Libra Temple, Weapon Temple.
Boom!
A massive explosion echoed.
A storm surged.
Cosmo-forged weapons scattered across the ground.
Kaiser stood holding Gungnir.
He wore the Libra Gold Cloth.
This was the Gold Cloth transformed by the Cloth Gem.
Its golden hue carried a faint jade-blue tint.
The Cloth's design was distinct.
The Gold Cloth formed by the Cloth Gem exuded greater majesty, resembling a Divine Cloth in appearance, though not entirely.
"The Cloth Gem's enhancement is that powerful?"
"Even with my current strength, it amplifies my power."
"How strong would a complete Gold Cloth be?"
Kaiser slowly opened his eyes.
Three months had passed since his return.
He had fully adapted to the late eighth sense's Cosmo strength.
His mental power, divinity, and physical strength had reached perfect harmony.
Kaiser could now perfectly wield his full power.
"Not bad, not bad."
"With the Gold Cloth enhanced by the Cloth Gem."
"You're now qualified to face a second-tier god head-on."
"Your progress is remarkable."
"At this rate."
"With the power to slay gods and further growth."
"You might rival a main god in just a few years."
Athena's phantom appeared beside him.
She was increasingly certain her choice was right.
Kaiser's progress far exceeded her expectations.
"Still a long way to go."
"There's a chasm between second-tier and first-tier gods."
"It's not so easily crossed."
"Not to mention the ancient gods."
"And the Abyss is watching closely."
Kaiser sighed.
High-martial worlds always seemed fraught with peril.
No chance to catch a breath.
"But '527,' shouldn't you explain where this spear came from?"
"I recall Odin didn't give you Gungnir."
Athena eyed the spear in Kaiser's hand.
It carried the aura of the Eternal Spear, Gungnir.
Though different from the Gungnir in her memory,
And somewhat weaker,
There was no doubt... it was Gungnir.
"A secret."
Kaiser smiled faintly.
Kaiser brushed it off.
Athena gave him a deep look but didn't press further.
Still, she had her suspicions.
As a god... a first-tier main god... she was well aware of parallel universes.
To her, Kaiser might have found a way to cross cosmic barriers, traveling to other parallel universes.
This thought made Athena glad she had chosen Kaiser.
His domain vanished, and the Gungnir in his hand dissipated.
After three months, Kaiser finally stepped out of the Libra Temple.
He arrived at the Sanctuary's training grounds.
"You're overseeing training today?"
Kaiser looked at Virgo Waterlily, standing on the cliff.
"You're out of seclusion?"
"I didn't expect you to reach this level."
"Truly remarkable."
Waterlily said with a sigh.
"Any good prospects?"
"Ones who could succeed as Gold Saints."
Kaiser turned his gaze to the hundred or so trainees below.
"A few are promising."
"If they grow steadily, they could become successors to the Gold Saints."
"Whether they'll earn the Gold Cloths' approval, though, is uncertain."
"After all, none of us have Cloths to wear right now."
Waterlily cracked a rare joke.
With Kaiser leading the way, the Sanctuary's atmosphere had noticeably lightened.
Most no longer bore grudges or despair.
They looked forward to the next Holy War, hoping to excel.
In the original story, the fall of Aetius and Cresto to darkness
Was traceable.
They didn't fear battle and had the power to suppress the Earth.
But they saw no hope.
The endless Holy Wars tormented their spirits.
Now, with hope in sight, everyone was brimming with drive.
No one wanted to be the one left behind.
Kaiser and Waterlily chatted briefly.
He didn't linger long.
The Sanctuary's current atmosphere didn't need his intervention.
Everyone was pushing themselves, frantically honing their strength.
"Hm?"
Kaiser paused as he prepared to return to the Libra Temple.
"This is… Odin's call?"
Athena sensed Odin's Cosmo as well.
"Go see what it's about."
"It might be your Gungnir that caught his attention."
Athena shared her thoughts.
"Alright."
With Athena present,
And with his current strength, even if Odin had ulterior motives, Kaiser could retreat unscathed.
Back in the Libra Temple's Weapon Temple, Kaiser responded to Odin's Cosmo.
His figure vanished instantly.
