Chapter 157: Counterattacking the Heavenly Realm

Orpheus’s lyre and Sorrento’s flute echoed each other, unexpectedly producing a powerful resonance.

The two Heavenly Warriors shouted simultaneously, "Make them stop! If this continues, our Cosmos will explode!"

The joint performance of the lyre and flute, carrying a formidable spiritual attack, continuously battered the nervous systems of the Heavenly Warriors.

In a fit of fury, Atlas unleashed his howling hell attack upon the two. Though Bermis loudly warned him not to act rashly, it was already too late.

A colossal shockwave of music and energy surged straight up from the ground of the Sanctuary into the sky.

Sorrento, Orpheus, Atlas, and the nearby Heavenly Warriors perished together in mutual destruction.

Bermis, one of the three elite knights of the Heavenly Warriors, could hardly believe that the entire 47th Legion of the Heavenly Warriors had been nearly wiped out.

Taking advantage of the Heavenly Warriors' momentary trance, Marin and Shaina immediately launched an attack on the survivors.

Bermis shouted furiously, "Insignificant insects, do not be arrogant!"

Yet Seiya had already unleashed his Pegasus Meteor Fist, striking him with blows akin to falling meteors.

Bermis had completely disregarded Seiya, but in the next instant, he was gripped by sheer terror.

Seiya’s power concentrated at a single point, surrounded by countless meteors. In this exact moment, the Comet Fist and the Meteor Fist had fused together.

Bermis cried out in terror, "His fists have reached god-like speed!"

Amidst the tempestuous onslaught, Bermis’s physical body shattered and vanished.

At this moment, having returned to the Pope’s Chamber, Feng Zhe looked toward Lady Saori Athena and smiled gently, "In the end, you still helped Seiya."

Lady Saori also wore a smile, "Time is pressing; it had to be done."

Feng Zhe calculated inwardly. The losses in the ultimate Holy War thus far had been catastrophic.

Phoenix Ikki had rejected the title of the Thirteenth Apostle of the Heavenly Realm, using his flames to burn the Eighth Apostle, the wood-god Aryan.

The Fourth Apostle, the Heavenly Emperor Abel, had sacrificed his life, bestowing all his power upon Athena, and thus fallen.

Gold Saint Dohko of Libra had perished along with the Twelfth Apostle, the holy-fate god Antares, while Dragon Shiryu had retired into seclusion in the mountains.

Gemini Gold Saint Saga had confronted the Eleventh Apostle, the war-god Spadas, collapsing the hyperdimensional space and perishing together with him.

Scorpio Gold Saint Milo had ultimately comprehended the Eighth/Ninth Sense, unleashing the advanced mystery of the Scarlet Needle—the Crimson Thorn—which pierced Yurinis, one of the three knights of the 47th Legion.

Pope Aries Alex had used the Dimensional Barrier to annihilate the Ninth Apostle Ishhtar.

Orpheus of the Lyre, fighting on behalf of the Underworld, and General Sorrento of the Sea Realm, representing the oceans, had used their combined lyre and flute to perish alongside Atlas, the leader of the three knights of the Heavenly Warriors.

Pegasus Seiya, borrowing the power of Athena and utilizing the strength of the Ninth Sense, had defeated Bermis, one of the three knights of the Heavenly Warriors.

With this, Athena’s forces had successfully defended the Sanctuary for the time being, but the New Genesis initiated by the Heavenly Realm was still ongoing. Lady Saori Athena prepared to lead the Saints in a counterattack against the Heavenly Realm.

...

Just as Lady Saori was preparing for the counter-invasion of the Heavenly Realm, a formidable Cosmos suddenly descended upon the Sanctuary.

Seeing the newcomer, Saori was instantly startled, and even Pope Feng Zhe was struck with immense astonishment.

The newcomer turned out to be none other than Poseidon, the Emperor of the Seas—or rather, Julian Solo.

Lady Saori Athena was greatly alarmed, for Poseidon’s soul had already been sealed away by her inside the sacred amphora.

Poseidon declared that while his soul was indeed still slumbering, Zeus’s new Genesis would endanger all living beings in the Sea Realm, and as the Emperor of the Seas, he could not simply pretend to sleep and ignore it.

His divine power had now awakened to a state somewhere between a mortal body and the Sea Emperor, and he announced his intention to fight side by side with Athena.

