Saint Seiya, but Athena who disobeys?

Aaron and Pandora exchanged a knowing smile, then rose and stepped into the even deeper and more eerie tunnel behind them. The twisted tunnel seemed to hold frozen pain, exuding a suffocating silence. On the cold stone walls, countless lifelike bas-reliefs of various shapes and forms were not decorations, but the souls of those who died in battle—the souls of the Specters from this Holy War slumbered here, becoming the eternal murals of this dark church.

"Actually, I didn't want to do this. My Specters, who have already broken free from the shackles of life, may face pain and torment once again." Aaron made a gesture of plucking a flower with his left hand and gently blew on it. "Now, awaken once more, my Specters!"

A deep purple power, imbued with the purest essence of death, surged forth from his fingertips like the floodwaters of the River Styx bursting its banks, instantly engulfing the entire dark tunnel. This power forcefully washed over the frozen images on the walls.

A miracle—or rather, the power of Hades—is distorting the boundary between life and death. Those cold reliefs and somber portraits, like ink paintings infused with life, are rapidly expanding and solidifying from the void, flesh and armor reforming in the purple light. "Return from the shackles of death, from eternal silence, and fight for me once more!"

Under the power of Hades, the line between life and death becomes incredibly blurred. Those slain Specters are resurrected with surprising ease.

The resurrected Specters knelt on one knee, "Yes, Lord Hades!"

Aaron stared coldly at the Specter before him. "From the very beginning, the Sanctuary had no chance of winning, Pegasus."

He clutched his chest, where a lingering pain seemed to still be present. But he quickly realized that the cosmos within these resurrected Specters had vanished. Was it Athena's barrier suppressing them...? No, the pain originating in his chest gave Aaron the answer immediately: it was still Pegasus.

"He stripped away the cosmos of the Specters, making their power impossible to regenerate!"

Just then, a fluctuation from the underworld aggravated Aaron's wound, causing him to furrow his brow. He suddenly looked towards the world that belonged to him, "This aura is... Pegasus!"

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The underworld, the forest of death, the dark church.

Accompanied by the melodious strains of the organ, the unfinished painting slowly unfolds before Nasu Veronica of the Celestial Star.

"Ah, so beautiful! So beautiful! Absolutely so beautiful!"

Nathau Veronica, with her delicate, feminine beauty and long golden hair, gazed at the painting before her, her face flushed. The painting depicted Hades, Aaron, with a melancholy expression, but it was still unfinished. Nathau Veronica hesitated, unsure whether to depict the wounds on Aaron's exposed chest.

To paint scars would be disrespectful to Hades, while not painting them would be a lack of devotion to one's art.

Two beliefs intertwined in the mind of Nasu Veronica of Tianjiu Star, tearing his heart apart. He knelt on the ground in anguish, clutching his head, crying out, "Damn Pegasus! Why did you leave scars on such a perfect body!"

"Why? It's probably because I don't allow you Specters to continue living in this world." A completely unfamiliar voice sounded behind him.

A hand rested on his shoulder, and the malicious voice sent shivers down Tianjiuxing's spine. He instinctively wanted to reach out and activate his Tomb Fortress, but the pain emanating from his body made him stare in disbelief at his chest.

"How could this be? Lord Thanatos granted me immortality, cough...!"

Blood kept spilling from his mouth and chest, while the white rose blooming in the open wound on his chest quickly absorbed his life force and then transformed into a green wave that nourished the earth.

"Why? Because your death is used to create life for more people." Seiya's voice gradually faded in Tenchosei's mind.

This also means that the immortal Veronica has finally met her end.

Seiya had no intention of experiencing the unique fighting techniques of this Celestial Star; his death was merely an appetizer before the formal battle began.

This Great Forest of Death, guarded by Nasu Veronica of the Celestial Star, is now more vibrant than the human world. The green trees seem to have their own will as they grow upwards, gradually transforming this area into a forest barrier controlled by Seiya.

"Is life the absence of death, or is death the complement of life? What do you say, Aaron?"

Seiya lowered his head and gently smelled the delicate roses stained with Veronica's blood. He looked at Aaron, who appeared before him, and Pandora, who was glaring angrily behind him, with a smile on his face.

"Pegasus, how dare you come to the Underworld to kill... Boom!"

