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"Crystal Wall!"
Mika summoned a reinforced barrier—its defensive capabilities maximized at the cost of its area of effect—as Saga's Galaxian Explosion hurtled towards them.
Aiolia and Milo, unprotected by the barrier, braced themselves for the impact.
"Argh!" They were sent flying, crashing into the pillars that supported the Pope's chambers.
The hall, imbued with the Cosmo of generations of Athenas, was incredibly durable. However, even so, the pillars cracked under the force of their impact.
"He's at his full power…" Mika murmured, sensing Saga's Cosmo.
Thanks to his mastery of soul-related techniques—derived from the Cancer Gold Cloth and his research on the [Heavens Feel] ritual from the Fateverse—he could perceive the two distinct energies within Saga's soul, one now completely suppressed. This, combined with Saga's demeanor, confirmed his suspicions.
"It seems this will be a tough battle." Mika dispelled his Crystal Wall and pointed at Saga.
"Sekishiki Meikaiha!"
Unlike his earlier duel with Shura—where he had held back, testing his newly developed techniques, he now unleashed his most powerful attack.
His Sekishiki Meikaiha—amplified by the Demonic energy within his Cosmo, was now incredibly potent.
"W-what is this technique?!" Saga's soul recoiled as Mika's attack struck him, as if trying to escape his body. He recognized it as Sekishiki Meikaiha, but Deathmask's version had never been this powerful.
However, this wasn't the time for contemplation.
Against a Gold Saint who specialized in soul manipulation, losing his soul meant certain death. He burned his Cosmo to its fullest extent, resisting the pull.
Mika, seeing his struggle, intensified his attack.
Both Aphrodite and Deathmask—despite being considered among the weaker Gold Cloths, possessed incredibly powerful techniques. Bloody Rose and Sekishiki Meikaiha, if used effectively, could instantly decide a battle.
They were, in essence—one-hit kill abilities. However, their effectiveness depended entirely on the user's power. In the hands of a master—they were devastating. But weaker Saints often struggled to unleash their full potential. This, perhaps, was one of the reasons for Aphrodite and Deathmask's downfall.
He held Saga's soul in his grasp—while Saga desperately resisted. They were locked in a stalemate.
However, Mika wasn't alone.
"Scarlet Needle!"
"Lightning Punch!" Seeing Saga immobilized, Aiolia and Milo unleashed their attacks, seizing the opportunity.
Saga was sent flying, crashing into the wall behind the Pope's throne.
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Smoke and dust filled the air, the sounds of coughing and splattering blood echoing from within, not just from Saga, but also from Shura and Camus, who had been injured by Saga's earlier Galaxian Explosion.
After all, it had not only struck them directly but had also deflected their own attacks back at them, amplifying the damage.
Having narrowly survived, they now understood the true extent of his power. He was incredibly strong, far stronger than they had anticipated, even their combined strength no match for him.
"We're lucky Mika's here," Milo murmured.
"Oh, are you praising me? I'll gladly accept your gratitude," Mika said, approaching them.
He had withdrawn after striking Saga, his priority now to save Seiya and the others. If he didn't act quickly, they might not survive until Athena arrived.
Mika had stabilized their injuries with his healing abilities and transported them outside the temple before returning.
As for Saga, he didn't believe a single attack, even a powerful one, would be enough to defeat him. Pressing his advantage now would be pointless. After all, they had a guaranteed victory; once Athena arrived, the battle would be over. Until then, all he had to do was…wait.
Besides, Saga couldn't provide the experience he needed to level up. While powerful, his life force wasn't particularly strong.
It was his Cosmo that made him so formidable.
And Mika, whose strength, thanks to his combined abilities, now rivaled even that of the Gods in Orario—was still officially only Level 7.
His Falna level was no longer a significant factor in his overall power. However, he was bound to it; without leveling up—he couldn't access new worlds.
And he needed to level up.
Therefore, lacking any personal stake in this battle, and not being inherently bloodthirsty, he had chosen a more—strategic approach.
He wouldn't have involved Aiolia and Milo if his objective had been to simply kill Saga. He had the means to do it himself.
———
BAM!
BOOM!
CRACK!
A fierce battle raged atop Sanctuary.
Saga, despite being outnumbered and injured, was holding his own against Mika, Aiolia, and Milo. And as the battle continued, they could feel his Cosmo growing stronger, burning even more fiercely. He was evolving.
As one of the most talented Gold Saints, Saga's potential was immense. However, his thirteen years as Pope had made him—complacent. And for a Saint—a single intense battle could provide more growth than months, even years, of solitary training.
Despite his comfortable life, he had still reached the peak of the 7th Sense. His talent was undeniable. And now, facing a life-or-death struggle against three Gold Saints, his potential was being unleashed once more.
His Cosmo—which had stagnated at the peak of the 7th Sense, was growing again, pushing towards a higher realm.
———
"Hahaha! I'm getting stronger! Mika, Aiolia, Milo, thank you! You've shown me the path to greater power!" He was ecstatic, believing he had found a way to turn the tide.
But Mika, Aiolia, and Milo were also growing stronger. Growth through battle wasn't unique to Saga; it was a characteristic shared by all Saints. And outnumbered three to one, their combined growth surpassed his.
Saga—already at the peak of the 7th Sense—was struggling to break through to the 8th Sense.
It was a gamble against time.
"Argh!"
"Lightning Plasma!"
"Scarlet Needle!"
"Starlight Extinction!"
They unleashed their attacks—their Cosmos blazing.
"Galaxian Explosion!" Saga roared, his own Cosmo erupting.
Their battle was a clash of raw Power, telekinesis, Cosmo manipulation, and Gold Saint techniques, encompassing every aspect of a Saint's abilities.
They fought with everything they had, the force of their attacks nearly shattering the Pope's chambers, a place imbued with the Cosmo of generations of Athenas. While it hadn't been completely destroyed like Libra—it was now in ruins.
"DAMN IT!" Saga was sent flying by a powerful blow from Mika.
He felt the Cosmos of Aiolia and Milo closing in, and a sense of dread washed over him. Just as Mika had predicted, despite his growth, he couldn't match their combined strength. He was outnumbered. And while his Cosmo had increased, he hadn't reached the 8th Sense yet.
He was close—he could feel it, his Cosmo surging towards that next level, but he hadn't crossed the threshold. He was still a 7th Sense Saint, facing three opponents who were not only at the same level but also rapidly growing stronger.
He couldn't let this continue. He locked onto their approaching Cosmos, his own burning even more fiercely.
"Get back! Aiolia! Milo!" Mika shouted, sensing the change in Saga's Cosmo, the desperation in his aura.
But it was too late...
"Another Dimension!"
Saga unleashed his attack—manipulating space itself—his Cosmo warping and compressing reality, creating a dimensional rift, a gateway to an unknown realm beyond their Universe.
Those trapped within this dimension, unless they could find a way out, would be lost forever, drifting through the vast emptiness of space for eons.
It was a spatial-manipulation technique capable of instantly removing an opponent from the battlefield.
And it was precisely what he needed now!
"Argh!" Aiolia and Milo, caught off guard by Saga's unexpected attack, cried out as the compressed spatial energy engulfed them.
Then, they were gone—banished to another dimension.
"HAHAHAHA!"
"Did you anticipate this, Mika? I've been waiting for this opportunity. There's no escape for them now."
He laughed triumphantly.
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