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*****
"Mythological Lightning!"
Loki gazed at George and the eight God Warriors with eyes full of contempt. With a casual lift of his hand, nine bolts of pitch-black lightning erupted forth.
"This is the divine thunder our Norse pantheon uses to punish the gods themselves. Now, I use it to strike down you sinners who dare blaspheme!"
"Agh!!!"
The eight God Warriors, suppressed by Loki's overwhelming divine Cosmo, had no chance to dodge. They were struck directly by the black thunder, collapsing instantly as their strength failed them.
However, the bolt aimed at George was met with a simple flick of a finger, sending it spiraling harmlessly into the distance.
"Is that all?" George asked.
"Oh? It seems I underestimated you." Loki's expression shifted to one of slight surprise. He quickly gathered a black energy sphere, dense with malice, in his palm.
"I've suddenly had a wonderful idea," George said, a peculiar look crossing his face. "Historical Void Projections!"
George's avatar specialized in the Fool pathway, allowing him to exercise its authorities to their fullest. He reached into the foggy history of the multiverse to summon a few old friends.
"I am Thor, the God of Thunder! For the glory of Asgard!" A version of Thor, wielding Mjolnir in one hand and Stormbreaker in the other, stepped out from the void.
"HULK!" A green giant, radiating gamma energy, followed close behind.
"I will find a way to save Christine!" The third to emerge was a three-eyed Doctor Strange.
"I am Iron Man." Finally, Tony Stark stepped forth, clad in Uru-infused steel armor.
With the four projections gathered, George waved a hand. "Avengers, Assemble!"
The four immediately swarmed the Evil God Loki. Because George's main body had cooperated with the Time Variance Authority across various universes, he had seen many versions of the Avengers. The projections he summoned weren't just from one world; they were the heavy hitters—Worldbreaker Hulk and the Dark Doctor Strange.
"What is this... Heroic Spirit summoning?" Loki's brow arched. He hadn't expected the Pope of the Sanctuary to be versed in such arts. Curiously, one of the spirits bore a striking resemblance to his own annoying brother. "Only four? Your technique is lacking."
Loki sneered and initiated his own summoning, calling forth hundreds of armored Einherjar with his divine power.
"What—"
His sneer froze halfway. The ancient heroic spirits he summoned were being mown down like wheat. In less than three seconds, they were annihilated. The power gap was a literal abyss.
"Then die!" In a fit of rage, Loki hurled his black energy sphere.
But before the orb could reach the four, Dark Strange painted a circular gateway in the air, swallowing the attack. It reappeared directly behind Loki, detonating and sending the god flying.
"For the glory of the Northern Gods!" Thor descended from the sky, wreathed in endless lightning, slamming both hammer and axe down onto Loki's head.
Iron Man followed up immediately, his Uru-armor unleashing a continuous barrage of magical energy beams. When Loki finally crawled out of the crater, he found himself hoisted by the ankle.
He tried to strike back, but in his battered state, he couldn't even pierce the Hulk's skin. What followed was a humiliating, back-and-forth "ragdoll" thrashing.
By the time the Hulk let go, Loki was lying flat on his back, questioning his very existence as a deity.
"Disperse," George commanded.
The projections vanished. George stepped forward and struck Andreas Rise on the forehead, forcibly ejecting Loki's soul. He then pulled out a high-tech rice cooker and used the Evil Sealing Wave to trap Loki inside.
"Heal."
A burst of restorative magic mended the eight God Warriors. George then returned to the Sanctuary and handed the "Loki-cooker" over to Saori Kido. Whether she returned him to Odin or kept him as a bargaining chip was her choice. Knowing her, she would likely use the incident to ensure the Norse pantheon remained neutral in the coming conflict.
The next morning, Saori summoned George.
"As a gesture of gratitude for Loki's return, Odin shared the results of the Heavenly Council's judgment with me."
"I assume it wasn't good news," George noted, seeing her grim expression.
Saori sighed. "No. But I feel our chances of winning are low. Perhaps there is a softer way to resolve this."
