Hot-blooded brothers have arrived! Part 1

(参上!熱き血潮の兄弟たちよ!)

"Pegasus Ryu Sei Ken!" Cosmos swelled like a fog around Kouga and his friends.

The reason behind the Cloth's removal—The Cosmic Ocean, the polar opposite of the atoms in our bodies, has reoccurred as Kouga's Cosmos expanded and accelerated again. Only for a moment. Demeter, raising her staff, was pelted by the Pegasus fists. It seemed like a flash; Demeter and Hermes stood behind a barrier and held their breaths, their bodies embraced by the gold and green lights of Cosmos. Even Demeter's hand trembled against her staff. She gritted her teeth. Once the attack passed, the body of the Mother Goddess gave out one or two shivers.

"Saints of Athena, even if you rise your Cosmos to the limit, and attempt to imitate the power of Divine beings, you still face God. A true God." She managed those words from her lips, even though her thoughts swirled with concern. Rather, fury was threatening to surface; the last time she spoke with Arion, she admitted to him that she was afraid. Despite that, she would stand her ground. Kouga lowered his fist and took a moment to look around, unable to hide his surprise. Every Saint before his eyes smiled.

"Everyone, why are you—"

"It was Saturn," said Eden. Everyone eyed the blue-haired youth named Subaru. The kid pointed himself with his thumb, letting out a giggle.

"No-no. Athena's Saint, Equuleus Subaru," he said.

"Why did you save us?" asked Yuna.

Souma scowled, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah! Or rather, what are you after?!"

"This is the reaction you give me after saving you, Lionet Souma? Aquila Yuna?" Subaru protested, then he turned to the Dragon Saint and Orion Saint, quite curious about their thoughts. Perhaps it should not come as a surprise. Kouga gave Souma a quick glimpse, realizing that his left forearm was still missing. Healed from the black substance, the stump at the flexor was cleaned with new tissue. Rather, everyone was fine. The hearts that were spurting out of Souma and Yuna's bodies, and the cavity that nearly blew open Eden, seemed like a dream.

"Do you have a reason to face Demeter?" asked Ryuho. The Dragon Saint looked fine as well; Kouga did not personally witness the battle against Megaera and the burns that Ryuho received.

"Everyone, now is not the time for another prolonged Holy War with many casualties. Among the mortal world and among the Saints," Subaru said, shrugging his shoulders. "If Demeter wants to revive the land of the dead then fine. However, due to Athena's actions, and her current state, perhaps more is to be expected. Even though, if a situation arises where your limits are tested, I am all for it."

"It is not necessary to fight!" Kouga squeezed his hand into a fist. "This did not have to happen! Miss Shaina and Haruto did not need to die for all of this! For Demeter's daughter!"

"Oh?" Subaru frowned and side glanced Demeter. "So, Mother Goddess, what do you think will happen after Hades is revived? Will the world be in peril?"

Demeter held her tongue as her glower twitched, as to which Subaru continued. "No telling at all. You clearly are bargaining. After all, you are a selfish Goddess, and Hades is one of the biggest threats through Athena's legacy."

The Mother Goddess closed her eyes and lowered her head; perhaps for the first time, her mind became dark, and she crooked her mouth into a smirk.

"Tossing Athena to Hades will result in saving the world." As those words came out, Hermes followed suit with his own grin, stifling a laugh.

"Why you!" Kouga chomped, appearing to get ready to lunge, but Demeter continued to speak.

"Asklepsios suggested me something interesting, as did Athena." Hearing the Goddess's name was enough to freeze everyone in place.

"Wouldn't you like to know? Perhaps I am simple, a fool, an angry mother that takes exasperating actions. Now that he's released, Asklepsios is the only one who can connect to Hades, hear his voice, while he revives his spirit and all. According to him, his hatred for Athena and her Saints burns. Who knows what will happen. It matters not. I just want to see my beloved again."

"Surely, Athena's Saints will not stand to see their Goddess die," said Subaru. After Saturn's words, the rest of Athena's Saints had their say in.

"Someone, God or man, has to take responsibility to set what's right," said Ryuho.

"Athena's Saints do not wish to see the world destroyed because of one person," said Souma.

"Yes. We passed barriers, our old comrades and your guardians, just to get here. We even fought wars against evil gods. "Haruto once said that humans take pride in leaping over adversity, and this will not be the same. You'll be stopped regardless!" Kouga fixed a serious glare at Demeter.

"Even if it's for your family, others get hurt. We must raise our fists. Not because we enjoy it, it's because it's right. Prepare yourself and face our determination."

"Guys," Subaru interjected suddenly. "Despite everything, Demeter is not an evil Goddess. She has a terrible temper but first and foremost, like a mother. She is also a Goddess who has garnered respect. I'm sure you realized that from her Terrae."

"Arion most of all," said Kouga. "His respect for you Demeter boiled the most, almost beyond reasoning. I could feel it in his attacks."

"Arion…?" Demeter's face softened at the sound of his name. She then turned her back to the youths.

"Humph, he is always like that," she said. "He opened the Path of the Gods and even you survived. Still, he never swayed from his beliefs and would become a weapon if needed be. Therefore, I must not sway from what I believe in. He also told me this. Now, you must know what that means."

