuating.

Back to Leo and Yali. As Shiva and Ikki clashed, Virgo Fudo urged Leo Shir Khan to remember who he was and why he was here. The reminder, and the result of little Leo being conscious of his body receiving a near fatal blow that almost consumed his Cloth, left the shadow Yali Tabaqui to receive an electric current. Then, a bright golden eruption, creating a green and red aurora even in Chaos Underworld.

Remember the promise between you and Athena. Leo, you carry one of the strongest heat sources in the universe: The sun!

Chapter Text

When the shadows took over him, Yali Tabaqui already lost himself. Perhaps his soul could pass into the abyss without the sensation of regret and pain. Somehow, after reaching for his little brother's body again, he swooshed by and then exploded. Sometimes, The Gold Saints had unreasonable strength. Many of the Leos were illogical and prone to smashing their opponents to bits because they felt to have the predominant power to destroy threats in an instant.

Before Kouga and the others went to Palestra to train as Saints, Shir was in training. Even Seiya, Kiki, and Capricorn at that time, the Headmaster Ionia, questioned Athena about her choice and how to go along in the training. The Gold Saints were lacking in this era before the Mars war.

"One thing I've gathered, Lady Athena," said Ionia, "the boy has an enormous Cosmos. Allow me to help him hone it, but outside Palestra." Little Leo—with Ionia being the supervisor— went through a lot of strict, rigorous training. He stated that he was the perfect specimen to train a Gold Saint. That was when he understood a part of touching a power close to God; Shir, or any young Saint for that matter, could've died during the training, but something made him keep going. The two would have unusual talks. Even for a little boy, the Leo seemed to have affirmed a lofty duty, which made Ionia wonder if it were true. Shir said he had to make sure rivers run down the mountain, the air had no dust, the sun shone, the crops grew, and all animals eat. Ionia saw him as a preservative hero and was inspired by his perseverance.

Then, there was a point when the Leo Cloth was stolen when Mars descended to Earth. Ionia somehow diverted from Saori and failed to turn little Shir Khan to his side, but departed by saying to "continue with his training to face the new world." That so-called new world, the desolate world under Mars and Medea, didn't come; Ionia passed away in battle after turning to evil.

There's a hole in my body?! Despite what he's gone through, this may be the second time Leo Shir Khan felt like he faced death...maybe. The first time was with Ionia's Domination Language where the Capricorn nearly stretched Shir's limbs and neck to the point of breaking ligaments, then slamming him wall to wall, damaging his meninges.

Ionia told him that he needed to face a tribulation that would challenge his stature as a Saint and cause his Cosmos to grow. As a child, he imagined that death meant being near beaten to death or eaten by a tiger, but the Cloth he had so much pride in—some hole was in his chest and out his back, and it left him in shock. He wasn't sure if he was breathing even after he screamed and his knees bucked down, or if his heart had disintegrated. To already receive this kind of body damage, it was a first.

Somehow, Shir heard Virgo Fudoh's voice again and he managed to move right when Tabaqui lunged a second time.

"Shir, do you not remember why you're here? You are a protector."

"It is because you…"

An ethereal glow of Cosmos appeared inside the gap of Shir's Cloth and an electric current lashed out from his swinging arm. Fudoh's words ended when there was the explosion that took Tabaqui:

"You have the fires of Indra, who returned the Sun and uses his flame to destroy evil; you are the same as the Fudou Myou that must protect Buddha."

Perhaps in the end, Tabaqui lost against the more focused, fastest, and seasoned. He truly couldn't be evil and fall to Hades and Persephone's charms. He was not a good match for his first Gold Saint. Leo fell over seemingly in defeat. The gaping hole remained, losing that flare that filled it before.

Somewhere in the long past, Indra—a highly celebrated deva–challenged Athena's justice just like many gods to punish humanity. He had retreated, but regained the understanding of love; the many sun rays and storms he's known by was imbued in his vessels. But that sounded like luck? Shir was a little human who wielded a power that brought light during the world's "pre-light darkness"; however, he was not Indra's vessel, but only his spokesperson from time to time. Even though it was too much, Indra's power was manifesting at this certain time, and everything was mandated to have a reason. It had to be remembered that this wasn't possible without Shir's diligence to train even a fraction of Indra's Cosmos. Only the Holy Wars can bring out the hidden potential of the Saints and the Specters; to protect and serve Athena, he needed these moments. But for now, little Leo was out of it.

Ikki screamed out to Leo, rebuking him as an idiot. What kind of Gold Saint was he, he carped. Then, Ikki was trapped in a large funnel of flame that propelled him off his feet. Naga Shiva could have Ikki to herself now, but was she possibly incensed to lose one of her prey? To push Ikki away, what was her power and at what level?

While this was impressive, a point was given to Hades's side. One Gold Saint was out while the evil forces awaited Hades's return.

Fudoh, Seiya, Lord Pope, Athena, I don't want to die yet..I want to be useful. I want to shine the brightest. I made that promise.

Elsewhere, the Saint known as Sextans Agatha felt a tremble in the stars. She occasionally checked on the Bronze Saints at the Graude-Kido hospital, and still had her psychic ability: Leo was trembling, so was Phoenix and Virgo, and now, light was returning in the minor constellations. As arcane as she was, she could not see or hear dreams. While agonizing over the future of both Earth and the Underworld, someone in the hospital was having a dream.

Kouga? Kouga?

Who is there?

Please don't give up. The light needs you more than ever.

Light? What is that? Is it Mrs. Saori?

Saori? Do you mean Athena?

Yeah…I failed her. Why reach for light?

To save the Earth once more.

The Earth...to live...

The light is warm, you must keep it.

Aria!

His voice did not come out; Agatha was nearly taken aback as he sensed Pegasus Kouga's arm suddenly thrust into the air as to reach out to the Heavens. However, Heaven was blocked by the ceiling of a white-walled intensive care room. His body was connected to intravenous lines and his limbs and abdomen were bandaged; he lay flat in a hospital bed with a ventilation mask, while Agatha continued listening to the soft beeps of the heart rate monitors, and the hissing of resuscitation ventilators. This establishment somehow made it so that all six Bronze Saints shared the same room with their own separate beds.

Pegasus Kouga, Lionet Souma, Aquila Yuna, Dragon Ryuho, Orion Eden, and Subaru. Agatha lowered Kouga's arm; after living for decades, passing centuries, it was easy for her to lose track of time. While she could sit and stand patiently, she was impatient over whether the Bronzes will revive. She could read and feel the stars, but she could not determine the fate as it changes all the time. She also could not determine when any of them could awaken. It was 24 hours after the attack on the Pope.

"Ah, you!" Agatha uttered and she turned to the far left. Staring right at her was the red eyes of Saturn, the god of time, who took the form of a boy named Subaru, a Bronze Saint.

"Equuleus. Your star is glowing bright. Should I be surprised?"

"Probably not," Subaru said as he looked over the other beds with a morose expression. Looking back at the Saint with the headband over her eyes, mystifying as it was, he couldn't help but ask, "Who are you?"

"Bronze Saint and Starseer of Athena, Sextans Agatha. Guardian of Dodona and Argo, the Jason's Galley. "

"That's quite a mouthful."

"The fact that you have awakened is because you are Saturn, right? But, you are also Equuleus. Why have you come?"

"I want to maintain the planet that is currently protected by my hot-blooded brothers and sister. It's only because of them that I return, to see them explode and protect the world once more with their justice. Their Omega. However, I sensed something that would threaten that Omega."

"What would that be? Demeter? Hades?"

"I sensed the Cosmic Ocean." Subaru clutched the sheet of his hospital bed as he looked down. Agatha silently contemplated Subaru's words; she had heard of the Ocean in the oldest tales and poems of the Beginnings. People say that the universe was made over 4 billion years ago, and there are various stories as to who or what made it and the Earth, such as Chaos and the children of Gaia; God, Vishnu, Abzu, the three Distinguished Heavenly Kami all that holds the Limitless power. They were the kind of deities before Athena and her family. But, any mention of the Ocean now seemed unheard of.

"No foolish goddess like Demeter could be such a threat, and Hades has fought Athena since immemorial time. But, the Ocean…we're talking about an essence before creation. It should never emerge on Earth by any means. Even Athena and the Gold Saints wouldn't stand a chance against it. When I suggested investigating, other Gods, in order to join this War even after my defeat, restricted me to a mortal level. I was only allowed to return as Subaru."

