Combat erupted in an instant, as twenty Gods descended at once, outnumbering even the Golden Saints. The weakest among them were second-tier deities, and the strongest had reached the Sovereign class, beings powerful enough to raze the Sanctuary itself in Athena's absence.

Thankfully, not all of them attacked at once. Several of the most powerful figures hovered above, observing coldly from the sky.

Most of the attackers were mid- to lower-tier, second and third-tier gods. This gave the twelve Golden Saints just enough breathing room to resist.

"Boom!"

A surge of divine Cosmo exploded outward as Melchaba's aura ignited, and his Cloth began to transcend its limits.

"What's happening?!" One of the Gods facing him faltered, alarm flashing in his eyes, but there was no time to act.

"Stardust Rotation!"

This ultimate move of the Aries Saint channeled Cosmo to create a miniature galaxy, summoning a vortex of high-velocity meteors. Spinning in a cosmic cyclone, it annihilated all in its path. Its destructive force was said to rival that of tearing apart the Milky Way itself.

And now, as Melchaba's Sacred Cloth evolved, touching the level of a Divine Cloth, its power surged even further.

This strike carried the overwhelming might of celestial destruction, and the God facing him instinctively began to retreat.

But it was already too late.

"AAARGH!"

A piercing scream echoed across the battlefield as the God's body was swallowed by the celestial maelstrom. His shattered form plunged into the void below. But before Melchaba could exhale in relief, a massive hand descended from the sky like a judgment from the heavens.

"Crystal Wall!"

Melchaba's instincts screamed danger. In a flash, he summoned a defensive barrier of Cosmo, his eyes sharpening with resolve but it wasn't enough.

"Crack!"

The Crystal Wall, formed from a dense weave of cosmic energy, shattered almost instantly under the sheer force. Blood sprayed from Melchaba's mouth as he was knocked backward mid-air, the shockwaves tearing fissures in the very space around him.

His body trembled under the crushing pressure, and for the first time in this battle, even he felt the weight of despair.

"Sovereign…"

He muttered the word with grave realization. That blow, it wasn't something a second-tier, or even a first-tier God could unleash. No, this was a Sovereign-level god, one who stood above the hierarchy of the divine.

"So Athena has indeed crossed into the forbidden realm of the gods… A mortal dares to wield power that rivals us?" The Sovereign's voice dripped with disdain, reverberating like thunder across the battlefield. A divine will surged forth, blanketing the Sanctuary and bearing down on all twelve Golden Saints.

And then,

"Buzz…"

A majestic wave of Cosmo rose from deep within the Sanctuary.

"Feathered Serpent God… You're still as short-tempered as ever, I see." A calm, amused voice echoed through the heavens as Jamil stepped forward, emerging from beneath the ancient marble colonnades, wielding a colossal axe.

His divine Cosmo erupted outward, clashing directly against the invading god's pressure, holding the line for the Sanctuary.

"You?" The god narrowed his eyes as his gaze locked with Jamil's.

"What's this? Has the great Feathered Serpent God already forgotten me? It's only been ten thousand years!" Jamil chuckled lightly as he spoke, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Perfect. Let's catch up, shall we?"

"Come."

With a single step, space-time twisted violently around him. The very fabric of reality warped, and he vanished without a trace. He didn't seem the least bit concerned whether the man would follow.

And rightly so.

The man glanced downward for a moment, then raised his hand in a calm gesture.

Behind him, his shadow mimicked the motion, then both figures disappeared into the distorted void.

The twelve Golden Saints exhaled in collective relief, their postures slackening just slightly.

"Father…"

Melchaba murmured, a trace of unease flashing across his face. But he quickly gritted his teeth and turned toward the remaining Gods.

"We hold the line! Face them head-on!"

As the shadow of the Feathered Serpent God faded from sight, another God, still within the enemy ranks, stepped forward with a cold sneer.

"Finish them."

With that single command, the restraint vanished. The Gods, no longer holding back, launched their offensive in full force.

In an instant, the tide turned.

Despite some of the Saints beginning to awaken deeper layers of Cosmo, even achieving brief moments of transcendence, they remained vastly outmatched. The twenty-plus Gods pressed forward with overwhelming might.

Mid-air was painted crimson.

One Golden Saint after another was struck down.

"Boom!"

The Aquarius Saint was caught off guard, his body crashing to the ground like a meteor, sending tremors through the Sanctuary.

A gasp rippled through the defenders. Moments later, the Scorpio Saint was flung backward, blood trailing in an arc. In the blink of an eye, Saint after Saint fell, their divine Clothes fractured and bodies injured.

Even those few who had transcended were now being pinned down, their Cosmo unable to break free from the pressure. It was as though the heavens themselves were pushing them down.

"Melchaba!" Aludy called out urgently, his voice strained. Melchaba's expression darkened, but his Cosmo flared defiantly, burning like a dying star.

Still… it wasn't enough.

The enemy before him was a first-tier god, not as unfathomable as the Sovereign Feathered Serpent God, but still vastly beyond him.

Each clash left Melchaba reeling, his divine defenses breaking under the relentless assault. He burned his Cosmo desperately, trying to cross the gap between them, but the chasm felt as endless as the void between worlds.

"This can't go on…" His teeth clenched, sweat and blood mixing on his brow.

Determined, he began to channel everything he had. He was ready to sacrifice it all, to release a final blow, one that might burn away his very soul and collapse his Cosmo entirely.

He would not fall without fighting back. But just as he prepared to strike, a gentle Cosmo suddenly surged from the depths. It swept through the battlefield like a divine tide, enveloping each of the Golden Saints in a radiant light.

It was warm. Reassuring. Vast. Like the breath of the gods themselves.

Even the Golden Saints who had fallen to the ground felt the shift.

"What… is this?" The Aquarius Golden Saint struggled to his feet, eyes wide with disbelief. Before his very eyes, his wounds and broken armor were rapidly healing, as if reversing time itself.

And he wasn't the only one.

Across the battlefield, the Scorpio Saint, still suspended mid-air and bleeding, likewise saw his injuries vanishing. One by one, the other Saints who had been grievously wounded found themselves enveloped by a gentle, luminous force.

It wrapped around them like a divine current, steadily mending flesh, bone, and Cloth alike. At the same time, the volatile Cosmo Melchaba had been preparing to release as his final, desperate attack, began to calm on its own, as though soothed by a higher presence.

His eyes flickered in confusion before a hand rested gently on his shoulder.

"You're not at that point yet, Melchaba. There's no need to sacrifice yourself." The voice was soft, reassuring, yet strangely distant, like an echo from another realm.

Melchaba froze, startled. He turned quickly, recognition dawning as he beheld the figure standing before him.

(To Be Continued…)

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