Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.
He stretched his muscles and bones, discovering that his clothes had been changed. It was then that Seiya took in his surroundings. He was lying on an exceptionally fine bed, atop an Italian VALFLEX mattress. The room itself was exquisitely furnished, with TURRI furniture and decor that all declared one simple fact—
—I have impeccable taste, and this room is very expensive, but you, who are staying here, are the real boss. It is my honor to serve you.
A gentle breeze lifted the thin gauze curtains by the window, revealing a panoramic view of the entire Gulf of Orosei in southern Sardinia.
How long had it been? And where was he?
His last memory was of the battle with the young war god. It was embarrassing to admit, but the final image in his memory was the handsome and arrogant face of his opponent. At the time, he had used the wind avatar to lock down Verethragna. He had summoned the white horse to annihilate him, but because He was too close and had misjudged his own staying power, he had been caught in a joint-lock. In the end, as he spun in the Pegasus Rolling Crush, they had both been struck by the sun-carrying white horse.
After that, it was all fragments. A dragon and a snake in a forest... the experience of shedding skin like a snake, the wings of a tawny owl, the waters of the River Styx, and a girl's kiss... a person whose eyes shone with light... Was that Athena?
Seiya struggled to sit up. "Huh? Hey, hey... isn't this a little too good?"
He tentatively moved his shoulders. This state of being completely unscathed was somewhat astonishing to Seiya.
The source of power within his body was his Cosmo, the cosmic energy that existed in the depths of his soul. By causing this inner microcosm to explode, he could destroy matter at an atomic level, possessing the power to sunder the heavens and shatter the stars.
But now, it was different from before.
Seiya looked at his muscular body in the mirror. He closed his eyes, and the moment he opened them again, a sharp golden light shot out from their depths.
This cosmic energy had grown substantially while he was unconscious. The vibrant power warmed his entire body. The feeling of soaking in a hot spring that he had sensed earlier came from this. In this moment, Seiya finally understood the essence of being a Saint.
To constantly advance through brutal combat, to be wounded and grow stronger in the crucible of death. Even when on the brink of death, trapped in a desperate situation, it did not mean defeat. It meant grasping onto hope with one's own indomitable will.
Of course, if you actually get killed, then pretend I didn't say that.
His bones, muscles, body, techniques, and Cosmo had all undergone significant growth after the battle. Seiya took a deep breath and touched the bronze Pegasus stone box that had been placed at his bedside.
The instant his fingertips made contact, a blue light flashed in the eyes of the Pegasus on the box. With a whistling wind, the entire stone box, enveloped in a clear azure breeze, transformed into a magnificent divine horse.
—The Pegasus Cloth.
Cloths are the battle vestments worn by the Saints who protect Athena. They are divine artifacts worn by the Saints, blessed with Athena's protection. Cloths are not merely armor made of a mysterious super-metal; they possess a will of their own and can transcend space to protect their owner. This is their mystery. A Cloth has a will; it is alive.
Or rather, only a Saint who wears their Cloth is truly complete.
The magnificent Pegasus, as if alive, stretched out its head and nuzzled gently against his palm. Then, it transformed into a black Pegasus pendant and fell into his hand.
"The movie version... no, that's not quite right...!" Seiya looked at the pendant in his hand, which symbolized the Pegasus Cloth. Rather than being the movie version, it felt more like it had taken the shape of a pendant because he had willed it to.
But at the same time, he felt a familiar energy latent within the Cloth. It was the Authority he had stolen with the Prometheus Grimoire—the wind avatar. It was now fused as one with his Cloth.
Seiya wanted to study it further, but the sound of the door being pushed open interrupted him. A figure in crimson flew directly to his side, helping him up with a face full of joy. "You're finally awake!"
——————————
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After a simple lunch at the hotel, he and Erica took a car to Oristano.
They were heading to the ruins of San Basilio di Milis. It was a ruin where the Phoenicians had laid a good foundation, after which the Romans had installed urban functions like sewers. Now, it seemed to be just a very deserted tourist spot.
According to Erica, she had found him in the Gulf of Orosei, along with his Pandora's Box and the Prometheus Grimoire, which had been recharged with divine power.
Throughout the journey, Erica had glanced at him several times. Seiya guessed she probably had something she wanted to say, but since she didn't bring it up, he had no interest in mentioning it either.
"By the way, about that god with the golden sword... are the wounds you sustained from fighting him really okay now?" Erica finally couldn't help but ask.
At least from her observation, what he had sustained could no longer be described as mere injuries. It was a brutal battle where he had burned his life away. That was why Erica had been so overjoyed and incredulous when she found him in the Gulf of Orosei.
"No problem. In fact, I'm stronger than before," Seiya said, clenching his fist and showing a confident smile.
The various mythological pantheons, the gods from every myth, all possessed different Authorities. Some of the strong ones could drag the world into hell, while others could bring the dead back to life. The miracle that had resurrected him naturally came from the grace of the Heretic Athena.
"What about the war god Verethragna, the golden god? What happened to him?" Seiya asked.
"I don't know," Erica said. "I really don't know. But he probably didn't die either. It's also possible that the youth wasn't the god's true form. In the seven days you were unconscious, traces of divine beasts have reappeared all over Sardinia. Bosa, Orgosolo, Barumini... a youth's figure has been sighted near all the locations where a god's arrival was confirmed."
Erica left the underlying meaning unsaid: every place where the youth was sighted also symbolized that the divine beast there had been reclaimed by Him.
So I was unconscious for seven days, Seiya thought, though his mind was on something else.
In just three days, the youth at the beginning had been able to reclaim three avatars. In seven days, His strength had probably been mostly restored. He might even be in his complete form, save for the wind avatar.
But Seiya clutched the pendant around his neck. He was not afraid. In fact, he was more confident than ever.
Erica looked at the youth beside her with a worried gaze. "Our Copper Black Cross's spirit vision users have detected an extremely powerful divine aura at the ruins of San Basilio in Oristano. They foresee that something major will happen there. But they don't dare get any closer. After all, not everyone is of the same standing as Lady Lucretia, able to escape from the clutches of a Heretic God."
In other words, the place they were heading to now was the territory of the other Heretic God who had manifested on this island.
_____
Greetings! ✨ Walnut here with another translation! Saint Seiya united by their strength!
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