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Mika had felt the full force of Athena Exclamation during their clash.
It was a truly extraordinary technique, its power likely stemming from the unique nature of Cosmo itself—In the Saint Seiya universe, everything originated from the Big Bang, the universe itself born from that primordial explosion.
Therefore, all matter, all energy, was essentially Cosmo...
This gave the Cosmo system an incredibly high rank, a level of power Mika himself couldn't have accessed without the Starry Expanse's intervention.
Even the Sixth Sense's ability to shatter atoms was considered a high-level power in other worlds. And the Seventh Sense's light-speed capabilities were beyond the reach of most power systems.
Therefore, the Athena Exclamation, three Gold Saints combining their Cosmos to recreate the Big Bang itself—wasn't only a theoretical concept, but a tangible, world-shattering power.
When he had been engulfed by its power—Mika had experienced a fleeting glimpse of the universe's creation, the very moment of its birth, a profound and awe-inspiring sensation that captivated him. It was a miracle unique to this world.
"Truly…fascinating—"
He replayed the experience in his mind, searching for the right words, the right concepts, to capture its essence, to translate that feeling into a tangible form, a technique he could use and refine.
After much effort... he finally created a new skill, a way to express and utilize the insights he had gained, a tool for future battles.
He immediately sought out Mu, Shura, and Camus, eager to experience Athena Exclamation once more.
And now, having faced it before, he had a better understanding of its power.
He had also spent his time refining his defensive techniques, hoping to find a way to withstand the attack, a challenge that excited him.
Mika always sought to push his limits, to conquer new heights.
Having surpassed Shaka... Athena Exclamation was his next target.
He would dedicate himself to mastering it!
And once he did, if there were no other interruptions—he would turn his attention towards his ultimate goal: His ascension to Godhood.
While that was undoubtedly a more important objective—time, for him, was a meaningless concept. With his ability to travel between worlds and manipulate their time flow, he had all the time in the world, even if the world itself was on the verge of destruction.
He could train until he was strong enough to save it.
Unlike his earlier training, which focused primarily on skill development, his current focus was on understanding the nature of Athena Exclamation, its underlying principles and weaknesses, a more…cerebral challenge that allowed him to simultaneously focus on other matters.
Like Airmid and Mellie, for instance.
During this time, they had inherited the Sagittarius and Pisces Gold Cloths, respectively, a decision made by Athena and Yahweh after careful consideration of their abilities and affinities.
The Sagittarius and Pisces Gold Saints, based on their signature techniques, clearly had different specialties.
Sagittarius, whose core strength lay in its light-speed physical attacks, was more suited to Airmid, a powerful close-combat specialist—While her primary role in their Familia was that of a healer, her physical prowess, enhanced by her Enhancer type Nen, was exceptional.
And while she wasn't proficient with a bow and arrow, that was easily remedied. Having mastered both spear techniques and unarmed combat to Divine-level, learning archery would be a simple matter, her skills quickly reaching the same level of mastery.
After all, both she, Mika, and Mellie had reached a point where all martial arts were interconnected; their mastery of one weapon easily translated to others.
As for Mellie, while also a skilled close-combat fighter, her true strength lay in magic.
And the Pisces Gold Saint's signature techniques, based on various roses with diverse effects—resonated with her own abilities as the Floral Illusionist.
It was with these considerations in mind that Athena and Yahweh had chosen their respective Cloths.
Of course, Airmid and Mellie weren't entirely without opinions on the matter.
Mellie, for instance, had pointed out, somewhat enviously, that Pisces was closer to Mika's temple. While said in jest, there was a hint of truth to it.
After all, since arriving in Sanctuary, they had all been so focused on their training, honing their skills and mastering new techniques, that they rarely saw each other.
Thanks to the pocket dimensions Mika had created, they could train without interruption, pushing themselves to their limits.
This constant training and the availability of healing had made their progress exponential.
However, such intense training took its toll.
Mika, having joined them occasionally, was now facing Shaka in an endless series of duels.
Therefore, they rarely had time to simply relax together.
It wasn't until Mika began his research on Athena Exclamation that they finally had time to reconnect.
——
"I'm so tired—" Mellie groaned, stretching languidly within the Pope's chambers.
