Saint Seiya, but Athena who disobeys?

At that moment, Aaron stopped painting. He turned his head to look at the winged Specter who emerged from the shadows beside him, the Specter he trusted most.

“I haven’t seen you since just now, Huihuo.” Aaron stared at the Specter in front of him.

After that battle, the somewhat flamboyant Specter from the Celestial Violent Star seemed to have shed his restlessness. He knelt down on one knee in front of Aaron and said, "You know I'm not suited for that kind of occasion."

"You really are just like me." Aaron smiled. "So, do you have something important to discuss, Huihuo?"

"Yes, there's one more thing I need to confirm. Could you please lift your bangs?"

Under the unwavering gaze of the Bennu Bird of the Skystorm Star, Aaron could only give a helpless bitter smile and then gently lift his bangs.

There, a brand, like a lightning bolt, pierced Kaga's eyes. A humiliation and rage far more intense than being forced to kneel surged within him. "Unforgivable! Unforgivable! Pegasus Saint, Pegasus!"

Many Specters witnessed the final punch that sent Aaron flying, the punch that dealt him a severe blow. As long as that injury remains on Aaron's face, it will be an indelible stain of shame for all Specters.

For some of the Specters who know the truth, Pegasus Saint Pegasus is even the number one killer, surpassing Athena.

"Huihuo?" Hearing Hades's call from behind, Tianbaoxing Huihuo felt a surge of intense guilt and shame. He watched as streaks of purple light shot towards Athena's Sanctuary. "Please rest for a moment. I will absolutely make Pegasus pay for this shame tenfold!"

After saying that, he transformed into an even more violent purple light and shot into the sky.

Aaron's lips curled into a smile, lost in thought. The Pluto's Nest, fortified by the Demon Star's guards, had once again become a silent, dark city, until the music of a harp began to play behind him.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you, Lord Hades?" Aaron didn't turn around. In a corner of the church, Pandora, dressed in a black dress, gently stroked her harp.

"Why do you say that?" Aaron looked up.

"You mere Pegasus, you should be able to erase that scar, right? You deliberately left it there to provoke those arrogant demon stars." Pandora raised the corners of her mouth, seemingly seeing through Aaron's thoughts.

Aaron remained silent, and Pandora left, satisfied. Only when they were alone again did Aaron reach out and touch the scar on his forehead.

But Pandora is wrong about one thing: he can't erase it, at least not now.

A completely unknown, targeted rule was restraining his Hades power. The power that Seiya left in his body forced him to experience pain every sunrise, as if his skull were being cleaved open by a sharp axe. Aaron looked up and gazed in the direction of the Sanctuary.

"...Pegasus".

He didn't know what kind of feelings he had for this former best friend. At this moment, it was as if his call had materialized, and the figure of the celestial horse seemed to appear and take shape in the mirror in front of him.

The power of longing was astounding; Aaron reached out to touch the mirror.

Pegasus? No! Aaron's eyes narrowed. This is a Pegasus!

"Thinking about me, Aaron?" A teasing voice sounded from behind.

Hades's cosmos burned like never before, spreading outwards from Aaron's center. But Seiya's fist, which had the upper hand, was surrounded by a black glow that matched Aaron's.

"——Pig punches suddenly!"

Seiya's only combat technique imbued with the concept of destruction is also the one with the most unpleasant name. He wouldn't want to wield this destructive boar power unless absolutely necessary, but for the clueless Aaron, Seiya had no choice but to do so.

The purple barrier crumbled instantly, and Aaron's inner universe was easily dispersed by that fist like a torrent. Aaron instinctively tried to raise his arm to block, but his entire arm was twisting and deforming until he was forced to fall backward by the force.

Aaron vomited blood, his face contorted in pain, his entire right arm twisted and folded downwards in an irregular manner. The scene of the sky flashing before his eyes was all too familiar.

It was incredibly familiar; the scene before Seiya was also incredibly familiar. This time, Seiya transformed into a platinum-gold radiance, chasing after the black light. Aaron was still pushing the power of Hades, the god of the underworld, in an attempt to restore the twisted limbs, but the next instant, he saw a foot surrounded by golden light heading straight for his face.

—Pegasus Spinning Light Speed ​​Kick!

—The innocent shall not be allowed to return!

