Just as Melin was about to leave, a golden portal opened not far from him, and the Ancient One stepped out.
"Long time no see, Lord Melin."
"Are you here to stop me?" Melin asked coldly.
"I'm not here to stop you, Lord Melin. I believe your decision is reasonable. But to avoid catastrophic consequences, I think a degree of supervision is necessary," said the Ancient One.
"You? Supervise me? Hah… Hahahahaha…" Melin let out a mad laugh. "Don't get ahead of yourself, sorcerer!"
"My apologies, Lord Melin, but protecting the Earth is Kamar-Taj's responsibility. I'm acting with Earth's best interest in mind. I ask for your understanding."
"Heh, and how long has Kamar-Taj even existed? The Cloths have protected this land from divine invaders for hundreds of thousands of years. What right do you have to call yourself a guardian in front of me? Just because of that jewel on your chest?" Melin sneered.
Melin, now only a step away from regaining his Ninth Sense, had reached the power level of a god-father—on par with the Ancient One. Even with the Time Stone at her disposal, the Ancient One couldn't suppress him. Melin, empowered by his God Cloth, was beyond the influence of a single Infinity Stone. Unless someone like the future Thanos collected all six Stones, Melin feared nothing.
"My lord, I mean no disrespect. But precisely because we wield such unmatched power, we must abide by the laws of nature…"
"…What a joke. Follow the laws of nature? Girl, before saying that, you should ask yourself if you ever followed them." Melin laughed coldly.
What nonsense about natural law? The Ancient One herself broke every rule she preached.
Otherwise, how could she, a mere mortal, live for hundreds or even thousands of years? She had stolen energy from the Dark Dimension to maintain her life.
As expected, the Ancient One's pupils shrank slightly but returned to calm soon after.
"So, you already knew."
"Your cosmos, intertwined with light and indistinguishable from darkness, shines like a sun—impossible to hide."
"…Very well. I know I have no right to lecture you. But I beg you, don't go too far. If you endanger Earth, then even at the cost of my life, I will stop you," said the Ancient One firmly.
"I would never harm my children. But the Buddhist Order that colludes with Hades and Zeus must be destroyed—not just for revenge, but for the future," Melin replied.
"Then I thank you, my lord."
The Ancient One relented, no longer daring to speak of "supervision." She couldn't out-argue Melin, and in terms of power, they were barely equals. The sorcerers of Kamar-Taj stood no chance against the Saints. So the usually dominant Ancient One, who fiercely repelled interdimensional invaders, could only bow her head in Melin's presence.
As she turned to leave, Melin called out.
"Wait."
"Yes?"
"Can you use the Time Stone to observe gods?"
"No. The Time Stone can view timelines, but beings like yourself—true gods—transcend rules. The Stone cannot observe your futures."
After her first meeting with Melin, the Ancient One had tried to look into the future using the Time Stone. Though the timeline had drastically changed, anything involving Melin, Athena, or Sanctuary had become blurred.
"I see… But can you still see other changes in the future?" Melin asked.
"Yes. But you know, every slight change in the present can drastically alter the future."
"I understand. What I'm asking is—can you compare the new future with the one you saw before, and identify the differences?"
The Ancient One was stunned. Of course, she understood what Melin meant—he wanted to use changes in the timeline to narrow down Athena's whereabouts. Athena, being a goddess, was untraceable through the Time Stone. But by comparing old and new futures, it might be possible to triangulate her position.
This shocked her. It was a method she had never considered, and it was surprisingly feasible. But it also had drawbacks—the future constantly shifts, and she couldn't abandon her duties to help Melin full-time. She didn't have the magical strength to keep the Time Stone active 24/7 either.
"I'll give you some traits. Athena has natural purple hair. She's kind and always emits a warm, gentle aura. That should help, right?"
"…Ugh…"
The Ancient One was screaming internally. Sure, natural purple hair was rare—but not unique. And kindness? Warmth? That described way too many people!
Melin's clues narrowed the field a bit, but it was like reducing a 400-meter track to 390—barely anything.
