103 — VALHALLA'S BLACK TIGER
The Valhalla Palace was a building on the highest point of Asgard, beyond the castle walkway, going up a grand winding street between mansions and former restaurants, bodegas and grocery stores that were now abandoned in disrepair; the few aristocrats who still lived hid in their mansions, warmed by timid fireplaces. Before the great gates of the Valhalla Palace there was a frozen fountain where children used to gather for the great fairs of another time.
Round the fountain rose wide arched steps to a courtyard where the entrance to the Valhalla Palace opened. There was no gate to lock it, as Valhalla was eternally open to the people of Asgard. This entrance, however, was colossal, like a tower; the ever-open entrance seemed narrow, but only because of the size of the gap in the tower, for in truth an entire entourage could pass through at once.
Crossing this huge gap-always-open, but now abandoned, it led to a wide corridor where one could glimpse the many cold and dark columns inside. It was, in any case, a gloomy and abandoned building, covered in snow and even cobwebs in many places, since it was no longer cared for as in its heyday.
A sad construction with large dark and abandoned areas, high towers and two or three floors, depending on its inner chambers, as well as at least five underground levels where dungeons and other mysteries were excavated. At the end of the Palace, already at a higher level than its entrance, another corridor led to an enormous courtyard that opened up under the Colossus of Odin. Where Hilda sometimes prayed to her God.
On the balcony of a second floor, looking at the Sword that Odin wielded in the stone statue, Siegfried was kneeling before Hilda.
"It looks like two Saints have already arrived at Valhalla Palace."
"You're right, Miss Hilda, but you have nothing to worry about. Those two barely survived the fight against Míme, so they aren't completely unscathed. They should be no match for Mizar Sid as he was able to defeat a Gold Saint in his own Temple at the Sanctuary. I would dare say that Sid is the second to no one in this great land. I have full confidence that he will not fail."
Hilda looked at the horizon and managed a smile that Siegfried didn't notice.
"I must agree with you." and then she cast a sly look at the huge man kneeling before her. "But Siegfried, you may not realize how vast Sid's true power is."
Siegfried was surprised when thunder cracked next to Odin's golden crown.
"I know one day you'll understand that." she commented, letting out a powerful laugh as the light snow fell around them both.
The main corridor of the Palace, which was accessed immediately after entering, was all made of stone, so that the calm steps of those who had just entered echoed even if they tried to hide it, such was the abandonment of the place. Some torches and even candles on distant tables gave the dim lighting of the place, which cast many shadows in the corners. In addition to the carefully calculated footsteps that echoed through the ancient stones of the Palace, there was suddenly the tense, metallic scrape of chains dragging. The steps stopped and the two Athena Saints whispered their suspicions to each other, when behind a column came the sublimation of a slow and mesmerizing ice mist.
Everything then happened very quickly: the Nebula Chain shot towards the mist and Shun felt how it locked onto its target. Where before only the precipitation of mist was seen, there was revealed, like a cloak revealing a magician, the figure of a God Warrior. His seidr shone on his body illuminating everything around him; a white light and terribly cold.
"You're lucky to have made it this far." Sid said, the chain clenched in his fists. "Congratulations."
"You are Mizar Sid." Geist guessed.
His God Robe was dark, yet shiny, and had details carved into the massive protection; his face was adorned by a helmet in which two crimson eyes glowed and two huge tusks fell from either side of his face, as if the helmet were, in fact, the head of an enormous predatory feline.
"I see you are not unharmed from the battle with Míme." he observed when he saw that Geist had only part of a Silver Cloth, as well as the tired face. Shun, on the other hand, had on his face and arms, which were unprotected by his Cloth, the red marks of the silver wires of Míme's violin. "I shouldn't and I don't believe you deserve it, but I'll give you the chance to leave. Leave Míme's Odin Sapphire and return to the Sanctuary you came from."