"You think the Ocean is some threat?" Agatha asked, but she left out a detail. For another God, especially Saturn, to get involved expressed the scale of danger this entire thing might be. For Kiki to appear the way he did, Agatha wondered what was behind Hades's resurrection.

Subaru spoke with dread, but he looked towards Agatha, and somehow a smile slipped across his mouth. "But I believe that what can stand a chance against it is, after all, Omega, the largest explosion of the universe. No matter what, without the Cosmos, there would still be no beginning."

"You are the only one who has awakened. All able-bodied Saints are ordered to go to the Underworld. It may be the safest for you, if you have a portion of your power as Saturn."

"Ordered?"

"By the Lord Pope and Pallas."

"Pallas?!"

"Indeed, Pallas. She is now serving as a substitute for Athena. "

By Agatha's words, Subaru couldn't help but make a face that said "colored me shocked", especially after he insulted the goddess back at Demeter's temple. Then, the morose expression returned as he lowered his eyes; didn't it all make sense since Pallas was Athena's twin and Athena was dead? Or rather, there was still hope, and Subaru wanted to cling to that hope as his hot-blooded brothers and sister had. Gods like Athena couldn't die after all, but their existence in the natural world was removed until they return. Subaru-Saturn determined that Athena was trapped in Limbo while Hades and the Underworld were undergoing resurrection. There was doubt that her spirit would be released.

Agatha took a seat near Subaru, resting her hands on her lap. "Here is a run-down," she said. "We must look for Asklepios, who now holds the Ophiuchus Cloth and has the power of resurrection. We also may have to seek Persephone, Demeter's daughter, who serve in leadership in Hades's place. I had the broken Bronze Cloths sent to Jamir, but your Cloth is in Sanctuary."

"I must get it."

"Are you able to move? How is your strength?"

Subaru squeezed a fist in front of his face. It trembled with either fury or determination. "I can move!"

"Continuing, some Gold Saints are in the Underworld now as Persephone wants us to battle down there. Virgo Fudoh is trying to locate Asklepios and Athena, while trying to delay the resurrection, but…"

"But?"

"If you mention the Ocean…Fudou's plan may fail."

"What is his plan anyway?"

"By projecting his Cosmos, he tries to be a Kagemusha, a stand-in leadership, as the forces of the Underworld are weakened. However, he told me, and Argo told me, that the Underworld has changed and there is a frightening power. I wondered if Asklepios and Persephone should be confronted as we are, according to their so-called conditions, the only reason they are preventing Earth's destruction. They acknowledged that centuries has not passed for Hades to engage in another Holy War. However, they want revenge on the Saints. We were told that if we didn't go to the Underworld, Hades will use Athena's Cosmos to destroy the world."

"What a bunch of bullshit." Subaru spat, a scowl folding his face. That was the Subaru that the comatose Bronzes were familiar with: Brash and willing to take on any challenge. "I'll deck them in their arrogant mouths!"

"Maybe we don't need to worry about that because Pallas and the Pope wishes that we save Athena, one way or another. Athena knew too well of Hades's disposition and took measures to deter him from invading again."

"An all-out brawl is it? So fight Asklepios and Persephone, yeah?" As a portion of glee entered Subaru's voice, Agatha withheld an answer and decided to change the subject.

"Pegasus moved earlier." Both Agatha and Subaru looked over to the unmoving Kouga flat in his hospital bed, eyes closed. Agatha continued, "Their stars are flickering. You awakened first; I can't help but think that they don't wish to give up."

Subaru couldn't help but smile. He would definitely believe it.

"If they want us to battle below," Agatha resumed lecturing, "then at least three Gods may be targets. From archives, and as you know Subaru, it is not impossible to win against them. But Cosmos alone will not be enough. You say Omega may be threatened, but you also have confidence that it's still the best chance that we have. With the Cloths being repaired by Jamir's techniques and the blood of Pallas, we must find a way. Even if it's against the Ocean."

"I'm getting out of here." Subaru asked while whirling his legs over the edge of the hospital bed. It's like he was barely harmed; unlike Fudoh and Shir, he was an actual God, even if weakened somewhat. He would admit that the impact of a human's attack was strong.

"When Fudoh said the 'Underworld is different', what did he mean?"

Agatha delayed an answer, her fingers curling in her lap. Subaru would not leave without hearing the words from a star seer. He planned to get his Cloth back and to jump right into the action, but with the power of a God being minuscule within Subaru, Agatha wondered over his chances. The Cloth was restored by Saturn's power but what effect would that have?

"He said that it's darker than before. The landscape has changed; it looks inorganic and feels dreadful, like it wants to consume all things living into the abyss."

"Agatha….do you think Hades should return?"

"I think it is inevitable. He is an important god of the pantheon and his previous defeat has done nothing but cause outrage, and grief for Athena. But she was aware of that, and with every emergence, she has faced him. In the current age, she must've feared retaliation. Not on just her, but the whole Earth. If we go by precedence, Hades cannot engage in another Holy War as he does not appear on Earth within a vessel. He is not allowed to attempt conquering Earth. "

"Will Kouga and the others awaken?"

"I cannot determine when they will awake. We can only wait…and pray."

After the conversation with Agatha, Subaru was transported to the entrance of the Sagittarius Temple; the travel was simplified when Agatha was able to sense Seiya's familiar Cosmos. It was not unusual to see Seiya surprised as his former enemy had suddenly manifested before him. Seiya managed to calm himself upon seeing Agatha, while also remembering that Subaru was apparently on his side. He had transported the Bronze Saints to the hospital after all. Agatha explained that Subaru was the first to awaken; they both came to the consensus that because Subaru was Saturn, he may have a chance to safely battle in Hell, but safety measures should still be placed.

Seiya said the following, "The Equuleus Cloth is in the forest outside of Sanctuary, before the village edging it. Since you left Earth, the Cloth lay dormant, bathing in the sun's rays and the forest's dew." He went to further say that everyone takes that forest path to Sanctuary, Saint or otherwise, the strong, the injured, the near dead, who want to reach their destination, but what did that mean?

"Subaru, take this with you when you retrieve your Cloth." Agatha placed a small satchel inside Subaru's hand. By the feel, he could tell that it was something grainy, and it tickled his curiosity to open it up. Subaru took his leave down the stairs of the Twelve Temples, past the coliseum, until he reached the forest entrance after the village. For some reason, the Sextans's words stayed in his mind: "I can't read the future. Because destiny isn't always set in stone." He couldn't help but think that was why he had lost to mortals.

"You have proven something, Subaru: Gods can change their hearts and minds too. It may be the same for Hades and Persephone. If possible, try to persuade Persephone. Maybe she'll be flattered if you manage to survive and reach her."

It might as well be a Holy War. The urgency made Subaru rush to the forest to find his Cloth; he was eager to fight and to see what result the Bronze Saints will bring when they put their hearts and minds into it.

Subaru managed to find it a distance from the main path, sitting quietly underneath the sun rays peaking through a gap in the canopy. It was covered in vines, but nothing could conceal the shining ivory of the Pandora Box. It seemed fitting as it sat in wait to be touched again. Slowing moving towards it, then stopping, something buried into Subaru's back. It was an approach that he wasn't sure of; perhaps a silent predator stalking his prey from the shadows of a jungle.

Something orange reflecting flame after a lightning strike, then it disappeared. Subaru looked elsewhere in his confusion. His reaction was the right opening, and Subaru suddenly bucked back. His upper body pulled tight, and he stumbled away from the Box when a jab touched his face.

"So you're alive. I heard you are a God that lost to Athena's Saints. Did you lose so much that you decided to renounce yourself as a God?"

The voice that reached out broke Subaru out of his brief disorderly vision. He looked ahead, and saw a familiar face. Around the person's body was definitely a Cloth. Gray and white hair, the eyes of a blazing passion lodged within exalted dignity. Subaru quickly gave into his impulses.

"I know you! This time I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"As a human? Are you mocking me?"

"You got some nerve attacking me again!" Even after saying that, Subaru then realized that the guy before him—even after realizing that Subaru was formerly Saturn—was not a least bit shaken. He encountered Subaru with every intent to fight with confidence.

