At this point, there were truly no outsiders left in the Sanctuary. Everyone remaining had already absorbed a [Cosmic Core].
"Olivia," Riku said, looking at the girls. "With your ability, strip the Ophiuchus Silver Cloth from Shaina."
"So that is how it is..." Olivia was momentarily stunned. She looked at her best friend, who had fully recovered, her bandages now vanished, and broke into a smile.
This was enough.
Meanwhile, Riku muttered to himself, 'Saori said she can suppress the Holy War for about five years, ten at most.'
"That will not do!" Riku calculated the time and felt it was insufficient.
To be honest, that amount of time was simply too short for everyone currently in the Sanctuary to truly grow, even with the transformation brought by the [Cosmic Cores]. Growth took time.
"Alice," Riku called out suddenly.
Alice was looking at the beautiful girls before her, nodding with a beaming smile. Hearing her name, she turned her head and asked, "What is it, dear?"
Riku rubbed his chin. "What do you think about extracting a portion of [Universe Energy] and injecting it into the Sanctuary to nourish and improve everyone?"
"Like a Spirit Gathering Array from those novels?" Alice asked, thinking for a moment.
"Exactly!" Riku agreed. "Olivia, Sanzang, Saeko, Mayura, Kyoko, and Shoko are one thing... they have either had time to grow or are exceptionally gifted with unique talents. But as for the rest..."
Although many people had left the Sanctuary, a significant number remained.
Utaha Kasumigaoka, Sanzang, and Saeko Busujima were all Gold Saints.
Olivia, Marin, Rei Miyamoto, Rika Minami, and Mayura... these five were Silver Saints.
Finally, there were the seven Bronze Saints: Kyoko, Shoko, Mii, Xing Xiaoling, Katya, Erda, and June.
And that was not even counting the sisters Shaina and Ester, or the candidates Eriri and Megumi Kato.
Simply put, it was a lot of people.
In the future, that number would only increase. This was crucial; over the next five to ten years, it was highly likely that the population would continue to grow steadily.
"Tsk!" Riku clicked his tongue, muttering, 'Before I knew it, are there really this many people?'
When he stopped to think about it, the numbers had indeed swelled.
"What are you thinking about, dear?" Alice had finished her rounds and returned, asking with a smile.
As for the matter of [Universe Energy]? That was a trivial concern. After all, their Longhuang Universe had so many instances of Extinction; as long as there was [Universe Energy] to offset them, it did not matter if they could not be fully resolved immediately, so long as they did not spread. They could deal with it slowly.
Investing in the young girls at home was far more important.
"I was just thinking that, without realizing it, the Longhuang Universe that once held only you and me now has so many people," Riku said honestly, his voice tinged with emotion.
"That is all thanks to me!" Alice said with immense confidence, patting her ample chest.
The sight made Riku burst into laughter.
At that moment, Ester had already donned the Ophiuchus Silver Cloth.
"Mr. Riku..." Ester walked over quickly. She hesitated, seemingly wanting to say something.
Riku looked up at her. As for the masks? Everyone had already taken theirs off. With just one glance, he saw the worry and tension in her eyes. He smiled and said, "Do not worry about it. This position is the most suitable for you. As for Shaina?"
Riku turned his gaze toward Shaina, his voice carrying a hint of wonder. "To be honest, I did not think of this at first. In fact, even Saori did not expect it."
"Hmm?" The girls present all looked on with confused expressions. What had happened?
Shaina was also bewildered. Her Ophiuchus Silver Cloth had been removed by Lady Olivia and given to her sister. She did not mind that at all... why would she be upset about something going to her own sister?
It was just... looking at things now, something seemed off.
"Mr. Riku, did something happen?" Olivia also walked over, asking thoughtfully.
Mayura stood with one hand on her hip, looking at Shaina. Was there something different about this young girl?
"Ah," Riku mused. "Olivia, you should know quite well that one can become a Gold Saint through hard work and gradual improvement. However, there are some who are born with the ability to resonate with the Twelve Zodiac Temples. These people are born Gold Saints."
"And for ordinary people, many can resonate with multiple constellations."
"As long as their Cosmo is awakened and their strength is sufficient, they actually have many choices of Cloths."
Olivia was naturally aware of this. The young girl Utaha Kasumigaoka resonated with Aries. Meanwhile, Eriri and Megumi Kato each resonated with five or six constellations; once their strength improved, they would be able to choose.
"Both Shaina and Ester resonated with Ophiuchus."
"However!"
"Olivia, you have read many of the ancient records kept by the Sanctuary in the Astrology Tower."
"You should know very well... in the long span of history, through Holy War after Holy War from the Age of Myth until now, how many people have been able to resonate with Ophiuchus?" Riku looked at Olivia and asked with a smile.
"..." Olivia's calm, mature smile faltered slightly as she recalled everything she had read.
"Riku, are you saying..."
At that moment, Saori's voice drifted over from behind them.
"Lady Saori!" The girls all bowed respectfully.
Saori smiled and raised a hand to stop them. Her high heels clicked against the ground as she walked over step by step. Looking at Shaina, she could not help but sigh with emotion, murmuring, "Is this brilliant era guided by fate, or by the hand of man?"
~✦~ End of Chapter ~✦~
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