Pope Feng Zhe watched the battle-eager Sea Emperor, murmured under his breath, "A demigod!"

Julian’s current state was, in truth, extremely complex.

As is well known, throughout nearly all Holy Wars of various scales, regardless of which deity descended to the earthly realm, they never used their true physical bodies, choosing instead a compatible human vessel. The so-called awakening was merely the complete fusion of the human soul and the divine soul.

Yet during this fusion process, some were relatively gentle, while others simply devoured the human soul whole.

Of course, there were exceptions who descended directly, such as Athena.

Julian’s situation before them was entirely different; his human soul remained dominant, and he had gradually consumed the divine soul attached to him.

For the Sea Emperor Poseidon to agree to such an extraordinary circumstance—and even lend him his divinity and divine power—was utterly unimaginable.

Julian’s true purpose in actively participating in the ultimate divine war was, in fact, to achieve complete godhood.

If he truly succeeded, Julian would become a second Sea Emperor, yet remain entirely unrelated to the original Poseidon.

Recalling another future era’s tale with him as the protagonist—the *Resurrection of the Sea Emperor*—Feng Zhe could not help but sigh inwardly, thinking that this Sea Emperor’s ambition was truly to become the ultimate protagonist.

While Pope Feng Zhe's mind wandered with wild thoughts, Lady Saori was overjoyed. The joining of the Sea Emperor undoubtedly added another vital pillar of strength to Athena’s forces.

...

Four days had passed since Zeus initiated the new Genesis, leaving only three days until the history and civilization of the earth and humanity were completely annihilated.

It was precisely at this juncture that Seiya finally reunited with his elder sister, Seika, leaving everyone present moved to tears.

Meanwhile, clad in the Dragon Cloth, Shiryu quietly appeared in the Sanctuary, causing Pope Feng Zhe to furrow his brow in a frown.

Shiryu’s appearance sparked another wave of cheers throughout the Sanctuary, particularly bringing boundless joy to Seiya, Hyoga, and Shun.

Kneeling on one knee before Feng Zhe, Shiryu spoke with a solemn expression, "Your Holiness the Pope, I have already sent Shunlei to Fairyland. The earth cannot remain without someone to guard it; clinging to a cowardly existence is simply not my nature."

Everything seemed to have returned to the starting point. Feng Zhe gave a muffled acknowledgment, while Lady Saori was evidently delighted, not only raising Shiryu to his feet but also offering a gentle gesture of encouragement.

Athena prepared to set forth toward the Heavenly Realm. Both she and Shaka could travel freely back and forth to the heavens, but the others needed to awaken the Ninth Sense to ascend. Upon ascension, they would still have to breach the Heavenly Domain guarded by the Four Divine Emperors within hyperspace.

Then came the Sea Tower Domain and the Underworld Canopy Domain, and to finally reach the Holy Peak of Olympus where Zeus resided, they had to pass through the Sun Wheel Gate of the Sun Temple.

Beneath the gazes of the numerous Saints, the Pope delivered a pre-battle mobilization speech, encouraging them to once more perform miracles, and so forth.

At that moment, Shaka sensed that Phoenix Ikki, having awakened the Ninth Sense, had already journeyed alone to the Heavenly Realm.

Athena and Shaka ascended to the heavens first, closely followed by the four Bronze Mainstays. Pope Feng Zhe led Aries Mu, Scorpio Milo, and Leo Aiolia as the rearguard, and together they vanished from the Sanctuary.

Just as Athena ascended into the heavens, within the Minedia Temple of the Heavenly Realm, Minedia, the Goddess of Love and Harmony, summoned a Heavenly Warrior named Ruth.

And this Heavenly Warrior named Ruth was none other than Eagle Marin, the master of Pegasus Seiya.

Marin had been dispatched as a special emissary to mediate the situation in the earthly realm, acting as the crucial mentor to guide Seiya’s growth.

Minedia wished for Marin to remain in the celestial realm, yet Marin insisted on returning to the earthly realm in her identity as a Saint, determined to return even in the face of destruction by the new Genesis.

Minedia thought to herself that Marin had ultimately been changed by Pegasus, and thereupon consented to her request.

Staring out into the boundless starry expanse, Minedia murmured inwardly, was what the Heavenly Emperor Abel doing truly worth it, even if it meant total annihilation?