Gaining her freedom, Saori ran into the night. As she had expected, she was in middle of nowhere. At least she knew she had to get far away from her kidnappers. She believed that they are Saints like Seiya, but they meant her nothing but harm. She sincerely hoped that Tatsumi would not present them the Gold Cloth because they wouldn't return her safe and sound. She had read and watched the news story on abduction. Hostages often ended up killed. She couldn't run very far. Exhausted, she stopped in the woods to catch her breath. The moon was shine and bright. Crows were everywhere.
She bent over and breathed heavily. Slowly she began to feel the pain from her feet. Yes, she was wearing heels. She rested on the ground against a tree.
A laugh of a madman interrupted her.
Saori looked up and found another figure approaching her. This man was also wearing an amour but he was thinner and shorter than her abductor, Docrates. He gave her a smile but Saori knew he's no friend.
"You're with them?" She asked. "What do you want?"
He said nothing but made a gesture. All the crows - sitting in trees - began to fly. Only then she realized she was sitting in a net. The crows flew and Saori found herself trapped in the net. The crows were taking her somewhere. Where she didn't know, but certainly not back home.
The fabric of the net was sinking into her skin. With much difficulty, she reached for her phone but found it out of battery.
Ai gamisou.
Seiya, Shun, Shiryu, and Shun ran out of the abandoned building to find Saori.
"Hey, wait up!" Kiki ran after them.
"She's not in the building!" Seiya said.
"There might be more enemies," Hyoga said. "The henchmen did say that she wont get very far."
"My Nebula Chain can help," Shun said. Closing his eyes, he let the Nebula Chain to find Saori. However, soon, the Nebula Chain rattled as it did onthe night when Ikki appeared at the Galaxy Tournament.
Another enemy walked out from the shadow.
"Silver Saint Perseus Argol," he introduced himself.
"Seiya! Go!" Shiryu shouted. Shun and Hyoga stepped up and surrounded Perseus Argol so Seiya can go find Saori. Taking the cue, Seiya sprint ahead and Kiki joined him. By teleportation, together they disappeared into the night and the three Bronze Saints faced the Silver Saint.
Without a word, Argol revealed his Medusa Shield.
"No.." Shiryu hid behind his Dragon Shield.
Shun and Hyoga weren't as lucky. By the time Shiryu lowered his Dragon Shield, he found Shun and Hyoga both turned into stones and their facial expression of shock and fear was clearly curved into their face like victims of Pompeii.
As the net rose higher and higher, Saori tried to use her diamond ring to cut it open. That ring was given to her on her sixteenth birthday by Julian. She had accepted his marriage proposal and the two would marry when the time is right. Saori insisted that's what her grandfather would've wanted though Tatsumi advised her to think it over. The ring was pure diamond and she never took it off. Now she found it useful to save herself.
She knew that if she broke the net she would fall onto the earth. Her bone would break and she would likely fall onto her death. But right now, the crows hadn't flew very high. If she didn't act now, she would remain in the hands of her kidnappers.
Who are they? A group of terrorists?
Using all her strength and patience, she broke the net. One piece and another. Finally, she made a hole enough for her to break out. Quietly, she told herself the story of Sagittarius Gold Saint.
Once upon a time, there was a Sagittarius Gold Saint. Brave and righteous, he served the Goddess Athena. He would never leave her side and would die to protect her...
She was free, but was falling from the sky.
It was much higher than she anticipated.
"Saori-san," the Sagittarius Gold Saint stepped besides her. He was ahead taller and handsome in his Gold Cloth. Saori blushed when he placed his hand on her shoulder.
She placed her hand on top of his.
The wind blew by and he picked her up. He flew into the sky with her in his arms.
"I will always protect you and by your side. You are important to me, and there will never be anyone else."
She opened her eyes, and instantly felt pain.
And an arm holding her.
Sagittarius?
But no, it was Seiya.
"Seiya?"
They were not alone. The woman with green hair and a mask and the man with the crows were there as well.
"You wake up in a bad time," Seiya said with sarcasm.
"Is this a dream?"
"No," Seiya replied. "It's reality. We are cornered by enemies and behind us is a cliff."
"We can fight, can't we?"
"We could but my arm is injured."
Only now did Saori realize why Seiya is holding her with one arm; his other warm was obviously broken.
"What happened?"
"Trying to catch you," Seiya said. "You are heavier than I thought." He paused and added, "It's all or nothing now."
She knew what he meant - only way out is to jump over the cliff.
"Seiya, you are not Sagittarius," she reminded him.
"But I am Pegasus," he said, still holding her. "And my birthday is December 1st."
So Sagittarius was his zodiac sign. Maybe he was his guardian angel as much as hers. She held onto Seiya tightly and blushed when her diamond ring brushed against his arm. A thought came to her mind and she began to laugh.
"Ti eínai tóso xekardistikí?" He asked. (What is so funny?)
"Tha sas po eán epiviónoume." (I'll tell you if we make it.)
She held onto him as he made his jump. Before the eyes of their enemies, Seiya jumped from the cliff with Saori in his arms.