Chained to Hell!? Howling Black, Heroic Silver.
(地獄につないであった? 遠吠えブラック。勇ましいシルバー)
Was it fun for Hermes to have him and the uptight Sagittarius, two Gold Saints on each end of a line when it came to justice, at odds with each other? One often smiled, even during grim times, and the other showed clear-cut vexation towards betrayal. For everyone who knew him, Seiya was clear-cut to begin with. For Gold Saint of Cancer, his inquisitiveness for the dead—and to further spur Athena's worry of a dark contingency—seemed to have bordered to insanity. Whether it was believed or not, it was just in this generation—years after the war with Hades— did Sagittarius and Cancer have a somewhat amiable connection. The latter was a star-fated choice, succeeding Schiller sometime after the Pallas War, and after training outside Sanctuary and within the Temple of Cancer's trials. After Fudo, Seiya appreciated Cancer's upfront temperament, his wit, and ability to hardly lose his cool even under pressure; also, a sociable buffoon who liked the simple, local life during peace. However, the two didn't always have a mutual understanding.
If the world were to go by their favorite astrological newspaper, the best compatibility partners of Cancer were Taurus, Virgo, Pisces, and Scorpio; three of those Gold Saints were no longer in existence right now; Sagittarius was above average, leaning towards Aries, Leo, Libra, and Aquarius.
In fact, at one point, Seiya berated and nearly decked Hermes for marking Hyouga as a possible coward for not joining the Twelve Temples punctually. If they had a chance to swing fists, it would be now, but Hermes backed up with the object of taking Athena away. A fog slipped into view and there was the sound of footsteps closing in.
After following Athena into the trapped Limbo, Sagittarius Seiya waited for the guest to arrive. A sparkle caught his eyes, prompting him to look down. Linked to the soles of his feet were ring chains wrapped in a dull white glow. He saw another one, of greater length, forcing him to look over his shoulder. That chain burned with a magnificent shine, to rainbow intensity, different colors magnetizing all who saw it. That chain led to Athena.
The meaning was not known, but Seiya and Athena couldn't help but believe to be caught in some kind of trap. The Cancer Saint was not nervous in the slightest.
"Hermes? You're here." The lofty voice of the woman pierced through the dark, but when the unknown figure, looming from a distance, showed its full form, the goddess and her Saints saw a, ashen-haired man in sparkling obsidian. With its gloss and dismal look, like a monster frozen on the man's body, it was easily figured to be the armor of the Underworld.
Quietly, the new figure gestured up his palm to show a flower. A gray flower with long, petals, similar to the Chrysanthemums, gathered in a spread out bloom. Athena recognized the flower, and it clicked to her as to who the owner of the voice was.
"Demeter!"
"That's correct my dear," blurted Hermes, "and look, I got Athena too! See? I kept my promise."
"Enough!" It was indeed the Goddess of Fertility; by now, that snapped rancor possessing her noble voice should not come off as unordinary. She still couldn't deal with Hermes's affectionate blandishing. She wasn't seen; when she spoke, her words fell out of nowhere in a watery echo. However, all eyes were on the man and the flower that he held in his hand.
"I suppose you weren't pulling my leg after all," she said, obviously referring to Cancer. "You are to meet me with Athena. Therefore, I have sent this creature as a guide."
Is that a Specter? Seiya wondered; it felt obvious. The figure standing before them was covered in a jagged armor modeling some fanged or spiked creature. However, it brought some confusion. He thought that the Specters were sealed or destroyed from the last war, and couldn't imagine that Hades had returned already.
"I don't really need a guide, Lady Demeter." Hermes smiled wryly.
"I assure you this is necessary, especially now that Sagittarius is here." Demeter seemed to hint that this was against her expectations, a tint of disappointment in her timbre. Or was it aggravation?
