"Rather than tears, I would rather listen to a gentle song."
"Rather than sorrow, I yearn more for your warmth."
A comfortable night breeze blew gently, like a maiden's soft hand caressing your cheek.
When Seiya opened his eyes, what came into view were the constellations shining in the midsummer night sky, a sight only visible in places with clean air.
And also, a silver crescent moon shining in the sky.
Unlike the constellations, the moon looks the same whether in Asia or Europe. Like a queen ruling the night sky. In his memories, in the Fairy Realm, and in a past life, there had been times like this when he had looked up at the moon. When was that?
Distant, ancient scenes flashed through Seiya's mind, like fragments of stained glass illuminated by moonlight... a sorrowful sea of white flowers, a fist raised above his head, a boy and a girl under a giant banyan tree... the god who dragged the world into endless darkness, turning around to reveal a familiar, gentle face...
Joy, anger, hatred, battle—complex, interwoven emotions spread endlessly in his heart. Under the banyan tree, he slammed his fist into the boy on the ground. The shattered scene split into different fragments like a kaleidoscope. The moment Seiya raised his hand, another hand grasped his outstretched palm—
—It was the face of Athena.
Hair that shone with a faint silver, as if dissolved in the moonlight.
Pupils as black as night, as if they had condensed all the darkness.
The Heretic God, Athena. And at this moment, his head was resting on her lap. That pleasant scent was emanating from this ancient goddess in her youthful form.
"Seiya, what is it that you seek?" Athena asked, her voice light and ethereal.
Seiya didn't answer. He just tried to get up from Athena's lap; for a fifteen-year-old boy like him, this was a bit too embarrassing. But Athena's hand, though gentle, firmly pressed him back down.
"You can rely on your mother more, my child, Pegasus," Athena said, her light voice uttering the words of a goddess.
Hearing this, Seiya immediately wanted to struggle, but Athena had no intention of letting go of his hand. Her hand was very soft and small, but it was like a snake wrapped around his palm. People only know that snakes themselves can be frightening, but they never think about how snakes are also nervous and afraid when facing humans.
In this moment, Seiya suddenly sensed the emotion hidden beneath Athena's skin.
He looked up and met the goddess's eyes. The goddess was looking down at him, her bright, owl-like eyes reflecting only his own figure. This gaze was not unfamiliar to Seiya, because the two masters he had once mistaken for Marin and Shaina would also look at him with such a soft gaze.
He saw in Athena's eyes a joy and delight in his very existence. What he didn't know was that he held a different meaning for her.
For Athena, countless believers and humans had prostrated themselves on the ground and looked up at Her, but that kind of gaze was different, filled with awe and too much desire. But Seiya was different. He was fighting with life and limb out of an absolutely pure faith. Before, even with all her wisdom, Athena could not fathom what this was.
But the fact that he was Pegasus made everything understandable.
It was precisely because he was Pegasus, the child who symbolized her other half, the side of the Gorgon. It was only natural for a child to have such a devout and pure feeling for his mother.
"Athena, has your divine power recovered?" Seiya asked, seeing the burning intensity in Athena's gaze and taking the initiative to change the subject.
"This humble one is the chief priestess of war, and also the Queen of the Night. As a descendant of the Great Mother, this soil provides me with much convenience. The divine power consumed by the blessing I bestowed upon you has already recovered by more than half. But to return to the honored position of the triune holy mother goddess who rules the Mediterranean, I still need my lost half."
Although Athena very much wanted to talk more with her Pegasus, especially to look at his eyes, which were so similar to her own, what was most crucial for her right now was to find her other half.
"My wisdom has already perceived that the lost half was brought ashore on the Calabrian coast by humans. But it was quickly sealed by a very skilled magician, and even I cannot sense its specific location. I can only perceive through spirit vision that you will meet it very soon."
"I will retrieve your other half for you, Athena." Seiya was finally able to stand up. His expression was resolute as he was finally able to show the goddess the proper courtesy of a Saint once more.
"I believe in you. Please be careful as well. Because in the future I have dimly perceived, you will clash with two god-slaying beasts."
One must be Doni. Who's the other? The old wolf Marquis? He's the most enthusiastic about this sort of thing, Seiya frowned.
But when he lifted his head, only a feather fell from the sky. Seiya let out a long, slow breath. He turned his head to look out the window. Outside, the sun was shining brightly. He had just woken up from bed. It was now morning.
—Far East, Japan. Narita Airport.
There were no usual procedural checks. In fact, the moment Seiya landed, he saw a black sedan parked not far away, with a dozen men in black suits lined up in front of it. Before Seiya could even confirm their identities, they bowed deeply and shouted at him.
"May the name of the wise and valiant Rakshasa Lord live as long as heaven and earth, eternal and indestructible! Your martial might is infinite, your wisdom and compassion shine upon the world! We wish Your Majesty ten thousand years of life!"
Seiya frowned deeply. In that moment, he felt like he was the demon cult leader in some wuxia novel, leading a bunch of motley underlings, just waiting to be ganged up on by the protagonist and his friends who were also shouting about love and justice.
He could only pinch the bridge of his nose. The man at the very front instantly understood that this young Godslayer was not someone who cared for such formalities, unlike the Empress Luo Hao. He quickly waved for his subordinates, who were blowing their own trumpets, to get lost, then opened the car door and welcomed Seiya in.
"Are you the local official organization?" Seiya asked.
"Indeed. We are the Onmyo Agency, an organization that follows the laws of Yin and Yang to exorcise spiritual disasters and supervise all the witches, ninjas, and onmyoji in the country. Our main office is located near Akihabara," the man answered swiftly. "We came here specifically to greet you upon learning of your arrival at Narita."
Seiya was confused. "The Onmyo Agency? Shouldn't it be the Official History Compilation Committee? Are you a subordinate organization of theirs?"
The man showed an obsequious smile and just respectfully handed over a business card. But before Seiya could even reach out to take it, he whipped his head around to look out the window. Soon, his own expression changed.
A fiery bird wrapped in white ribbons came speeding from the side of the road. It was a familiar—or, in this land, it should be called a shikigami. It carved a desolate arc through the air and, in the end, completely blew up the road ahead.
In this moment, even Seiya couldn't help but be astonished. Just what in the world was going on in this country of Japan?
_____
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