Saint Seiya, but Athena who disobeys?

Chapter 63: The Dragon and the Young Man's Journey

In a corner of Tokyo, near the sea, the essence of the earth and water stands there, shimmering like an emerald.

The foundation of that colossal body was a giant serpent. It was no less long than the serpent monsters—sea beasts—that it had defeated in mythology, and the people who looked up at it would probably scream in terror at its enormous and terrifying appearance.

With enormous, bat-like wings and a crocodile-like head, this ferocious and terrifying creature was indeed a dragon, a dragon of the earth's veins. But at this moment, its entire body was bound by golden chains. This was the Wedge of the Sun God, a magical artifact created by the gods in ancient times, discovered in a cave in Egypt by the knights of the Bronze Cross.

The earth dragon was right in front of them, but the Bronze Ink Cross Knights, who had been pursuing them, could not advance an inch, because on the ferry ahead, Onmyoji dressed in white hunting robes blocked their way.

"You have already entered the territory of the Yin-Yang Bureau, which is also the sacred domain of the esteemed Radiant Lord of the Sun. This is the second warning; please leave immediately." The head of the Yin-Yang Bureau, who also serves as the director of the Exorcism Bureau, Kurahashi Genji, stood at the forefront of the cruise ship, looking at the Bronze Ink Cross Knights before him. His voice, though not loud, clearly reached their ears.

"Far Eastern magicians' society, please step aside. We are only pursuing the dragon before us." A similar voice rang out from inside the cruise ship.

"This is the third and final warning: leave immediately. Neither the dragon that has violated the sacred domain of the Sunrise God nor your Southeast Asian magic society are allowed to set foot in Tokyo without permission."

The bronze cross could not possibly leave. They had been chasing the dragon in front of them at sea for three days and two nights. Moreover, the dragon symbolized the spiritual energy of Naples's earth veins, which was tied to the safety of millions of people, so there was no room for retreat.

Just as tensions were rising, a melodious sound came from the sky.

Resembling both a bull and a deer, its voice was long and incredibly resonant. This cry was the shortest incantation, its rhythm alone causing the five elements of heaven and earth to completely spiral out of control. At this moment, the chains binding it were also completely broken by its surging, brute force. Meanwhile, the knights on the cruise ship also saw the spiritual light surging from the mouth of the earth's vein dragon.

"As Legion Commander, I command: Form squares! Build an iron wall and stand ready for battle—"

A silver-haired girl with an ethereal, fairy-like appearance waved her arms, remaining perfectly still. Yet, as she uttered the incantation, a steel barrier, formed by all the members of the Knights Order and centered around the silver sword in her hand, appeared above the cruise ship.

Almost simultaneously, the breath of the dragon engulfed the cruise ship in front of them.

The silvery light repelled the ghastly green breath, and instantly, the sound vanished from the world. Many knights reflexively covered their ears and crouched down. The dragon's breath, powerful enough to destroy a city, collided violently with the silver barrier, creating a massive roar. The Onmyoji defending the front also wore tense expressions, lowering their arms to unleash the prepared Fudo Myoo Fire Realm Curse for defense.

"Alas……!"

The silver-haired fairy wailed. Despite the fervent faith of the Bronze Ink Cross Knights, the defensive magic they had jointly set up was still somewhat overwhelmed by an attack that was almost equivalent to a composite grand magic that could crush a castle, or even an attack on a city.

But at that very moment, an arrow of sunlight streaked across the sky from the northwest, piercing the dragon's chest at the speed of light.

"...No!" The knights, who clearly intended to capture it, revealed terror in their eyes. This single blow had utterly crippled the dragon the knights had been unable to subdue for so long. With the dragon's mournful cry, the highest level of earth vein essence overflowed from its wounded chest. The knights and Onmyoji present felt their magical power surge with each breath, but while the former were overjoyed, the latter were filled with anger and fear.

These knights seemed to value the safety of the dragon they were about to capture more than their own lives. But their will could not interfere with the decisions of the gods.

