Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction / Saint Seiya Fan Fiction ❯ The Intense Clash of the Gods ❯ Tale 76 ( Chapter 76 )

Deathmask regained his footing, trying to figure out a flaw in Minos's unorthodox fighting strategy. True, he was placing all hope in regards to defense with his speed, but Angelo hadn't expected the Specter to be able to match him, let alone find a flaw in the Sekishiki even he hadn't understood. Deathmask understood his body was brought to the Sekishiki, he just was surprised it was done by projecting an aura that brought other nearby objects to the world as well.

Then again, nobody had ever survived against him long enough for this weakness to be revealed. Thankfully, it was far from a crippling flaw in his fighting style, and he charged again, swinging a left hook at Minos. The man raised his arms to defend, leaving his lower torso vulnerable to a strike from his right... or so he thought. Sylphid's left leg rose, stopping the attack as he looked Deathmask straight in the eye.

"You really are getting to piss me off..." Deathmask muttered, but was immediately kicked away by Minos, the Specter shrugging.

"I would expect a child that's spent his years torturing ants with a magnifying lens to be unhappy when the ants start hitting back." Minos charging, dodging to the left and right as Deathmask swung at him, eventually kneeing him in the face and flipping away. His feet slammed into the sides of Deathmask's head, Minos's flip not inhibited at all as he smashed the Gold Saint into the ground.

Dammit! Deathmask thought as Minos stood away from him, waiting for the Saint to rise up. He did so, teleporting behind Minos, but the Specter moved to quick; flicking away the attacking fists and then landing an open-palm strike to the chest. Catching his breath as Minos stood away from him, waiting for the next round of abuse, Deathmask focused. The situation here was difficult... he could see why Sylphid was worthy of being called the strongest Specter in all of history. He... it feels like his power perfectly matches Shion's! He... Deathmask shook his head. No reason to make the other guy look tougher than he was.

"Well, are you actually going to do something?" Minos drawled. Deathmask responded with a short laugh and then pointing at Minos.

"Yeah..." Deathmask answered as his finger glowed white again. "SEKISHIKI MEIKAI HA!"

WHAT!?! Minos thought as the attack blasted through him, Minos screaming as he collapsed onto his hands and knees. I... I thought he couldn't use that thing in this place...

"Surprised?" Deathmask said as Minos looked up at him. The Saint was standing right in front of him, and kicked Minos straight in the head. The Griffon Specter flew backwards, hitting the ground hard. "I'll admit... I didn't expect your soul to be strong enough to withstand another Meikai Ha... but you're not an ordinary Specter." He pointed at him again, Minos barely dodging the blast that followed. "One of the attacks rips one's soul out of their body... the others merely rip your soul to shreds... Would you say that's a fitting way to go?"

"I'll manage," Minos answered. He charged, jumping over Deathmask's next shot, but the Gold Saint teleported behind him, blasting the Specter in the back. Minos screamed again, skidding across the ground before rising back up, panting and on shaky legs.

"Well?" Deathmask asked again.

"Same answer," Minos said defiantly. Deathmask tried to get him by surprise, appearing right in front of him, but Sylphid was one that did not respond at all to intimidation. He all but crushed Mephistopheles fingers in a beartrap-like grip and then threw him away, charging and smashing his fist into the side of Deathmask's head, hammering it into the ground and leaving a tremendous crater as he walked away. "You still cannot beat me."

"Like... LIKE HELL!" Deathmask screamed as he stood up, firing at Minos again, who stood his ground.

The attack struck dead-center, but Angelo was surprised he wasn't graced with a scream or even a yelp of pain.

"You expect your victims to show weakness, right?" Minos said while glaring at the Saint. "It won't work this time... I don't care how hard you hit, I'll beat you."

Deathmask looked at him for a moment before bursting out in uncontrollable laughter. "That... I've heard that so many times... times I've killed men, women, children... they all say the same thing... and they all end up dying!"

Minos snapped at the last words, charging. "WHAT DID YOU SAY!?!" He kicked Deathmask in the side, but the Gold Saint fired another Meikai Ha that sent Minos reeling away in agony.

"It's of no importance... bombs during war often hit the wrong places, and good people die. At least with me... I know the reason why I kill everyone that I do kill and make it one I can live with," Deathmask answered. "Can you say the same, Minos?"

