Chapter Text
“Angels... the creatures closest to God. They can be judges, murderers, or protectors. There is someone who reminds me of their silent and perfect obedience... You are a Buddhist, but you understand what I am saying, don’t you? Since the beginning of time, the angels were the most powerful tools of God’s will. When God told the angels to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, they did. When God told the angels to claim every firstborn in Egypt, they did. When God told the angels to send a message to Daniel, they did. They never doubted. Do you know what is considered 'angels’ rebellion' in the eyes of God? Falling in love with mortals... Why? Because they become biased. Disobedient. Doubtful...! I sense that you want to believe someone you cherish. But take a deep dive into the Pope’s heart, and when you do... come back to me, and tell me what did you see. What do you think you will see? Cruelty or justice?”
“This is for me to decide alone. Besides, the Pope is not a God. And I am not an angel.”
Saga didn’t expect less frankness from the young Virgo Saint.
I
—
I'm just as fucked up as they say
— I can't fake the daytime —
I found an entrance to escape into the dark
—
"Bastard!"
He shouted.
"Let me go..."
His cries resembled the melody of mermaids.
"No!"
His haughty voice was broke, delicious to the ears.
"Please, no more..."
Those beautiful lips - ever respectful and controlled - were insulting him.
He rebuked himself for not allowing him to prepare his body beforehand and not having anything to make the act easier for them, but the urge to have him finally overpowered his senses.
His large, rough hands roamed the smooth back... he found no battle scars. He squeezed the soft flesh of the thighs and lifted the flowing tunic just enough to expose what was urgent. Unfortunately, he had no time to admire that golden body because he didn't know if he’d have another chance to do what he was doing.
Fisting the golden hair, they screamed with every thrust.
With his head pressed against the cold marble floor and his hips raised, the man closest to God was ravished all night.
Finally, his, his alone, his to be used...
And loved.
🌼
The timid winter sunrise warmed his face. He felt exhausted but at the same time, reinvigorated by the night of sleep. He studied the humongous chamber with his eyes, but... the Virgo Saint was nowhere.
Just another illusion .
He left the majestic bed and kicked out the women who were peacefully sleeping there. They ran away crying and picking up their tunics from the floor. Then, he walked to the Master’s baths.
Unmasked, he faced the man in front of the mirror.
"You desire him as well." — He said sternly but with confidence because he knew himself like no one else.
"No." — He replied with a shaky voice.
"Liar." — He refuted with a sneer on his lips.
"I desire him." — He confessed, defeated — "But I wouldn’t attempt anything vile against his will."
Confirmation was enough. The other in him would never be able to resist the pleasure once they started. They would trace the plan that night. Both.
"Fool! Can't you see your madness?!" — He laughed — "Only in your twisted fantasies will you be able to overpower him!" — The guffaw intensified — "Leave him alone if you don't want to be destroyed! I assure you he would rather die, and he would take you along with him before you could satisfy that insanity!”
He reflected on that realization.
Yes, he had a point. Sometimes, not always, he spoke the truth. He had to agree with himself.
It was true... the Virgo Saint cherished peace, but Saga knew how cruel and venomous Shaka could be. Dual like a God usually is, he acted according to himself first and foremost... and this was a dangerous trait.
Shaka was a serpent, and cornering a serpent was imprudent.
His power was to be respected and feared.
The other in him was right: better leave Virgo be.
He had to be content with possessing Shaka only in the realm of illusions ... for now.
He walked back to the bedroom, tying up the velvety black robe. His gaze dropped to the shimmering chess board, and he slid his fingers over the polished gold and silver pieces.
The Virgo Saint was a pivotal piece in that chess game.
His most loyal protector, most competent warrior, and wisest advisor. Perfeccionist, excelent and efficient. Shaka was an unbreakable war tool.
Sanctuary was an open endgame with several pawns spread across the board, and Shaka was his gold Bishop. He needed Shaka as an ally - fighting for him, not against him - and wouldn’t mind sacrificing less important pieces to keep Virgo in the game.
“Attacking the Grand Pope is the same as betraying Athena herself. Give up and leave, Aioria.”
