The Authority of Steel. Seiya's expression grew serious.
In the various myths and legends, the different Authorities held by different gods were as numerous as the stars in the sky. But two types of Authorities held a very special status.
The first was the Authority of Divine Speed, ranging from lightning to the speed of light, and even transcending time and space to cross worlds. The second was the Authority of Steel, usurped from a God of Steel, granting powers from the bronze head and iron arms of the Monkey King Sun Wukong to the immense strength of a Buddhist Vajra Guardian.
The core of the King of Swords' power, the Silver Arm, was also steel. And now, his defense was also steel.
The God of Steel is an ancient deity who slays dragons and serpents, a hero-god who overthrows tyranny, a god of revolution who changes society and reshapes legends. But its essence is an allegory for the smelting process of steel and the legend of being steel itself. And the Authorities of Steel usurped from them almost always have extremely exaggerated effects.
Among them, if used for defense, the most outstanding manifestations can withstand attacks that could shatter planets or even on a world-to-world level. And even the ordinary ones can grant immunity to all harm.
Evidently, the King of Swords' Divine Protection of Steel was not that exaggerated, because his Authority of Steel had a fatal flaw.
A shockwave once again rose from the surface of the sea. Doni's flying figure shattered seven reefs, his speed not decreasing in the slightest. He looked down at his caved-in sternum. The Divine Protection of Steel was now passively weaving ancient runes upon his skin.
"Fantastic! I'm so high on this, I can't stop..." The King of Swords licked the blood from the corner of his lips, the protection of steel covering his entire body. The intense pain, under the effect of his Godslayer physique, only made him more excited, the pain transforming into pleasant electrical signals that washed over his nerves.
—Fight! Must fight more! Battle! Thrilling!
Seiya's pursuit was faster than thought. A spinning kick wrapped in a strong wind current struck his temple, and Doni's head rang like an ancient bell. But the demonic sword in his hand simultaneously slashed towards Seiya's throat. It was a combat instinct that transcended death, the ultimate mind's eye he was so proud of.
The magicians in Milan held their breath. The scene unfolding before them exceeded the limits of their cognition. The King of Swords' Silver Arm transformed all things into demonic swords. The brilliance of the stars and the silver gleam of the blades intertwined between the two into a stream of light. Seiya's wounds healed rapidly only to be torn open again, but he paid them no mind, instead suppressing his opponent with an even more ferocious offensive.
"It's coming!" the commander of the She-Wolves said suddenly.
The scattered silver light, the seawater the King of Swords had touched, the reefs that had been shattered, and even the light itself—at this moment, all of it transformed into demonic swords.
Simply taking a beating was not Doni's style at all. He had been waiting, waiting for this very moment.
"I—will not allow anything to exist that I cannot sever! The sword of the sky that can even cleave a Cloth is now firmly in my hand..."
As Doni roared, the demonic sword he swung down was now enhanced with a property constructed from a new incantation. The black sword energy released by his magical power carried a force that was enough to put even a Saint's Cloth on high alert.
From all directions, they shot towards the Saint in the center.
And the Saint? The magicians' spiritual senses couldn't capture his trajectory at all.
In their vision, the Saint Seiya stood there, unmoving, like an isolated stone statue.
"Yare yare, I can't stand it."
Time seemed to freeze in this moment, leaving only the approaching tide of demonic swords and the Saint, as if trapped in a prison of blades. Then, when time began to flow again, only scattered fragments remained, and the surging seawater reversed its course, falling as rain.
Time hadn't stopped!? It was just that the Saint's speed was so immense that the magicians' naked eyes couldn't capture his attack. By the time the crowd realized he had made a move, the battle was already over.
The Saint and the King of Swords both stood upon the surface of the sea. They were bathed in the falling seawater, facing each other from a distance.
"Your Authority is almost ready, isn't it?" Seiya said suddenly.
"Divine Mayhem? Hahaha, you actually figured it out! So what are you going to do, my friend?" Doni flashed a wild, beast-like smile, looking at Seiya with great interest.
Seiya didn't answer this idiotic question. Doni had never intended to hide the signs of this Authority, so how could he not have noticed?
—The Fourth Authority, Divine Mayhem.
This was the Authority that Salvatore Doni had usurped from the wine god Dionysus. It could create a zone where all mystery, power, and even Authorities would go berserk and out of control, an effect potent enough to make even the King of Swords' own Authorities run wild. On the surface, like his third Authority—Return to the Ancient World—its practical use seemed low, but depending on how it was used, this Authority could become a terrifying trump card.
Using this Authority could force an opponent into a pure melee battle, which Doni excelled at. It could be said to be his final, ultimate move.
But such a powerful Authority also required extremely harsh preparation and conditions. It took a long time to prepare. The fine wine he had drunk earlier, and the signs during the battle just now, had all let Seiya know that the conditions for unleashing the Authority were about to be met.
Doni didn't think his opponent could defeat him after being limited to a basic melee. He could feel his opponent's growth was extremely exaggerated; perhaps in the near future, he could reach a level on par with himself, but not now.
What will he do? He's pretty much used all his tricks, hasn't he?
Wait, no. Even someone as simple-minded as Doni suddenly realized a very, very crucial point in this moment.
"Your Authority... what is the Authority you usurped from the Eastern war god Verethragna?" he finally thought to ask. His opponent had yet to use the true power usurped from the war god.
The Authority each Godslayer usurps from a Heretic God is closely related to their own personality and needs. Doni had usurped such simple and direct Authorities. So what about Seiya? What kind of Authority would a Saint like him obtain?
Seiya smiled and simply raised his hand, pointing his index finger to the sky.
"In the name of Seiya, let victory manifest in the world! I who am radiant, I who am undefeated, Ahura Mazda granted me creation! Come! My battle garment, come before me!"
A brilliant light shone, and from it emerged a strange creature of platinum color. It seemed like a pig, like a sheep, like a horse. It was incomparably sacred and elegant, yet also incredibly devout and natural.
His Authority is to summon a divine beast? Just as Doni was thinking this, he saw the platinum divine beast crash into Seiya's chest. In an instant, an ornate battle garment replaced the original Pegasus Cloth, completing his armament.
—God Robe, Verethragna.
The Authority is this armor? Is that it? The Authority resides within this armor? Doni did not possess any wisdom-related Authorities and couldn't be certain, but the aura before him was too astonishing.
An ornate battle suit of platinum color covered his entire body. The falling seawater splashed upon it, causing the armor to be coated in a faint platinum glimmer. He held a golden longsword in his hand, a white iron mask covered his head, and even his originally brown eyes had been rendered a brilliant gold.
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