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While surprised by Mu's ascension to the 8th Sense—Mika wasn't entirely shocked.
Mu possessed the necessary potential.
What did surprise him was the speed of his advancement. He had anticipated it would take Mu several more years, as would Shura, Camus, and Aiolia's own breakthroughs.
After all, the 8th Sense wasn't easily achieved.
It was a state beyond human comprehension, a realm that separated mortals from Gods.
If it were so easily attained, the Gods wouldn't be so—aloof, so revered. After all, the 8th Sense, combined with a God Cloth, was enough to slay a God.
Mika's belief in Mu's potential stemmed not from his memories of the original Saint Seiya story—where Mu hadn't reached the 8th Sense before sacrificing himself to shatter the Wailing Wall.
As a Goddess from another world—Yahweh often explored Sanctuary, her curiosity about its unique power system insatiable—and during her explorations, she had offered guidance to the Gold Saints, her insights earning their respect and admiration.
After all, Yahweh's advice was incredibly effective.
Cosmo, as a combat-focused power system, prioritized strength and destructive power, often neglecting the more esoteric aspects of energy manipulation, the manipulation of laws themselves.
This was why so few individuals, even in this world filled with powerful warriors, had achieved the 7th Sense. And those who had were almost always trained and guided by powerful Gods. Self-taught 7th Sense Saints were incredibly rare.
As for the 8th Sense, a state of transcending life and death, it was even rarer.
Saints, due to the nature of their power, were primarily warriors. Even the Gold Saints focused on combat. Therefore, to comprehend death, they often had to face it directly, their lives constantly on the line.
However, they now had Yahweh, a Goddess whose understanding of laws and principles far surpassed that of most Gods.
And her greatest strength lay in her ability to explain complex concepts in a way that even mortals could grasp, her guidance unlocking hidden potential and accelerating growth.
Mika's own rapid progress was a testament to her exceptional teaching abilities.
Therefore, after receiving her guidance, even the Gold Saints' understanding of Cosmo had deepened significantly, their techniques evolving, surpassing their previous limitations and even the achievements of their predecessors.
Mika had known, after witnessing Yahweh's interactions with the Gold Saints, that they would eventually achieve the 8th Sense—
—It was only a matter of time.
And Mu had been the first, just as Mika had predicted.
"As for how he managed to bypass the usual years of training it likely has something to do with Athena Exclamation," Mika mused. Besides that devastating technique, there was nothing else that could have triggered such a rapid transformation.
To fully understand its nature—Mika had been training with Mu, Shura, and Camus, having them unleash Athena Exclamation repeatedly while he experimented with different methods of countering it. This process had not only deepened his understanding of the technique and its potential variations, but it had also provided Mu, Shura, and Camus with new insights, likely contributing to Mu's breakthrough.
"As expected of someone him," Mika said with a smile, then, remembering the sheer destructive power of Athena Exclamation, even when wielded by three 7th Sense Gold Saints, he couldn't help but wonder about its potential at the 8th Sense level...
"Would it be even more terrifying?"
Even the thought of such power was unsettling. He wouldn't risk experiencing it firsthand without proper preparation.
Before attempting such a dangerous experiment, he wanted to test his strength against three 8th Sense Gold Saints simultaneously: Shaka, Saga, and Mu.
The thought of such a battle excited him.
He was, after all, a closet battle maniac. "But first...I need to upgrade their Cloths. A battle between 8th Sense Gold Saints—I can't fight at full power without a God Cloth. And even with it, facing three of them simultaneously, even without their Gold Weapons, would be a challenge"
Gold Saints fighting together are far more powerful.
And they were incredibly effective as a team—
Athena Exclamation required three Gold Saints working together. And while it was a forbidden technique, every Gold Saint knew how to use it. This spoke volumes about their teamwork abilities.
Therefore, without his full power, and without his other abilities, Mika couldn't defeat three Gold Saints simultaneously, even if they weren't wielding Gold Weapons.
Therefore, upgrading their Cloths wasn't just for their benefit, but for his as well.
"That's settled, then—" Mika went to find Athena, who was currently overseeing the Gold Saints' training.