The sun's rays rose again from the distance, and the dragon flapped its wings, roaring towards the horizon. But almost simultaneously, a similar ray of light shot out from Tokyo in the southeast, colliding with the sun's arrow in the sky as a rushing beam of light.

A powerful shockwave swept through the ferry's windows, and the Fudo Myoo Fire Barrier set up by the Onmyoji and the knights' steel barrier crumbled after a few seconds. Only then did the belatedly aware dragon let out a terrified, unintelligible cry. It glanced at the distant ocean before transforming into a streak of dark green light and speeding towards Tokyo. Just as the knights looked in the direction the dragon had disappeared, they discovered that the Onmyoji had actually parted to make way for it.

The head of the Yin-Yang Bureau seemed to have received some orders. He looked at the knights in front of him with a strange expression and ordered his subordinates to remove the Fudo Myo-o Fire Boundary Curse. "You are very lucky. The Ōshō Daikō wants to see you."

"The Great Power of the Sun Appears?" Most knights didn't understand, but Liliana Kranichal, a great knight familiar with various myths and regional traditions, was one of the few who knew its meaning.

"That youngest god-slaying demon, Saint Seiya?"

Under the scrutiny and escort of the Onmyoji, this group of knights from Italy arrived in Tokyo and came to a secluded village in Chiyoda.

The Knights had all heard of the young god-slayer, and two of them had even had the honor of meeting him in person. They knew very well that they were here with his permission. They arrived with a mixture of trepidation and anticipation, but before they even entered, they saw a beautiful figure in deep red standing at the door.

"Crimson Demon Erica?!" The knights immediately drew their swords.

The Italian magic societies, the Copper Black Cross and the Bronze Black Cross, though similar in name, have been rivals for over a thousand years. Despite sharing the same faith and being descendants of knights, children of God, and magicians serving the demon god Baphomet, their differing paths make them even more detestable than other magic societies.

Oh no, I completely forgot that this woman is already the knight of the seventh king!

But the crimson demon merely glanced at them, then chuckled and raised his delicate chin, "Come on, Seiya sent me to fetch you. Be grateful for his mercy!"

Several high knights, led by Liliana, stepped into the courtyard, but stopped in surprise the moment they arrived.

The man on the recliner under the cherry blossom tree in the courtyard was none other than Saint Seiya. He was dressed in white casual clothes, and a little girl in a loose, oversized robe was nestled in his arms, pouring out her grievances to Seiya in Latin, a language that only a very small number of Christian clergy and scholars could use fluently.

Their astonishment wasn't that the young king was holding a girl, but that this little girl in the long robe was none other than the ley line dragon they had been searching for.

Chapter 64: The most fun thing about Children's Day is naturally...

Although the sword fairy Liliana had heard about the young god-slaying demon long ago and knew that he was a warrior who took it upon himself to protect the earth, she found that he was even more remarkable than the rumors suggested after actually seeing him in person.

The dragon, formed from the ley lines of Naples, lay docilely on his chest, displaying an utterly obedient demeanor. This was not achieved through force, but simply through the attraction of his personal charm, which drew the dragon to his protection.

“If you really want to protect that land, you shouldn’t push Parthenope too hard.” Seiya stroked the girl’s head; he had already learned from her the grievances she had suffered during this time.

The water sprite, or rather, the sea siren Parthenopa, is the true name of the dragon. Dragons are formed from the essence of the earth's veins, while their form is bestowed by the veins of the land.

An Asian woman in a cheongsam from the Knights spoke up, “We dare not deceive Your Majesty. We also wish to protect it from the hands of the God of Disobedience and the King of Swords. Now that the God of Disobedience has awakened first, the Hero God who targets dragons and serpents will surely recreate the scene from mythology, cut off its head, and obtain the completion of his own power.”

"Don't worry about that. Since it has come to me seeking refuge, I will naturally ensure its safety." Seiya took the initiative to stop this troublesome matter.

Saints are warriors who protect the earth. Expanding their scope further, they encompass everything from the Earth Mother to dragons formed from the earth's veins. Moreover, Parthenope, whom he holds in his arms, is inextricably linked to the life force of Naples. If she were truly beheaded and her power stolen by a rebellious god, Naples would naturally become a lifeless wasteland.

