Lance's Role

by Thrudgelmir2333

A 'shonen' fic that sequels Next Dimension and Lost Canvas. Recommended on TV Tropes. In 1960, the Pope of Athena is confronted by Hekate with a warning about Sanctuary's future. Almost two decades later, a Saint of Pegasus finds himself put through the unfolding of a new age of violence caused by the Golden Zodiac's actions. Beta-read by Jenny Devic. Please enjoy and review.

104. 3A: The Triumph - Part 5 of 5

Notable OCs: Pegasus Lance's Saint Generation, Civil War Saint Generation, WWII Saint Generation, Hades' Dark Princes, the False Specters, Maidens of Athena, Priam's Black Saints; Cyrulian Refugees; Genbu Atlae; Patrician Mariners, Shamballa Muvians; Seraphim Specters;

Notable Original Concepts: Mount Olympus Training Ground, Sanctuary Court, Teos Cloth, Athenian Empire mythology, Isle of Gardens, Stardust Prison, Hades' Dark Princes; Desert Beyond, Sanctuary Town Layout & Buildings; Kido Mount; Pact of Seven; DQI Geography; Shamballa;

Recurring/Cameo OCs of Jenny DeVic: Mrs. Schafurwatt, Cyrus

Recurring/Cameo Concepts of Jenny DeVic: Great Bodyguard Legend, Golden Line Heritage, Sanctuary Orphanages, Andromeda Island's Geography & Tests, Sanctuary Nobility, 88 Knights Festival

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Author Notes:

-This chapter has been betaread by EpicElly ;

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Austria,

Fort Peloponnesia

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Returning to the fortress guarding the border with Hades' domains, Kirin stood outside the room reserved for Akassius in the main keep, as instructed by her comrades. She had ordered all the hoplites out and called in the person instructed to her by Cecilia to come inside; Ophiuchus Iaso. When Ionia, the tall Fort Commander, came around asking what was going on, like 'if General Akassius was sick', she simply told him it was just a routine check before they headed out to survey the expansion of Hades' barrier. Servile to authorities like Akassius, Ionia promptly turned around to leave without question. It didn't even cross his head that Capricorn 'Achilles' could be lying.

Goddess, if only he knew who really was being treated inside. Kirin herself probably would have cut the entire fortress in twain in sheer righteous rage, was she not involved up to her neck right now in the secret at the moment.

Her hawkish green eyes turned up, seeing Malta and Akassius finally arrive. "Finally. You guys didn't get seen by Ionia on your way in, did you? He thinks you're inside."

Akassius shook his head. "We took a dimension gate here. I assumed you'd tell him a story like that."

Her arms folded. "You know us so well… So, what took so long?"

Malta quivered, his blue eyes darting away. "I was telling Akassius about… you know."

The Capricorn palmed her face and exhaled. "You mean Pegasus' operation, right?" It was the only thing the two of them were keeping from Akassius at this point. She gripped her nasion, tense. Malta had confided this to her in secret when the attack on Andromeda Island happened and they had learned about Atlae. "I supposed sooner or later we'd have to let him know. Well, Akassius, what do you think of it?"

The retired Gemini folded his arms tensely, but seemed unsurprised. "It's an appalling, suicidal notion, one in line with many thought up by Pegasi of the past."

"I agree completely, especially coming from a peer of Shura." She irked. "However…I think every Saint in Sanctuary has fantasized once or twice about going down to the Underworld and teaching Hades a lesson. And on top of it, Pegasus endured the blunt of the False Specters' attack and the ensuing hostilities. When Malta told me he wanted to go down to Erebus…I couldn't really blame the kid."

Yet, the Gemini had this grave look to him like he thought there was more alarming things to consider. "Malta tells me he also spoke to him of arranging operational details with Daemon Lucifer himself." Akassius countered, alerting Kirin. The Aquarius hadn't mentioned this to her. "It sounds to me, then, that, for a reckless kid, he thought it out quite thoroughly. The only thing missing from Malta's description of Pegasus' plan was a part to assassinate Hades himself."

The warrioress' jaw tensed. "Yes, but…" Her sharp senses and familiarity with Akassius, however, then detected there was a certain tone to his words, a curious musing the taller, black-eyed man only showed when pondering a dangerous plan. "Wait, you're not… considering supporting him on it, are you?"

Akassius responded only with a coy turn of face and smirk.

"WHAT?! AKASSIUS!" the former Capricorn gasped. "You can't be serious?!"

"He is. You know he wouldn't joke about such a thing." Malta pointed out, exasperated.

"For Ares' sake, Akassius, it's a plan to invade the Underworld!" the retired Capricorn hush-shouted. She even felt the need to glance sideways to see if any soldiers were passing by or listening before adding "With no back-up, no Gold Cloths and no Goddess! Pegasus doesn't even have a proper team, yet! And you think it's a good idea?!"

"What Bronze Saint idea is ever? But I see an opportunity in it." Akassius argued back.

Kirin widened her eyes. Whenever Akassius spoke of 'opportunities', it always ended with some kind of incredible gambit that could change the course of a whole war. "…What are you thinking, then?

"I am thinking Hades' forces will be mobilizing on a much grander scale than Sanctuary imagines. The Pope fears tens of thousands." His black eyes turned away and his lips tensed, remembering the scout reports from Heinstein Castle's movements. "But, if our projections are correct, I fear two hundred and fifty."

The number landed on Kirin like an anvil. "A quarter of a million?!" Two hundred and fifty thousand cosmos-wielding murderers bearing down on them, like a tidal wave of armored bodies that can't be killed, all praying for the death of the Earth?

"Sanctuary's main army, hoplites and non-cosmos personal included, currently amounts to about 40,000 men." Malta added. "Of these, only a quarter are currently in Peloponnesia, readying to defend the fortress. The rest are still on route here or staying spread throughout the planet in various positions of oversight over Sanctuary's holdings. Adding our allies to it, we may bolster it to 60,000, IF the Pact is generous."

"Making us approximately 76% short of a fair fight, if my math is correct. Outnumbered four to one. Rounding ourselves up, of course." The Gemini reinforced. The graveness he saw on her face told Akassius she realized the severity of the situation. "I do not need to tell you, Kirin, that a pitched battle with the forces of Hades is therefore pointless, even if we gather the entire power of Sanctuary and its allies in Peloponnesia? Especially if that barrier expands all the way to this fortress and they use their airship to outflank us? The only reason Specters haven't been more aggressive, then, can be narrowed down to their lack of air vehicles impeding their movement, not that the battleship they've been using hasn't been bad as it is."

The Capricorn held her head, feeling sick. She pictured a thousand columns of a thousand men each marching out of Heinstein Castle.

No, for Athena's sake, she wasn't going to lose it! "It doesn't matter…! We Golds are all we need. I'll personally cut off every single head of them with Excalibur, if I have to!" she clenched her fist high at them. "We can even power up our men, make them as strong as ten skeleton soldiers! And if we add our fortress' defensiveness to it, then…. We stand a chance! We are Saints of Athena, Akassius. Our job is to create miracles!"

The tall Gemini nodded. "I agree completely. But we are running out of time to prepare. Waiting for the six months predicted for the barrier to reach us is not acceptable. We need the grounds ahead of Peloponnesia to fight as well." Akassius pointed out. It put his red line estimates at five months, instead, and they were already dangerously close to crossing them. "Our men, unlike the Specters, possess the envious the ability to die. We can prepare them to neutralize the enemy, but as the fighting prolongs itself, all the Specters we kill will eventually get back up and push on. Without Athena by our side, without a powerful seal to counteract Hades' powers, any prolonged war with Specters will be one of attrition aimed completely in our direction, no matter how bravely or numerously we fight."

"In other words, what Akassius is saying is, we need to be proactive. And soon." Malta finalized, always of less words than the orator Gemini.

"That is where Pegasus Lance comes in." Akassius explained. He recalled when they spoke after Cepheus Gardnia's death, Akassius had noticed that the Pegasus may have been the only one in the entire Zodiac at the time that had been capable of mounting an effort to go save the Silver Saint. Then, there was his performance during the False Holy War, basically heading the effort to mobilize the Gold Saints and stop Lucifer in all but in name. "If what Malta says is true, Saint Lance's window of opportunity to strike at the Underworld may coincide with our own objectives better than we realize, and he has demonstrated excellent combat instincts and loyalty to his principles. In fact, what Pegasus is planning may actually be our best, most unexpected trump card against the Specters."

"I'm all for proactivity in killing Specters, you two, -" Kirin assured. "But how does Pegasus' operation help? What chance does a Bronze Saint kid have going down the Underworld on his own?! For every enemy here on the surface, there will be more in Erebus! There could be a million Specters between him and those Prisons! This not to get to the airship they've been using to harass us and, you know, Talos Atlae!"

The Gemini exhaled. This was definitely another complicating factor. "Discovering that the Muvian boy has fallen in Specter hands has been a blow, I agree. The Cloth of Talos is extremely dangerous, and virtually guarantees we won't be able to hide inside our fortresses for too long. If we dug in, the Specters are likely to call him forth and have him raze Peloponnesia to the ground."

"Akassius, however, told me he believes that Pegasus' operation may be the key for that, too." Malta argued, his eyes brightening strangely. "In case you have forgotten, we, too, have obtained a very special armor for our side…"

Kirin widened eyes. "You mean… the Cloth of Teos? The Cloth of Hop-"

The door to Akassius' private room opened, letting Ophiuchus Iaso out, and the three former Gold Saints went quiet. The Silver Saint was sporting his armor, had a breath mask on his face and carried a medical bag in his hand and a stethoscope. The trio became immediately tense. They had bagged Priam's head, not to mention his injuries that should've made the rest of his body hard to recognize, especially for a Saint that had been so young during the war, but there was no telling if Iaso realized who the mystery patient was.

He eyed them all, amazed, and looked like he would faint of stress of being under the gaze of Sanctuary's three most celebrated former Gold Saints. "Dear Goddess, and here I thought it was bad enough Duke Kirin was involved in this. I should have guessed you two big shots would be as well…"

Malta lowered his head humbly. "Thank you for heeding us, Saint Iaso. And for the discretion. The person inside is important to us. We are forever indebted to-"

"Please… spare me that, Lord Aquarius." Iaso cut in, waving his free hand. He palmed his forehead, shaking with a fear fever. "How can I not be discrete? Who the heck am I gonna tell this, too?! I don't know what's going on, but… I am not stupid. Those burns in him, the weird secrecy Duke Kirin brought me over here with, the timing of all this…No one in all of Sanctuary would believe me if I said the three of you decided to kidnap and heal Sagittarius Priam."

The retired Gemini tensed, silent.

Iaso saw it in him and stepped back. "D-don't give me that look! And don't dare tell me that the man inside isn't who I think it is! I fought in your war! I could recognize that guy anywhere!" He searched his pocket for smokes. Iaso had quit, but what he just had to do was enough to relapse. "I won't tell a soul, rest assured. I'm bound by my oath to save lives, regardless of who they are, not to ruin them. Not only that… but with the way I usually act, hardly anyone would believe me…"

"How is he, doctor?" Akassius asked.

The Ophiuchus Saint bit a smoke and lit it with a cosmos spark. He breathed deeply and let the bitter nicotine ease his nerves. Even so, he had to tremble at how casually Akassius asked this, like they weren't discussing an atom bomb of a Saint.

"While he's been through an ordeal, he will survive. It's expected, given this is Sanctuary's hardest-to-kill Gold Saint ever." He then glanced away, breathing out smoke. A concerned frown formed in his mouth. "The Golden Touch was able to alleviate most of his wounds.… However, I can't vouch for him mentally. Even conscious, the patient's feedback to cosmos stimulation is very low. I wouldn't be surprised if he was unable to harness enough to escape from this fortress, even with that lightning technique of his, much less… pose a problem."

Kirin sighed out. "(Well, at least we don't have to worry about tying him down.)"

Malta shook. Iaso only emphasized to him the damage inflicted on Priam. "(Dear Goddess, what has Arles done to him?!)"

Though they shared this privately, Iaso caught the apprehension in them and clicked his tongue. "So, it wasn't you guys that did that to him? That's surprising... I know I'm the conspiracy theorist, but something tells me this is a secret I'd prefer knowing less about. Am I right?"

"As long as you don't reveal the identity of your patient to anyone, I personally guarantee your safety, Saint Iaso." Akassius vouched. With the word of Sanctuary's war hero, even the suspicious doctor had to lower his guard, though the circumstances in and of themselves seemed to bewilder him. "But yes, I would advise being incurious about the matter."

The brown-haired, tired doctor nodded and moved away to leave. "I'll take my leave then, my lords. My regards to Lady Cecilia, too, Duke Akassius." Then he paused. "I almost forgot. The patient only spoke a little before he fell asleep, but he murmured a few names here and there. Does the name 'Leon' mean anything to you?"

The trio of retired Gold Saints shared a look, knowing exactly what it meant, but Akassius shook his head.

The suspicious doctor squinted, taking another puff. "Very well, sir. I thought it might have been the person responsible for getting him. Well, Athena be with you."

Akassius nodded. "Thank you, doctor. May Athena be with you, as well."

Malta's eyes followed Iaso until the Silver Saint disappeared around the corner. He breathed out. "Cecilia was right. It seems we could trust him after all. Thank Athena for her honorable Saints."

"Was he right, though?" Kirin asked. "Was Kai's son responsible for this?! I can't even imagine that…"

"If what Cecilia tells me is true, then it would explain many things." Akassius argued, narrowing his eyes. The furnaces of Fornax shined in his eyes, making their black shimmer a brief fiery orange. "One of them being that the Pope has lied to us. Yet again."

"Akassius, what's the plan for the moment?" asked Malta. "Do you want to talk to Pegasus? Or do we focus on Priam?"

The Gemini paused to think. "We'll wait for the reinforcements from the Pope to arrive here. I have it on good word that Pegasus'll be among them, anyway. And if my calculations are correct, they should be well on their way as we speak. For the moment, then… let's focus on our friend."

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Surface, Greece

Sanctuary, Coliseum,

Roof Stands

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Lance shook in fury. "You want me to save Atlae?!"

"That is correct, Saint Pegasus." The aged, blue-haired man confirmed, nodding, like it was the most logical thing in the world. "I have the right person in front of me, do I not? Pegasus Lance, the Saint who fought for the Cancer House against the False Specter invasion? You're the one my aide here, Io, tells me faced up to Azrael, Menelaus and Cetus at the entrance hall?"

Before the Saints could interject, the pink-haired teenager in charge of moving the man's chair nodded. "It is them, Lord Solo. All four of these people were confronting your Pact brethren, after everyone left the hall."

"I would rather you wouldn't talk so openly about my part fighting the False Specters, okay?" Lance argued, irritated. Shinta was in the know of him being the Cancer Saint, but Olivia wasn't yet and he wasn't ready to cross that bridge. It seemed to make the guy in the wheelchair fidget in embarrassment, at least. "And don't change the subject! Are you seriously insane?! Do you know who the fuck you're asking me to help?!"

"I do." Arthur responded, impassive.

It only made Lance's blood boil hotter. "What the fuck?! THEN WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU WANT TO SAVE THAT GUY?!"

"Saint Pegasus!" Olivia called, alarmed. "Please, let's listen to Lord Solo. I don't think he'd be here without good reason, given the circumstances?"

Without much effort, her voice made him simmer down and turn less red. "Al… alright, but this better be good!"

"Thank you, young miss." Arthur spoke, nodding at her. He then returned his attention to Pegasus. "Saint Lance… The reason I am asking you to save Atlae is because he is innocent. And because he is family to us."

The quartet of Saints widened their eyes.

"Family?!" Cerah gasped. "B-But…. I thought that Muvians were…"

"A separate species, yes. Certainly, incapable of having blood ties to human families. Not to mention the obvious that… they are our most ancient rivals." Arthur confirmed, against looking visibly constrained as he picked his words. "Nevertheless, he is very precious to the Solo Household members and I was under the impression Saint Pegasus was unconcerned with such dynastic squabbles, unlike a lot of Sanctuary's Saints tied up with their own aristocrats. Moreever, let me make clear, Saint Pegasus, that I am not insensitive to the pain Atlae put you all through." To their surprise, the Mariner then turned to Shinta. "Young man, you're the Andromeda Saint, are you not?"

Perking up, Shinta nodded, half-surprised someone he was meeting for the first time wasn't mistaking his sex. "Y-yes, sir."

Signaling to Io to push him closer, Arthur Solo bowed his head down as much as his chair allowed, startling the quartet once more. "As Head of Houses of all the Mariners, I beg your forgiveness, Saint Andromeda. My agents have told me all about it, and later the Gold Saints confirmed it to me." His fists clenched on the chair. "I promise I will stake what's left of my fortune in helping your Training Ground be rebuilt, once the island resurfaces. You have my word as a devotee of Poseidon."

Shinta gawked, amazed. "N-no, sir, you really don't have to!" he assured, especially since he remembered miss Olivia mentioning the Solos were in dire straits. "My island will recover… I was far more worried about the safety of my students and friends."

Arthur widened his eyes, impressed by his humility. "A Saintly Saint indeed. Again, what I learned of your group confirms itself." However, his steeled look made it clear to Shinta that he wouldn't take no for an answer. "Yet, I am bound by the creed of the lord of the sea. The sinking of Andromeda Island, not to mention putting all your friends in danger…I… simply have no words. At the very least, accept my apologi-"

"I HAVE WORDS! They're 'how about you go fuck yourselves?'!" Lance cut in, alarming his friends that he might toss the poor old man out the roof. "Do you think an apology and some money is enough to erase everything your Muvian did?! Atlae didn't just sink the island and attack my friends! The guy was collaborating with Specters! Defending them, even!"

The pale-blue-haired man irked and turned his face, silent.

"And you want me to go 'save him'?! Genbu Atlae is lucky I don't kill him when I get my hands on him!" Lance assured, not believing the gall of this old guy. All he could think about was the state Olivia had been left in when he found the two of them at the end of their battle. This not to mention the coma Atlae put him in. "What do you care anyway about him?! Aren't you Mariners?! Why the hell is he family to you?!"

"Because Atlae is… he's special to the Solo Household. It would take too long to speak of everything he's done for us, but suffice to say there is at least one Mariner Household that would stake everything they have to speak for him." Arthur responded. "And I know in my heart he would never defend cruel murderers like the Specters."

But the surrealist direction of these claims made Lance tremble in fury. "Then you're stupid to trust him, because I saw him do it with my own eyes!"

Io squinted. "Do not insult Lord Arthur again, Pegasus! You have voiced your anger, but this is a great man you are besmirching!" His cosmos burned and the pink-haired youth manifested his aura. "We have come here in good faith, to humbly ask you to listen, but one more word of anger or offense out of you at the Head of Houses, Bronze Saint, and you'll face Io Ladrillero, heir to the Scylla Scales!"

Lance gripped his box's straps, ready to activate Pegasus. "You don't fucking scare me! Come at me, the-"

But Shinta stepped up, holding Lance back. "Please, Lance, stop!" and he addressed the Mariners. "Lord Solo? I believe what you're saying, but… this is all very confusing to us, you must understand. Atlae fought side by side with a Specter named Yeti Zemu against us."

Arthur raised his hand to cease Io's words. "I do understand, Saint Andromeda. And your comrade has the right to be confused by what I am asking. Atlae has done great harm to you all." And then looked the Saint in the eyes. "Besides, Saint Pegasus is not wrong. When I first took in Atlae, I admit he was precisely that; a tool I believed I could use for my own political ambition. I am ashamed of that today."

Olivia, Shinta and Cerah, less consumed by the fires of anger than Lance, exchanged glances, silently sharing a conclusion.

The Mariner Patrician raised eyes at Pegasus. "But, Saint Lance, man to man, I implore you; give pause to your anger, and heed the words not of Mariner Lord, but of a father. My request goes beyond how my daughter feels about him; Atlae has done great services to me, honored my House greatly, and given me great joy throughout my life. He is Muvian, yes, but, to me, the animosity between Mariners and the people of Shamballa are second to the pride I have in him. No matter what he told you, what he did to you, please, believe when I say that it is NOT who he is!"

"Feelings about him?" Olivia noticed, widening her eyes. "Then Delphinus Marianne and Genbu Atlae are…?!"

"Then who the hell is he?!" Lance confronted, sick of the mystery. "Cause your precious son-in-law is going around walking with some kind of monster inside him!"

Io and Arthur widened their eyes, paling.

"Do you get it now?!" Lance roared. "That goat guy downstairs said it was some kind of 'weapon'! That it was responsible for sinking your ship and everything! He's not some misguided martial artist; that bastard is a walking talking bomb waiting to go off, AND HE GAVE HIMSELF TO SPECTERS!"

Io Ladrillero held his mouth, appalled. "Dear Poseidon, then it's true. Lord Arthur, he must have…!"

"He must have taken on Ithaca's burden, then." Arthur finished. His fingers clenched around the wheelchair arms. The true horror of Atlae's situation began to sit in to him. "Which means Krishna, young Caça and young Sorrento disappeared along with him for the same reason. This all explains very much."

Lance widened his eyes, recognizing the names from the wanted posters Kastiel had showed him. "Wait, what?! What does this explain?!"

Arthur raised his eyes to meet Lance's. "Saint Lance, I believe my missing aides may have gone on a quest to liberate Atlae from the Cloth of Talos."

Olivia stepped up. "Excuse me, Lord Solo, may I?"

He fixed his eyes on Olivia. "I remember you well, as well, Saintia. You are the girl who encouraged my daughter at her Triumph, aren't you? The granddaughter of Herakles Aguilon."

She nodded politely. "Thank you for remembering me, sir. It's an honor." Shinta and Cerah exchanged a baffled look at the contrast of speech between her and Lance. It was like a cold pleasant breeze next to a boiling hot flame. "You said Atlae took Talos unto himself? But Talos is the cloth of fairytales, isn't it? Like the Cloth of Hope, Teos?"

Being familiar with the similar legend of Teos, Lance widened his eyes. "Cloth of fairytales? Olivia?"

She cleared her throat and tried to explain. "It's another long story. I've learned about it in the Academy, during alchemy class with Professor Severus. I'll explain more details later, but it's an old story of how the Colossus watching over the island Crete, Talos, may have actually been one of the first prototypes of what we now know to be Cloths of Athena. The King of Crete, after all, is none other than the current Judge of Caina, Gryphon Minos, the Celestial Nobility Star. During the Age of Myth, his kingdom was at the center of wars between the old empire islands of Mu and Atlantis…. And Talos became a weapon for his greed."

