Under the deep-sea dome of Atlantis, a serene blue current flowed like a river of stars, and fragmented fluorescent corals drifted in the clear seawater. The Life Pillar in the distance still bore the cracks from the last Holy War.
A figure in dark gold slowly emerged from the depths of the temple.
Sea Dragon General Kanon, clad in dark golden scales, had every wave-like pattern on his armor reflecting a cold, hard metallic gleam under the dim light. It perfectly contoured his body, as upright as a reef, concealing explosive power within its fluid lines. His red cape fluttered wildly in the deep-sea currents.
His face was almost identical to Saga's, yet it exuded a completely different ferocity. His brow bones were sharper, his jawline taut as if carved by a knife, and even his gaze held an untamed wildness that could not be smoothed away.
That was the ruthlessness he had forged during years of accompanying darkness and tides in the Sniven Strait rock prison, struggling on the brink of death.
As the head of the seven Marina Generalss under Sea Emperor Poseidon, he alone held the power of life and death over the entire Marine corps when the Sea Emperor had not yet spoken.
It must be said that all Saints of Gemini were exceptional individuals. One ascended to the position of Pope in the Sanctuary, while the other became the strongest being in the Sea World, second only to a god. Though belonging to opposing factions, both reached the pinnacle of their respective powers.
A transparent water curtain rose from the sea, like a solidified crystal barrier, firmly blocking the two outside.
Behind the water curtain, Kanon's lips curved into a cold sneer. His voice carried the chill of the deep sea, piercing hearts like an ice pick.
"Saga, you hypocrite! You locked me in the water prison back then, yet you plotted to kill Master Shion and seize the position of Pope. Now you have the audacity to come to Atlantis to seek an audience with the Sea Emperor?"
Saga's eyes flickered, a complex pain flashing in his blue pupils, but he offered no further explanation, only stating in a deep voice.
"Kanon, I had my reasons for what happened back then. I've come this time to unite with the Sea Emperor against Hades's divine calamity…"
"Silence!"
Kanon clenched his fists abruptly, his knuckles turning white from the force.
His furious roar boomed like thunder in the deep sea, instantly agitating the waters above Atlantis, and even the distant coral reefs trembled slightly.
He stared intensely at Saga, the rage in his eyes almost breaking through the water curtain.
Countless nights, he relived the scene of his brother pushing him into the rock prison in his dreams—the icy seawater engulfing his mouth and nose, the excruciating pain of chains biting into his flesh, still burning in his bones to this day.
But at this moment, the Sea Emperor and Athena had just formed an alliance. If he were to act, it would mean tearing up the alliance and plunging the Sea World into an unjust position.
Finally, Kanon suppressed his murderous intent and said coldly.
"The Sea Emperor is not available to see you today. You two, go back where you came from. Don't be an eyesore in Atlantis."
Hyoga frowned slightly, his fingertips unconsciously gathering a wisp of cold air. Kanon's words were undoubtedly an insult to the dignity of the Sanctuary.
Saga, as the Pope of the Sanctuary, was the supreme leader in Athena's absence. While it was fine for Hyoga to endure a little grievance, he could not allow Saga to suffer such humiliation in the Sea World.
He stepped forward, about to retort, but his wrist was gently pressed by Saga.
Saga raised his hand and unfastened his Pope's robe. The white robe slipped off, revealing the Gemini Gold Cloth beneath.
The golden plates gleamed with a sacred luster in the dim blue seawater. The star patterns on the shoulder pads formed a dazzling contrast with the wave patterns of Kanon's scale armor.
His lips curved slightly, his eyes holding a hint of resolve.
"Kanon, I know you resent me, but resentment solves nothing. Why don't we have a fair duel? If I lose, you can do with me as you please. If you lose, you must no longer dwell on the past and join me in fighting Hades."
Kanon gritted his teeth, stunned for a moment, then let out a low, maniacal laugh.
He had always wanted to tear off his brother's hypocritical mask with his own hands, to ask the person he once regarded as his sole reliance why he had abandoned him in the dark, sunless rock prison for an Athena he had never met.
This resentment, like a poisonous vine, had grown wildly in his heart for over a decade, and it was also the root cause of his instigating the Sea Emperor to unleash the world-ending tsunami.
"Saga, do you really think I can't beat you?"
His smile turned savage, and the wildness in his eyes erupted completely.
"No need to wait until the end of the battle. Today, between you and me, only one can survive!"
Before his words finished, Kanon suddenly broke through the water curtain, his fist, imbued with the power of the Sea God, heading straight for Saga's chest. The seawater driven by his punch was compressed into liquid blades, instantly crushing the bubbles in its path.
"Have you forgotten how cold the rocks in the water prison were? Have you forgotten the taste of chains embedded in flesh, my dear brother!"
This punch not only carried the power to shatter mountains, but it was also the most raw accusation and revenge from a soul betrayed by his closest kin, after years of struggling in darkness!
"Sea Dragon General!"
Hyoga's pupils suddenly constricted, and he cried out in alarm.
He had not anticipated that the conflict between these brothers would erupt in such a violent manner. Kanon's Cosmo storm, coming head-on, was like a tsunami, making it difficult for him to even breathe, and he had no time to react.
Facing this mountain-shattering blow, Saga did not dodge.
In his deep blue pupils, Kanon's furious figure was clearly reflected, his gaze complex to the extreme.
There was deep pain, unspeakable apology, and a calm demeanor in the face of accusation.
He raised his arm to his chest, and the gemini cloth instantly erupted with brilliant golden light. An incomparably powerful Cosmo condensed into a solid wall of light before him, like a barrier protecting the stars, firmly blocking the force of the punch.
Boom! The Sea Dragon's furious punch violently collided with the Gemini light wall. A dull thud echoed in the deep sea, and even the dome of Atlantis trembled slightly.
Kanon's fist stopped mere inches from Saga's chest, his knuckles white, and veins bulging on his arm from the exertion.
Saga, however, did not retreat a single step. Ripples spread across the golden light wall, but it remained unbroken.
"Kanon…"
Saga's voice was low yet clear, piercing through the roar of colliding energy.
"Believe me, I feel your pain. I imprisoned you back then because…"
"Shut up!"
Kanon's anger was ignited to its peak by these words.
He suddenly retracted his fist, and in the next instant, an even more violent attack poured down like a torrential storm, each punch carrying the roar of the Sea God's power.
"Put away your hypocritical mask! You want to atone? Then pay with your blood! Take this, Galaxian Explosion!"
Golden light points rapidly converged in his palm, forming a miniature galaxy. A destructive aura rose like a black hole, even drawing the surrounding seawater into a vortex.
Facing Kanon's ultimate technique, Saga dared not be careless. His hands trembled slightly, as if holding an entire galaxy. An energy sphere formed by his powerful Cosmo took shape before him, directly opposing Kanon's ultimate technique.
"Galaxian Explosion!"
Two Gemini ultimate techniques, almost equal in intensity and powerful enough to destroy an entire galaxy, violently collided before the gates of Atlantis!