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"Seiya and the others—their training must continue," Mika mused.
Saori nodded in agreement.
She had witnessed their potential during the battle of the Twelve Temples.
While she had initially placed her hopes solely on Seiya, the other four had also exceeded her expectations. "It's a shame they haven't reached the Seventh Sense permanently. Otherwise, they could fill the vacant Gold Saint positions."
She turned to Mika, a playful smile on her face. "Do you have any—candidates among your…acquaintances who might be suitable for becoming Gold Saints?"
"Me? I don't have any candidates," Mika chuckled, then, realizing her meaning, his eyes widened slightly. "You mean... my companions from other worlds?"
"Indeed," she confirmed with a smile.
"If there's no one in this world who can become a Gold Saint in the near future—perhaps such talented individuals exist in other worlds? You mentioned wanting to find Stronger Power systems for your companions, Airmid and Mellie. I believe Cosmo would be…suitable."
Suitable? It was an understatement! He looked at her, a smile playing on his lips.
Cosmo was the most Powerful System he had encountered yet—a Power he himself was using to integrate his other abilities.
Mika hadn't considered bringing Airmid and Mellie to this world. After all, he still had much to accomplish here.
But Saori's suggestion—it was intriguing...
"It's an excellent idea." Mika nodded. "Thank you, Saori."
"Don't mention it. We're friends, after all," she said with a smile.
———
Mika knew her offer of friendship stemmed from her desire to learn more about his world-hopping abilities, a subtle Manipulation he didn't mind.
In fact, he rather enjoyed it. If only the Powerful figures in every world were so—accommodating. He could sense Athena's will growing Stronger within Saori. She was reclaiming her divinity, preparing to end the cycle of reincarnation and fulfill her destiny.
She was placing her faith in him.
———
After Saori left his office, Mika leaned back in his chair, contemplating the future. He remembered the general timeline of the Saint Seiya story:
The Twelve Temples arc, followed by Asgard, then Poseidon, and finally, the decisive battle against Hades in the Underworld.
Of course, there were also several movies interspersed throughout the series.
However, that was the anime's timeline. He hadn't read much of the Saint Seiya manga beyond the Hades arc, but he had heard that it didn't include the Asgard arc. He wasn't certain about the details. This was reality, after all, not a fictional story. He would have to confirm everything himself.
However, before exploring those possibilities, he had another question.
"Have you ever heard of the God Warriors?"
"The God Warriors of Asgard? Yes, I've heard of them," a calm voice replied, and a figure, his blue hair cascading down his shoulders, emerged from a spatial distortion.
It was Saga, seemingly unharmed!
Saori, of course, knew he was still alive, but she didn't mind. In fact, she was relieved.
It was Saga's 'Good' side that had survived. During his battle with Mika, he had realized that Mika's attacks could harm not just his body, but his Evil essence itself.
This had given him an idea:
Eliminate Saga's Evil side and allow his Good side to atone. After all, it would be a waste to simply kill him. Previously, he hadn't considered sparing Saga due to his volatile nature, the constant struggle between Good and Evil within him.
However, if his Evil side could be eliminated, redemption was possible. In a way, they were two separate entities.
Of course, even if he was alive, Saga would have to remain hidden, operating in the shadows.
"In that case, I have a—task for you. I trust you've recovered?" Mika asked with a smile.
During his battle with Saga's Evil side, his soul had been damaged, weakening him significantly. After all, they were two sides of the same coin.
However, Mika, now a master of soul Manipulation, could have easily devised a method for his recovery. But he had been busy and had delegated the task to Gabriel, who, with her knowledge from other worlds, was even more adept at such things.
While her method would normally take months to fully restore his soul, Saga, after his defeat and the loss of his Evil side, had experienced a profound shift in his understanding, a spiritual awakening that had allowed him to reach the Eighth Sense—accelerating his recovery and restoring him to his peak—now at an even higher level.
This delighted Mika; his—investment had yielded incredible returns.
"I've fully recovered. What is this task you have for me?" Saga asked.
"Go to Asgard. According to my intel, Poseidon is stirring. He's planning to attack the human world, and his first target—is Asgard. It seems he intends to use it as a staging ground for his assault on Sanctuary."
"Poseidon? He's awakened in this era?" Saga asked, surprised.
"Indeed. And according to the information I've received, your—brother might be involved."
Saga's face darkened.