As a Saint Seiya, Seiya would naturally not allow such a thing.

Seeing such a reasonable king, the sword fairy Liliana was moved to tears. However, she did not forget her duty, "Now it is more important to find the whereabouts of the disobedient god, who came to this far eastern island nation in pursuit of the dragon."

As the girl in Seiya's arms whispered in his ear, Seiya looked up at them. "Parthenopa said that the hero god who terrified her is nearby. If nothing unexpected happens, He will slay the dragon and serpent here and return to His full form."

Seiya recalled Athena's warning to him: the earth's veins in Fusang had been quietly changing during this time, and if nothing unexpected happened, a new dragon-serpent might be born.

Seeing that this demon king of the Far East had taken the initiative to assume responsibility, Bronze Ink Cross was extremely grateful.

After all, Naples is their base, the land where the Knights have lived for generations. Now that the Sword King has fallen into the sea and disappeared, only the Saint Seiya before them is qualified to be his Hero God's opponent.

Seiya looked at Parthenope, who was holding him tightly in his arms, and suddenly thought of the Sun Arrow that had collided with and neutralized his Light Fist. It was also light, and it was also incredibly fast, but there was a very familiar feeling about the power of the sun in it.

Yes, Seiya remembered, it was like a white horse carrying the sun.

As the first knight, Erica naturally possessed a higher level of authority compared to her later followers. Although she had only arrived in Japan half a day earlier than Liliana, she still arranged for them to stay at a nearby hotel, acting as a semi-host.

As for her and Ena Kiyoshuu, they merely exchanged a glance before politely returning to their respective hotels and residences.

Late at night, Parthenope was still nestled in the arms of the Saint Seiya, while Seiya was looking at the Naples news on his phone.

Almost seconds after the sun's arrow pierced her, a 4.7 magnitude earthquake struck Naples, followed by an aftershock at 10 p.m. Mount Vesuvius spewed thick smoke, sea levels rose, and the ground sank four centimeters.

This symbolizes the terrible influence of Parthenopa, the dragon of the Neapolitan ley lines. If Hero God truly steals its life force, the entire city will be reduced to a wasteland. Seiya thought of the dragon that had fallen into the sea and wondered if it had been salvaged yet. It was understandable that the Disobedient God wanted to kill the dragon, but for the Demon King of Southern Europe to also want to kill a dragon was even more understandable. Naples was, after all, his territory, so it was no wonder that the Bronze Cross was driven to madness by him.

But this is not the end; as long as Parthenope has not recovered, these minor disasters will continue to occur.

"You want to help her recover?" Stella, who had just come out of the room carrying a bucket of popcorn, raised an eyebrow at Parthenope, who was still clinging tightly to the Saint Seiya character in her sleep.

Seiya's eyes lit up when he saw Stella. How could he have forgotten about this Earth Mother Goddess? She was the right specialist. "Do you have a solution?"

“Of course! The omnipotent and perfect goddess Stella can do anything. Not only can I, but I can do three things too,” Stella walked to the refrigerator, took out two bottles of chilled soda, and tossed one of them to Seiya. “The first is to cross the spiritual veins of another land. For you, the Great Power of the Sun in Japan, this should be the simplest way.”

"But it would cause permanent damage to the land affected by the transgressed spiritual veins, wouldn't it?" The Saint Seiya took the cola and skillfully twisted the tab. The Seiya of today wasn't some mystical idiot. He couldn't bring himself to destroy another land while restoring life to the first.

Stella was not surprised by the Saint Seiya's reaction. After taking her first sip of iced cola, she comfortably squinted her eyes. "The second option is to wait for a long recovery period. Of course, this process can be accelerated by some secret rituals or powers."

Seiya thought about the four powers he currently possessed, and it seemed that only the Sunrise Power was somewhat related. "What about the third one?"

Based on his understanding of this little female demon goddess, the first two possibilities could be disregarded, as she was merely paving the way for the third.

“That’s even simpler, even simpler than the first one.” Stella looked at Seiya with a seductive smile. “It’s simply a matter of replenishing her vital energy. And what could be more suitable for replenishing vital energy than your magical power?”