That young man was known as Viento, a former Saint that apparently served Hades and Persephone.

"Tch. Don't underestimate humans," he said. "I'm going to show you what we're really capable of, you poser."

"I am no poser! I took this form because I do understand your strength."

"Are you saying that you can voucher for humanity's use by becoming a human? However…" The traitor disappeared again, or that is what it looked like from Subaru's point of view. His instincts raised his arm, which collected a full impact from an angled vertical kick to the head. It struck, and it sounded like an heavy object slamming a wall, the blow ruffling Subaru's hair. It astonished him, and his body was tensed quickly as he focused on just holding back the kick. He couldn't help by gawk at Viento with his wide red eyes.

"The power of humans," Viento said, "is not something that can be mimicked!"

Shit, what is this power?!

Chapter Text

In this new war, this so-called Retribution battle between Specters and Saints, Hades's army was barred from stepping onto Earth, let alone attacking anyone or anywhere on Earth. That included the Mother Goddess Demeter; having found her peace that the revival of the Underworld and her daughter was certain, it was unknown what her future role would be. Perhaps she would remain out of the limelight and return to being Naxos's guardian, to stay with her family, but what of the traitorous Saints that remained by her side?

One was the Gold Saint Cancer Hermes, who was completely out of place, and indicated that he was under Hades's thumb. The other was near Sanctuary causing a fight.

"Augh!"

"You need to know your place."

Subaru was just about to claim his Cloth, but ended up thrown against the side of a tree trunk, launched with great force by a kick from the young man who nearly killed him in Limbo. He looked like he could pass as a Bronze or Silver Saint with his standard looking Cloth; his hair was gray and white, resembling a sky when a storm closely approached, and his violet eyes were clear, but sometimes glowed a fiery corona-orange.

"Do not interfere with our war," said the traitor.

"What the Hell are you doing here anyways? If you want to give it a go, then I'm all for it you damn turncoat."

"Talking to me like you're a Saint." Viento's foot nearly lifted from the ground to enter a stride, and Subaru caught his gasp when his opponent appeared before him again. All his brain could scream, "He's fast?!" It's nothing he has seen before, and Viento could easily get away with some orthodox strikes. Subaru gritted his teeth, his lower body bending as he felt a punch against his liver. He was stunned just enough for another clean hit.

It was three more clean hits. Viento jabbed and shook Subaru's face and head again, leaving him bewildered. Subaru felt upside down and that third attack, that kick, sent him in the air and back into the ground.

"I came here to see if all activity from the Shadows have ceased. There should be peace on Earth, and only war in the Underworld. Those are the Queen's orders. Hades and Persephone only wants the blood of the Saints, but you decide to interfere."

"Damn you," Subaru hissed as he lifted his face from the dirt. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Some cracked logic it was that a Saint said that and had to explain "Why are you working for Hades?"

Closing his eyes, the traitor took a moment to answer, "Let's just say that I am piece that is protecting the Earth. Hopefully. That's all."

"A bunch of crap!" Subaru wasn't aware of Hades, Demeter, and Persephone's ability to revive the dead to fight for them. While Kouga and the others had fought the Gold Saints of the past, Subaru wasn't sure if that was the same case today.

"Maybe I should let you get your Cloth, but then that would mean I would have to accept you as a Saint." Viento turned his back to Subaru; if he were to openly tell the truth, he was disappointed in Subaru. He did not detect the otherworldly power from a God, and he couldn't believe that one such as Saturn would humble himself to become human. However, this "weakness" must've proved that Subaru wasn't lying.

But Subaru sensed that Viento was sickeningly overconfident; that and the condescending way he was spoken to was enough to piss Subaru off. He might've been a human now, but God or boy, he couldn't stand being looked down upon. There was still a sliver of pride in him that was from a "God", which did not allow the defiance of mortals. He scrambled back to his feet and rushed over to the Pandora's Box.

"I am a Saint, and I won't put up with traitors like you!" As he stood before the Box, Subaru shoved his hand into a pocket and took out the hand-sized satchel that Agatha gave him. Unwrapping it, he hesitated.

What's this? Then Subaru realized that he wasn't sure on what to do but stare at the item dumbfoundedly.

Is this a Cloth stone? His next thoughts were, "How am I supposed to use this?!"

It looked like a tiny crystalized sphere with a red core.

"Is there a problem? You don't want to wear it?"

"Shut up!" With a snap of his hand, Subaru wrapped the "orb" back into the satchel and shoved it back into his pocket. That's when he called out to the Pandora's Box.

"Come on Equuleus!" The Box burst open, revealing a blue and red horse statue, which then broke into pieces of armor to attach to Subaru's shoulders, legs, waist, and chest. A helmet resembled a horse's head.

"I am the Bronze Saint of Athena, Equuleus Subaru! Don't forget it!" Subaru readied himself in an open attacking pose. He saw Viento turn to him, his flaring orange eyes as sharp as a knife. He took a similar pose; he now had no choice but to accept his opponent.

"I am the Saint that serves the Gods of the Underworld, Viento. Prepare to die, Subaru." Then, it was the same as before. He had disappeared after moving a step; the grass below their feet bended, indicating movement.

"You think! Tokiryuu: Stop the Clock!" Subaru, an aura forming around him, pushed out both hands. Much like when he faced Hermes and Pan back at Demeter's Temple, everything around Subaru entered a suspended state. If there was a fog rising from the forest humidity, a tint of droplets, it all ceased movement. A foe like Viento felt like he lost track of time, and before he saw anything move, it's like he only blinked once. He missed where Subaru went.

"Slow down, pal. Pleiades Tempest!" Viento had to spin around, and that's when his entire vision was covered in colors. What seemed to have been a rapid barrage of large colorful bullets, shining like a rainbow, came his way. That barrage blinded him, and he missed the acceleration of Subaru's body, which led into a sonic boom. Viento couldn't but move his arms over at front to guard himself. Subaru appeared behind him; Viento's entire body was pummeled by impact after impact, beginning and ending in a second or two. He only fathomed hitting the ground, and it was only Subaru who stood with confidence.

"Looks like you got some crazy speed on you. What the Hell kind of a Saint are you? You didn't even tell me, you disrespectful bastard." Subaru may have been shooting his mouth, but Viento was able to get back to his feet. He looked a little shaken, a crook in his body, but was able to give Subaru eye contact. His eyes remained defiant for the fake Saint, then his movement reflected his anger.

Sonic Headwind Throttle.

Subaru wasn't sure if he blinked either, but his body suddenly folded back, then was blasted behind Viento. It wasn't a distance strike at all. Subaru felt Viento's punch digging into his exposed lower abs; the force of it didn't make him think he would jump in the other direction. He then floated in the air, near unconscious, out of his mind. His opponent was speed and power; somehow, he survived the Pleiades Tempest.

The reason was that basic looking Cloth, the thing that Viento refused to answer about.

Subaru ended up in a crater when Viento appeared above him and slammed a punch into the back of his head. If his blows, or the fight from a distance, could be described, it was like Subaru was a ball and Viento's punch was a baseball bat. A ball that was effortlessly slammed at 128 kph (about 80 mph) or ricochet at awkward angles. Subaru, despite his Cloth, felt the brunt of each impact and there was no space for a counter.

The speed wasn't the danger, but the G-forces. For an average human, anything above 3 was cause for concern. In other words, Viento might've had the strength of a Silver or Gold Saint, but his speed was another monster. Subaru was lucky enough to still think. In reality, even though he was an undermined God, he was still a Bronze Saint.

And for him to fight Subaru, Viento had to regard that truth. His stubbornness wanted to close out his comprehension, which knew that formally Subaru was able to wear a Cloth. Saturn, even as a human boy, was able to wear a Cloth of Athena's Saints. But maybe that's why he was fighting hard. When he landed, time seemed to slow down. Once Subaru struck the ground, the air began to sparkle, and a glint caught Viento's eyes. More specifically, a crystal-like object that shattered into pieces.

It flew out of a small sachet. When that sphere-shaped crystal cracked, Subaru's Cloth glowed silver and red. A moment later, the two once again stood and looked at each other as opponents. The area suffused with sparkling stardust, it looked as if Subaru had revived with an awakened heavenly light. The Equuleus Cloth sparkled blue, with wider protection at the waist, shoulders, and chest.

