PinkSnake - Saint Seiya Cloth Forger - 129/130
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Chapter 129: Camus’s Legacy
Seiya and Shiryu cast a worried glance at Hyoga.
Then, gritting their teeth, they ran toward the exit of the Aquarius Temple.
Hyoga and Camus had already noticed Ryosho and his two companions arriving at the Aquarius Temple.
But at this most critical moment of their duel, neither allowed their attention to waver. Both raised their hands and pushed their Cosmo desperately higher.
When their Cosmos reached their limits, they brought their hands down in front of them at the same time.
“Aurora Execution!”
Behind each of them appeared the Goddess of Dawn, raising a sacred vessel in both hands. From the mouth of the vessel held in her slender hands poured spiraling Freezing Air that shimmered with a rainbow-colored aurora. In an instant, the two terrifying torrents of Freezing Air slammed into each other.
The temperature throughout the Aquarius Temple plunged to minus 270 degrees Celsius.
The stone pillars nearest the two were instantly frozen to dust.
Even Ryosho had no choice but to ignite his Cosmo to withstand the extreme cold produced by the combined Freezing Air.
By his rough estimate, the temperature at the core where their Freezing Air collided was already approaching Absolute Zero, and it was still steadily falling.
Ryosho burned his Seventh Sense Cosmo as he carefully observed the clash between the two Aurora Executions.
He had never fought a Saint who used Freezing Air before, so this was a valuable opportunity to study Aurora Execution.
If he ever faced this technique himself, understanding it beforehand might allow him to avoid most of its damage.
At that moment, the two terrifying torrents of Freezing Air twisted together, forming a multicolored sphere of light. The Freezing Air within it crashed against itself, leaving the two attacks locked in a stalemate.
Ryosho narrowed his eyes and deployed the Thousand-Mirror Shield around himself.
He had no choice. The surrounding temperature was drawing closer and closer to Absolute Zero, and even he was beginning to struggle.
If all that Freezing Air suddenly exploded, he certainly did not believe he could emerge unharmed from temperatures at Absolute Zero.
Then the balance broke.
At the brink of life and death, Hyoga finally grasped Absolute Zero and awakened his Seventh Sense.
At the same moment, the Freezing Air at Absolute Zero erupted in a massive explosion that swept through the entire Aquarius Temple.
Ryosho burned his Cosmo at full strength and, even from the edge of their clash, only barely managed to withstand the terrifying wave of Freezing Air.
When the extreme cold finally faded, Camus remained frozen in the posture of throwing a punch. Looking at Hyoga, whose body had been frozen stiff, he spoke with satisfaction in his eyes.
“Im... impressive, Hyoga!”
“During this battle, even while enduring my Aurora Execution, you managed to turn what you experienced into a technique of your own.”
“You truly have inherited everything from me, Camus.”
“Hyoga, at the brink of death, just before you froze to death, when you had lost every sensation, you mastered Absolute Zero.”
“You even surpassed the Cosmo of your Master, Camus, and awakened the ultimate Cosmo, the Seventh Sense.”
“You were able to grow this far because what you believed in was right.”
“I hope you will inherit this power and continue using it from now on.”
“Use this power well.”
“But it seems there is nothing more I, Camus, can do for you.”
“Forgive me, Hyoga!”
With those words, Camus collapsed forward onto the ground.
Hyoga remained standing where he was, tears streaming down his face.
“Camus, you sacrificed yourself to guide me toward mastering Absolute Zero. I will never forget anything you taught me.”
“Thank you, Master Camus!”
“Crateris Cup!”
At the very last moment, just as Camus and Hyoga were about to breathe their last, Ryosho unleashed the Crateris Cup.
Healing rain fell over them.
It rapidly restored their frostbitten bodies and warmed their frozen Cosmos.
Even after using the Crateris Cup, Ryosho still wasn't reassured. He took out Divine Water, which had even stronger healing properties, and made both of them drink it.
Only then did he examine their condition.
