I'll respond to a handful of comments that have been made in my fanfic. Now that the AI comments are gone, I cherish real comments even more, so I really want to interact.
"Sanctuary as a civilization (even if it's only something akin to a city-state) is something the fandom needs embrace as gospel." - Findir
True. Atlantis was one, even Heaven and the Underworld could be one, but Sanctuary surely would be a proper city. Not only that, it's way more interesting than Sanctuary just being a base of operations for the Saints.
"It's weird to think the ancient place where the warriors of the underworld are entrapped has access to electricity." - Findir
As I've shown more recently, in my version the Specters weren't stored in Rozan, only Hades' soul and the Surplices were, much like Poseidon and the Scales. However, it still stands that Rozan is the ancient place where Pandora has been ordered to store Hades' soul after each war with Athena. Later I clarified that they use a generator, but they still have to get fuel for it, which points to some semblance of civilization nearby.
In the Silver Saints Arc I recall depicting Athena reaching the shack in Rozan by walking from an unmarked road. Other signs that Rozan would have civilization not too far is Shunrei herself. Back then it was common in China for baby girls to either be killed, or abandoned (e.g. I have a friend from Guangdong who was adopted by villagers after being thrown away with her twin; research female infanticide in China for more info). I imagine Old Master hearing baby Shunrei's cries as he walked the jungle, ultimately to find her abandoned somewhere the likes of a small shrine to a local deity. This would be another sign of nearby civilization.
The other excuse for this is that he has to somehow learn that the Galaxian Wars are taking place before Camus does, to fit the order of events of the manga. That's why I made him learn it through a TV, and Camus through a Saint courier delivering a letter from the false Pope. (Mind you, my version has much more difficult "telepathic communication" than the original, as per how Mu found out Shaka and Ikki were still alive only a year in.)
Anyway, this comment is actually what made me think of the logistics of public electrical installations reaching the shack, and why I decided to clarify the use of a generator.
"Dang that final description got me. This does make me wonder if Shun will still follow Athena after that. Shun’s growing disagreements with his fellow saints has been a common thems with him." - BladeBlaster (cool name)
I really like to take Shun's idealism to its extreme, and it will shine the most in the latter half of the Hades Arc. There's this constant clash between Shun's "motherly mercy" and the world's mercilessness that I really love to explore. Eventually there will be more tensions among the Saints, but those are planned for the Heaven Arc.
"Hum…"A plague made army". I doubt in the Anime or the Manga, Athena would call the Specters that. They are humans after all, even distorted by Hades s power. Your Athena seems a lot near the goddess of the Greek Myth. I like the adult perspective you are giving to your history. In a fight for the survival of not only Mankind, but all life in Earth, it can be expected." - Kairos37
I like this comment very much, because it tells me the contrast between how I depict Athena and how the manga depicts Athena was made very evident. It's also in line with how I tried to make the story more "realistic".
If you read the first chapters, you'll see Saori closer to how Athena was in the manga and anime. She's kind and sweet, except when she was a child. I interpreted this as a contrast between the Athena of the Trojan War (the haughty Saori as a child), and the Athena of the manga (the kinder Saori as a teenager).
I have sprinkled many hints of this transformation throughout the fanfic — in particular in the chapter Funeral — that explain why Athena has become so much fiercer from a certain point in the Poseidon Arc. Additionally, the Specters in my version are way worse people than in the original, even though they had no choice being born in the Underworld. This Athena would have kind words for the Marina, but not for the Specters.
"It is interesting how the five main Saints are reaching the Eighth Sense. In the Anime and in the Manga, they evolved though fights losing all 5 senses to awaken the superior ones. In you story, they reach that goal using meditation. It will be good to read how they will reach the power level to use their Kamuis and, maybe, the Gold Saints will reach the level to use their God Cloths." - Kairos37
This is also in line with me making the story more "realistic". Because Kurumada based the extra senses on the additional consciousnesses of the Yogacara school of Mahayana, I believed it would've been best to have them meditate before achieving them. Although I do recall in the manga the Eighth Sense being achieved very suddenly as they went into the Underworld, with Dohko explaining it to them in a moment's notice.
In my case, they reach the Seventh Sense while struggling, but not without first meditating on it and understanding its concept. I made it so that the Seventh Sense has more implications in combat than the Eighth Sense, so it was more logical for the Eighth Sense to be achieved through meditation alone.
As you might've noticed, the "golden hue" of the Bronze Cloths wasn't a thing in the Poseidon Arc, and Hyoga has fully converted into a Gold Saint, which doesn't bode well for the Kamuis. I have some preliminary notes that I wrote years ago before starting the fanfic that explain why this is the case. It will be disappointing to many, but I really enjoy how I'm characterizing the universe in my version.
