The angel and the devil
Flutter of feathers in the wind.
"Deaaaath!", dozens of throats tore the air bathed in the setting sun. Horses' hooves beat the ground like hammers.
Aiakos stood before them. One of the Three Judges surrounded himself with terrified subordinates and waited with a smile. His black wings. Her white wings. Flutter. Fury. Charge.
"Deaaaath!", she screamed and the sound melted into the others' screams. They became one.
Space swarmed with all-seeing eyes. Boiling blood, hooves crushing the ground.
"Deaaaath!"
She jerked up, dropping a striped blanket onto the floor. She took a deep breath panicking, trying to figure out who she was, where she was and what the hell. She managed to answer the first question, when the spasm in her stomach showed appropriate priority. She fell more than left the bed and ran half-bent. Fortunately, body memory was activated: although she couldn't explain to herself yet, that she was in her flat, her feet themselves found their way to the bathroom.
Flashes of memories began to return as she was rinsing her mouth and doing self-clean up. Undoubtedly, the mirror was huge aid in this matter. There were no bruises yet, but Liwia knew exactly where they would appear, how big they would be, and even could guessed their colors. The lip above the upper left corner of the mouth was cut and the wound, due to the recent act of puking, opened, burning mercilessly. Bloody abrasions on her wrists pinched in contact with water, and red skin shone from underneath her burned trousers.
The price of patriotism.
Liwia also realized that her arms were no longer covered by this disgusting wolf fur. She hoped that it burned during the ritual.
Girl glanced again at the reflection in the mirror; despite whole event she looked quite good and, given the circumstances, relatively clean. Someone had to have pity on her before she did post-vomited ablution.
She rolled out of the bathroom and hit the adjacent wall with her shoulder. Some vague images, sounds, words were returning, but it made her nauseous again, so Liwia decided to sleep a little longer before she will investigate about the course and result of the ritual and trying to figure out who brought her here.
However, reality did not like to wait and the answer to the last question came unexpectedly quickly.
The girl screamed in fear. On the floor of the corridor sat cross-legged Shaka.
"Have you seen a ghost?" the man asked.
Hehe. That was funny. And Virgo Knight stated, that he had to be very tired since he was amused by his own jokes.
Liwia breathed, coming back to life. She had no idea what the blond man was doing in her cottage. And how she might not have noticed him as she rolled towards the bathroom. Finally, she presumed that Shaka was one of those assistant knights mentioned by the Grand Master. When she thought about it, it seemed an understandable choice: if the Virgo Saint really was able to mentally move between different dimensions, communing with the dead people should not spooked him.
What could spook him away? Such Nosferatu at Shaka's sight would shit himself with fear.
Instinctively, she pulled on her stained with blood, soot and dirt shirt; if the visual effect was to improve because of this, she suffered a disgraceful defeat.
"Was it that bad?" she asked in a harsh voice. Her throat was dry as pepper.
Virgo relaxed his posture a bit, leaving meditation mode.
"Depends on what you wanted to achieve."
Fucking Sphinx.
"Ghosts showed up?" The girl didn't have the strength to stand any longer, so she pulled a stool for herself, throwing shopping bags off it.
"Yes."
Liwia nodded, satisfied. She glanced at the watch hanging in the kitchen. She blinked. It was ten to four. In the afternoon.
"I slept so long?"
He didn't find this question worth answering.
She sighed. If she wasn't wrong in her suspicions, Shaka must have been here all the time. And look after her.
She got up from the stool and with drunken steps walked to the kitchen. She switched on the gas, set the kettle and took a tea can out of the cabinet. Houses of the minor knights were not equipped with refrigerators, so Liwia had only hard-spoiling snacks. Besides, if she proposed beef sausages, she would already be dead. She put some cookies on a plate, cut two apples from the Rodorio's orchard into quarters, and poured some water into the cup, praying that it would be the right temperature.
She pushed the only chair away from the small table and returned to the corridor. She didn't even hear when Virgo Knight rose from the floor and took a step toward the door. He was quieter than a cat.
"Are you leaving?" she asked in astonishment.
He shrugged.
"It seems that you are alive."
He wanted to go when the girl reached out to stop him. It's good that she withdrew her hand in time. Aiolia probably was still healing his shoulder, she had to remember about that.
"Wait, please," she said instead. "You've probably been sitting here very long. I don't have much food, but I made tea."
He turned his closed eyelids to her. His face expressed nothing.
"There is no need. I only followed the Grand Master's order."
Well, now she will leave him alone and he will finally be able to rest in Sixth Temple, drink a real...
"I brewed the Iron Goddess of Mercy."
It was a low blow.
"I didn't know that anyone but Mu has access to good Chinese tea," he said rather wryly, but basically he just played for time. Such a beverage couldn't be wasted. Even if it wasn't prepared in accordance to tea-art, which Shaka guessing in this case. The girl smiled wanly.
"I'm a Sanctuary Guest, I have to learn from the best, so that's what I do. Please, have a seat."
He hesitated a moment longer, but eventually walked with stiff steps into the kitchen and sat on the chair moved for him. The girl pulled herself a stool, then handed the blonde a navy blue mug with round bright patterns. The man knew by smell that Silver was telling the truth: it was a Tie Guan Yin Oolong.
"From Bolesławiec," she explained with a note of pride, pointing to the cup. "That's a well-known manufacture in Poland..."
Like he cares, get over it, she thought and cut the sentence.
"Thank you," he murmured, clearly not used to saying the word to someone other than Mu.
He took a sip. It wasn't the tea that the Aries Saint made, of course, but he had to admit that the girl didn't kill it. Or after so many hours he was simply able to boast of every hot drink.
"So," she said, taking the cookie from the plate, "what happened yesterday?"
He was silent for a moment.
"You started prophesying."
The ticking of the kitchen watch like a slow giggle.
"What?" Liwia didn't bring a cookie to her mouth. "How it could..? But the ghosts..."
"They did not say a word." Shaka took a sip of his tea and thought back to last night. "Only pointed at you."
The girl was shocked.
"It has never happened, always..." She shook her head, which made it more painful. "I don't understand, but the main thing is that the effort was not wasted and a prophecy was gained. It is a pity that Guślarz doesn't speak English, he could tell if he was pleased."
"He didn't have to say anything, I know he wasn't," Shaka replied, watching the girl's face by his substitute of sight. She looked worse and worse. If he had some satisfaction at the beginning by dosing her information, now he regretted it a little. After all, if she feels unwell, he will have to sit here for another few hours.
"Why?" she asked quietly. She was pale.
The man finally understood that it wasn't a matter of being surprised by the strange course of the ritual. The girl must have thought that her homeland would be destroyed. That... was inappropriate and impolite of him.
"You didn't foretell for your countrymen. You predicted the future of the Saints."
Well, now it was really comforting. Knight of Fox froze. The cookie fell out of a shaking hand.
"What..." The voice shook with emotion, "What did I predict? Shaka, tell me..."
"I do not speak Polish. And Camus didn't share with the little he understood."
The girl got up, picked up the lying cookie with uncertain fingers and set it aside. She took a glass and poured herself a water. Virgo just waited for her to fall over.
Leaning heavily on the counter, she was silent.
