Chapter 33: The Five-Year-Old Golden Saint

Several days later

On a broken stone pillar sat two boys, close as dearest friends.

“I’m going to the Mu Continent,” one declared.

“Have you truly decided?” asked the other.

“Yes. Instead of hesitating and worrying about every step, I’d rather fight decisively and see it through.”

“I believe you’ll obtain that golden holy armor.”

Bathed in sunlight, Shion smiled, and his smile was dazzling.

Before leaving, Shion paused. “Will I really become Pope one day?”

Feng Zhe nodded. “You’re the brightest Saint of my era.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Shion departed, setting foot on his chosen path—a path that for him, might prove exceedingly perilous.

“Feng Zhe! Something’s wrong!”

From afar, a tall man came running. He bore distinct Eastern features and, before Feng Zhe could respond, seized his arm and dragged him along.

“Dohko! Whatever it is, can’t you say it first?” Feng Zhe protested.

The man, mature in appearance, was none other than Dohko—the current Saint of the Dragon constellation.

“There’s no time! The evil goddess Eris has awakened. If we don’t catch up with Lord Sisyphus’s group, we’ll miss our chance to join!”

Dohko, running as he spoke, was clearly anxious at the thought of being left behind.

Feng Zhe was speechless. These past days, aside from Shion, he’d been pestered only by this impulsive Dohko. Feng Zhe had tried to avoid him, but after defeating him in a spar, Dohko had become relentless, always seeking him out for another match and acting overly familiar, much to Feng Zhe’s exasperation.

But hearing the name “Eris,” Feng Zhe’s interest was immediately piqued. “The goddess of discord, Eris?”

Before crossing over to the year 1743, Feng Zhe had only just battled the goddess of discord, Alice. Now, 243 years earlier, he faced the same goddess—though this time called Eris.

“We are Saints of Athena. To us, all others are evil gods. Remember this!” Dohko suddenly stopped, giving Feng Zhe a stern lecture.

Feng Zhe couldn’t help but feel helpless. The Dohko before him was impulsive and quick to anger, with a touch of adolescent bravado. More importantly, his faith in Athena was unwavering.

Perhaps it was this loyalty that earned him the goddess’s gift of the feigned-death technique in the end.

“All right, all right, I get it. Let’s hurry, or we really will be late.”

“Come on, faster!” urged Dohko, remembering the urgency of their mission and quickening his pace.

As they arrived at the plaza, Sisyphus of Sagittarius stood at its center, clad in golden holy armor, exuding the presence of a leader. Around him, numerous Saints had gathered, eager to sign up for the campaign.

Dohko rushed forward and shouted, “Lord Sisyphus, I want to join! Alex too!”

He kindly called out for Feng Zhe as well, instantly drawing Sisyphus’s attention, who nodded at the pair.

For the first time, Feng Zhe took a good look at this fellow candidate for the papacy.

Sisyphus was undoubtedly the most senior Saint in the Sanctuary after Sage and Hakurei. He’d obtained the Sagittarius armor at a young age, and his exceptional strength and earnest character made him stand out.

After calming the crowd, Sisyphus spoke loudly, “There is one prerequisite for joining the campaign against Eris: only those under sixteen years of age may participate. All others, please step back.”

With this age restriction, a large portion of the crowd immediately dispersed.

It was a testament to his authority, as well as his spiritual leadership.

“I’ll go!” piped up a boy of only five, stepping before Sisyphus.

He had a head of golden hair and an adorably youthful face. Feng Zhe strode over, ruffled his head, and laughed, “Little one, this battle isn’t for you.”

Every Saint present froze at the scene. Even Dohko slapped his own forehead.

Sure enough, the next instant, a lion’s roar sent Feng Zhe flying backward.

“Don’t call me little one! I am Regulus, a Gold Saint!”

The boy was furious—he hated being called little one more than anything.

Feng Zhe was astonished. This boy was actually a Gold Saint who had awakened the Seventh Sense.

He was only five years old!

Regulus had only recently been found by Sisyphus. His true strength was not inferior to any Gold Saint, despite his age.

Feng Zhe forced a sheepish smile—Regulus! An existence bordering on the divine, the single-handed AE, the ultimate roar of the Zodiac; even among all previous Holy Wars, he was a figure without equal.

Most astonishingly, even at the time of his death, he was only fifteen.

If Feng Zhe was a genius, and Shion a genius among geniuses, then Regulus was a monster.

His demise was fundamentally due to his abilities being so powerful they caused his body to collapse.

Even so, at fifteen, he grasped the Eighth Sense—making him one of the key figures in the Holy War of 1743.

At that moment, Sisyphus once again announced to the assembled crowd, “For the campaign against the evil goddess Eris, my team will be: Dohko, Alex, and… Regulus!”

A wave of murmurs swept through the Saints. Sisyphus’s team was truly extraordinary.

Sisyphus paid no mind. He turned to his three companions. “Prepare yourselves. You leave with me tomorrow.”

“Yes!” the three replied in unison.

Feng Zhe glanced at Regulus, who looked like a child’s doll. It was hard to believe that this boy possessed the power of a Gold Saint.

What sort of person could have raised such a prodigy?

Thinking of Regulus’s father, the previous Leo Saint, Ilias, he couldn’t help but marvel, “Truly, remarkable genetics run in this family.”

Dohko sidled up and asked, “What’s genetics?”

Such a term didn’t exist in this era. Feng Zhe could only shrug. “Nothing, never mind.”

Meanwhile, in the Pope’s palace, Hakurei grumbled, “What’s Sisyphus thinking, choosing a team like that?”

Pope Sage replied, “We must trust Sisyphus—he has his reasons.”

“But with Alex on the team, I feel a bit more at ease.”

“By the way, how’s your Sacred Flame coming along?”

“Alex and I discussed it, but his ultimate technique isn’t suited to me. My armor’s greatest purpose now is to seal those two gods!”

“As long as we can seal them, it will all be worth it.”

For once, Sage and Hakurei found themselves in agreement.

…

The Forest of Discord

Since ancient times, this place had been the domain of the goddess of conflict. But with Eris exiled, the palaces had crumbled, and dense forest now reigned.

At this moment, a deep emerald light shone from within the woods. A ruin rose from the earth, opening a path to parts unknown.

Sisyphus and his team stood at the forest’s entrance, gazing into the abnormal, sinister divine power emanating from within, their brows knitting in concern.