Their bodies were gradually recovering under the effects of the Divine Water, but their flames of life, their Cosmos, remained extremely faint.
They were like tiny flames trembling in a blizzard, liable to go out at any moment.
Neither the Crateris Cup nor the Divine Water had done more than keep them barely alive.
Whether they could wake up again would depend on their own will to survive.
Ryosho was more worried about Camus.
Camus's will to live was far from strong.
Between Saga and Athena, he had chosen absolute neutrality, then used his own life to guide Hyoga toward awakening the Seventh Sense and mastering Absolute Zero.
He truly was a worthy Master.
“What a shame.”
Even Gestalt, within the Spirit Tablet Space, couldn't help sighing at the sight.
Ryosho nodded, then examined the Aquarius Gold Cloth on Camus.
The Gold Cloth had been completely frozen and had lost all of its functions.
That alone proved that Hyoga had mastered Absolute Zero.
The Gold Cloth itself, however, was not damaged. It had merely lost its defensive capabilities temporarily.
Clearly, even Absolute Zero alone was not enough for Freezing Air to completely shatter a Gold Cloth.
Ryosho tried removing the Aquarius Gold Cloth from Camus, and to his surprise... this time, it came off without any resistance.
So that was it.
Had Absolute Zero frozen even the Gold Cloth's self-awareness?
Delighted, Ryosho removed the Aquarius Gold Cloth from Camus and successfully unlocked his first Gold Cloth entry in the Cloth Compendium.
‘Cosmo Comprehension and Strength +1’
Just as he finished putting the Aquarius Gold Cloth back on Camus, a surge of malevolent Cosmo suddenly erupted outside the Aquarius Temple.
Ryosho instantly raised his head.
His pupils contracted.
Another Ghost?
He sprang to his feet and, without the slightest hesitation, rushed toward the exit of the Aquarius Temple.
“Gestalt, aside from you, Kaiser, and the previous generation's Sagitta, were any other Saints revived?”
Gestalt shook his head and replied with certainty, “No. As far as I know, there were only the three of us. How could another Gold Saint have been revived? And... this malevolent Cosmo belongs to... Mystoria.”
“Mystoria?”
Ryosho froze.
Wasn't he the previous generation's Aquarius Gold Saint?
...
“Mere Bronze Saints. Pathetically weak. I have no idea what's wrong with this generation's Gold Saints if they could let Saints like these make it all the way to the Aquarius Temple.”
Mystoria spoke coldly as he looked at Seiya and Shiryu, both of whom he had frozen with a single attack.
He raised his head toward the Aquarius Temple.
“Now, only Crateris remains.”
“Are you looking for me?”
Ryosho walked out of the Aquarius Temple and glanced at Seiya and Shiryu, who were trapped in ice.
Fortunately, they had only been temporarily frozen unconscious. The flames of their Cosmos had not gone out.
“Oh?”
Mystoria turned toward the voice and saw a young man clad in the Crateris Silver Cloth slowly walking out of the Aquarius Temple, powerful Cosmo radiating from his body.
He narrowed his eyes.
“You seem rather different from them.”
Ryosho raised one finger. A flash of silver light streaked out, and the ice imprisoning Seiya and Shiryu shattered instantly.
So fast!
Mystoria's pupils contracted. He hadn't even seen the Crateris Saint before him throw a punch.
But he quickly regained his composure.
“I see. You've already mastered the Seventh Sense?”
“I never imagined that a mere Silver Saint could master the Seventh Sense, something only Gold Saints can fully command.”
“It seems I can't judge you by the same standard as those Bronze Saints.”
Ryosho looked up at the Fire Clock. The flame corresponding to the Aquarius Temple was already close to going out.
It seemed he would have to finish this quickly. He couldn't afford to waste much more time here.
He turned back toward Mystoria, curled his finger in a challenging gesture, and said,
“Mystoria, cut the crap. Bring it on!”
...
