Dong, dong, dong, dong...
Twelve sonorous, melodious peals of a bell echoed among the towering mountains of the Sanctuary, ushering in a brand-new day.
Pale golden morning light shot through gaps in the clouds, shining upon the Twelve Zodiac Temples that had stood proudly in the Sanctuary since the mythic age.
The ancient, majestic Twelve Zodiac Temples gleamed anew, radiant as if each were a shrine emitting sacred light.
They guarded Athena's Temple at the Sanctuary's highest peak like stars encircling the moon; that was the residence of Athena, the goddess who protects humanity and justice.
As the twelve bell chimes faded, lithe, dashing figures leaped from various side halls throughout the Sanctuary, their swift movements trailing shimmering, colorful wakes of light.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
With a chorus of shrill whistles, those shining figures converged from all directions onto the plaza at the Sanctuary's entrance, resolving into men and women clad in Cloths.
Their Cloths gleamed; they stood calm and composed with a distinguished bearing, like brilliant stars each radiating its own unique light, dazzling to behold.
They were the Silver Saints stationed in the Sanctuary.
The Saints all looked toward the center of the plaza, where a group of boys and girls stood.
Among these boys and girls, the youngest were only seven or eight, the oldest no more than ten. Tall and short, plump and thin, most with bewildered expressions, they sized up the dazzling Saints ahead of them, nervous and timid.
After days of harsh training, only these children had passed the initial Sanctuary candidate assessment, and the Silver Saints had come to select those with potential.
Those chosen would be accepted as disciples by the Silver Saints to train in the Sanctuary, or be taken to the training grounds for further instruction.
"So many Saints!"
"Can I become a Saint too?"
A delicate, pretty girl who looked only eight or nine blinked her bright, limpid eyes as she gazed at the awe-inspiring Saints, voicing her envy with her small mouth.
Her long hair draped to her waist; her eyes were clear, her nose high, her face oval, her cheeks rosy and tender. She was a natural beauty, and though very young, she drew the eye.
Beside her stood a female Saint wearing a white mask and a pale purple Cloth.
The female Saint spoke: "Not everyone can become a Saint… I'll first arrange for you to stay somewhere in the Sanctuary. If you want to become a Saint, it has to happen slowly."
"Okay, Ms. Shaina."
The girl nodded half-understandingly, looking a bit downcast.
Seeing the girl's gloom, Shaina comforted her: "Pansy, you have the potential to become a Saint. As long as you train hard, awaken your Cosmo, and obtain your own Cloth, you can become a true Saint. This takes time."
Gazing at the radiant Cloth on the woman, the girl's eyes lit up again, and she asked softly, "Ms. Shaina, if I become a Saint, can I take revenge on those bad people?"
Sure enough, the little girl was still thinking about revenge.
Shaina sighed inwardly.
Pansy had lived in a small town near the Sanctuary. A few days ago, the town was destroyed by black-clad men of unknown identity. When she arrived, Pansy was the only survivor in the town.
So young, and she had lost all her family…
Shaina said gravely, "Those black-clad men are very dangerous. If you want revenge, you'll not only need to obtain a Cloth and become a Saint; you'll also have to endure countless ordeals…"
"Let's not talk about this now. I'll take you to your temporary lodgings."
"Remember, once you enter the Sanctuary you must follow its rules. Don't run around, and don't cause trouble. There are many forbidden places here; wandering about will bring trouble."
"Got all that?"
"Yes, Ms. Shaina, Pansy remembers."
The girl bobbed her little head obediently.
Shaina slipped an arm around Pansy's small waist; with a long-legged leap, her goose-yellow sash fluttering in the wind, she vanished from the plaza in the blink of an eye.
Whoosh!
Pansy felt the wind roaring past her ears and the scenery whipping by.
Before long, Shaina arrived before a dark, low mountain.
Jagged rocks ringed the area; the slopes were steep and utterly barren.
In front of the low mountain stood a large, mottled stone stele, upon which the words "Graveyard" were carved in ancient Greek.
Shaina stopped in front of the stele and set the petite Pansy down.
"I recognize those two words. This is the graveyard?"
Shaina nodded slightly, secretly sighing at the girl's cleverness. Many Saints couldn't fully read the ancient Greek on this stele, yet she recognized it at a glance. It suggested Pansy was likely born to a learned family.
What a pity…
"I'm very busy these days. For now you'll stay at the graveyard; someone will look after you."
Overflowing with curiosity, Pansy asked again, "Ms. Shaina, who will be taking care of me?"
"Uh…"
Shaina looked up at the clouds drifting by and said faintly, "There are very few women in the Sanctuary, and even fewer female Saints. I don't want you living amid a bunch of men."
"The one who'll look after you is my senior disciple—he kind of counts as a man."
"Kind of counts as a man?"
"Mm, he's a man you can trust; it's just that he's a bit…"
Halfway through, Shaina seemed at a loss for words. If she hadn't been wearing a mask, others could have seen the corner of her mouth twitch.
Sensing something, the girl asked curiously, "Ms. Shaina, does that senior have some problem?"
"Pansy! Remember what I'm about to say—you must remember it!"
