Shiryu POV - Japan, Wind Caves - 1986

  Looking a Shun's figure that is slowly desding, I think about his st words 'The Shadon...?', but before I could further think about his words, I'm roused by my oppo's voice that says "What a waste... Why did you divide your forces for a dead man? You sappy fools are squandering your advantage... and your time", and looking at him and notig his fidence, so I raise my guard and say "We wouldn't leave him down there even if he was dead, that's our friendship".

  But then Bck Dragon slowly moves bad says "Friendship... Never heard of it... But thanks to Shun's stupidity, I get to add your o the list of my victims" and at the same time, he melts into the darkness, hiding his presence from me, 'He disappeared, he melted into the darkness... I'd better do the same, it wouldn't be smart to let an invisible enemy see me', and thinking that I do the same, but as soon as I did so, I felt a strong impay chest, makiumble on the ground.

  Still lying on the ground I mutter "How did he find me?", but the sed I feel the movement of wind ing from my back, and on instinct, I quickly get up and jump away, and soon after the ground where I was standing broke as a result of a strong impact, but then arong impact came to my stomad once again I find myself fag the ground.

  "I don't get it, how he attack with such accuracy? he see in total darkness?" I question myself loud enough, that Bck Dragon replies "Exactly! Your movements are as obvious to me as if we stood in daylight", and I once agai up and this time I move to my right, but Bck Dragon is still able to follow me, aitively hits me with punches and kicks, 'Luckily, I'm able to use my Cloth to block all these blows, but still the situation is bad, I'm like a blind man fighting a sighted one... If I 't see my oppo, I 't strike him...'.

  But then I notiething, and I raise my guard to withstand the blows and think 'I've got to think this through... His void the blows seem to be ing from slightly different pces, but... Maybe there are... That's it, the Shadon shun warned me about..." and right as I realize this another series of strong impacts hits me and se of the darkness and into the ground.

  And soon notice Bck Dragon in front of me that says "Heh, I was told that the mighty Shiryu had the power to make the great waterfall of Lushan flow backward, but you're no challe all, I'll end your misery quickly though!", I get up once again and say "Don't pat yourself on the back just yet... This Dragon won't fall without striking at least once...", hearing that Bck Dragon mocks me once again "Heh, you think you strike the Bck Dragon...".

  But I stop him, and burning my o I say "I don't io strike you yet, I'd rather hit your ally..." and before they could react, I turn around and throowerful uppercut behio the darkness hitting a young maical to Bck Dragon breaking his Cloth and making his spit a mouthful of blood, the only differeween them is that this one his clearly blind, and at the same time Bck Dragon yells "Brother!".

  And as his brother crash into the ground unscious, I say "So he was telling you where to strike, your blind brother, eh? Your eyes in the darkness... That's why Shun's s kept shifting, there was a Shadon hiding in the darkness..." then I shift my foy Cloth and I 't help but say "Mu refed my Cloth strohan ever... All those savage attacks didn't even scratch it, and since even a nick could kill me right now, I'm especially grateful!"

  Bck Dragon hears me and says "Really? Then I'll just pulverize your precious Cloth" and I taunt him "Think you ? You couldn't dent it before, even with your brother's help..." but Bck Dragon ig and as he burns his o, he says "That's behind us, now we're on equal footing! Noill see who is the real Rising Dragon!" and in respoo him I burn my o too, and the moment the image of a bd a green Dragon staring at each other appears behind us.

  I see Bck Dragon raise one finger as he says "One finger... I'll demonstrate my total superiority to you by defeating you with this one finger", and surprised by his bravado I ask "That's funny, did the shock of seeing your brother fall drive you crazy?" but with still a smile on his face he says "Actually, I'm not the seal type, I don't care who I see fall", hearing that I 't help but say "So, you Bck Saints will ruthlessly use even your own flesh and blood".

  And taking his fighting stance Bck Dragon replies "Of course, no one on this earth is worth believing in, that's a weakness, It'll only get you turned into worm food... e on, Shiryu, time for you to feed the worms!!", hearing him, I don't wait anymore and throunch aiming at his chest, but I'm shocked to find out that my punch was uo deal him any kind of damage, in fact, I wasn't even able to move him.

