Atavaka (The Lost Canvas)

Earthly Chief Star, Atavaka (地魁星アタバク, chikōsei atabaku) is a minor character in Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas by Shiori Teshirogi. He is a powerful Specter with plans to take over the Underworld and use Hades as a puppet.

Personality & Background
.Atavaka was born and lived a normal life until the Earthly Chief Star and the "Corresponding" Surplice sought him out and transformed him into one of Hades' 108 Specters warriors. As a reborn Specter he had an oath to Hades that she had to abide, but was not happy to be a subordinate. Atavaka ventured to the Underworld where he started organizing his own followers and palace.

Story
One day, a new presence would arrive in the Underworld though he was still conscious, Atavaka sent Kageboshi to turn this man called Ahimsa into a Specter. Kageboshi would however encounter Virgo Asmita, one of the goddess Athena's warriors. Bennu Kagaho joined Atavaka as they viewed the confrontation between he Specter and the Saint. Atavaka noted that Asmita had no suffering of pleasure in his heart, just like himself. As people who were tormented such as Kagaho could not reach such levels as they had. Kagaho snapped back that his salvation lay in the martial way, and headed out to battle against the Virgo Saint.

. Atavaka followed Kagaho in the disguise of the recently deceased Kageboshi by using the dead Specter as a medium. He had decided to use the battle as a distraction so that he could convince the strong soul of Ahimsa to join the Specters. Ahimsa was surprised by his arrival and was certain that Kageboshi had died. Atavaka explained that such was the immortality of the Specters, and with it they were able to travel between realms. Ahimsa was taken a back by the offer of immortality and asked if it was possible to share with his dead mother. Ahimsa was questioning if he should take the offer, so Atavaka raised his selling pitch by summoning the soul of the boy's deceased mother. The Specter asked what he would choose, as his mother was so sad as dead. Suddenly his illusion was broken by the intervention of Virgo Asmita. Asmita had realized who he was and how he had tried to turn Ahimsa to evil. The Specter scoffed and welcomed Ahimsa as he was already starting to turn into a Specter.

Asmita called Ahimsa foolish for trusting Atavaka who himself reached out for the boy. Atavaka said he would show him the path to eternity, as would his mother. They would see it as a part of himself, a living god. Atavaka started pulling Ahimsa into himself which terrified the boy and accused the Specter of tricking him. Atavaka said that he had not as the boy would live inside of his body until eternity, as Ahimsa's soul was worth a lot more than the regular souls in hell. He would eventually consume all of the inferior souls in hell, as he had a noble and dignified soul he would grant salvation equally. Asmita told the Specter to stop it, and urged Ahimsa to fight him. The boy gave up however and was devoured by Atavaka. The Saint called him despicable for deceiving and devouring the weak and attack the Specter. His attack went straight through him of course as, Atavaka was only using the body of Kageboshi as a medium.

The Specter said that there was no rush as everything was fine. All souls that awaken the 8th sense and wanders in the Underworld eventually loses it as they embrace despair. They would only be able to live through him, a living god. He revealed that if he could become as powerful as Hades then he could change the Underworld into a land of bliss. He would then govern over all the other gods in the Underworld and be the ultimate truth f the universe. Asmita called him wrong as there was no ultimate truth in hell. The Specter frowned and acknowledged that they differed on opinions, even though the Saint might had debated the truth as a monk, this was a battlefield. Kagaho interfered with a volley of his black flames and told them to finish their discussion. Before he left, Atavaka said that Asmita would have to defeat the Bennu Specter if he wished to face him once more, and hoped he would not get burned away.

Atavaka kept a close eye on the battle from his palace, and was not impressed when the Saint defeated the Bennu Specter. He urged Asmita to come and meet him in the palace and not shortly after the Saint arrived. Asmita noted the faces of the ones Atavaka had devoured on the interior walls of the palace and commented that it was a monstrosity. A true evil such as Atavaka must be destroyed at all costs he continued. Atavaka said that many people did not care about such things, to which Asmita replied that they should debate over it with the power of their truths. Asmita used his "Tenbu Horin" technique, which would deprive the Specter of his senses and destroy his soul.

Asmita took his first sense, then continued with the second and third senses. Atavaka had lost his sense of touch, smell and hearing and was stumbling a little. Asmita commented that Atavaka was known as the one closest to god in the Underworld, hence his loss would be naught but a mosquito bite. He therefore had to revoke the rest of his 7 senses at once. Atavaka cried out in rage as Asmita used his technique. But he had tricked the Saint, as the technique had have no effect on him. The Specter looked down on the Saint as the attack had made the difference between them clear. He had noted Asmita had impure thoughts in his heart and those said to be closest to gods should only have emptiness inside. Atavaka used his "Muten Muhourin" technique which first covered the surrounding space in mandalas and then isolated the Saint from the world. The pain of the dead would then flow into Asmita wo cried out in agony. Atavaka called him weak for sympathising with their pain. The Virgo Gold Saint realized that it was the mandalas that had stopped his previous technique, as the souls of the dead were now being destroyed. The mandalas was in fact the millions of souls that he had devoured, and the only way to defeat him was to go through them.

He mocked the Saint, as he would not be able to destroy the souls due to his compassion. An emotion Atavaka did not have, as he had only dedicated himself to seek only the truth, and if Asmita did not have one he would have to become part of the Specter. Atavaka poured more into his "Maten Muhoruin" attack, and eventually the Saint lost all of his senses. The Virgo Saint was quiet when suddenly all of the dead souls started chanting the mantra of Shakyamuni(Buddha). Atavaka commanded them to stop a they were a part of him. He soon started to panic as he realized that they did not obey him any more, and suddenly Ahimsa came forth and said nobody agreed with him. Atavaka did not understand how the boy had been able to escape his mandala, nevertheless regain his original identity. The boy managed to awaken Asmita who took up an offensive lotus position and said he would conduct a sermon for all of the gathered souls. Atavaka angrily replied that no sermon could save them as they were a part of him, but Asmita replied that only enlightenment would do that. When one acknowledges the universe inside of them they become one with the universe and that cannot be taken away by someone as Atavaka. The Specter and his vile universe had to be destroyed.

Both launched their techniques at each others, but the Saint's was proving to be overwhelming when he revoked the 8th sense. Suddenly the wheel of Samsara appeared above them as the souls had been freed. It alarmed Atavaka as he knew if he was swallowed by it he would not be reborn as a Specter. The force proved too much and he sucked into it, ending his soul.

Maten Muhōrin (摩天無宝輪, maten muhōrin)
By using his Cosmo, Atavaka unleashes all of the pain of his devoured souls into his opponent. The pain of several thousand souls will then destroy all of the opponent's senses, killing him.

Concept and Creation
Atavaka was created by Shiori Teshirogi as an exclusive character for Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas. His Surplice was however never given a name for an unknown reason, so he is only known as Atavaka.