Seiya was taken aback. Although Stella had spoken very subtly, Seiya understood what she meant just by looking at her expression.

"To put it bluntly, it's about replenishing mana!" Stella bluntly cut to the chase, spreading her hands and speaking as casually as if discussing a dinner menu. "This kind of thing should be a piece of cake for an experienced warrior like you, right?"

In a sense, Stella was right.

"This...this isn't quite right, is it?" Seiya looked down at Parthenope in his arms, who had manifested as a young girl due to the severe damage from her power. Her innocent and childlike face made him feel a strong sense of moral embarrassment. "She's still a child!"

"Oh, friend, there's absolutely no problem!" Stella suddenly leaned closer, a bright, almost innocent smile spreading across her face. "Have you forgotten? Today is Children's Day! The best thing to do on Children's Day is—"

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P.S.: Two chapters today, three chapters tomorrow.

Chapter 65: Stella, I'm doing something insatiable.

Stella didn't even have time to finish her sentence before a hand appeared behind her and shoved her head into the table.

"A goddess like you, so shameless and lowly, will only make rice expensive in this world." The goddess, holding Stella's head, calmly uttered these words.

Stella may appear as a dignified, elegant, and arrogant goddess in public, but after spending some time with her, she inevitably reveals her wicked, mischievous nature. Therefore, whether it's the defiant Athena or the war goddess Athena of the divine realm, their methods towards Stella are incredibly simple and brutal.

That naughty little brat, a good beating will do the trick.

Athena slowly approached the Saints, extending her hand and reciting the incantation of night, "By the true name of Athena, I command: Darkness, appear here, dispel the sun's grace, extinguish the fire of Mithra. Countless stars, dark winds, bestow secret protection upon the Neapolitan Serpent!"

At this moment, the young dragon nestled in the Saint's arms raised its head, instinctively drawing closer to the darkness of that night. As the true Earth Mother Goddess, the Holy Mother who had reclaimed her ancient people, the dragon and serpent were originally Athena's retinue.

Parthenoppe's pale cheeks quickly flushed with a healthy blush, but then she winced in pain, her face turning deathly pale again. The scar from the arrow of the sun piercing her small chest remained clearly visible, like a gruesome brand. Seiya immediately turned to look at Stella, who, as well as the Earth Mother, was pretending not to hear, whistling as she jogged back to her room.

Bathed in the moonlight, her hair shimmered with silver light, and her eyes were darker than the night itself. One could sense the powerful earth and dark divinity flowing through Athena's arms into Parthenope's body, but she quickly withdrew her hand.

As long as the wounds inflicted by the hero who slew the dragon and serpent remain on its body, vital energy will continue to flow out. But for now, it is temporarily healed.

“Its arrow wound happens to be the mark of destruction specifically for dragons and serpents, and I have temporarily sealed it away,” Athena said. “You can rest assured for now.”

Seiya's face lit up with joy. She truly lived up to her reputation as a complete Earth Mother, on a completely different level from Stella, who was just a half-baked one. The simplest solution was to kill the disobedient god who had caused the damage, and the wounds would naturally heal completely.

But Athena didn't leave. Instead, she walked to Seiya's side and gently pulled his head into her arms.

Seiya was slightly taken aback, but did not resist this sudden intimacy, obediently following her guidance. Finally, the back of his head rested on something soft—Athena's knees pressed together. The warm touch came through the thin white robe, carrying a strange sense of peace. "What's the point of this?" Seiya couldn't help but ask.

Although the scent of jasmine filling his nostrils was quite pleasant, Seiya snuggled closer and suddenly felt like he had acted like a pig.

“I was passing by a mortal’s dwelling when I saw this scene on the screen,” Athena said in a tone as calm as if she were stating the weather, “so I thought I’d give it a try.”

She did what she wanted to do... Seiya was speechless for a moment, but this was indeed Athena's style—direct and pure.

The moonlight illuminated the sky.

"Sprinkle a ray of light to adorn the ocean..."

