Chapter 28 - 14: Ikki Appears, Activating the Rumble-Rumble Fruit! (Part 2)

Chapter 28: Chapter 14: Ikki Appears, Activating the Rumble-Rumble Fruit! (Part 2)

Hyoga and Seiya exchanged a glance, instantly understanding the gravity of the situation.

Hyoga and Seiya ceased their match, taking off in the direction Ikki had fled.

Suddenly, several Black Saints clad in dark armor descended from the sky, blocking their path!

"If you want to chase Lord Ikki, you’ll have to step over our dead bodies!"

"Get out of the way!"

Seiya took the lead, unleashing his Pegasus Meteor Fist!

Hyoga also fought with all his might, striving to take down the enemies before him in the shortest time possible.

The arena immediately descended into chaos. The screams of the audience and the booming sounds of the Saints clashing intertwined. The once-orderly Galaxian Wars instantly devolved into a chaotic battlefield.

...

Alex’s figure blended into the night like a drop of ink, silently trailing behind Ikki.

His true objective in coming to Tokyo this time was precisely that Sagittarius Gold Cloth.

Before fleeing the Sanctuary, the Sagittarius Saint, Aiolos, had been his closest friend. In truth, if not for that sudden incident, Aiolos would have been the prime candidate for the next Pope.

The man was just like his namesake—radiant and righteous as the sun, forever treating others with generous warmth. Even the cold and indifferent Alex was deeply drawn to his charisma, and the two had become confidants who talked about everything.

He had once subtly warned Aiolos.

"Aiolos, before doing certain things, you should consider yourself a little more..."

At the time, Aiolos had been looking up at the statue of the Goddess Athena atop the sacred mountain. A brief moment of distraction flashed through his clear blue eyes, but it was quickly replaced by resolute determination.

"Don’t worry, Alex. I know what I’m doing..."

Seeing his expression, Alex knew that Aiolos would gladly sacrifice everything for Athena.

By the time he heard the news of Aiolos betraying the Sanctuary, it was already too late to intervene and help. Aiolos died under the combined pursuit and assassination of three Gold Saints.

His Sagittarius Gold Cloth vanished along with his death, only reappearing in the world when the Galaxian Wars began.

If history followed its original course, the Sagittarius Gold Cloth would first be stolen by Ikki and then recovered by the other four. This not only served to reform Ikki but also conveniently trained the still-immature five Bronze Saints.

But right now, the five Bronze Saints had just completed their training. Without the tempering of massive battles, they were utterly incapable of standing against the future Marinas and Specters.

With the Holy War imminent, there was no time left to let them grow stronger at their own pace! Athena organizing the Galaxian Wars was also a means to force them to grow as quickly as possible.

Alex did not use the power of his Cosmo. Instead, he utilized the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, transforming into lightning to continuously weave through the clouds!

Crack!

As the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was activated, dark clouds gathered in the sky. A thunderstorm was fast approaching.

Ikki looked slightly confused, glancing up at the night sky that had been perfectly clear just moments before.

’What’s going on? Why is it suddenly going to rain?’

He didn’t dwell on it. Not sensing the Cosmo of any other Saints, he paid no mind to the sudden downpour.

He sped toward Death Queen Island. That was his main base.

On that island lived a large number of Black Saints—individuals who had committed crimes and were exiled by the Sanctuary, forever barred from becoming official Saints. After acquiring the Phoenix Cloth, Ikki conquered them all with sheer strength. He was the uncrowned king of Death Queen Island!

Once he returned there, the Gold Cloth would be entirely his.

In his eyes, the battles between the Saints in the arena were laughably childish. Having never experienced true life-and-death combat, Seiya, Hyoga, Shiryu, and Shun were all just little kids to him.

Seeing the coastline approaching, Ikki revealed a confident smile.

Boom!

A bolt of golden lightning struck down from the sky like a sharp sword, aimed straight at him!