The battle between Seiya and Shiryu took an emotional toll on Saori. After they were taken to the hospital, she went to bed with migraines. The sound of punches rang in her ear. She barely ate one meal a day. Tatsumi was worried.
"Ojou-sama, the tournament," he began.
"The tournament must continue," Saori said. "People will start talking if it stops."
"They are already talking," Tatsumi warned her. "The Dragon died after the last fight."
"And Seiya revived him," Saori reminded him. "Have Jabu face Shun in the next match."
"Very well," Tatsumi nodded. Before he leaves, Saori said, "Tatsumi, tell them, that it is more worthy to face a defeat alive then being a winner dead."
To her, neither Jabu nor Shun would be as reckless as Seiya and Shiryu. Still, after seeing Shiryu fell on the ground dead, she wouldn't want it to happen in the arena ever again.
"You need to stay here and rest," Tatsumi said.
"I will," she nodded. "How's Seiya?"
Miho added a pillow for Seiya. His arms were covered in bandage. The doctor insisted that he must rest and stay away from intense activities.
"That Saori Kido did it on purpose!" Miho said angrily. "She wanted you to suffer."
"She let me go," Seiya replied.
"What?"
"She said that I can leave to find my sister after my last battle."
"When was that?" Miho was in disbelief. "No wonder she pitted you against Shiryu. That bitch!"
Seiya's face showed dismay. Before he could say something, Shiryu came to his room.
"Hi Seiya," he greeted. "The doctor told me that you saved my life."
"It was nothing," Seiya said and took his hand for a proper handshake. "It was a good match."
The two went on having a good chat.
"You know that Saori-san is ill," Shiryu told Seiya. "Shun told me."
"That's not surprising," Seiya laughed. "When I was trained in Greece, the orphans on the street looked healthier than she is."
"There's something else Shun told me," Shiryu added, changing the tone of the conversation. "His nebula chain has sensed an enemy."
"An enemy? Who?"
As Shun and Jabu battled in the ring, Saori rested in bed. Her eyes closed and soon she was asleep.
In a white dress, she was walking up a flight of stairs.
Pain...
Wet...
Red stain...
She looked down and found a golden arrow penetrated into her abdomen. She lost her strength and overwhelmed by pain. She fell onto the ground and saw shadows moving away from her.
Seiya...
Then the sounds of chains...rattling...rattling...rattling like snakes.
She woke up in sweats. The sounds of rattling remained loud in her ear. No, it was not a dream but reality. Chains...only Shun's nebula chains were powerful enough to make such a sound. He should be at the arena fighting Jabu.
The lights suddenly went out. Saori sensed danger.
Am I going to die tonight? she thought.
The window was opened and the wind blew the curtains apart. Under the moon light, Saori saw a dark shadow. She was alone facing an enemy. The figure was tall, about Shiryu's height. She could see he's wearing an armor, like the Saint's Cloth. She noticed the tail behind him similar to that of Phoenix.
Wait...Phoenix...
"Saori Kido," the figure said with hatred in his voice.
Ikki...
Saori remembered Ikki, the toughest kid among the boys. He was also Shun's older brother but the two had nothing in common. Ikki, like other boys, bore no love towards her or her grandfather. When they were young, they were sent away to be trained as Saints. Seiya was sent to Greece; Shiryu to China; Hyoga to Siberia; Jabu to Liberia; and Shun was to be sent to Death Queen Island, a living Hell. To protect his brother, Ikki volunteered to go to Death Queen Island in Shun's place.
He survived.
But with a price.
He was now here for vengeance.
Saori made no sound. She knew it would be pointless to speak to him. She stood quietly, waiting for his next move. As she anticipated, he launched his attack.
She was fortunately able to dodge from the attack. Moving quickly, she jumped to the other side of her room. The Saints were not here; neither was Tatsumi. Only she could protect herself. Carefully, she reached behind the dresser where she hid a sword - the sword was hidden there to protect herself ever since the Saints' return. Pulling the sword out, she was ready to fight. She was not a weakling, no. She was very well trained in self-defense and sword fight.
He may be strong but Saori was light and quick.
Let's play a game in the dark.
She closed her eyes and used her senses to detect the movement of her enemy. Her sword was firmly held in her hand. When she sensed the enemy is near, she attacked with her sword.
A bloody cut was on his face.
"Do not underestimate me," she hissed. "Speak your business. What do you want, Ikki?"
"Vengeance," he said bitterly. "For what you have done to me!"
"I have done nothing!" Saori was angered. "I'm only a girl who wants to live an ordinary life. It wasn't me who sent you to the living Hell! It wasn't me who separated you from your brother! You want to kill me? Be warned that it will not be done so easily!"
With her sword, Saori continued to fight him in the light and shadows. It was a good fight, but eventually he had the upper hand.
"You are good, I give you that," he complimented.
Rubbing her arm, stained in blood, Saori showed no fear.
Before he could launch his attack, the door busted open. Saori was shoved aside. Fallen onto the floor, she looked up and found Ikki fought against another figure. Initially she thought it was Jabu.
Only to realize that it was Seiya.
The fight was fierce until Seiya kicked him out of the window.
Saori climbed onto her feet and ran to the broken window and found Ikki fallen seven stories down.
"Ikki..."
"That's not Ikki," Seiya told her. "Only one of his Black Saints."
Blood was still dripping from her arm, staining the floor.
"The Gold Cloth is stolen," he continued.
"Ikki?" Saori asked. "He's here to kill me."
"If that's the case then I wouldn't even be here," Seiya said sarcastically. "Ikki has gone mad. He wants to conquer the world with the Gold Cloth."