Saint Seiya, but Athena who disobeys?

"It's just something we can ignore for now." Seiya tossed the Demon Palace Rose high into the air. "But this is enough for now."

----------

----------

The outer defensive zone of the Sanctuary, the Demon Palace Rose Array.

"Who is it now? Are you sending your remaining subordinates to their deaths, or are you going to go yourself?" Pisces Gold Saint Albafica, standing on a collapsed stone pillar, stared at the Specter before him. "Griffin Minos of the Heavenly Noble Star."

Judging solely from their appearances, these two Saint Seiya warriors and Specters who fought side by side were surprisingly similar.

"You're sorely mistaken if you think these flowers can stop Hades, the King of the Underworld. You're just an appetizer before I kill Pegasus and behead Athena," Minos of the Heavenly Noble Star sneered. But he also realized that sending his men any further would be suicide.

"For those who lack strength, attempting to traverse this sea of ​​poisonous flowers would undoubtedly be suicide. But for true powerhouses, the so-called sea of ​​poisonous flowers guarding the Temple of Athena is nothing more than a plaything for people to admire."

—Giant Wings Soaring Through the Wind!

Behind him, enormous wings whipped up a hurricane.

In an instant, it destroyed the entire sea of ​​poisonous flowers in front of him, and just as Yabofica was in shock, the Heavenly Noble Star had already rushed in front of him.

Chapter 118: You Think of Me Every Time the Flowers Bloom

"What's going on?! Lord Yabofica's roses have all been swept into the sky!" At this moment, the villagers in the village within the Sanctuary also witnessed this terrifying scene.

"Lord Yabofica isn't going to lose, is he?!" A villager thought of this possibility and quickly turned pale with fright.

"Has the Hades army already attacked? Where are the other Saints?!"

In the rose garden outside the Sanctuary, now known as the Sanctuary Defense Zone, the once magnificent Demon Palace and Rose Garden are now completely gone. Minos of the Heavenly Noble Star rushes in front of Pisces Yabofica, grabbing his right wrist as he tries to resist with one hand, while stroking his cheek with the other.

"How is it? The rose garden you depended on for survival has vanished. You, before me, can be described as the only fragile, poisonous rose remaining in the wilderness." Minos, his eyes brimming with malice, stared at the beautiful face before him. "No, you are a soft, powerless, pitiful little flower."

Yabofica wanted to resist, but just as he was about to use the Piranha Rose technique, he found that his limbs were immobile. He didn't know when, but his whole body was wrapped in barely perceptible star threads, and these threads were controlling his actions in the opposite way.

"As expected of Lord Minos!" the Specters behind him cheered.

"Lord Minos is forcing the Pisces Saint to kneel!"

"Lord Minos is definitely going to make the Saints his slaves!"

"Go and attack Athena's Sanctuary first! Destroy the village at the foot of the mountain—no, destroy the entire Sanctuary!" Minos commanded.

Yabofica's cries were completely useless; the Specters belonging to Tiangui Star transformed into streaks of purple light and rushed towards the Sanctuary. Without the Demon Palace Rose's obstruction, their journey was smooth.

They crossed barren mountains and passed through caves, and at the foot of the mountain lay the village that Minos had spoken of.

"Let's destroy the village first," one of the Specters said. "Then we'll go find Pegasus!"

"Yes, we must find Pegasus first! That despicable Saint must be killed!"

"He is very strong, so don't be careless. We should destroy the border of the Holy Domain first. When our Underworld army is on the border, crushing that so-called Pegasus will be a sure thing."

Just as the Specter wearing the crocodile helmet leaped towards the foot of the mountain, his entire body turned to dust and vanished.

"What?" The Specters looked at the scene in astonishment. As one of them instinctively stepped back, he suddenly realized that he seemed to have bumped into something.

When he turned around, fear exploded within him! The Saint Seiya surrounded by a strong blue wind was right behind him, and they would never mistake that Saint Cloth for that appearance!

"Didn't you come looking for me? Why are you backing away?" Seiya, also holding a vibrant rose, slowly walked towards the Specters.

