Copyright Masami Kurumada. Summary of Saint Seiya Manga 23 - Chapter 1. Version 1. March 25th 1995. By : Carene Veanc,on. And : Jean-Luc Leger. Title : Cross ! The Acheron River. p8 : Seiya wakes up in a strange place. <9-3> Seiya : "Th..This place, what ... ?" "And that man whose name is Valentine, where ... ?" <9-4> : "I was under the impression that most of Specters had fallen, but .. there is nobody. What does .. ?" <9-5> : "Oh !!" p10 : <1> Seiya : "Shun" <2> Seiya : "Shun !! Wake up !!" "Hey !! Shun" <3> Shun : "Uu.." (waking up) <4> : "Seiya ..." Seiya : "Are you OK, Shun ? You, too, jumped in that Hades World hole ? <5> Shun : "Y..yes." "There is not only me. Hyoga, Shiryu ... and Old Master too .. <6> : "It's good, Seiya. After all, you also were aroused to 8th sense" <7> Seiya : "8th Sense ?" <11-1> Seiya : "Sure .. If the story of Old Master said so .." "It means that both Athena and Shaka have spread that 8th sense and are heading for Hades." <11-2> Shun : "Hum. I think Shiryu and Co were certainly aroused to 8th sense too and arrived alive in this Hades World." "It's certainly like that." <11-3> Seiya : "Okay ! Then, let's catch up with Athena quickly. And then, we'll have to give back to her this Athena's Cloth." <11-4> : "But this desolate country seems to go on endlessly in a dark sky without a star ..." So he wonders which direction is the good one. Suddenly, Shun notices something. p12 : They see a big monument (something like the Triumphal Arch in Paris) : The Hell Door. they also notice the message written at top. It's Ancient Greek and means : "You who enters here, do lose all hopes [of coming back]" p14 : Shun remembers there is another name to this door : The door of despair. The Hope is the only thing everyone has. So if it's forbidden, what does it remain to dead people ? One said that, in Mythological Times, 108 various Harms spread on this world from Pandora's box. Nevertheless, one said that, at the end, the hope stayed. This means that if they persevere, hope will certainly be revived. They decide to continue with their quest without losing hope. So they cross the door. p16 : They arrive near a river. It's a very wide river : they can't even see the other bank. It's the River Styx ! [Note : The real name is SanZu No Kawa. It's translated in River Styx in my dictionnary. But it will be called River Acheron, later, by a Specter. So I'm not sure which is the good name.] Then they notice people who are writhing in pain. p18 : Seiya asks them what they are doing but nobody answers. Then a voice tells him it's useless : they will never answer. These people are those who lived without any viguour. They never did something good or something evil. Consequently, when they died, they were put neither in Heaven nor in Hell. That's why they stay near the bank of the Acheron River, between the Hades World and the real world. The man who is explaining this, approaches on a gondola. p20 : He is the Ferry-to-Hell Keeper, Acheron Charon. He tells them to get on his small boat. Suddenly, he notices they are still alive, and asks them why they came here. p22 : He doesn't understand. He thought that only Specters were able to come in the Hades World alive. He tells them to turn back. Seiya attacks him in order to take his boat, but Charon jumps up and avoid him. Charon understands they are Athena's Saints. Seiya attacks him again but .. p24 : ..this time, Charon protects himself with his Rolling Oar and knocks Seiya out. Charon explains that in this world dominated by Hades, Human beings are like insects. Charon gets ready to crush Seiya's head. p26 : Luckily, Shun stops Charon's oar with Andromeda Chain. Charon pulls on his oar carrying along Shun and his chain. He gets ready to crush his head too. p28 : But Seiya's Pegasus Ryu Sei Ken (Meteor Fist) forces Charon to protect with Rolling Oar. Charon explains that his oar turns about 1000 times per second. This corresponds to a speed above Mach 18 [Note : Light speed is near Mach 1 000 000 !] and can be used for both attack and defence. p30 : Charon finds their hesitations boring. In fact, to fight against them isn't profitable to him. So he asks them how much coins they have, and proposes to carry them to the other bank in exchange for coins. Seiya thinks he's joking but Shun explains Charon will do so if they pay