Watching Kairos's dissipating light points, Manigoldo laughed heartily. "Even gods can be defeated!"
Setsuna let out a long breath. "True, but divine power is indeed formidable. This was only a projection of his human body. If it were his true body's power, it might be hundreds of millions of times stronger than this projection. Without comprehending the Seventh Sense, before such an existence, we wouldn't even have the qualification to fight back."
Manigoldo's gaze held yearning. "If we could comprehend the Eighth Sense like the previous Leo Saint, Ilias-sama, perhaps we could truly face gods."
Shion looked at Manigoldo. "You really want to defeat gods?"
Manigoldo smiled, but his smile held a hint of coldness. "I was born with the ability to see spirits. As a child, I watched my family in my hometown get killed one by one by the Specters. Since then, a reverence and hatred for death took root in my heart. I yearn to defeat the God of Death someday!"
Setsuna couldn't help but fall silent, 'No wonder the Saints were so loyal to Athena.'
Truthfully, without Athena's protection, humanity would have long been destroyed.
Like playing with ants, gods also found it hard to feel emotional about killing humans.
In the silent pause, a breeze swept through. The town's bricks and stones gradually weathered, turning into fine sand that drifted away.
Yugo's body began to turn transparent. The man who had guarded the Cloth for over two hundred years revealed a relieved smile.
"Thank you…" His voice scattered along with his body. "I am finally free… Everyone in the town is free too…"
Shion stared blankly at his palm, where Yugo's warmth still lingered.
He was silent for a moment before speaking. "I received the Aries Cloth's memories. Avenir-sama didn't originally belong to this era. With the help of another God of Time, Chronos, he traveled from a future over two hundred years later to the Holy War five hundred years ago."
Manigoldo suddenly understood. "No wonder Uncle Hakurei said that during their era, the Aries Saint, Gateguard-sama, had already died in battle, yet another Aries Saint appeared."
Shion's voice grew softer. "In Avenir-sama's era, the Holy War was lost. The Pope and Athena were beheaded. Humanity faced extinction. That's why, after traveling back to the previous Holy War era, he desperately tried to change that hopeless future."
A breeze carrying sand and dust swept past.
Shion clenched his fist. "That hopeless future might have changed. But what if some future Holy War repeats the tragedy of Avenir-sama's era? Will there be a second God of Time to help humanity change the future?"
For a moment, Shion felt lost. "Hades's army is indestructible. They can fail countless times. But humanity only needs to fail once to face extinction. Just thinking about such a future is despairing."
Manigoldo also fell silent. Such a future truly seemed hopeless.
"Then kill Hades!" Setsuna's voice cut through the heavy air like a blade. "We should carry the belief of truly ending the Holy War, try to slay Hades! If one Holy War isn't enough, then two! Weaken him with each Holy War until we bury that god who governs death!"
Hearing Setsuna's words, Manigoldo and Shion were both shocked speechless.
In this era where divine authority reigned supreme, any disrespect towards gods was a grave sin.
Manigoldo had thought his desire for revenge against the God of Death was already crazy enough. He never expected Setsuna to be even bolder, actually wanting to kill Hades completely!
"What a guy!" Manigoldo laughed, wrapping an arm around Setsuna. "I only wanted revenge against that bastard God of Death. I never imagined you, junior brother, would be even more arrogant than me!"
Setsuna chuckled lightly. "Do only Hades get to slaughter all beings? Why can't we fight back?"
Shion felt his blood boiling hearing this, but still hesitated. "But this world is ultimately ruled by gods. Even if we really kill Hades, won't other principal gods hold us accountable?"
"Then drag all the arrogant gods down from their divine thrones!" Setsuna's aura was murderous. At worst, he could come back after becoming a God of Destruction in the future.
'The two were once again dumbfounded. You seem a bit extreme there.'
…
Time waits for no man. Seasons flow like water. In the blink of an eye, two and a half years passed.
Sanctuary's arena. Sunlight spilled onto the ancient marble floor, reflecting golden light.
Upon the high platform, Sage Pope, draped in white robes, spoke with steady authority. "No one wishes to continue challenging?"
The Bronze and Silver Saints below exchanged glances, ultimately shaking their heads.
None among them had comprehended the Seventh Sense. How could they contend with those two monsters who had entered the Seventh Sense realm at sixteen?
Seeing no response, the Pope nodded slightly and continued. "Since that is the case, Goddess Athena officially recognizes… Shion, Dohko, you two as the Aries Saint and Libra Saint."
His voice echoed throughout the arena. "Now, I bestow upon you these Cloths symbolizing a Saint's honor. Fight to protect Athena, to protect the earth!"
After the ceremony, a tall, slender figure slowly walked out from the crowd.
"Congratulations on officially becoming Saints, Dohko, Shion." Setsuna smiled, congratulating the two newly promoted Gold Saints.
"Setsuna-nii!" Shion and Dohko exclaimed in surprise. "You're back?"
Setsuna nodded slightly. "Yes. This trip had unexpected gains. I'm preparing to report the situation to Master."
Among the crowd, many new Candidate Saints were somewhat puzzled.
"Judging by his Cloth, he seems to be just a Bronze Saint, right?" someone whispered. "Why are the two Gold Saints so respectful towards him?"
"Idiot." The Wolf Saint nearby snorted coldly. "Although that lord is a Bronze Saint, in terms of strength, few among the Gold Saints can rival him."
He paused, a look of reverence appearing in his eyes. "Moreover, the reason that lord is respected isn't just because of strength. He rarely returns to Sanctuary, almost constantly fighting enemies."
"He almost single-handedly cleared the dark creatures from this land. The last time he returned to Sanctuary was when over thirty Specters ambushed him. Yet he still saved an entire nation's people, even captured over a dozen Specters alive, throwing them into Sanctuary's Elysion to atone."
"Like the former Leo Saint, Ilias-sama, he is also called a hero of Sanctuary!"
Hearing the Wolf Saint's account, many Candidate Saints' eyes shone with yearning. Who didn't want to be a hero?
Within Sanctuary's Pope's Chamber, Setsuna reported the details of this mission to Sage Pope.
Setsuna's voice was low. "During the extermination of Specters this time, I obtained unexpected intelligence. Regarding the Leo Saint Ilias's Cloth… and his son's whereabouts."