The intense light forced Pandora to defend herself until she dragged a chasm across the ground before she saw the Pegasus Saint pointing a finger at her, saying, "Shut up, you stupid, stinking woman! You have no right to interrupt when Aaron and I are catching up!"

This was the first time Pandora had been called a "stinky woman," but as Aaron raised his hand, her anger could only be suppressed. Aaron, with his long black hair, looked at his best friend and said, "The power you have to traverse space is not spatial teleportation or telekinesis, but the authority of some god."

During this time, Pegasus had taken over Athena's mind and occupied Aaron's thoughts. He kept pondering why Pegasus had changed so much, and where those powers that were so different from Pegasus's fighting techniques came from.

The answer is God, the power of another god.

Could it be that you, Pegasus... are also the reincarnation of some deity?

"Like the undying power and the power of the Dao remaining within the body of Nasu Veronica of the Celestial Star?" Under the incredulous gazes of Aaron and Pandora, this Saint of Athena smiled as he grasped this power of death in his hand, letting it flow into the Cycle of Life and Death.

"Even fallen flowers create a beautiful scene. If buds can remain forever, how can they ever wither?" He smiled, patting his chest.

At this moment, Seiya gazed at his dearest friend, a smile playing on his lips, and tossed the rose in his hand toward Aaron, who gently caught it. Then, in the next instant, the rose withered.

The black petals fell to the ground and transformed into countless thorns that sprouted from beneath their feet, their grotesque forms frantically trying to drag the two gods into the abyss of death.

Aaron looked at his equally black palm. He genuinely wanted to have a chat with Seiya this time, but he didn't expect that the poison contained in the rose was corroding his body. However, it was quickly expelled from his body by Hades' cosmos.

Pandora summoned her trident and unleashed a raging barrage of purple lightning to meet the wildly dancing thorns, but the gloom overhead seemed to resist her divine power. She stared in disbelief at the entity that was opposing her.

Those are trees, this underworld, the Great Forest of Death. This place is enveloping Aaron and Pandora with its own will, transforming them into a winding world of otherworldly realms!

At this moment, Seiya's voice resounded like thunder across the sky, and a completely unfamiliar platinum light surrounded him, making him seem like a divine warrior who ruled the sky.

"Don't get me wrong, Aaron. This isn't your underworld, it's my indestructible sanctuary!"

Chapter 121: Second-stage transformation is standard for everyone

On the edge of a cliff outside the Great Forest of Death, a Saint Seiya with a wildly unrestrained posture stood with his hands in his pockets, watching the battle below that completely covered half of hell.

"Is this the Pegasus Saint who once injured Hades' true form in the mythological era? Judging solely from his aura, he does seem quite formidable."

—Cancer, Gold Saint Manigoldo.

The Cancer Saints have always inherited extremely unique combat techniques, each possessing high-intensity mental attacks and the ability to freely travel between the mortal world and the underworld. Although Manigoldo appears rough, he is incredibly cautious, perceiving everything around him. After all, he is in Hades' stronghold, and no amount of caution is excessive.

“Shouldn’t we make a move? Pegasus is taking on Hades and Pandora all by himself.” Manigold was eager to get started.

Although Manigoldo thought he was arrogant enough, he didn't expect that this Pegasus was even more arrogant than himself. The final boss, which originally required the combined efforts of the goddess and the Saints to defeat, was now being fought against by him all by himself.

Although he was thrilled watching it, he knew he couldn't handle facing such a predicament alone.

At least Sasha would be sad if Pegasus died.

“No rush, this child’s strength far exceeds our estimation.” An aged voice sounded behind Manigoldo. “Let these former friends kill and curse each other. And what we need to face is the same…”

Listening to his master's words, Cancer Gold Saint Manigoldo, for reasons unknown, revealed a pure killing intent from the bottom of his heart. At the same time, this underworld, with this instant as the dividing line, transformed into another world.

Unable to leave, yet welcoming all who come.

Its appearance was as if the forest itself possessed a will and was devouring the gods.

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In the midst of the battlefield, Pandora once again summoned a chariot that could travel through the void, imprinting the scene before her eyes.

"what is this?"

"What on earth is going on with this Pegasus?!"

Even though he was the god, and he should be stronger than Pegasus on the level of the microcosm, his purple lightning could not hit Pegasus's body. After the platinum lightning collided with him and perished, this area turned into a hell that devoured gods as it swayed.