him. That's what he always did with dead people who needed to cross the river. Then Charon gets impatient. p32 : Seiya wants to attack him but Shun holds him back. He doesn't have money but he would like to pay their passage tax with his gold pendant. ("Yours ever" is writed on it) Charon accepts the deal. Shun explains to Seiya this pendant is, according to his big brother Ikki, a souvenir of his mother. Seiya tells he shouldn't do a such thing. Shun replies he prefers to avoid a fight. Charon urges them to get on his boat. p34 : Later, on the river. Charon rows and sings. But, since nobody is listening to him, he decides to speak about the river : it's water has the caracteristic of swallowing everyone who comes into it. Those people are attracted down to the bottom of the river without being able to float nor to swim. Seiya is bored. There is already more than 1 hour that they are sailing. Charon tells him not to lose patience because they are only at the middle of the trip. He knows where they are because the middle part is the colder and the deeper place of the Acheron river. He adds this place is where they get out ! p36 : Charon hits Seiya with his oar and throws him off in the river. Charon explains he said the pendant was enough to pay their crossing. In fact, it was enough to go till here ! Then they notice that Seiya is drowning. Charon reminds that he learns them it's impossible to float or to swim in the Acheron river. He admits there's not only that. Those who fall in the river, are also attracted by dead people who snatch legs. These dead people tryed and failed in swimming to the other bank. They surround Seiya and attract him to the bottom of the river. Shun throws his Circle Chain to him. p38 : And catches his hand just before it disappears under the water. Charon hits Shun with his oar in order to force him to release his chain. But Shun refuses. So Charon gets ready to push him too into the water. p40 : Suddenly, he has to protect himself with his Rolling Oar. This attack comes from Seiya who has just swum up. Seiya attacks again with his Pegasus Meteor Fist. Charon always protects with his Rolling Oar. He tells Seiya has no chance to cross his defence, yet one hit reaches its aim. Charon is astonished. p42 : Then more hits reach him. Seiya explains that a fighting technique becomes useless the second tim when used against a Saint. Then he releases the real power of his Pegasus Meteor Fist and kicks Charon out of the boat. p44 : Seiya goes up in the boat helped by Shun. Meanwhile Charon is surrounded by dead people. Charon tells they will never find the other bank alone. They must save him if they don't want to sail eternally. So Shun throws his chain and catches Charon's hand. p46 : Seiya doesn't agree : he thinks they can cross the river alone and he doesn't have faith in Charon. Shun trusts in Charon. Charon goes up in the boat and asks for his oar. Seiya hesitates but gives it back at Shun's request. p48 : Charon tells them there isn't mercifull persons in Hell and attacks Seiya again with his oar. Seiya catches the oar. Charon tries to push Seiya out of the boat. Seiya doesn't worry because he knows Charon can't defeat him with his oar. But Charon decides to reveal them his true power. Shun warns Seiya. p50 : Nevertheless, it's too late. Charon expels him of the boat with his "Eding Karento Kurasshaa" (Ending Current Crusher ??) Charon tells Shun to worry about his own body, and gets ready to hit him with his oar. p52 : Fortunately, Shun stops it with his chain. Charon tells they are mad to trust in enemies. Shun understands his mistake and apologizes to Seiya. Charon notices Shun's look, he can't bear it so he stops his attack and turns away. People he usually meets, are evil people and have corrupted look. Whereas Shun still trusts in human beings and this faith appears in his eyes. People like Shun go to Elysion when they die. (Elysion is the Heaven World) p54 : A moment later. Seiya wakes up in the boat. Charon tells he will take them to the other bank. Shun explains Seiya that Charon says the truth and shows his pendant Charon gave him back. Seiya is astonished and doesn't understand why Charon does that. Charon explains his own life is worth expensive. Since they save him, it's as they have paid the crossing. But when they reach the other