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Mika knew exactly what Shaka and the others were going through.
He'd felt it himself during his spars with Athena.
The gulf in power was astronomical. It was the very reason God-Slayers were held in such high esteem, their legends sung for ages—because they dared to challenge beings who surpassed mortals in every conceivable way.
So, yes, Mika understood the impossible challenge the three of them faced.
But he wouldn't say a word. The battle was already raging, and he didn't have the luxury of looking after anyone else.
Nor did he intend to.
This was a crucible they had to endure on their own. They were the most gifted of their generation, possessing potential that was nearly boundless.
And to unlock that potential, they needed more than just the right training—they needed to be pushed to the absolute brink.
True transformation was only found by overcoming the impossible.
If Shaka, Saga, and Mu wanted to make a real impact on this battlefield, to truly unleash their power, they had to rely on themselves.
They needed to evolve. To constantly, relentlessly evolve within this crucible of a battlefield.
Only then could they fulfill their mission.
Only then could they achieve their goals. And their ideals.
————
"I've told you everything I can, taught you everything I know. The rest is up to you."
"From this moment on, you are out of my sight."
"You're on your own now."
Though his words sounded detached, almost casual—his eyes never once left Poseidon.
Mika truly had no spare energy to focus on anyone else.
While he and Poseidon were still in the opening stages of their duel, merely probing each other's defenses, he knew the fight could escalate in a heartbeat.
He couldn't afford to show a single opening.
To do so would be to invite Poseidon's relentless, overwhelming assault.
As the master of the ocean's laws, Poseidon didn't need conventional techniques.
A single thought from him could unleash an attack far surpassing any Gold Saint's technique.
A mere wave of his hand could conjure the most terrifying physical attack fueled by pure Cosmo.
Facing him, Mika had to be on full alert.
He couldn't let his focus drift for even a fraction of a second.
This was a battle fought in the realm of Divine speed, a place where time wasn't measured in seconds, or tenths, or hundredths, or even millionths of a second.
Even a billionth of a second was too slow.
That was the timescale for battles between Gold Saints. It was utterly insufficient for this—a clash between a God and one who fought like a God.
————
After offering that final piece of guidance to Shaka and the others—a feat of multitasking in itself—Mika seized the initiative, launching his own offensive.
And so, before Poseidon's throne, the two figures—one wielding a sword and spear, the other a trident—clashed like two ancient warriors, a contest of pure martial skill.
But to underestimate them based on this display would be a fatal mistake.
If this battle were taking place in the cosmos, a single stray blow from their weapons could obliterate a planet.
Within their clashing arms, a terrifying power flowed, contained by their nigh-unimaginable control. It was the pinnacle of mastery—power so immense yet so perfectly contained it appeared deceptively simple.
But with every impact, a sliver of that power would escape their grasp at the point of collision.
And that sliver would rock the entire Sea Realm to its foundations.
Atlantis was visibly crumbling, decaying at a rate that was plain to see.
Its end was not yet here, but anyone could foresee its fate. Unless Poseidon emerged victorious and immediately began repairs, the Sea Realm, which had existed for millennia, was doomed.
It would be annihilated in the aftermath of this great war.
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!"
—————
"What an intense battle."
Outside Poseidon's temple, Airmid shielded her eyes with her hand, bracing against the shockwaves of power escaping the duel.
She was simply too close to the epicenter of their conflict. For a warrior who had only just mastered the Seventh Sense, the residual force was still damaging.
It was enough to be the final straw for Siren Sorrento, who lay on the ground nearby. His already faint breathing ceased entirely.
The aftershocks of Mika and Poseidon's battle had snuffed him out.
He was dead.
"What a shame," Airmid murmured.
"His techniques were quite fascinating. I was thinking of bringing him back for Alfia to study. Since they both specialize in sound-based attacks, his skills could have given her some valuable insights."
Airmid sighed softly.
Although Alfia had inherited the Libra Cloth and learned its techniques, she had never abandoned her own unique powers.
She was constantly researching the three great magics she had acquired through her Falna, hoping to liberate them from the system, to use them without relying on her adventurer level.
And she had succeeded.
Using her Cosmo, she had created even more powerful Gold Saint techniques based on those three spells.
Techniques that were hers and hers alone.
However, because they were her own creation, they hadn't yet reached the level of the techniques passed down through generations of Gold Saints.
But she believed this was her true path.
That was why Airmid had considered bringing Siren back for Alfia, hoping his techniques might spark new inspiration.
"Such a waste," Airmid lamented once more.
"There's nothing to lament. I've already recorded all of the Sea General's techniques. We can just give the data to Alfia when we get back."
A familiar voice chimed in.
Airmid turned to see Mellie approaching, with Athena at her side.
"Mellie! Lady Athena! You're back already?" Airmid exclaimed in surprise.
She knew what their mission was, but this was far too fast. Did Poseidon have no defenses at all?
"He really didn't. I'd say he was being far too careless," Mellie said with a grin, seeming to read Airmid's thoughts.
They had encountered almost no resistance on their way to retrieve Athena's Jar. The whole process had been remarkably smooth.
"I see."
Recalling Mika's prediction that Poseidon would be overconfident, Airmid nodded slowly.
Then, she turned to Athena.
"Lady Athena, what will you do now? It's still some time before your planned entrance in Mika's strategy, isn't it?"
"It's fine. I have something else I need to take care of," Athena said softly.
Then, she gazed off into the distance.
————
"And that's what happened. Lady Athena said she had other business, so we moved a bit faster," Mellie explained to Airmid.
"I see."
