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Designing upgraded Cloths for the five main Bronze Saints hadn't taken Mika long.
He had been studying the far more complex God Cloths, and their eventual evolution into Divine Cloths was well within his current capabilities—
Having seen their final forms, and using his reverse-engineering skills, creating the blueprints had been a simple matter.
Now came the practical application, which was even easier.
He had created numerous useful items during his travels, his skills enhanced by his Blacksmith development ability. His practical skills far surpassed his theoretical knowledge.
All he needed to do now was wait for the five Bronze Saints to return—and they didn't keep him waiting long—they arrived at Sanctuary soon afterward.
"You're finally back."
Mika, who had been studying in his office, stood up to greet them, his gaze sweeping over them. He patted each of them on the shoulder, a smile playing on his lips. "You've all grown. It seems your training has been fruitful."
During the battle of the Twelve Temples, they had still been adolescents, their bodies, though trained to the peak of human potential, still carrying a youthful softness.
Now, years later, they had matured, both physically and mentally, their auras more refined.
"Of course! We haven't been slacking off—" Seiya said, grinning as he stepped forward and playfully punched Mika in the chest. "—You, however, haven't changed at all."
"Well, I'm not a growing boy like you," Mika chuckled.
They quickly reconnected, the years of separation fading as they shared stories of their training at the Five Ancient Peaks.
They described the grueling trials they had endured to awaken their Seventh Sense, their voices filled with awe and a hint of trauma.
"Enough with the dramatics," Mika said, rolling his eyes at Seiya's exaggerated expressions of suffering.
"While your training was undoubtedly challenging, it wasn't the reason you achieved the Seventh Sense. You were able to awaken it because you had already reached that level during the battle of the Twelve Temples, and through burning your Cosmo repeatedly, you were able to stabilize that state. Otherwise, no amount of training, no matter how brutal, could have forced such a breakthrough. The order of events is crucial. Be grateful you had such an advantage."
They nodded, realizing he was right.
For Saints, whose bodies were pushed to their human limits at such a young age, hard work and dedication were simply expected.
However, effort alone wasn't enough in the Saint Seiya world.
Awakening and mastering Cosmo required exceptional talent, a rare gift that allowed one to progress along this path. Without it, even the most dedicated training would be futile.
This was why Mika considered Seiya's complaints dramatic—There was no shortage of hard-working Saints, their efforts often unrewarded.
That was the harsh reality of their world.
They fell silent, a somber mood settling over the room, until Mika's laughter broke the tension. "Why so glum? Cheer up!"
His cheerful demeanor lifted their spirits, and Seiya, always quick to bounce back, responded with a joke, the atmosphere lightening once more.
"Mika—" Shiryu asked, "Master Dohko told us to continue our training here, to become stronger. What should we do?"
The others looked at Mika expectantly.
"Don't worry, I've already made arrangements," he replied with a smile. "Before you leave, give me your Cloths. I'll—upgrade them, enhance them to match your current strength. Then, I'll assign each of you to a Gold Saint for further training. You'll learn their techniques and fighting styles. Once your Cloths are ready, you can begin the next, and final, stage of your training."
"Who will our mentors be?" Seiya asked eagerly.
"Patience." Mika grinned, then explained his plan.
"Hyoga, your master, Camus, is at Aquarius. Therefore, you don't need a new mentor. You can go directly to his temple."
"Yes!" Hyoga was delighted. He had missed his master.
"Shiryu, you'll go to Capricorn, to Shura. I believe his style is well-suited to yours."
"Understood."
"Shun, you'll train with Shaka in Virgo. Ikki, you'll go to Aiolia. They're both excellent mentors for you."
"Yes!" Shun and Ikki replied.
Finally, Mika turned to Seiya. "As for you, Seiya, you'll go to Gemini. There's someone there who can guide you."
"Gemini?" Seiya frowned. He knew it was Saga's temple, abandoned after he became the Pope. However, he had heard rumors of new Gold Saints joining Sanctuary. Could there be a new Gemini Gold Saint?
————
Mika smiled, seeing his confusion. Seiya wouldn't have guessed that his new mentor was Saga.
