Chapter 156 Visitors from the Underworld and the Realm of the Sea Come to Help

Upon seeing Athena's arrival, Shaka immediately urged her to abandon her resistance against Zeus and return to the Celestial Realm with him.

Athena firmly refused and attempted to awaken Shaka's true inner self.

This undoubtedly angered Shaka. Just as he was about to make a move, a figure suddenly appeared, startling both Athena and Shaka.

The newcomer was none other than Shaka himself, clad in the Virgo Gold Cloth.

Only then did Milo, lying on the ground, realize that the one who had severely injured him moments ago was a fake.

Seeing the real Shaka appear, the fake Shaka shrugged helplessly and, with an indifferent expression, revealed his true appearance.

He was none other than Ishtar, the Earth-Shattering God and the Ninth Apostle of the Celestial Warriors.

He had come for Athena's head. Shaka looked at him with utter disdain, remarking that it was extremely boring for a Celestial Warrior to resort to such petty tricks.

Ishtar replied that this was punishment for Shaka, who had betrayed the Celestial Realm, and for the Gold Saints who believed in foolish friendship.

Shaka resolved to reclaim the dignity of the Gold Saints, but he was interrupted by others.

Aries Mu, Leo Aiolia, and Scorpio Milo had formed a trinity and were preparing to execute the Athena Exclamation.

The three of them, having been played for fools and utterly humiliated by their inability to tell the real Shaka from the fake—nearly allowing him to kill Athena right under their noses—considered this the ultimate disgrace.

Milo shouted aloud that Shaka was not permitted to fight this battle.

Panicking at the sight, Shaka declared that performing the Athena Exclamation while severely wounded would first destroy their own physical bodies.

However, sensing the threat, Ishtar had already launched his attack.

At that moment, the Aegis shield of Athena plummeted from the sky, landing precisely in front of them.

Ishtar’s immense power crashed against the shield, failing to leave even a single scratch upon it.

"Who goes there?"

Ishtar felt a Cosmos that was entirely matchless to his own, realizing the newcomer had attained the Eighth or even Ninth Sense in their normal state.

Meanwhile, Milo, Aiolia, and Mu cried out in utter astonishment, "Lord Pope!"

The newcomer was none other than the Pope, Feng Zhe, who had returned.

"To use a forbidden technique in the presence of Athena is a grave crime! Withdraw at once!"

Pope Feng Zhe roared angrily at the three of them. The shout made Milo shudder so violently that he was the first to dissolve the formation of the Athena Exclamation.

Turning his gaze to Shaka, Feng Zhe said, "This Celestial Warrior has violated the laws of the Sanctuary. I am going to imprison him permanently. Do you have any objections?"

Shaka was momentarily stunned, not expecting the Pope to make such a statement. He could only mechanically shake his head to indicate he had no objections.

Feng Zhe's words caused the Ninth Apostle, Ishtar, to burst into mocking laughter. "I would like to see whether the laws of the Sanctuary truly have any jurisdiction over me."

Suddenly, the eyes of the Sanctuary Pope reflected the boundless imagery of the starry cosmos—a vision that clearly did not belong to the mortal world, something Ishtar had only ever witnessed once before in the presence of a god.

His heart tightened instantly, and he felt acutely threatened.

Faced with a Cosmos that transcended humanity, he felt fear for the very first time and let out a fierce roar.

Spear of Judgment!!

He unleashed his proudest divine technique, yet Feng Zhe calmly uttered a single phrase.

Otherdimensional Barrier!!

Suddenly, a violent interdimensional storm raged through every corner of the Scorpio Palace, instantly shattering and dispersing the Spear of Judgment into nothingness.

Before this tempest, Ishtar was as helpless as a child without a defense, swept helplessly by the winds straight up into the sky.

When he looked down, he was shocked to see that his physical body still remained right where it was.

Only then did he realize that the storm had ripped out his soul.

A massive net descended and ensnared Ishtar, banishing him directly into another dimension amidst his shrieks of terror.

This ultimate technique, capable of banishing even a god, concluded amidst Ishtar's terrified screams and wails.

As the interdimensional rift closed, a sacred flame fell upon Ishtar’s abandoned physical body, reducing it instantly to ashes.

