[ The scene shifts, and Dohko has already returned to the Sanctuary without stopping, where he encounters the Specters sent by Pandora to search for Athena's Cloth!
First, he defeats the Celestial Star Specters Minotauros Gordon, whose arm swings are as powerful as a Minotaur's axe, while bare-chested!
Then, during his fight with Celestial Star Specters Alraune Queen, his constant action of covering his shield was noticed by the opponent, who detected Athena's blood hidden tightly beneath it!
Caught off guard, Dohko takes a direct hit from Alraune's Blood Flower Blade Scissors, suffering severe injuries and leaving terrifying scars on his body, while the bottle containing Athena's blood also falls to the ground.
Alraune reaches out to pick up the bottle, feeling the immense power contained within it, and instantly realizes that it holds Athena's divine blood, which must be the key to obtaining Athena's Cloth.
He then raises his hand and crushes it. Seeing this, Dohko's eyes instantly lose their light. Already severely injured, under the influence of rage, another gush of blood sprays from his wound.
Just as Alraune rushes forward, intending to end Dohko's life, a powerful force erupts from Dohko!
"ROZAN HYAKURYU HA ——!!!"
Hundreds of azure giant dragons burst forth from the severely injured Dohko. Only then does the astonished Alraune finally understand: "Could it be... You have Athena's blood in your body?!"
In an instant, the Specter Alraune's body is annihilated by the Rozan Hyakuryu Ha, vanishing from the ground with a scream.
But Dohko presses his hand to his chest, his expression somewhat pained: "My heart is pounding at an abnormal speed!!"
Although the enemy is dead, the power within Dohko has not receded. If this continues, he will not live long.
Just as Dohko is fully suppressing the power within him, another Specter appears behind him... It is Rhadamanthys' subordinate, Celestial Star Specter Basilisk Sylphid!! ]
[ .....]
〜Projection of All Worlds〜
"Hiya, did he just poke a hornet's nest of Specters?! I thought this was the Saints' stronghold (Santuary), where did so many Specters come from!"
"It's one wave after another, never-ending! After fighting Terrestrial Star Specter, another Terrestrial Star Specter appears, and after dealing with the Terrestrial Star Specter, here comes a Celestial Star Specter..."
Everyone exclaims in shock; Dohko is truly miserable. He had barely recovered from his injuries when he was severely wounded again, and the bottle containing the divine blood was also destroyed. Forget the mission, he's barely clinging to life.
It's clear that Dohko's heart is experiencing a problem similar to Scorpio Kardia's; a human heart cannot withstand the blood of a god.
With his heart problem unresolved, another Heavenly Fierce Stelle, whose strength doesn't seem weak, appears. Dohko can be said to be pushed to the brink this time.
.....
〜Bleach World, Katakura Town〜
Watching this scene, Urahara Kisuke becomes even more convinced of his theory:
"Indeed, whether it's the Three Judges that appeared before, or Kagaho... the Celestial-ranked constellations are all stronger than other Specters."
It seems the Celestial-ranked Specters' strength is only below that of Gold Saints, especially those with wings... No wonder Celestial Solitude Star Violate had a crushing demeanor when facing other Saints.
And Celestial Violent Star Kagaho was even acknowledged by Dohko himself to possess the strength of a Gold Saint.
"Tsk tsk... I didn't expect Dohko to encounter only Celestial-ranked Specters now."
With one battle after another, a severely injured body, and an overburdened heart, can he really defeat the not-weak Celestial Star Specter Sylphid?
〜Type-Moon World, Witch on the Holy Night Worldline〜
"Under these circumstances, Athena's blood, which originally saved his life, has instead become a burden."
Aozaki Touko skillfully picks up a cigarette with her fingers, lightly touches the faint flame, instantly lights it, and takes a deep drag.
The divine blood is too powerful, and Dohko, unable to bear it, his body instinctively rejects it!
"It's just... there aren't any other Specters lurking after the Celestial Star Specter, are there?! If so, they might as well all come out."
One after another, Aozaki Touko even feels a bit stressed. These Specters are truly something, always trying to act mysterious, usually hiding somewhere unknown, and then popping out to cause trouble at critical moments.
〜Saint Seiya Shioriverse, The Lost Canvas timeline〜
Kardia, acting like a veteran, claps Dohko on the shoulder:
"That feeling, you'll get used to it slowly."
"..."
Dohko looks speechlessly at Kardia, who has an "I've been there, I have experience" look.
Get used to it?! Get used to what? I don't have divine blood now, and I might not even need it in the future, so I really can't understand your feelings.
The Pope looks at Kardia and Dohko, who are arm in arm, looking like "good brothers," with a relieved expression.