"This thing here happens to be a guide and guardian of the dead." The Mother Goddess continued. "He has the ability to chase down dead souls, assuring that they do not escape. This is through the use of his Path of the Dead, which can follow the "spirit chains" of others in order to follow and collect their owners. The chains glow when attached to someone, but specifically, a chain attached to divine beings have an intense sparkling color. Do you not notice them?"
Demeter convinced Athena and Seiya to look down, and it now made sense to them as to why they saw chains connected to their feet. The goddess further confirmed another grisly detail.
"But there is something else - these chains will only lead to those who have died or are about to, so that they can be collected and guided to the Underworld. Also, to make sure they don't escape. You abominations! With Path of the Death, this guardian can follow you anywhere, even across dimensions, and trap you to the dead's will. Athena, Sagittarius Seiya, it seems you have defied death to make me miserable."
"So, I wouldn't glow?" Hermes looked impressed. "But they glow because they died? I gotta say, that's a badge you two. But it looks like you should've stayed out of my business, Seiya."
"Now, get them Meadow! Bring Athena to me and make Seiya's death ascertain!"
The flower in the guardian's hand was lunged into the air, its petals scattering. Suddenly, a loud, thundering voice surpassed Demeter. The atmosphere grew heavy; the tight lips of the Specter finally parted open.
"I am Dark Meadow! Cerberus Dark Meadow! My fangs become steel and flame, and crush the enemy."
Cerberus?! The Hell hound?! Seiya's thoughts wafted in wind after he found the Specter right in front of him. The Specter was ducked down, and Seiya felt a tremor through his body. An uppercut punch to his stomach paralyzed him, and it was enough to launch him high. Dark followed, and they were eye to eye. Seiya lashed out a palm and threw the Specter back with a wave of cosmos. They both landed, and they launched at each other.
"Seiya!" Athena cried out. "Don't fight! You must go back, and see to the others and the missions!"
"But Athena!" Seiya was too concerned in saving the Goddess, and welling inside of him was the shame of being hoodwinked by Cancer Hermes. He swayed, avoiding a head butt; his toes danced as he was forced to back away from a rake from Dark's clawed gauntlets. This Specter moved swiftly and fought like a beast, closing the gap between him and his golden target with ease. The Goddess had to explain it straight.
"If that Specter is here, then we are running out of time. Demeter and Hermes are trying to inhibit us from stopping the revival and defeating Hades. If you are trapped here, who will go to Dodona?"
That mistake occurred to him and Seiya froze – just enough for Dark Meadow to hook him in the face. He was shoved further back and in this massive Limbo, who knew where he headed. When he was back on his feet, his Cosmos waxed.
"Atomic Thunderbolt!" Seiya raised his fist and a web of golden rays flew out. Dark Meadow bounced along the invisible surface that they fought on. A lowered head and lifting up his back, he chased down Seiya on his hands and feet.
He really was a beast! Boldly running right into the trajectory of the Thunderbolt. The rays strike, and thin down until they broke into shards of light. Both Saint and Specter connected; Athena yelled out to Sagittarius again. Her voice of concern implored his safety and she wanted him to leave to check on the others.
"Did she say kill or torture him?" Hermes said and then shrugged his shoulders, turning in another direction. "Let's go elsewhere Lady Athena. You heard the Mother Goddess, you need to go see her. Hey Meadow Mutt, when you're done, just catch up okay?"
Seiya brought up his arms, his eyes following the punches of Cerberus, banging onto his Cloth. Usually, they would deflect and render the force of the attacker useless, but Seiya felt every blow like a hit to his knee. Five or tenfold. Even when defending, he could feel the hits digging into even his organs. At one point, he saw white. I'm guarding, but he's so strong. As expected, the three headed dog is an enormous sized creature with a giant's strength.
After Seiya was blown a distance again, the attack ceased and Dark Meadow turned to Cancer, who was walking away. He aimed a finger and a long, shimmering object flew in midair. Hermes stopped and turned; he raised his arm and caught a ring chain in his arm. It shimmered with a rainbow color.
