Night fell over Tokyo, the darkness seeping past the floor-to-ceiling curtains of the Kido Mansion.
Inside the dining room, the warm yellow light illuminated the silver cutlery on the table, and the alluring scent of food wafted through the banquet hall.
The boys' conversations carried far.
Shiryu swallowed a piece of steak and looked up at Hyoga.
His master, Dohko, was also a Gold Saint.
But he always looked like a frail old man, as if he could pass away at any moment.
This commonality made Shiryu very curious about Hyoga, who was also a disciple of a Gold Saint.
Was Hyoga's master also an old man, sitting motionless all year round?
No, that couldn't be. Hyoga's master, Lord Li Yu, held the title of the strongest Saint. He certainly wouldn't be as old as Master Dohko...
"Hyoga, is your master, Li Yu, really as powerful as the rumors say?"
Hyoga withdrew his gaze from the full moon outside the window, a complex, unreadable expression on his face.
"To be honest, and I hope you don't laugh, I feel he might be the strongest Saint beneath the gods!"
"Bang!"
A crisp sound shattered the cozy atmosphere. A spiderweb-like hole was punched in the windowpane.
A metal origami crane swayed and fell into the dining room, landing right beside Seiya.
A flicker of doubt crossed Seiya's eyes as he picked up the origami crane.
"This is Master Marin's long-distance communication method; it automatically finds me by sensing my Cosmo..."
Seiya unfolded the origami crane, and inside, a single large character was written.
"Flee!"
Almost simultaneously, a rustling sound came from under the dining room door, as a small silver-scaled snake slithered in, its body gleaming with a metallic cold light.
It crawled up the table leg onto the dining table, wriggling violently in front of Shun before breaking into several pieces, transforming into broken silver chains that spelled out a crooked English word.
Run!
This was... Seiya and Shun's pupils constricted at the same time. Both their masters served in the Sanctuary, and for both to send warnings simultaneously, it surely meant something was wrong at the Sanctuary.
Seeing this, Saori Kido frowned slightly, a curious expression on her face.
"What happened, Seiya?"
Seiya and Shun exchanged a glance. Seiya stood up and said calmly,
"Miss Saori, something might have happened at the Sanctuary. For safety, it's best we evacuate from here now."
Saori's red lips parted slightly, a hint of bewilderment in her beautiful eyes.
At this moment, she had not yet reclaimed her Athena divine essence; the Saori Kido personality was currently leading this body.
She didn't know that, under the impetus of Athena and Li Yu, a trial hunt targeting the Bronze Five had already begun.
Seiya looked at Hyoga. Among the four of them, Hyoga's master, Li Yu, held the highest position and was the strongest. If the Sanctuary was making a move, there was no reason Hyoga wouldn't have been notified.
"Hyoga, did your master not give you a warning?"
Hyoga gave a wry smile. From what he knew of Li Yu, if he was truly in danger,
then that danger was likely to come from Master Li Yu himself.
As the disciple of the strongest Gold Saint in the world, anyone who wanted to harm him would first have to consider whether they could withstand Li Yu's wrath.
Hyoga slowly said,
"If the danger truly comes from the Sanctuary, then it's very likely being driven by my master."
Upon hearing this, everyone present showed shocked expressions.
"What?" Shun's voice suddenly rose.
"Is it Lord Li Yu's command?"
"If the Gold Saints make a move, we have no chance of winning at all!"
Seiya clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.
"Don't panic!"
Hyoga's voice was surprisingly calm.
"From what I know of my master, he definitely wouldn't personally come to deal with us. Those coming... are very likely Silver Saints."
Before the last word had landed, a clear, icy female voice rang out from outside the window, piercing through the glass and into everyone's ears.
"Seiya, I know you're in there. Come out and surrender. I have been ordered by the Pope and Lord Li Yu to bring you back to the Sanctuary for interrogation regarding the disappearance of the Sagittarius Cloth!"
The chill in her voice made the candlelight on the dining table flicker slightly.
"Don't think about resisting, otherwise... you might die."
Saori suddenly stood up, her skirt sweeping across the table and knocking over a silver cup.
"We absolutely cannot be taken back to the Sanctuary!"
Her voice suddenly became firm, as if a voice from deep within was telling her that at this moment, she absolutely could not return to the Sanctuary.
