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"Let's move on."
"Yes!" Aiolia and Milo quickly followed Mika. While they, as traditionally trained Gold Saints, technically outranked him, Mika was Athena's chosen champion, personally trained by the goddess herself.
This signified her trust and favor.
Having witnessed Saori's interactions with Mika—they recognized the depth of their bond.
They believed that—after this rebellion—Mika was likely to become the new Pope.
Therefore, they instinctively deferred to him, following his lead.
Mika was aware of their respect; he had sensed it since their arrival at the Graad Foundation. He had even discussed the matter with Saori, concerned about appearing to exploit her authority.
However, Saori hadn't been concerned.
—
"Once we return to Sanctuary, I intend to appoint you as Pope. I'll need your assistance," Saori had declared.
—
Mika, having received her blessing, now acted with the authority of a future Pope. This was why he had devised a plan to minimize casualties among the Gold Saints.
In the original timeline, Five Gold Saints had died during this conflict: Saga, Deathmask, Shura, Camus, and Aphrodite.
Saga, the mastermind behind this rebellion, was unforgivable. Even if Athena pardoned him—could he forgive himself?
Therefore, his death was inevitable, and Mika had no intention of changing that. Besides, Gemini wasn't without an heir.
Kanon, currently in Poseidon's service, would eventually redeem himself and could inherit his brother's position. In fact—it was likely what Saga himself desired.
Throughout Sanctuary's history, the Gemini Saints had always been twins, their relationship complex and often fraught with conflict.
Kanon's return to Sanctuary as a Gold Saint would likely be Saga's greatest wish.
As for Aphrodite and Deathmask, they were accomplices, knowingly serving a false Pope.
Their faith had been corrupted.
And in a world where Cosmo—the very essence of one's being—was paramount, such corruption was a grave offense, regardless of the era.
Shura and Camus, however, were different. They were powerful Gold Saints—their potential wasted by their misplaced loyalty.
Mika intended to save them.
His strategy, the three-on-two and now three-on-one battles, was designed precisely for that purpose—to minimize casualties, to give them a chance to redeem themselves.
He wasn't strong enough to defeat Saga in a one-on-one duel yet. While his potential far surpassed Saga's, having awakened his Cosmo less than a month ago, he hadn't fully integrated his other powers yet.
He was still growing, still developing. Given enough time, he was confident he could defeat Saga.
However, time wasn't on their side. If they didn't act decisively, Saga, with Sanctuary's resources at his disposal, would become an even greater threat. They couldn't afford to wait. This meant Mika had to fight him before reaching his full potential—necessitating a different approach: a coordinated attack.
Mika had no qualms about ganging up on Saga.
Saga might be at the peak of the Seventh Sense, but Mika has allies—with a larger force waiting in the wings. Even if they couldn't defeat him, they could hold him off until reinforcements arrived.
He was a seasoned veteran when it came to boss battles. A confident smile played on his lips as he reviewed his plan.
They quickly passed through Scorpio and reached Sagittarius, finding signs of battle. Aphrodite had clearly encountered Seiya and the others here.
"Let's see what happened."
Mika entered the Sagittarius Temple, Milo and Aiolia following close behind.
They reached the central chamber and saw Aphrodite and Shun lying amidst a bed of roses. Aphrodite was dead, while Shun, though his Cosmo was weak, was still alive.
He had defeated a Gold Saint.
———
"Aphrodite…"
Aiolia and Milo looked at their fallen comrade, a heavy silence settling over them. While they suspected Aphrodite had betrayed Athena—they were still saddened by his death. He was a Gold Saint—a warrior who had once sworn to protect Sanctuary, to fight alongside them.
"Just as I expected."
He knew Deathmask and Aphrodite were fated to die during this conflict.
Deathmask had been slain due to his weakness and his Cloth's rejection. While his Cosmo was at the Seventh Sense level, he had been abandoned by his Cloth, reducing his defenses significantly.
Although Shiryu's Cosmo, amplified by his burning fighting spirit, had briefly touched the Seventh Sense, he was still fundamentally a Sixth Sense Saint, lacking Deathmask's experience and mastery of Cosmo.
And without a Cloth—Shiryu was incredibly vulnerable. Yet, Deathmask had still been defeated, a testament to his—inadequacy.
As for Aphrodite, he had been killed by Shun—the reincarnation of Hades—It was a battle he could never win. It wasn't a question of strength, but of fate. Their duel, no matter how many times it was repeated, would always end the same way.
———
Mika shook his head, then walked over to Shun and knelt beside him, gently touching his chest. A surge of Cosmo—Mika's Cosmo Healing—flowed into Shun, his weakened life force strengthening, his heartbeat growing stronger.
"He'll be fine. Let's leave him here. Saori and the others will find him when they arrive. Shun is a true hero. And so are the others; they're fighting with their lives on the line." Mika looked at Aiolia and Milo.
"We can't disappoint them!"
"We will defeat Saga," Aiolia said, his voice filled with conviction.
"Indeed. Let us banish the darkness and restore the light," Milo added.
They exchanged smiles, their faces reflecting the burning resolve within their hearts, and continued their journey toward the Pope's chambers.
The path ahead was clear.
The Gold Saints guarding the remaining temples—Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces—had been defeated.
Only Saga remained.
——
As they raced towards the Pope's chambers, a fierce battle was raging within.
Saga—clad in the Gemini Gold Cloth, was relentlessly attacking Seiya, Hyoga, and Shiryu.
Having burned their Cosmos to reach the Seventh Sense, they could now exchange blows with him.
However, without further refinement and mastery, their newly acquired power wasn't enough. Reaching the Seventh Sense was merely the entry fee for this battle.
Saga effortlessly held his own against the three—his attacks disabling their senses one by one. Such precise control over Cosmo was commonplace for Gold Saints, capable of manipulating even atoms without destroying them.
While such attacks were devastating, Saga couldn't bring himself to kill them. As a villain, he believed in efficiency, in eliminating threats decisively.
However, Saga wasn't—normal.
He was a man divided, his mind fractured, a condition amplified by his Cosmo. He possessed both a benevolent and a malevolent side—each vying for control.
His good side was incredibly kind and compassionate, earning him the trust of his fellow Saints and making him a candidate for Pope. However, the former Pope, Shion, had seen the darkness lurking within him, the potential for evil. Therefore, he had chosen Aiolos as his successor.
Unlike Saga, whose benevolent side had been dominant in his youth—his twin brother, Kanon, had embraced his darker impulses, eventually corrupting Saga and triggering his descent into madness.
After his attempted assassination of Athena, Saga's good side had resurfaced, filling him with regret.
He longed to retrieve her and atone for his sins. However, he hadn't dared. With Sanctuary's resources, finding her would have been easy. But he couldn't risk his evil side resurfacing and harming her again.
He hadn't even revealed his true identity, constantly monitoring his orders and changing any that might lead to her discovery.
He had known about Seiya since Mitsumasa Kido sent the orphans to train. He had even overseen Seiya's acquisition of the Pegasus Cloth. He had high hopes for the boy, seeing his potential.
Therefore, his good side couldn't bear to kill Seiya and the others.
It was this internal conflict that forced him to resort to…less efficient methods, such as disabling their senses, hoping to break their spirits, to force them to surrender.
It was a flawed strategy, a desperate attempt to reconcile his conflicting desires—His true nature, however, would soon reveal itself.
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