The light receded, and where the uneven road had been, a broad avenue now stretched out. Scattered across it as mere decoration were several slightly damaged Specters, some kneeling, others lying prone, clutching wounds that weren't fatal.

"If Lord Wyvern hadn't been leading the way, we might have been annihilated!"

This was the thought echoing through most of the Specters. Then, with gazes filled with reverence tinged with just a hint of terror, they looked toward Lord Wyvern of the Heavenly Stygian Star, who still stood precisely where she was, barely having moved an inch.

Wyvern then lightly patted her armor, as if dusting off motes of dirt, but in truth, her Divine Cloth was unblemished by dust, showing only hairline cracks. This gesture was purely meant to demonstrate that her opponent’s attack had barely grazed her.

"What a shame! A truly potent technique... It reminds me of that brother of mine! But coming from your hands, its power is rather lacking!"

Her tone dripped with mockery and a strange, unsettling yearning. Wyvern’s expression remained unchanged throughout; her faint smile looked impossibly sweet, yet her actions were utterly dissonant with such an image.

"It seems you have no strength left. In that case, be a good girl and head on your way... Once your soul enters the Underworld, I shall take very good care of you!" Her right hand lifted slightly, gathering a cluster of dark, profound Cosmo that shimmered with pinpricks of starlight: "After all... you are quite beautiful, aren't you? And that just irritates me even more!" With a sudden, sharp sweep of her hand, an almost imperceptible thread, nearly impossible to detect, shot out, heading straight for Catherine, who was utterly drained and struggling to remain upright.

"Become my doll!"

"Is it over?"

At almost the exact same moment, two people in diametrically opposed situations uttered words perfectly suited to their immediate circumstances. Yet, barely a second later, those words were abruptly swallowed back.

A burst of golden light seemed to plummet from the heavens, landing between Catherine and Wyvern before anyone could fully react. It even unleashed a shockwave powerful enough to destabilize them, the resulting cloud of dust nearly obscuring the golden radiance. As the surrounding Specters staggered, they couldn't make out exactly what had transpired.

Wyvern, standing closer and possessing the greatest strength, only witnessed a blinding golden flash descend, followed by the immediate severance of her Stardust Puppet Strings, as if someone had physically grabbed them and violently ripped them from her fingertips.

"Who are you?"

This sudden turn of events instantly alerted Wyvern that a powerful ally had arrived. Moreover, the sheer force of what had just occurred suggested that the newcomer was immensely strong—potentially even stronger than herself.

"How is this possible!"

She immediately dismissed the notion. Wyvern held supreme confidence in her own power: "In a world like this, unless they are one of the true Gods, how could anyone be stronger than me? Even Hypnos and Thanatos, given enough time, I could contend with them. Unless the one arriving is of Hades' level... but such a being simply cannot exist, can they?"

As these thoughts settled, Wyvern regained her composure. She folded her arms across her chest, maintaining that same calm, collected smile as she observed the scene unfold. "Whoever has arrived, they will ultimately become just another one of my dolls!" As a wave of astonishment and confusion rippled through the Specters, the dust began to settle, and the concealed golden light gradually revealed its source. Compared to the blinding flash moments before, this golden aura was much softer now, allowing everyone to stare directly at it and clearly see what kind of entity was emitting the flame.

A helmet styled with horns resembling those of a bull; golden armor detailed with sharp points on the shoulder guards, elbows, and knees; a height exceeding two meters and a powerfully built physique. Just standing there, everyone felt the illusion of staring up at a colossal mountain.

"So... strong..." Wyvern, too, saw the arrival clearly. Because she was closer, the impact this person made on her was far more intense than the impact of the surrounding minions. "I always thought Taurus was unremarkable, but seeing one in person, I realize just how impactful a muscle-bound man can be... especially a towering one!" She also noticed that the Gold Saint’s face was partially concealed; the lower half, below the nose, was visible, but the area above the nose was perpetually hidden in shadow—she could see nothing but darkness. "Do the Gold Cloth helmets always have this effect? I thought only Gemini’s did!"

"But... why would this Taurus do this? Did he not actually arrive, but merely send his Cloth over?" She shook her head, seemingly negating her own speculation. "Impossible. Such advanced technique isn't something a muscle-bound oaf like Taurus would know. That’s a skill only a perfect man like Saga could employ... or perhaps Kanon!" While she was lost in these internal debates, the towering man opposite seemed to have finished assessing the surrounding Specters. Then, without even offering a greeting, the massive Gold Saint raised both hands above his head. For a moment, Wyvern thought the man was surrendering.

