Saints of Athena

by fantasos

A reimagining of the original story of Athena and her Saints, from the Galaxian Wars until the Heaven Arc. Seiya, Shun, June, Shiryu, Hyoga, and Ikki fight against and alongside other Saints, developing their skills, maturing, and doing their best to defend humanity and their goddess.

61. The Frontline

WARNING: Violence, blood, mild gore, death, execution, psychological torture, and reference to real class/caste discrimination.

Nothing of what I write is meant as a parallel to recent or ongoing real-world events. I want to clarify that I wrote down the diplomatic developments and eventual battle in Atlantis well before the current conflict in the Levant, so they were not influenced by it in any way. I do not draw parallels between Sanctuary, Atlantis, Heaven, and any real-world entities. My Poseidon Arc is a story about hopelessness, ambition, human extinction, and — as per usual in my work — the minutiae of violence and its outcomes. The concept of legitimacy is never a focus.

This chapter is much heavier in themes, diplomacy, and dialog than usual. It ended up long by accident. Few chapters in the future will be this in-depth, so I hope it's understandable.

The Frontline

One of the many buildings serving as Sanctuary's hospitals seemed rather tranquil, a stark contrast with what these looked like during the civil war. Staff, in their white robes and hoods, wandered to and fro, exiting the main hall, and ever so often venturing into the longer rooms where patients of a graver state were tended to. The sole Saint therein was Seiya, sitting over one of the marble platforms near the entrance. In his Cloth, he left the helmet aside, atop the many veils covering the stone. Since the temperature past the passage was colder than outside, a gentle wind blew his hair and caressed the face, gelid, albeit vain to the depressed thoughts of the youth's mind.

A covered man brought him a clear chalice of water; Pegasus thanked him and drank it bit by bit. He could not forget the sight of the defenseless Athena, or the feeling that he, alone, was the one to blame for her kidnapping. It was his will then to walk away and find entry into Atlantis, to single-handedly free her or die trying. Anything, he thought, would be better than enduring that guilt anymore.

Outside, the noise of troops conducted down the streets and towards Earthly portals resounded, as Sanctuary's expected response formed. Another Bronze Saint was running up the hospital's stairs, and soon he was revealed to Seiya, that being Shun in Cloth, yet without chain. The boy carefully approached his friend, seeing that he avoided eye contact and instead focused on the chalice's water.

Worried, Andromeda came hither and crouched beside him, saying: "Do not blame yourself too much, or you might end up crazy." To that Seiya played with the liquid reticently. "In the end, Atlantis will answer to Heaven, and things should end up right."

Somehow Pegasus found himself having to respond, although with a defeated tone. "Our job is not to wait until Heaven solves things for us," he told, "it's to protect Athena."

Shun could not answer such sound logic; he agreed with it wholeheartedly, and there was also anxiousness in his soul over their Lady's state, in the hands of such a volatile god. Avoiding a reply, he nodded and stood, finding distraction in the transit of nurses and doctors.

"What about the guys you took?" Seiya curiously asked after several seconds.

"Oh?" Shun turned the attention back to his friend. "I was about to see them, but the Gold Saints pressured for certain people to interrogate them before we could have our way."

The other had his own suspicions of whom they had picked, though he questioned regardless: "Who did they send?"

Shun's lips twisted into a pout and he tilted the head. "You know well who it is."

The absence of the chain was a telltale sign of where it had been taken. Immediately below the Ecliptic Temples, embedded to the formation where the House of Aries was erected, was a dungeon frequently used by the military to temporarily hold certain prisoners of war. From there they would typically go through a court ruling, and then be sent to the forlorn dungeon where Kanon was once sent for his crimes.

Past a simple office for guards and other members of Athena's army, the thick door down to the cells was left shut and tightly locked. Stairs bore deep down to a dry stone corridor, and the holdings were divided by thick walls. The kind of warrior to be trapped there was surely one capable of escaping with little issue, so it was no surprise that, past a metal gate, one of the Marina-Generals had been fully tied with the Andromeda Chain.

His lean torso was enveloped in many passes of the metal, and his crotch, protected by a simple tunic, was held too, whence the chain spiraled around each leg to immobilize knees and feet. In that cubicle, the chain extended to holes built into the bottom corners; the same happened to the exposed arms, connected to holes in the upper corners of the space.

As such the prisoner was left suspended, in tension, only neck and face left hanging — an inhumane state for a superhuman foe. This superhuman foe, in fact, was Siren Sorrento, one of the two Marina captured by Andromeda in the fight's aftermath.

Below him appeared a shadow ahead of multiple others, all of them feminine, all of them aggressive in stance. Under the light of a lantern, Shaina's mask was the one visible up front, and the masks of June, Ethel, and a few Paximadian amazons accompanied her. The first's voice spoke out, harsh as ever: "If you go on refusing to eat, how long do you think you will be able to survive my shocks?"

Sorrento merely let his head hang down, eyes open yet glued to the barely lit sight of the floor. When Ophiuchus attempted to appear in view, his eyes darted to another side, which bothered her a great lot. The state of his skin was thus far immaculate, nearly as delicate as that of a woman like Thetis, if not surpassing it. Such was also a sign that, if physical torture was in the amazons' minds, they had not realized such wonts thus far.

Shaina continued: "Let us say you survive this for long; you will not survive starvation forever. When you die, there will be no reason for Atlantis to not kill Lady Athena. Similarly, there will be no reason for us to not enact a large-scale invasion. Do you get where I am going with this?" The prisoner was somber, speechless, unwavering… "You have little courage to as much as look me in the mask, it is no surprise you are too cowardly to speak. Pathetic. That one of Poseidon's Generals is this much of an insect surprises me, especially one that stood beside him as a bodyguard. I expect you to be ashamed."

"This is a waste of time," June called out from the back. "He won't eat and won't speak, it's like he just wants to commit suicide."

Ophiuchus nodded menacingly after acknowledging her colleague's comment, again turned towards Siren. "Keep the attitude. Once I get the Gold Saints' approval, I will at least get to hear you scream. You should not be quiet for long, Mariner."

Noticing this would not take them anywhere, Shaina turned around and crossed past the others, exiting the cell and leaving them with the enemy. Despite how inflexible that woman was, June insisted on reasoning with Sorrento, after all, she couldn't comprehend his position. He would've been of better value to Atlantis alive and freed.

"Are you sure you don't want to eat?" she asked him, and once more he only stared down, refusing to talk. "Come on, look, you can make it easier for everyone if you just take the soup. If you don't want to talk, whatever, but at least drink and eat before you go dying on us."

Even still, Siren spoke not a word. Ethel sighed in frustration, complaining: "It's no use!"

"His choice. At least the other guy has been more open to conversation." The two Saints and amazons started to move out of the holding, locking the gate behind them — a superfluous defense to one of that caliber. Only one of the girls from Paximadia stood watch outside, ensuring that, as Sorrento inevitably attempted to escape, Andromeda could be called to keep him properly under control.

Of course, it wasn't much later for Andromeda to do his visit to that cell in particular. To the prisoner's surprise, he did not come empty-handed, but with the same bowl of soup he refused many a time before, already cold and no longer as appetizing. Shun did not present himself in any way, yet stopped and analyzed the state of the chain's trappings, looking closely and ensuring that they were fine.

Unsurprisingly, they were not, so he left the bowl on the floor and approached Sorrento in order to tighten the limbs back to safety. With Cosmos, it seemed, the man was sliding his way out of arrest, therefore Shun had to come and correct the knots, tightening them once again.

"I hope you understand that I only undo your work each time because I cannot have you escape," the boy explained while pulling the chain down on his right arm. "It would only make matters worse." Sorrento elected silence like every instance before. "I knew you would still be capable with the Cosmos without your flute, but to undo my trappings so well every time… I might have to check on you more often."

After a few minutes, Andromeda was finished and stepped back, admiring his handiwork. The man was secured once more, although not for long. Sorrento was intent on escaping compared to his colleague. For a brief second, the Mariner's face lifted somewhat, and from betwixt his long strands of hair he spied on the youth's appearance; feminine like him, yet maskless, unlike an amazon. His voice was boyish and his mannerisms were similar, so it was clear he was no woman, despite the broad bust of the Cloth's breastplate.

Shun brought the soup back up in one hand, spoon in another, and brought it close to the prisoner's lips. "Here. This should be your first meal, from what I have been told," he mentioned. Presented with a spoonful and taking the visitor's sight once more, Sorrento miraculously ate it and sated the hunger, which brought a smile to Andromeda's lips. "There we go. I have done this before, you know? Even before Sanctuary's war, I had to keep and feed a hostage. I assume it is common for the Andromeda and Casiopea Saints to care for prisoners of war after all."

It was a great difference from earlier; pressured by those who came before, Sorrento did not budge one bit. It seemed he would starve himself rather than cooperate — even if momentarily — with his captors. No resistance was shown to the food at that point. He trusted Andromeda fully, and mouthed each spoon of soup as soon as it came, no issue with temperature or taste.

"We were worried about you," Shun pressed on talking. "Your friend is eating and chatting away, but June told me you would not eat no matter how hard they tried. Why did you take this long?"

Siren swallowed the last mouthful and breathed carefully a moment, pausing the meal. To the visitor's shock, his soft timbre resounded so quiet that Shun had to turn an ear closer. "Amazons are terrifying people," he spoke. "Violent, savage, immoral… I do not wish to speak to them; I do not wish to see them any longer."

"Ah!" the boy appeared enlightened. "So that is the issue, yes? You do not like amazons. Shaina, June, and Ethel, however, are not amazons as much as they are Saints. You are right that they can be harsh, but Lady Athena says we need both softness and roughness among Saints."

Unsure, Sorrento replied anyhow: "I do not wish to see any female Saints either."

This was estranging to Shun, without a doubt, but he was reminded that he was not the only Mariner accompanying Poseidon on the day of the bogus peace talks. A luscious blonde had come as well, the one which Marin identified as Atlantis' courier. Seeing that Poseidon's vessel had a fling with Saori Kido, he imagined Sorrento held exclusive feelings to the blonde instead.

He understood his terms and nodded, feeding him some more therewith. "The Gold Saints ordered Shaina to squeeze out information from you. I have no final say on this, but I promise to try and convince them otherwise," he said.

In that brief instance, Siren thought to thank the enemy, though his beliefs censored him. Instead, he ate more of the soup and reversed that inevitable starvation, returning to quietude for the remainder of the meal.

The chains, which entered narrow passages in the corners of the cells, hooked around the structure and slithered through to the adjacent room, where Krishna, similarly dressed and locked up, attempted to sleep in such uncomfortable position. The side of his face had been seriously injured by the incident back in the office building, so heavily bruised as to be instantly noticeable even with his dark skin tone.

Apart from many other scratches across the torso, a bloodshot eye was revealed as soon as he opened it to pay heed to the new arrival. It was Seiya who came, spying curiously regarding the state of the man he had fought not long ago in Athens. Even from outside the gate, the two casually began to talk.

"I didn't mean to wake you up or anything," Seiya said.

Krishna signaled the head left and right, responding: "Sleeping in this position is not ideal, so never mind."

To that the Bronze Saint awkwardly chuckled. "It's unfortunate that we have to do this, but war is war."

"Do not misunderstand me," Chrysaor followed, "you have been hospitable thus far; I did not expect anything different from Sanctuary. It pains me that we are to clash in the battlefield again, but as a man of honor, it is bound to happen. Based on what I saw earlier, you are as honorable and dutiful as I am."

