- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 362
“So, it turns out, I really am Athena. All those things Grandpa used to say when I was little weren’t just jokes.
No wonder he always said I would lead everyone to defeat evil and protect humanity!”
At this moment, Saori Kido had only partially awakened and hadn’t fully transformed into Athena. After the awakening ended, she reverted back to being the fragile young lady without any strength.
However, as she slowly adapted, she would gradually learn to control Athena’s powers, eventually becoming the true Athena.
It couldn’t be helped—if she had grown up in Sanctuary, she would have probably mastered Athena’s Cosmos long ago under the guidance of the old Pope. But unfortunately, she had only just awakened today.
“Shaina, Duradys, as Saints, how dare you go against Athena! Do you realize your crime?”
Clad in the Sagittarius Gold Cloth, Leo turned and sternly rebuked Shaina and her group.
Panicking, Shaina and the others immediately dropped to one knee.
“We were ignorant, deceived by the Pope. We never intended to betray Athena. Please, Athena, forgive our sins and allow us to atone for them.”
At this moment, they were completely convinced that the Saori Kido before them was truly the reincarnation of Athena.
Athena stepped forward, her voice gentle:
“As long as you genuinely repent, you will still be my most loyal Saints.”
“Good, this will make the journey through the Twelve Temples much easier.”
Seeing the scene, Leo nodded with satisfaction.
Earlier, he had only wounded his enemies without killing them, so that he could bring these Saints over to his side and strengthen Athena’s forces.
In previous Holy Wars, Sanctuary always triumphed over all other powers.
It wasn’t because Athena herself was extraordinarily powerful, but because her Saints were incredibly strong, and combined with her support, healing, and reinforcement abilities, they became an unstoppable force.
But in this Holy War, they struggled greatly, narrowly escaping death each time, due to the significant power gap.
The main reason for this was that after Saga’s rebellion, many Saints died in internal conflicts, greatly weakening the strength of Sanctuary.
While most Silver Saints weren’t particularly strong, a few had outstanding abilities. He recalled one Silver Saint who had a petrification ability, much like Medusa.
If these Saints had survived, their power would likely have increased by the time the Holy War began. Some might even awaken to the Seventh Sense during battle, thanks to Athena’s blessing.
Just like Seiya and the other Bronze Saints.
As long as they weren’t killed by their own people too early, with Athena as a divine support, anything was possible.
Leo figured that now that he had become the Sagittarius Saint, his goal should be to expand Athena’s forces. That way, he could ensure his own safety while reaping the benefits.
So his plan was simple: if Sanctuary sent Saints, he would convert every single one of them to Athena’s side.
As for the stubborn ones, he would imprison them for the time being. Once Saga’s rebellion was over and Athena’s identity was fully recognized, he would release them for punishment.
But he definitely wouldn’t kill them—these Saints would be valuable assets in future battles against other forces.
“Now, tell me all the information you know!”
Once the dust settled, Leo approached Duradys and the others, healed their injuries, and began to inquire about the intel they had.
This time, Shaina and Duradys didn’t hide anything and revealed everything they knew.
“Seiya, Leo, the day after you left Sanctuary, Pope Shion suddenly passed away. Before he died, he passed the position of Pope to his brother Alex. Since then, Sanctuary hasn’t been the same,” Shaina slowly explained.
“Under Alex’s rule, what was once a peaceful Sanctuary became increasingly brutal. Many recruits died daily from the harsh training.
Under the orders of Chief Advisor Gigass, many Saints were sent on judgment missions to subdue small nations that refused to follow Sanctuary’s commands, bringing large amounts of gold back to Sanctuary.”
“But didn’t the Pope betray Athena thirteen years ago? Why is this all happening now?” Seiya voiced his confusion.
Leo responded directly:
“The Pope had ruled Sanctuary for over two hundred years and was highly respected. The assassination attempt on Miss Saori thirteen years ago was already suspicious. So we can’t be sure if the Pope from thirteen years ago was really Shion.
If Shion had been replaced by an imposter back then, that imposter would likely have continued acting like Shion to avoid detection while secretly building his own power.
Now, feeling confident that he’s in control of Sanctuary, and having learned through the Galaxian Wars that Athena is still alive, he may have decided to make a bold move.
Shaina, have you ever seen the Pope’s face?”
Using logical reasoning, Leo had uncovered the truth.
Shaina and Duradys exchanged glances before replying together:
“No, when we were young, we saw Pope Shion a few times. He was a kind old man, but after Aiolos’s rebellion thirteen years ago, he always wore the Pope’s mask. It’s said that no one has seen his face since.
Oh, and I heard that many of his personal attendants have been executed for various crimes.”
Hearing this, everyone realized that Leo’s theory made perfect sense.
It was likely that those attendants had seen the Pope’s true face and were killed to silence them.
“So who could have killed Pope Shion?” Hyoga furrowed his brows.
“Could it have something to do with the Holy War?” Shun, who had just embraced his resurrected brother Ikki, chimed in.
“My master once told me that every few centuries, when evil descends upon the world, Athena reincarnates and leads the Saints of justice in the Holy War to banish the evil.”
“But the targets of the Holy Wars are usually from the Underworld. Even if they had the strength to kill Pope Shion, how could they impersonate him so perfectly for so many years without being discovered?”
Ikki shook his head, rejecting his brother’s hypothesis.
“Could it be Alex? He was Pope Shion’s brother, knew all of his habits, and the Pope wouldn’t have suspected him. After killing Shion, he took his place for thirteen years and is now pretending to pass the position to himself, officially seizing power as Pope,” Shiryu reasoned calmly.
This hypothesis was immediately accepted by everyone because it seemed to be the most logical explanation.
Only Leo knew the real truth.
The one who had assassinated Shion was Saga of Gemini, not Alex. In fact, Alex had been killed by Saga thirteen years ago as well.
The true mastermind, as Shun had guessed, was related to the Underworld.
The Gemini Saints were known for their dual nature, but it didn’t mean one person had two personalities. Rather, the Gemini Gold Cloth was meant to be inherited by twins.
Saga had a brother who looked exactly like him and was equally powerful—Kanon.
(End of chapter)