Chapter 161: Apollo, the God of the Sun

Standing before the Gate of the Sun, Apollo radiated a divine and formidable cosmos.

He announced that Athena had already passed through the Gate of the Sun into the Sacred Garden of the Gods, and that their mission was now at an end.

Seiya and Shiryu had both arrived at the Gate of the Sun; without seeing Athena with their own eyes, they vowed never to give up.

Looking upon Apollo—an entity whom even Shaka could not defeat—Shiryu and Seiya decided on a two-pronged assault, with one acting as a diversion while the other attempted a breakthrough.

The Rozan Hundred Dragons Force and the Pegasus Comet Fist roared outward, carrying a might capable of shattering the heavens and destroying the earth.

Both Seiya and Shiryu had now entered the Ninth Sense, and blessed by the blood of the gods, their power was no longer comparable to that of the bronze underdogs of the past.

Yet Apollo stood his ground, unmoving, and directly repelled their combined attack while instantly melting their Cloths.

"Is this the pinnacle strength of this era? How utterly disappointing."

Apollo looked upon Seiya and Shiryu with disappointment, then gazed into the distance and murmured indifferently, "Only that person can bring me a glimmer of surprise."

Provoked by Apollo's words, Seiya leaped into the air, intending to vault over Apollo's head. At that very instant, a ball of fire hurtled toward Seiya, and his body was instantly engulfed in the blazing fury of the solar corona flames.

With a calm expression, Apollo declared that all their efforts were in vain.

As Shiryu stepped forward to support Seiya, he sensed that Apollo's cosmos was still expanding, when suddenly, Apollo felt an unexpected chill.

It was Hyoga, who had just arrived from the Marine Realm, unleashing a freezing aura that surpassed absolute zero.

During his prior battle with the Third Apostle, Triton the Sea Hero, Hyoga had been entombed in ice. Fortunately, the combined Athena's Exclamation of three Gold Saints had fractured the ice coffin just enough for him to escape.

A blessing in disguise, the stimulation from Triton had allowed Hyoga to master a freezing aura beyond absolute zero within the ice coffin, enabling him to rush here and challenge Apollo to a duel.

Upon arrival, Hyoga declared with absolute confidence, "Even the sun itself can now be frozen."

Apollo was surprised that a second person had mastered a freezing aura beyond absolute zero, but the very next moment, shock washed over Hyoga's face.

The sub-absolute zero freezing aura surrounding him was being converted into heat by Apollo's cosmos and rapidly evaporating.

Unable to endure the searing heat, Hyoga collapsed to the ground with a face contorted in agony.

Seeing that even Hyoga's freezing aura beyond absolute zero could not restrain Apollo's solar corona flames, Seiya and Shiryu were plunged into despair. Suddenly, a voice spoke up, wondering if Apollo's flames would prove effective against the Phoenix of Immortality.

Ikki of the Phoenix and Shun of Andromeda had finally arrived at the scene.

With this, all five of Athena's legendary bronze saints were gathered before the Gate of the Sun.

Meanwhile, Pope Feng Zhe, watching from behind, muttered a curse under his breath that Ikki had beaten him to the punch.

Yet he did not reveal himself, choosing instead to quietly lurk to the side and observe the battle.

Sensing the presence of other cosmos, Apollo wore a smile at the corner of his lips. "Those who ought to arrive have finally come."

Catching sight of Ikki, Apollo directly challenged him, "Do you still intend to defy the will of the heavens for the sake of the earth?"

Ikki scoffed mockingly, "Apollo, I have heard that you Heavenly Warriors were once humans born of the earth itself. Why, then, would you stoop to becoming the running dogs of the gods, turning your fists against humanity, who are no different from your own flesh and blood?!"

With that, Ikki poured his utmost strength into unleashing the Phoenix's Wings of Soaring.

Apollo extended his left hand and effortlessly repelled Ikki's attack. Shun instantly invoked the Nebula Stream to protect both himself and Ikki, yet they were still blown away by the overwhelming force of Apollo's counter.

At that moment, Apollo looked every bit the part of a true and genuine god.

Realizing that even Shun and Ikki could not shake Apollo by so much as a hair, the saints felt a crushing sense of powerlessness.

"Athena is right ahead of us; we cannot retreat!"