"He said that he admired your fighting spirits, but they mean nothing before me. Now get ready!"

Suddenly, a loud laugh reverberated through the Temple; all eyes from the Saints, including Subaru, were led behind Demeter—striding to her side was the bespectacled traitor, Cancer Hermes. A gold aura billowed around him, and his wicked gaze on the Saints seem to devise that they were going to die.

"Is that it? Is that why you are all here?! Surely there is nothing to fear, Demeter. These Saints borrowed their strength from a God to defeat all Four Terrae. Unlike the transcending strength of a Gold Saint, it's all a fluke. Shame on you, Saturn."

"You know nothing, Hermes!" Kouga grimaced. The Cancer Saint already gave out a disturbing aura, shrugging and laughing in the face of his so-called "allies" while standing abreast the enemy Goddess. The wrong Goddess.

Subaru swiped his nose with his thumb. "Don't get mad cause I hit you, Cancer. Well deserved." Hermes's words were enough to spur an annoyed glare from even Subaru. The blue-haired boy lifted his hand, a finger reaching out towards the Gold Saint. He uttered low under his breath, "I got you."

"Get ready traitor, you have no future!" At Eden's words, everyone lined up with Kouga and their bodies glowed. With one swing of Demeter's staff, the Saints were standing on grass; they stood in an open pasture. Whether they thought of it to be an illusion, or if they were transported to a warm, Heavenly land, it did not weigh on them for too long—as they saw a wide wall of erupted dust. There was a faint sound of something approaching from yards away.

Behind the dust was a horde of animals. Then it made sense—the sound of hoofs and paws, small and heavy frames, and the Saints were in complete shock and awe. Rather, they could not escape. The animals pressed close in seconds! Those animals were the face of the catastrophic power of a God that could level the world from her grief. Even though she looked like a frail, but regal woman. Their pompousness, the courage held within the chests of the Saints shattered. The collective mass of natural beasts collided and swallowed them whole, and they disappeared into the debris. It was Demeter's answer to be silent. Prostate and be silent.

"Asklepsios, the one who is connected to Hades's voice says this:" the Mother Goddess explained. "If she dies, Athena can save Naxos". She wasn't sure if her words reached the Saints, except Hermes, but scattered along her floor were Kouga, Eden, Yuna, Ryuho and Souma's collapsed bodies. Subaru was tightly clutched in-between two enormous hands devoid of skin. The skeletal hands that tried to grab Kouga before had returned, now wrapping around Subaru. In just seconds, the hands broke apart from Subaru's inflamed Cosmos.

"That might be more than enough!" Cancer Hermes bounded, reaching Subaru.

"Stop the clock!"

"You think that'll work again?!"

Cancer Hermes began to glide, his consciousness holding itself in place. A burning glare behind spectacles reached Subaru and the boy couldn't move. When he did, it was from a shockwave launched from Hermes's hand, surprising the so-called Equuleus Saint. He flew upside, his mind left to process what happened.

Time stopped on my side. That bastard, did he extract my energy and made it his?!

"Not so fast Hermes! Pleiades Tempest !" Before descending, Subaru turned himself upright and watched Hermes below. His body glowing, a rainbow of spheres collected around him. The moment Subaru threw a fist out, Hermes was blinded by a bright agglomeration of falling stars, something unimaginable unless fighting a Saint or even a God. Hermes let out a punch as well; both saw an image of two winged horses crashing into one another. Meteor per meteor fly towards one another, washing the surroundings in rays of light that last for seconds.

Kouga's—?!

There wasn't time for reasoning.

Subaru's toes touched the ground, and then his spine-something bit into his back, draining his thought to retaliate. No, all his thoughts diminished. Before his voice escaped, the Time-Space God miniaturized into a boy fell forward onto his face. A surprise attack?!

"Heh! Done huh?" Cancer Hermes grinned wryly and hunkered down on his haunches, slinking towards the downed Subaru. Then, he was pushed back. It felt like a snapping whip hitting his chest. A growl left him and he stood up. The Cancer Saint looked ahead and then, an impact stunned him. While not deeply, the pointy end of a sword skewered into his cuirass. His head went wild: Why was there a sword?!

Subaru grimaced as he turned his face away from the ground. He was probably more surprised than hurt. "Ah, someone's rage." It's not like he refused to move—a long, silver thread had entered his back. Little did he know, it was keeping him pinned down.

"Correct!" Another new voice entered Demeter's Temple. The voice of a young girl. Hermes bent over and grabbed the sword's handle, yanking it out. He threw it aside with an exasperated groan. His annoyed eyes reached the Temple entrance. He saw short blonde hair.

"What's wrong with you, girl?! I am on your side!"

"No Saint is an ally of mine!"

With his back turned to Demeter, Hermes would miss the shocked look on the Mother Goddess's face. Cancer continued to argue with the girl dressed in a white pleated skirt. Strips of cloth hung from her shoulder guards, indicating that it was Terrae. That Terrae had eyes that shined with rage, all the while, pooling with tears. That blonde hair had a light green tincture.

"Dear Ginga..he is gone…dear Megaera, she's dead..and Arion. Arion is not moving. Unresponsive. I'm so angry—"

Loom Pan could not control her labored breathing.

"—that my blood boils and made me blind!"