Chapter 137: The Fall of Dohko and Shiryu

In front of the Aries Temple at the Sanctuary, Dohko looked at Shion, who now possessed the body of an eighteen-year-old, and was overcome with deep emotion. After the last Holy War, Shion had held the Sanctuary together alone; though they were always victorious, it had severely overdrawn his vitality. In his final years, he had been so ravaged by illness that he was little more than a hollow shell, which was exactly how Saga had been able to take advantage of him.

Dohko looked at Shion with pity, then instructed Aries Mu to proceed to the next temple, urging him to stop the Specter invasion at all costs. He chose to remain behind to face his old comrade-in-arms, and Shion clearly had no intention of stopping him.

"Master!"

Shiryu, blind and carrying the Cloth Box, appeared at the Sanctuary, arriving just in time to witness Dohko’s cosmos, which was as vast and deep as the sea.

"Shiryu, watch closely. I shall teach you my final technique."

Dohko shouted, "Rozan Hyaku Ryu Ha!"

"Stardust Revolution!"

Both were Saints of the previous generation; simple techniques were useless now. Only by clashing with the purest form of cosmos could they prove their status and strength. The result of the collision was that Dohko was knocked to the ground. Shiryu shouted out, wanting to help, but was stopped by Dohko. Then, a miraculous scene unfolded: cracks appeared on Dohko’s body, emitting a white light. He began to grow taller at a visible rate until he stood as an eighteen-year-old youth, looking even younger than Shiryu.

"Master..."

Though blind, Shiryu’s heart saw clearly, and he was struck speechless by such a miraculous secret art. Shion, of course, understood, whispering, "Misopethamenos!"

Indeed, it was the Misopethamenos bestowed upon him by Athena; even after 243 years, it felt as if only yesterday had passed. The two then stood evenly matched, beginning a legendary duel—a Thousand-Day War.

Radamanthys, having arrived from Yomotsu Hirasaka, watched with disdain. Proud by nature, he had no interest in sneak attacks. Just then, a voice reached his ears. He looked at the two combatants locked in their Thousand-Day War, seemingly having made a decision. He suddenly stepped out from the shadows and shouted at Dohko, "Greatest Caution!"

Countless cosmic rays, like a machine gun, rained down upon Dohko as he struggled against Shion’s cosmos. Caught off guard by this overwhelming power, Dohko had no time to dodge.

Suddenly, Shion’s Stardust Revolution combined with Radamanthys’s Greatest Caution, engulfing Dohko like a tsunami. At that moment, a Bronze Saint appeared beside Dohko, taking the brunt of the massive power.

"Shiryu!"

Dohko watched his beloved disciple collapse heavily to the ground, his Cloth obliterated, his body bleeding profusely. Dohko rushed over to check on him, only to find that Shiryu had but one breath left. Dohko cried out in agony, calling his name.

Shion, for once, glared furiously at Radamanthys for his sneak attack. "Is this the way the three judges of the Underworld specialize in backstabbing?"

Seemingly shamed by the mockery, Radamanthys retorted, "Hmph, I was merely helping you. What? Do you intend to waste time here?"

"I don't need your meddling!" Shion wanted to strike, but for the sake of the greater good, he held back.

At that moment, a soft light descended toward Shiryu, as if to save his life. But it was blocked by a force of death. Dohko and Shion saw a thick smoke rise, swallowing the light, which seemed to recoil in fear of the darkness. Shiryu reached out, as if holding onto something, and then drew his final breath.

"Shiryu!" Dohko screamed, blood and tears streaming from his eyes.

At Yomotsu Hirasaka, Shiryu walked toward the endless abyss, lost in consciousness. "Shiryu..." Shunrei’s prayers echoed, stirring his heart.

"What a painstaking effort," mused Feng Zhe, who had transformed into the God of Death. Looking at Shiryu, who was still being manipulated by Athena even in death, he felt a wave of disgust. As a worker, Athena was certainly not a good boss.

Feng Zhe sneered, a sphere crackling with black sparks appearing on his finger—a construct of pure, compressed death energy. When the black orb struck the ground, the surrounding spirits were incinerated instantly, leaving not even a trace of ash. Shiryu, being a Saint, finally regained consciousness at the last moment, only to see the apocalyptic scene before him. For some reason, he felt an inexplicable familiarity with the God of Death before him, a figure flashing through his mind.

But it was only for an instant. He was blasted into nothingness, not even a fragment of his soul remaining, completely erased from the world.

[Ding! Obtained a Gold-level soul. Automatically decomposed. Gained 100 points of Death Energy. (Current: 300)]

At the same time, far away at the Five Old Peaks, Shunrei fainted in her room, and at the Pope’s Palace, Athena Saori bit her lip until it bled. Sensing Shiryu’s fall, Dohko’s eyes turned blood-red.

"You deserve to die!"

In a fit of rage, Dohko exploded his Cloth. His cosmos erupted into a deep, sea-blue flame, and behind him, the Libra constellation vanished, replaced by a ferocious tiger.

Shion was shocked. "Senraku Bansho!"

Indeed, Dohko had unleashed the immortal art of Senraku Bansho, his power surging beyond the Eighth Sense, approaching the threshold of the Ninth. Dohko had played his trump card following his disciple's death. He leapt forward, swearing to destroy Radamanthys. Shion, filled with resentment, did not help but turned and headed toward the Twelve Temples.

A quarter of an hour later, Radamanthys’s Surplice was shattered, and his neck was gripped firmly by Dohko, the sensation of suffocation overwhelming him.

"Die!"

With a massive explosion, Radamanthys was obliterated. He had tried to escape, but was pulled into a black hole.

[Ding! Obtained a Gold-level soul. Automatically decomposed. Gained 100 points of Death Energy. (Current: 400)]

Dohko collapsed to the ground, surrounded by a swarm of Specters. "Damn it, I'm exhausted." Overwhelmed by his previous rage, he now suffered the backlash, unable to muster the strength to fight. He could only watch as the Specters tore him apart.

[Ding! Obtained a Gold-level soul. Automatically decomposed. Gained 100 points of Death Energy. (Current: 500)]

Feng Zhe chuckled to himself. To think Dohko would die in such a way—it was truly laughable.