Looking up from below, if one possessed vision capable of ignoring barriers, they would be able to gaze upon the Sanctuary and the Twelve Houses, the Pope's Palace, and finally, Athena's Temple.
The Sanctuary, refined over centuries, was exquisitely adorned; its finely carved pillars resembled a forest of white marble, and on its murals were etched the figures of Gold Saints who had fiercely battled and subdued gods in past Holy Wars.
Minos of the Grim Reaper gazed upon those towering and unyielding Twelve Houses, each displaying a completely new style.
"How truly beautiful," he mused. "Such beautiful things shall be personally destroyed by me."
With that, he swung down his threads. The Athena's Saints before him, losing all control, began to strike at their own comrades with their fists.
Facing Minos of the Grim Reaper, the most balanced in strength among the Underworld's Three Judges, they were utterly powerless to hinder the advance of the Underworld Army.
From start to finish, his gaze never lingered on these Bronze or Silver rank Saints. He peered far into the distance, vaguely seeming to spot a figure.
"I hope it's you, Tenma." Minos of the Grim Reaper clenched his fist. "The humiliation of the Underworld will be avenged by me, Minos of the Grim Reaper!"
At this moment, Seiya, sitting before the Aries House, the first of the Twelve Houses, raised an eyebrow. For some time, he had continually heard the Specters' murmurs. This time, the distance was incredibly close.
"They've engaged," Shion of Aries said, his footsteps approaching from behind Seiya. "It seems Albafica of Pisces has already clashed with the main force of the Underworld Army."
Seiya followed the direction of the sensation. Across the rocky expanse surrounding the Sanctuary, a circle of red mist enveloped something.
Even from such a great distance, Seiya could vaguely sense a pleasant scent of roses, uplifting to both body and mind.
For him, who possessed this particular combat technique, it was naturally pleasing to both body and mind. But for other Saints, especially the Specters who had launched this attack, it could be the deadly Royal Demon Roses.
"Is that Albafica's Royal Demon Rose?" Shion followed Seiya's gaze forward, also able to see that crimson hue.
"Eh? How do you also possess Royal Demon Roses?"
Shion looked at the blooming flower in Seiya's hand. As he smelled the intoxicating fragrance, he cautiously held his breath. He knew that the scent of these Royal Demon Roses was a deadly poison, even for Gold Saints.
"What's the defensive situation like inside and outside the Sanctuary?" Seiya asked.
"It seems we've caught up," Shion replied. "The Specters were delayed for some unknown reason, and with the help and command of the other Gold Saints, it's also thanks to Albafica's Royal Demon Rose formation that the Underworld Army has been held back outside. Even for the Underworld Army, it won't be easy to pass through Albafica's Royal Demon Rose Grand Formation."
"Is Pisces the only one guarding there?" Seiya asked, raising an eyebrow. "It is said that the Pisces Saint, who guards the last of the Twelve Houses, is always at the forefront of the first house. It really is true."
After Seiya finished speaking, he realized Shion had a somewhat pale expression.
"My apologies, I wasn't referring to you."
"Indeed, the first house is guarded by me, Shion of Aries. The last house is Pisces. It's precisely because Pisces is closest to the Pope's Palace and Athena's Temple that the path leading to them is always covered with Royal Demon Roses. These Royal Demon Roses are a potent poison that no warrior can withstand. Therefore, the one who guards Pisces House must possess a constitution capable of resisting this poison, and Albafica possesses such a constitution."
It wasn't that Shion of Aries didn't want to help; it was just that as long as the Royal Demon Rose Grand Formation remained unbroken, while it blocked the advance of the Underworld Army, it also forced Albafica of Pisces to fight alone.
Aside from the Bronze and Silver Saints who provided support and carried out crucial duties, the core fighting force of every Holy War still relied on the Gold Saints.
Pisces and Taurus were each responsible for different defensive sectors of the Sanctuary. Degel of Aquarius was undertaking a special mission, while Kardia of Scorpio and El Cid of Capricorn were on guard duty. Sisyphus of Sagittarius was guarding Athena's Temple, and Asmita of Virgo seemed to be engaged in a Specter-related task.
As for him, Shion of Aries, and Dohko of Libra, they were on roving support missions. Ultimately, they were still too junior; compared to the other Saints, their responsibilities were lighter, and their freedom was the greatest.
If one were to simply compare their overt strength, the Underworld forces appeared slightly stronger than the Sanctuary.
Setting aside Athena and Thanatos, whose combat strength was unclear, the Sanctuary side primarily consisted of Gold Saints. The Underworld forces, however, included Hades, Pandora, the Twin Gods, the Goddess Ker, the Five Dream Gods, the Underworld Army's Three Judges, and Kagaho of the Sky Fierce Star.
While the numbers were even, it appeared that the Underworld forces were all gods. However, some gods could even be suppressed by Gold Saints. Nevertheless, their status as gods meant their baseline required most Gold Saints to burn out their lives just to defeat them.
But before that, let's eliminate one of the Three Judges.
Having not achieved a true victory for a long time, Seiya was beginning to miss the voice of the God of War.
Looking at the Royal Demon Rose in Seiya's hand, Shion of Aries suddenly recalled something.
"You can immunize yourself from the potent poison of the Royal Demon Roses?" Shion suddenly realized something crucial.
"Only temporarily," Seiya said, tossing the Royal Demon Rose high into the air. "But that's already enough."
Sanctuary's outer defensive zone, Royal Demon Rose Grand Formation.
"Who will it be now? Will you let your remaining subordinates continue to die in vain? Or will you personally step up?" Albafica of Pisces, the Gold Saint, stood on a collapsed stone pillar, staring at the Specter before him. "Minos of Griffin, the Sky Noble Star."
Simply from their appearances, these two Saints and Specters, confronting each other directly, had a surprising similarity.
"You are greatly mistaken if you think this sea of flowers can halt the advance of Lord Hades, Albafica of Pisces," Minos of the Grim Reaper sneered. "You are merely an appetizer before I slay Tenma and sever Athena's head." But he also realized that continuing to dispatch his subordinates would only lead to their demise.
"For those lacking strength, trying to cross this sea of potent poison is undoubtedly suicide. But for true powerhouses, this so-called sea of poison guarding Athena's Temple is nothing more than a plaything to be admired."
—Gigantic Feather Flap!
Behind him, massive wings stirred up a fierce gale.
Instantly, the entire sea of toxic flowers before him was annihilated. And just as Albafica was astonished, Minos of the Grim Reaper had already surged forward right before him.
______
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