Chapter 189: Saints vs. God Warriors (Patreon)

What was Hilda's true nature? As her younger sister, Freya was the one who knew her best.

Odin's representative on Earth, the queen of the Land of the Gods, she was praised as having the purest of souls. Even the most vicious warriors would sheathe their claws in her presence.

Her sister had originally been a lover of peace, praying day and night to the great god Odin on behalf of humanity for its destruction of nature, praying that the icebergs would remain as they were and not melt.

But ever since being swept away by a great wave several days ago, she reappeared having abandoned her mission. Furthermore, after a secret meeting with a mysterious person, she gathered the legendary God Warriors, intending to overthrow the Sanctuary and rule the entire surface world.

If it were the Hilda of before, even with the help of the legendary God Warriors, she would not have been able to stand against the Sanctuary. But after putting on that ring, everything was different. Her ambition, her power, both grew to an incredible degree.

Perhaps it was precisely because she put on that ring that all of today's problems arose.

At least, that's what her younger sister Freya thought.

“And what exactly is that evil ring?” Aiolia of Leo couldn't help but ask.

“The Ring of the Nibelungen. Only this ring possesses such power,” Seiya said slowly.

“You know the origin of this ring?!” Joy filled Freya's eyes.

She had noticed this late-arriving Saint early on, the warrior who was said to have defeated the evil Saga and bore the title of a legendary Saint. Freya knew very little about this Pegasus, but through her own unique gifts, she could feel his warm Cosmo, one that far surpassed normal standards, even giving her a sensation similar to directly facing the authority of the great god Odin.

“The Ring of the Nibelungen was, long, long ago, imbued with a special curse by a group of third-rate evil gods. It is an evil ring of power, bringing its wearer infinite authority, allowing one to rule the world and possess demonic power. But at the same time, they will be afflicted by its curse, which endlessly magnifies the darkness in their heart.”

The 'third-rate' here was truly third-rate.

Although the Twin Gods had been mocked as third-rate evil gods, the authorities they wielded and their status in the Greek pantheon would at least place them as second-rate deities. This group of evil gods, at best, was on the level of the Four Dream Gods, and perhaps even slightly weaker.

But with such a quantity of curses piled up, it still contained an extraordinary demonic power.

However, Seiya was thinking of something else. If he could resist the darkness of that ring, could he not perfectly wield this authority of evil gods? Under normal circumstances, anyone with such a thought would surely be bewitched by the ring, but Seiya happened to possess an ability that completely subjugated evil.

“Since we have found the culprit, we must correct Hilda’s current way of thinking.”

After Saori Kido said this, she looked at Seiya.

Although she was full of fighting spirit, she wanted to hear his opinion on how to proceed.

It was as if pushed by some kind of fate; otherwise, such a perfect opportunity could not exist.

Athena's expression changed dramatically. Not long after, all the Gold Saints felt a terrifying disaster brewing from the two poles of the world.

A vision appeared before their eyes—at the ends of the North and South Poles, vast icebergs were collapsing, melting, and countless creatures screamed as they were splattered with blood on the spot.

The cause of this disaster was a woman with her left hand raised high, radiating an ominous, deep purple aura. It was none other than Queen Hilda, riding her eight-legged divine steed.

“It's my sister! She’s not only failing to perform her duty, but she’s also accelerating the melting of the glaciers!” Freya’s already pale face was now completely devoid of color.

“At this rate, perhaps in less than half a day, the polar ice caps will completely melt. By then, the entire world will naturally be dragged into the ocean... So this is the first disaster foretold in the Divine Prophecy Scroll!” Mu of Aries looked at Seiya, who was standing beside the goddess.

At this moment, the Gold Saints who realized this all wore expressions of horror. If this prophecy was true, then the calamity of the Sea God, the resurrection of Hades, and the successive appearance of numerous evil gods might all come to pass!

“Do not be afraid of the future. This first disaster is also a perfect trial for all the Saints.” Seiya crossed his arms, his voice clear and sharp.

“Aquarius Saint Camus, Cepheus Saint Daidalos.”

“I am here.” The Saint who always carried a lingering sadness and the Cepheus Saint each took a step forward, kneeling on one knee before Seiya.

“You two will lead Cygnus Saint Hyoga, Dragon Shiryu, Andromeda Shun, and Phoenix Ikki to the divine palace to rendezvous with Aldebaran and the Crystal Saint. Aiolia of Leo and Milo of Scorpio, you will monitor the movements of the Undersea Temple. The remaining Saints will guard the Sanctuary.”

“We will defend the glory of the Sanctuary to the death.”

Then, Seiya turned his gaze to Saori Kido. “Lady Goddess, right now, only your Cosmo can resist the power of those evil gods and delay the melting of the glaciers.”

“Leave it to me. I will do my best.” Saori Kido gripped her scepter and nodded at Seiya.

However, as if thinking of something, her expression turned serious as she looked at him. “But you must be careful too. Hilda is a very dangerous woman.”

“Rest assured.” Seiya knelt on one knee and kissed her ring finger.

“Your will is above all else.”

Located at the northernmost end, Asgard of Northern Europe is perennially covered in ice and snow, knowing nothing of sunlight and never seeing flourishing flowers or trees. Its natural conditions are extremely harsh.

For generations, it has been ruled by Odin's representative on Earth. This island nation, which overlooks the Arctic Ocean, has been under the jurisdiction of the Sea Sanctuary since ancient times, effectively making it a vassal state, though it has never truly submitted.

But until recently, everything had changed.

A beautiful figure, almost one with the ice and snow, sat cross-legged on a seaside cliff, sensing the terrifying evil power emanating from the distance.

“It seems the plan is a great success. Even the reincarnation of Athena can only barely delay the melting of the glaciers. Just let the entire world sink into the ocean. I will ask for a reward for you before Lord Poseidon.” An enchanting voice sounded in his ear.

“Do you think I need you to ask for a reward for me, Siren? I do these things only for Lord Poseidon, not because I truly want to destroy this world.”

“But you still did it, didn't you? Always one to praise your own name.”

The illusory being chuckled. “But it seems you have a guest. I won't disturb you for now.”

With that, the semi-illusory figure clinging to the cliff voluntarily fell into the sea. And what followed was the sudden appearance of a figure here.

“Camus, the Gold Saint of Aquarius. I do not wish to be your enemy,” he said softly.

Camus of Aquarius, a master of ice techniques himself, had a home-field advantage in Northern Europe that surpassed most God Warriors.

But not long ago, a chilling aura he could not ignore had risen. When he tracked it here, he did not find its source. There was only this person before him.

Camus stared grimly at the Saint before him. His appearance was of an androgynous beauty, reminding him of the recent Aphrodite of Pisces. Even the lingering sadness on his face was similar.

“But that Scale you're wearing... you are a Mariner of the Undersea God. Why are you here? Is Hilda’s Ring of the Nibelungen related to Poseidon?”

“I am sorry, but I am under no obligation to answer your questions.”

The man called a Mariner stood up, his eyes closed. “If possible, I would rather not fight you.”

“Likewise. I do not wish to fight you either.”

“Then have we reached a consensus?” the man asked with a smiling, raised eyebrow.