“I have no time to explain the details now, Shaka. But I can’t leave until I see Athena.”
“Shaka, Aioria deserves no mercy! He is a traitor like his brother Aioros! Do not hesitate! Kill him!”
He smiled maliciously, recalling these memories.
He moved the gold Bishop, and the silver Knight dropped to the floor, echoing a metallic and dry sound. — “Aioria.” — He laughed.
He moved the gold Rook, and another silver Knight fell — “Shura, Aioros.”
He slid his fingers over the gold Pawns — “Aphrodite, Deathmask”
Violently, he threw the silver Rook on the floor — “Old Master Dohko.”
Then, he held another gold Bishop and the silver Bishop in his hand, thoughtfully — “Aries...”
Finally, he rested his hand over the silver Queen — “Athena.”
🌼
The sounds of Shaka’s heels echoed through the hall... but his perfume always preceded him.
"My lord."
Shaka bowed slightly and waited for the command.
“Shaka,” — The Pope left the throne and poured them wine. Shaka courteously refused. — “Tell me again about the five hindrances in Buddhism.”
Virgo approached a few steps, still keeping a decorous distance. His voice was pretty and intense, and he never needed to raise his tone to make himself heard. Not even questioning the reason for that order, he began to speak:
“Sensual desire, ill-will, sloth, remorse, and doubt."
Grand Master turned away and hiding his face, he raised his mask a little to drink the wine. He reflected for a moment as he stared at the Gold Saint in front of him. Shaka, always so formal, out of respect, didn't look at him. The Pope knew that it wasn't just his face that needed to be hidden: the other's cosmos as well, so he decided to bury his cosmos in the depths of the labyrinth of his mind: the Gemini's maze. He was safer that way... as long as his face and cosmos weren’t revealed...
“Tell me Shaka... Do you think it’s licit to share your body for comfort?”
“Everything is licit, my Lord, but the dharma is unchangeable.” — Shaka explained, poised and unaltered — “Excesses lead to attachments that lead to suffering, and the dharma is to end suffering.”
“Understood.” — The Pope said — “I will take that it’s licit to enjoy love in its full physicality, then.
"Physicality is pleasurable, as is drinking fine wine." — Shaka remarked as the Grand Master turned his face away to drink the second glass... the glass Virgo had refused — “But to delve into gluttony damages the body and defiles the soul.”
It was impossible to see the Pope’s devilish smile behind the dark mask.
The topic didn't seem to make Virgo uncomfortable at all. He was used to the Pope’s constant queries about Buddhism.
Everyone questioned Shaka about Buddhism. And Saga knew that Virgo considered their interest superficial: most of the time, it was nothing more than an excuse to study the source of his immense cosmos. They didn't seek the dharma. They sought power on the same level as his.
“Are you succeeding in following the dharma... strictly?”
“No one is.”
Always direct... Shaka was like a sonnet, a sonnet with perfectly fixed verses and rhymes. Too precise.
“Not even a Buddha ?” - The Pope questioned, amused - “It means that you have chains of attachment holding you back.”
Shaka faced him with an inquisitive expression. Analytical. Inquiring. Mysterious. God knows what he was thinking at that moment. His mind was always hidden behind a wall of ice.
Cornering a serpent is imprudent.
The Pope decided to end that interrogatory for good. However, he still needed to know if Virgo would remain loyal and obedient.
"Shaka, you must go to Jamir ." — He said simply — "The time has come, and it is of paramount importance to know if the Muvian is with or against the Sanctuary. I expect a full report of his activities."
A discreet twitch in the lower lip and a silent gasp. The mere mention of Aries triggered a reaction in Virgo. Saga spent too much time observing him to not notice it.
I see...
He dismissed Shaka, who after a brief reverence, turned his back and began to walk out of the hall.
🌼
It is a bold move.
He paced his chamber to and fro.
It is extremely risky.
But he needed this certainty before challenging Athena: the certainty that Shaka was going to fight in his golden army. After all, the Virgo Saint was the only one who could intercept the Goddess’ cosmos, even momentarily.
How much influence did Aries still have over Virgo after all these years?
None! What they lived was just foolish child's play.
Could the love that started in childhood have lasted this long?
