Old Cathedral Underground · Catacombs Entrance
The cavern, like a natural stalactite cave, was cold and dim. Saori, clutching her bruised, bleeding abdomen, exhaled painfully as the Arius Squad trudged forward.
"Leader, you need treatment," Hiyori urged.
"I'm fine… it's nothing," Saori dismissed, shaking her head. But a voice echoed in her mind: "Such wounds are trivial. Move. Stopping is forbidden. Kill that man with my power. Ensure his death, Saori."
"Yes… Madam," Saori whispered.
"Madam?" Atsuko frowned.
"Saori-san, has Madam done something to you!?" Hiyori gasped.
"Found you!" Azusa's voice rang out.
"You followed, Azusa…!" Saori growled.
"Not alone!" Azusa retorted.
"Hey," Mash greeted.
"Mash Burnedead!" Saori snarled.
"Saori-san, let's stop," Azusa pleaded.
"Shut up! Your voice won't reach me anymore!" Saori snapped, her eyes locked on Mash, brimming with hatred. She aimed her rifle, loaded with anti-Sensei bullets—laced with poison. Enhanced by Madam's influence, her strength surged.
"Mash Burnedead!" Saori roared, lunging with trained combat moves to unbalance him. Mash blocked each strike with his arms.
"Haa!" Saori swung.
"Whoa," Mash dodged.
"Sensei!" Azusa cried.
"Disappear, Mash Burnedead!" Saori fired point-blank, expecting damage. But—
Clang!
(The bullet… deflected!?) Saori froze.
"Wow, it really works," Mash marveled.
"The System's Box's ultimate defense: Arona Barrier! With this, Sensei can't lose! Heh!" Arona's voice chimed.
(The System's Box… I forgot!) Saori cursed.
"Good thing I realized Arona's help matters," Mash said. "Hmph!"
He shattered Saori's rifle with a punch, the Arona Barrier deflecting stray bullets. Mash had avoided using it, seeing Arona as a student, not a tool.
"Damn!" Saori drew an anti-Sensei knife, aiming for vitals. But her predictable attacks tipped Mash off—her fighting style had changed.
"You're not the one… basking in happiness, in light!" Saori screamed.
"Didn't you say you don't need light?" Mash countered.
"We, who've lived in darkness and suffering, deserve it most!"
"Dark or light, everyone deserves to live and be happy—unless they're truly evil."
"You think such childish ideas work!?"
"They're a kid's ideas. I'm a kid like you. That's why—"
Mash kicked Saori's stomach, then slammed a fist into her face, relentless to snap her out of it.
"Gah!" Saori staggered.
"That's why we have to face each other," Mash said.
"You, who's only known love… how can you face us? We've only known scolding… Madam is absolute. She's never wrong. Everything she does is just!" Saori gasped.
"Grandpa scolded me when I was wrong, and I'd scold him too. That's how we—'You wouldn't get it.'"
"You, loved unconditionally, surrounded by love… you can't understand!" Saori charged, knife aimed at his heart, running with reckless force—a suicide attack.
Stab!
"!?" Saori froze.
"Sensei!?" Azusa screamed.
"He took it… in the heart!?" Misaki gasped.
"Didn't dodge or block… just took it!?" Hiyori stammered.
"Mash! What are you doing!?" Atsuko cried.
Mash had let the knife hit, embracing it. But it didn't reach his heart—his pecs were too tough, stopping it halfway. Normally, such a blade wouldn't pierce him, but Madam's mysterious power and Saori's momentum did it.
"There's a weird power… that's the cause," Mash noted.
"You… know what you did!? That's your heart! One nick and you're dead!" Saori yelled.
"Yeah," Mash nodded.
"Why didn't you dodge!? The poison will kill you!"
"Don't worry. My muscles can stop poison."
(No way that's true…) Saori thought.
"Even so!" she protested.
"Well done, Saori! Push the knife deeper—pierce his heart!" Madam's voice urged.
"Ugh…" Saori winced.
"Why hesitate? He's evil, only here to hurt you. His body's his only worth. Push!"
Her hands trembled, pain searing her skull as if squeezed from within.
"You exist for this alone. You have no other value. Repay your debt, Saori!"
"All… for Madam…" Saori murmured.
Then—
"…Huh?" Saori blinked.
"Calm down. Breathe deeply," Mash said, hugging her gently, knife still in his chest, his expression unchanged.
"W-What…!?"
"I can't leave you like this," Mash said.
"Let go… I have to… kill you!" Saori struggled.
