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"Not having a guardian constellation might not be a bad thing. Perhaps I can wear any Cloth," Mika mused, trying to look on the bright side.
Just then, a figure dressed in ornate robes appeared—the Pope.
As the ruler of Sanctuary, all Saints were under his command.
However, Mika knew that the current Pope wasn't Shion—the surviving Gold Saint of Aries from the previous Holy War—but Saga, the Gold Saint of Gemini.
Sanctuary had always been led by eighty-eight Saints, divided into three ranks: Gold Saints, Silver Saints, and Bronze Saints.
The strongest were the twelve Gold Saints—each representing a sign of the zodiac: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.
The Pope was traditionally the most senior Gold Saint, which, in this era—should have been Shion of Aries. However, he had been murdered by Saga, who had then usurped his position.
This was where the story began.
Every two hundred years—the goddess Athena reincarnated into the human world to lead Sanctuary in the Holy War against Hades—God of the Underworld.
However, with Saga, a false Pope, now ruling Sanctuary, he had attempted to kill the newly reincarnated Athena—only to be thwarted by Aiolos—the Gold Saint of Sagittarius, who had rescued the infant goddess and fled.
Therefore, Athena—who should have been raised in Sanctuary, was now living in the outside world. To reclaim her rightful place, she would have to defeat Saga.
——
'That's going to be difficult,' Mika thought, shaking his head and turning his attention away from Saga—currently Sanctuary's Strongest.
Until Dohko—the Gold Saint of Libra, decided to act, the only one who could challenge him was Shaka, the Gold Saint of Virgo.
Saga and Shaka were the two strongest Gold Saints of this generation.
Aiolos of Sagittarius, once a candidate for Pope, likely possessed similar potential, but he had died protecting Athena.
Saga was a formidable opponent.
"Fortunately, I suppressed my aura as soon as I arrived. Otherwise, Saga might have noticed me. That would have been dangerous," Mika thought, recalling the immense power emanating from him.
He had anticipated Saga's presence and had taken precautions, even removing his Evil Piece to avoid detection.
After all—the Underworld was the Saints' sworn enemy.
——
Just then, the Pope announced the start of Seiya and Cassios's battle.
To everyone's surprise, Cassios, much larger than the diminutive, thirteen-year-old Seiya, easily lifted him off the ground.
The other Saints-in-training cheered. Compared to Cassios, Seiya seemed to have no chance. After all, size mattered in a fight, especially when both combatants had trained their bodies to the peak of human potential. This was common knowledge.
However, Mika knew that Cassios wasn't Seiya's true opponent. He had sensed a different kind of energy emanating from Seiya: Cosmo.
And against an opponent wielding Cosmo, those who hadn't awakened to it were helpless.
The power of Cosmo to enhance the human body was extraordinary.
Mika, having studied the history of the Saint Seiya world, understood the vast difference between those who possessed it and those who didn't.
Two hundred years ago, before the previous Holy War, the previous Pegasus Saint, to save his friends, had shattered a mountain of rubble with a single punch. Before awakening his Cosmo, he hadn't even been able to break a small stone. This demonstrated the terrifying power of Cosmo.
Such power was beyond the reach of ordinary humans, even those trained in Sanctuary.
As Mika had anticipated, Seiya easily escaped Cassios' grasp and swiftly defeated him. The entire duel seemed effortless.
Thus, Seiya claimed the Pegasus Cloth, becoming a Bronze Saint.
"A Cloth—how nice…" Mika murmured, turning to leave.
While the starry expanse had granted him a new identity as a Saint-in-training, he wasn't acquainted with Seiya.
Unlike Seiya and Cassios, who had masters, Mika was a lone wolf. He had no mentor. Or rather, he had one, but no longer.
He was older than the other trainees, already an adult, and in Sanctuary's records, he was considered…untalented. Despite enduring the rigorous training regimen, he hadn't awakened his Cosmo. After a while, his master had given up on him.
Of course, this was merely his cover story. He was confident he could awaken his Cosmo soon.
However, until then, he needed to leave Sanctuary. He didn't have a guardian constellation.
Awakening his Cosmo here would attract unwanted attention.
To Sanctuary, every potential Saint was a valuable asset for the upcoming Holy War. They would undoubtedly investigate his—unusual circumstances.