The power of the Sun's Illumination manifests its ability to control the ley lines and the land symbolizing the Yin Dragon. Even so, it was originally impossible for Seiya to control the Underworld. However, the Flower's Blessing turns this impossibility into possibility; the cosmos of Nasu Veronica of the Heavenly Star completely alters the properties of this region.

"The untouchable realm." A message, like an electric current, flowed through Aaron as he softly uttered the word.

The authority from Amaterasu Omikami in the Far East, the power belonging to Hades, the god of the underworld, told him the answer, and even allowed him to glimpse fragments of events happening in another Saint's parallel universe.

Although the process seemed completely nonsensical, it unexpectedly led Aaron to deduce part of the truth.

Pandora fell silent; words were no longer necessary. The purple lightning barrier she had used for defense began to tremble and crack, and even the trident in her hand trembled as it released even more violent lightning.

Pandora's fighting style was completely chaotic, relying solely on her powerful, god-like cosmos to unleash her power at Pegasus. However, these attacks bounced off Seiya's surface, scattering golden sparks. Seiya's malicious smile appeared before Pandora's eyes, and then, in the next second, the fist of light that almost pierced Pandora was frozen in mid-air.

A hand reached out from behind, blocking Pandora's path.

It is Aaron, but not entirely Aaron.

The attack, utterly indescribable, nearly crippled Pandora, froze in mid-air, time seemingly standing still. Then, the forest, the space, and the light before her vanished into pure death before the black waves.

—The Destruction of God!

It really shouldn't be called the Indestructible Sanctuary. If it's indestructible, it's destroyed immediately; if it's immortal, it dies instantly; if it's unsinkable, it sinks immediately. It claims to be able to win, but it definitely can't win. Just as Seiya was lost in thought, Pandora was overjoyed and wept.

"Hades?!" Pandora sensed the colorless microcosm before her, her eyes shimmering with dreamlike colors.

If it weren't for the formidable enemy Pegasus, she would have even knelt on the ground, overwhelmed with gratitude. She had almost forgotten how long it had been since she had felt this pure Hades power.

"Is it already the third stage?" Seiya licked his lips. He could also feel his body, under Hades's pressure, violently increasing its power at an unprecedented rate.

Each stage of Pluto represents a significant improvement over the previous one, sometimes by several times or even dozens of times.

The first stage is the newly awakened human form, with no change in outward appearance. Only the aura of Hades, the god of the underworld, permeates the entire universe, announcing the arrival of this ruler of the underworld. It is precisely because of this that Sasha confirmed Hades' resurrection and dispatched Dohko, Shion, and the Silver Saints to investigate Hades' whereabouts.

The second stage is the period when Seiya encounters the painter in the forest, and the period until recently when he was still being ravaged. Hades' soul begins to affect his body, which manifests outwardly as Aaron's hair turning from gold to jet black, and he is able to use the power of Hades in its early stages. At this point, his power is capable of destroying the world, and a casual strike can cause large-scale destruction.

At this moment, Aaron, with his long hair dancing, had just entered the third stage. One could feel a dark cosmos, pure and untainted, pressing down on the entire underworld. This power, vastly different from before, was like an insurmountable pressure, bearing down on Seiya. This profound power was the oppression of a god; an ordinary Gold Saint would not even be able to support it or stand up.

But when facing Aaron, Seiya smiled and then smiled again.

"In that case, Aaron, I'm going to go all out."

Pandora wanted to say something more, but she saw an unprecedented seriousness on Aaron's face. He waved his hand, and the Death Space reappeared. The purple domain was expanding without limit, killing all life in its path. The terrifying power and overwhelming majesty of Hades were just like the indestructible domain that had been destroyed earlier.

However, this space of death could not expand further when it reached Seiya. The platinum-gold arc of light bounced between the two, and the scorching sun flames burned away this concept of death from within.

"Corona Cloth? They even have a second stage? These young people these days are really going overboard." A soft sigh came from the darkness.

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P.S.: Sorry, I'm currently on a business trip out of town, so updates have been a bit inconsistent. I'll be back tomorrow.

Chapter 122: The Battlefield Where Gods Clash

In the Valley of the Third Hell, the sixth level of the Underworld, three figures were rushing rapidly towards the Blood Waterfall through a secret passage.