bank, they will fight again. Suddenly, the other bank appears. Charon explains it's the coast of the 1st Prison. p56 : From here, the Hades World is made up of 8 Prisons, 3 Valleys, 10 Malebolges and then 4 Spheres. Each prisons are protected by Specters. At last, they reaches the bank. They hurry to come out and get ready to leave but Charon reminds they must fight again. Seiya asks Shun not to intervene in the fight and, if he gets killed, to move forward without looking behind him. p58 : Seiya and Charon are facing. Seiya reminds him, he can't carry out a lethal hit with the same attack. Charon thinks he's wrong. Suddenly they release their attack (Eding Karento Kurassha- and Pegasus Meteor Fist) Charon's attack throws Seiya up. p60 : Charon laughs. He acknowledges that a fighting technique cannot be used twice on a Saint. Suddenly he loses gold coins and his helmet falls down. Blood runs across his face. Then he collapses in his boat which drifts away. Charon starts his song again. Seiya gets up, one wound at his arm. Next Chapter : The quiet Court House. =============================================================================== Summary of Saint Seiya Manga 23 - Chapter 2. Version 1. April 11th 1995. By : Carene Veanc,on. And : Jean-Luc Leger. Title : The quiet Court House. p62 : Seiya and Shun are running up a stair. Shun worries about Seiya's injury. Seiya finds really long the stair they are going up from the Acheron River bank. And it's only the 1st Prison ! p64 : They arrive in front of a very big monument. Seiya translates the Greek words writted above the door : it's a judgement building. Shun wonders what is judged. Seiya notices it's an incredibly quiet place. Then someone orders them not to talk. p66 : He's a Specter, one of the guard (lower grade). He explains all words are forbidden in this place. They also mustn't make noise when walking and when breathing ! And above this, they mustn't absolutely do such things like to fart ! They must respect the silence especially as Lune who stands in for Minos, hates any sound. He explains that a dead person had his body sliced because he sneezed before a judgement ! The guard orders them to follow him. Suddenly, Seiya sneezes very loudly ! Shun laughs and asks Seiya if he's all right. Seiya explains he caught cold since he fell in the river several times. The guards is really angry and wonders if they had understood what he said about sneezing. p68 : Seiya tells him he's very irritating and that he'd better lead them to Lune's place quickly. The guard can't bear it. He shouts them "Who is irritating ?" He explains what his job is. Seiya points out that he is speaking aloud. The guard moves his hands on his mouth. Seiya laughs at him. The guard resignes himself to lead them in the Court House. He explains them it's useless to keep something scret because all their actions in the real world are recorded in the File. p70 : Suddenly the guard hears the sound of a fart. He turns round astonished. Seiya asks Shun whether the fart is his. Shun replies it isn't so. Seiya ventilates behind him. It stinks so much that the guard holds his nose. Seiya recognizes it was his fart. The guard gets angry. Then a man appears and orders them to shut up. He reminds Marukino (the guard) to be quiet when he is in the Court House. Marukino apologizes to Lune, trembling. Seiya and Shun understands this man is Lune, the Specter of the 1st Prison. p72 : Lune holding a large book (the File) tells Marukino he heard him sneezing, shouting and behaving unworthy. Marukino tries to explains he didn't fart but Lune cuts him short. If he says again aloud coarse words, he will lose his life. Marukino leaves contrite and muttering that he didn't fart. Lune explains Seiya & Shun he is standing in for Mino in the Court House and that his name is Balron Lune. p74 : Lune asks their name in order to determine which crimes they committed and which sentence they will serve. They tell him their name. Lune looks for them in the File but doesn't find anything. So he asks their name again. Seiya agrees to reply and advises him to listen attentively. p76 : Seiya shouts : "I'm Pegasus Seiya, an Athena's Saint. "And this one is my fellow Andromeda Shun. "We came here in order to save Athena and to kill Hades ! "Do you understand ??" Then Seiya sneezes again. Suddenly