Following Athena's gaze, Airmid and Mellie looked in the same direction.
As they did, their Clairvoyant Magic activated, and they saw the distant duel between Seiya and Kanon.
The two were locked in a fierce, evenly matched battle.
In terms of pure Cosmo, Seiya was still slightly weaker than Kanon. After all, Seiya's training had been relatively short.
Unlike the other Gold Saints, who had a solid foundation built over many years, Seiya and his friends had none. Every step forward they took was a testament to their raw talent.
That was why their base Cosmo was still a notch below that of a true Gold Saint.
But Seiya's specialty had always been turning the tables, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. On top of that, with Saga as his master, he had learned the techniques of the Gemini Saint.
And knowing that Seiya's opponent would be Kanon, Saga had put him through a grueling, targeted training regimen. As a result, Seiya was now pressing the attack, holding the upper hand against Kanon.
This left Kanon utterly bewildered. Since when were Bronze Saints this powerful?
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"So, Lady Athena was watching Seiya and Kanon!"
Gazing at the distant scene, Airmid and Mellie finally understood. They knew a fair bit about both Seiya and Kanon.
Seiya was Athena's most loyal general, reincarnating alongside her through countless Holy Wars. It was only natural for her to be concerned about him.
And Kanon was Saga's younger brother, once a Gemini Gold Saint himself. Both were legitimate heirs to the legacy of Sanctuary.
Yet now, they were locked in a battle to the death.
The situation was undeniably tragic.
"Is Lady Athena's business related to Kanon?" Mellie guessed.
After all, Seiya was a permanent resident of Sanctuary. If Athena needed to speak with him, she wouldn't have to wait until now.
That left Kanon as the only logical target.
"Yes. It's him." Athena nodded slightly.
Just as Mika had no intention of killing Kanon, Athena had not given up on the former Gemini Gold Saint candidate either.
She was well aware of the history of the Gemini constellation. Throughout the ages, the Gemini Saints had always been plagued by problems.
But even so, Athena had always protected them.
Years ago, Kanon had suggested to Saga that they assassinate the infant Athena and take control of Sanctuary. For this, Saga had imprisoned him in a treacherous sea cave at Cape Sounion.
He was tormented daily by the tides, constantly on the verge of death. But every time death was near, a warm Cosmo would pull him back from the abyss.
That was Athena's Cosmo.
Even though Kanon had wanted to kill her reincarnation, Athena had not abandoned him.
It was only when he found the amphora containing Poseidon's soul and escaped... her Cosmo ceased to appear.
But now, encountering Kanon once more, Athena's gaze fell upon him again. He was one of her children, after all. She didn't want him to die here.
"I'm going over there. Mellie, are you coming with me?" Athena asked.
"I'll go. Since Mika asked me to accompany you, I won't leave your side," Mellie responded.
The two of them nodded to Airmid and vanished before her eyes.
"Seiya and Kanon… I wonder what Lady Athena has in mind for them. It's so intriguing."
Shaking her head, Airmid looked back towards Poseidon's temple. She watched the distant battle between Mika and Poseidon.
————
Flames burned.
The sea roared.
Inside Poseidon's temple, Mika, wreathed in fire, fought with increasing ferocity, relentlessly attacking the Sea God, trying to force an opening.
But Poseidon was not one to reveal a weakness so easily.
He met Mika's onslaught head-on, absorbing and nullifying every attack.
He was as vast and imperturbable as the ocean he commanded.
As the battle between Mika and Poseidon grew more intense, their methods were no longer limited to purely physical attacks—
Mika's flames.
Poseidon's oceans.
These were the tools of their trade.
Poseidon's control over the ocean was a manifestation of his mastery over its laws.
Mika, on the other hand, wielded his own essential fire. It was a flame not born from the laws of the Saint Seiya world.
Therefore, Poseidon could not interfere with it.
This fact clearly puzzled the Sea God.
But he had no time to ponder it.
The tide of battle was about to turn.
Poseidon, his senses taking in the entire battlefield, knew with certainty that things were about to get complicated.
In the previous exchanges, after numerous probes and tests, Mika and Poseidon had reached a stalemate.
This in itself was baffling to Poseidon.
By his estimation, Mika should have been considerably weaker than him—yet, somehow, he was fighting with a power that far exceeded his apparent strength.
Where did that power come from??
He didn't know.
Poseidon had no answer.
Just as he was adapting to Mika's power and searching for a weakness, the unexpected happened.
At the edge of the temple.
A golden Cosmo suddenly flared to life, pushing back against the oppressive auras of both Poseidon and Mika.
It was Shaka of Virgo.
After being offline for a while, he had finally returned.
During that time, through constant adaptation, Shaka had evolved.
Now, it was as if he were roaring at them both.
He, too, was joining the fray.
"Hey, hey, Shaka, don't get a head start!"
As Shaka re-entered the fight, Saga, not to be outdone, rose to his feet.
"That's right, you're not leaving me behind!" Mu followed suit, rejoining the battle.
————
Feeling the three unwavering Cosmos, Poseidon's expression turned incredibly grim.
In truth, their individual strengths were nothing to him.
Under normal circumstances, he could have dealt with them easily. But unfortunately for him, these were not normal circumstances.
He was currently locked in a stalemate with Mika. The addition of others could easily be the straw that broke the camel's back, tipping the precarious balance of the battle into an unpredictable abyss.
This was a scenario Poseidon could not accept under any circumstances.
And what terrified Poseidon most was the question of Athena's location.
Where was his greatest enemy?
Why hadn't she appeared yet?
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