"Your enemy is him!"? Ryuho's Courage

(お前の敵は彼奴だ！? 龍峰の勇気)

What to tell about the man of Rozan that bore the Cloth of Libra, his unshakable belief hailed by Athena.

His master Dohko taught him Eastern martial arts and tales of the past; following tradition, he walked along the path of protecting Earth and its inhabitants. No disdain could be harbored for Libra Genbu due to his good heart, unless one was a stubborn god. He would not lose his beliefs even after being revived from Ashura.

Demeter derived comfort from such a reputation. As she stared at the deceased Gold Saint, who was now wrapped in a blackened replicate of his Libra Cloth, she showed a gray flower lying in her hand. Its outspread petals were thinner than her fingers, their shape much like the frills of chrysanthemums or asters.

"Your impertinence is not accepted here," she said. "With this Thesmophoria flower, you are under my command. Even if you think not, you show respect before a goddess."

Genbu was silent, showing observation through a still gaze of defiance; the word "command" did not follow, and the goddess could sense this.

"Indeed, you would not turn against Athena wouldn't you?" said Demeter.

"Goddess of Harvest, no matter where a Saint's spirit wavers, through the abyss or through Heaven, our allegiance is always with Athena," he said. Demeter felt angered by his words, but it did not show upon her face. His voice harmonized a calm probity, rather than a sense of calamity that brought war. A feeling of watching a serene lake underneath the moon in a Spring night. It was unlike the other Gold Saints that she revived.

"I can tell that you're strong," the goddess said. "A true soldier, a disgusting thing that fights as an instinct, but I can also sense that you are a good man."

Genbu said nothing, only listening.

"Your comrades are fighting for me," the goddess went on. "Do you not know them? Tokisada, Schiller, Amor, Sonia, Paradox, Saints destitute of virtue. But you, you are different. It'll be difficult to turn you. No, I will not be wavered by your obstinate stance. Genbu, you will have to raise your fist at me to change fate."

"Very well." Genbu splayed his feet and entered a neutral, readying stance. Demeter was unsurprised, continuing her lofty discourse.

"Once you do, prepare for what you face after you sin. I do not accept cruelty and battle upon my land. A battle worth naught, and then you're sent back to darkness."

"I will face all Seven Hells to protect Athena's Saints, Demeter." Genbu said, tensing his fingers. "You have sent my companions to harm the other Saints, and you will bring calamity for what you plan to do. As a Goddess of Harvest, why do you turn to a vicious path?"

Demeter's face was composed, but her next words seem the opposite.

"You would dare refer to me as vicious?" Her voice shook behind little tension.

"Severe? Grievous? Spiteful? Concerning? I do not wish to fight you, for you were never an enemy to Athena, but I shall to protect her, her fellow guardians, and her world. Why have you turned your back on the Earth that you swore to sustain?"

"Enough, Libra!" A noble-looking man nearly rushed ahead to step in between the two. He was quickly stopped by Demeter's quick glance.

"It is fine."

"If you revive Hades," Genbu continued to plead, "he will seek Athena's head and destroy the world. That is his way. If you won't prevent that, it's the same as being his ally."

"Yes, his most exquisite foe since mythological times has always been Athena, due to her love of humanity. Humanity can be both beautiful and dirty, and in nearly every reincarnation, Hades conspired against her. Genbu, in honor of your piety and sense of principle, I allow your presence here. Still, the rule of my Thesmophoria stands."

Genbu said nothing. He relaxed his pose; he believed that she wouldn't be turned.

"Regardless of what will happen, I want the Underworld returned. As a consequence, Hades will regain his seat as ruler. That is the decree of the Gods. And, you must fight your comrades. At the least, measure them."

"Measure?"

"Does that convince you enough to face them? If you rely on them so much, see that they are allowed to protect this Earth and make wrong right. Other than that, I shall not let you defy a mother. And I predict that Hades will honor my actions and fulfill my wishes."

"Is one of your wishes to stop him from his destructive path?"

"Nay, Genbu. It can't be done. Believe or not, Hades and I are close. Those on Earth die and return to soil, to walk the cliffs of Yomatsu and towards the path of one of the prisons. Along it, more life comes and goes. Nothing is wasted. If Hades's intention is to purge the world and create another, then that is so. Life dies by his hands, and flourishes by my hands. That is also the decree of Gods."

"I see."

"Justice is different among all; balance is the same. We fight for and against our differences; if Athena bides humanity's peace with her life, then Hades must accept destroying life for peace. That is also the Holy War."

"I shall not resent you for this Demeter, but believe me, Athena will not allow it."

"Indeed Genbu. It is also the way of the Holy War to fight back."

"Then I know what I must do."

Facing Ryuho and Kouga, Genbu explained his first meeting with Demeter. Compared to Libra, she barely interacted with the other Gold Saints so closely; as long as her deeds were done.