Desert lilies... flowers that thrive in adversity. Well, it doesn’t matter. Their frail petals can easily be crushed!
“Desert lilies’ strength doesn’t lie in their petals, but in their seeds that can germinate even in the dry sand.” — He laughed — “Even separated, they might still be bonded.” — The laughter intensified — “Aries will convince him, and you will lose your gold Bishop !”
Desert lilies... The flowers David offered Bathsheba before sending her husband Uriah to the front line of war... to die.
He wanted Aries dead... for various reasons. But who else would heal the Cloths?
Virgo and Aries! Insolent! Bastards! He needed both of them alive!
“Do you really believe Virgo trusts you that much?” — He returned, deriding.
“Silence!” - He shouted.
His hand was bleeding and another mirror was broken. The other was taunting him, trying to shake his confidence and fill his mind with hesitations.
And Shaka... The damned Virgo Saint was also tormenting him. Shaka became an obsession.
But he reassured — “Virgo is too haughty a man. He might not trust me, but he trusts himself above all.”
...Besides, when he looks at my heart, he still sees yours.
🌼
“Shaka,”
Virgo stopped in his path when he heard the Pope's potent voice calling him back.
“I changed my mind.” — He said — “You must stay in the Sanctuary. Deathmask will deal with Rozan and Jamir .”
He wouldn’t mind sacrificing less important pieces to keep Virgo in the game.
II
—
We hide out in the back
— Like shadows in a stranger's dream —
Hiding out in the back, together
Hiding out in the back, forever
—
Shaka floated in the lotus position. In those moments, he seemed to allow himself total wandering of the spirit, completely abstracting himself from his surroundings. The long blond hair swayed softly due to the energy released.
A strong sigh was the first sign of life coming from that marble angel in a state of absolute trance.
Gradually the golden energy that enveloped him dissipated, stripping him of his divine character to make him a man. Shaka lowered his arms, which he had held in the same position for hours on end, his numb senses slowly awakening to what was going on around him.
Virgo finally gave his guest the dignity of acknowledging his presence. He was being observed for quite a long time.
“Gemini Saga, do you wish to cross my temple?”
“No. I have a request.”
🌼
In the sixth temple, Saga wore a kasaya and tried to meditate in lotus position.
“For heaven’s sake, how does he do it?” — his fingers attempted to depict the Dharmachakra mudra, unsuccessfully.
He couldn't focus on anything. It was impossible. He began to realize their only similarity was an overpowered cosmos.
Saga’s power was too brutal. His mind was too chaotic. His techniques were too raw.
Virgo’s power was too structured. His mind was too orderly. His techniques were too refined.
Just perfect.
There was no gore, blood, or sweat in the way Virgo fought... Fighting was like an elegant dance for him.
Shaka’s attacks, such as Demon Pacifier, aimed at purifying one’s mind... Virgo could also manipulate one’s mind at will. Sophisticated. Meticulous cruelty. Not vicious like Saga’s.
“His Demon pacifier is similar to my Demon Emperor Fist...” — Saga considered — “The difference is that Demon Emperor Fist, corrupts, brainwashes, and parasites one’s mind” — he concluded upon deep reflection.
Immediately, his joyful expression disappeared and he shook his head, defeated. Who was he trying to deceive? They weren’t similar at all. His inner turmoil couldn’t be contained with meditation. Would he ever reach the same mastery and control over his mind as Shaka?
Probably not.
If Shaka was light. He was darkness.
They were opposites.
Saga sighed, he felt like a failure.
“Try again.” — Shaka stood up and walked to the copper lotus flower — “Breath in. Breath out. Clear the perplexities of your mind.” — His voice more and more distant.
Saga lowered his gaze in frustration.
He heard the golden steps of Shaka returning, and the melodious sound of rosary beads.
“Hold it.” — Shaka said, ever calm, offering him a rosary — “Count the one-hundred-eight beads while you breathe.”
That rosary was luminous. He felt the blazing warmth of Shaka’s cosmos surrounding it. Not only his but also the previous Virgo’s. That rosary resembled a precious jewel. Its rarity and value, inestimable.