"I see. Since you've made up your mind, then let's proceed," She said, nodding. She wouldn't deny his request, and besides, she was also curious about the outcome.
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The next day.
Mika summoned Shaka, Saga, and Mu to the Pope's chambers.
"Athena will be upgrading your Cloths, enhancing them to unleash your full potential. Use this power wisely, and may it guide you to victory in the upcoming Holy War."
"We won't disappoint you, Athena,"
They said, kneeling before her, their voices filled with gratitude and awe.
Such an honor was unprecedented.
While 8th Sense Gold Saints were rare, but not unheard of, none, in Sanctuary's long history, had ever received an upgraded Cloth, elevated to the level of a God Cloth—They were the first.
They knew this was somehow connected to Mika, but the reason didn't matter.
What mattered was that they had been chosen.
"Then, Athena, please bestow your blessing upon them—" Mika stepped aside, allowing Athena to take center stage.
She looked at them, a gentle smile on her face.
The changes Mika had brought to Sanctuary were finally bearing fruit.
8th Sense Gold Saints—warriors capable of challenging Gods. Without such power, they wouldn't stand a chance against the Gods of the Underworld.
Even if they did achieve victory, it would come at a great cost. And Athena, in this lifetime, determined to end the eternal cycle of Holy Wars against Hades—didn't want to see any more of her Saints die.
Therefore, she, too, would unleash her full power.
"May this power protect you—" She waved her hand, and three distinct energies, imbued with her divine blessing, flowed towards their Cloths, which began to glow, their surfaces shifting, their forms changing.
Their Cosmos surged, resonating with their transforming armors. The surge of power was so intense that it drew the attention of all the Saints in Sanctuary.
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"What's happening?"
"Could it be?" Milo, sensing the immense power, emerged from his temple.
Milo recalled the three Gold Saints who had been summoned to the Pope's chambers earlier.
And there were three distinct Cosmos now surging. He couldn't help but wonder. Similar scenes were unfolding throughout Sanctuary.
While they didn't know what was happening, the sheer power emanating from the Pope's chambers had captured their attention.
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Within the hall, Shaka, Saga, and Mu's Cloths continued to transform, their golden hues now tinged with a divine radiance.
Their Cosmos grew stronger!
"It seems you'll need some time to acclimate yourselves to this newfound power. Return to your temples and train. Come back in three days; I have another task for you," Mika said, his voice filled with anticipation.
"Yes, Your Holiness. We will return." They stood and quickly departed, eager to explore their enhanced Cloths.
Mika smiled, watching them go, then turned to Athena.
"I thought you would need to use your blood to upgrade their Cloths. But it seems their own Cosmo was enough," Mika remarked.
"They've reached the necessary level," Athena replied, shaking her head slightly. "Unlike other Cloths, the Gold Cloths are crafted from the finest materials, their purpose, after all, to protect the Saints in their battles against Gods."
After all, in this world, ordained by Zeus himself, Hades ruled the Underworld, while Athena was the protector of Earth.
And while Hades commanded numerous lesser Gods in his realm, Athena, whose duty was to safeguard humanity and the Earth itself, had no such entourage.
She fought against those who threatened her domain, the Evil Gods who sought to conquer or destroy it.
Therefore, the Twelve Gold Saints, her champions, were created to battle these Gods. And to face such powerful foes, their Gold Cloths were originally forged as God Cloths.
However, as the ages passed, and the Holy Wars against Hades grew less intense, with many of the Underworld's Gods either sealed away or destroyed, the need for such powerful armors diminished, their God Cloth forms fading, leaving only the Gold Cloths.
"It was because of the Holy Wars' decline in intensity that humanity was able to truly flourish," Athena explained.
"In those ancient times, the battles between Gods were devastating, practically apocalyptic. Humanity couldn't survive such conflicts."
"I see..." Mika nodded, understanding now. He imagined thirty or more God-level beings unleashing their full power upon the Earth—
—It would be a massacre, no amount of humans enough to satisfy their destructive urges.
No wonder recorded human history spanned only a few millennia, while the Holy Wars had raged for eons, since the age of myth.
Such battles left no room for civilization to flourish...
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