Chapter 116: The Demon Stars Assemble, the Holy War Begins

"Grandpa, look! It's a meteor shower!" A child excitedly shouted, pointing at the streaks of purple light streaking across the sky above the quiet British village.

"Don't look! Go home!" The grandfather's voice was filled with unprecedented terror as he tightly covered his grandson's eyes with his rough hands. To the people on the ground, this eerie purple meteor shower was far from a good omen.

Each time they tear through the night and descend upon the world, it heralds the imminent start of a catastrophe that will sweep across the globe.

……

Meanwhile, as the Specters raced across the skies at an astonishing speed, their target the Sanctuary of Athena, the top warriors in the group suddenly sensed something amiss when they crossed an invisible distance threshold.

An aura of chaos and rage emanating from their stronghold behind them—Hades City—sweeped in like an invisible tsunami.

"His Majesty Hades? Lord Pandora? And... Pegasus?!" The pupils of the Heavenly Violent Starfire suddenly contracted, and his mind was shaken.

"Someone is blaspheming His Majesty Hades! Who dares to be so bold!" Minos of the Heavenly Noble Star also detected the unusual fluctuations coming from Hades's cosmos, which was anything but ordinary calm.

"Turn around! Go back immediately!" Minos gave the order decisively, his voice cold and urgent.

The purple meteor's trajectory abruptly twisted in the sky, like a reversed tide of death. Those on the ground, witnessing this bizarre celestial phenomenon, were even more bewildered and helpless.

"Grandpa, the meteor shower has flown back again," the child said, tugging at his grandfather's trouser leg in confusion. "Then... does the disaster you mentioned still count?" The old man stared at the purple light that had flown away, his lips moving, but he could not give an answer.

The old man could no longer predict their future.

In what was once the homeland of Aaron, Pegasus, and Sasha, now the city of the underworld.

Deep within Hades City, the once warm and welcoming homeland has now become the heart of the underworld. Two distinct yet equally dazzling lights collide fiercely here, illuminating the ruins as if it were daytime.

—Pegasus Spinning Light Speed ​​Kick!

—The innocent shall not be allowed to return!

The platinum and deep purple lightning collided once more, sending energy surging and tearing deeper cracks into the already ravaged ground. Unlike the suppressed and profound pain on Aaron's face, Pandora's features were completely distorted by extreme rage.

"You deserve to die! You deserve to die! You deserve to die, Pegasus!" The sharp roar almost pierced the air. Pandora's hands and arms were trembling violently, not only from the impact of the force, but also from her extreme regret for her dereliction of duty and her deep-seated hatred for Seiya.

"It was my negligence that caused my beloved brother to suffer such pain! Absolutely! Absolutely! Absolutely I will wash away this shame with your blood and soul!" Her eyes burned with the flames of revenge, almost devouring Seiya.

Faced with this hysterical roar, Seiya, surrounded by a blue whirlwind, casually picked at his ear with his little finger, a hint of helplessness even playing on his lips. "Enough already! Do all you people from the Underworld like to repeat yourself three times? And," he raised his eyes, his sharp gaze fixed on Pandora, "do you really think you can take me down?"

In truth, Seiya had been listening to them calling his name for so long that he almost fell asleep. But honestly, it wasn't Pandora's fault; it was just an inevitable occurrence.

However, Pandora, consumed by self-blame and her obsessive brotherly love, ignored Seiya's words. She clenched her fist, and her raging purple cosmos instantly coalesced into a gigantic lightning trident, transforming into a devastating purple thunderstorm that crashed down upon Seiya, determined to annihilate him completely!

Seiya merely pursed his lips. In the instant the thunderstorm struck, he subtly moved, unleashing a dazzling beam of light—the Atomic Lightning Speed ​​Fist—that was condensed with atomic power, unexpectedly shooting towards Aaron, who was struggling to recover from his injuries in the distance!

"You shameless!" Pandora gritted her teeth, and the sky filled with purple lightning suddenly rippled, attempting to intercept Seiya's attack. Clearly, her lightning couldn't stop Seiya's light. Fortunately, Aaron, who was completely focused, didn't lose his composure like she had. Despite his injuries, Aaron, who was already on high alert against Seiya, once again activated his Hades cosmos, counteracting the light from Pegasus.

His gaze was fixed, and an invisible constraint enveloped Seiya's entire body. At that moment, the sound of chains grinding together seemed to echo in the void.