Arthur chuckled. "Very impressive. That is correct. I see Saintias are as well-educated as ever."

Olivia beamed, always happy to be recognized for her studies. "It's just basic Myth Age history, sir." But her happy smile then turned upside down. "However, it would explain a lot about Atlae. Lord Solo, you are saying that, somehow, Genbu Atlae has obtained a cloth akin to the mythical Teos?"

"WHAT?!" Lance gawked. He recalled the towering, humanoid, reptilian ogre that bared down on him with Titanic Devastation. How could that compare to wearing Teos, the Cloth that allowed Lance to defeat Daemon Lucifer? "But he was… a big freaking monster!"

Cerah meekly raised her hand. "A-actually, Saint Lance… if you think about it, it's not that strange." She held her chest, where her Corvus Cloth hid. "R-remember the Zodiac Knights? They had Cloth Stones that could store armors inside their tiny crystals. Like miss Olivia's Sapphire Stone."

"And we don't know what the first armors of stardust were like. Alchemy can do incredible things." Olivia defended, raising her finger. "There are the Symplegades rocks, for example, which can reform themselves to old constructs like living organisms. And there's even a famous sculptor in the Isle of Gardens that can make living golems."

Lance scratched his head, hesitant. What they said made sense, but… "Look, even if all three of you are right, you're not going to convince me Atlae is some kind of victim in all this. He is now Genbu Atlae, the Terrestrial Brute Star. He has a Surplice, even if it's just that dumb glove! And he is the one the sunk Andromeda Island and wanted to kidnap people!"

A pained looked flashed through Arthur's eyes. "And that, Saint Lance, is what I'd like you to save him from. Because I know Atlae is not in the Underworld of his own volition."

"That's a load of flying horseshit! Aren't you just saying that because you're interested in him?! How the hell would you know he isn't of his own mind?!"

"Because of his teachings." Arthur countered, confident. "I've been told that, even though your Cloth is Pegasus, you are also a warrior of Rozan, are you not? Atlae was raised with the Mariners, servants of a God that considers Athena to be an enemy. What many do not realize is that his other mentor has been the former Silver Saint of Crane, Yuzuriha of Shamballa."

A signal went off in both Lance and Shinta's heads. "You mean-"

"The lady that came to Mount Rozan, Lance!" Shinta confirmed. "She helped us defeat the False Specters! She couldn't possibly have raised someone that fights by their side!"

Arthur nodded. "Correct. Just as Libra Dohko, Elder Yuzuriha is a teacher of the Rozan Mountain paths. I do not have to tell you, Saint Lance, that any student raised under them, from Dragon to Tiger to Turtle…is a staunch defender of life, nature and humanity, even if through often bizarre philosophies. Therefore, whatever path Atlae has gone down on, it is not in line with that of the Specters, no matter what lies they may have told him."

The Pegasus Saint bit his tongue, suddenly speechless at this. He wanted to attack Atlae and this old guy further, but everything he'd ever learned under Dohko suddenly formed a brick wall in his throat.

Arthur lowered his head. "I do not expect to convince you with mere words, worry not. I am not a fool. Atlae's mistakes have been too many. I hope, however, I've planted the seed of consideration in you, so that next time you face him, you remember, Saint Lance… there is more to this than just the war between Sanctuary and the Specters." He fixed his calm, blue eyes on Lance. "Saint Pegasus, if nothing else, next time you face him, please tell Atlae that we love him. And all we want is to have him back. Especially Marianne."

{======================|A3|======================}

Lance fumed to himself in his Coliseum seat, his mind embroiled in an inner war of grumblings and mixed thoughts.

Olivia chuckled. "You look like my old dog that used to bark at the mailman right now."

"How could I not?! Can you believe that guy?!" Lance asked, eyes on the arena to try to simmer down. "Am I expected to think Atlae is some poor little Muvian boy who fell down the wrong path?! Screw that!"

The Equuleus hummed, pensive.

It worried Lance greatly. "What? Don't tell me you believe that wheelchair guy? Just because you met his daughter?"

She squinted at him. "No, I was just remembering, Saint Lance; at the time of that Triumph, there was a young man who took an attack for her from the Ghost Saint that had been captured." Olivia recalled. "It might have been Atlae. I remember because everyone was screaming it had been a Muvian that had been stabbed. And then Marianne Solo all but destroyed the Ghost Saint."

"So, what Lord Arthur was saying about his daughter and this Atlae being together are true?" Cerah guessed, smelling a secret romance in the air. It began clicking in her head, the same suspicion forming in miss Olivia's "Then Atlae really was a loyal servant of the Solos! Why is he with the Specters right now, then?"

"What Atlae has done is absolutely 100% wrong, but let's be logical about this; if what Lord Arthur says is true, it explains almost everything that is going on." Olivia argued. "I hate to be stereotypical, but why would the HEAD OF HOUSES take the side of a Muvian boy, after all?"

"Olivia!" Lance appealed, appalled. "That Muvian boy tried to kill you!"

The Equuleus rolled her eyes. "Yes, thank you Saint Lance, for being mad about it, for me." She pointed out, making Lance flush in embarrassment. Olivia usually found his shows of concern for her rather sweet, but they sometimes needed some reigning in. Fortunately, dealing with Saintia drama trained Olivia to be a master of cooling volcanic humors. "But let's face it, I challenged him, and treating the matter so black and white doesn't make sense either. We have to acknowledge that Atlae being a regular evil Specter like the other ones that attacked us doesn't make sense."

"Not only that, Lance, but our only word against him is of the Serpens Saint." Cerah pointed out. That frightening man couldn't possibly be telling the whole truth, after all. "I'm starting to think too that… maybe there IS something going on. Maybe things aren't as clear as we think they are. Besides…" She turned face away, conflicted. "A-Atlae wouldn't be the first person we know that would, you know…have conflicted thoughts about the Specters."

Shinta turned his head at her empathetically. "You too, miss Cerah? I see…"

This last testimony really gave Lance pause, who recalled having had conversations with Cerah trying to explain to her what a pack of liars and manipulators the Specters could be. "W-well I… I still don't think it's alright. He attacked Shinta's island, and nothing can chang-"

"Lance, I also think maybe we should listen to them." Shinta added.

This made the Pegasus' jaw drop. Et tu, Shinta? "WHAT?!"

The Andromeda sterned, knowing he needed a solid front on this to convince his friend. "I know what you're going to say, that I always forgive everyone for everything, but I'm the one whose island Atlae sunk. Out of everyone here, I should be the one who'd least listen to them." Shinta reminded him. "But what miss Olivia says makes sense, and Master Gardnia taught me Mariners are proud people who would never beg Saints for anything, much less to help Muvians. I believe with all my heart that if Mister Solo is asking you this, he's speaking the truth."

Cerah smiled, again impressed by Shinta's sensitive reasoning. Not to mention how unafraid he always seemed to be to brave Saint Lance's wrath. How had she never heard about him from her friends till now?

Feeling all eyes on him, Lance couldn't help but feel the pressure to accept. "Well,… fuck, I'm out-voted, aren't I?" He rubbed his eyes. "Look, I will keep what he asked in mind, but this is Holy War we are talking about! Regardless of how any of us feel, this Atlae guy picked the side that is trying to get everyone killed! If he shows up, I am kicking his ass, okay?!"

Olivia patted his head like she used to, to calm her old dog. "Yes, yes, you are very brave, Saint Lance."

"What's this about 'kicking someone's ass'?" Someone asked, engulfing them in shadow and carrying more popcorn.

Olivia beamed. "Grampa!" She glowered as he took a seat behind them. "I'm sorry, we missed a couple of your fights."

The Silver Saint shook his head. "It's okay, princess, I know you hate these. Besides, I saw you in the crowed when I was beating the lights out of that fool, Silver Stardust." He tried to scooch and fit in the marble seat, but the giant's butt easily took two places and he had to place his legs around Olivia and Cerah's flanks, with Lance straight in the middle. "These damn Coliseum stands! So, what are you kids up to?"

"Trying to figure out who this Triumph is for, honestly." Lance confessed, folding his arms. They were nearing the afternoon events and there was yet to be a big parade of some loser walking in to be laureled. "Aren't all the games over? Those pamphlets all over town said they'd even show the Specters that attacked the Zodiac six months ago."Aguilon dumped his heavy, dense popcorn bag flat on Pegasus's head, irking him. "H-HEY!"

"Really? And you didn't run into a maniacal, double-back-stabbing, genociding, armored goat on the way here? Especially with my granddaughter nearby?!"

Lance gawked, silenced.

Aguilon's huge fingers rested on his shoulder pad and he hunched over to whisper. "Cause that'd be really, really, really stupid of you, Pegasus. Why, we might get an extra game in the arena, today, just between you and I!"

The Bronze Saint paled, patiently letting the giant eat off his head. "A-ah, I, um… Y-yeah."

{======================|A3|======================}

Papal Balcony

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Gemini Saga entered the Papal balcony, searching for his Holiness. "Holy Father, I have-"

Immediately, the two tall young men guarding the Pope turned to block him.

The blue-haired youth turned his eyes to the two young men by the Pope. He recognized Galan guarding the Pope, obviously, but not the silver-haired youth on the opposite end. "What is this? May I speak to the Pope or not?"

Shion turned his head and waved a hand. "Of course, Saga. Leon, Galarian, please."

Saga saw the two of them step back. He irked, hesitating to follow through them. He wasn't sure he was a fan of the tense feeling this created. "Since when is the Pope keeping watchdogs like this between him and me?" But he marched on and addressed the Pope. "I have finished preparations on Operation Marathon. The Teos Cloth will be put into Team 3's care, as planned."

"And our prisoner?" Shion asked.

"Aiolos is guarding him in the arena gate. He's ready to be presented to the crowd." Saga confirmed. He imagined the Pope's intention was to use Daemon Lucifer to celebrate the Triumph, as a dedication to the False Holy War victory. It would certainly explain why there was no singular person being celebrated yet, since it had been, at least in Saga's opinion, a collective triumph of their Zodiac's entire generation.

Shion nodded. Saga saw him clench his fingers anxiously a bit, though. "Excellent. Has he given you any trouble?"

"He's been shockingly quiet," The Gemini irked, still baffled by it. "- but he did try to escape when we got to the Coliseum. He didn't get very far, though, not with us watching."

Shion exhaled. "…Saddening, but not surprising. Perhaps Lucian finally realizes the gravity of his situation. I tried to help him, Saga. I swear to Athena I did. But you cannot help a man whose heart has shut itself this fiercely to others."

Saga noticed that the man Leon and Galarian shared an aggravated look at this, and imagined they disliked the Pope's show of consideration for the enemy. Saga himself wasn't a big fan of it, either.

Yet, looking at the duo, Saga wondered who the guy on the left was, to be standing there guarding the Pope without being one of Maximus' men. And even acting on equal ground to Galarian. Saga had never seen him before. It didn't make Saga at ease, either, with how much the guy resembled the Specter he and Aiolos escorted over.

"Speaking of which, your Holiness, Saint Sagittarius wanted me to ask you." Saga mentioned. It got the attention of the silver-haired guy, especially when Saga mentioned Aiolos' title. "Is this going to be an execution? Are we here to give Daemon Lucifer the capital punishment? I do not oppose it, but…unlike the prisoner, our Sagittarius' heart is quite open to others, as you know."

The masked Pope turned his head and stared, as if Saga had just suggested the God Warriors were at the gates. "Dear Goddess, no! Poor Aiolos. He must think that… No, not at all, Saga. Please assure Aiolos I just want the Pride Star within reach for what's to come, and to continue follow the instructions I gave."

The Gemini widened his eyes. "Within…reach? So, not out in the arena? But I thought-"

"I'm very sorry, Saga." Shion lamented. "Today's triumph has nothing to do with our victory over Daemon Lucifer. That false impression was merely created to gather the public in Sanctuary without a panic, because what we are about to do will have equal potential for discord. An extraordinary opportunity for peace has developed in our conflict with the Specters, an opportunity that this Triumph will serve."

The two bodyguards, especially the silver-haired one with the bow, tensed slightly at this, giving Saga the impression they had already been made privy to it.

It all left the Gemini in disarray. What could possibly constitute peace with Hades that Shion wouldn't share with him first? "Your Holiness, how could that be?! After everything that's happened, all the attacks, and even the matter you and I discuss of… you know what - " he referred, meaning the potential spy. "- what could be a road to dialogue with the Specters at this stage?!"

The Pope rested his hand on the case the silver-haired bodyguard had left by him. "Let us say, our bargaining room has expanded recently, thanks to the efforts of one dedicated servant, who frankly ought to be the warrior celebrated at this Triumph."

"You're still in time to do it, Master." Leon thought to himself, quiet.

Shion stood up. "And I realize, Saint Gemini, that I promised you all not to keep anything hidden from you anymore, but sometimes things occur too quickly and unexpectedly even for me." He put hand in Saga's shoulder. "I can count on you for what's to come, right, Saint Gemini?"

The blue-haired youth irked, feeling cornered. "R-Right, of course, but…" He bit his tongue and lowered his eyes, heartbroken. "…You always can, your Holiness. Your wishes are my commands."

The Pope's masked eyes turned up, seeing the clouds darken strangely in the air. The time was nearly at hand. "Thank you, Saint Gemini. For I may need your bravery and that of the Gold Saints sooner than we all think."

Saga's eyes turned in the same direction of the Pope's mask and he saw the murkiness forming in the air above the happy, cheering Coliseum crowds. "What the… what is this Cosmos I'm sensing up there?! Is something… about to show up here, in the heart of Sanctuary?!"

"Be at the ready, Saints of Gold." Shion ordered, with all the gravity of any Pope about to announce Athena's reincarnation. "She is about to arrive."

{======================|A3|======================}

Audience Stands

{======================|A3|======================}

The gigantic Silver Saint rubbed his scarred jaw, pensive, taking in the account of the four young teens of their encounter with the Pact. "I see, so that's what happened. I knew as soon as I heard it that it had to be bad."

Shinta hummed. "I guess word has spread already, uh?"

Aguilon scoffed, taking popcorn off of Lance's head. "Ah! Andromeda, by now the word is like the legs of the town's most generous whore! They're going from the Coliseum to Twin Peaks Mountain and everyone in-between has heard Pegasus had the gall to walk up to the three most insane members of the pact and get into a fight with them!" He eyed Shinta. Aguilon always thought the Andromeda was the sensible one. "And you were there, too?! What were you thinking?!"

The green-haired teenager flushed. Was his head going to become a giant popcorn hold, too? "W-Well, I…"

"That's enough, Grampa." Olivia interceded, taking the bag off of Lance's head and keeping it in her lap. She couldn't believe he could be so crass in front of her friends, too. "Saint Lance didn't even know I was nearby. I'm the one that stepped in to help. Besides, don't act like that isn't exactly the sort of thing you brag about having done our age! The large one even said he knew you!"

Aguilon irked, caught. "Menelaus did, uh? That piece of talking trash. Some people should keep their big mouths shut." The Herakles Silver Saint saw Menelaus shove a servant aside so hard to go sit that the poor guy almost fell off the stand. "We aren't close, not in the slightest. I've made sure of it. Daniel was our in-between. Menelaus was his student, you see."

Both Lance and Shinta would have spit out their mouths if they were drinking. "He was?!"

"Ah! Daniel didn't mention it to ya, right? Not surprised." Aguilon recognized, folding arms with a skeptic scoff. "His very first one, too. A far cry from Aldebaran. Menelaus' an old shame of the blonde fool, if you will. Part of Akassius' gang once, back when that lot was still a pack of uppity Bronze and Silver Saints making their way up the ladder. Like the others, Menelaus got Daniel to see potential in him and gained training at his constellation's Temple. For a while, everything was rosy, it seemed."

"I'm guessing it all turned sour, Grampa?" Olivia queried.

Aguilon laughed out loud, derisive. "That's an understatement, princess. By '62, Daniel had to kick him out. By force. Roman-larping bastard crossed the line one too many times in the violence department, he did…"

"What?! Who gets kicked off the Taurus Temple for being violent?!" Lance asked, stunned. He turned to see the Roman minotaur and imagine Daniel, of all people, appalled with his aggression levels. "That place's introduction test includes getting slammed onto the wall repeatedly until you're flat!"

"Menelaus did. And I'll leave it at that, is all I'll say." Aguilon only reaffirmed, looking grave. It made the imagination of all four of the young Saints scurry to some dark places about what might have truly happened, but Aguilon could promise them, whatever they pictured, it was worse. "And that was before the vandal went to the Alps and took over the Lost Legion; a pack of Ares worshippers, pretending the Roman Empire is still alive in the mountains. He's made a private army out of that lot and Goddess knows what he's been up to since then."

"Saint Daniel truly mentored that person? How could someone whose cosmos emanates bloodshed like this be from the same House as Aldebaran?" Shinta, who trained under Daniel, had to study the far-off armored giant again. "I don't understand, Saint Aguilon. If that person is so terrible, why are they here, in Sanctuary? Invited by the Pope?"

"Because unfortunately, we're gonna need Menelaus for this Holy War." Aguilon admitted, scowling like he had to take a particularly bitter medicine. "Believe it or not, he's held his Headquarters right in the nose of Heinstein Castle by himself for 15 years as of now…"

The young Saints gawked.

"But we barely hold Peloponnesia!" Lance mentioned.

"And that's why we need Menelaus." Aguilon confirmed, flippant. "He may be a ruthless bastard, but he is effective in the field, both in combat and logistics, and Berserkers are about the only army of the surface Specters truly fear. In the end, that's all that matters right now. There's a world to save, after all…"

Cerah clutched her Knight Girl doll self-consciously. "And with the Knights gone, then Sanctuary has to count on people like Menelaus and Azrael more than ever."

"Last year they even ambushed a part of Specters that were trying to go around Peloponnesia. (*)" Aguilon recalled. "We know now that Rhadamanthys himself had sent them. He must have thought we weren't watching the mountains too closely. But those Skeletons didn't know about the Lost Legion… When we found them, they were torn to pieces, and the words 'the dead stay dead' were written on them with blades. The Specters learned that day that it doesn't matter if you're immortal, if a pack of bloodthirsty Berserkers and Gladiators tear your body limb from limb."

(*) Chapter 34

Shinta, Cerah and Olivia gulped, all three recalling how close Menelaus had stood to them with his big axe. Was the man really ready to turn their friend Pegasus to pieces with it? Right in front of everyone?

Lance recalled the guy back at the mission debriefing who talked about joining their group, Mindarus. "I've heard we've been bleeding more men to them. One talked about it right in my face, just an hour ago."

"Turncoat bastards!" Aguilon immediately called, sneering. He ought to put half the soldiers through his Herculean Guard's regimen, just to iron that idea out of them "They'll get theirs, though, Pegasus. Nothing waits for them in those mountains but the worst training hell outside of Death Queen Island. That and being Menelaus' slaves for the rest of their sorry lives."

Cerah gasped. "I don't get it, then. Why join that man? What about Athena?! And Sanctuary and their homes? And defending the world?!"

Knowing she was a Zodiac Knight, Aguilon didn't mince words to Cerah. "They don't care about any of that, little Cerah. The young men of Sanctuary are raised their entire lives being told by us that if they serve Athena and finish service, they'll get to be powerful heroes who split the earth in twain and render the sky apart. Then, when they do, they get told they don't have the talent to be real Saints. And then we put rules on pretty much everything they do with their own Cosmos and hunt them down when they misbehave."

Lance sweated, recalling his Black Saint hunting career. "That was most of Shinta and my missions for better part of a year."

"Well, Menelaus tells them Ares has no rules." Aguilon finished. "He promises them better pay and 'an outlet to their abilities' and protection from being labelled a Black Saint. In other words, pillage as much as you think you deserve from those without Cosmos. To many in Sanctuary, who feel the Pope reigns them in too much, that's all it takes to abandon their vows to their Goddess."

"But…but…" Cerah scurried her mind, horrified. "So, they just abandon their home? And take whatever they want from people?! Just because they don't like being careful with their power? Nothing they train in Sanctuary for matters at all?" Cerah's blood boiled in outrage, turning her a bright pink. "But that's… that's so wrong! I can't believe this! AGH!"

A fearful Shinta scooched away, fearing she might unexpectedly explode like Lance.

There was a collective cheer for the crowd drawing their attention. People around them began pointing to the field, to where one of the iron gates was raising.

Olivia widened her eyes, seeing a familiar set of armor. "That's the Sagittarius Saint, isn't it? The one that dueled Galarian? Are we getting the first afternoon event?"

"We must be. I mean, heck, they haven't even told us yet who this Triumph is for." Lance guessed as much, though after the encounter with the silver-haired guy in the streets earlier, he had an idea about it. "Thinking of that, I should tell Olivia about-"

Cerah gasped, seeing a familiar face being guided by the hand by Saint Sagittarius! "Oh no! That person with him! That's…?!"

Shinta and Lance both narrowed their eyes and said. "Daemon Lucifer!"

Olivia raised a brow. "Who?"

{======================|A3|======================}

Chapter 104

Third Arc

Episode 26

The Triumph – Part 5 of 5

{======================|A3|======================}

The light of the raising portcullis blinded him, making Lucian squirm in his pillory. After five months in the Stardust Tower underground flowers, he was getting the first taste of sunlight. His ears picked up a resounding sound of cheers and jeers from every direction coming from curious, baffled or outraged spectators from every direction.

A tough, yet gentle hands of Aiolos put the blindfold around Lucifer's eyes. "Sorry for this, but the Pope ordered it." He gripped his arm. "Come on, Daemon. It's time."

Pulled, the Specter marched.

"It's the Specter! The Specter boss!" one line was heard in the cacophony of reactions.

The proud Celestial Star groaned, unable to speak or see. Whatever Akassius had done to him, it was still doing its job, robbing Lucian of his voice, while the stardust-reinforced pillory jumbled his thoughts to prevent him from sending cosmos out to potential saviors. He tried to keep up with the Gold Saint, his feet bare in the blood-marked sand, slowly making his way to the center of the field. Was there really a need for a blindfold too? At this point, Shion was just humiliating him!

It wasn't long before the first projectile wheezed through the air and struck him.