"What are you doing, Saori!? Who said to stop!? You're my weapon—obey!"
"Hey," Mash growled.
"!?"
"I don't know what you're saying, but I know you're talking," Mash said, sensing Madam's presence. "I don't know if you can hear me, but listen."
Gripping Saori's head, his voice sharp with anger, he declared, "Saori-san's body is hers. You have no right to meddle. Get out."
"A mere part dares…! Fine, I'll retreat… for now. Next time, you're mine!"
A red light burst from Saori, dispersing. She collapsed into Mash's arms, strength gone.
"Saori-san," Mash called.
"You… use honorifics even for someone who tried to kill you?" Saori rasped.
"We're not fighting anymore. Outside battle, I'm polite."
"Leader, stay with us!" Misaki urged.
"Nooo! Don't die!" Hiyori wailed.
"Stop saying ominous things!" Misaki snapped, smacking her.
"Ow! Misaki-san hit me!" Hiyori cried.
"Stop… fighting…" Saori murmured.
"You get it now, don't you?" Atsuko said softly.
"I…" Saori hesitated.
"Let's stop, Saori," Atsuko urged.
"!?"
"Atsuko-chan… spoke?" Hiyori gasped.
A battered Atsuko emerged, no longer hidden by Saori, her voice clear.
"Princess!?" Saori exclaimed.
"Princess-chan!?" Misaki echoed.
"No, Princess! Speaking will—!" Hiyori warned.
"It's fine. It's over," Atsuko said.
"Over? What do you mean?" Saori asked.
"She won't let me live either way. So… let's stop, Saori."
"Stop…?"
"No more fighting. No more suffering. Let's rely on Sensei."
Defying their master was unthinkable. Saori's face twisted. "Stop and do what? Return to Arius?"
"We'd be killed," Hiyori whispered.
"Probably. But I'm fine with that," Misaki said.
"So let's escape… together," Atsuko urged.
"…"
"Escape?" Hiyori blinked.
"Where to?" Misaki asked.
"Anywhere but Arius," Atsuko replied.
"Just us four?" Saori questioned.
"Yeah, the four of us."
"No supplies, no connections?"
"We've survived like that since we were kids, haven't we?"
"…"
"Come to my place. We'll welcome you warmly," Mash offered, supporting Saori.
They knew his words weren't lies, but accepting them was hard.
"I… envied you," Saori admitted.
"Saori…" Azusa murmured.
"You, basking in light, smiling… I was jealous. I wished we were there."
"…"
"You taught Azusa things I couldn't. You made her smile. It… hurt."
"I know," Mash said.
"As her family, I failed where you succeeded. Thinking she'd leave me… it was unbearable!"
Tears fell as Saori clutched her eyes—Mash saw her cry for the first time.
"Losing my family… I hated it. I couldn't accept it!" Saori sobbed. "Azusa's my family! I didn't want some nobody taking her!"
"Saori-neesan…" Azusa whispered.
"I know it's her happiness, but I couldn't admit we were wrong and you were right!"
"…"
"Azusa was loved by you, by Trinity… I just… wanted to be loved too!"
Her tearful plea laid bare her longing—for herself, for everyone. Suppressing it only deepened her pain. She was at her limit.
"Talking like this… it's pointless. We're enemies," Saori said.
"Saori-san," Mash replied softly.
"Pitying me?"
"Grandpa taught me when I was wrong, but he forgave me too. So…"
Mash gently held her hand, wiping her tears, his voice as kind as his grandfather's once was. "Let's make up. You've done so well."
"Your arms… are warm…" Saori sobbed.
"Leader's crying…" Misaki whispered.
"Haven't seen that in a while," Hiyori noted.
"Princess, what's wrong?" Azusa asked.
"Sensei… he's amazing," Atsuko said.
"Yeah. Mash is my—" Azusa began.
RUMBLE!
"!?"
The worst timing.
Old Cathedral Underground · Catacombs Entrance
In the darkness, Maestro muttered, gazing upward, his voice brimming with joy as wood creaked around him.
"A child with an adult's wisdom and grace, a teacher's courtesy and conviction, human experience and insight… and above all, an unwavering existence, risking everything!"
Maestro danced, manipulating something. The students were incomplete, Mash not yet perfect. But if he could complete them?
He could only sing praises. "A body too strong, yet untainted by evil, pure and innocent! Loving others despite being unloved! You'll understand my [Sublime]!"
