Setsuna smiled, about to throw Aiacos into the illusory world he himself opened.
Aiacos's pupils abruptly contracted. "Damn!"
He never expected his move would be ineffective against Setsuna again and even became Setsuna's countermeasure.
Just as Aiacos was about to be thrown back into the other dimension, countless purplish-black Sanskrit chains shot through the air, forcibly dragging him away from danger.
"Tch, finally show yourself?" Setsuna withdrew his hand, looking at the figure slowly appearing not far away. "Atavaka, hiding in the shadows watching for so long, I thought you'd adhere to the principle of 'allies in trouble, unmoving as a mountain'."
"The benefactor is too cautious." Atavaka clasped his hands. The phantom of the Six Realms of Reincarnation flowed behind him. "You didn't reveal even a single opening."
Simultaneously, Asmita's telepathic voice sounded in Setsuna's spiritual world. "Thirty more seconds. Just hold on thirty more seconds."
The Nyoi Hoju's golden light had condensed into substance, only the final thread remained for complete harvesting.
"Atavaka, quickly stop Virgo." Though surprised Atavaka would join the fight, Aiacos had no time to think further. "I'll hold him off."
However, Atavaka calmly said, "I don't care whether Virgo can harvest the Nyoi Hoju. For me, subduing this 'Great Demon' is key."
He suddenly formed a Buddhist mudra. The Underworld's sky abruptly twisted.
A Buddha dharma manifestation ten thousand meters tall rose from the ground, its head touching the thirty-three heavens, its feet treading the eighteen hells.
"Suppress!"
A giant palm descended like Mount Sumeru. The entire Blood Pool Hell's ground cracked inch by inch.
Boom!
Setsuna's fist collided with the Buddha's palm. The shockwave shattered multiple layers of space.
Each clash between the two powerhouses caused the River Styx's waters to reverse flow, the Sanzu River's waves to surge skyward.
"These two monsters… both grew this powerful?!" While shocked, Aiacos didn't forget this mission's purpose.
Seizing the chance, he flapped his wings, charging towards the Bodhi tree, only to be intercepted mid-air by a golden meteor.
"Get lost!" He roared, throwing a punch, only to be slammed into a rock wall by an elbow strike from Setsuna.
"Atavaka!" Aiacos angrily said. "Weren't you stopping him?"
Atavaka was silent for a moment. "I did. I used the Demon Heaven's Dancing Treasure Wheel to strip his seven senses. But this man fights purely by bodily instinct."
"What?" Aiacos's eyes filled with disbelief, 'Stripped of seven senses, yet still fighting? What kind of monster was this?'
Atavaka's Sanskrit chant echoed in Setsuna's spiritual world. "Convert. Become the Dharma-protecting Ming Wang to attain great freedom."
Buddhist light illuminated all, as if to completely cleanse Setsuna's will.
Yet inwardly, Setsuna sneered. "The same move is ineffective against a Saint. I already found the countermeasure."
Deep within Setsuna's consciousness, the gates of his first life's memories burst open.
Vicious slander on social platforms, endless attacks in news comment sections, twisted desires on anonymous forums, shameless performances in short videos…
These malice amplified by modern civilization transformed into billions of data serpents, invading Atavaka's Buddha-heart in reverse through the Sanskrit chains.
As the Underworld's being closest to god, Atavaka had attained the 'non-self' realm, his heart almost devoid of impurities.
Yet now, countless filthy, dirty information rampaged through his spiritual world.
His golden body began cracking. Buddhist light was covered by densely packed barrage text.
"Ahhhh… No… Such filth shouldn't exist…"
For the first time, Atavaka screamed. He clutched his head, as if trying to dig those images out.
He wished to gouge out his own eyes, cut off his ears, sever his senses… yet those chaotic impurities were deeply engraved in his heart.
Keeping one's inner world spotlessly clean was hard. But staining it was easy.
Aiacos was inwardly utterly shocked. Though he disliked Atavaka, he had to admit the other's strength. Yet Atavaka was now tormented like this.
"Arrrgggghhhh! I'll kill you!" Atavaka's face twisted. Blood vessels covered his eyes. The Buddhist light around him dimmed and shattered.
His attacks no longer contained Buddhist principles but were filled with madness and rage, like a wounded beast.
Atavaka's palm wind tore through the earth. Yet Setsuna merely raised a single finger, casually blocking his assault.
"Your Buddha-heart is broken." Setsuna's voice held no emotion. "Now, you're pitifully weak. One finger can kill you."
His fingertip exerted slight force. Atavaka's protective Buddhist light shattered accordingly. The entire man staggered back, a trickle of blood spilling from his mouth.
"Heh…" Atavaka wiped the blood away with a savage grin. "I have a soul-shield forged from billions of spirits. Each spirit equals one of my lives. Can you kill me billions of times?"
"I truly can't. But now…" Setsuna's gaze was indifferent. "…can you still suppress those spirits you devoured?"
Atavaka shuddered in shock, only now discovering his soul-shield was actually gnawing at his own soul.
"No! Impossible!" Atavaka screamed. "You ants have been converted by me! How dare you rebel against the Buddha?!"
He tried to suppress again but was blasted apart by a punch from Setsuna, shattering his protective Sanskrit.
"Ahhh—!"
Billions of vengeful spirits completely went berserk, transforming into a pitch-black torrent, engulfing Atavaka.
The Blood Pool Hell's wind carried the black ashes of Atavaka's dissipation. Setsuna quietly watched the wisp of vengeful spirit lingering on his fingertip, thoughtful.
"The Eighth Sense truly is a dangerous realm…"
From Ilias, he learned rashly contacting cosmic consciousness risked assimilation by cosmic consciousness.
Thus, gods devised a shortcut… using the consciousness of all beings to share the cosmic consciousness's erosion.
Whether incense from Eastern gods or faith from Western gods, both followed this logic.
Now it seemed Atavaka's soul-shield was also such a path.
Then, Asmita finally succeeded in harvesting the Nyoi Hoju.
He stood up, his calm face somewhat speechless.
He told Setsuna to hold for thirty seconds. Yet Aiacos and Atavaka both couldn't hold against Setsuna for thirty seconds.
Aiacos staggered to his feet, despair in his eyes.
He and Atavaka combined lost. Now Atavaka perished, and Virgo was free. Truly, no hope could be seen.
Aiacos burned his final Cosmos, lunging forward. The Garuda Specter Cloth's broken wings pieced together into a suicidal arc.
This scene held some tragic grandeur, like a moth flying into flames.
Setsuna threw a punch. Phoenix flames pierced through the Underworld's long night, completely swallowing that figure.
Aiacos's final thought was actually relief. "Finally… I don't have to face this monster anymore…"