The Crusades. The battles that take place every 200 or so years between the Goddess Athena and Hades, the Lord of the Underworld. In an 18th century European country town, just as the Crusade is dawning, live Tenma and Alone. They have completely different personalities but are the best of friends. One day, Alone meets a woman named Pandora. From that day, the cogs of fate are set into motion.

Golden Saints gather around the Goddess Athena and her Sanctuary, in preparation for the new Crusade against the Underworld warriors. Around this time, as Tenma undergoes training to become a Saintly Warrior, he is reunited with Alone’s little sister, Sasha, and learns that she has transformed into Athena. Meanwhile, thinking of his dear and far off friend Tenma, Alone feels lonely and falls into despair.

Tenma and the other Saintly Warriors head towards an Italian town where the warriors of the Underworld are gathered. Tenma realizes it is his hometown, and worries about Tenma’s fate. However, Alone appears amongst the burning ruins of the town as the reincarnation of Lord Hades. Tenma – shocked by the evil transformation of his dear friend – is mercilessly attacked by Alone

Though she learns of the death of Tenma, and of her brother Alone’s reincarnation as Hades, Sasha pushes away her sadness and steadfastly fulfills her role as Athena. Meanwhile, while carrying Tenma’s body, the Silver Saint Yato is visited by the Goddess Yuzuriha, who brings him to Jamir. The Chief of Jamir, Hakurei, tells him Tenma is not completely dead.

One of the three strongest Specters, Minos, uses invisible puppet strings to invade the supposedly impenetrable Sanctuary, killing Saints off one after the other. However, a poisonous rose garden appears between Minos and the Sanctuary. Pisces Golden Saint Albafica appears in the middle of the garden. Albafica is immune to the rose’s poison, and uses his own blood to kill the Specter Niobe, however…

Albafica fights against Minos with all his might, releasing the “crimson zone.” However even that is deflected by the Specter’s armor, causing Albafica to finally fall. Minos then heads towards the village outside of the Sanctuary that Albafica was trying to protect. The village is destroyed, and even Agasya, a young girl mourning Albafica, is targeted by Minos.