A figure emerged—red holy cloth, a golden halo above. Clasping hands, striking a staff, it roared in the dark: Hieronymus, the incarnate doctrine leading the Communion of Saints. Arius's tactical weapon, Madam's trump card, rivaling Decagrammaton's might.
"Show me, Sensei! Your creation! Its immortal brilliance in battle with my work!"
BOOM!
"What!?" Maestro gasped.
"You ruined the mood. Take responsibility, jerk," a voice snapped.
His work was about to become scrap.
"Never thought someone could be worse at reading the room than me," Mash said.
"What did you do?" Saori asked.
"Handed Leader to Azusa, moved crazy fast, and kicked that thing," Misaki explained.
"The moment it appeared… he kicked it," Hiyori added.
"Jerk," Atsuko muttered.
As Hieronymus manifested, ruining the moment, an irked Mash dashed at blinding speed, slamming a kick into it. Hieronymus crashed into a wall but, as Maestro's creation, quickly recovered.
"Run, Sensei! It's Madam's other tactical weapon—far beyond the Panakeia statue!" Saori warned.
"Cool," Mash said.
"I'll buy time. Take Azusa and the others—"
"Got a new move to test. Perfect timing—a big punching bag," Mash grinned.
"Sensei?" Azusa blinked.
"It was getting good, almost sacred… and you wrecked it," Mash growled.
"What's with you!?" Hiyori squeaked.
"Your eyes are scary!" Misaki yelped.
"Let's dismantle it," Mash said.
He yanked out the knife, tossed it, and hopped lightly, eyes locked on Hieronymus.
"Hmph!"
"!?"
Mash charged. Hieronymus glowed its staff, striking the ground. Golden light exploded at Mash's feet.
"Hoi, hoi, hoi!" Mash dodged effortlessly.
"!"
"Lag makes it easy to avoid," Mash noted.
Amidst endless blasts, Mash leaped, delivering a flying kick to Hieronymus's torso.
"!?"
(Hard,) Mash thought.
"!"
(Big move… gotta keep distance,) Mash realized.
A golden sigil appeared beneath Hieronymus, cracks leaking light. Raising its arms, it fired a massive beam at Mash.
"Seiya!" Clang!
Mash turned his iron staff, Proteus, into a bat, hitting the beam back. It struck Hieronymus's face—CRITICAL—as Mash followed with relentless bat swings.
"Hmph hmph hmph hmph hmph!"
Panicked or enraged, Hieronymus grabbed Mash to crush him.
"!?"
"Hmph!" Mash's body was too tough. He tore free, backflipping away.
Crouching, Mash surged forward as Hieronymus raised its staff.
"Hamstrings Magic: Meteor Leg!"
Mash dashed with Big Bang speed, spin-kicking Hieronymus's arm.
"!?"
"Its arm… sliced off!?" Saori gasped.
"With a spin kick!?" Misaki gaped.
"Still going," Mash said.
He dashed again, severing Hieronymus's other arm with another Meteor Leg. Only its praying arms remained. Enraged, Hieronymus roared.
Mash reshaped his bat into a weapon—a construction tool with lethal power.
"A hammer!?"
"Not just any hammer—it's huge!" Hiyori gasped.
"Why's it bigger!?" Misaki protested.
"Sensei can do that," Azusa said.
"Don't lie, Azusa-chan!" Hiyori retorted.
A massive sledgehammer. Mash shouldered it, charging Hieronymus. It fired beams, but Mash dodged, closing the gap. Hieronymus's weaknesses—low mobility and poor close combat—left it helpless against Mash, Kivotos's strongest human. With Justina's Apostles diminished, no backup remained.
"Ever heard of whack-a-mole?" Mash asked.
Hieronymus shook its head.
"I'll teach you—with your body."
"!?"
Mash swung the hammer, shattering Hieronymus's head. Only its torso and arms remained.
"Hmph hmph hmph hmph!"
"Wow…" Hiyori breathed.
"Madam's weapon… like a toy…" Saori murmured.
"It's breaking…" Misaki whispered.
"Shrinking too," Atsuko noted.
Mash hammered like he was demolishing a building, venting stress with brutal force.
"…"
Hieronymus was barely recognizable, reduced to a core. Mash, mercilessly, raised his hammer.
"AMEN!" SMASH!
Hieronymus—active for just two and a half minutes—was destroyed.
"Monster or weapon, doesn't matter. I'll smash them all with these muscles," Mash declared.
(Saori realized: Madam didn't just want his power… she feared his spirit.)
Saori and Arius Squad saw light and hope in Mash's strength, his back, his resolve.
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