Viento scowled, wondering over the spectacle. Was it indeed stardust?

"Impossible!" His thoughts unintentionally slipped, and he moved his feet impulsively. He closed in with ease, throwing a punch, it struck the Equuleus Cloth and stalled. Subaru raised a cocky smile.

"You are the second traitor Saint that I fought. Maybe it's my role to give you guys some payback to eat!" A wide hook and Viento ducked, but short after a tiny gap, another punch came into view. And another, and another. Until the one-twos were flashes of light. Viento was forced to raise a cross guard, a windy vortex appearing as a front-back barrier between him and the incoming attacks. The strikes bent the air; Viento could hear each impact, but his body was unharmed. Then, the air glowed. He lowered his cross guard and peeked over his arms, seeing a large sun being hurled towards him.

"Saints fight to defend the beautiful world. With my burning Cosmos, I have something to fight for! Supernova Explosion!"

Viento thought he was imagining it at first, then he quickly determined Subaru's shout as an indication of reality. That 'sun" or burning star could swallow him whole. He pushed out his open palms and two smaller orange "stars" were unleashed against the Explosion. Viento quickly swayed his arms and clapped his hands.

The air was soundless. Both Saints were propelled away as both the Supernova and Viento's attack burst out of existence, leaving a wide blast of pressure. Both were stunned and on the ground apart, looking into the sky, wincing through the forest canopy to see the sky.

There was a laughter. A laugh of a boy after a hard day's work with friends, or a long game between rivals. Even after a harsh fight, there was a kind of genial laugh.

"Aha, how nostalgic!" The laugh came from Viento. "Maybe you understand after all, Subaru. You wearing a Cloth is no show."

Subaru had his insult in his throat, but he was too stunned to move. Despite feeling that he could win, perhaps he had underestimated his opponent all the way through. Viento was stubborn about accepting Subaru, despite wearing the Cloth of Equuleus, but even Athena was no fool. A true Saint should believe in Heaven's choices; fate should not allow an antagonistic God to wear a Cloth. Then again, he was still able to wear his Cloth after betraying Athena. But was it true betrayal? Where was fate directing everyone?

Viento was the first to stand and he left the forest, continuing his journey to make certain that the Shadows were gone. He kept his personal thoughts within...despite his orders, he had hoped to find and defeat the Saints as soon as possible. His pride wouldn't allow it if the Bronzes he fought in the Underworld had survived. Surely, Queen Persephone would console him.

"Subaru, let's meet again in the Underworld. Our fists will determine everything."

Nostalgia? Saints were remarkable because of how they trained with flesh and body to find their fighting techniques and achieve the impossible. Being among the company of ghosts and evil spirits, perhaps Viento felt out of place. Or maybe he wanted to see the Saints shine a light that was unforgettable and could deter the destruction of the world. A light that could push back man's worst fears and sadness, push against the arrogance of Gods and Demons. Still, despite these feelings. he was still a traitor supporting one who always sought for the destruction of Earth. Would it be any different now?

Five more Bronze Saints needed to awaken. Once they do, they would have to enter Hell and cross its Gate, cross the river of Sanzu and various Prisons to reach Hades's Temple. It was too dangerous to be hasty. If one fell into Limbo, an unknown power behind the shadows and monochromatic structure of the Chaos Underworld would send them any place.

A part of Athena's plan was to seal the Hell gates where evil spirits escaped onto Earth, or to least deter the spirits in some form. So, how were the Saints suppose to accept Persephone's invitation with safety? The answer was the remains of Heinstein Castle, the one place that was not sealed. Andromeda Shun and Aquarius Hyouga, the former Cygnus Saint, had investigated it; the castle was the primary base of Hades and his most loyal supporter and caretaker Pandora. Always accompanying The Underworld King as his older sister and supreme commander, Pandora's existence guaranteed the return of Hades in the world. In her absence, she remained something behind in the ruins. A large golden harp. A beautiful instrument, but for some reason, maybe due to the darkness within the ruined structure the harp was found in, it felt foreboding.

The harp actually pushed Hyouga and Shun away from the castle; believe it or not, the notes of the strings remained embedded inside Shun and Hyouga even when they returned to Sanctuary. They could hear a melody in their dreams. Without comprehension, recently, after Athena's death, Shun and Hyouga heard the harp melody in their brains once more.

Along with the notes hummed a voice, "Come..."

Chapter Text

The Equuleus Cloth was not revived, but given a safety measure. The "sphere device" that was in Subaru's satchel was an experimental chance. A strange development or result combined from the curiosity of Aries Kiki, the time mechanisms of Pallas and Saturn, and the Cloth Stones formulated by Athena to protect the Cloths from the dark energies of Mars and Abzu.

It was activity calcified into a sphere to suspend waste, creating a rapid activation in one small point until it was cracked open. It was taught to Raki, and according to her-when she was having a discussion with Pallas and Titan- it was Stardust, fragments of hypermetal, and God blood hardened into a core, which became a nuclei, and activated by the Cosmos. It was a repair device that functioned as an eukaryote. Kiki must've thought of it years ago when he found that the Holy Wars were becoming more severe, concerned of Athena's future. Maybe he also feared for his own future and the techniques of Jamir. Especially since the region of Jamir was also a location of significant battles. Using these spheres, Raki managed to place the broken Bronze Cloths together, but they still needed time, chiseling and smoothing. Maybe they needed a day or two; the thought of what the outcome might be lit Raki's heart on fire.

Currently, there were three ways to reach the Underworld: The Gates to Hell, Sextans Agatha's teleportation device, and the Cancer Saints's SekiShiki MeikaiHa (Underworld Praesepe Wave).

Hades and his Queen Persephone invite Athena's Saints to the Underworld while sparing Earth, and a location of one of the Hell Gates was Heinstein Castle in Germany. The base of Hades.

The loyal commander of Hades's army, Pandora was not here in body. She would not play a role in this current era, not this century. However, her harp seemed to exist and play a tune to charm the Saints to her castle. Only Seiya, Shun, and Ikki would recognize her face—years ago, during the previous Holy War against Hades—but her harp was almost ignored. Perhaps due to its large size or golden arc and pillar, its presence grasped the eyes of Shun and Hyouga upon seeing it again. It was their second visit. They wondered why they heard a melody within a ruined site that radiated emptiness. When they found the harp again, it was next to a gaping hole trimmed by a spiraling staircase that descended into that hole. The hole was once covered by rubble. Why did the harp call to the Saints to the fallen castle?

"I feel like it might be too dangerous for you to go, Shun," said Hyouga. Shun lacked a response by a change of expression on his face. He knew that he was once the vessel of Hades and felt a connection to Hell, no matter how much he tried to push it out from his mind. Perhaps a seed of connection was still left ingrained, not to mention, seeing Seiya's "death".

"We must go forward," Shun confirmed his resolve even with his shy, gentle voice. "My brother Ikki is down there fighting. But Hyouga, you just received the Aquarius Cloth. The Sanctuary will be left with less defenses if many of the Gold Saints are dispatched."

"Right. When we first entered Hell, it took all twelve Gold Saints and the weapons of Libra to defeat the Wailing Wall. There is no telling what we'll face now. It may be a trap." Hyouga in all honesty had faith in the Gold Saints, but perhaps not against the Three Judges and the Gods themselves. At least, not few in number. There were seven Golds known; what of their dear brother, Libra Shiryu, to make eight? Furthermore, Shun and Hyouga received a telepathic message from Fudoh that the Underworld morphed into the different form. This vague detail made Hyouga suggest that their second experience may be worst than before.

"I have faith in Sanctuary, and the rest of us." He still said, even though this war might spell the end of everyone. Since the emergence of Mars up to Demeter's interference, many of the Silver Saints were killed. Recently, it was Crow Johann who heroically sacrificed himself to seal the Hell Gate in Golan Heights while subduing a maniac Griffin Minos; Perseus Mirfak lost his soul against Hades's guardian the Cerberus Dark Meadow when Cancer Hermes betrayed Athena. Some others, including Bronzes, lot their lives against Demeter's Four Terrae.