Seiya was certain of that in heart, although, after failing to protect Athena, he wasn't certain he possessed the ability to measure up to that duty. Nonetheless, he confirmed: "I'd die for Athena if I had to."

"I see. Lady Athena is among the few deserving of the life of a great man such as you."

There was some surprise in Pegasus' eyes from hearing a Mariner so candidly praise her, but it was not in someone like him to be cynical. He bore nothing for Poseidon if not disdain, so it made him wonder how a man so educated and respectful ended up under the wing of a god so selfish.

"I'm Pegasus Seiya," the young man presented himself. "I've heard you're Chrysaor."

"Chrysaor Krishna, Mariner-General who presides over the Indian Ocean," the prisoner replied as a matter of course.

"Right, right." Seiya fell transiently silent, falling back to his previous thoughts. "I heard stuff from Shun, so I was just wondering, are you behind the whole human extinction thing, or…?" Krishna merely shut the eyes and gave a lone nod. "Hm. Is it really something you agree with, or are you only behind it because you have to?"

The General's eyes stayed closed. "Lord Poseidon knows best."

"But I want to know your opinion on it. I don't get where this whole thing came from."

"I guess I could illustrate it with… a more personal experience," the man pondered in speech. As his eyelids continued as they were before, it felt that his severe expression was in fact hiding shame; once he told the following story, this became screamingly transparent to Pegasus. "My birthplace is one of many beauties, yet it is not one I wish to ever return to. It is a cradle of division. My fellow countrymen insisted upon the existence of four groups to which one must belong to; above them all were those who taught the spiritual ways, held in highest regard for it; below them were those with political and military authority, who held great power and, therefore, were expected to wield it within reason; then below were those who owned a great deal of property, employing the people and selling goods; and last were those who labored, employed by the previous ones. My family, my friends, my village — we belonged to none of these groups." He stopped a moment to deeply breathe out; memories of his long poverty came back vivid and palpable. "We were marginalized as to not even be named. We were ignored, scattered, abandoned; others were too repulsed to speak to us or offer us the opportunity to join them. We had only ourselves, for the remainder of the world did not acknowledge our being. As such, we called ourselves the 'untouchables'."

Seiya's lips parted. His frowned stare finally met Krishna's once more, who somehow gathered the willpower to raise the sight. At first it felt to him as if he could gander at a shard of that man's suffering, one that haply surpassed his own. Regardless, he quite quickly understood that, as much as the pains of his own childhood were a mystery to the Mariner, so were the pains of the untouchables to him.

Chrysaor went on: "I witnessed the pillage, rape, and murder of my people as I grew. In ignorance I asked, what have we done to deserve this? What was the sin in our past lives to justify our penalties? Instead of an answer, each and every time I saw more sin in those supposedly purer than us. One day they took my sister, the only family I had left…" yet again his sight was averted, a growing tear formed under the bloodshot sclera "… which was something I could not allow. I donned a blade and slayed as many of the men I knew to be responsible for it, but they had me hunted. I knew it deep inside that, no matter whether I lived or died, these people would take our land and continue to plunder us; but at least if I survived — better, if I escaped to a kinder place, I could inform others of our pains, enlighten them to our hell. Day in and day out, I eluded the men hired to kill me till I had nowhere to go but sea." Finally his gaze returned, and that serious semblance broke into a hopeful grin, as if he had found the light. "I allowed myself to be enveloped by Indian waters. I swam till my arms and legs faltered and my muscles would no longer obey my demands. I let my body sink, sure to meet my death at the bottom, and so I awakened there — it was Atlantis. I was rescued by our Lord's cult. They are the ones who saved my life and gave me this opportunity, something I never had."

Seiya could almost see it now, but he had to make sure. "So that's why you want to end humanity?" he asked.

Krishna subtly shook the head, brow frowned. "No, no," he denied. "You see, I was born in a world where one's worth is defined by birthright above all. Loyalty, courage, humility, kindness, sacrifice… those were all secondary, if ever accounted for. In opposition to this, those who stand out in Atlantis with such traits — but also with great strength — find themselves in the highest ranks. Class should be a mirror of one's every practice. Realize, Pegasus, that this structure was built by a god. It is no different from what Lady Athena founded here; it does not surprise me that I have not met a Saint undeserving of respect. I doubt us humans are capable of constructing this on our own, and I doubt my country will heal its taints without godly intervention."

It was clear now; Seiya saw that, by virtue of his oppression, Chrysaor lost all hope in humanity. Still, his question was not sated. "But to kill them all is…"

The Mariner interrupted him in admittance: "You are right. I wonder if this is not going too far, though it does not matter. I am a man of honor. My loyalty to Atlantis and Lord Poseidon are unconditional." As open to conversation as he was, it was clear in his stately tone that Chrysaor was unyielding in matters of honor. "I may face you as an enemy in the battlefield again, Pegasus. I plead that you excuse the circumstances."

"I do, it's fine," Seiya said following a tranquil nod. "I disagree with all this, but if we come to blows again, I'll be honored to battle you, Krishna."

"I will be honored to clash with you again too, my friend."

Slaughters By the Mediterranean
While meals and words were given to prisoners in that dungeon, outside troops continued to march, deployed to a diversity of locations inside and outside Sanctuary. Officers had limited authority working on their own, though so did Bronze and Silver Saints appointed to control larger regiments. There was administrative confusion following Athena's abduction, even hours after it had taken place. In her absence, the oldest Gold Saint was meant to rule in her stead, but this was Libra, thousands of kilometers away from Sanctuary's closest exit. By default, the Gold Saints would've wished to rule as a group, independently of Libra's orders while he was away, although there was conflict between the traditionalism of ones like Shaka and Mu, and the fervor of ones like Milo and Aiolia.

As they awaited the first return of Marin, who had been tasked with serving as a courier to Libra's orders and reports, some Gold Saints operated nigh independently, which came with a great deal of chaos initially.

Outside the portals, far from Athens and approaching the coast of the Aegean Sea, there were occasional mountainous ranges between small Greek towns. It was there that, under torrential rain, not Athenian, rather Atlantean soldiers patrolled the countryside as if it were their own. In a group of around twenty, a scouting unit bounced from rock to rock until their leader paused by a tall cliff.

Synchronously, the other men stopped, armor plates soaked in water. Making out shapes was troublesome with the water and wind, and the night had become so dark they used bits of energy to light the way; putting a hand over his helmet to protect the eyes, the man saw some form of improvement in visibility. It was his rough knowledge of the Cosmos, however, that guided him best; through such he felt a strange pressure, but knowing that his fellows had stopped moving, it could not be any of their own.

"Do you feel that?" he shouted to the soldier beside him, who also scanned the surroundings to no avail.

"Maybe we went too far and met another scouting unit," the other theorized.

The leader didn't seem convinced. "I don't think so." Ere their pondering continued, they learned the source of this energy. From the fall ahead of them, the sight of a soldier of Sanctuary, donned in reddish metal and a Corinthian helmet, flew upwards in an arc to assault them. "Enemies!"

That first man dropped straight at another, being dodged, but he did not come alone. Soon that Atlantean squad saw themselves preyed by the shadows of many an enemy, who viciously attacked without a hint of compassion. The few who held tridents attempted to parry the fast advances, but surprised and disorganized, they were entirely dominated by a group of similar numbers.

"Stay down! Stay the hell down!" one of Sanctuary's men screamed at an enemy he had dropped to the rocks. Athena's men were rough through and through, kicking them while they were down, and threatening their flesh with spears so that they would not stand.

This begot an immediate reaction from the Atlanteans. "Sanctuary tyrants!" a man protested. "You should drown with the rest of your Earth!"

"Shut up and stay down if you don't have a death wish!" a soldier replied and slammed that one in the face, leaving him dazed. The brief battle was not among the bloodiest, though only those who served Poseidon lost in numbers, a handful of men fallen slain. In that situation, the unit let go of their arms and reluctantly submitted to the attackers.

Without as much as exchanging words, Sanctuary's soldiers tied the ankles of the enemy, then tied their wrists behind their backs with ropes. Whenever they resisted, they pushed them back down and struck them through the plates, always with the intent of injury.

"This is uncalled for," an Atlantean complained.

"How many times will we have to tell you to be quiet?" Thus that dominated soldier was struck in the temple, and he fell aside seemingly unconscious, despite already having been immobilized. His colleagues stared on with hatred at the victors.

Yet one more source of Cosmos revealed itself. The boots of the Atlanteans were a greenish hue, as if afflicted by patina; the boots of most soldiers in Sanctuary were a reddish hue, like that of polished bronze; the boots of the new arrival were a pale gold with details in electrum. Under the helmet, this was obviously the image of Aiolia, as furious as the ones he led.

There was no denying that sight. Much like a servant of Athena could recognize a General, so could a servant of Poseidon recognize Sanctuary's elite. The leader reacted at once: "A Gold Saint! What is the meaning of this barbarism?"

Aiolia stopped beside him, though he did not turn his face or eyes. "This is order," he claimed in opposition. "Earth is a realm under the jurisdiction of our Lady, and Poseidon's thralls may not wander it without our license." The soldiers stayed quiet, since he spoke Heavenly law. "Who leads this squad?"

None dared speak any longer. A lowly soldier turned to the man who had valiantly fronted the whole time, the one who had just accused Leo of barbarism, and spoke in a hushed tone: "Sergeant! Sergeant!"

The sergeant returned with a frown, as if to shut him up, yet Aiolia had already stepped in front of him. With a crouch, he took him by the jaw and brought his face closer. "Have you seen where Lady Athena was taken to?" the Gold Saint asked.

"No! I have no idea. I was only ordered to scout around a portal!" he hurriedly replied, body trembling.

"For what purpose?"

"Because…" he nearly lost his train of thought, and although he wished to look away, his face was more firmly held by Leo's gauntlet "… because we expect you to attack soon! Please, spare my men! Our orders were never to attack anyone, only to scout!"

Aiolia hummed and let the man go; he stood fully and stepped back a few instances. "Whether you are following orders or not, endangering humanity and kidnapping our Lady is an act of war. This means that our current encounter may only end with one thing…" Leo paused only momentarily, yet in this split second the sergeant had no time to beg for his life any longer; with a burst of Cosmos, Atlantis' warriors saw flashing light pierce through their leader's head and neck, like a burning needle; a long line of blood and brains extended behind him, to then be washed down by rain drops; with that he fell back, and they could only stare in terror "… death."

"Sergeant!" a shaken soldier called.

Unsatisfied, Aiolia turned to the others, ordering his subordinates: "Step away from the enemy." Knowing well what was about to take place, they opened distance and accumulated further behind.

In their situation, enemy soldiers had nothing left but to implore for their lives, or slither and roll away, hopefully down the mountain they were on. They knew a Gold Saint would be likely to find them anyhow, but had the slightest belief they could hide and escape certain death.

Those yet closest to him appealed to his humanity, or to a preoccupation with the goddess. "Wait, wait! You can't kill us!" a young man spoke. "If you do this, something could happen to Athena!"

Uncaring, Aiolia watched their despair and asked again: "Do any of you know where Lady Athena was taken to?"

"You can't do this!" is what he heard rather than a response. They likely had none after all. "What would Athena think? She's a merciful goddess!"

"ANSWER ME!" he more aggressively yelled at them, but they went on trying to drag themselves off. That same man who insisted to talk now began to try to roll away. The sight was both a mix of degrading and unfortunate, although it brought a smirk to one of the Athenian soldiers. Leo, however, had no further emotion to express. "Then die. LIGHTNING PLASMA!"