  Bck Dragon looks at my fist that is still toug his chest and says "That's your best shot... You must be holding back", I try to hit him again and again, but he is easily able to dodge them all, and 't help but scream "I... I 't keep up with his movement!!" then Bck Dragon moves closer and says "And now I'll do what I promised" and before I could react, he hits me in the chest with only his finger, I feel the strong impay chest and I'm sent flying.

  As I crash into the hard ground I think 'Damn... I'm too weakened by the previous bloodloss, my body simply 't keep up at this moment, and I 't unleash the full power of my o...' but my thought is interrupted as I hear my oppo's voice "Impressive, That Cloth of yours wasn't damaged at all, Mu's skill is extraordinary..." but theops as if he realized something, then he grabs my arm and says "So that's why you're so pathetic, eh? You gave your blood to get that Cloth repaired... So, if you lose any more you'll die... Why would you e to a battlefield in this dition?".

  To his question, I reply "L-Like I told you, for my friends...", hearing my answer, Bck Dragon punches me in the face sending me crashing into the wall, then as I fell to the ground, I felt him moving closer and about to hit me again as he yells "And like I told you, there is no one worth believing in! g to your friendship and die, Shiryu!!" but he suddenly stops and moves away from me.

  And I hear his voice again that says "Your stupid friends are climbing up, I'll just break this and send Shun and Seiya to the bottom forever. I'll still have plenty of time left to finish you, Shiryu...", hearing that I raise my head and look at him grabbing Shun's thinking 'Only the Rozan Shoryuha (Supremacy of the Rozan Asding Dragon) stop him now... But if I'll unleash the full power of my o and in my current dition, the Rozan Shoryuha is fatal... as my Master oold me in a weakeate, this move will cause my capilries to rupture and blood to burst out of my whole body!'.

  But I resolve myself and say "But... I have no choice..." and standing once again I yell "Bck Dragon, Wait!".

  Jayr POV - Japan, Kido Mansion - 1986

  Sensing what Shiryu is doing I got up from my chair and 't help but shout in rage "WHY IN THE NAME OF ATHENA YOU TAKE OFF YOUR FUG CLOTH ONCE AGAIN!!?" while Saori who is sittio me, finish drinkiea, let out a sigh and says "Well, every Saints has its quirk... As long as they fight for peace, love, and justice, I accept their fws...".

  Bck Dragon POV - Japan, Wind Caves - 1986

  I'm shocked and baffled by the fact that my oppo, Dragon Shiryu, removed his Cloth "What? You're removing your Cloth? Have you lost your mind..." but he ignore my question and says "This fight isn't over yet..." and as he burns his o, blood starts to spurt out from everywhere on his body, and I help but the question "That's insane! What could be worth this...?", and Shiryu answer "Bck Dragon, maybe there is nothing worth believing in for you, but I'm fighting for a world where friendship means something... Orphans like us didn't have mothers or fathers to give us love, so we had to turn to each other, I choose to die for something I believe in!!".

  Feeling his resolve I decide to meet him head a his belief on "Very well, I'll put all my strength behind this blow, die for friendship, Shiryu!!" but as I move to attack, Shiryu is faster and yelling "Rozan Shoryuha!!" and with an uppercut so powerful that gee a shockwave in the shape of a dragos me sending me flying, breaking my Cloth, and the moment I bck out before crashing into the ground.

  I'm woken by Shiryu's weak voice as he says "There isn't much life left in me... The st of my blood is spilling out..." and with the st of my strength I burn my o to the max a up saying "Not yet!!", then moving quickly toward him, I press my finger into his Geshu point and notig his shocked face I expin "I've pressed the Geshu point, the heming will stop now".

  Still fused, Shiryu asks "Why... Why are you saving my life...?" and as my strength runs out and I'm about to fall to the ground, with my st strength I say "Maybe I've finally seen something worth believing in... This friendship you keep talking about... But it seems... I'm a bit too... Late..." then as I impact the cold hard ground, all I see is darkness.

