Saint Seiya: The Legend of Seiya

7 - The Black Saints

The crowd at the Coliseum was in full euphoria at the triumphant appearance of what appeared to be a new fighter. The effects left everyone static in the stadium in the face of a twist in the Tournament story; the entire crowd was on their feet to better see the new challenger.

A mad rush in the production booth, the commentator Adam asking the directors for any information about the new participant, anything, because that was completetly out of the script he had; Stacey was paying close attention to what was happening around them, also tried to seek more information for the broadcast.

"It's here, we got it. Go, Adam!" Stacey said underlining a paper scribbled by hand and letterhead.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" came Adam's voice, excited over the microphone. "I must ask you all to bid a warm round of applause for the wonderful Phoenix Knight!"

The two looked at each other excitedly. The audience in the stands went wild as the camera focused on that imposing figure leaning on the Golden Urn in his absolutely marvelous Cloth; it had a silvery glow and orange parts reflecting the fire from the pyres around it, which gave the impression that the warrior's body was burning with fire. From the top of his back to the ground fell floating fire feathers. Its hair caught in dreads opened like her feathers through the back.

"Phoenix?" Jab asked himself in the center of the arena.
"The Chain has never been so tense..." Shun said worriedly trying to contain his Cosmo as one who holds a ferocious bull. "It's the first time I've seen this happen. The Cosmo coming from this Saint is frighteningly hostile. No... it's not just hostile, but something much worse. It's pure hate, Jab!"
"But who is this Saint?" Shiryu asked, seeing that Shun's Chains were very agitated.
"The Chain is at its limit. It can't stay defensive, it will attack!"
"Don't attack Shun..." asked Alice. "Phoenix is..."

Too late, as Shun could no longer hold the Chains at its place and it streaked across the audience and into Phoenix's hands.

"What did you say, Alice?"
"Shun..." she began. "Phoenix is ​​Ikki!"

And Shun looked back at the Phoenix Saint, confused.

"Ikki? Shun, so... Is it your sister?" asked Jab.

Shun remembered when he and his sister had parted so many years ago, sent to different Islands by the Foundation for the purpose of becoming Saints. Ikki was a fearless young girl and asked Shun to stay strong for all those years, as they would see each other again. And just like Seiya, all he wanted most was to find his sister again. And there she was.

"My sister... Ikki! So she... is alive!" said an emotional Shun.

But there was still enormous hostility in the Phoenix figure and the Chains were still tense.

"Shun... Ikki is not the same person." Alice warned beside her.
"She's my sister..." Shun said.

Phoenix, beside the Golden Urn, finally moved and the fire from the four pyres near her increased in strength and began to circle around her body. That same fire then materialized as a huge bird embracing Phoenix and, at the command of her fist, spread its wings giantly to come down with a razor edge fly low across the audience, crashing hard on Shun's left shoulder, destroying his Bronze Cloth.

Shun went to the ground and Shiryu went to his support, shocked.

"That's crazy, she was able to attack from that distance." she considered.
"She didn't even think twice about attacking her own brother." said Alice on guard.
"No. My sister was strong, but she was also kind. The one over there has only hate in her cosmo!"
"Shun... This is no longer the Ikki you knew!" said Alice ruefully.

Shun had his eyes fixed on that mysterious figure; he also dared to look at one of the screens so that he could see more clearly, but despite a scar he didn't recognize and the style of her hair, there was no doubt that that face brought a great deal of longing in him. Yes, she was his sister.