- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 378
Saga is one of the top-tier fighters among the Twelve Gold Saints. Killing him would be a waste—he’d be an invaluable asset in future Holy Wars.
More importantly, Leo wanted to learn Saga’s ultimate techniques, like **Galaxian Explosion**, **Another Dimension**, and **Five Senses Deprivation**.
Since he now possessed his own cosmos, it meant that with enough time and effort, he could master any technique in this world that was fueled by cosmos energy.
And time was something he had plenty of.
“Leo’s right. Let’s work together to subdue Saga first and find out if there’s another reason behind his betrayal of the Sanctuary,” Saori Kido said, raising her golden staff as she stood beneath Athena’s statue.
Just then, the massive rock sphere in the sky shattered, and a heavily breathing Saga descended from above.
“Subdue him first! I know how to uncover the truth!” Leo shouted, and the Gold Saints immediately rushed forward.
Saga saw all the Gold Saints standing by Athena’s side, and in that moment, he realized the truth had been fully exposed.
Badly injured and outmatched, he turned without hesitation, attempting to flee.
“**Buddha’s Palm World!**”
Shaka was the first to act, using his technique that created a world within a grain of sand and a Buddha’s realm within a single palm to freeze Saga in place. The other Gold Saints followed, raising their cosmos to the peak and pressing down on Saga.
“Saga, stop resisting!”
Finally, Saori Kido stepped forward, unleashing her own cosmos through the golden staff.
With the combined cosmos of Athena and all the Gold Saints, even someone as powerful as Saga was pinned to the ground, unable to move.
“Letting a mere girl rule the Sanctuary? You’ll regret it! When the Holy War is lost and humanity is destroyed, you’ll all be to blame! Sinners, every one of you!”
“Enough with the nonsense!” Leo appeared behind Saga, his left eye’s Rinnegan activating its power from the Human Path.
“**Soul Extraction!**”
He stretched out his hands, and two souls began to slowly emerge from Saga’s body.
Saga struggled, but with his cosmos suppressed, he could only tremble slightly.
“So, this is the real problem.”
Of the two souls being pulled out, one was Saga’s original soul, while the other was a black, sinister-looking soul—its evil nature immediately apparent to everyone.
Releasing Saga’s original soul back into his body, Leo focused all his ocular power to fully extract the black soul from Saga.
“Don’t think this is over! Lord Hades will kill you all! Every last one of you will die! This world belongs to Lord Hades!”
Seeing itself completely expelled from Saga’s body, the evil spirit knew its plan had failed and stopped hiding its true nature.
But before it could say another word, Leo summoned the **Great Sumeru Yin Cauldron** and sealed the spirit within.
Evil spirits of this level were the perfect nourishment for the cauldron, enhancing its power once refined. Leo wasn’t about to let that go to waste.
“Saga is guilty and will accept any punishment!”
Without the influence of the evil spirit, Saga’s hair returned to its original blue, and tears streamed down his face as he knelt before Saori Kido.
However, Saori did not blame him. Instead, she gently comforted him.
“I believe that seeing what the evil spirit made you do must have been more painful for you than for anyone else.”
With the truth revealed, peace returned to the Sanctuary under Athena’s rule.
Thanks to Leo’s efforts, the Sanctuary’s strength hadn’t been significantly diminished. Aside from a few foot soldiers who perished, the Silver and Bronze Saints remained unharmed.
As for the Gold Saints, Libra Dohko continued guarding the seal at Mount Five Peaks, while Cancer and Pisces, who had been released by Leo, rejoined Athena’s ranks and accepted their punishments in confinement within their respective temples.
Now, with all Twelve Gold Saints, plus Leo as the new Sagittarius, the Sanctuary’s strength had returned to its peak.
Three days later, within the Pope’s chamber of the Sanctuary:
Saori Kido stood above, holding the golden staff, while Leo and the eleven other Gold Saints, along with all the Silver and Bronze Saints, stood below.
“Sagittarius Leo, for your actions during the Sanctuary’s civil war, I hereby bestow upon you the title of Pope. I hope you will govern the Sanctuary wisely and prepare for the coming Holy War!”
Saori Kido held out the helmet and robe that symbolized the position of Pope, placing them in Leo’s hands.
Leo accepted them with a solemn expression, delivering a formal speech as he assumed the role.
The previous Pope, Shion, had been killed by Dark Saga, and Saga’s brother, Ares, had also perished at Saga’s hands. Sagittarius Aiolos, who should have succeeded as Pope, was long dead.
Now that Saga had returned to his senses, it wasn’t appropriate for him to resume the role of Pope.
But the Sanctuary could not remain without a Pope.
Additionally, Saori Kido had not yet fully awakened and didn’t want to stay in the Sanctuary—she intended to return to the Kido family and continue managing its affairs.
Thus, the matter of selecting a new Pope became pressing.
Who would be the best candidate for Pope?
By seniority, Dohko was the most qualified, but he was bound to Mount Five Peaks to guard the seal and couldn’t return to the Sanctuary to assume the role.
Most of the remaining Gold Saints had played negative roles in the civil war, contributing little and nearly becoming accomplices to the evil spirit. They were in no position to become Pope.
Some were either unwilling or unsuited for the role due to their personalities.
After considering all options, Leo, the new Sagittarius, seemed to be the most appropriate choice.
In terms of strength, Leo was now one of the Twelve Gold Saints, having defeated Pisces, Cancer, and holding his own against the mind-controlled Gemini Saga. His power was beyond question.
In terms of contributions, no one had done more in the civil war than Leo. Without him, the Sanctuary’s victory would have come at the cost of half its people, drastically weakening its strength. Leo was the true hero of the war.
Moreover, Leo had the closest relationship with Saori Kido, spending the most time with her and earning her trust. He was also the successor to Aiolos, the rightful inheritor of the Pope’s role.
In the end, Leo became the only candidate for Pope.
Though the outcome was unexpected for Leo himself, he gladly accepted the position.
It was, after all, a great opportunity for him.
He could delegate the mundane tasks of the Pope to his shadow clones, saving his time.
As Pope, he would have better access to the other Gold Saints, enabling him to improve his cosmos and learn their ultimate techniques.
Moreover, with him leading the charge, future battles against Asgard, Poseidon, and Hades would be far simpler, and he could seize the opportunity to gain more benefits.
(End of Chapter)