"Hey! Attack together!" another Specter shouted. "Let's hold him off for now! Once Lord Minos has dealt with that Pisces Saint, we can naturally take down this Pegasus!"

"Alright! Attack together! Venomous Sting!" "Wasp Tail Swing!" "Undercurrent!"

However, these attacks transformed into beautiful rose petals the moment they approached Seiya, falling to the ground, taking root, and gradually turning this barren mountain into a sea of ​​flowers.

The Specters were horrified to find that they could no longer move their feet. Crimson thorns crawled up their ankles and covered their entire bodies, easily piercing their protective armor and completely draining their blood and life force.

Seiya blew the petals of the rose in his hand, and the Specters before him also turned into dust and nourishment, falling into this sea of ​​flowers. Yet, the Specters' life force and cosmos transformed this barren land into a vibrant mountain range.

The former is the effect of the Pisces combat technique, while the latter is the effect displayed when combined with the Mekal power of the cycle of life and death.

"At least this fighting technique is still quite beautiful," Seiya smiled.

Almost at the same time, Minos of the Heavenly Noble Star, who was at the moment suppressing the Pisces constellation of Yabofica, was shocked to find that all the cosmos of his Specters had disappeared.

As a result, the land beneath his feet quickly came alive. Tender shoots sprouted from the parched earth, and trees regained their vitality. The sea of ​​roses in the Demon Palace, which he had destroyed with his giant wings, was now back before him. Tian Guixing watched the Pisces Saint, who was clearly under his complete control, with a killing move ready to be unleashed.

"I didn't expect you to have this trick up your sleeve? Hmm? Not you?" Minos of the Heavenly Noble Star was surprised to find that the Pisces Saint's face was also filled with astonishment. Only then did he realize that the sea of ​​flowers in front of him was not his creation.

"It can actually bring the land back to life? This combat technique, this rose!" Yabofica bit her lip, while Minos completely ignored the murmurs of the Pisces before her.

"Who is that? Who is it? Step forward!" Minos roared to the sky.

His roar was deafening, destroying everything in front of him in the form of a shockwave, but at that moment, he sensed a flow of energy on his left side.

"Got you!" He grinned and swung his hand down, countless almost invisible threads quickly enveloping the space, unleashing the Super Strike Whip combat technique!

But he soon realized he had missed his target. Just as he was backing away, he suddenly sensed someone standing back to back behind him, and from behind came that refreshing rose fragrance.

At this distance, even without visual observation, his identity could be confirmed.

"You will think of me whenever the flowers bloom."

Seiya stood back-to-back behind Minos, gently blowing away the rose petals in front of him.

Blood-red thorns quickly coiled around Minos's legs, draining his life force. With a sudden jolt, the roses and thorns beneath his feet were instantly dispelled, and the star puppet strings in his hands danced wildly. He showed no carelessness towards the person before him; his combat techniques had already covered the entire battlefield.

Star Puppet Strings - Birdcage!

These almost indestructible star puppet strings have completely enveloped both Saints, and they only need to wait for the moment of convergence to completely strangle the Saints in front of them!

But a strange unease began to grow in Minos's heart, because whether he looked up at his Pisces Albophica or looked down at Pegasus Seiya, who was now just a flower stalk, there was an eerie stillness, a stillness that terrified him.

Only when the blood dripped onto the sea of ​​flowers did he slowly look down at his chest.

Vibrant roses overflowed from the tattered shroud, filling his chest. Countless thorns took root within his body, silently strangling his internal organs. The toxins that numbed his nerves and even his senses meant that by the time he realized what was happening, he was already on the verge of death.

"How beautiful." Minos murmured, a smile playing on his lips.

He seemed to see Hades trampling Athena under his feet; he seemed to see the world turn black; he seemed to see everyone find peace.

With this beautiful dream in mind, Minos, one of the three giants of the underworld, smiled and collapsed in this sea of ​​roses in the Demon Palace.

"What kind of combat technique is this?" Pisces Abofica, supporting her injured arm, approached Pegasus, her stunningly beautiful face fixed intently on the man before her.