"In regards to judging them... yes," Minos answered before nodding. "And thank you..."

"You've given me the time, amidst your moral justifications that you have just dug your own grave.." Minos snapped his fingers, his Surplice reattaching itself to him as he punched out. "LABYRINTH STRING!"

Deathmask's mouth went dry as the infamous cables appeared from Minos's hand, blasting into him. His Gold Cloth did an excellent job cushioning the blows... but he still screamed in pain as a few pierced the skin. Another wrapped itself around his neck, and Minos calmly walked behind the struggling Saint.

"We've spent so much time fighting here, I got a feel for your fighting style... I must admit, it's rather stale." He kicked Angelo in the back, the Gold Saint lurching forward but stopping with the string around he neck started choking him. "Labyrinth Gallows, asshole. Anyways..." Minos continued punching him in the back, Deathmask struggling in vain to free himself. "Your aura was easy enough to replicate and generate a far larger one. The only thing I really don't understand..." Minos sighed, "Is how to return to the real world..." Another punch. "You wouldn't happen to know how to get us out of here, would you?"

Squirming helplessly and nearly out of breath, Angelo barely found the focus to teleport away, vowing not to fall victim to the same attack every again. And that vow was one he upheld...

Too bad Minos had far worse in store for the Saint.

"Circle Defense..." Minos sighed as string suddenly shot out of his fingers, coating the ground around him and going further and further. Deathmask recalled a similar technique that Shun, Hades's reincarnation had used while he was the Andromeda Saint...

"No problem," he said with a smirk... stepping forward. "I've seen that ploy before... the secret to it is to not battle with a murderous intent." Shrugging, the Cancer Saint charged. "I can managed that."

Minos smirked as he turned away, shaking his head in pity. "Amateur."

"What?!?"

"WILD TRAP!"

The strings contorted, shooting up and wrapping around themselves, forming an impromptu box that bound Angelo, Minos turning around. "I think it's time..."

"Time?"

"You enjoy entertaining the idea of being a Judge of Hades?" Minos asked, raising an eyebrow. His somewhat playful expression vanished, replaced by that of a man consumed with anger. "Let me show you what it means!" He lunged, Deathmask teleporting away... but it was too late.

Deathmask appeared behind the Specter, but a pair of strings shot through the back of his knees, slipping through the openings in the armor, piercing the appendages and injuring them in a way that one without Gold Saint healing would be forever crippled by.

In spite of his powerful status, Deathmask himself could not believe the pain coursing him as Minos turned, pulling back his fist.

"Experience the pain of the Judge-Jury-Executioner North Star Fist..." One blow connected forcefully into Angelo's chest, his body lurching over in pain. "Hangan Baishin Keiri... Taikyokuseiken!!!"

As Fenrir and Cecil had already showcased in previous battles, Minos began a long and painful flurry of punches, the speed and power of his blows exceeding theirs by leaps and bounds as blood spattered everywhere, the Gold Cloth of Cancer actually cracking, parts of it falling to the ground as Minos ruthlessly screamed out "SKYLDIG!!!", the word for "Guilty" in his native Norwegian, at the top of his lungs.
_
As he sat in his temple, taking slow and controlled breaths, Shion slowly wondered if Minos himself had killed his former master...

Minos was a Specter... one that had given up in their past fight and nearly died because of it... shirking his duties as a Saint and becoming a turncoat... but to kill Dohko? Why?

Stone broke, daylight streaming into the Aries temple as the Saint of the Ram turned, seeing a brutalized Deathmask lying there... barely conscious, let alone alive, in a damaged... damaged Gold Cloth. Looking through the hole in his temple, Shion knew who was mere miles away... and he felt that he was staring into his eyes right this moment...

"Sylphid..."
_
Hilda stared in surprise as Minos walked back into the stadium, the Specter nodding towards her with a smile on his face.

"North Star..." she slowly said to nobody in particular. Radamanthys and Pandora, who were sitting next to her, however, didn't seem that surprised by the gesture.

"One down..." Minos said as he pointed to Shura and Aphrodite, "Two to go."

Without a moment's hesitation, Isaac stepped onto the arena floor, knowing this fight would be murder as his enemy, the Gold Saint of the Pisces coyishly grinned.

 

A/N: Another member of the rapid-fire punch club! Whoo!