———
"My brother…you mean—Kanon?" Saga couldn't believe his own brother was involved, especially with Poseidon.
"That's right. The amphora containing Poseidon's soul, guarded by Athena, is located near the prison where you held Kanon. I suspect he might have done something—similar to your own actions, perhaps even worse."
"Worse than what I did…?"
Mika's words made him realize the implications. He had already committed a grave sin, attempting to kill Athena. To surpass that…it would involve Manipulating a God.
"I understand. I'll go to Asgard and investigate," he said, his voice filled with a newfound resolve.
"Thank you, Saga."
"There's no need for thanks. Athena has shown me mercy, despite my sins. I will dedicate my life to repaying her kindness." Saga pulled up the hood of his cloak, concealing his face.
It was one of the cloaks Mika had created, the same ones he and Aiolia had used earlier, imbued with the ability to mask their presence. With the battle of the Twelve Temples over, they were no longer needed—so Mika had given them to Saga for his covert operations.
"Wait," Mika said as Saga was about to leave. "Take the Gemini Gold Cloth with you, just in case."
"But won't that attract attention?" Saga asked, concerned.
Unclaimed Gold Cloths were always kept in their respective temples, visible to any Gold Saint who passed through. And Gemini was one of the first temples.
Its absence would be noticed immediately...
"Don't worry, I'll handle it. Just focus on your mission. However, it's best not to use the Cloth unless absolutely necessary; it's too conspicuous." After all, this mission to Asgard was, in a sense, a personal favor for Saga.
Therefore, ensuring his—safety was Mika's responsibility.
"Understood." Saga nodded and vanished into the shadows.
Mika watched him go, his mind racing—Asgard, Poseidon, Hades—these were Sanctuary's next challenges.
Asgard wouldn't be a major threat. After all, Sanctuary, now united under Athena's rule, was far too Powerful for them. However, Poseidon and Hades were different.
While the Marinas—Poseidon's warriors—were likely comparable in strength to the Gold Saints, they weren't currently at their peak. But Poseidon himself, a God on par with Athena and Hades, was a formidable foe.
Mika couldn't afford to underestimate him.
And Hades, with his Powerful army of Specters—was an even greater threat. This time, he wouldn't allow the Gold Saints to sacrifice themselves to shatter the Wailing Wall. As Pope, that was his responsibility.
"Therefore, before facing Hades, I must become Strong enough to destroy the Wailing Wall myself. And until then—I have to delay our confrontation with him. As for when we face him—that depends on Dohko and the Specters."
Mika knew what he had to do.
"I need to visit the Five Ancient Peaks."
——
Gabriel had been unusually quiet during this time, her focus entirely on studying Cosmo with Alfia. After all, even the Gods in this world were incredibly Powerful.
Any Seventh Sense Gold Saint could defeat the weaker Gods of Orario. And in terms of raw Destructive Power, even she couldn't match a Gold Saint.
While the Gods of Orario could destroy continents at their Full Power, the Gold Saints, wielding light speed—could destroy Planets.
Of course, raw power wasn't everything. While Saints excelled at destruction, Gods Manipulated the very laws of reality.
Their strengths were different.
However, it was precisely this difference that intrigued Gabriel. She had dedicated herself to researching Cosmo.
And her research had yielded remarkable results!
She had helped Alfia awaken her Cosmo and reach the Seventh Sense. As Mika's Nen beast, Alfia's connection to him was incredibly Strong.
And when Mika's Cosmo had absorbed his Nen—her essence had been transformed, becoming Cosmo-based.
Unlike other Saints, however, she lacked a physical body.
Therefore, Gabriel, intrigued by her unique circumstances, had created various techniques to compensate for this weakness—guiding her along the path of a Saint.
And with Alfia's innate talent, she had eventually achieved the Seventh Sense—now capable of manifesting a physical body—akin to a Heroic Spirit from the Type-Moon world.
Through this process, Gabriel's understanding of Cosmo had deepened, surpassing even Mika's.
"Gabriel and Alfia should be at Pisces, studying the Gold Cloth." He headed towards the temple. Now that Alfia had achieved the Seventh Sense, the fastest way for her to improve was to become a Gold Saint, learning from a Gold Cloth.
Gabriel, having mastered Cosmo, had also turned her attention to the Gold Cloths, eager to uncover their secrets.
Mika's desire to create his own God Cloth had inspired her, and the Gold Cloths were perfect research subjects.
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