Saint Seiya, but Athena who disobeys?

Although his power was largely depleted after the fierce battles with Marquis Voban and God King Mekal, his overwhelming sense of invincibility made his presence even more oppressive and suffocating.

"Burn, my little universe!"

Chapter 86: Even though the goddess's guidance has long been broken

The God Cloth responded to Seiya's call, and the golden armor seemed to come alive, instantly reaching its peak condition!

The Saint Seiya drew the trajectory of stars across his chest, and amidst the long neigh of Pegasus, a galloping meteor swept forward.

Atomic lightning and Pegasus speed—two of the most advanced combat techniques—were unleashed from his hands, driven by the unwavering will of the Saint. Despite having endured countless battles, his aura remained unstoppable, his power reaching its zenith, forcing a fleeting moment of light into the realm between life and death.

As for the goddess, her face still carried a trace of sorrow that could not be described in words.

After the light came the darkness that devoured the heavens and the earth. A cold arc of light blocked the light's advance and dragged the entire battlefield into a dark night.

The goddess, with divine might as a prison, wielded a black scythe as long as her body—the Grim Reaper's scythe, a blade that absorbed all light. As she gripped the hilt, the domain of the ancient night expanded wildly outward from her center.

As the Grim Reaper's scythe fell, the concept of death condensed into a ray of light, and the blade cut rapidly, ultimately severing the desolate forest, the altar, the space itself, and even the Saint Seiya's atomic lightning in two!

"Seiya, what do you desire?" the goddess suddenly asked, posing a completely unrelated question.

Seiya did not answer, but continued to clench his fist.

The Holy Mother, a triune force, was indeed an unprecedentedly powerful enemy, but it was precisely this strength that ignited the fighting spirit of a Saint Seiya. Seiya could feel his Godslayer physique frantically sending battle signals to his brain—

Even if Athena's guidance has been shattered, please still raise your fist for justice on earth!

Different combat techniques manifested on the left and right. The Fierce Tiger Gale Purple Lightning Fist and the Fierce Dragon Blizzard Frost Fist, which shone with intense light, roared towards Athena in front of them as a white dragon and a purple tiger, respectively, and launched a dragon-tiger clash.

The goddess's face showed neither sorrow nor joy; at this moment, she had suppressed her inner emotions and wielded the Grim Reaper's scythe with the same unwavering determination.

As the dragon and tiger clashed with the darkness, Seiya himself transformed into light and charged towards Athena. Without Seiya's support, the dragon and tiger instantly collapsed, but Seiya himself had already leaped into the sky. The light from the drawing of the holy sword in his palm drew a semi-circular arc, and he slashed down vertically, aiming directly at Athena's scythe of death.

The holy sword clashed with the scythe, but the Saint Seiya, imbued with his immense kinetic energy, forced the Athena backward, crashing into the ghostly forest behind her. Saint Seiya's figure followed her like a shadow; even the most elite knights couldn't comprehend their fighting style. Their movements completely defied the laws of physics, moving like light itself.

But in the next instant, the enormous serpent rose from the ground and opened its blood-red maw toward the Saint Seiya.

"You ignorant beast, die!" Seiya frowned, and in the next instant, the holy sword light that condensed from his palm cleaved the giant serpent in two. But in that brief moment, it was enough for the Holy Mother of the Trinity to summon the High Speed ​​Divine Word.

"Come forth, winged goddess, and offer the fruits of victory to Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war!"

The power belonging to the God of War and the God Cloth on his body emitted a slight hum, and a brilliant white-gold light rose in this ancient night. A figure that was extremely familiar to the Saint Seiya appeared in front of him.

She appeared as a beautiful woman, dressed in white, with pure white wings like those of a swan on her back.

Saint Seiya stared at the goddess who was gracefully spreading her wings and flying.

Nike, the winged goddess of victory. One of the last three missing among the eleven divine incarnations summoned by Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. Seiya initially thought she was waiting for time to end so she could automatically return to mythology, but it seems she is actually Athena, who has rejoined this world.

The goddess's voice rang out behind Nike, "My steed, now is not the right time for you to return to me. When the stars are in their proper places, I will personally welcome you back to our throne."

Although the voice was loud, Seiya was not affected by Athena's words, because he sensed a power that transcended space being activated. He looked at Nike, who was blocking his way, and raised his hand.

Nikki adopted a holy fighting stance, "As the Pegasus, the incarnation of my Lord's fall, you should not be with my Lord... Ugh!"

"Shut up!" The Saint grabbed Nike's head with one hand and punched her into the ground with the other. But Athena's figure had already disappeared.

In the silent world that belongs entirely to the ancient night, a goddess wielding the scythe of death emerges from her throne.

