"Wait—his aura changed?"
"Maybe it's my imagination, but did Saga's hair turn blue?"
Damian keenly sensed something off.
He didn't feel any killing intent at all, not even the hint of a threat.
The man approached like an old friend, making it impossible to rouse the desire to attack.
"Gravekeeper Damian, though you've contradicted this seat, you healed my injuries. I hear you've kept the graveyard well—much tidier than before—you've also helped Saints with treatment and cooked fine food for them… These merits deserve recognition, so this seat absolves you of guilt."
"This seat will also reward you."
"The Sanctuary needs talents like you…"
Saga's voice was calm and warm, even tinged with satisfaction.
The former ferocity and dominance had vanished. Even his Cosmo was gentle and steady. Compared to a moment ago, it felt like a spring breeze—kind and approachable.
"Your Holiness, you mustn't. He just refused you—that's gross disrespect…"
Gigas tried to speak, but Saga waved him to silence.
The change left the Gold Saints exchanging glances, and the Silver Saints baffled.
Why had the Pope changed so quickly? A moment ago he was overbearing; now he seemed like a different person. It even looked like his hair color had shifted.
"Your Holiness would even reward me?"
"Blue Saga is online!"
"I'm finally seeing Saga's normal personality."
Damian, who had been about to flip the table, instantly understood Saga's current state.
This was Blue Saga—the Saint who stood for justice, the one who represented the goddess Athena—Saga's true self.
The Saint of balanced "mind, technique, and body" had returned.
He was the most qualified candidate to be Pope, a leader through and through.
If Blue Saga stayed at the helm, who could strike a smiling man?
That long‑prepared Titan Nova—Damian found he couldn't bring it down.
Something was off. Blue Saga had always been suppressed by Dark Saga—how did he break out?
Just now Pansy stared at Saga and begged for mercy, and then he changed—was that Pansy's doing…
"Maid Pansy, from this day, you are the Sanctuary's gravekeeper. Without a summons from this seat, you are not to step a foot outside the graveyard. Otherwise you will be executed."
Saga's tone was stern and brooked no dissent.
He had his doubts about Pansy as well.
Though the search found nothing, too many major incidents had struck the Sanctuary lately.
"At your command, Your Holiness."
Pansy's heart quaked. The writing on those sheets had sown suspicion.
Damian was watching the show when Saga continued, "Seiya, Damian—this seat orders you to Tokyo, Japan, to retrieve the Sagittarius Gold Cloth lost in the outside world."
Damian's mouth twitched, though inside he was griping: …Hey, Lord Saga, that's not right!
"Why send me with Seiya? That's the protagonist's job…"
Hold on!
Was Saga trying to save his life?
He was sending him away from the Sanctuary, out of Dark Saga's reach.
Brother Saga—
You're putting your heart into this.
"This is this seat's reward for you—and what you're owed."
Saga came up to Damian and produced a palm‑sized wooden box from who‑knew‑where, handing it over.
He cautioned, "This reward is special. Open it after you reach Japan—or pass it to someone in need."
"Also… you must leave the Sanctuary before sunset today."
Taking the box from Saga's hand, Damian fell silent.
The man's Cosmo truly differed entirely from that earlier ferocity—strong yet full of justice, so much so that one could feel the bright, towering character within it.
This was the true "godlike man."
If Dark Saga ruled with his fist,
then Blue Saga led by virtue—cool‑headed and mighty, with the bearing of a leader.
With such a Saga as Pope, the whole Sanctuary would flourish with life. When the Holy War came, Athena wouldn't have to rely only on five Bronze punks.
Saga's nature was rather kind, but that didn't mean he lacked ambition. Perhaps the dark persona, Dark Saga, was a manifestation of his own desires.
There's another theory too—that gods were behind his dark persona.
Saga's normal state rarely surfaced, suppressed most of the time by Dark Saga.
Now that Blue Saga had managed to emerge, his words implied that Dark Saga would definitely return before sunset.
He himself had to leave the Sanctuary at once.
"Your Holiness, take care."
Damian put the box away.
He realized he hadn't found any chance to strike.
Blue Saga's every move looked gentle and crisp—and was flawless.
Interesting!
What a pity a Gold Saint this strong was a madman. He remembered that near the end, the dark persona still had control.
Such strength, squandered.
Once I find that Gold Cloth out there, I'll come back and bury you in the graveyard.
Let you keep company with the forebears!
.
In the graveyard, Pansy was sobbing in Shaina's arms like she was dying.
That morning, she had undergone several rounds of physical examinations—Gold Saints took turns probing her with their Cosmos. It was unbearable.
Especially Deathmask—his Cosmo was so cold it nearly made her faint on the spot.
Although the Gold Saints' findings showed nothing wrong, the Pope still confined her to the graveyard, forbidden to ever leave. She would be a gravekeeper for life.
It was tantamount to imprisonment.
"There, don't cry. Life in the graveyard isn't so bad. Better than being around those stinky men."
"If you don't plan to be a Saint, this will suit you—quiet and peaceful for one person. There are chickens, ducks, and fish… and I think even pigs."
"If it weren't for those sheets, His Holiness wouldn't have misunderstood… sigh…"
Shaina could only comfort the girl in her arms.
She knew the youngster was proud on the inside and wanted to climb higher, not slave away as a female Saint. Now she'd crashed hard and must be devastated.
The smarter and more sensible, the harder the fall.
Looking at the pitiful child, she sighed.
How could such a cute little girl be an Underworld spy?
Utter nonsense.
Still, from now on Pansy would be under her oversight again—which was better than staying under that woman, Marin.
Hearing Shaina's words, Pansy cried even harder.
After long suffering under the madman Damian, she had finally clawed her way to the Pope's side and started hunting for the holy coffer sealing Death and Sleep—then a single sheet of paper reset her to zero.
Now she was imprisoned in the graveyard for life, the plant she'd left in the Sanctuary uprooted, and the Pope suspicious of her.
Even with Hypnosis God Art, it would be hard to get anything moving.
Start over from scratch?
Or just kill herself… T﹏T
Watching Pansy sob like life and death, Damian smiled to himself.
Little miss, give up on ever leaving the graveyard in this life. I'd like to see how you're going to act out now.
I didn't write your identity on the sheets so you wouldn't guess who snitched. Saga would draw his own conclusions.
A pity I'm about to leave the graveyard on a trip, or I'd surely "entertain" this little one properly.
There are spatial rifts in the graveyard. Left alone, Pansy would never behave. She needed a binding curse.
When Shaina left on her mission, Damian stepped toward Pansy, planning to…
Give her a thorough grilling!
You didn't see that coming, did you? I know plenty of readers want to see the table flipped—but without a Gold Cloth, how do you flip it? Can he take on five at once?
Of course, the flip is coming—and it's not far off.
(End of Chapter)
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