"It has no name. If I had to call it, I would call it... Ode to the Flower."

--------

P.S.: Seriously, there are so many pictures of Saint Seiya, Specters, and all sorts of warriors, Goddess really doesn't have any prestige.

Chapter 119: Heading to the Underworld, Taking the Initiative

For the Holy Land, this defensive battle was a resounding victory.

But they still mourned the sacrificed bronze and silver, and as was customary, the Pope presided over the funeral in place of the goddess Athena. In front of the cemetery located in the east of the Sanctuary, Yabofica offered white roses, and a gentle breeze blew through his blue hair.

"Legend has it that for truly enlightened Saints, life and death are not insurmountable boundaries like a chasm. Fallen flowers from branches are not heartless things; even if they turn into spring mud, they are willing to become nutrients to nourish the beautiful spring flowers as they grow."

As he knelt before the tombstone of the Silver Saint Pisces Australana, Albafica softly recited his understanding of Eastern poetry. The Pisces Albafica himself possessed an extremely sensitive and rich inner world. The fallen Saints before him—Corona Southerna, Eridanus, and Pisces Australana—were all his subordinates and friends, belonging to this Gold Saint.

Seiya, standing beside him, seemed to understand what he was talking about. "You mean the legendary Eighth Sense?"

“Yes.” Yabofica nodded.

The eighth sense in the microcosm, also known as the Eighth Sense Microcosm or Alaya-vijnana, is the essence of the microcosm. It is the ultimate state that transcends the seventh sense, a feeling that transcends life and death. Awakening the eighth sense while alive allows one to be free from the constraints of the laws of the underworld.

Death is not the end of everything; the saints who once lived on earth all transcended life and death. The reason Yabofica mentioned the Eighth Sense was because he witnessed Seiya's Flower Praise transforming the Specters' cosmos into life force nourishing the earth, hence his question.

Yabofica stared at the Pegasus before him, but he shook his head.

"Unfortunately, I haven't awakened the Eighth Sense." Seiya put his hands in his pockets and gazed into the distance. "My Ode to the Flower is only able to transform life and death because I have mastered a rather special combat technique."

"Can I learn it?" Yabofica asked the Pegasus Saint before him with utmost sincerity. He didn't want to see his comrades die again.

Although there was no reason, Yabofica could sense that the core of this special move seemed to be his own Pisces fighting technique.

"Of course, no problem, but I can't guarantee you'll be able to learn it." Seiya tossed the white rose in his hand to Albafica.

Essentially, combat techniques, powers, rituals, and the release of divine artifacts are all merely manifestations of power. An incendiary bomb can scorch an area, as can a flamethrower; you might even be able to fart if you're holding it in all morning.

However, how exactly to construct an effect similar to the Cycle of Life and Death is up to Yabofica himself.

At that moment, a figure rapidly approached along the path at the foot of the mountain. It was a female Saint Seiya whose body was wrapped in bandages and who was not wearing a mask.

"Who is it?" Yabofica gripped the white rose, which contained special techniques, and looked at the unfamiliar Chinese girl who had come down from the mountain and stood in front of her.

"It's an honor to meet you. I am Rangye of the Jamir tribe, and also a disciple of Chief Bai Li of the Altar." The female Saint, who was originally some distance away from them, suddenly appeared in front of them. "By order of the chief, there is something I must report to the Pope or the Goddess."

Feeling the imposing aura emanating from the Chinese girl before him, Yabofica suddenly had a very ominous premonition.

----------

----------

With Seiya and the Pisces Saint as her guide, the Jamir girl named Ryou easily traversed the twelve zodiac palaces and arrived at the Papal Palace.

"What?! The Specters will be resurrected again?!" Dohko, who had also arrived at the Papal Palace, was shocked, while Shion, standing next to him, also showed an expression of anger and disbelief.

“Then what about Pisces Australe, Corona Australis… no, what about all the lives of our comrades who have already sacrificed themselves!” Yabofica clenched his fists and knelt on one knee.