A moment later, she raised her hand, and the winged staff reappeared in her palm, then transformed into the form of Nike, though a large hole had been torn in her chest. Even so, she immediately knelt before the god-king before her.

“I am so sorry, my lord, I failed to stop your Pegasus.” Niki felt deeply ashamed.

"It's alright. Sending you to defend against Pegasus is already a feat of a mortal conquering the heavens. You've done quite well," Athena comforted you.

Nike is both an attendant of Athena, the goddess of war, and one of Athena's avatars. Nothing, except death (Thanatos), can sever the bond between them.

With a wave of her hand, Nike transformed back into a winged staff and landed in her palm.

Then she touched her brow with her finger, and after a few breaths, two completely different figures appeared in the darkness.

One is a war goddess clad in white robes, the other a demonic woman with a sorrowful expression.

Metis, Athena, and Gorgon, the original triune Mother of God, now appear as independent entities in this dark sanctuary, but the other two are merely avatars.

But why did the goddess recall Seiya's words?

It was I who called upon him... that's why he appeared before me through the power of the strong wind.

"Is this truly my call, or is it that during Gorgon's maternal period, I still possess...?"

However, her thoughts were soon drawn to the bronze pegasus statue before her... Don't worry, soon, this filthy world will be purified.

—The Netherworld, the original site of the battlefield.

The desolate land, the shattered Netherworld Forest, the ruined hot springs—Seiya felt a pang of regret. After all, this was the place where he first met Athena and was resurrected. To see it destroyed like this was painful even for Seiya. But then, he seemed to sense something. He stepped into the dried-up hot springs and, to his own disbelief, pulled out a familiar magical artifact—a grimoire.

"The Prometheus Slab," Seiya gently brushed away the dust.

There was even a familiar yet unfamiliar power within it, calling out to him.

Chapter 87: May the winds of victory guide you forward.

As the morning light pierced through the last gloom, Seiya returned to the Mediterranean island. He ate a local specialty sold at a roadside stall: a fried wonton-like dish. The dough was filled with a mixture of roasted almond slivers, sugar, and lemon zest, then deep-fried and coated in a lemon-honey glaze. He was so hungry at the time that he found it incredibly delicious.

However, the loss of Athena's whereabouts now makes him a little sad.

He always believed in the great fortune brought by the power of the God of War, and that the guiding wind would lead him to where he was meant to be. Last time, this wind guided him to the God-King Mekal, and only after a life-or-death battle with the God-King was he able to meet Athena in the Netherworld thanks to the power of the wind.

Can the current strong luck still bring good fortune? And which way is the guiding wind blowing?

He looked up and gazed into the distance. In the distance, Cagliari's skyscrapers stood tall, while his own small town nestled between a bustling port and a tranquil salt flat. As dawn broke, the streets gradually awoke. A portly landlady with a large waist slammed open her roller shutter, and fishmongers and fruit vendors skillfully set up their stalls on the street, the enticing aroma of freshly baked bread filling the air. He sniffed, trying to catch the scent; only then did he feel as if he had returned to the human world.

However, upon closer inspection, some differences became apparent; the number of tourists on the streets was noticeably smaller. This was understandable, given that two natural disasters had struck within six months; even the most carefree tourists would likely hesitate. It wasn't until he caught sight of a group of elderly tourists waving small red flags and looking quite enthusiastic that he shook his head helplessly—it seemed he had underestimated the carefree attitude of his fellow villagers.

Just then, a deep, familiar engine roar came from behind. Seiya turned around, and a bright green came into view—an Aston Martin DBS. It seemed to be the same car he had borrowed during his game with boy Vereslana. The window slowly rolled down, revealing Erica's bright and beautiful face.

"How did this car end up in your hands?" Seiya asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Because you were driving that the first time I saw you,” Erica replied matter-of-factly, handing him a cup of milk tea she had bought on the way. “Get in, my lord.”

Isn't that casino backed by some Italian Mafia family...? Seiya's heart skipped a beat, but then he thought that for someone like Erica Brantri, ordinary Mafia families were indeed insignificant—unless they were called Gattuso or Vongola.

"By the way, congratulations on defeating Marquis Voban and killing God King Mekar." Erica praised him. She knew very well that the lord she followed did not like overly exaggerated praise, especially from sycophants like those old-timers in the Far East and that Martial Venerable's disciple from the Eastern Continent, but she said it from the bottom of her heart.

Seiya gave her that feeling—that he could defeat any god or demon king. Even before he truly became a god-slayer, Erica was determined to follow him, but she never expected things to reach this point so quickly.

"It's alright, my battle with Megal was destined from the start." Seiya looked out the window.