Arriving again in Asgard's divine palace, little had changed.
"I underestimated you."
Odin looked at Kaiser and sighed.
"Oh? You noticed?"
Since returning to the Saint Seiya world, Kaiser had only used Gungnir within his sealed domain.
He hadn't expected Odin to sense it.
"I didn't sense it... it was the resonance between Gungnirs."
"I thought I was dreaming."
"How could there be two Gungnirs in the world?"
"But after long confirmation, I realized the unthinkable was true."
"I'm curious... where did your Gungnir come from?"
Odin's single eye fixed on Kaiser.
"Does it matter?"
Kaiser didn't answer directly.
It was his secret, after all.
"But I have good news for you."
"There's now a way for you to openly obtain Gungnir."
Odin didn't mind Kaiser's evasion.
Initially, when he considered contacting Kaiser, he hesitated, as Kaiser's strength seemed insufficient for the task.
But Kaiser had somehow acquired Gungnir already.
This shocked Odin.
He even wondered if the information had leaked.
After repeated confirmation,
Odin knew Kaiser's Gungnir had no connection to him.
Nor to the news he was about to share.
Only then did he resolve to contact Kaiser.
"What do you mean?"
Kaiser's interest was piqued.
During his last visit to Asgard for a deal, Odin had weighed the pros and cons.
But now, he claimed there was a way to openly obtain the Eternal Spear Gungnir.
This surprised Kaiser.
"You know of the World Tree, don't you?"
Odin looked at Kaiser.
"Of course."
"The pillar of the Norse pantheon."
"The great tree upholding the Nine Realms."
"What's the issue?"
Kaiser frowned.
In the Saint Seiya world, the World Tree wasn't as powerful as in some myths.
But it was far from weak.
This world's World Tree still upheld nine dimensional realms.
Home to countless powerhouses.
It simply existed apart from Earth.
The Norse gods lived in Asgard, at the World Tree's apex.
"Legend says, at the World Tree's roots, dwells a world-ending dragon."
"Named Nidhogg."
"If it gnaws through the World Tree's roots, the tree will collapse, triggering Ragnarok."
"And a war across the Nine Realms."
"But the World Tree isn't unprepared."
"It has consciousness."
"When its destruction nears, it will produce a seed."
"When that seed takes root and grows."
"It will become a new Nine Realms."
"And the Eternal Spear Gungnir was forged from the World Tree."
"And now, that seed…"
"Is about to be born."
Hearing this, Kaiser recalled the Saint Seiya original story.
Soul of Gold.
A timeline parallel to the Hades arc.
Loki, possessing Andreas, summoned Earth's heroic spirits.
Using their power to feed the World Tree.
This caused the World Tree to bloom and bear fruit, allowing Loki to obtain the Eternal Spear Gungnir.
In that battle, Odin used his divine power to revive the twelve Gold Saints.
And the twelve Gold Saints awakened their Divine Cloths.
They overwhelmed Loki, sealing him.
Loki hadn't descended in his true form.
He possessed a mortal, much like Hades.
Yet it took the combined power of twelve Divine Gold Cloths, Norse artifacts, and Odin's Cosmo
To defeat Loki.
It's easy to imagine how powerful Gungnir is.
Hearing Odin bring this up, Kaiser roughly understood his intent.
In Norse mythology, Ragnarok is inseparable from Loki.
Hela, Fenrir, and the World Serpent Jormungandr... all Loki's children.
And key players in Ragnarok.
"So you're saying you want me to seize the World Tree's seed?"
Kaiser looked at Odin.
"Exactly."
"I was initially hesitant."
"With your strength, it was risky to involve you too deeply."
"The World Tree's seed is about to be born, and countless gods and demigods across the Nine Realms are eyeing it."
"If I hadn't sensed Gungnir's aura on you."
"I wouldn't have contacted you."
"Your current strength is likely on par with a second-tier god's true form, isn't it?"
Odin boldly speculated.
"I understand your point."
"You're saying the seed is crucial."
"We can't let Loki's faction get it."
"If they obtain the seed and successfully nurture a new World Tree."
"They could forge a new Eternal Spear Gungnir."
"Then, during Ragnarok, Asgard would have no chance of victory."