Shun remembered the attack on Aldebaran, because there before him was someone who was able to defeat the Golden Bull, knocking him out in an unthinkable way. The Andromeda Saint remembered Aldebaran's strength perfectly, so if Sid was really that strong, that battle would be terrible. Geist, on the other hand, remembered well Freia's words about Sid's shadow, which she suspected was the trump card of that God Warrior.
"Listen, Mizar Sid." Shun began, drawing even Geist's attention. "All we want is to seal away the Relic of the Seas that is hidden in Surtr's Cave."
"Go back to the Sanctuary." said Sid again, leisurely punctuating his last offer.
"What the boy says is true." stepped Geist beside Shun. "We have sealed six Relics around the Seas and only the one at Asgard prevents Poseidon from sleeping in the Oceans. For it is precisely he who oppresses your people with this very rigorous winter."
Sid closed his eyes and the Chain that he still had in his fists simply fell inert to the ground, to Shun's astonishment, who tried to gather it into his fist, but it wouldn't even do that; it lay stretched out between them. Sid got into battle position.
"Your words are calm, but your actions have already doomed four God Warriors in this land. For a people of peace, the number of corpses lying on the back of your mission seems irreconcilable." Sid spoke harshly and opened his eyes, staring at them. "I will make this Valhalla Palace your tomb. The time for mercy is over."
Snow-white seidr lit up the God Warrior's body, and his voice roared, echoing off the ancient walls of Valhalla.
"Viking Tiger Claw"
Geist and Shun were devastated by a fast and terrible technique, which simulated cuts in the air like the claws of an enraged tiger, which took both of them to the top and then to the ground. Shun got up, because, incredible as it seemed, he was in better condition than Geist and had all his armor at his disposal. More than that: it had its chains. Or at least the Circular Chain to protect him, since the Triangle Chain was still useless.
Shun got up, but fell to his knees again; the skin burned where Sid's technique had landed. He pulled his Triangular Chain with his bare hands and noticed, with amazement, that it was actually completely frozen and therefore did not respond to his call.
"Shun!" the boy heard the voice of Geist, because another mist seemed to move close to them.
The boy immediately spread the Circular Chain around the two of them to protect them from any attacks; the mist surrounded the two bodies lying on the ground while Shun checked if Geist was alright. She was, though clearly unable to go through with this battle. The voice of the God Warrior sounded in the darkness and the impression was that that threatening mist was the one who spoke to them.
"In Greek Mythology, Princess Andromeda was supposed to be sacrificed to Poseidon, the God of the Sea. Now you, my dear, will be sacrificed at my hands in the name of Odin, the Lord of Asgard."
Shun realized what the mist was doing: the circles that his Chain had made, close to the mist, froze as it surrounded them, as if it was devouring little by little Shun's ability to defend himself. He noticed in time and drew back his Chain, making it rise around his body in the whirling matrix he could so deftly control.
Sid's Viking Claws again attacked both of them and most of his fury stopped at the Bronze Chains, but they weren't enough to deflect the Tiger's fury either and again the two were thrown away.
"Damn it." Shun complained.
"You won't be able to fight while you worry about me, Shun."
"Don't say that, Geist." he asked.
"He won't be convinced either."
"Yes, I know that." replied Shun, who was used to hearing that whenever he tried to convince his enemies for peace, and he commented back, resigned: "I'm going to have to fight."
"It is the duty of the Saints of Athena." Geist recalled. "But remember, Shun: he is strong, but his greatest strength is hidden."
"In his shadow." Shun remembered the conversations he had with Geist on the way there.
"You must not underestimate him. I saw how strong you are against Míme." she cheered.
"I know what to do." said Shun, somewhat saddened.
He then got up and took a few steps forward, as if she had to stay there waiting for the end of the battle, but Geist called him by name and Shun stopped again to listen to her.
"Listen, Andromeda." she began, also getting to her feet. "I have an idea, but I need you to agree with it."
"An idea?"
"Yes. Give me the Sapphire. I will go ahead with it." finally spoke Geist. "And I will leave this God Warrior with you. I have no problem admitting that you are in better condition for this battle."