Since the video was broadcast, everyone has gained some understanding of the Gold Saints' personalities, greatly narrowing the distance between them.
Unlike before, when they were all Gold Saints guarding the 12 Temples but didn't know each other well, it seems they need to organize more team-building activities.
.....
[ Dohko tries to stand up and counterattack, but finds his body already paralyzed. The opponent has unknowingly laid out a sky full of poison gas around him.
Wherever the poison gas passes, not a blade of grass grows. Sylphid reaches out and chokes Dohko's neck, then throws him down heavily.
When Sylphid approaches, intending to take the latter's head and offer it to Rhadamanthys, Dohko suddenly stands up, extending his arms to tightly embrace him.
The poison gas does not affect Dohko. A vast cosmos erupts, and the Specter is instantly crushed, completely losing his breath.
Dohko finally breathes a sigh of relief, then stumbles towards the statue. He still has divine blood within him, and he wants to sacrifice his blood to the statue.
But suddenly, another black light flashes, and Kagaho appears before him. ]
[ .....]
〜Projection of All Worlds〜
"Libra Dohko's 'Hug-a-Girl-to-Death' move, this is probably the first Specter to die in a Saint's embrace."
"His luck is truly something... encountering four Specters in one day, each stronger than the last."
Everyone then sighs helplessly, their eyes full of exasperation. Damn it, there really is someone else lurking; it's never-ending, isn't it?!
Even Kagaho has appeared; who knows if anyone else is lurking behind him? One after another, even a tank couldn't withstand this kind of attrition.
.....
[ Dark flames instantly surge forth, and the Soul-Sealing Eternal Mark tightly binds Dohko's body. Under the scorching flames, the blood Dohko spits out turns black.
"Uwaaa——!!"
He is then fiercely slammed against the statue, blood spraying from the wound on his chest, drenching the statue. The blood then merges into it and disappears.
At this moment, Dohko is filled with despair. If Athena's Cloth truly appears, he will become the great sinner for the failure of this Holy War.
After the blood merges into the statue, it glows brightly, then transforms into a palm-sized doll, which is none other than Athena's Cloth.
Kagaho is overjoyed, reaching out to retrieve it: "Then it's time to finish up."
But he feels a strong wind assault him from behind, accompanied by the roar of a dragon. Dohko's figure transforms into a giant dragon and rushes from behind him, snatching the Cloth into his hands.
"I... even if I die, I will deliver the Cloth to Lady Athena." Dohko then swiftly rushes towards the distant sky.
Kagaho recovers and strikes out in anger: "You... YOU BASTARD...!!"
In a flash, the space before them suddenly writhes. The next second, the Hyperdimension opens.
Defteros, wearing the Gemini Cloth, embraces the severely injured Dohko, looking down at Kagaho: "Sorry, this isn't something for you to play with."
He will go with Dohko to the Lost Paradise in the sky, and then the Hades Army will surely be defeated!
In the Lost Paradise, Pandora asks Hades with great confusion: "Lord Hades, how did you know where Athena's God Cloth was hidden?"
Hades, however, smiles eerily: "Because someone betrayed the Sanctuary."
That man who betrayed the Sanctuary was also brave enough to seek him out after death, requesting to be resurrected. In exchange, he revealed a secret known only to the Pope. ]
[ .....]
〜Projection of All Worlds〜
"I didn't expect the Saints to play this game too, truly a mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind! How long has Defteros been spectating?"
"So Gemini plays with space, this is going to be interesting."
Everyone even suspects that Defteros might have been watching Dohko get beaten the whole time! Just waiting for the God Cloth to appear and then snatch it away.
"Wait!! Did I hear that right? Someone among Athena's loyal followers in the Sanctuary actually betrayed her?!!"
Everyone even suspects their ears were mistaken. Those Saints who were willing to die for Athena, would someone among them actually betray her?!
And this was a secret known only to the Pope, so the betrayer's identity must be significant!
.....
〜Saint Seiya Shioriverse, The Lost Canvas timeline〜
The Gold Saints present weren't naive. Even if some were unaware of what had happened in the past, they understood! The only one who could have known the Pope's secret, and who was already dead, was that person!
"The only one who could know the secret is the former Gemini Aspros!! The man who was qualified to become the next Pope, but how is this possible..."
Manigoldo exclaims.
Being a candidate for the next Pope already speaks volumes about his strength, but why would such a man betray the Sanctuary?!
Even Manigoldo, as the Pope's disciple, didn't know about this, let alone Regulus, Dohko, and others who had just become Gold Saints at that time.
And on Kanon Island, Defteros feels immense sadness. The scenes from back then still seem vivid:
"Aspros, were you resurrected at all costs to seek revenge on me, your shadow?"
.....