Saint Seiya, but Athena who disobeys?

“Allow my sword to rust for you.” Erica unsheathed the Lionheart sword, holding it horizontally in her palm. A spiritual light mingled with the still-wet blood, dripping down like plum blossoms. “Before my departure, my uncle advised me, seeing me as Hannibal, the Carthaginian general defeated at the Battle of Zama, while I saw myself as Scipio the victor. Until I faced the gods, I always harbored the dream of emulating my ancestors.”

"But now, at this moment, I deeply understand that my fantasies were like those of a fool. And now there is only one thing I want to do: I want to follow you and assist you in becoming the seventh king (Campione) of this era."

Chapter 20: This world needs Saint Seiya, so here I am.

The setting sun cast golden dappled light through the gaps in the leaves, illuminating the boy, and a lingering golden glow remained in Seiya's eyes. He looked at the great knight before him—Erica, kneeling on one knee, did not raise her head, yet her fingers, which had held a sword for thirteen years, trembled slightly.

She awaited Seiya's response, and her unusual premonition erupted at this moment, as she sensed that this would be a turning point in her destiny.

"To be king? But I have no intention of becoming king," Seiya said softly.

“I’m not talking about a king, but the supreme being who killed all the gods in the heavens and seized the supreme divine power they possessed, namely Campione!” Erica quickly explained.

The god-slayer is a tyrant, a demon king, and a supreme being whom no one on earth can defy.

In Erica's view, if anyone on earth could possibly kill the gods in heaven again and seize the supreme divine power they possessed, it would only be the man before her.

Whether it's the Eastern systems of sorcerers, martial arts, and onmyoji, or the indigenous magicians, knights, and witches, each has its own limits.

Within the knightly system I belong to, there are apprentices, regulars, grand knights, and Grail knights (paladins).

Like the Holy Grail Knights, whose complete ritual can destroy tens of thousands of square kilometers. Eastern martial arts legends speak of beings capable of splitting rivers, moving mountains, and filling seas; in the Netherworld, there are even immortals and Buddhas who have cultivated to the point of immortality. But these are already the limits of humanity. Only a very few extraordinary individuals possess power beyond these boundaries.

Those with such talent are even rarer than god-slayers. His uncle, Paul Brantley, the Grand Master of the Society, possessed the power to destroy a city with a single blow and rival several divine beasts. But even he didn't possess the talent of a god-slayer.

The previous person with both extraordinary strength and talent was Luo Hao, the martial arts leader of the Eastern Continent, who had attained the Nirvana Realm before killing the god, and who reigned supreme at the pinnacle of martial arts, having cultivated Buddhist supernatural powers.

She may also be the most talented queen among all the outstanding heroes throughout history.

Having witnessed it firsthand during this time, Erica even believed that the young man before her possessed a more domineering presence that would make her bow down than the rumored Luo Hao.

Although Seiya didn't intentionally awaken superpowers like mind reading when he awakened his cosmos, he could still understand Erika's thoughts to some extent from her expression.

“I will fight the war god Ursragna again, but not to become the demon king who will rule the people of the earth, but because they are trying to destroy this beautiful land. This meeting with the god king Mercator is also to confirm his true thoughts.”

"I am a Saint, a warrior who protects the earth and humanity." Seiya looked at the girl before him, speaking his truest thoughts to her.

"If any disobedient god who defies mythology attempts to destroy humanity, I will kill him. If any god-slayer who ravages the earth appears, I will defeat him as well. I stand here because this world needs Saints."

When Earth loses its peace, these Saints will appear to uphold justice. Although the world changes, Seiya believes this wish should not change.

Gods, demons, humans, fairies—this world needs Saint Seiya, so I have come.

Faintly, one could hear a girl's laughter carried on the wind.

If not for the twist of fate, such a perfect opportunity would never have occurred. At this moment, birds fluttered into the sky, and a faint green aurora appeared in the blue night sky.

—The aura of the gods, the aura of the disobedient gods, has sprouted anew on this island isolated in the Mediterranean.

Whether they were witches, magicians, knights, or ordinary tourists and residents, they all looked up at the western sky at this moment.