Chapter 130: Cancer Death-Light Net
A wave of biting cold swept toward Ryosho.
The moisture in the air rapidly froze.
Just as the Freezing Air from Mystoria’s punch was about to freeze Ryosho solid, Ryosho vanished from the spot.
Teleportation?
Surprise flashed through Mystoria’s eyes. He immediately turned to the side, only to find a palm already pressed against his chest. A burst of white light erupted from the hand.
His pupils contracted. He instantly ignited his Cosmo and directed Freezing Air approaching Absolute Zero toward the palm against his chest.
But he was still a step too late.
Amid the blinding white light, the force of Ryosho’s palm strike instantly shredded Mystoria’s black robe, revealing the Aquarius Leaf beneath. It was pitch-black and gleamed with the cold luster of a gemstone from the Underworld.
Mystoria was sent reeling backward.
However, he neither lost his balance nor suffered much damage.
He flipped backward to disperse the impact and quickly regained his footing.
But immediately afterward, he found himself surrounded by the vastness of space, with countless nebulae bearing down on him from the far reaches of the cosmos.
“What is this?”
Startled, Mystoria immediately used his Freezing Air to create an ice wall in front of himself, one comparable to a Freezing Coffin.
The ice wall soon shattered.
However, most of the attack’s power had already been spent breaking through it.
Mystoria easily avoided what remained.
“Oh, your reflexes are pretty quick!”
Ryosho looked at Mystoria in surprise. He had actually managed to block his Cosmic Genesis Vortex.
Mystoria had turned the Freezing Coffin into a defensive ice wall. Since he had created it in such a hurry, it was not as hard as an actual Freezing Coffin, but it was still made from Freezing Air approaching Absolute Zero.
A bead of cold sweat ran down Mystoria’s face.
What was with this guy?
The sheer fluidity of that attack sequence was like watching a battle-hardened berserker.
Worse, the powerful Cosmo inside him was in no way inferior to Mystoria’s own. If anything, it was even stronger.
He was a formidable opponent.
Mystoria could not afford to underestimate him or let his guard down for even a moment.
Ryosho had also formed a preliminary assessment of Mystoria’s strength. His mastery of Freezing Air was basically on par with Camus’s.
As for Cosmo, Mystoria was stronger than Camus, perhaps because he had fused with a Ghost, but the difference was limited.
Ryosho had also gained a better understanding of the Leaf Mystoria wore. Its strength and hardness were both greater than Gestalt’s Sagittarius Leaf, but still inferior to Kaiser’s Leaf.
It seemed that even among Leafs, their quality could vary considerably.
In truth, Ryosho could easily have followed the Cosmic Genesis Vortex with Another Dimension.
Given Mystoria’s reaction speed, he most likely would not have been able to evade it.
But then Ryosho would have lost the soul of a Gold Saint.
Besides, defeating Mystoria would not take much time anyway. There was no need to banish him to Another Dimension, since that would only delay things.
With that thought, Ryosho charged forward again.
“Trying the same trick twice?”
Mystoria’s expression remained cold. He raised his right hand as Freezing Air gathered in his palm. In the next instant, he clenched his fist and punched, sending terrifying Freezing Air mixed with ice crystals hurtling forward at the speed of light.
“Diamond Dust.”
Ryosho’s pupils contracted. Within one ten-thousandth of a second, he barely managed to evade the attack.
Even so, the Freezing Air grazed his right leg. The Cloth covering it froze instantly, while the bone-chilling cold penetrated straight through the Cloth and into his leg.
Ryosho flipped through the air and landed on the ground. Then he ignited his Cosmo and threw a punch.
“Cancer Death-Light Net!”
Streams of white light shot out, weaving themselves into a dense, inescapable net that closed in on Mystoria from every direction.
“Is that... the Cancer All Beauty Ken?”
Surprise flashed through Mystoria’s eyes.
That was Deathtoll’s technique!
Although he was shocked to see Ryosho using Deathtoll’s technique, he immediately countered.
