"No, Armored One, I refuse."
To Seiya's words, Alexander responded thus. He put on his hat and gazed with a solemn, utterly serious expression at the Ancient Night, which was still constantly encroaching upon the present world's space.
"Just you alone cannot cope with this form of Heretic God, Seiya and Liao. Only I can do all of this, only I, Black Prince Alec. I have a plan, but I need you to buy me some time…"
Alexander pondered the effective Words of Power he still possessed. If he could bind the Gods within the Ancient Night with the Minotaur's Labyrinth, perhaps he could still turn the tide to victory. But there needed to be a powerful individual capable of confronting such an incredibly exaggerated Heretic God…. Hmm?!
Finally, in his peripheral vision, he saw a pointing index finger before him. Light shone like a whip; a completely unforeseen scene. Lasers bursting from Seiya's fingertip immediately covered Alexander's vision.
Before falling into slumber, faintly, words filled with mockery reached his ears, "You fool who hasn't even understood the situation, I am not negotiating with you.
In this world where individual might surpasses all, losers have no right to bargain."
Alexander fell to the ground, and then a semi-ethereal spiritual body appeared beside him.
It was Princess Alice, who had once met Seiya. Seiya's gaze merely swept over her; she also seemed to want to say something to Seiya, probably why Metis would appear in England, and matters related to potential knowledge transfer.
But Seiya had already stepped forward resolutely; this single step transcended worlds, appearing within the lightless Ancient Night.
In this domain, one could even say this dark world was reverting to ancient times, as the sparse, wide-open night sky enveloped all things in darkness.
Seiya stood on the ancient earth, calmly gazing up at the night sky.
And beneath the world's embrace, a white-robed figure appeared as the world's sovereign.
Athena in the heavens, Saints on earth.
Separated by the distance between heaven and earth, the God and human gazed at each other. What were they thinking at that moment?
There was no cold solemnity before battle, not even a single word.
Seiya raised his hand, and blue wind wrapped around his body, manifesting into the Pegasus Cloth.
"Burn, Cosmo!"
Radiance enveloped everything; the light that instantly rose even briefly dispelled the darkness.
Seiya's right hand glowed; his burning Cosmo expanded explosively.
Then, most of the light mass gathered at the source of his right hand, while the remaining light flowed onto the Cloth on his body surface.
Following the Cloth, the Saint, whose weapon even became one with him, transformed into an arrow and launched a fierce charge towards the master of Ancient Night.
Twelve beams of light, striking the night sky, shot from all directions towards Athena. In the very center was the Saint who himself had transformed into light, becoming an arrow.
Facing the Saint's attack, Athena did not even advance or dodge, but raised the weapon in her hand. The Divine tool she held in her palm also exuded a thick, rich Divine energy. As both weapons met with perfect precision, the combined power scattered into shockwaves, sweeping through the surroundings.
The clash of weapons and the resulting sparks illuminated the faces of the two.
Light and darkness, the Goddess who defied Divine myths and the warrior who challenged Gods. Metis looked at the awe-inspiring Divine armor on the other, yet revealed a hint of heartfelt joy.
"I remember your Pegasus Cloth was destroyed from behind by Heracles (Melqart)'s Divine tool. Has it been repaired now?" At that moment, Metis revealed a strange smile that Athena would absolutely never show. "It seems the Authority you usurped from Heracles is related to repair and life, isn't it?"
Seiya said nothing.
The radiance of the Sun-Soaring Heaven unfolded behind him in the form of a second pair of wings.
"Shadows, creep forth! Become claws and fangs that tear steel, run rampant! Oh, death bestowed by the God of the Underworld, infuse yourself into my scythe!!" The tripartite Goddess chanted the Words of Power of the Underworld.
At that moment, the dark scythe in her hand cut a chilling arc.
All light in the space the scythe passed through was completely extinguished. This was a Divine tool specifically targeting Saints; even the Pegasus Cloth was no exception.
Metis let out a slight hum of doubt, because the trajectory of her scythe left a mark on the Pegasus Cloth. The Cloth, which should have been broken and damaged, was now rapidly healing that wound.
Authority — The Covenant of Decay and Revival.
Melqart, as Baal, the God-King in Canaanite and Phoenician beliefs, had his core myth related to the cycle of nature. Every year, Baal experiences periods of drought and withering, and also, after disasters, brings the rainy season symbolizing recovery.
Through his Authority, he can reenact the myth of restoring nature's vitality, making the land fertile again and ensuring a thriving population.
The second effect of the Covenant of Decay and Revival is its ability to repair damaged objects or buildings. This naturally includes his own Cloth, provided he touches the target and expends his own spiritual power. The speed and scale are limited by the strength of the spiritual power, and it can also heal wounds or diseases.
Following Seiya's sudden burst, a more furious Atomic Lightning surged around him.
"It's useless! My Ancient Night is the darkness that plunders all light! As long as you are light, you cannot defeat the Goddess who is the master of the night!" Metis sneered, swinging her scythe once more. At that moment, even the light overflowing from Seiya's body was swallowed and transformed into nourishment that made the Ancient Night even grander.
The Death God's Scythe, with an attack method imperceptible to the naked eye, sliced the Saint's Cloth. Within the Ancient Night, it was a slash that could appear from any direction at any time. At this moment, the wounds on the Pegasus Cloth were constantly accumulating, yet they rapidly healed under the effect of the Authority.
Metis could feel the Saint's condition rapidly deteriorating, but just as he was about to reach the critical point, she suddenly put away her scythe and revealed a gentle smile that Seiya was intimately familiar with.
"But Seiya, why do we have to kill each other, to fight each other? In the distant past, we were originally one. We cannot be separated from each other." The white-robed Goddess tilted her head, and a gentle light filled her eyes.
"Yes, I have never denied that," Seiya admitted frankly.
"Then come with me. Even if you want to protect the Earth, to protect humanity, there's no problem." The Goddess extended her hand towards Seiya. "In the future world that belongs to us, I have already reserved a place for you."
Seiya was already somewhat unable to distinguish whether the Goddess before him was Metis, Athena, or even Gorgon, because on her face he could see maternal tenderness, the elegance of a Goddess, and also the subtle malice hidden in her eyes.
-
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