Chapter 101: Return to 1743

In 1743, in the back mountains of Sanctuary, there was a training ground for Saint candidates, where countless trainees practiced year-round.

“Hey, old man, wake up!”

A dazed Feng Zhe was shaken awake. When he opened his eyes, he saw a young boy standing before him, clearly one of the Saint candidates.

“You are...”

“I’m a Saint candidate. My name is Tenma!”

Tenma flashed his trademark toothy grin, plainly proud of his name.

“Hey, Tenma, don’t go dealing with some stranger out of nowhere. He’s coming with me!”

Another Saint candidate approached. Clearly, he and Tenma were not on friendly terms.

“Yato, this old man isn’t a bad guy!”

Tenma stepped in front of Yato, but Yato only sneered. “You looking for a fight?”

“Then let’s fight!”

“Yato, stop it. Tenma was brought to Sanctuary by Lord Dohko, and his cosmos awakened naturally!”

“Then he’ll have to prove it!”

Yato had already awakened his cosmos and could unleash its power on his own, while Tenma’s cosmos was plainly unstable.

The result was a punch to the face. Yato stood there with his nose in the air, as if he had won.

“Come with me, old man.”

For the first time, Yato felt as though he were looking down on someone, as if facing an ordinary human.

Feng Zhe smiled faintly and asked, “Where are you taking me?”

“Ordinary people aren’t allowed into Sanctuary. Besides, with the Underworld spies around, you need to come with me to the Inquisition!”

As soon as Yato finished, Tenma snapped, “The Inquisition beats even good people half to death. How can you send the old man there?”

Yato said carelessly, “You want another beating?”

“Bastard!”

Tenma flew into a rage, and in his fury his cosmos erupted outright. That vast surge of power made Yato break out in a cold sweat; he did not even have the strength to throw a punch.

“Yato, hurry up and go!”

At someone else’s urging, Yato—knowing full well he was outmatched—swore under his breath and left.

“Coward.”

Tenma had scared Yato off, then turned back to Feng Zhe with a smile. “Hurry and leave, old man. If the patrol catches you, it’ll be trouble.”

Feng Zhe laughed then, about to offer his thanks, when Tenma suddenly spotted a bracelet identical to his own behind a stone pillar. Thinking it was his friend, he called out, “Aron!”

But when he pulled the person out from behind the pillar, he found not Aron, but a beautifully featured girl with purple hair and bright, sparkling eyes—very lovely indeed.

“Sasha!”

“You are...?”

“I’m Tenma!”

The orphanage companions, reunited at last, had endless words for one another. Sasha also said, “I just wonder if Brother Aron is doing well now.”

Standing nearby, Feng Zhe’s heart sank at once.

This Sasha before him was clearly Athena from Lost Canvas. She was not the Cloth at all.

At that moment, several earthworm-like ropes burst up from the ground and attacked Sasha. Tenma leaped in front of her to shield her beneath him, then sprang aside.

Yet the wormlike ropes pursued him wildly. In the blink of an eye, they seized Tenma, and with their tendrils tightly wrapped around his neck, their master slowly emerged from the earth.

“Haha, a little kitten hopping about like that looks rather interesting. Before I take Athena’s head, let me, Raimi of the Earth Star, have some fun with you!”

An especially hideous Specter appeared within Sanctuary and bound Tenma to a stone pillar.

Tenma could not move. He turned his eyes toward Sasha, and in that instant he erupted with tremendous force, breaking free of the ropes and throwing a punch that left a huge crater in the ground.

Alas, he did not strike the Specter. Raimi of the Earth Star immediately unleashed electrified worm ropes, and Tenma’s cries rang out again and again.

To punish him, Raimi’s enormous foot came crashing down on Tenma’s head.

Beside them, the furious Sasha burst forth with the cosmos of a god. Seeing this, Feng Zhe could not help exclaiming, “As expected of Athena. At such a young age, she already possesses such a prodigious cosmos.”

Raimi clearly sensed Sasha’s presence and was about to bind her as well when a thunderous roar suddenly split the air.

Stardust Revolution!

Raimi of the Earth Star cried out and fell at once, blasted into the ground in an instant.

“Aries Shion, arriving late to the rescue. I offer my deepest apologies!”

With that, he knelt on one knee before Sasha, and in that moment Tenma was utterly stunned.

Ahem, ahem.

Having enjoyed the show, Feng Zhe stepped out from beside the stone pillar as well. Shion turned back, and the cool composure he had just been displaying vanished in a heartbeat, his pupils contracting sharply.

“You are...”

Shion’s whole body trembled, his fists clenching hard. Sensing that something was clearly amiss, Sasha also looked toward the old man who had been standing silently at the side all along.

Then Dohko lunged forward and embraced Feng Zhe tightly, tears glistening at the corners of his eyes.

“My old friend, at last we meet again!”

Feng Zhe patted him on the back and said, “I told you. I would come back.”

“Old man...”

Tenma too wore an expression of shock. At that moment, Feng Zhe tossed aside his outer coat, revealing a gleaming Silver Cloth beneath.

“That is...”

Sasha cried out, “The Altar Cloth!”

“You are Elder Hakurei’s disciple, Altar Saint Ares!”

Sasha suddenly remembered a legendary figure. This was the Altar Silver Saint who had once competed with Dohko for the Libra Cloth, sealed the evil goddess Eris, and helped Shion obtain the Aries Cloth.

Feng Zhe stepped up before Sasha and bowed deeply.

“Altar Saint Ares, pays homage to the goddess Athena.”

The Altar Saint was born to serve as Athena’s priest. In essence, his standing was far above that of the Gold Saints, so there was ordinarily no need to kneel in greeting.

“Elder Ares, the Pope and Elder Hakurei will be overjoyed to see you.”

Ten years ago, when Feng Zhe had been here, Sasha and the others were still in the orphanage. Now that he had appeared once more, Feng Zhe remained an elder of Sanctuary.

Feng Zhe walked over to Tenma and gently laid a hand over his wound. Tenma only felt the injury healing at a rapid pace; before long, every wound had vanished, not even a scar left behind.

“So this is the power of healing!”

Tenma stared in disbelief at his own body, then at Feng Zhe, and could not help feeling a surge of admiration.

Feng Zhe smiled faintly. “Tenma, I look forward to seeing you again, when you are wearing your Cloth. Do your best.”

Encouraged, Tenma nodded hard.

Then he watched as Dohko accompanied Feng Zhe and Sasha away into the back mountains.

...

“Teacher, I’m back!”

The gates of the Pope’s Palace opened, and Feng Zhe appeared before Hakurei and Sage with warmth and enthusiasm.

This sent the two elders into great delight, and Hakurei immediately barked, “So you finally remembered to come back, you brat!”

Pope Sage also said happily, “Has the Holy War in your own timeline been resolved?”

Feng Zhe looked a little embarrassed. Scratching his head, he said, “No. This time I came for certain reasons...”

“It’s enough that you’re back, but...”

“I know. The Holy War is about to begin. With me taking part this time, I’ll make sure Sanctuary suffers as little loss as possible!”

“Would it kill you not to boast?”

As the doors of the Pope’s Palace swung open once more, Leo Regulus walked in. Ten years had passed, and the boy had grown into a young man.

Yet the friendship between them had not changed in the least. The two of them clashed fists warmly, then burst into laughter together...