“This is no ordinary rosary.” — Saga was allured but hesitant to touch it, he felt like a demon tainting a holy relic — “It’s too beautiful.”
“Hold it.” — Shaka insisted — “This rosary is my memories and heritage.”
🌼
In a small and distant village somewhere in Northwest India, the sun was shining, the cows were walking freely on the dirt road, the children were playing barefoot in the cane fields, and the women were bathing and washing clothes in the river.
Behind the crumbling wooden fences, Shaka swept the dry leaves from the floor of his house made of cracked clay bricks.
Saga approached him with the hookah and offered a drag.
"Later. First, feed the sheep." — Shaka said, handing him the basket with vegetables and fruit peels.
Saga obeyed.
Soon they would return to the Sanctuary, but for now, they smoked hookah and enjoyed the night that fell to the sound of crickets singing. The summer nights in India were warm and sultry, they decided to sit on a carpet stretched out in the yard, again covered in dry leaves.
Shaka... an Indian child with golden hair and massive cosmos: it was not very difficult to find him, even in that isolated village. Saga himself rescued him many years ago. He was worshipped as a God, before and after.
Similar to what Shaka tolerated in Rodorio, he was everything to those Indian villagers: a priest, doctor, engineer, cook, midwife, diplomat, a sacred entity, and much more. For that reason, even though he had enough jewels and riches to support himself anywhere in the world, in peaceful times, Shaka always returned to that humble village, which he still called his home despite the hardships and exploration he had to endure there as a child.
Eventually, Saga gave up trying to remind Shaka that Shakyamuni, his namesake, once was a prosperous prince. These things were not very important for Shaka.
With time, Saga started to grow fond of the simplicity of that village and its people... Now he could even admit that such a modest life brought him a freedom that no fortune was able to buy. At least, a small part of him agreed with that reflection.
Shaka was not a difficult child to deal with, except when he was challenged by the other children or pressured by his masters, when that happened, it was hell. In addition, little Shaka spent most of his days with Mu, jumping hopscotch and exchanging battle techniques... that's how he learned telekinesis.
With Mu, Shaka shared two extremes: being a child and being a Saint of Athena. The day Mu left the Sanctuary, Shaka cried disconsolately. Not even on his first day in the Sanctuary, had he cried so much.
Saga smiled affectionately, remembering these good times when he was a young Saint training alongside his friend Aioros, and the other Saints were still little kids.
But the good times were gone. Something was wrong with him, his mood had become fickle and his mental absences were increasingly frequent, he did not know the reason. It was scary. He didn't fully remember what happened during these absences. Sometimes he would wake up with his hands bloodied and not all the water in the world could clean them. Sometimes he’d talk to himself, but it was someone else who answered. Slowly, he felt he was losing the notion of reality, he no longer knew what was true or a lie. He decided to delve into Buddhism in the hope of discovering himself.
It was a fact that Shaka's knowledge of Buddhism was the reason for his potent cosmos, and Saga sought power. Power to be able to defend his friends, and protect Athena whom he had never seen, but knew lived somewhere in the Sanctuary.
He also wanted to refine the control of his mind... and perhaps, with this ability, hopefully, he could even help himself.
There was no one better than Shaka to teach him that.
For the first time after many years, he saw those blue irises again, Shaka was examining his heart with his piercing turquoise eyes. And to his surprise, Shaka decided he was worthy, and accepted his request.
"You will be a great Buddha when you complete your journey in this life" — Saga puffed on the hookah — "Shaka, you are not even twenty and already hold immense power."
"Do not spoil my Buddhahood with vain words, because I'm trying to be humble."
Shaka laughed, his teeth looked like white pearls. Saga also laughed.
"The day we arrived at this place, looking for you, the elders of the village told me that you were born of the lotus flower as an infant Buddha." — Saga said, thoughtful — "For this reason, they called you Shakyamuni, the enlightened. However, I'm Greek, and your name seemed like a tongue-twist to me, so you became Shaka. Our little Shaka.
Shaka's cheeks immediately blushed. Saga knew Virgo didn't appreciate that kind of conversation, especially about his childhood... for Shaka, it was even worse to talk about it with someone who saw him growing up.
