Chapter 129: Coming to Sasha’s Side

Odysseus possessed an alluring charm, especially with his heavy, smoky makeup; even from the doorway, Feng Zhe could sense the exquisite nature of his features.

Upon seeing Feng Zhe, Odysseus spoke calmly, "We are the same kind of person."

Feng Zhe shook his head. "I am no bleeding heart; I do not do things that are not worth the effort."

Feng Zhe did not answer, instead asking, "Do you truly wish for the Gold Saints to follow you?"

Odysseus smiled again, posing his own question, "Do you truly intend to kill the Athena you are sworn to protect?"

To stabilize this era, the only way was for Sasha to end her own life, yet Feng Zhe had not yet resolved which Athena he was meant to protect.

Feng Zhe’s expression flickered; he had not expected Odysseus, whom he had met only once, to see through his internal conflict so easily.

Feng Zhe wanted to destroy Odysseus there and then, but ultimately refrained. Instead, he gave him a deep look and said calmly, "Until I bring the Athena of this era here, I insist that you protect her well."

Odysseus smiled once more, for the true final battle had yet to begin.

Watching Feng Zhe depart, Odysseus moved toward the next temple, the Cancer Temple.

There, the slumbering Gold Saint of Cancer, Deathtoll, was awakened by Odysseus.

Upon waking, Deathtoll was astonished to see Odysseus, but his mind shifted quickly. Ignoring his own stature, he began to fawn over him before retreating behind the Coffin of Silence, loudly asking Odysseus a question regarding his own gender.

Odysseus muttered a reply that Deathtoll could not clearly hear. In his anxiety, Deathtoll answered for him, only to be promptly sucked into the Coffin of Silence.

At this, Odysseus remarked, "I have said before: whether man or woman, as long as you live with integrity in this world, you are the finest Gold Saint."

He then strode toward the next temple.

...

Elsewhere, Feng Zhe had arrived in a small town.

"To think she lives in the same town as Sasha from the Lost Canvas era!"

Feng Zhe could not help but sigh. Even though it was a parallel world, many things remained identical, such as this very town.

The last time Feng Zhe had come here, it was to confirm if Sasha was indeed Saori. Although he had not entered, he could feel from her magnificent Cosmo that she was the Athena of this age.

This time, the same town was eerily quiet. A Death Butterfly flew past, its falling pollen carrying a potent drowsiness; any ordinary person exposed to it would fall into a deep slumber.

Feng Zhe struck down the butterfly with a cold sneer. "So, it is a Specter."

Outside Sasha’s house, the Specters had already surrounded the area.

However, the Specters were unable to approach Sasha’s noble Cosmo. The Specter clad in the Butterfly Surplice devised a scheme and set the entire house ablaze.

A miraculous sight occurred: even as the house was destroyed, Sasha remained lying on her bed, completely unharmed.

Just as the Butterfly Specter prepared to strike, Feng Zhe roared, "Light Speed Punch!"

Instantly, the Specter’s Surplice shattered, and he was torn to pieces.

Feng Zhe frowned slightly, thinking to himself that the Specters of this era were remarkably weak. He then realized that since the Hades of this era had not truly awakened, the Specters tethered to him were naturally fragile.

Feng Zhe looked at Sasha on the bed; she appeared peaceful and sweet, emanating a gentle Cosmo.

The moment Feng Zhe reached out to touch her, a brilliant light erupted from Sasha, repelling his hand.

"An automatic defense mechanism!"

It was the self-protection state of Athena; without her permission, no one could touch her.

Feng Zhe gazed at the flower wreath on Sasha’s wrist and fell into deep contemplation.

...

In the Sanctuary, Odysseus arrived at the Leo Temple, where Goldie stood guard over the sleeping Gold Saint of Leo, Kaiser.

Goldie could not tell whether the Odysseus before him was friend or foe. With a wave of his hand, Odysseus awakened the slumbering Kaiser.

When Kaiser saw Odysseus, he was stunned. To be precise, he was looking at his savior.

Years ago, to train, Kaiser had dueled the Lion King alone and had his heart shattered. In the end, Odysseus had replaced Kaiser's heart with that of the Lion King.

Since then, Kaiser had been known as the Lionheart King, a truly valiant warrior and a shining star of the Sanctuary. Only Kaiser knew that in private, he had to take Cor Leonis fruit daily to prevent organ rejection.

Successive battles had pushed his heart to the breaking point; it was time for him to consume the fruit. To repay the debt he owed Odysseus, Kaiser chose to forgo the medicine, willing to die to stop him.

Moved by this sentiment, Odysseus shouted that the enemy he should truly risk his life to fight was Hades.

Odysseus finally revealed his true purpose. At that moment, the soul of Asclepius within him began to stir. Though he suppressed it, he knew the next time might not be so successful.

Enduring excruciating pain, Odysseus lifted the method of awakening for Kaiser, causing him to fall into a deep sleep. He then personally fed the Cor Leonis fruit into his mouth. Seeing his heart stabilize, Odysseus breathed a sigh of relief and turned toward the next temple, the Virgo Temple.

There, Phoenix Ikki had just stepped into the Space of Silence. Tortured by the piercing noise, Ikki felt a sudden urge to die.

Odysseus appeared and aided Ikki. He then remotely awakened the Virgo Saint, Shijima.

To Shijima’s astonishment, Odysseus personally opened all four gates of the Buddha.

Even though Odysseus had been reduced to ash, leaving behind only a trace of DNA, that single strand was enough to fully resurrect him shortly after.

Odysseus lamented that he could not escape the clutches of Asclepius, and that his actions had only served to further enrage the god. He could no longer hold back the rebellious power within.

Using his final strength, Odysseus sent Ikki to the Pope and lulled Shijima back into a deep sleep. By then, his mind was in complete chaos.

Stumbling forward, Odysseus encountered Tenma. After a brief verbal exchange, he teleported the boy away.

Looking up at the sky, he said faintly, "Altar, I hope he can help you."

His mind fell into turmoil, and his own soul slipped into slumber. A Cosmo that caused even gods to tremble erupted from within him.

In the Pope's Chamber, the Pope watched the teleported Ikki and the Odysseus who had fully transformed into Asclepius, and could not help but sigh.

...

When Tenma regained his senses, he found himself standing before Feng Zhe.

Looking at Tenma, and specifically at the flower wreath on his wrist, Feng Zhe smiled and said, "I have been waiting for you for a long time, Tenma."