〜Projection of All Worlds〜
"Aspros, as a human, was actually able to open the gods' passage...?!?"
Everything happened so suddenly and unexpectedly that everyone was stunned, swallowing two or three times in a row, as if their throats were dry, looking at the gods before them, who resembled something from the universe.
"Is this Aspros a human or a ghost?! Just based on Yoma's few words, he instantly thought of a way to deal with the latter!"
This wasn't the key; the most crucial thing was that Aspros, even severely wounded with a severed right arm, managed to open the gods' passage by himself!
It could be said that this feat was unprecedented and unmatched, very likely the closest humanity has ever come to godhood!
Now, everyone had a new understanding of him: Gemini Aspros was a Gold Saint who was proficient in physical, spiritual, and spatial abilities!
He was primarily knowledgeable, and his IQ was remarkably high.
Facing the unreasonable techniques of Yoma, the younger brother of the God of Time, he twice instantly came up with countermeasures, making him a true all-rounder.
Asmita's prayer beads, anyone who used them knew how effective they were; they could even firmly suppress a god's soul back into a Specter's body!
Although they didn't kill many Specters, the prayer beads, bought with his life, gave him 108 assists, making him the strongest support in this Holy War.
.....
〜Bleach World〜
"Tsk, tsk... I haven't seen any human capable of opening the gods' passage; Aspros is truly unique."
Urahara Kisuke was also full of wonder, looking at Aspros as if he were a monster.
With top-tier strategy, outstanding strength, and decisive action, Aspros was an all-rounder. If Yoma hadn't interfered, he would have undoubtedly been a Pope-level figure.
Yoruichi couldn't help but exclaim,
"Damn, how strong is Aspros?! Could it be that he can still cultivate in the Underworld?"
Does Aspros have no limits? She now even suspected that the reason Defteros was able to defeat Aspros back then was largely due to a sneak attack.
Even among the monstrously powerful Gold Saints, Aspros might be someone they couldn't handle.
To open the gods' passage as a mortal, one could already say the latter had become a god!
〜Bungo Stray Dogs World〜
Although his world didn't possess such outstanding power, Dazai Osamu believed his mind was quite good.
"Aspros was able to push Yoma to a desperate situation, but it took many coincidences to achieve that."
After all, Yoma's strength was evident. Anyone hit by the Genro Maoken was supposed to remain unconscious until they killed their designated target.
Yet, Yoma, in his madness, uttered a few words he shouldn't have, instantly noticed something was wrong with himself, and then regained consciousness.
"It seems that technique is either ineffective or greatly diminished when used on a god."
There was one thing Dazai Osamu also couldn't understand: what made Yoma so confident that after passing through the gods' passage, he could pummel his brother, Kronos?!
He was beaten even in his prime and then removed from myths and legends. What could he do upon returning? Get another beating?!
〜Type-Moon World, ██████ Worldline〜
In the 7th singularity, Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia
As a goddess, Ereshkigal rubbed her eyes, her face pale, her expression somewhat flustered.
"This is simply impossible! There's a huge chasm between gods and humans that cannot be crossed."
Aspros's feat was as absurd as someone telling her that humans could open the gates to the Underworld and pass through the seven stone gate trials. It was utterly impossible!
And in Uruk, above the Underworld, Ishtar also showed a bitter smile.
"Now, humanity's reverence for gods will definitely be greatly diminished."
Aspros's action was essentially telling the world that gods were not out of reach, and that humans could even reach the gods' dwelling place with their own power.
"The gods of that world are truly something. Descending to the human world is one thing, but couldn't they lock the gods' passage when they come? The gods' passage just opens for anyone who wants it."
Is Aspros really not some reincarnated god?! The path to the gods is truly hard to believe a human could open.
〜Saint Seiya Toeiverse, Anime timeline〜
"This..."
Mu of Aries was incredibly conflicted at this moment, a thousand words converging in his heart, not knowing how to speak.
Opening the gods' passage alone, without divine blood, purely by his own strength.
Deathmask of Cancer also wore a bitter expression.
"Gemini really doesn't tolerate failures, no matter the generation; they're all ridiculously strong."
Sometimes Deathmask even wondered if he was useless, feeling like none of the Gold Saints inside were cowards; they fought harder than the last.
Even more ruthless was Gemini, who even brought out this thing called the gods' passage.
So, we're the ones lowering the bar, right?! Can't you leave some room for your successors?! Why raise the bar so high? We can't keep up!
