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While Saga's Evil side was currently dominant, his good side wasn't entirely powerless.
In the original story, when his Evil self had tried to strike Saori, his good side had taken control of his arms, preventing the attack and then turning his hand against himself—using Athena's staff to commit suicide.
This demonstrated that even though his Evil personality held sway, his good side could still interfere, subtly influencing his actions.
It was this internal struggle that had prevented him from killing Seiya, Shiryu, and Hyoga instantly.
"Damn it! Stop interfering!"
Saga's voice echoed through the Pope's chambers as he relentlessly attacked the three Bronze Saints—his blows landing with brutal precision. He was clearly dominant, yet his voice was filled with frustration.
His good side was hindering him—preventing him from ending the fight quickly.
Saga knew the battle in Libra was over.
Both Shura and Camus's Cosmos had weakened significantly; they had been defeated. And Aphrodite—his only truly loyal Gold Saint—had been eliminated, his Cosmo extinguished completely.
Meanwhile, three powerful Cosmos, all at the true Seventh Sense level, not the temporary, unstable state achieved by Seiya and the others, were rapidly approaching Sanctuary. They were the true threat.
Facing them, even at his full power, Saga couldn't guarantee victory.
And with his internal struggle, such a battle would require him to unleash everything he had, a desperate gamble. He couldn't afford any distractions.
Therefore, he had to eliminate Seiya, Shiryu, and Hyoga before they arrived. Otherwise, even their interference could tip the scales against him, sealing his defeat.
While his chances of victory were already slim, he wouldn't surrender without a fight.
It wasn't his style.
Saga continued his assault, hoping to incapacitate them before the other Gold Saints arrived, preventing them from interfering in his final stand.
"DIE! DIE! DIE—!" He rained down blows upon them, his frustration growing with each passing moment as they continued to struggle, their fighting spirit unwavering.
——
Meanwhile, at Libra, Shura and Camus finally met Saori Kido.
She stood before them, radiating a gentle, warm Cosmo, Athena's staff in her hand.
Behind her stood Mu, Aldebaran, and Shaka, their own Cosmos burning, ready to defend her. However, neither Shura nor Camus paid them any mind.
They had already knelt before her—sensing her divine presence, her all-encompassing Cosmo, long before she reached them.
They knew, with absolute certainty, that she was Athena.
Camus had been expecting this, while Shura had finally accepted the truth.
Moments ago, he had witnessed Saga's Cosmo surge within the Pope's chambers, followed by the Gemini Gold Cloth flying towards him from its temple. He had finally understood; Mika and the others had been telling the truth.
The true Athena wasn't in Sanctuary. She had been rescued by Aiolos thirteen years ago and was now returning.
And he, Shura, had nearly killed her.
The weight of his guilt, his shame at having almost struck down his own Goddess, the one he had sworn to protect, overwhelmed him.
He wanted to die, to atone for his sin...
However, facing Athena's Cosmo, he couldn't bring himself to end his life. He wanted her to judge him.
Camus, too, felt a similar sense of guilt and shame, a desire for atonement.
But as Saori approached, her Cosmo enveloping them in a wave of warmth, their despair and self-loathing dissipated.
"Athena, we…"
"Please, rise, Shura, Camus," she said gently, interrupting their confession. "I understand your feelings, your regret. But I won't allow you to die. Too many have already perished in this conflict: the former Pope, Shion, Aiolos of Sagittarius, Aphrodite, and Deathmask. Some died because of me, others because of the deception that clouded their judgment. Neither Aphrodite nor Deathmask were truly Evil; they simply chose the wrong path. I couldn't save them. But I can save you. I want you to fight alongside me, to help me defeat our true enemies."
Hearing her words, their doubts and self-recrimination vanished, replaced by a renewed sense of loyalty and purpose.
They would fight for Athena!
Saori, seeing the change in their eyes, smiled. She was glad they had chosen to live. As the protector of Earth, she had always led humanity against the forces of Evil.
She knew that Earth was humanity's home, their responsibility.
They weren't mere playthings of the Gods. They had their own strength.