"Come…" The harp continued to play and the plead from a woman's voice touched Shun and Hyouga's minds again. Pandora. She had a voice of innocence, but she had a quiet, calculating intellect that obeyed Hades. If it was his word to destroy the Saints, she will make it so with almost utter perfection.

Aquarius Hyouga and Andromeda Shun leapt into the crater, and the harp's melody gradually faded the further they descended. The two Saints might've felt Pandora smiling somewhere in death. Everything became darker, but fate drew the Saints into Hell. They followed their hearts, even if the path reached to violence and despair.

There is one thing that they could have faith in to contend the Underworld: The Arayashiki, the eighth sense. A state where all the other senses die along with the body. This was only obtainable with the approach to death. What no one would notice was this element was within reached by the Bronze Saints in Graude Hospital…and Virgo Fudo.

There was another thing that Hyouga and Shun had to look into: The source of where the letter to the Pope came from.

"I know Hell better than anyone. Soon, come and join me."

Before Hades's revival, there were two more events, and both have the Saints to literally judge their merit and "roles" in the world. Both bodies and souls of Virgo Fudo, Leo Shir Khan, Phoenix Ikki, Aquarius Hyouga and Andromeda Shun were in Hell.

Shun and Hyouga may have lost consciousness while falling, and when they opened their eyes, they could not process their surroundings. They awoke in a grassy field of pristine flowers under a dark night sky. For some reason, the melody of Pandora's harp returned. But, it changed into a slower, somber timbre. Lifting their heads, Shun and Hyouga's eyes were magnetized towards two rocky structures jutting out from the field.

"It can't be…!" Hyouga enunciated nothing but shock. He and Shun looked ahead, alone in their expressions of disbelief, but it was Hyouga who rushed ahead first. He rushed for a slumped body, which was tied up suspended in between the two rocks like a prisoner, illuminated under the moon. That body had the face of an unarmored Saint. A youth of long hair and broken spectacles.

"Haruto!" Hyouga approached closer, then stopped the same time as the harp chords became louder, deafening. Hyouga and Shun's ears were ringing, their bodies trembling, suffocating.

"Stop. That youth has a heart heavy with sin. You cannot save him."

In this beautiful field of flowers, the feeling of a slow death fell upon Shun and Hyouga's bodies. By instinct, Shun covered his ears and fell on a knee, but this sensation brought back a memory. "I know that person, don't I?!"

The field that they struggled in had faded out and was replaced by a surrounding mural. In front of them was a wall covered in hieroglyphics and the image of a scale carried by a God with the body of a man and the head of a black dog: Anubis. A body suddenly appeared by the scale, wearing an Egyptian Surplice with bird wings and a snake-based crown. The man carried an arced zither, his fingers slowing fiddling the strings. His face was delicate, but smiled upon the suffering of Shun and Hyouga.

"Heavier than the feather of justice and truth," he preached. "Now, will you also test Maat's feather, Saints of Athena? Slowly, your body will break apart, and your hearts will tear out for judgement."

"Sphinx!" Shun struggled to keep one eye open, but he recognized the face.

The Celestial Star of the Beast, suitably, the Specter known as Sphinx Pharoah.

"Have you come to reclaim your place here, Master?"

"Sphinx, if you dare, take my heart."

"Shun?! What are you talking about?!"

"I understand Hyouga, but we must save Haruto!" From Shun's words, Hyouga could only claim that he could not forgive himself if he let Andromeda die needlessly, and that he would not be able to face Ikki.

Elsewhere, Virgo Fudoh, after holding back his enemies with the Barrier of Om while meditating in the Underworld, was met with two figures. So far, he had been confident in his place, offering advice to Pallas and Shir Khan, smiling warmly even under the night moon of a murky looking Underworld, until now. The encirclement of lowly soldiers made way for the two guests, and as Fudoh sensed who approached, he lowered his smile.

"What could you possibly be doing?" An innocent voice of a lady reached Fudoh's ears.

Severe guests he had. Much more than Shun and Hyouga.

"No matter what we discuss, you remain insubordinate Saint of Virgo. Why?" Someone came to take Fudoh's soul, which will be under the test as to whether the Cosmos will save him. a test for another guardian of fire.

Chapter Text

The one who dislikes fighting proclaims that he can defeat a powerful foe, while saving a friend. Only Shun knew—The Celestial Specter Sphinx Pharoah could take a man's life instantly with his Balance of Curse.

"Hyouga, please trust me." Shun's plea, still a shy timbre of a boy no matter how many years has passed, couldn't melt enough ice in Hyouga's heart to convince him. An absolute surrender of life, to kill oneself, was asinine. Take Shun's heart to save Haruto? How was that possible? Seeing Haruto now, who hung off the ground by strings in between two slabs of rocks, he looked to be at the mercy of the Underworld. After all, when Pegasus Kouga and his friends were traveling to Naxos, Haruto had died against Aquarius Tokisada; Hyouga had witnessed it himself.

"My Master should have the purest heart in the world, but even I can't be held accountable for even your decisions." Sphinx Pharoah strummed again, the melody slow, the notes growing louder through the ears. "Let's test out that purity, shall we?"

Andromeda Shun drew in a heavy breath and grasped his chest, his upper body felt like imploding. Surely enough, before everyone present within Pharoah's walls of hieroglyphs, an organ with red and blue arteries swelled out of Shun's body. Shun hunched over, his hair casting a shadow over his face. Removing the very system that that the brain required to live, the signals needed to send oxygen to functional body organs, no man would have much time at this point. While it looked like fantasy, the heart drifted in midair like a butterfly, and towards the Scale of Maat. Before it landed, the chains of Andromeda rattled and moved.

Andromeda Shun's floating heart halted midway to the scales. It obtained new "arteries", connecting to Shun's body, and Sphinx Pharoah was met with the gentle, but determined glare of Shun. The Specter couldn't help but utter surprise to see a Saint dare defy his instrument of judgement with ease. Hyouga was equally in disbelief; he did not know that this was a technique that Shun was familiar with, but what he surmised was that Shun found a way to maintain his coronary system. Thus, Shun kept living even with his heart floating in the air. He had the left Nebula chain with the ring on its end to thank.

"What's this, Master?!" Pharaoh's voice edged near an irate tone. "Or should I say 'former Master'. Do you fear my scale?! Perhaps you should!" He wouldn't show it but the Specter admired Shun's sincerity and bravery.

Shun wasn't certain of his fate once his heart landed on the Scale of Maat, and couldn't help but promptly spring into action. When Shun wrapped his chain around his heart, not only did he keep it off the scale, the squeeze sustained blood in the heart' s two chambers. This way, you could say that he was partially alive by preventing cardiac arrest. Staring at his enemy, Andromeda Shun was still able to breathe and broke out of the paralyzing Balance of Curse. In other words, he now had control and not under the mercy of the Specter. This was unprecedented for the Balance of Curse.

Shun proclaimed between breaths, "You have a choice, Sphinx Pharoah."

An invisible pressure entered the Underworld, but it was the zither's strings that would tremble. Pharoah's fingers were unsteady as he felt air hiss through his ears. The melody of the Balance of Cruse ceased. With that, Hyouga was able to regain his senses and move his body; he felt Shun's Cosmos permeating the surroundings as a breeze.

"Stand down and release Haruto," said Shun.

"Why should I?! He is a victim to the Underworld. I have no say."

"They why do you have his body like that?!"

"He is a prisoner for his sins, brought here by Master Rhadamanthys."

That was a well-informed name known among the previous generation of Saints, even by some of the deceased Gold Saints years before the Mars war. It was difficult to realize among the monochromatic Chaos Underworld, but once the Saints intruded, they landed in or near a prison where no one could safely wander. Not even a field of flowers was a haven. Unless someone were subservient to Hades, where the dead ended up depended on what they have done in the past. That was when Pharoah revealed that Haruto's spirit was moving about freely until Rhadamanthys caught him. Now, Haruto was awaiting his true punishment.

"The Judge of Hell," Shun muttered, bewildered as he wondered whether the "punishment" was delayed until the return of the King.

"So now," Pharoah added, "he is a useless soul."

Shun's expression changed to a dour one, which seems to read, "I'll be the judge of that." He slowly swings his arm and the Nebula Chain that held his heart gravitated towards the Scale of Maat. Sphinx Pharoah couldn't help but gasp; the scales tip lightly, but Shun's heart kept it evenly balanced. Even with the Nebula chain, there wasn't a gram or stone added to the weight.

