Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction / Saint Seiya Fan Fiction ❯ The Intense Clash of the Gods ❯ Tale 24 ( Chapter 24 )

"So then it's decided then... because Freya Polaris was not entirety successful in taking over Atlantis, it is considered raising one's hand against the gods and failing, correct?" a German voice spoke up.

"Agreed. No loopholes for this one," Another voice... also with a German accent.

Then her eyes snapped open, and she saw three Specters standing before her in a courtroom, black wings spread proudly on the backs of their armor. The one on the left looked like his Surplice was based off Sphinx, and he had the image of a cobra coming off of his circlet. He also looked the role of an Egyptian all right.

The one on her right had pure-white hair, trimmed almost the way a military officer would have his. Hilda couldn't discern the creature his Surplice was based off of at first, it almost seemed to be a lion, but upon seeing the spiral bracelet on his left forearm that replaced a gauntlet, she realized his was a Manticore.

The one in front of her stood tall and proud, a jet-black whip in his hands. His blue-gray hair was flowing free, but the almost demonic aura coming from his armor let Freya know exactly what his symbol was...

A Balrog... a demon of fire and shadows...

"Minos, Aiacos, and Radamanthys are on leave right now," the Balrog said to her, his hands holding onto his whip. "So you're stuck with us... Lune, Kaiser, and Pharaoh. We may be the substitute judges of Lord Hades, but we're no pushovers."

"Indeed," Pharaoh said as he walked away, "And we've decided your punishment before spending an eternity in Cocytus will be swift yet brutal."

"All yours, Lune," Kaiser said as he walked away as well, the Substitute Judge for Minos smirking and readying his whip.

"Many good men died because of you," Lune spat at her, Freya showing not a shred of remorse. He cracked the whip once, fire bursting from it and causing Freya to flinch in horror. He sent the whip out at her, binding her from head to toe. "So this is your punishment before your eternal stay in Cocytus." He tightened the whip for a split second and then let it go slack, pulling it back in and walking away as well.

Freya's eyes were open wide as she suddenly felt horrible pain throughout her entire body, blood beginning drip from various points on her body as purple indentations appeared... the places where Lune's whip had wrapped around her. Then her body fell apart in a bloody pile, Lune walking away and smiling.

Justice had finally been served.
_
Fenrir, Isaac, Cecil, and Charybdis all stared at Hagan in shock before realizing that he wasn't wearing his God Robe... then again, Isaac's last attack had severely damaged it.

"I..." the Merak Beta God Warrior spoke up, "I heard everything... about Freya and the ring... I couldn't..."

He was stopped when Cecil put his hand on his shoulder.

"Sometimes people don't live up to our initial expectations... we just have to face reality."

Minos, Chary, Fenrir, Isaac, Cecil, and Hagan all turned to Hilda, kneeling there and just looking at the ground in shame when Minos walked up to her.

"Here," he held out his hand to help her up. As she got to her feet, he looked her in the eye... she noticed those eyes of the man that had killed her sister seemed so different now. "It just came down to either her or me, and I wasn't in the mood for dying."

"So many..." her voice trailed off as she looked to see the three surviving God Warriors and two Mariners. "So many died."

"Which is why you have to be strong," Minos said, his tone no less gentle, but with a message behind it. "People are going to what revenge... Asgard will suffer much heartbreak from this. No matter what, Polaris, stay strong through it all... because you still have three-"

"One," Hilda cut him off. "Cecil, Fenrir... I understand that Poseidon's reincarnation has yet to be discovered. I order you to aid Sea Dragon and Kraken in the search."

"We don't take orders from you," Fenrir spoke up, "...Buuuuuuuuuut it certainly sounds like a smart idea." His voice betrayed a hint of appreciation before he winced. Minos's repair job on his neck was not as fantastic now that his adrenaline rush was over.

"Thank you," Isaac and Chary responded, bowing to Hilda. The Sea Dragon then spoke up on her own. "I know that heartache can come at any age..." her voice drifted off as if a memory had resurfaced, "But it is no reason to give up on living. Atlantis will recover, as Asgard will."

Hilda looked at them and smiled before Minos walked over to the fragmented remains of the God Robes and Scales, generating four small pouches of string to hold them in before making a larger one for the Odin Robe.

"Sleipnir," Minos spoke up as he tossed the large bag to Hagan, "We've got a plane to catch."