"I wonder if you lectured your midwives on the dharma when you were still a newborn." — Saga laughed loudly, imagining the funny scene and ignoring Shaka's red face.
"Fool." — Shaka murmured, embarrassed and annoyed — " Gautama Buddha spoke as soon as he was born, but I cried like any other baby."
Saga laughed again.
Shaka wasn’t a child anymore. He had become a wise and capable Saint, and now they were able to talk as equals. Besides, he had grown into a handsome young man. On those long nights — drizzled with wine and hookah — that began in Virgo Temple and extended to that village in India, something different was added to the affection he felt for the young Virgo. Something like desire.
It was an ugly and inopportune feeling... He preferred to attribute it to the evil growing in his heart than to his own natural impulses. The fact was: regardless of the reason, he couldn't avoid it.
Shaka got up and walked to the house illuminated by candles. Saga followed and intercepted him at the entrance.
"I want you." — Saga slid his hand through the golden locks.
“I know.” — Shaka noted, unsurprised — “My eyes are closed, but I’m not blind.”
Saga grinned — "You told me once that we will both die young. Maybe we should enjoy love and pleasure while we still can."
"And what exactly do you want from me?" — Shaka questioned without interrupting the hand that slipped to his bare shoulder — "There is nothing substantial I can offer you. My body is just a shell, my beauty is a fleeting flame, and my youth is an illusion of time. Only the spirit will ascend."
"I will accept anything you can offer me, and you will remain free, Shaka" — Saga proposed, calmly encircling Virgo's beautiful waist — "I know you desire someone else."
"My spirit is connected to someone else's, not by my desire."
"So is mine, but still..." — Saga said, tossing the blond hair to the side, exposing a long and elegant neck — "Tonight I feel like only the two of us exist in this world. No fate, no rules, no beliefs, no connections. Just you and me."
“Selfish Gemini. This is a disgusting way to think.” — Shaka concluded, accepting the kisses that spread across his neck. — “I sense that a large part of you came to me craving nothing but power, while a small part of you talks about enlightenment and love. The large part you hide, but the small part you show.”
“And which part disgusts you the most?”
“The hypocritical part.”
Virgo's honesty was painful but pleasurable, and his love for Earth was real and free of prejudices. He needed someone like Shaka by his side when the time arrived. He needed his loyalty. He needed his power. He needed to have him as an ally.
He needed to have him that night.
“In front of you, I don’t care about showing my ugly parts.”
Unable to resist the delicious fruit scent from Shaka's golden skin, Saga advanced, taking his soft lips passionately but languidly. He delighted himself in that sweet taste, kissing his luscious mouth very slowly. Shaka didn’t stop him.
“You say you can't offer me anything substantial, only illusions, so be it.”
He lifted Shaka's body with relative ease and arranged it over his shoulders, dragging him into the cane field. Shaka’s eyes opened in surprise, it was unexpected.
"No!" — Shaka tried to get rid of Saga, but without much conviction — "We agreed that we wouldn't do it here in the village!"
"Too late." — Saga replied, unceremoniously throwing Shaka to the ground — “The farmers will probably be furious, and we will certainly be bruised.”
When that long night ended, he was haunted by shame, devastated by exhaustion, and punished by the scars left by the sharp leaves of the cane field.
Bruised.
But Shaka tasted sweet as sugar cane.
When he opened his eyes... the Virgo Saint was nowhere.
Just another illusion .
🌼
That morning, Shaka was picking pears in the trees. As the straw basket was already full, he allowed himself the luxury of eating some. There would still be plenty left for the villagers.
Saga crossed the wood fences, limping. He was naked, bruised, dirty, and with dry leaves tangled in his hair.
“What happened?”
Saga robbed a pear and said, munching — “I slept in the cane field.”
“Why?” — Shaka approached, running his fingertips over the deep cuts, Saga shivered. — “The carpet is not fancy enough for your majesty ?”
Saga shrugged — “It’s my hypocritical part.”
At the cascade of sarcasm from both sides, Shaka just shook his head.
Fortunately, he already had herbs prepared to treat these kinds of wounds.