Thousands of light tunnels sparked through the area, and in that moment the Gold Saint seemed to vanish. There was no telling whether every thunder had decided to fall in the same spot, or whether this had been great destruction spawned by Leo himself, until it was clear that the technique split skin, flesh, and bones of the enemy with ease.

Struck even past their weak armor, the blood of Poseidon's men intermingled with storm water, and every single one of them now lied either dead, or sure to die from severe injuries. Now Sanctuary's men no longer scorned, but stayed in the tense condition that succeeded a kill.

Aiolia's barely visible shadow had returned a bit more distant, slowly walking amid the corpses, and ensuring that there would be no chances for those struck to survive. Finding him, a subordinate soldier carefully approached, warning: "Sir, I felt signs of another unit not far from here."

"I know," Leo promptly replied. Around them, the other men took their ropes back and confirmed the kills in the meantime. "They cannot escape us either. Move out."

Aiolia was the first to leap afar with a blast of Cosmos, followed by late soldiers. The bodies were left behind to rot away, whereas the Athenians went on northward, proceeding to clear the coast ever towards Turkey.

Heaven's Demands
While these brutal executions continued along the Aegean, and while Marin expedited the delivery of Sanctuary's message to Libra, other messengers were sent too. There were those — typically non-Saints — who sent communiques back and forth between squads in and out of Sanctuary, but there were those who carried much more valuable information that could not tardy as much as a minute.

The most experienced couriers at the time were Eagle, Dolphin, and Piscis Austrinus, and since the first was occupied, and the second had been borrowed to help troops in a coast of the Adriatic, it was the latter who was sent to inform Heaven of Poseidon's misdeed and the certain war to come. The issue was, since Greece was deep into the night, and the folk in Olympus were used to following an Athenian clock cycle, they were sure to be asleep, and the halls were sure to be empty.

This was the only manner through which they could maintain a semblance of a day–night cycle in Heaven, not too unlike Sanctuary and Atlantis. Then, although Zeus' great temple was forever plunged in golden hour, Anka arrived past a portal in Mt. Olympus and towards the great, arched stairway surrounding it to a deserted sight. The only ones to be found thus were the guards blocking each entrance, armored to the teeth.

Ahead of the greatest passage inside, two men had large round shields boun, and they blocked the Bronze Saint's path with spears. They could recognize by sight that she was some special servant of a god, but in their ignorance, they could not confirm her ranking.

The girl was at a loss, for the guards did not speak. She babbled silently, then spoke up with her inquisitive tone: "I… I need to speak… to Lord Zeus about something."

The guard on her left responded in such a loud volume she flinched in place: "Our Lord is asleep and shall not be perturbed."

"B-but I really… I really need to speak to him! I'm a Saint, and Lady Athena is in trouble!" she insisted.

Both men were quiet awhile, that was until the guard who spoke turned to his colleague; hearing the sound of plate against plate, the other gave him attention. "Lady Hebe is in charge of such matters in our Lord's absence," he told the other. "Do you know where her quarters are found?"

"Aye!" the other awkwardly responded. Thus the guard on the right entered, but the other did not cede passage to Anka, who had to wait outside.

"Is… is Lady Hebe going to help?" the Saint questioned, and only received a subtle nod.

Surely it was not ideal to wait so long, especially since she had ensured her trip was as fast and smooth as it could be, but Anka stood still for five minutes till the other guard came back to lend her entry. From within the brief corridor, he said: "Lady Hebe has gotten up to hear you, Saint. Come at once."

"Y-yes!" Measuring her steps, Anka ventured into the great hall. She accompanied a guard while the other followed behind her, and so she took in the sight of the many seats, rests, markings, and sculptures within that gorgeous hall, forever illuminated by the same angle of vespertine light atop. The stairs and way to the dais where Zeus would normally be found, always overwhelmed with blinding light, had been blocked by layers of opaque curtains.

Several steps ahead of that, the sight of Hebe was met, although she was now covered in a long night dress, the fabric thinner than a usual himation and tunic; to no shock, she had just been awakened, and her hair lacked its ornamental ties.

"Lady Hebe, it's… n-nice to meet you!" Anka stumbled over her words as she came closer, each guard assuming a spot on her left and right.

"Saint, what brings you all the way to Heaven, and at such an inopportune hour also…?" the goddess' voice calmly asked. She had apparently not been mentioned a thing regarding Athena.

"It's an emergency!" the girl exclaimed with her minute voice. "Poseidon and Atlantis — they kidnapped Lady Athena!"

The woman scowled in disbelief. "What?"

"Y-yes, look." Thereon Piscis reached into the bag she carried, producing a sealed letter that was promptly handed over. The guards did not seem alarmed by this, trusting her as long as the goddess did. "Here is a letter signed by the blood of Gold Saints. We're waiting for another courier to come back with Libra's word to start a war, so they wanted us to… to warn Lord Zeus!" Anka felt that, with how Hebe inspired air, she was moments away from interrupting her.

"That should not be done," the woman established.

"But… it will certainly…"

"Of course the Gold Saints would hurry to conclusions in my sister's absence! Their foresight spans no further than the tip of their noses. If this suddenly Sanctuary intruded Atlantis, there would be chaos in Heaven, who knows what would come of it!"

"But they have already attacked us and taken Lady Athena!" Anka pressed.

However, Hebe's pacifism was impenetrable: "If a terrible deed he committed, then punishment my uncle shall endure. Heaven rules over Sanctuary, Atlantis, and the Underworld, so you all must respond to our call. I know well what must be done." Before she could hand out orders, she prepared to unseal the letter so carefully sent by Sanctuary, albeit light steps outlined their presence.

A familiar voice resounded not too far. "A Saint, yes?" it said, and it was a man's, Ares specifically. Dressed in a heavier himation, he took note of the activity and followed Hebe out the quarters, and at his sight, the goddess couldn't help but shut eyes in annoyance.

"Oh, Ares," she spat in impatience, turning back to him after. "It is too late for children to be wandering the hall."

The man chuckled with a snarl, though he did not approach any further yet, addressing Piscis rather than his sister. "Tell me, Saint, how has my dear sister Athena fared this past year?" he asked.

Anka had no qualms answering: "S-sir, she…"

Hebe, however, spoke over her. "Athena is fine," she stated. "There is no trouble she cannot stand up to."

"Then there is no harm in her brother learning of such troubles," Ares countered.

She gave the god the side eye, then ultimately unsealed the letter in her hands and read through its contents. Without bothering with subtlety, Ares encroached behind her and spied over her shoulder; some of the words could be made out even from that angle.

Hebe warned with a hushed and private tone to Anka: "I shall demand that the Angels scout the Earth…"

"For what, Hebe?" Ares demanded knowledge once more.

"Something that does not yet concern you."

"Uncle has done something to Athena, hasn't he? I heard you beforehand."

Once more she fired back with that furious stare. She did not wish to debate with him, but Ares' sarcastic expression had been replaced with seriousness. The Saint and the guards, standing in their presence, had become ever more uncomfortable with the bickering, so the goddess sought to ease the girl's anxiety by offering her instructions.

"Return to Sanctuary and demand that they do not invade," she told. "An immediate summit shall be called in the coming hours, and a message is to reach you soon."

"Allow me to take part in this summit," again her brother shoved his weight into their matters.

"Ares!" she yelled as if to reprimand him, but he was careless.

"You are not the only one privy to our sister's troubles. What will father say when he awakens and hears you sent the Angels down without permission?"

"Have you not done that yourself just last year?" she recalled. "And with whose permit was it? It could not have been father's."

"You had kept news of Sanctuary's war at bay, despite it long being over!"

"I wanted the dust to settle first."

"Athena had survived. Your delay was but a waste."

Hebe felt as if she butted heads with an insolent child, and she had little patience left to do anything but put him back in his place. "I am the one in charge of our father's diplomatic matters, so I may order that the Angels descend, provided that they do not fight. Now what are you?" she rhetorically inquired; to that her brother smirked and stared away, predicting what came next. "You are only your lust for war. You wish to see the Saints seize lives as they do every two centuries, but I will not have it your way."

"Let me be a part of this meeting, Hebe," he nonetheless reinforced.

"I will not."

"You will ruin this without me, Hebe!"

"I will not!"

"Then…" Ares paused; since all his other resources had been exhausted, his last option was taking advantage of Anka's untimely arrival "… I would better wake Lord Zeus up. He must hear of his favored daughter's fate at once."

With that he fully turned and walked towards a wall to the side of where they stood, where an open door separated the hall from the quarters. Seeing him go that far, Hebe shook her head and called to him, saying: "You may partake in it, but solely to keep your mouth shut."

Ares halted in his tracks and grinned, not even looking back to her once he responded. "As long as I am not spoken to, I swear by silence," he promised. So he returned to the quarters, and Hebe was left to instruct Anka on what was to be done.

The coming hour came fast, and it did not take long after they were ordered by Hebe for the Angels to descend unto Earth. Each was tasked differently, although not one of them was able to avoid the terrifying rains spawned by Poseidon and his priests. Heaven's elite servants had a different yet similar experience of the storms, one only dwarfed by the destruction experienced by humanity below.

Back in Japan, the news cycle had little else to comment on. A television skipped from one channel to another, staying only a handful of seconds until it was clear that they all covered the same event, differing only in its facet. The signal failed, but a man's hand slammed the top and shifted with something, thus the image was noisy no more.

"… reports that the rains are simultaneous all over the globe…" They changed to the next channel. "Researchers disagree on the causes…" Then to the next. "… possibly an unforeseen effect of human-generated pollution." That commentator's voice was cut to the next channel. "… but it's unclear what level of weather warfare the USSR…" To the next channel they went, and the signal failed yet again. Betwixt the ghosts of scratching sounds and shuffled colors, a protest was displayed under the dryness of a train station. The reporter calmly described: "… God's punishment for humanity's evils. They claim this is no different from the flood described in the…"

"What a load of crap!" the man holding the controller went to the next channel, but it was noisier than the last, so the other slammed the top once more.

"What are we going to do?" "I'm scared…" the voices of children were the next ones in the room. They were in the orphanage's vast living space, and Miho stood among them, tranquilizing the younger ones by playing with toys.

"Don't be scared," she said. "Rain can't just fall forever, you know?"

Thunder struck the building, loud and terrifying; after that all-encompassing flash, the lights went out, and so did the failing tube TV. A little girl yelled, but the orphanage's workers were prompt in making the children feel safe.

"Miss Miho? What's going on?" one of the kids bemoaned.

"It's fine, it's just a blackout due to the lightning. I'll go get us some candles," she assured them, although even she felt uneasy at that point.

While others redirected the boys and girls to a lighter area of the building, closer to the windows, Miho ventured down the halls to find candles. It was yet morning in Japan, but blackened skies meant it felt as if the evening were to fall, and illumination was a clear necessity.

On her way to the kitchen, where she knew the candles were to be found, she paid attention to a bizarre set of whistling sounds. They were impertinent and impossible to avoid; as her ears moved about with her head, the weeping only phased in and out, never becoming any quieter. Once it was clear that this did not happen in the building, but outside of it, she ran the other way — Miho aimed for the entryway now.

Never minding what would happen, she dared walk under the storm, so her hair and clothes were that instantly soaked. The rain was so powerful that it pained her face, so she protected it with the forearm in order to study the surroundings and find the noise's source. Faraway, among the tallest buildings in that medium-sized town, the girl spotted two shapes near the clouds leaping ever forward.

