~ Support & Read 10 Advanced Chapters on My Patreon!
<><><><>
"Sanctuary," Mika said suddenly. "If there's anywhere your sister might be, it's Sanctuary."
"Sanctuary?" Seiya's earlier despair turned to hope as he looked at Mika. "But—I never saw her there."
"Seiya, you were sent to Sanctuary thanks to the Graad Foundation's resources—Your sister, as an average person, couldn't enter Sanctuary" Although located near Athens, Sanctuary was protected by a powerful barrier—inaccessible to Average humans.
This was why, before the Galaxian Wars, the existence of Saints was unknown to the general public.
"Therefore, she's likely living in a nearby town or village, searching for you."
"And because she's near Sanctuary, even the Graad Foundation couldn't find her. After all, we're currently—at odds with Sanctuary. We have no influence there."
"This is the most likely scenario, besides the—worst-case scenario," Mika concluded, referring to the possibility of Seiya's sister, Seika—being dead.
Of course, he didn't believe that, having seen her in the later arcs of the story. He had simply mentioned it to strengthen his argument.
"I'm going to Sanctuary!" Seiya declared, his resolve hardening as he turned to leave.
"Seiya, wait! Where are you going?" Shiryu, Hyoga, Shun, and Ikki tried to stop him. Going to Sanctuary alone was suicide.
It was the enemy's stronghold.
But Seiya, driven by the hope of finding his sister, was beyond reason.
"Stop, Seiya!" Saori's voice rang out, and he froze, unable to ignore her command. After all, she was Athena.
"I understand your concern, Seiya," she said gently. "But even if you don't care about your own safety, you should consider your sister's."
"...." He looked at Saori, his heart filled with conflicting emotions.
"If your sister is living near Sanctuary, then she's safe, And she'll remain safe," Saori continued. Seiya understood. Sanctuary treated those living nearby quite well. After all, many Saints came from those villages.
Living near Sanctuary often led to young people becoming Saints, it was a natural progression. Even Saga, despite his current—state, wouldn't harm citizens, especially those living near Sanctuary.
His ambition was far grander, he sought to control the world.
Therefore, if Seika was indeed living near Sanctuary, she would be safe.
"But if you go there, Even if you survive Sanctuary's defenses and find her, what then? Will you leave her there? She'd become a hostage. Bring her back? She might die along the way. You can barely protect yourself, Seiya—How can you protect her?"
Seiya's resolve crumbled. He knew she was right.
"Then—what should I do?" he asked, his voice filled with desperation.
"What should you do? Defeat the false Pope and reclaim Sanctuary, of course!" Mika said, his voice firm. "Once Sanctuary is under Athena's control, who could stop you from finding your sister?"
"Therefore, Seiya—fight. Fight and defeat the Pope."
Seiya's eyes lit up with a newfound determination. He knew what he had to do.
——
"While Miss Saori has asked me to train you, I can't offer much direct guidance when it comes to increasing your strength," Mika said, addressing the Five Bronze Saints.
After their battle with the Silver Saints, and learning about his sister's possible location—Seiya had asked Mika to continue their training, hoping to replicate the rapid progress he had made in the Pocket Dimensions.
Saori, too, had encouraged this.
He looked at them. "A Saint's strength lies in their Cosmo. And your techniques are merely—amplifiers, tools for focusing and unleashing that power. Therefore, most Saints only use a few techniques—honed to perfection. Mastery is the key to victory."
This was the unique characteristic of battles in the Saint Seiya world: A Clash of Cosmos, a test of one's ability to channel and control that power.
The stronger one's Cosmo, the more refined their techniques, the greater their power.
This was why even the Gold Saints only used a limited number of techniques—each one honed to terrifying levels of power.
"Therefore, mastering your techniques is a journey you must undertake yourselves. Even the Pocket Dimensions I created merely provided a suitable training environment."
"I can teach you some—specialized techniques, broaden your horizons. But ultimately, your growth depends on your own efforts."
"Yes, Mika-sensei!" they replied in unison.
After their training and Saori's recommendation, they now trusted and respected him implicitly.
They called him "Sensei."
Mika nodded and began his lesson—starting with Martial arts.
Unlike energy systems, which varied between worlds, Martial arts, the art of mastering one's own physical and spiritual power, was a universal skill—compatible with almost any power system.
He had chosen to teach them Martial arts because, despite their ability to shatter mountains with their Cosmo-Enhanced attacks, their physical abilities were still fundamentally Human.
They trained their bodies primarily to strengthen their connection to their Cosmo, not to develop raw physical power.
Except for a few rare exceptions, Saints were more like mages, their techniques akin to spells, their power amplified by their Cosmo, not by honed physical strength.
In essence—their fists lacked their own Will.
Martial arts, in the world of Saint Seiya, wasn't a common pursuit. Of course, there were exceptions, like Shura of Capricorn—whose Excalibur technique was a testament to his mastery of swordsmanship.
——
After teaching them the Basic Principles and Techniques, Mika left them to train, encouraging them to spar with each other. After all—combat was the most effective way to improve.
In the following days, he continued his own training while occasionally sharing more advanced techniques and insights.
Seiya, Shiryu, Hyoga, Shun, and Ikki honed their skills through practice, sparring, and battles against the Silver Saints—their power growing rapidly, further enhanced by the occasional tip from Mika, who had developed a few techniques for amplifying Cosmo.
He also taught them how to Fly, a skill he felt was essential for Saints.
Relying solely on their legs for transportation was—inefficient.
While most Gold Saints possessed some form of flight or teleportation, they rarely used it, primarily because they rarely fought outside of Sanctuary.
During the Twelve Temples arc, they were stationary, guarding their respective temples. And in the Underworld, their movement was restricted by its unique environment, forcing them to travel on foot.
However, even so, flight was a valuable skill, granting a significant advantage in battle.
——
One day, as Mika was meditating at the villa, he suddenly sensed a disturbance, a surge of Cosmo gathering near the Graad Foundation arena.
Unlike Seiya and the others, who relied on burning their Cosmo during battles to improve—Mika, with his vast experience and knowledge from other worlds, could enhance his Cosmo through quiet contemplation.
Mika simply needed to meditate.
Having recently integrated his various powers, he was still adjusting to the changes, constantly analyzing and refining his abilities. This—combined with his research on new techniques, kept him incredibly busy, limiting his time with Saori.
To protect her from potential assassins, he had enhanced his Observation Haki, allowing him to passively monitor all Cosmo signatures within Japan, even while meditating.
Mika was confident he could intercept any assassination attempt before it could even begin.
However, something unexpected occurred.
He sensed a Cosmo signature gathering near the arena, but it wasn't a direct threat.
"He's dispersed his Cosmo among…crows?" He opened his eyes, his senses expanding outwards, and saw Saori standing amidst the ruins of the Graad Foundation arena.
After Ikki stole the Gold Cloth, the tournament had been canceled.
However, the audience, having traveled from all over the world, wasn't pleased.
They had protested outside the Graad Foundation's villa and bombarded Saori with questions during interviews.
Eventually, some had even set fire to the arena in their anger. Later—Seiya and the others' battle against the Silver Saints had caused further damage.
The arena, a symbol of Mitsumasa Kido's dreams, was a place Saori often visited to remember him.
And now, she was there, under attack.
The assailant was the Silver Saint of Crow—and the reason Mika hadn't detected him earlier was because he was miles away, manipulating his crows remotely. He had dispersed his Cosmo among them, making it difficult to detect.
<><><><>
Support & Read 10 Advanced Chapters.
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)