Chapter 55: The Crystal Saint Arrives to Assassinate

"Teacher, you..." The Crystal Saint did not slow his punch at all; like an assassin, he struck straight at Saori. Thankfully, Douglas intervened, and Saori was unharmed. However, Douglas's arm was entirely frozen. Hyoga saw this and knew it was time for a decisive end. He shouted, "Take Miss Saori away from here!"

Douglas replied and quickly escorted Saori, leaving Hyoga alone to face the Crystal Saint. The Crystal Saint fought like a death soldier, but Hyoga was no pushover. Both unleashed freezing punches, neither gaining the upper hand for a time. Hyoga, cold on the outside and within, soon resorted to his ultimate move, the Diamond Dust.

The Crystal Saint continued to use his freezing punch mechanically, truly like a death soldier. It was well known that the Crystal Saint possessed the strength of a Silver Saint, though his armor was not among the 88 recognized Saint Cloths; it was a private armor bestowed by the Pope. Previously, due to Fengzhe's intervention, its power had been slightly enhanced, but the gap remained vast.

Hyoga's cloth, forged from the heart of ice spanning tens of thousands of years, was bronze-ranked but of ancient lineage. Fengzhe had researched it before, discovering that the Cygnus Cloth was possibly the battle attire of the Goddess of Dawn, who, following the allegiance of the entire Frozen Gate, had passed it to Sanctuary. Moreover, the Cygnus Cloth had not appeared in previous holy wars, suggesting the Goddess of Dawn's attitude was ambiguous.

Within the Frozen Gate, one could only master stronger freezing power by defeating their master—a strange rule, hinting that the Goddess of Dawn was hardly a lover of peace.

Once Hyoga grew serious, he performed far beyond his usual level. If Fengzhe had been there, he would have recognized that these were Saori's movements. Hyoga finally unleashed his signature killing move, the Golden Flame Tornado. This move was the refinement of the Diamond Dust, far more powerful.

At last, the Crystal Saint was knocked to the ground, unable to rise. Hyoga lifted his master, and the Crystal Saint seemed to regain consciousness.

It turned out the Crystal Saint had come to assassinate Miss Saori under orders from Pope Aved. He had not wished to come and pleaded with the Pope, but Aved, apparently annoyed, struck him with the Phantasmal Emperor Punch, severing his neural pathways and turning him into a mindless death soldier.

The moment the Crystal Saint regained his senses was also the moment he was about to die. Hyoga wept bitterly, yet could not alter his master's fate.

At that moment, three Silver Saints—Alioth of the Warrior Constellation, Dio of the Silver Fly, and Sirius of the Great Dog—arrived before Hyoga.

"The only one who might save the Crystal Saint is Alex, but he may not make it in time..." Alioth said regretfully, his words striking Hyoga deeply.

With a glimmer of hope, Hyoga froze the Crystal Saint and placed him in a cold chamber, praying in his heart for Fengzhe's swift return.

...

Elsewhere

Fengzhe and his companions, arriving by helicopter, reached the cruise ship. Seiya, Shiryu, Shun, and Ikki each went down to rescue people, while Fengzhe stayed on the helicopter, observing the entire scene.

The three Phantom Saints—Sea Serpent, Dolphin, and Jellyfish—each had unique abilities, especially in water, making their battle with Seiya and the others intensely close.

"It seems the Phantom Saints have also grown these past two years," Fengzhe remarked, watching the fight as if admiring his own handiwork.

Soon, the battle ended with the Phantom Saints fleeing. The people aboard the cruise ship ceaselessly thanked Seiya and his companions.

Fengzhe then looked toward a secluded spot and led his group to his intended destination.

...

Phantom Island

This was the territory of the Phantom Saints. Their leader, Esther, was Shaina's younger sister. Previously, she had been exiled to the island for her faults. Later, when Fengzhe became acting Pope, he pardoned them and allowed them to join the private Saint training. Afterwards, Fengzhe disappeared, and the new Pope dismissed them, banishing them once again.

With no choice, the four Phantom Saints struggled to survive on Phantom Island, resorting to raiding nearby ships.

"Your mission this time is not to kill them, but to capture the leader of the Phantom Saints, Esther, alive. Understood?" Fengzhe's words drove Seiya nearly mad. "Defeating them isn't hard, but capturing them alive is a real challenge."

"These Saints are among the few who can fight in water. We may need them for the coming war with the Sea Realm," Fengzhe explained.

Seiya, though unsure, agreed it made sense. Thus, the four entered Phantom Island, while Fengzhe checked the time.

After about two hours, he finally strolled onto the island. Sea Serpent, Dolphin, and Jellyfish lay sprawled on the ground, unable to move. Seeing they still breathed, Fengzhe knew the others had held back.

Upon reaching the tower, Esther lay on the ground, her mask shattered, kneeling and weeping incessantly.

"Fengzhe, this woman is so troublesome, she's been beaten and is crying," Seiya shouted gleefully, wearing an air of victory.

The others were equally impatient, clearly finding Esther a nuisance.

"Acting Pope..." Esther disregarded everything else, rushing to kneel before Fengzhe. The Phantom Saints held him in high esteem.

"Esther, are you willing to return to Athena's embrace and restore the goddess's glory?"

"I am willing!"

Fengzhe nodded, then said, "Since that's so, in the name of the acting Pope, I hereby pardon all your sins."

Esther knelt, overwhelmed, bowing repeatedly.

An hour later, Esther and her companions had recovered their strength, and Fengzhe addressed them, "The task I'm entrusting to you now is crucial. It concerns Athena's safety."

"Lord Alex, I swear to fulfill the mission, even at the cost of my life."

"Life and death can wait. Your lives are precious; preserving your strength matters more. Understood?"

"Thank you, Lord Alex!"

Fengzhe watched as the four Phantom Saints departed Phantom Island for their destination—the Mediterranean shipping dynasty, the Soro family.

"Fengzhe, do you really believe they can monitor Poseidon?"

Shiryu, who had long followed Dohko, naturally knew more than the others.

"No, I haven't tasked them to watch Poseidon, but to remain by Julian's side and wait quietly!"

"A planted nail, then?" Shiryu looked at Fengzhe, his gaze even more profound.

"Who knows what unexpected results may come!" Seiya complained, "All this secrecy—why not just face the Sea Realm head-on?"

Fengzhe laughed heartily, offering no explanation. Just as he boarded the helicopter, a message arrived from Miss Saori's side.

"What? The Crystal Saint attempted to assassinate Miss Saori and is already dead?"

The news crashed down like thunder, disrupting Fengzhe's plans!