Whatever it was, it was dirty, wet and frail, smashing into his head like rotten cabbage. The second and third hit his body and his leg, and then an onslaught of curled messes of food followed, including curled popcorn bags.

"TAKE THAT, YOU MURDERER!" one woman cried.

"MY SON DIED IN THE ARIES TEMPLE! DAMN YOU!" a father wept, raising fist.

"…KILLER AND HERETIC!" an Hellenic priest condemned. "Hades will give you your rotten punishment in Erebus!"

"-PRINCE, OVER HERE!"

Lucifer's remaining senses, detecting this last line, made him turn head in the direction of the only voice in the cacophony not cursing him. Even weakened by his long captivity, he managed to zero in on the woman sitting in the far end of one of the stands. "Nasu! She came! But how is she supposed to spring me like this?!"

Reaching the center of the arena with the Specter and raising his golden wings to shield the prisoner, the Sagittarius Gold Saint raised his hand. "People of Sanctuary, I beg thee to halt!"

Slowly, the outraged crowd slowed the tossing down. "Lord Sagittarius!"

Aiolos flapped his wings, ejecting red remains of tomato off his armor's glistening surface, and held out his hand. "And stand for His Holiness! Pope Arles the Third!"

A bright flash from the Papal Balcony occurred, followed by a new one by Aiolos' side, as Arles teleported into the arena.

A loud cheer coursed through the stands. "YOUR HOLINESS!"

"PRAISE ATHENA! Praise the Holy Father!" the Hellenic priest from earlier cried.

Shion saw Aiolos followed his orders with the blindfold. "Good. No reason to risk having Lucian meet Leon." Raising both hands high, the highest figure in all of Sanctuary spoke out. "People of Sanctuary! Thank you for being here for this Triumph. And thank you for your patience. Today, in this town, we gather the people of the Goddess from all corners of the planet and I hope the Goddess has been with you all in your journeys. Sincerely, my thank you to you all."

A resounding applause came from every direction, along with smiles and cheers. To some religious members of the crowd that had never seen the Pope, the moment was enough to make them weep of joy.

The Pope lowered his hands, folding them inside his arm toga. "I hope you all enjoyed today's games. They were given in honor to the Goddess, but also in honor to all the brave soldiers and Saints of Athena that have died in service to us all in the past year. Specifically, we mention the defenders of the fortress of Crow's Nest, in Romania, which last December suffered a brutal attack that victimized all of its defenders. To the Bronze Saints of Fornax and Octans, namely, who perished in the service of Fort Commander Lacaille, we extend our final goodbyes to them. May Athena be with them for eternity."

"May Athena be with them." The crowd wished.

{======================|A3|======================}

"D-Damn those Specters!" a voice from an attendant sitting three seats above Cerah's head cried out, his fist hammering his thigh. "They killed my brother in Crow's Nest! I'll never forgive them!"

Hearing this, Cerah glowered, lowering her head. She thought the Aries Temple had been the only massacre conducted by the False Specters.

Her hand gripped her Obsidian Stone. "Crow's Nest… that must be the fortress my Cloth's former owner protected. Did Lucifer really kill all those people, too?"

"I'm afraid there's more, Cerah." Lance confirmed. He didn't mean to hurt her feelings, but it was best if the Knight knew the whole truth from the start. "The Saint of Gemini confirmed to me at the time that a raiding party attacked the villages in Mu, and I also know the tower of Jamir had to be defended, unsuccessfully, by Saint Iaso of Ophiuchus."

Aguilon scoffed, folding his arms. "So, it's true Iaso was there, uh? I owe him a beer, then. I also got sent to Mount Rozan at the time, looking for that medical smoking machine. The old purple man in the waterfall didn't say anything, but judging by some of the destruction I saw in the forest, I'm pretty sure an attack went down on that mountain, as well."

Lance sweated. Aguilon was unknowingly referring to Alraune Lemon's assault. The Pegasus Saint remembered this last one well. He was the main victim of it, after all.

Cerah's green eyes trembled and squeezed out tears, staring at the silver-haired man in the pillory. "How could he? All those people…!"

"It's easy to forget that guy's invasion was more than just his attack on the Twelve Temples." Lance acknowledged, folding his arms. At the end of the day, though Lance went through quite a lot, he was still lucky, because he survived. "You're not going to believe it, gals, but he didn't even want to destroy Sanctuary. He wanted to take it over."

Olivia perked up. "What? But he's a Specter! How does that make any sense?"

Shinta himself was still confused by it. "I don't understand it quite well myself, miss Olivia, but Lance is speaking the truth. The Daemon Specter you see down there went on and on at the time about being its rightful heir, like Sanctuary was supposed to be ruled by kings and he was its lost prince. He even said he was doing it for the good of humanity, if you can believe it."

"Same goddamn speech as Atlae, except more honest about being a selfish piece of shit!" Lance characterized, growling. He had to confess to respect at least that much; unlike the other Specters, Lucifer didn't try to pretend he was a savior. He displayed his ambition rather proudly, even. "Heck, he talked all about how he never told a lie, even! Like he was trying to convince everyone he was in the right, just because he was direct about his screwed-up plan to ruin everyone's lives!"

Shinta glowered, recalling Lucifer's accusations. "Not only that, but he also said I was… the same as him. A Prince of Hades. The same accusation Reaper Grim made."

"But to be honest, there's a lot we still don't know about how exactly all of this happened." Lance summarized. He sighed out, not believing half a year had already passed. "But I guess we're never gonna get our answers. If that guy is here in the Coliseum, in front of this public, then what the Pope is about to do is pretty obvious."

Olivia and Shinta shared a grim look of silent conclusion. Yet, both had to notice no execution instrument was out. No guillotine, no rock to throw the Specter out of, nothing.

Still, Cerah's heart beat fast. Her mind raced, wondering what to do. A powerful impulse tugged at her, urging her to get off her feet. What should she do? This was Lucifer, the man who raised her in Daese's stead. The man who taught her how to fight and survive. The man who, for a brief moment, gave her purpose and direction.

But… he was also a murderer!

{======================|A3|======================}

The Pope laid out his hands. "We now find ourselves half a year passed, with wounds still yet to fully heal from that terrible night this Specter and his army attacked us. Almost a hundred soldiers faithful to Athena, from the Papal Guard, gave their lives that night, defending the Temples, buying time for the Saints of Athena to protect and save the rest of us. We must not be so flippant to forget their sacrifice just because they wielded inferior armor. Their pain is now ours, long after their end."

The blindfolded Lucifer gritted his teeth in disgust. "What a load of nonsense! Is his plan to end me to torture me to death with these platitudes?! You should have guarded Aries yourself! And met me on the battlefield!"

Aiolos noticed his tense, disgusted reaction on his face, but stayed silent.

"The perpetrator of that pain? None other than this man!" Arles presented, waving a hand at the Specter. "Daemon Lucifer, the Celestial Star of Pride!"

Another round of booing and screaming occurred. Aiolos was pretty sure that, were it not for the Pope being in the way, the tomatoes and popcorn bags would rain again.

"After a tremendous battle on that terrible December night, the brave Gold Saints of Athena were able to subdue this villain at the Temples, but people of Athena, I beg you, do not think our troubles over yet." Arles confirmed. Immediately this triggered a swirl of murmurs in the Coliseum crowd. "I know you all know what I speak of. It has all but been confirmed to you all by the Temples, after all. Some of you may have already suffered loss from said 'troubles' and have come here to hear it from us, the Golden Zodiac, the truth about what hovers over our heads…."

A light rumbling sounded in the air, one lost to most in the arena focused on the Pope. Aiolos looked up, tense, spotting the faint darkening above the Coliseum. His eyes lowered on the Pope, awaiting the moment that the terrible reveal to the audience was about to come. The reveal that they were, indeed, still at war.

The masked Holy Father breathed out, then held his head to focus. "Saga? You have my command. Do it now. Summon the Saints."

"Yes, your Holiness. Operation 'Marathon' is a go."

{======================|A3|======================}

Lance perked up, receiving the signal through the Cosmos from Saga. "What?! Already?!"

Shinta turned. "Lance? What's going on?"

The Pegasus Saint got up with the urgency of any soldier called to his mission. "Cerah, it's time! We got the call! We have to go get your Bronze Cloth NOW!"

The Zodiac Knight gawked. "For that?!" She put her plushie of Knight Girl away, with Olivia, and raised herself, at the ready. "Right! Lead the way, Saint Lance!"

Shinta gawked and called Lance via Cosmos. "(Wait, is this… that?!)"

Lance assumed Shinta was referring to his assault on Erebus. "(No, not yet, Shinta. We'll be with Yushira for that. THIS is a calling for an operation led by Saga.)"

Seeing the Pegasus and Corvus rush out, Olivia realized what was going on and departed right after. "Wait, you two!"

Lance stopped to explain. "Olivia, I…" But her heartbroken face made him gulp. He lowered his head. "I'm sorry. We have to go to the other Saints. It's time."

The Equuleus Saintia glowered, holding her arm. "I know. And then you'll be in the front, right? But I need to…" Olivia stopped herself. She shouldn't tell her boyfriend the reason she wasn't following him right away was because she still hoped to see her missing brother somewhere. She tried to smile. "I'll meet you there, okay? I promise. Please don't leave before that."

Lance nodded, curving lips up. "I won't." And then he departed with Cerah.

Aguilon rose his brow, bewildered. "Uh, must be a secret operation from the Gold Saints. I wouldn't worry too much, Princess. I'm sure you'll get to reach him at the MMC."

Though caring, the words failed to assuage Olivia's fears. A terrible, foreboding feeling crept on the star-reader for some reason, one she couldn't shake off. "Right… Everything will be fine."

Unbeknownst to them, the rumbling and darkening above the Coliseum intensified.

{======================|A3|======================}

Aiolos tensed, seeing the various pockets of Saints involved in Operation Marathon getting up from their seats in the Coliseum and rushing out to join Saga in the lower floors.

Lucifer wasn't oblivious to it either. He even heard Pegasus's voice, who characteristically was shouting his way through the citizens towards the exit corridors. "What is going on?! Shion is having the Saints vacate the Coliseum?!" With an anxiety he'd never admit outloud, he wondered if perhaps this was Nasu's chance to pull whatever they had planned to nab him, or a clever trap by Shion.

The Pope continued to speak to the crowd. "The stories you have all heard, men and women of the Goddess, are true; Fort Peloponnesia is under siege. Not directly, yet, but it is. And it's by the forces of Hades."

A concerned, fearful wave of reactions was the response to the Pope.

"I know what you are all thinking at this moment; it simply cannot be. Holy War is only twenty years away." Pope Arles guessed. The tense silence of the crowd was the confirming response he expected. "It's what we've all been told since childhood, that Holy War with our most cruel God enemy would be a concern for the next generation. That it would not be our sons and our brothers that would be sent to the frontlines. However, the cowardice and malice of Hades knows no bounds and the God, I'm afraid, has maneuvered to attack us directly."

Then, a faint humming in the ground to match the one in the sky was felt, this time by Lucifer. The Specter widened his covered eyes, feeling cosmos course under their feet. "What?! Are we standing on some kind of…"

"To make it even more cruel on all of us, though a decade has already passed, many of us are licking our wounds from Sagittarius Priam's betrayal, one that will not be forgotten any time soon." Arles alluded to. "Though I promise you all, that wound will soon be closed as well."

An intrigued humming and murmur followed, with many wondering what exactly the Pope meant by this.

If only Lucifer could cackle at it, wishing now more than ever that blasted ex-Gemini hadn't taken his voice. "Oh, you will get a rude awakening there, Shion!"

Shion raised his finger. "People of Athena, since the defeat of Daemon Lucifer, the forces of Hades have harmed us a total of four times; first, a gruesome attack on our forces around Heinstein Castle, in which even the former Aquarius Saint, Count Malta, was grievously injured. Second, a cowardly assault on the Saintia Academy, on which the daughters of many of you all study. Third, an ambush on my Saints in the mountains, one that almost resulted in the death of a young girl, were it not for Saints Crateris and Pegasus. Fourthly, the sinking of the sacred island of Andromeda, where many of our most important Bronze Cloths reside. These are just the attacks perpetuated outside the battlefield, showing the Specters, unless contained, will stop at nothing to harm the people of the surface."

Growing outrage and fear was heard from the crowd all around them. Many cried in horror at what had been done, while others wondered what else could be happening right now.

"But, most important of all, my children, is that the Fortress of Peloponnesia, the bulwark of Athena against the domains of Erebus, finds itself increasingly under the reach of Heinstein Castle's cursed barrier. Within a mere month, the men and women guarding it will be completely inside its dark dome, their ability to protect us rendered null!" His mask turned to Aiolos. "I'm sure you all know what that entails… but I will allow Saint Sagittarius the honor."

The golden warrior nodded and stepped forward. He beheld the people of Athena, the people who fought and labored side by side with him in unseen ways to protect the Earth. People who looked upon him and the remaining Gold Saints for hope, fear struck in their eyes.

Seeing the floor darkening with a strange shadow from above, Lucifer's red eyes turned up. They widened, seeing black clouds emerging and coalescing out of nowhere. Clouds he knew very well!

Gulping, the young Sagittarius Gold Saint then cried out. "Sanctuary of the Goddess! Stand with your Saints! In the name of Athena, we are at HOLY WAR WITH HADE-"

THRROOOOMMM!

The thundering sound silenced the entire Sanctuary, from Coliseum to the Twelve Temples, and the faint darkness previously in the air now became visible to all as a giant shadow swallowed the building!

Shion recoiled. "This is it!" He waved his hand aside. "Gold Saints, at the ready! Soldiers, be ready to move the attendants out!"

Leo Galarian and Leon leaped out of the Papal Balcony, joining the three of them. The silver haired youth in particular carried a bowcase with him even though his weapon was already out. Aiolos burned his cosmos, ready for combat. Lucifer braced himself on his knees, finally realizing what Shion was planning.

Spiraling into a vortex, the black clouds expanded and a female voice laughed out for all to hear. "HA, HA, HA, HA! Foolish old Pope! Do you think you, a mere mortal, have the right to declare war on us first?!"

Winds battered the entire arena and Shion guarded himself. "Soldiers, escort the audience to the outside, now!" he ordered, triggering a flurry of activity in the stands from the hoplites, who began guiding the women and children off the seats. His eyes fixed on the presence he felt in the vortex. "Come out, liaison of Hades!"

"With pleasure!" And with this announcement, thundering hooves were heard. To the shock and terror of all, out of the spiraling darkness, a carriage pulled by a ghastly quartet of black, headless horses drove out, flying through the air around the arena. Their feet looked covered in the blue fire of Erebus and the wheels spun effortlessly through the air, while a trail of blackness was left in the carriage's weight like a trail of dust from whatever power moved the vehicle.

Standing closer to Lucifer, Aiolos gritted his teeth, guarding from the winds with his wings, his eyes beholding the outrageous sight of the vehicle descending on them like climbing down an invisible mountain. "N-Now there's something I thought I'd never see!"

"The Taraxippoi!" Lucifer recognized, feeling the hand of his hated former lord finally catch up with him. "Then the person in the carriage can only be HER!"

Halting, the armored man in the driver seat, Harpy Valentine, gave the Saints a knowing smirk, then jumped out to open the vehicle's passenger door. Standing back, he bowed to his knee, allowing a pair of heeled, pale feet to step out.

Leon narrowed his eyes. "It's her. The cursed Heinstein."

Galarian clenched his thick fists. "The sister of Hades, who commands all Specters."

Aiolos sweated. "The one in the Underworld most equivalent to the Pope of Sanctuary. Fit to speak for Hades himself."

With the storming winds of the vortex relaxing, Shion relaxed and stoop up straight, taking the group's lead. "I haven't seen those horrible horses in over two hundred years, and I cannot say I have missed them. Welcome to Sanctuary… Pandora Heinstein."

The beautiful, raven-haired, purple-eyed young woman of pale skin, black dress, snake ring and long trident staff gave them all her huff and disdained look, unimpressed by the Pope or his entourage of golden guards and especially disgusted by the building she stood on. "So, this piece of dirt is the land of Athena? How barbaric. All to be expected of uncivilized mortals such as the ones serving the Emperor's niece, of course…"

{======================|A3|======================}

Golden Zodiac,

Cancer Temple,

Entrance

{======================|A3|======================}

"Are you guys seeing what I'm seeing?! Is this for real?!" Milo cried out, pointing at the clouds.

"Those clouds are hovering over the Coliseum." Aldebaran pointed out. They had all gathered at the Cancer Temple to get a better view of what was going on, while leaving their Cloths in their Temples. "That's where everyone important in Sanctuary is right now."

Mu gasped. "And those are Specters they're showing in the sky! Is Master okay?!"

Aldebaran sweated. "I don't know… but I see people flooding out of the place like a bomb has gone off."

"What is happening there?! There couldn't have been some kind of enemy teleportation!" Milo protested. They could, however, sense massive cosmos fighting it out in the arena, cosmos that did not belong to the Saints. "We are following Saga's plan to a T and keeping enough armors in their Houses to maintain Athena's blessings! How could Specters be here?!"

"Children, please, calm down. You are frightening Lord Mu." Noah begged, arriving at their side. The newest Virgo Gold Saint, too, had left their armor at their House. "I am sure everything is under control. Saint Galarian, Saga and Aiolos are at the Coliseum. His Holiness is definitely safe, too."

The Aries Gold Saint quivered. "Saint Noah, what should we do?! Shaka just left here as well! What if he gets attacked?!"

Gently, Noah held the Muvian child. "Don't worry, Lord Mu. Lots of our most powerful warriors are at the Coliseum right now. I promise we'll take care of everything." And then assessed the situation. "As for the visitors we have…It must be the Taraxippoi."

"Taxi what?!" Milo gawked.

Aldebaran groaned. "Taraxippoi, you dummy! You're supposed to be the Greek one, here!"

"They are the headless horses of Hades, Milo. Perhaps, calling them a taxi service is actually not far-off base." Noah acknowledged.

"Ah, see!" Milo blew a raspberry at the big Taurus. "I'm smarter than you!"

"They are powerful creatures of Erebus with great abilities to jump between worlds. In the Lost Canvas War, the Taraxippoi were used to carry the Hades Vessel Alone and Pandora right into the heart of the Sanctuary, near the Colossus of Athena, when the Goddess Sasha was with us and all." Noah explained, making them widen their eyes. "At the time, the attack was repelled by the Gold Saints and Athena's mighty Bronze Saint bodyguards, but not without Sagittarius Sisyphus falling into a terrible coma and the Dragon Saint being seriously injured."

"WHAT?! This sounds less like a taxi and more of a troop carrier thingie! What is stopping them from doing it again?! From doing it here?!" Milo panicked. "Didn't half this mountain get ripped into the sky when that happened?!"

Noah noticed the Scorpio Saint paid more attention to class than he admitted to and smiled. "That's right, Lord Milo, but Sanctuary, like its Saints, seldom falls for the same trick twice. Lady Athena has greatly strengthened the mountain's defenses in the meantime, precisely because of that event and with it in mind."

Aldebaran breathed out in relief, but folded his arms. "I wish I could be reassured, but after those False Specters… you never know."

The Virgo Saint nodded. "That's right. The Taraxippoi are reason for great concern, young Lords." Noah's green eyes stared at the images of the marching Skeletons. The Virgo Saint prided himself of being good with math, considering his powers, and what he tallied in the images, even discounting the big battleship in the air, made his throat tighten. "The appearance of Hades' horses and the announcement of the Lost Canvas, after all, was what officially begun the last Holy War…"

The Scorpio Gold Saint stared out. "Then… this means the big enemy boss has finally showed up?"

Noah went quiet with their conclusions. "By my calculations, the barrier approaching Peloponnesia is still a month away from dominating the region. Whoever is at the Coliseum, with this cosmos and in these circumstances, must be either one of the Judges or Pandora herself. In either case, for them to show up in Sanctuary so boldly, it can only mean one thing… they must be here to 'negotiate'."

{======================|A3|======================}

Coliseum

{======================|A3|======================}

As the ghastly Taraxippoi landed in the arena and the crowds in the arena panicked, Herakles Aguilon gritted his teeth. "That's… Pandora! The sister of Hades!"

"Pandora Heinstein?!" Olivia asked, horrified. They had tried to follow Lance and Cerah out, but the two left in such a hurry that the Equuleus lost sight of them, and now these Specters had arrived from the very air itself "W-what is she doing here?!"

Shinta, on the other hand, felt a shiver to his core, his eyes transfixed on the woman. Her violet eyes locked with his for a brief moment, giving him an odd, nostalgic feeling that they had met once before. "That's… Pandora?! The closest servant of Hades? But… but she so much like my…!"

The two Iraklidis family members, however, noticed an even more important presence joining the Pope's side from the balcony stand. "And that one is…"

Olivia's heart beat fast, spotting the head of silver armed with the bow and case. "Leon! My brother!,,,"

A hoplite came by. "Everyone, please, the Pope asks you to move out of the Coliseum, now."

But the giant Silver Saint glared at the soldier, paralyzing the poor man. "I am staying. Don't you dare order me otherwise. I don't give a rat's ass what the Pope told you. This is a family matter now." He turned to his granddaughter. "You, though, should go find Pegasus, Olivia."

The black-haired girl widened her eyes. "What?! No way! Leon is right there!" As she pointed towards the archer standing between the Pope and the Leo in the arena.

Shinta followed her gaze and recognized the others except for the man she was pointing at. "You know that person by the Pope, miss Olivia?"

She nodded, shaking. "He's… my older brother, Saint Shinta!" Olivia revealed, visibly starting the Andromeda. Her fists clenched. "I'm not going anywhere! Not without talking with him firs-"

"YES, YOU ARE!" Aguilon roared at them, making them recoil. "Even if it's Leon there, Olivia! It's about to get very dangerous in this place!"

The Saintia reeled. "B-But…!"

The giant held her shoulders gently and tried another angle to get her out of the Coliseum. "Please. If not for me, then for Pegasus. Olivia, I have a strong inkling of what he and the little Zodiac Knight girl got called for, and if I am right, he is heading straight for Peloponnesia after this. The next time you see either of them, Olivia,… it could be in a Holy War coffin, coming home."

The idea seemed powerful enough to give Olivia pause. Her blue eyes darted left and right from the arena, where her long-missing brother now stood, and the Coliseum exit, through where she could go to her Saint.

