"Great King, please wait a moment," a refreshing female voice called out from the side.
Seiya, at that moment holding the wooden box that sealed the Gorgon's Stone, turned his head. The ones who had stopped him were those two Japanese magicians... oh, by their own terms, they should be called a Hime-Miko and a ninja.
The youth in the suit and leather shoes was still following behind the beautiful woman in men's clothing. Erica's expression upon seeing them was a bit odd, but she still politely excused herself, though not before reminding Seiya about the banquet in his honor that evening.
"People from the Official History Compilation Committee. What important business brings you to me?" Seiya turned to the side, looking at the two guests who had come from afar.
"We are truly humbled that you would know of us in our remote corner of the world. Looking at your features, might you be one of our compatriots?" the beautiful woman in men's clothing, Sayanomiya Kaoru, the Tokyo Branch Head of the Official History Compilation Committee, asked tentatively.
"If you have something to say, say it," Seiya said, concise and to the point.
"It's like this. There is a matter that could become an unprecedented disaster for our country. We are finding it a bit difficult to handle, so we were hoping to borrow the King's power. That is why we have taken the liberty of visiting. Please forgive our forwardness."
After saying this, Sayanomiya Kaoru carefully observed the expression of the youth before her.
"Heh, borrow my power?" Seiya chuckled. "Don't you all serve a God of Steel over there? The Official History Compilation Committee is a very powerful organization even on a global scale. Do you still need to borrow my power?"
And was this place in Southern Europe really a place where these onmyoji would come?
The Gorgon's Stone was now in his hands, which meant the source of the disaster had already been eliminated. Therefore, this so-called disaster was just nonsense.
"And this matter, speaking of it, might have some connection to you as well," Sayanomiya Kaoru said in a low voice.
...Connected to me? Seiya was just about to speak. But then, a very unfamiliar yet peculiar feeling suddenly welled up from the bottom of his heart.
It was as if two overlapping images were appearing before his eyes: a sword of steel, a miko in a red hakama and white top, a goddess releasing an owl in the dead of night, the radiant Apo... Seiya was first stunned, then quickly realized this was the spiritual sense talent granted to him by his Godslayer physique.
What had appeared on the panel before was only the most important and core talents. But in daily life, many other interesting talents were also constantly emerging due to his Godslayer physique, such as the Thousand Words that allowed him to quickly learn any language, clear vision in the dark, prediction of danger, and the current spiritual sense, or spirit vision.
And it had just been triggered, allowing him to glimpse fragments of information related to himself.
The other things didn't really matter, but the last one, the radiant god like the sun carrying a silver longbow and golden-tipped arrows, made the blood in Seiya's veins stir with excitement.
Late at night, Seiya, all alone, wandered into the courtyard of the Blandelli family's estate.
The moonlight was gentle, like a silken curtain. And the Saint, favored by the moonlight, finally had time to open his system panel.
[God Robe: The Victorious God of Combat (Verethragna) (Note 1)]
[Effect 1: The Strong Fortune of Victory.] When aiming for a goal through conflict, you will gain the strong luck of victory—"I am the strongest who holds all victories! Whether human or demon, I shall defeat all enemies!"
[Effect 2: The Victor is Justice.] As long as victory is achieved, a harvest will surely be obtained.
[Effect 3: The Victor is Omnipotent.] When aiming for victory, one's own skills will be rapidly enhanced—"I who am radiant, I who am undefeated, Ahura Mazda granted me creation! Anything you excel at is fine. Games, martial arts, strategy, horsemanship, whatever it may be. All may challenge me!"
[Weapon: The Golden Sword of Victory.] A weapon that symbolizes the characteristics of the warrior himself. This sword can cut down enemies on the battlefield according to his will, and after fulfilling certain conditions, it can seal and sever the divinity of an enemy—"Fear my name! I am he who breaks all obstacles! Neither the mighty nor the unjust can defeat me—Fear me, the Golden Sword of Victory!"
[Combat Techniques: Empty Fist, Boar Rush, Boar Rushing Fist, Wheel Tornado, God of Combat's Suppression (God's Wrath)]
This was a God Robe, and also the name of an Authority.
What Seiya had usurped was not a single avatar, but the entire image of Verethragna as the "God of Combat" from Tang Dynasty Zoroastrianism.
Verethragna was a younger god compared to Athena and the God King.
His image was carved into mountain cliffs, showing Verethragna on horseback, tall and mighty, with two attendants in white and green following him. In the Northern Dynasties of the Eastern Continent, on the stone casket of Yu Hong, there is a relief where a deity with a halo on camelback turns to hunt a lion with a bow. This deity is also Verethragna.
