"Saori-san...is Goddess Athena?" Shiryu couldn't believe his ears.
"Her cosmo doesn't lie," the Old Master said. "I can feel it."
"But Saori-san...she can't be Athena," Shiryu said. "The things that she did and the way she acted-"
"She has her faults, I know," the Old Master said. "But so do you. Remember I warned you about your attack the Rising Dragon? Did you keep that in mind when you fought Pegasus? Don't forget, it was Athena who had Pegasus revived you. You are the Goddess' Saint, Shiryu, and you must never forget your duty."
Shiryu was out of word.
"Go now," the Old Master said. "You may have lost your sight, but you are still a Saint. When the Goddess needs you, you must go."
Saori was in her room, playing with her engagement ring. She was wearing a long white dress and liked how it looked on her. Before, she had found white dresses dreadful because of her nightmares, where she was stabbed in a white dress. But now, she found the dress fits her well. While playing with the ring, she thought of Seiya. The time she spent with him, since she was only six, were the most memorable. No, she didn't like him when they were children, but now it was different. After he returned from Greece, they argued, but also laughed, were on the run together, and survived battles. When she was with him, she could be her true self.
With Julian, she couldn't even recall the last time she ever had a good laugh with him.
But then, she remembered the cosmo within herself. It was strong enough to defeat the Silver Saints. The last words spoken by her grandfather before their accident haunted her.
Saori will have a hard future. If I could, I'd rather she be an ordinary girl. I want to see her happy even though she isn't my granddaughter-
She didn't want to reminisce further, but she knew she couldn't run away from the truth.
She went to the window and placed the ring under the moonlight. How many karats is it? Julian told her that it's a rare diamond and it fits her because it is one of a kind, just like her. At one glance, it was an ordinary diamond ring.
Oh why was she wasting her time on a piece of jewelry? It didn't even mean that much to her.
While laughing at herself, the ring slipped from her hand and fell from the window.
"No!" She exclaimed and ran out of the mansion.
"What are you doing?"
Saori looked up and found Seiya before her. She was using her phone for lighting and obviously searching for something.
"I lost the ring Julian gave me," she explained. "I have to find it because it's really expensive."
"Really" Seiya mocked. "I thought he bought it from a Dollar Store."
"It's not funny Seiya!" Saori said, panicking. "Even if I don't want marry him, I still have to give ring back to him. Or else, I owe him...a lot of money."
"Okay, I can help you." He knelt down and searched through the grass. The two searched around but found nothing.
Saori sat on the grass and Seiya sat next to her. He peeked at her face and recalled his conversation with Tatsumi.
"Saori-san is Athena."
"How could you know? You have any evidence?"
"How can any mortal survive such a fall from the cliff? Ojou-sama didn't even have a single scratch or bruise. Instead, she gained a few pounds or at least it seems."
"Does she know?" Seiya asked.
"She might," Tatsumi said. "But Ojou-sama, what she knows or what's on her mind, I can never figure it out. Maybe you can."
"Why are you still here?" Saori asked him. "You can go find your sister now."
"There are other things important to me," Seiya said. "And I think I've found her already."
"Really?"
"When I was little, I barely remembered my parents," Seiya said. "It was just my sister and I. She is my only family. I haven't seen her since...I was taken here. After I was sent to Greece, I was trained under Marin. Like my sister, she also has red hair. Many time, I wondered if she's my lost sister."
"Can't you tell?"
"Her face is covered with a mask."
"My grandfather told me that female saints cover their face with masks," Saori said. "If you see their real face, then you have to marry them or be killed by them."
"You were wearing a mask too," he pointed out.
"When I was young, Julian and I were the only kids around," Saori said, changing the subject. "We competed whose mansion is bigger. On my sixteenth birthday, he told me that we can combine our mansions and make it the biggest one on earth. It's what my grandfather would've wanted."
"Really?"
"No," she admitted. "It's what most girls do. But now it looks like Julian is going to take part of this mansion with him."
She had lost the engagement ring, and now she had to pay him.
"What a lovely scene!"
Saori knew that voice - Shaina. Immediately she stood and demanded, "What do you want now? When will you ever get the memo that you will not defeat Seiya or take me with you?"
"Shut up!" Shaina yelled.
"Saori-san-" Seiya was about to step up to protect her.
"No, Seiya," Saori insisted. "I will deal with her."
"Saori-san, Shaina is not evil," Seiya said. "I knew her back in Greece. She has kindness in her, however hard it is for her to admit."
"Yes, unfortunately you saw everything!" Shaina said. "Including my face."
"Seiya..." Saori was out of words.
"If a female Saint's face is seen by a man, she only has two choices," Shaina said. "Love him or kill him. Now, I know kill you is the only way!"
Before she could attack them, a gold light flashed before them.
"What in the world?"
First Shaina, and now a new enemy.
In the midst of the light, a figure stepped out before them. He was wearing a Gold Cloth, very similar to Sagittarius. He ignored Shaina and went straight to Saori.
"Where is my brother's Cloth?" He asked. "Are you Saori Kido? I am here to take you to the Sanctuary."
"Your brother? The Gold Saint Sagittarius?" Saori asked. "Sad for you, you are nothing like your brother!"
The Gold Saint said nothing, but his anger was apparent.
"Seiya! Saori-san!" Hyoga and Shun joined them. Three Bronze Saint against one Gold Saint.
"Don't waste your time," the Gold Saint said. "You don't stand a chance."
He was right. One fist he knocked Seiya, Shun, and Hyoga into the air. Before he could attack again, Shaina threw herself in the way and took the hit for Seiya.
"Shaina-san," Seiya was in disbelief.
"Ah!" Saori's cry interrupted the battle.
An arrow was shot into her abdomen. She fell onto the ground, and blood stained her white dress.
"A message from his Holiness! If you want to live, then come to the Sanctuary!"
"Sagitta Ptolemy!" Shaina said under her breath.
The sounds became distant to Saori. Her vision began to blur. She saw something shiny. Wait, isn't it her engagement ring? Yes, indeed. Look how beautiful it is. Not to far from her either.
A loud crack interrupted her thoughts. The Gold Saint, perhaps intentionally, stepped on the ring and crushed in it into pieces.
Noticing that she was in a white dress, now Saori knew her fate could not be avoided. Half jokingly she muttered, "Looks like I'm not going to marry Julian after all.
In France, Julian was enjoying his champagne in a limousine. He stopped for a moment and said coldly, "The ring... ai gamisou.