The double morning sun crept through the universe of Yuusuatouri, painting the training grounds in hues of gold and amber.
Seiya stood barefoot on the cool stone, his small three-year-old frame looking almost comically out of place amidst the imposing training equipment designed for adult Legends.
His golden eyes—both of them shining with the same metallic luster inherited from his father—reflected determination far beyond his years.
Master Hiro circled him slowly, assessing the child with a critical gaze that had evaluated thousands of Legend warriors over his centuries of teaching.
Unlike Scholar Kenzo, who dressed in flowing robes appropriate for library study, Master Hiro wore practical combat attire: a sleeveless tunic that revealed arms corded with muscle, despite his apparent age, and loose-fitting pants that allowed for unrestricted movement.
"You understand, young master," Hiro said in a voice that rumbled like distant thunder, "that once we begin this path, there is no turning back. The training of a Legend's race cannot be approached casually."
Seiya nodded, his expression solemn. "I understand the consequences about the Curse of Indolence, Master Hiro. I am prepared."
The warrior's eyebrows rose slightly at the formal response. He exchanged a glance with High Priest Sadao, who stood at the edge of the training ground with his wife Yume.
"He speaks like someone three times his age," Hiro murmured.
Sadao nodded. "His intellect has always been extraordinary. Scholar Kenzo believes he has already memorized nearly a quarter of our family's library."
"Books and battle are different matters," Hiro replied, though his tone held more curiosity than skepticism.
He turned back to Seiya. "Very well, young master. Let us begin with the most basic assessment."
What followed was nothing like the gentle introduction one might expect for a child's first training session.
Master Hiro led Seiya through a series of increasingly difficult physical tests—stretches that pushed the limits of his small body's flexibility, basic strength exercises that left his muscles trembling, and coordination drills that required total concentration.
Throughout it all, Seiya never complained. The part of him that was still Shin marveled at having a body that, despite its childish limitations, responded with a natural grace and potential he had never experienced in his previous life.
The part that was native Seiya instinctively understood the importance of this training, feeling the faint stirring of Lenergy within him responding to the exertion.
By midday, when most children would have long since abandoned such rigorous activity in tears, Seiya was still following instructions with unwavering focus, though his small chest heaved with exertion and sweat plastered his golden hair to his forehead.
"Enough," Master Hiro finally announced, raising a hand. "You have shown sufficient determination for one day, young master."
"I can continue," Seiya insisted between heavy breaths.
A rare smile cracked the weathered facade of Master Hiro's face. "The eagerness of youth. But true training is not about pushing until collapse, but about consistent effort over time. Rest is as important as exertion for a Legend."
Yume stepped forward, a soft towel in her hands. "Come, Seiya. You must bathe and eat now."
As she gently wiped the sweat from her son's face, Master Hiro turned to Sadao. "The boy has remarkable potential. His body naturally seeks to harmonize movement in ways that typically take years to teach."
"And his training regimen?" Sadao asked.
"We begin tomorrow at dawn," Hiro replied.
"Three hours of physical training each morning, followed by one hour of basic Lenergy meditation. As he grows, we will increase accordingly."
Sadao nodded. "And his studies with Scholar Kenzo?"
"They can continue in the afternoons. The mind is part of the body, after all. A Legend needs both."
As they spoke, Seiya listened carefully, memorizing the schedule that would shape his days for years to come.
The dual consciousness within him felt complete agreement—this was exactly what he needed to become what he was meant to be.
"I am ready," he said simply, looking up at the adults with those unnaturally focused golden eyes.
Master Hiro gave him an appraising look. "We shall see, young master. We shall see."
None of them could have guessed just how ready he truly was.
Age 4: The Foundation Year
A year passed like the changing of seasons, each day bleeding into the next in a carefully orchestrated rhythm of training, study, and rest.
Seiya's fourth birthday arrived with little fanfare—at his own request, the elaborate celebration typically befitting the son of the High Priest was replaced with a simple ceremony marking his first full year of training.
Scholar Kenzo and Master Hiro stood before the assembled family, each holding a scroll detailing Seiya's progress in their respective domains.
"The young master's intellectual development continues to astonish," Kenzo reported, his voice tinged with pride.
"He has mastered languages that take adults decades to learn, memorized the complete theoretical frameworks of elemental magic, and demonstrated an intuitive understanding of mathematical principles that confound even university scholars."
High Priest Sadao nodded, though this news hardly surprised him. His son's academic prowess had been evident from the moment he could speak. It was Master Hiro's report that the gathered family members leaned forward to hear.
"Physical development proceeds at an accelerated rate," the old warrior began, his tone measured and precise.
"The young master's muscles respond to training with efficiency rarely seen in children his age."
"His flexibility has reached levels typical of students twice his age, and his endurance—" Hiro paused, allowing himself a small smile, "—is nothing short of remarkable."
Murmurs of approval rippled through the family elders.
"And his Lenergy?" Yume asked, the question that weighed most heavily on everyone's minds.
Master Hiro's expression grew more serious. "It stirs within him, but has not yet manifested in controllable form. This is not unexpected for his age—even among the most talented Legend's children, conscious manipulation of Lenergy rarely appears before age five."
What Master Hiro didn't mention was how unusual it was for him to detect Lenergy activity in a child so young at all.
Typically, the energy remained completely dormant until later childhood, but in Seiya, he had sensed distinct flickers of response during their meditation sessions—like embers waiting for the right breath to ignite into flame.
Through it all, Seiya sat in perfect seiza position, his small back straight as a sword blade, his golden eyes moving from speaker to speaker with intense focus.
The child rarely fidgeted or displayed the restlessness typical of children his age—a fact that both impressed and occasionally concerned his parents.
Later that night, as the household settled into silence, Seiya sat alone in his room, legs crossed in the first meditation position Master Hiro had taught him. The Origin Light birthmark on his chest pulsed gently in the darkness, casting faint illumination across his features.
"I can feel it," he whispered to himself, or perhaps to the other consciousness that shared his mind. "The Lenergy. It's like... water behind a dam."
Within his mindscape, the memories and knowledge of Shiratori Shin provided context that no four-year-old could possibly possess.
He remembered reading about similar concepts in fantasy novels—chi, prana, mana—but the actual sensation of energy circulating through his meridians was beyond anything Shin had been able to imagine in his previous life.
Focus on the flow, not the blockage, he reminded himself, recalling Master Hiro's instructions. Lenergy responds to intention, not force.
Breathing deeply, Seiya turned his awareness inward, visualizing his circulatory system not as blood vessels but as channels for golden light.
With each exhale, he imagined the light flowing more freely, gradually eroding the barriers that kept his power contained.
Hours passed unnoticed as he maintained this deep meditative state—a level of concentration impossible for ordinary children and difficult even for adult practitioners. When he finally opened his eyes, the first light of dawn was creeping through his window.
And on the tip of his extended index finger, a tiny sphere of golden light hovered for three heartbeats before dissipating like morning mist.
Seiya's eyes widened, his mouth forming a perfect 'O' of surprise. Then, a smile of pure joy spread across his face—the first truly childlike expression he had shown in months.
"I did it," he whispered in wonder. Then, with growing excitement: "I did it!"
Master Hiro would later mark this day in his training journal as the earliest manifestation of controlled Lenergy he had witnessed in over two centuries of teaching.