From that moment on, even if he were to somehow survive, he would forever lack a physical vessel to inhabit.

"What a terrifying technique!"

Even Saori Kido, as the reincarnation of Athena, felt a sense of helplessness when facing this ultimate move capable of twisting the soul and casting it into a foreign dimension.

Let alone Virgo Shaka, who was still comprehending the Ninth Sense.

...

Meanwhile, Kiki and Seika prepared to visit Seiya, who had fallen into a deep, unawakening slumber.

To their utter astonishment, the bed was empty, filling them both with boundless joy.

Outside, the Celestial Warriors who were about to deliver the final blow to Marin and Shaina were suddenly obliterated by a flurry of meteoric punches.

At the critical moment, it was Seiya, having finally regained consciousness, who saved them both.

The remaining Celestial Warriors stood in utter bewilderment; never in their wildest dreams had they imagined they would be attacked by a mere Bronze Saint, let alone lose several lives in the process.

At that moment, Hyoga suddenly appeared, unleashing his Diamond Dust to freeze those remaining into ice sculptures.

Shaina cried out in joyous surprise as she realized Hyoga had arrived as well.

Recognizing them instantly, Belamis, one of the three knights of the Celestial Warriors, knew these two were among the Bronze Five who had fought Hades down to the final moments.

Atlas, another of the trio, immediately executed his signature technique, Rotating Inferno.

Just as he thought he had succeeded, he was shocked to see that Hyoga was still able to move freely within the roaring vortex of fire.

Then came another thunderous roar.

Hell's Howling!!

The howling wind unleashed this time was truly of a hellish magnitude, grinding the surrounding boulders into fine dust within mere moments.

Hyoga's Cloth shattered, and he finally collapsed heavily to the ground, severely wounded.

On the other side, Seiya immediately threw a punch toward Belamis.

However, his high-speed punches were completely useless against the god-like speed of Belamis, who mockingly derided them as far too slow.

Belamis flashed instantly behind Seiya, striking him down with a barrage of meteors that sent him flying.

Watching Seiya struggle in vain to get back up, Belamis raised his hand, preparing to deliver the final blow to the Pegasus Saint who had woven countless miracles.

Just as he was about to strike, the sound of a flute interrupted him.

Looking toward the source, the Saints could hardly believe their eyes—it was Sorrento, the Marina General of Scylla.

Sorrento's mesmerizing flute melody made it difficult for the Celestial Warriors to endure, prompting him to declare that he fought for the earth, not for the Saints.

Belamis, knowledgeable and experienced as one of the three knights, also recognized the newcomer as the final Marina General, Sorrento.

Atlas rushed furiously toward Sorrento, but was abruptly intercepted by the sound of a lyre.

It was Orphée, the legendary Silver Saint of Lyra.

Seiya cried out in ecstatic surprise that Orphée was still alive.

Orphée explained that he remained a wandering soul of the Underworld, temporarily resurrected by Pandora to fight on behalf of the Underworld realm.

Just hours earlier, those same Celestial Warriors had appeared in the Underworld, attempting to abduct Pandora.

They hoped to take advantage of Hades' absence to rule over the survivors of the Underworld.

Inevitably, those Celestial Warriors had been intercepted by Rhadamanthys and obliterated into dust.

Rhadamanthys had wished to enter the battle himself, but Pandora remarked that without the protection of Hades, the Specters' power would be greatly diminished in the surface world.

She had therefore dispatched a suitable candidate—Orphée, the Silver Saint of Lyra.

From the outer perimeter of the Sanctuary, Orphée urged Seiya and the others to withdraw from the battlefield, leaving the rest to him and Sorrento.

With both the Marina and the Underworld unexpectedly stepping forward to aid the Sanctuary, Pope Feng Zhe, far away in the Scorpio Palace, chuckled softly and murmured, "The Sanctuary is certainly lively today."

Lady Saori, gazing into the distance, asked, "Aren't you going to go help them?"

Feng Zhe retorted with a question of his own, "If Lady Saori truly wishes to help them, I doubt any of them will die."

Though mocked, Saori showed no anger, merely offering a faint, knowing smile as everything seemed understood without further words.