Still, she couldn't outright refuse. She knew how important Athena was to Melin and to Sanctuary. A rejection could fracture the alliance between Sanctuary and Kamar-Taj—something she didn't want.
"I'll do my best," she replied—a gentle way of saying: "I'll help, but don't expect miracles."
"Thank you," Melin replied sincerely, understanding the message.
Sanctuary and Kamar-Taj were allies, not subordinates. Each had their mission. He didn't expect her to devote herself completely to the search. Her willingness to help at all was a generous act.
"You're welcome, Lord Melin. I only hope that if Kamar-Taj faces crisis in the future, Sanctuary will come to our aid."
"That's part of our pact. Sanctuary will honor it."
"Thank you very much."
With that, the Ancient One departed. She had to recall the overeager sorcerers she sent out—no need to spark unnecessary conflict.
Melin, meanwhile, temporarily set aside his plan to leave Sanctuary. Now fully calm, he realized it wasn't the right time to go. And with the Ancient One's help, they wouldn't have to wander blindly like headless flies.
Instead of wasting time and resources on a blanket search, it was smarter to wait for her intel and act once the target zone was smaller.
In India—a nation rich in Buddhist culture, temples dotted the land. But today, divine judgment arrived.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Countless beams of light rained down on temples. Some Saints wore golden Cloths, others silver, and others still bore multi-colored armor. But their first action was to shatter the illusions of those praying, who thought they were witnessing Buddha's miracles.
"You have fifteen minutes to leave. After that, your lives are your own responsibility."
Everyone froze for a moment. Then some zealots and monks began cursing and trying to drive them off—some even tried force.
But they were mere mortals. They couldn't harm the Saints.
True to their warning, the Saints waited a quarter-hour, then used their techniques to reduce the temples to rubble. Any worshipers still inside were killed or injured.
To the Saints, the Buddhist Order had harmed their beloved Athena. To them, even the faithful followers were enemies.
At India's largest Buddhist temple—Aksadam Shrine:
"Time's up," said Aldebaran, arms crossed, eyes coldly sweeping across the crowd with weapons drawn. They were already marked for death.
"If you refuse to repent… don't blame me. Titan Nova!"
He slammed his palm into the ground. The earth quaked. Cracks spread like a web, deep chasms split the land. Then with an upward heave, Aldebaran flipped the entire temple into the air, where it shattered into fragments and rained down like meteors—burying those who remained.
Satisfied the temple was completely destroyed, he vanished in a flash of golden light—off to the next target.
Chiang Mai, Thailand – Wat Phra Singh
A fading starlight descended and burst into golden radiance. Everything it touched returned to its primal state.
"Starlight Extinction. Blame Shakyamuni for this. He hurt Lady Athena and Lord Melin. His sins cannot be forgiven," said Mu coldly. He glanced at the worshipers protected by crystal walls, then vanished.
Rural Korea – A small mountain temple
A crimson beam split the sky as blazing fire consumed all.
Out walked Milo, his golden Cloth gleaming with divine light. The worshipers outside stared in horror. In his hand, he held a fat, bald monk in robes.
He was a Buddhist envoy assigned to this area: Uchū Gunda Yangujushi, one of the Eight Divisions under the Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara—known as Uchū or Utsu, or Vajra of Impurity.
Milo expected a minor temple, but found a perfect target. Yet Vajra of Impurity, a member of the famed Eight Divisions, was disappointingly weak. Milo defeated him with a single strike.
He tossed him to the ground like trash.
"Wh… why…" the monk stammered, furious and confused.
Buddhism and Sanctuary had tensions, yes—but both sides had held back, avoiding outright war. Why did a Gold Saint strike without warning?
"Shakyamuni allied with Hades and Zeus to harm Lady Athena. You tell me why."
"No… Impossible… The Buddha would never…"
"Go ask him yourself. Scarlet Needle."
The monk never even understood the first fourteen needles of repentance. The fifteenth ended his life—Milo's final mercy.
"Tch. What a disappointment. Is this all Buddhism has? I hope the next target gives me a proper warm-up," Milo scoffed, ignoring the terrified onlookers as he took off toward the sky.