Chapter 26: The Undead Saint Warrior

Hyah!
Clop... clop...
Saori, the heiress of a wealthy family, rode her beloved little red horse, galloping wildly through the forest.
"Miss Saori, please slow down, it's dangerous..."
Tatsuya Tokumaru anxiously ran after her, fearful that Miss Saori might fall and injure herself.
But the little red horse, for reasons unknown, sped up even faster, soon leaving Tokumaru far behind.
"Ah, the young lady is so headstrong. Even knowing the evil god is about, she still dares to wander alone. She’s not even afraid of meeting trouble..."
Feng Zhe stood atop a towering tree, looking down at the frantic Saori and sighed.
On another tall tree nearby, the Four Saints watched the unfolding scene.
"Why aren't we going down there? What are we doing up here?"
Seiya, dissatisfied, punched the tree, while Shun explained, "The High Priest said an evil god intends harm to Miss Saori. We're here to protect her."
"Then why aren't we going down?"
Seiya, restless and impatient, pressed again.
Shun replied, "The High Priest said it's better to lure the snake from its hole than to defend passively. We’re to draw the evil god out."
"The High Priest, the High Priest... Why do you always mention him? Haven't you suffered enough under him?"
Hyoga interjected, "He's a maniac!"
Shiryu nodded in agreement.
Shun, somewhat puzzled, said, "I don't think he's that bad!"
"That's because the High Priest fears you’ll summon Ikki and he might lose control."
Upon hearing this, Shun’s expression darkened instantly.
"Why is the High Priest so afraid of Ikki?"
The others shook their heads, indicating it was a mystery.
Just then, Miss Saori, running below, suddenly lost control of her red horse and fell hard to the ground.
Ouch!
It hurts!
Saori looked around, but Tokumaru was nowhere in sight. She could only struggle to her feet alone.
Suddenly, she sensed a surge of intense malice. Looking up, she cried out in alarm.
"You’re Kyoko! No... Who are you?!"
She saw Kyoko holding a golden apple radiating an evil divine light, mocking Saori’s helplessness. She spoke with derision, "My dear little sister!"
"You are Eris, the Goddess of Discord!"

Hehehe...
Kyoko—no, Eris, the Goddess of Discord—raised her golden apple, which suddenly blazed with light, forming a tremendous whirlwind. Saori struggled desperately within the storm.
Just as she was about to lose consciousness, a voice rang out from above.
Pegasus Meteor Fist!
A flying Pegasus, empowered by the sacred armor of Pegasus, descended at meteoric speed.
From above, the attack seemed like a shower of shooting stars, the burst of Pegasus’s cosmos multiplying its strength many times over.
"What?!"
Eris’s divine reflexes were quick. The power within the golden apple shielded her firmly.
Countless Meteor Fists struck Eris, causing only faint ripples, not a hint of harm.
Diamond Dust!
Lushan Rising Dragon!
Nebula Chain!
The other three Saints unleashed their ultimate techniques simultaneously.
In an instant, their cosmos fused and crashed against Eris.
She had not taken these bronze-level attacks seriously—her defenses could not be broken by mere bronze Saints.
However, three blood talismans fell to the ground, proof of another power at work.
Crack!!
With a sharp sound, Eris’s shield shattered.
"What?! Impossible!"
Eris cried out in shock as the three streams of cosmos swept through her like a whirlwind.
Overwhelmed by pain, Eris collapsed to the earth.
The Four Saints then stood protectively around Miss Saori, their fists guarding their goddess.
"Curse you! How do you possess divine power?"
A trace of blood appeared at Eris’s lips as she stared at Saori in disbelief, unable to accept what she saw.
"No, you can’t possibly have divine power yet!"
At that moment, Feng Zhe strolled out from the forest. Eris’s pupils contracted as she shouted, "It’s you! You have the blood talisman of the previous Athena!"
Feng Zhe smiled and produced a blood talisman, inscribed with a spell in Athena’s blood.
Even Saori felt the gentle, warm cosmos emanating from the talisman, as if it was the power deep within her own soul.
Eris snorted coldly, "Remember this! I will return, and next time, you won’t be so lucky!"
With that, Eris turned to leave, only to be blocked by Feng Zhe.

"Did you ask my permission?"
Eris slowly rose, sneering, "You want to keep me here? You’re not qualified!"
A thunderclap sounded, and five undead Saints emerged from the forest.
They were the warriors Eris had resurrected: Arrow of Sagitta from the constellation of the Arrow, Orpheus of Lyra, Crater of the Southern Cross, Yang of Shield, and Jaga of Orion.
Feng Zhe leapt forward and attacked with a punch.
Hundred Million Ton Meteor Impact!
Orion’s Jaga, standing before Eris, unleashed his signature move.
As the strongest Silver Saint of the Sanctuary and one who had mastered the seventh sense, he was just a step away from Gold Saint status.
This ultimate move involved spinning at high speed, forming a sphere of power that shot toward the opponent, focusing all energy into a single explosive point.
Even Gold Saints would hesitate to take it head-on, let alone Feng Zhe, who was only a Silver Saint.
Feng Zhe felt as if struck by a meteor, and like a severed kite string, he was sent flying.
Eris smirked, holding her golden apple, and vanished into the forest.
Meanwhile, Seiya, Shiryu, Hyoga, and Shun faced off against the four other undead Saints.
Chaos reigned over the scene; Miss Saori stood solemnly, observing everything like a statue.
Feng Zhe, who had been knocked away, slowly got up and glanced at Saori’s statue-like form, inwardly grumbling, "Why don’t you heal me already? Just standing there, what’s the meaning of that?"
Of course, he couldn’t say this aloud; Jaga’s fist was already coming again.
This time, Feng Zhe managed to block the attack.
Jaga shouted, "You’re the Altar constellation! Let’s see who’s the top Silver Saint!"
"You can have the title! It’s yours!"
Jaga was stunned, mumbling, "You don’t want to be the number one Silver Saint?"
Mach Five Sonic Fist!
Feng Zhe’s fist struck like lightning, hitting Jaga’s face while he was still dazed.
Now it was Jaga’s turn to be sent flying!
"You fight without honor!"
Feng Zhe sneered, "I don’t want the title of top Silver Saint. I don’t need it!"
He thought to himself, "I’m already acting Pope—what would I need with that silly title anyway?"