Shaina suddenly turned, met Pansy's gaze, and spoke with unusual seriousness.
Seeing how grave Shaina was, Pansy pricked up her ears at once, ready to receive instruction.
Taking a deep breath, Shaina enunciated, "I have two disciples. One is named Cassios and has turned out fairly well. The other is my senior disciple—him."
"He's my senior disciple, with decent talent and character, but there's something wrong with his head. He often says things no one can understand, his temperament is extremely eccentric, and he does things that are baffling… He's a weirdo!"
Pansy was a little dazed. "A weirdo?"
"Yes. In short, he's very strange. Don't consult him about training, and don't listen to his teachings, or the consequences will be serious."
"Do you understand?"
The girl wobbled her little head side to side, big eyes confused, apparently not fully understanding, but still nodded in her soft, childlike voice: "Ms. Shaina, Pansy roughly understands."
"Mm! That's good."
Seeing Pansy nod so obediently, Shaina relaxed a little; her taut expression finally eased.
She had long wanted to take a female disciple.
As it happened, Pansy's aptitude was one in ten thousand, the best among this batch of candidates, which was why Shaina brought her to the Sanctuary.
She seemed born attuned to the Cosmo; even at a very young age, she had already sensed it.
Several Silver Saints even asserted that Pansy was one of the most gifted Saint candidates in a hundred years.
To fight over Pansy, Shaina and several other Silver Saints nearly lost their tempers, even coming to blows with that woman Marin. If Pansy hadn't ultimately chosen Shaina, a clash would have been inevitable.
Skirting the low mountain, the view suddenly opened up to hillsides covered in tombstones and burial mounds, desolate and eerie.
"Ahead is the residential area outside the graveyard."
Shaina pointed into the distance, where a few angular gray-stone buildings stood, and there was some rare greenery—plants and trees.
Farther off there seemed to be a small, shimmering lake, with fields and flowers along the shore. On the farthest hills, there was what looked like a little waterfall with gurgling spring water, and even a turning waterwheel.
So pretty!
Pansy's little leather shoes pitter-pattered on the gravel as she ran ahead, taking in the scenery so different from before. She moved with light steps, expression delighted, utterly enthralled.
Just then, a few hens and chicks suddenly ran out from behind a large earthen mound, flapping and clucking as if welcoming Pansy's arrival.
Chickens?
There are animals in a graveyard?
At that moment, Shaina called out ahead, "Hey, get out here—where are you hiding now?"
Pansy narrowed her eyes at the gray-stone buildings ahead, a smile at her lips. She seemed curious, but deep in her eyes a strange black gleam flickered.
Excellent!
Everything was going according to plan.
She had successfully become Shaina's disciple, was the focus of Shaina's hopes, and, thanks to implanted hypnotic suggestion, had come as wished to live in the barren Sanctuary graveyard.
From today on, she would make her move in the Sanctuary. With her aptitude and wits, she figured it would take only a few years to build her own faction in the Sanctuary, fulfill Hades's plan, and start the Holy War!
Or perhaps… she could attempt to assassinate Athena?
According to the intel, this disciple of Shaina who lived in seclusion at the graveyard was a crazy, muddleheaded fellow, hardly worth worrying about, and could later become one of her pawns.
After all, she possessed the hypnotic divine art bestowed by the God of Dreams. Not even the Sanctuary's mightiest Gold Saints could completely resist it.
Shaina called several times. Her voice echoed, but there was no movement and no one appeared.
She was a bit puzzled. "Where did that punk Damian run off to again?"
As she searched around, a faint tremor rose up beneath their feet.
Shaina immediately lifted her gaze to the earthen mound ahead, and Pansy looked there too.
Because the vibration… was actually coming from that mound.
The ground shook harder and harder, like an earthquake.
"Damn!"
Shaina's delicate body trembled; she yanked the girl backward in a rush, cursing, "Damn brat, he's courting death again!"
Courting death again?
Before the girl understood what was happening, the earthen mound ahead began to erupt like a volcano, spewing powerful gusts of air, and a voice sounded by her ear: "Burn, my Cosmo!"
Boom!
The mound exploded like a bomb.
In an instant, earth and rocks shattered, shockwaves rolled, and dust sprayed everywhere.
Shaina spread her arms to block the blast, but Pansy's frail body was still buffeted senseless by the shockwave; she plopped down onto the ground, her whole body shuddering.
A breeze swept by, and the dust cleared.
A large hand reached up out of the smoking pit, and then a man slowly climbed out.
He wore nothing but a pair of golden trunks, and the bull-tendon heft of his muscles shone with a dazzling metallic sheen in the sunlight. His body seemed forged of steel, indestructible.
A high, straight nose; a bold, handsome face; a physique like a marble statue; and those two bouncing pectorals—all of it was laid bare before the girl's eyes.
In a magnetic, clear voice the man said, "Ah, that's the three hundred sixty-fifth failed attempt to ignite my Cosmo!"
Delicate and frail, Pansy couldn't handle it. With a single glance, her cheeks flushed hot, her heart raced, her head swam, the world spun, and her vision went black as she passed out cold.
This is the senior disciple?
Wh-What huge pecs!
Any Saints here? If there are Saints, say something or something.