He believed Saga was dead...
Their reunion should be interesting.
Saga had recently returned from his mission to Asgard.
His report confirmed the presence of Poseidon's power there, though he had successfully neutralized it. He had then continued his investigation—discovering his brother Kanon's involvement and confirming that he was the one orchestrating Poseidon's awakening.
While enraged by his brother's betrayal and eager to confront him, he had remembered Mika's instructions and refrained from acting, returning to Sanctuary to report his findings.
Mika had praised his restraint.
Now wasn't the time to confront Kanon. Regardless of his influence, Poseidon's awakening was inevitable.
Eliminating Kanon wouldn't change that.
It might even make Poseidon more dangerous.
Mika didn't want to face Poseidon yet.
His priority was enhancing their power in Sanctuary, training Seiya and the others, and further enhancing his own strength.
Delaying the war against Poseidon was in their best interest, though, unlike Mika, the others didn't know about the upcoming conflict—therefore, he used this excuse to justify his decision not to confront Poseidon.
Besides, Poseidon himself was one of Mika's targets for his next level up.
He needed to reach Level 9, the final level before his ascension to Godhood—and to minimize the difficulty of that final breakthrough, he needed to carefully choose his next two opponents, ensuring they were manageable.
The current Poseidon, residing within a human vessel, was perfect.
He couldn't unleash his full power, yet his inherent divinity made him a formidable opponent, a suitable challenge before facing Hades.
Furthermore, he would have Athena's support in that battle—and even a small fraction of the experience gained from defeating a God would be enough to trigger his Falna's growth.
As for accumulating enough power for his final ascension? He only needed to acquire more from other Gods.
Mika's understanding of the Falna system, enhanced by his recent studies, had clarified his path forward. He knew what he had to do.
"Achieving a Great Feat is relative—at my current level of power, and with my influence in various worlds, I have no shortage of God-level opponents to choose from. Experience isn't the issue—it's the order of those battles that matters."
The amount of experience gained wasn't solely determined by the opponent's strength, but by the Falna system's own internal mechanics.
Therefore, he had to ensure his first opponent, after absorbing the Counter Force's knowledge, was the weakest of the three—otherwise, it could jeopardize his future progress.
The required Great Feats increased in difficulty with each level—a weaker opponent for a later level up wouldn't meet the minimum requirements.
And once he defeated a God and leveled up, the minimum threshold for his next Great Feat would be set—
—It had to be something even more challenging. Therefore, acting rashly now could have unforeseen consequences later on.
He wouldn't confront Poseidon yet, regardless of whether he ultimately chose him as his next target.
With their plan finalized, Seiya and the others prepared to leave.
————
Meanwhile, Seiya and his companions, escorted by Mu, made their way through the temples. They had already met the other Gold Saints and exchanged greetings, even meeting Athena herself, during their previous visit with Mika.
As they reached each temple, Mu relayed the Pope's orders, instructing one of them to stay behind.
Finally, only Seiya remained.
"By the way, Master Mu, who is this mentor Mika assigned to me in Gemini? He's your neighbor—you must know him," Seiya asked as they approached the Gemini Temple.
"Him…?" Mu hesitated.
He knew Saga was there.
In fact, all the Gold Saints now knew of his survival.
Saga had revealed himself after his return from Asgard, where he had thwarted Poseidon's attempt to use it as a staging ground for his attack on Sanctuary.
Facing such a threat, the other Gold Saints had demanded an explanation—forcing Saga to reveal himself and explain his actions, including Mika's fabricated story.
They were all conflicted about Saga's return.
They knew he was a man divided, possessing both a benevolent and a malevolent personality. They despised his evil side, the one who had betrayed Sanctuary.
However, his good side had been a trusted comrade, a former candidate for Pope, respected by all—and the Sanctuary he had ruled, before his corruption, had been a place of order and strength, earning their loyalty.
Therefore, they viewed his two sides as separate entities, the good Saga also a victim.
And now, having abandoned his position and his Gold Cloth—choosing to atone for his sins by serving Sanctuary in secret—had even earned Aiolia's forgiveness.
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