A massive tornado filled with lightning and Freezing Air erupted from between his hands, blocking Ryosho’s Lightspeed Fist.
But gradually, Mystoria realized something was wrong.
The power of Ryosho’s Lightspeed Fist was becoming increasingly concentrated. The Lightspeed Fists that had formed a death-light net quickly transformed into countless densely packed beams.
In the blink of an eye, those beams converged into a single sphere packed with tremendous power.
“What?”
“That’s impossible!”
In the next instant, the concentrated sphere of light broke through Mystoria’s Freezing Air attack and slammed directly into his chest.
With a scream of pain, Mystoria was hurled onto the steps leading toward the Pisces Temple.
“The Cancer All Beauty Ken actually transformed into a sphere of light!”
“This... isn’t that Kaiser’s technique?”
Cold sweat streamed down Mystoria’s face as he struggled to raise his head and look at Ryosho.
Unbelievable.
Not only could he use Deathtoll’s technique, he had even learned Kaiser’s as well.
More astonishingly, he had connected the two techniques seamlessly.
Gestalt, watching from within the Spirit Tablet Space, was equally stunned.
Ryosho’s ability to understand techniques and adapt them on the fly was simply monstrous!
Two completely different punching styles, two completely different ways of manipulating Cosmo, yet Ryosho had linked them together without the slightest break.
Gestalt finally understood why he had lost in the House of Sagittarius. His Cosmo had clearly been no weaker than Ryosho’s, yet Ryosho had still overwhelmed him completely.
The fundamental difference lay in their combat talent and fighting styles.
In that regard, Ryosho was practically a master.
By switching between techniques in such unpredictable ways, he could quickly defeat many opponents whose strength was otherwise comparable to his own.
“Alright. Time to end this fight.”
Ryosho raised his head and glanced at the Fire Clock.
The flame representing the Aquarius Temple was already trembling, which meant it was about to go out.
“Heh, Crateris. You don’t seriously think that’s enough to defeat me, do you?”
Just then, Mystoria suddenly let out a cold laugh.
Ryosho, who had been about to attack, stopped and watched him warily.
Mystoria’s eyes had turned blood-red. An intensely malevolent Cosmo erupted from his body, while blood-colored patterns rapidly spread across his Leaf. The Cosmo within him surged dramatically, far beyond what it had been before.
...
Pisces Temple.
Aphrodite held the Pisces helmet in his arms as he looked toward the Fire Clock.
The flame representing the Aquarius Temple flickered several times before finally going out.
His brows furrowed, and he turned his gaze toward the Aquarius Temple.
Only one hour left!
What was Ryosho doing?
Why hadn’t he made it through the Aquarius Temple yet?
And what was that malevolent Cosmo erupting from the Aquarius Temple?
That same evil Cosmo had appeared before in both the House of Sagittarius and the Leo Temple!
Could it be...
Aphrodite’s beautiful face shifted with uncertainty.
He remembered the black-robed man who had been taken away not long ago by the newly appointed Chief of Staff, Phaeton.
Could it be them?
Saga... Just what kind of power had the Grand Pope borrowed? Why were these people’s Cosmos so malevolent?
Evil Spirits!
He remembered what Ryosho had told him on Andromeda Island.
Could Ryosho really have been telling the truth? Had Saga truly been controlled by Evil Spirits released by a malevolent god of the Underworld?
If that was the case...
Aphrodite closed his eyes.
Ryosho’s final words echoed through his mind.
If power itself is justice, then are the gods who possess such power yet seek to destroy humanity also just?
If they are... then, Aphrodite, what are you fighting for?
Aphrodite opened his eyes and stared at the final flickering flame on the Fire Clock. Ryosho’s words continued to echo through his mind, and uncertainty flickered in his gaze.
After a moment, he took a deep breath, put on the Pisces helmet, and turned toward the Pisces Temple.
Ryosho... this isn’t because I agree with what you said, or because I acknowledge your strength. It’s because... I, Aphrodite, owe you this!
