South Pacific Pillar — One of the Six Sacred Beasts, Io, finally met his opponent.
"Welcome, Saint Seiya. I am Io of the Six Sacred Beasts, the general who guards the South Pacific," Io greeted with the grace of a nobleman. Despite facing his enemy, Leo Saint Seiya Aiolia, he didn't jump straight into battle. Instead, he offered a courteous bow and polite words.
"Leo Saint Seiya, Aiolia."
Aiolia, though not as refined or noble as Io, still returned the courtesy out of respect.
In his perception, Io of the Six Sacred Beasts was no evil man. His cosmos radiated loyalty and integrity. If not for being on opposing sides, Aiolia thought they could have been friends.
"Differences in allegiance create enemies of life and death, but even enemies can be worthy of respect and admiration."
This was something Melin had once taught them. Back then, Aiolia hadn't fully understood. Even now, he didn't grasp it completely—but he had begun to form his own understanding.
He wasn't sure if Io of the Six Sacred Beasts deserved admiration or respect—but he definitely deserved recognition.
"Care to sit down for some tea and a chat? I believe you and I might share much in common," Io offered.
"No need. You're a worthy opponent, but I don't have time to waste," Aiolia replied bluntly.
"That's a shame."
…
…
The two stood in silence for a brief moment, then—
"Eagle Seize!"
"Lightspeed Aerial Fist!"
Io summoned a soaring eagle that dove from the sky toward Aiolia, talons gleaming menacingly.
Aiolia didn't flinch. He simply raised his right fist and struck—golden arcs sliced through the air, dispersing the eagle into nothingness.
"Wolf Fang!"
"Fangs of the Lion!"
Another beast—a savage wolf—lunged at Aiolia. He responded in kind, summoning a golden lion. Within moments, the lion devoured the wolf whole.
"Grizzly Slam!"
"Five-Star Strike!"
A massive bear emerged, roaring, swinging its huge claws at Aiolia's face. But Aiolia calmly walked past it. A pentagram appeared, and the bear's limbs and head aligned with its points—then shattered and vanished.
"Vampire Bat Frenzy!"
"Lightning Lightspeed Fist!"
Swarms of bats scented blood and surged toward Aiolia, seeking to drain him dry. But before they reached him, golden fists weaved a fine net around him—each punch pierced a bat.
"Done probing?" Aiolia asked calmly.
Clap clap clap.
Io of the Six Sacred Beasts applauded and responded, "As expected of a Gold Saint. It seems trivial tests are indeed meaningless. Then allow me to show my real power. Please, don't disappoint me."
"Try and see."
Aiolia's calm demeanor, the air of constant confidence, was insulting in itself. Despite his refined manners, Io felt irritation stir within.
"Wolf Fang: Pack Hunt!"
This time, not just a single wolf—but an entire pack charged forth. Even a golden lion couldn't stop such numbers.
"Lightning Lightspeed Fist!"
Still calm, Aiolia moved. His punch seemed simple, but in a split second, he unleashed nearly one hundred million blows. The wind from each fist now resembled lightning rather than a net.
A wolf pack? No matter. Lightning judged all.
But the moment the wolves were obliterated, Aiolia's expression changed—he suddenly coughed up blood.
Bats now swarmed around him again—not attacking, but flying in formation, mouths wide open.
"Vampire Bat Frenzy: Infrasonic Wave. I never said I could only use one move at a time," Io said proudly, satisfied to see Aiolia shaken at last.
Humans can hear only between 20–20,000 Hz. Infrasonic waves, being below 20 Hz, are inaudible, don't diminish over distance, and can resonate with internal organs.
Io had triggered resonance in Aiolia's organs, severely damaging them. Ten more seconds, and Aiolia's organs would rupture completely.
But before Io could savor the moment—
Bolts of lightning fell. The bats charred into ash, their energy returned to the cosmos.
"That all?" Aiolia stood tall again, wiping the blood from his mouth.
"What?! In that condition… you should be writhing in pain. How are you still able to punch?" Io asked, stunned.
"That kind of pain? It doesn't even compare to the training we went through with Lord Melin. If you've got more moves, bring them all."
"Damn it! Grizzly Slam: Rend!Serpent Crush: Wrath of the Python!Queen Bee Sting: Swarm Assault!Eagle Seize: Meteor!"
Io unleashed four beasts in succession—grizzly from the ground, python constricting from below, bees zigzagging through the gaps toward Aiolia's heart, and a golden eagle descending like a meteor.
"Die, Saint Seiya!"
Io watched gleefully. With the python binding, the bear obstructing, the bee swarm threatening the heart, and the eagle from above—there was no way Aiolia could defend against all of it.
But soon, Io's smile froze.
"Plasma Lightning Lightspeed Fist!"
Thunder struck, annihilating every beast. A lightning orb blasted through the barrier and smashed into Io's chest.
"Argh—!"
With a scream, his chest armor shattered, leaving a charred hole over his heart. The smell of burning flesh filled the air.
"This... can't be…" Io looked at the gaping hole in his armor in disbelief. Like the Sea Prince, Kxura, he had believed the Scales to be unbreakable.
Looking back at Aiolia, he now saw something new—glinting around Aiolia's fists was a pair of clawed gauntlets, each adorned with two sharp lion fangs.
"What… are those?"
"My divine weapon: Lion Fang Gauntlets. Still want to continue? I don't really want to kill you."
"You mean... if you wanted to kill me, you could've done it any time?!"
Io's fury finally erupted. He'd thought Aiolia simply had the confidence to defeat him—but now realized he'd been toying with him the whole time.
"Yes." Aiolia nodded.
Indeed, from the beginning, Aiolia had been holding back. Io's attacks posed no real threat. The earlier injury had only occurred because the infrasonic wave caught him off guard. Now that he had recognized it, it would never work again.
He had seen that Io was a just warrior and had no intention of killing him—only incapacitating him. Even the earlier lightning orb had been meant to disable, not destroy.
Otherwise, Io would already be dead.
"Don't... don't look down on me! I am one of Poseidon's generals—Io of the Six Sacred Beasts!"
Grimacing, Io stood back up, roaring, raising his arms in defiance.
He would prove himself, prove the honor of a Sea General.
"Black Death Surge!"
A massive black tornado appeared, its suction so powerful it pulled in nearby buildings and shredded them instantly.
Aiolia dug in his heels, unmoving. As the tornado neared, he closed his eyes.
"I see. I understand now."
When his eyes opened again, the calm was gone—replaced by focus and solemnity.
Legs spread, slight crouch, right fist pulled back—
"Holy Spirit Flame!"
The ultimate form of Lightning Lightspeed Fist—lightning condensed into a beam that pierced the tornado and pierced through Io's body.
Aiolia now stood behind Io, lowering his fist.
"Incredible… this is... a Saint Seiya… Forgive me... Lord Poseidon…"
"You were a fine warrior."
"Tha…nk you…"
With those final words, a spark ignited from Io's chest. The electricity spread across his body, consuming him in flames until only ash remained—alongside his reassembled Sacred Scales.
Aiolia's cloak fluttered in the wind. Without turning, he whispered, "Farewell. I hope next time we meet, we won't be enemies."
Then he turned toward the South Pacific Pillar and raised his fist once more.
"Holy Spirit Flame: Supreme!"
Another thunder beam shot forth, piercing the pillar in less than a second, toppling it completely.