Chapter 144: Gemini Saga

One minute, two minutes, three minutes, five minutes, ten minutes...

Before long, Saga had been struggling against the Gemini Cloth for fifteen minutes, yet he still had not been driven back.

The recovered brothers, Aiolos and Aioria, watched in profound admiration, though their hearts sank as well. They understood that if Saga endured to the end, it meant they had lost their right to inherit the Gemini Cloth.

Even so, the brothers felt no jealousy toward Saga. Link had given all three of them a fair chance to compete, and each had faced the same degree of resistance. If they could not hold on, they had only themselves to blame—their resolve was not firm enough, and their strength was insufficient. If Saga endured to the end, it proved that he surpassed them in both willpower and strength, and was more deserving than they of the noble Gold Cloth.

Besides, should Saga succeed, it would only intensify the brothers’ competitive spirit and desire to excel. That healthy rivalry would help them make even greater progress in the future.

Another five minutes passed. Saga finally neared his limit and dropped to one knee. His Cosmo had grown extraordinarily weak, and it seemed he was about to be thrown back by the Cloth. Aiolos and Aioria could not help but feel their hearts tighten with anxiety.

Although Saga continued to hold on, bitterness filled his heart. The Gold Cloth truly was magnificent. For a Bronze Saint like him to hope to claim it was no different from foolish dreaming. Perhaps it was time to give up.

As that thought arose, Saga’s Cosmo began to weaken as well. Link sharply sensed the change in his state of mind. His expression immediately turned severe, and he said coldly, “Saga, are you thinking of giving up? Do you want to abandon your chance to possess a Gold Cloth? If your answer is yes, then you have disappointed me greatly. Saints are called Saints because they possess hearts that never admit defeat. No matter how terrible the circumstances, they will never surrender to despair. Even if they must die, they will die standing. That is what it means to be a Saint! If you give up today, the thought of surrender will be carved into your heart forever, wearing away your mighty fighting spirit. And you will lose your chance to inherit a Gold Cloth!”

His words struck like a heavy hammer, shattering Saga’s thoughts of surrender. His weakening Cosmo began to surge once more. Though he said nothing, it was clear that he was deeply grateful for Link’s awakening words.

Seeing this, Link smiled in satisfaction. Then he said to the brothers, “You must remember this as well. For a Saint, failure is not frightening. If you fail once, try again the next time. What is truly frightening is surrender. The moment you decide to give up because you believe you are incapable, you lose the qualifications to become a Saint. Saints never surrender. They are divine warriors who are forever filled with hope. Only a heart that never admits defeat can raise a Saint’s Cosmo to infinite heights! So remember well what I have told you today. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Holy Pope. We will remember,” the two brothers replied in unison. Their expressions resolute, they turned their gazes once more toward Saga and the Gemini Cloth.

At that moment, Saga’s state of mind had changed completely. Though he was exhausted and in agony, his heart was firmer and clearer than ever before. As he stared at the Gemini Gold Cloth before him, he recalled the battle for life and death in Bass City. It had been precisely when he had seemed on the verge of collapse that he had comprehended the Sixth Sense, becoming a Bronze Saint capable of standing against a Silver Saint.

“Yes, that is the feeling. The feeling that even my soul is burning. Gemini Gold Cloth, I admit that you are indeed extraordinarily powerful, worthy of being called the strongest Cloth. But you are still only a Cloth, equipment belonging to a Saint. When a Saint unleashes his Cosmo to its utmost limit, nothing is impossible. Watch closely, Gemini Cloth. This is my Cosmo—Saga Victor’s!”

He roared silently in his heart. With a low growl, Saga began to burn his Cosmo frenziedly. Immense energy expanded from his body.

Everyone was startled by the sight. Saga’s Cosmo had actually reached the peak of the Sixth Sense—and it was still rising desperately.

“Could it be that this child...” Seeing the scene, Link’s heart stirred, and a surge of hot blood rushed through his entire body.

After watching for a while, the brothers also realized what Saga was doing, but they were deeply concerned. Aiolos could not help saying, “Holy Pope, should you not try to stop Saga? If he continues burning his Cosmo like this, his body will collapse sooner or later.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Aioria nodded hurriedly in agreement.

As Saints, the brothers understood perfectly how powerful the Cosmo was. They also knew that it was a double-edged sword. Burning it excessively was no different from burning one’s own life, and collapse was inevitable. When they had broken through to the Sixth Sense, they had nearly died themselves. If the accompanying holy knights had not possessed such powerful healing abilities, they would probably have been dragged back and buried in the ground. Seeing Saga burn his Cosmo without regard for anything else, how could they not worry?

Link naturally understood their concern, but he had no intention of stopping Saga. Instead, he said in a meaningful tone, “Aiolos, Aioria, open your eyes and watch carefully. See how Saga does this. As a Gold Saint, one must possess the Seventh Sense, which surpasses the Sixth. Saga is advancing toward that realm!”