Marukino enters and says aloud there is a message about Athena's Saints having crossed Acheron River and having entered in this 1st Prison ! (No... He isn't stupid !) p78 : But he is stopped by an extensible whip which surrounds him. It's Lune's. Lune asks him : "How many times I have to tell you to keep quiet, for you to understand ?" Marukino tries to apologize. Lune retracts his whip which slices Marukino. p80 : Lune comes down the stairs. He understands why File doesn't mention them since they are still alive. Yet he always wants to find which crimes they committed. Seiya replies they never did something wrong. Lune raises his hand and throws energy waves to Seiya. It's the Reincarnation ! Lune watches in Seiya's body that he made lots of wrong things. p82 : When he was young, Seiya played to kill insects, he picked excessively flowers, he teased and made a little girl cry, he made birds fall with stones, he also caught fishes, he hit and hurt his friends, and some others things (like a broken vase ...) And his worst crime is when he injured so many people. (He's speaking about Seiya's enemies : Silver and Gold Saints, Poseidon Generals ...) p84 : Seiya tries to explain he killed them for justice. Lune rejects his arguments : Human beings, contrary to Gods, are not allowed to punish other persons and there is a place in the Hell for such people. Once again, Lune raises his hand and throws energy waves to Seiya. Yet, this time, it's to send him in the 1st Valley of the 6th Prison. p86 : The 6th Prison - 1st Valley. That place is the hell with pools of blood ! Those who were violent, who injured others and who made the blood blow, are flowed there and suffers eternally in these pools of boiling blood ! It burns the skin and melts the flesh so that it only remains bones. And Seiya is falling downwards these pools !! Luckily Andromeda Chain appears and catches him. p88 : Seiya is back in the Court House. Lune is astonished and wonders what that chain is. Shun explains his chain can cover any distance even several light years ! Shun doesn't want to let Lune send Seiya in Hell. Lune is astonishd by his determination. p90 : Lune thinks he recognized Shun. He understands he's wrong : except for the hair colour, Shun is the double of an important person in the Hades World. Lune recovers and judges Shun. Like Seiya, Shun injured human being. Shun too, tries to explain but Lune tells him explanations are useless. The Balron's whip will determine the weight of his crimes. p92 : Shun is protected by his chain. The chain and the whip mixes. Shun makes a philosophical study about "to kill a living being" p94 : He concludes by asking Lune if life wouldn't be evil. Lune tells him only a god is able to answer. His role is to judge those who comes here. He gives his whip a pull, saying "Guilty or not guilty" and then he throws it towards Shun - The Fire Whip. Shun protects with his Rolling Defense. p96 : The whip succeeds in crossing Rolling Defense and surrounds Shun. Shun have doubts about his rights to someone else. p98 : Lune will send him with Pegasus, in the 6th Prison. However, Shun's body is going to be pulled to pieces. <3> Shun : "Seiya .. Hyoga .. Shiryu .. NiiSan (Big Brother) .. Sorry .." "Maybe I was tired of fighting .." The whip retracts and slices Shun, his cloth and his chain. p100 : Yet Lune still wonders if Shun is His living copie. (did you notice the 'H' of His ?) He takes Shun's head and decides to bury it. p102 : Suddenly Shun's head livens up. Lune notices he was right. He recognized who Shun was. The living head demands to be tied down to its body as before. But the body disappeared !! Lune panics and looks for it. He leaves the room with Shun's head. p104 : He runs in the way taking to the 2nd Prison. Lune is afraid that Shun's body had been carried away by the dark hurricane of the Black Valley ! Lune asks for help. Then Radamanthys appears. <105-2> Radamanthys : "What happened Lune ?" Lune : "Oh !! Ra..Radamanthys !!" <105-3> : ".. to this ..." : ".. to this living head !!" <105-4> Radamanthys : "A living head ? Where's that thing ?" Lune : "What ?" He looks at Shun's head. <105-5> : "Huh !!" : "Th..this is .. !!" p106 : Shun, who is alive, wakes Seiya up. Seiya asks him what happened to their ennemy but Shun doesn't know. They decide to leave the Court