"But first…I have one more thing to do."
——
After leaving the arena, Mika found a private spot and attempted to awaken his Cosmo. Based on his experience in other worlds, he was more than qualified.
However, he felt nothing...
"Nothing…" he murmured, opening his eyes and looking at his hands.
There were no shortcuts to awakening Cosmo. The traditional method involved rigorous training, pushing the body to its limits, and, through this process, understanding the very essence of life itself.
Some, like the previous Pegasus Saint, awakened their Cosmo through intense emotional upheaval. But even they required years of training to truly master it.
Constant, rigorous training was the most effective method.
And Mika had already endured countless hours of training.
The reason he hadn't awakened his Cosmo yet was that it required not just physical prowess, but an understanding of the process of life itself, not just the results of training.
The other Saints-in-training, despite their rigorous regimens, hadn't awakened their Cosmo precisely because they focused solely on the results, neglecting the deeper meaning behind their training.
Therefore—even Mika, to awaken his Cosmo, needed time and contemplation.
However, he did have an advantage: his experience.
Normally, one's experience and strength were correlated. In this world, few besides the Gold Saints could match Mika's breadth of experience.
And they didn't need such an advantage; they were already masters of Cosmo.
But Mika, whose experience was rooted in other power systems, was unique in this world. Therefore, it was his unique advantage.
"If I remember correctly, Seiya should be escaping from Sanctuary tonight." Looking at the darkening sky and the bright moon above, Mika vanished into the shadows, heading towards the only path leading out of Sanctuary.
——
"Quickly! After him! Don't let him escape with the Cloth!"
"That's right! The Cloths are sacred treasures of Greece! Those Orientals can't have them!"
"Kill him!" Standing atop a massive stone pillar, Mika listened to the shouts of the pursuing Saints-in-training and shook his head.
"Such narrow-mindedness. With such petty thoughts, how can they hope to become true Saints?" He shifted his gaze towards Seiya and his mentor, Marin, running for their lives.
Seiya had been celebrating his victory and the acquisition of the Pegasus Cloth, but Marin, sensing Shaina's intentions, had quickly taken him away, hoping to reach Japan before she could stop them.
However, they hadn't escaped. Shaina, a seasoned Silver Saint of Ophiuchus, had intercepted them at the only exit from Sanctuary.
A fierce battle ensued.
Against Shaina, Seiya, a newly minted Saint, was helpless. However, under Marin's guidance, he donned the Pegasus Cloth, mastering its power and breaking through Shaina's defenses.
He had earned his freedom.
They left Sanctuary, bidding each other farewell at its edge.
——
"I'm going home…I'll finally see you again, Sister…" Seiya's face was filled with a smile. He would soon be on a plane back to Japan, reunited with his sister.
Before he left, Marin had asked him why he was so determined to bring the Cloth back to Japan.
He hadn't answered. It was simply because he wanted to see his sister again.
Mitsumasa Kido, the man who had sent him to Sanctuary, had separated him from his sister, promising to reunite them if he returned with a Cloth.
It was this promise that had sustained him through the grueling years of training, starting when he was just six or seven years old. Now, at thirteen, he was finally going home.
"Sister…" He smiled, anticipating their reunion.
"Leaving so soon, Seiya?" A voice suddenly called out.
"Who's there?" He spun around and saw Mika.
"Mika…?" he said hesitantly—recognizing the fellow trainee, though they weren't close. They had merely exchanged nods in passing.
"Yes, it's me." He was slightly surprised that Seiya remembered him. However, his hesitant tone confirmed what Mika had suspected; they weren't close.
"What are you doing here? Are you also trying to stop me from taking the Cloth, like Shaina?"
"Of course not!" Mika said quickly, waving his hands in denial.
"I'm not interested in your Cloth. I'm interested in your Cosmo," he said calmly.
This was a lie.
He was interested in both the Cloth and Seiya's Cosmo. After all, Cloths, especially the Gold Cloths, were incredibly cool!
They were one of the reasons he loved armor so much.
However, he preferred the full-body protection of the Gold Cloths.
The Silver and Bronze Cloths, with their limited coverage, weren't as—stylish, unless they were the ones that would eventually evolve into God Cloths.
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