Just what kind of existence was the seventh God-Slaying Rakshasa, Seiya? As a sword-fairy, Liliana Kranjcar had heard some information about this Saint from her teacher and father beforehand, but it was all just hearsay.
Saint Seiya. A child raised by the Divine Ancestor Guinevere in the Fairy Realm, the king revered by all witches, a warrior bearing the name of 'Saint.'
When a manifested Heretic God is a natural disaster that humanity absolutely cannot challenge, when neither the highest-ranking Knights of the Holy Grail nor the immortal Sokushinbutsu can even begin to contend with it—it was against this backdrop that he, relying on pure strength, shot down the War God of the East to achieve his supreme status.
It is said that he is the second powerful warrior after Luo Hao whose strength rivals that of the gods, possessing martial arts sufficient to confront deities and a body tempered through a thousand trials, his fists and feet capable of tearing the earth asunder.
Immediately after becoming a Godslayer, he became famous throughout the world for defeating the King of Swords, Doni. Immediately after, in a world-shaking battle on Sardinia, he actually defeated both the most ancient Demon King, Marquis Voban, and the God King Melqart at the same time. Subsequently, whether it was the Martial Master Luo Hao or the swift-footed noble prince, both fell before his fists.
It is said that the first knight to follow him was his own rival, Erica. It was for this very reason that her own Bronze Black Cross was forced to seek refuge with Marquis Voban.
This was a matter of necessity, for a Godslayer is a supreme being that mortals cannot resist. If the Copper Black Cross could leverage the power of this Saint, then they, as a rival magical society, would suffer a devastating blow.
Although she was close with Erica of the 'Diavolo Rosso,' she believed her friend was by no means such a clumsy knight. But the thousand-year feud between their two magical societies was an undeniable fact.
Her father and her teacher had compelled her to stake her destiny, along with the obsession inherited from her ancestors, on Marquis Voban.
However, the moment she saw this young King, Liliana and her teacher realized they had still been mistaken—they had misjudged the character of this Saint.
As the sun set, melodious music drifted from the Chiyoda Imperial Palace. With this moment as the dividing line, Tokyo entered the night.
But for the keepers of mysteries in the hidden world, this was just the beginning of the day.
This former Imperial Residence of the Emperor had already undergone several changes through numerous political shuffles and had now become a secondary palace for Seiya, the Great Avatar of Nikko.
At this moment, the lanterns were being lit for the first time. One by one, top-of-the-line limousines converged from all directions like schools of fish returning to their spawning grounds.
As the car doors opened and closed, guests of extraordinary bearing emerged. Onmyoji dressed in pure white kariginu robes and tall eboshi caps stood by the gates, announcing the illustrious surnames of the arriving guests in clear, powerful voices.
What was astonishing was that, to any mage with even a slight understanding of the hidden world, each of the names announced was like an existence from a dreamlike legend.
"The Marshal of the Dames has arrived!"
"The Marshal of the Wolves has arrived!"
"The Marshal of the City of Lilies has arrived!"
"The Commander-in-Chief of the Copper Black Cross, His Excellency Paolo Blandelli, has arrived!"
Immediately following was: "The current Marshal of the Royal Arsenal, 'Iceman' Sir, has arrived!"
"Emissary of His Majesty the Dark King, Ms. Annie Charlton, has arrived!"
"Acting Head of the Five Prisons Holy Cult, His Excellency Lu Yinghua, has arrived!"
"The representative of the Nordic Magic Association Alliance has arrived!"
"The King's Steward of the Southern European Magic Association Alliance, His Excellency Andrea Rivera, has arrived!"
Each of these names represented a prominent existence at the pinnacle of the hidden world's power pyramid, constituting the ruling class of the world today.
"Lili, you're here too." The Commander-in-Chief of the Copper Black Cross, the supreme knight renowned for his handsome looks and power, Paolo Blandelli, nodded at Liliana with a gentle smile.
"Uncle, you actually came in person as well." Liliana's tense nerves relaxed slightly, and a genuine smile appeared on her face.
Although the Copper Black Cross and the Bronze Black Cross were rival organizations born from the same source, Liliana and Paolo's niece, Erica, were close friends. Paolo himself had even lamented that if one of them had been a boy, perhaps the feud that had entangled them for hundreds of years could have been resolved.
Of course, there was now another way to resolve the feud, and it all depended on the wishes of His Majesty, Seiya.
"Who could afford not to come? And who would be allowed not to?" Paolo glanced toward the outer gardens of the Imperial Palace.
High-class carriages were seen stopping before the palace gates like a flowing river.
Those who disembarked were all heads of regional magical societies. These powerful figures, who could command the wind and rain in their own territories, now lacked the credentials to even step into the inner city and could only gather in the outer gardens.
