Saint Seiya, but Athena who disobeys?

In their very first encounter, the Pegasus Cloth was dented and cracked, with bright, star-like fragments flying out from the damage before being quickly repaired by the Cycle of Life and Death.

"You're weaker than I thought, Pegasus." Aaron broke free from the oppression with an astonishing burst of energy and returned to the ground completely back to normal. Although he had been slightly disheveled, his posture remained elegant.

If the strength improvement of all warriors, including the Specters, is a gradual upgrade, then a few warriors like Seiya and Kagaho are like those who level up by doing sit-ups, while Hades Aaron directly inherits a max-level account. He only needs to familiarize himself with the account's weapons, equipment, and skills to reach the top of the server.

“You’ve become stronger, but that doesn’t mean I’m standing still,” Seiya said through gritted teeth.

“Is that so? Then let me test your skills now!” Aaron declared.

In the next instant, Hades Aaron, accompanied by ominous purple lightning, leaped up like a raging dragon. His strides shook the earth, and his speed defied physical barriers. This kind of movement was a power possessed only by top-tier gods. He didn't need to study any combat techniques; by instantly unleashing his power, he could dash forward with the momentum of a meteor, easily slaying all his opponents.

With Aaron's resounding battle cry, Seiya, in his Corona form, took several steps forward. His white horse incarnation and the power of the sun were fully unleashed, and he faced his opponent charging at incredible speed without hesitation, swinging his raised golden sword.

If Aaron, launching a special attack, is an invincible, raging dragon, then the gold that confronts him is a high-speed guillotine. The conflict between gods and humans creates an aftershock that inflicts exaggerated destruction on the surrounding space.

Suddenly, the world froze. Their weapons did not shatter, their bodies did not fly apart, and the two, displaying an artistic balance, entered a state of stillness in their battle.

"What's wrong?" Pandora's heart clenched, but she quickly realized that the two people in front of her were just afterimages, and they had already left this space.

Click…click…

Like the sound of countless enormous crystal mirrors shattering simultaneously, a series of sounds echoed without warning throughout this world. This otherworldly, demonic realm, isolated from the outside world, this sacred domain that had stood for thousands of years, finally could not withstand the aftershocks of the collision that exceeded all limits. The earth, the sky, and even space itself began to crumble and disintegrate!

Chapter 142: Surpassing All, the Pegasus Divine Robe

The aftershocks of this shattered otherworldly realm are also a dangerous wave of destruction for those still remaining in the Holy Land.

The Saints rushed anxiously toward the goddess Sasha, but they saw a carriage carrying the goddess into the void in an instant. Then their vision suddenly turned white, and the world completely changed.

This is the human world, back in a familiar world. Before the Saints could even search for the whereabouts of the goddess, they saw the sun bursting forth before them.

Endless light and heat, purple lightning and golden flames from the sun's corona scattered everywhere, and the deafening roar of the clashing artifacts was the death knell for the world!

Aaron and Seiya clashed fiercely, sparks flying. There was no anger, no hatred, only the fighting will to reject each other's ideals and the joyful vortex of fighting a close friend. In this brief moment, they had already exchanged blows thousands of times. This was the first time since the start of this Holy War that they had fought so many times, causing Seiya to unconsciously curl the corners of his mouth into a smile. Or perhaps, only this battle was what Seiya truly desired in his heart.

One is the human form of Hades, and the other is the god-slaying Pegasus who severely injured Hades' true form in the past. The two were inherently mortal enemies. If Yoma hadn't stolen Hades' soul, they would never have become brothers, but their fate of mutual slaughter and curses was unchangeable.

"I'm glad, at least you still shine as brightly as I remember you."

The two descended to earth together amidst purple lightning and golden thunder, and at this moment Aaron finally spoke.

Pluto Aaron's attitude remained arrogant, but his words revealed a clear difference from how he addressed others.

"Is that so? I have the opposite opinion." Seiya's Cloth was damaged, but he still maintained his arrogant posture. "Sasha has probably told you everything that needed to be said, so I won't go into details."

Hades Aaron smiled contemptuously as his gaze swept across the world before him and into the depths of the Underworld. He watched as Sasha's Saints stormed his Hades City and foresaw that for thousands of years to come, the Underworld would be unable to wage a proper Holy War.

At the same time, they also saw their own future.

Even if Pegasus is currently inferior to him, as long as he can block him and Sasha recovers, he will activate the Goddess Cage that was pre-set on this land, burning his cosmos to perish together with him.