  Shiryu POV - Japan, Wind Caves - 1986

  I'm looking at the fallen Bck Dragon with mixed emotions, but then, the sound of Shun's quickly ruses me, and walking toward the cliff, I look into the abyss and yell "Shun! Are you all right!? Is Seiya okay!?", and soon, Shun climb up with Seiya on his shoulders and says "Sh...Shiryu, wish I could say he is all right but Just look at him..." and as he gently ys his body on the ground, he tinues "His whole body has turned bck, what should we do, Shiryu...?".

  And indeed, his whole body turned bck, but as I was cheg his body I remember something that Jayr told me, 'He talked about the Star Life Point, the vital points in a Saints' body that are influenced by the guardian steltion the moment a Saint don his Cloth the first time, by opening those point's not only you rouse a dying Saint's o, but you also make them push out harmful o or substan the body through the blood, Seiya's steltion is the Pegasus that is made up of 13 stars, now I just have to open those 13 points in his body'.

  And so I quickly ad with my finger, I pierce Seiya's body, while at the same time expining the same to Shun, and the effect is almost instantaneous, from the 13 holes I made, bck blood is quickly ing out, and Seiya's skin is returning his inal color, "There, all 13 points are open and the bad blood is esg, let's just hope he doesn't bleed to death... Seiya's fate now hangs on his o".

  Then I equip my Cloth, and together with Shun we pick up the Gold Cloth pieces and move forward, leaving Seiya behind, and after walking for a few minutes, I notice Shun's silend say "What's wrong, Shun? Worried about Seiya? Have hope, if anyone survive this, Seiya ... Put it out of your mind, we may enter Ikki at any moment..." as I eaking, I hear Shun's s moves and ask "What is it, Shun?, aarts looking around and says "My s just went into defensive mode... My brother is near!" and soon I notice his figure and yell "Ikki!!".

  Ikki POV - Japan, Wind Caves - 1986

  Looking at the figure of Shun and Shiryu, I prepare to fight with them without holding back, as Shiryu speaks to Shun "Stand back Shun, enemy or not, it might be hard for you to fight your own brother" but Shun stops him and after apologizing to Shiryu, my foolish brother, knock him out as on his knees saying "Nii-san, my life is yours, I didn't e here to fight you, I came to offer you my life!! If killing me will satisfy you... and allow you to be the stro man you once were, I'll gdly give up my life! Since I owe you my life many times over anyway, it's only right".

  Hearing that enraged me, 'What the hell am I making all this so you guys grow stronger... And you give up without even fighting!! Just how much of a fool you be!!?' and at the same time I say "Shut up you gutless sheep! I'll do you the favor of severing that pasty neck of yours if you want! Die!" but I'm interrupted by Hyoga eared behind me saying "To think you would butcher your own defenseless brother...".

  I py my part and act shocked by yelling "Hyoga!! Impossible! You're dead! Your heart was impaled..." then Seiya's voice came "Here's one more you guys failed to kill!" and at the same time Shiryu stands up saying "Haa, the whole gang is here, eh?" and turning to Shun he adds "Shun, don't be such a martyr".

  And now I find myself surrounded by my brothers, as they as me to surrender, sure of their advantage, but I quickly decide to ad attack Shun with Hoo Genmaken (Phoenix Phantom Fist) hoping to reinforce his psyche, but before I could unch my attack, Hyoga appears in front of me and notices the fact that I stopped and says "Of course, you realize that your Hoo Genmaken won't work, Ikki, as you said, once a Saint has seen a move it will never work on him again... Right?".

  And full of fidence I ask "You think you deflect the Hoo Genmaken?", and sure of himself he replies "That's right, I'll send it right back at you", so I decide to test him and attack with Hoo Genmaken, but Hyoga quickly uses the cold air geed by his o to make an ice mirror to reflect back the strand of o I created and maki myself, making me revive my worst fears of my time in the Death Queen Isnd, what would have happened if Jayr didn't e, I saw my master still uhe trol of Saga, how he tortured me, and how by killing Esmeralda he turned me in the darkest version of myself full of only hate and malice.