They were the three-person team dispatched by the Holy Land to obtain the fruit of the Mulan fruit.

"Just the three of us? Doesn't your Sanctuary have any more suitable people?" The Silver Saint, who had already obtained his Cloth and should now be called the Crane, frowned somewhat displeased as he looked at Yeren, who was his temporary partner.

"Lus! You only need to obey the Pope's orders! If the Pope says it's okay, then it's okay! If you're afraid, then hide behind me!" The Unicorn Saint Yato frowned.

"His Holiness the Pope also said that he should send Pegasus to kill the Specters. Judging from their conversation, it seems that the Saint named Pegasus can really seal or transfer the Specters' cosmos completely. How did he do that?" Ye was somewhat surprised.

The Jamir tribe is skilled in various sealing techniques, but they never dared to attempt to strip away the cosmos of a Specter. However, it seems this Saint named Pegasus might actually be able to do it.

"If it's Lord Pegasus, then it's definitely possible!" Yato said confidently.

"Why are you so sure?" Ye asked, somewhat suspiciously.

"Because he is capable of doing it. Lord Shion is also a member of the Jamir clan, just like you. According to him, Lord Pegasus possesses an unknown but powerful force capable of fighting against evil gods. Whether it's using the evil Specters as nourishment for the barren land or defeating evil gods, I believe that Lord Pegasus will ultimately be the one to defeat Hades!"

The man's voice grew softer and softer, not because he lacked confidence, but because he could already see the blood in the distance.

That is the Great Fall of Blood that connects the Sixth and Seventh Hells, and the Tree of Wood that can seal the Specters is also located there.

At this moment, Lord Pegasus and the other Gold Saints are fighting against the evil god for their mission. If they cannot complete the mission successfully, even Yato himself will not let himself off the hook!

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The Corona Mode that was once superimposed on the Orion Cloth reappeared, and even Seiya's Pegasus Cloth, which was enveloped by a strong blue wind, disintegrated and reassembled at this moment, evolving into a completely new form.

"How...is this possible?" The two Gold Saints watching from afar couldn't believe their eyes.

They were all familiar with certain special Cloths: the God Cloths worn by the warriors serving Odin, the chief god of the Aesir in Norse mythology, in Asgard; and the Corona Cloths, which, according to legend, were exclusively used by the Corona Saints who served the sun god Abel, and whose performance and defensive capabilities surpassed even the Gold Cloths. Surrounded by a corona flame of millions of degrees Celsius, these Cloths could generate an infinite amount of solar energy, hence their name, the Solar Robe.

However, both the God Cloth and the Corona Cloth were originally battle suits completely unrelated to Pegasus, but now they are combined, and with the impetus of the authority of an unknown god, all three are simultaneously and limitlessly enhancing the Saint's power. The death space that originally invaded Seiya's eyes is also neutralized by the protection of the corona flames.

The original Corona Flame could not achieve this level of power, but the essence of this Corona Flame is a white horse, and the special attack against evil within it dissolves the death before it like melting solid ice.

"This is already a battle of gods!" the Cancer Gold Saint murmured.

At this moment, neither Aaron nor Seiya uttered a word, and they both strode towards each other in unison. The Underworld Domain and the Corona Domain, belonging to Hades, collided and canceled each other out, and the arcs of light generated at the edges of the two domains grew increasingly dazzling until the figures of both sides blurred into the distance.

Seiya and Aaron charged towards each other, with endless light and darkness scattering everywhere. Darkness and solar flare wove together on the battlefield like an ink painting, creating a series of rich and colorful patterns. The loud bangs of fists colliding sounded like the destructive symphony from the deepest part of hell!

Pandora struggled to maintain her form within this space, completely disoriented. Logically, she should be helping Hades, the god of the underworld, kill this detestable Pegasus… but, but, Pandora's mind kept replaying Aaron's expression as he charged at the Pegasus—was he smiling?

That was a smile she had never shown in front of her older sister.

But compared to the hesitant Pandora, the spectators who only wanted to witness Hades' human form enter a new stage were already satisfied, and an attack from the void locked onto Seiya's back.

Those were countless translucent gray lines, the spirits of the dead lingering in hell, controlled by the god of death, a special attack specifically targeting the soul.

"—Fear of the Abyss!"

Thanatos, the god of death, finally appeared at this moment.