"Where is the Congregation?" she finally asked in a serious tone.
"The Grand Master and Aquarius were to talk to them. I don't know the result."
Her heart was beating very loudly, he could hear it more clearly than the ticking of the kitchen clock.
"You are afraid." That was a statement.
And she wasn't going to answer statements.
"Each of your vision announced misfortune?"
"That's not the point," she murmured and set her empty glass on the table. She has felt sick again. "My country will not get a prophecy, although it is at a crossroads. And if the spirits pointed at me, probably they marked me as theirs deputy. So the prophecy for the Sanctuary may be a prophecy affecting not only knights, but also the whole world, including Poland. That's why the ancestors told the Congregation to go to Greece. I see no other option."
She sank back onto the stool and buried her face in her hands. She felt bad. The weight of the heard words did its job. And the weight of the words spoken yesterday was yet to be revealed.
"I repeat the question, knight." Shaka's voice was cold, which sobered the girl in a second. "Did each of your visions announced misfortune?"
She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to recall the old revelations.
"No," she said, surprised. Maybe the situation wasn't that bad. "Not every was also negative or unpleasant. After all, one of them showed me you."
Oh shit. She really said that.
"The thing is that they always announce something significant, time for important decisions and… yeah."
Well, how smooth. Applause. Curtain.
Shaka, she could sworn, almost smiled. But no, it's impossible. In that case, he would have a sense of humor.
She attempted to mask awkwardness.
"And when did Camus learn Polish? He didn't tell me anything."
"Because he knows only written."
Oh. My. God.
She laughed and immediately regretted it. She has felt blood from a cut lip, and her whole face has protested with throbbing pain.
"Ouch. I knew you were a dangerous man, but I had no idea that you're killing by your sense of humor."
He did not comment. But it was obvious that he has something to say.
"The vision you mentioned..." Shaka set almost empty cup on the counter and stared at her with his cosmic substitute for sight. "What color was the item I held?"
Liwia looked sideways, unable to withstand the intensity of contact. Virgo Knight's cosmo had a strange effect on her, she didn't use to feel that way with any other Athenian warrior. And now she had to focus. She was silent for a moment, then said:
"I'm not sure, it's been a few years now. The corals were probably natural, brown or golden, I don't know. But I think some of them were darker, sort of purple. Probably a play of light or something."
"It wasn't a play of light," he said, and Liwia froze because of confidence in his voice. "And that weren't corals."
He said nothing more, lost in his own thoughts. The man just realized that the girl was telling the truth. Or at least she predicted the possibility of real events. He has suspected that Fox Knight has precognitive abilities when she told him about the vision that day in the Virgo Temple, but he was hoping that it was only announcement for meeting the inhabitants of the Sanctuary. It wasn't.
"Do you know what that means?" Liwia watched the Golden Knight carefully.
"I suspect," he said, "but I need to know more details. Especially those related to specify time and place."
The girl, however, shook her head.
"It doesn't work that way, visions aren't always… how to explain it... um, panoramic." She scratched her head. "I think I saw some leaves or grass, so maybe it wasn't Sanctuary, but I can't remember anything else, I'm sorry. Can you tell me..."
"First I must consult it with the Grand Master," said the man. "To make sure if I read the signs correctly."
"I understand." She was tempted to ask for clarification, but she decided to restrain. For now, she had more urgent problems, and anyway, self-control was something that the Virgo Knight will probably appreciate. "If I can help in any way, I'll be available."
He was silent. But again, as if he were about to shoot her with a question.
"What can you tell me about Asmita?"
She blinked. Is this some kind of a game show? Because she has probably just lost in this strange competition.
"About what?"
He was still perfectly calm.
"It's a name. Hindu. You talked about him when I brought you here."
She shrugged.
"I don't know anyone with that name, so what could I say?" she replied and felt that Shaka is piercing her with his spectral gaze. She added, so he could finally get off her: "You and your students are the only Hindu I know. Maybe I just mumbled in my sleep."
"That would be very interesting mumbling," he said in a slightly ironic tone. "Because you spoke to this Asmita in Hindi, talking about some victory."
She sighed, tired.
"I don't know Hindi, maybe a few terms, that's all. God, did I talk much more that night?"
"A little."
"Still in your native? Or maybe in Vietnamese?"
"In English."
"Finish me off."
"In the morning you said you were cold."
The girl relaxed.
"At least that makes sense."
"And then you said my name."
That much left from this sense.
"But I didn't even know you were here!" she said, not even surprised, but rather tired of herself. She buried her face in hands. "Something else?"
"The last thing you said was Flowers of the Salas have withered."
The girl started giggling. But it hurt so she stopped.
"In Paris, the best chestnuts are on the Pigalle square."
"I do not understand." Shaka's tone of voice was dead serious.
"Ah, nothing, it just sounds like some secret slogan, just like this quote from the Polish TV show. I don't even understand what kind or whose those flowers are."
"Sala. Salas are trees," Shaka muttered, realizing that the girl had absolutely no idea what she had spoken that night. A pity, because the last sentence certainly concerned his person.
Only last one?
He took a sip of the drink, put down the empty cup and said, getting up:
"The Grand Master will come here as soon as he receives the words of the prophecy. Thank you for the tea."
He started walking toward the corridor.
"It's you I have to thank," Fox Knight's words caught up him. "For looking after me and listening to all this nonsense. I know this is not the best way to spend time."
Virgo didn't even turn his head.
"I carried out the Grand Master's order. Nothing more."
"It doesn't matter."
How: doesn't matter? he thought, critically assessing the girl's reasoning ability. As if she heard him.
"It's just the cause. Maybe very important for you, but for me the effect counts. I live and feel good, so I really appreciate. Know that my door will be always open for you."
"It will be open for everyone because I broke the lock," he said and walked out of the building, leaving Liwia completely stupefied, with a slightly twitching corner of her mouth.
"So we're fucked," summed up Mask.
Of all the Golden Knights gathered in the Grand Master's Chamber, only he was smiling. Everyone else made murmurs of concern. Crumpled in hands papers with Liwia's handwritten translation rustled between words.
"If you have already exhausted your interpretive deposits, you can leave now, Mephisto," the Grand Master snapped.
"Who?" Aiolia asked, but his older brother gave him a blow to the side, silencing the boy.
"Wait a moment, I'm reading it correctly? We have only two days to think about what's going on with this poem?" Aphrodite brought page closer to his face, as if it could help him understand the text in any way.
"Probably," said Camus. "It is not clear whether the first prophecy, the one about plows of oblivion, will not have priority in time, but, personally, I don't think so."
"I agree with Camus." Mu leaned against one of the walls. The crimson window curtain nudged his shin pads in the wind. "The first part looks like some general vision and there is more about our ancestors or maybe our predecessors, heroes of the previous Holy War, than about us. I think we only got the first verse directly."
Shion looked at his student with pride. He was thinking very similarly, because he had the knowledge of this forgotten generation. So how can he tell them that the cycles, though not identical, are so convergent? With Dohko they promised themselves, that they would not suggest anything, would not burden them with the fate of their appallingly similar predecessors. They will not close their actions in a cage of destiny, they will not push them to perdition in battle. And they would certainly lose themselves if they knew what their predecessors looked like. And what death they died.