"Demeter has not fought against the Earth. I assume she only wants one thing and nothing more. I don't think she completely trusts me, and refused to speak her reasons in full." Genbu said, rubbing his chin.

"That doesn't mean she get to recklessly attack us and bring the world's destruction upon us!" barked Kouga.

"I only heard stories from Master about how the Cloth of Ophiuchus is used. Again, I wasn't told the full details of Demeter's plan, perhaps for her own security, but that Cloth has a forbidden background. It's the key to a tomb."

"A key, Mister Genbu?" Ryuho showed interest.

"Ophiuchus is the serpent bearer is it not? How does it connect to the revival of the Underworld is the question? At this moment, there is no Hell. Virgo Fudo had to keep our souls at bay. However, I was sent to the Ashura Realm in hopes to cleanse myself. It's hard to imagine 'cleansing" anything in such a world, but it's indeed a test. That's when I realized—"

"Realize?" Now, Kouga wondered.

"I realized my own vanity. Perhaps it can be said about all Saints, especially Gold Saints and-" Genbu paused and raised a finger, pointing to both Bronze Saints. Then, a small motion, his finger aimed towards Kouga. "God Destroyers."

Pegasus Kouga grimaced. Once again, he was called such a title; God slayers, God destroyers, names that seem to follow Pegasus in every generation, follow a fate for a boy that went against all odds.

"So I stand here now to see how much you've improved as Saints. Have you felt the Universe? The Omega? Let me see. You must've felt it at least once."

Kouga stomped the sand. "You still want us to fight you, Genbu?!"

"If you can't, you cannot defeat Hades."

"The Underworld King, right?" said Ryuho. "Is that who you mean?"

Genbu said nothing.

"Back in China, I heard about that name from someone named Rouen."

Ryuho then explained what happened before he came to the Athens Habor and reunited with the other Bronze Saints. While he was training his students, and reunited with his old friend Suikyo, a bizarre thing appeared and propagated about the Return of the Dark King. A thing called the Terrestrial Guardian Star, Gargoyle Rouen that chased after Suikyo's soul, demanding him to join the Underworld. Ryuho couldn't penetrate Rouen's armor, and that's when Suikyo showed off something surprising. After that incident, Ryuho's friend insisted to stay far away.

"Indeed, Hades, probably Athena's greatest foe," Genbu explained. "For the Underworld to revive, it needs its leader. However, due to the stories of mythological ages, Demeter is not that intimate to Hades."

"We don't need to fight Mister Genbu. We are going to stop this Hades's resurrection. That's all we have to do right?"

Genbu breathed a solemn sigh. "Unfortunately, that can't happen."

"Why?!" Both Bronze Saints exclaimed at the same time.

"Because it's like I said before, if you don't tap into Omega, you can't face him. If you want to reach Demeter, you will have to travel to the Underworld yourself, in which she has personal entrance to. In other words, you won't have that much time. To revive a God? From what I heard, the Cloth of Ophiuchus's forbidden ability can make that easy."

Genbu's words left Kouga and Ryuho both in amazement. He continued. "Furthermore, upon entering the Underworld, you will suffocate from the aura of the dead. It'll feel like a barrier upon your Cosmos. The law of Hades forbids the living to walk freely. You'll be subjugated to that land's power. Therefore, you must become near God or..."

Pausing his words, Genbu entered a battle stance. "You can die. Enough talk. Awaken my faith. Awaken the Omega and you'll have a chance. If not, I'll end you."

Both Bronze Saints took stance as well; it was inevitable to fight a former friend after all. It would seem simple to charge Genbu, but the two feared a repeat of the last offense. Being a representative of the tortoise, Libra contained a sustainable defense within his very own fists. Ryuho turned his head to Kouga and lowered his voice.

"Kouga, you go on ahead."

"What do you mean?"

"If what Mister Genbu said is true about the time, then we must hurry. I want you to head for Naxos while I battle."

"You mean you want to fight Genbu alone?! I can't do that!"

"Don't worry. At the least, if we can retrieve Miss Shaina's Cloth, then it won't be used as a key, right?"

Kouga gave Ryuho a look of disbelief, but within, he had a second thought. Both boys had been absent from combat, particularly Ryuho who entered meditative training. Thus, they feared over the idea of Genbu, who boasts about battling in the Ashura Realm, being fought alone. However, there was the threat of Demeter accomplishing her plan and it was obvious that she was impeding them with brisk force. Kouga sensed the urgency, nodded, and ran ahead. He took a long leap, showing no attention to Libra. Genbu watched and grimaced, pointing towards the soaring Pegasus.

"Pegasus, you will not leave until you have my credence of you being a Saint's heir." Genbu suddenly jolted. A ray of Cosmos hit him.