Chapter 129: Camus’s Legacy
Seiya and Shiryu cast a worried glance at Hyoga.
Then, gritting their teeth, they ran toward the exit of the Aquarius Temple.
Hyoga and Camus had already noticed Ryosho and his two companions arriving at the Aquarius Temple.
But at this most critical moment of their duel, neither allowed their attention to waver. Both raised their hands and pushed their Cosmo desperately higher.
When their Cosmos reached their limits, they brought their hands down in front of them at the same time.
“Aurora Execution!”
Behind each of them appeared the Goddess of Dawn, raising a sacred vessel in both hands. From the mouth of the vessel held in her slender hands poured spiraling Freezing Air that shimmered with a rainbow-colored aurora. In an instant, the two terrifying torrents of Freezing Air slammed into each other.
The temperature throughout the Aquarius Temple plunged to minus 270 degrees Celsius.
The stone pillars nearest the two were instantly frozen to dust.
Even Ryosho had no choice but to ignite his Cosmo to withstand the extreme cold produced by the combined Freezing Air.
By his rough estimate, the temperature at the core where their Freezing Air collided was already approaching Absolute Zero, and it was still steadily falling.
Ryosho burned his Seventh Sense Cosmo as he carefully observed the clash between the two Aurora Executions.
He had never fought a Saint who used Freezing Air before, so this was a valuable opportunity to study Aurora Execution.
If he ever faced this technique himself, understanding it beforehand might allow him to avoid most of its damage.
At that moment, the two terrifying torrents of Freezing Air twisted together, forming a multicolored sphere of light. The Freezing Air within it crashed against itself, leaving the two attacks locked in a stalemate.
Ryosho narrowed his eyes and deployed the Thousand-Mirror Shield around himself.
He had no choice. The surrounding temperature was drawing closer and closer to Absolute Zero, and even he was beginning to struggle.
If all that Freezing Air suddenly exploded, he certainly did not believe he could emerge unharmed from temperatures at Absolute Zero.
Then the balance broke.
At the brink of life and death, Hyoga finally grasped Absolute Zero and awakened his Seventh Sense.
At the same moment, the Freezing Air at Absolute Zero erupted in a massive explosion that swept through the entire Aquarius Temple.
Ryosho burned his Cosmo at full strength and, even from the edge of their clash, only barely managed to withstand the terrifying wave of Freezing Air.
When the extreme cold finally faded, Camus remained frozen in the posture of throwing a punch. Looking at Hyoga, whose body had been frozen stiff, he spoke with satisfaction in his eyes.
“Im... impressive, Hyoga!”
“During this battle, even while enduring my Aurora Execution, you managed to turn what you experienced into a technique of your own.”
“You truly have inherited everything from me, Camus.”
“Hyoga, at the brink of death, just before you froze to death, when you had lost every sensation, you mastered Absolute Zero.”
“You even surpassed the Cosmo of your Master, Camus, and awakened the ultimate Cosmo, the Seventh Sense.”
“You were able to grow this far because what you believed in was right.”
“I hope you will inherit this power and continue using it from now on.”
“Use this power well.”
“But it seems there is nothing more I, Camus, can do for you.”
“Forgive me, Hyoga!”
With those words, Camus collapsed forward onto the ground.
Hyoga remained standing where he was, tears streaming down his face.
“Camus, you sacrificed yourself to guide me toward mastering Absolute Zero. I will never forget anything you taught me.”
“Thank you, Master Camus!”
“Crateris Cup!”
At the very last moment, just as Camus and Hyoga were about to breathe their last, Ryosho unleashed the Crateris Cup.
Healing rain fell over them.
It rapidly restored their frostbitten bodies and warmed their frozen Cosmos.
Even after using the Crateris Cup, Ryosho still wasn't reassured. He took out Divine Water, which had even stronger healing properties, and made both of them drink it.
Only then did he examine their condition.