But a second later, she watched him bring his wide-open palms slamming down onto the ground beneath his feet. Paired with the increasingly intense golden aura burning around him, this action immediately triggered a horrifying realization of what was coming!

"Titan's Novas!?"

As this thought crossed her mind, the man’s hands smashed hard onto the ground before him. What shocked her was that after this strike, the earth beneath his feet, and even the ground near where Pegasus lay fallen, showed no change. Instead, the ground beneath the Specters began to crack, and terrifying golden rays shot out from the fissures. Immediately, it seemed as if something exploded beneath them; the ground violently burst apart, turning the stones beneath their feet into countless shards, which, along with the erupting terrifying energy, dealt fatal damage to the Specters.

Wyvern could not escape either. Especially as there was almost no space to evade once the attack erupted; she could only choose to meet it head-on. Fortunately, Wyvern had her own hidden capabilities. While the power of Titan's Novas was undeniably overwhelming, causing true damage to her body remained a difficult proposition...

The monstrous explosion finally subsided. Ye Wen, standing tall, surveyed the nearly ravaged terrain that had completely transformed, yet he felt no sense of triumph, even though one move had altered the very landscape. As for the dozens of Specters, they were merely incidental collateral damage.

Seiya of Pegasus lay on the ground, gazing at the apocalyptic scene surrounding him, his mouth agape, utterly speechless. After a long pause, he mumbled, "Is this... the true strength of a Gold Saint?"

The Saint of Sagittarius’s attack moments earlier had already shocked him profoundly. Such a fierce technique did not seem like something a mere human could unleash. Although the Saints were called warriors of the Gods, at their core, were they not still human?

But the arrival of the towering Gold Saint shattered that notion completely: Saints... truly were not human!

While Pegasus was still grappling with whether he belonged to the human realm and how he might achieve this non-human state, Catherine realized the person before her was not the hallucination she saw before death. Her legs suddenly gave way, and she sank to the ground.

"Uncle... Ox...?"

Even though the terrifying scene confirmed this man was no mere fantasy, she still couldn't be certain if this was the familiar Taurus she knew. Catherine's voice held a note of hopeful anticipation mixed with fear.

At that moment, she looked nothing like the heroic and extraordinary Gold Saint; she resembled a small, ordinary girl.

Under her gaze, the towering man turned. His face remained unseen, yet it gave her a profound sense of familiarity. Then, a perfectly familiar voice rang out: "You’ve grown so tall. It's been a long time, Lina!" Catherine suddenly felt a rush of happiness. However, before she could reply, the 'Uncle' turned his attention to the side, walking over to the Pegasus Saint lying on the ground: "Well now, young man! What are you doing lying there?"

"Ah, haha! Hello—I am Seiya of Pegasus!" Seiya laughed awkwardly, trying to stand again. Because of their terrifying training, the Saints possessed near-inhuman recovery abilities; after lying still for a while, Seiya had regained his motor functions.

"Mm!" Seiya's enthusiasm did not elicit much response. Ye Wen held little interest in this Pegasus Saint. In fact, if the sight of Catherine’s curvaceous figure hadn't made him pause for a moment during his initial glance, he wouldn't have turned to speak to Seiya to alleviate his own momentary awkwardness.

"Damn, he's only thirteen or fourteen, right? How does he already have such a figure? Are Western girls really this ferocious?" Tilting his head, he considered another possibility: "Or perhaps it’s due to Artemis's excellent genes?" Turning back, Ye Wen glanced at Catherine again. She truly didn't resemble the little girl she was in childhood, but what surprised Ye Wen was how hard it was to see traces of Artemis on her. Although Catherine was equally beautiful, she exuded an imposing, heroic spirit, a stark contrast to Artemis.

While Artemis carried an aura of heroism during battle, the overall impression she gave was one of noble elegance. These qualities were entirely absent in Catherine.

Furthermore, her short, golden-brown hair created a sharp contrast with Artemis’s original appearance. Ye Wen had a deep memory of Artemis’s long, slightly wavy hair—a sight that had been frustratingly obstructed during a previous opportune moment.

Looking at Catherine, who sat on the ground with her head held high and a smile directed at him, Ye Wen reached out and gently ruffled her hair a couple of times. This brought back memories of watching this little thing grow from an inarticulate infant into a mischievous toddler who ran everywhere.

Even with a pet, watching it grow into adulthood creates attachment; how much more so with a living person? Part of the reason Ye Wen wanted to leave the Sanctuary was precisely this. If he continued, he feared he might actually fall into a Sakamoto trap.

Just then, a sudden gust of wind erupted from the scattered debris, rocketing toward Ye Wen as it burst forth. Ye Wen uttered a surprised "Oh?" but paid the gust little mind, casually swatting it away, causing it to dissipate in various directions.

