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"Mika?! What are you doing here?" Seiya stared at him, his eyes wide with disbelief.
He couldn't forget their earlier encounter outside Sanctuary, how Mika, who hadn't even awakened his [Cosmo] yet, had effortlessly blocked his attacks.
Mika had followed him to Japan, then vanished, leaving Seiya with unanswered questions. This encounter only deepened the mystery surrounding him.
Shiryu simply nodded in greeting. "Good evening, Mika."
He had become acquainted with Mika during the past few days, as had Hyoga and Shun.
They were all living at the Graad Foundation's guest house, and Mika—was a frequent presence.
"You know Mika, Shiryu?" Seiya asked, surprised.
"Of course. He's Miss Saori's guest, and he's been staying at the villa with us. We're all quite familiar with him, except for you, since you're not staying there." Shiryu was puzzled by Seiya's reaction.
"Really?"
"Yes. By the way, Seiya, I was with Miss Saori during your duel with Shiryu. I'm surprised you didn't notice me."
"I was a bit—preoccupied with the fight," Seiya admitted, scratching his head, embarrassed.
He then turned to Mika, his expression serious. "Since you're staying with Shiryu and the others, we can catch up later. Right now, I need to go after Ikki and retrieve the Gold Cloth."
"Wait, Seiya! You're in no condition to fight!" Miho protested.
But Seiya's gaze was firm as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Don't worry, Miho. I won't die…not until I find my sister."
Sensing his resolve, Miho's objections faltered. Shunrei, after a brief glance at Shiryu, also stepped aside.
"Thank you, Shunrei," he said.
Just as they were about to leave, Mika's voice stopped them.
"Seiya, Shiryu, catch!"
They turned and saw two streaks of emerald green light shoot towards them from Mika's outstretched fingers. The light pierced their bodies, and before they could react, a wave of warmth spread outwards from the point of impact, enveloping them completely.
They felt a surge of energy coursing through them.
"What—what was that?"
"Cosmo, of course," Mika replied with a smile.
"While [Cosmo] excels at destruction, it's ultimately the essence of life itself, With sufficient skill and knowledge, it can even be used for healing. Don't be fooled by its destructive nature."
With that—he turned and walked away.
"Thanks, Mika! I'll repay you when I get back!" Seiya called out.
——
The outcome was the same as in the original story.
They each recovered a piece of the Sagittarius Gold Cloth, which—unlike the Bronze Cloths with their limited coverage, offered near-complete protection, encasing the wearer's entire body.
Therefore, it was comprised of nine pieces: head, shoulders, chest, abdomen, waist, left arm, right arm, left leg, and right leg.
Seiya, Shiryu, Hyoga, and Shun each retrieved a piece: left arm, right arm, left leg, and right leg, respectively.
The Black Saints, after all, had split up to avoid a direct confrontation. Facing four Saints without their own Cloths would have been a risky gamble.
"Fortunately, they avoided a direct confrontation. Seiya and Shiryu are still injured," Saori said, relieved, not concerned about the missing pieces.
She could sense their gratitude, a testament to their growing bond.
After awakening as Athena, she had prioritized mending her relationship with Seiya, her champion, her friend in countless lifetimes. She had visited him—apologizing for her earlier behavior and promising to help him find his sister, regardless of the tournament's outcome.
This had eased Seiya's resentment towards her—though he still hadn't moved into the guest house, preferring to stay in the apartment arranged by his friends from the orphanage.
"But what about the remaining pieces? Ikki still has five of them," Seiya said, his concern for Saori now genuine.
"Don't worry. I just learned that Mika placed a Marker on the Gold Cloth. He can retrieve it at any time."
"Mika?" They all looked at him, and he emerged from behind Saori.
"Good evening, everyone," he greeted them with a smile.
——
He had been leaning against the wall, listening to their conversation with amusement, especially Saori's little white lie. While she had learned about the Marker that evening, it hadn't been after they left to pursue Ikki, but before. He chuckled inwardly, watching them being so easily fooled.
"You can summon the Gold Cloth, Mika?" Seiya asked, intrigued.
"Yes," Mika confirmed.
"Then quickly summon the rest of the Cloth!" Seiya urged him.
"Are you sure?" Mika asked with a smile.
"What do you mean?" Seiya frowned, puzzled.
"Ikki's target is the Gold Cloth. If we don't deter him, he'll keep trying to steal it. We can't defend it forever. Unless you plan to guard it day and night, he will eventually succeed."
"He doesn't know about the Marker yet. But once he does, he'll be prepared. And then…we'll be at a disadvantage," Mika explained.
They fell silent, considering his words.
Mika nodded, pleased. Everything was proceeding according to plan!
He and Saori had already discussed this while Seiya and the others were pursuing Ikki. Their objective was to encourage, or rather—Manipulate, them into confronting Ikki.
After all, if Mika hadn't intervened, they would have clashed with him eventually. Now, they simply had to—remove Mika from the equation and let events unfold naturally.
And the reason for this manipulation? Training.
After awakening as Athena, Saori understood her responsibilities. She would lead the Saints in the Holy War against Hades. But first, she had to return to Sanctuary and reclaim her rightful place. And to do that, she needed to defeat Saga.
According to her childhood memories, which had returned after her awakening, he was the Gold Saint of Gemini, a powerful warrior. And in this era, he was considered the strongest. Almost all the Gold Saints in Sanctuary obeyed his commands.
Therefore, her only allies were Mika and the Bronze Saints. While she believed Mika could reach the [Seventh Sense] before their return to Sanctuary, she couldn't expect him to face the entire Sanctuary alone.
After all, Saints were powerful warriors, many possessing deadly techniques. And she didn't want to put him in such danger.
She needed another powerful ally: Seiya—her champion, reborn alongside her in countless lifetimes. Pegasus, the one who possessed the power to slay gods.
He was her other trump card.
However, Seiya was still a novice Saint—far from ready to face a Gold Saint.
He needed more experience.
Therefore, she had orchestrated these events: Ikki's attack, the future assassination attempts by Sanctuary. She wouldn't return to Sanctuary until Seiya reached the peak of the [Sixth Sense].
Only then would she be confident in his ability to achieve the [Seventh Sense] during their battles against the Gold Saints. And with the support of the Gold Saints loyal to her, she believed they could defeat Saga.
While she could return to Sanctuary now, her [Cosmo] alone wouldn't be enough. As a goddess of wisdom and war, she understood the importance of preparation. She wouldn't act rashly until her two Aces were ready.
"So, our priority is dealing with Ikki, then?" Hyoga spoke, breaking the silence.
"Wait, Hyoga, my brother..." Shun began, his voice filled with concern.
"Shun, we understand how you feel, but Ikki isn't the same anymore. He showed no mercy towards you earlier. That's not something the Ikki we know would do," Seiya said, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"He's changed, Shun. Whether you accept it or not, it's the truth."
Shun fell silent, considering Seiya's words.
"We don't necessarily have to kill him, Shun. That's the worst-case scenario. First, we need to defeat him and find out why he's changed. Perhaps we can help him," Shiryu suggested.
"Really?" Shun's eyes lit up with hope. He didn't want to fight his brother. But if there was a chance to save him, to bring him back, he would do everything in his power.
"Of course there's a chance. In fact—that's precisely our goal," Saori said, joining their conversation.
"After all, Ikki is one of us. While he might have a grudge against Tokumaru, that can be resolved. We need to save him from the darkness that consumes him. That is our duty."
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