“But only the path I have followed is the right one,” Aaron replied, shaking his head. “Your self-righteous kindness is only dragging humanity into an endless cycle of suffering.”

"So that's why you want to kill all of humanity and drag the world into the underworld?" Pegasus laughed as well.

“Of course, because you think hell is only about suffering.” Aaron, unusually so, stared at the Pegasus before him with his jewel-like green eyes. “You should know about Elysium, right?”

Pegasus paused slightly. Legend had it that deep within Hell, beyond billions of light-years and traversing trillions of darkness, lay the world one would eventually reach. Located far upstream on the Agron River in the Underworld, beyond the River of Oblivion lay an infinitely vast plain, an ideal land accessible only to those chosen by the gods after death.

"There, there is no hunger, strife, pain, or sorrow; it is a permanent sanctuary that liberates people from all suffering and troubles. There will be no more distinction between the rich and the poor, no more oppression, and no more holy wars that recur every so often."

Aaron's philosophy has never changed.

He wanted to change the world and save all of humanity.

"Dyeing the world pure black is the simplest way, heh... What are you laughing at?"

"It's nothing, I was just thinking about the past." Seiya waved his hand, his damaged Cloth now healed. "It just reminds me of the times we debated the teachings of the Bible. It seems that no matter what, I can never fully accept you."

Before he finished speaking, Seiya, who had been smiling, charged towards Aaron with a trail of pure gold flames. His charging posture was that of a berserk beast.

At that moment, a chilling light seemed to flash in Aaron's pitch-black eyes.

“It’s okay if you don’t agree. Just like what Aunt Giuseppe said, you are a child who prefers to live by your instincts rather than using your brain.”

The Sword of Hades was swung once more, and as if in response, the space behind Aaron began to glow. Before this ultimate artifact, even the Pegasus Cloth was as thin as paper, and flesh and bone were utterly powerless against it.

Seeing this, Seiya also used the power of the Corona Furnace to propel himself forward, constantly moving and shifting at incredible speed.

A faint chuckle from Aaron drifted on the breeze. The familiar purple Death Space once again enveloped the battlefield. Without a moment's hesitation, the Pegasus Corona Fist, with its dual-drive power at its peak, charged towards the oncoming Aaron. The White Horse Avatar and the Power of the Sun enveloped Seiya, clashing head-on with Aaron's Death Space.

Aaron's growth rate is no less than that of any warrior. He has already shown the qualities of a true warrior. In front of him, Seiya is just a fly that can only move around and struggle. He barely manages to keep fighting by relying on the combat techniques driven by his power.

In this situation, how long can he hold on?

An hour? Ten minutes? Or... ten seconds?

Facing Aaron under the God of the Underworld's robes, most of his own combat techniques became completely ineffective. The Strong Wind Avatar could only serve as a movement aid, while the White Horse Avatar and the Power of Sunlight could propel his combat techniques. The God of War might be able to make a difference at crucial moments, but he still relied heavily on the Cycle of Withering and Flourishing to maintain his position.

But at that moment, as Hades Aaron watched Seiya's Saint Cloth gradually shatter and his life force flicker like a candle in the wind, he suddenly heard a sentence.

Have you ever experienced the true inner universe within yourself?

Completely unaware of the meaning of these sudden words, Aaron's heart was filled with alarm, for he saw the all-too-familiar prayer wreath, the one Sasha had woven by hand, originally just a promise between children, now appearing before Seiya.

He grabbed the object in front of him, and then—

—A huge white wing soared into the sky and unfurled behind him.

It was a magnificent winged white horse, neighing towards the sky.

However, it was an excessively beautiful timbre in terms of its cry, sacred as if a benevolent god had descended upon the world, and all things in the universe sang beautiful songs.

Two different microcosms merged through the wreath, and the power belonging to the goddess Athena, propelled by Sasha, transformed into pure white and bloomed within Pegasus's Saint Cloth.

Not only Aaron, but also the people on earth and the Saints in the distance all looked up at the sky.

"The Saint Cloth awakened by the goddess's cosmos will transform into a divine battle armor that surpasses everything." Capricorn Elster stood with his hands on his hips, also bathed in the warm light emanating from the Saint Cloth. He was very grateful to be able to witness this incredibly sacred scene.

"—Pegasus Meteor Fist!"