The two looked at each other in the darkness. Shun didn't hesitate and gavethe Sapphire to her.
"I will drive Mizar's shadow from this spot so you can fight in peace."
"I see." said Shun, looking at the darkness and at the God Warrior who was already approaching, now walking calmly towards them. "Go Geist, and I will soon be with you under the Odin Colossus. But listen carefully: if Sid's Shadow is what makes him so strong, you might as well take care of yourself."
She nodded.
"Did you decide to return or to become corpses in Asgard's Hall of the Dead?" asked Sid, putting himself at a distance from them.
The Athena Saints did not respond. Shun burned his Cosmos and the strength of his heart thawed his chains; Shun again released his Andromeda Chain, which chased Sid as he sought to escape by turning into mist only to reappear ahead as the Chain chased him. Geist took advantage of the maneuver to break into a run towards the corridor; too late, Sid realized the ruse and turned to stop Geist from fleeing, but by then Shun was chasing him with his two chains and they caught on the God Warrior's wrist and heel, taking advantage of his brief hesitation to change direction. .
"I'll fight with you, Sid!"
Trapped by the Nebula Chain, Sid knew that that Athena Saint with only half a Silver protection and her body in tatters would fall into the clutches of the fearsome Dragon of Asgard, who guarded the Colossus of Odin. There would be no easier prey, so he let her go to her doom and turned to Andromeda. His eyes were as icy as the energy surrounding him.
As for Geist, she actually managed to escape the main hall of the Valhalla Palace, leaving behind Mizar Sid and Andromeda Shun to face each other. But if the God Warrior imagined that she would fall into the clutches of the Dragon of Asgard, he failed to consider his great strength in the dark. Geist already knew there was something strange, but nothing could prepare her for the deepest darkness she found herself in; using the ephemeral glow that shone from the Odin Sapphire that she was carrying, too late she noticed the figure that knocked her unconscious to the ground.
In the clearing of amethysts, Seiya finally opened his eyes, startled from a nightmare, but found only the silence of the Forbidden Forest. The snow was falling very lightly in that part of the Forest and the white ground was smeared with bloodstains from recent battle; he remembered his mission and got to his feet, no longer finding the God Warrior and much less the terrible amethysts that gave the scene that somber air from before. As his memory revived in his mind, he was slowly remembering everything, until he desperately looked for Shaina's locked eyes and couldn't find them either.
Because she was no longer petrified by the amethyst, but sitting on a branch above Seiya, watching him wake up. She jumped on Seiya's back and he turned to her and his eyes were furious.
"Shaina!?"
She said nothing back to him.
He was torn between hugging her, after all she was fine, and holding back, as she would certainly punch him if she tried.
"What happened?" he asked. "I remember seeing Shiryu defeat the God Warrior. I saw Hyoga very injured, but where are they?"
"Hyoga and Shiryu went ahead with the Sapphires."
"We have to go then, Shaina." he said. "We need to help Hyoga and Shiryu and I'm sure Ikki and Shun must be there too."
"You're not fit for battle." Shaina spoke very strongly.
"Oh, Shaina…"
"You shouldn't have left that place."
"I almost defeated that God Warrior." Said Seiya.
"And ended up trapped in the Amethysts!" Shaina roared.
"I will fight!"
"Are you going to disobey me? The Master at Arms of Sanctuary?"
"I will fight." Seiya repeated. "That is the duty of an Athena Saint. No matter the difficulty of the mission, no matter our feelings, a Saint needs to move forward to ensure peace in this world."
Shaina was silent.
And Seiya realized that if he was conscious and saw, with certain clarity within his torpor state, that Shiryu had defeated Alberich. Shaina surely must have also seen his fight against Alberich and, as if from the bottom of a river, heard his words in battle. The boy swallowed hard.
"Oh, Shaina, you must understand that this is the duty of a Saint." Seiya repeated to her, almost apologetically, and Shaina immediately interrupted him furiously.