She could not believe her eyes. Like birds unaffected by all torment, these things razed the skies and oft shone as stars on the foreground of darkness. "Are those… Saints?" she muttered.

In that she was wrong. Among those who scouted over Japan was the Angel Odysseus, then stopped at the edge of an apartment building. His braids followed the powerful drag of the winds, and he watched the gray maelstrom above, realizing it could not be natural. His eyes thus descended to the neighborhoods in the distance, and he was able to see the faint shape of Miho in the background, stark against the grass.

Realizing they had likely been spotted, he did not seem to mind much. Rather, he stared back at his company, a sparkling form whistling many meters away. The man stepped off the building and, without the rough blast typical of lesser warriors, launched himself onward, producing an otherworldly tone as well. From there, it seemed, they would follow onward to China.

Near Greece, it was Icarus who traveled alone across the coasts. He saw the same regarding the storms, although he also came to find the hundreds of bodies of Atlantean soldiers decomposing, left to the elements by Aiolia's onslaught. In fact, he could sense that, further into the Turkish border, more killings were ongoing. Despite this, the Angel did not intervene; in the same spectacle of his peers, he flew above water, destination now being Sanctuary.

Simultaneously, the Angel Atalanta neared the edge of a cliff in another country. The sea ahead of her was the Cantabrian, and the lighthouse behind her — lit to aid distant vessels struck by sudden rains — had once been blessed by Sorrento's flute. There Julian heard his last song ere Poseidon possessed him, and from that standpoint Atalanta attested, too, that the storms were likely bewitched.

With a mighty jump, the girl dove into the turbulent water, far enough past the coast; her direction was downward, to the bottom and nowhere else, likely to find the same portal once utilized by Siren and Mermaid to transport Poseidon's vessel-to-be.

Such was the speed with which the Angels could travel; their way with the Cosmos was incomprehensible to the mightiest of its users. Their secret was unknown even to the most knowledgeable of Gold Saints. In a matter of minutes, servants of Heaven had traversed up to thousands of kilometers from their exit points, and they would thereon reach their destinations just as quickly.

This meant that, by the time that Aiolia freed his troops from their responsibility to him, and therefore returned home to climb the Ecliptic, not only had Marin brought Libra's response, but Icarus was come and gone. Sure, the situation in the grounds was similarly active, recruits being trained at record pace to prepare for a bloody war, although the Gold Saints had also initiated their relocating.

Every one of them had convened in the Temple of Aries. Their talks were private enough that Marin was told to leave long ago, whereas the High Priestess and the cultists in charge of tending for Athena's temple were there, including the former acolyte, the young Zamira. Not one soul would be found along the temples as such, apart from Cancer's aspirant, who had to keep watch over the lost souls of the Hellmouth.

In the circle of the priestesses, two letters were passed around, and it caused a minor clamor among them. They debated matters of diplomacy and tactics, although the latter were of little knowledge to their kind. At that point, however, the Saints had grown silent and distant, and once Aiolia's arrival was announced through echoes on the stairway, the Cult quit their chattering as well.

His appearance brought suspense to his colleagues and friends. Once he entered the House of Aries, he took off the helmet and was welcomed by its guardian. "Aiolia, you are back at last," Mu said.

The man did not come too close yet; they saw his skin was wet from rain water and sweat, and a splatter of darkening blood could be seen along a cheek, perhaps a minor oversight in the process of the massacre he enacted.

"The coast around the Mediterranean is clear of Marina," Leo informed them. "It will be easier to invade Atlantis that way."

"That should be good."

Unfazed by the heavy air carried by his friends, Aiolia thus turned to the circle of priestesses, agglomerated near the marble table where Athena once lied. "Ladies, Lady Aleka, Lady Zamira..." he saluted them with a shallow bow. "I would never expect the High Priestess to be here, seeing that you were assigned Cancer's duties."

"The aspirant is already proficient at those, despite being so youthful," Aleka claimed. "Combat is the only lacking aspect for the moment."

"Shame. I would have been excited to fight alongside a Cancer Saint."

Mu walked ahead and told: "That would not happen regardless, Aiolia."

"Hm?"

"Eagle has returned with Libra's response," the High Priestess explained instead of Aries. "War is to be declared against Atlantis, but only three Gold Saints will be allowed to oversee the invasion. The others are to stay behind and guard Sanctuary."

"So…? Make me one of those who invade."

Milo was the next one to speak up, her tone demonstrating a similar level of disbelief as he would soon show: "The old man mentioned us by name!"

"Aries, Taurus, and Pisces shall invade," Aleka explained. "You and the others will stay behind."

"This…" Aiolia gritted the teeth and looked around, though his eyes landed once more at the woman for rescue. "I do not care what Libra says. High Priestess, in his absence, I shall follow your orders! Demand that I invade Atlantis as well! Only then can we ensure our Lady's survival." But Aleka subtly shook her head in denial. "I must be a part of this attack! How can you force me to stay put?"

Mu interceded: "Aiolia, I do not understand what is the matter with you. What has made you so cruel and foolhardy?"

"Do not act as if I had never been this way, Mu."

"Brave and steadfast, sure, yet Andromeda brought us reports of slaughters along the coast. You have led troops to execute Poseidon's scouts like pigs."

Aiolia entirely turned to his friend now, raising the free hand in debate. "It may be that, in paper, war has not yet begun, but for all intents and purposes it has. If they did not wish to be treated as enemy soldiers, they would not wander Earth without our permission, especially while having custody of Lady Athena," he said.

"Do not avoid my worries here. The killing is a reality of war — it is the way you have been going about it." Leo did not look off; rather, he continued to confront Mu's judgment, and the man saw a fervor too harsh in his mien. "Have you let hatred swell in your heart, the same hatred that makes Atlanteans threaten extinction over humanity?"

Those words finally made the lion's gaze relent. He hid the eyes and lowered the head slightly. Raising the helmet he held, he preferred to stare at it, to hark back to specific memories. "I was once sent to kill traitors in Japan. I arrived with the intent of purifying my blood from the curse Aiolos cast upon it. Then, as I was about to finish the deed, I saw him, the Sagittarius himself. Did I ever tell you this story?"

The other Gold Saints widened their eyes in disbelief; there was no manner through which Aiolos could have survived. Naturally they assumed Aiolia had gone insane in his tantrum, but when he looked back at them, they saw naught if not sobriety. All Mu could muster was: "How?"

"Unmistakably he stood there before me, blocking my path. Adorned in his Gold Cloth, the same gaze, the same courage, and the same radiance I recalled from my childhood. I could not believe my eyes that he appeared there, exactly as I had last seen before his vanishing. Behind him, however, I saw no traitor; it was not a mere betrayer he defended, but our Lady in the flesh," he continued telling, so he looked back at the helmet, as if taking in his own reflection in the wet metal. "I understood then, though I did not accept it. In my stubbornness, I pressed on fighting, but Lady Athena did not allow me to end the lives of those protecting her." Lifting the other arm, he placed two fingers to the side of his head, exactly as she had done that day. "She had to only split my head asunder, right then and there, and it would be over. With my life flashing within me, I succumbed to the truth — there she was, the one whom I was meant to protect! She did not berate me, she did not hate me, she did not abandon me. She took me in an embrace, cared for me, and proved to me that my brother was no traitor." He looked back at them, and his voice nigh failed as he repeated: "Aiolos was no traitor."

The baggage of the doubt he suffered each and every day on the grounds, on his path to inevitably become the Leo Saint, was noticeable now. Nonetheless, despite it all, it seemed no judgment could affect him any longer. Knowing that truth frequently transcended law, he retreated to his reason and heart, where Athena's identity would forever remain the righteous one.

Aiolia's next words came solely to Mu: "You say that what has led me to do these things was hatred, but it was love. The woman whom we protect is a great one, but beyond that, to me she is a personal reminder of my brother's sacrifice. A lie that weighed down my shoulders was stripped away then, and I owe to her any effort my bones may exert." He clenched a fist both in frustration and determination. "I will guard Lady Athena's sacred mercy with the worst of cruelties, if that is what it takes. I beg that you do not attempt to stop me, friend."

There was no response Mu could offer. Even those in disagreement comprehended Leo's position, no matter how unreasonable, so it was Aldebaran who walked up to him next. Aiolia eyed him curiously till the man's large hand rested on his shoulder. "As Gold Saints, we're a lot like siblings. If cruelty is what you'd like to hand the Atlanteans, brother, I'll make sure to kill as many as possible while I'm there," Taurus promised with a serious frown. "I'll do so in your name and spirit, as only a brother may."

His friend sighed; hearing that at least gave him hope that his fury would not go to waste, certainly not while entrusted to a powerful man like Aldebaran. "There's no other option, is there?"

"If Libra said it, he probably has his reasons."

"I sure hope he does. My blood has never boiled this hot, so it'd better be worth it to stay behind."

As animosities relaxed, the priestesses slowly approached. "You may not be allowed into Atlantis," Aleka said, "but you shall come to Olympus with us."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "We're heading to Olympus?"

"Heaven's response to our message was to send the Angel Icarus. An urgent summit will be procured to pressure Poseidon into releasing Lady Athena."

"He surely would not do such a thing."

"Alas, we cannot invade unless Heaven's demands are fulfilled. Your colleagues appointed me to lead the diplomatic convoy, though I want you to be among those who accompany us. I would not allow our talks stay unbeknownst to you."

"Of course, High Priestess," he spoke with a light bow. "It will be my pleasure."

"Then let us take our leave."

The group came together and began their exit down the Temple of Aries. While this happened, well outside Sanctuary, in the Adriatic coast where Marin, Alicia, and Anka last entered Atlantis, an amazing view could be found. Even under extreme darkness, veiled by curtains of heavy rain, hundreds of combatants had set up what looked like a siege surrounding sea. Only with lanterns could the soldiers and amazons see through the landscape, frequently mountainous till it fell into gravel beaches.

Off the ledges of hills, they set pulleys attached to thick ropes, thereon entering sea depths. Teams of large, strong men pulled on these, and the ropes tensioned as if pulling something of incredible weight. The strength they had to put required also some Cosmos, but regardless, the physical strain was such that they groaned or even screamed.

Accompanied by a band of other soldiers, Alicia led the emerging object. With her aid, they relocated and pulled from the sea bed one of Atlantis' portals, and somehow brought it all the way to landfall. First they repositioned the artifact so that they ascertained it would end up the right way up, and then pulled the very ropes to direct it.

The less immersed was the portal, the more its rainbow-like glimmer illuminated the dark coast. Alicia yelled as a signal for the soldiers above to pull harder, and soon the thing stopped over gravel. They pulled some more, by rope or hand alone, and left it there to go rest their arms and legs. It was only one entry, they knew, but it was active and ready for Sanctuary's first assault. All that remained was entering and kicking off the battle for Athena and humanity.

Exhausted soldiers and officers saw the blinding shine from the cliffs above. Not too far behind them, partially protected by natural formations, they erected quick structures of wood and rock that certainly would not last long. Beneath cloth and other scrap, they built tents wherein they could rest, sleep, and tend for the injured. Only a handful of Saints could occasionally be seen heading their operation, mostly of Bronze and Silver ranks; after all, the Gold Saints were now busy with political concerns.

Matters of Politics
The High Priestess' convoy was already underway to Olympus once this was finished. They had not been the only ones to exit Sanctuary, but parallel to many squadrons traveling towards that same point where the portal was fished out.