"Plane?" Hagan asked, "Where?"

Minos started walking, but he stopped when he reached Fenrir and the others. He quickly opened up a checkbook and handed Volsung a single check. "Write it out for a trip to Japan... Aiacos will arrange things for your recovery there from the fight. I'll be there in two months with your armor completely repaired. Understand?"

Fenrir nodded as he and the others slowly walked away.

Minos then turned to Hilda and bowed once. "I apologize for temporarily stripping your only remaining God Warrior from you, Lady Hilda, but the occasion demands it."

"Where will you go?"

"Germany, to visit a fellow Judge. Radamanthys's wife is one of the few people on the planet that can repair armor of the gods, and she also has a device to seal away the Odin Robe so it won't fall into the wrong hands. Hagan will return in less than three days, I doubt anything serious will happen here so soon."

"Do so," Hilda spoke.

"Thank you." He began walking away, Hagan following with a downcast look on his face. The continued down through the ruins of the Great Bear Way, forever scarred due to the battle against Freya's plans.

"She... she loved me..."

"I'm sure she did," Minos answered, his Surplice suddenly vanishing as a large box appeared on his back, strapped to his arms. It didn't inhibit his moving at all. "But I think her desire for another warm body to use as a meatshield dwarfed any affection she had for you, Hagan. Live and learn, that's all I can say. And always keep Hope alive, that will help with the pain."

They continued walking on in silence, but eventually Minos spoke up again.

"Was Krylov's 'Freezing Coffin' inferior to that of a Gold Saint's?"

Hagan shook his head. "No... it was a miracle that I survived the freezing. But somebody cut me out... a Saint of Athena with shaggy auburn hair... he was like you, not wearing armor or a shirt, I mean. I couldn't tell what rank he was-"

"Gold," Minos answered. His voice was terse, strained... almost as if the memory was more than he could handle. "He was a Gold Saint, one of the best too. Dohko Kido, Gold Saint of Libra. He say anything?"

"Yeah..." Hagan said as he tried to recollect Dohko's words. "He said something like 'Tell Bodu I'm taking the daggers back' or something like that."

"That's quite the shocker," Minos remarked, "So those two daggers were actually two of the Libra weapons... Well, Dohko has connections in Japan to... unfortunately, and he could have been connected with Cecil's birth father. Cutting you out must have been just a coincidence. He old did he look?"

"Young... only about 18."

"He's 261."

"WHAT?!? That's impossible! He'd be dead... or at least look real old!"

"His body ages only one day for every year that goes by," Minos explained as they passed through the Volsung house. "It was an enchantment by Athena after her final Holy War with Hades 243 years ago."

"How do you know this?"

"Because he used to be my master."
_
"Hey, crybaby, how you feeling today?" spoke up a cheerful voice. Julien Solo looked up, his long blue hair tumbling down as he woke up from his snooze that had taken hold immediately after finishing a test.

The girl that had awoken him was about his age, although she certainly looked younger. Light-brown hair cut short, she was wearing the traditional fuku of M-- College, even though she was supposed to suit up for a track meet in a few minutes.

"Oh... hey, Yuki-san."

"Julien, call me by my first name already!"

"Mina, are you causing him trouble?" came another voice, another woman about Julien's height stepping into the classroom. "You've got a 100-meter dash to win, so practice by getting out of here already." Her hair was jet-black, her uniform already discarded in exchange for her Shinto priestess outfit.

"Jeez, Mizuki, giving Julien all your attention now..." Mina said as she walked away, rolling her eyes and grinning.

Mizuki grinned too as she looked over at Julien. "You feeling better today?"

Julien sat up form his desk, yawning... he was surprised the teacher didn't reprimand him for sleeping in class... he had heard Japanese colleges were downright brutal. "Yeah... thanks, Rajoshin-san"

"Call me by my first name already and ditch the 'san', I'm still in training." She smirked at Julien blushing at it. "Still have any reasons why you just started bawling like a baby nine days ago?"

"No... but..." Julien grinned as he walked out the door with her, "I have this feeling like some part of me's happy with what happened today somewhere."

There's a bright day nearing you
Can't you see it in your dreams?

Together in strength of arms and hope,
Shine forever more, brave true youths, true youths!

Ah, tomorrow the sky will be blue!
Whatever dream you have, if you believe in it, it will come true
Ah, the day with shine forever more!
Just keep that single Hope alive!