"Any minute now he will be leaving, Olivia." Aguilon urged, his old eyes narrowing.

Harnessing all of her resolute spirit, Olivia shut off from her mind all thoughts of her brother being in the arena and rushed off, following the hoplite's indications along with the crowd.

Aguilon turned to the pink Saint next to him. "And what are you doing here? Not gonna see your friend off?"

Shinta risked another look at Pandora. "Not yet. I'm staying too. Lance will understand. I know we'll meet again on the battlefield." He narrowed his eyes, squinting at the woman, his curiosity grasping for a possible link between Reaper Grim and Lucier's accusations and the fleeting feeling that he had seen the raven-haired woman before, as if in a dream. Did Shinta… know the Sister of Hades? "There is something I need to find out."

Detecting a strange determination in Shinta's eyes, stronger than even Olivia's, the giant decided not to battle him on it. "Very well, but you're on your own when things get ugly."

He then faced the arena, seeing the two liaisons of Athena and Hades meet mask-to-face. More importantly, he observed Leon, his lost grandson. In any other circumstances, Aguilon would have been leaping with joy and rushing to embrace him. The silver-haired teenager had grown so tall, so proud-looking. With his cosmos and bow ready, Aguilon's grandson seemed ready to take on the Specters and their army all by himself. A true Iraklidis.

But Aguilon needed to be patient, and only watch for the moment.

{======================|A3|======================}

Meanwhile, Pandora raised her trident to point at the holy father. "How wonderful to finally meet you, Arles the Third! I cannot tell you how long I've waited for this encounter."

"I cannot say the same, Pandora Heinstein. Your appearance before me, after all, can mean nothing but tragedy." Shion answered back, rising from his seat. His eyes squinted severely inside his mask, studying the girl. Though she appeared only accompanied by Harpy Valentine in the carriage driver seat, the former Aries Gold Saint knew from experience that the Taraxippoi's car could actually hide a whole contingent of Specters in its shadows. "Leon. Galarian, Aiolos?"

Leo Galarian immediately flanked the Pope, raising his fists in preparation for battle. "Your Holiness, at the ready!"

Leon gripped his long bow, blue eyes trained on Pandora. "I have her in my sights, Master. One false move, and Hades will have to find a new patsy to call a 'sister'."

Down at the arena, Aiolos also raised his golden bow and arrow, this one at Harpy Valentine. "I have the Specter. They won't make a move."

Leon perked up, impressed at the readiness of the Sagittarius in cooperating with this silver-haired stranger. Though intrigued, Leon just smirked and focused on his own task.

Pandora clicked her tongue, disappointed, seeing the arrows and fists pointed at her. "I've just arrived, and already you sic your so-called heroes of justice on me? But I've come to parlay? I see that offensive behavior towards their betters is still the diplomacy of choice of Athena's warriors."

Had Shion not anticipated this behavior from her, he imagined he'd probably feel enraged. "You dared to appear in the Goddess' city, to frighten my people and to mock my Saints and land in our sacred Coliseum. It is not what we arranged…"

The raven-haired woman laughed. "Is that what this aggressive reception is about?" She rested her toothed staff. "I apologize tremendously, then, for ruining your barbaric, pagan celebration, but my brother deserves nothing less but the grandest of introductions to his Triumph!"

"His Triumph?!" Aiolos questioned, bewildered.

Pandora laughed. "Of course! He is, after all, about to declare victory over all of Sanctuary. I assumed, therefore, today's celebration in your city was directed at him."

A loud murmur containing a mixture of fear and outrage went through the whole Coliseum. Leon narrowed his eyes in offense.

"Easy now, Leon. No need for another attack on the Gods just yet." Galarian advised him in mock, before turning to the Pope. "Your Holiness, I've sent commands ordering the captains to evacuate everyone. It will take a little time, though; there's thousands of visitors around the Coliseum impeding movement."

Seeing the hoplites in the stands beginning to guide people out, Shion manifested his cosmos, making his robes waver and enormous crystal walls begin to form in the air.

"Mm-mm, do you think you can take the chance to capture me? My Taraxippoi can easily travel out of your silly barriers, dear Pope." Pandora mocked.

With a wave of his hands, Shion made the walls begin to gently rest over the Coliseum stands, shielding the citizens. "My main concern is for the people of Athena."

{======================|A3|======================}

Coliseum

{======================|A3|======================}

At the stands, trying to evade the hoplites constantly ordering everyone to leave, Nasu Erika screamed into her teeth. "There he is! I can't believe this! All this work trying to get close to him, trying to figure out where those two Gold Saints took him from the Prison and now these stupid invisible walls are stopping me from reaching the Prince!"

Daese, however, wasn't entirely listening. Her eyes were fixed on one of the exits of the Coliseum, where she spotted two familiar faces rushing out. "Those were…Cerah and Lance. They're together?" Daese knew they had battled Alraune Queen, but seeing them be comrades was a separate thing entirely.

"HEY, are you listening?!"

Growling, Daese turned. "I know, we can't save your boss right now! It's to be expected, isn't it?" Daese pointed out. "Arles is a lot of things, but careless isn't one of them. There's no way he or his Gold Saints would let your boss off their sight, especially at the Coliseum. We'll need to look for another chance to save Priam and Lucian!"

Nasu hammered the Crystal Wall, but all it accomplished was ignite a spark of cosmos that burned her hand back. "AGH!...Don't! Call him! That! He is Lucifer! The Celestial Star of Pride! The Prince!"

"Whatever you want him to be called, he and the Page are out of our reach now! That's Pandora and the Gold Saints right there!" Daese argued. "So put your bratty Specter-rebel-identity pride aside and THINK! How do we get your boss out of this?!"

The pale-blonde woman practically growled, searching for any whole in the pristine glass wall right in front of their heads. She eyed her savior in the Arena, in the humiliating pillory. She could almost reach out and take him. Everything was riding on her to save the Prince and the False Specters and a fucking glass wall was her only obstacle! Damn the Pope to Tartarus!

"Erika!" Daese urged, seeing her barely listening. She looked around, seeing the hoplites were beginning to notice them. It wouldn't do for them to be caught now. "We have to leave! Do you want to get us thrown at the wolves, too?!"

"FINE! But this isn't over!" Erika vowed, storming out. "One way or another, the False Specters are getting their Prince back!"

"Thank Goddess, she isn't insane!" Daese thought, relieved and following her. She did spare a look at Saints Gemini and Sagittarius. Arguably, out of her and Erika, Daese had the most to panic about. "But… if Priam isn't with those two, where is he?! Did Akassius and his group finally kill him?! I better move out as well, then! When we get to Lucian, he can definitely tell us…"

{======================|A3|======================}

At the arena, Pandora Heinstein chuckled, amused by the sight of Athena's sinful people running away like frightened rats. "Dear me, so brave are the people of Athena!"

"The mere sight of you, milady, is a reminder of their sins being nooses around their necks." Harpy Valentine commented, joining her. "And that the Emperor's justice awaits them all in the beyond."

Her eyes descended on the trio of Sanctuary men coming to face her and, in particular, the silver-haired prisoner beside them. She laughed. "Speaking of the Emperor's justice… hello, traitor!"

Daemon Lucifer gritted his teeth, finding himself face to face with Pandora and a True Specter for the first time since the Exodus. Even blindfolded, he could never mistake her voice or perfume. This was the sister of Hades, the woman he left screaming at Heinstein, humiliated.

The liaison of Hades widened his eyes at his complete silence. "Well, that is unexpected. No retorts, Prince? No cruel words and unfounded accusations at my brother?" Pandora asked, genuinely amazed. Her lips curved up into a cruel smile. "Could I tell you, then, how delightful it was to watch your pathetic army of False Specters crash like a wave on Sanctuary's mountain temples? And how I cannot wait to bring you back with me to grovel at my brother's feet for mercy? And how much pleasure it gives me, seeing you there, chained at your feet and neck like a bad dog?"

Unable to speak, the Pride Star only squinted, realizing that not only had Pandora not changed at all, but his suspicions that Hades was observing his war somehow were correct all along. Had Akassius not taken his tongue, he'd probably lament the former and scoff at the latter.

"Mm, perhaps Sanctuary has cut off his tongue so he won't surrender any secrets to us he might have uncovered?" Harpy wondered, also surprised.

"We have done no such thing, I assure you." The Pope spoke, putting his hand on Lucian's shoulder and capturing their attention. "Unlike the Underworld, Athena does not make it her practice to torture and deface her prisoners, no matter how cruel they may be."

The Celestial Wailing Star scoffed and stepped forward. "Then you won't mind if I-"

Suddenly, the ground beneath them turned alite with bright white light, blinding the two of them!

With some powering, Harpy Valentine rushed to shield Pandora "A trap?!" but the emerging light coalesced all around, yet apart from them, forming walls of Crystal Wall that raised high into the sky. Reaching as tall as the Coliseum stands, they then formed a new wall above the Specters' heads, encasing the two of them and their carriage within a contained area.

"Not one step out of that place for you both." The Pope warned. He laughed at their stunned faces. "Please, lady Pandora, you didn't really think I was unprepared for your arrival, did you?"

Pandora glared, seeing the cosmos all around them sparkle. "How primitive. You call locking me in a cage like a bird 'preparing for negotiations'?"

"No, I just had a feeling you'd attempt a terrorizing spectacle like this for our long-awaited reunion,. And I wasn't wrong." Arles admitted, flanked by his three menacing bodyguards. He still remembered their last encounter well; when she along with Hades use these very Taraxippoi to storm their way straight into Athena's Colossus. "You always had a flare for the spectacular, after all. And for tormenting those you think inferior to you."

"And besides, you're the one that has attacked us, first." Leon accused, calm. "In Master's shoes, I'd have you shot in the head on sight."

Lucifer's attention perked up at the strange voice. "What? Who's this person?!"

Pandora chuckled. "Excuse me? Is this some kind of bottom-feeding worm trying to threaten me?!"

Galarian scoffed, amazed at her facetiousness. "You don't agree with Leon? You're telling me you people haven't been acting out recently? Attacking our schools, putting that barrier of yours closer and closer to our fortresses?! If anyone has been acting primitive, it's been you."

The attack on Olivia's school, in particular, made Leon's blood boil underneath his cool exterior. "You are nothing but an army of deluded cowards, liars and weaklings, who get their strength by selling their souls to their God and fight their wars against a Sanctuary without a Goddess. But the time for mercy on you has ended. You will now face Saints that will hold nothing back from annihilating all hundred and eight of you. One. By one. And hopefully? I will get to take part."

Harpy Valentine tensed like a furious hawk, activating his Surplice's metal claws. "W-What?! How dare you?!"

Galarian only chuckled at the look on the Specter's face. Leon sure had his way of tongue-lashing losers.

"Don't even try to deny it, Harpy. I have no patience for liars." Leon's eyes then sharpened like arrows on Pandora, making her stagger. "As for your God, Pandora? Your so-called brother will also pay for all the crimes he's committed against humanity all these centuries. He will have the honor of being the first in Olympus to die to humans. Mark my words."

Lucifer had to widen his covered eyes and scoff, detecting no hesitation in this person's voice as he threatened a God, while also sensing a staggered gasp from Pandora. "Well, looks like there's someone other than Pegasus in Shion's army with a pair of spheres. Good to know. If only he had 86 more of these…"

Pandora reeled, stunned that someone, even a servant of Saints, would dare to say such things. "Y-You are lucky, mortal, that my faith in my God is great, and hence I know you will get the Prison awaiting you for your disrespect to him, and that these Crystal Walls are up, or otherwise I'd smite you myself for those words!"

"Leon, that is not very polite to our guests. We are here to avoid bloodshed, not spread it." Arles warned. He saw Leon take a slight step back as a sign of deference. "Forgive us, Pandora. Let us get back to the matter at hand that has brought you here to Sanctuary."

The flippant tone in the Pope's voice, however, did not reassure Pandora he truly meant the respect. "Very well. I shall do what I've come here to do before I become the object of more… unpleasant threats! You will now hear my brother's peace terms upon you."

"Peace terms…Please!" Daemon Lucifer thought. The notion alone that Hades was dealing in good faith was ridiculous, but Lucian also knew Shion had neither the bargaining power or inclination to negotiate peace even if Hades wasn't lying through his teeth. "From that lying piece of shit God?! Pandora is still truly drunk on his delusions!"

"They are the following, and they will decide if this species lives to see another turn of the sun." Pandora then pointed trident at the Pope. "So, listen well, mortals!"

"For starters, an immediate turnover of all False Specters in your possession to ours! This includes the traitor Prince, as well as the return of the fabled Daemon Surplice, which you have dared to seal inside your Temples from my brother's divine call!"

"Secondly, an immediate retreat of all your Saints and soldiers from the premises of Heinstein Castle, never to step within even 100 kilometers of my home until your Goddess is there to speak for you!"

"Third of all, the disarmament and deconstruction of the offensive fortress you call 'Peloponnesia', down to the foundations on the earth it stands on, along with a tribute as reparation for the insulting siege the men in it mounted on my castle!"

"Fourth of all, the surrender of the sacred artifact you have acquired for yourselves, of which you have no right over…!" Pandora listed, her lips curving up. "The Sacred Cloth of Myth, Teos!"

At this, the people that had yet to leave the Coliseum and were fervently watching the scene unfold in the arena between their beloved Pope and their most hated enemy began to murmur, gasp, and otherwise shout in alarm!

{======================|A3|======================}

Cancer Temple

{======================|A3|======================}

Keeping his senses high for what was happening at the Coliseum, Mu quivered. "Oh no, she knows about Teos?"

"She does?! And she just blabbed it in front of everyone?" Milo folded his arms, groaning. "Well, crap, that cat's out of the bag, now."

The Saint of Virgo widened their eyes. "Did I hear that correctly, Lord Saints? The Cloth of Teos from myth tales? It's in Sanctuary?"

Aldebaran sweated, scratching his head. "Yeeaaaahhh…. We kind of got it after the False Specter attack. We haven't had time yet to brief you on it, and it's still classified, so it would be best not to be too loud abo-"

"IT'S SUPER COOL, Saint Noah!" Mu declared, jumping up and down in excitement. "Not only is it, like, ultra-mega-hyper-duper strong, but it's got next-generation Cloth intelligence AND it's made of liquid metal, so it personalizes its shape to you and fixes its damage all by itself! It can even turn into different types of armor!"

"Yeah, the only drawback on the ultra-mega-hyper-duper Cloth, no big deal, is that the thing's got, like, no power source of its own? So, we can't use it."

This reduced Virgo Noah to a nonplus. "We can't? How can a Cloth work without power? Even Athena Cloths use constellations."

"Well, Teos doesn't. Instead, it sucks you dry of Cosmos like a leech the minute you put it on you." Milo mocked, scoffing derisively. He remembered how Mu went crying to the Pope when he put the glove on and his entire arm went numb instantly. "Crap upgrade if you ask me. It almost makes me wonder what could the Specters possibly want with it. Even its owner won't wear it!"

Noah hummed in concern. Things ran even deeper in the Golden Zodiac than the new Virgo Saint had calculated.

{======================|A3|======================}

Coliseum

{======================|A3|======================}

Pandora laughed at the Pope. "So, what will it be, Sanctuary? Will you obey my brother's more than just demands? Or shall we herald a Quiet Earth?"

Galarian scoffed, turning to Leon. "(What else is she going to ask? A foot rub?)"

Leon's blue eyes locked dangerously on her, seeing her weapon's sharp teeth still pointed at his Master. "(Hopefully an arrow through her head for the next Halloween.)"

The Daemon Specter, too, had to exhale, exasperated. "These are all nonsense demands, that not even this feckless Muvian's Sanctuary would ever agree to. Hades just wants to be able to tell Zeus that he tried the ceremonial route with the humans before he exterminates us." At least Lucian had the decency to attack right away, and never pretended that he ever intended to negotiate with Shion. This could only be another exercise of cynicism from the God of Erebus. "But what could possibly justify to Olympus him attacking his niece's realm while she's away?! Even the gods must know that's opening a Pandora box! All of Elysium will be at war with itself!"

The Pope himself had similar thoughts. "Is this why Hades wars with us? Attacked our homes and terrorized our people? As a retaliation for a Cloth of fairytales?"

"Hmph, do not pretend you do not have it, Arles." Pandora accused, resting her trident. "Lord Hades has seen it all in your war with the traitor over there. This is not to mention the weapon the Muvians have been hiding behind your lines at Mount Kailash. The exploitation of such weapons in warring against the Gods is strictly forbidden! Each God is to use only their own means to contest the Earth! For what good is it to prove the worthiness of this miserable species, if Athena bestows upon you gifts such as these?"

"The only reason that armor came to us, is because your Specters attacked us!" Aiolos shouted, outraged. He knew dealing with the Specters would be bad, but this level of cynicism was something else. "And what do you mean, the Mount Kailash weapon?! Isn't the user of Talos working for you, now?!"

"It's no use, Saint Sagittarius." Galarian argued, less naive. "That woman could care less for reasons or offences to rules. These are all nothing but excuses to start a war she thinks she can win."

Pandora chuckled. "Is that what you think? I will admit, then, that there IS a far greater sin that we would have you all answer for, that you might call the real reason for my brother feeling the need to punish you all. I just did not mention it out of courtesy to your Pope, as arranged. And that sin, is theft!"

"Theft?!" Galarian gawked, this time as confounded as Aiolos.

Pandora lost all amusement in her, for once, and glared at the Pope. This was a subject that truly hurt her, on a level comparable to the destruction Arles brought to her family. "You would not deny it, would you, Pope? That you and your cohorts stole from my brother something he held as close to chest as his very God Cloth. No, worse, you had the audacity to trick him for it?!"

Having fought in the last war, Daemon Lucifer widened his eyes. "What?! Trick Hades?! Shion?! What is she talking about?"

The masked Pope tensed visibly, quiet. "…Mm, I have to wonder how close he held it, if a mere alchemist such as I was able to deceive him."

"Quiet! How dare you make light of such a subject, Pope?!" Pandora hissed, pointing finger. "That you, your cohorts and Athena went as far as stealing my brother's sword and replace it with a forgery?!"

Lucifer's red eyed eyes bulged inside the blindfold. "…HIS SWORD?! FORGERY?!"

{======================|A3|======================}

18th Century,

Lost Canvas War Aftermath

{======================|A3|======================}

Dark Angel Michael's blood dripped to the floor of the dungeon from his impaled chest. The blade of Hades was shoved into it by Daemon Lucifer's hand, piercing his heart and going out his back of broken wings. Dark redness began to pool out the Absolute Star's mouth and his green eyes lost all light in them.

With a pull of the blade out, the body slumped forward, held up on by the chains, completely lifeless. Lucifer quaked, silently saying goodbye to the only man in the Cosmos even remotely equal to himself.

Dark Angel Michael was dead. And by the curse of Hades' sword, his soul forever lost, unable to enter heaven, hell or even reincarnate.

{======================|A3|======================}

1976,

False Holy War

{======================|A3|======================}

Lucifer stored the bead in its safe spot again, seeing Shinta wasn't reacting to it, and gritted teeth, also confused and infuriated. "I… I killed you! I executed you with Hades' Sword that curses all souls to annihilation! You being here doesn't make any sense to me either!"

Shinta narrowed his eyes. "S-See?! Then you're just being a l-lunatic! I…" the Saint then began shaking. Between the terrible night they were going through, what just happened to Lance, and these horrible statements, he felt like he was about to burst.

Lucifer observed his Cosmos at this moment, even though it was an impending threat, and that's when he saw it; the heat of the underlying wrath of a yet-to-unlock fire user, another important piece to the puzzle. He had seen it many times, like in Kagaho, but especially in Michael.

But… why was he even here at all? Lucifer swung Hades' blade down on his neck with the explicit purpose to prevent reincarnation! How could the most painful event in his life since the death of his parents have no meaning?! Why didn't the blade work-

His red eyes widened. Unless… did the Godslayers succeed in their mission to neutralize Hades' sword somehow?

{======================|A3|======================}

Explanations the Daemon Specter did not have in the past began flourishing in his mind like fireworks, connecting every dot, every clue, from the 18th century to the present. If Athena and her Bronze Saints had indeed stolen Hades' sword and replaced it with a forgery, then Hades had him execute Michael with a mere fake. That would mean that a redeemed Michael, having betrayed Hades, would have been free to reincarnate and escape Hades' tyrannical grasp, however long after, instead of being disintegrated to oblivion like all other victims of that weapon would be.

The Celestial Absolute Star would likely be reborn in time for the next cycle of Holy Wars, perhaps even as someone under Athena's umbrella. He would definitely have begun manifesting Michael's cosmos soon, attracting not only the attention of Hades and Hypnos, but Sanctuary itself. Sanctuary would have panicked, perceiving Shinta to be the rebirth of a normal Specter, and condemned Priam's family to seclusion, exorcism or even execution. And upon inevitably resisting, Priam would have triggered the most violent civil war Sanctuary had seen in centuries.

The chaos of it would have alerted Hades, who'd come to realize his precious blade was a fake. Perhaps he had realized it even sooner, and that was why the God began preparing so soon for renewed war. The rage alone at it would have been enough to attack Sanctuary, but perhaps the purpose of such a theft would have baffled him as well? Why would Athena do it, when Hades so seldom came out as himself to fight his battles?

The risk alone would have to be tremendous for Shion, for very little to no pay-off, and would undoubtedly set Sanctuary in the path to a new, worse Holy War in the next age. Hades would recruit the False Specters to repair Erebus sooner and build up his forces ahead of time. He would utilize Lucifer's attack to ascertain the true state of Sanctuary, simultaneously weakening an enemy and rid himself of a Prince bordering on rebellion. Finally, he would keep all of his best cards, including his battleship and Atlae, in reserve for when he was ready to strike at Sanctuary.

It all finally clicked now. The Prince gritted his teeth, realizing that this entire time, Hades had been played him for a fool!

Pandora held her chest, tearing up. "Imagine my horror, when my brother finally told me, that his niece would go as far as that! To rob him of an artifact that had been with him since the onset of the Titanomachy! To think it's been kept here, in this filthy place full of degeneracy and sin, likely to use against him at some point! What if we had stolen your Goddess' panoply and treasure? Would you not go to war for that alone?!"