“The Seventh Sense!” The brothers were utterly shocked.

They knew of the Seventh Sense. When they had comprehended the Sixth Sense, the inheritance of their Cloths had told them that a Seventh Sense existed beyond it. But that realm was far too distant. They were still nowhere near the peak of the Sixth Sense, so how could they dare dream of the Seventh?

Yet Saga, who had been struggling within the Sixth Sense just like them, had already begun challenging the realm of the Seventh Sense. How could that not shock them? How could it not leave them stunned? For a time, the brothers wore expressions of utter astonishment.

Glancing at them, Link continued, “Remember this: Saints are divine warriors of infinite possibility. Those who wield the Cosmo possess boundless potential. A Saint is, by nature, synonymous with miracles. As long as you believe, as long as you never surrender, anything that happens is possible. So watch carefully. See how Saga breaks through.”

He paused, then smiled. “Perhaps, after today, the second Gold Saint I have taught will appear.”

The brothers exchanged a glance. Then they widened their eyes and stared at Saga, terrified of missing even the slightest detail.

Saga continued to burn his Cosmo without end. His life was rapidly draining away, and his senses were quickly fading. In response, the Gemini Gold Cloth released power with increasing fury, attempting to force him back. But Saga never loosened his grip.

As the two sides struggled, numerous blood vessels burst throughout Saga’s body. He became a man drenched in blood, crimson liquid flowing over the Gold Cloth and creating a horrifying scene.

Yet the three people standing nearby did not step forward to stop him. Saga himself had not surrendered. He continued to persevere, continued to struggle. So long as he had not failed, none of them would interfere. Saga, for his part, was deeply grateful for Link and the others’ actions, and his determination to claim the Gemini Cloth grew even stronger.

Gradually, as his blood continued to flow, Saga’s five senses began to fade. His consciousness grew hazy, yet he still did not release his grip, and his Cosmo continued to rise. When his consciousness finally fell into darkness, it seemed that everything had come to an end.

But Saints were synonymous with miracles. At that moment, Saga created one. His consciousness seemed to arise from the depths of his soul, and his Cosmo began to burn from within that soul, becoming more dazzling than ever before.

At the same time, the Gemini Cloth’s resistance began to weaken. It started cooperating with Saga’s Cosmo, releasing energy alongside it. Gradually, Saga’s green Cosmo seemed to be dyed by the Gold Cloth, transforming into a golden radiance. It became more powerful than ever.

A tremendous pressure spread through the area, placing immense strain on Aiolos and Aioria. They hurriedly burned their own Cosmos to resist it.

Only Link remained unaffected. Instead, he was overjoyed, because the scene before him represented only one thing: Saga had broken through. He had successfully reached the Seventh Sense, and his strength had risen to the initial stage of the seventh rank.

The next moment, the Gemini Gold Cloth disassembled. With a series of crisp sounds, its pieces flew onto Saga’s body and clad him in full. Its coverage far exceeded that of a Bronze Cloth, reaching more than ninety percent and almost completely shielding him. It was extraordinarily magnificent, and Saga’s aura rose another level. His actual strength, however, remained at the initial stage of the seventh rank.

At first glance, the increase granted by the Gold Cloth seemed less impressive than expected, but that was merely the surface. The Gold Cloth’s formidable defensive power meant that Saga could face attacks below the eighth rank without needing to defend himself at all. Only peerless experts of the eighth rank or higher could injure him.

Furthermore, once he wore the Gold Cloth, the power of his Saint techniques would be vastly different from before. The strength provided by the Gold Cloth had already been sublimated into both defense and combat techniques. Gold techniques in particular were worlds apart from Bronze and Silver techniques.

Link immediately used Holy Light’s Touch on Saga, healing all his injuries. However, the frenzied burning of his Cosmo had left behind a tremendous hidden danger. Saga’s hair had turned white, his skin had grown dry and coarse, and he looked as though he had aged several decades. The sight was horrifying to everyone present.

Saga himself did not care in the slightest. Instead, he revealed a delighted smile and said to Link, “Holy Pope, I have not disappointed you. I succeeded. From this moment onward, I am a Gold Saint as well.”

Link nodded silently. The brothers watched with envy and distress. They were happy that Saga had become a Gold Saint, yet pained by the enormous price he had paid.

At that moment, however, Link stepped forward. With a devout expression, he spread his arms and said, “Noble Father God, can you see this? This child has not disappointed you. Therefore, please bestow your divine grace and grant him new life!”

As his words fell, a gentle radiance appeared from nowhere and bathed Saga’s body. The signs of age began to vanish rapidly. Before long, he had regained his youthful appearance. His height increased as well, and in the blink of an eye he had grown to over six feet, nearly six foot two, looking like a young adult of eighteen or nineteen.

To be continued.