Manga by author Kurumada Masami

Saintias. They are a special kind of female Saints who are given the task to serve Athena as her personal maids-----. Shoko meets Kido Saori, a girl claiming to be the reincarnation of the goddess Athena, who has protected the world from evil since mythological times. However, as the comet Repulse approaches Earth, Shoko must choose either to give in to her destiny as host of an evil goddess, or to rise against it, and protect the peace and justice in Earth as a Saintia. It's the eve of the Galaxian Wars. And now, the curtain rises on the fierce battle of the girls protecting Athena.

In 1990 (previously 1986, but Kurumada moved dates), in Elysion; the five Bronze Saints Seiya, Hyga, Shun, Shiry and Ikki, having wreaked havoc in the Underworld's army and succeeding in resurrecting the God Cloths, engage the god Hades in a final duel to the death. During the battle, Hades remembers that he has seen Seiya's face before and comes to the conclusion that he faced him before. He thus starts reminiscing about his previous host body, and the story starts 247 years prior, in the 18th century. The protagonist, the Pegasus Saint of this era, is an orphan who is best friends with a boy named Alone, the host of Hades. Former Bronze Saints Dohko and Sion, two prominent characters in Kurumada's original manga as the sole survivors of the holy war of that century, have just been promoted to Gold Saints and eventually the two duos meet.

This manga tells the story of the previous Holy War, taking place in the 18th century, 250 years before the original series, in the Saint Seiya universe. The story centers on the relation between Tenma, the Pegasus Saint and his beloved friend, Alone, who would eventually become his greatest enemy, Hades. The story takes place in the same time period as Saint Seiya Next Dimension.

The world is wrapped in flames and about to be destroyed by the actions of primordial gods intending to cleanse the planet. While the goddess Athena stands alone in a desperate attempt to contain the worst of the attack, it is up to Seiya, the last Saint standing, to battle the gods and join her to save the earth. The final battle of the Gold Saints is about to begin.

From Viz: The series begins with the story of Seiya, the main hero, who is one of Athena's Knights. Seiya, along with the other Bronze Knights, must train hard to earn their "Cloths," and take on other challenges as well. Knights of the Zodiac (Saint Seiya) has been a hit in Japan (where it is known as simply Saint Seiya), as well as many European countries including Spain, France, and Italy.

The manga's story begins when a new threat arises while Athena's warriors are busy fighting Hades. To combat the new threat, Poseidon, the emperor of the sea, awakens.

This story starts after events in Episode G.