It was Icarus who awaited Sanctuary's convoy, standing on one of the paths up Mt. Olympus under the windy storm. His mahogany hair was blown with his wet himation, like a patient statue in the rain. Soon attention was brought to distant sparks of Cosmoi, and not too much later did the image of Scorpio Milo descend from the sky. She casually stood and approached, recognizing him by Aleka's description.

"You must be Icarus," she said.

The Angel then questioned out of safety: "Is Sanctuary's diplomatic convoy arriving?"

"They should arrive in a matter of seconds. Our High Priestess will lead the talks, so we took longer to transport her."

"It matters not," he said and waved for her to follow up the steep hill. "You are right on time, so come."

The two walked up to an enclosed section of the mountain, which he had to light with energy. Deep within it, past stalagmites and stalactites, there were collections of water scattered across the tight cavern. It was rather deep within where they found a larger pool of cloudy, stale liquid, trapped in a wide depression in stone. Icarus stirred it with an index, Cosmos flowing through it like nebulae, until it darkened to a deep black shade.

Eventually they could see star-like dots peppered, and its appearance gave an impossible sense of depth for a body so shallow. When this was done, Icarus stepped onto the stone's ledge and walked into it, such that he swung fully down. On the other side, he had entered a pavilion the likes of Sanctuary's main entrance, and had to balance himself back onto the opposing ledge, now made of polished marble.

Behind him now was a similar body of water, which bubbled until Scorpio came through in the same fashion, although she struggled to retain balance. Having given her a hand, the Angel lit a crystal atop the structure, revealing that the architecture was much older than that of Sanctuary's, although curtains also divided them from the city outside.

Not long thereafter, others found and exited the pool, first Aleka with the aid of Aiolia and Aldebaran, then Zamira, then a handful more priestesses. By stirring his finger into the water some more, Icarus instilled the same sigil from last instance, and so it returned to its previous opacity, no more of that mystical substance that connected Earth and Heaven.

Past the veils, they left the building and found themselves amid the vespertine city under Zeus' direct administration. Although the sky was golden as it always was, the emptiness of the streets was a sign that this was night, much like it was night in Greece, and the residents were deep asleep. Passing between public buildings, pillars, sculptures, and small homes, the less informed wondered what sort of folk inhabited that place, and how similar they were to the civilians in Sanctuary and Atlantis.

The group followed Icarus up to the round stairwell beyond the giant flora of the region, up to the great Temple of Zeus, where the talks would be held. From below, its vastness was almost horrifying, although accounting for the many gods who held court and even slept there, it came as no surprise that it was so massive.

After climbing the stairs, they crossed past the very guards who helped Anka in her recent visit, and proceeded into the Temple. The place was close to empty still, but a good quantity of folk had come. Leading Atlantis' convoy was Thetis and two generals, ahead of some priests from the Cult of Poseidon. Hebe and Ares expected Sanctuary's arrival, and behind them were the Angels Atalanta, Odysseus, and an armored raven-haired girl thus far unknown.

Icarus instructed that Athena's folk stand the opposite end of the Atlanteans, then joined his colleagues behind the two gods who would head the summit. The first thing that Aleka took note of, indeed, was Poseidon's absence. Only Marina and cultists had come.

Hebe offered the newcomers a respectful bow. "I am glad to finally host you. Lady Aleka, I assume," the goddess said, surprisingly aware of her name.

"Yes, and you are Lady Hebe," the High Priestess affirmed, but she would not have let Poseidon's absence go unnoticed. "Was Lord Poseidon unable to make it to this meeting?" As the question had been counterintuitively directed at her, Hebe instead turned to Thetis, and Ares grinned with a raised eyebrow. He was already amused by Sanctuary's forwardness, it seemed.

"Our Lord is busy leading troops into defensive positions. Since it is Sanctuary we speak of, he fears the extent of their response," Thetis answered, her tone cynical and harsh.

Aiolia was that soon pestered, though Aldebaran thankfully calmed him with a light tap to the arm. He would have to keep his cool if they were to survive Atlantis' quips. However, the response given by the High Priestess was far from kind, saying: "He rightfully fears Sanctuary's response to Lady Athena being abducted."

Hebe slowly nodded and turned to Thetis. "What my uncle has done is undoubtedly a crime, Mermaid. As soon as my father awakens, he shall be informed of this, and his response is likely to be much worse than whatever Sanctuary may spawn," she spoke, although her tranquil tone made it impossible to take that as a threat.

"I highly doubt so," the Mariner replied. "It must be difficult to be as murderous as the Saints."

Aleka gave a tight smile in frustration and turned to the goddess once more. "Lady Hebe, I apologize, but may we discuss our terms and leave such pleasantries aside? Time is of the essence," she pleaded.

Her host agreed: "Let us get to it". She breathed deeply and turned to Thetis a second time, since the initial accusations had been made against Poseidon. "Atlantis has been accused of taking illegal custody of my sister. I take it that you do not deny this."

"We do not," Thetis responded. "I am also told Sanctuary does not deny taking illegal custody of two of our Generals, including one of our Lord's close friends."

Thus Hebe turned to Aleka inquisitively. "Does Sanctuary deny this?"

"We have custody of Siren Sorrento and Chrysaor Krishna," the High Priestess admitted. "They are well-fed and tended to, and have only been taken in response to an attack on our Lady."

"That is only half the story," Mermaid spoke up as a minor ruckus began among her convoy.

"Mermaid, do not be so eager to speak," Hebe chastised her. "Is there an objection to what this priestess said?"

"Lord Poseidon had a meeting with Lady Athena on her own territory. When his terms were presented to her, the Saints attacked us rather than debating as civilized people do."

Milo leaned forth and shouted: "You lying vipers!"

Aleka and Aldebaran were about to shut her, but Thetis did not give up on her offenses: "The Saints are like vicious beasts! They have no respect for debate or life itself."

"High Priestess," Hebe turned to Sanctuary's convoy once more, "what is the meaning of this? Is it the truth?"

The convoy's leader looked at those present, first at Milo so she would no longer dare to interrupt, then at Hebe's worried eyes, then at Ares' expecting grin. With a sigh, she transferred responsibility to Athena's assistant, ordering: "Zamira, tell them of the meeting."

Without missing a beat, the girl beside her told: "Our Lady received a letter she confirmed to be her uncle's. It requested a peace meeting on a place of her choosing. In her mercy, she granted permission for the Atlanteans to walk the Earth for the duration of such meeting, with plenty of time to come and go to Athens. I confirm this, for I oversaw the entire process of planning said meeting."

"Well done. Now, Lady Hebe, I humbly suggest that you ask the other guests what were the terms of these so-called peace talks."

Hebe turned to the other convoy. "Mermaid…"

"That is not the case here," Mermaid deflected.

So Aleka loudly answered it herself: "Handing Atlantis full control over Sanctuary's military and religious operations, or else…"

"None of this justifies your actions these past hours!"

"… or else unending rain would ravage humanity by means of a deluge. Those are the peaceful terms Lord Poseidon brought to the table."

The goddess continued to stare in disbelief, and her brother couldn't help but whisper a remark: "Did he think he could get away with that one?"

"Quiet," she murmured to him, and thus she addressed the Angel Odysseus. "Can you confirm this?"

He and his colleagues stood in the back, stoic, robotic... despite holding their own personal feelings towards either side, they hid these so that Heaven would not appear biased. Similarly, Odysseus spoke in a dutiful tone, calculating his words as to prosaically describe what they had found: "We scoured through several countries in Asia, and rain pours without end in every single one of them."

Atalanta corroborated this: "I passed through Spain, saw the same thing."

Then Icarus: "The storm in Greece is also extreme and constant, no end in sight."

"There is no doubt it is of unnatural origin," Odysseus concluded.

Hebe's severe expression to Poseidon's convoy was a reflection of the gravity of this fact. "You do realize what this means to you," she said.

Mermaid objected: "We cannot be punished for following our Lord's orders. It is his will to end humanity with a flood, not ours."

"Then he shall be punished for it."

"And what will be of the Saints?"

The goddess lifted her hands in uncertainty. "I have heard haste in their desire for war, though I have not seen the High Priestess speak unreasonably."

Atlantis' convoy raised their voices in protest once more, but Thetis did not speak too loudly next. "Of course Heaven would be biased towards Athena." Aleka breathed out deeply, bothered by Mermaid's disrespect; the raised spirits of the Atlanteans bothered Aiolia as well, who grunted and crossed the arms.

"Offer this summit an example of Sanctuary's thirst for blood. What must they be punished for?"

Thetis waved at no other than Leo. "That Saint has led a vendetta against scouting units around the Mediterranean. As they surrendered, he executed every single one of them. Even humans take that as a heinous crime, so I can't see why Heaven wouldn't do the same."

Therefore Hebe turned back to Sanctuary's group. "What say you in that regard?"

"I would not punish soldiers for being soldiers," Aleka argued, "let alone for applying Heaven's law. Atlantis is not allowed to operate on Earth without Sanctuary's permission; their grant had expired since the meeting, so they could not wander there, much less the Greek and Turkish coasts."

"The law says nothing of punishing this transgression with death!" Mermaid interjected.

Whereas Thetis' voice was raised, the High Priestess did her best to keep calm. "The chaos brought by our Lady's abduction has made initial communications difficult. Many Saints and soldiers already believed us to be at war, for good reason. When they saw Atlantean squadrons so close to Athens, they had no qualms treating them as enemies. Is that so difficult to comprehend?"

Hebe sighed and tilted the head, seemingly comprehending her side. When she turned to Mermaid and the others, they chuckled in frustration. "You will grant her that one too, yeah?" Thetis cynically asked.

"If I granted that my uncle is the only one responsible for the storms, instead of ordering the Angels arrest you at once, how could I not grant her such?" spoke their host.

"Fine," the other ceded and looked away momentarily, "but the executions must end."

"It is true. I expect Sanctuary be capable of keeping their military in check."

With a nod to the Gold Saints and back to the gods, Aleka reassured them: "No more attacks will occur until war is formally declared."

"But Lady Aleka, war…?" this sudden whisper came from Zamira, eyes widened at the suggestion. The High Priestess was upset and squinted at her; Hebe nevertheless shared the girl's disappointment.

"This summit has convened with the chief intent of avoiding conflict between Sanctuary and Atlantis," the goddess stated. "Why speak of war?"

"It is our duty to ensure our Lady's safety. By Libra's order, we refuse to await Lord Zeus' decision before acting," Aleka stated.

Thetis chimed in: "As I said, no respect for civilization."

"Just shut her up," Aiolia mumbled, but amid the complaints of Atlanteans, his voice was barely heard.

"Is there anything that could happen as to make war a distant thought to Sanctuary?" Hebe questioned next, clearly envisioning a tense peace, at least until Heaven's court could be held again.

"There are a few things," said the High Priestess. "The release of our Lady, healthy and alive; followed by the detainment of Lord Poseidon, who should be punished for his crimes against her, humanity, and Heaven."

"Lady Aleka, this is rash," Zamira insisted on her disagreement.

She did not expect Aleka, a woman typically so tranquil, to snap back at her with a fiery gaze. Although the older woman was quiet for a second, she soon whispered: "Do not contradict your High Priestess' decision a third time." The former acolyte looked down in frustration and obeyed, though not without taking issue with the attitude.

"So, do you have any objections to that, Mermaid?" Hebe asked.

"This is dependent on our Lord's takeaway, but I cannot speak on his behalf regarding that. What I can say is that he will not release anyone until they release our Generals," said Thetis.