“Lie down there and wait for me.” — Shaka pointed somewhere in the yard.
Saga obeyed, stretching his (bruised) body comfortably under the sun.
Shaka sighed, annoyed. — “What a nuisance you are.”
Saga let out a laugh.
III
—
I make all that I believe
— In dreams so real —
Babe, I have to take the call
Fate, don't fail me now
—
"For God's sake, you scared me!" — First he was relieved, then he was furious.
A golden light manifested behind the column, illuminating the gloomy Temple.
“Weren't you one of the children he rescued?” — He asked — “Why are you here? You know he's gone... dead.”
He couldn't stand the deep blue eyes fixed on him. — “Damn! I'm not my brother, stop looking at me like that!"
For a moment, Shaka struggled to say something. That was rare. But he quickly recomposed.
“Indeed, you are nothing like him. You can fend for yourself, he could not.” — Those were not the words he was expecting from Virgo. It surprised him.
The Virgo Saint closed his eyes again. He apologized for stepping in by surprise and quietly left the Gemini Temple.
A lot had been said about Kanon... Shaka decided to read Gemini's heart to assemble an opinion about it.
He was sure of one thing: Kanon's nature wasn't unstable like his brother's... and it also wasn’t gentle.
If Saga’s good heart was tortured by evil for a long time, his twin was different... he knew very well his wrongdoings as he did them, and he was still ambitious.
But Shaka couldn't do anything about it, as Athena herself had redeemed him.
IV
—
Got false lights for the sun
— It's an artificial nocturne —
An outsider's escape for a broken heart
I’m as far gone as they say
—
The flames of the zodiacal clock were ignited and the golden reunion began. With the exception of the deceased Sagittarius and Gemini, the “Grand Pope” summoned all the Gold Saints to an assembly. By his decree, they would soon decide whether or not Aries would be accused of treason. Mu continued to repair the Cloths for Sanctuary but refused to return.
On one side, Milo, Aphrodite, and DeathMask insisted on the guilt of the Saint of the first temple. Against them, Aioria and Aldebaran tried at all costs to insist on their friend's innocence.
Camus and Shura, more rational, abstained.
The only one who seemed to be oblivious to the conversation was Shaka, refusing to take part in that judgment.
Why? Only he knew. He and the Master.
“When Sanctuary was under attack, Mu did not come to our aid.” Milo accused.
“But the Sanctuary is no longer under attack!” — Aioria exclaimed, punching the table.
“Mu doesn't come back because he's a coward, if there's a battle, he'll want to stay away from the Sanctuary!” ' Deathmask sneered.
"You, of all people, Deathmask, talking about cowardice?" — Aioria laughed at what he considered hypocrisy.
“That's right” – Deathmask replied, jocular – “At least I'm not a traitor, brother of a traitor, defending a traitorous friend.”
Aioria advanced on the table but was contained by Aldebaran and Deathmask by Aphrodite.
The Grand Master, sitting at the end of the table, was silently chuckling behind his cold mask.
“I agree that it is wiser for Mu to remain safe in Jamir, after all, only he can repair the armor” — Camus said, genuinely impartial. — “However, it is necessary for Mu to explain the reason for his absence from the Sanctuary.”
"That's not the point..." — the Leo was still trying to argue.
A haughty voice, which until then had not been heard, made itself present — "The point is precisely that, Aioria."
The silence that followed Shaka's intense voice was deafening. The eyes of the other Saints landed on the end of the hall, where Virgo was.
The Pope knew everything. Oh! He knew how painful it was for Shaka to be there judging someone absent who couldn't defend himself. Judging... that person. He was amused by the fact.
“... We don't know why Aries Mu refuses to return. I do not exclude the possibility of rebellion.” - Shaka said, more to himself than the assembly.
This statement shocked everyone, but especially Taurus and Leo.
Aioria said furiously — “Is that so, Shaka? Are you going to sit here with that arrogant face and doubt Mu as if you own the truth? You know him better than anyone else in this Sanctuary! Whatever Mu’s reason may be, you know he isn’t acting in bad faith!”
Everyone turned to the Virgo Saint, eager for his answer. But Shaka didn't answer.
