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"Guard! Come in!"
After dispelling the barrier he had pre-emptively placed around the Pope's Hall, George called out to the guards.
Several Bronze Saints stationed outside rushed in immediately. Their faces paled the moment they saw the Pope, Deathmask, and Aphrodite lying motionless on the ground.
"What... what happened here?"
"The Great Pope and two Golden Saints were ambushed and killed. With his final breath, the Pope entrusted his position to me," George announced, his voice booming with authority as he flared his powerful Cosmo. "As the acting Pope, I order you to issue the Gold Summoning Decree immediately. Recall all Golden Saints back to the Sanctuary at once!"
"The Great Pope... killed in an ambush!"
The Bronze Saints' minds went blank with shock. Stumbling and tripping over themselves, they scrambled out of the hall to relay the order. George was currently the only active Golden Saint in the Sanctuary; whether his claim of succession was true or not, they had no choice but to obey his overwhelming presence.
Soon, a unique bell tolled throughout the Sanctuary, its resonance carrying to every corner of the world.
Meanwhile, in the plaza outside the Kido Mansion in Tokyo, Shaka stood with his eyes closed, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Master Dohko, Mu... the 'truth' you speak of cannot be verified. I still believe the Pope represents justice. Surrender now and return to the Sanctuary to face Athena's judgment, and I shall plead for mercy on your behalf. Otherwise, I will be forced to execute you here today."
Just as he finished speaking, he abruptly turned his head toward the direction of the Sanctuary. His brow furrowed.
"The Gold Summoning Decree... something has happened at the Sanctuary."
The tolling of that specific bell meant they had to abandon their current mission and return to meet the Pope immediately.
"The signal from Ola. The plan was a success," Saori Kido said, flashing an 'OK' sign to Dohko and Mu.
"I didn't expect him to actually settle things with Saga so quickly," Dohko remarked, stroking his beard in surprise. He turned to Shaka. "Shaka, since you do not believe us, let us go to the Sanctuary together."
"If you are willing, that would be for the best," Shaka replied.
The six Golden Saints behind him looked puzzled. Moments ago, these 'rebels' had refused to budge despite all persuasion. Now that the retreat order had been given, they were suddenly willing to go? Regardless, it was a relief. None of them truly wanted to raise a hand against Dohko, who had guided many of them in the past.
"Mu!" Dohko called out.
Mu of Aries nodded. Harnessing his mastery over spatial dimensions, he opened a gateway leading directly to the heart of the Sanctuary. As the Saints most proficient in teleportation, the Aries line made travel instantaneous.
The group stepped through the gate, appearing together in the Great Plaza of the Sanctuary. Beyond this point, Athena's barrier prevented flight and teleportation; they would have to ascend the steps on foot.
"Marin, what's happening?" Aiolia of Leo asked, spotting Silver Saint Marin of Eagle in the plaza.
Marin looked startled by their sudden arrival. "A notice just came from the Pope's Hall. Specters from the Underworld infiltrated the Sanctuary and assassinated Aphrodite, Deathmask, and the Pope. They were eventually driven back by Ola. Before he passed, the Pope named Ola as his successor. The bells you heard were the new Pope summoning the Golden Saints for an emergency meeting."
"What!?"
Shaka and the other five were stunned. Specters killed the Pope while they were away? And two Golden Saints fell as well? Was the Holy War beginning prematurely? Had the seal at the Five Old Peaks broken? And how did the enemy know the Sanctuary's defenses would be at their weakest right now?
Suddenly, the six Saints turned to glare at Dohko and his group. The same thought crossed their minds.
According to the Pope's previous claims, Saori Kido was Pandora. She had seduced Dohko and Mu, leading Dohko to release the 108 Specters. Then, using herself as bait, she lured the six strongest defenders to Tokyo, leaving the Sanctuary vulnerable. Finally, powerful Specters must have slipped in to assassinate the leadership.
It was perfectly logical—if one believed the Pope.
"Come up with us. You'll see the truth for yourselves soon enough," Dohko said. He could guess what Shaka was thinking, but knowing words were useless, he simply led the way up the stairs.
Shaka and the others exchanged cautious glances but followed closely. They passed through the twelve houses of the Zodiac and finally reached the Pope's Hall. George was already there, waiting.
"Ola! Tell us exactly what happened!" Aiolia demanded.
"Now... it is time to witness a miracle," George said calmly.
Instead of answering, he reached down and removed the mask from the body on the floor. He stripped away the Pope's heavy robes, revealing the shimmering Gold Cloth beneath.
"Saga of Gemini!"
The sight of Saga's face sent a shockwave through the six Saints. The truth Dohko had told them in Tokyo began to take root. Even Shaka and Shura felt their resolve waver.
"Even if the Pope was Saga, it doesn't prove everything you said was true," Shaka argued. He could still sense a core of justice within Saga's soul. He reasoned that if Aiolos had truly been the traitor, Saga might have taken the Pope's mantle in secret just to keep the Sanctuary stable.
"Then let Saga tell you himself!"
George produced a small bottle and pointed it at Saga's body. "Mafuba!"
A green swirl of energy erupted, forcibly sucking a dark, clinging shadow off Saga and into the bottle.
"You likely heard the truth from Seiya in Tokyo, but it wasn't the whole truth," George explained. "During my fight with Saga, I discovered an evil spirit hiding within him. I suspect that thirteen years ago, Saga's personality was corrupted by this spirit, leading him to kill the former Pope and frame Aiolos."