To ordinary residents, it was just the earth trembling slightly, and the aurora borealis on the horizon caused by the earthquake. There were even tourists taking pictures and residents putting their hands together in prayer.

But to knights, magicians, and other people from the otherworld, it was a towering god who brought the wind and rain, and with the moment he stretched out his hand, he transformed the thunder and storms in the sky into weapons, using the heavens and earth as his stage, and recklessly announced his arrival to the world.

At this moment, in Saint Theodoro in the East, the white-robed youth chasing the phoenix gazes up at the aurora borealis on the horizon.

Then he burst into a loud laugh that seemed out of place with his size, "Hahahaha, so you were the first to recover to your full form? It seems the God-King can't hold back any longer, challenging me to a duel with such grandeur. I must respond to Him as soon as possible!"

As the golden sword in His palm transformed into a weapon capable of severing divine power, the last phoenix incarnation was also drawn back into His body.

God of victory, God of justice, God of guidance, God of kingship, God of abundance, God of battle, God of solemnity, God of protection, God of incarnation.

Having fully mastered nine of the ten aspects, the war god Ursragna drew his golden sword. "With my authority, let justice be revealed in the world. These incantations are powerful and eloquent, invincible because of their power, and capable of healing all things because of their power. Quickly bring me to the stage that suits me!"

The enormous phoenix spread its wings behind him once more, and the azure light enveloped the God of War as he swiftly traversed mountains and seas to reach the battlefield.

In the forest, Erica finally raised her head and looked at the boy in front of her.

"The war of the gods has begun, what should we do?"

Will Seiya fulfill the amazing promise he made earlier on the battlefield of mythology, or will he have other plans?

This was just a multiple-choice question, and just as Seiya was about to say it, he suddenly felt a call from his soul.

It was a message from the underworld, both familiar and strange; and the device used to receive the message was none other than the Pegasus Cloth that he had just acquired.

Seiya immediately thought of the Avatar of Wind he had obtained not long ago using the Prometheus Tablet, and the bronze stone box that had appeared with him in Erica's words. Soon, he had the answer in his heart.

"Victory is assured, let's wait a bit," Seiya said.

The Saint Cloth, surrounded by blue light, instantly appeared, then transformed into a gentle breeze that traversed the realms of the underworld and the netherworld, appearing in a forest.

This is the Netherworld, where owls circle overhead and giant scaly snakes stare at the newcomer with their red apricots, but neither the wisdom of the heavens nor the darkness of the earth can stop this chosen one from advancing.

At the end of this road lies a spring. And standing before the steaming hot spring is a girl wearing a knitted hat with cat ears.

Finally, the system notification arrived, albeit belatedly.

--------

P.S.: There will definitely be no more updates in the underworld tomorrow; the update will be moved up to before midnight.

But tonight's update will still be as usual—a little later (innocent face).

Chapter Twenty-One: The Light Comes from the East

[Congratulations on completing the beginner's guide quest - meeting the reincarnation of Athena. The Pegasus Cloth has been issued; please check your account.]

Please participate in the Galactic Arena to obtain the Sagittarius constellation...

Seiya closed the semi-transparent panel that popped up with the system; this useless system served no purpose other than providing newbie rewards. At that moment, he gazed at the goddess Athena before the fountain.

In Europe, springs were considered life and the moon, and also a symbol of the Roman goddess Minerva. There are also sayings like "Minerva's owl flies at dusk." This Minerva is a composite of the Greek goddess Athena, introduced to Rome, and a local goddess.

In ancient times, people could not explain the phenomenon of hot springs, so they regarded them as "sacred sites." Moreover, because the ancient Romans discovered that hot springs had therapeutic effects on many diseases, they believed it was a gift from the goddess Minerva. As early as 43 BC, after the Roman army invaded and ruled England, the Romans built many large saunas and swimming pools in Bath, which they considered a site of miracles related to springs and the goddess of wisdom, Minerva.