As if sensing something, Seiya dodged the near-fatal attack by sidestepping it. As the void meandered open, a dark purple boundary line rapidly encroached upon the present world. No less formidable than Pandora, a true evil god now appeared before Seiya.

Hypnos, the god of sleep.

Thanatos, the god of death.

Two powerful figures, one black and one white, pressed down on Seiya with the oppressive force of an evil god, almost crushing his bones, and even his cosmos groaned in agony under the unbearable weight.

But Seiya smiled at this.

"Can you still laugh, Pegasus who slays gods?" Hypnos, the god of sleep, coldly stared at the warrior before him. "You have no chance of reincarnation. Your soul will be utterly annihilated by me this time."

“Pay the price for your arrogance and stupidity, Pegasus,” Pandora gritted her teeth.

This is a lavish feast that even the Saint Seiya of all time rarely had the chance to enjoy. Four evil gods of god-like status surround him, and no matter how he resists, he cannot avoid the fate of death.

But Seiya's smile remained unchanged as he pointed a finger at Pandora, or more precisely, at Aaron behind Pandora, and said, "Are you ready? The Holy War has now truly begun!"

Hypnos, the god of sleep, frowned. "Foolish! Exile to another field!"

The terrifying attack that covered the entire city also enveloped the Saint Seiya's entire body, but within that crimson light, Seiya's figure vanished like a faded ink painting.

"Goodbye." In his semi-transparent state, he silently bid farewell to the evil god.

A few breaths later, the Specters returned. Looking at the warriors serving under Hades' throne, Pandora was furious.

For those on Earth who looked up at the sky, the sight that night was enough to become a legendary tale: the ominous purple meteor shower repeatedly streaked across the sky from east to west, drawing terrifying trails.

Seiya appeared beside Yato, who was constantly chanting his name. Seeing the boy who was almost dozing off, Seiya smiled and patted his head. He could also sense the approach of the Specters.

"Lord Pegasus, is the Holy War about to begin?" Yato asked.

"Yes, this time it's really going to be a full-scale war." Seiya looked up at the sky.

At least for now, Aaron's Hades power and the protective forces surrounding him are still too overwhelming. Seiya's strategy is clear: either continue to inflict damage to deplete his power, or force him to remain unable to fight at his peak, buying time and space for Athena and Sanctuary.

However, having experienced being nearly killed several times, Seiya also knew that a low-health enemy could be more terrifying than a full-health one.

So let's start by clipping Hades' wings.

Although Seiya mostly prefers to possess powerful combat techniques and powers with high numerical values, some mechanism-based powers are still quite useful when numerical superiority is not an option or in critical moments.

"I want to go to the front lines and, as a Unicorn Saint, defend justice and peace on Earth!" Yato knelt on one knee and finally spoke out the thought that had been lingering in his mind for some time.

“Then go ahead,” Seiya said.

Although not a member of the Zodiac, Seiya's status in the Sanctuary is no less than that of the Gold Saints, due to his role as a hero who defeated Hades and his historical significance.

He could also hear the Specters who kept mentioning his name as they approached from afar.

And there are the gods who whisper their own names in the deeper darkness.

Even in that realm beyond time and space, there are figures.

"This time, whether it's the Specters or the Saints, whether it's Athena or Hades, this Holy War will definitely not end in tragedy again."

If I came here and won with a terrible ending, and I come here and won with a terrible ending again, then what was the point of my trip?

Chapter 117: The Sea of ​​Roses in the Demon Palace

Looking up from below, if one possesses vision that ignores the barrier, one can see the Sanctuary, the Twelve Palaces, the Papal Palace, and finally, the Temple of the Holy Virgin.

The centuries-old Sanctuary was exquisitely decorated, with intricately carved pillars resembling a forest of white marble, and murals depicting the Gold Saints who fought fiercely against evil gods in the Holy War. Minos of the Heavenly Noble Star gazed upon the towering, layered zodiac palaces, each with a completely new style.

"How beautiful! I shall destroy such a beautiful thing myself."

As he spoke, he flicked down the silk threads. The Athena Saints before him uncontrollably threw punches at their comrades. Facing Minos, the most balanced of the three judges of the Underworld, they were completely unable to stop the advance of the Underworld army.