The female companions they brought were all young and beautiful, displaying their sex appeal to the utmost, with high-slit skirts offering fleeting glimpses of slender high heels, porcelain-white legs, and silk garter belts.
But then again, weren't they all in the same boat? They still lacked the right to step into the innermost area and could only congregate in the East Garden.
"Where's Erica? Isn't she here?" After looking around, Liliana couldn't find any trace of her friend.
"She's inside," Paolo said with a slight smile, pointing in a certain direction. "You can go find her. She's been waiting for you for a long time."
Liliana thanked him happily and turned to walk in the direction Paolo had indicated. She did not notice how many complex and inscrutable gazes lingered on her departing figure.
At this moment, at the highest point of the Imperial Palace.
Seiya stood alone at the edge of the Tenjindai platform, looking down at the brilliantly lit, bustling city of Tokyo below. Half a year had passed since the battle against the God King that had shaken the heavens.
He had fought in this world for many years now and possessed everything others could not even dream of: world-shaking wealth, the person he loved most, and... god-like power.
Like a Pegasus soaring across the universe, all living creatures in the world feared me, were terrified of me. Possessing the greatest power, I was invincible.
Even Zeus of the End was ultimately defeated by my, Seiya's, power.
I am already the strongest person in the world. If I wished, I could rule the entire world, kill anyone, and fuck any woman, or man. As long as I, Seiya, desire it, I can do anything, destroy anything.
A single thought from me could rewrite the rules of the hidden world.
But so what?
Even if I truly ruled the world, that would just be following in the old footsteps of Marquis Voban, losing the madness that a Godslayer should possess.
The love, hate, and grudges of the mortal world have nothing to do with me.
When my heart no longer holds the resolve of a warrior, then even doing what mortals consider the greatest of things is meaningless.
It is meaningless.
Erica quietly came up behind him, her deep blue eyes gazing infatuatedly at his upright back. Her body unconsciously tensed slightly, and her legs instinctively pressed together.
Ena Seishuin knelt quietly not far away. Compared to Erica's fiery and overt passion, she appeared more reserved and serene, but the undisguised admiration and heat in her gaze were just as scorching.
With a single glance from Seiya, Erica eagerly came into his embrace. To a woman like Erica, Seiya was a walking human aphrodisiac, and at this moment, his charm had reached its absolute peak.
But what about Seiya? Looking at Erica in his arms, he had different emotions.
Did she love him? The Wheel of Friendship could provide the answer quite clearly. Her loyalty and affection were beyond doubt.
But Seiya also understood that Erica had her own ambition, one that could not be ignored.
In the original story, she had even made Kusanagi Godou change his name to Cesare Blandelli, achieving the magnificent feat of having a Godslayer marry into her family. Even their son and daughter both took their mother's surname.
She was a woman who was both very unaware of her own limits and very aware of them. When she clearly knew she lacked the talent to be a Godslayer, she resolved to have her will, her unfulfilled wishes, realized through her husband.
Seiya didn't dislike this ambition of hers; or rather, it was precisely because of this ambition that he could worry less about many unnecessary things.
It was just that he still needed to pay attention occasionally, to prevent her ambition from once again exceeding the scope of her abilities. And Ena Seishuin was an excellent choice for that.
"My Lord, it seems Liliana has arrived," Erica murmured in his embrace, her voice carrying a hint of lazy hoarseness.
Seiya's gaze swept over her affectionate eyes, easily discerning the little scheme behind her words. She wanted to pull her good friend Liliana into this harem as well, to counterbalance Ena Seishuin, who had come from behind and was becoming increasingly secure in her position.
Seiya's hand slid down her smooth back, caressing the long, slender legs wrapped in expensive silk stockings.
Erica instantly understood his intention. Willingly, and with a hint of seductive charm, she lowered her body, her slender hands gently lifting the hem of her kimono skirt.
And on this night, Seiya felt a subtle stirring in his heart, and in the next moment, he saw a thread of fate hanging, but not yet fallen.
Erica was completely unaware, for she was wholeheartedly receiving the King's grace. With a powerful thrust from Seiya and a soft moan from Erica, that destiny descended upon her—or more accurately, into the space between Erica and Seiya.
Without any hesitation, Seiya severed it with his invisible blade.
Because Seiya already understood. His expression turned peculiar. That was the fate of his child.
The Mandate of Heaven he carried was already urging him to fulfill his duties as a God King, which included producing a God King's heir. If he didn't stop it, he would likely become a walking human seed-planter for some time.
At its most extreme, he might even ejaculate onto the ground, and his offspring could be born from it.
If it came to sowing his seed across the world, then he'd be completely screwed.