Shion remained quiet, unwilling to entertain her moralistic drama. He knew well why he did what he did, and he had no regrets.

{======================|A3|======================}

Lost Canvas War,

Acheron River

{======================|A3|======================}

It was just before their final assault on Giudecca. The Saints had already left the Lost Canvas temples, which now slowly crumbled, and sailed in the Argo down to Erebus.

The Gold Saint of Aries bowed to Athena, presenting the long object wrapped in the cloth. "It is done, my lady."

The purple-haired Goddess widened her eyes. "Shion! Is that…?!"

"- what you came for this whole time, correct?" the Aries Gold Saint finished. "Dohko and I were able to obtain it after injuring Hades. With the spirits of our dead comrades to aid us, we blinded him with the light of the sun, and switched his sword with a forgery I constructed."

"The ugly goth bastard was none the wiser." Dohko gloated, joining them. He, too, was full of wounds from his battle with Kagaho and Hades, but ready to join the final battle nonetheless. The joy of having deceived the Underworld God alone seemed to energize him. "Even now, Hades thinks he has the real thing with him, but when we get down to Giudecca, he'll find out his 'sword' is nothing but a toy Shion made in Jamir."

Dragon and Cygnus, who observed the conversation, exchanged a gleeful look. "This means…!"

"… that Seiya will be saved back home!" Andromeda concluded, beaming. "We've done it! Our mission is complete!"

Yet, Athena seemed tense, her eyes fluttering worried.

Shion raised himself. "Athena, was this not what you wished?"

To reassure him, the Goddess took the clothed object into hand. "It was. And I will be forever indebted to you two for your bravery. This also means, however, we must prepare the future. Sooner or later, my uncle will realize you have tricked him. The groundwork must be laid so that Sanctuary will be ready to not only finish THIS war, but prepare for the next one."

Andromeda frowned. "So the war isn't over, yet?"

Athena shook her head. "Not yet. We must still finish our battles with my uncle here, Shun. The Saints of this era won't be free of him until the two Princes are defeated as well."

"Leave them to me, Sasha." Tenma vowed, banging fist into his Pegasus God Cloth chest. "Hades still has Alone in his grip. I won't let those two murderers stop me from rescuing him."

{======================|A3|======================}

These were words that Tenma would eventually pay for with his life, but that filled them all with determination to see the Goddess' vision to its completion.

Knowing it was important to hide the purpose of it, however, Shion replied to Pandora with fake regret. "I am sorry, Pandora, but you will have to return to your brother empty-handed. We do not have the sword."

Pandora gawked. "WHAT?! How dare you lie to me?!"

The Pope laced his hands behind his back, firm. "It is the truth. Lady Athena took it with her when she left this world. Our Goddess is wise, you see, and foresaw her uncle would certainly wage war on her beloved Saints when he finally realized he was tricked. She wished to ensure the future she created could not be harmed, even if he did."

"Then open her grave!" Pandora hissed, outraged.

The Saints of Athena all gawked in outrage at this, especially Aiolos. "What?! How dare you even suggest such a thing?!"

But the liaison's hand swept the air, doubly determined. "Your Goddess' filthy mortal body she chose to be reincarnated in is of no consequence to us, and will pay the price of her trickery! OPEN HER GRAVE IN WHATEVER MAUSOLEUM YOU HAVE HER IN AND RETURN WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY MY BROTHER'S! Or the forces of Hades will sweep across this land like the shadows of clouds under the sun and take it! Along with the rest of your lives!"

In contrast with the fury in his Saints' faces, Shion chuckled. There was no grave to speak of. Saori Kido vanished from the world along with the sword when the time currents caught up with her. This, however, was best not shared.

"I believe I speak for all the eighty-eight Saints of Athena when I say, Pandora, that you will have to walk over our corpses before you ever get to Sasha's." Shion assured. It earned nods of reaffirmance from Aiolos and Galarian. "And besides, Pandora, do not think the Saints of Athena alone."

Pandora widened her eyes. "Wha-"

Seeing the huge shadow jumping high above the Pope's barriers, Harpy Valentine suddenly rushed over to her. "LADY PANDORA, BEHIND ME!"

The meteor of fire came down on them from above, crashing in front of Pandora with such force that the entire arena quaked and the two of them were tossed back to the ground. An enormous cloud of dust washed over them. Pandora coughed into her hand, bewildered, and raised her eyes. They widened in terror, seeing the daunting sight before her.

To her front, Auriga Menelaus raised himself from his knees, swallowing the sister of Hades and her Dark Knight in his horned shadow, his battle axe in hand. The bull mask snorted flames out its nostrils, the red cape waved like dancing flames and a crimson red aura brimmed from his enormous, armored body, presenting a wall of flesh and metal between the Specters and the Pope.

To her right, Serpens Azrael drew his broadsword, manifesting the brilliance of thousands of years of Zodiac Knight traditional and training in the form of a Specter slaying blade marked with runes. He held it over his shoulder in guard, threatening to cleave the both of them to pieces should another offense to Athena be uttered.

Finally, to her left, King Cetus arose from a circle of dancing water cosmos shining around his feet like a fountain about to burst. His evil, expectant smile made the two servants of Hades recoil above all.

Pandora breathed out and retreated deep into Harpy Valentine's guard, panicking. "Specters, to me!"

Shadows jumped out of the Taraxippoi carriage, joining Harpy Valentine to protect the Sister of Hades. A whole contingent of Skeleton Soldiers, led by Terrestrial Stars, shaped themselves from the shades and erected their weapons and fists guardingly.

"Do not touch her lady, you filth!" Cyclops Gigant warned, towering over his men.

"One step, Saints, and I will remove your heads." Dullahan Cube threatened, crossing his arms together and burning cosmos.

"Is this a bad joke?" Serpens Azrael hissed, making many of the Specters take heed. "You are the ones that will silence your tongues about the Goddess. Or lose them to steel."

Auriga Menelaus cackled, releasing more breaths of flame from his mask. "Don't you dare take my kills, Ace. I count only thirty Skeletons. Even if they're immortal, this won't be nearly enough to satisfy me."

"You can have them all for yourself, Menelaus, as far as I'm concerned." Cetus granted. His rapine eyes landed on Pandora, startling her. "Just leave the lady to me. She looks too noble for your mongrel hands."

The panicked liaison raised herself, shaking. She saw the markings of Ares on Menelaus' modified Auriga Cloth and terror struck her heart. "W-What is this?! What demons have you allied yourself to, Pope?!"

"I've allied Sanctuary to anyone who stands to protect the world the Goddess has bled for, Pandora." Shion declared, unhesitant. "If you thought you could come here, thinking us weak, and spout nonsense grievances, threaten the Sanctuary of Athena, and expect us to bow our heads? You are sadly mistaken! This is the land of warriors that have protected humanity from evil Gods such as your brother since the dawn of the Age of Myth! And may all of Olympus fall from the sky if today isn't the day Hades will learn that not only are we not any weaker than we were when he last lost to us, but our strength has in fact tripled since then!"

Leon Iraklidis had to concede with a nod. "Mm, when the time for it comes, Master can really show why he became the Pope." The hunter chuckled, glancing at poor Arthur Solo in the stands, in the wheelchair. And then there were the other three groups. "If only Heinstein knew we had four more cards like these in our hands."

Daemon Lucifer, by contrast, irked in disgust. "Y-You coward! You didn't strengthen Sanctuary; you sold it off!"

Finally, Aiolos could only hold his bow and gulp, split at the sight of the infamous Pact members and the Specters.

"As you can see, Pandora, Sanctuary hardly stands alone, and wouldn't accept your ridiculous demands even if it had but a single Saint guarding its Temples." Pope Arles reinforced. "I do not have the sword of your God. THAT is the truth. However…"

The embarrassed Pandora tried to assert herself, eyeing the Pope directly past his barbaric servants. "However?! What could you possibly have to offer my brother even remotely as valuable?!"

Shion turned to his bodyguard. "Leon?"

The silver-haired archer nodded and came forward, bringing his bow case. Presenting it on the ground at the Pope's feet, he opened it, revealing to all the content.

Pandora widened eyes. "T-That?!"

"Your God speaks to care about peace on Earth, does he not? Then surely, he will consider this trade." With telekinesis, Shion made the ripped page brimming with purple cosmos float to the air for all to see. "This, is the page of the Book of the Dead containing the names and records of all the False Specters that have joined Lucian's army. With this page, Hades can have all the False Specter souls and Surplices lost to Lucifer returned to him instantly."

The blindfolded Daemon Specter tossed himself to the floor, mutedly struggling. "YOU DOTTED BASTARD!" He felt Aiolos come down on him to hold him, but still, the Specter struggled, eyeing Shion with pure red hatred. "How dare you?! I am the rightful heir of Sanctuary! I won't have you sell me off to buy your peace!"

Seeing it, Shion sighed. "I'm sorry, Lucian. I gave you all the chances in the world to prevent this from happening." And then returned his attention to Pandora. "Take the page to Erebus, Pandora, along with Lucian himself, and Hades will have all that is owed to him returned. And, in exchange, all Sanctuary asks is for him to retreat his forces, respect our agreements and have the courage to face our Goddess honorably, in due time, when she's returned to us." The Pope laid out his hand. "I would consider it carefully, Lady Heinstein. Olympus is certainly watching, after all, and I doubt Zeus, or Poseidon for that matter, will take your side, should you reject such a reasonable request."

{======================|A3|======================}

In the stands, Herakles Aguilon palmed his head, relaxing his cosmos. "Fucking Hera on a stick! The Pope had such bargaining cards this whole time?!"

Shinta saw how disgruntled the lady by the Harpy Specter looked. "Could this actually work?! Could she say yes and we'll actually have peace in our time, Saint Aguilon?"

The giant folded his armored arms. "I don't know, kiddo. These kinds of divine negotiations are a bit above my paygrade. But it's not impossible, and if that witch said 'yes', it would change everything around here! I can't even tell you how many families of these soldiers and Saints would praise the Pope for the rest of their lives for it! If he could stop this war and get the Specters to only come when Athena is back, it would be the biggest triumph of Arles' tenure as Pope!"

The Andromeda's heart beat fast. He thought of Albiore, of Saint Cynthia and of all his friends. He couldn't help but grasp his Silver Star Pendant and pray. "Please Athena, Zeus, Gods in Olympus… make it happen! Don't make Lance and my friends fight a Holy War without you. I beg of you!"

{======================|A3|======================}

Meanwhile, Menelaus tapped his fingers on his battleaxe impatiently, counting again how many Specters he'd get to butcher. "Give us the signal, old man. I can't wait to see these bodies fly off their guts! DO IT!"

Harpy counted the enemies menacing his lady. "Six Gold-Ranks,…" He gritted his teeth, realizing there was a Herakles and an Andromeda Saint in the stands, as well, whose cosmos flared with concerning heat. "- not counting the ones all around this place. Lady Pandora, as it stands, we may have trouble… keeping you shielded from the blood we will make these Saints spill. Perhaps it would be wise to make our point and return?"

Struggling to hold Daemon in place, Aiolos still had to gaze up to see the reaction of the Specters. "They seem hesitant. Could this possibly work?" Aiolos did not believe two wrongs made a right, but having fought the False Specters, raining his arrows down on them for hours on end so he could stop them from murdering his friends, even a virtuous man like him was unsure what to think. "I don't feel it is right to sacrifice these poor souls that rebelled against Hades, but after they attacked us…and if Aiolia can grow up in a time of peace…"

"These murderers had the audacity to attack Sanctuary. They can be damned to Cocytus for all I care." Leo Galarian thought to himself, unflinching. "I would pick to take the fight to Hades, of course, but the innocent people of Sanctuary would prefer peace even more. It was never this generation's lot to have to battle Hades, much less without our Goddess. Yes… it's what father would want, too, certainly."

Leon could tell what his friend was thinking just from the tense look on him. More importantly, he could tell the Specters themselves were lost in thought, albeit not for kind reasons. "It seems Master's gambit has left everyone in disarray. Pandora likely thought Olympus would be on their side if she just brought up the subject of the sword, and that Hades would get to sweep over us with all the might he could muster. But my Master is no fool. He has been preparing for this moment for two hundred years."

Shion chuckled at the paralyzed Specters. "I see I've given you something to think about, Pandora Heinstein. I would do so very carefully. After all, Sanctuary is just as ready to make war with Hades as it is to make peace." He then played his final card, which would surely pin the negotiation to the tree. "You might, after all, have your accusations confirmed, and find not only my faithful allies you see surrounding you, but the Cloth of Teos also fighting Hades' forces for Sanctuary, and who knows if your blessed barrier even works on warriors wearing that armor? That would be most disadvantageous for Hades, would it not?"

Pandora gritted her teeth, her eyes glaring hatefully. How dare this Pope, on top of ruining her family, try to ruin her brother's moment of triumph?!

Serpens Azrael's green eyes squinted. "Disgusting witch. Surrender already. Athena is the Goddess of War, not of Pacifists. You and your God have no leg to stand on in this war." He tensed his pose, ready for any need for striking. "And even if you do, we'll slice it off!"

"Either path they choose, I do not mind, but I hope these Specters aren't deluded enough to think they should ignore the Pope just on the basis of their deathlessness." Cetus pondered, amused by the standoff. The corner of his lip extended up in excitement. "There are far worse things you can do to an enemy that cannot die, after all, than one that can."

"Well? Which it will be? Peace or Holy War?" the Pope pressed once more, feeling his opponent cracking. "Just be warned, Pandora. No matter what answer you give… Sanctuary will be ready for your brother and his schemes."

Pandora dusted herself, outraged. She eyed them all with a clenching of teeth and a promise of death. How dare he?! How dare this cruel man protecting the filth of this world humiliate her like this?!

"You want my answer, Pope?" The raven-haired woman then thrust her trident to the skies. "HERE IT IS!"

Thunder rumbled in the dark clouds, startling the Saints of Athena. The mirk from which the Taraxippoi emerged began swirling like stirred soup, vortexing at the command of Pandora's weapon into a greater and greater size, until all of Sanctuary was swallowed under it.

Shion guarded himself, shielding his eyes from the crack of lightning above them. He knew this sight well. "This is just like… the storm of the Gods that Hekate predicted! Is this the beginning of her prophecy?!"

"Behold, Pope! The coming of Holy War to all of your people!" Then Pandora's mighty cosmos manifested itself, forming a black aura that strengthened her throat and projected out of her voice. "People of Athena! I am Pandora, sister of Hades, son of Kronos, the mightiest and most glorious of all Olympians!"

In response, there were collective gasps heard all around the Coliseum, but also beyond its walls.

With a flash of light, Shion teleported into the arena, confronting her. "What are you doing?! You fool!"

{======================|A3|======================}

Moments Earlier,

Sanctuary,

MMC

{======================|A3|======================}

Having rushed out of the Coliseum to collect the Dragon Cloth, and now by a discrete changing room for Amazons at the MMC, Lance waited patiently, keeping his eyes in the opposite direction of his friend while she took her time inside the booth undressing and armor. They had just finished fishing the box out of the river from where Lance had hidden it months earlier and now the Zodiac Knight was putting it on.

Suddenly, he heard a loud rumbling from the Coliseum, "What the…?!" he widened his eyes, seeing the black clouds. "What's going on there?! An attack?!"

"Saint Lance?" Cerah called, worried. She struggled, trying to close her chest plate around her torso. "Is something happening?"

"Enough Gold Saints to win a minor Holy War are at the Coliseum right now, including Galarian, so everything is surely under control. We need to focus on Saga's operation now." Lance calculated. He glanced without turning to her. "Everything's fine. Need any help, Cerah? I know you're used to having a Cloth Stone."

"No, thank you. I had a bit of trouble at first, but now I'm almost done, I think… It doesn't seem to be resisting me at all, like Master Dohko predicted." With a few final clicks of the green armor shield and gauntlet around her arms, Cerah looked herself over and stepped out through the curtain, nervous as a battery. "W-well, how do I look? It's a bit heavy, but do I pass for a Saint?"

Lance turned. He saw a short, blond girl dressed in thick, Bronze Cloth metal, with green, pointy shoulder pads, a set of chest covers firmly situated around her humble breasts, a draconic tiara with red eyes and golden whiskers firmly around her curly golden hair, green boots on her feet, greaves over her legs all the way to her knees, a fault made of metal plates shaped like large dragon scales, raining Cerah's silk Saintia skirt down her legs from within, and, finally, a round, sturdy shield on the left arm that shined with stunning brilliance on its emerald surface, bathed in the minerals of the Rozan river.

However, the detail that took Lance's notice the most was the reinforced gauntlet on her right arm shaped like a long dragon's snout with menacing red gems for eyes. To Lance, it looked capable of punching a hole through a Gold Cloth with the right amount of Cosmos, faithful to its legend of being the world's 'strongest spear'. Unfortunately, on Cerah, with her spindly muscles and small frame, something told Lance she wasn't going to get the best use of this feature in the future.

The fresh new Dragon Saint frowned, worried. "You're awfully quiet…and you have that 'old dog' look on your face miss Olivia mentioned earlier."

Lance fumed, amazed by fate's insistence to embarrass him. "How come your Bronze Cloth doesn't have a silly looking animal helmet?! It starts with a crown, right away!"

Cerah held her tiara self-conscious. It did relieve her quite a bit. "Maybe Master Dohko had it changed ahead of time for me? He is friends with the Muvian blacksmiths, isn't he? And he's so considerate, after all…"

Lance rolled his eyes. "Of course, considerate! He'd do that for you, who he doesn't have a habit of making fun of every chance he gets!" Seeing her startled expression, though, he covered his face, embarrassed. "S-sorry, Cerah, I'm being a baby. It looks great on you. No one will think you don't belong in the battlefield…I hope."

Though relieved, the scenario of getting caught by the Saints crossed her mind. "What if they do?"

"Well… we're going to be doing something way more criminal if everything goes according to plan, won't we?" Lance confessed, guiding her out. Posturing as a Bronze Saint was nothing compared to attacking the Underworld without superior permission. "So my advice is to not sweat it so much for the moment. Just let me do the talking, okay?"

With the social pressure off, Cerah breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Saint Lance!"

"There you two are." Olivia called, discovering them.

Lance turned to her, seeing his girlfriend breathing visibly heavily. She must have been searching for them in a rush. "Olivia, you came."

Her blue eyes softened. "I'm sorry I took a bit. There was someone I needed to see at least once. I also couldn't find my owl Partita for some reason." Joining them, she gasped, marveling at the hide of emerald and crystals adoring her junior. "Cerah, you look phenomenal!"

The blonde Knight beamed. "I d-do?!"

Olivia nodded. "I almost didn't recognize you. You look like a real Saintia of Athena right now. I'm so proud of you!"

The joy was all almost too much for Cerah to bear, who covered her face with her hands in assault by her senior's endless supply of compliments.

"You were waiting to see your brother, right?" Lance confirmed to the Equuleus, surprising the Saintia. He shook his head. "Don't worry, 'Liv. I understand how you feel. I wouldn't keep you away from that."

The Equuleus breathed easier. "Thank you." She then gulped. "And… yes, he was at the Coliseum, indeed. And with the Pope, too, just like Grampa was guessing. I came here as soon as I got to see him, but…" She held back on mentioning Pandora and the Specters, so as to not alarm them. "There is something serious going on at the Coliseum, that I think your superiors will fill you in pretty quick on it, soon, so I couldn't get to his side. I'm just glad that… Leon is okay."

Cerah gawked. "L-Leon?!"

Lance scratched his head. "Olivia, I should probably tell you; I wasn't sure of it at first, but I think I also ran into your brother earlier."

"You… you did?!" Olivia gasped, blue eyes wide as plates. Why didn't he say so, sooner? "A… Are you sure it was him?!"

Lance nodded and cleaned stray popcorn kernels off her pretty black hair with his hand, to soothe his girlfriend. "I don't know lots of guys with that name, plus… he has the same eyes you do. And the same confidence. He also looked like the kid in the photo of your house and I could tell he was no ordinary guy. Not to mention the hair."

She grasped his fingers tightly. "I-I see. Yes, that was definitely him, then."

The double confirmation from a separate point of view made Cerah cover her mouth in horror. "Leon is Miss Olivia's brother?" Her whole head became red and sweaty, remembering how lost in his pretty blue eyes she was at the café. "I went on a date… with my senior's older brother?! And I threatened him?! OH N-NO! OH NO, NO, NO!"

"You should have seen the way he talked shit to Suisho." Lance mentioned. "You'd think your brother was going to tear his head off to make sure he wasn't a Specter, all because Sui didn't look the most outdoorsy guy ever. It all only made sense to me afterwards that it could only have come from someone descendant of Aguilon himself."

Olivia squinted annoyedly, slumping her shoulders in resignation. "Yes… that does sound a lot like my brother." She fumed, lacing her hands on her lap so she wouldn't clench them. "I… I just can't believe him! He's just out there, in the streets, being rude to people?! And now even my boyfriend has seen him before I have! He should have come and seen me right away, instead! I bet I was right earlier and he's just out there seducing with some air-headed skank in love with him, instead of seeing his family!"

Cerah shrunk in her corner of the conversation like a flower without sunlight. "O-Oh goddess! What do I do, what do I do, what do I do? Do I tell them?!"

Before Cerah could solve her dilemma, the sound of thunder resounded once more, alerting all in Sanctuary!

"People of Athena! I am Pandora, sister of Hades, son of Kronos, the mightiest and most glorious of all Olympians!"

The trio turned their eyes to the air, in the Coliseum's direction, all widening their eyes in shock. Olivia held her chest. "Is that… the voice of the lady at the Coliseum?!"

Cerah awed, seeing a familiar sight being projected in the dark clouds for all of Sanctuary to see. "G-Guys, that's… that's the Heinstein Castle! Hades' surface fortress!"

"Your cowardly Pope, Arles, stands before me at the Coliseum! I have come to face him and, hence, all you servants of the evil Goddess Athena, to announce the Triumph of Lord Hades and demand what is rightfully his back! Yet, it seems he has the audacity to refuse His most reasonable demands." Pandora then raised her trident once again, this time at the skies, causing a gigantic swirl of shadows to form in the skies. It thundered and howled. "Humanity shall therefore be punished with every ounce of strength the Kingdom of Erebus has to offer! BEHOLD! The Host of Hades!"