"You speak of justice and purity," Shun proclaimed, "but I know the true you. You are a deceitful person, Pharoah." Shun's words made Pharoah grimace. As loyal as he was to Hades, the Sphinx Specter carried a deep ambition to offer his King pleasures beyond all the Judges combined. A poisonous pride that made him deny that any vice in him exist, such as "being useless" or "sneaky". However, what Shun said was not complete conjecture. It was not a bluff as there was at least more than one case of Sphinx Pharoah's deception in the past.

The Specter creeped in a smile.

"As expected from my Master's body. Perhaps you deserve a peaceful afterlife, even as a Saint of Athena. I'll tell you this now. If I weigh the heart of this Haruto now, he can disappear forever."

"I said that I want to save Haruto," proclaimed Shun. "My heart has been approved by the Scale of Maat. If I give it to Haruto, will he live?"

"Say what?!"

"Shun, what do you mean?!" It sounded like absolute nonsense; out of the many thoughts that flowed through his mind, Hyouga immediately deducted that Shun was suggesting some kind of trade-like transplant. Adding to that again was Shun's suicide; was that even possible? Hyouga could just kill Pharoah here and now, but he didn't feel noble for leaving Haruto's body lifeless and above ground like an ornament. He would only be collected or killed by Rhadamanthys later.

Surely enough, Shun guided his heart towards Haruto's lifeless body. Both Hyouga and Pharoah trace the movement of the Nebula Chain with their eyes quietly. Then, the Chain unraveled from the heart as soon as it touched Haruto. The problem with transplants was that it needed a donor, and the donor was not supposed to be alive.

As the Goddess Maat was into rationale to ensure balance, shouldn't Shun's actions move anyone to tears? But if he dies, something will happen…or rather, Shun would not realize until it was too late. Pharoah still had a secret ambition.At this absurd display of saving a life among the throes of death, Pharoah Sphinx's smile spelled a pretense that everything was going well for the Saints.

Shun used his right Nebula chain, the triangle chain, and whipped it towards Haruto. There was a faint glow from inside of Wolf Haruto's body, but it did not radiate life as one would expect from the rising sun. The chain skewered the light and Haruto's heart, a black glob, was extracted with a yank. Then, replaced by Shun's own heart from the left chain. While observing, under tension, Hyouga kept his doubts and distrust within; what was even the purpose of carrying an ominous, dysfunctional heart that lacked perfusion? It did not look like a healthy heart, Hyouga thought, let alone an actual heart.

In a matter of seconds, the glob suddenly swirled and burst into dark appendages. They wrapped around the Nebula Chains like a snaring web, swivel across the chains, and snake towards the orifice in Shun's chest. The Andromeda Saint's scream pierced the dark air.

Sphinx Pharoah released an audible, satisfying chuckle. "I guess it makes sense. You were my former Master, after all."

There was not much Aquarius Hyouga could do as Shun was being caressed by blades of darkness. Two backsteps, Hyouga's body withdrew beyond his control, and once he stalled, he promptly thought, "This Cosmos is familiar." Shun's pure eyes then became a cold blue, his skin pale, his hair and Cloth darkening. Hyouga's head snapped towards Sphinx as he glared angrily at the Specter; his voice was surprisingly measured.

"You plan to use Shun's body to host Hades's spirit, aren't you?!"

"It would be more ideal to do so…if you wish to save him."

"What do you mean?!"

"Behold, Gold Saint. Do you want an almighty God? Or do you want…a slave? Or perhaps the question should be: Can you kill your own friend?" The Specter seemed to bask in victory with his swagger.

"It is now up to him. Andromeda Shun, become a slave or a God. I propose the most noble choice," he said. Even though he would not express it, Sphinx was also confused as to what was happening. Either way, The Specter had hoped that this would mark a defeat for the Saints, and he was on the brink of laughing. The laugh would not emerge as he began to lose feeling in his lower body; instinctively, Pharoah tilted his head down and saw silver encasing his knees right down to his feet.

Crystal?! His mind shouted, then he looked ahead, and saw the glowing gold aura of Hyouga. Sphinx Pharoah began to find the Gold Saint's Cosmos unsettling. Aquarius Hyouga was pointing at Pharoah; the temperature had dropped. He expanded his chilling Cosmos throughout the air; it was more comprehensible than death and froze whatever Hyouga willed.

It was even more unsettling that one sight of Hyouga's face brought confusion within Pharoah. He could not even focus on the change of Andromeda Shun.

This cold…why is it hot?

It was indeed cold. Ice was fundamentally cold, but something seared Pharoah's skin and bones: The heat from rage. In a flash, an uppercut connected to his chin, and his entire body ricocheted and spun high into a tornado suffused with freezing air. With the Balance of Curse no longer a concern, Hyouga's Kholodnyi Smerch was unleashed. Against the strength of a Gold Saint—an experienced Saint who faced various powerful opponents, even a Judge of Hell—Pharoah Sphinx's attempts of gain exceeding praise by his King and Queen left a lot to be desired. He did not expect his body to freeze and then break apart from rapid spinning winds. One thing he would remember was that under a veneer of Hyouga's calm, there was an explosive power. If it was not by Hyouga's hand, it would've have been Shun. Speaking of which, with the Specter threat out of the way, Hyouga's attention turned to Shun, and he broke out of his anger from a mix of relief and disbelief.

The transformed Andromeda no longer writhed violently—after the darkness ebbed into his Shun, something dug through his heart, clutching it.

Sensing the agony of Andromeda, The Wolf Saint awakened and bounded forward in urgency. A strength that belied his condition made him break out of his restraints. Pharoah Sphinx was unaware of the power, or the blessing, that slept within.

"Haruto, I'm glad you're safe." Shun groaned his words, his insides swollen by darkness.

"Technically not," the bespectacled Saint groused. "I cannot lose consciousness yet, but we're in a dangerous place. Shun, do not give in your will to live. That is darkness." t Dying was nothing for the chosen, it was expected; however, in his second time in the Underworld, and his second time with his heart being removed, there was a reason why Andromeda Shun would not die. In fact, he was partially at that horizon near death.

He had regained the Eighth Sense. It was the same for Haruto.

The Arayashiki or the Alayavijñāna, is what the consciousness takes after ascending the past seven—the physical and mind, including experience and cognition, and then the poisons and hinderances of the world—held as seeds to a completely new, pure rebirth. However, because it was "rebirth", the mortal was usually into the next world upon realizing this Arayashiki. Nirvana! With this Eighth Sense, the mortals can overcome the Underworld; very few can obtain it. Haruto's unconforming training as a shinobi and Shun's pure heart who has faced the world at different values, both who experienced the approach of death or actual death itself, have awakened. Athena's, or rather Saori Kido's second death, has also facilitated this.

But how to defeat the darkness; if the heart is extracted, Shun may truly perish.

"This darkness carries only one emote: vacancy," explained Haruto, He pressed a harder squeeze on Shun's heart, causing Andromeda to near double over. While the darkness permeated Shun, he still contained his mind. Neither of the three Saints had witnessed it, but the complete seize of the darkness was the same as Yali Tabaqui, Leo Shir Khan's brother.

"Burn your Cosmos and contain your pure life." On cue, Haruto's body began to shimmer with an aura of Cosmos.

"That Judge of Hell, Wyvern Rhadamanthys was surprised to see me wandering unshackled in Limbo. It's because I was a part of the Coalescence of Cosmos from a year ago, the Omega. It has awakened me to understand what's beyond the seven senses. However, I think my next duty is only here."

"Wolf Haruto, what do you mean?" Hyouga continued to observe as color slowly flowed back into Shun's skin. With collective breaths, Shun also summoned the Cosmos around his body.

"I don't think I can return to the mortal living world. After all, you witnessed what happened to me, Hyouga." From Haruto's words, or rather its truth, Hyouga was stunned silent.

"Hyouga, Shun, there is something I must tell you about this Underworld. When we traverse it, we must be careful. While the Specters may be here, this place is consumed with a spirit of primordial darkness. Which leads me to believe that the Underworld Gods are in an alliance." As he explained, Haruto genially slid his hand out of the orifice of Shun's cuirass; Shun slowly folded over and was quickly grabbed by Hyouga before hitting the ground. While passed out, Andromeda was slung onto Hyouga's back.