"Is Taurus really this strong?"

A pleasant, girlish voice drifted over. Ye Wen then saw a dark shadow leap from the rubble, followed by a tremor, as a pair of large, broad wings unfurled, shaking off the fragments of rock clinging to her.

As the wings spread, they revealed a slender and exquisitely beautiful figure. Ye Wen finally registered his opponent: "Hmm? A woman?"

But after glancing at Catherine beside him, Ye Wen no longer found it strange. If he could produce a female Gold Saint, it was hardly surprising that Hades would have several formidable female Specters.

"So, this woman must be that strange Cosmo I sensed earlier?"

He quickly donned his Cloth in mid-air and descended. Seeing Specters scattered all around, he lost the inclination to question further and immediately unleashed his energy, simulating the effect of Titan's Novas using the Earth's Kunlun and the Morning Star Radiance true energy, intending a swift execution.

He hadn't expected any Specter to survive this attack—something even Rhadamanthys couldn't manage.

His opponent landed gracefully, stepping onto piles of rubble where countless Specters lay buried. However, no one present paid any attention to these casualties.

"I... am Wyvern of the Heavenly Stygian Star, Wyvern! Greetings, Gold Saint of Taurus!" With an expression of intense curiosity, Wyvern’s gaze roamed Ye Wen’s figure ceaselessly. But when she noticed Ye Wen gently stroking the hair of the Saint of Sagittarius, Wyvern’s expression suddenly shifted.

"How dare you do that?"

The sudden, sharp scream startled all three Saints. Ye Wen couldn't help but wonder if he had committed some grave offense, as the shriek felt wildly inappropriate.

"That is forbidden, it is not permitted! The brother of a Gold Saint should be with the brother of a Gold Saint! Though I don't harbor much affection for Taurus, I cannot allow anyone to betray the collective of Gold Saints!" She rattled off a torrent of words that left Seiya and Catherine utterly bewildered. Only Ye Wen, standing at the front, paused for a long moment before suddenly realizing something. The half of his face that was incapable of expression began to twitch involuntarily, forcing his lips into a bitter, strained smile.

"Taurus-brother is supposed to be the eternally offensive Super Bro! How can he show such a gentle expression and make such a disgusting gesture toward a woman?" Wyvern muttered to herself for a long time before finally resting her left hand on her hip and reaching behind her with her right, pulling out a handle. Then, with a flick of her wrist, a long, dark shadow flickered momentarily, accompanied by a sharp crack in the air.

When her arm stopped moving, the onlookers finally saw that she held a long whip. "Those who do wrong must be punished. Let me correct that gradually distorted mind of yours!" With that, she snapped the whip again, and another crisp explosion echoed through the air.

"..."

Ye Wen turned, raising a finger to point at the girl calling herself Wyvern, and asked Catherine, "Where did this lunatic come from?" Seeing his demeanor, not only was Wyvern highly offended, but even Seiya and Catherine on the Saint side were momentarily speechless. Catherine even wondered, "So, Uncle Ox... is this kind of unreliable person?" Facing a major enemy, he still had the mood to joke with his opponent. His nerve was incredibly thick. Catherine considered herself quite thick-skinned, but surely not to this extent!

Of course, in her mind, Uncle Ox was fully entitled to act this way. After all, in her perception, Lord Taurus was an almost invincible existence—her childhood impression was just too strong.

Wyvern cared little for such subtleties. Seeing that her opponent completely ignored her, she felt a surge of irritation. She lashed out with the whip; the black lash instantly transformed into a serpentine entity, tracing an incredibly bizarre path through the air as it lunged toward Ye Wen’s face.

But no matter the speed or the uncanny angle, before Ye Wen, it was merely amateurish posturing. With a casual grab, he caught the tip of the whip just as it reached him. Looking at the long lash, complete with sharp barbs, held close to his face, Ye Wen felt a flicker of annoyance. Still, he spoke to Catherine beside him: "She’s the one who injured you, isn't she? Watch me get revenge for you!" With a sharp tug, Wyvern felt an almost irresistible, terrifying force transmitted through the whip. Having no choice, she was forced to let go, helplessly watching her beloved whip snatched away. If she hadn't released it, not just the whip would fly away.

Ye Wen casually tossed the whip into the distance, then glanced at the scarred Catherine beside him, and finally at the pouting, clearly angry Wyvern opposite.

"Children who have gone astray must receive special education!" Ye Wen pressed his hands together and cracked his knuckles repeatedly, the sound echoing loudly. "Allow me to represent the moon and punish you, little one, whose head is filled with such nonsense!"