〜Saint Seiya Shioriverse, The Lost Canvas timeline〜
After seeing this scene, the God of Death's lips curled into a cold smile again,
"Heh, it seems this brother has been largely sealed; he's truly not worth fearing."
Constantly experiencing life and death in the human world, even needing a God Cloth to return to the heavens, he's at best a pseudo-god now.
Yoma's time reversal ability does not affect their souls; at most, handling the possessed body might be slightly troublesome, but not overly difficult. A single one of them can easily take care of him.
Hypnos's eyes flickered with an unknown light.
"The focus is on this human, Gemini; he's truly interesting."
They had lived for so many years and had never seen any human capable of opening the gods' passage, but... it was only opening it. To pass through, that's still impossible!
Meanwhile, in the Sanctuary, looking at Yoma suppressed by the prayer beads, the Pope frowned instead.
He had thought that after understanding the opponent's general strength through the video, Asmita's sacrifice wouldn't be necessary, but... it seemed unavoidable.
After all, to defeat Yoma, the soul-targeting property of these prayer beads was essential. Without them, even Aspros probably couldn't deal with the latter.
Manigoldo recovered from his surprise and said in a deep voice,
"Yoma panicked the moment he saw the prayer beads. Without them... we can't win."
This could be said to be the most difficult battle of this Holy War. He admitted that if it were any of the other 11 Gold Saints, they wouldn't be able to fight it.
Sisyphus was speechless. The single ability to reverse a person's physical time destined this battle to be handled only by the deceased Aspros.
.....
[ It was at this moment that Yoma finally understood Aspros's plan, looking at the latter with horror and dread: "You bastard!! Did you open the gods' passage?"
Aspros's face grew even more frantic: "Aside from gods and those wearing God Cloths, anyone who takes even one step in will have their soul and body turn to dust."
The shadow of death instantly enveloped Yoma. He still couldn't believe he was about to be buried by a human he despised, and even more ironically, he was to die within the gods' passage he had always wanted to reach.
Yoma no longer put up a tough front and began to beg Aspros to stop: "Stop it! If you continue, even you will disappear in there."
Hearing Yoma's plea for mercy, Aspros instantly flew into a rage, roaring at Yoma almost hysterically: "Even a trash life is an irreplaceable one for humans!!"
"Because of you, I broke the promise I made with my brother Defteros, and now only I, a dead man, stand here!!"
Our irreplaceable lives have been completely corrupted because of a demon like you. Now, you still want me to let you go?!
"Farewell... you arrogant, foolish... pathetic pseudo-god...!"
With Aspros's roar, Yoma was completely flung into the gods' passage!
"Ugh ah ah ah——"
Agonizing screams were incessant, then abruptly ceased, becoming silent. Yoma had been annihilated by the gods' passage, and his soul was sealed within the prayer beads!
His endless spiral of life and death finally ended. He would undergo a painful baptism in the prayer beads, regretting everything he had done.
The great battle was over. Aspros stared blankly at his surroundings: "The space is constantly shrinking, indicating that my Cosmo is continuously weakening..."
"But I lived my life the way I wanted to!"
Aspros's eyes held a hint of loneliness. A gust of wind blew, and his already unsustainable body became even more ethereal.
"Athena..."
And carried by the wind was an incredibly familiar Cosmo. Athena, clad in her God Cloth, appeared behind him.
"So badly wounded!" Sasha instantly understood everything upon seeing the severely injured Aspros and rushed forward, wanting to heal him.
Aspros stubbornly turned his head away from Athena: "Please don't come near me, Athena!"
In Aspros's heart, he was merely a sinful traitor: "If you touch me, your hands will be soiled, won't they? As the goddess of justice... You cannot understand someone who willingly embraces evil."
However, in Sasha's eyes, Aspros's stubborn tone was like a child who had made a mistake, asking for forgiveness.
So, hearing Aspros's sorrowful and self-reproaching words, Sasha did not stop but came to his side: "I also don't believe that you, as you are now, are an evil being..."
"You are neither good nor evil, just a human who lived their life to the fullest, aren't you?"
Aspros instantly froze in place, then a gentle smile once again appeared on his face: "You truly are..."
Aspros didn't expect that in the final moments of his life, he would find true peace and liberation.
"Indeed, you've had this human-like quality since your time in Sanctuary."
As another gust of wind blew, Aspros's figure had already dissipated, leaving only the two battle cloths, one of light and one of darkness, behind.
The two battle cloths, just like the two brothers once were... ]
[ .....]