No. They can't find out.
"Oh, sweet, so we've got a verse, I'll quote, They will die again, after they rise…?" Mask, despite dissatisfaction with the fact of demythologized his real name, of course remained in the chamber. "Well, that's wonderful, is not enough that we will die, no, we must been revived, and then once again to the sand, eh?"
"Don't you think it might be about the Hades' Specters?"
Everyone's eyes fell on Saga, standing the furthest from the group. The man looked tired; his red eyes wandered through the text.
"Perhaps," eagerly nodded Shura, stiff as always. "Undead Specters are, therefore, theoretically, get up and die, die and get up many times they can."
"But further there is: And through their ancestors plows of oblivion will pass. Then it would be about the ancestors of the Specters, or what, because I really don't get it?" Aiolia scratched his head, making real artistic disorder on it.
"Maybe their was accented by looking at you?" asked Aiolos, glancing at Shaka, who was still silent.
"She turned her head in our direction from the very beginning. As for the gaze accents, it's hard to say, because her eyes were blindfolded," he replied with a note of irony in his voice.
Oh, Buddha, he expected something not very positive, but the words she uttered... During the conversation with her a few hours ago the Virgo Knight confirmed that the girl was a real medium. And now they interpret their fate and the fate of the entire upcoming Holy War, although half of the Golds does not really believes in foretelling the future after getting drugged with herbs.
"Okay, so the first part we've managed to discussed in a way: it used to be bloody, and the Specters will be a nuisance," said Milo. He had a furrowed brow and a serious expression on his face. It was only during the meeting that he learned about a ritual, that had been performed the previous night, a ritual after which the girl, who was close to him, was still healing. He would rather be there by her side.
His index finger tapped the second, longer text on the crumpled piece of paper.
"But the most important thing for us is to foresee what will happen the day after tomorrow. Because, does it just seem to me, or it predict an imminent outbreak of the Holy War? As if the apocalypse is about to begin, and, as we know, Athena isn't ready to fight.
"Yeah. And we will die from lightning and melee weapons, this is twisted as hell," Pisces Saint snarled, stepping impatiently from foot to foot.
"It will take place rather during this extortion age, whatever that means. And I wouldn't take the words so literally, Dite." Mu ran his fingers through his lavender hair. "It could just mean that many knights would die by cosmo attacks."
"That sounds so much better, thanks, dude" the beautiful warrior muttered in reply.
"The angel and the devil... I wonder who this is all about," said Aiolos. "Good and Evil will fight each other, we know so much. Also this two-headed leader is repeating. Something like Castor and Pollux in a chimeric version."
"They might be gods entering the human body as well," Saga replied, turning to Sagittarius. "Hades, of course, would also suit. Especially since in the later verse From darkness leader came."
"We're still guessing. At least twelve houses is as clear as day," Aiolia said, pleased. "I only wonder what this mentioned fire is, because it will probably be on our side."
"There are several knights using this element," said the Grand Master. "Which still gives no certainty that it is a person."
"Even so, the Sanctuary will become empty," Aquarius's soft voice could be heard. "As if this second blow would come after a bloody victory."
"If all this is true, then Liwia will remain with the last survivors, although perhaps the poor fate awaits her, considering these sorrows and ashes later in the prophecy." The Knight of the Ram began to close the ajar windows when the whistling wind forced papers the dance.
"Was foretelling this girl, forget we can't. About her it doesn't have to be, although grammatical form it assumes," Capricorn raised a topic.
"In that one I would be sure it was about her," Shaka muttered. Those who were waiting to develop such thought had to be disappointed.
The Grand Master looked at the Virgo Knight.
"These Sal trees that are timeless... It's obvious that something will happen in your Temple, Shaka."
The blond man nodded. Flowers of the Salas have withered. Flowers of the Salas have withered...
"And why is that?" The young Knight of the Lion was looking at both men with uncomprehending gaze.
"Salas or sal trees are sacred in Buddhism," the Grand Master explained, and as if he did not explain anything, for which Shaka was extremely grateful. Many Golden Saints didn't have the slightest idea that near his Zodiac House was a garden hidden under rocks and overhangs. Place of his deepest meditations. It would cease to be like that if everyone started their pilgrimages there.
"Looking at the end of the prophecy one thing is certain: it's better not to mess with our sweet Pole," summed up Mask, smiling from ear to ear, as if he had just told a kind of mother-in-law's joke. "Although we knew it without any stupid predictions. Come on, it's just the weed talkin' or nice beating result. If I were in her state I would quote Manchuria's hymn! Hey, there is such country as Manchuria, right?"
"Do you know her middle name?"
Everyone glanced at the only person who hadn't said a word so far, and whose presence was completely forgotten. Which could have been funny considering Aldebaran's dimensions.
"Kasandra. Her middle name is Kasandra. Ring any bells?" Taurus's grim tone of voice was a surprise to everyone. "If we disregard what she has predicted, we can end up like Troy."
"And is it certain that if we don't, we will avoid its fate?" asked Cancer, folding his arms and thus becoming a parody of Aldebaran's combat stance.
"No. But I believe her anyway," said Taurus.
"Me too," Milo added. "Let's treat it as an advantage and see what happens."
"Do we have a plan, Grand Master?" Aiolos asked, putting the prophecy card on the marble windowsill.
Shion was silent for some time.
"I'll try to find a solution. A solution for the hard times which occurred," he said finally, sighing. "For now, I will order general mobilization of the Sanctuary. The day after tomorrow, everyone is to be in positions, and let patrols check each corner tightly. Aiolos, Saga-" here he turned towards the two oldest subordinates, "-tomorrow at midnight I'm expecting you in my chamber. That's it, thank you all for your help. You can dismissed. Shaka, please stay."
One by one the golden silhouettes were disappearing behind the massive door of the Grand Master's Chamber, when Virgo Knight approached the throne of the Sanctuary's superior. Shion, however, only put his hand on the armrest; he didn't sit down.
"After the ritual, I was too harsh for you," said the Grand Master when the door had closed. "Forgive me. You took good care of Liwia. When we visited her with Camus today, she was in a pretty good shape."
"No need to apologize. I am glad if I managed to be useful," the blond man replied, slightly bowing his head.
For now, he was satisfied, although the most difficult conversation was yet to take place. However he waited patiently, sensing that the superior did not invite him only for the purpose of apology.
Shion pulled his hand away from the polished armrest, took off the winged helmet of the Sanctuary's Superior and put it on the seat. He stared at the scarlet metal, which was reflecting candlelight glimmers. Finally, he waved his hand up; a rainbow crystal wall separated them from the throne. The view of the helmet on the other side was collapsing in geometric lines.
"Once I wandered to an extremely nasty place, Shaka. To a valley where there is no such thing as hope. To the place of our death. Do you know what will happen if we fall?"
Virgo raised his eyebrows. Doubt? Fear? Now, on the eve of the Holy War's outbreak?
No... it's not that.