Their bodies were gradually recovering under the effects of the Divine Water, but their flames of life, their Cosmos, remained extremely faint.
They were like tiny flames trembling in a blizzard, liable to go out at any moment.
Neither the Crateris Cup nor the Divine Water had done more than keep them barely alive.
Whether they could wake up again would depend on their own will to survive.
Ryosho was more worried about Camus.
Camus's will to live was far from strong.
Between Saga and Athena, he had chosen absolute neutrality, then used his own life to guide Hyoga toward awakening the Seventh Sense and mastering Absolute Zero.
He truly was a worthy Master.
“What a shame.”
Even Gestalt, within the Spirit Tablet Space, couldn't help sighing at the sight.
Ryosho nodded, then examined the Aquarius Gold Cloth on Camus.
The Gold Cloth had been completely frozen and had lost all of its functions.
That alone proved that Hyoga had mastered Absolute Zero.
The Gold Cloth itself, however, was not damaged. It had merely lost its defensive capabilities temporarily.
Clearly, even Absolute Zero alone was not enough for Freezing Air to completely shatter a Gold Cloth.
Ryosho tried removing the Aquarius Gold Cloth from Camus, and to his surprise... this time, it came off without any resistance.
So that was it.
Had Absolute Zero frozen even the Gold Cloth's self-awareness?
Delighted, Ryosho removed the Aquarius Gold Cloth from Camus and successfully unlocked his first Gold Cloth entry in the Cloth Compendium.
‘Cosmo Comprehension and Strength +1’
Just as he finished putting the Aquarius Gold Cloth back on Camus, a surge of malevolent Cosmo suddenly erupted outside the Aquarius Temple.
Ryosho instantly raised his head.
His pupils contracted.
Another Ghost?
He sprang to his feet and, without the slightest hesitation, rushed toward the exit of the Aquarius Temple.
“Gestalt, aside from you, Kaiser, and the previous generation's Sagitta, were any other Saints revived?”
Gestalt shook his head and replied with certainty, “No. As far as I know, there were only the three of us. How could another Gold Saint have been revived? And... this malevolent Cosmo belongs to... Mystoria.”
“Mystoria?”
Ryosho froze.
Wasn't he the previous generation's Aquarius Gold Saint?
...
“Mere Bronze Saints. Pathetically weak. I have no idea what's wrong with this generation's Gold Saints if they could let Saints like these make it all the way to the Aquarius Temple.”
Mystoria spoke coldly as he looked at Seiya and Shiryu, both of whom he had frozen with a single attack.
He raised his head toward the Aquarius Temple.
“Now, only Crateris remains.”
“Are you looking for me?”
Ryosho walked out of the Aquarius Temple and glanced at Seiya and Shiryu, who were trapped in ice.
Fortunately, they had only been temporarily frozen unconscious. The flames of their Cosmos had not gone out.
“Oh?”
Mystoria turned toward the voice and saw a young man clad in the Crateris Silver Cloth slowly walking out of the Aquarius Temple, powerful Cosmo radiating from his body.
He narrowed his eyes.
“You seem rather different from them.”
Ryosho raised one finger. A flash of silver light streaked out, and the ice imprisoning Seiya and Shiryu shattered instantly.
So fast!
Mystoria's pupils contracted. He hadn't even seen the Crateris Saint before him throw a punch.
But he quickly regained his composure.
“I see. You've already mastered the Seventh Sense?”
“I never imagined that a mere Silver Saint could master the Seventh Sense, something only Gold Saints can fully command.”
“It seems I can't judge you by the same standard as those Bronze Saints.”
Ryosho looked up at the Fire Clock. The flame corresponding to the Aquarius Temple was already close to going out.
It seemed he would have to finish this quickly. He couldn't afford to waste much more time here.
He turned back toward Mystoria, curled his finger in a challenging gesture, and said,
“Mystoria, cut the crap. Bring it on!”
...
Chapter 130: Cancer Death-Light Net
A wave of biting cold swept toward Ryosho.