"Mister Genbu, face me," said the young Dragon Saint, staring directly at Genbu with daring eyes.

"What?"

"I'm your opponent. If the Omega is brought upon our companions' Cosmos having merged once before, then I'll be a testament for Kouga."

"I will not accept any hubris, Ryuho. Modifying your strength is important."

"I'll show you our potential." Ryuho shut his eyes and his body glowed. Genbu hesitated, interested on what was about to happen.

"Rozan Hyakuryuha!" Ryuho stretched out his arms. A flurry of dragons, the Wave of one hundred dragons, manifested before Genbu. They consumed the Gold Saint. With a roar of his voice, Ryuho passed Genbu, his knuckles scrapping against a shoulder. A loud clang, an impact of metal, sounded out; the shield of the Libra Cloth flew off Genbu's shoulder.

Genbu held up, staying onto his feet, but his pose was shaken. He felt the blow, which surprised him. "I see. You truly are Brother Shiryu's son."

"How's that Genbu!?" Within, Ryuho wanted Genbu's approval; he did not want to destroy him.

"Indeed. At that moment, I felt your Cosmos explode at a massive level. A universal feeling, like someone was by your side." As he spoke, he turned to take his Cloth shield and reattach to his shoulder. "This feeling of union. Was it Omega? For now, it's a hint of something that's slowly reawakening."

Those words gave Ryuho confidence, and he entered a stance to prepare for another Hyakuryuha. He felt like it was the only way for him to break Libra's defense. In Genbu's mind, he knew that the Bronze Saints boast about the Dragon Shield having the great defense, but The Libra's Shields may have that title. It sustained no damage but enough force knocked it away with a blow equal to a Gold Saint.

"Very well. You will face my new technique: Tomoe Taiko Ken."

As Genbu entered an open battle stance, Ryuho wondered over the new technique. With Genbu's arms and legs splayed, Ryuho expected an incoming ranged attack much similar to his Hyakuryuha. The Rozan techniques were primarily melee, or were launched from the fist, and Ryuho took another chance to rush in. Closer and closer, he didn't see Genbu budge. Dragon expected another defense-to-offense move.

"Rozan Hyakuryuha!" A myriad of dragons extended towards Genbu, engulfing him, a jaw grasping a shoulder, a leg, a thigh, a foot. Ryuho closed in, and saw Libra throw a fist. Suddenly, the air was clear; the dragons dissipated. He was surprised, passing by the Gold Saint in black. He heard a beat, becoming confused as to why his attack was ineffective. Before Ryuho could turn, he felt a light slap against his back.

"Ah!?" His scream was caught in his throat. The surroundings faded to dark quick; he was facing the ground, and the plates of his Dragon armor were scattered about.

Libra Genbu was the only one standing.

"I am disappointed in you, Ryuho." Genbu looked over his shoulder for a short moment before walking away. In his mind, slightly debased by Ashura, he secretly damned the Bronze Saints as failures to Athena. Or did Ryuho die for his friends? Now all he held was his last desire – to battle Shiryu.

"The Tomoe Taiko Ken increases the warrior spirit or inhibits it. To fall against it means that your will was not completely invested into fighting. Thus, the reason why you Cloth collapsed from your body."

"It's…not over."

Suddenly, Genbu fell to a knee.

The Hyakuryuha, it is truly devastating. Genbu acknowledged a part of Ryuho's strength; the boy was able to inherit such a technique after all. Still, the one who looked the most broken was Ryuho. Flat on the ground, his Cloth removed, bare back exposed and covered in bruises. Genbu turned to look again; Ryuho wasn't moving, but the sections of the Dragon Cloth were vibrating. The former Gold Saint cupped his chin with his hand.

"I definitely heard his voice." He had heard that the Saints Cloth were reactionary to different situations; it's said that the former owners could spur the Cloth's power from the dead or even Cosmos beyond the Seventh Sense.

"Is this Omega?" Genbu wondered out loud, and then nodded to himself before walking away. He had a good feeling. The celestial powers above Hell were probably at work. He had never seen Omega himself, but one thing he knew – he sensed that Ryuho's Cosmos hasn't completely disappeared.

"Ryuho. A warning. There is a guy on Naxos who single-handled defeated a group of Saints effortlessly.

Libra Genbu left his cryptic message to the sleeping Dragon and disappeared from the Greek island. For now, his goal as a revived Saint under the mother goddess's was done. If she was watching, she would be convinced – Ryuho was dead and repelled from Demeter's home island. What of the Dragon Cloth's conscience?

On another island, there was a broken down amphitheatre. It was a coliseum, an ancient relic of the past where man fought.

"So you've come, Lionet Souma." Sonia's body loomed amidst the gray fog as she stood in the broken stage bleachers. "Even after being stung by my Scarlet Needle, you would dare face me. Soon, the Underworld will return and you will all die."