Chapter 51 - 26: Bronze vs. Silver (Part 1)

Chapter 51: Chapter 26: Bronze vs. Silver (Part 1)

The Tokyo night seeped through the floor-to-ceiling curtains of the Kido Mansion.

The warm yellow lighting in the dining room reflected off the silver cutlery, and the enticing aroma of food permeated the banquet hall. The lively conversation of the youths carried far into the room.

Shiryu swallowed a piece of steak and looked up to observe Hyoga.

His own teacher, Dohko, was also a Gold Saint. Yet, he perpetually maintained the appearance of a shriveled old man, looking as though he might breathe his last at any given moment.

This shared background made Shiryu incredibly curious about Hyoga, who was also the student of a Gold Saint.

’Could Hyoga’s teacher also be a old man, sitting perfectly still year-round?’

’No, probably not. Hyoga’s teacher was His Excellency Alex, who bore the title of the strongest Saint. He certainly wouldn’t be as ancient as teacher Dohko...’

"Hyoga, is your teacher, Alex, really as powerful as the rumors say?"

Hyoga withdrew his gaze from the full moon outside the window, a complex and indescribable expression flickering across his face.

"To be completely honest, and I don’t care if you laugh, I feel he might be the absolute strongest Saint beneath the gods!"

Crash!

A crisp shatter destroyed the warm atmosphere as a spiderweb-like hole was smashed into the windowpane.

A metallic origami crane unsteadily plummeted into the dining room, landing precisely beside Seiya.

A hint of confusion flashed in Seiya’s eyes as he picked up the paper crane.

"This is Master Marin’s long-distance communication technique. It tracks my Cosmo to find me automatically..."

Seiya unfolded the crane, only to see a single, large word written inside:

"Flee!"

Almost simultaneously, a rustling sound came from beneath the crack of the dining room door. A small, silver-scaled snake slithered in, its body gleaming with a cold, metallic light.

It climbed up the table leg and began to writhe violently right in front of Shun. Finally, it snapped into several pieces, reverting into broken segments of a silver chain that spelled out a crooked English word:

RUN!

This is...

Seiya and Shun’s pupils shrank simultaneously. Both of their masters served in the Sanctuary. For both to send warnings at the exact same time meant something had definitely gone wrong there.

Seeing this, Saori Kido frowned slightly, a look of curiosity on her face.

"What happened, Seiya?"

Seiya and Shun exchanged a glance. Seiya stood up and said calmly, "Miss Saori, there might have been a major incident at the Sanctuary. For safety’s sake, it’s best we evacuate here immediately."

Saori’s red lips parted slightly, a trace of distraction appearing in her breathtakingly beautiful eyes.

At present, she had not yet reclaimed her Athena Godhead. The persona of Saori Kido was currently dominant in this body. She had no idea that, orchestrated by Athena and Alex, a trial-by-hunt targeting the five core Bronze Saints had already begun.

Seiya turned his gaze to Hyoga. Among the four of them, Hyoga’s master, Alex, held the highest status and possessed the greatest strength. If the Sanctuary was making a move, it made no sense for Hyoga not to have received any notice.

"Hyoga, didn’t your teacher give you a warning?"

Hyoga let out a bitter smile. Based on his understanding of Alex, if they were truly in danger...

...then that danger was very likely coming from teacher Alex himself.

As the student of the strongest active Gold Saint, anyone who wanted to touch him would first have to weigh whether they could withstand Alex’s wrath.

Hyoga spoke slowly. "If the danger is truly coming from the Sanctuary, it’s highly probable that my teacher is the one driving it."

Hearing this, everyone at the table revealed expressions of shock.

"What?" Shun’s voice pitched up sharply. "It’s an order from His Excellency, Alex?"

"If a Gold Saint makes a move, we have absolutely no chance of winning!" Seiya clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"Don’t panic!" Hyoga’s voice was surprisingly calm. "Based on my understanding of my teacher, he definitely wouldn’t act personally against us. The ones coming... are most likely Silver Saints."

Before his last syllable even dropped, a female voice, as cold as ice, rang out from outside the window, piercing through the glass and stabbing directly into their eardrums.

"Seiya, I know you are inside. Come out and surrender without a fight. Under the orders of His Holiness the Pope and Lord Alex, I am to take you back to the Sanctuary for interrogation regarding the disappearance of the Sagittarius Gold Cloth!"

The chill in her voice made the candlelight on the dining table flicker.

"Do not even think of resisting, or else... you might die."

Saori stood up abruptly, her dress brushing against the table and knocking a silver goblet to the floor.

"We absolutely cannot let them take us back to the Sanctuary!"

Her voice suddenly turned resolute. It was as if an invisible voice in the dark was telling her that, at this very moment, she absolutely must not return.