The ancient Romans attributed almost omnipotent powers to the goddess Sulis Minerva. In Roman mythology, Minerva was also the goddess of poetry, music, and healing. Lead plates discovered in this ancient Roman bath indicate that she was also a deity to whom people placed their hopes for punishment of misconduct. The curses on these plates were mostly written in Latin, with occasional Celtic inscriptions. Many of these curses were translated into English and hung from the ceiling of the exhibition hall.

Upon seeing the girl before him, Seiya understood the reason for his resurrection.

“My warrior, as you can see, I am now in this immature form, and this is proof of my incompleteness.” Athena sat before the bluestone of the hot spring, speaking softly to Seiya.

Both Athena and Minerva are symbolically linked by the Trinity. Athena's awakening from mythology was not the work of some cult magicians; rather, due to a series of coincidences, her divine status and age were deemed inappropriate at that time. This lost element is manifested in the form of the divine artifact, the Gorgon Stone.

"Having rescued you from Hercules, I do not wish for you to be drawn into this mythical war again. Now, act as an agent of the goddess's will and help me reclaim what I have lost."

The Hercules mentioned by Athena is none other than the war god Urs Ragnar.

As Persian cultural influence expanded into ancient Greece before the Common Era, Vereslana acquired a new Greek name, Artagnes, and was considered the patron saint of roads and travelers. His image was that of a man carrying a club and wearing a lion's skin, which became a significant source of the later image of Heracles.

Myths constantly evolve and take on new branches and different forms as civilization develops. Even mythological figures that we are familiar with may be performing different mythological stories in unfamiliar lands, which is in itself an interesting aspect of exploring history.

Seiya shook his head. "Please forgive me for refusing."

"Why?" Athena asked softly, without getting angry.

"It is my duty, without a doubt, to retrieve your lost half. But right now, there is a great war being waged on this land by an evil god who defies mythology, and I cannot pretend not to see it."

"Even at the cost of one's life?" Athena asked.

"If I die there, it can only be said that this is my fate." Seiya knelt on one knee and gently stroked Athena's soft silver hair. "Thank you, little Athena. I promise you, as long as this life hasn't come to an end, I will return to your side."

At this moment, the still-naive Athena was not eloquent, but her wisdom also gave her the sharp eyes of an owl, so she could naturally see that her warrior had made up his mind.

In her view, however, her warrior had no chance of winning.

His encounter with the God of War in the seaside town of Alanchi was an extremely lucky one. His martial arts skills were indeed comparable to those of a god, but at that time, the God of War had only recovered a small portion of his divine power, and all of his incarnation powers were of no use to Seiya. In fact, he was even restrained by him to some extent.

Strong winds, rams, and youths—even the most effective warriors—failed to achieve their true effect because their opponents did not possess divinity or power.

If the opponent possesses any one of the following transformations: the second transformation, the bull; the fourth transformation, the camel; or the seventh transformation, the phoenix, Seiya's fate will be defeat. He will even be completely captured by the sixth transformation, the boy.

Although he has grown significantly after the Asura battle, he has no chance of winning against the God of War who has recovered to 90% of his former strength.

However, Athena still gestured for Seiya to come forward.

"If you have made up your mind to embark on this perilous path, then I can only wish you well. For I know that no matter how impossible something seems, there is always a glimmer of hope for a miracle."

Although it was a little awkward, Seiya still bowed his head in front of Athena as she instructed.

Seeing that Seiya was finally shorter than her, Athena smiled with satisfaction and then placed the olive wreath on his head.

Seiya felt nothing and reached out to touch it, but Athena gently slapped the back of his hand.

“My heart follows wisdom, seeking knowledge in arrogance and folly, only to find that all this is but chasing after the wind. With much knowledge comes much suffering. To increase wisdom is to increase sorrow. Seiya, your blade is my eye, and I will use it to help you cut through the darkness before you.”

To Seiya's surprise, the olive wreath above his head transformed into specks of golden light that swirled around him. Most of the light eventually seeped into the Prometheus Slab, while a small portion seeped into his heart.

He had no idea what Athena had done, nor did he see any change in her appearance.

However, Athena looked exhausted, and her once tender twelve-year-old body now appeared to be only ** years old.