House. They finds out that the wind is blowing in the other side of the Court House. They wonder if it's the way to the 2nd Prison. Next Chapter : Kanon ! Departure for the front. =============================================================================== Summary of Saint Seiya Manga 23 - Chapter 3. Version 1. April 11th 1995. By : Carene Veanc,on. And : Jean-Luc Leger. Title : Kanon ! Departure for the front. p108 : Lune notices he was holding his own mask. He understands it was only an illusion and thinks Shun made it. Radamanthys explains he's wrong, the power of manipulating a Specter such as Lune, isn't in Bronze's level. Lune asks him what it means. Radamanthys explains a powerful man entered in the Hades World. Lune thinks Libra Dohko is that person. Radamanthys says he felt Dohko's cosmo in the Hades castle, so he knows that one is younger than Dohko. Suddenly they feel he's approaching. p110 : And when he's close enough, Lune sends his whip. Which surrounds an invisible person. Lune orders him to appear. He accepts to give Lune this favour. Radamanthys recognizes him. p112 : Gemini Kanon wearing Gemini Gold Cloth ! Kanon explains he made that only to be invited ... Lune tells he is going to be cut in 8 parts. Kanon smiles : "that's your point of view" He points a finger at the whip. p114 : The whip disintegrates from Kanon to Lune, then it's his Sapuris and, finally, Lune himself explodes !! Kanon quotes him : "Human beings, contrary to gods, are not allowed to punish other people". And Lune wasn't a God ! Kanon asks Radamanthys if he wants to receive also the divine punishment.. p116 : .. or if he preferes to lead him to Hades. Radamanthys refuses to guide him and tries to hit him but Kanon is already on a pilar behind him. Kanon notices he can move easily. That means there is no protective field in the Hades World. Radamanthys confirms they needn't it because those who usually come here are dead people with no power. Kanon understands why Milo, Aioria and Mu have been defeated. So he decides to show Radamanthys the real power of a Gold Saint. p118 : But the coming of Shun and Seiya breaks them off. Seiya thanks Kanon. There is nothing more reassuring than to have a Saint like him as ally. Kanon replies he never said he was "their" ally even if he swore faithful to Athena. So he hits them once and gets ready to hit them again. p120 : Yet he stops his fist precisely in front of Shun's face. (Seiya is hiding behind Shun !!) He tells they mustn't hesitate to kill their enemies : it isn't a crime! Then he orders them to go on. p122 : Seiya would like to help Kanon in defeating Radamanthys but Kanon reminds him they have an important thing to bring to Athena. So they leave the 1st Prison. Suddenly, Radamanthys attacks, saying "there is no way to flee from this Dark Valley" "Will you fall at the bottom ? or will you receive my fist ?" p124 : He attacks with his Greatest Kooshion (Caution ?) and throws Kanon against a pilar. Kanon remembers Radamanthys is one of the 3 Kyoto, the most powerful Specters. Radamanthys tells him it's too late to notice differences in their potential, and attacks to kill him. p126 : Nevertheless Kanon is fastest and hits him with his finger (such as Ikki, I think). Radamanthys is paralyzed. Kanon explains the GenRooKen he used on Lune creates only illusion. There is no comparison with the legendary evil fist : GenRooMaOoKen ! Kanon proposes Radamanthys to lead him to Hades instead of receiving the evil fist. Radamanthys says it would be as he cut Hades' head with his own hand ! Kanon replies it would also be a way to save his life. As Radamanthys refuses, Kanon gets ready to use his attack. p128 : But suddenly 6 other Specters appear. Radamanthys can move again. One of Specters tells Radamanthys they have messages from Pandora asking if he can come back quickly. Radamanthys replies several persons, among whom are Saints who love Athena, have entered in this world. He has already said he will fully get rid of them. The messenger says Pandora seems to be tired of waiting for him. Radamanthys understands he must obey. The messenger adds they will get rid of Kanon, so he doesn't need to worry. Radamanthys interrupts him : they are not up to fight against Kanon, even if they were several hundreds Specters. Radamanthys looks at Kanon, tells him