Chapter 121 - 61: Shaka’s Request, the Gathering of the Five Indomitables (Part 1)

Chapter 121: Chapter 61: Shaka’s Request, the Gathering of the Five Indomitables (Part 1)

The sound of Ikki’s footsteps had just faded. The Cosmo fluctuations within the Virgo Temple had yet to completely dissipate, and the scattered ice particles refracted fragmented halos in the lingering Buddha light.

Shaka waved his hand, and a layer of golden light completely isolated the two of them from the outside world. Alex felt a slight sense of surprise.

He and Shaka had rarely interacted. Their past conversations added together probably wouldn’t even amount to as much as his arguments with Deathmask.

What exactly was Shaka’s intention in bringing him into this isolated spatial dimension?

Alex raised an eyebrow, a trace of scrutiny in his pitch-black eyes.

"Speak quickly if you have something to say. I’m in a hurry. You must have sensed it too—that temple between the Scorpio and Sagittarius Temples that shouldn’t be there..."

Ophiuchus’s Cosmo was gradually awakening like a hibernating python, growing stronger with each passing minute and second. He had no extra time to waste here.

Shaka nodded slightly, his expression completely unruffled.

"Rest assured, I won’t delay you for long. Your appearance has caused a slight deviation in the future I have foreseen..."

"Oh? What deviation? One that prevents you from becoming the one who escapes?"

Alex looked at Shaka quietly, a half-smile playing on his lips.

Hearing this, Shaka gently pinched his fingers together. The Buddha light around him rippled faintly. The shattered statues on the ground levitated on their own, and within a few breaths, the Virgo Temple was restored to its pristine, original state, erasing all traces of the previous fierce battle.

Alex nodded slightly. Having awakened the Eighth Sense, the only thing separating Shaka from the gods was perhaps a single divine spark.

After restoring the Virgo Temple, Shaka formed the Embryonic Breathing Mudra, his hands resting at his lower abdomen. His voice seemed to drift in from an extreme distance.

"All living beings are drifting in a sea of suffering. My attempt was merely to seek a small boat to cross this bitter sea."

His voice was soft, yet it carried a compassion that had seen through the worldly affairs of mortals.

"If I use my body as the boat, burning this flesh to ferry all living beings, perhaps I can reach Elysium."

To anyone else, these words would sound obscure and incomprehensible, but in Alex’s heart, they were as clear as a mirror.

He looked at Shaka’s closed eyes, feeling as though he could see right through the obsession hidden behind them.

Shaka believed that by using his battle with Ikki to fake his death and escape to Elysium, he could break free from Athena’s control. Little did he know that through thousands of years of reincarnation, the true souls of the Gold Saints had long been branded with Athena’s absolute mark.

Alex recalled the history in his memories. Even if Shaka escaped from the world now, when the Specters invaded, he would ultimately return from Elysium and fight to the death for Athena.

When the time came to shatter the Wailing Wall in the Underworld, this generation of Gold Saints—whether abandoned by their Cloths or filled with absolute reluctance—would have to burn their souls away and sacrifice everything for Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom.

Deathmask couldn’t escape, nor could Saga and Kanon. Even Shaka, the reincarnation of Buddha, was likewise unable to escape it!

Shaka smiled faintly. He raised his head, his closed eyes seemingly piercing through the dome of the Virgo Temple to meet the gaze of some formless existence in the void.

A moment later, he shifted his gaze back to Alex.

"I kept you here because I actually wanted to ask you: as the strongest Saint of this era, what exactly are your plans going forward?"

Alex understood perfectly. What Shaka was asking about was not only Saori Kido’s fate but also his ultimate stance regarding Athena.

Now, as the strongest powerhouse in the Sanctuary, he could dictate Saori Kido’s life with a mere wave of his hand.

If he allowed the five Bronze Saints to obtain the Shield of Athena, Saori Kido would live. If he interfered even slightly, this reincarnation of Athena would perish completely.

His current strength was still insufficient to face Hades, the King of the Underworld, and his 108 Specters.

In the short term, his relationship with Athena was one where cooperation meant mutual victory, while separation meant mutual destruction.

Alex walked up to a Buddha statue, his fingertips gently brushing over its cold surface. After pondering for a moment, he spoke.

_____

T/N:

For readers who would like early access, my Patreon is available for just $4 per month. You’ll unlock 70+ advance Chapters and help support ongoing works.

🔗 /user?u=79514336

You may also search Translator-Sama directly on Patreon.

Your support is sincerely appreciated