Athena's fingertips, cool to the touch, gently brushed against Seiya's brow bone. She began to hum softly, her voice ethereal and soothing, like a night breeze rustling through a silent forest.

Whenever a meteor falls from the sky,

The dreams in my heart have all drifted away with the wind…

A gentle drowsiness, like a tender tide, quietly crept into Seiya's consciousness. At that moment, he suddenly understood—the television scene the goddess had seen must have been a mother lulling her child to sleep, right? Perhaps what she truly wanted to do was simply to imitate the scene on television and hum a lullaby to herself.

How should I put it? This feeling... isn't so bad. Stella, I'm doing something insatiable.

The authority belonging to the hidden darkness slowly covered him. In no time, Seiya's eyelids began to tremble, and a sense of peace and warmth flowed through his heart. He closed his eyes.

And so, Saint Seiya lay on Athena's lap, the goddess's hand gently stroking his cheek.

A handsome young man with blond hair and blue eyes strolls through Tokyo on a rainy night; knights with bronze ink crosses fall asleep with beautiful wishes for the future; staff at the Japan Meteorological Agency are still working overtime; and the exorcists of the Onmyōryō (Bureau of Yin and Yang) are still counting the spiritual energy points of Japan's ley lines.

The battle hasn't even begun, the tragedy hasn't unfolded yet, and everything is still before the final showdown.

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Japan, Sanin.

This place stands majestically on the western edge of Honshu, overlooking the Sea of ​​Japan. Standing atop the mountain and gazing into the distance, one sees layers upon layers of mountains surging westward, their undulating ridges resembling a giant serpent lurking on the earth, while Oki Island in the sea appears as a pearl held in the serpent's mouth.

A fierce wind howled atop the mountain, but it did not dampen their enthusiasm. Erica Blantri stood solemnly behind Seiya, tablet in hand. On the screen was the conclusion reached after days of tireless calculations by meteorologists and Onmyoji exorcists: this place was the absolute core of the Fusang ley line anomaly!

“I should have known it was here.” Kiyoshuin Ena looked at the gap in the mountain range ahead, holding a map. The more than 3,000-meter-long pit had formed a lake at the bottom due to the continuous torrential rain. Looking further towards Oki Island, a straight vertical canyon could be seen stretching all the way to the sea.

"Holy crap, Musou-jin Hazama!" A weather officer suddenly blurted out, then, noticing the stares of the crowd, sheepishly retreated back into the line.

In ancient times, this was Izumo Province, the site where Susanoo slew the Yamata no Orochi. In modern times, it's the battlefield of the War of the Gods, where the Saints defeated Susanoo. If we're talking about the core of the ley lines, this is most likely the place.

What might seem like a magnificent sight to ordinary people is actually a grand aura to Onmyoji and knights. They can sense the lingering grandeur of the valley and canyon, where traces of swords, the sun, and light intertwine, inevitably bringing to mind the terrifying eight-headed, eight-tailed behemoth from a thousand years ago, slowly opening its eight pairs of scarlet, lantern-like snake eyes under the deep night sky; they can hear the piercing shriek as Susanoo wields the Totsuka Sword, tearing through the air, and the dull thud as the giant snake's head rolls to the ground.

And today, are we about to relive the myth?!

But all eyes were on Seiya, who was at the head of the group. Only he, only the one who had the power to influence the ley lines, had the authority to decide their fate.

But he was looking at the little girl holding his hand.

Chapter 66: The strongest power is summoning the Pegasus

As Seiya's gaze fell upon her, Parthenopa, protected by the Saints who guarded the earth, nodded. She could sense that her kind was being nurtured within these ley lines, but even more violent and ferocious, and its strength was likely far greater than her own.

"Seiya, are you trying to summon a god of disobedience?" Erica, who was with him, couldn't help but ask.

Aside from their status as top-tier divine beasts, the greatest value of these dragons and serpents, born directly from the earth, lies in their role as sacrifices to summon disobedient gods—in fact, they could be considered the most suitable sacrifices. The god targeted by the dragons and serpents summoned in this place is, of course, Susanoo, who was recently slain by the Saints.