The Goldies knew that Shaka and Mu were childhood sweethearts and that Mu, Aioria, Aldebaran, and Shaka were always together as a group.
Aioria looked irritated with Shaka and Aldebaran seemed disappointed.
Saga, on the other hand, knew he was being watched since the beginning of the meeting. Observed and studied by the Virgo Knight.
“The closest to God... the holder of the glorious and absolute truth.” — Saga considered, laughing maliciously — “Always attentive, possessing the ability to define the true essence of people, just by observing the way they act.”
A danger.
He decided to quickly end the assembly and put the Virgo Knight's loyalty to the test.
"Now that everyone has discussed the matter, it's time to decide the verdict." - Said the Grand Master with his powerful voice. — “Is Aries guilty or innocent of rebellion against the sanctuary and, consequently, against the Goddess Athena herself?”
After a brief silence, one by one presented their conclusions.
Aldebaran and Aioria cleared their friend. Camus and Shura remained impartial, clearing Aries for lack of evidence. Milo, Deathmask, and Aphrodite concluded that Aries was guilty of rebellion.
The Pope grinned. Of all the people present there, Shaka would have to be the one to decide the impasse.
Aldebaran and Aioria were filled with hope. However... Virgo decided that Aries was guilty.
Aldebaran and Aioria, taken by disbelief, sighed with great sadness. Aioria got up, kicked the chair, and left the room, Aldebaran went after his friend. After a while, they returned and sat down again. A satisfied expression formed on the faces of Milo, Aphrodite, and Deathmask.
With the Gold Saints divided, the Grandmaster would decide the final verdict.
As he'd guessed, Shaka—arrogant and stern—hated doubts and, for that reason, he wasn't the type of man to be impartial.
Hidden by the mask on his face, a smile of victory painted his lips.
“Because of Shaka's judgment, it's up to me to decide the fate of Aries. I listened carefully to the arguments of each one. My conclusion is as follows: Aries Mu is innocent for lack of concrete evidence.”
The silence in the room was broken by murmurs.
“However,” - continued the Master, - “Aries Mu will be temporarily monitored and any suspicious activity must be immediately reported.”
“I propose that we all take turns at the Aries Saint's vigil.” — Shura suggested — “That way, our judgment will remain impartial.” — Camus, Aioria, and Aldebaran agreed.
“Why, I think Virgo Shaka should be monitoring Mu! His Cosmo is the most powerful and his judgment is considered the fairest!”
Aphrodite released his poison, he knew the complicity that once existed between Virgo and Aries and wanted to make sure Grandmaster wouldn't be threatened.
Aioria couldn't avoid giving Pisces a murderous look. Aphrodite really wanted to see the circus on fire.
Saga loved the idea, he was loving the whole situation. Aphrodite was a genius.
Saga would not only test Virgo's obedience but also drive the lovebirds further away.
Having Shaka as his jailer would be a heavy blow against Aries.
He couldn't read Virgo's unchanging expression, but he felt his golden cosmos waver.
"Perfect. Virgo Shaka will observe Aries Mu, as his power allows his spirit to roam the world while his body remains in Sanctuary."
"Agreed, my Lord." Milo approved of the idea.
"Slacker..." — provoked Aioria.
Milo, as impulsive as the Lion, began to raise his cosmos. Camus and Aldebaran also raised their cosmos trying to control them. An argument at that moment would be terrible.
The Master's voice was heard—“Perfect! Shaka will be the spy! The meeting is over. All dismissed." He clapped his hands twice and the Saints began to disperse.
Nobody but Saga heard the long sigh of the Virgo Saint, who didn't say anything, just lowered his head.
🌼
In the Grand Master's bath, the Pope was enjoying the events. Nobody realized what had happened. Only he knew the real reason for declaring Mu innocent. By calling that golden meeting, Saga had managed to raise doubt in the minds of all Saints. But the person he wanted to convince... was Shaka.
Virgo Shaka and his immense cosmos.
He couldn’t hold back his guffaw when he remembered Virgo's last sentence declaring Mu guilty of rebellion against the Sanctuary.
Now, just now, he had what he needed: the blind and total support of the man closest to god.