Pandora knelt on the cold temple floor, her black dress spreading like butterfly wings.
Her voice echoed through the vast hall. "The Living God, Atavaka, has perished. Utterly dead. Cannot revive."
Under the crystal chandelier's light and shadow, Hypnos played with a withered rose.
Hearing this, he chuckled lightly, petals turning to dust in his palm. "So what?"
Thanatos leaned against a chair, his tone calm. "When did the Underworld have a [Living God] position? The Underworld Army only ever had three Gods… Hades-sama and us."
Pandora took a deep breath. "Phoenix and Virgo have obtained the Nyoi Hoju. I implore the two lords to intervene and eradicate them."
"Mere humans." Thanatos's tone was cold. "Worth us personally hunting? Do you want other gods to mock us?"
Pandora immediately bowed her head, voice trembling slightly. "This subordinate wouldn't dare."
Hypnos lazily propped his chin, fingertips lightly tapping the armrest. "Withdraw. When they come before us, we'll casually erase them."
…
Setsuna and Asmita were about to begin their return journey when hurried footsteps and angry roars suddenly came from afar.
"Don't let them escape!"
"Stop them quickly!"
Several Specters, weapons in hand, pursued three young Saints.
"Tenma?" Setsuna instantly recognized that familiar figure.
Phoenix flames instantly swept the battlefield. The pursuers turned to ash before they could even scream.
"Sensei!" Tenma shouted joyfully, his eyes full of relief after a narrow escape.
"He's Tenma's teacher!" Unicorn Saint Yato and Crane Saint Yuzuriha were instantly excited, 'Was he that legendary Sanctuary hero?'
And seeing Asmita beside Setsuna… the dazzling golden light was reassuring.
"Why are you in the Underworld?" Setsuna asked gravely.
Tenma's expression immediately darkened. "Sensei, while you were away from Sanctuary, I received an audience with Athena-sama. Turns out, this era's Athena-sama … is actually my childhood friend, Sasha."
"This should have been joyous. But just then, another childhood friend of me and Sasha appeared. His name is Alone. But… he's Hades's reincarnation."
Tenma unconsciously clenched his fist. "He wanted to kill Sasha. I desperately tried to stop him, resulting in Alone killing me."
Yato took over, relief in his tone. "Luckily, Tenma had the wreath personally woven by Sasha-sama, keeping his body alive. As long as we bring him back before his soul dissipates, he can revive."
He shook the wreath on his wrist. "Sasha-sama also gave us wreaths, allowing us to enter the Underworld to bring Tenma back."
Setsuna nodded slightly. "Your targets are smaller, so you entered the Underworld without easily alerting the Specters. If Gold Saints came, they'd likely be discovered immediately."
Just then, another group of pursuers appeared.
The leader wore a Specter Cloth. Heavy armor produced dull echoes with each step on the ground.
Yuzuriha instinctively retreated half a step, whispering a reminder. "Setsuna-sama, be careful. The opponent's leader is Celestial Retreat Star [Genbu] Gregor. His defense is absurdly strong. The three of us combined couldn't harm him."
Before her words finished, the Specters opposite stirred first.
"Th-that… what is that?" Someone trembled, pointing nearby.
Aiacos's corpse lay in a pool of blood. The Garuda Specter Cloth's broken wings resembled snapped banners.
"That's Aiacos-sama's corpse! What happened?"
"Gold Saints! We must flee!"
Panic spread like plague. How could they defeat enemies who killed Aiacos?
"Worthless!" Gregor roared, shattering nearby rocks. "My Genbu Shield is the world's strongest defense! What can Gold Saints do?"
He laughed wildly, slapping his chest armor. "Aiacos died? Perfect! Let me replace him, become the new Underworld Three Judg—"
The air suddenly exploded.
Setsuna threw a punch, and Gregor was like a crushed beetle. Without even time to scream, he vanished like a meteor beyond the Underworld's horizon.
"Let's go." Setsuna shook his wrist, as if swatting a fly. "Time to return to Sanctuary."
Yuzuriha and Yato stared dumbfounded. After all, that powerful Specter who chased them everywhere was now instantly killed with one punch.
…
When Setsuna returned to Sanctuary, the air was filled with the smells of blood and gunpowder.
The Twelve Houses' torches flickered unsteadily, as if silently mourning.
Setsuna inwardly had some guesses. He went to the Pope's Chamber. After reporting the mission, he asked, "Master, have the Specters already attacked?"
Sage's face seemed older than usual, fatigue evident in his eyes. "Hades sent Specters, wantonly slaughtering across the earth. Though I knew it was a trap, I could only dispatch the Saints to rescue."
He paused, continuing. "While Sanctuary was empty, Hades personally led Two of the Underworld Three Judges, Minos and Rhadamanthys, to attack, attempting to kill Athena-sama. Fortunately, Hades was delayed momentarily by Tenma. We arrived in time, avoiding the worst outcome."
Setsuna asked, "What about Minos and Rhadamanthys?"
Sage sighed. "Albafica perished together with Minos. Minos died within Athena's barrier, unable to revive. But Rhadamanthys killed Rasgado and Cardia before retreating severely wounded."
Setsuna somewhat couldn't believe it. "Rhadamanthys could kill Taurus and Scorpio?"
He killed Rhadamanthys two years ago. Back then, Rhadamanthys was only slightly stronger than a single Gold Saint. How could he kill two Gold Saints combined?
Sage said gravely, "Initially, Rhadamanthys and Rasgado dueled one-on-one. Indeed, he only held a slight advantage. But for some reason, he suddenly became ferocious. His body was torn by magma erupting from within, but his strength doubled. He nearly instantly killed Rasgado, then killed Cardia, who came to intercept, at the cost of severe wounds…"
"If I'm not mistaken, he likely received divine blood from Hades, entering a [Divine Blood Awakening] state."
"Divine Blood Awakening?" Setsuna murmured. If so, no wonder.
He also obtained Poseidon's divine blood. Of course, he knew how powerful divine blood was.
Over these two years, for him to be able to surpass the Gold Saints, that drop of divine blood contributed greatly.
As for Rasgado and the others' deaths, Setsuna wasn't particularly sorrowful.
As long as his plan succeeded, when the next Holy War began, he could revive all Saints sacrificed in this era.