Chapter 29 - 15: Acquiring the Cloth, The Cloth’s Attributes! (Part 1)

Chapter 29: Chapter 15: Acquiring the Cloth, The Cloth’s Attributes! (Part 1)

Ikki’s reaction was incredibly fast. He abruptly twisted his body mid-air, dodging the strike by a hair’s breadth like an agile bird.

After enduring the cruel, hellish training of his master, Guilty, his strength was vastly superior to that of the other Bronze Saints.

He paid no mind to a mere bolt of lightning.

But immediately after, a second and third bolt followed, each striking with pinpoint accuracy toward his position.

Ikki couldn’t help but feel suspicious.

These lightning bolts were too bizarre; it was as if they had eyes and were deliberately targeting him.

Could the Gold Cloth box he was carrying be attracting the electricity? Or perhaps someone else was trying to take advantage of the situation?

But he had never heard of any Saint who wielded the power of lightning.

"I’ll fall back for now. I want to see who dares to steal from Ikki!"

However, before Ikki could put his thoughts into action...

A massive bolt of golden lightning, dozens of meters in diameter, struck down like the claw of a giant dragon. Accompanied by an earth-shattering roar, it completely swallowed his figure!

Boom!

The violent electric current exploded in the night sky, forming a dazzling yet deadly pillar of light.

Citizens of Tokyo, even tens of kilometers away, could clearly see the sky-piercing beam.

When the electric glare faded, only a charred, deep crater remained in the suburban wasteland.

Ikki lay paralyzed at the bottom of the crater, his entire body smoking in a miserable state. Three of the Phoenix Cloth’s wings had snapped off.

A century-old tree beside him had been cleaved in half. The trunk was still burning fiercely, crackling despite the heavy rain.

And the heavy Gold Cloth box was nowhere to be seen.

...

"So, is that everything that happened?"

Saori Kido looked at Ikki, who was currently locked inside a holding cell, a look of bewilderment crossing her face.

This Saint named Ikki had descended from the sky and snatched the Gold Cloth. He was then found by his pursuing brother, Shun, in the outskirts of the city. Ikki had suffered massive injuries across his entire body, and his heartbeat was so weak it was practically nonexistent.

Yet, in just this short amount of time, Ikki’s wounds were healing at a rate visible to the naked eye.

The immortal properties of the Phoenix constellation were on full display.

Ikki raised his head to meet Saori’s gaze. The corners of his mouth curled into a defiant sneer, and there wasn’t a trace of fear in his eyes.

"I own up to what I do. There’s no reason for me to lie to you. Yes, I stole the Cloth, but I don’t have it anymore. I suspect another Saint ambushed me and took it!"

He paused.

"I’ve memorized his aura—that power to manipulate lightning. If you let me go, I’ll track him down and kill him myself!"

Saori didn’t reply. She simply turned and walked out of the underground cell.

The candlelight in the corridor flickered behind her, casting a long shadow on the floor...

"The power of lightning..."

She murmured softly, coming to a halt in front of an ornately carved window.

It was still raining outside. The sound of raindrops pelting the glass sounded like a frantic drumbeat.

Ikki was right. The thunderclouds over the outskirts of Tokyo had appeared far too abruptly; the meteorological bureau hadn’t forecast a storm at all.

From the fragments of Athena’s memories, Saori knew that in this world, only the God King Zeus and his subordinate Angels possessed the power to manipulate lightning.

Could Zeus have intervened?

But Zeus’s temple rested atop Mount Olympus, and his divine kingdom was the sky itself. For thousands of years, he had never once interfered in the Holy Wars on Earth!

Furthermore, the Angels under Zeus’s command were a powerful celestial race! Every single one of them was a terrifying entity who had awakened the Eighth Sense!

What reason would they possibly have to steal a mere Gold Cloth?

Granted, the Gold Cloths were the absolute pinnacle of armor among the Saints. However, compared to the Heavenly Cloths worn by the Angels, they weren’t necessarily any stronger.

Filled with doubt, Saori retrieved the Golden Staff of Nike—the very same staff that had accompanied her when she was brought to the Kido estate—and tapped it lightly against the floor.

The Cosmo unique to the Goddess Athena rippled outward like gentle waves on a lake, spreading in every direction.

After probing the surroundings for a moment, she stopped burning her Cosmo.

Since her divine spark hadn’t fully awakened yet, her sensory range was limited. Her attempt had failed to locate the Sagittarius Gold Cloth.

Saori’s brow furrowed, a trace of anxiety flashing through her clear eyes.

’Could it truly be the work of Zeus’s Angels?’

_____

T/N:

For readers who would like early access, my Patreon is available for just $4 per month. You’ll unlock advance Chapters and help support ongoing works.

🔗 /user?u=79514336

You may also search Translator-Sama directly on Patreon.

Your support is sincerely appreciated