How many ways are there for a Cloth to evolve?
Every Cloth grows and evolves alongside a Saint's battles and training; this is the most orthodox method. Unless the damage is severe, the Cloth itself will automatically repair.
However, with the exception of special Cloths like the Phoenix Cloth, there is a limit to a Cloth's repair capabilities. If a Cloth is damaged beyond its limit, it will lose its life, leading to the Cloth's death.
However, in such cases, if a repairer with the function of Cloth repair baptizes it with the blood of a powerful Saint, the baptized Cloth will be reborn into a stronger form.
Cloths baptized with the blood of a Gold Saint even have the potential to reach Gold-level standards, inheriting the characteristics of the Saint whose blood was used for the baptism. For example, in the Poseidon Arc, the Five Bronze Saints underwent such a transformation.
At this moment, for Yato, his Unicorn Cloth was demonstrating such a miraculous scene.
Amidst light and flames, the Unicorn Cloth, enveloped in fire, pulsed with arcs of light around its form. The Cloth was reforged amidst its fragmentation; its original bronze hue was melted and refined into a more brilliant color, revolving around Yato. The flowing molten gold continuously collided and burned, impurities turning to ash and falling away, while the Cloth encasing Yato grew increasingly radiant.
The Pope's gaze slowly shifted from the Cloth before him to Seiya. Although Cloth repair techniques were rare, he also possessed them. What truly astonished him was the divine aura displayed during this tempering process.
He could clearly identify the other party as Pegasus Seiya, yet that awe-inspiring divinity was undeniably present.
"Do you know what I'm thinking?" an old man with a similar appearance to the Pope, standing behind him, asked, watching the scene unfold with crossed arms.
"Ophiuchus…" Pope Sage began. "The Thirteenth House among the legendary Twelve Gold Saints, revered as a Gold Saint who became a god."
Son of Apollo, the Sun God, and Princess Coronis of Thessaly, he existed only in the Age of Myth, a being as great and merciful as a god. He behaved nobly, healing all injured people with his medical arts, saving people from illness, and could even bring the dead back to life. Unbeknownst to himself, he came to be called a god by the world.
Although human, he simultaneously possessed power capable of challenging heavenly authority. Or rather, he himself was a Saint who was the reincarnation of a divine soul. Thus, in a human body, he also held god-like Authority.
"Does the current state of Pegasus remind you of that legendary Saint?" the old man behind him quietly asked.
"Naturally, his legendary end was also tragic.
Over time, the world's praise led Ophiuchus to believe he was worthy of standing alongside gods.
But when his true ambition progressed from becoming human to becoming a god, this act of challenging divine authority enraged the Gods. The Ophiuchus Gold Saint was expelled from Sanctuary, and even his very existence vanished, along with the Gold Constellation he represented."
In later generations, Ophiuchus was reborn merely as a Silver Saint's Cloth.
"As remnants of the previous generation, we do not need to consider future matters." Pope Sage's lips curved upwards, feeling only joy for the current Pegasus.
"A Saint comparable to a god as our trump card is enough to secure victory in this Holy War, and even lay a more solid foundation for the next Holy War a century from now."
And because of Seiya's appearance, Pope Sage completely made up his mind.
As everyone departed one after another, Pegasus Seiya and Goddess Sasha exchanged one last glance.
Seiya felt that Goddess Sasha seemed to have something to say to him, but it was not convenient at the moment.
In the Sea of Demonic Roses, Pisces Albafica, holding a white rose, looked up, listening to the melodious chime from the Pope's Palace.
In the Sanctuary Defense Zone, Capricorn El Cid gazed up at the golden halo at the peak of Sanctuary.
Taurus Hasgard, who was teaching his students, stopped wielding the wooden staff he used as a teaching tool. At this moment, all felt the Pope's summons, whether they were Gold Saints or fledgling Bronze and Silver Saints.
In the Sanctuary Training Ground, the youth, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. At that very moment, he swung a divinely inspired punch towards the sun directly above him.
Furious lightning ions, in the form of a golden lion, streaked across the sky like a meteor. As the combat technique was successfully unleashed, applause erupted beside him.
"Incredible, it seems you've completely mastered Elder Ilias's Lightning Combat Technique."
The youth, Regulus, son of the Strongest Saint, and nephew of Sagittarius Sisyphus, was also the most talented Saint of this Holy War, and perhaps in history. Even Gold Saints could not foresee the limits of his potential, for it was an immeasurably vast future.
But for now, Regulus was still a callow boy.
He looked in the direction of the applause; the arrivals were none other than Shion and Dohko. They looked at the youth in the center of the training ground, even younger than Yato, their eyes filled with awe.
"Compared to my father, I'm still far behind."
At this moment, the youth finally revealed the shyness appropriate for his age. He looked towards his uncle standing not far away, and Sagittarius Sisyphus nodded at him, acknowledging his effort.
"Excessive humility is arrogance. With your strength, you are fully qualified to wear that helmet." Dohko wrapped an arm around his neck, then looked at Sagittarius not far away.
"Sisyphus, you heard that chime, didn't you?"
"It seems the moment of final battle has arrived." Sagittarius looked up at the halo at the peak of Sanctuary, then walked beside the youth and patted his back.
"Since even Dohko and Shion acknowledge you, let's go. Let's go together."
As rays of light arrived at their rightful positions, the doors of the Pope's Palace opened one after another. At the pinnacle of all Saints, the Gold Saints of the Twelve Zodiac Palaces stood on either side.
—Libra Dohko, Scorpio Kardia, Sagittarius Sisyphus, Pisces Albafica.
—Aries Shion, Taurus Hasgard, Capricorn El Cid, Aquarius Degel.
The youth Regulus, holding the Leo helmet, looked at all the Gold Saints before him, his heart filled with excitement and nervousness. Then, at the subtle glance from his uncle Sisyphus, he quickly jogged to the empty spot beside him and stood tall, chest out.
He looked at the Goddess seated on the throne, holding the golden scepter, and at Sage, dressed in Pope's robes, standing beside the Goddess, along with the old man whose face resembled his. Looking further down, there were numerous Bronze and Silver Saints, many of whom were his friends from his time as a trainee.
"Uncle, now that everyone's here, why haven't we started?" Regulus sent his question to his uncle beside him using telekinesis, but his uncle merely signaled him with a glance not to speak.
Then, he heard the thirteenth chime, something that would normally be impossible to hear!
As the chime resonated, the great doors of the Pope's Palace slowly opened. But these Gold Saints stood in formation, all gazing at the Saint who appeared from against the light.
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