Saori is not Athena, but her mother.

(The Gold Saints fought in vain... Saori was not Athena. Zeus punished her and revived the Saints of the previous generation, including the Wise Patriarch and even Hakurei. Now, each zodiac house has two guardians, except Gemini, which has four: Aspros, Defteros, Kanon, and Saga. They are searching for Athena. She is in a village, and they are slowly following her cosmos.) Aiolos: Lady Athena must be nearby... I feel her cosmos. Sisyphus: Yes, I felt it too. (Characters: Shion, Mu, Aldebaran, Hasgard, Saga, Kanon, Defteros, Aspros, Manigoldo, Death, Aiolia, Regulus, Shaka, Asmita, Dohko, Milo, Kardia, Aiolos, Sisyphus, Cid, Shura, Camus, Degel, Aphrodite, and Albafica. Secondary characters include the Wise Patriarch and his brother.) There are two Saoris, one was the false Athena and the other is the true Athena, and also the Saori who is the true Athena is identical to the false Saori, that is, she is of noble birth. Zeus punished the false Athena.

The Knights of Athena don't need swords because their cosmos and their will are their greatest weapons. It's a crucial detail that defines the true honor and courage of those who protect Athena.