To be honest, the Sagitta Silver Saint is not afraid of death. In the original work, when he went to assassinate Saori Kido, he did so with a death wish.
As a Silver Saint enhanced for assassination, since he possessed the Gold Arrow, a terrifying ability that could even affect gods, his own combat power was pitifully weak in comparison, potentially not even matching an ordinary Bronze Saint.
This is exactly why Seiya, who wasn't even wearing a cloth at the time, was able to completely knock this guy down with a single Pegasus Meteor Fist.
"Everyone, since you have come to the Sanctuary, let me be your guide!"
The Sagitta Saint, dressed in black and wearing a hood, spoke. Seeing this, Saori Kido took a few steps forward and stood at the very front.
Before Saori Kido could speak, the Sagitta Saint, feeling immense psychological pressure upon seeing this "Goddess of Discord" leave the protection of the many Saints, immediately tore off his black clothes: "Go to hell! Evil Goddess. Phantom Arrow!"
Immediately, the Sagitta Saint performed his ultimate technique, Phantom Arrow, and countless arrow shadows instantly shot toward everyone.
This guy's Cosmo indeed had something strange about it; even when it erupted, it felt elusive, making it a very suitable ability for an assassin. In their haste, even the Gold Saint didn't react immediately.
Although Shin had known about this scene long ago, he knew even better that the Gold Arrow posed no threat to Saori Kido. Even if an accident occurred, there was still a twelve-hour buffer period, by which time he would have already fought his way through the 12 Zodiac Houses.
After a barrage of attacks, several Gold Saint sensed the illusory nature of the Phantom Arrows. The Bronze and Silver Saints dodged for a while before realizing these attacks were hallucinations and stopped.
The only completely real Gold Arrow finally stopped at Saori Kido's chest, held firmly by a fair and beautiful small hand.
The current Saori Kido, even without erupting her Goddess Cosmo, could be considered top-tier among the Gold Saint of past generations. Although the Gold Arrow's lethality was great, to put it simply, its speed was only several times the speed of sound, so she could naturally catch it with her hand.
However, the expression on Saori Kido's face was very ugly. Evil Goddess? He was talking about her!
Speaking of which, what exactly is the situation in the Sanctuary now? Even the righteous Goddess Athena has become an evil goddess? It's one thing for a few Gold Saint to defect, but has even Athena been branded a villain now?
Filled with indignation, Saori Kido threw the Gold Arrow back directly. However, she hesitated slightly when she threw it, aiming for the Sagitta Saint's right chest instead of his heart.
With a squelch, the Gold Arrow pierced through his chest. The Sagitta Saint immediately collapsed to the ground, looking up at the sky and murmuring, "Lord Pope, I did my best." After saying that, he closed his eyes.
"How did he die?" Saori Kido asked in alarm; she had never actually killed anyone before.
"Uh..." Shin took a look with his X-ray vision. He had originally thought that since the Gold Arrow possessed the power to slay gods, it might have some sort of instant-kill rule! It turned out the Sagitta Saint's heart was still beating; he just hadn't seen the arrow Saori threw clearly and assumed his heart had been pierced and he was dead.
Speaking of which, the Sagitta Saint in the original work didn't seem very bright either... If he had just told the Five Bronze Saints like Seiya that the Gold Arrow was incurable instead of telling them to brave the Twelve Zodiac Temples, the story might have reached its finale right then.
I wonder if Black Saga would be fuming with rage if he knew it was because of his instructions that the Five Bronze Saints went to brave the Twelve Zodiac Temples?
"Don't worry, this guy isn't dead. He just thinks he's dying," Shin explained to Saori Kido with some helplessness.
To be honest, he was also a bit concerned about the Sagitta Saint's comment about the "evil goddess." He walked forward, reached out, and used Yang Release Chakra to heal the Sagitta Saint's injuries while using the Dark-Dark Fruit to confiscate his cloth.
The Sagitta Saint lay on the ground for a while. Although his chest was in great pain and blood was flowing, he didn't feel like he was dying, which he found strange. Then, after Shin's Chakra healed his wounds and absorbed his Silver Cloth, he finally came to his senses.
"I'm not dead!?"
"If you want to die, you can do so anytime, but before that, make yourself clear! Who is the evil goddess? Have you all even abandoned your faith in Athena now?" Shin asked directly.
At the same time, a large group of Saints also gathered around, casting shadows over the Sagitta Saint's face.
However, the Silver Saint showed a resolute and unyielding expression: "Give up, you Saints controlled by the Goddess of Discord. I will not be manipulated like you!"
"Goddess of Discord? Is that the truth the Pope told you?" Shin rubbed his chin. As expected, this Sagitta Saint wasn't very bright; he had revealed the truth before Shin even had to trick him.
Of course, Saint Seiya is a hot-blooded manga after all; you won't find any sophisticated or brilliant schemes here. Most people's personalities are straightforward, and the Sagitta Saint's personality wasn't considered that outrageous among this group.
"Eris, Goddess of Discord!?" Saori Kido thought for a moment and immediately understood that the Sagitta Saint must have been deceived by the Pope. No wonder he shouted "evil goddess" at her.
But for such a thing, even Saori Kido didn't have a good way to prove it. Even if she released her Goddess Cosmo, the Pope could simply say she was faking it. For that Goddess of Discord, mimicking Athena's Cosmo wouldn't be difficult.
"Alright, don't worry about it. Trying to prove who you are is inherently meaningless," Shin shook his head and said.
"As long as we directly knock down the Pope, no amount of schemes will matter!"
"Let's go, leave him alone. Let's start braving the Twelve Zodiac Temples now. I'm quite curious to see the choices of those Gold Saint."
This is a hot-blooded manga, not a detective drama. When they reach the Pope's Temple, can the Pope conjure up a Goddess Athena to confront Saori Kido?
The group did not make things difficult for this deluded Sagitta Saint. After all, he was someone who had the courage to assassinate Saori Kido in front of four Gold Saint. Setting aside his lack of brains, his courage and loyalty were commendable.
Once the Fake Pope's true face is exposed, this Sagitta Saint will naturally know who the real Athena is.
*******************************
If you would like to gain early access, you can join me at www.patre on.com/bookbattalion
Now available - Chapter 698: Finale (ENDING)