“Look, behind Shiryu…”
Bear Geki, who had just arrived, pointed in astonishment at the rising dragon appearing behind Shiryu.
“The dragon!
It’s gradually disappearing…”
Ryosho looked up.
The moment the dragon disappeared would be the moment Shiryu died.
Still, he was not worried.
Seiya would surely be able to save Shiryu’s life.
“Aren’t you going to help Pegasus?” Misty asked with his arms folded.
“If he drinks that Divine Water of yours, the one imbued with divine power, his stamina and injuries will recover immediately.”
Ryosho shook his head.
It was not that he had never considered it.
He was simply afraid that if Seiya returned to peak condition, a single punch might pierce straight through Shiryu’s heart.
If that happened, even with Ryosho there as a safeguard, he would not be able to save Shiryu’s life.
Seiya watched the dragon gradually fade while barely managing to remain standing.
Just as he was about to strike, Cygnus Hyoga stepped forward and caught his fist.
“Don’t rush!”
“You’re too close.
You won’t save Shiryu from here.
You’ll only punch straight through his heart.
Take another three steps back.”
Seiya retreated three steps.
However, he had also been severely injured during the match.
Those few movements pulled at his wounds, and blood immediately began flowing again.
His vision blurred, and he sank to the ground.
“Are you really not going to help?”
As the atmosphere in the arena grew increasingly tense, Misty’s expression unconsciously became serious as well.
Ryosho closed his eyes and shook his head.
Misty looked at him in confusion, unable to understand why he refused to help.
Ryosho clearly was not the kind of person who would stand by and watch someone die.
Why, then, was he turning a blind eye to Dragon?
But the next moment, Misty found his own thoughts ridiculous.
Why would he think that way?
These Bronze Saints had engaged in a private duel in violation of the Sanctuary’s rules.
In a sense, that made them traitors to the Sanctuary.
Sooner or later, the Sanctuary would issue an order to punish them.
Misty might even be the one assigned to carry it out.
With that thought, he relaxed and watched everything unfold as an uninvolved observer.
“Seiya!
Seiya!”
Voices of encouragement rang throughout the arena, chanting Seiya’s name.
“Seiya, can you hear us?”
“Burn your Cosmo, Seiya!”
At Hyoga’s voice, Seiya stirred from his daze.
“Seiya!”
A girl’s voice rang out at the same time.
Seiya looked toward the sound.
Through his blurred vision, he saw his childhood friend Miho, who had rushed to the arena.
“Seiya, pull yourself together!”
The sight of Miho revived Seiya’s spirits.
His mind cleared at once, and he forced himself back to his feet.
Just then, Bear Geki cried out in alarm, “The dragon is about to disappear!
We’re almost out of time!”
At that moment, Shun, Hyoga, Saori Kido, Shunrei, and everyone else in the arena felt their hearts rise into their throats.
The dragon was on the verge of vanishing.
“Dragon, don’t disappear!”
At the critical moment, Seiya clenched his fist and threw a punch.
A terrifying blast of pressure shot forward at the speed of sound and struck Shiryu’s heart from behind.
The immense force sent Shun flying along with him.
They slammed heavily into the wall, collapsing part of it.
The entire arena fell silent.
Everyone held their breath and stared at Shiryu.
Then a steady thump-thump came from Shiryu’s chest.
Shun listened carefully.
After confirming that Shiryu’s heart had started beating again, he turned toward Seiya.
“Incredible, Seiya!
I can hear Shiryu’s heartbeat.
It’s strong and clear!”
At Shun’s words, thunderous cheers erupted throughout the arena.
A smile appeared on Ryosho’s face, and he finally let out a deep breath of relief.
Although he had known how this would end, the experience had still left his heart pounding.
After all, he was not watching an anime.
This was happening before his eyes.
Until the outcome truly unfolded, he could not be certain that Seiya would succeed in bringing Shiryu back.
Many things had already begun to change quietly because of his presence.
Fortunately, everything had ended well.
Ryosho walked over to Seiya, who was surrounded by the others.
“Seiya…”
At the sound of his voice, Seiya froze.
Then he abruptly turned around, disbelief filling his eyes.
“R-Ryosho?
You’re alive?”
Ryosho?
Hyoga turned to look at the approaching young man.
He had noticed Ryosho from the beginning, but he did not recognize him.
He had never expected the stranger to be someone Seiya knew.
“I’m not that easy to kill.
You, on the other hand, are badly injured.
Here…” Ryosho shook his head, took out a glass vial filled with Divine Water, and tossed it to Seiya.
Seiya caught it.
“What is this?”
“Exactly what you think it is.”
Seiya’s eyes lit up.
He immediately opened the vial and gulped down its contents.
A miraculous power rapidly spread through his body.
His exhaustion vanished in an instant, and his wounds began healing at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Everyone present stared in amazement.
The medical staff were especially stunned.
They rubbed their eyes repeatedly, unable to believe the miraculous sight before them.
Seiya raised his arm and clenched his fist.
“Fully recovered.”
Even Cygnus Hyoga was shocked.
He turned to Ryosho, wondering what he had just given Seiya to drink.
At that moment, Shiryu also approached, supported by Shun and Shunrei.
Ordinarily, someone who had only just escaped death could not possibly have recovered so quickly.
However, Shiryu had already drunk the Divine Water, and his physical injuries had long since healed.
Once his heart resumed beating and his blood began circulating again, it did not take long for him to regain consciousness.
“Ryosho, Shunrei has already told me about you.
Thank you for accompanying her all the way here, and thank you for giving me the Divine Water,” Shiryu said sincerely.
Ryosho waved a hand.
“There’s no need to thank me.
I’m just glad you’re safe.”
“Seiya, who exactly is he?”
Seeing that Seiya, Shunrei, and Shiryu all seemed to know Ryosho while he alone remained unaware, Hyoga finally asked.
Seiya stepped beside Ryosho.
“Then allow me to formally introduce him to all of you.
This is Ryosho, the Silver Saint of Crateris.”
“What?”
“A Silver Saint?”
Hyoga was not the only one taken aback.
Shiryu, Shun, Jabu, and the other Bronze Saints all widened their eyes.
Shun was especially embarrassed.
When he remembered that he had just told Ryosho to step aside, his face began to redden.
Ryosho was actually a Silver Saint, just like Master Albiore.
Then what about the other man?
Sensitive as ever, Shun turned to look for Misty, who had remained beside Ryosho the entire time.
But Misty was nowhere to be seen.
Had he left?
Just then, Shun’s Bronze Chain suddenly stirred.
The Square Chain moved on its own and pointed toward the Sagittarius Gold Cloth.
Had he arrived?
Phoenix Ikki.
The moment Ryosho saw the Bronze Chain move, he raised his head and looked toward the prize platform where the Sagittarius Gold Cloth was displayed.