Calm before the Sword II

Part I

The end of the hall was finally within reach, and everyone felt the sensation of Cosmos dancing among varying degrees. Strong friends and stronger foes; one after another, however, the Cosmos of friends vanished. The goddess Athena and her Saints sensed it, like a candle's light flickering to an end and casting darkness in its place. There were three Gold Saints left accompanying Athena.

"Shiryu, Deathmask," Sagittarius Seiya muttered as he marched next to his goddess, the sorrow in his voice showing the difficult burden of turning his back and leaving behind a battle. Aquarius Camus looked only ahead; he knew that the end to all of this was only in front of him. Athena reached a towering door, and it opened as if expecting her arrival. Inside, the chamber was wide and dressed dark. At the far end of a morose hall, led through by a crimson carpet, was a woman with an ancient chiton dress.

The goddess Pallas sat on her throne, waiting. A smile was upon her darkened face; she was either content to see her sister or she sensed the inevitable defeat of the Saints happening before her own two eyes.

"There you are!" A boastful voice echoed through the chambers, breaking any protocol of facing a divine presence. Taurus Harbinger lunged towards Pallas like a beast, a bloodthirsty grin splitting his face.

"Goddess Pallas! Your life is mine!" No other than a God would please his battle spirit and test his iron horns. Before Harbinger's fist could reach, a green wave cut in between him and the goddess. The Taurus Saint was thrown backwards. A shadow swept in and veiled Pallas; it stood in front of Athena's victory, and took everyone's attention.

"If you want the goddess, then you must defeat me and my Theogenesis, Gold Saint," stated a black-haired man carrying a long emerald blade. The man's voice was deep, becoming of his appearance as he was covered by a cloak. Opposite of the shady look, bright gold eyes gleamed with the passion he carried as a guardian: It was the Grand Sword, Titan. He was Pallas's finest subordinate until the very end.

Harbinger only laughed it off and regained his footing. For him, there was no other way but to face the challenge.

"Great Horn!" The Taurus cried out his attack, an energy bursting forward as raw force. Titan swung his arm, his blade arcing in a swift empty swing. The Great Horn roared, rushing forward, and then dissipating before a hit. It's said that the world-creating Theogenesis was able to stop the world's movement, but were each of the four first-class Pallasites hailed as a few Gold Saints strong? In any case, was Taurus Harbinger not a threat to Titan?

"For something that helped to shape the Earth, Theogenesis, given to me by my God, can repel whatever stands on that same Earth at will," Titan's words abject the Taurus Saint coolly. "And, as Earth is made of various minerals such as sillicon, iron, and magnesium, I'm afraid,"

The shadow paused, and then took a step forward.

"Harbinger!" Seiya called out in concern; Titan's cloak fluttered in the air, and the Pallasite crossed the distance standing in between him and the Taurus Saint. The green sword arched again, and in the next instant sparks flew, then the sound of shredding metal.

"I'll cleave through your Gold Cloth easily," Titan said.

Standing on his feet, Harbinger's legs felt tight. He flexed his arms as he fought back the singing pain in his body. Titan's sword left a gap in his Cloth, and the Taurus Saint fought to stay on his toes. He relaxed his grimace as the wave of pain withered. He panted, and then grinned.

"You bastard!" Taurus Harginger spat after catching some breath, and then he frowned. He felt a touch on his shoulder.

"Haaah?" The Taurus Saint looked at his shoulder and saw a gold gauntlet. His mouth slanted. "What is it? You can't be asking permission now, are you?" He said, grinning again.

From Harbinger's mocking tone, and in contrast to his smile, Camus kept a tranquil face. Upon first look, he looked to lack human empathy, but in times of war when it was most important, such a face could be surmised as fearless, self possession.

Camus, you can't possibly, Seiya began to think to himself, is this from before?

Camus slid his hand off the shoulder and passed by the Taurus Saint quietly. He was stepping forward to take "his turn".

Harbinger quickly showed refusal. "Hey, wait a sec Aquarius! This is not yours to take!"

"Harbinger, let Camus fight," Seiya said from a distance. Harbinger looked back, showing the Sagittarius Saint his irate face.

"What for? Does he plan to make the same mistake twice?" The Taurus Saint grounded his teeth in irritation. He figured that Aquarius was placing the priority of a grudge match over his chance to ignite his Cosmos to the fullest. No matter the protest, it was not easy to stray Camus from what he fixed his focus on.

"He's aching for a bruising for being so stubborn." Harbinger continued to oppose.

"No," Seiya simply replied with, "resonating from him is the heart of a strong man."

Harbinger groaned and looked back to his target, suddenly gasping. He witnessed a gold aura coursing around Camus's body.

"We meet again." Titan said.

"You say that you can freeze anything that lives on Earth?" said Camus. "So can I. No, I will crush your sword with my heated glacier blade."

"'Heated'? You're making no sense, Aquarius Camus." Titan raised his sword again and buckled his knee forward to advance. That's what his brain was telling him - to move the knee. But it wouldn't. Titan grunted and looked down, wondering what was wrong. His leg shook as if his muscles cramped. When he looked back at Camus, he saw a blizzard.