Chapter 143: Pegasus, I'll probably never forget you in my entire life.

The entire field of vision was shrouded in white. Aaron looked up and saw a shooting star streaking across the sky, falling straight down towards his head.

A meteor shower enveloped Aaron, and countless new golden meteors bombarded his divine body, causing explosive and tearing damage. Even his proud cosmos could not protect him. The overwhelming power continued to accumulate, even forcing him to retreat!

However, he did not retaliate immediately because his entire focus was on Seiya in front of him.

Enormous wings unfurled behind him, and clouds surged beneath his feet, reflecting the sunlight with a brilliant golden hue. Only now could he truly be equal to himself.

Although still a Pegasus, his form was elegant and divine. He was completely shrouded in a silver Saint Cloth, the edges of which flowed with golden patterns resembling the sun. Three-meter-wide Pegasus wings spread behind him, the sharp feathers like curved blades. His muscles rippled slowly beneath the Saint Cloth, and with each breath, the elements of the entire world were driven by his consciousness, embracing heaven and earth with boundless joy.

Compared to Aaron, the human form of Hades, Seiya seems to be the one who transcends all things. He is a mixture of humans and gods, Saints and angels, boys and ancient beings. He possesses all the essentials of both humans and gods.

“The Pegasus God Cloth,” Aaron, or rather, Pluto, said softly, “is a long time coming.”

At this moment, Hades's soaring battle intent ignited a new realm centered on him, and ancient, awe-inspiring power, obeying his will, enveloped the world behind him. A magnificent painting meandered and unfolded behind him.

That was the myriad of worldly phenomena, a painting of the world we live in now, a lost paradise that Aaron painstakingly depicted. As the lost paradise unfolded, finally, the pure red that Seiya first saw appeared before his eyes. In this red light, all objects were killed, steel corroded, life flowed away, and even the light shining in was distorted into the colors of the underworld.

Seiya's cosmos ignited once more, charging straight towards Aaron. At the point of impact, a distinct aura was visible, with billions of volts of white-purple static electricity and tens of millions of degrees of black fire swirling within it. The point of collision was enveloped in a pure white light, seemingly devoid of color, while the darkness left behind after the flash resembled a black hole sucking away light.

If Tianbao Xinghuihuo were to witness this scene, he would likely be dumbfounded, because the ultimate attack he unleashed, which required burning through his life force, was merely an aftershock of their battle.

But amidst this fierce battle, Aaron was laughing. He looked up at the shooting star streaking across the sky, and behind him, Paradise Lost gradually covered the heavens. This contingency plan he had been preparing all along was the key to his victory. "My Paradise Lost will bury the world, and the first one to be buried will be you—Pegasus!"

In the very center of Paradise Lost is a figure resembling a child's simple sketch—the very painting Seiya and Pegasus created with their blood when they first met in the forest. When Aaron awakened to his fourth stage and obtained the Hades Cloth, he thought this painting would never be of any use, but now it's the trump card to defeat Pegasus!

But Pegasus responded with a fist burning to its limit! Pegasus Meteor Fist struck his cheek, and Hades coughed up blood. This was the Pegasus God Cloth, a completely new experience. Seiya knew how many wounds he had sustained in these continuous battles, but at this moment, this new Cloth resonated with him, and Seiya clearly felt a powerful surge deep within his chest.

A latent, unknown courage, like a breath of fresh air, is gathering strength. Simultaneously, it accelerates the spirit of the soul, the will, and the will to fight against adversity.

As long as the will to fight remains—

—A latent, unknown power was ignited like a flame!

"Show me your brave heart, Aaron!" Seiya roared from the bottom of his heart, and a power that defied all reason burst forth from his body, slamming into Aaron's chest.

The sound of something shattering echoed deep within Aaron's body; to those on Earth, it was merely a shooting star streaking across the sky.

—Blue Earth, Blante.

A white line, visible to the naked eye, appeared from the sea level, and towering waves were about to reach the border. Garlussie, the lord who ruled Bland, watched as two meteors, one black and one white, descended from the sky, cleaving the sea and shattering the frozen ground.

There was no time to do anything, nor was there any way to do anything, because the immense divine power had already shaken the spirits of all who witnessed it.

— Jamir, the border town between Tibet, China and India.

All the Jamir people could feel a powerful force passing through the sky, and then they were surprised to find that all the fragments of the Saint Cloth were resonating at that moment.

