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The more Mika learned about Cosmo, the more he realized it was a power system that required…investment—It relied heavily on Cloths.
Without a suitable Cloth—a Saint couldn't unleash their full potential.
"No wonder the Strongest warriors in this world are all affiliated with the Gods," Mika mused.
"Only those blessed by the Gods, those who wield their Cloths, can achieve true strength."
He suddenly thought of Deathmask, the former Cancer Gold Saint, whom he had initially dismissed as weak—He had believed that even without his Gold Cloth, Deathmask's power should have been significant.
His defeat by Shiryu had seemed uncharacteristic for a Gold Saint.
However, he now realized that Deathmask's loss wasn't entirely due to his own weakness.
Shiryu, after all, was different.
Trained by Dohko, who had mastered the Martial arts and possessed his own unique Cloth—the tiger stripes on his back—Shiryu, too, had a similar advantage. His own dragon tattoo—allowed him to channel his full power even without his Bronze Cloth.
This, combined with Deathmask's lack of a Cloth, had leveled the playing field, giving Shiryu the opportunity to defeat a stronger opponent.
"That makes sense." Mika nodded; he could finally reconcile Deathmask's seemingly weak performance with his status as a Gold Saint.
Of the Gold Saints who died during the Sanctuary battle, he had been the most disappointing. Shura and Camus had sacrificed themselves.
Aphrodite had been defeated by Shun, empowered by Hades.
And Saga had committed suicide after his good side resurfaced.
Compared to them, Deathmask's defeat had seemed ignominious.
Now, however, understanding the circumstances, Mika felt a grudging respect for Shiryu's victory.
He now understood the importance of a God Cloth. His current strength was almost entirely dependent on his Cosmo.
While his other abilities were still formidable—they couldn't match the sheer destructive power granted by Cosmo—a power that placed him among the strongest—even among the Gods.
"However, I still have...that." Mika smiled, recalling a hidden power he had yet to unleash, an ability comparable to Cosmo, capable of significantly enhancing his strength.
While he hadn't used it yet—he knew that once unleashed, it couldn't be deactivated, and it would make his battles against Shaka and the other Gold Saints less—enjoyable.
He had been deliberately limiting himself to Cosmo, not only because his other abilities had already been integrated into it, but also because he wanted to develop his Cosmo-based techniques.
Mika had learned a vast array of techniques from the Gold Saints, each one possessing immense potential. And he now had the knowledge, acquired from the Counter Force, to refine and enhance them.
After all, knowledge, to be truly useful, had to be applied—And these techniques, imbued with fragments of laws—were the perfect vessels for his newfound understanding.
"While I lost to Shaka, my understanding of these techniques has deepened. I can feel them growing stronger. Now that my Cosmo has stabilized—and further progress in that area will take time, I'll focus on refining these techniques. And I have…quite a few to work with."
He still hadn't chosen which ones to focus on, which techniques to hone to perfection.
This, to the other Gold Saints, would have seemed foolish. They, too, studied each other's techniques, but only for inspiration, to enhance their own. Specialization, after all, was the key to mastery.
————
After his return from his meeting with Saori, he had turned his attention towards his Cloth, searching for a way to awaken its true form—its God Cloth state.
According to Saori, all Gold Cloths possessed this potential, having been forged in that state and imbued with Divine blood in the past.
All he needed was to resonate with it, to awaken its dormant power.
After some effort—Mika successfully resonated with his Cancer Gold Cloth, awakening its God Cloth form.
And in that moment, he finally understood the true power of the Eighth Sense.
However, it was a temporary transformation—similar to the Balance Breaker in High School DxD, a state he could access but not maintain indefinitely.
But this wasn't a problem...
In fact, remaining in God Cloth form constantly would be inconvenient.
After briefly experiencing his enhanced power, he deactivated the transformation, returning his Cloth to its Gold Cloth state—then sought out Shaka to continue their training.
The other Gold Saints were no longer a challenge—only Shaka, wielding a Gold Weapon, could truly push him to his limits.
He was the perfect sparring partner.