The moisture in the air rapidly froze.
Just as the Freezing Air from Mystoria’s punch was about to freeze Ryosho solid, Ryosho vanished from the spot.
Teleportation?
Surprise flashed through Mystoria’s eyes. He immediately turned to the side, only to find a palm already pressed against his chest. A burst of white light erupted from the hand.
His pupils contracted. He instantly ignited his Cosmo and directed Freezing Air approaching Absolute Zero toward the palm against his chest.
But he was still a step too late.
Amid the blinding white light, the force of Ryosho’s palm strike instantly shredded Mystoria’s black robe, revealing the Aquarius Leaf beneath. It was pitch-black and gleamed with the cold luster of a gemstone from the Underworld.
Mystoria was sent reeling backward.
However, he neither lost his balance nor suffered much damage.
He flipped backward to disperse the impact and quickly regained his footing.
But immediately afterward, he found himself surrounded by the vastness of space, with countless nebulae bearing down on him from the far reaches of the cosmos.
“What is this?”
Startled, Mystoria immediately used his Freezing Air to create an ice wall in front of himself, one comparable to a Freezing Coffin.
The ice wall soon shattered.
However, most of the attack’s power had already been spent breaking through it.
Mystoria easily avoided what remained.
“Oh, your reflexes are pretty quick!”
Ryosho looked at Mystoria in surprise. He had actually managed to block his Cosmic Genesis Vortex.
Mystoria had turned the Freezing Coffin into a defensive ice wall. Since he had created it in such a hurry, it was not as hard as an actual Freezing Coffin, but it was still made from Freezing Air approaching Absolute Zero.
A bead of cold sweat ran down Mystoria’s face.
What was with this guy?
The sheer fluidity of that attack sequence was like watching a battle-hardened berserker.
Worse, the powerful Cosmo inside him was in no way inferior to Mystoria’s own. If anything, it was even stronger.
He was a formidable opponent.
Mystoria could not afford to underestimate him or let his guard down for even a moment.
Ryosho had also formed a preliminary assessment of Mystoria’s strength. His mastery of Freezing Air was basically on par with Camus’s.
As for Cosmo, Mystoria was stronger than Camus, perhaps because he had fused with a Ghost, but the difference was limited.
Ryosho had also gained a better understanding of the Leaf Mystoria wore. Its strength and hardness were both greater than Gestalt’s Sagittarius Leaf, but still inferior to Kaiser’s Leaf.
It seemed that even among Leafs, their quality could vary considerably.
In truth, Ryosho could easily have followed the Cosmic Genesis Vortex with Another Dimension.
Given Mystoria’s reaction speed, he most likely would not have been able to evade it.
But then Ryosho would have lost the soul of a Gold Saint.
Besides, defeating Mystoria would not take much time anyway. There was no need to banish him to Another Dimension, since that would only delay things.
With that thought, Ryosho charged forward again.
“Trying the same trick twice?”
Mystoria’s expression remained cold. He raised his right hand as Freezing Air gathered in his palm. In the next instant, he clenched his fist and punched, sending terrifying Freezing Air mixed with ice crystals hurtling forward at the speed of light.
“Diamond Dust.”
Ryosho’s pupils contracted. Within one ten-thousandth of a second, he barely managed to evade the attack.
Even so, the Freezing Air grazed his right leg. The Cloth covering it froze instantly, while the bone-chilling cold penetrated straight through the Cloth and into his leg.
Ryosho flipped through the air and landed on the ground. Then he ignited his Cosmo and threw a punch.
“Cancer Death-Light Net!”
Streams of white light shot out, weaving themselves into a dense, inescapable net that closed in on Mystoria from every direction.
“Is that... the Cancer All Beauty Ken?”
Surprise flashed through Mystoria’s eyes.
That was Deathtoll’s technique!
Although he was shocked to see Ryosho using Deathtoll’s technique, he immediately countered.