With the evil spirit sealed, George snapped his fingers, dispelling the Sleep Charm on Saga. "Now that the spirit is gone, Saga will return to his senses. Let him speak."
Every eye in the room fixed on Saga as he slowly opened his eyes. Memories of the last thirteen years flooded back into his mind. He stood up, trembling, his face contorted in agony.
"I... I killed the Great Pope... I tried to assassinate Athena... I caused the death of Aiolos... How could I have done such horrible things?"
Seeing Saga's genuine breakdown and hearing his confession, Shaka and the others finally understood. George had been telling the truth. Saori Kido was indeed Athena, not Pandora. They had almost raised their fists against their own Goddess.
"Athena... my sins are unforgivable. Only death can atone for what I have done!" Saga walked toward Saori and fell to his knees, raising his hand to pierce his own heart.
Saori rushed forward to catch his hand, her expression radiant with compassion. "Ola told me it wasn't your fault. An evil spirit controlled you. Now that it is sealed, what I need from you is not your death, but your strength. Protect the Sanctuary and prepare for the coming Holy War."
With the Holy War looming, losing one of the strongest Golden Saints to suicide would be a devastating blow. George, watching from the side, noted Saori's wisdom. As the goddess who had defeated Hades, Poseidon, and Ares throughout history, she was no "damsel in distress"—she was a strategic leader.
"I shall fight for the Sanctuary with my life to redeem my soul!" Saga swore solemnly, moved by her mercy and the warmth of her Cosmo.
"Ola, can you identify the spirit?" Saori asked, turning to George.
George nodded. He released a sliver of the spirit from the seal, using mental magic to force a confession. The spirit, unable to resist, spoke in a hollow, chilling voice.
"My mistress is Ker, the Goddess of Fate... servant to the King of the Underworld and sister to Hypnos and Thanatos. The moment the Gemini twins were born, my mistress placed me within Saga to slowly erode his heart. Thirteen years ago, I finally took control, forcing him to kill Shion and attack the infant Athena..."
Fury erupted among the Saints. Shura, especially, felt a crushing weight of guilt. As the most 'loyal' Saint, he had nearly killed the baby Athena and had hunted down Aiolos using the child as a shield. His burden was nearly as heavy as Saga's.
"It seems Ker's goal was to incite civil war, letting the Saints destroy each other to clear the path for Hades' army," George concluded, waving his hand to incinerate the spirit once it had served its purpose.
Everyone nodded in agreement. If Aiolos hadn't risked his life to save the infant, the entire Sanctuary would have fallen under the control of a puppet controlled by Hades. Furthermore, if George hadn't exposed the plot, the Sanctuary's forces would likely have been halved by the time they realized the truth.
The Saints looked at George with newfound respect. He was the savior of the Sanctuary.
"Why did you tell the guards the Pope was killed by Specters?" Shaka asked, curious. If George had won, he could have just presented the truth. Why the elaborate lie?
George replied smoothly, hiding his own ambition for the throne. "The Holy War is beginning. If the world finds out a Golden Saint murdered the Pope and ruled as a tyrant... if they find out Pisces and Cancer were traitors... and that the rest of you were so easily fooled that you almost killed your Goddess... the people will lose all faith in the Sanctuary. We need a 'noble lie' to keep morale high and the Sanctuary united."
"What do you propose?" Aiolia asked.
George laid out the narrative. "We announce that Aiolos never betrayed the Sanctuary. The Pope discovered Hades' plot and sent Aiolos away to protect and train Athena in secret. The claim of 'treason' was merely a ruse to deceive Hades. Unfortunately, Hades found out and sent Specters to kill Aiolos. The Silver Saints sent to Japan were actually meant to protect her but were also killed by the enemy. Finally, the six of you went to Tokyo to finish off the remaining Specters. Failing to kill Athena, the Specters launched a desperate assassination strike on the Pope. Aphrodite and Deathmask died as heroes defending him."
He paused. "This way, the reputation of the Gold Saints remains untarnished. The blame falls entirely on the Underworld, fueling the fire for the coming war."
"It is the best path," Shaka agreed first. For him, winning the Holy War was the priority, and a strategic lie was a small price to pay.
Aiolia nodded vigorously; this would finally clear his brother's name. The others followed suit. It protected the Sanctuary's honor and redirected all animosity toward the true enemy.
"Then it is settled," Saori agreed. She was still regaining her divinity and deferred to the consensus of her strongest warriors.
"Regarding my earlier claim that the Pope passed his title to me—that was a temporary measure to stabilize the ranks," George said with practiced humility. "Athena must now choose a permanent successor."
He wasn't actually giving it up; he was being polite to avoid appearing power-hungry. He had saved the day and solved every problem; if Saori didn't give him the job, he'd have to consider if Poseidon was hiring.
Saori looked toward Dohko. The old master shook his head with a chuckle. "I must return to watch over the seal of the 108 stars. I cannot stay here. I recommend Ola to continue as Pope."
The rank and file already believed George was the chosen successor. If Saori changed it the moment she arrived, it would cause unnecessary confusion. Besides, George had proven both his strength and his strategic mind.
The other Golden Saints offered no objection. Having spent thirteen years being deceived, they felt they had no standing to claim the throne themselves.
"Then I officially appoint Ola as the Great Pope of the Sanctuary," Saori declared.
(End of Chapter)