["I don't acknowledge it." Stelle shook her head decisively.]
["I understand… Stelle, forgive my presumption, but you seem to have little understanding of Beauty, and thus cannot accept it… I respect differing ideals, but now it appears…"]
[Before Argenti could finish, a long spear had somehow appeared in his hand.]
["Since you are unaware of Beauty's existence, I have no choice but to manifest it in the manner of a knight—"]
["I humbly request a contest of chivalry with you. Should I be fortunate enough to prevail, I ask that you acknowledge—the peerless, unparalleled beauty of the Goddess Idrila of Beauty!"]
——
Saint Seiya: The Hades Chapter – Elysion.
The doors of the Pope's Hall slowly opened.
Asmita's greaves clinked against the snowflake marble floor with a crystalline ring. Twelve gazes turned from various points in the circular hall; the Gold Cloths gleamed with honey-like hues in the light from the stained-glass windows.
"Sorry I'm late."
Aldebaran crossed his arms, glancing sideways: "Asmita, you've finally decided to interrupt your meditation and leave your Virgo Temple?"
"Mm. Aren't you all curious about this knight from the galaxy as well?" Asmita didn't open his eyes, yet he already perceived everything: "Aldebaran, you can't just equate him with the Silver Saints simply because he wears silver-white armor."
"No, no… Asmita, we all know their power doesn't come from the Small Cosmos—it's from their Paths and the tempering of their own bodies."
Shiryu pondered for a moment before looking up with a smile: "But what I find really interesting is that, in a way, Argenti is quite similar to us… just following a different god. Yet Argenti has never even seen the [Beauty] Aeon with his own eyes. How exactly does he convince himself to remain so devout?"
When Argenti had passionately introduced Beauty to Stelle and invited her to believe in Idrila, Shiryu couldn't help but recall the time he arrived in that small Italian town and persuaded Pegasus to believe in Athena and become a Saint.
…Pretty similar, actually.
Except this Knight of Beauty had an utterly unique way of thinking. If the other party couldn't understand Beauty through words, he apparently also knew a bit about fists and feet—was he planning to force Stelle to change her faith through combat?
Speaking of which, this knight was quite handsome too—not inferior to Aphrodite. Whether it was his gentlemanly elegance or his straightforward sincerity, Shiryu found him quite likable. It was just that bizarre thought process… completely incomprehensible.
As Shiryu pondered, a blinding flash suddenly erupted from the Celestial Screen.
Accompanying it was Argenti's low, gentle voice.
"Defend the beauty in the galaxy, and offer it to Her—"
Argenti's spear traced a brilliant arc. Wherever the spear tip passed, countless thorned roses and bramble vines materialized out of thin air. They danced with the spear's movements, then shattered in an instant, transforming into a shower of petals raining down across the sky.
"Oh?" Aldebaran gave a soft chuckle, shifting his gaze to Aphrodite, who was focused on the fight: "This little knight brother is also making good use of roses in combat."
"But these roses aren't like my Royal Demon Rose Palace roses that carry deadly poison—they're more like a concrete manifestation of the concept of [Beauty]."
Aphrodite smiled wistfully: "Even in battle, this gentleman knight never forgets to convey the true meaning of 'beauty' to Stelle."
——
[Argenti expressed guilt that he was not skilled with words. To help Stelle understand Beauty more thoroughly, he had no choice but to express it through "action."]
[Though the fight came somewhat abruptly, Argenti's aggression wasn't strong. While he frequently "defended the beauty in the galaxy," he never truly injured Stelle after all that defending. Instead, the Express floor was almost completely carpeted in roses.]
["Sorry to interrupt your… enthusiasm." Welt suddenly stepped in to halt their bout. The current situation was far more urgent than imagined—this wasn't the time for a duel.]
[Argenti also apologized to everyone present for his abruptness. His original purpose in visiting was to hope to resolve the crisis alongside the Express crew.]
[He had been piloting the "Rare and Precious" through the galaxy when he coincidentally rescued a Company employee. He intended to safely escort him to his destination, only to encounter this coincidence midway.]
[The Company employee was named Velite. During the journey, he had already been convinced and sworn to follow the Goddess Idrila.]
["So what do we do now?" Stelle saw Argenti still wearing his gentle smile, looking quite confident.]
["Enjoy the present." Argenti replied unhurriedly.]
["?"] Stelle was stunned for a second. "Huh? And then?"]
[Argenti's expression remained calm; he even elegantly raised his right hand: "Continue. Enjoy the present."]
——
Jujutsu Kaisen.
"Though their situation right now is extremely urgent, Argenti's relaxed attitude compensates for it perfectly."
On the rooftop, Atsuya Kusakabe lit a cigarette, face full of envy: "I really hope when we face Sukuna, we can be as relaxed as this knight."
Ieiri Shoko was silent for a moment. "You want to relax? Easy—just buy a plane ticket to England right now, settle your family, and when Gojo Satoru and Sukuna start fighting, you can sip cold beer and watch the livestream."
"…Nah, forget it. I'm not the kind of teacher who can sit back in peace while my students risk their lives up front." Kusakabe exhaled a long plume of smoke.
The sound of "click click" phone photos came from beside him.
Kusakabe turned to see Shoko furiously snapping pictures of Argenti on the Celestial Screen.
"What are you doing?"
"Making phone wallpaper." After taking about twenty or thirty shots, Shoko satisfiedly pocketed her phone. "Though this Knight of Beauty guy's way of speaking is a bit off, that face is absolutely top-tier… I'm starting to wonder if it's just him who's this handsome, or if all Knights of Beauty look this good?"
"Weren't we just talking about Sukuna? You switched topics awfully fast."
"There's nothing to discuss…" Shoko leaned on the rooftop railing, eyes slightly narrowed. Her slender fingers flicked the cigarette ash lightly. "When Gojo Satoru really fights Sukuna, can you go up and help? …Mr. Special Grade Sorcerer?"
——
["Looks like you really are here to make friends…" Stelle rubbed her forehead, starting to wonder why she'd ever had serious expectations of him.]
["You haven't understood. I must focus on enjoying the red night of the cosmos to detect dissonant tones. They share commonalities. Once discovered, I will act to eliminate them." Argenti explained.]
[Welt suggested not delaying any longer and told Stelle to first check on that Company employee. The employee wore an expression of absolute bad luck; the moment he came aboard he said he couldn't help them and anxiously distanced himself first.]
[Stelle asked curiously: "I heard you've submitted to the Beauty Aeon?"]
["Argenti said that, right?" The employee's face was full of helplessness. "This guy… the truth is: before he saved me, he already said this to me: 'Please first swear and acknowledge that [the Goddess Idrila of Beauty possesses peerless, unparalleled beauty].'"]