—Fairyland, this is the sacred domain of the Taoist sculptors who cultivate all things in the universe.

At this moment, a majestic white dragon, hundreds of feet tall, suddenly raised its head. Following closely behind, all the Taoist priests could feel an uncontrollable surge of natural energy they cultivated.

In this underworld, for the demons who are constantly suffering pain and torment, the sun descending from the sky once again pierces through hell.

Two blazing stars intertwined, spiraling back and forth, and as they fell into hell, a tremendous roar could be heard even across heaven and earth.

Stars pierced the earth, tore through space, and the shattered hell emitted a sound like a lament, forming a duet with the deep bass of the next layer of space that was subsequently pulverized.

Even the underworld officials on the first level were still wailing in agony, while the demons on the second level were already bathed in the sun. The souls of the dead could not even utter a sound, and they were reduced to ashes along with the scorching light. This scene, which resembled a natural disaster, continued to unfold on each level.

The two intertwined black and white meteors stretched endlessly forward, continuing their journey through hell—

—Bang, thud, boom!

After a brief pause, what echoed throughout the world was an unusual vibration that sounded like countless metal blocks colliding and squeezing together.

The two sides finally stopped at the border of the seventh level of hell, and the two beams of light finally dimmed.

Both sides had already fought several major battles before engaging in this final battle, and were on the verge of death.

But at this moment, it wasn't the more disheveled Hades Aaron who was at his lowest point, but rather the Saint Seiya. Although Aaron had been on the verge of defeat several times during the battle, he ultimately emerged victorious, solely because of the Hades Sword he wielded in this duel.

This is the most powerful divine weapon, an artifact on par with Zeus's thunderbolt, Poseidon's trident, and Athena's shield. It can completely erase the concept of one's own existence from this world.

"You deserve my admiration, Pegasus. I'm afraid I'll never forget you in my life."

--------

P.S.: Wait, why is the official name of Blue Earth a censored word? That's a bit ridiculous.

Chapter 144: The Myth of Hades, The Curtain Falls

Faced with Hades' sword, the weapon Seiya conjured was as fragile as tender bamboo shoots in spring, easily defeated.

This sword of Hades, which cuts through everything in the world, can easily pierce even divine armor. Moreover, those struck by it are cursed and utterly annihilated. Even those with eternally immortal souls, once pierced by Hades' sword, will be banished to a void beyond the cycle of reincarnation, with no possibility of escape.

And this eternally immortal soul is Seiya.

Hades still looked at the Saint Seiya with lingering fear. Even after so many years, he still couldn't adapt to this illogical fighting style. His lost paradise, the crimson inscription written in his own blood, was gradually corroding his life, yet his fighting power grew increasingly ferocious with each passing day, eventually even cracking his indestructible Hades Cloth.

"It's all coming to an end."

Even if you use Hades' power to erase his soul, you cannot truly kill Pegasus.

Long ago, Hades devised a unique technique specifically for these special life forms, banishing them to a void world outside the cycle of reincarnation. In this world outside the multiverse, because it is nothingness, time does not flow. Freed from the cycle of reincarnation, even eternally immortal beings like Pegasus can only drift aimlessly in this place where even pulling out their souls is impossible.

Hades raised his hand once more. Dark, profound light gathered, condensed, and extended in his palm, ultimately transforming into the Hades Sword, a symbol of end, its blade gleaming with a chilling light that devoured everything.

"Pegasus, I will probably never forget you in my entire life." It was now unclear whether it was Hades or Aaron who uttered the final farewell words, as he prepared to completely end this long-cherished wish that had lasted for countless reincarnations.

The next instant, the Pegasus Saint before him vanished from his sight. Yet, his aura lingered behind him.

It was the divine authority that transcended distances. Hades instantly realized the existence of the powerful wind, but he was not afraid, because his sword had also locked onto his opponent.

Combat Technique - Hell's Sword!

The absolute finishing move is a fighting technique that completely ends the nemesis. Just as Hades showed joy, golden light also emerged from the opponent's palm and pierced through his chest in the same manner.

"Uh...!"

Hades stared in astonishment at his chest. The golden blade, though unfamiliar in appearance, had easily pierced through his Hades robes, obliterating his physical body along with them.

"There's no way around it, some things are just too troublesome. I can't use them unless I'm at a certain low health level." Seiya, who also had his chest pierced, smiled, but he was still ruthlessly twisting the golden blade in his hand.