“I’m not just talking about Mekal,” Erica glanced at him and handed him the prepared tablet. “The God King is indeed powerful, but what truly shook the entire European magic world was your defeat of the old Wolf King, Marquis Voban! That’s the most significant event that could overturn the entire landscape!” On the tablet, the page of the magicians’ forum was refreshing wildly, and public opinion had already exploded.

Marquis Voban's power and brutality were already deeply ingrained in people's minds. So much so that even now, countless people on the forum were still spamming the chat, repeatedly questioning the veracity of the news. Seiya casually scrolled through a few pages, then put the tablet back in its place: "Is the impact really that big?"

“It’s bigger than the sky falling!” Erica emphasized. “You don’t know how many magicians and knights hoped a hero would stand up and defeat him during the three hundred years that Marquis Voban ruled Europe. For a few extremists, even a god could be a hero. How many magical societies fled their homes to escape his shadow and seek refuge in the Council of Sages or the powers of Southern Europe? Before this, everyone thought the most likely challenger to him was his mortal enemy, the Martial Arts King Luo Hao, followed by Salvatore Tony and Alexander Gascoigne.”

“But I never expected that I, the youngest god-slayer, would ultimately achieve it, right?” Seiya chimed in.

"Of course I knew this day would come, but for other magicians, it might take some time to confirm." Erica revealed a mischievous smile.

This is the awkwardness of information transmission in the magic world. To observe a divine war, the methods are nothing more than clairvoyance, familiar spying, the magician's water mirror technique, or the witch's imaging method. However, the information obtained through these methods can mostly only be verified by oneself and is difficult to form into widely disseminated, irrefutable evidence.

Therefore, in the absence of concrete evidence, many magicians still regard this sensational news as an outrageous rumor.

"Stop the car," Seiya said.

Erica hadn't even reacted yet, but the next second, a sharp screech of brakes echoed across the asphalt road. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, her breathing rapid.

She nervously opened the car door and stepped out of the green Aston Martin. Instinctively, she wanted to summon the Lionheart, but ultimately refrained. At that moment, a fear comparable to facing a disobedient god surged within her.

The oldest demon king they had just been discussing, Sasha de Jansdar Voban, who had ruled Europe in darkness for three hundred years, was standing right in front of them, silently! He was still emaciated, his wide trench coat fluttering in the sea breeze, and his pale green eyes seemed to contain a chill that pierced to the bone, so much so that Erica felt even his breath was covered in frost.

In fact, according to the rumors, this old demon king is indeed the main villain in the terrifying story of exhaling cold air from his nasal cavity.

Just now, I spoke freely about His Majesty because he wasn't in front of me. But now, the fear that I had forgotten during the conversation surged back into my heart.

“No need to be nervous, young lady,” Marquis Voban’s voice was elegant and deep, a chilling smile playing on his lips. “I have not come here for you.”

Erica forced herself to calm down. Indeed, the old demon king's gaze had never lingered on her for a moment, but had pierced through her and was firmly fixed on Seiya behind her.

At the same time, Seiya's gaze calmly met his.

At this very moment, the guiding wind brought by his strong luck finally had a clear and strong direction! The second person who could help him find the next key clue was none other than Marquis Voban, who had just fought him to the death not long ago!

Chapter 88: Goodbye Marin, Guinevere

Who exactly is Sasha Dejansdar Voban?

Erica Blandre, the eldest daughter of the prestigious Brandry family of magicians, was quite well-known to them.

The oldest of all surviving god-slayers. Although called a marquis, he was not born into a wealthy family. Born in the early 18th century, he became an orphan without parents and was so poor that he could hardly afford a loaf of bread a day, often wandering from place to place. The surname "Voban" was the name of the fierce dog kept by the marquis of the territories he had attacked, hence he decided to take Voban as his surname.

During the 18th century, when Europe was dominated by various magical societies and the Church as the ruling class, Voban became the first godkiller in centuries by defeating Apollo Lycaos, the Greek sun god of wolves.

In an era when the Church shepherded God's flock on behalf of God, and magicians were regarded as gods by ignorant mortals, Voban rose to prominence in that time. He was both a god-slayer who killed gods and a dark conqueror who reigned over Europe.

He ruthlessly slaughtered the former ruling class, and even though he was called the Demon King and the most evil god-slayer, countless magicians hoped that he would die on the road to conquering the gods—regardless of the final outcome, the fact that Europe was spared from the destruction of disobedient gods in his time is undeniable.

But at this moment, in her eyes, Marquis Voban, who should have launched a revenge attack on Seiya who defeated him, was instead summoning the beasts of darkness and earth to resolve the long-standing dilemma that had plagued his lord.