"Camus would probably survive the longest," the Grand Master laughed, then puffed and drew an irregular circle with his finger on the surface of the magic wall. The helmet, symbol of his position, showed through the center of the ring. Shion looked away, glancing at his subordinate. "A huge ice-covered lake. Snow so cold that you stop not only to feel anything, but above all to remember, desire, believe. Hell for traitors, that's what is waiting for all Athena knights. Isn't it funny that standing on the side of one deity, we become the worst sort of heretics for another? Isn't it funny that when we start a rebellion, we commit a deadly sin, hybris, the greatest offense a man can commit? A circle with no way out, huh?"
The blond man was silent.
Shion's fist hit the wall and it broke into hundreds of shiny pieces before it disappeared into non-existence.
"I want to break this circle, Shaka."
Virgo's knight froze.
"You want this Holy War to be the last one, Grand Master?"
Shion's face lit up with a smile.
"Isn't this what all Buddhists want: to break out from the unfortunate repetition? Yes, Shaka, I want Hades not to rise again. I want his kingdom to fall. And I want the Kokytos Lake melt and free the ice-bounded souls of knights."
Virgo bowed his head, then looked again to the Grand Master's face, this time with his eyes open. He wasn't fast enough to say anything.
"I know what you want to ask," Shion stopped smiling. "Why am I telling you this. And why am I telling it only to you."
The blond nodded again, not taking his eyes off.
The Grand Master seemed to be choosing the right words in his head.
"During the last Holy War we understood one thing," he finally said, and his tone was matter-of-fact. "Hades always possesses a human body of a lad with an incredibly pure soul, but his real body, perfect body, or rather a shell that was created rather than born, lies hidden somewhere in the Elysian Fields.
"Elysian Fields?" Shaka was surprised. After all, he didn't expect that the Lord of the Underworld could entrust his final bodily vessel to a land where brutality, darkness and death are not allowed.
"Hiding in plain sight, wouldn't you say?" Shion read his doubts. "But true is, that in Hell he can reign in the form of a possessed boy, and in case of any problems, he has an emergency exit. Besides, it is a place that is not easy to get to." The Grand Master raised the scarlet-winged helmet from the seat and sat on the throne. Then he resumed: "The only way I found out is the current of the Lete. Yes, yes-" the old man said with a smile, hearing Shaka's quiet snort "-just perfect for someone who wants to get final enlightenment and forget about past reincarnations, right? But that's not why I'm telling you this. It's just the only tip I have. However, I'm certain that it wouldn't be a straight path along the river. And that this way isn't the only option to get to the Elysium. But I couldn't find alternatives."
Virgo was still silent.
"I am telling you this-" Shion understood perfectly well what the Golden Knight was waiting for, "-because you are the only one among the Twelve who would handle such a journey. We are talking about a completely different dimension of existence, Shaka," he said quickly, before Virgo was able to interrupt him. "About catching energy fluctuations, reading the aura. No one can do it like you. If it ends with searching for the real Hades' body, trying to entrap his power, you will be our hope. And our guide through Hell."
"You are much more powerful than me, Grand Master," the blond man said. "Besides, we still have Mu, Saga and Aiolos. Cancer's skills also..."
"I am old, Shaka, and my mind is not as quiet and clear as I would like. A similar trip would probably be beyond my strength. Saga and Aiolos are commanders, not seekers of truth in a sea of chaos. Yes, Deathmask would be a great cicerone; after all, the Hades' Underground is his playground. But he lacks patience, so he would probably get into the fight during first few seconds, instead of looking for the path to the Elysian Fields. Mu, on the other hand..." Shion smiled slightly, "...is an intelligent, prudent knight who could be perfect to help you in this journey, but he would be always hunted by souls locked in Cloths."
"I do not understand, Grand Master," Virgo was confused.
"Repairing wounded and resurrecting dead armors is not just about taking care of the Saints' proper equipment, Shaka. This is dealing with stories: the louder told, the closer to the souls of dead warriors. It is also about preserving memory. The Lete river will be trying to devour Mu, I have no doubt about that. She would like to devour me too. Memory is a heavy burden, trust me.
Shaka nodded understandingly.
"I will try to find this path, I promise. Maybe meditation will let me understand what I should be looking for."
The Grand Master smiled again.
"I'm proud of you. You fully deserve the nickname which some people are beginning to name you. The man closest to the gods..."
Virgo smiled slightly too. Yes, sometimes he heard people calling him that. Always in a whisper.
"However, there is one more thing I must tell you," Grand Master leaned towards his subordinate. "The realm of Hades has its physical gate. For years, together with Dohko, that is Old Master, we tried to locate the passage. We knew what to look for, what tips would prove crucial and we succeeded. We tracked down Heinstein Castle in Germany, the seat of Pandora, which has remained faithfully alongside the Lord of the Underworld since myth times. If we're not mistaken, the entrance to Hell is right there."
"There is probably a reason why knights are not besieging this building yet, are they?" Shaka muttered.
The head of the Sanctuary confirmed with a nod.
"The fortress not only drains the strength of Hades's enemies, which makes fighting within it a pure suicide. The building is additionally guarded by two of the worst bastards that this world has ever seen." Shion's eyes were absent, and his voice caught gloomy notes. Finally he awoke. "My master Hakurei and his brother sacrificed their lives to seal Hypnos's and Thanatos's souls. And now they are both free again and preparing for the return of Hades.
"The Twin Gods?" Virgo Saint had no idea that during such an innocent conversation he will acquire similar knowledge.
"Yes. They are... extremely powerful. Until we find a way to get rid of them, the fortress is impregnable. That's why we don't even try. If the Specters rise again, these two will probably leave the castle, but then we will deal with the 108th fighters of the Lord of the Underworld, including Three Judges, the most terrible of their ranks. Not a better prospect at all."
"There is another way. The path I should follow, right?" Shaka asked, looking with his azure eyes at the harassed and now really old face of the Grand Master.
He bowed his head and said:
"Yes, there is. And this is the path which Specters would definitely not suspect. A path that is not straight though. And which will be our ultimate alternative, do you understand? Until the worst moment, I don't want you to think about choosing it."
Shaka waited tensely for an explanation, but apparently Shion was convinced he didn't need to say anything. And indeed. Virgo widened his eyes in sudden understanding. After a while he dejected, unclasped his hands behind his back and sighed.
"I... I can't achieve that much right now. I am sorry, Grand Master, but I am not able to get final enlightenment and open myself to the Eighth Sense."
The old man got up from the throne, approached the blond man and put hands on his shoulders.
"As I said, this is the last resort, but I wanted you to be aware of this possibility. And I am convinced that it is only a matter of time before you develop your skills to such a level to achieve Arayashiki."
"No pressure at all," Shaka muttered with a hint of sarcasm, and the Grand Master laughed.
"Having a sense of humor is another thing that the rest of the Golds doesn't know about you. You hide it like a secret weapon," cheerfully said the head of the Sanctuary, returning to the gilded chair.
"But this is not the reason why you tell me all this in conspiracy, right, Grand Master?"
Clever little bastard, Shion thought, amused.
"Unfortunately not. We talk to each other in the face because during the previous Holy War a traitor appeared in our ranks."
Well, that was a message.
"You suspect..."
"No, just to be clear: I do not suspect anyone. But in this matter I use the policy of Soviet Russia: trust, but check. Better safe than sorry."
"Em… thank you," Shaka said in astonishment. "But... Mu?"
Shion snorted.