"An alliance between who?" Asked Hyouga.

"While I was imprisoned here, I heard a voice. But, I heard no name." Despite the vagueness, Haruto would further explain that the voice that reached out to him had a foreboding presence unlike which he has ever sensed. A kind of presence that threatened to take his collective being and enwrap him into a ribbon of servitude.

"Chaos. I became Nothing, the darkness is I."

"Chaos? A word that meant the beginning of the universe." Hyouga contemplated. "We heard that Persephone. the queen of Tartarus, was leading Hades's forces, but is she truly?"

"We must reach Persephone and save Athena. This darkness will try to defeat her, but she too knows of Omega and beyond the seven senses. As the daughter of Zeus, she is the largest threat to this darkness." Haruto sounded assured of his words and tapped the rims of his glasses.

"There's no such thing in the universe as complete darkness," he added, "and this Omega has given us a chance against Gods if it comes to that."

It would be a burden to carry Andromeda Shun while he was unconscious, but Hyouga could never leave him in such hell, not when—by Haruto's interpretation—the entire world around them was apparently against them. If there was a lack of divine protection, coming to Hell would probably be an act of surrender or suicide, even though it was the Pope's order. Fudoh or Agatha may have to relay the news.

Hyouga and Haruto resolved to go forward. The path to the Underworld's temples, valleys, and prisons are sequential akin to the Twelve Gold Saint temples of Sanctuary. From the Meadows, far past the Sanzu River and the Gate of Hell, and then the Second Prison that homed Pharoah Sphinx, they had a long way. Advancing, Hyouga recognized a wide deep crevice; a further view ahead revealed more pitted craters. From a bird's eye, nine circles embedded in the earth that led to a long fall into the putrefying ground. In this new Chaos Underworld, these pits were darker than caves. If anyone fell, the demons or Specters could prey on their catch within the comfort of shadow.

Could the Saints reach Persephone before the revival of Hades?

"I don't sense the enemy," said Haruto. "Maybe the new environment can obscure them. Hyouga, I had a strange notion while I was imprisoned: What if the Underworld's gods want us in their ranks as a divine decree?"

"It would be no different than death." Hyouga replied. It would be a grave wound to Athena and her long-term service as Earth's guardian. What if her own Saints would be responsible for the destruction of humanity and end up living as new entities under a new guardian?

"I believe Sphinx wanted to control Shun's body as a shell again. I wonder..."

"Hyouga, what do you want to do when you meet the Underworld Gods?"

"I'll know their intentions. If their path is evil and destruction, I was raise my fist in defiance. It may sin over and over, but that is the path I've decided. Even that is the way to save Miss Saori, that is the way."

Back in the mortal world, someone else opened his eyes. He wobbled to Jamir.

"H—Ha—Haruto!" A hand plowed through Shun, the Saint uttering the name of the bespectacled man before him. A serious scowl directed towards Shun had snapped him awake.

"Watch out Shun, it's the Underworld's power! Do not succumb to it."

Having sensed the agony of Andromeda, The Wolf Saint awakened and bounded forward in urgency. A strength that belied his condition made him break out of his restraints. Pharoah Sphinx was unaware of the power, or the blessing, that slept within.

"Haruto, I'm glad you're safe." Shun groaned his words, his insides swollen by darkness.

"Technically not," the bespectacled Saint groused. "I cannot lose consciousness yet, but we're in a dangerous place. Shun, do not give in your will to live. That is darkness." t Dying was nothing for the chosen, it was expected; however, in his second time in the Underworld, and his second time with his heart being removed, there was a reason why Andromeda Shun would not completely die. In fact, he was partially at that horizon near death.

He had regained the Eighth Sense. It was the same for Haruto.

The Arayashiki or the Alayavijñāna, is what the consciousness takes after ascending the past seven—the physical and mind, including experience and cognition, and then the poisons and hinderances of the world—held as seeds to a completely new, pure rebirth. However, because it was "rebirth", the mortal was usually into the next world upon realizing this Arayashiki. Nirvana! With this Eighth Sense, the mortals can overcome the Underworld; very few can obtain it. Haruto's unconforming training as a shinobi and Shun's pure heart who has faced the world at different values, both who experienced the approach of death or actual death itself, have awakened. Athena's, or rather Saori Kido's second death, has also facilitated this.

But how to defeat the darkness; if the heart is extracted, Shun may truly perish.

"This darkness carries only one emote: vacancy," explained Haruto, He pressed a harder squeeze on Shun's heart, causing Andromeda to near double over. While the darkness permeated Shun, he still contained his mind. Neither of the three Saints had witnessed it, but the complete seize of the darkness was the same as Yali Tabaqui, Leo Shir Khan's brother.

"Burn your Cosmos and contain your pure life." On cue, Haruto's body began to shimmer with an aura of Cosmos.

"That Judge of Hell, Wyvern Rhadamanthys was surprised to see me wandering unshackled in Limbo. It's because I was a part of the Coalescence of Cosmos from a year ago, the Omega. It has awakened me to understand what's beyond the seven senses. However, I think my next duty is only here."

"Wolf Haruto, what do you mean?" Hyouga continued to observe as color slowly flowed back into Shun's skin. With collective breaths, Shun also summoned the Cosmos around his body.

"I don't think I can return to the mortal living world. After all, you witnessed what happened to me, Hyouga." From Haruto's words, or rather its truth, Hyouga was stunned silent.

"Hyouga, Shun, there is something I must tell you about this Underworld. When we traverse it, we must be careful. While the Specters may be here, this place is consumed with a spirit of primordial darkness. Which leads me to believe that the Underworld Gods are in an alliance." As he explained, Haruto genially slid his hand out of the orifice of Shun's cuirass; Shun slowly folded over and was quickly grabbed by Hyouga before hitting the ground. While passed out, Andromeda was slung onto Hyouga's back.

"An alliance between who?" Asked Hyouga.

"While I was imprisoned here, I heard a voice. But, I heard no name." Despite the vagueness, Haruto would further explain that the voice that reached out to him had a foreboding presence unlike which he has ever sensed. A kind of presence that threatened to take his collective being and enwrap him into a ribbon of servitude.

"Chaos. I became Nothing, the darkness is I."

"Chaos? A word that meant the beginning of the universe." Hyouga contemplated. "We heard that Persephone. the queen of Tartarus, was leading Hades's forces, but is she truly?"

"We must reach Persephone and save Athena. This darkness will try to defeat her, but she too knows of Omega and beyond the seven senses. As the daughter of Zeus, she is the largest threat to this darkness." Haruto sounded assured of his words and tapped the rims of his glasses.

"There's no such thing in the universe as complete darkness," he added, "and this Omega has given us a chance against Gods if it comes to that."

It would be a burden to carry Andromeda Shun while he was unconscious, but Hyouga could never leave him in such hell, not when—by Haruto's interpretation—the entire world around them was apparently against them. If there was a lack of divine protection, coming to Hell would probably be an act of surrender or suicide, even though it was the Pope's order. Fudoh or Agatha may have to relay the news.

Hyouga and Haruto resolved to go forward. The path to the Underworld's temples, valleys, and prisons are sequential akin to the Twelve Gold Saint temples of Sanctuary. From the Meadows, far past the Sanzu River and the Gate of Hell, and then the Second Prison that homed Pharoah Sphinx, they had a long way. Advancing, Hyouga recognized a wide deep crevice; a further view ahead revealed more pitted craters. From a bird's eye, nine circles embedded in the earth that led to a long fall into the putrefying ground. In this new Chaos Underworld, these pits were darker than caves. If anyone fell, the demons or Specters could prey on their catch within the comfort of shadow.

Could the Saints reach Persephone before the revival of Hades?

"I don't sense the enemy," said Haruto. "Maybe the new environment can obscure them. Hyouga, I had a strange notion while I was imprisoned: What if the Underworld's gods want us in their ranks as a divine decree?"

"It would be no different than death." Hyouga replied. It would be a grave wound to Athena and her long-term service as Earth's guardian. What if her own Saints would be responsible for the destruction of humanity and end up living as new entities under a new guardian?

