Shura.
The Capricorn Gold Saint, guardian of the tenth temple, Capricorn.
He is a man who has honed body arts to their peak. All four limbs carry the power of a holy sword. In pure single-target physical attack power, he's the strongest among the Gold Saints.
Of course, he also serves Pope Saga, believing strength is justice, so even knowing the truth about the Pope he still swore loyalty.
Thirteen years ago, he was ordered to hunt down Aiolos, who fled carrying the infant goddess. He dealt Aiolos a mortal wound, and Aiolos died shortly after.
Damian's guess was right. With nearly the entire Silver Saint corps mobilized, Saga's concern for the Sicily incident was clear, and he'd surely send a Gold Saint to anchor the operation.
Unexpectedly, instead of sending the seafood duo, Saga dispatched a prime powerhouse.
Before him stood Shura, a sharp-eyed, narrow-gazed youth. The Capricorn Gold Cloth flashed in the sun, and his Cosmo was as keen as a blade—sword-qi bristling.
It seemed Shura had been the one to cleave that mountain. Only he could split a peak with a single stroke.
"Now that's exciting."
Damian's fighting spirit surged. He couldn't be bothered to explain anything.
Fight, then!
The Cosmo within his muscles condensed on his surface into a semi-transparent armor.
The Muscle Cloth roared to full power.
He lacked experience against top masters. A duel with Shura was the perfect chance to level up fast.
Outside of storming the Twelve Temples, chances to cross hands with a Gold Saint were rare.
Capricorn's Gold Saint Shura was undeniably formidable.
A golden XP pack delivered to the door.
Besides, he'd messed up Damian's hairstyle.
"Hah!"
Shura wasn't one for chatter. He swung backhand with a blade-like palm—his lightspeed sword slashing in answer.
A sword-light fell—Damian slipped it at lightspeed—then a second, a third, a fourth traced the air.
Golden sword-qi carved deep gouges in the ground.
Though Damian moved at lightspeed, Shura's Holy Sword was a type of lightspeed strike as well, and the golden edge grazed Damian's arm.
The Muscle Cloth was shorn clean through—neatly, crisply.
As expected, the Muscle Cloth's defense couldn't stop the Holy Sword.
Lightspeed movement.
In a blink he was in Shura's face, firing a lightspeed punch—
Only for Shura to raise an arm and block.
The brutal fist-gale thudded on the Gold Cloth with a muffled clang, like a blade-parry.
What a sword!
Missing with one blow, Damian withdrew at once, unable to help the inward praise.
Legend has it that in the mythic age, Athena, to honor the Capricorn Gold Saint's loyalty and those Saints who bent themselves for justice, bestowed the Holy Sword "Excalibur" upon him—whose statue stands in Capricorn's temple ever since (nicknamed the "curry stick").
Shura's fist art derives from the Holy Sword. Thereafter, Capricorn's Gold Saint's four limbs bear Excalibur—the "curry stick"—whose power is irresistible: a single chop can split Bronze and Silver Cloths with ease and even damage a Gold Cloth.
Against such a keen art, a Bronze‑grade Muscle Cloth couldn't possibly hold. Best to forgo it.
Damian shed the Muscle Cloth and tore off his cloak, revealing that developed, rugged frame.
Against Shura, defense was unnecessary.
The Holy Sword would steamroll any guard.
The Muscle Cloth had no reason to be out.
Better to pour all Cosmo into offense.
He simply crossed his arms, settling into the Great Horn charge stance.
"Such speed—you dodged my Holy Sword. No wonder."
Shura's gaze stayed cool, but surprise glinted within.
He hadn't imagined that this wall of muscle would wield a Seventh Sense Cosmo, golden light blooming across every fiber.
Interesting indeed!
Matched at last, Shura's fighting spirit also climbed.
Seventh Sense meant the man before him was Gold‑class.
A rare chance to trade blows with such a foe.
"Without a Cloth, you'll die under my Holy Sword!"
"Hah—Holy Sword!"
Shura raised his arm as if lifting a supreme, legendary blade—about to split his foe in two.
As his arm fell—
Damian's Great Horn fired.
The Great Horn boasts the fastest startup—able to seize the initiative after the fact.
Just as Shura moved to strike, a shock slammed his chest and blasted him back.
"Damn—his startup is too fast!"
Shura braced with both feet, forced himself steady, and lifted his arm to counter—but the next strike was already on him.
"Plasma Lightspeed Punch!"
In a blink, a gleaming golden net wrapped Shura's body.
Hundreds of millions of lightspeed blows per second hammered every inch of him. He couldn't react—he couldn't move—only take the beating.
Ding-ding-ding…
Fist‑light netted and flashed, thudding against the Gold Cloth with a relentless clatter.
It hurt!
Even within a Gold Cloth, Shura felt agony racing through his frame.
Three seconds felt like three years.
He had no idea how many blows he'd eaten—only that at this rate his body would give out. Even Capricorn's Gold Cloth wouldn't hold forever.
Wait—how do these moves look like…
"Sekishiki Meikaiha!"
Damian gave him no breath. His hand stabbed out, finger aimed straight at Shura.
A third technique chained in—take the hit and go to the Underworld.
In an instant, a ghostly green spiral lanced from his fingertip, spearing for Shura.
"Holy Sword!"
Shura threw everything at it—Cosmo blazing—as he hacked upward, loosing a sword-qi to crash into the Sekishiki Meikaiha—finally canceling the blow that would have sent him away.
Even so, he looked ragged despite the Gold Cloth. He hadn't taken a scratch fighting a powerful Apostle earlier—now red beads slid down his arm.
What a terrifying man!
His attacks could pierce a Gold Cloth's protection.
Without it, he'd already be done.
Worst of all—the masked muscleman was using nothing but Gold Saint finishers.
Great Horn—Taurus's Aldebaran.
Plasma Lightspeed Punch—Leo's Aiolia.
Sekishiki Meikaiha—Cancer's Deathmask.
He'd mostly only heard of these—rarely seen them used.
But you don't have to eat pork to know how a pig runs.
Right now he was certain—the techniques were those three Gold Saints' signature moves.
The chill mask on Shura's face cracked with naked shock.
How could one man wield three Gold Saints' ultimate arts?
What kind of monster was he?
No—he'd have to go all out or be cut down.
A sense of crisis he'd never known flared in Shura's chest.
The foe was too strong—he could truly die here!
He burned his Cosmo, ready to unleash the Holy Sword's ultimate—when the opponent flickered to his face at lightspeed.
The man's index nail had turned into a scarlet spike.
That's… the Scarlet Needle!
How could he also use Scorpio's Milo's finisher?
How many Gold Saint techniques did he know?
"Scarlet Needle!"
A smile curled under Damian's mask.
Shura was strong—his single-target power too high. If Damian took a clean hit, he might not tank it.
So he'd planned to leave no room to counter—three big moves from the start.
Shura's Capricorn Cloth had staggering defense. Great Horn and Plasma Lightspeed Punch could only break through.
And Sekishiki Meikaiha was hard to land.
Which left the piercing power of the Scarlet Needle.
Scarlet Needle!
One needle flew.
Right on cue, Shura's shoulder bled. His whole body jolted, and even his swings slowed.
Gritting through the pain, Shura swung with everything: "EX—Excalibur!"
Damian was ready to follow with a fourteen‑shot Scarlet Needle.
Suddenly, the earth heaved.
The ancient temple ahead collapsed in an instant. The ground shook and split.
As a pitch‑black miasma billowed skyward, a colossal, twisted hand thrust up from the temple ruins.
The evil god was reviving—now!
(End of Chapter)
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