"Oh, is this Athena's dead chain?" The Crab smiled and turned to resume his stride. The chain he held was linked to the Goddess's ankle, and it bounced up, snapping onto her neck. When Hermes moved, Athena yelped and began to follow him in the same direction, pulled as if leashed like a pet. Dark Meadow swerved his finger and two more chains appeared. They lay before Hermes and Athena like a path, gleaming brightly with multiple colors. Hermes only hummed impressively, thinking that whoever was at the end, he was going to meet some impressive guests.
OOO
Where do you think you're going?!
Hermes turned around again and the air voided of light was now suffused by a green cloud. A shock swarmed through Cancer's body as he couldn't believe his eyes – a garden of snakes falling onto him as rain. In the next instant, a swift strike caused him to buckle away from Athena and release her chain, which fell on the surface with a metal clatter. Seiya couldn't help but look towards the commotion, and saw someone standing next to Athena. Midst the Limbo, there was another form of warm radiance – a silver body that assured an allied presence. A hand took in Athena's own hand, and the goddess couldn't hide her surprise.
"Mirfak?!" Athena knew the person immediately. "How did you get here?" This Mirfak was a man with a serious expression and deep green hair, but wore a Silver Cloth with a pentagonal shield on his left arm. With his face, and the mace-like spiked guard that hugged his shoulder, did the man seem dangerous? However, he managed a soft smile towards Athena and spoke calmly with words of grandeur.
"How? I walk into the valley of death because I am that strong. It is piece of cake for the head of the Gorgons. Ah, I think I made a pun."
The whole battle was put to a halt as everyone's attention to pulled towards this cheeky man.
"My snakes rattled sensing a threat," he continued. "If I'm not a demon then how can I win? Indeed. I'll become so fearful, until I become the finest Silver Saint Champion. I still want to surpass Dragon and the Legendary Pegasus." Mirfak turned to Seiya, his face grimacing.
Snakes, a shield on his arm, and a craving to surpass Dragon and me. The Saint of Perseus? Seiya's precise thoughts couldn't determine anyone else.
"Seiya, you and Shiryu can't die until I have dealt with you. Now get out of here!"
"What are you about to do, Mirfak?" Seiya asked.
The Silver Saint pointed at Meadow, and then shot a rotten glare at Cancer. "I'm gonna deal with that thing, and this good-for-nothing Gold Saint. Already, he's paralyzed."
Shit, Hermes's curse slipped into his mind. When he got back onto his feet to see whoever or whatever knocked him down, his entire body slipped into a tightening hold. Silent and aghast, Athena watched Hermes's appalled expression as if he has seen a ghost. His limbs were splayed and tight, slowly contorting, his face and jaw quivering. There was no control of his own cells and responses; Hermes's neuromuscular junction enflamed. Did the Perseus Saint have such ability?
"Of course you would be defeated against my heroic Cosmos, you traitor!" gloated Mirfak.
"Mirfak!" Seiya shouted urgently. Mirfak looked back at Seiya, and felt a breath upon his neck. Instinctively, he brought up his shield arm—he heard a loud strike and a quake slid through his body. His soles rubbed against the unseen floor surface. Was he pushed back by an attack? Now standing between him and Athena was Dark Meadow. Mirfak lowered his guard to observe the guardian. He would not admit openly that he was impressed. It was his first time facing any of the forces of the dead. A closer look, and he noticed the grisly monster faces that were a part of Meadow's armor style. Particularly, the shoulders and helmet looked like the maws of canines.
"Dog faces huh? So, who are you?" The creature only responded to the Silver Saint with a quiver of his eyebrows. An animal's growl slipped out from his throat.
"Don't speak? Too bad. Give me those chains and head for Hell nameless one—"
Meadow took a step forward and his hand slapped into the Medusa shield. Mirfak's voice was caught in the back of his mouth by a sheer surge of surprise. He heard a cracking sound; with one swing of his arm, the shield bucked back; Mirfak felt his arm joint reverse in a rush.