"That's the gist, right?"
Kaiser quickly grasped the situation.
This aligned perfectly with his plans.
He couldn't roam the Earth freely right now.
The Sanctuary was already too powerful.
If he could enter the Nine Realms now,
And seize the World Tree's seed, it would be ideal.
It would also explain the origin of his Eternal Spear.
And fulfill part of his deal with Odin.
A triple win for Kaiser.
"Correct."
"But I still advise caution."
"The Nine Realms are in chaos."
"I've lost jurisdiction over most of the realms."
"Even the Vanir, our closest allies, are stirring."
"Not to mention places like Jotunheim or Muspelheim."
"You know how dangerous this is."
"Asgard will intervene."
"But we can't openly stand with you."
"Otherwise, Asgard would be branded a traitor to the Nine Realms."
"So any help from Asgard will be covert."
Odin laid out all the pros and cons for Kaiser.
Leaving the choice to him.
This was a serious matter.
Odin had sought Kaiser only as an extra precaution.
"Give me a few days to think it over."
Kaiser didn't agree on the spot.
"Fine."
"You know how to reach me."
"If you decide, I'll give you coordinates."
"There's a gap between the Nine Realms and Earth."
"You can enter the Nine Realms through that rift."
Odin nodded.
This indeed required careful consideration.
The space blurred.
Kaiser's figure reappeared in the Libra Temple.
"What do you think?"
Kaiser asked.
"We need to be cautious."
"The Norse pantheon may be subordinate to Poseidon."
"But their overall strength isn't weak."
"Compared to the Olympian Heavenly Realm."
"They're only slightly inferior."
"They have several first-tier gods."
"Even if first-tier gods don't fight in their true forms."
"Even as avatars."
"Their power far surpasses second-tier gods."
"This is highly risky."
"We can train steadily."
"With the power to slay gods, you can still grow."
"I don't recommend taking this risk."
Athena's phantom materialized,无奈.
She knew Kaiser's thoughts.
He was clearly tempted, his domain evolving into a world.
Athena understood this well.
Kaiser was also weighing the matter.
The World Tree's seed, plus the divine artifact Gungnir.
Both would greatly aid him.
Under the blessing of the Three Books of Heaven, Earth, and Man, his small world was taking shape.
But it wasn't enough to form a complete world.
That's why he targeted Marvel's Infinity Stones.
Now, the World Tree's seed was within reach.
How could he pass it up?
"If I obtain the World Tree's seed."
"I might have a shot at becoming a Creator God."
Kaiser's words stunned Athena.
"Are you insane?!"
Athena couldn't hold back.
A Creator God?
A mere mortal daring to aim for that?
"But there's a chance, isn't there?"
"If I achieve a Creator God's status."
"Even as a second-tier god, I could challenge first-tier gods."
"That would help me immensely."
Kaiser weighed the pros and cons.
"But how do you know the World Tree can grant you a Creator God's status?"
"The World Tree itself doesn't hold such power."
Athena countered.
"I have my ways."
Kaiser thought of the Three Books of Heaven, Earth, and Man, Pangu's bloodline, the Infinity Stones,
And in Dragon Ball, the potential to become a Supreme Kai or God of Destruction.
He could take the gamble.
But this was his secret.
"You're truly mad!"
Athena frowned, visibly upset.
"I'm confident."
Kaiser responded earnestly.
"Confident, my foot!"
Athena couldn't help but swear.
Even seeing Kaiser's progress,
This was a Creator God's status.
A realm even Zeus, the God-King, couldn't touch.
And a mortal claimed confidence?
Kaiser was stunned by Athena's outburst.
He hadn't expected her to curse.
"What are you staring at?"
"Where's your confidence coming from?"
"Do you even realize... "
"If the World Tree's seed truly emerges."
"It will absolutely spark a divine war across the Nine Realms!"
"A genuine war of the gods!"
"You, not even a second-tier god, a mere mortal."
"Want to join a divine war?"
"Have you lost your mind?"
"Or do you think you can dominate just because you can match a second-tier god?"
Athena struggled to contain her anger.
"Trust me."
Kaiser said little.
His fiery red eyes, tinged with gold, met Athena's.
***
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