And then, for all of Sanctuary to see, images began to form in the black turmoil above them, like a giant projector's light on a dark wall. Immediately, gasps and screams and shouts from all around Sanctuary Town were heard at them; for these were images of marching Skeleton Soldiers, led by the mighty 108 Specters of Hades, marching out of Pandora's castle in Heinstein, while in the sky an enormous, cannoned airship followed. Like a mock to Sanctuary's own parade to its Triumph, the marching went on and on and on out of the castle, accompanied by the screams and wails of enormous green geysers of fire in the abysses all around the black fortress. To anyone beholding the images, it seemed like tens of thousands of immortal, black armored men, all moving in one direction, all carrying scythes of death.

Pegasus Lance gawked, seeing row after row after row of deathless armors and banners. "There's so many of them! It can't be!"

{======================|A3|======================}

Coliseum

{======================|A3|======================}

Pandora cackled, seeing the apprehension and horror in the faces and body language of the Saints of Athena, especially Sagittarius. "You see it now, don't you?! Even the most ignorant of Sanctuary dwellers knows the limits of Athena's strength these days and how poorly they'd fare against these! Rest assured, these images are not lies, you behold the great army of Hades marching towards your beloved fortress of Peloponnesia, where many of your loved ones are stationed."

Menelaus cackled, elated at the sight of so many Skeletons to slaughter. "Ares be praised; glorious Holy War it is then!"

"Pandora, what are you doing?!" Pope Arles demanded to know. "Do you really wish to reject all we are offering for bloodshed?! Even you must know that, with the Cloth of Teos by our side, this will not be an easy war for you!"

But Pandora laughed at his face. "Is that what you think?! Make good use of that armor, then, Saints of Athena! For the forces of Hades will come bearing down on Peloponnesia with such force what you see above you won't even make justice to it.

Though baffled by her overconfidence, Aiolos steeled himself. "Do you think any of this will frighten us?! We will defend the surface world, even if you bring TEN TIMES this number, Pandora Heinstein!"

Her lips curved maliciously. "Careful what you wish for, Sagittarius, for Lord Hades might grant it. These are just the troops currently moving out of my castle, after all. We have so many in reserve in Erebus that we are actually struggling to get them all out in timely order!" Her eyes turned to the Pope, who seemed less confident than before from his apprehensive rattle. "As you see, your Holiness, you have chosen quite poorly, in defying my brother's demands. Your Gold Saints, your pathetic allies, your prayers to Athena? They won't save you. Not even if the arrow of Sagittarius itself flew at my brother's heart! The only thing that could have, was the immediate honoring of my brother's wishes and aspirations for a Quiet Earth. And now you've dashed it all awa-"

A bolt of lightning as sharp as an arrow flew just over the Pope's shoulder, striking the Skeleton Soldier standing right next to Pandora in the head. A brief, blunt flash of impact like a balloon popping to a bullet was all everyone felt before the immortal's skull turned into a pop of blood and burnt flesh, splashing Pandora with crimson and grey.

Pandora screamed, horrified by the blood on her arm! At first everyone glanced at Aiolos, thinking he felt insulted by Pandora, but soon it became clear the one that fired the arrow was the silver-haired youth on the opposite side of the Pope.

"Milady!" Harpy shouted, rushing to her.

"Careful what you wish for, Pandora." Leon's blue eyes narrowed and his hand produced another arrow of pure thunder. He nocked it on his black bow, aiming right at her. "Saint Aiolos isn't the only archer at the Pope's service."

Aiolos turned, stunned at the youth, feeling slightly intimidated. "That shot… it was perfect! Even faster than my own would have been! Who is this guy?!"

"Leon, enough!" the Pope ordered, before turning to the Specters. "As for you, Pandora, tell your brother that the Saints of Athena do not dream of a Quiet Earth, but of one flooded with the light of joy. One that such an evil being like Hades, who would torment us with death and punishment in spite of our attempts to reason, would never dare to set foot on again, for as long as time lasts. Is that understood?!"

The very notion of it made the liaison cringe her nose in disgust. "T-TYPICAL!" Guarded by her many Specters, Pandora turned to enter her carriage. "I will see you again, then, dear Pope, when my Judges bring you groveling to my brother's feet, at Giudecca."

The forces of Athena then watched, with the Pope ordering with his hands to stand down, as the Specters all retreated into the shadows of the Taraxippoi, Harpy Valentine leaped into the driver seat and Pandora was carried out of the Coliseum arena to the air, towards the clouds from where she came from. Entering them, the miasma of purple and black streamed around like the closing of a colossal, windy gate and collapsed into specks of cosmos, vanishing into thin air.

The bright daylight returned to Sanctuary, bathing them all, as if the exchange had never occurred. There was an eerie hush over the Coliseum stands as attendees and hoplites alike stood in awe of what they had witnessed.

Shion turned to the Pact Members. "Cetus, when will your army arrive in Europe?"

The cruel monarch's yellow eyes shined, anticipating bloodshed. "They are leaving Egypt from Alexandria tonight, your Holiness. You can count on them at Peloponnesia, soon. They might take some time yet because of my… special divisions."

"Mine are already heading towards Peloponnesia." Menelaus reaffirmed, hungering for Specter destruction. "The war will be as good as won once they enter its barracks! No need for anyone else's forces to get in the way."

"The swords of the Zodiac Knights, even if down to just me, will always hunt for Hades' sprawl, your Holiness." Azrael assured, resting his hands on his broadsword's pommel. "Allow me to cut through their filthy mirk like the dawn's first rays of sunlight. I will leave nothing behind but ash."

"Thank you all. Every effort you spend in Sanctuary's aid will save lives. At the very least, the Specters will know Sanctuary will never stand alone. I will see you all at Peloponnesia, then, along with the rest of the Pact." The Pope wished.

All three Pact Members nodded and departed at the speed of light, vanishing from Sanctuary as quickly as Pandora had.

The Sagittarius Saint approached Shion. "I don't understand, your Holiness. The Teos Cloth even allowed us to defeat Daemon Lucifer here." Aiolos mentioned, causing a protesting shove from the Specter. "How could Pandora and her God think that defeating us will be that easy?"

"They obviously have something nefarious planned." Arles calculated. "The forces they have shown are also immense. The Judges likely think they can simply overpower us and take all we possess of value to Hades. Perhaps they plan to make use of Talos Atlae to counter whoever we have that will employ Teos."

"If that happens, your Holiness, I will simply crush the Muvian yet again!" Galarian declared, slamming his fist into his chestplates with full confidence. "No need for the Teos Cloth. This Atlae is no Saint of Athena, so my Argead Star will have no issue teaching him yet again the House of Leo thrives on slaying monsters like him."

Leon turned his eyes at this, wondering if Galan was making a joke about Leon's father.

"In any case, we most unfortunately find ourselves officially at Holy War, so we will move at once!" Shion ordered. "Aiolos, have the prisoner returned to the Coliseum dungeon. I will feel better with this Specter here, ready to be exchanged for prisoners Hades may have of our own. Moreover, the False Specters may still attempt to liberate him, especially once we move the core of our forces out of Sanctuary. They will hesitate, though, if he's surrounded by the Army of Athena."

Aiolos lifted Lucian up. "May I say, your Holiness…even if the Specters rejected peace, thank you for how you handled this."

"Saga told me you feared this would be a public execution." Shion recalled. He put hand in Aiolos' shoulder. "Forgive me for worrying you; that was the intended appearance to the public, yes. Many in Sanctuary, including in the Pact, have been demanding his head for months, Aiolos. They even threatened to withhold help to you all." Shion admitted. Azrael, in particular, came to mind, but also Councilor Gigas had made some noise. "But unfortunately, it seems Hades does not value Daemon enough as a prisoner to withhold war."

Galarian laughed, gripping the Specter by the pillory. "I bet that stings, doesn't it, Celestial Pride Star?! The Pope is being kinder to you than your blasted God ever was!"

The bound, blindfolded Specter only gritted his teeth in response.

"Galarian, I want you and Aiolos to support Saga on Operation Marathon." Shion ordered. " Make sure the item gets to Peloponesia and, once there, tell your father everything that has happened here. Tell him that we are at Holy War. And to make final preparations."

The Leo bowed and burned his cosmos. "We will go with light, your Holiness." And the dirt-blonde youth beamed away with the Specter.

Aiolos found himself alone with the Pope and Leon. He couldn't help but ask. "Your Holiness, would you mind, um…"

Leon only turned his face, uninterested.

Shion, however, gently pulled him in by the shoulder. "Forgive me Aiolos. It is about time I introduce you two. This is… Leon Iraklidis. He is my first student."

Aiolos widened his eyes. "Your first student?! Iraklidis?! As in Saint Aguilon Iraklidis?!" he even turned face, seeing the aforementioned giant with Saint Shinta in the stands, looking quite concerned. "Does… does Mu know?"

There was a tense turn of face from Leon. "No, he does not. Master's new student and I have never met."

"There are reasons for that. Leon is a Sagittarius, like you, Aiolos, and my new personal bodyguard." Shion detailed. He left out all the problematic bits. It wasn't time for them just yet. "He will be joining us in the fighting… in his own way."

Though the Pope spoke well of him, Aiolos was seeing such a dangerous look in the guy's blue eyes he couldn't help but feel worried. He sensed, indeed, that a Sagittarius stood before him, but the same way one would in sensing a funhouse mirror version of oneself in front of you. The ruggedness of hunting, the bow, the cosmos and the combat attire style were all there, and yet the spirit Aiolos sensed in Leon's glare lacked all the gentleness and guidance that the Sagittarius Cloth always tried to inspire in Aiolos. Instead, Leon's gaze was sharp and cold, studying each of Aiolos' breaths with the ferociousness one would spare a potential enemy.

Still, the Gold Saint offered his hand to shake. "… That was an incredible shot you fired earlier. It went in-between everyone's heads. I was impressed."

Hesitantly, Leon took it, firmly squeezing Aiolos' hand. "Thank you, but I could tell you had one just as impressive ready to fire."

Aiolos gawked and smiled. "You did? Wow, I didn't think that anyone…"

"I notice things like that, be sure of it." Leon assured, relaxing hands on his bow. "That Harpy Specter does too. He was eyeing you with fear the whole time. He thought you might skewer his princess to the wall if he made a single move out of Master's barrier. Not bad an intimidation, for a Sagittarius."

The brown-haired Greek beamed, elated to find a peer in archery so appreciative. "Thank you! How have we never…?" and eyed the Pope.

"Aiolos, I would ask you to be discrete about Leon for the moment." The Holy father requested. "The others, especially Mu, may find his presence intrusive, like they did with Galarian and Noah. Why, Galarian and Leon are even close friends. Saga has already met Leon, and in time I will present him to you all. In the coming fight, however, I pray well all can join forces against Hades."

This was no problem for Aiolos. "Of course, your Holiness."

"Leon, please accompany me. We shall be heading for the Stardust Tower again, for the moment." Shion requested. "I'd like to go see the prisoner you caught for me again."

"Of course, Master." Leon obeyed with a nod, following the Pope. He spared Aiolos a last glance. "Well met, Saint Aiolos."

"R-Right. Well met." Though Aiolos had to gulp, recalling how Galarian first joined by pushing Aiolia out. Was this another such push?

Leon only smirked, and Aiolos was suddenly unsure if this was to assuage him or confirm his fears.

{======================|A3|======================}

MMC

{======================|A3|======================}

"What the?... Were those the Specters and Skeletons?!" Lance asked, having lost count.

"But… but there were tens of thousands of them in those images!" Olivia tried to count as Pandora made sure the entire breadth of the gigantic column became visible to everyone in Sanctuary. "Maybe a hundred thousand! How are there so many soldiers capable of Cosmos?!"

Cerah sweated, recognizing the extension of these forces. "It is absolutely possible, miss Olivia… in the Underworld, where all the dead and those who lose their faith in life end up in." She gulped, remembering how even her teacher, Lucifer, had managed to seize thousands of these men during his exodus. "Remember, these are ageless warriors that Hades had been building up since the last Holy War."

The Pegasus Saint reeled. "These… are all the warriors of the Underworld?! That I'll have to get through?" How was he going to destroy the palaces of the Underworld like this? "No way…!"

Seeing the apprehension in Lance's face, Olivia turned to him. "Saint Pegasus,… you understand now, don't you? The danger what you're doing truly entails? What you'll find in Peloponnesia will be many, many times worse than what you went through in the False Holy War."

Lance irked, sweating. "Olivia, I know, but… I can't go back from this now. It's too late."

Olivia's head lowered, her eyes tearing up. "I see…"

Dragon Cerah stepped back. "U-um…I'll give you two some space to talk!" and rushed away.

The Saintia and the Saint waited until Cerah was out of earshot. They met eyes and tried to think of what to say.

Expecting Lance to be too afraid, Olivia tried to find words herself. "Saint Lance, I-"

But Lance stepped in, holding her hand. "Olivia, do you want me to stay?!"

She widened her eyes, surprised.

"In Sanctuary! Do you want me to stay here?!" Lance begged to know. "Because,… if you do… I'll… I'll say. And find another way to deal with this."

A breath of hope swelled Olivia's chest.

However, after months of looking so determined, Olivia had to ask. "Why are you saying this now? You've defended all this time that you had to do this attack. I even accepted it? Is it because of those images?"

Lance's red eyes darted. "Not exactly. Things… just haven't been progressing well. I completely failed to unlock this Chi thing my Master has been trying to teach me, so I can't enter the barrier without help, and Yushira is now struggling to find the 7th sense, too. Cerah is ironically the only one even remotely ready to attack the Underworld directly. To make things worse, Shinta is also now pushing his way into the group, too. He refused to let me go on my own. This Not to mention, of course, what happened at Andromeda Island. Not to mention…"

"Yes?"

He tried to connect sight with her again, but after all the fighting and anger towards the Specters, the shame he felt made it harder than reversing a waterfall. "Let's face it; I'm not like the Saints of Pegasus from stories. I'm not going to be the one that goes down there and punches Hades in the face to save the world. So… Olivia,… do you want me to stay?"

The sobriety elated Olivia, making her chest heave in happiness. Suddenly, her boyfriend was opening a door not to do the suicidal attack on the underworld, even if he was laying months of hard work and training to ruin. Suddenly, Olivia saw a way out of this where the guy she cared the most about in all of Sanctuary wouldn't put himself through horrendous danger for a hopeless cause. Suddenly, even with Holy War announced, Olivia found an option for hope and peace.

All she had to do was say 'yes'.

Gently holding her fingers, Lance all but begged her to with his eyes. "Listen, Olivia… six months ago, after the False Holy War, me and my friends were all left wondering how such a horrible attack could happen. I was going crazy, because I felt I had no choice but to sit up here and let these insane people who want to harm my friends do whatever they wanted. To do it all over again. I thought all I had to look forward to again was waking up to find out another damn invasion was happening all over again, and I'd have to rush around the world, against the clock, to pull off another miracle and get everyone to safety, all because I was doing nothing but sitting on my ass and training in preparation for things to come to me!" He breathed out to expel the terrible feelings surging inside him as he remembered Daemon's attack on the Zodiac. "I couldn't take it. I felt so hard that I had to do something, anything, to get ahead of the next war. But… I think now that's not true anymore."

The young girl gripped his fingers back. She felt the wraps hiding his palm's star-reading scars closely with her own. As she did, the fears of Holy War melted away. The Equuleus could have that balsam for so much longer.

All she had to do was say 'yes'.

Lance wished he could read her mind through her touch. "Now I think I have a good reason to sit here and wait; to stay up here and not do something so foolish ever again. But,… I am also a Saint of Athena, even if I hate the title. I became this because I wanted to put an end to bastards like Hades, or like the rogues that attacked us in the Alps, or… or…" He decided not to mention Knight Girl. Whoever she was, she was just a girl over her head, not a dangerous person.

"What reason is that, for you to want to stay up here?" Olivia tried to draw out, raising her eyes at him. Whatever it was, it was as strong as his duty to his Cloth.

Lance turned his face away. "Please don't make me say it. Not just because it's putting me in this position, or because it shames me as Pegasus' owner, but because…" He felt his heart beat fast enough to make it impossible for him to say anything coherent. Even his fingers felt numb. "You know I'm terrible at… expressing how much… how much I love you."

The Saintia reeled, feeling him saying that terrible option between the two possible 'l' words. Not like, but love.

The Pegasus Saint covered his pink face with his other hand. "I shouldn't have said that. I just,… goddamn it!"

Her head shook. She smiled. "Would you tell me what you love about me?"

The Bronze Saint gawked. "I-I…um…"

She stepped closer, putting hands softly on his chest, making him press back to the wall. "You better be quick, before Cerah comes back and you have to go. If you are… we'll see."

Lance took a deep, courage-building breath. This shouldn't be this hard. He had kissed this person, locked eyes with her so many times and even carried her in his arms down a mountain drop. They were even speaking openly of being together. Why did he still feel like a boiler, then, in just trying to say what he loved about this amazing Saintia?

"I love… how brave you are." He started. Lance tried to think of the reasons he didn't just leave her side after their mission together like he'd probably had done with so many others. "I love that when Cerah was sick, you never left her side, even when everyone told you it wasn't your fault. Everyone in this place always acts like nothing that ever happens is their responsibility, but you took it for your friend from start to finish. I think that's when I knew you were… different from everyone else."

Olivia paused her approach, staring at him intently. "Mm…So that's what it was? I always wondered…"

"W-What?! What do you mean?!" Lance gawked, stunned. "Olivia, you're like an incredibly popular Saintia! You're a real hero, too, unlike that Knight Girl everyone raves about!"

Olivia snickered, stunning him. "Oh, is that so?"

Lance grumbled. "Of course! She's just an idiot chasing thrills and causes! And you…"

Her fingers pressed hard on his chest, pinning him to the wall, and she tilted head with a strange, tense curiosity he could not decipher. "Tell me? How am I different from her?"

If she was trying to intimidate him somehow, it failed, because he was certain in his thoughts. "Don't even joke. You're way more amazing than she could ever hope to be. I've never seen you need a mask to do the right thing, for one!"

Her lips curved down and her fingers relaxed on him. "You're wrong. I do wear a mask. People only like what I present to them, Saint Lance, at my very best." She turned face. With some displeasure, she had to admit that even Cerah gravitated around her because of it. "The Saintia, the academy president, the granddaughter of a Sanctuary hero,… whatever it might be for them."

"And you think it would be strange if someone were to like you for real?" Lance guessed, astounded. "Why?"

"I learned it the hard way a long time ago, with Anasta-" she gulped the rest of it down her throat. Olivia was still too embarrassed admit to her boyfriend that her possessive female friend had tried to kiss her. "-with someone I thought cared about me for real. Only to discover the second I resisted her in something that… well…I was nothing but an object to her. That's all my hard work ever got me. To be an idea in people's heads."

Lance's fears relaxed. He had never felt this from Olivia, this strange feeling of solemn vulnerability. Shame and grief from a terrible mistake, sure, but not this resigned self-criticism of someone who thought they didn't deserve anyone's love. Somehow, even if it shocked him she'd feel this way, it made her confidence feel a bit less intimidating. It suddenly made sense to him the lack of fear Olivia had in facing people, if she really saw everyone like this.

Sensing the tension in Lance decreased, Olivia dared to rest her head against his shoulder, surprising him. "Truth be told? Half the people I had to smile to every day, I just wanted to punch. Maybe that old friend was right and I have more blood of giants in me than I think…" She shook a bit, like painful memories came to her, and nuzzled head close to his neck. "But I don't want to do that anymore…It's so tiring. The only person I ever want to smile to anymore, is to someone I really love. And that really loves me back."

The embrace was like an explosion of emotions bursting inside his chest. Tentatively, Lance closed arms around her. He couldn't think of anything to say, so he stayed quiet.

The girl noticed it. She breathed out, content in his arms. "Ah, and you think you have trouble showing how much you love me? How stupid are you, Saint Lance? Don't you know?" She smiled up at him, seeing in even the dilation in his eyes at her stare and in the beating drum in his chest, without any words, just how much this guy absolutely adored her. It made her happier than she's ever been. "You always say all the right things to me. Even when they're nothing at all…"

…

The Saint then dared to lean face in to hers, locking lips with the Saintia in a kiss. Upon touching, the two lost themselves in the contact, deepening it softly and losing themselves in each others' heartbeats.

When they broke contact, she blinked. "Oh… Wait!" Her blue eyes darted away to the curtained booth Cerah had been changing into the Dragon Cloth. It had enough space to put down a Cloth box while a Saint changed, meaning enough space to roll around in its soft carpet. "H-Hey, look at that! A spot in town that no one can look inside! What if we-"

Reaching over, Lance picked her off the ground, making Olivia yelp and laugh, and carried her off. The couple kissed once again and disappeared from sight, unbuttoning each other's clothes and feeling desire blaze between their eyes.

{======================|A3|======================}

Dragon Cerah tentatively followed Saint Lance. "So….? Did you two reach an agreement?"

Dazed, Lance walked through the crowd outside the center for missions with all the Saints for Operation Marathon gathering.

Sensing his distraction, the Dragon Saint blinked, concerned. "Saint Lance! Are you listening? You two were off for like… an hour! A lot longer than I thought you would! Saint Gemini even came by to ask about you." To make things scarier, Cerah even found them all panting and sweating and all red, and then miss Olivia acted all strange, only saying a really quick goodbye to her. "You weren't getting upset and arguing at each other, right?"

The Pegasus shifted his eyes. What happened in that booth was a whole universe away from 'arguing'. Cerah was probably just being polite. He tried to play along. "No, don't worry about it. Your senior is, um,… she was pretty satisfied. I mean, with our talk. Olivia was satisfied with our talk."

The blonde girl raised a brow. "What does that mean? That you set her at ease?"

"Set her at ease?" The incredible memory of the half-naked Olivia lying on the ground with his face between her thighs, covering her own mouth so her climax wouldn't be heard outside, came to the Saint at this. She was so beautiful. "Oh yeah…I'd say so."

Cerah breathed a sigh of relief. The Dragon Saint pictured how anxious she'd be in the Underworld, thinking about miss Olivia being upset the whole time. " "T-That's good. It's such a big topic and I wouldn't want to go down there with her upset at me."

"I wouldn't say she was 'upset'." He recalled Olivia's smiling gaze as she laid on the ground beneath him, condom pack in teeth, daring her boyfriend with her seductive, desiring eyes to take it from her. "But she did make it clear she wasn't letting me go until we were done."