"Shut up, Seiya! I don't need your pity."
And then the Silver Saint strode towards the path, bumping into the Pegasus Saint's shoulder.
"Let's go at once."
"Shaina, I'm sure you would have done the same." said Seiya behind Shaina.
She didn't answered and went ahead, forcing him to follow her so he wouldn't lose sight of her; within herself, she was no longer so sure that she would have done the same.
On a trail in the snow, among ancient trees and much further ahead from where they were, Shiryu was supporting Hyoga so they could continue to Valhalla Palace. The Cygnus Saint had a deep wound in his right thigh, for it had been pierced by an amethyst stake, and a thick cloth that had been tied around his thigh was now stained with blood. The two obeyed the request of the Master at Armas Shaina, who, upon waking up and seeing herself still very groggy from the amethyst prison, ordered them both to move forward with the Sapphires they had conquered.
Hyoga insisted that it was imperative that Shiryu continue without him, as he would only delay her with that deep wound, but she pondered that this was not a mission against time, so that both could continue together, taking whatever time it took. And besides, through that ancient Forest, Hyoga's eyes could guide her more quickly to the final destination of all: the Valhalla Palace. She was even the one who helped him create that tourniquet so that his wound would stop bleeding.
The truth is that Hyoga still felt indebted for having attacked her so fiercely when he was under the berserkir dominion of his Odin Sapphire; more than that, he felt terribly guilty for having left behind the victims of a terrible ambitious man who almost killed Seiya and the Master at Arms of the Sanctuary. A man who had deceived him perfectly and who had disappeared, leaving a trail of blood behind; certainly back to his big house to live out the rest of his days like the bankrupt snake he was. Anyway, Hyoga felt a little part of that misfortune.
But, supported by his friend, he moved on.
"So Jamian never returned to Sanctuary." he repeated when he heard from Shiryu about that disgrace.
"No." reinforced Shiryu. "We were summoned to Asgard precisely because many weeks passed without any news from you."
Hyoga was silent in a thousand thoughts, when he had to stop for a moment to catch his breath and endure an enormous pain in his thigh, which started to throb. Shiryu leaned him against a tree and Hyoga saw that the wall of the Palace was approaching. Shiryu sat beside him and felt the Sapphires she was carrying: now there were four of them and the girl chiseled with the precious stones in her hand, as if she were weighing them.
"What was that armor you were wearing, Hyoga?" asked Shiryu, curious.
"It was a God Robe. The one I wore represented the Jörmundgander, a gigantic serpent from the north that was protected by the Sapphire of the Gamma Star of the Constellation of Ursa Major."
"Ursa Major, the Big Dipper?"
"Here they call it by another name, but it's the same conglomerate of stars, I recognize them in the sky."
"So the Sapphires are representations of the Stars."
"Exactly, but they're not just that."
"What do you mean?"
"They also confer immense strength on the wearer; Alberich could only make us fall for his battle tricks because of that." he said, and then looked at his friend. "And I could only stand up to you for the same reason."
Shiryu stopped drumming the precious stones in his hands and put them away again.
"It's a fabulous technique that you hide in your right arm, Shiryu."
She just smiled and then got up to help Hyoga to go ahead.
"We need to get to Valhalla Palace." she said. "I can feel Shun's cosmos fighting."
"Is he in danger?" asked Hyoga.
"No." Shiryu confirmed. "But whoever's fighting him is."
Hyoga looked at her with a smile on his face and together they walked forward.
Shun's shout echoed through the huge battle hall; the darkness of before now seemed replaced by an impossible white mist that gave the place its own illumination, as if the entire floor were a mirror of light. Shun was thrown to the ceiling, opening a hole before falling back, with part of the ceiling stones falling on top of him, opening a hole in the hall to the outside.
Again, he struggled to his feet; his chains were already spread across the floor, frozen, but his gaze still carried a certain obstinacy.
