Silence!
Dead silence!
In the vast arena, there was no sound at all.
Staring at the gravekeeper Damian in golden trunks, all corded muscle, everyone forgot to speak, even to breathe.
Every pair of eyes was wide as saucers.
Shaina was stunned.
Marin was stunned.
The other Silver Saints were stunned.
The onlookers were stunned.
Even Pansy's mouth hung open as if she could swallow a banana.
Damian made no extra move because Dark Saga's Cosmo was locked tight onto him.
He had a premonition that Saga might strike at him first.
Though he didn't know why.
Was the lunatic having an episode?
Wait—why had the atmosphere turned so bizarre?
Why was everyone gaping and speechless?
Damian was still confused, not understanding what had happened at all.
When he looked back, he realized Seiya was gone, as if he'd vanished from the arena.
Huh?
Had the kid decided he didn't want the Pegasus Cloth?
Looking carefully, he spotted a man-shaped dent on a huge pillar at the edge of the arena.
Seiya was spread-eagle in the dented pillar, eyes rolled back, as if nailed into the stone.
Holy crap!
Damian's whole body jolted; he took three steps back in fright.
A million curses galloped through his head.
Comrade Seiya!
How did you end up like this?
Who did this?
Wait…
Just now the Pope Saga's malice had been aimed very clearly at him, and in his panic he'd apparently reacted on instinct and thrown out the Taurus Gold Saint's finisher, the "Great Horn"!
The Great Horn is a defensive counter—at the instant the enemy attacks, it unleashes a ferociously swift strike.
Yes, he'd had an adrenal reflex and unconsciously smacked Seiya with a Great Horn.
A direct hit!
Although he hadn't ignited his Cosmo and it was mostly raw physical power, the Great Horn came out too fierce, and Seiya had been sent flying by a single slap.
Many spectators were even more bewildered than Damian.
Among the Sanctuary's rank-and-file candidates, this gravekeeper Damian was something of a minor celebrity.
Because of his crazed remarks and behavior, he was mocked behind his back as "the Muscle Fighter."
Every candidate knew muscle was nothing before the Cosmo.
Everyone had expected Seiya, who had awakened his Cosmo, to handle the odd gravekeeper easily—yet Seiya had been slapped flying by the other man.
They didn't know what to say.
Could brute force really work miracles?
Shaina was overjoyed. Though she hadn't really seen what had happened either, seeing Seiya sent flying with one slap made her sway her lithe waist in delight.
"Impossible. Seiya, get up!"
"You're the man who must win the Pegasus Cloth."
"Don't let me down!"
In the stands, Marin lost her cool, stood, and shouted.
"Seiya, get up—I bet on you to win!"
"Seiya, Seiya, I put five hundred bucks on you!"
Cries rose from the stands.
Clearly, many had backed Seiya—and hadn't expected him to lose like this.
After all, Seiya had fought his way here almost unscathed. There was no way he could lose to a musclehead.
Pansy clenched her fists. "Why isn't it going as expected? Get up, Seiya!"
"Right—Seiya, get up! Burn your Cosmo!"
"You're the man who's going to thrash the gods!"
Damian was frantically cheering him on too.
Get up already!
You're the protagonist—you can't be done in by a mere slap.
I do not want to derail the main plot.
You're the protagonist—get up, put on your Pegasus Cloth, go thrash the gods, and burn your Cosmo.
Quit playing dead—open your eyes, will you?
Damian was truly anxious.
He'd only struck heavy by reflex.
He hadn't expected Seiya to be so frail that one slap nearly did him in.
If he really won, the main plot would be thoroughly changed.
How was he supposed to lie low then?
Crash!
With all eyes on him, Seiya—embedded in the pillar—finally opened his eyes.
Cough, cough…
With a cough, he crashed to the ground, spat a mouthful of blood, then staggered to his feet.
Good!
Seiya stood steady on the platform again.
"Two very interesting candidates," the Pope in the stands said slowly. "Which of them do you think will win the Pegasus Cloth?"
"Shaina's disciple, the gravekeeper Damian?"
"Or Marin's disciple, Seiya?"
Misty of Lizard and Algol of Perseus exchanged a glance.
"My guess is Seiya. He's sensed the Cosmo. Any powerful body pales before the Cosmo once it erupts."
Misty flicked her lovely long hair and offered her view.
To be honest, he hadn't actually seen Seiya get blasted.
Algol shook his head. "Shaina's disciple Damian is truly beyond expectations—his strength is great and his hands are fast. Even I barely caught his move. A man who's trained his body to this extreme—he should win."
In fact, he hadn't seen Damian's strike at all.
But as a veteran Silver Saint, he couldn't very well admit he couldn't follow a candidate's move.
Algol didn't know that no one on scene had clearly seen Damian strike; only the Pope had caught an afterimage, which was why he asked with interest.
"You're strong—stronger than any opponent I've faced!"
"I never thought someone like you would be hiding in the graveyard."
Seiya wiped the blood from his lip and rubbed his swollen cheek.
"Thanks for the compliment. Hurry up and make your move."
Damian urged him.
The instant you throw a punch, I'll drop flat.
No posing, no dodging, no tanking—I'll take it on the chin and concede. I have to.
Do the surface act—the steadier the lunatic persona, the safer I'll be!
"Ha—Seiya, did you see the essence of my muscle school?"
Damian struck a muscle-flexing pose, showing off every cord of that physique.
"The Cosmo ain't worth squat. My invincible body can crush you!"
"Come on—come at me!"
He crooked a finger at the other man, all contempt.
"Damn it, he actually dares belittle the Cosmo."
"He's a lunatic—he doesn't even know what the Cosmo is."
"A mere muscle brute, and he's bragging like that."
A chorus of discontent rose in the stands.
Awakening the Cosmo is a rare chance. Every candidate chases that eruption.
Yet he smeared the Cosmo—how could they stand it?
Marin laughed. "How ridiculous. A Saint who doesn't train the Cosmo but trains the body—what did your teacher even teach you? That's heresy!"
Shaina glared back. "Spare me, Marin. Damian's far stronger than you think. He will win."
"Ha…"
On the platform, the wavering Seiya once more raised his hands, sketching the Pegasus constellation in the air and stoking his Cosmo.
Same dawdling. Same window of opportunity.
Hey, could you hurry up and fire the big move?
Damian simply tipped his head back and looked at the sky, ready to take a dive—one touch and he'd go down.
Instead, there was a splashy thud from ahead.
The Pope stood at once and loudly announced to those around him:
"I declare the gravekeeper Damian the victor!"
"He has become a Saint of Athena."
"On behalf of the goddess Athena, I bestow upon you the Pegasus Bronze Cloth!"