Dragon Cerah glowered. It must have been a really rough conversation, then, full of violent back-and-forth-s between them as they spoke their mind directly about this for the first time. "Was it tough on her? Poor miss Olivia. I've never had to do this, so I can't even imagine what it feels like. It must be so painful."

"God, Cerah, no. The last thing I wanted was to hurt Olivia. I was as gentle as possible." The Pegasus Saint assured. However, by the time she was rolling on top of him and showing him who was boss, the Saint knew for sure the Saintia was no novice. "But it turns out I worried about nothing. Your senior is a lot more experienced than I am, in these matters. It really surprised me."

Cerah could believe it, though. "Well, of course, Saint Lance!" Miss Olivia, after all, had to constantly manage all the girls at the Academy, so settling arguments and finding compromise with stubborn people was probably her ten-thousand-hour specialty at this point. "She was the Class President of the Saintia Academy for three years. Just think of all the girls in class she's had to do this with, by now!"

Lance's face went full red, picturing Olivia embraced with female company. Did she really? "Wow! U-Um… I had no idea. I need ask her about that, next time…"

The Dragon Saint nodded, recalling how easily Olivia had every girl in the school wrapped around her finger. "Make sure you do. Heck, I bet she could take you and me on at the same time and still come out on top!"

"CERAH!" Lance snapped, astonished, startling her. He looked her up and down. Cerah was incredibly cute, yes, but tantalizing as the idea of a threesome was, he had to set his foot down. "N-No! ABSOLUTELY NOT! You're my friend! B-besides…"

"W-what? I don't get why that would be a problem?" Cerah saw Lance become redder than ever before. She gasped, figuring it out, and she put hands in hips. "Saint Lance, you aren't… intimidated by it, right? I know guys sometimes expect us girls to be, you know… the less assertive sex, and everything, but..."

"NO, no! Olivia's response was a huge load off my mind." Lance assured, waving hands and breathing out. It was kind of incredible, even, especially when they rolled over near the end to switch to all fours and their instincts were lining up perfectly on where to put their hands and lips on eachother. However, adding someone like Cerah into the mix? Lance was certain that would be too explosive a combination. "Olivia is… kind of incredible at this. I think I love that girl more than ever now. It's just, um,… I don't think you should be caught between us. That's all."

The Dragon Saint beamed, closing fists together in excitement. "Oh, I wouldn't mind at all, if it helped fix things between you! You two are so great together! It makes me so happy to see you two joined at the hip like this!"

"Fix things between us? Are we still talking about the same thing?" Lance wondered to himself. He led Cerah towards the garage. "Now, listen,… on more serious subjects. Cerah, you've never gone on a mission with the other Saints, right? Just with me and Suisho? There's a couple of things I should probably ready you for, then."

The Dragon Saint clenched her hands high, following him in. "I'm listening, Saint Lance! I will give it my 120% to be as helpful as possible to the other Saints and soldiers! Just as I would for you and Miss Olivia!"

"Enough of that topic for now, alright?" The Bronze Saint begged, trying to keep cool. He guided her through the crowd of chatting soldiers. Already he noticed eyes landing on Cerah. "Well, first things first,… these guys might not be exactly how you've been raised to think of them."

The Dragon Saint blinked. The only way she'd been raised was to think of Athena's soldiers as the righteous young heroes of justice, "What do you mean-"

"WHOO! Hey baby! Forgot your mask home?!" one Bronze Saint gleefully jeered, seeing them arrive.

Cerah froze solid, horrified!

Another whistled, enchanted by her. "Hey, are you on Team 5? Come join us!"

With a gentle push by the shoulder, Lance powered her through the crowd. "Out of the way, dumbasses! She's just a Saintia! And she's team 3!"

"Oh, fuck you, Pegasus!" one growled, backing off. "What, you saw her face first, or something?! Ogling her to yourself?!"

"Holy shit, is that a Dragon Saint?!" another one pointed, amazed, recognizing her armor from Sanctuary comic books. "I thought those weren't even real! What are you doing with that crazy cool armor, little lady?"

Cerah covered her face, red with all the eyes on her.

A third one dared to ask "Hey, is it true you strip naked in front of some waterfall to train you-"

And just as Cerah was about to die of horror, the Pegasus Saint barked out "I said, make fucking way, goddamn it! Or do I have to 'Kastiel' the lot of you?! Don't you have your own teams to go to?! You fucking losers!" startling a path through the soldiers like the parting Red Sea. He guided Cerah through and fumed at himself. "I take it back; this is far more horrible to Cerah than anything Master does to me."

Mortified into a state of muteness, Cerah stuck to Saint Lance as close as a remora to a shark through these seas, and the duo headed for the Cassiopeia Saint, who waited by a jeep with none other than the Pisces Gold Saint.

Lance widened his eyes. "Aphrodite?! He must be here for Saga, delivering Teos without anyone seeing." He looked at the covered cube the Gold Saint had left by Cynthia's feet. "Which means that must be it."

The masked Pisces Saint perked up. "There you are. Took you long enough, Pegasus." His masked face lowered, eyes aiming at his marked neck. "Oh, I see you had some help 'changing' into your armor. Is that why you're so late?"

The Pegasus Saint only held his bruised neck embarassedly. Olivia did bite a bit too deeply. He was in too good a mood from the 'changing' to even be mad at Aphrodite's jabbing. "I'd say so, yes."

"Saint Pisces, Saint Cassiopeia, please forgive us!" Cerah begged, stepping up. She couldn't bear the Gold and Silver Saints be upset at the Pegasus Saint, when the reason for him being late was so pure. "Miss Olivia, the Equuleus Saintia, and Saint Lance were saying their goodbyes before going to the war!"

The two authorities' masked faces turn to him, "Saying 'goodbyes', uh?"

Lance turned pink and elbowed the Dragon Saint. "Cerah, shut up!"

The Dragon Saint turned to defend herself. "B-but… Saint Lance! It's the truth!" Cerah was certain that Saint Pisces, of all the Gold Saints, would understand these deep emotional motives. "Both your cosmos were flaring like crazy from how upset you were! It drove me to tears!"

"Cerah, shut… up!" Lance hissed, seeing Cynthia fold her arms rather tensely. If only Olivia had warned him such sex would make their Cosmos spike like this, he'd have reined it in a bit more. "! I'll discuss it with Saint Cynthia later, okay?!"

The Cassiopeia Saint shook her head, holding her forehead. "Oh, you and I are having a conversation about this later for sure, Pegasus. A big one." She then addressed the distressed Cerah. "Is this her? The aide you vouched for?"

The Zodiac Knight gulped and raised her hand in salute, nearly knocking her crown off. "S-Saintia Dragon Cerah! At your service, ma'am! Pleased to meet you!"

The blue-armored older woman chuckled, hand in hip, amazed by the deference from someone in Pegasus' orbit. "Cassiopeia Cynthia, Silver Saint and trainer. Pleasure to meet you, too." She turned to Lance. "Well, that's a contrast of personality, if I've ever seen one. Did you meet her through Olivia, Pegasus?"

"Yeah. She looks like a blonde hamster, but don't underestimate this one. Cerah fought alongside me against the Specters and even saved Olivia's life from Worm Raimi, the Terrestrial Submission Star. She also fought the Dullahan Specter and stood up to Alraune, a Celestial." Lance guaranteed, tone firm as the truthiness of these facts. "You won't find a more trustworthy warrior in all of Sanctuary for this."

The shorter girl lowered her head, but smiled, happy that the senior Bronze remembered these contributions even she had forgotten about.

"That IS an impressive recommendation, especially for a Bronze Saint." Cynthia confessed. At this point, though, something sparked in Cynthia's mind. Something about the girl's hair. "…Wait, have we met before, Cerah?"

The Zodiac Knight widened her eyes in alarm. Had she been recognized for who she really was somehow? But she didn't remember Saint Cynthia at all. "U-umm… I don't think so, no."

"Are you sure? Because your face is ringing a bell the size of the Shamballa one in my head." Cynthia assured. The woman hummed, wondering if they had somehow run into each other in missions, or even Aretias, but Cynthia couldn't claim to have met more than a handful of Saintias ever. "Have you ever trained at Peloponnesia?"

"You can all figure that stuff out on your way there, Saint Cassiopeia. Please have your item loaded and secured." Pisces asserted, taking a clipboard and putting it in Lance's hands. "Saint Pegasus, before I head off, you realize the importance of your particular team's item, correct?"

Lance nodded. Aphrodite was doing a good job at pretending they didn't know each other and being bossy, but maybe he was just taking advantage of the situation, like Mephisto did. "Yes, Lord Pisces. You'll be watching our backs too, though, right? After all, you never know what might happen?"

"Saint Gemini has informed me of the risks, yes." Aphrodite confirmed, referring to the potential spy. The Gold Saint folded his arms and turned to face away. "But… as you might know, I am covering all of my bases. Unfortunately, too many in Sanctuary rely on us Gold Saints to protect their loved ones. Its frankly so bothersome…"

While Cynthia and Cerah wondered what the big problem in doing their job as Gold Saints was, Lance knew better. "(Thanks, Aphrodite. If Olivia is safe, it will really set my mind at ease. I won't forget this.)"

"(Just don't make any stupid mistakes, like wasting an hour before an important mission doing… 'foolish things' with your girlfriend.)" Aphrodite demanded, turning to leave. He wasn't sure he could look at Knight-Girl the same way after knowing what she'd done with his mentor for a whole hour. "May Athena be with you all. Good luck."

Cerah's eyes glistened dreamingly, seeing his cape flutter like a dashing knight of old. "So cool! I wonder if the Gemini Cloth looks so amazing, too!"

{======================|A3|======================}

Heading out to the building's huge garage, the soldiers led by the Saints rushed into their respective vehicles, turning keys and starting engines.

"ALRIGHT, MOVE, TEAM 1!" Sagitta Nam commanded, waving his hand at the first jeep.

The large, reinforced vehicle rushed out into the streets, taking the Herculean Road towards the mountains.

Doing final check-ups on their cargo, Pegasus Lance slammed the back of his own neck. "AGH, what is with this itch?! It's driving me crazy!" He tried to focus on making sure Teos was buried deep within all the boxes of random 'camping' material they'd be showing border watches along the way to Austria, but the strange rash below his neck kept bugging him. "What a time to have an allergic reaction. And I'm guessing it didn't help when Olivia… well."

"Hey, Pegasus!" Cynthia called.

The Pegasus touched the top of the cover on their item and felt a familiar warmth. Before long an image flashed into his mind of a shining sun of cosmos, making him stagger!

He held his burned hand "Y-yeah, that's definitely Teos inside! Christ, it still has that insane cosmos."

"You make me feel unappreciated." The Pegasus Cloth commented to him. "But I understand what you mean. Even uncharged like it is, few armors other than the Gold Cloths could match this energy level it is oozing."

"Right, it needs power, I forgot. And it takes it from whoever wears it… It's crazy to think that we still don't know anything about this armor, except that it came to save our asses against Cerah's teacher." Lance recalled. Five months had passed and, other than learning the armor didn't let itself get teleported like nothing, Shion had uncovered very little. "Pegasus, do you think Teos and Talos, the Cloth Atlae has, are somehow related?"

"I only have memories of my current life, so I don't know, but it seems more likely than not. They are both amazingly powerful armors from antiquity with mysterious alchemy." Pegasus confirmed. "Which means, your only chance at defeating Atlae might be inside that box."

Cynthia put her hand on her hip. "HEY, PEGASUS!"

Startled, Lance slammed his head into the ceiling of the jeep. "OW!"

The Silver Saint irked. "Oops… sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I was just going to ask if you're done with the check-ups."

The Saint rubbed his head, climbing out. "I-It's fine." He had been a bit too preoccupied with making sure no one saw they had a golden box as their item. "We should be ready to go. At least I've done everything as Suisho taught me."

The Silver Saint nodded. "Uh-huh." She looked around to check for eavesdroppers. "Are you sure you aren't just still thinking about your little 'romantic moment'?"

The Bronze Saint turned red again. "Listen, Saint Cynthia, um…"

The Cassiopeia scoffed and laughed. "Since when do you refer to me by title? Look, Pegasus, relax. I get it. We're going to Holy War." She stressed. Once again, she looked around, this time to look at all the cocky hoplites and Saints chatting like it was Friday. "We don't know which ones of us are coming back. If any of us. Olivia is a smart girl and she knows it, too."

Lance sighed in relief. "I'm sorry, Cynthia. I know it's unprofessional."

The Amazon folded her arms. "Yeah, it is, but you two are also young. You didn't deserve all this bullshit falling on top of your heads." The Cassiopeia turned her face, sighing. "Heck, I remember how unfair it felt, when Priam went nuts and we had to go to war. You can be sure I called my guy at the time, too…"

"You mean Gardnia?" Lance ventured to guess.

"Mm?" Cynthia had to stare a bit before realizing. "Oh! No, no, ah, ah, ah." Seeing Lance looking embarrassed at getting it wrong, she waved her hand. "It's alright. Everyone in Sanctuary always thought we were together. Cassiopeia and Cepheus are bound to be together, after all? Shinta even asked it once, when he was little. But no, Gardnia and I were just really close friends all those years. We looked out for each other, and that's important when you're a kid in Sanctuary. But it never… evolved past that."

The Pegasus Saint hummed. He liked Cynthia enough to be curious about who was her 'guy', then. "It wasn't… Kastiel, was it?"

Cynthia made a buzzer noise. "Wrong again." She mocked. Cynthia could tell Lance was relieved, too, probably because he couldn't picture anyone liking the Master that abandoned. "You're not going to guess my old partner, Pegasus. You two never met and we're not together anymore."

"Even with your mask?" Lance dared to ask. "No offence, but… you know what the Aretias rules are. I'm just assuming he's seen… you know…" And he pointed at her hidden face.

Cynthia laughed. "You don't know; I may have half a mind of killing him, yet. We are exes, after all." Her mask's nose heaved out in lament. "Especially considering who he works for, these days…if you catch my drift."

Recalling the Andromeda Island circle, Lance could venture to guess that, whoever Cynthia used to be with, was probably working for Cetus at New Lalibela. "I do. I'll ask no more, Cynthia."

She tilted her head, an Amazon 'smile'. "Point being, Saint Pisces gave you that dirty look, but I totally get how you two must have felt. And you're both adults by Sanctuary standards. The way I see it, if you're old enough to make war, you're old enough to make love. Just,… you know. Wear protection."

Again, Lance's face had to turn a bit pink, inexperienced in talking about these things as he was, especially with an older female. Fortunately, he'd never do such an irresponsible thing with Olivia, no matter how spontaneous the two of them felt, and lightspeed was super useful to get to the pharmacy and leave some money before the mood cooled off. Hell, the place he picked even had a jar placed in the counter for it.

Cynthia put the keys in his hands. "AND, you're old enough to be driving. Cerah is too young and I can't show my face even to civilians. If you need any help translating to border patrols, however, I can take care of it. I'm comfortable with German."

Dragon Cerah returned to them from the bathroom, looking around at the other teams. "Saint Cynthia, why is everyone taking cars? Can't we just travel with Cosmos?"

"Mm? I thought you and Lance shared a mission already, Saint Dragon?" Cynthia queried. "Didn't you use one?"

"Despite her Specter kills, Cerah is fresh off with her armor, so she doesn't know protocol yet." Lance explained, closing the jeep trunk. "We take cars because, this way, we stay discrete, Cerah, especially when moving cargo. The Specters will have a much harder time singling out vehicles in the middle of the Balkans than a bunch of travelling beams of light. You can feel cosmos from a distance, sure, but you can't feel combustion engines."

The Dragon Saint recalled all of Saint Lance's lessons of caution when using lightspeed. "Oh, that makes sense."

"I'm going to make some final preparations before Nam calls us, kids. Be RIGHT back." Cynthia assured, heading off for a bit.

Cerah smiled, impressed by the Amazon's constant movement to getting things done. "I like Saint Cynthia. She seems really cool."

"You think so? Ah, I remember she was the first in the Silver Saint Order that got me to think they weren't just a bunch of lazy authoritative assholes." Lance confirmed to Cerah. "Plus, she helped me be a bit more at ease with Amazons. Before knowing her, I thought…" His eyes shifted yet again. "…well, some impolite things about them."

Cerah, who had never met a facet of Saint Lance that wasn't brave or considerate, had to widen her eyes. "What? Really? Like what?"

The Pegasus Saint grumbled. It was better not to mention he used to think they were all a much of man-hating witches with a 'b' that'd eat you as soon as they'd spot you.

"Oh, you have no idea. I was a real dickhole, especially before meeting Shinta. It's just what happens when you get a shit education on Cosmos and Sanctuary's traditions." Lance argued. His red eyes looked up, noticing Cerah's discomfort. "No offense. I know you didn't have the best teacher, either."

The Dragon Saint glanced away, holding her arm. She still wondered what became of Lucian. Cerah couldn't believe the Pope would just have him executed, especially after that big commotion and Pandora showing up. "…I know the Prince is a bad person, Saint Lance, but he taught me well. I wouldn't be alive without him, in both trials that I faced with and without him."

Lance sweated, holding his head. "Sorry, it's just…. I fought the guy, after all. Got to know him pretty well, as you can imagine."

Cerah glowered, remembering the last thing they saw in the Coliseum was him being brought out. She couldn't sense any Cosmos from the Coliseum, either. "D-Do you think… that…"

The sight of it amazed Lance, who had gotten to know just how cruel Daemon was. "He really means a lot to you, uh?" He laid his hand out. "Was he…kind to you? I have a hard time picturing him being anything but a cruel bastard."

Cerah froze. This was the most confusing part of all. "I don't know. To this day, I can't tell for sure. He always trained me like he wanted me to die, but… he also trusted me." She smiled, remembering the day he gave her that mission. "I was so happy that day he entrusted Eurydice to me. Even though I was so weak, still barely a Mach 5 user, he told me he counted on me." She looked at Lance to see if this astounding revelation, that her teacher was capable of a bond, did anything to affect Lance. "I knew, for the first time, Lucian valued me, despite it all. So, when I fought the Specters to protect her, I was able to draw so much strength against them…strength I didn't even knew I had. That's when I realized the Prince understands me."

The Pegasus Saint hummed, amazed. Empathy, from Daemon? What a wild idea.

Cerah sunk head, tearing up "And that's why… I couldn't believe it when I saw that…. That he did…"

The Pegasus Saint saw Cerah gag and get quiet, the words next in line being too painful to get out. He glowered. In Lance's head, there was nothing anyone could say to convince him there was a better side to Lucian. The bastard had attacked them, tried to murder them and tried to take over their home for his own selfish reasons, and he was unapologetic for it. Even if the Specter was rebelling against Hades, he was still a monster who cared for no one but himself. Daemon even tried to blow them all up with a big ball of lightning, until Saga's predecessor showed up to send the attack to Another Dimension.

Yet, somehow, it seems the Specter had been capable of earning the love of at least one person. Two, if Lance counted Eurydice. "I'm sorry, Cerah. All I can say is that I know what it feels like to learn someone you counted on was not who you thought they were."

She huffed, amazed at herself. "I wonder what other Zodiac Knights would say, if they knew I… loved a Specter like a father." Her head raised. "Or even what Daese might say…"

Lance folded his arms. "Mm, I'd be curious too. Daese should know a thing or two about the importance of a good teacher in your life."

Cerah perked up. "You mean…?" The Zodiac Knight realized she was yet to get a clear explanation on this. "Saint Lance, I don't get it. How did you meet my sister? What was she doing in your Training Ground?"

The Pegasus Saint scoffed and laid out hand. "She fell from the sky. Landed her ass straight on my face."

Cerah gawked, completely taken by surprise. "W-what?!"

Lance nodded. It wasn't as fun as it sounded, not when the ass in question was covered in 300 pounds of Silver Cloth metal. "Yes, like something straight from a Japanese comedy cartoon. That's why, for the longest time, I had no trouble believing she was just a dream I had, from unlocking the Cosmos." He exhaled, thinking of the time he lost he could have searched for her. "But now, with you confirming she was real, and that Serpens Saint bastard even saying she's a Black Saint, I'm wondering a lot about that time…What really happened and what she was really doing up there."

"TEAM 2, MOVE OUT!" Nam ordered, and the second jeep went rushing out of the garage.

"Looks like now's not the time to tell that story, though. We're up next." Lance realized. "Where the hell is Cynthia? We gotta head out next, soon!"

At this point, Crateris Suisho came by. "I'm hurt. Not even going to ask about me?"

The duo perked up, especially Lance, seeing his partner arrive looking like an abandoned puppy he forgot to feed. "Hey, Suisho! Sorry, man, I was wondering about you, as well. Getting ready?"

The Silver Saint nodded, smiling and pointed thumb at the very last jeep in line. "Yup, I'm with Team 7. I just came by to wish you guys good luck, Pegasus. Who knows what we'll run into this time, after all." He turned to Cerah. "What about you, miss Heloise? Cozying into that Cloth?"

The short blonde girl nodded. "Yup! It's a bit heavy but… I'm managing, Saint Suisho."

"You'll thank that armor thickness when it keeps a Specter's crossbow bolt away from your heart." Suisho guaranteed. He stared at its emerald, draconic form, feeling memories surging. "It's… a powerful armor."

Lance and Cerah blinked. The Pegasus Saint snapped his fingers. "Sui'?"

{======================|A3|======================}

Suikyo shook his head. "Dohko, what are you doing?! Your Master will be upset if she finds out about your touring the Dragon Cloth like that just to get women."

The Libra Gold Saint rolled his eyes. "Pfft, oh, lighten up, you nerd. You sound just like Shion! Come on, let me show you how much booze you can drink off of the shield."

{======================|A3|======================}

The Bronze Saint raised his round shield, blocking the enormous blast of purple, cross-shaped cosmos blast. The powerful impact from the Judge's attack coursed through the Bronze Saint's body and blasted him backwards. The long-haired youth screamed, his feet dragging back through the ground until his back slammed into the Ship of Hope's hull.

The attack was, nonetheless, stopped.

Garuda Aiacos lowered his firing hand, seeing the surface of the shield pristine. "Impressive. Prince Michael was correct; that is no ordinary Bronze Cloth."

The Dragon Saint heaved, dropping to the floor. His eyes raised defiantly. "You should know, Suikyo…! You've faced it before."