  But after a few seds, I foy love for Shun, Esmeralda, my Master, and the things I want to protect to break free, ahe se of Hyoga trying to finish me only to be stopped by Shun's , but soon they notice that I broke free and Hyoga asks shocked "H...How did you recover?!" and using the emotions I felt in the illusion to remain in the character I reply "Everything I loved is gohere's nothi in me for the Hoo Geo break..." then I burn my o and yell "! I'll fight all of you at once! You wouldn't have a ce against me one-on-one!!".

  Seeing them not move I decide to go all out "Ha! Did I scare the fight out of you!? This is gonoo easy! One Ho Yoku Ten Sho (Fming Wings of the Phoenix) and you pasty-faced milksops are history!", and so without giving them a ce to react I attack "Ho Yoku Ten Sho!!", I create a vortex of fire in which I and all my brothers are immersed and then project a Phoenix of fire from my hands that flies high in the sky through the Vortex until impag with the victims making them receive the damage from the Phoenix and the vortex, and sending them all crashing into the ground, uo stand.

  I look around a little disappointed by the fact that they were defeated so easily, but then I notice that the fake Gold Cloth assembled itself and protected Seiya from my move, and on further iigation, I feel Jayr's o surrounding the pieces of the Cloth, and a little shaken I think 'Just how big is the differeween us!? With only his o he make a piece of trash withstand my stro attack... And from so far away... If all the Silver Saints are as strong as him, I don't want to even imagihe strength of the Gold Saints!'.

  But I quickly recover and ba my character I say "The Gold Cloth is assembled! That's impossible... How... You!! How..." and Seiya waking in front of the Cloth says "I don't know... Suddenly the Gold Cloth was in front of me... As if proteg me...", hearing that I reply "Proteg you? Ridiculous... You think it chose you to be a Gold Saint?" and enraged Seiya yells as his o grows in strength "Well, it sure didn't choose you, coward!! You're not the only one who's had it rough, Ikki!" as me in the chest with a powerful punch, sending me crashing into the ground and shattering my Cloth.

  Then Seiya starts lecturing me, about how I wasn't the only one who went through hell to bee a Saint, and on how brave and noble I used to be, as I've alrotected my little brother Shun no matter the cost, and how I recover from what it has happened in the Death Queen Isnd, how he could still sense honor and love in me, 'Is he talking bullshit or is he really sensing what I have hidden uhis mask of hate...?'.

  Then Seiya ends with "...There's no reason for us to fight..." but I get up from the ground and taking my fighting stance I say "You've lectured long enough, Seiya... While I live, I'll never surreo anyone!", and burn my o to attace again, but with my arm still frozen by Hyoga, Seiya is faster and hits me with a powerful uppercut.

  I bckout for a few moments, and only regain my senses when I crash into the hard ground, I get up and notice that my Cloth is pletely shattered 'Now I se clearly... Shun, Shiryu, and Hyoga are giving their o to Seiya, that is why his o is growing stronger each passing sed... It's just that Seiya himself didn't notice this yet!'.

  Seiya looks at me and yells "Your Phoenix Cloth is Ash! And when I'm dohe evil Ikki will be ash, too!! Pegasus Ryusei Ken (Pegasus Meteor Punch)!!" and I soon see hundreds of light energy punches which look like small meteors ing at me too fast for me to read I'm once again hit by Seiya's move, feeling hundreds of impacts all over my body, and I'm pretty sure that he broke many bones in my body with this move, but it's not enough to stop me.

  As Seiya moves closer to chee, I burn my o to the max and ask my Cloth to use its special ability, and uhe shocked eyes of Seiya, I once again raise, wearing my Cloth that is now as good as new, and at the same time the revived Cloth is also healing all the damage I received and seeing his shod fusion I expin "Surprised, Seiya? I thought you khe Phoenix was iructible, unlike your flimsy Cloths, the Phoenix Cloth repair and regee itself... I guess I win after all!".

  But Seiya doesn't give up and throws anasus Ryusei Ken at me, but this time I'm easily able to block all of the blows with only one hand, and at the same time I taunt him "Your little meteor fart is no threat to a newly reborn phoenix, fool! Your attacks are futile! Admit Defeat!", and I move closer to the stunned Seiya and ask once more "Any st words?" hearing his silence I yell "Then die, Seiya!" and punch with all my strength, but my punch is blocked by Shiryu's Dragon Shield that equipped itself on Seiya's arm.