they have to put back the fight, and then disappears. p130 : Specters threatens Kanon to attack him all together if he doesn't want to leave. Kanon reminds them Radamanthys' words : they couldn't defeat him even if they were several hundreds. He recommends those whose life is precious, to disappear. Specters get angry and attack him. p132 : So Kanon uses his Galactian Explosion and kill them all. Next Chapter : A legendary Saint ! Orphee. =============================================================================== Summary of Saint Seiya Manga 23 - Chapter 4. Version 1. April 10th 1995. By : Carene Veanc,on. And : Jean-Luc Leger. Title : A legendary Saint ! Orphee. p134 : Seiya and Shun are running in the rain since they left the Wind valley. They are frozen to bones and worry because it's only the 2nd Prison ! p136 : Then they see an egyptian monument. They feel a nasty smell and wonder if there is an animal which stinks so much. Then they notice 6 lights. p138 : It's a monster with 3 heads (and 6 eyes) who is eating "living" dead people. They tries to cross the place while the monster isn't looking at them. Unfortunately, he notices their movement. p140 : He catches Seiya and tries to eat him. But he can't so he spits him out. A Specter appears and laughs at Kerberos (the monster). He can't eat Seiya because the latter is still alive and Kerberos can only eat dead people. Shun asks him who he is. The Specter replies he is the keeper of the 2nd Prison : p142 : Sphinx Pharao !! He also introduces the monster as Kerberos the guard dog of the Hell. Greedies are Kerberos' preys. Yet, they will also become Kerberos' food ! p144 : One head catches Seiya again. Another attacks Shun but he succeeds to close its mouth with his chain. Nevertheless, he is pulled up and is thrown to ground. Shun notices Seiya's mask and think he's dead. Then the first head attacks him. p146 : Luckily, Seiya is still in its mouth. He knocks it out with one punch. p148 : The 2 other heads attacks Seiya but Shun using the Great Capture strangle them. p150 : Pharao is astonished. He takes a kind of harp and gets ready to play but one man arrives and tells him : "I will be their opponent". p152 : This man is Lyra Orphee ! Seiya and Shun wonder if he is the legendary Saint who was said to surpass Gold Saints in power although he was a Silver Saint !! p154 : He disappeared many years ago so they thought he was dead but they never thought he would be in a such place. Pharao explains them Orphee isn't dead. He went himself in the Hades World though alive, and became a Hades' ally. Seiya and Shun are perplexed so they question Orphee. The latter doesn't reply. Seiya tries to inform Orphee about Athena's presence in the Hell but Pharao interrupts him. It's the end of talks. Now, they are going to die from Pharao's curse. p156 : Pharao plays with his harp : Balance Of Curse. Suddenly, Seiya notices his own body escapes from his control. Shun reacts with his chain. p158 : He makes the Circle Defense ! Yet, Pharao tells them it's useless. Nobody can escape from his spell. They are more and more affected by the music. So Seiya attacks with Pegasus Meteor Fist but Pharao stops all his hits (with his harp, I think) p160 : Pharao warns them curse's going to hit them soon. Suddenly Seiya's cloth breaks near his chest. Something comes out : it's Seiya's heart ! p162 : Pharao explains Seiya's heart will be put on the Sacred Balance. If it doesn't balance with a feather, symbole of truth, Seiya will be considered as evil ! Then his body and his soul will be destroyed. Pharao orders to Seiya's heart to get onto the Sacred Balance. The heart leaves Seiya's body. p164 : Orphee plays a chord and Seiya's heart comes back in his chest. Seiya's cloth is also repaired. Well, it seems to have been an illusion. Pharao is angry. Orphee keeps on playing. p166 : His music is also an attack : "Sutoringa- Nokuta-n". Something with flowers and lightnings ! p168 : Seiya and Shun are knocked out. Orphee explains Pharao he said him HE was their opponent ! A moment later, in an other place, Orphee lays down Seiya and Shun. He comes close to a sleeping young woman called Eurydice. This woman had her body changed into stone. Orphee apologizes for leaving her alone and plays a beautiful melody with his lyre. Next Chapter : Orphee, a sad requiem.