"I will defeat you, God Warrior." Shun threatened. "Your blow is fantastic. If I hadn't been wearing this new Andromeda Cloth, I could have already died against Míme and certainly now against you."
Shun was breathing hard.
"But the hot blood of the Gold Saints flows in this Saint's Cloth." he took a last deep breath and his pink Cosmo-energy appeared covering his body. "In other words, the Gold Saints are protecting me and they entrusted us with this mission from Athena and that's why I need to defeat you in order to seal the Relic of the Sea of Asgard."
"The Gold Saints?" Sid asked, a smile on his face. "Well, you should know that a Gold Saint wasn't even a match for my claws. I will destroy this Armor of yours as I destroyed the helmet of the Gold Saint who dared to attack me in the Sanctuary."
Sid then simply disappeared, the entire wide corridor lit up all in white, a tremendous cold made the temperature of the environment plummet and a mist spread throughout the place. Shun's chain reacted, but he was attacked from completely unexpected sides; Sid always reappearing to tear the boy apart with his claws.
Shun jumped to escape that terrible mist and used his cosmos creating a wind vortex that blew away that mist, cleaning the precipitation that could cover his feet on the ground, as if dry ice spread all over the place. Sid appeared behind Shun in the air and hit him, knocking him to the ground. Pains tormented him all over his body when, lying down, his body was again covered by that terrible fog. Sid laughed in front of him.
The God Warrior's freezing air was indeed deadly; but unlike Hyoga, who used it like a typhoon and violent gusts, Sid had a silent and calm mist that seemed to slowly consume all the heat and life of those around him. And through her, he did move like a terrible feline to rip apart his victims. Be that as it may, Shun also lost little by little because of that damned cold fog.
"Sister…"
Shun heard his own voice thinking about Ikki; and if that cold was to freeze every atom of his body, inside his heart would forever beat the heat of the flames of the immortal Phoenix that was his sister. He knew what to do. He was only alive thanks to that Cloth, as his peaceful stubbornness would have already left him dead; it was time for Shun to wake up to his duty as a Saint to raise his fists, which he always sought to control. His Cosmo appeared around his body, no longer the pink that transformed him so well, but now it was a golden glow that surprised Sid by its clarity and strength.
The white mist that permeated those halls finally moved, not dispersed by a strong breath, but simply in specific weaves and patterns on the floor, which left Sid absolutely amazed. Shun got up and began to walk calmly towards the God Warrior, who only then realized that he couldn't move any member of his body, completely paralyzed.
"Give it up, Sid, you won't be able to move anymore." Shun spoke calmly. "My nebula stream balances to restrict any movement you make, so you can no longer move."
"Bastard." Sid said through clenched teeth, since even opening his mouth was next to impossible.
Shun approached the God Warrior and then easily pulled out the Odin Sapphire that he had embedded in his God Robe.
"Míme was able to confuse me with his music, but this cold is not able to deflect my cosmos."
As Shun withdrew the Odin Sapphire, he saw how Sid's aura simply wavered slightly; the Andromeda Saint released his breath of cosmic air and Sid fell to the ground on his knees, gasping for air as if he were being strangled and suddenly let go.
"Andromeda." he said breathlessly. "If you could have taken Sapphire that way from the start, why did you let yourself get hurt so much?"
Shun felt pain all over his body and many wounds were bleeding from his arm.
"I always believe in peace." he began. "I always think it's possible to convince my enemies that our mission is just and avoid any pointless battle."
"Andromeda..."
"Only as a last resort do I use my fists."
"I see now." said Sid, while Shun was already walking to go ahead.
But Shun was mistaken if all Sid's power was due to that Odin Sapphire. Behind him, Sid flashed his divine seidr and Shun was surprised to see him ready to continue fighting.
"I already understood your technique, Andromeda Saint. You can't paralyze me anymore."
"But you're without your Sapphire, you'll be no match for me."
"Do not underestimate me, Saint!" Sid said angrily. "The Sapphire can give ordinary people immense power, but the true God Warrior train their entire lives to have all the power a God Warrior should have. With or without the Sapphire. In memory of Thor, the greatest of the God Warriors of this age, I will defeat you and take back this Odin Sapphire."
