Sadly friends, this chapter is where my writing alone starts, forgive me for the quality of the work. If there are any mistakes or questions, please don't hesitate to ask. That said, I hope you enjoy this next chapter, a secret is finally revealed! Enjoy!
It had been a trying day for the Saints gathered to serve Athena, throughout that day they had been in combat with the False Pope's contingency of Silver Saints and although no losses had been gained from the early fights, the warriors of Athena did find themselves exhausted by the drawn out conflict over such a short space of time.
Out of the few Saints to side with Athena beyond the twelve Bronze Saints and nine Gold Saints already gathered were Silver Saints Corona Australis Aiden, Crateris Mendo, and Bronze Saint Caelum Xander. The rest had sided with the False Pope, believing that the he was in the right, and that the Gold Saints deserved punishment.
Earlier that day the entirety of the Silver Saints had desired communion with their Gold and Bronze Saint brothers, Athena had moved their base of operations to encamping in the clearing around the Kido Cabin and awaited the meeting with their fellow Saints, the meeting had quickly devolved into a large battle when it became aware that Pope Ares had sworn the majority of the Silver Saints to his command and led by Cancer Deathmask - the apparent 'loyal' Gold Saint - on behalf of the Sanctuary against their group of heretic Saints and Fake Goddess.
And not all of the Saint were accounted for yet either, Shiryu had gone off in a certain direction upon sensing a powerful Cosmos and had yet to return, Daisuke found this an annoyance as he frowned slightly and sensed the sparks of conflict still continuing in the distance although muted expertly. Strangely, Daisuke noticed that not even the Gold Saints had raised issue about this conflict? Was he the only one to sense it?
Excusing himself, Daisuke turned and walked off in the direction he sensed that the battle was taking place at.
Shiryu was having greater troubles of his own as Deathmask, the Gold Saint of Cancer, evaded all of his attacks with lightspeed precision of someone fully trained as a Gold Saint and had no problem with eliminating opposition with absolute precision if he wanted to. Instead, what annoyed Shiryu more than anything was the feeling of being played with, of being used for this Gold Traitor's Sick entertainment.
"What is the matter Shiryu? Getting bored of our little game yet or are you waiting out for someone to come help you?" taunted Deathmask, as he sped around Shiryu. "It doesn't matter, I shielded our battlefield from prying eyes. No one is coming to save you!"
"Not shielding well enough!" yelled a voice, and Daisuke appeared, his punch connecting with Deathmask much to the Cancer Saint and Shiryu's surprise.
The Gold Saint backflipped away from the two Bronze Saints and landed with a groan, the force of Daisuke's punch causing him to slid backwards through the mud a meter from where he intended to land, Deathmask turned his annoyed gaze on the one whom had a moment of luck and surprise to hit him despite the Gold Saint having been moving at the speed of light. There was something about the Corona Borealis Saint, something that Deathmask couldn't put his finger on, but it was evidently there and mocking him for his lack of definition to place on the vibe.
"We attack together, it is the only way to beat him!" announced Daisuke, and Shiryu found that he couldn't refuse the command and felt a sudden blaze of respect.
Shiryu used his Rozan Shō Ryū Ha which the Cancer Saint easily avoided by soon realized that that had been a feint attack, the real attack came when Daisuke used the Corona Borealis's signature attack: Red Star Flames, similar to the Pegasus Meteor Fist it allowed Daisuke to throw punches at incredible number and speeds except that this ability also generated intense cosmic flames that could burn a combatant without a protective cloth to ash. Thanks to Shiryu's prior attack, Daisuke's attack hit home and sent Deathmask sprawling, fighting to return to his feet.
"I'll remember this, Bronze Saints!" yelled Deathmask in anger and hatred, before quickly vacating the battlefield.
"Thank you for the assist," spoke Shiryu, as he crossed over to a frowning Daisuke, looking at the crimson cosmo coating his hand.
"Don't mention it," replied Daisuke, hiding his hand quickly from view.
Deathmask was cautious of the Pope when he returned to his camp and considered the pacing of the man he and Aphrodite followed, the Gold Saint of Gemini was a terrifyingly powerful and unpredictable man, there was said to be Gemini Saint abilities so powerful or could warp the mind in such a way that going up against them in the Age of Myth had been considered a suicidal endeavour by many enemies of Athena.
"So, you to kill even one Bronze Saint?" asked Pope Ares, sitting down on the high back chair that he was using by proxy as a replacement throne.
"It is that accursed Corona Borealis Saint," spat Deathmask, and the False Pope's crimson helmet tilted forward at a nod.
"That child is the one I have feared, he like Mrs Kido have been born with such powerful Cosmos that they are easily believed to be Athena and a reborn mythical Legendary Saint," stated the False Pope, as he bridged his fingers. "But if we take away one from the equation..."
"We eliminate half the threat?" asked Perseus Algol, and the Pope's helmet tilted again in a nod.
"Which is why I have sent Sagitta Ptolemy to assassinate Saori Kido, once the Phantom Arrow is imbedded in a chest only Athena herself would be able to draw it free," snickered the Pope, as he stood and pointed towards Deathmask. "Everyone shall prepare to march to battle, see to it Cancer Deathmask!"