The Eternal Pavilion in the Underworld. Marquis Voban arrived here through the Egyptian myth of a bountiful harvest and the power of Osiris, the god of the underworld. "Boy, this is it," he said.

The trail that led Seiya to the location was led by a pack of demonic wolf familiars with dark rat fur. These were sacred beasts of Apollo (beasts of darkness and earth). Although they did not possess the abilities of divine beasts, they had a keen sense of smell, extremely special dark characteristics, and an unlimited number of summonable creatures.

Using his power of strong winds, Seiya traversed worlds and arrived in this space.

“Yes, this is it.” Seiya stroked the railing of the pavilion. At this close distance, even Seiya’s spiritual vision could glimpse a blurry scene. There was indeed a trace of Athena’s aura here. Even with the spiritual vision of a Saint, he could vaguely sense the lingering turbulent aura of Athena’s transition to Metis.

During this time, another person stood beside her. Who was it? Was she the culprit behind all this? Seiya frowned, a vaguely familiar aura wafting towards him, a sweet fragrance carrying the scent of war and killing intent.

"If you want to recreate the scene that once happened here, then I can't help you. You'll have to find a professional in this field. I remember that you have a witch (a high-ranking priestess) under your command who possesses the highest spiritual qualities. It seems that you also have a good relationship with the witches of Sardinia."

"Thank you, you've been a great help." Seiya turned around and looked at the Marquis Voban, who resembled an old English gentleman, and expressed his sincere gratitude.

Different positions lead to different perspectives. For Seiya, the most stubborn and the most talkative of all the Godslayers was quite different in Erica's eyes.

The most stubborn god-slayer is actually Kusanagi Godou, who seems like a nice guy in the original work. He has his own unique logic, which Seiya sees as bordering on obsession. But the easiest to talk to is Marquis Voban.

Marquis Voban is somewhat of a power-hungry individual; if you're not at the level of a god-slayer or deity, he won't even give a high-ranking knight a second glance. But if you're a fellow countryman or warrior he acknowledges, he'll show considerable magnanimity. He's had his god stolen more than once or twice, but he always forgave the other party after a fight, even offering them a way out. Of course, his usual sharp tongue doesn't hide his soft heart.

"It's alright, consider it a gift to celebrate your slaying of the God-King Mekal." After saying this, Marquis Voban turned around and transformed into a Nether Dragon, disappearing into the Netherworld.

Half a day later, the three most outstanding priestesses of Japan, including Yuri Mariya, Ena Seishuin, and Kaoru Sayamiya, appeared before the Godslayer.

After this period of recuperation, Yuri Mariya has recovered considerably, but she still can't help trembling with fear and an instinctive sense of closeness and affection when she sees Seiya. Two different emotions intertwine in her heart, and Seiya knows at a glance that she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Both Ena Seikiin and Kaoru Saya had no problems; one was the best tachi-wielding priestess in Japan, and the other was the most outstanding Musashino priestess. Both attempted to use their spiritual vision, but both turned pale and obtained no useful information. Just as Yuri Mariya mustered her courage to try spiritual vision herself, she saw Seiya raise his hand and wave.

Seeing this, Yuri Mariya revealed a sorrowful expression of "I knew it," closed her eyes, and leaned her face closer.

Seiya frowned as he looked at the priestess suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. He waved his hand not to hit her or punish her, but because the lack of information was itself information.

For someone to cause both Ena and Saya to suffer defeat, the being standing next to Athena must at least possess a status superior to both of them and belong to the same lineage.

At this moment, Seiya already had the answer in his heart.

The Fairy Realm, the cliff where the boy had once thrown countless punches. The cherry blossom trees, blooming all year round, still scatter pink petals towards the distant ocean. As the winged girl and the dwarves beating drums and gongs approached, Guinevere felt a familiar presence arrive before her.

"Guinevere, Seiya has arrived." A witch shrouded in black robes whispered in Guinevere's ear.

"You may all leave now. I wish to speak with him alone," Guinevere ordered.

The witches nodded in agreement, and the dwarf who had been banging drums and the fairy with translucent wings obeyed Guinevere's orders and left, giving the place back to the two of them.

"Demon... Guinevere, you should have something to say to me," Seiya said from behind.

“You arrived earlier than I expected. Is it because of the Wolf King Voban’s help?” Guinevere chuckled softly. “Please sit down. We have plenty of time.”

As Seiya took his seat, he noticed the golden vessel Guinevere held in her hand. Its classic design and the overwhelming divinity it exuded immediately reminded him of the Holy Grail from mythology.

“I have lived for so long that I have forgotten who I am,” Guinevere said softly.

"Do you need me to end this life for you?" Seiya asked earnestly.

Chapter 89: Athena Wants to Bring You Back to Life