Chapter 50: Ikki's Past

Chapter 50

Ikki gasped for breath, his eyes darting incessantly toward Feng Zhe standing before him.

But Feng Zhe merely smiled, turned his head, and spoke softly.

Deathly Nether Wave!

In that instant, a wisp of ghostly fire wrenched Ikki’s soul straight from his body. A wave of dizziness overwhelmed Ikki, and he screamed in terror.

When he opened his eyes again, he had arrived at the Yomotsu Hirasaka.

Souls of the dead wandered everywhere, all moving toward an abyss with no path of return. No matter their intentions, no one could turn back. It was as though, in their desperate thirst for life, a hand reached up from the earth and seized Ikki’s ankle.

Startled, Ikki tried to break free, only to discover that his strength was now that of an ordinary person—he simply could not escape. More and more hands emerged, grasping for him, and Ikki cried out in alarm.

Feng Zhe watched all this unfold with complete calm, making no move to intervene.

Sure enough, a faint smile tugged at Ikki’s lips.

“So this is what hell looks like?”

Suddenly, a phoenix spread its wings behind Ikki. The power of his cosmos surged, and in an instant, flames incinerated all the ghostly hands to ash.

“Is that all? Compared to the pain I’ve suffered, this is nothing.”

Phoenix Wing Ascension!

Ikki still believed himself trapped in a dream. As long as he was strong enough, he thought, if he killed his opponent, he would awaken from this nightmare.

But it was wishful thinking. His flames were effortlessly blocked by Feng Zhe.

Furious, Ikki leapt at him, striking with fists and feet, determined to engage Feng Zhe in close combat.

But he was no match.

Soon, Ikki was beaten to the ground, his arm torn from its joint by Feng Zhe. Pain wracked his body, and he howled, yet found no strength left in his hands.

Despair engulfed him. A single tear slid down his resolute face.

“Oh? You’re actually crying?”

A trace of amusement crossed Feng Zhe’s face. Had he not seen it with his own eyes, who would believe this paragon of manliness, Ikki, would sob?

“I am not! If you want to kill me, then do it. If I so much as frown, I’m no man at all.”

Though he remained stubborn, Feng Zhe did not pursue him further. Instead, he restored Ikki’s arm before sitting alone at the edge of a precipice, gazing calmly at the endless stream of souls plunging into the abyss.

Ikki, clearly not understanding, flexed his arm and was about to attack when he paused mid-motion.

“Where is this place?”

Finally realizing this was no dream, Ikki spoke.

“This is Yomotsu Hirasaka, the path to the endless abyss—the gateway for souls entering the Underworld after death.”

“Yomotsu Hirasaka? Am I… a soul now too?”

Incredulously, Ikki stared at his hands, quickly realizing he was no different from the other wandering spirits.

“You could say that. Only, you are a living soul, while they are dead.”

A living soul could return to its body, but for the dead, there was no path but the endless abyss.

“Where is Esmeralda?”

Hearing Feng Zhe’s question, Ikki froze, sweat breaking out across his face.

“You killed her, didn’t you?”

Feng Zhe seemed to guess, but Ikki immediately retorted angrily, “Nonsense! I didn’t kill her—you did!”

“Oh?”

Feng Zhe frowned in confusion; when he left, Esmeralda had been alive and well.

Sure enough, Ikki collapsed into agony, clutching his head and falling to his knees. “I killed her. I hate myself!”

“In my eyes, I saw an illusion. I mistook Esmeralda for you, and so…”

Back on Death Queen Island, Feng Zhe’s battle with Guilty had left young Ikki haunted by nightmares, in which he endlessly sought to defeat Feng Zhe.

This became Ikki’s personal demon. Later, when he journeyed to Volcano of Death to inherit the Phoenix Cloth, the formidable armor did not choose him. No matter what he tried, the box would not open.

Meanwhile, the Dark Saints on Death Queen Island, emboldened by Guilty’s absence, eventually discovered Ikki.

He fled and fought them repeatedly, suffering grievous wounds each time.

Esmeralda, like a white flower blooming in hell, nursed him with gentle care.

Then one day, a Dark Altar Saint named Yavid appeared and helped Ikki obtain the Phoenix Cloth—at the price of Esmeralda’s life.

“So, you learned the Phoenix Illusion Fist from Yavid?”

Everything now connected. As Ikki nodded in pain, Feng Zhe understood.

It all seemed to return to the beginning, though it remained unclear whether Yavid was aware of the original history.

“And this attempt to steal the Sagittarius Cloth—was that also under Yavid’s orders?”

Ikki nodded again. Suddenly, Feng Zhe’s expression changed and he shouted, “Damn it! We’ve been tricked!”

Leaping up, Feng Zhe brought the two of them back to the world of the living.

…

Meanwhile,

At Athena’s villa—

With Shiryu gone to Five Old Peaks, Seiya in the hospital, and Hyoga and Shun off to challenge the Dark Saints, only the five weakest Saints remained by Saori’s side.

Now, the five were lying battered on the ground as Saori gazed coldly at the two-meter-tall giant before her.

The man claimed to be Hercules Douglas, an assassin sent by Chief Advisor Gigas, his mission: to kill Lady Saori.

To ensure success, not only Douglas, but also a Fire Saint had been dispatched.

Elsewhere, Feng Zhe, eager to return, was intercepted by three Silver Saints.

“Perseus Algethi, Musca Dio, Canis Major Sirius—why have you three stopped me?”

These were Silver Saints, fundamentally different from the Bronze Saints.

“Alex, we are under orders from the Pope to take the head of a traitor. Submit quietly and spare us the trouble!”

During his time in Sanctuary, Feng Zhe mainly assisted Pope Saga, later acting as interim Pope and issuing orders to Gigas. He had little direct interaction with the Silver Saints.

But seeing the wickedness on their faces, Feng Zhe now understood why Saori despised them and sought their demise.

They were truly detestable.

“I have no time for your nonsense—get lost!”

The three Saints laughed and leapt at him, unleashing their signature moves.

Hurricane Strike!

Death Flight!

Mountain Crusher!

Feng Zhe snorted coldly and unleashed a flurry of blows.

Sonic Fist—Sevenfold Speed!

His power vastly exceeded theirs; in an instant, Feng Zhe sent the three Silver Saints flying, their bodies crashing heavily to the ground.

He then drew Athena’s Shield, symbol of the goddess, and angled it to catch the sunlight, shining it upon their faces.

Immediately, all three writhed in agony as a black mist drifted from their heads.

“It works!”

Feng Zhe’s eyes lit up with delight, his joy uncontained.