"Of course he would be the last to betray, he wouldn't even know how to do it if I ordered him. But my student is very... friendly. He could blurt out in good faith."
There is a point, Shaka thought. Mu was his best friend, but he always defended everyone regardless of the situation.
"It was a hard day, for you also a hard night, so you probably want to rest," said the Grand Master.
Virgo Knight thought back to the problem he hoped to talk to the leader of the Sanctuary.
"I would like to consult with you, Grand Master. About the prophecy of Fox Knight."
Shion sighed softly. He did everything to avoid this topic; he had no intention of telling Shaka about his predecessor, at the same time he couldn't lie, because Virgo Saint was extremely sensitive to confabulations.
"This is all very confusing and it sounds ominous, I realize. I also know that these references to sal trees can worry you, but we never really know what prophecies mean until they come true, right?"
"These were not the only references to me, Grand Master."
Shion froze.
"One day she confessed that she saw me in her vision before she came to the Sanctuary," Shaka continued. "I wasn't convinced until she told me about the item I was holding. She described the Demon Hunter. Some of the beads have turned purple. She couldn't make it up."
"Do you know anything else?" The Grand Master asked seriously.
The blond man nodded.
"She did not know the details, but from her hints I concluded that I appeared to her in the Twin Sala Garden."
"Another clue that something will happen there," Shion muttered, frowning. "But we knew that Specters would eventually wake up. The fact that several of them will fall is a kind of good news."
Shaka was silent for a moment, giving his supervisor time to digest the news. And it wasn't over yet.
"Vulpecula Saint still prophesied when I had taken her to hers cottage after the ritual," he said finally. "In the morning she said Flowers of the Salas have withered, although, as I found out after her awakening, she did not know that such trees exist."
Shion looked worried. He suspected that the Liwia and Shaka story would somehow intertwine, but he hoped for more positive omen. To calm himself, but above all to calm the Virgo Knight, the Grand Master asked:
"When does the flowering of salas end? Spring?"
Shaka blinked in surprise. All in all, he did not think before of this prophecy as a time marker.
"Late spring, early summer. Do you think, Grand Master, that could be the time, when the Specters' Shells will regain their souls, which would start a war?"
"I would prefer then than in two days," Shion snorted. "Understand, Shaka, I command the entire Sanctuary. Such divination is no help for me, on the contrary, because it confuses. And I feel powerless towards them, because how, for Athena sake, should I react after similar revelations?"
The old man hoped to discourage the blond knight from guessing. He was afraid that his ward will mention ghosts seen during the ritual, so he quickly asked:
"That's all she said, I hope? Quite a lot of witchcraft for one night."
Shaka shifted from foot to foot.
"Not really, Grand Master. She turned to me, saying that she was cold."
"At least that makes sense," Shion relaxed.
"And she said Jai ho, Asmita, jai ho."
The Grand Master's eyes widened in terror.
Quick, make something up, you fool!
"Do you think, Shaka, that the first five senses would overcome the other three? That it could be about an empirical self?"
Virgo opened and closed his mouth. Again, the knight's commander interpreted the girl's words differently than he did.
"I don't know, Grand Master. I was inclined to think that Asmita was a name here."
"And what did Liwia tell you after she woke up? Does she know someone like that?"
Shaka shook his head, at which his superior spread his hands in a gesture that said everything.
"As I said, we'll see what time brings. Good enough that we will be vigilant. Besides, I will tell Aiolia to keep watch the day after tomorrow in Virgo Palace. This is your only close neighbor. I hope you will spare him injury from the other shoulder."
"Except death, there is nothing certain in this world."
Shion laughed.
"Your sense of humor is developing while you're getting tired. Now, off you go to sleep. Thank you for the conversation."
The blond man bowed his head low, made a perfect half turn and left the chamber, leaving the Grand Master hardly containing himself.
"Gods, I made it," the old man sent the message via his cosmo. "I didn't have to lie, though I didn't tell the truth. A brilliant material for politics, I am wasting my potential here."
"But you haven't accepted any envelopes, you still have to learn a lot, mate," said Dohko, his voice trembling with hidden laughter. After a while he became serious. "I understand the foretelling, but the predictions by past-telling? Kassandra of computerization age, that's what."
"It's probably because of this ritual. Ancestral spirits and things," said Shion. "There, in the cemetery, I saw many of our brothers in arms. The outlines were blurred, but I couldn't be wrong, I've repaired too many armors to be mistaken and not recognize the souls of their owners. They also appeared, do you know? Anna and Asmita. Shaka probably saw only the Virgo Knight, otherwise he would have to know what to look for, and there wasn't much time anyway."
"You worry too much, Shion," the Golden Knight of Libra reprimanded him. "If it's destiny, it will be fulfilled anyway. If not, the decision belongs to the two of them."
"But what about her prophecy? Do you think..."
"I don't know, my friend," said Old Master seriously. "To tell you the truth, I'm afraid that the conflict may prevent Athena from reaching her full power. Something's coming, something different than in the previous Holy War, I feel it. Specters' mounds are stable, so Hades should be still in its infancy."
"If not him, than who?" Shion asked, taking the card with Liwia's prophecy. "The first part is an evident reference to the cyclical nature of the Holy War, its bloody harvest. But the second part... I completely can't figure it out. If it wasn't about Hades, I don't know who this two-headed leader would be. And this angel and the devil..."
"What about Saga and Kanon?" Dohko asked after a moment of silence. "You remember what Aspros did, what he forced Defteros to do..."
"I remember, my friend," Shion said. "That's why I watched Kanon closely for a long time, and indeed, he had the makings of being the criminal mastermind as Aspros. But imagine that Saga discovered this and put him in prison at Cape Sounion.
"Well, well," said Dohko admiringly.
"Saga suffers because of it, I sense the fight in him. He probably has remorse, but at the same time knows the duties of the Saint," Shion sighed. "Despite his merits, the next Grand Master should be someone with a clear, ready-to-act mind, so I will give Aiolos the baton tomorrow.
"Besides that, do you have some plan?" Roshi asked.
The Grand Master did not answer immediately.
"I have to rethink everything. We will probably act hot, depending on what happens the day after tomorrow. And what the constellations will show."
"So you are going to Star Hill," Dohko said.
Shion shrugged.
"For that it shall be used, right? And in two days the sky is going to be really clear. I will see what I see and then the time for deeds will come."
"Are you still able to climb up there?" Dohko's voice dripped with irony. "In your age?"
"It's not me they calling Old Master," the superior of the Sanctuary took a bite out of Dohko.
Honest laughter filled the room.
A knock got her out of the stagnation. She grunted, rising from the bed and waddled down the hall. Despite the falling darkness, she saw Milo in the gap of the not entirely closed door.
"Open, as you can see," she said with a slight smile.
"You had a burglary?" asked the knight, examining the torn-out lock.
"Yes. His name was Shaka."
The Scorpion looked very surprised.
"What, doesn't he know to look for keys under the doormat or under the flowerpot?"
Liwia just shrugged.
"I am not a locksmith, but if you want, I will figure out some staple," Milo replied cheerfully, reacting to the girl's inviting gesture and entering the house.
The Polish woman would probably be too proud as a real working woman and perform a latch herself the next day, but she was not in a good mood. And she didn't feel for moving anywhere.