"I see, so let us do the following. To make up for the unlawful executions, Sanctuary is to release Siren and Chrysaor from custody."

Aleka shut the eyes, not enjoying the terms but giving in regardless. "I suppose," she muttered.

"In the other hand, Atlantis must hand over my sister alive, and my uncle must present himself to be detained for his wrongdoings."

"We accept those terms," Mermaid said more fiercely.

"Some food for thought…" Ares' tone raised, which alarmed his sister.

"You said you would not speak," she reminded as if to censor him.

The god continued regardless, addressing the Atlanteans: "… father has been sensitive when it comes to the topic of Athena. Tell my uncle that, if he does not abide by those terms, dad will not relent. He plans on sending Artemis and the Satellites as soon as things do not go his way, and they would join Sanctuary's side without a doubt. Atlantis painted red by the end of it — what a sight to behold it would be!"

Mermaid stared with a hint of panic in her eyes, although one of the Generals behind her scoffed at Ares' grin; he found it psychotic in a sense, and Poseidon's servants wondered whether that god's presence was solely to threaten them into submission. To hide her discomfort, Thetis turned to the remainder of her convoy. "We will do our best to convince him."

"Bright woman."

"Then the terms are set. Excuse me a moment," Hebe said, then walking towards a clepsydra near one of the walls. Between simple, painted etchings, two beautifully crafted clay bowls were displaced, one over a marble platform, and another placed on the floor ahead of it, filled with water.

Their sides were painted as intricately as the wall behind, and the markings were interspersed with representations of astronomical objects and bathing nymphs. The goddess took the lower bowl and poured its still water into the top one, setting it back in place. Slowly water began to drain from the top and into the lower container, through which a viewer could tell the passage of time.

With the timer set, she returned to the groups and subtly bowed. "I am thankful for your patience. You have one hour from this moment to follow through with your obligations," she told. "Once it has passed, a mark should appear around a faint star south of Eridanus. If by the time the mark shines either party has not fulfilled what is demanded of them, punishment is due." She then turned to the High Priestess. "Lady Aleka, let us suppose by then my sister has not safely returned, Sanctuary would not be judged for warring out of their own accord."

Aleka nodded in understanding and said: "Thank you very much, Lady Hebe."

With the summit finished, Icarus led Sanctuary's convoy back out through the same portal whence they entered, and Atalanta led the Atlanteans in an opposite direction, to a different pavillion. A single hour was all they had to wait before war was certain; as the two gods and remaining Angels observed the clepsydra in action, they knew how ephemeral each second and minute was, and now they could only hope both sides would follow through with their responsibilities. The Gold Saints, however, knew well Atlantis had no interest in doing this. They only bought themselves time for the inevitable assault they would sustain.

The Undoing of Diplomacy
While the sound of water pouring into the bowl echoed meditatively in that Heavenly temple, the crashing storms of Earth continued to wash the Adriatic coast. A landslide condemned a part of Sanctuary's growing encampment, and so the soldiers had to collect the wasted scrap and expand in some safer direction.

In one of the multiple setups around the retrieved portal, a large group of Saints marched towards a large tent; the formation which they assumed hinted at them escorting something or someone. Among these men and women were Andromeda and Wolf, who, from the center, led Siren and Chrysaor into the wooden structure. Agitated soldiers did not dare shout in defiance, although they eyed the guarded Marina with suspicion from above.

The inside of the tent was much drier compared to outside, but holes inevitably allowed leaks that softened planks holding up the construction, and because the foundation was flimsily set into ground, there was no safety that the wind wouldn't sweep it off at any given moment.

Whereas Shun, Nachi, and the prisoners entered, the other Saints stayed outside, both blocking the way inside and conversing among themselves. Sorrento and Krishna were then sat over a wooden table, the little furniture they had within. Although they were ill-dressed as prior, they were given mantles with which they could cover their bodies and heads from the storms, but Chrysaor had not been given access to his Scale. Similarly, they had their limbs tied in the Andromeda Chain, albeit not as thoroughly as before.

"As expected, tensions have grown," Krishna observed. "Had I not been in your presence, I would not be surprised if those people attacked us."

"Since we retrieved that portal, they hunger to invade," Shun explained. "They question what is the point of sitting around while Lady Athena may be in danger."

"There is no doubt that war will break out now."

"I still have hope, but…" Somehow Andromeda could not finish that thought, but Chrysaor corrected him, since he shared the Gold Saints' realism.

"We must accept what we cannot control," he said, "and this we can no longer control, Andromeda." The boy sighed at that, restively concurring.

Minor peaks of Cosmos came right from outside; as worrying as it felt, the Saints had grown accustomed to this, since it was characteristic of an Angel's landing, such was their subtle grasp over their power and the laws of the universe. Without delay, two shadows made their way into the tent, these being Icarus and Odysseus.

"Have you brought their belongings too?" the first asked the Saints.

Nachi confirmed and said: "They are outside in a crate, but wait…" the young man paused and frowned "… you're not thinking about taking them back before we get our end of the bargain, are you?"

"This is no bargain, Saint," Icarus replied. "These are orders from Heaven. They are to be carried out regardless of outcome."

"So they might get the generals back, and we might have to fight our way to Lady Athena?" Nachi turned his frown to Shun next, but the boy seemed calm despite it all.

Odysseus spoke next: "If they commit the mistake of not freeing her, Heaven's wrath shall crush them."

Thus Shun rested a hand over Nachi's shoulder pad. "It will be fine. They have a point, Nachi," he said.

"How can you say that?" his friend said in disbelief.

"We gain nothing more from keeping these two hostage; I would even argue they get more from us doing so." Andromeda stared at the prisoners as he went on. "It is clear that if Atlantis does not follow Heaven's stipulations, they will be a target to both them and us. That is a battle they cannot win. If these two are in our custody, they are more likely to survive; in the other hand, by being released back into Atlantis, they might be forced into an unwinnable position — survival becomes uncertain."

Nachi breathed deeply and raised an eyebrow at him. "You're sure of this, yeah?"

"Only if the two of them are." Shun walked over to the Generals, and with all due respect, asked: "Will you take the risk of joining Atlantis in an unwinnable war?"

Krishna needed not think of it, his answer came naturally: "My duty is to Atlantis above all, so of course."

Sorrento, however, kept his quiet till he was pressured. "So…? What of you, Sorrento?"

The flutists eyes wandered to the Angels, then back to Athena's intelligence. It seemed there was some resistance within him, but his answer was curt and direct. "Yes, I will," he told.

"Take them away," Shun permitted the Angels. "Avoid the eyes of the army, lest you cause a commotion."

"I will do my best," Icarus said, so he and his company held the arrested Marina and escorted them back into the rain. While they left, Andromeda used Cosmos to let the chain lightly unravel itself from the two, such that they were fully released into the Angels' custody the farther they got.

Seeing the two go, Nachi grew uncomfortable once more. Such a decision, he thought, should've only come when Athena's welfare had been assured. "It feels like we're making a mistake," he said.

Shun partially agreed, saying: "Every second without rescuing her feels wrong."

"That's true."

"So let us expedite what we can; first, our frontline."

It wasn't too long after that, in this same shack, the Saints outside nearly packed it full. Suddenly the tight space was much more obvious, in addition to the low ceiling. Despite the loud sound of wind and rain, they raised their tones in order to debate how would initial entry take place, so the path could be safely cleared for the army.

Since the couriers had been the only ones to venture into Atlantis before, Alicia and Anka enlightened others on what they had seen. "Once you enter that portal, there's no way you won't be faced with troops straightaway. I'm saying full-on squads, probably a couple Marina. They will attack you on sight, because it's a huge advantage for them," the first said.

"Where does it come out through?" Shiryu asked her.

"It's like a temple," Dolphin gesticulated as she explained, "and it's full of portals like that. Most of them seemed inactive, but there were a handful working. They're probably scattered around the world."

"Let's come out attacking, and we should definitely clear it," said Hyoga.

"Maybe. What if there are Generals there?" Dragon continued.

"That should not be the case," Shun presupposed. "Alicia, Anka, did you guys get a glimpse outside this temple?" Both the girls shook their heads negatively. "Hm… well, what we have learned is that Atlantis has a series of pillars reaching up to the oceans above. Each is defended by a General; according to what Sorrento told us, Poseidon's priests are inside those pillars, and they are the ones causing this rain. They know that, once we are in, we will target those without question."

"So we're sure not to meet any Generals at the entrance," concluded Shiryu. "That makes it easier."

"I bet we can handle it with a small squad. Let it be me, Seiya, Shiryu, Hyoga, June, and…" the boy sought a face amid the many folk in the tent; between Shaina, Jabu, Ichi, Nachi, and even the large Geki — who had to kneel near the entrance to fit into the tent — he could not find him "… Ikki?"

Nachi scratched the back of his head and informed: "Oh, uhm… I looked for him like you told me, and I even asked Shaka. No one knows where your brother might be."

Shun rolled the eyes and grunted in frustration. "Why does he always do this?" he mumbled.

"Ikki has always been a lone wolf — you know that better than I do. When he's not leading people, he probably prefers to work solo."

"But it will not be ideal to invade without him."

"Forget him," Shaina's harsh tone spoke up. "Just have me in his place."

"Absolutely not, it would be too dangerous," Shun said, and knowing she would not accept such an excuse, he gave another one, "moreover, Miss Shaina, you have led troops in the rebellion. You will be invaluable as a commander."

"I can handle myself," she said. "Remember that I studied the Seventh Sense the same as you."

Seiya, who was closest to her, leaned and pulled her ear closer to him, whispering: "Don't worry, we'll be fine."

But that wasn't her preoccupation, at least outwardly; this only bothered her further. "What do you mean, you will be fine?"

"Eh, Miss Shaina," Jabu butted in, "I get the feeling, and Libra screwed over the Gold Saints too. Aiolia and Milo were yearning to go, then he said they had to stay back. It's a part of team play, some of us have to take roles we don't like!"

Shaina didn't respond, just nodded the head left and right and relaxed her tight shoulders. Raising his eyebrows and pouting a moment, Shun closed down the meeting. "So that is how it will go," he finalized. "The five of us will enter the portal and push Poseidon's troops away from this temple they spoke of. Then the commanders can transport troops at a proper pace and prepare from inside Atlantis. Any questions?" Everyone stayed quiet, agreeing to the plan. "Then come on. About time to get everyone ready."

Therewith they walked outside and braved the rain some more. There they would stay for the remainder of their night, supporting other Saints in organizing squadrons, and ensuring that the encampments were constructed on the safest ground, since all the water made the dirt and rocks treacherous.

All of those present grew in anxiety. Aldebaran, Aphrodite, and Mu had already arrived, thus they subdivided multiple units that were to be led by Silver Saints, whereas Bronze Saints were to lead smaller units under their guidance. As men and women were exchanged between groups, they moved here and there, and because little covering had been built — while some didn't withstand the forces — many had to wait under the thunderstorm.

Several minutes passed and Sanctuary's forces were at the ready. Far above, two figures hidden by veil of water watched over the great gathering. They saw the two flags common among the soldiers, one being the blue flag with the owl charge in white, the same symbol above the door to Athena's temple; the other being the red flag with the black inscription, used by the rebels during the civil war.

The ones who watched were the Angels Odysseus and Icarus; both recognized Athena's charge, although only the latter was reminded of the rebellious flag. There was a sense of anticipation — haply even apprehension — to see Sanctuary so up in arms.

