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As Saori, Mu, and Aldebaran made their way towards the Pope's chambers—Shun and Shiryu, having arrived at Libra ahead of Mika and Aiolia, were startled by a commotion within the temple.
A rhythmic thudding echoed from its depths—the sound of fists striking something hard. Drawn by the sound, they exchanged glances and hurried inside.
At the center of the temple—Seiya was pummeling an ice coffin with his fists, his Cosmo flaring with each blow.
"Seiya, what are you doing?!" Shun called out.
According to their intel, Libra should be unguarded. Yet Seiya was here, clearly engaged in some kind of struggle.
This was unexpected...
Hearing their voices, Seiya turned.
"Shun! Shiryu!" Relief washed over his face. "You're here! Look at Hyoga!" He stepped aside, revealing Hyoga, frozen solid within the coffin.
"Hyoga!" Shun gasped, rushing to the coffin. "He was transported to another dimension in Gemini. How did he end up here—frozen?"
Shiryu instantly understood. "This freezing Cosmo…it's stronger than Hyoga's. Only Aquarius Camus, Hyoga's master, could create such ice."
"Camus? Hyoga's master?" Seiya repeated, shocked. He hadn't known Hyoga's master was a Gold Saint.
"That's right." Shiryu's expression turned grim.
"Master told me about the Gold Saints before I left. He said that anything frozen by Camus—even several Gold Saints together, couldn't break." Shiryu looked at Seiya. "You must have already tried, haven't you?"
Seiya nodded. "I couldn't even scratch it,"
Shun's face fell as he looked at the unbreakable ice and realized their helplessness. It was a Gold Saint's power, the Seventh Sense.
Frustrated, Seiya slammed his fist against the ice again. "Hyoga is still alive! We have to save him!"
Shiryu and Shun looked at each other, their own frustration mirroring Seiya's.
To stand by and watch a comrade die, trapped and helpless—it was a Saint's worst nightmare.
"There has to be a way," Shun insisted, unwilling to give up. "We have to think of something."
Seiya and Shiryu nodded, but they were out of ideas. Their combined strength wasn't enough to break a Gold Saint's ice.
Suddenly—
A golden light erupted from the center of the temple, revealing a Cloth box bearing the symbol of Libra.
"Libra Dohko's Gold Cloth?" Seiya repeated, equally astonished.
"Yes! Master is sending us support!" Shiryu declared, his voice filled with a newfound hope.
"Support?" Seiya and Shun looked at him, confused.
Shiryu explained excitedly, "The Libra Cloth holds twelve Golden Weapons, each with incredible power. One of them should be able to break this ice."
As he spoke, the Cloth box opened, revealing the gleaming Libra Gold Cloth. Shiryu swiftly removed his own damaged Dragon Cloth and channeled his Cosmo towards the Libra Cloth.
Two weapons detached from the Cloth and flew towards him—the nunchaku, one of the Libra Gold Cloth's twelve weapons.
Following the nunchaku, the other weapons materialized one by one: swords, spears, a sansetsukon, tonfa, and shields.
Shiryu—familiar with his Master's weapons, expertly wielded each one in turn, his movements fluid and precise, a display of his Martial arts prowess, his Cosmo flaring with each strike.
The air crackled with energy, the force of his movements creating miniature whirlwinds within the temple.
Seiya and Shun, watching him, were awed by his skill. He was truly a student of a Gold Saint.
Having demonstrated his mastery, Shiryu carefully considered which weapon to use. He couldn't risk harming Hyoga with a misplaced strike.
Finally—he chose a sword.
Gripping the Golden Sword, he approached the ice coffin, channeling his Cosmo into the blade until it glowed with a brilliant light. With a deep breath, he swung the sword downwards.
"Haah!"
A moment of silence.
Then, the seemingly unbreakable ice shattered, exploding into a shower of glittering fragments. The coffin, once a symbol of their helplessness, was now gone.
"HYOGA!!" Seiya and Shun rushed towards the center of the shattered ice, where Hyoga lay motionless, his face pale. Though he was still breathing—his Cosmo was weak, flickering like a dying flame.
"We have to do something! He won't last long like this!" Seiya exclaimed, his voice filled with urgency.
"Don't worry," Shiryu said calmly. "Mika is nearby. He has Healing abilities."