"If it doesn't bother you, then gladly. Adhesive tape is not very professional."
She invited the man to the kitchen and offered him water and mint in her favorite mug.
"How are you?" Scorpio asked when he had looked at every corner of the room.
Liwia shrugged again. It was her gesture for today.
"Same as I look," she answered without emotion.
"Well, beautiful mood, I guess," the man grinned.
"Save it, Milo."
"I wish I'd been there, I'd like to count their bones so that they at least didn't feel better than you," he said, suddenly serious. Seeing the mediocre response of his interlocutor, he asked: "What's going on, Liwuś?"
"What do you mean: what's going on?" the girl raised her voice involuntarily. "You must have seen the prophecy. And what I foretold to the whole Sanctuary."
"Yup, I saw it. And I still don't understand your takeover." Milo took a cookie from the plate and ate it with taste.
Liwia blinked, not knowing if Scorpio was mocking or just kidding.
"Seriously, Milo? There is a time to plant and a time to harvest. A time of jokes and a time of anxiety. Don't you see all this is tense?"
"I've always been bad at grammar," he said lightly and added immediately, anticipating her indignation: "What, better lie down and whine? We will live and we will see."
"Maybe we won't live long to see," she grunted, and Scorpio, of course, laughed. "Aren't you afraid of anything?"
"Liwuś." The man took her hands from the table top and locked them in his own. "I have the feeling that you are in some strange way accusing yourself of what you foretold. This is your first mistake. Don't let anyone tell you that whatever happens, will be your fault. The second mistake is that you look at us as an ordinary people. Sure, we try to live a normal life, try somehow to replace family relationships and, I dunno, employee relations? But we have become the Knights of Athena. This is not a future profession, we probably do not end up with rheumatism and scoliosis from working behind the desk. You have to live as long as you can and that's all I can say."
Liwia sighed and shook her head in disbelief, but her injured face lit up with a slight smile.
"Okay, I'll go to get that staple or hook, Al should have a toolbox. Don't go anywhere." He threatened her funny with his finger and began to head for the exit.
"Tell my legal guardian not to worry. He was here before you and looked like a father whose daughter had been disgraced," the female warrior laughed.
"If your countrymen didn't run after all this party, our Bull would have done a nice rodeo to them," Scorpio grinned and walked out into the darkness of the Sanctuary.
Liwia watched him until he disappeared, glad that at least one man would stand by her side and would not accuse her of what will happen.
As long as any accusers or accused persons survive this final judgment.
The whole next day inhabitants of the Sanctuary spent in preparations for unspecified horror. More or less organized chaos was everywhere, knights and warriors aspiring to this title ran around the entire complex, following the orders of superiors, checking armament, tightness of protection, and finally practicing possible scenarios of behavior. Although the content of the prophecy was given only to the Golden Knights, the atmosphere was nervous, because the rest filled the unawareness with guesses, unintentionally spreading panic.
Liwia had a dispensation because of the physical consequences of the ritual, but as a result of her own insistence, she was assured that she would spend the next day on a vigil at Aries House. Somewhere else she couldn't stand her nerves, and, besides, as a medium she had to be nearby. So much good of her supernatural abilities that theoretically she became useful.
A dozen or so minutes after midnight, the door of the Grand Master's Chamber opened slightly and two men came out of the room, leaving the leader of the Sanctuary alone. At least for a few seconds.
Shion was just enjoying thought that declaring the decision of choosing his successor had passed in a planned, most successful way: Aiolos acknowledged it, and Saga assured his support as Sagittarius's right hand. It couldn't have been better. And when Shion was ready to go to rest, to be full of vitality and mental strength tomorrow, some theatrical throat clearing pulled out of his thoughts. Mask stood at the threshold of his throne room.
"I am begging your pardon for disturbing you at this late hour, Grand Master,-" he began, coming a little closer, "-but since the world may end tomorrow, I would like to ask for one small thing."
"Well, shoot, Mephisto." Shion put his chin on his hand, preparing various versions of elegant refusal.
"I am asking for permission to take a disciple."
This was something Grand Master didn't expect.
"My, oh, my. Somebody is growing up here."
Mask winced in a parody of a smile, as if to say "Very funny".
"And who would be so terribly honored?" continued the leader of the Sanctuary.
"Silver Vulpecula Saint, Grand Master."
"You want to take Liwia under your wing?" the old man was shocked. Not only because Cancer finally decided to take some trouble and train the student (previously he only attempted to raise servants or slaves, so Shion after a few days transferred the unfortunate ones to Andromeda Island to the Silver Knight of Cepheus, Albior), but he also chose a girl. And it was a girl who had a high rank among the rest of the knights.
"I know, I know, she's a lady, and I'm considered indecently handsome. But I will chase away within my humble possibilities, I promise." Mask raised both hands in a sincere intention gesture. When Grand Master didn't react to this joke, Cancer said, in a more serious tone: "Liwia has great potential, to not use it is just totally wasteful. I thought about this proposal already during her fight in the arena with our girls, and finally I decided after the ritual. In the end I might show her how to live on the edge of the living and dead worlds. Who knows, maybe it will save her mental health someday, because for being a medium, even today you could be taken to a funny farm. And I heard that the girl uses everything she has at hand during the fight and the other tin cans describe that she can play unfair. She also has a sharp tongue, identical to my. So it suits me," Italian man added at the end.
"Sharp tongue isn't an argument for giving a disciple, Mask," Grand Master muttered. "Besides, in fight Liwia relies on agility, I don't know if you wouldn't lose this feature in her. Without stupid thoughts, I see it, Mephisto. Seriously, you wouldn't be able to keep up with her, how many fags you smoke per day, huh? But I agree that the girl could gain a lot by training with Gold Knight, and in the future she would be suitable as a replacement for one of you. However, I have to think about it and now we have more urgent problems."
"Yeah, no problem, I just wanted to tell about it before I would change my mind." After a casual bow Mask left the room.
Shion thought that the world was really ending.
The third of November was a very sunny day. The shield held by the statue of Athena on the top of the temple reflected the glow like a huge lantern, the blinding blue sky dazzled the eyes, the birds twittered like possessed. Only stiff warriors, walking on the training grounds as if they had starched shirts on their backs, spoiled the image of the idyllic landscape.
And they were everywhere. They patrolled not only the Sanctuary, but also Rodorio and the suburbs of Athens. When the sun began to set, their many silhouettes cast long, ghostly shadows onto the scorched earth.
Standing under one of the carved columns of the Aries Palace, Liwia watched from a distance the student and his master. Immersed in silent conversation, they didn't seem to care about the general nervousness that overcame the Sanctuary and the irritating scent of coffee that was poured into the warriors' clay mugs straight from giant cauldrons.
Grand Master finally turned his face to her and nodded slightly. She responded with a deep bow, and when she looked back again she saw only a scrap of navy blue robe. Grand Master went to the Star Hill.
"Still worried, huh?" Mu walked up to her calmly. He had the helmet of the Golden Ram Armor under his arm.
Liwia made an indefinite gesture.
"Somehow I don't share Mask's optimism," she said. "Do you know that he argued with the chef today about the sense of adding pepper to béchamel sauce?"