  Seeing this I think 'It's incredible, this level of bond even unscious Shiryu's o is supp Seiya, and his Cloth is doing the same...', then I try to attack him with the Hoo Genmaken but I'm once again blocked, this time is Shun's gau and who equipped on Seiya and blocked my move, and this time Seiya finally realized that it isn't the Gold Cloth that is supp him but his friends with their o, and now their collective o clearly be felt, joining together to bee a greater whole.

  Seiya now sure of his victory yells "I'm not alone, Ikki! I have many allies!! Without Love or Friendship you 't hope to defeat me!!", and even if inside I'm happy about the level they have finally reached, outside I appear enraged and yell "Absurd!! I'll destroy you and your collective os with you!" making my o explode and using the Ho Yoku Ten Sho, but Seiya is able to block it and terattack with a Pegasus Ryusei Ken but different from the normal ohis one is bined with Hyoga's Icy Aura.

  Seiya's attacks breakthrough my defense and I find his fist embedded in my chest breaking my Cloth once more, even while feeling an incredible pain in my chest and almost on the verge of death, a smile marks my face, and at the same time Seiya notice my arm "Ikki, you fought me with an injured arm?" and with a warm smile I say "Heh... It doesn't matter... Even if Hyoga hadn't frozen my arm, you would have won, Seiya..." but he says in a low and sad to wasn't my strength alone, friendship helped me..." but I shake my head and say "Not friendship, it was love that gave you victory... Good job, my dear brother Seiya!!".

  Mu POV - Japan, Wind Caves - 1986

  With my senses, I clearly feel that the fight is over, Shiryu and the others have won, and more importantly they were able to bine and attuheir os, but the situation that Jayr predicted really happened, and indeed, my disciple Kiki soon excims "Lord Mu, enemies approach!! Several os ing fast... Fearsome, aggressive os! What should we do!?" and I calm him by saying "Don't worry Kiki, I've sehem for some time, and we are ready for them...".

  'It seems that I have to get ready to teleport all of them out of there... This will take a lot out of me, but luckily Jayr is here too, so I don't have to worry about serving my strengths', is what I thought as I felt the four os quickly move toward this location.

  Seiya POV - Japan, Wind Caves - 1986

  I'm really shocked by the Ikki in front of me now, 'Not only all the hate I sensed before is gone, but he also has a relieved and proud smile on his fad called me brother, what does he mean by that?' and so I only ask "You called me 'Brother'?" and he calmly says "Yes, and not only you... Shiryu, and Hyoga lying over there, too, we are all blood siblings, Seiya".

  I think my brain stopped w or something, and the only thing I could do is yell "That's nonsense, Ikki! Why would you say that!?" but he replies with ess "It's the truth, those inal 100 children were not chosen at random, we orphans who were assembled by the Graad Foundation to bee Saints, had different mothers, but only one man was our father".

  Hearing all that, the only thought in my head is 'We are all brothers? Hyoga... Shiryu... Shun... Ikki... Jabu and the others... No way...This is a bombshell... I don't know what to think... Could it be true? How did it happen? If it's true who was he? Who was our father? I've got to know who he is!' and so I steel myself and ask Ikki "Who is our father?! Do you really know, Ikki!?" and Ikki calmly replies looking at me into the eyes "I do... But when you hear his name, you'll want to drain his blood from your body, our father is the man... We all hate more than anyone in the world".

  And at that a dreadful realization came to me, 'Our father only be that old bastard!', but the moment, the whole cave started shaking like the whole Fuji volic is now about to erupt, and the cave starts to colpse, I'm worried that we all will be buried alive, but then I hear Ikki's calm voice that says "Haa... In the end everything is happening just as he predicted... Seiya, soon you will feel someone's o around you do not resist, he will pull us all out of this", and before I could ask Ikki what's is going on, I feel a powerful o around my body, and I choose to trust Ikki and didn't oppose aance, and the moment the sary in front of me ged, gone is the colpsing cave and now, I find myself on a calm and peaceful beach, a beach that I reize as I retily came here with Miho-, Nee-san, and the kids, this is the Miho Beach.

  Odyin