Poseidon Arc
In the following arc of Kurumada's manga, Saori is invited by millionaire heir Julian Solo to attend his birthday party at cape Sounion, Greece, less than a month after the battles at the twelve temples. There, Julian proposes to marry her, but she politely turns him down, saying she is too young and too busy. Julian is then approached by Mermaid Thetis, who reveals to him that he is the vessel the god Poseidon, Emperor of the Seas, has chosen to reincarnate in. After 2000 years of sleep, Poseidon was determined to take revenge on Athena for his defeat in their last battle and to cleanse the Earth of mankind, which he considered unworthy of the blessing of the gods. Poseidon sets his plans in motion by unleashing floods and heavy rains on Earth. One of Poseidon's soldiers also attempts to kidnap Saori, but he is thwarted by Gold Saint Leo Aiolia.
Athena returns to Japan and visits the Bronze Saints at the Graude Foundation Hospital, where they are recovering from the battles of the twelve temples. There, the Marina General Siren Sorrento attempts to kill her, but the Gold Saint Taurus Aldebaran protects her. Such events convince her to meet with Poseidon to resolve the crisis.
At Poseidon's Undersea Temple, the Emperor of the Seas proposes to marry her and to cleanse the Earth of humans, who have caused it so much harm. Athena refuses the proposals and instead offers herself as a sacrifice to delay the punishment on Earth, by receiving it herself. Poseidon accepts and locks Athena in the slowly flooding Main Breadwinner, the main support column of the Seven Seas, where she will eventually drown.
Sensing Athena's ordeal, the Bronze Saints wake up and go to her rescue. Poseidon sends Mermaid Thetis to inform them of his challenge: to stop him, they will have to defeat his Mariner Generals and demolish the seven Mammoth Pillars they guard. The Bronze Saints succeed, after terrible and bloody battles. As in the previous conflicts, Athena encouraged them and gave them strength to win their battles.
When only the Main Breadwinner remains, the Saints are confronted by Poseidon himself. Gravely hurt and no match to a god, the Saints face certain death, until the Mariner Sea Dragon Kanon, Saga's twin brother who was responsible for Poseidon's return, reveals to them that the only way to defeat Poseidon is to seal him within Athena's Amphora, an urn that she used 2000 years ago to hold his spirit and force him into an eternal slumber. Strengthened by the collective Cosmos of his friends, Seiya was finally able to throw himself at the Main Breadwinner and shatter it, freeing Athena. She then opens the Amphora and imprisons Poseidon. With the god gone, the floods and rains on Earth stop and the Undersea Temple collapses. Peace and order are restored.
Read more about this topic: Athena (Saint Seiya), Appearances, In Saint Seiya
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