The lavender-haired knight smiled cheerfully.
"You know this is his constant pose. A second after telling a joke, he can send his opponents to hell, so it's not like he has to be tuned in somehow. Besides…" the man turned his face toward the sharp hill soaring through the clouds "…this morning at the briefing, Grand Master admitted that he has a plan. We must trust him."
The Polish woman nodded, slightly calmed down. Her gaze slipped from the legendary meditation place for the Sanctuary superiors to the equally legendary and almost equally high column crowned with the Zodiac Clock.
"This thing is still working?" she asked, pointing to its black face. "I have heard that this relic of ancient times is fired in exceptional situations with the power of Athena or Grand Master."
"I know as much as you do," Mu replied. "And somehow I'd rather not see it lit."
"I'm not surprised," Liwia murmured. "You are the avant-garde, the Spear of the Golden Knights, the Wall against which evil is crashing..."
"Well now I am feeling much better, thanks." Mu gave her his gentle smile. "We have a moment to start vigil; you want a tea? By the way, tell me, what Milo will get from you for his birthday... "
"...I will get loafers for dancing, for sure!" Milo was excited.
"You two are already at such a stage that she knows your foot size?" Camus asked and drank chilled lemonade.
"Or a Smokie's disk!" Scorpio continued to deliberate.
"Or underpants sewn thanks to the co-production of the Greek and Spanish clothing brands," Aquarius mocked. "Concave at the front to make you feel comfortable."
"Is it comfortable for you to sit like that?" Aiolia asked after half an hour wondering how to bite a conversation with blond man. Young Lion strategically chose the most distant tile of the floor relative to the stone lotus, on which the Virgo Saint was in the yogi position.
Shaka was silent.
Half hour later.
"You manage to comb such long hair?"
"Yuck!" Mask stuck out his tongue and pulled long, wavy, blue hair out of his mouth. "Don't you know that during food preparations the shag must be tied?"
Aphrodite looked seriously offended.
"Yeah, right: give me food, give me drink… maybe I shall implement some massage for your highness? Oh, no, my apologize, probably my fucking fingers ARE TOO LONG!"
"Stop yelling, we are at your place, so who should be a serviced guest here?" Cancer threw the hair to the floor with disgust on his face.
"You can be serviced by cheap sluts in a brothel! Here you can stay only with my consent, peasant."
Deathmask laughed throatily, then took all the letters from his bench and put them in the right place on the board of scrabble game.
"Looks like I won again," he said almost singingly, dodging the kinetic energy of the bullet made by olive.
Aldebaran's olive face suddenly turned purple. To detonation there were hundredths of a second.
"Buahahahahaha!" the man roared, bending in half, which still gave him a height larger than was most of the warriors in the Sanctuary.
"The truth I told you, as I am Shura, Capricorn Knight!" The host of the tenth Zodiac Palace grinned. "Seriously thought the adolescent that with my Excalibur a doctor referral for him I would evenly cut."
"Where did you bury his body? Admit." Aiolos elbowed him, choking with laughter.
Shura just waved his hand, which, with his habit of holding it stiffly, looked like the movement of a dilapidated car wiper.
"His butt only I scratched up and trousers cut, so the wind whistled through the cracks. To the physician with a clear conscience at least go now he can."
"Gods!" Aiolos wiped a tear of amusement. "Don't let me ever fall under your guillotine hand."
"Do you remember name of that youngster, Shura?"Aldebaran asked, still bent of joy.
"Knows fuck. Greg maybe... or some Gregory..."
"Well, Georg!" said Juan, Pictor Silver Knight.
"Yhm, Juan!" replied proudly Georg, the Silver Knight of the Southern Cross, massaging his sore ass.
They stood for a moment staring into space. Their patrol on the outskirts of Athens was in full swing. Nothing was happening on the horizon. They were far from anything important.
"So much happening, don't you think, Georg?" Juan nudged his friend and pointed to the quiet suburbs lit by the lanterns.
"Totally cool," Georg nodded.
She couldn't keep her cool. The stool, made by simple board, creaked when Liwia got up again during a few minutes. As if someone had scattered hot coals under it.
"Your nervousness also spreads to me," Mu reprimanded her lightly.
"Sorry."
The girl began to walk again along the entire Aries House, every now and then looking toward the inky black sky.
Sky sparkled with jewelry of stars. Shion looked away from those signs written by silver letters and looked at the Sanctuary lying below. At the Zodiac Houses climbing up the rocks. At the statue of Athena on the sewing of the temple. The statue had unusually open, empty right hand, and the center of the round shield held by Goddess in the left hand was hollow.
If something bad happens today, the three-year-old goddess's body will be protected, he had no doubt about it. To the chamber, where the silent Guardians watched over her earthly shell, he brought two of the most valuable items in all Greece: the statuette of Nike and the golden Aegis, the legendary shield of Athena. Success in a clash and protection – that was what they needed, which was not only told in the Liwia's prophecy. Stars also spoke about it.
An unexpected sound pulled him out of his thoughts. Although it was practically impossible, he could not be wrong. Someone was coming to meet him.
"Someone is coming," said the Golden Knight of the Ram, listening attentively to the almost inaudible footsteps coming from above. Finally, the host of the first Zodiac House stated: "Aldebaran."
His hearing had to be no worse than his Indian friend, because it took a long time before Liwia caught the sound of footsteps, and more before she saw the figure of a Brazilian.
"What happened?" Mu asked, surprised.
The Grand Master's arrangements were clear: from eight in the evening the Golden Knights were forbidden to leave the Houses assigned to them that day.
Aldebaran took off his helmet and ruffled his black, sweaty bristles.
"I wanted to ask if you've seen Saga somewhere." The man put the golden horns back on. "He wasn't in his place when I was on the way back from above before eight, and he rather shouldn't be able to fly, I guess."
"You shouldn't be here, Saga," said the Grand Master, seeing finally who the darkness of the night had emerged. "I don't know how you managed to get here, but better you have a good reason."
"I have," Golden Gemini Saint answered weakly.
Shion tensed, ready to attack. Maybe it wasn't Kanon who was supposed to be feared of?
However, Saga fell to one knee, clearly suffering.
"Athena... Sanctuary..."
Grand Master's eyes widened in panic. He ran to his subordinate and grabbed him by the shoulders.
"What happened? Talk to me, Saga! Tell... your hair..."
Was it possible for this man to turn gray in one second?
"What happened at the Sanctuary?!" exclaimed Grand Master, shaking him.
And then the Golden Knight lifted his face.
"Nothing yet," Saga replied in a completely foreign voice, and dark red eyes looked at Shion. Eyes like two wounds.
"For Karna's wounds, I haven't seen him since this morning!" Mu admitted, amazed. "Maybe it has something to do with the Grand Master's plan?"
Aldebaran shrugged with his arms, big as agricultural machinery pistons.
"Could be. But it's a bit strange after all, because..."
He didn't finish.
The three of them, standing near the entrance of the Aries Palace, looked up at the sky. Darkness over Star Hill was suddenly torn apart by the bloody, demonic glow of cosmic energy.
Demon Emperor Fist pierced Shion's mind like a treacherous blade.
