In the world of the Saint Seiya, Asgard.
The corrupted Hilda sat on her throne, looking down at her subordinates and a few God Warriors. Just moments ago, Hilda had given the order to wage war against Sanctuary.
Most of the high-ranking officials in Asgard opposed this command. After all, everyone knew how powerful Sanctuary was. Compared to the gods of Greece, Asgard had always been seen as insignificant, a force on the edge of the world. To go against Sanctuary, one of the top powers? That was madness.
But Hilda's prestige in Asgard was too great—greater even than Saori Kido's reputation in Sanctuary at the same time, since Sanctuary had only just come out of an internal conflict. On top of that, Hilda had just reawakened the God Warriors, who hadn't been called upon for hundreds of years.
So even though some opposed her, under Hilda's pressure they could only swallow their dissatisfaction and obey. Of course, that didn't mean her decision was left without any resistance.
The only one to oppose her was her younger sister, Freya. She had been secretly eavesdropping outside the hall, and after hearing Hilda's decision, she was already planning to run off to warn Sanctuary. But Freya, though Hilda's sister, was just a powerless human. Her actions could hardly affect Asgard's next moves.
Thus, war between Asgard and Sanctuary was already inevitable.
Hilda's true soul, sealed deep inside, saw everything happening and grew more and more anxious. But aside from waiting for Josh to keep his promise to help her, she could do nothing.
Just as her worry reached its peak, the system finally rang. Hilda hurried to answer it.
"Mr. Kahn, when will you help me escape? That evil soul has already sent warriors to declare war on Sanctuary!" she asked urgently the moment the line opened.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I'll send someone to help you. But… don't you think this isn't the best place to talk?" Josh replied after glancing at her current surroundings through the system.
Hilda realized he was right. Among the officials in the great hall, there could very well be spies from the Sea Realm.
"But that evil soul has already sent Surt to assassinate Athena. If we don't stop him quickly…" Hilda said, still anxious.
"Why rush? Honestly, I don't think going to war with Sanctuary is such a bad thing," Josh answered calmly.
"What do you mean by that?" Hilda frowned.
"Isn't it obvious? Your greatest enemy right now isn't Sanctuary, it's the Sea Realm. Am I wrong?" Josh asked. "And even if you do escape, you probably won't think about revenge against the Sea Realm. In fact, you'll still have to worry about them forcing Asgard again."
"Of course," Hilda agreed. The Sea Realm had treated her terribly, and she hated them deeply. But their strength was undeniable. If she could just break free from their control, that alone would be a blessing. Revenge was only a dream—simply being spared further oppression would already be more than enough.
"Since that's the case, have you thought about this? What if Sanctuary learns that going to war isn't Asgard's will at all, but something forced on you by the Sea Realm?" Josh asked with a smile.
"You mean using someone else's hand to do the killing?" Hilda instantly understood his meaning. "No, I won't do that!"
Her stubbornness and "kindness" made Josh a little impatient, but he still tried to persuade her. "How is that using someone else's hand? Sanctuary always claims to be just. Facing the Sea Realm, which poisons the world, it's only natural for them to take action!"
"Then I can simply tell Athena the truth and ask for her protection. Why must I go to war with Sanctuary?" Hilda still refused to give in.
"So naïve… If the fire hasn't burned you yet, you won't know the pain! Asgard has never been under Sanctuary's protection. If you don't go to war with Sanctuary, then the Sea Realm's bullying of Asgard will just be seen as a conflict between two factions. On what grounds would Sanctuary protect you? Or do you really think Athena would risk dragging the entire land into a war with the Sea Realm just to shield you?" Josh asked with scorn.
Hilda didn't reply, but she knew he was right. Unless the Sea Realm openly declared war on Sanctuary, and not just pressured Asgard, the chances of Sanctuary stepping in to protect them—and actually going to war with the Sea Realm—were almost zero.
"All right, their meeting's over. I'll just send someone to free you first!" Josh said, as the corrupted Hilda finished her meeting and returned to her chambers. Seeing this, Josh immediately sent a trade request to Hilda's true soul.
"This is…?" Hilda was surprised to see that what Josh was trading over was actually a person.
"This is one of my subordinates, a god named Loken. He also carries a divine weapon, strong enough to break the seal of the Nibelungen Ring!" Josh explained.
The "Loken" he spoke of was, of course, Loki. But since the world of the Saints already had a Loki—an enemy of Odin, whom Hilda served—Josh had him temporarily use the name Loken to avoid suspicion.
Hilda was shocked to learn that Josh had casually sent over a subordinate who was not only a god but also carried a divine weapon. From the very beginning, when she first came into contact with the trading system, she had realized Josh was extraordinary, especially when he swore he could free her from the Nibelungen Ring.
But to so casually send out a god as if it were nothing—that left her in disbelief. Were gods in Josh's world really so cheap?
Still, she was wise enough not to ask further. Instead, full of hope and excitement, she quickly accepted the trade. The moment it was complete, she released Loki from the system inventory.
"Who are you?!" The corrupted Hilda sensed Loki's presence immediately as he appeared, and shouted sharply.
"Me? Of course, I'm here to save you!" Loki said, giving his trademark sinister smile. Before Hilda could even react, a powerful Cosmo spread out, covering the entire room. At the same time, a huge sword filled with dark energy appeared in his hand—and he swung it down hard at her!\
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