A voice suddenly vibrated through the darkness. "I am Dark Meadow, Underworld's Dark Meadow. A brutal fang with tear the enemy with flame."
"No beast that grovels to evil is a match for me, the great Perseus Mirfak. Get ready for an onslaught, cur!" Mirfak bounded high into the air and a flurry of snakes stretch outward in parallel to his kicking leg. To him, a brute like Meadow will be simple.
"Ra Al Ghul Gorgoneion!" When his foot connected, an explosion erupted in between Mirfak and his target. Whether the Silver Saint could survive or not, it was a chance for Athena to return to the mortal world and release her of the Path of the Dead chain. While there was distraction, Sagittarius Seiya dashed for Athena and then his body evaporated. When the glow of the two clashing attacks died down, the only ones who remained in the Limbo were the downed Mirfak, a crouched Dark Meadow, Athena and a recovered Cancer Hermes. He had his finger pointing out where Seiya was.
"Well that was interesting. Meddlesome Seiya can now follow directions and get his boat. As for you Silver Saint, you're not enough."
"What's that you damn traitor?!" Mirfak got back onto his feet, his angry eyes on Cancer.
"That's quite a trick you got there. I actually couldn't move, but don't forget a Gold Saint is a class beyond yours."
"You talk too much. If Bronze Saints are able to climb their Cosmos to heights beyond our expectations, then what do you think my potential will be? I have improved on my technique."
"I'm sure the same can be said about me, since I managed to break through your improved technique."
"Cockiness will become your defeat. If you won't kneel to me, then I'll just freeze you into stone."
"You're up Mutt! Crush him for good." As Hermes's instructed, Dark Meadow swooped his arms spread out, and a curling smoke threw itself at Mirfak like a missile.
"Medu—" Mirfak was stunned again. A link of iron rings wrapped itself around his left arm and shield, pulling up his limb at a high angle. In a blink of an eye, Meadow was a hand's distance before him. He could see the glinting, ferocious spark from the Specter's red pupils; the Silver Saint was wide open. Meadow reached out, and a radiance like fire expelled from his clawed gauntlet. An attack that was burning Mirfak's face; singing everything, as if he stood too close to a 1300 degree Celsius kiln to stare inside of it. Mirfak swerved away to cool his face, and pulled his bounded arm. The Specter on the other end was not budging; he felt like a thousand boulders on top of each other, if not a mountain. Was this an ogre he was trying to drag?
"Don't struggle too much, Silver Saint," the Cancer Saint mocked as he picked up Athena's chain and waved his hand to bid goodbye. Once again, Athena moved beyond her command and followed Hermes. The chain was still clamped on her neck.
"Don't expect Sagittarius to save you this time. He won't come back while this guardian has his will bounded by the chains. Bye-Bye."
Mirfak groaned; he refused to counter any words that a traitor had to say, convincing himself that he could only show his true skill through action. In fact, he thought to be the best choice. Stars fated for him for survive in the Underworld as he was in possession of an immortal Gorgon. In other words, were he and theCerberus parallel with one another?
"He called you a 'mutt'?" Mirfak drew air into his nose as he rubbed his itching face. He had felt the heat singing his eyebrows and lips, and respired a bit of his composure back. "So you're some kind of dog. A tiango? Garm? Argos? Keelut? Cu Sith? A Thai Ridgeback? Doesn't matter to me. Any harbinger of death will be destroyed by my justice."
Dark Meadow slowly raised his hand and the metal chain slithered off Mirfak's arm, fading into existence. Mirfak wasn't aware of the Path of the Death technique and what it was capable of, making it out to a superficial chain. Right now, he was defying the laws of the death walking among Limbo.
No matter. The best shield was a petrifying one; within Seiya, he could determine that Perseus Mirfak would not be a pushover. The Silver Saint brandished his shield arm once more, pushing it out front. A fiery gleam came out of its eyes—the eyes of Medusa's protruding, horrified face frozen in polished steel. A silver wave washed over Dark Meadow; for a moment, moonlight poured into Limbo's darkness. Mirfak smirked and lowered his guard, expecting complete destruction.