"Old fool." The voice coming out of Saga's mouth divulged cruel amusement. "You might be able to defend yourself against the effects of this attack if you weren't in such a deplorable state. Years go by, huh?" He sneered, watching the writhing body of the Grand Master. "And all you had to do was just choose me instead of this prude, Aiolos. I'm better than him, much more powerful. Killing people like you or him will be an act of mercy for the world, because only the strongest can rule. But before I free you from the suffering of life, you must do something for me. And you know what."
Shion roared furiously and then choked out:
"No... no… I won't let... you won't be…"
The gray-haired Saga snorted.
"You have no chance, old man. You don't even realize what you're up against. You don't even know-" he said, and his voice resonated strangely, as if those words were no longer spoken by human being "-how great sin you commit by rebelling against the verdicts of God! I am Ares' Herald, he chose me, me, a torn fool, to conquer the world for him and get rid of Athena. I will repay this pathetic goddess for all defeats since myth times!" he shouted, but after a while he said calmly, in a voice that still did not belong to the Saga, but was definitely of human origin: "Are you obeying me? Will you kill Athena?"
Deep, dramatic breaths shook Shion's body, but his face lit up with a rebellious smile as he looked toward his opponent.
"Ares, is that so...? I admit... that... I didn't expect... the god of unjust war. However, this..." he growled, pointing to the ground, under their feet "…makes no difference for me..."
Possessed by Ares Saga looked down suddenly. Something crunched beneath the golden shoes of Twins' Armor, there were some longitudinal strips of paper under a thin layer of soil. In one second they lit up with strange magical power.
The entire ground of the Star Hill was strewn with Athena's Seals.
"By the Athena, what's going on there?" Aldebaran walked around like a furious bull. Liwia and the Aries Saint stared at the sky like enchanted; though the red flare did not come back, the strange vibration of the power kept coming on.
"Mu?" Liwia looked at Golden Knight, watching his pale face.
He didn't answer for a moment.
"We were told to wait in readiness for the order," Mu replied finally, although the girl saw how much this discipline cost him. "So we are waiting for the Grand Master."
Grand Master watched with satisfaction as the spirit of Ares was curling up in black weaves above the body of the kneeling Saga. With the last of his strength, Shion pulled a small golden box out of his robe and opened the lid with trembling fingers. The power was rebelling terribly, resisting against the seals, the last seals from the previous Holy War, but although they were fragile and their strength faded in time, Ares apparently hasn't been in his full power yet. Impatience led him to doom.
There was an inhuman scream, the box has closed, cutting off the spirit of the god from the outside world; Shion scooped one of the seals together with clods of ground and put his shaky hands to the joint of the lid and box. The shining power melted the gap, and the casket, now calm and cold, fell at the Grand Master's feet.
Shion, all shivering from the duel, looked happy ahead. And froze. Saga, kneeling before him, still had gray hair. And hellishly red eyes.
"I underestimated you, old man," he said, getting up. Grand Master's head was pierced by the unimaginable pain of the resonating Demon Emperor Fist. "You was able to ruin not only my divine support from Ares, but also the plan to kill Athena by your hands. Because I see that it's no use. You won't give in, will you?"
A long moan was the whole answer.
"Fine," Saga replied. "I still have my own power. The power of the Golden Knight. And the mind of the Golden Knight. Even without support from Ares, I will take over the Sanctuary and then over the whole world. Perhaps even it will be better that way." His face was distorted by a cruel smile. "After all, I always preferred to do everything by myself."
He raised a hand, ready to pierce Shion, but then suddenly clutched his head as if he had suffered a huge dose of pain.
"You won't... Get out, you fool!... I won't let you hurt... Get away from... YOU HAVE NO POWER TO FORBID ME ANYTHING!"
Saga's hair, which was changing from navy to gray all the time, finally lit up, and the scream that infallibly belonged to well-known in the whole Sanctuary Knight of the Twins broke off dramatically along with his cosmic energy. What began to emanate from the Saga's body, from the new, evil Saga, was a completely different, terrifying cosmo.
Grand Master tried to do anything during this battle of two personalities, but he knew that he had no more strength and his time was coming to its end. With the last effort of will, he managed to telepathically send to his friend, the Old Master, one word: Saga.
"This... this fool will not disturb us anymore," Gemini Saint said in a strange voice. "Even if it happens for him to come back for a short while, he knows I'll eventually turn him out. And the price for his disobedience, for uncovering my plan during the moment of weakness, will be very high: I will murder everyone in the entire Sanctuary, all of Athens and every other city that I encounter along the way. Do you understand, old man? Now you understand what this prophetic girl foretold?"
Yes, Shion understood. And as he watched the coming blow, his last thoughts wandered around two questions.
Could he have done differently and should he have done differently?
Saga wiped his hands on the clothing of the Grand Master. He got rid of the Gemini Cloth, which had flown away to the third Zodiac House and took a scarlet red helmet from Shion's head.
He slowly entered the temple where the leader of the Sanctuary was resting, when his meditations lasted a long time. He found a fresh, navy blue robe and other items of Grand Master's clothing. He also took the attribute of the commander of all eighty-eight Knights, which his predecessor had never used, and which was to form the basis of the whole intricate plan. Saga put a dark blue, ominously shimmering mask on his face.
When he left, blood from Shion's body fell on the faded seals of Athena. Their ancient energy dissipated. Saga passed by them and with a bit of his disharmonious cosmo set fire to the relics of the previous Holy War; blue flames shot up into the sky.
Sky has ripped by Aries Saint's terrible clamor. Liwia didn't think that this man was able to scream at all.
"The cosmic energies of Saga... and Grand Master... have disappeared," Aldebaran said in unnatural voice.
Everything seemed unreal. The Pole had the impression that she was still under the influence of intoxicating substances from the Dziady ritual. Overwhelmed with dullness, she paid no attention to anything but the echo of Mu's cry. She didn't even notice that other Golds began to appear next to him. And that the sky was pierced by the Golden Gemini Armor, which landed somewhere in the third Zodiac Palace. Or that the Star Hill was embraced by blue tongues of fire. Night of Flames.
"It is impossible. That can't be possible," whispered Aiolia, who joined the three of them.
"Did you sense it?!" Milo yelled from the threshold.
Around Liwia began swarmed like in a beehive. There was an extraordinary fuss, every one began to think loudly about the possible variants of events and, above all, discussed whether they should continue to guard the Twelve Houses of the Zodiac or go to the already peaceful Star Hill.
Virgo Knight approached Mu and put a hand on his shoulder. The silence between them was scary, but eventually Liwia understood that men were talking telepathically. Whatever Shaka was saying though, did not help, because the lavender-haired warrior had suffering written on his face. Finally, he jerked away from his friend's grip and ran into the night. Many of the other Golds only waited for this signal. They jumped to the run and followed him.
Suddenly, before the darkness of the night could swallow the silhouette of the Aries Knight, everyone sensed a very strange cosmic presence. A moment later, Mu began to step back, terrified. Everyone's eyes fell on a mysterious figure, dressed in a long navy blue robe and wearing a red, characteristic helmet on his head.
"Who are you?" Mu whispered with difficulty, disturbing the absolute silence that had come at once.
The man smiled, although no one could see this.
"My name is Arles. I am your new Grand Master."