Chapter 72: The Reflection Ends, Return

One moment they were lovers, whispering sweet nothings to each other; the next, they had become bitter enemies, love turned to hatred in an instant. The transformation was so swift that even the Saints were stunned, and Feng Zhe found himself applauding Miss Saori’s resolve.

This Athena of the current era was, in terms of ruthlessness, far more resolute than any of her predecessors. Feng Zhe knew he could never do what she had—change from a bashful maiden to a woman willing to send her beloved to his death in the blink of an eye, and all the while, her face betrayed not the slightest shift in emotion.

Apollo Abel gazed coldly at the woman before him.

“Brother, I’m sorry. I cannot allow you to destroy the world…”

Miss Saori’s declaration darkened Abel’s face.

“If that’s how it is, then you shall die!”

A surge of immense power suddenly appeared in Abel’s palm, the forces intertwining and coalescing into a sphere no larger than his hand.

“This is… two divine essences entwined together?”

Only the power of divinity could easily kill a god—not by stripping it away, but by collapsing it, shattering all that makes a god divine.

Abel’s sudden attack was so swift that even Feng Zhe had no time to intervene. He could only watch helplessly as that overwhelming power twisted at Miss Saori’s abdomen.

Just as her life seemed about to end, a brilliant light erupted. Another mighty force intervened, halting the destructive energy.

In that instant, a small golden figure appeared before Miss Saori.

It was this little golden figure that stopped the impending devastation.

“What is this…” Even Abel was stunned, unable to believe his own eyes.

The next moment, Miss Saori was clad in a shining Cloth—the legendary Athena’s Cloth itself.

Clad in the sacred armor, she gripped the Staff of Nike, the Goddess of Victory, in her left hand.

With a forceful swing, the staff pierced straight through Abel’s chest, leaving a gaping hole.

“You…” Abel stared at Saori in disbelief, as if unable to comprehend that she could strike him down.

The abrupt change was so startling that even Dohko and Saga, fighting nearby, sensed it and broke apart, turning their shocked gazes to Saori.

“If that’s the case, then let us perish together!” Abel’s entire form turned ethereal in an instant, swelling like an inflated balloon until it enveloped all of Sanctuary.

A crushing sense of dread descended, pressing down on every Saint with overwhelming force.

“Abel’s going to self-destruct!”

All the Saints sensed it; especially Athena Saori, who bore the brunt of Abel’s threat. If Abel unleashed his self-destruction within Sanctuary, not a single soul would survive—Sanctuary itself would be left in ruins.

“Miss Saori, let me take this gamble!”

Feng Zhe stepped forward, still clad in the tattered remains of the Altar Cloth.

Saori, seeing the battered Cloth, drew her own blood and let it fall upon the Altar Cloth.

Instinctively, light burst forth and the Altar Cloth began to transform…

A single wing unfurled from Feng Zhe’s back; the Cloth had evolved into its ultimate form—the Altar God Cloth.

With a powerful beat of his new wings, Feng Zhe soared into the sky, his gaze fixed entirely upon Abel’s phantom.

Then he shouted with all his might,

“Burn! My Cosmo!”

Behind him, the constellation of the Altar appeared, and his Cosmo flared to limitless heights.

From the Twelve Temples, beams of light shot forth, all converging upon Feng Zhe.

“What…?” Seiya stared in amazement at the twelve streams of Cosmo—each one the power of a Gold Saint.

Shun exclaimed, “All the Gold Saints have channeled their power into Alex! They’re helping the Altar Saint!”

In that instant, Feng Zhe comprehended the ultimate secret, one even more powerful than Athena’s Exclamation.

He unleashed all the Cosmo at once, a force that even surpassed the might of the gods.

The Zodiac’s Final Roar!

“That’s… the ultimate technique created by Regulus of Leo in the previous era! To think it would appear in Sanctuary again!” Aiolia of Leo cried out in disbelief, unable to comprehend the sight of a power that eclipsed the gods.

Mu of Aries also exclaimed, “But after using this technique, Alex’s body will be destroyed by the force… he…”

Shaka of Virgo added, “He’s made up his mind to die.”

The evil Saga and Dohko both looked skyward at Feng Zhe. Tears streamed down Dohko’s face, his heart filled with reverence for the Saint of the Altar.

The evil Saga merely sneered, “Foolish human!” With a teleportation, he fled the scene.

Clad in her God Cloth, Saori’s eyes shone with determination. She immediately raised Athena’s Shield, instantly creating a massive barrier.

This was her strongest defensive stance—and the final promise she had made to Feng Zhe.

Meanwhile, Feng Zhe entered a special state. The ultimate techniques of all twelve Gold Saints became clear to him in a flash, and he gathered them into a single point, unleashing them together.

A tremendous explosion resounded above Sanctuary, a mushroom cloud rising as the blast shaved away nearly a third of Sanctuary’s structures.

Yet, within the shield raised by Athena in her God Cloth, all the Saints were spared.

When the Saints recovered from the shock, Abel’s gigantic form had vanished—Feng Zhe too was nowhere to be seen.

It was clear: Alex of the Altar and Abel had fallen together.

“Alex…” Seiya knelt, wracked with grief, tears streaming down his face.

Nearly everyone was weeping for his loss.

Clad in her God Cloth, Saori searched for a long time, but found no trace of Feng Zhe. She could only sigh deeply.

…

Altar Space.

Feng Zhe found himself here once more, the Altar Cloth restored to its original form.

Evidently, after the explosion of the Zodiac’s Final Roar, the God Cloth had reverted.

[Crimson Youth Statistics Calculating…]

[Guided Saori back to Sanctuary, fundamentally altered the plot, S-rank rating, Mirror Node total gained: 40%…]

[Returned Dohko to Sanctuary early and broke the gods’ feigned death technique, changing the situation before Sanctuary. Overall layout greatly altered, A-rank rating, Mirror Node total gained: 30%…]

[Evil Saga obtained divinity ahead of schedule, greatly altering subsequent events, B-rank rating, Mirror Node total gained: 20%…]

[Defeated Berenice of the Minor Seat, D-rank rating, Mirror Node total gained: 5%…]

[Exceeded expectations, perished together with Sun God Abel using Zodiac’s Final Roar, S-rank rating, Mirror Node total gained: 40%…]

[According to the altered plot, overall grade is S-rank, Time Power increased by 20%, total Mirror Node gain: 155%]

[This time, Mirror Node total is 100,000 Faith Points. Due to exceptional performance, one treasure chest awarded. Congratulations, host, you have gained 100,000 Faith Points!]

“A treasure chest?”

Feng Zhe gazed at the treasure chest, excitement welling up within him…