Verethragna was originally a "guest god." He wandered to Persia and was taken notice of by the God King of that time, who persuaded him to bring fortune to the people (before this, he was completely unruly, with no sense of good or evil). He was not only given power and responsibility, but he transformed from a wandering god into a guardian god. His legend is very similar to that of a hero-god. He was given trials: to find a suitable sword among a mountain of blades, to choose one crown among seven for the king, to persuade the laziest person to work, the most foolish to know the law, and the most timid to fight. With each task he completed, he gained another form, until he had the nine forms Seiya was familiar with.
In the present day, he is often seen as an image of gaining advantage and is revered as 'the most heavily armed among the gods', 'the most bestowed with offensive power', 'the most bestowed with splendor'. He is imagined as a god in constant battle with enemies, demons, sorcerers, and heretics.
And at this moment, Seiya looked up as if sensing something.
The moonlight was like a curtain overhead, and a pair of hands gently cupped his cheeks.
"My Pegasus, you truly brought this ancient snake back to this humble one. You have worked hard."
That voice was like a cool night breeze, not disturbing the extraordinary quiet of the night in the slightest.
Seiya looked up. The young goddess was now gently holding his face, seeming about to kiss his forehead.
Bathed in the moonlight, the virgin goddess looked slender and delicate, yet one could feel an unusual and powerful strength from her. The night wind blew through Athena's hair, but this scene gave off a strange feeling.
Each and every shining silver strand of hair, in Seiya's eyes, seemed like a snake dancing in the night wind.
"To act as the agent of the goddess's will, to retrieve for you the power you are owed, this is the mission of the Pegasus Saint." Seiya clenched his right hand into a fist and lightly thumped it against his chest.
The young Athena looked at her Pegasus, her heart filling with even more delight. This is my true other half. At such a close distance, the stone box in Seiya's arms could no longer block the connection with its main body. As the stone box slowly weathered away, the divine artifact known as the Gorgon's Stone floated before Athena's chest.
"My other half—I've finally found it. With this, I can return to the triune goddess of the past. O Pegasus, you shall tell the tales of the awakening and second coming of this humble one, the triune Queen, to future generations."
Athena smiled faintly.
Although he was in darkness, Seiya could clearly feel the joy that Athena was sharing with him.
Then, the goddess looked up to the heavens and chanted in a loud voice:
I sing, I sing the hymn of the triune goddess. Connecting sky, earth, and darkness, for the sake of reincarnation and wisdom.
I sing, I sing the song of the slighted goddess. A queen, yet seen as a forbidden snake, for the sake of the queen's sigh.
I sing, I sing the poem of the goddess torn in body and mind. Humiliated by her noble father, for the sake of the merciful mother's shame.
My name is Athena! Daughter of Zeus! Guardian of Athens! The eternal virgin!
In the past, the Great Mother who birthed all things! In the past, the Lord of the Underworld who governed the darkness! In the past, the Queen of Wisdom who knew the heavens and spread knowledge! I hereby swear, Athena shall return to the original Athena!
(Note 1: Introduction to the prototype of the God of Combat Authority.)
His past as a guest god was already told in the main text, but at that time, he was not yet a benevolent god. He still misused his divine power and had no specific form. The chief gods could not stand it and persuaded him: "My brother, you have come here and moved me with your wisdom and power, but I must rebuke you. Although you bring fortune to the people, you do not distinguish between good and evil. The people love you and also fear you."
"Look at the disasters you have spread. I want you to swear an oath to be cautious with your power." Verethragna was dissatisfied with the chief gods' counsel and subsequently brought disaster and enemies. He fought with the chief gods for eight hundred days and eight hundred nights and was finally persuaded by force (beaten to his knees). He was then granted his appearance (the image of the Warrior Authority). He swore to use his divine power cautiously, which is why later on, Kusanagi Godou had to pay a price to use his power, could only use it once a day, and why using two forms at once was painful. Later in the myths, as everyone knows, he became a guardian god, a war god, respected and worshipped, and became a god of kingship, advising a king on the virtues he should possess.
As for the Ten Avatars Authority, it most likely comes from the 14th chapter of the Yasht, which is a hymn dedicated to Verethragna/Bahram. The chapter begins by describing the ten incarnations in order: a strong gust of wind, a bull with golden horns, a white horse with golden ears and golden hooves, a camel in heat, a wild boar, a fifteen-year-old youth, a Vareghna bird, a horned ram, a sharp-horned wild goat, and an armed warrior.
The prototype for the God of Combat that I designed is based on the Avesta. In the Avesta, he is described as having all the characteristics of an ancient warrior god, an incarnation of a force that shatters and overcomes any resistance and defense, an irresistible power that displays its might in attack.
The combat techniques and Authority effects of the God Robe that I designed are based on this sentence.
In simple terms, its outward manifestation is the destruction of the Boar, and the special attack and victory aspect of the Warrior incarnation.
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