A sharpness not belonging to a young girl flashed in her azure eyes.
"The Sagittarius Cloth's whereabouts are unknown. Once we are captured and taken back to the Sanctuary, we will have no chance of turning the tables. We must escape to have any hope of finding the lost Cloth!"
Seiya rushed to the room where the Pegasus Cloth box was stored.
"That voice is Master Marin. I'll hold her off; you all take Miss Saori and go first!"
Shun said nothing and rushed to the basement, where his brother Ikki was imprisoned.
Hyoga and Shiryu also immediately donned their Cloths, and the scene instantly became chaotic.
Seiya was the first to leap out the window, his sky-blue Pegasus bronze cloth gleaming under the moonlight.
In the courtyard, Marin, wearing a silver mask, stood beneath a cherry blossom tree.
"Seiya..."
Marin's voice came through the mask, carrying a hint of subtle complexity.
"Surrender; you are no match for me!"
"I'm sorry, Master Marin."
Seiya adopted a fighting stance, his Cosmo burning fiercely.
"I have reasons for not being able to return with you. Please give me some time, I beg you, Master Marin!"
The corner of Marin's mouth, beneath her silver mask, curved slightly upwards.
"Have your wings grown hard, no longer listening to your master? It seems you intend to put up a desperate struggle. Make your move, let me see how much you've improved recently!"
Marin suddenly soared into the air like a hawk, her silver Aquila Cloth spreading its wings under the moonlight, her entire being transforming into a silver-white streak of light in the sky.
Aquila's ultimate technique - Eagle Flash!
Boom!
Seiya couldn't dodge in time and was blasted into the wall behind him. The sound of crumbling bricks was mixed with his suppressed grunt.
"Pegasus Meteor Fist!"
At the same time, a few people at the mansion entrance stopped.
A pink figure blocked their path. Misty of Lizard was combing his long purple hair, his Silver Cloth shining with an eerie glow under the lights.
"Heh heh, trying to escape? Before me, Lord Misty, mere Bronze Saintss, do you truly think you can escape?"
Before he finished speaking, a huge lizard lunged at them.
"I'll stop him! You all take Miss Saori and go first!"
Shiryu held the Dragon Shield in front of him. The immense impact sent Shiryu flying backward!
"Rozan Rising Dragon Force!"
A five-clawed green dragon lunged at Misty.
Misty's expression shifted slightly. Are Bronze Saintss really this strong?
But this alone is still not enough!
Boom!
Their Cosmos burned fiercely, colliding with each other.
They hadn't escaped for more than a few kilometers when, under the moonlight, a burly, tall Saint appeared. His nearly 2-meter height gave him a powerful oppressive presence just by standing there.
He clapped his hands together, producing a metallic clang, and introduced himself.
"Give up resisting, Bronze brats. I am Moses, the Saint of Cetus!"
Cetus?
Hyoga stepped forward. As long as Master Li Yu didn't appear, even against a Silver Saint, he was confident he could fight!
"Cetus Great Strangle!"
"Diamond Dust!"
The giant white whale and the silvery-white cold air collided.
Finally, only Shun and Ikki remained by Saori's side.
At this moment, a giant white snake appeared in their path. The giant snake coiled into a ball, flicking its long blood-red tongue at the three of them!
Shun unlocked the bronze chains restraining Ikki.
"Brother, it's my master, Albion. This battle can only be handled by me. Miss Saori, I'll entrust her to you!"
Ikki flexed his wrists and snorted coldly.
"The sagittarius gold cloth disappeared while it was with me. Don't worry, I will definitely find it again. Before that, I'll reluctantly help you protect this woman for a while."
The four Silver Saints were desperately held back by the Bronze Five, leaving only Sagitta Ptolemy and Sirius of Canis Major.
Sirius of Canis Major had an excellent sense of smell; even if Saori and Ikki escaped further, they could easily follow them.
However, both of them had vacant eyes, their pupils completely black.
"Your Holiness, can we still not make a move?"
Li Yu, far away in the Sanctuary, gently stroked the golden ring on his hand. The skull of the Hades Ring lit up, and he could see everything at the scene through the Ring of Power from the Lord of the Rings world, as if he were personally present.
Li Yu's lips curved slightly.
"It's not time yet, wait a little longer!"