"Saori-san!"
Seiya ignored Julian and rushed Saori's side. He pulled her up and had her leaned against him.
"Why are you like this?" He demanded. "You are supposed to be tougher than this! Remember how you survived the fall from the cliff? Don't be a weakling, because you are not!"
"Look who's talking," Saori murmured. "You are a mess yourself. You shouldn't be here. You stand no chance against Julian. He's...he's actually Sea God Poseidon."
"Who said I'm fighting him? This is your fight and I'm only here as your cheerleader."
Letting out a laugh, Saori said, "If you are ever a cheerleader then you are the worst."
"Enough!" Julian interrupted their conversation. "You two are hands down obnoxious together! I'm going to finish you off!"
As he was launching his attack, Saori used her cosmo and counterattacked. She succeeded, but it rendered her weaker.
"Seiya, get out of here," she said, almost beseeching.
"No, I'm not leaving without you!"
Julian continued his attack, knowing Saori is getting weaker each time she releases her cosmo. But before his attack could reach Saori, it was blocked.
"Seiya, long time no see."
"Shiryu?" Seiya was surprised.
Indeed, it was Shiryu who blocked the attack with his Dragon Shield. "I'm back."
"Your eyes," Saori noticed that he is still blind. But at same time he was a much more powerful warrior and his cosmo was strong too.
Saori remembered the battle between him and Seiya during the Galaxian Tournament. He was taller and stronger compared to Seiya, who was beaten down over and over again. Everyone thought Shiryu is impossible to beat, but Seiya saw his weakness. All Saints had vulnerabilities; and gods too.
Wait...
An idea came to Saori. Julian was powerful now as Sea God Poseidon, but he too had vulnerabilities. She could drive Poseidon's soul out of Julian by piercing her spear into his body. Similar to how Seiya defeated Shiryu, she'd have Julian distracted by the attacks from the Saints and wait for that very moment when his guard was down.
Right now she only had Seiya and Shiryu.
Where is everyone else?
Using her cosmo, she sensed her other Bronze Saints' whereabouts. Ikki and Hyoga were in their battles against the Mariners and further away. Shun was fighting Sorrento but closer.
Quietly, she connected with Shun. She would help him defeat Sorrento so he would join them to fight Julian.
"We don't have to do this!" Shun insisted. "Siren Sorrento, I know you are not evil!"
"Enough with the talking," Sorrento said. "I am fighting under Poseidon. You are his enemy and thus mine."
With that said, he began to play his flute.
Dead End Symphony.
Shun tried to block his ears but no avail. He groaned painfully as if his head was about to explode.
Shun...
A voice came to his ear, blocking the Dead End Symphony. It was Saori.
Shun, I am sending you my cosmo. You will be stronger than Sorrento. Defeat him and do not reason with him! We need you to fight Poseidon!
Instantly, Shun's cosmo burned to the extreme.
Shun, now!
"Nebula Storm!" Shun released his deadliest attack. Though he was the gentlest among the Bronze Saints, he could launch the deadliest attack. By nature, Shun was an unwilling warrior partially because he knew how dangerous his powers are. Nebula Storm was the most destructive of his attacks and Shun wouldn't use it unless it's the last resort.
And it worked. Sorrento was blasted away and his flute was broken.
"Sorry," Shun apologized and quickly ran to join Seiya and Saori.
One blast after another, Hyoga was beaten down. He didn't stand a chance against Kraken Isaac, or maybe he didn't have the heart to battle.
The past haunted him and there was no escape.
His mother was dead; his father never acknowledged him; he turned back against his master Aquarius Gold Saint Camus by joining the Bronze Saints fighting against the Sanctuary; Isaac grew up and trained with him, but he lost an eye and now fought for Poseidon because of him. He wanted to punish himself, perhaps even seeking death.
Eventually Isaac stopped his attack.
"Is this what you wanted Hyoga?" He asked. "You disappoint me. You don't deserve the Cygnus Cloth if this is who you are. You are pathetic!"
Hyoga didn't make a sound. His ears, however, were hearing sounds of current.
What is it?
He saw a ship. Why it was the ship's wreck that held the body of his mother Natasha! Although dead for years, her face remained beautiful. Hyoga visited her as much as he could by diving deep into the icy ocean; and it was one of his motivations to become a Saint.
Mama...
But the ship's wreck was sinking.
No...
And it was sinking deeper and deeper and soon it sank deep into ocean's grave - a place he could never reach.
No...Mama!
It wasn't a nightmare or an illusion. It was real. He would never see his mother again.
Anger filled Hyoga's heart. Slowly, his cosmo burned. Finally, he rose and Isaac gasped upon seeing his eyes. Emotions were gone. Hyoga was ready to kill.
"Aurora Thunder Attack!"
Hyoga attacked Isaac mercilessly and almost lost himself. By the time he came to, Isaac was down and defeated.
"Beautiful, Hyoga," Isaac commented. "I underestimated you. When you go to the Sanctuary...will you show our master Camus mercy..."
And he breathed his last.
"You think you can be more powerful with your Saints?" Julian mocked. "Just three?"
He pointed at Seiya, Shiryu, and Shun.
"Not three but four!"
It was Hyoga.
Good, Saori thought. Now he's here as well.
Thetis wanted to protect Julian but Shaina held her back.
Together, the four Bronze Saints launched their attack towards Julian.
"Pegasus Meteor Punch!"
"Aurora Thunder Attack!"
"Nebula Chain!"
"Roshan Rising Dragon!"
Their attacks were useless against the Sea God, but they kept him distracted. Meanwhile Saori focused on Julian, waiting for the opportunity.
And finally, she saw it.
Now!
With her spear in hand, she pierced it right into his heart.
Everyone fell into silence until a scream came from Thetis.
"JULIAN-SAMA!"
Helplessly, she watched as him fell.
"No!" Kanon suddenly stopped his battle. "Poseidon is defeated!"
His dream of taking over the Sanctuary was now crushed.
The ground began to shake.
Poseidon had lost, but not before exacting his last revenge.
The building was collapsing.
If Kanon wanted to get out of there, Ikki wouldn't let him. The two continued their fight as the building fell apart.
With her power, Saori kept everyone safe from the collapsing building.
But her cosmo was diminishing.
Yet, she wasn't alone.
Her hand was taken by Seiya. He lent her his cosmo and gave her strength.
Would this be the end?
She looked at Seiya, and his face was so calm. Amazingly, his presence could make her feel safe even under this circumstance. For once, she didn't see him as a boy who rebelled against her authority, or as a guy who annoyed her, or as a Saint devoted to her. Instead, she saw him as the man whom she wanted by her side. As long as he's here, nothing else mattered.
Slowly her face came closer to his. Their lips touched.
It was indeed a special day for Saori, for she had her first kiss - before a building fell on her.