Such a response they knew to be fearsome, and so Odysseus made a simple presumption. "Poseidon is sure not to present himself," he claimed.

Icarus turned to his friend, saying: "Do you take him for a coward?"

"A coward? Look at that." Odysseus signaled at the sight below with his head, and they both took in the panorama. No matter how small each warrior seemed that afar, they came in numbers so outstanding as to cover the lower plateaus and cliffs, armed and disciplined, prepared to kill or die. "Under the worst conditions, they siege a single entry point. They are at a disadvantage, yet plan on invading even before the Satellites are called. The coward would never have provoked them in the first place."

"The terrors Atlantis will face if Lady Athena no longer lives…" Icarus worriedly spoke over the sound of wind.

"If such is the case, I will rue not killing Poseidon's vessel myself. Nevertheless, knowing one of these people would be the one to slit his throat, I rest easy."

And it was in Heaven, back in the Temple of Zeus, where the flow of the clepsydra came ever closer to depleting. The only two who watched at that point were Hebe and Ares, no longer with the energy to debate one another. Right before the bowls, the woman stood in expectation, hands below her chest; disquieted by nature rather than unease, Ares walked left and right behind her.

Atalanta and the raven-haired Angel returned, though their expressions did not carry kind news. Hebe was forthwith in her words: "Was she released?"

The redhead lowered the head apologetically. "No more word from Atlantis, not even to refuse your order," she said.

Entertained, Ares ceased the walking and sighed a genuine smile. Whereas the others feared the war's finale, he thought his sister capable of crushing Poseidon herself, if not more. Hebe, in the other hand, looked pensive and letdown; when her stare did meet Ares' amused face, she seemed to disapprove of it.

To her dismay, the sound of running water faded till it was no more. "The hour is exhausted," the goddess observed. She brought both delicate hands to her bosom, then concentrated a marvelous quantity of Cosmos into a sphere, which was placed deep in her clothed chest. Softly this blew into glowing plasma, spreading outwards in pulses; the greater its radius became, the fainter was its gentle light, and soon its flame-like echoes turned invisible. The mark had been set. "What cruelty… our efforts were fruitless."

Back down to Sanctuary's encampment, a group of Silver Saints began to call over Pisces, who was busy in a conversation with the other Gold Saints. When his attention was caught, he understood their message and, as if aware of their presence, looked up the faraway hills where Icarus and Odysseus stood.

Readying himself, Aphrodite ensured that his whole body was covered in the cloak before sending himself directly up, straight past the tumultuous clouds. First he passed the lightning without issue, in a speed perhaps similar to their own, leaving a bluish glow in his wake. Up he went beyond the cloud line, from where he could better see the stars and constellations.

He stopped boosting himself further and let his body swing downwards now, slowly descending; he turned the body as to search through the horizon and, recognizing the constellation of Eridanus, paid close heed to its neighbors. Below it, at the tip of the Horologium constellation, he saw an atypical shine, around it a spherical echo of light that bled like paint underwater.

The Saint studied carefully to ensure this was uncharacteristic, and when it was too evident, his fear was confirmed. Now he descended faster with the aid of Cosmos; upon reaching the clouds, he conjured an explosion, opening the cloak and throwing barrages of ice about.

From the ground, Saints, soldiers, and amazons anticipated his return. Soon there was a pale shine hidden by storm, so they recognized he was returning. "Red roses are the sign," Mu reminded Aldebaran.

Frozen ruddy petals soon accompanied the violent drops of rain, many of which turned into small ice rocks and splintered ere hitting ground. With it, Aphrodite cut through the clouds to land, and the soldiers shouted at the top of their lungs. Standard bearers rose the flags higher, but that furious red flag higher, a sign that Sanctuary would spill blood as they once did in the civil war.

No matter how damaged the fabric had been by the weather, seeing these colors and words only riled up the army further. "DEATH TO POSEIDON!" many of them screamed. "DEATH TO ATLANTIS!"

Far above, Odysseus and Icarus could hear this haunting riot. "War it is," the first said. The latter thrummed and they walked away, facing the direction of Mt. Olympus. They were visibly in no hurry home.

With all the impatience, it was imminent that Seiya and the others would be sent into the portal, so they were in the process of giving farewells to friends and colleagues. Some soldiers and lowly Saints referred to Shiryu as either master or teacher as he left, whereas Pegasus exchanged goodbyes with Jabu, Ichi, and Geki.

The tall Bear was the first one to embrace his shoulder. "Leave some for us," he said.

Seiya raised an eyebrow and laughed, saying: "Come on, this is serious stuff, not a game!"

"Tell that to those guys in Atlantis," Ichi told.

Lastly, Seiya shook hands with Jabu and gave him a half hug, Cloths lightly striking one another. "We'll see you in a bit on the battlefield, I hope," Unicorn wished.

"I'll see you guys."

So the young man turned around and left them with a last wave. Under the uncertain protection of planks erected by soldiers, he was upspoken by other fighters on his way before recognizing the mask of Shaina, strangely peeking from behind a natural wall of stone. Once she knew he had seen her, she nodded the head back and stepped into hiding, which prompted him to separate from the path and follow.

In that slightly narrow area, Ophiuchus was alone, darkened, away from lanterns and crystal lights from the now distant coverings. Cross-armed, she spoke with the same severity of ever: "I am still not happy that Andromeda kept me out of this."

"You can't blame him. You did well as a leader back in the civil war," the young man argued.

"And I can do better."

"I believe it too, but it's best to play safe."

Shaina fell quiet and motioned her face to the side a bit. "It is never safe," she spoke more quietly.

By manner of some miracle, Pegasus took note of the sadness in her tone, but afraid of exposing some weakness she was uncomfortable with, he secured her on other matters. "We'll do alright," he promised, "and then we'll spend time together again, when this whole thing is over."

"Right."

He nodded and began to turn away so he could leave, but Shaina shifted in place, arms suddenly uncrossed. Stopping and returning, he felt her characteristic scent become more noticeable, for she had come closer, and it was still so obvious even after all the rain she endured. Once his eyesight rose, however, it met her exposed face, wet as her dark hair.

So that her round, hazel eyes were never hidden from his, she blocked some of the rain with a hand, and shifted closer into a hug. Seiya was utterly paralyzed, cycling from fear, to confusion, to a feeling he could not unearth. Her smell disarmed him, stuck right under his nostrils.

"Do not get yourself killed yet," she begged; her voice, as heavy as it naturally was, sounded so vulnerable it felt like a different person. The only Shaina he had seen in this fashion was the one of that day in Japan, when Aiolia inadvertently unmasked her.

He could not get over how nonsensical this was in his head, that sentiment he could not reel in. "Sh-Shaina!" he stammered a whisper his own. "What's this about? You can't just show your face!"

"I can," she briefly assured.

"What?"

"I said there are exceptions." Pegasus thought a moment and was reminded of when he was vaguely explained the law back in the mansion, and so this was clear; whatever was this exception, this should be fine, so he gave in and pushed her smaller body into his chest.

Shaina subtly buried her face in his neck, although her eyes were watchful so that they would not be found by passersby, as busy as they were with thoughts of the upcoming invasion. The longer they were there, the more likely they were to be found out.

"I cannot kiss you," she reminded him, "so this was the most I could do." Hearing that, Seiya somehow understood more of the feeling plaguing him, one he could not fully make out earlier. They separated, and when their gazes met yet again, she steered away in shame. Despite this, she could not get herself to pull the hands away from the man's shoulders.

Overwhelmed by her sight, Seiya approached at once and touched lips with hers; for a moment they parted and he desired to go deeper, but Shaina pushed herself off forcefully, arms and all, mouth instinctively covered. When his eyelids opened to see what had taken place, he saw what her shocked — if not enraged — expression was truly like. That was another thing he would not forget.

"You… are you utterly mad?" she spoke with a higher, sharper tone. "You imbecile!"

Pegasus brought both hands to his helmet, clasping into the hair. "S-sorry! Sorry about that, I shouldn't have done that!" he babbled hastily, then lowered his hands forward to soothe the woman's aggravation. "Gah, man, what was I thinking? This was so stupid, you're right!"

Shapes passed the outside of the cleft they were in, so Ophiuchus preemptively slid the mask back on. "It is better that you leave before I apply the law's other exception," she said.

Scratching his head, Seiya couldn't help but smile slightly. "I promise I'll make it out alive, alright? See you later, Shaina." As he left her, the young woman did not respond. She merely laid back against the rocks, let her hair hang down, and sighed in worry.

Once he had recollected himself and found his way to Shun and the others, Seiya was now crouched near the edge of a cliff, below the beach where the portal had been recovered. Nachi, Anka, and Alicia were next to those who would invade first, apart from the Gold Saints and Silver Saints standing a little further back.

"… so make sure you watch your step when you go in," Alicia finished explaining something to those present.

"I think I'll be moving too fast to bother with how slippery the floor is," said June.

"Better safe than sorry."

"Hey," Nachi caught their attention. "What signal will you guys give for us to go in?"

"If none of us are back in half an hour, send someone in to check. We might just be in too deep. Who knows how faraway things are in there," Shun told him.

"If you think that's the way to go…"

"Yeah, we need to be fast with this."

"Then let's go in already," Cygnus pressured them. The soldiers were certainly raring to go in themselves, so it was best not to take long.

"Yeah!" June agreed. "I'll go first, mess with whoever's on the other side a bit, then you guys drop in."

Seiya nodded to say: "Sounds good." They finally stood and looked down at the rainbow glimmer of the portal, admiring its gradient beauty. "It's time to go get her. Let's do this!"

The Invasion Begins
The temple that housed many entrances into Atlantis was as dark as when Eagle and the others last visited it. Despite only some parts being lightened by the shine of live portals, apart from a handful of torches and lanterns, the place was absolutely crammed with infantry, even more than when Chrysaor confronted the couriers.

A line of shields was packed right ahead of the active portals in the center of the platforms, more focused on the portal whence came disembodied screams claiming Poseidon's head. They held tridents and harpes on top of their tall bronze shields, oft covered in patina like the plate armor most of them wore.

The remainder of the infantry was at the bottom, some with javelins and crossbows, but most prepared to fight with fists and Cosmos alone. Despite the importance of this enclosed hall, they were the only thing blocking the passages outside, and no Marina were found therein. Instead, it seemed, the low-ranking Marina were waiting far ahead.

They saw the portal react strangely, and so prepared for the battle to come. "Over here! Stay in formation!" an officer shouted. They howled in tandem. "We have the upper hand, just keep it steady!"

Suddenly the reaction stopped, something they found odd. Questioning what had taken place, the foremost soldiers stared more closely into it, although it was already late for them. Not even realizing that the invasion was already in progress, the sight of rows of soldiers tumbling and falling onto each other filled their field of vision.

"What?" one of those in the very front of the formation muttered. Pieces of armor and shield rained from above; a flash filled the temple and their ears started ringing, deafened. Once they could see again, the hall was covered in dust. From the muted sound caused by this incomprehensible explosion, bloodcurdling shrieks grew in volume.

Like an ethereal song, wind whistled along the edges of the portals and their sculptures. "DIAMOND DUST!" the men heard. When ice and snow pushed soldiers back and up, they could see that, by the mess the place underwent, Saints had long entered the building.

Soldiers at the bottom of the stairs attempted to keep up, but they had barely processed the happenings. Half-frozen corpses, varying in their serious injuries, crashed down to the grounds and fell over their allies. Although the officers continued their vain attempts at fighting back, soldiers were already routing.

