Chapter 143: Hades Awakens

The sudden turn of events caught Thanatos, the God of Death, off guard, and he immediately struck out with his foot at Ikki. Yet, Ikki was like an unkillable cockroach, repeatedly calling out Shun’s name over and over again. Thanatos raised his hand, and the space above them began to twist, manifesting the Superdimensional Space. This was the Path of the Gods, a passage legendarily reserved only for deities. A massive gravitational pull lifted Ikki into the air.

"Shun!"

Caught in the overwhelming force, Ikki was sucked into the Path of the Gods. With a loud "bang," both his physical body and his soul were reduced to ashes in an instant.

[Ding! Obtained the soul of Phoenix Ikki. Automatically decomposed, gaining 100 Death Points.] (Current total: 1,500)

With Ikki’s demise, the Path of the Gods closed, and the God of Death finally restored Shun to "normal." Just as Thanatos and Hypnos, the God of Sleep, were preparing to leave, a terrifyingly powerful Cosmos suddenly erupted from within Shun’s body.

"Hmm?"

The two gods turned back, their expressions filled with shock. At that moment, Ikki’s voice echoed repeatedly in Shun’s ears; the final, desperate cry had stirred a profound tremor in his heart. Meanwhile, Athena, traveling along the path to the Underworld, was suddenly bathed in light, her consciousness snapping into clarity. Shortly after, Virgo Shaka teleported before her, knelt, and spoke, "I have finally found you, Athena."

At that same instant, Shun’s soul returned to his body. Sensing Ikki’s death, Shun was overwhelmed by the emotion, lost in his own heart, and descended into total collapse. Hades, the King of the Underworld, had awakened!

"Lord Hades!"

No sooner had the two gods spoken than they were blasted backward against the wall, hoisted into the air by an immense, suffocating pressure. Thanatos felt as though he were being choked—the power was absolute, a crushing force. Hypnos fared no better, struggling in vain until they both slumped to the ground, utterly drained. Hades looked down upon them and asked, "Do you know your crimes?"

If the Specters were mere ants to the gods of death and sleep, then to Hades, the two gods were little more than servants. Despite their reluctance, both bowed their heads in submission. Hades looked toward the horizon and declared sternly, "I shall summon several Specters to confront Athena’s army." Feeling humiliated, Hades’s primary goal now was the elimination of Athena.

Moments later, several Specters knelt before him: Lune of Balrog, Pharao of Sphinx, Phlegyas of Lycaon, and finally, Kairos of Mephistopheles. Thanatos cast a meaningful glance at Kairos; this God of Time, who hid within countless timelines, had not appeared since he destroyed his avatar during the Holy War of the Lost Canvas. He never expected to see him again here, within the mirror of the altar space. He wondered if this truly was the god himself. Seemingly sensing the gaze of Thanatos, Kairos looked back with a puzzled expression and a look of adoration, appearing perfectly normal.

Hades announced that they were to intercept Athena’s army and that he would oversee the operations personally. The Specters departed to engage the enemy, and battles broke out across the Underworld.

In the First Prison, Lune of Balrog faced Aries Mu. In the Second Prison, the Prison of Torrential Rain, Pharao of Sphinx faced Gemini Kanon. Following that, in the Fourth Prison, Phlegyas of Lycaon—known as the Jackal—confronted Leo Aiolia. Meanwhile, Kairos teleported Pegasus Seiya and Cygnus Hyuga to the Star Hill Palace to deal with them personally.

With four battles raging simultaneously and Hades presiding over the center, Athena was returning from the land of the dead and would arrive in a few hours to face him. Thanatos felt a growing anxiety and monitored the battles closely. As expected, the first to end was in the Second Prison. Kanon, truly a warrior comparable to Saga, remained entirely unfazed by Pharao’s musical attacks, even closing his eyes to listen. Unaffected, he struck back with the *Genma Ken*, causing Pharao to lose his mind and strike himself down in a gruesome end.

[Ding! Obtained the soul of Sphinx Pharao. Automatically decomposed, gaining 100 Death Points.] (Current total: 1,600)

Next was the Fourth Prison, where an enraged Leo Aiolia unleashed his *Lightning Plasma*, instantly killing Phlegyas.

[Ding! Obtained the soul of Lycaon Phlegyas. Automatically decomposed, gaining 100 Death Points.] (Current total: 1,700)

Two consecutive victories for Athena’s army left Hades with a dark, unreadable expression. Soon, the battle in the First Prison reached its conclusion. Lune, the judge of the court, had left Mu battered and bruised, relying on the book he held—a treasure bestowed by Hades, the Underworld’s Book of the Dead, which symbolized his authority. Every technique Mu unleashed was absorbed by the book and reflected back at him, causing his severe injuries. Yet, being the disciple of Shion, Mu knew he could not win; he drove his Cosmos to the breaking point, unleashing the *Starlight Extinction* with every ounce of his energy. The power exceeded the maximum capacity the book could handle. The resulting backlash obliterated Lune, and Mu perished as well, the two falling together in a mutual destruction.

[Ding! Obtained the soul of Balrog Lune. Automatically decomposed, gaining 100 Death Points.] (Current total: 1,800)
[Ding! Obtained the soul of Aries Mu. Automatically decomposed, gaining 100 Death Points and 10,000 Faith Points.] (Current totals: 1,900 Death Points, 20,000 Faith Points)

Thanatos was stunned, then realized why Mu possessed Faith Points. As one of the few Saints capable of repairing Cloths, Mu had earned the reverence of the entire Sanctuary over the years, making the presence of such faith unsurprising.

When Thanatos turned his attention to Kairos, he discovered the god was stealing Seiya’s memories. Thanatos could no longer sit still; he appeared beside Kairos, the pentagram on his forehead glowing, forcing Kairos to teleport away. Seiya and Hyuga lay unconscious on the ground.

"Thanatos! Long time no see!" Kairos waved, acting as if they were merely greeting each other. Thanatos’s face turned sour.

"As expected, you are just as annoying every time you appear!"

Thanatos now knew that this was not the Specter Kairos, but the true God of Time. He could not understand, however, how Kairos had managed to appear within the mirror node. Could Kairos traverse the mirrors as well? The realization was utterly shocking.