"I believe Sphinx wanted to control Shun's body as a shell again. I wonder..."

"Hyouga, what do you want to do when you meet the Underworld Gods?"

"I'll know their intentions. If their path is evil and destruction, I was raise my fist in defiance. I may sin over and over, but that is the path I've decided. Even that is the way to save Miss Saori, that is the way."

Back in the mortal world, someone else opened his eyes. He wobbled to Jamir.

Chapter Text

Kouga did not wish for Haruto to depart, but he felt that the separation led to a steeled promise that won’t be broken by any Saint. The way he explained the mission gave Kouga and the others a sense of resolve: Send Hades back to where he belongs like the loser that he was. The high demand that is a challenge.

They rushed.

There was a figure ahead, emerging from the dark background. It reacted by a slow gait to intercept the Saints.

Kouga slowed and nearly stopped as his mind began to process what was ahead. About 20 meters in between him and whoever was coming.

Then he sped up. Ten meters or less; Kouga ran as something burned his blood, pulsing his entire body. He heard Yuna call his name, but he kept moving forward—because in his line of sight, he saw a familiar color. Kouga pulled his arm back in a lunge.

The two Saints were head to head. “CANCER!!!!!”

In this Underworld, somehow light touched. And Kouga lifted his head to face a man, the enemy. A man wrapped in Gold, but smiled with exhilaration to fight.

He sounded maddeningly confident.

“Bet you’ve been waiting for this beatdown for a long while. However, I’m gonna show you that you made a grave mistake.”

“No matter what we discuss, you remain insubordinate Virgo Fudou. Why?”

A generous expression shined upon the face of Virgo Fudoh. He looked unshaken by the situation, abd would answer with a smile.

“Pardon by insolence, but you are the insubordinate ones by betraying the living,” he said. “You told me that you like flowers, Queen of Tartatus. Thus, I want to create a Bohhi Tree. I am a guider of souls. When mankind dies, the cycle of suffering must end. We will live and die many times until we understand enlightenment.”

Persephone and Dark Meadow were sent to rid of him. She wonders what he is doing ad will not allow any interference to her King’s revival. Unlike the King and most, her spirit and body was alive, but trapped by Limbo.

“It’s a risk on my part; you cannot determine the victor. I must start by having equanimity in the face of a powerful threat.”

“These Holy Wars are a test to show whether Earth’s guardian or the Dead’s King is the best God. Queen of Tartatus, you will test the might and reception of Fudoh Myou. He who delivers justice by wisdom of only death”.

It was a clash of a True King; a servant of the Great Sun Buddha, but the queen was perturbed.

“You may be at a high stature, but you are still below Buddha.: Being a venerated follower will not divert fate. Now I would like to you now: What is your state of mind right before an imminent fate called death?”

“Pardon?”

“I am going to be curt with you, Fudou. There are Three Tiers of Divine,” the Queen raised up three fingers. “Starting from the top, there are Gods. Then, there are the demigods, those born from both god and human. Then, there are those who have reached God. Perhaps they are “chosen” by God, prophets, angels and demons, selected for a mission and spread a message. Whichever lofty title you may chose Fudoh, as a mortal, you still face a God.”

He continued to smile, and Virgo Fudo felt a bead of sweat.

“Another God damned scorpion!?”

“It’s you! But why?!”

“I told you: I am the one who knows Hell better than anyone. Allow me to show you all.”

“Show me what, bitch!?”

Like moonlight to night, or the cherry blossoms exploding in Spring, the Namehage Specter’s cutting voice befitted the jagged scowl of his demon mask. The white straw-like hairs covering his shoulder guards bristled.

“No one knows more of Hell’s heat than me. You gonna blister, and then I’m gonna heat and eat your peels!”

The Specter spread his legs and footing wide again in a pose imitating a person preparing to swing a long-reaching item in a wide arc. Souma cried out a warning to the Saint’s back. Namehage was unarmed, but that was the technique. Lionet Souma realized that this so-called warrior in training could imitate the physics and impact of weapons.

Again, the trigger words were uttered.

“The Winter Bites

The branches stand alone

On the dead wisteria!

Brave Odachi Giri!”

Yuna and Souma had already seen the move once before; however, it was deadly and effective by being inescapable and potentially fatal. The type of technique that could kill with words and the ease of movement. The only thing they could “see” was the arms swing, and the aftereffects was like fireworks, fading after a flash; they would be harmed in some way by an explosion, a swath of cutting wind, fire, a blunt force, lightning strikes, something known on Earth. This time it was like the fastest blizzard…but it divided and breezed past the backs of Souma and Yuna. The Saint in front of them only raised a hand—rather, a finger. The attack was split in half right on the tipping point of the Saint’s fingernail, the blizzard tapering behind like ripped paper.

The Namehage Specter screamed and crashed onto his knees, his body smoking. He grabbed his head, howling in agony.

“This again! Again! Not again! No, it’s worse! Searing! Eating me! What are these images!?”

“Do you like battle? Do you think of how many people has died in war? How they died? This is the agony you feel before you turn into a causality. War dead!”

“Shut up! I refuse to die until I defeat Souma! Ugnnn, it's like before. I think I'm bleeding. Then, my eyesight starts to fade. Poison! It hurts!”

"It's like the pain is fresh to him...this must be his first battle. Therefore, he will not have much resistance. Your willpower is weak and you are neither a good opponent for me, Souma or Yuna."

Namehage hissed. "Aer you trying to offend me?!" For him to reel from pain this long was already a taunt--the Saint before him had the time to verbally mock him and hold back more attacks. To hold back even finishing him off rather than moving along or fleeing. 

“Wretched, blood spilling humans…prepare for judgement.” The voice was collected, but earnest.

When the gold nike was raised, the entire universal space exploded with the light of day. The faces that were familiar to her had rebounded into open space.

It was in myth, but it was not something witnessed past the mythological era. A fiery anger lit up the sea green eyes of the beautiful Athena. At one time, because she had many foes, it was said that her yearn for battle had to be deterred.

Kouga reached out for Miss Saori, the one he promised to save, ever since crossing the Underworld, through Hades’s Temple and through the Four Aether Chambers, not giving into his confusion. He knew exactly what happened, and he wouldn’t allow it, but he did not know how to stop it. He only knew that it was a precedented event that attempted to send him to his knees and surrender to evil. That had to be the enemy’s plan.

“Miss Saori is strong! And would not want her Saints to die. We are not your enemies, Miss Saori!”

It was easily said…when the backs of Seiya and Kouga were against Athena, who was diligently protected by the Saints of Pegasus throughout generations. In this turnabout, what was the appropriate reaction? As expected from the enemy, Kouga shrunk in front of Athena. He begged for her to stop, and she only reacted with an unusually berating Cosmos. A furious flash emitted from her eyes.

Kouga folded back and as if stripped of his privilege of being a Saint, the pieces of his Cloth darted off behind him.

No…you couldn’t do this…

What will make you stop? Must I fall on my knees to make you stop?

Had Kouga done that, what would that ultimately accomplish? Did that mean Athena would rule the world through destruction? Hades probably laughed inside—the winner of various Holy Wars turning to this irony.

“Saints of Athena,” a God spoke from space, “treat her like an evil God, face her. You cannot defy it.”

“If it wakes her up, then fight back!” Lionet Souma with wings dived from the air, his arm pulled back in a Burning Fire fist, going for a blow towards Athena’s head. “Reach out for her! Trust the Cosmos!”

Aquila Yuna went for the back of the head in an aerial pincher, while Dragon Ryuho, Subaru and Orion Eden covered the ground level for a front and flank attack. They planed to strike at the same time.

“We can save her!” yearned Yuna, soaring closer.

“The purity of the Cosmos can reach Miss Saori.” Ryuho was a little worried and hid his face with his Dragon Shield as he charged.

“Destroy the darkness inside of her!” Boasted Subaru. Eden only answered with a groan, hiding his skepticism.

Kouga hesitated, and watched a gold rippling aura surround Athena. Another explosion.

Hurt Saori Kido? Was the enemy’s plan to have her truly killed? Or rather, was this the energy that ultimately would devastate Earth? What would happen if Earth’s Guardian left Earth? Eden had the same ideas—wake her up or kill her? Which would happen? Either way, they would be sacrificed without trying either or.