"Yes your Holiness," grinned Deathmask, thinking of his sweet revenge.
"You seem troubled," stated a voice, causing Daisuke to look up from where he sat on a log and see Virgo Shaka and Seiya, Shaka had been the one to speak.
"Would you say, that I was some kind of monster, Shaka?" asked Daisuke, and Shaka's eyebrows knitted together in deep thought.
"I would say... that you have been born with an extremely powerful and uncontrollable Cosmo like myself, your Cosmo is latent however while mine has been with me since I was young," answered Shaka, as he knelt down in front of Daisuke, eyes firmly closed. "That does not make you a monster, in and of itself."
"It is what you do with that power, that defines what you are," commented Athena, surprising Daisuke by her sudden appearance.
Before Daisuke could thank his adopted sister for everything she had done and said they heard a ruckus of moving Cloth and saw that the False Pope was once again forming battlelines on the edge of the clearing ahead, to answer the call Athena's Saints also gathered to her side however they didn't notice a shadow above them, as the Sagitta Silver Saint dropped down and launched his Phantom Arrow directly for Athena's heart.
"Die blasphemer!" yelled Sagitta Ptolemy, as he straightened in the air to land safely on the ground.
The Gold Saints easily managed to neutralize the illusionary Arrows but Corona Australis Aiden predicted the course of the Arrow and made a leaping jump, he slid right between Athena and Ptolemy, groaning as the real Arrow of Sagitta pierced his chest and stuck fast into his beating heart. The loyal Silver Saint lay still, and Ptolemy stared in surprise but not regret, unaware of the consequences he had just unleashed as his fellows began their advance.
Seeing Aiden with a golden arrow sticking out of his chest had a profound affect on Xander but he saw that Daisuke was taking it even worse, while Xander kneeled beside Aiden and took time to sustain his life as Athena kneeled down beside her loyal Silver Saint, Daisuke was becoming wrapped in a crimson layer of Cosmo and his fists were clenched with the Chrono Borealis Cloth creaking upon his frame.
Daisuke suddenly leapt forwards and before Sagitta Ptolemy or even the Fake Pope could even blink, Daisuke's fist had become encased in flames and Xander could only watch shocked as Daisuke used his Red Star Corona ability, an attack that had caused Corona Borealis Saints to die in the past and had been considered suicidal due to its destructive nature, Daisuke's fist plunged into Ptolemy's chest and an explosion of the flaming solar Corona lit up Ptolemy's body but everything became silent as Daisuke withdrew his hand holding what seemed to be the once beating heart of the Silver Saint.
Moments later, Daisuke squeezed the heart before widening his fingers once more, the heart flickered as though with some inner flame and then turned to black ash and was swept away in the breeze. Ptolemy's frozen form suddenly changed too, blood streaked out from the wound and his open mouth that was like hot lava that seemed to burn whatever it touched, the Sagitta Cloth turned as black as the ash mere seconds ago before shattering into pieces moments before Ptolemy tilted backwards and collapsed onto his back.
Xander was momentarily distracted from the display when Aiden yelled to his side and the caused Xander's head to snap to his side to look, Athena had her hands on the arrow and her warm and golden Cosmo flowed from her open hands and into the Arrow causing it to glow brightly, with a quick tug the arrow came free and Aiden shot upwards. Except that Xander's hands were then on the wound, healing what needed to be healed, and pushing the Corona Austrina Saint back down.
Aiden joined Xander and Athena in glancing towards where Daisuke stood however, blood red Cosmo still having not abated since the death of Ptolemy, now flowed freely like a river from around the Corona Borealis Saint. And given the worried expression on Athena's face, Xander could assume that all that raw power may not in fact be a good thing for all the Saints, after all.
Daisuke's anger was unrelenting as it spun and curdled as pure Cosmo around him, causing the Fake Pope's Silver Saints to take steps back and even his precious Gold Crab lapdog to tense as the Cosmo moved. It exploded outwards and leaked across the ground like a tsunami almost knocking those Silvers too dumb to take a step back further out of range almost off their feet. His Cloth had abandoned him too, steam rising off it in its Totem form as though it had just escaped being melted down, not that he cared... with this power he didn't need that brittle Bronze Cloth which had trouble channeling and containing his true power.
Daisuke was not aware of the visual changes that was appearing on him as he continued to glare at that self proclaimed Pope, did not care about the orange amber colour of his once blue eyes nor the now light auburn brown colour that his once dirty blond hair had taken, hatred and vengeance curdling in Daisuke's stomach with his blood pumping around his body rapidly and burning like lava. That was what was important, the thrill of ripping their hearts out, of getting revenge down to the last member of this rebellion that had dared attack what belonged to him.
Finally the False Pope spoke, "Who are you, young warrior?"
"You should know better anyone, you did steal my name to use yourself!" snarled Daisuke, his Cosmo turning into waves from the sea, as a new truth solidified inside his mind. "I am the God of War, all Conflict and Bloodshed... I am Ares!"