"In the name of Athena, the goddess of victory, bring victory to me."

Seiya kissed the goddess's thumb, a vow of power and victory, then turned and vanished into the desolate forest as a wisp of wind.

—Northwest Sardinia, Sarsari region.

This is the northwesternmost point of Sardinia, and also the starting point of the battle between the aurora borealis and the gods.

The lightning that appears in the sky is the weapon of the God-King, and the hurricane that rises from the earth is the wings of the God of War.

Both sides raced across the land at incredible speed, sweeping across it like a category 12 hurricane, destroying all buildings along their path.

But at that very moment, both sides stopped wielding their guns and swords.

Because from the other side of the East, a third party intervened in this battlefield that belonged only to the gods.

--------

Please vote!

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Continuation of the Unfinished Third Match

It's also in Sasari, but in a corner closer to Ossi.

This is the magic workshop of the local magic society. From the outside, it's just a somewhat old-fashioned little Western-style building, which is now visibly swaying. But Erica is still here. Even though her uncle has called from overseas, she is still looking at the pool in front of her, where the reflection shows a scene of two gods battling.

"Lord Lucrecia, the footage is so fragmented! Should we run away instead?" The witch with clairvoyance beside her gritted her teeth and trembled with fear.

“You’re such an idiot! Your sister, mother, and teachers all booked plane tickets and ran away yesterday!” The witch Lucrecia held her wine glass and continued to look slowly at the pool in front of her. “Sardinia is too small for two disobedient gods. It’s not impossible for them to turn the entire Mediterranean into a battlefield.”

The young witch turned pale with fright. Although she didn't know where to escape to, she still packed her bags and ran away. In the end, only Erica and Lucrecia remained in the local magic workshop.

"Aren't you going to run away either, Erica?" The witch turned to look at the female knight beside her. "If it were you, even in this situation, you could easily get on a plane and escape, right?"

“I’ve sworn to him that running away isn’t my style, and I believe it’s not his style either. He will come.” Erica said seriously.

"Hey, what is that? A massive typhoon with a diameter exceeding 100 kilometers? And it's intensifying rapidly!" The witch Lucrecia stared in horror, already anticipating the outcome. "We must evacuate immediately! Erica, we need to seek refuge in the Netherworld!"

Her original elegance vanished at this moment, because the super typhoon, which rapidly expanded to hundreds of kilometers, was certainly defying the power of the gods, but it would also destroy Sardinia in the process.

"Wait a little longer!" Erica gritted her teeth.

"Waiting for what? Waiting to die? Waiting to go to the underworld and have your little master rescue you? This typhoon is probably the power of the God-King! He himself hates Italy for encroaching on His land. Although He is currently at war with the God of War, destroying this island is no problem at all!"

"Victory is assured, just wait a moment"—these were Seiya's last words before he departed, and this was the reason Erica waited. Until the pool rippled again, and the image cleared, the familiar face finally appeared.

—And what is this weaponry?!

In this northwestern corner that has been buried by yellow sand, soil erosion and life have dried up, leaving only two statues that, in the eyes of mortals, are the embodiment of natural disasters and still stand here.

The power of the God-King covered this land, coming from the side of Baal; it was death, decay, and divinity born from the desert and wilderness. Only endless yellow sand remained, typhoons swept across the land at low altitudes, the whole world wailed, and soon even this island would be swallowed by the sea.

At that very moment, the god-king Mercator turned around sharply and saw a third person enter the battlefield amidst the symphony of death and lament.

"It's you, warrior from outside the realm. Looks like you're here to see me, kid."

Mercato's voice boomed like thunder, while the white-robed youth standing on the other end held a golden sword, staring intently at the newcomer.

"Have I crossed the yellow sands to come to this battlefield in my avatar? Are you here as a witness to my final battle with the God-King, or as a sacrifice to offer up my avatar with both hands?"

Seiya did not respond to either the God King's inquiry or the God of War's question.

He simply clenched his fist and raised it high above his head.

In this situation, he could only give one answer.

"Come forth, Pegasus Cloth."