Filled with the resolve to fight to the death, the five saints exchanged words of encouragement to bolster their spirits.

Moved by their unwavering determination, Ikki declared, "To survive in a new genesis devoid of humanity is utterly meaningless."

Suddenly, all five saints sensed Athena's immense and powerful cosmos.

Apollo, too, felt a cosmos that seemed poised to engulf the entirety of Olympus.

Sensing Athena's mighty cosmos, the five saints felt an immediate surge of adrenaline.

Brilliant, multi-hued divine auras erupted around them, and as the radiance gradually receded, dazzling, luminous armor manifested upon each of their bodies.

The five God Cloths had donned themselves upon their masters.

Off to the side, Feng Zhe flashed an awkward smile. "Behold Athena's God Cloths... yet it is still not enough!"

It was precisely these five God Cloths that had enabled Athena to secure final victory in the Holy War against Hades.

Yet, compared to Hades, who cherished his physical vessel and was reluctant to take the field in person, the Apollo standing before them far surpassed Hades in both fighting spirit and divinity.

Moreover, Feng Zhe sensed something indefinable and obscure emanating from Apollo.

It felt entirely different from divinity, nor was it the Tenth Sense; it was as though some supreme, ultimate force was being channeled from behind him.

...

Meanwhile

Clad in their God Cloths, the five bronze saints instantly transformed into divine powerhouses. The mighty cosmos radiating from the five of them shook Goddess Hera all the way in the Temple of Hera.

At that very moment, a figure had already appeared before Hera—it was Athena, come to wage a battle to the death against her.

In the Temple of Wisdom, Artemis, the Goddess of Wisdom and Beauty, was granting an audience to the Heavenly Guard, commanding them to reinforce Apollo and slay the invading Saints.

At the same time, Artemis could not help but harbor doubts over whether the prophecy of mutual destruction between gods and mortals spoken of by Minedia was true.

Though the three queens of the heavenly realm each harbored their own hidden agendas, their resolve to eradicate the Saints remained unchanged.

...

Attired in their God Cloths, the five supreme bronze saints immediately unleashed their ultimate techniques against Apollo.

Pegasus Meteor Fist!

Nebula Storm!

Rozan Rising Dragon Force!

Diamond Dust!

Phoenix's Wings of Soaring!

Enhanced by the power of the God Cloths, these five ultimate techniques fused into a single unified onslaught.

Apollo resisted their fierce assault with his formidable cosmos. Though he did not yield an inch, his brow furrowed deeply.

He let out a sigh. "After all, a mortal vessel of this era remains somewhat fragile."

"You are digging your own graves!"

Suddenly, an unprecedented multi-colored flash enveloped Apollo. When the light subsided, Apollo was clad in a Divine Robe of his own.

The five saints stared in astonishment; they could never have imagined that the battle-armor belonging to one of the Twelve Olympian Gods would be worn by Apollo.

"This Divine Robe was inherited from the ancient Sun God, Helios. Even in a mortal vessel, I, Apollo, have still won the recognition of the gods—it is the proof of a God Warrior, surpassing even the Heavenly Warriors!"

"Should one burn the cosmos of a god within a mortal body, it risks spinning out of control. That is why I used the form of the Heavenly Robe to keep my cosmos suppressed."

With that, Apollo let out a roar.

Instantly, a shockwave akin to a supernova explosion blasted toward the five saints.

The five were blown backward and crashed to the ground, while their God Cloths were instantly vaporized by the scorching heat.

Burning his cosmos to the absolute limit of the Ninth Sense, Apollo ignited the Holy Flames of Helios in the palm of his hand—flames capable of burning even gods to ashes.

Intent on reducing the five saints to cinders, he lunged forward to obliterate them.

At that critical juncture, a figure stepped in front of the five saints, meeting the Holy Flames of Helios bare-handed.

"Lord Pope!"

The newcomer was none other than Pope Feng Zhe, who had been lingering and watching the spectacle for so long.

At this moment, Feng Zhe's expression was twisted in agony, and the hands with which he had blocked the Holy Flames of Helios were charred black, resembling nothing less than pieces of burnt coal.

"Damn it... I bit off more than I could chew," Feng Zhe muttered, cursing inwardly through his pain.