Poseidon roared in anger as tidal waves erupted around him, as a powerful aura radiated outward. He tried to summon the power of his Ocean Authority.
But it was futile as his oceanic power was completely sealed.
"There's no need to struggle. This is the domain of Earth. With Athena wielding the authority of Earth and anchoring it around the Sanctuary, even with all three of us together, we still wouldn't be able to break free in a short time." God King Zeus spoke calmly.
After glancing briefly at Hades and Poseidon, his gaze turned toward the distance.
"Athena… what exactly are you planning?" His deep voice echoed as his eyes locked onto the Sanctuary.
"Athena?"
Tch.
"Zeus, if you're going to lie, at least make it convincing. I'll admit Athena's talent is exceptional, perhaps even slightly beneath my own once, but the power of Omega? Are you seriously saying she could touch that level just with the godhood of a wisdom goddess?" Poseidon sneered, his body instinctively adopting a defensive stance.
Even though their divine authorities were suppressed, they still had divine power and Cosmo to rely on.
Just then,
Splash!
The sound of flowing water echoed faintly.
From within it, Athena appeared, walking slowly while holding a golden staff in her hand. Her aura was calm and tranquil, yet at that moment, she radiated an incredibly intense divine light.
"Father. Hades. Poseidon." Her calm voice rang out as she fixed her gaze upon the three of them.
"Athena, what are you trying to do?" Poseidon's eyes narrowed as he glared at her with a wary look on his face.
While he openly voiced his doubts, Zeus only furrowed his brows slightly.
As for Hades, he merely smirked, glancing between Zeus and Athena with a look that was half amusement, half intrigue.
"Father." Athena hesitated briefly, then bowed slightly in respect.
"Athena, you should know well that the power of Omega is forbidden among the gods. Who is it that has touched the power of Omega?" Zeus paused slightly, watching Athena bow before finally speaking in a soft voice.
His feelings toward his daughter were… complicated and in that moment, he wasn't even sure how to respond.
"Father, I'm afraid I can't tell you that. Also, Father, Uncle Hades, Uncle Poseidon… I'll have to trouble the three of you to remain in this void for now." Athena shook her head, then spoke with a solemn expression.
Upon hearing Athena's words,
God King Zeus was momentarily stunned.
King of Hell Hades' pupils involuntarily contracted.
And Poseidon outright let out a scornful laugh.
"Heh! Remain here? Athena, do you even know what you're saying? Who do you think you are? You only possess the Earth Authority!" Poseidon sneered as he spoke.
And in the next instant, a majestic wave of oceanic power surged around him. Simultaneously, a tremendous surge of divine will burst forth, spreading in all directions, attempting to tear through the Earth Authority's suppression and this layer of space entirely.
With the Ocean Authority in his possession, Poseidon's strength was already comparable to that of a true God King. Even though he was suppressed, Poseidon didn't believe for a second that Athena could actually keep him confined.
Yet in the very next moment,
Splash!
BOOM!
RUMBLE...!
Divine will rippled across the void as immense Cosmo forces intertwined, but the surrounding space remained utterly unmoved.
Even with such vast divine power unleashed, nothing budged in the slightest.
This sight made both Zeus and Hades narrow their eyes sharply.
Buzz...
Death's power spread outward as Hades also made his move. He too unleashed divine might, Cosmo, and his godly will across the void. Yet even with his power combining with Poseidon's, they still could not shake the space around them.
"How can this be?!" Poseidon's eyes widened, his expression filled with disbelief.
It was one thing for his power to fail. But even when combined with Hades's, two of the Four Great Authorities, it still couldn't break free?
It was simply inconceivable.
Even if the Earth Authority possessed immense suppressive force, it should not be able to completely restrain other authorities of the same tier, let alone two of them together.
And yet, that's exactly what was happening.
BOOM! RUMBLE--!!
Still stunned, Poseidon suddenly felt lightning crackle around them as the supreme Sky Authority now flared outward as well. At this moment, the Sky, Ocean, and Death Authorities all interwove, three of the Four Divine Authorities, unleashing their collective force.
The void began to experience massive fluctuations as the Earth Authority, too, began to violently tremble under their combined might.
CRACK!
A bolt of divine thunder struck downward, causing the Earth Authority's domain to shake intensely. As the tremors intensified, the powers of Death and Ocean spread outward. In an instant, the softly glowing Earth Authority was torn apart.
Rip---!
A sharp, clear sound rang out in the surrounding's.
The Earth Authority was completely shattered.
Poseidon's eyes lit up while Hades and Zeus also let out a sigh of relief.
However, just as the three had begun to relax, the torn space before them suddenly turned to complete nothingness. At the same time, a massive hourglass appeared in the void.
When they saw that enormous hourglass, all three of their pupils contracted violently.
"What… is that?!" Zeus couldn't help but cry out, his entire body trembling slightly.
"The Chronos Hourglass…" (Star Time Clock) Hades whispered in disbelief.
"How can this be? Athena, how do you have this thing?!" Even Poseidon lost composure and exclaimed in shock.
At this moment, none of the three could remain calm.
The Chronos Hourglass, a legendary hourglass created by Chronos to measure time itself, was an existence that transcended time and space. Within the hourglass flowed eternal time and infinite dimensions; every single grain of sand represented countless macrocosms (Major Universes). One could even say that the entire Saint Seiya Multiverse was contained within it.
Although the three top-tier gods had never directly wielded it, they knew very well what it was. And now, none of them had expected the Chronos Hourglass to appear here.
Even more shockingly, it was clearly being controlled by Athena.
Otherwise, there was no way Athena alone could have sealed the three of them within this realm. Not to mention, based on her words, it wasn't meant to be temporary. She intended to completely imprison them.
But just who were they?
And who was Athena?
Even if it were one-on-one, Athena stood no chance.
Let alone facing all three of them combined.
As for the Earth Authority, In the hands of Gaia, the Earth Goddess, it wielded infinite power. But in Athena's hands, especially now, having only barely begun to grasp it, it could never compare to Gaia's level.
(Note: In the mythology of Saint Seiya: Next Dimension, the Chronos Hourglass was used by Athena to count down the three-day limit before the previous Holy War. The Chronos Hourglass isn't a singular item, every hourglass created by Chronos is called a "Chronos Hourglass." As there are infinite hourglasses, there are infinite major universes. These hourglasses are not inherently divine, it's the power of Chronoss that makes them great. It's like a normal cup becoming the Holy Grail after Athena drinks from it, capable of healing any injury or illness, and even showing visions of the future. Chronoss and Athena are likely connected; otherwise, Athena wouldn't be able to see him in the original series.)
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 100 chapters on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395