"I'll carry Hyoga and find Mika. You two go ahead," Shun said, picking up Hyoga. With Hyoga's life no longer in immediate danger, it was time to return to their mission.
"Alright," Seiya and Shiryu agreed.
Just as they were about to split up, a voice echoed from the temple entrance.
Suddenly—
"Going somewhere, traitors?"
A sword beam shot towards them—a Gold Saint's attack—moving at the speed of light.
"DODGE!" Shiryu shouted.
Having faced Gold Saints before, and with their Cosmos burning brightly, even the Bronze Saints had achieved light-speed reflexes.
They swiftly evaded the attack.
It was a close call, a brush with death. The attack—while swift and deadly, lacked the raw power of a true Gold Saint strike.
It was more of a warning.
"Who's there?!!" They turned towards the source of the attack and saw two figures emerging from the shadows.
"Two of them?" Shiryu's brow furrowed. According to their information—only three Gold Saints remained in the latter half of the Twelve Temples.
And two of them had just arrived together.
This wasn't good...
"Are you…Shura of Capricorn and Camus of Aquarius?" Shiryu asked, his voice tight with apprehension.
Based on what he knew of the Gold Saints, Aphrodite of Pisces, known for his beauty, always carried roses with him.
The two before them didn't fit that description. And one of them had just attacked them with a sword beam, a clear indication of Shura's signature Excalibur technique.
That left only Camus.
"You know us?" Shura asked with a smirk. "You must be…Shiryu, Dohko's student."
His gaze fell upon the scattered Libra weapons, the shattered ice, and Hyoga, pale and unconscious, cradled in Shun's arms. "It seems your student has been rescued, Camus."
"It doesn't matter. I'll freeze him again, along with these—traitors." Camus' voice was cold, his expression impassive. While this development was unexpected—it didn't change his plans.
"You won't get the chance," Shura declared, his eyes fixed on Seiya, Shun, and Shiryu. "I will eliminate them with my Excalibur."
A sharp, piercing Cosmo enveloped the temple, pressing down on the Bronze Saints. They felt a prickle of fear, their bodies instinctively reacting to the threat. They knew this was the power of a Gold Saint, the Seventh Sense, far surpassing their own.
"Wait—we're not your enemies!" Seiya exclaimed. "The Pope is an imposter! He tried to kill Athena thirteen years ago. Aiolos saved her and brought her out of Sanctuary. She's here!"
"Lies—" Shura snarled, unconcerned by Seiya's words. He trusted the Pope, whose authority had been bestowed by Athena herself, far more than some unknown Bronze Saints.
Camus remained silent.
"It seems…we have no choice but to fight," Seiya said, adopting a fighting stance.
Shun and Shiryu nodded, mirroring his resolve. They were ready.
"Then I will erase you completely." Shura extended his arm.
For the Capricorn Gold Saint, his hand was his blade, each swing a deadly attack, his Cosmo focused into a cutting edge, sharper than any sword.
Just as he was about to unleash his Excalibur, a voice stopped him.
"STOP."
The voice, though calm, carried an undeniable authority that made Shura pause. Two powerful Cosmos surged, their presence filling the temple, dwarfing even Shura's own.
"Who's there?!" Shura demanded, retracting his arm.
Unlike his earlier arrogance, his voice was now laced with caution. Even Camus' expression had turned serious.
They both sensed the immense power of the approaching Cosmos, a power far surpassing that of the Bronze Saints.
It wasn't the temporary boost of a burning Sixth Sense but the true power of the Seventh Sense. And within those Cosmos, they felt a strange familiarity.
"Aiolia…and Deathmask?" Camus murmured. He recognized Aiolia's Cosmo instantly. The other, however, was less familiar, though it carried a distinct Underworld aura.
That could only be Deathmask...
"No…that's not Deathmask. It's someone else," Shura said, his eyes narrowed in concentration.
His mastery of the Excalibur had honed his senses, making him acutely attuned to a warrior's presence, their fighting spirit.
Shura could sense an immense—battle-hardened aura emanating from the unknown Cosmo, far surpassing Deathmask's.
"You're right. I'm not Deathmask."
Mika's figure materialized on the stairway, his cloak swirling around him as he descended, a confident smile playing on his lips.
"I am Mika—the new Cancer Gold Saint."
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