Chapter 81: Return to Saori’s Timeline

Present Day
Sanctuary
A massive comet crashed into a corner of the Sanctuary.
When the dust settled, it revealed Feng Zhe, who had not appeared for a long time.
Feng Zhe glared at the sky, his face dark, and raised his middle finger, cursing, "Chronos, God of Time, I won’t let this go!"
Just moments ago, the goddess Saori and Feng Zhe had both fallen into the river of time, but a powerful force instantly separated them. Saori was thrown into the space-time of 1743, while Feng Zhe returned to his original timeline—the main arc of Seiya.
"Saori is in danger, alone in 1743!"
Feng Zhe’s heart was anxious, especially since Saori was so delicate—how could she possibly manage in 1743? Whether it was ND or LC, both eras were terrifying.
Even Feng Zhe himself would avoid going there if he had a choice.
At this moment, his thoughts lingered on Saori, and he couldn’t help but worry about her.
Elsewhere, the entrance to the Aries Palace was bustling. Miss Saori, the granddaughter of Mitsumasa Kido from Japan, was lying on the ground, a golden arrow embedded in her chest, appearing as if her life hung by a thread.
Surrounding her, besides the five young Saints, was Mu, the Gold Saint of Aries, standing to the side.
Outside, Algeti of the Warrior constellation, Dio of the Silver Fly, Sirius of Canis Major, and Hercules Douglas were on guard, facing off with the Saints of Sanctuary.
Mu of Aries was deeply worried, especially after seeing the comet that had descended from the sky. He felt an inexplicable strangeness.
If he weren’t needed here, he would have gone to investigate.
Just then, a figure arrived at the palace gates. When Mu saw who it was, he cried out in surprise, "Acting Pope Alex!"
The five young Saints were equally shocked. Jabu of Unicorn exclaimed, "Feng Zhe?!"
Since being expelled by Saori, Feng Zhe had vanished entirely from their midst.
Feng Zhe’s face was gloomy as he glanced at Mu and asked, "Is the current Pope still Arvid?"
Mu of Aries nodded, "Yes, but right now Miss Saori is in grave danger. Seiya and the others have twelve hours to break through the Twelve Palaces and save her, or else…"
Feng Zhe did not smile, asking again, "You spent an hour repairing their Cloths and taught them about the Seventh Sense?"
Perhaps due to his long-standing position, Mu felt a slight pressure emanating from Feng Zhe and replied unconsciously, "Yes, they are now in the second palace, battling Taurus Aldebaran."
Feng Zhe’s heart sank; the battle of the Twelve Palaces seemed unavoidable.
He looked at the dying Saori on the ground, who appeared to be suffering immense pain; even Feng Zhe’s arrival had not roused her.

The lady Saori, whose face was identical to the goddess Saori, left Feng Zhe unmoved—perhaps even a bit repulsed.
If the goddess Saori was a sheet of pure white paper, then Miss Saori was a page covered in mathematical equations—scheming and calculating, with a mind as dark as night.
"Miss Saori, if you wish, I can pull out the golden arrow from your chest and heal your wound."
Feng Zhe’s thoughts transmitted into Saori’s mind, causing her to frown.
She replied telepathically, "Feng Zhe, I did this to awaken Seiya and the others’ fighting spirit, to help them grow quickly. Don’t ruin my plans."
With someone clever, especially a schemer like Saori, directness yielded results.
"The Pope’s palace is not easy to deal with!"
He glanced at the distant Pope’s palace, and Saori’s voice came again, "It’s just a whetstone."
Then, as if struck by another idea, Saori suddenly said, "I have pardoned all Silver Saints and reappointed you as acting Pope. Is that acceptable?"
Last time, Saori’s attitude towards the Silvers had so dissatisfied Feng Zhe that he left her.
But now, Miss Saori’s sudden friendliness must have a significant purpose.
He asked, "So, what does Miss Saori want from me?"
"Help me win this Holy War!"
Feng Zhe smiled. Last time, he had offered to end the Holy War for her, but her lack of trust had driven him away.
Now, it was Miss Saori who was asking him to win the Holy War.
But Feng Zhe did not agree immediately; instead, he asked, "Something has happened with the Hades Army, hasn’t it?"
"You… How did you know?"
Miss Saori was surprised. She knew Feng Zhe was no ordinary person—his Cosmo seemed to appear out of nowhere.
This reminded her of the Altar constellation. She had investigated it, discovering that the Altar was from the ancient continent, a relic from the first Holy War, with long and mysterious history.
Feng Zhe’s strength was evident, rivaling that of a Gold Saint. This was why Saori so desperately wanted to recruit him.
Feng Zhe looked toward the Taurus Palace, sensing that Seiya had defeated Aldebaran—or rather, Aldebaran had let Seiya go.
"Tell me what happened in the Underworld."
Saori paused, then replied telepathically, "The details are unclear, but there is a rebellious force in the Underworld, and Hades seems to have awakened early!"
"What?!"
Feng Zhe was shocked. In this era, Hades’s vessel was Andromeda Shun, who was currently in the Gemini Palace, battling a phantom.

"And Poseidon has awakened; the forces of the sea realm have arrived ahead of schedule."
The shock was even greater, leaving Feng Zhe momentarily at a loss.
"Did this news come from Hilde at Asgard?"
Saori confirmed and added, "Poseidon is fully awakened. If battle breaks out…"
Poseidon fully awakened?
In the original storyline, Poseidon only awakened fifty percent after all seven Generals were defeated and Seiya provoked him. Even then, he nearly crushed Seiya.
But that was still within manageable limits, which was why Miss Saori could safely soak in the main pillar.
But with Poseidon fully awakened, even Athena could not guarantee victory.
Combined with the mysterious Hades, chaos would engulf the world.
Meanwhile, Sanctuary was suffering from a lack of talent; relying solely on the five young Saints would not suffice.
After much scheming, Miss Saori realized she had no hope of victory, and thus had to bow her head and seek Feng Zhe’s help.
"This era needs to end."
Feng Zhe unconsciously looked to the distance, then said, "I don’t want to be acting Pope—I want to be the true Pope."
"Fine, I agree."
Miss Saori agreed decisively.
"And also, pardon the Gold Saints who nearly cost you your life in the Saga incident."
This time, Saori fell silent.
It was obvious—Miss Saori was vengeful, which is why she had insisted on the deaths of the Pisces duo, Capricorn Shura, and Aquarius Camus.
"Fine, I agree to all."
"Deal!"
Feng Zhe and Saori reached an agreement, marking the dawn of a new era.