Therefore, although she was one of the most powerful Gods, she rarely fought on the front lines. She led the Saints, but she didn't fight for them. And she wouldn't resurrect those who had fallen, even if she could.
Respecting life—respecting humanity's right to choose their own destiny—was paramount.
Therefore, she wouldn't bring back those who had died in this conflict. And that was why she was so pleased to see Shura and Camus choose to live.
She wanted her Saints to have a better future.
——
With Shura and Camus now on their side, the battle for Sanctuary was nearing its end.
Mika, Aiolia, and Milo finally reached the Pope's chambers—
Saga—clad in the Gemini Gold Cloth, with long, flowing silver hair, stood before them, a smug smile on his face.
At his feet lay Seiya, Hyoga, and Shun, their bodies battered and broken, their Cosmos flickering, on the verge of death. While they were still alive, their internal injuries were severe.
Without immediate medical attention—they would likely perish.
"Greetings, Saga," Mika said, stepping forward, a subtle smile playing on his lips. "Your plan has failed. The Gold Saints know the truth. You have no chance of victory."
"No chance of victory?" Saga chuckled. "I seem to recall having a—significant chance. All I need to do is kill the three of you, then eliminate Athena and any other Gold Saints who oppose me. Simple, isn't it?"
Saga spread his arms wide, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Aiolia and Milo's faces hardened.
This Saga was a stranger to them, his words a mockery of everything they held dear. They remembered his deception, his manipulation, his orders to kill their Goddess.
They wanted to strike him down, to end his reign of terror.
However—
But Mika stopped them.
He knew Saga's power. Even Milo, in the future, after years of training and experience, had struggled against a weakened Saga.
"Saga, I know you're strong. You've reached the peak of the Seventh Sense. Among this generation of Gold Saints, you're undoubtedly among the strongest. But do you truly believe you can defeat Hades? Poseidon? The Olympian Gods? Do you even comprehend their power?"
"Of course I do! Even Athena, at her strongest, is nothing special. And Poseidon and Hades are her defeated foes! I'm more than capable of defeating them and ruling this world!"
Mika shook his head. He hadn't expected Saga to be so delusional. Athena, "Nothing special"? Had he even seen her at her full power? No. It was all in his imagination.
"Putting aside Athena's power for now, do you truly believe that, after assassinating the previous Pope, Shion, that the Eighth Sense is—insignificant?"
He couldn't believe Saga's arrogance...
Surely, he knew he hadn't reached the end of a Saint's path, that beyond the Seventh Sense lay the Eighth Sense—Arayashiki—a state of enlightenment.
This information was undoubtedly recorded in Sanctuary's archives.
After all, such individuals existed in every generation. And even they—Eighth Sense Gold Saints—had often perished in past Holy Wars. How could Saga believe he could single-handedly defeat Hades, Poseidon, and the Olympian Gods?
"Isn't it?" Saga asked, his voice laced with amusement.
Mika was speechless. What could he even say to such—delusion?
"Saga, you—" Just as he was about to point out that Shion, weakened by age, couldn't be considered a true representation of an Eighth Sense Gold Saint, Saga attacked, his fist moving at the speed of light.
BAAAAAAAAAM!
"So eager to fight, are we?" Mika said calmly, having effortlessly blocked the blow.
"Did you think I was trying to stall? I won't give you that opportunity." Saga wouldn't allow Mika and the others to waste his time. He wanted to defeat them quickly and prepare for his battle against Athena.
"Is that so?" Mika said, his voice still calm as he lowered his hand. "Then, as you wish, let's begin."
"Scarlet Needle!"
"Lightning Plasma!"
As soon as Mika finished speaking, Milo and Aiolia, who had been waiting for his signal, unleashed their attacks.
"You dare defy me?!" Saga roared, his Cosmo surging.
"Galaxian Explosion!"
He unleashed his ultimate technique—a power he had been unable to use earlier, restrained by his good side. It was an attack far too destructive for the Bronze Saints; they would have been killed instantly.
But now, his Evil side had finally broken free of his good side's grasp, its power unleashed. Although he suspected his good side might simply be—recharging, preparing for a more decisive intervention, he no longer cared.
He had too many enemies, especially these three Gold Saints before him.
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