Her recent battles against the Gold Saints had been a humbling experience.
Unlike her, a novice at the Seventh Sense, the Gold Saints, after their rigorous training regimen with Mika, were incredibly powerful.
It could be said that, excluding Dohko, a survivor from the previous generation, this was the strongest group of Gold Saints in Sanctuary's history.
Mika, Shaka, and Saga had all achieved the Eighth Sense.
Such a concentration of high-level Saints was rare.
And with the Holy War still to come, the other Gold Saints, several of whom were nearing the Eighth Sense, still had time to improve.
The remaining Gold Saints had all reached the peak of the Seventh Sense.
Facing such powerful opponents, Airmid and Mellie, despite their own considerable strength, were constantly on the defensive, learning through their defeats.
However, thanks to their existing basics and experience from other worlds, their progress was rapid, mirroring Mika's earlier growth.
"Me too," Airmid agreed. "While we were training, the constant progress made us forget our exhaustion. But now that we've stopped…I feel…drained, both physically and mentally."
"Then rest..." Mika said, his expression serious. "You've both been pushing yourselves too hard. The Saints' fighting style is different from what you're used to. You haven't reached their level of—stamina management yet. They can maintain peak performance regardless of their injuries, even on the verge of death—"
This ability to fight at their full potential, regardless of their physical state, was a unique characteristic of Saints.
Normal warriors were limited by their physical condition.
However, a Gold Saint, even mortally wounded, could still unleash their most powerful attacks. They were, in a sense, anomalies. And Airmid and Mellie, while powerful, weren't at that level yet.
Seeing Mika's serious expression, they nodded, abandoning their initial protests.
While they wanted to keep up with him, to be able to support him—his concern made them relent.
Mika, seeing their understanding, relaxed.
He had seen countless stories in his previous life of individuals pushing themselves too hard, trying to match a stronger companion's pace, ultimately leading to their downfall.
He wouldn't let that happen to them.
They chatted casually, discussing their recent experiences, their thoughts, their plans for the future—the only topics they hadn't already exhausted.
"By the way, Mika, what about your other friends? I've heard you mention them, and the other Saints have talked about the Bronze Saints. But I've never seen them. Shouldn't such talented individuals be training here, in Sanctuary?"
Mellie, having heard Mika recount the battle of the Twelve Temples, knew that Seiya and the others, despite being Bronze Saints, possessed incredible potential.
Shouldn't they be here, preparing for the Holy War against Hades?
"They are training, just not here. They're at a…special training facility, undergoing…crucial development," Mika replied with a smile.
He hadn't abandoned the five Bronze Saints.
They were currently training under Dohko at the Five Ancient Peaks.
Since Dohko couldn't leave his post guarding the seal on the Specters, he had taken on the task of mentoring them.
Their current objective was to master the Seventh Sense, to maintain it consistently.
Having passed through the Twelve Temples, their potential was undeniable, their upper limits incredibly high.
They could even achieve feats beyond the capabilities of Gold Saints in crucial moments. However, their lower limits were equally…noticeable.
Their normal Cosmo was only at the Sixth Sense level. While he couldn't help them reach their full potential—that required their own personal breakthroughs—he could help them improve their basics, to stabilize their power.
After the trials of the Twelve Temples, they were ready to achieve the Seventh Sense permanently.
They simply needed time...
In the original story, the time between their becoming Saints and the final battle against Hades had been relatively short, preventing them from fully mastering the Seventh Sense. Now, however, Mika had given them that time.
"Speaking of which, I almost forgot. I was planning to conduct some—experiments on the Cloths," He said, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Experiments?" Airmid asked, curious.
"Upgrading the Cloths, specifically, enhancing Seiya and the others' Cloths to Gold Cloth level. It's essentially creating replicas of Gold Cloths, which would greatly enhance my forging skills and my understanding of Cloths. It will be invaluable for my own God Cloth project."
While their Cloths had been repaired using Gold Saint blood after the battle of the Twelve Temples, they had only been restored to Silver Cloth level.
He wanted to enhance them further, using the process to refine his own skills.
"Dohko sent a message earlier. Seiya and the others have almost completed their training and will be returning to Sanctuary soon."
"It seems I'll have to finish those blueprints."
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