On the top floor of the Sun Ship Casino, a distinguished guest suddenly arrived.
The manager, already overwhelmed by the recent trouble, was about to rebuke the newcomer but froze upon meeting a pair of deep violet eyes. Not a single word could escape his lips.
Soon, the hotel's director, who was also an executive of the Lucchese family, arrived. He and his officers lined up and bowed to the esteemed guest. "Miss Blandelli, your sudden arrival brings great honor to our family!" But Erica simply waved her hand, cutting him off, signaling them not to disturb her as she watched the surveillance footage. On the screen were the figures of two young men.
From the moment the youths sat down before the dealer to Seiya pressing the button on the slot machine, from the boy looking up and meeting her gaze through the camera to the slow-motion capture of his first move, the entire sequence was as smooth and fluid as flowing water. But what was most chilling was that all the security guards he had taken down, and even the gamblers watching from the sidelines, seemed to be influenced by an invisible atmosphere. Like frenzied believers, they collectively praised the young man's formidable reputation, even calling him Bahram, extolling him in a style unique to Persia.
"It's as if they were playing a game," the manager said slowly, "incorporating the process of gambling, the cheers won from defeating enemies, and the reactions of the onlookers into a playground that belonged only to the two of them. It sounds absurd, doesn't it?"
"Not at all. For venerable ones like these, who act contrary to their own myths and manifest on Earth in a posture of disobedience, they are all extremely self-centered beings," Erica said coldly, though her eyes gradually began to shine with the excitement of a lioness.
As the young lady departed, the manager, still standing in his spot, finally pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the beads of sweat from his forehead.
"The surname Blandelli... it couldn't be the one from Milan, could it?" the manager asked in a low voice.
Their family was one of the five major mafia families, existing for centuries, and had now evolved into a more international organization involved in gambling and maritime trade. But as a member of the family, he knew that there was another world, a hidden world, where legendary things existed.
"You know it, and that's enough. Don't get too close, or you'll get burned," the director glanced lightly at this junior member of the family.
"I understand." The manager pinched the bridge of his sore nose. "It's just that with the recent natural disasters and this legendary name, it really feels like a storm is brewing."
As the green Aston Martin DBS sped away, it quickly arrived in Cagliari. This was the main road of the port city, lined with rich history and architecture, the main cathedral, and the Basilica of San Pancrazio. The car tore down the main thoroughfare at lightning speed.
"So, how did it go?" Seiya asked. He was naturally asking about the results of the fight as they left the casino.
"One hundred and twenty-eight," the white-robed youth finally spoke.
He wasn't referring to the number of security guards he had defeated. Although he had deliberately suppressed his physical abilities to the level of an ordinary person, it was still far beyond what any normal human could handle. He was talking about the people who, after being awed, had submitted and complied, even singing praises to this youth who had come from across the ocean.
"Is that something a human can really do?" Seiya raised an eyebrow.
"Heh, don't find it so incredible. I am the incarnation of battle and victory. As long as I continue to achieve victory, the joy of that victory will manifest in the form of wealth. Be it women and children, riches, or the enemy itself, the fruits a warrior obtains through battle are their rightful due."
"The weak should submit to the strong, and the defeated should be at the mercy of the victor's whim. Even if their wives and daughters are plundered, they should kneel and offer them up respectfully." Seiya's spirited eyebrows rose slightly, the smile in his eyes gradually fading. With just these few words, he had already gained a profound sense of the wild, barbaric side of the god his companion followed.
It was as if humanity had reverted to its most primitive state, unleashing its suppressed ferocity, brazenly displaying its own dominance. Those who wielded power were the ultimate force in this world, a force of violence that could do anything, and take anyone.
"I'm sure of it now. In the future, you and I are destined to fight," Seiya said suddenly, his voice tinged with a dark certainty.
"Hahahahaha! Are you only certain of it now, my friend? Our meeting was set in motion by fate itself; a battle between us is inevitable! In fact, you should be the one on guard, because I will stop at nothing to snatch you away from that Western goddess! I will grant you the protection of light, I will trample upon your faith in Athena, and make you my warrior, completely and utterly!"
The youth laughed, not the faint, gentle smile from before, but a ferocious, predatory grin. It was the first time Seiya had ever seen such an expression.
To consider someone a dear friend on the first day of meeting them, while simultaneously being absolutely certain that they would become mortal enemies in the future—such a thing should have been sad. Yet, for some unknown reason, Seiya felt a strange emotion stirring in the depths of his heart.
"It's because the corners of your mouth are smiling, Saint," the young god pointed out.
Seiya paused, then looked down and scratched his temple. He suddenly lifted his head to look in the rearview mirror. His expression had completely changed, a look even he had rarely seen on his own face. The smile was bold and unrestrained, his pupils seeming to glitter like stars.
Am I actually enjoying this? Seiya suddenly realized.
Possessing a divine nature that guided travelers and protected his people, the young god easily perceived a side of Seiya's heart that even Seiya himself had not yet discovered.
"The score is now one win, one draw. There is still one last match left in our contest." Perhaps from grasping victory once more, a mysterious smile reappeared on the young god's lips.
The car's speed had now reached 220 mph. The phones at the Sardinia police station were ringing off the hook, flooded with calls from tourists who had witnessed the spectacle. But the white-robed youth sat calmly in the car, watching the scenery outside blur past them.
The first two matches weren't intentional, so the third one should also be spontaneous.
They hadn't even specified what the stakes were for winning. As Seiya thought this, he saw the bridge ahead, broken and cut off due to a recent natural disaster. Let's bet on whether my car can fly across, he thought.
But just as he was about to speak, in a moment that felt less like a coincidence and more like a trigger of fate—
—the world before them cracked like glass, spreading countless fissures. Within this space overflowing with divine energy, a sound from a distant, other world reverberated across the land.
The cause of the shattering fissures was a boar, a beast so enormous it was like a mountain. And the earth-shaking sound was its cry.
Faintly, as if carried on the gentle breeze, he thought he heard the soft, enchanting voice of a girl—
—"O, son of man, challenge the gods."
_____
Greetings! ✨ Walnut here with another translation! Saint Seiya united by their strength!
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