A massive tornado filled with lightning and Freezing Air erupted from between his hands, blocking Ryosho’s Lightspeed Fist.
But gradually, Mystoria realized something was wrong.
The power of Ryosho’s Lightspeed Fist was becoming increasingly concentrated. The Lightspeed Fists that had formed a death-light net quickly transformed into countless densely packed beams.
In the blink of an eye, those beams converged into a single sphere packed with tremendous power.
“What?”
“That’s impossible!”
In the next instant, the concentrated sphere of light broke through Mystoria’s Freezing Air attack and slammed directly into his chest.
With a scream of pain, Mystoria was hurled onto the steps leading toward the Pisces Temple.
“The Cancer All Beauty Ken actually transformed into a sphere of light!”
“This... isn’t that Kaiser’s technique?”
Cold sweat streamed down Mystoria’s face as he struggled to raise his head and look at Ryosho.
Unbelievable.
Not only could he use Deathtoll’s technique, he had even learned Kaiser’s as well.
More astonishingly, he had connected the two techniques seamlessly.
Gestalt, watching from within the Spirit Tablet Space, was equally stunned.
Ryosho’s ability to understand techniques and adapt them on the fly was simply monstrous!
Two completely different punching styles, two completely different ways of manipulating Cosmo, yet Ryosho had linked them together without the slightest break.
Gestalt finally understood why he had lost in the House of Sagittarius. His Cosmo had clearly been no weaker than Ryosho’s, yet Ryosho had still overwhelmed him completely.
The fundamental difference lay in their combat talent and fighting styles.
In that regard, Ryosho was practically a master.
By switching between techniques in such unpredictable ways, he could quickly defeat many opponents whose strength was otherwise comparable to his own.
“Alright. Time to end this fight.”
Ryosho raised his head and glanced at the Fire Clock.
The flame representing the Aquarius Temple was already trembling, which meant it was about to go out.
“Heh, Crateris. You don’t seriously think that’s enough to defeat me, do you?”
Just then, Mystoria suddenly let out a cold laugh.
Ryosho, who had been about to attack, stopped and watched him warily.
Mystoria’s eyes had turned blood-red. An intensely malevolent Cosmo erupted from his body, while blood-colored patterns rapidly spread across his Leaf. The Cosmo within him surged dramatically, far beyond what it had been before.
...
Pisces Temple.
Aphrodite held the Pisces helmet in his arms as he looked toward the Fire Clock.
The flame representing the Aquarius Temple flickered several times before finally going out.
His brows furrowed, and he turned his gaze toward the Aquarius Temple.
Only one hour left!
What was Ryosho doing?
Why hadn’t he made it through the Aquarius Temple yet?
And what was that malevolent Cosmo erupting from the Aquarius Temple?
That same evil Cosmo had appeared before in both the House of Sagittarius and the Leo Temple!
Could it be...
Aphrodite’s beautiful face shifted with uncertainty.
He remembered the black-robed man who had been taken away not long ago by the newly appointed Chief of Staff, Phaeton.
Could it be them?
Saga... Just what kind of power had the Grand Pope borrowed? Why were these people’s Cosmos so malevolent?
Evil Spirits!
He remembered what Ryosho had told him on Andromeda Island.
Could Ryosho really have been telling the truth? Had Saga truly been controlled by Evil Spirits released by a malevolent god of the Underworld?
If that was the case...
Aphrodite closed his eyes.
Ryosho’s final words echoed through his mind.
If power itself is justice, then are the gods who possess such power yet seek to destroy humanity also just?
If they are... then, Aphrodite, what are you fighting for?
Aphrodite opened his eyes and stared at the final flickering flame on the Fire Clock. Ryosho’s words continued to echo through his mind, and uncertainty flickered in his gaze.
After a moment, he took a deep breath, put on the Pisces helmet, and turned toward the Pisces Temple.
Ryosho... this isn’t because I agree with what you said, or because I acknowledge your strength. It’s because... I, Aphrodite, owe you this!
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