At this point, all the Gold Saints present had been defeated.
Despair, like the deepest night, enveloped everyone present.
He alone had used the Athena Exclamation, and it had defeated the Athena Exclamation that required three Gold Saints working together to use. How could they fight?
They now understood that Shion's earlier words had not been exaggerated, but had actually been somewhat conservative.
Setsuna stepped forward, walked past the fallen, and arrived before Shun, who was trapped by the acupressure.
He took the 'figure' Cloth from Shun's hands.
"Stop! Leave the Cloth!" Seiya shouted, his eyes about to burst.
"Oh, then take it." Setsuna casually replied, tossing the Cloth to Seiya.
"???"
"Huh!!"
Everyone was stunned, 'What was happening? Was this former former Pope so easy to talk to?'
"What do you mean by this?" Seiya couldn't help but ask.
Setsuna said calmly, "The order I received was only to bring 'Shun' back to the Underworld. Athena's Cloth was not within my mission scope."
Everyone first breathed a sigh of relief. The Cloth was safe... it hadn't been taken.
But they quickly felt confused. Why would the Underworld want to take a Bronze Saint?
Ikki didn't care about any of that. Learning that the Underworld's target was Shun, he was truly anxious. "What are you going to do? Are you going to kill Shun?"
Setsuna shook his head. "Don't misunderstand. He won't die. After all, he is the vessel chosen by Hades."
Hearing Setsuna's explanation, everyone was shocked.
Shun was so gentle. Because he didn't want to use his powerful strength to injure his opponents, he always used the Nebula Chain, which required both hands.
Yet Shun, so gentle, had been chosen by the most brutal Hades.
Ikki, upon hearing this, was filled with rage. Having his body taken over by Hades's will… how was that any different from 'dying'?
"Bastard! I will never let you take Shun!" Ikki burned his Cosmo along with his life force, charging recklessly toward Setsuna.
However, Setsuna simply pointed lightly.
Ikki was frozen in mid-charge, and even the burning flame of his life subsided.
"Anger won't solve anything." Setsuna's gaze swept over everyone, and he shook his head slightly.
"The Saints of this generation are truly disappointing. Aside from Virgo Shaka, has no one else even touched the threshold of the [Eighth Sense]?"
Seiya's heart stirred. Shaka's power was indeed impressive.
Setsuna's tone was sacred, as if reciting poetry: "Young Saints, listen well. If you still want to save Shun, if you still want to save Athena, then stake everything to reach the realm of the [Eighth Sense]."
"Only by reaching the realm of the Eighth Sense will you have the right to stand before the gods and strive for that slim chance of victory!"
With those words, a gentle force enveloped Shun.
The next moment, Setsuna and Shun vanished.
"No!" Ikki roared, his eyes about to burst.
"Shun!" Seiya and the other two also shouted, and they also discovered that they could finally move again.
"Calm down, Phoenix." Shion coughed up blood, but still soothed him. "In the last Holy War, someone was also chosen by Hades to be his 'vessel' in the human world."
"But the process of Hades's revival takes time. Before Hades fully revives, Shun's own soul will not perish. We still have a chance."
Hearing Shion's comfort, Ikki barely calmed down.
Shion continued, "But as the former former Pope said, you must reach the realm of the Eighth Sense as quickly as possible. Otherwise, everything will be irreversible!"
The few of them nodded heavily, but hesitated. "But how exactly do we attain the Eighth Sense?"
Shion's expression was complex. "The key to attaining the Eighth Sense is hidden in the battle just now. You must carefully contemplate Setsuna-nii's guidance."
"What? Guidance? Isn't he..." Seiya was confused.
"If Setsuna-nii truly meant us harm, this Holy War would already be over." Shion sighed. "Setsuna-nii is probably being restricted by the Underworld through despicable means, forcing him to only take Shun."
The few of them were startled.
Indeed…
Although that legendary Pope had taken Shun, if he had wanted to, killing them would have been a trivial matter.
Seiya clenched his fist, his eyes rekindling with fighting spirit. "Shion-sama, is it because he attained the [Eighth Sense] that Setsuna-senpai is so powerful?"
However, Shion shook his head. "The Eighth Sense is indeed powerful, and it is the key for Saints to reach a higher dimension, but it is not absolute."
"For example, when Setsuna-nii had not yet attained the Eighth Sense, he slew the Terrestrial Chief Star among the Specters, who had already attained the Eighth Sense."
"Slaying a Specter of the Eighth Sense? Without having attained the Eighth Sense himself?" Seiya was deeply shocked. He had personally witnessed the power of Shaka, who possessed the [Eighth Sense].
Hyoga sighed. "The Saints of the previous generation are called the strongest generation. Only a stronger monster could have led all the Saints in an era filled with such monsters."
Shion concluded, "In short, don't overly deify the Eighth Sense, but don't underestimate it either. It is a power you must master. Without this 'key', don't even think about saving Athena."
The few of them nodded heavily. They would definitely attain the Eighth Sense!
…
Underworld, Hades Castle.
This dark castle, standing in the gap between the Living World and the Underworld, was the bridgehead of the Hades forces in the human world, shrouded year-round in ominous clouds and the aura of death.
Deep within the hall, Pandora, dressed in a magnificent black dress, sat upright on the throne symbolizing the authority of Hades's proxy.
Her pale fingers tapped the armrest idly. Her jet-black eyes held a hint of scrutiny and amusement as she looked at the three figures kneeling on one knee below.
They were Gemini Saga, Aquarius Camus, and Capricorn Shura.
On the floor before them lay a roll of white burial cloth stained with golden blood, seemingly made of some sacred material.
"As expected of Saga, the Gold Saint once called 'the strongest'..." Pandora's tone carried a smile. "To bring Athena's body here in just twelve hours is truly astonishing."
"Very well, remove this cloth. Let me see the goddess's remains. She must look very peaceful, right?"
Saga and Camus had had their 'four senses' stripped by Shaka in a previous battle and could not speak, but they could still communicate via telepathy.
Saga said telepathically, "Pandora-sama, we have a request."
"We wish for Hades-sama to personally inspect Athena's body."
"Only then can we demonstrate our achievements and loyalty to Hades-sama."