Before his eyes, the so-called "mutt" wasn't moving. The Gorgon mask petrified evil, the wicked dog in the obsidian armor. A smirk brightened Mirfak's face as his expectations were met; he used the dead energies against his foes, and could also expand it to travel to Yomatsu and maybe beyond. The strange inconsistency did not and would not set well with the Law of the Dead. He was still alive after all.
Medusa screeched and abruptly fell apart into broken fragments. Mirfak entered another stage of shock as his arm was suddenly licked by bright red and orange flames. He grabbed his arm by instinct, screaming as the dolorimeter of pain shot up to a level of a hundred hornets. Would he see his bones at one point? It didn't go that far and the fire dissipated, leaving smoke and a tormented Mirfak holding his burned arm. He caught in a few breaths; the most insulting thing was how Meadow was letting him have a time of reprieve. The beast stared without blinking.
Noticing that his arm was still in one piece, and the pain slightly cooled, Mirfak's composure returned to him in a slow stream. He had saw visions of smoldering skin, flame melding into bones, and his roar of pain probably snapped him out of it.
"You bastard! Why are you still moving?!" Mirfak's shout of anger would be met with silence again. In fact, one of Meadow's arms was stone. The rest of his limbs were still flesh and the Specter approached the Silver Saint. His expression was placid; he looked barely unnerved by his handicap. Mirfak glowered and a fist struck Meadow's face, tilting him off his heels from a harsh blow. A few seconds after, and Mirfak was chopped on his shoulder. Meadow's hand made every feeling he had in him shatter. His body folded and collapsed, his face falling onto the shards of the broken Medusa mask.
The Specter looked down at the Silver and then to his frozen rock arm.
"I must say—you are probably my strongest opponent so far." Mirfak retreated into his mind after such words, and he told himself that while he had a chance to excel beyond Dragon and Sagittarius, he had to get up first. It was miraculous that even his bones were still together. Even with his shield ruptured, he could still contain faith as a Silver Saint that could touch the dead.
He rose back up like an uncoiled spring, taking in another breath. A lot of things he did not understand, but it was enough that he was alive and still could fight. He only figured that he just needed to try harder.
"Ra Al Ghul Gorgoneion!" A leg lashed out and a visual of green snakes hugged the Specter. Dark Meadow's arm was frozen, putting a part of his titanic strength to half. Translated as the Demon Head of Gorgon, a touch on the mythical Medusa and her iconic hair filled with snakes, Mirfak's attack was quite generic. Through arduous training, and his zeal to defeat Dragon and Pegasus, he evolved it in a way to be just as effective as his petrifying shield. The snakes, turning into real vipers, could strike even the neurological systems directly, causing a breakdown. To be specific, when the veins can't stem blood, it could lead to clots and tissue ruptures. The brain could be blocked completely. Without their senses, could an untrained Saint fall prey easily?
As Cancer Hermes recovered—was the Seventh Sense of the highest expansion the best defense? It would be a challenge among who lived the highest. It was obviously Perseus Mirfak due to his valor.
After the kick struck Meadow's palm in an effortless block, the target was left motionless. Mirfak scowled again; his foot was stuck in a locking grip. He pulled back his other leg and drove it for the Specter's face. A white halo formed around Mirfak.
"I will exceed them! Watch, beast!" His muscles extend and flex in rapid succession as his kicks fell on Meadow's upper body in a flurry. Sure enough, the quiet monster began to stagger.
When Seiya returned to the mortal world, he simplified what happened and wasted no time to depart from Sanctuary; he and the others was also advised by Fudo to stay clear from any part of the Underworld, especially with the appearance of the chain guardian.
Seiya had explained that while he was in Limbo, he was not in complete control of himself, and he sensed a deep, chthonic pressure from the ancient past.
That Guardian-was that a Judge? Was that a Specter?