As early as those three years, when Meruem first went to the Sanctuary, he had already found Seiya's sister, Seika, and the two had reunited there. Seiya's feelings for Meruem had gone beyond gratitude to respect.
"Shiryu, don't let those words slandering Miss Saori come out of your mouth again. This time I'll let it go. Next time I'll show you the might of the Unicorn." It wasn't just Seiya; Jabu also gave Shiryu a very unfriendly look.
"Hearing you say that puts me at ease. Welcome back, my friends." Hearing Seiya and Jabu's answers, Shiryu didn't get angry. He spoke with sincere warmth.
"Hunh…?" Seiya, not good at thinking, couldn't quite turn the corner.
"Shiryu, what happened to make you say something like that?" Jabu's head worked a bit better than Seiya's, and he immediately sensed something.
There was a touch of helplessness and regret on Shiryu's face. "It's Hyoga. He already obtained the Cygnus Cloth. But… we can't get in touch with him anymore. Most likely… he won't be coming back."
"What? That bastard!" At Shiryu's words, both their expressions changed. Seiya was already furious. Though they'd trained in different parts of the world, they had stayed in touch to some extent. If they lost contact with one, it could only mean he'd done it on purpose or met with misfortune. And Hyoga's master was a Gold Saint, so it could only be a deliberate cut-off. To them, Hyoga's action was tantamount to betrayal.
With no public appearance of the Gold Cloth, no public contest for it, Hyoga had no reason to come back and keep watch.
Between master and friends, Hyoga chose his master.
"It's all right, Shiryu. Hyoga may have his reasons." At that moment, Meruem arrived with Ikki, Shun, and the others, appearing before Seiya and company.
"Long time no see, Seiya. You've grown—and gotten much stronger."
"Lord Meruem." Seiya was a bit excited to see him.
"Huh? Ikki, why are there two Shuns?" After the group had caught up for a while, Seiya stared at Esmeralda—blonde and identical to Shun—and asked, puzzled.
"Idiot Seiya, how could there be two Shuns? That's big brother Ikki's girlfriend, Esmeralda." Before Ikki could explain, Shun jumped in.
"Hello. You're Seiya, right? And you're Jabu? Ikki talks about you two often. Pleased to meet you." Esmeralda smiled at Seiya and the others.
"Wow, her smile is way cuter than Shun's." Seiya's reaction was wildly exaggerated.
"Seiya, you looking to die!" Shun
Maybe because they hadn't seen each other for so long the mood had been a bit stiff at first, but after this bit of horsing around it became lively again.
"Seiya, Jabu—welcome back." Just then, a voice like wind chimes sounded behind them.
Short, pale-violet hair, exquisite features, a hint of gloss on cherry lips. A crown of thorns on her head, a crisp, dashing training outfit, a long spear in hand—Pallas Saori, gallant and radiant.
More beautiful and valiant than the aloof goddess of the original, she carried a singular charm.
The shy girl who used to hide behind Meruem was gone.
If the original Saori was an aloof goddess, and LC's Sasha a cute girl next door, then this Saori was a Valkyrie on the battlefield.
Full of heroic spirit—and irresistibly charming.
"So beautiful." That was Seiya and Jabu's first impression. Not just them—Shiryu, Ikki, and Shun, who had returned earlier, were also captivated by her presence.
"Meruem~" Spotting Meruem among the group, Saori's eyes lit up. She ran lightly to his side.
"Bado and Wang Hu are way too flimsy. Musashi's off who-knows-where. Sister Leizi's and Sister Pitou's training is so boring. Meruem, spar a few more rounds with me later." Saori's words were startling, and they nearly made Seiya and Jabu's jaws hit the floor.
What level were Bado and Wang Hu again? They'd seen the two on their way in. They were nearly on par with their masters.
Truly worthy of Athena…
Faced with a Saori trained up like this, Meruem could only give a wry smile.
She wasn't a pampered lady anymore—but now she was a tomboy.