————
Having chosen Shaka, he dedicated himself to their duels, their battles raging within the confines of pocket dimensions, his mastery of the Gold Saint techniques increasing rapidly.
However, Shaka, a prodigy in his own right, was also improving, his Cosmo, enhanced by his Gold Weapon—pushing Mika to his limits.
Without using his other abilities, Mika couldn't defeat him.
He suffered loss after loss.
He soon reached his one thousandth defeat.
But despite his losses, his smile never faltered.
He was, after all, growing stronger with each battle.
And as long as he was improving, there was no reason for despair.
While Shaka, too, was growing stronger, Mika was confident in his ability to surpass him eventually.
And finally, after one thousand seven hundred and thirty-one defeats, he won.
And with that single victory, he knew he wouldn't lose again.
Just as the stronger Shaka had relentlessly pushed him, giving him no quarter, now, having surpassed him, Mika wouldn't allow Shaka to catch up.
He wouldn't give him the chance.
He dominated their subsequent duels, three victories, ten, one hundred, one thousand—until finally, after one thousand seven hundred and thirty-two consecutive wins, their training concluded.
The gap between them had widened significantly, though even in their final duel, Shaka had still been improving.
However, as Mika had believed, his growth rate was greater.
His victory had been inevitable!
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"One thousand seven hundred and thirty-two wins to one thousand seven hundred and thirty-one losses. I'm still the victor—"
Mika said with a grin, standing amidst the ruins of their training ground, while Shaka lay on the ground, exhausted, his usual serene composure gone.
"If we continued, that gap would only grow wider," Shaka admitted, acknowledging the difference in their power, an outcome he had anticipated.
"So, what's your next move?"
"My next move…? I'm going to try... three at once—" Mika replied with a smile, his plans already formed.
"Three at once? Athena Exclamation?" Shaka instantly understood.
Athena Exclamation (A.E.)—was a forbidden technique, requiring three Gold Saints to combine their Cosmos into a single, devastating attack.
Its destructive power, within a limited area, was said to rival the [Big Bang] itself.
Due to its immense power, it had been forbidden by Athena since the age of myth.
Those who used it were said to be stripped of their title as Saints, their souls damned for eternity. However, despite its forbidden nature, it was a technique used several times in the Saint Seiya series, often by Gold Saints against each other, without any lasting consequences.
And with Saori's approval—Mika could use it in training without any repercussions. He was curious about its power.
He sought out Mu, Shura, and Camus.
They had all reached the cusp of the Eighth Sense, the three he had mentioned earlier as being the closest to that level.
However, there was now another: Aiolia, who had reached that threshold since Mika's return.
This had surprised Mika.
Aiolia, initially among the weaker Gold Saints, had improved significantly.
"It seems I underestimated his potential,"
Mika mused, recalling the various Saint Seiya sequels and spin-offs from his previous life. While he hadn't seen them, he had heard of stories focusing on the Gold Saints, likely filled with…interesting details.
Given the nature of this world, a blend of anime and manga canon, he wasn't concerned about minor inconsistencies.
His current focus was experiencing the power of Athena Exclamation.
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"Athena Exclamation…?" Even Mu, usually so calm and collected, was surprised by Mika's request, as were Shura and Camus.
It was, after all, a forbidden technique, punishable by Athena herself.
Without absolute certainty, without a willingness to accept the consequences, no Saint would dare use it.
Even with Saori's permission, they hesitated...
"If we intend to end this eternal conflict with Hades in this generation, we must be prepared to use every weapon at our disposal—"
Mu said, his voice firm. "—If the situation demands it, I wouldn't hesitate to use Athena Exclamation. Therefore, a little practice isn't a bad idea. However—can you even force us to use it, Mika?"
Camus and Shura nodded in agreement.
They were confident that, even combined, Mika wouldn't be able to defeat them, especially with their Gold Weapons.
Mika, sensing their confidence, smiled.
They were right; against three Gold Saints wielding Gold Weapons, even he might struggle. However, the greater the challenge, the more—intrigued he became.
Besides, he had grown stronger during his training with Shaka. He was eager to face them.
"Then let's begin."
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