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First came Camus, Shura, and Milo.
Then Aiolia, Aldebaran, and Mu.
As for Shaka of Virgo, Mika had saved him for last.
After all, he was currently the Strongest Saint in Sanctuary. Mika wanted to further enhance his own abilities before facing him, to make their duel more—interesting.
And so it was. Shaka readily accepted Mika's challenge to fight at full power, and within the confines of a pocket dimension, Mika was thoroughly—tested. However, this brutal training had yielded significant results.
Three days of intense combat, followed by a day of rest and integration, Mika, following this four-day cycle, had spent the past month challenging each of Sanctuary's Gold Saints.
They had all benefited greatly from these duels.
——
After two more days of rest, he began his second round of challenges.
They were all Stronger now—their powers having increased significantly. And after the second round came the third, the fourth, the fifth…
Through these relentless battles—Mika's power grew exponentially. His Cosmo, constantly pushed to its limits, expanded rapidly. He was nearing the peak of the Seventh Sense.
Mu, Shura, and Camus were also approaching that level, while even the slightly weaker Aiolia, Milo, and Aldebaran had reached a high level of mastery within the Seventh Sense.
Mika had deliberately chosen environments that countered their respective fighting styles—like forcing Camus to battle on the surface of the sun—Overcoming these harsh conditions had also contributed to their growth.
Gabriel also played a crucial role.
Her research on Cosmo had provided them with valuable insights, deepening their understanding of its nature.
Sanctuary's Training Methods had always focused on individual effort and natural talent.
There had been little emphasis on—theoretical knowledge.
This was one of the reasons for Mika's rapid progress. Gabriel could take complex concepts, normally requiring years of experience to grasp, and distill them into easily understandable principles, allowing Mika to bypass the usual bottlenecks and rapidly master new techniques.
Besides his Cosmo, Mika's mastery of the Gold Saint techniques had also reached an extraordinary level. During the first two rounds of his training regimen, he had focused on mastering the techniques of all twelve Gold Saints.
——
While Mika honed his combat skills, Gabriel focused on the art of Cloth Creation—even using Athena's Cloth as a research subject. And she had succeeded in reverse-engineering the secrets of the God Cloths.
God Cloths—also known as Kamui—were the ultimate armors, worn only by the twelve Olympian Gods.
They were the prototypes of all other Cloths, the pinnacle of divine craftsmanship. However, after Zeus's disappearance, the True God Cloths had also vanished.
The armors currently worn by Athena, Hades, and Poseidon—the Sacred Cloth, Surplice, and Scale, respectively—were later creations—inferior to the Original God Cloths in both quality and power.
This was due to both the materials used and the techniques employed in their creation!
However, Gabriel, through meticulous research and analysis, had uncovered the secrets of the original God Cloths.
Unlike the Gods of this world, who primarily focused on combat, Yahweh was a master of Laws and Principles. This difference in perspective allowed her to achieve what the other Gods couldn't.
Athena, upon learning of Gabriel's research and her desire to create a God Cloth, Saori had willingly offered her own Cloth for study.
She knew Gabriel's abilities and had hoped that, through her research, they could uncover the flaws in her current Cloth, and perhaps even create a new—more powerful one. After all, even Athena desired a True God Cloth.
——
"Are these—the blueprints for my God Cloth?" Mika asked, looking at the thick stack of papers Gabriel had presented.
Saori also looked at them curiously.
"It's just the initial draft, a Basic—Universal design," Gabriel explained, lounging casually in Mika's chair.
"A basic, universal design?" He was puzzled. While he understood the term, how did it apply to a God Cloth?
"You wouldn't understand," Gabriel chuckled, waving her finger dismissively.
"A God Cloth is meant to enhance the wearer's power. Therefore, it must be perfectly attuned to them in every aspect. This principle applies to the Gold Cloths as well, though it's less noticeable since the Saints' Cosmo is—relatively similar. However, Gods are different. Their divinity, their power, their domains—each one possesses unique properties. A Generic Cloth wouldn't be able to fully unleash their potential."
"I see…" Mika understood now.
Just as he resonated most strongly with the Cancer Gold Cloth, despite being able to wear others, Gods were even more specialized. This was why Athena wore a Sacred Cloth, Hades a Surplice, and Poseidon a Scale.
"Therefore, these are only the basic blueprints. The final design will be tailored to the specific God who will wear it."
"For instance—Mika, have you considered what kind of God you'll become?"
"Me?" He scratched his head, a slight blush creeping up his neck. "Actually... I have."
"Given my current abilities and nature, I'd likely become a God of Fire, Light, the Sun—or perhaps…the Underworld."
"Of course, I've also considered War, Combat, or even Forging."
"I see. Those are—suitable choices," Gabriel said, and Saori nodded in agreement. They understood his reasoning.
Fire stemmed from his magic, his ability to Manipulate Flames.
Light came from the divine power he had inherited.
The Sun encompassed both.
The Underworld was linked to his Demonic Energy.
And War, Combat, and Forging were all reflections of his skills and interests.
He had clearly given this some thought, carefully planning his future path.
"Therefore, for a God of Fire, we would incorporate flame-related designs into the basic blueprint. And for a God of Light, the Sun, or the Underworld, we'd make similar adjustments. In short, each God Cloth is unique, tailored to its wearer. Understand?"
"I understand," Mika confirmed, nodding.
He looked through the blueprints, his expression shifting from initial excitement to confusion, then finally, to resignation.
He wanted to create such a magnificent armor, a work of art imbued with divine power. But he knew, with a heavy heart—that his skills weren't sufficient.
"It seems we'll need the assistance of a—God of the Forge," he said, looking at Gabriel and Saori.
"I'm acquainted with Hephaestus," Saori offered.
"The Hephaestus of this world? No, thank you," Mika said, shaking his head.
While he acknowledged Hephaestus's skill, He didn't want to involve the Gods of this world. They were simply too powerful.
Mika feared Hephaestus might recognize the otherworldly influences in Gabriel's designs—exposing his secret and potentially causing unforeseen complications. He couldn't afford to risk it; he couldn't handle the fallout, and neither could Athena.
"We'll have to choose someone from Orario."
Since forging skill wasn't directly related to combat power, the smith Gods of Orario, though weaker than this world's Hephaestus, were likely just as skilled. And more importantly, he could—manage them.
"A Smith God from our world... that would be either Hephaestus or Goibniu," Gabriel chuckled.
Orario had several smith Gods—but those two were the most renowned.
Almost all the high-level adventurers' equipment came from their respective Familias. She chuckled because of the—coincidence.
Hephaestus, the God of the Forge from Saint Seiya and Danmachi—respectively, were similar, yet different. The most obvious difference was their gender. This world's Hephaestus was male, while Orario's was female.
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