Just then, the temple was suddenly veiled in a layer of clear, cold, bright moonlight.
A goddess, wearing a divine cloth, holding a silver longbow, and surrounded by hazy moonlight, as if walking out of the moonlight, quietly appeared in the center of the temple.
Artemis, the Moon Goddess!
Her cold gaze swept over Seiya and the other four, finally resting on Saori. "Athena, my sister, you are a noble god, one of the twelve Olympians..."
"Yet you have willingly degraded yourself, associating with these insignificant humans, even reincarnating as one of them. This is already a blasphemy against the gods!"
"And now, you dare..." Her voice suddenly turned sharp. "Personally kill another god… Hades! Your sin is simply unforgivable!"
Hearing Artemis's rebuke, Seiya couldn't help but retort: "Are you saying that just because Hades can wantonly kill humans, humans don't even have the right to resist?"
"Of course not." Artemis said matter-of-factly. "Whether rain or thunder, both are the blessings of the gods. Insignificant humans have no right to refuse."
"You..." Seiya was angered by this unreasonable argument and was about to continue retorting, but was interrupted by Saori.
Saori sighed softly and asked, "Sister, what is the punishment of the gods for me?"
Artemis's voice was cool and clear. "Athena, you have lost the qualification to rule this earth as a god."
"Therefore, the decision of the gods is that you will hand over the ruling authority of this earth to me, Artemis, to rule."
"As for you..." Artemis was silent for a moment. "You will go to Heaven to accept the judgment of the gods!"
'Hand over the ruling authority of the earth? And accept judgment?'
Seiya and the others were so angry their eyes seemed to split, shouting loudly: "Saori-sama, you must not agree to her!"
However, unexpectedly, Saori did not resist.
She handed over the Nike staff, which symbolized her authority and power.
"Sister, is this enough?"
Artemis took the staff, and Saori added, "Sister, I have one more request."
"Please ask the gods to forgive the sins of these Saints. Let me bear the blame for killing a god alone!"
"Therefore, please do not harm Seiya and the other Saints..."
"Saori-sama!" Seiya could no longer hold back, tears streaming down his face.
He wanted to rush over, to tell the goddess that they did not need such a sacrifice.
But the moment he shouted, Saori lightly waved her hand.
A gentle force isolated the space around Seiya and the others. They could hear sounds but could not enter this domain.
Artemis spoke slowly: "Athena, you know what this means, don't you?"
"I know." Saori nodded calmly. "It means I will be deprived of my identity as a god, lose eternal life. Perhaps I will also experience birth, aging, sickness, and death as a human, my soul falling into reincarnation..."
Artemis sighed softly. "Compared to the nearly eternal time of the gods, human life is like a momentary flash of starlight. I hope you won't regret this."
The next moment, the entire Sanctuary began to shake violently.
Artemis was using her divine power to transform this sacred mountain.
Those magnificent palaces, towering statues, winding stone steps, and even every blade of grass and tree... which had endured since the Mythological Era and were steeped in the hearts and blood of generations of Saints, were all erased by this vast divine power.
Then, a brand new temple, condensed from moonlight, rose up, standing on the peak of the Sanctuary, replacing the original location of the Athena Temple.
Seiya and the other four stared blankly at all this. In the blink of an eye, the Sanctuary in their memories had already changed.
Before they could react, a gentle breeze threw them out of the sacred mountain.
"Saori-sama!"
The five fell awkwardly to the ground, looking up at the unfamiliar moon temple on the mountaintop, letting out angry roars.
"Go back! I'm going back to rescue Saori-sama!" Seiya's eyes were bloodshot. He struggled to charge up the mountain.
"Stop, Seiya!" Ikki grabbed him. His expression was equally grim, but since it wasn't Shun who had been captured, he could still maintain his composure.
"The enemy is a true god! Without Athena's protection, on what basis can we oppose such an existence?"
"Going back now, besides throwing away our lives for nothing and making Saori-sama's sacrifice meaningless, will serve no purpose."
"What should we do? Are we just going to watch..." Shiryu clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms.
Ikki took a deep breath. "Find powerful reinforcement!"
"Powerful reinforcement?" Hyoga was stunned. "At this time, who can still oppose the gods of Heaven?"
"There is one person..." Ikki slowly uttered the name. "That legendary Pope, Chiaki Setsuna!"
"Setsuna-senpai?" Seiya was stunned. "But didn't Saori-sama say that all Specters would be destroyed along with the Underworld?"
Ikki's tone was firm. "I don't believe it. How could that Pope, as powerful as a god, simply perish?"
"Don't forget, he is a monster who could even take people from the God of Death, even create worlds!"
"If there is anyone in this world who can oppose the gods of Heaven, besides Saori-sama, it would likely be him!"
...
Underworld, at the edge of the collapsing core area, a palace that had not yet been consumed by the chaos.
This palace seemed to be self-contained, drifting outside the Underworld.
The rampant energy turbulence, upon approaching the palace's vicinity, was quietly smoothed out by an invisible and stable force field, maintaining an eerie tranquility within.
On the throne in the center of the palace, Setsuna sat calmly, as if the destruction outside was just a grand drama.
Just then, two disheveled figures burst into the palace. They were the Twin Gods.
When they saw the composed Setsuna on the throne, their estimation of him involuntarily rose once more.
Such bearing, such temperament… worthy of the one they believed could become the God of Death.
Seeing them, the corners of Setsuna's mouth curved into a smile.
"Oh? If it isn't the great gods Hypnos and Thanatos? With such a huge upheaval happening in the Underworld, instead of trying to stabilize it, how do you have the time to come to my humble Heavenly Chief Star palace?"
Hypnos took a deep breath and got straight to the point. "In fact, that is precisely why we have come. We want to ask you to become the new God of Death!"
"God of Death?" Setsuna raised an eyebrow, his expression a mixture of surprise and shock, then he lightly shook his head.
"No. I refuse."
"?!" Thanatos couldn't help but step forward, his voice urgent. "Do you know what you're saying? That's the God of Death, the supreme ruler of the Underworld!"
"His status is almost equal to that of the 'King of Gods', Zeus! And you're refusing?"