If her Cosmo fully awakened, this Saori could honestly pound Hades.
"All right, all right, little Saori. You're Athena—your divine power is too much for them. Don't make it hard on them. I'll train with you later." Stroking Saori's head with doting affection, Meruem spoke helplessly.
Strictly speaking, he had raised Saori himself. Calling him her foster father wouldn't be wrong.
"Yay~" Where the others couldn't see, little Saori flashed a victory sign. A short-haired Athena really was the cutest—even if she was all muscle and had an eight-pack.
A silent prayer for Hades—may you not get obliterated.
"Back to business. Since you're back, that means you recognize Saori's identity. You also know the enemy we'll soon face, yes?"
"The Pope, right? The Sanctuary is really strange. The Pope showed up before us many times, but we never once saw the goddess Athena. According to the Pope, Athena always lives in the Goddess Temple. If we didn't know Miss Saori is Athena, we might have been fooled too." Seiya spoke first, unusually serious.
"The only one who'd be fooled is you, dummy. Even not knowing Miss Saori is Athena's reincarnation, the fact that Athena has never appeared before the Saints or the candidates has already aroused suspicion among many Silver Saints in the Sanctuary. They just don't question it out of deference to the Pope. No matter how aloof the goddess is, she wouldn't never appear—not even once. This talk is only in private, though," Jabu shot down Seiya's line at once.
As someone who had sweet-talked the Sanctuary's two beauties, Jabu was green with envy. Which two? Shaina and Marin, of course.
That guy—whether truly dense or just pretending—had more than once seen Marin and Shaina without their masks. And they still couldn't take him out.
Everyone knew the rule about masks for women Saints. No wonder single dog Jabu was jealous to death.
"Heh. So, we'll force that so-called Pope to slip up. He doesn't have Athena. Even if he fakes one, without the goddess's Cosmo it's all for nothing."
"So here's my plan. In a month, at the Graad Foundation venue in District 11, we'll host an event called the Galaxian Wars. Officially under the Graad Foundation's name. The prize will be… the Sagittarius Gold Cloth. With that as the reward, I'm sure plenty of Saints and candidates will be drawn in. And at that moment, Saori will reveal her identity to the world. What do you think the Pope's reaction will be? He absolutely won't be able to produce Athena."
"It'll be… very entertaining."
"The Gold Cloth!" The boys, predictably, were hijacked by those four words. As disciples of Gold Saints and top Silvers, they were no strangers to Gold Cloths. And the lure of a Gold Cloth was fatal to any Saint. Aside from a rare few, what Saint didn't dream of becoming Athena's most loyal warrior?
"What? Someone in District 11 is holding a 'Galaxian Wars' and offering a Gold Cloth as the prize? Outrageous!"
"Your Holiness! The Sanctuary must put a stop to this! I, Babylon, Silver Saint, beg Your Holiness to let me go to District 11 and purge these arrogant men who insult the Sanctuary!"
"I, Asterion, Silver Saint, beg Your Holiness…"
The Sanctuary remained hidebound, but a storm this loud didn't escape them.
In the Saints' eyes, the Graad Foundation's move was pure provocation.
Mere Bronze Saints! Mere mortals!
Yet behind the Pope's mask, Saga felt a twinge of foreboding.
The Sagittarius Gold Cloth had vanished thirteen years ago along with Athena's reincarnation. If the Sagittarius Gold Cloth had reappeared in the world, then Athena's reincarnation…
Frigid Siberia.
"Hyoga, is this truly your decision? This time your task is surveillance. Those people are your former companions. If you regret it, I…"
"My master Camus, even if they were once my companions, I must go. Some things must be done. Even if it means becoming their enemy, I will not regret it." Hyoga looked at his master, Aquarius Gold Saint Camus.
"Very well. If you've decided, I won't stop you."
"Want to witness battles beyond human limits up close? Want to know the power of Saints? Then come to District 11 and buy tickets for the Galaxian Wars. The mysterious Saints will lift their veil before your very eyes."
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