Throughout the entire process, his gaze never lingered on these bronze and silver-level Saints. He looked into the distance and vaguely seemed to see a figure.

"I hope it's you, Pegasus." Minos of the Heavenly Noble Star clenched his fist. "I, Minos of the Heavenly Noble Star, will wash away the shame of the Underworld!"

Seiya, sitting in front of the Aries Temple, the first of the twelve zodiac houses, raised an eyebrow. For some time now, he had been repeatedly hearing the murmurs of the Specters. And this time, the distance was incredibly close.

“They’ve clashed.” Aries Shion’s footsteps approached him from behind. “It seems that Pisces Albafica has already clashed with the main force of the Underworld army.”

Seiya looked in the direction he sensed and saw a ring of red smoke enveloping the rocks surrounding the Sanctuary.

Even from such a distance, Seiya could still faintly smell a pleasant rose fragrance.

For him, who possesses this kind of combat technique, it is certainly a source of great pleasure, but for other Saints, especially the Specters who have attacked this time, it may be a deadly demonic rose.

"Is that the Royal Rose of the Demon Palace of Yabofica?" Shion followed Seiya's gaze and looked ahead, also able to see that crimson hue. "Huh? How come you also have a Demon Palace Rose?"

Shion looked at the blooming flower in Seiya's hand, and when he smelled its intoxicating fragrance, he held his breath warily. He knew that the scent of the Demon Palace Rose was deadly even to a Gold Saint.

"What is the state of defense inside and outside the Sanctuary?" Seiya asked.

"It seems we made it in time. The Specters were delayed for some reason, but the other Gold Saints helped with the command. We also owe a lot to Abofica's Demon Palace Rose Formation, which kept the Specters at bay. Even for the Specters, it wouldn't be easy to get through Abofica's Demon Palace Rose Formation."

"Is Pisces the only one guarding that place?" Seiya raised an eyebrow. "In the time travel, as the last Pisces Saint of the Zodiac, he always charges at the front of the first house. It's true."

After saying that, Seiya realized Shion's somewhat gloomy expression. "Sorry, I wasn't talking about you!"

“That’s right, the first house belongs to me, Aries Shion, and the last house belongs to Pisces. It is precisely because Pisces is closest to the Papal Palace and the Temple of the Virgin Mary that the roads leading to the Papal Palace and the Temple are always covered with Royal Demon Palace Roses. These Demon Palace Roses are a deadly poison that no warrior can resist. Therefore, the one who guards the Pisces House must possess a constitution that can resist this poison, and Yabofica possesses such a constitution.”

It wasn't that Aries Shion didn't want to help; it was just that before the Demon Palace Rose Array was broken, while it hindered the advance of the Underworld army, it also forced Pisces Albafica to fight alone.

Aside from the Bronze and Silver Saints who provide support and assume key responsibilities, the core fighting force in each Holy War still depends on the Gold Saints.

Pisces and Taurus are responsible for the defense of the Sanctuary in different directions, Aquarius's Degel is on a special mission, Scorpio's Cardia and Capricorn's El Cid are on guard, Sagittarius's Sisyphus is guarding the Sanctuary of the Virgos, and Virgo's Asmita seems to be on a mission related to the Specters.

Aries Shion and Libra Dohko, on the other hand, were assigned to support missions. Ultimately, they were still too inexperienced, and compared to the other Saints, they had lighter responsibilities and the greatest degree of freedom.

If we only compare the apparent strength, the forces of the Underworld appear to be slightly stronger than those of the Holy Realm.

Leaving aside Athena and Ophiuchus, whose combat strength is unclear, the Sanctuary mainly consists of the Gold Saints, while the Underworld forces are Hades, Pandora, the Gemini Gods, the goddess Ker, the five dream gods, the three judges of the Underworld army, and the Heavenly Storm Star.

In terms of numbers, both sides are evenly matched. It seems that the Underworld forces are all gods, but some of these gods are even weaker than the Gold Saints. However, their divine status means that their minimum strength still requires most Gold Saints to burn their lives to defeat them.

But before that, let's eliminate one of the Big Three.

Having not achieved a true victory in a long time, Seiya even began to miss the voice of the God of War.

Looking at the Demon Palace Rose in Seiya's hand, Aries Shion suddenly remembered something.

"You are immune to the deadly poison of the Demon Palace Rose?" Shion suddenly realized something crucial.