"Don't do that, Sid. There's only one way this battle will end if you keep going."
"And it will be with your dead body lying in this hall!"
Sid leaped like a panther to attack Shun, but again the winds of the Andromeda Saint suddenly increased in violence, throwing Sid to the back of the hall.
"I promised I wouldn't use that again." Shun said. "That should have been the last time."
"What are you talking about, Andromeda?" Sid asked, already getting up, while the winds blew around him.
"You boast of having defeated a Gold Saint, but know that I was also responsible for the defeat of another Gold Saint. But unlike Aldebaran, who valiantly survived his battle with you, Pisces Aphrodite, a valiant warrior, was not so lucky when he was hit by my technique. And I swore that would be the last time I would use it. Please stop. Let me go."
Sid's icy white aura once again shone in that place.
"I am God Warrior Mizar Sid, servant of Odin."
The air became even stronger.
"Damn it." Sid complained, as he built up his energy to move more freely.
He spread his legs, planting them on the ground, while his white cape fluttered behind him; his light hair also brushed against the feline helmet that covered his face. The white mist that previously moved according to the will of Shun's cosmos, suddenly began to cascade up into the sky, like a white typhoon; Sid was astonished, but what Shun wanted to do was clear and terrible: he sucked out all the cold from Sid that permeated that place in a horrible way, slowing down his movements and thoughts, such was the low temperature of that fog. For all of it was sucked out of the palace through the hole that had opened in the ceiling.
Now it was just Shun and Sid.
And in place of Sid's icy mist, Shun's strong winds now spread. The tables had turned.
"The nebula stream is getting even more powerful." Sid looked around.
"That's right. It becomes more powerful according to my cosmos. And finally the draft turns into a terrible storm. Give it up, Sid!"
"Never! For the honor of Asgard. From my family!"
The seidr flashed, the black tiger appeared drawn in the mist behind Sid and Shun was sure he had no other choice. His voice would need to echo making his winds destroy that enemy; his throat dried up with grief, and as soon as he screamed, he began to cry along with it.
"Nebula Storm!"
A flash lit up the entire hall and when it went out Sid had been thrown against the Palace ceiling, breaking it with force, making him glimpse the sky of Asgard for the first time in days, since the night was approaching in the Kingdom from the North and the clouds, perhaps by a miracle, gradually moved across the sky. Karlvagn's constellation was in the sky and his star was faintly shining as his body shattered back into the hall in front of Shun. His helm destroyed in two pieces. Sid was defeated by Andromeda Shun.
"How is it possible that a boy can have so much strength, even wounded like that. It's unbelievable." his voice slurred with the blood seeping from his neck. "Forgive me, divine Hilda. Glory to Asgard." were his last words.
Shun took a deep breath, wiped the tears running down his face, because another corpse in front of him was a sight that left him absolutely devastated. He walked towards Sid's body, but the closer he got, Shun noticed in the darkness, as the white mist that once illuminated everything had been evaporated, another very injured body appeared: it was Geist.
"Geist!?" he ran towards her.
"Oh, Shun. Be ware." she repeated. "Watch out for the Shadow!"
"The shadow?" Shun asked.
"Behind you, Shun!"
Another flash in the hall hit Geist, who threw herself in front of Shun again, and she fell again very wounded with part of her Silver Cloth in pieces. A silhouette finally emerged framed by an icy, snow-white seidr.
ABOUT THE CHAPTER: The fight between Shun and Sid is perfect and there's no need to change it. I just added Shun's anguish to take place and removed Sid's Blue Impulse move, as this move was originally Alexei of the Bluegard who I brought back as a Lieutenant Marina. That way, I technique.
NEXT CHAPTER: THE SHADOW TIGER
Shun and Geist will need to fight Sid's shadow in a terrible battle that will make the Andromeda Saint lose hope.