Seiya held Erica and Ena Seishuin as he slept. The Mandate of Heaven he shouldered had reached a point where it had to be passed on.
Another Christmas arrived, with streets and alleys decorated with lanterns and colored streamers—
The word 'Christmas' had a dual meaning in the hidden world. The first was the birth of Jesus, and the second was the Dark Christmas Festival that hosted the God-Slaying ritual.
On this day last year, the Heretic Athena had intended to bring forth the Heretic Pegasus into the world, but it had still resulted in a difficult birth.
Far away in Greenwich, England, Princess Alice, who had retired behind the scenes, suddenly felt her heartstrings plucked by a familiar throb. She clearly sensed that the man whose fate was inextricably linked with hers seemed to have appeared nearby. But this feeling was like a stone thrown into a lake; before the ripples could spread, they had already vanished without a trace.
At this moment, Seiya's figure had already appeared in the depths of the Netherworld, in that vast domain known as the Ancient Night.
Within this Ancient Night, which covered five hundred thousand square kilometers, there existed a different world, independent of reality.
Avalon.
Seiya sat opposite the goddess who wore a wreath of olive branches. Athena, in a white robe as pristine as the moon, was holding the invisible blade Seiya had handed her, while also listening to him recount the story of what had recently happened in the God's Domain.
"Among deities of different mythologies, different manifestations, and different established lore, the question of who is stronger or weaker has always been a subject of endless debate."
"But madness is the true measure of a Heretic God's strength. The deities of the God's Domain, however, have their power determined by their fame and status."
"Yet, my wisdom can derive the answer: the rules governing both sides are mutual."
"So you are willing to accept this Mandate of Heaven?" Seiya looked at the woman who was so very important to him.
"There is no 'accept' or 'not accept.' If this is what you wish for, Tenma."
Athena looked calmly at Seiya, then turned her gaze beyond Avalon to the Ancient Night, staring at the Mandate of Heaven that was yet to be born.
"However, I had thought that after you slew the God King Zeus, you would become the deity Pegasus."
Seiya's gaze also fell upon that fetal pulse containing immense life force. "Perhaps... it's because that Zeus, the God of the End, was not significant enough to be the final catalyst."
"A long time ago," Athena's tone was tinged with a rare, distant sentiment, "I, too, once firmly believed in that preordained destiny, believed that the bond between us would eventually push you onto the throne of the 'Heretic Pegasus.'"
"However..."
She paused slightly. "Times change, and some trajectories do not bend to personal will."
"From the moment you obtain something, it is destined to be lost one day."
"Someone who would pay any price, who would prolong their suffering just to cling to it... such a person ultimately does not exist."
Vaguely, Seiya had a feeling, a very strong feeling. He couldn't describe what it was, but he could clearly sense some subtle, decisive change deep within Athena's mentality.
"Goddess, I don't know how gods live, but humans live to find salvation for themselves." Seiya proactively took Athena's hand.
But Athena smiled, shook her head, and pulled her hand from Seiya's grasp.
"Tenma, I should call you Seiya. My child, you were once in Hell, but Hell forged your strong will."
"The thing that can fill the void in your heart as a warrior no longer exists anywhere in this world. You will wander in darkness forever."
"But a long time ago, I received a letter. You will probably be happy to see it."
A nimble owl glided silently over, a plain white envelope in its beak, and gently placed it on the stone table in front of Seiya.
A white envelope, with no stamp, let alone a postmark. The back was sealed with red sealing wax, a very old method of sealing letters. On the front were a few lines of elegant handwriting: "Saori Kido, forward to Seiya (for receipt)."
Seiya's heart pounded wildly. It had been a long time since he had felt this way.
"It's yours. You should open it and see," Athena said.
In truth, the moment he took the envelope, Seiya had already unconsciously cut it open, unfolding the letter that was seven years late.
[Seiya:]
[I hope this letter finds you well.]
[It's been seven years. How are you? You arrogant man.]
[I know you're still alive. Whenever the cherry blossoms in Japan fall upon my shoulders, I can feel a familiar warmth.]
[Recently, I think I saw you in my dreams again. I don't know if it was real, but I saw you standing beside another version of me, defeating an evil god, defending honor, and raising your fist against evildoers.]
[You are my warrior, right? That's what grandfather told me. I have always believed that.]
[In my dreams, I can always see you fighting, see you battling against evil gods, and I am so happy for you.]
[Do you remember what grandfather said? You are not alone. Our Cosmos are connected at their source.]
[When there is turmoil, listen for the prayers carried on the wind; when you are lost, feel the warmth remaining in your palm.]
[The owl of the night will guide your way home.]
[Come back, my Saint.]
[This world needs its Pegasus, and I... need you.]
[From a longing Saori Kido.]