"This is..." Pope Sage and the other Gold Saints looked on with confusion at the Pegasus Saint, whose Golden Sword's blade had pierced the chest of the rebellious, malevolent Saint.
Simply suppressing these rebellious Silver Saints, even with their Specter-amplified powers, was something any Gold Saint present could achieve. What truly astonished them, however, was that these Saints, originally believed to be rebels, once again displayed their familiar smiles.
Hades' power was being dismantled—or more precisely, shattered—which in turn revealed the true faces of these rebellious Saints.
"Athena, Athena...." The Silver Saints raised their hands in their fading consciousness, but then they felt their hands being held.
When they regained consciousness, they found the Goddess standing before them. "I... I'm so sorry, I...."
"My dear ones, I can feel how much agony you must have endured, with your Cosmos still being manipulated even after death." Sasha shed tears.
The agony of having their Cosmos manipulated by Hades even after death, the deep-seated plea from their very souls, the call of their will hidden within their bodies—only Sasha, as the reincarnation of Athena, could truly perceive this.
They were still her Saints, devoted followers, yet after death, they had to suffer such an ordeal. This pain, she could fully sense.
"Athena, we truly wished to remain by your side, to defend this glory..."
As they spoke these words, their bodies, including their Cloths, disintegrated into dust.
"They actively disintegrated their own Cosmos; in essence, they committed suicide," Pope Sage stated, gritting his teeth. "Hades truly is inherently malevolent. To display such loathsome and unbearable acts right after his revival!"
"Your subordinate, Manigoldo of Cancer, the Gold Saint, requests to be dispatched! I will cleanse us of this humiliation Hades has inflicted upon us!" Manigoldo, who had long wished to exact revenge upon Hades, seized this opportunity to volunteer for combat.
"To tarnish the Goddess's glory is to carve upon my face!" Albafica of Pisces, the Gold Saint, requested to be dispatched! Albafica, the most beautiful Saint present, was the second to respond.
"Rather than defending passively, it is better to attack proactively. Degel of Aquarius, the Gold Saint, will surely wash away this humiliation for you!" The handsome Degel looked up at the Goddess.
"Me too." Hasgard of Taurus, the Gold Saint, a burly figure and one of the three veteran warriors who had first obtained their Gold Cloths, stepped forward.
Sasha looked at the Saints before her. All were highly motivated, differing only in whether they preferred proactive attacks, waited for enemies to enter their encirclement, or held a fixed defense.
"I understand," Sasha said, raising her arm. Her commanding aura silenced the Gold Saints. "It is foreseeable that Hades' Army has already begun its movement. From now on, heed the Pope's counsel, fortify Sanctuary's defenses, and prepare to meet them."
"As you command, Goddess," the Pope and the Gold Saints replied, accepting the order.
"Also, Dohko, Shion."
"Yes," the two young Gold Saints replied, kneeling on one knee.
"I deeply appreciate your efforts," Sasha smiled softly.
Seeing the Goddess's smile, all their reluctance and humiliation vanished at that moment.
"Have the other Silver Saints and Bronze Saints prepare for the coming Holy War. Remember to care for their morale and sacrifices. This task I entrust to you, Sage."
"Understood," Pope Sage nodded.
All the Saints departed the Temple in order, with Dohko and Shion leaving last. They looked at the tightly closed Temple gates, their hearts filled with myriad emotions.
The Goddess was too strong, or rather, Sasha herself was too strong.
They were merely angry at the defiled Saints and the Goddess's sullied glory. While they could sense the pain of the manipulated Silver Saints, Sasha could not possibly be without sorrow. Yet, within the Temple, they could only perceive Sasha's unwavering strength.
But ultimately, she was still just a child. Or rather, every Holy War, every reincarnation, was simply too cruel to this little girl.
She didn't even have anyone by her side to share her pain... But then again, that wasn't true anymore.
"That's right," Shion and Dohko suddenly remembered something.
"What about the Pegasus Saint who came with them? Where's Tenma?" As their gaze swept around, they found him completely gone.
In the Goddess's palace, Tenma wondered if he should be there, but Athena's message compelled him to come.
Behind the curtain was the white-robed Goddess. Sasha was also looking at him, and Tenma hesitated. He didn't know whether he should kneel or go over and caress her head as he did in his memories.
As he pondered, a purple figure had already fallen into his embrace. The familiar scent of jasmine enveloped his entire body.
"Tenma! Brother Alone... why is Alone Hades? Why would such a kind person become like this?! Why did we turn out this way?!"
In this long-awaited embrace after so many years, Sasha could finally release the loneliness and pain she had endured.
Tenma felt the girl's slight sobs. After taking a deep breath, he gently stroked Sasha's head.
In this moment, she was not the Goddess, but a girl—his "sister," Sasha.
After a long period of quiet sobbing and emotional release, Sasha's emotions gradually stabilized. "I'm sorry, truly, I... This was supposed to be our reunion, but I'm still so immature.... Hmm, wait, what's wrong with your chest?!"
After calming down, Sasha finally realized something was amiss. The chest she had just rested upon, Tenma's chest, carried the aura of her brother, Alone. Thinking of the manipulated Silver Saints earlier, Sasha's face turned pale, and a rare look of fear appeared in her eyes. Disregarding Tenma's protests, she forcefully tore at his chest garment.
Tenma couldn't stop her, and only the sound of ripping fabric echoed in the air.
There was no sign of hesitation; only heartache was visible in Sasha's eyes.
On his chest, a fresh wound was visible, its edges still oozing with faint traces of an incredibly pure and powerful Hades' aura. Compared to the Hades' aura that manipulated the Specters, this was like the difference between foam and steel.
"It's nothing, don't worry. It's not a serious injury," Tenma said with a smile, stroking her head. "See? I'm full of vigor now, I could fight a few more rounds with a God without a problem!"
Sasha felt both confusion and relief, because she sensed that Tenma wasn't lying. The Hades' attack that pierced his chest hadn't killed him; now, it wasn't even a fatal wound and would likely fully heal within a few days.
"During the time I was away, I achieved some special training results. I know your worries, and I promise you—"
Suddenly, Tenma knelt on one knee. Under Sasha's somewhat flustered gaze, he took her right hand and kissed her index finger.
"—I will never let you cry again. All the things you worry about and fear, I will stop them!"
The Incarnation of Strong Wind continuously transmitted messages. Tenma could feel that the Realm of the Gods was frantically discussing him, mentioning him—the God-Slayer Pegasus who had harmed Hades. But they didn't know that merely discussing him could bring them harm.
Tenma didn't know how much damage that one attack he dealt to Alone had truly inflicted, but regardless, he certainly wouldn't recover faster than Tenma himself. Once Tenma was fully healed, that would be the moment the battle reignited.
"Wait for me, Alone. This time, I will seize the initiative."
______
New History: A heart of Ice With a Romance System.
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