On his uneasy footsteps, Shura headed to the Pope's Chamber. He had been an aggressive warrior and never been remorseful from killing an opponent; not even Aiolos, his close friend. When he faced Saori, however, he was plagued with fear and uncertainty. Unlike Aiolos, Saori was just a girl half of his size. Yet, her eyes were fierce and her determination to kill him by her own hands was real. She had almost done it had Pegasus Seiya not pulled her back.

When Aiolia pleaded on his behalf, Shura was plagued with guilt. To redeem his wrongs, he obligated himself to defeat Saga even if it meant for him to do something that he's really not good at - lying.

Shura had faults in his personality but lying was not one of them. In fact, he was honest to a fault. All Gold Saints knew it was Zeus who fought Metis for the patronage of the Sanctuary and ordered the assassination of Athena. It would be a hard truth for Saori to swallow. Mu and Aldebaran avoided the subject when she asked. Yet, Shura voluntarily told her everything, perhaps too much.

"Your Holiness," Shura said, knelt before the Pope and presented him the blood-stained cloth. "Athena is now dead. I've slain her with my Excalibur."

The Pope took the blood-stained cloth and his hands shook.

"You killed her?" He asked. "Athena is dead?"

"Yes, your Holiness," Shura answered, trying to look as genuine as possible.

The Pope couldn't keep his eyes off the cloth. The blood stain was becoming bigger and bigger. He looked up and found Zeus standing before him instead of Shura.

"What have you done?" Zeus demanded angrily. "Athena is my daughter! And you killed her! You are only a mortal! Now you must pay!"

"I...I...I did what you want me to do..." The Pope, Gemini Saga, replied in fear. "It...it wasn't me...It was Shura!"

He threw the blood-stained cloth away and removed his mask.

"Help! Someone! Go find Capricorn Shura! He is the murder of Goddess Athena!"

He fell on his knees and tore his hair. Only now he realized he was foolish in helping Zeus killing Athena. Zeus had seen Athena as a threat to his power but would he really shoulder the claim of killing his own daughter? With Athena out of the way, Zeus could simply cry like any father who lost a child and make Saga the culprit.

Crying, Saga now saw Shura before him.

Not Zeus.

Was it all real?

No, it was only an illusion. Gemini Saint Saga knew it better than anyone.

"You...try to trick me!" Saga angrily yelled at Shura. "How stupid you think I am? If you killed Athena with Excalibur she only bled this much?"

He threw the blood-stained cloth at Shura's face before kicked him out of the Pope's Chamber, literally. Shura was smashed against the wall. Groaning, he pulled himself up and saw Saga threw off the Pope's robe and armored in the Gemini Gold Cloth.

"I'm doing what's the best for the Sanctuary," he said to Shura. "I will not waste any lives for a lost cause. Aiolos was supposed to be the last death."

"Saga-"

"Galaxian Explosion!"


Saori patiently waited before the Pope's Chamber.

The Saints constantly looked at the clock tower. Seiya was not willing to wait any longer.

"Wait," Saori stopped Seiya before he could go in there.

A huge explosion blown up from the Pope's Chamber.

Shura, wounded, was thrown against a pillar. If it weren't for his Gold Cloth, he would've been dead by now.

"Goddess Athena," Saga greeted, stepping out from the flame. "We finally meet."

"We met," Saori said. "It was cut short when you tried to kill me, which you still fail."

"I am saving the Sanctuary," Saga said. "No one can defeat Zeus King of Olympus. Why don't you come with me? I'll take you to your father and you can work out your differences."

He walked towards Saori before the Gold Saints stood before her to protect her.

"What was on your mind?" Seiya asked Saori in a whisper.

"I had Ikki drive him a little crazy," Saori said. "I thought he'd be so freaked out that-"

"That what?"

"He might grab Shura's Excalibur and you-know-what."

"You read too much Shakespeare," Seiya said with sarcasm.

"You don't have any choice, Athena!" Saga said. "Your time is up!"

Indeed, the curse from the arrow was now covering her from her wrist to her ankle.

"What will you say to Zeus if I die in your hands?" Saori questioned Saga.

"If the King of Olympus wants to punish me then I am more than willing to accept," Saga said. "It is all for the Sanctuary and peace. Peace always comes with a price."

Facing the Gold Saints, Saga was preparing his attack. Sworn to protect their Goddess, the Gold Saints were ready to fight Saga. Initially Saga was expected to lose. However, much to everyone's shock, Saga was more powerful than any Gold Saint. One by one, the Gold Saints were overpowered by Saga. Before Saga could come closer to Saori, Seiya jumped in front of her.

"Pegasus Meteor Punch!"

"You are only a Bronze Saint," Saga said, attacking him.

"Seiya!" Saori shouted.

A golden aura surrounded Seiya and protected him from Saga's attack. Slowly, Seiya stood - in Sagittarius Gold Cloth.

"Aiolos?" Saga muttered in disbelief. "Impossible! You're dead!"

"Finally, he awakened his Seventh Sense," Taura Aldebaran commented.


Athena...my daughter...

Saori realized that her mother Metis was communicating with her.

To defeat Gemini Gold Saint you must don your Divine Cloth. The Divine Cloth is the statue behind the Pope's chamber. Hurry! You don't have much time left. Zeus has used his blood making Gemini's Gold Cloth divine.

Looking at the battle between Seiya and Saga, Saori communicated with rest of the Saints.

All of you, go help Seiya! Keep Saga distracted as long as you can!

Together, Gold Saints, Shaina, and Bronze Saints surrounded Gemini Saga and launched their attack.

Taking the opportunity, Saori ran to the statue. She could see it standing tall and proud.

"No!" Saga knew what she was up to and tried to stop her. Saori ran as fast as she could and dodged his attacks. Finally, she was before the gigantic statue. This is the Divine Cloth, she thought. But how can I don it?

She pressed her hand against the statue but only felt the coldness.

Wait...

Zeus had used his blood making Gemini's Gold Cloth divine, her mother had told her.

So it needs blood.

Her blood.

On the ground, she found a shard and used it to cut her palm.

One drop of blood.

And another one.

And another one.


"You will never win this!" Saga exclaimed as he fought the Saints. "My cloth is divine!"

"So is mine!" Saori declared. In her divine cloth, she was clad in armor from head to toe. In one hand she held her spear and in the other she held her shield. A pair of gold wings was on her back. She was glowing with her cosmo.

"This is for Aiolos!" She yelled as she attacked Saga with her spear.

"You fool!" Saga rebuked. "You will never win against Zeus! You have doomed the Sanctuary!"

"You think you are saving the Sanctuary?" Saori questioned. "You are the fool! The moment I die you and the Sanctuary will be declared guilty of killing a goddess and Zeus' daughter!"

She then saw the clock tower. The last flame was about to fade.

"Saga, the time is running out," Saori said. "What will happen if the last flame goes out?"

Saga looked at the clock tower and found himself again facing Zeus King of Olympus.

"You killed Athena!" Zeus pointed his finger at him. "You are guilty of deicide!"

The ground was rocking and the sky was black. Sanctuary was crumbling.

"No!" Saga shouted. "This wasn't what I intended! Goddess Metis!"

Hopeless, he pulled out the golden dagger - the one he used to stab Aiolos and to assassinate Athena - and stabbed himself in the heart.