A barrage of men were splattered with blood; in crypsis, it seemed June was skipping over or weaving amid the enemy, and the harm she inflicted unto them was serious in its own regard, despite not being as ruinous. Next, a blast of Cosmos smashed them with force, and the cuts became the least of their worries; the greenish aura that preceded this was Shiryu's doing.

With nowhere else to go, most survivors naturally aimed for the passages behind. "RETREAT!" they yelled, and the living officers no longer dared insist in holding the enemy back.

"PEGASUS METEOR FIST!" From between the veils of dust, the ones ahead yet trying to fight were eviscerated by thousands of light beams; despite this affecting much of the structure and etchings, somehow the portals gained no more than scratches. Another splash of blood and flesh struck the escapees on their way out, and just like that, it was over.

In a matter of a few seconds, the Atlantean soldiers transitioned from a well-organized welcome committee, to broken and panicking. Soon the shine of energy helped the Bronze Saints locate one another, and they walked around to check the many bodies resulting from the combat. Shun was the last one to enter after this was over, calmly intruding with each end of the chain at the ready. Unlike his friends, he actively avoided the bodies he knew to be strewn about the place.

"They put these men here just to die," Hyoga remarked, his tone somewhat earthbound, if not for the slightest shard of dejection.

"I bet even the other Bronze Saints would've taken these guys down," said June.

Seiya confirmed a few of the corpses to truly be dead, and grabbed one of them by the shoulders as to put it out of the way. "We'd better place them somewhere hidden. If the soldiers see them lying around like this, they might…" he said and shrugged "… you know."

Shun sighed and nodded in agreement, and while his friends did this, he studied the corners of the hall, as to make a mental plant of it. He learned every portal that was available for use, and how many of them varied in its crests and decorations. He also learned that the metal used was something to rival that of the Cloths, but there was no telling how they could be awakened or put back to sleep otherwise. The fact that the Atlanteans did not deactivate such portals themselves was a sign that their knowledge of them might've been similarly limited.

He then checked the exits, parallel to each other. Looking deeper into them, he actually observed that they met up ahead, and probably opened to the same side in the end; seeing how long they were, however, made him wonder whether there was some more structure above and to the sides, or whether this whole thing had been built deep into something like a mountain.

In that instant, while carrying bodies, Hyoga was faced with one a tad too stiff, a sign of life. When this became obvious to him, he dropped the man and tapped him with a foot. "I know what you're doing," the Saint told.

Opening one of his eyes, it was clear the man had only been mildly injured. "Wait, wait!" he quickly yelled; everyone looked at him, and Shun stepped away from the exits.

"Get out of here."

"Don't kill me!" The soldier was so desperate he didn't hear Hyoga's words.

"Get out!" He said more forcefully, turning with an extremely light kick to the side of the neck. "Come on."

"O-okay…" The survivor stood on his own, although, based on his gait, a leg was clearly hurt. Passing near Andromeda, he followed into the distance to meet the others.

Shun walked in front of the passages once more and spoke up to his busy allies: "It is as Alicia and Anka described. I would assume all of those passages take us to the city outside."

"We should expect heavy resistance," Shiryu assumed.

"You are right." Andromeda thus watched Seiya and June lying bodies neatly to a side, in a shadow near a deactivated portal. They had counted around thirty five dead, not as deadly as it could've been in another situation. "After you are done, go out and make sure the exit is clear. I will stay behind to block the passages for the first entrants."

"Great idea," Hyoga commented, and he also went back to carrying the enemy's dead.

Due to the lack of space in the shadows, they had to now pile them up over each other. "Sorry for this," June said to one of the fallen soldiers she set down.

Seiya heard that as he did the same, saying: "They shouldn't be able to hear you anymore."

"You never know."

Soon they finished the pile, reasonably large, yet well-hidden. With that, Seiya, June, Hyoga, and Shiryu grouped up to follow after the same passage the routing soldiers went through, and Shun stayed back, blocking the way with the Andromeda Chain before contacting those back on the coast.

There were a total of four passages from that central hall, perfectly parallel and seemingly redundant, for they connected to the same exit, and were interconnected by several arches on the way. The gimmick, it seemed, was to display historical etchings and paintings on the walls which the Saints could barely see, due to the fact the place was nearly pitch-black then. If anything, they only felt the depressions on marble under their fingers, but were unable to make out the forms they gave.

At the end of these impressively long corridors, they saw ethereal light, greenish, yet not bright and white like the Sun's. The air was noticeably more humid the closer they came to the outside, and the debris from before gave way to a watery mist, as to remind of Rozan's goodly sights. Once they were close enough to the outside, Shiryu stopped them; instead of spreading out to the sides, the corridor continued on, only this time with two walls of stone raised left and right.

Studying the structures, it was clear that this had been recently built, in the past hours or so, and the length of it was envious, extending far into the distance to a town below. The height, however, was not as great as its bulkiness. The stones had been glued with wet sand, and it wouldn't take much force from someone so powerful to break it down. The issue, however, was whether someone absconded behind it.

"We should keep clearing up ahead. Having our troops in a bottleneck like this won't work out well," Shiryu suggested. They continued onward, careful and silent, until they heard the sound of distant voices. Understanding that there was no other hiding spot for the enemy that just escaped, they most likely had units behind them, above the corridor, or perhaps far into the distance, down that extended choke point.

The group stopped in the shadow and stared at each other to confirm where they were about to go. June went further ahead while the others followed more slowly, sneaking and checking the improvised walls above.

Past the humid vapor she saw the surreal skies of Atlantis — if those could be described as skies. The faint reflection of water could be seen above as if immaterial, floating in some unknowable container too dark to make out; that darkness made way for turquoise shades, then gradually losing color into an isinglass hue. Whatever the ceiling of this place was, it filtered some impossible light down to this tint.

Outside, the humidity was nigh unbearable to someone not used to it. She could not see the flora yet, though there were hints of some fauna, not by the ground, more far above. Like banshees crying, whale songs shook the ground, coming from above. It did feel exactly as one would image: Atlantis seemed to reside under the Earth's oceans by means of some extraordinary magic.

As she thoroughly checked the walls, Chameleon met no sign of the enemy. As such, she felt safe to leap atop it and take a better look at the surroundings. She therewith had a glimpse of the flora she could not see before; behind mounts of silt and mud, deposits of pelagic clay and other sediments, she found sights similar to the colorful oceanic flora of most places on Earth, albeit deformed in ways one would not expect. Without water, these species evolved tremendously, turning into terrestrial cousins of what they once were.

This, nonetheless, was but a glimpse; she had no time to study Atlantean beauties, since she learned that, on the other side of both walls, hundreds of soldiers and Marina prowled to ambush them. "It's a trap!" the girl yelled and, not losing her cool, graciously flipped back down to her friends.

At the same pace that she descended, the enemies strode over the walls with the use of Cosmos, and their presence was obvious with how much energy they used. Regardless of Marina being mixed up with their subordinates, the Bronze Saints did not feel as threatened as they would in the presence of the Generals.

Shiryu glowed brightly and warned: "Stay back!" The others rolled or hopped towards the corridor and, before the enemies could pile on them, Dragon devastated the perimeter. "ROZAN RISING DRAGON!"

His technique was so absurd at that degree that some soldiers had not only armor reduced to nothing, but skin too, and some of their flesh and hair molten; as such, they died instantly. The few Marina caught in the area experienced either an instant or slow death after, while others were only launched in wild abandon.

This was done with such destructive intent that the walls trembled and crumbled around the Saint, and when he landed back on ground, he saw that there were paths going up and around the temple they had just exited.

Of course, the ambush was thwarted, albeit not over. The surviving attackers did not give up at once and tried to fight some more, though at that point the other Saints had joined Shiryu in combat. As expected, this also turned into a bloodbath, and the addition of some high-ranking Marina could not rival the power of the Seventh Sense.

Eradicating that entire unit, which seemed to grow in size with each second, was both undesirable and unfeasible to a team of four Saints, but were they given a handful of days of non-stop battling, one could argue they would succeed. Each move of theirs came with a toll so horrendous to the weaker foes that nearby soldiers were always shaken to suffer the violence.

Every one of Seiya's punches, every gale thrown by Hyoga, every explosion produced by Shiryu, and every lash given by June's whip hit like a truck to shield, breastplate, bare skin, or bone, whichever was next in line. Like toys, targeted Atlanteans were pushed flying into the distance as if machine-gunned by cannons.

A minute into nothing but despair, and seeing so many of their superior Marina nonchalantly crushed by fighters they couldn't even follow or touch, the enemy turned up the hill and retreated, chanting the same defeat the soldiers in the temple did beforehand.

It was when none insisted in fighting further that the Saints quit their onslaught, rather jumping in the enemy's direction to herd them like cows. They learned that the temple had been largely built into sedimentary rock, and that the greater section of it — the one storing all of the portals — was actually under a court of columns that encircled a massive statue of Poseidon himself. Muscular and scantily covered by robes, the bearded, long-haired god was depicted with a crown of pendants and gems, and flaunted a long trident overhead, as if bound to strike. His fierceness and fighting spirit was ironic above his own broken army.

The escapees jumped down hills and cliffs far above and beyond the temple's grand area. Few buildings and towers had been erected there, mostly as sentries, now emptied due to archers joining the rout before the Saints caught up to their position. June was the first to sweep her way to the edge of the place they jumped from, and the closer she got, the more obvious was the sight of the gargantuan pillars in the background.

She stopped there, staring in awe. Once the remaining three encroached, she yelled back: "Boys, this looks crazy!"

Soon Seiya, Hyoga, and Shiryu experienced the same. Closest to them, perhaps some kilometers away from that fall, were multiple armies which the retreating soldiers were likely to join. They marched into position, no less disciplined as the men and women of Sanctuary. The flags and standards they rose were also blue, albeit charged with the tip of a trident in gold.

Far behind were the many temples that housed the Oceanic Pillars, displaced in such way: the temples for the North Pacific and South Pacific each occupied their own edges; behind them and in the very center was the temple for the Indian Ocean; further behind were the Arctic and Antarctic temples, again each to one extremity; then, only slightly closer to each other, were the temples of the North Atlantic and South Atlantic. In the middle of all of these, far behind the Indian, was the greater temple in all of Atlantis, tall and imposing. This, of course, was the Temple of Poseidon.

The pillars built in the inner courtyards of these buildings was an impressive example of engineering, the likes which only Sanctuary's forgotten architects would've been capable of. They extended seemingly infinitely up into that watery darkness of the Atlantean sky, four-sided as would be an obelisk, and featureless through their extent. Apart from Poseidon's pillar and those of the Arctic and Antarctic, the others extended with diagonal or horizontal structures well into the distance, meaning that if they were to fall, they would affect more than just the temple right below it.

Every one of those monuments shone a menacing dark blue, and the wicked Cosmos flowing up them in spirals was now clear from where they stared. Indeed, Poseidon's cultists cursed the Earth from within them, and the Saints' primary goal became obvious. Interestingly, only the central pillar — the Mainstay — seemed dormant. This, they knew, was a good sign that humanity had hopes of surviving.

"Those are the pillars Shun referred to," Hyoga commented, mentally processing their unbelievable height.

"It won't be easy getting to them and taking them down," said Shiryu.

"I don't care," Seiya told and pointed towards the greater temple, the one where Poseidon certainly resided. "That place — that's where we're going to. I bet Athena is kept in there." He lowered his hand to reveal a furious scowl. "Once the time is right, we're going in, and no General or god will be able to stop us."