"Calm down, Yabofica. We are not without means of countermeasures." Pope Sage, seated at the highest position, gazed at the young Pisces Saint before him. "The goddess has already deployed a barrier in the temple, covering the entire Sanctuary. This is to prevent Hades from awakening the cosmos of the resurrected Specters."

At this point, Sage's gaze fell on the Pegasus Saint standing on his left with his arms crossed.

"Therefore, we also need to give special thanks to Pegasus. Your fighting techniques seem to have completely transformed the cosmos of the deceased Specters into the vitality of the earth. This is excellent news for the Sanctuary, because setting up a barrier to suppress the cosmos of the Specters is also a huge burden for Lady Athena."

"It's just letting the Specters who destroyed the earth nourish it again; this is simply the natural cycle." Seiya nodded.

"Then can you go a step further and completely dismantle the Specters?" Pope Sage suddenly asked this question.

At this moment, Shion, Dohko, and Yabofica all wanted to say it was impossible, but seeing Sage's serious expression, they swallowed their words.

Seiya thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I'm sorry, it's not possible right now."

The effects of powers are often targeted. Although I previously mocked Marquis Voban, the old wolf king, saying his powers were the most useless, the powers of Apollo and Osiris, which control the souls of the dead, can easily achieve this goal. However, the powers I possess, such as Fighting God, Strong Wind, White Horse, Pegasus, Sunlit Manifestation, and the Cycle of Life and Death, are more for making myself feel good in battle. They don't have any of those characteristics, at least not yet.

But Seiya wasn't as anxious as the other Saints, because Virgo had that man who was suspected to be the reincarnation of Buddha, and he could do it if the conditions were met.

“No need to worry. Chief Bai Li sent me here this time to solve this problem for the Holy Land.” He made Ye kneel down on one knee. “There is a tree growing between the Valley of the Third Hell and the Moat of the Seventh Hell in the Underworld. It is nourished by the blood of the waterfall and grows the fruit of the Chinese tallow tree. It is the only weapon that can resist the immortality of the Underworld army and seal the souls of the Underworld warriors.”

Upon hearing this, the Gold Saint's expression turned solemn. "So, you mean we have to infiltrate the enemy's stronghold to seize or steal this fruit that counters the Specters? If it's seizure, we'll need to send a sufficiently powerful warrior to launch an attack. If it's theft, it's the exact opposite."

At this moment, Tong Hu suddenly thought of Virgo Asmita, who had been carrying out secret missions, comprehended the true meaning of Alaya consciousness, and understood the way of life and death and reincarnation. Was this man who was closest to the gods doing something in this regard?

At that moment, Pegasus stepped forward.

Chapter 120: Let's curse each other, Aaron!

"Pegasus, are you trying to volunteer?" Pope Cyrus asked.

“If it’s just about going to the Underworld, I think we can choose both routes separately. I’ll attack the Underworld’s main base to draw attention away from it.” Seiya gazed in the direction of the Sacred Temple. “And while we’re at it, Sanctuary can send another team of Saints, no higher than Silver Saints and skilled in stealth, to the Blood Falls to steal the Wood-like Fruit.”

“Taking the initiative to attack the Underworld’s stronghold is a very dangerous thing.” Pope Sage was about to speak, but then he remembered the Pegasus Saint’s feat not long ago and fell silent. After thinking for a moment, he replied, “Then do as you wish, but I will send a Gold Saint who can also travel between the Underworld and the Netherworld to support you.”

Actually, Seiya already had the answer in his heart at this point.

The simplest way to cross the underworld, besides the eighth sense, is to master a combat technique.

This combat technique has always been a secret manual belonging to a zodiac constellation.

—The Saint of Cancer.

However, what Seiya didn't know after he left was that he had guessed something wrong.

This pope is far more charismatic than he imagined.

—The City of the Underworld, a dark church twisted in a spiral.

“It seems Minos’s offensive strategy has failed. His cosmos, and that of his subordinates, has vanished.” Pandora stood behind Aaron, gently massaging his acupoints with her fingers to relieve his worries.

"But he also brought the lives of the Saints back to the Underworld."