A/N: in this chapter, for certain saint's techniques I'll be using the original japanese names. Not only I'll do them because they're shorter in japanese than english, but also because they sound TERRIBLY LAME in english.

Isis' amulet was richly crafted resembling a dress, golden arm plates covering her forearms and a crown shaped as a black throne. She had a pair of golden wings folded behind her back, finely adorned with various gems.

"Phoenix Illusion Demoniac Fist!" yelled Ikki, as he lunged toward the goddess.

Isis didn't even flinch when Ikki's attack struck her. He smirked at her and lowered his fist.

"Now your mind will be destroyed, and your soul shall be ravaged by my demonic illusion," he said.

Isis opened her eyes and smiled. She gave a few steps forward toward him and Ikki receded in shock. She stopped and looked away, still smiling, before she spoke.

"Your mind attacks won't affect me, Phoenix Saint, for my soul is devine and it can't be destroyed," she said calmly. She turned to look at him again and raised a hand at him and smiled. "It's my turn... Wings of Sorrow..." she said in a soft voice.

The wings on Isis' back spread wide and Ikki felt as if everything had gone suddenly dark. A purple mist started to flow from Isis' hand and Ikki was surprised to discover he couldn't move.

ISIS! A CLASH OF CURSED MINDS

Ikki felt a heavy weight growing in his heart. His mind was spinning as his breathing grew heavy. Suddenly, Isis' figure was replaced by that of a young girl wid golden hair and beautiful blue eyes.

"Esmeralda..." muttered Ikki.

"Ikki..." she replied.

"Esmeralda..." he repeated.

Then, a blazing fire engulfed her and Ikki let out a cry as he tried to run toward her, realizing that no matter how fast he ran she wasn't any closer. Fire started to lick her dress and scorched her skin, as Ikki cried her name while Esmeralda turned her face away, apparently unable to feel the pain, as her hair got caught in fire.

Ikki stopped running and fell on his knees, screaming Esmeralda's name as her young body was engulfed in the hellish fire surrounding her, and Ikki was forced to watch as the fire slowly burnt her skin, then her bones and finally rendered her to ashes.

"ESMERALDAAAA!" yelled Ikki.

Isis stared at the saint in front of her, as he fell on his face motionless. She walked up to him and caressed his hair gently before standing up again and turning her back on him. She gave a few steps and then stood still, closing her eyes.

"You could have saved him, you know?" she asked openly.

"He doesn't need saving" assured Shaka, as he stepped from behind a pillar, where he had been hiding.

"I destroyed his heart and his soul, taking from him his will to fight," she replied, turning around to face the Gold Saint.

"Then I, Virgo Shaka, shall be your oponent."

Isis raised her hand at him and smiled. "Then, I'll have to take away your will too. Wings of Sorrow..." Her wings spread open again.

Shaka sat down in a lotus position and chanted: "Kān!"

Shaka's Cosmo started to expand as the purple mist emanated again from Isis' hand; however, this time the wisps of mist weren't able to get near him, for his technique protected him and, to Isis' shock, the mist started to turn back and she felt dizziness claiming her as her sight went black.

"Isis..." whispered a voice.

Isis then saw Osiris standing majestic in front of her.

"My love... I'm sorry... I failed..." she cried.

Osiris then looked down and she noticed faint lines of blood all around his body. She then knew what would happen, but still cried when Osiris' body was slowly dismembered, pieces of him falling on the ground as his entire body was mutilated by invisible knives. Set's laughter could now be heard, as Osiris' remains turned into dust and scattered into the wind.

"NOOO!" she cried out loud.

Isis fell on her four, as she kept sobbing and crying. Shaka stood up and waited for her to calm down.

"How did you...?" she asked in mid-sobbing.

"I, Virgo Shaka, am the Saint closest to a god," he replied calmly. "My power is greater than any other saint's."

Isis looked up, raised to her feet again and stretched her arms sideways; her wings unfolded again. "How dare you make me sorrow..." she murmured. "Solar Wing of Ra..."

Isis' wings got caught in fire as she leapt into the air and dashed at Shaka, taking him by surprise. The impact sent Shaka flying several feet before he crashed against a wall and fell on the ground. Isis then soared up again and dived fast toward the fallen saint, but Shaka moved out of the way and jumped out of reach, placed his hands in front of him and yelled: "Tenkūhaja Chimimōryō!"

Isis turned to look in time to see what appeared to be a wave of thousand demonic souls revolving around Shaka before being cast at her. She folded her wings in front of her to cover herself from the attack, but the impact of it tossed her to the ground. Isis screamed in pain and stood up, ready to counter Shaka's attack, when there was a sudden flash of blazing fire and Isis turned just in time to see a fiery bird soaring into the sky and then dashing at her. She was hit by the flaming attack and fell on her back once more as Ikki landed right in front of Shaka.

"How is this possible?" asked Isis, standing up in pain.

"The phoenix is inmortal, for it will always be reborn from its ashes," replied Ikki, turning around and then addressing Shaka. "This is my battle..."

Shaka nodded and turned to leave Ikki with Isis, but the bronze saint called his attention again.

"Shaka... go take care of Shun..." he said.

The gold saint nodded again and left. Ikki turned back to Isis who was now grinning at him.

The air had cooled down around Hyoga, now that he had entered the underground mausoleum. He knew he was being watched, but couldn't find where his watcher was hiding. The hall was lit by torches all around it, and the air was dry. He stopped walking in order to look around and then he saw her, standing in the shadows at the farthest end of the hall: Nephthys.

Athena could feel the air heavy around her. The sand level had greatly rised and she knew she didn't have much time left before it reached her chest and started to oppress her lungs. She closed her eyes again and tried to concentrate on her saints' Cosmo, feeling full of hope, for now she knew that her gold saints were also aiding in battle.

"You made a mistake in asking him to leave," said Isis.

"No," replied Ikki, stretching his arms on each side of him, "it was you who made a mistake. Phoenix's Wings Rise!"

Isis leapt into the air as she tried to dodge Ikki's attack, but the flaming bird followed her and struck her fully in the back. She fell on the ground and jumped to her feet, posing as before with her arm stretched toward Ikki.

"You shall suffer again! Wings of Sorrow!" she called.

"Phoenix Illusion Demoniac Fist!" said Ikki.

As Isis' wings stretched open, Ikki's attack pierced her brain and made her lose her focus on her opponent.

She closed her eyes, suddenly filled with despair and, when she opened them, she found herself standing in front of Set, who was smirking at her while holding Osiris' heart in his hand. She screamed at her brother and tried to reach for the torn organ, but he crushed it in his fist turning it to dust. She closed her eyes with sorrow and, when she looked again, she was now standing in the middle of the Nile, aligators chewing at her wings and tearing her apart as she tried hard to search underwater for more of Osiris' remains.

Ikki stared at Isis as her eyes went out of focus. She was on her knees, her arms stetched at her sides palms up, shuddering due to the effect of the illusions caused by Ikki's attack.

A/N: Chapter dedicated to my friend and follower Princess-Dark-Angel, who happens to have been born under the influence of the Virgo Constellation.