Saori went up the stairs and Shaina followed. Not trusting Shaina, Saori stopped in every few minutes as if Shaina would attack her or stab in from behind.

"You don't trust me," Shaina said.

"That's obvious," Saori admitted. "You tried hurt me many times, and now, you changed sides."

"I said I'm doing this for Seiya."

"Why for Seiya?"

"Because I love him," Shaina said without a hesitation. "He saw my face, and my gentle side. For female saints, if the face is seen by a man, she can either love him or kill him. I wanted to kill him, but my heart won't let me."

Shaina removed her mask and Saori was surprised how attractive her face is. Had she dressed in casual outfit, she'd be taken as a girl next door. Saori was quite taken aback by Shaina's feelings towards Seiya. She also thought of Thetis dedication to Julian. These two women would go high and low for the man they love. One was willing to switch side and protect an enemy and the other was willing to make her loved one a god.

"You listen to me good," Saori said. "I'm not gullible nor am I a damsel in distress. If you think that I am going to sit here waiting for Seiya to save me, then you are wrong. I don't care what your relationship with Seiya is. If you want me to trust you, you have to earn that trust yourself. Try anything funny, you will regret it. You can start off by tell me about the Sanctuary. Is it under Poseidon's reign now?"

"No," Shaina shook her head. "The Pope oversees the Sanctuary. As far as I know, we are not under the patronage of Poseidon."

"Why did you try to attack me? Under whose orders?"

"The Pope's," Shaina said. "They told me to take you to the Sanctuary."

"What about that Gold Saint?"

"Aiolia?"

"Aiolos," Saori misunderstood her. "You know the Sagittarius Gold Saint?"

"No, Aiolia Leo Gold Saint," Shaina replied. "He is Sagittarius Gold Saint's younger brother. Sixteen years ago, Aiolos was declared a traitor and we know he's dead. Aiolia grew up bitter and alone."

"And Goddess Metis?"

Shaina shook her head. "I only know this much because I'm just a Silver Saint. Aiolia would know more. All I know is that I no longer want to fight Seiya or hurt him in any way."

Seeing how genuine Shaina is, Saori questioned her no more. She remembered what she saw in her vision after she was shot by Silver Saint Ptolemy. The Pope, Saga, had betrayed her and her mother Metis. The Saints were divided between those who sworn to the new Pope and those who remain loyal to her. But the Pope may be powerful but in the end he was merely a mortal. Initially she thought Poseidon was behind all this, but now she wasn't as sure.

A sharp pain came to her and she nearly lost her balance.

"Are you all right?" Shaina asked.

"I'm fine."

Mariner General Kasa was proud of his power.

He could read into the mind of his preys and manipulate their feelings for his own end. It was fun and enjoyable to see his enemies saw him as their love ones thus making them vulnerable. Victory was easy and sweet.

That was until he faced Phoenix Ikki.

Ikki was no stranger to illusions; nor was he a person who shows his emotions. The years of training in hell on Death Queen Island had almost made him a monster. His battle against the Bronze Saints at Murder Valley helped him regained some of his humane side. Still, he remained a cold and hardened person. Esmeralda would want him to live, but he would not want to be happy since Esmeralda was alone six feet under.

Esmeralda was the daughter of a local farmer who sold her as a work slave for three bags of grain. She bore some resemblance to Shun and was the only reason Ikki kept his sanity during his training. After she beaten to death by his master Guilty, Ikki snapped and was consumed by hatred. The hatred was powerful enough to make him the Phoenix Saint, but also driven him to take vengeance against those who had him endure the pains and training in hell - his master Guilty, Saori Kido, his brother Shun, and rest of the Bronze Saints. The battle against Bronze Saints awakened him and it would've been a heartfelt reunion had Sanctuary not sent more Silver Saints against them. Ikki sacrificed himself to let the Bronze Saints escape, but as phoenix rises from ashes, he revived. Although alive, he did not go rejoin the Bronze Saints. The experience from Death Queen Island made him a loner. Still, he was a Bronze Saint and Shun's older brother.

Unlike with Hyoga, Seiya, and Shun, Kasa wasn't able to manipulate Ikki as easily. In fact, it was Ikki who manipulated him with his illusions. Suddenly Kasa saw that he was attacking himself. Within seconds, he gone mad. Collapsing, he saw a shadow of a young woman running towards Ikki.

Oh why he didn't see it earlier?

That was his regret before he breathed his last.

"Brother..." Shun opened his eyes. Seiya and Hyoga came to consciousness as well.

"How do you that I'm not an enemy?" Ikki questioned.

"But brother-"

"You are in a battle, Shun!" Ikki interrupted him. "You shouldn't be sentimental. Let your love ones be your reason to live and to win. Never show your enemy your vulnerability."

He then turned to leave.

"Ikki, where are you going?" Seiya asked.

"I'm not going to stay here running up and down the stairs," Ikki said. "I'd rather fight a real battle. If Saori-san is the real Athena, then she will have to prove it."

"I don't care if Saori-san is Goddess Athena. I am not leaving without her!" Seiya insisted.

Ikki said nothing and before the Bronze Saints knew it, he was gone.

"Seiya!"

The three Bronze Saints were interrupted by a familiar voice. It was Kiki.

"What are you doing here?" Shun asked him.

"Hurry we don't have much time!" Kiki said before Shun could ask him about Shiryu. "The Old Master sent me here. The arrow wound on Saori-san hasn't healed! She is in no condition to fight Poseidon God of Sea! We have to stop her before she gets to him!"

"How did you know all this?" Hyoga asked.

"The Old Master is aware of everything," Kiki said.

While Phoenix Ikki did say that he'd rather fight a real battle, he didn't leave the building. Instead, he was on his way to face the Sea God Poseidon. He hoped that he will get there before Saori does.

Don't lose her, Seiya. I know how it feels when I lost Esmeralda. I would've joined her, but she wanted me to live.