Clang, clang...
The hiding civilians heard the sound—metal scraping against the ground. But the invaders outside were all brutal alien creatures. They didn't wear shoes. There was no way they'd make a sound like that.
One of the brave police officers cautiously peeked out. It wasn't an alien. But it wasn't quite human either. The figure was wrapped in golden armor, with tasseled sashes hanging at the waist, and a golden mask shaped like a woman's delicate face. Still, the aura wasn't that of some show-off tycoon, but solemn, dignified, and awe-inspiring.
On the empty street, that golden warrior was the only figure. The police officers held their breath. They had no idea what this new presence meant.
But it wasn't an enemy—it was a Gold Saint.
Woooo... The Chitauri arrived. In her Gold Cloth, Ada stood out like a firefly in the night. She smiled when the enemy showed up.
Whoosh, whoosh.
Enemies in the sky fired down. Explosions boomed around Ada, but she didn't move. She stood steady as mountains collapsed and the ground split apart.
The officers broke out in cold sweat, but at least now they were sure—this golden-armored person wasn't with the invaders. That was something. 'Let them fight each other,' one cop thought. 'Neither of them looks like a good guy anyway.'
The alien ship flew in closer. Ada raised her hand and pointed at the sky. Her Microcosmos burst from her fingertip and shot out at faster-than-light speed.
From the side, all anyone saw was her lift her hand—and then the ugly aliens dropped from the sky. Their ship crashed behind her in a fiery explosion. But Ada didn't turn around, as if she already knew the enemy would be destroyed.
It wasn't just tough guys who never looked back at explosions. Tough women didn't look back either.
Boom—flames soared high, reflecting off the golden armor and sending blinding light in all directions. It stung the eyes so much the police had to shut theirs tight. And when they opened them again, the golden figure was gone, like that whole dazzling scene had been nothing but a dream.
The Chitauri drop troops spread outward from Stark Tower, sweeping the area in a tight grid to eliminate all nearby threats. One of their targets was a café, where people were huddled inside, trying to hide from the alien patrol. The owner had smartly shut off the lights, so the room was pitch black.
Heavy, nervous breathing filled the space.
"Quiet!" someone whispered.
Everyone held their breath. But it didn't last long. It was like they'd forgotten how to breathe properly. One sharp inhale through the nose, and it sounded like a bellows puffing out noise. Not on purpose—they just couldn't help it.
This was war. And civilians were nothing but meat waiting to be cut.
Footsteps approached. Muffled alien chatter echoed just outside. Then, the invaders stepped in, pointing strange weapons at the group and barking incomprehensible orders.
"Oh God," someone muttered in fear.
"Don't shoot!"
The crowd panicked like ducklings being chased, pushing toward the center of the room in desperation. It didn't help. But psychologically, it gave them a sliver of comfort. Still, that feeling was nothing against the terror flooding in. Women screamed, high-pitched and raw with fear.
"Don't shoot! We surrender!" One braver man stood up, trying to show they weren't going to resist. He just hoped the aliens wouldn't slaughter them. They had no weapons. Fighting back was pointless. But communication with the aliens was impossible.
The Chitauri kept waving their weapons, clearly having no clue what the humans were trying to say.
They were doomed. There was no way to reason with these aliens. The innocent civilians gave up struggling. What awaited them now was death—or something even worse. In that moment, all they could do was pray. It was the most desperate, sincere prayer of their lives. Even the non-believers joined in.
God was busy. But Ada happened to be free.
Right before death arrived, they saw it—a golden light, more dazzling than a knight, more graceful than an angel.
Clang—the sound of something heavy landing. It echoed through the whole room.
"God has come to save us!"
Whoosh, whoosh.
The Chitauri attacked. Rude.
Bullets hit Ada's Gold Cloth and bounced right off. While it wasn't the original armor from the Saint Seiya world, Athena had still forged it with rare materials. It boosted her Microcosmos. And today, Ada was going to show them one thing—only Microcosmos can beat Microcosmos.
The attacks did nothing. But the Chitauri didn't give up and kept firing. Civilians ducked and covered their heads, screaming in terror. Bullets shattered glass, smashed flower pots, splintered tables. The sharp, crashing sounds were nerve-wracking.
Now it was Ada's turn. Crimson Poison Needle!
One strike, then another. Liu A'dou had learned that light-speed attacks were hard to control. That's why all Saints developed special light-speed techniques. But Liu A'dou believed in mastering control through single, precise strikes. His goal was total mastery—to hit exactly as he intended, whenever he wanted.
So hitting five enemies meant five strikes. But each strike was so fast, to bystanders it looked like she raised her hand once—and five aliens just dropped.
That was Microcosmos. That was light-speed combat. All they saw were holes blown clean through the aliens' heads. They were dead for sure.
'Was that really God saving us?' the crowd stared at the golden warrior, whose glow was slowly fading.
"Who is that?" someone asked. "Another superhero?" But there had never been any reports about someone in golden armor. Who was this?
"That's God's messenger," an old man said solemnly.
"Don't talk nonsense. That has to be a new superhero," said a young man.
"Even so, it's clear God sent her. Our prayers worked. This is God's response." The old man was firm in his belief. But honestly, it was gross. Giving God credit for all the good things and blaming people for all the bad ones—'because all men are sinners.' Ada had saved them, but they still dragged God into it. What did this have to do with God?
The old man believed everything in life was arranged by God. Even the end of the world. But since someone had come to rescue them, maybe this wasn't the end just yet.
'Tch.' The young man didn't bother arguing. There was no point. He only cared about one thing—whoever this golden-armored hero was, she had saved them. What would her name be? Gold Knight? Golden Avenger? Flashy Gold Lady?
Ada was creating a legend. She was a Microcosmos genius and had already mastered several Microcosmos abilities, like short-range teleportation. Her figure started showing up all over New York.
Security cameras on the streets faithfully captured her heroic feats. She saved many lives, leaving no name behind. But New York would remember her.
This city had a new hero—Scorpio Woman.
Because on the back of Ada's helmet, there was a scorpion tail. People started calling her Scorpio. And since she was a woman, her full title became Scorpio Woman—the newest superhero in town.