{======================|A3|======================}

The Crateris Silver Saint shook his head to dispel the memories in his shadow. "Sorry, I'm just really impressed by how much Cerah has grown. First time we met, you were just a junior Saintia, following Olivia around." He presented hand. "Congratulations,… Saintia Dragon!"

The Dragon Saint beamed and shook it with both of hers. "T-Thank you, Saint Suisho!"

"Maybe this time you'll both get to see me show Crateris' full power, with how serious this mission looks." Suisho commented, tugging the strap of his Cloth Box and seeing how tense some of the them looked. "Heck, with Holy War announced, it's all but guaranteed."

This made Cynthia's earlier words about saying your goodbyes before war rang in Lance's head. "Right… listen, Sui?"

The dark-blue-haired Crateris Saint turned to him. "Yeah? What's up, Pegasus?"

Lance scratched his head. He felt the urge to say something while he could. "I wanted to thank you for everything. When I left my training sabbatical at the Zodiac, I didn't know how well I'd adjust to being back in the mission roll, especially without Shinta. I was told I'd have to work with someone and all I could think of was that it was going to be a huge disaster, especially with how bad I left things off with the Bronze and Silver Saints' Order." He turned his face away. Even after all this time, he had a tough time speaking gratefully to other Saints. "But despite all the ambushes we went through, all the danger… it ended up being… really good. I even had fun, at times. I wasn't expecting that…"

The Tibetan Saint laughed out loud. "Well, of course, partner! What did you expect? To get dumped by me in Mount Olympus, too? I'm not Kastiel you know?" He waved his hands humbly. "There's no need for thanks. And Operation Marathon is going to be a breeze, too. Before you know it, we'll be at Peloponnesia buying everyone a round-"

The Pegasus Saint gripped Suisho's shoulder. "Listen, Sui, I mean it!" His red eyes narrowed, remembering the massacres of the False Holy War. "Be careful out there. We've been lucky so far, even with Knight Girl. But now it will get dangerous for real. I better fucking see you at the end of this operation, got it?"

The Crateris Saint grimaced. Gently, he released Lance's grip off of himself. "Got it. Don't worry, Pegasus. You definitely will." Seeing the Bronze Saint more relieved, the Crateris Saint turned to Cerah. "…Look at this guy, Saintia Dragon. He can't say how much he loves me, so he puts on this serious act. What an insecure loser, right?"

The Dragon Saint giggled. "Y-yeah."

The Crateris Saint put hands on his hips and laughed out loud. "Really, Pegasus, I appreciate the concern, but when are you gonna loosen up? You'll have everyone running scared, spreading your ibby-jibbies like this. I'm starting to think spending some more time with Yushira WOULD be good for you! She'd shame that sense of importance right out of you!" Saluting playfully with his fingers, Suisho winked and departed. "I'll see you two in Austria! I know the Danube is pretty, but don't dally for the sights, alright?"

Cerah waved goodbye. "Good luck to you, too!" Seeing Saint Lance tense, however, she blinked. "Saint Pegasus, what's wrong? Are you still worried about Saint Suisho?"

"N-no, it's just…" Lance tried to find words, having the weirdest feeling about their talk. "Sui' said something nice about Yushira…He must be in a really good mood today."

"TEAM 3, ROLL OUT!" Sagitta Nam called.

{======================|A3|======================}

Nearby, on a roof overlooking the streets to the MMC, two figures hidden by the building's railing watched as the jeep rushed out of the headquarters' underground garage and rushed out eastwards, towards the only road out of Sanctuary Town.

The one in the Top Hat and plastic white eyes-mask armed his lips with a thorny rose. "That's the one. Are you sure you want to do this?"

By his side, the girl in blue, frilled armor tightened her glove and put on her crown visor, shielding her identity. "More than ever. I have a terrible sensation something is watching the Saints of Athena. I can feel it in the heavens."

Top Hat Lad chuckled. "A star-reader, indeed!"

"Partita!" Knight Girl called, causing the owl to land in her arm. The superheroine gave the bird's beak a small rolled patch and kissed its head. "Leave this at my bedroom's desk, okay? Hopefully, it will make grandpa think I went back to Palaestra."

The cyan-haired hero watched the bird take flight. "I should get myself one of those. Hopefully they have good garden manners."

"My turn, Top Hat." Knight Girl asked, turning to him with a look like she could skewer him. "I appreciate everything you've done so far, but why offer to help me on this? And how do you know the ins and outs of Operation Marathon?! Are you a Saint of Athena, secretly?!"

"No more than you are, I'd venture to guess. I have my ways of gathering information that, don't worry, won't be traced back to either of us." Her partner in crime assured. "As for why? How could I claim to admire your exploits, and then back down from its most dangerous one yet?" Top Hat Lad scented his rose to appear aloof. It was best not to mention that his mentor asked him to watch over this girl. "Besides… this is a tremendous amount of fun."

Knight-Girl sweated, wondering if it was a good motive or reason to be on her guard. "I suppose I'll find out soon enough."

{======================|A3|======================}

Hours Later,

Team 3 Route

{======================|A3|======================}

Night was beginning to fall over Europe. Carrying the Gold Cloth of Teos, the weapon that stopped the False Holy War, Team 3's jeep drove through its secret route northwest, its final destination being the Fortress of Peloponnesia. Their path took them through fields among the forested mounds, away from the big cities but still within reach that they might not draw attention through their isolation. At the helm sat Pegasus Lance, wearing civilian clothes along with Cassiopeia Cynthia on his right in the same conditions, plus her mask. In the rear seats, Dragon Cerah tried to sit comfortably next to not one, not two, but three whole Cloth Boxes carrying three hundred pounds of metal each, not counting the secret cargo in the closed trunk. The boxes were covered in cloth and rosaries, looking like supply backpacks to help them pretend to civilian authorities they were just a group of faithful youths in pilgrimage to Rome.

Cerah prayed thanks to Athena for strong belt buckles. Saint Lance was less delicate with his driving than Saint Suisho and, whenever he took a sharp turn, she felt like the one ton of metal all around her could crush her small body into a pulp.

Saint Cynthia turned face north, spotting the road to the Vienna highways. "Finally, we've crossed the border. We're out of Yugoslavia and now in Austria. It's only a few more hundreds of kilometers now, kids. Soon we'll be at Peloponnesia."

"How are the other six teams?" Lance asked.

"I'll check." The Silver Saint took her radio. "This is Team 3. Status check, over."

"Team 1, status check, over."

"Team 2, status check, over."

"Team 4, status check, over."

"Team 5, status check, over."

"Team 6, status check, we are under attack!"

The trio of Saints gasped. "What?!"

"We were intercepted in Croatia by Minotaurus Gordon, a Specter! Saint Gemini is currently battling him and we escaped the area to the refuge! I think we will be fine. Over."

"Oh, thank goodness!" Cynthia breathed out.

"Nice, Saga! You didn't let those bastards catch us with our pants down!" Lance cheered. Still, this proved Saga's suspicions were right and the Specters somehow know about Operation Marathon. "What about Team 7, Cynthia? That's Sui's team."

{======================|A3|======================}

South Poland

{======================|A3|======================}

The bleeding hoplite, Mirandus, climbed out of the burning jeep and fell over, collapsing on the broken road pavement. Smoke billowed from the destroyed vehicle skywards and the forested road was covered with ice. A large chunk of it sharp like a sword was jammed deep into his back. Mirandus had been driving the vehicle when it pierced through the back of his seat, through his body, out of his chest, sending him and his jeep spiraling out of control.

"G-Goddess, Athena, s-save me!" he begged, burning cosmos to stay alive. As the ice spear in his body melted with the heat, however, more and more blood spayed out of his wound. "W-Where are the Gold Saints?! Where's the radio?!"

Topping the jeep over with his hand, the person that had attacked him now ripped the trunks' contents out and slammed it on the floor, cracking the box open to reveal a bunch of confetti. He clicked his tongue, having already expected such a result, but still finding it annoying.

Turning to Mirandus, he smiled, showing the device in hand. "Looking for this, buddy?"

Mirandus turned to see his team leader playing with the gushing radio, smiling maliciously. He crawled away in terror. "N-No! NO! G-GET AWAY FROM ME!" Enormous daggers of ice, thin like glass shards, shot through the air and carved themselves into Mirandus' legs, pinning him to the pavement and destroying his ligaments. The hoplite screamed, feeling the soul-sucking cold crawl up his legs and numb his whole body. "S-SOMEONE HELP ME!"

The radio in Suisho's hand spoke. "Team 7? This is Team 3. Status Check? Over."

Garuda Aiacos raised it to his lips. "Team 7, status check. Sorry about that, Team 3, we're all clear. Over." And then tossed the radio out to the woods. "Not going to need that, anymore."

Crying, Mirandus turned over. "Sui', w-why?! F-For Athena's sake, is this about what I said of your sister?! PLEASE, FOR GODDESS' SAKE, DON'T F-FUCKING KILL ME!"

The Judge of the Underworld laughed. He wouldn't miss the stupidity of these hoplites, that was for sure. He walked over to the hoplite. "Don't worry, Mirandus… this isn't about her." He unstrapped his Cloth Box off his back. "It's about everything in your sorry, miserable, profligate life."

Mirandus screamed, seeing the Silver Saint hurl the Cloth by its strap above his head. "W-WAIT, NO, S-STO-"

Slamming the enormous cube of metal down like a sling, the Judge crushed the screaming hoplite's face in, caving Mirandus' face into his skull so hard the paved road cracked underneath, silencing him. The Judge raised and slammed the box over and over, pulverizing the hoplite's head until there was nothing left but a smudge of red and pieces of bones on the ground. Years of frustration dealing with these miserable Saints were exorcised through every hammering, cracking the pavement more than more.

Satisfied when there was nothing but pulverized skull matter left, the blood-splattered Silver Saint tossed the box aside, breaking it open. A splatter of cracked parts belonging to a killed, greyed out Crateris Cloth spread out to the ground, completely powerless of cosmos, much less the ability to detect its owner was marked by Hades. The Celestial Valiant Star breathed out and laughed to the air, finally feeling the freedom of having to pretend to belong to this abominable army of sinners.

His sight set southwestwards, towards Austria, where Myu's other larvae gave off tracking signals of Operation Marathon's team locations. Then he looked upwards, where in the sky he saw his precious battleship ready to provide support. It was departing southwestwards to follow Atlae.

With a burst of dark cosmos, Suisho beamed out as well, aiming for his final objective.

{======================|A3|======================}

Austria,

Team 3

{======================|A3|======================}

Cynthia turned off the radio. "Looks like his team was in the clear, too. Not that I was worried. Even if those Specters got him, Suisho would teach them a lesson they'd never forget."

Lance breathed out in relief. "Yeah, you're right about that. He's deadly enough without the Cloth. I can't imagine how strong he is with Crateris on." He commented, recalling all the battles they shared together in missions, like against Knight Girl. For some reason, it made Cynthia chuckle. "What is it?"

Her head shook. "Nothing, Pegasus, you're right. I can't imagine it either. That guy always had an aversion to put it on unless absolutely necessary, saying Saints shouldn't rely on their armors too much." She waved hand "It's admirable, don't get me wrong, but sometimes I find myself thinking if I've ever seen him with it."

"His sister is super cool, too!" Cerah added. "I shared battles with miss Yushira and she even took down a Specter."

"Uh, so that story about beating up the Cyclops False Specter was true?" Cynthia asked. "Wow, I owe Yushira some serious apologies. Everyone in Aretias thought a Gold Saint had done it, instead, and that she was making stuff up to explain why she was late to the village again. Uh, maybe that'd get Sui to ease off on her."

Lance irked. "Cynthia… I have to ask; what the fuck went down between those two? You mentioned something really vague earlier, but why does Sui treat Yushira like she ruined his life? Sui is the most reasonable guy I know, and yet when it comes to Yushira, he turns into-"

"- A big sexist jerk?" The Amazon guessed, earning from Lance an exasperated nod. She sighed. "I don't blame you for the confusion. Yushira… well,… she killed their parents."

Lance almost hit the jeep's brakes at this "WHAT?!"

Dragon Cerah gawked. "NO WAY! Miss Yushira?! That can't be true!"

"Because it isn't. It's just what Suisho says." Cynthia revealed. It only succeeded in baffling Lance and Cerah even further. "And if you take Sui at his word, he'll also say Yushira destroyed Ruby Village and brought misfortune to their entire hometown. He doesn't mince words about Yush', to say the least."

"But… but if it isn't true… why would her brother say it?! That's such a terrible thing to say about your sister!" Cerah protested, rethinking all of her opinions on Saint Suisho. "And if she didn't do all those things, then who did?!"

Cynthia's head lowered. "Laodamia did."

The strange name made Lance gawk. "Who?!"

"Laodamia. The Ogre. Also known as the Scutum Saint." Cynthia elaborated. The looks of added confusion in them didn't shock the Amazon. "It's a long, painful story, happening almost a decade ago, but the truth is, the Village of Ruby where Sui and Yush lived in as Sanctuary colonists fell under Saint Scutum's radar as a possible site of a Specter resurrection."

"A Specter resurrection?!" Cerah asked. "Like the kind the old Knights of the Zodiac used to purge?"

"Correct. They happen all over the world as Holy War eras begin approaching you. Usually, it's the Zodiac Knights job that take care of uprooting that sort of thing, but Muvian Colonies fell well outside their territory. Asia is a big place, after all." Cynthia elaborated. "That's where Scutum Laodamia came in. He was stationed from Arlia at the time and as such he was the closest Silver Saint to Tibet."

"Arlia? That is the village servicing Mount Rozan. What was this guy doing there? Trying to get Master to teach him?" Lance sweated. "This all sounds pretty routine."

"It does, doesn't it?" Cynthia agreed. "Yet, next thing we knew, the Village of Ruby was burning to the ground and Laodamia was dumping Yushira and Suisho with Sanctuary Town."

"What the…Burned to the ground?!" Lance asked. He had been to the Muvian Villages with Yushira, in those secluded mountain passes and cul-de-sacs. He could only picture the chaos of places like those being ablaze. "Why the fuck?! Wasn't this just a Specter hunt?!"

"I told you things were murky, Pegasus." Cynthia added. "And we only have three people to ask the story from. Which are…"

"Right, two traumatized kids and a Silver Saint with vested interest in covering their own ass!" Lance concluded, trying to not drive them off a road with how infuriated he was. "How do you even fuck up a hunt like that?! Unbelievable!"

Cerah shivered, trying to stay quiet. "This is so awful?! Why didn't miss Yushira say anything? Poor her!" She wished she could hug Yushira right now.

Cassiopeia Cynthia sighed. "Regardless of what Laodamia did, Suisho blames Yushira for it. Can you imagine how painful that is? Or how true it might be? It could very well be, for example, that Yushira, who exaggerates everything, drew attention to what might have been a false report of someone exhibiting signs of being a revived Specter, and Sui sees it as a trigger to what Laodamia did."

"Uh… I can actually see that being the case." Lance thought. "So because of the actions of some overzealous Shield Saint, those two are at each other's necks?"

"Well, Sui is." Cynthia retorted. She sighed, folding arms. "Yushira just wishes her brother would stop punishing her."

The pain in Yushira's voice when she begged him to take her to Dohko returned to Lance. He glowered. "Maybe I judged her too harshly, then. All this time I thought that… No, no excuses. I owe Yushira an apology."

"It seems everywhere we go, so many people's lives are ruined by Hades, directly or indirectly." Cerah lamented, frowning. She thought back to her teacher and what could be happening to him right now. In a way, the Prince was another victim, even if he went on to spread that misery. "I guess that makes it all important we win this Holy War."

"You got that 100% right, Saintia Cerah. Why, I even remember back in my last Peloponnesia tour tha-" Cynthia then froze quiet. She turned head over her shoulder at the girl. "Wait a minute, I remember you now!"

Cerah gulped and she and Lance shared a fearful look.

"Yes! You're the girl Aguilon saved in Germany, along with that blind woman, Eurydice!" Cynthia recalled, laughing happily. She held Cerah's hands in-between the seats "Oh my Goddess, you woke up from your coma! And you're a SAINTIA! That's incredible!"

A wash of relief came over the two younger warriors and Cerah responded "Y-yeah, that's right! You were there, miss?"

The amazon nodded. "Was I there?! I watched Aguilon bring the two of you in like the damn hero he always acts like he is! No one thought at the time you'd ever wake up, but look at you! Up on your feet, and you even have the Dragon Cloth of all things! How did that happen?!"

Lance breathed out. What a scare. What were the odds that Cynthia happened to have already met Cerah? Now that he thought of it, he remembered a year and half back, Cynthia was indeed stationed at Peloponnesia, in the same period she helped him and Shinta out against the Bennu False Specter. It coincided more or less after the time Cerah said she left the Underworld.

Cynthia folded her arms, amazed. "My sisters at Aretias would flail me for saying this, but I have to confess you Saintias know what you're doing. You can't have had more than a year of training and already you're fighting with that Bronze Cloth, that only super students can get. What are you doing in the army, Cerah?"

"O-oh, I just kind of… landed here." Cerah admitted, scratching her head and searching her mind for what to say. "Miss Adriana Ghisi has been really kind to me and offered to sponsor my schooling, and then Saint Lance helped me get a recommendation for this Cloth."

The Cassiopeia Saint folded her arms, huffing. "Wow, you, Cerah, the Ghisi heiress, Yushira and even Olivia Iraklidis. What an incredible series of meetings between you all. Life really does take you to all sorts of crazy places, uh?"

Lance had to guess that it really was nuts things all kind of converged like this, and the three of them were with the Teos Cloth on the way to fight the Holy War with Austria. Hopefully, things would go smoothly, and unlike Team 6 they wouldn't get a scare with Spect-

Lance pressed his foot deep into the brake, screeching the jeep into a halt and startling his two occupants. Cynthia had to hold on to her mask and Cerah almost felt herself tossed over her belt to the front seat.

"OW, Pegasus! What the-"

"Cynthia… Get your Cloth on!" Lance hushed, tense like a rod, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

The Amazon looked up, and her body went stiff, too. Right in front of them, silhouetted by their jeep's headlights, stood a tall, young man in scarf, coat and jeans who looked like his hat just got blown off his head by the wind force of the jeep's stop.

Tentatively, Lance unhooked his belt, took his Cloth Box and stepped out of the jeep. He saw the blonde stranger picking up his felt hat, looking rather mad. They were in a road in the middle of the countryside, close to the mountains, so there was the chance this was just some mountain villager who felt comfortable not worrying about traffic.

Still, the Pegasus's body went tense, having a terrible feeling. "You, ok?"

The man glared at him, showing his dirty hat. "You made me drop this."

The clear, Greek accent made Lance's hair stand up and his teeth grit. He dropped his Cloth Box on the ground as loud as he could "Then maybe get the fuck off the road at night!" He focused his thoughts to signal his friends. "Cynthia, Cerah, call the Gold Saints NOW!"

The stranger's golden eyes saw the Pegasus' two friends scurry into action in the jeep, fetching their armors and looking for the radio. He scoffed. "Ah, do you think it will make a difference, whatever you're doing?"

"It's three-on-one, motherfucker! And it's about to get a lot worse than that for you!" Lance hissed. "So, drop the act, name whatever fucking Star you are and fuck off while you still have the chance!"

The tall man let out an amused scoff and closed his fists. "Straight to the point, just the way I like it." A flowing, murky brim of purple formed around his body, manifesting Cosmos. "Very well! As you wish, degenerate!"

With a startling, animalist screech, the stranger's body's shining cosmos then burst into a massive shockwave, knocking Lance back with a stunning amount of force. The jeep itself was blown aside, sending Cerah and Cynthia inside screaming until it crashed into the forested roadside, while ferocious currents of power coursed everywhere like the winds evoked by the flapping of a massive creature's wings. Carving his fingers into the earth, Lance held on against them, and guarded his face, stunned. He looked up and saw, with a chill going down his spine, the manifestation of shadows around the stranger so black, Lance felt his very spirit chill like ice, like coming across a terrible scene of massacre.

The stranger roared, coiling his arms over chest to allow the shadows to take frightening shapes around his body. Spikey shoulder pads birthed themselves over his arms, before armors of scales closed around his fore muscles. A carapace of draconic layers segmented itself over his chest and abdomen before sprouting a fault of pointy plates painted with draconic jaws. A pair of massive, membraned wings burst out from his back, reaching far to the sides, making the man look twice as bigger than before in the blink of an eye, while an eruption of shades engulfed and closed around his legs, locking them inside clawed boots, segmented greaves and pointy knee guards.

Finally, what looked like a dragon's maw made of screeches, wind and pure malice bit over the stranger's head, solidifying into a full, horned helmet with sharp incisive teeth and a menacing glare of purple gems.

As she crawled out of the knocked jeep, Cerah looked up and froze as stiffly as Lance, seeing a terrible force of metal and muscle step out of the hurricane of cosmos slowly winding down. Her heart beat fast, recognizing the shape of what stood before her from thousands of years of her ancestors battling this person. The one who had vowed to his godly master of the Underworld to destroy the Zodiac Knights, down to the last one.

The earth shaking stopped and the man's wings flapped violently, dispelling the last remains of transformative energies to fully reveal himself in all his glory.

With his preying eyes trained on Pegasus Lance, he declared "I am Wyvern Rhadamanthys. Celestial Star of Fury, Judge of the Underworld and Lord of Ptolomea!" He raised his finger, full of cosmic power dwarfing everyone in his presence, at Lance. "And for the glory of Lord Hades, I shall make the debut of this Holy War… by crushing every single one of you pitiful Saints, and taking that cursed Cloth of yours to my King!"

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Chapter End

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Next Chapter: Chapter 105 – Third Arc – Episode 27 – The Betrayal

Release Date: March 25th

Description: The first large-scale battle between the Saints and the Specters break out all over the Balkans, from the Adriatic to the Black Sea, as the many teams of Operation Marathon find themselves under assault by some of the most powerful Specters in all of Erebus. The Gold Saints of Athena rush to the teams' aid and battle these Specters, but unfortunately the depth of betrayal running in their ranks is deeper than Saga could ever imagine.

Meanwhile, in Austria, the Saints of Team 3 fight for their lives against Wyvern Rhadamanthys, while in Italy, Genbu Atlae comes face to face with a hero of his.