The death of Hades and the Twin Gods had sent shockwaves through the Heavens. The Olympians were incensed that Athena had slain her uncle for the sake of "ants." The Heavenly Council had decided to dispatch Artemis (Goddess of the Moon), Hephaestus (God of Fire), and Ares (God of War) to the mortal realm. They would lead their respective armies—the Angels, the Berserkers, and the Flame Warriors—to execute every Saint as punishment for their blasphemy.
Saori's first instinct was to surrender her rule over the Earth and take the punishment herself to save the Saints.
"Saori-san, I know what you're thinking," George analyzed calmly. "But you must understand the gods' attitude. Once another deity takes control, humanity will eventually be wiped out for some perceived slight. Especially with Ares involved—he hasn't forgotten his past defeats at your hands. He won't be merciful. And you know the Saints; they won't just sit by while you're taken to the Heavens. They'll storm the gates anyway."
"But..." Saori hesitated.
George stepped closer. "If you are worried about Apollo, I have a solution."
"What solution?"
George smiled. "Saori-san, you've realized that my power isn't exactly... normal."
"That doesn't matter," she replied with a smile. "What matters is that you use it for justice."
"Do you know the origin of the universe and the birth of the gods?" George asked.
"Of course," she recited her inherited memories. "The Great God Chronos triggered the Big Bang. From that explosion, the 'Will of the Gods' was born, scattering through the universe to create the stars and planets."
George nodded. "That is correct, but incomplete. Before the Big Bang, this world already existed. There were Great Old Ones, and Chronos was merely one of them. My power comes from another Ancient God, one whose strength exceeds even that of Chronos. He has created many worlds of his own."
"An Ancient God?" Saori blinked. The Athena within her stirred, unfamiliar with this lore.
"Yes. If you are willing, I can help you borrow strength from this Great Being. Believe me, if He grants you power, even Apollo will be no match for you." George's eyes were full of "sincerity."
He wasn't lying. If she agreed, George's main body—the "Mystery" avatar waiting outside this universe—could grant her power far beyond Poseidon or Hades.
Athena was one of the twelve core Master Gods; she was intrinsically linked to the essence of this world. If she established a mystical connection with George's main body, he could use that link to slowly "anchor" himself and devour the entire universe. Since the original Creator of this world was long gone and only Chronos remained as a manager, George's main body was confident he could complete the takeover before being noticed.
"Is He truly that powerful?" Saori asked.
George stomped his foot, and a mystical ritual circle appeared on the floor. "Try it and see. If you are willing, stand here and recite the Honorable Name of the Great Being with me. You will receive a response immediately."
Saori hesitated for a moment, then stood opposite George. She was a woman of resolve; if it meant saving her Saints and protecting humanity from the Olympians, she would take the risk.
"The God who walks through the myriad realms...
You who are the Thousand, the Creator of Infinite Worlds...
You are the Multiverse, and the Multiverse is You...
Your presence is everywhere, the True Governor of the Heavens and Earth...
I pray for Your strength, the strength to defeat the Gods!"
As she finished the prayer, Saori felt her Cosmo transcend space and time. She found herself in a primal chaos, facing a presence so vast she didn't dare look up. Then, a voice boomed:
"I grant you the power of the Moon!
I grant you the power of the Earth!
I grant you the power of Lightning!
I grant you the power of the Sun!
I grant you the power of Fate!
I grant you the power of Judgment!"
"My Cosmo!" Saori gasped.
Athena's Cosmo was expanding at a geometric rate. She felt herself mastering six distinct Authorities: Moon, Sun, Lightning, Motherhood, Fate, and Judgment. In that instant, her power had increased ten-thousand-fold. Apollo? She felt she could take on the entire Greek pantheon single-handedly.
Outside the Saint Seiya universe, George's "Mystery" avatar felt the connection lock into place. He began to subtly shroud the world in his influence, slowly digesting this mega-universe.
By granting Saori these "Boons"—which included corresponding Sefirot—he made her his anchor. The more gods she defeated and the more authority she seized, the faster George could swallow the world.
"The connection is established," George whispered to himself. The endgame had begun.
(End of Chapter)