Deep Niobe

Deep Niobe (地暗星ディープのニオベ, Chiansei Dīpu no Niobe) is one of Hades' 108 Specters, and his power lies in the Terrestrial Darkness Star.

Plot (TLC)
Griffon Minos was then given the order to take his subordinates and attack Sanctuary. Niobe decided to follow this fellow Specters as they departed for enemy territory.

As they arrived in the Sanctuary they were met with resistance by several Bronze and Silver Saints. But they were easily disposed of by the Specter Magnate Minos with his Cosmic Marionettion technique. As they were approaching the village of Rodiro that lay near the Sanctuary, the encountered a field of red roses. Two Specters jumped down in the field and started scoffing at the roses, but was to their surprised killed by the scent of the roses. It was then that Niobe made his appearance known and told Minos that it would be wise to not step any further. He informed him that the flowers were known as Demon Roses, roses that could kill one with just its scent. The Griffon asked why one of Wyvern Rhadamanthys subordinates was there. Niobe said it did not matter and that they should focus their attention on the one who had devised the field of roses. In the distance on some ruins, sat the Gold Saint Pisces Albafica and greeted them. The SPecters were intimidated by the presence of a Gold Saint and wondered why he had made his way all the way out to them. The Gold Saint confirmed that what Niobe had said was true and offered them to enjoy the same treat as the other two Specters or leave of their own accord. Several of the Specters became infuriated and jumped down to attack him, thinking that if they avoided the thorns they would not get hurt. Albafica responded by using his Royal Demon Rose technique which decimated the Specters. One clung to his life and asked how the Saint could survive amongst the rose before finally passing away.

Niobe commended Minos' troops for being loyal, but that Albafica was like a rose who hides its poison well. Albafica asked if Minos was going to sacrifice his men or if he would battle him personally. Minos smiled to the invitation but was cut of by Niobe who said that he would deal with the Saint. The Deep Specter jumped out and exclaimed what a joy the field of roses was for his sense. Albafica told him it would not last, but Deep replied that he would, because he was immune to their poison. The Saint said he did not think any of Hades' Specters could survive his poison, but said the Specter could entertain him for a bit. Niobe lounged out in anger and lashed out that would destroy the beautiful face of the Pisces Saint. As the Specter was about to land his blow, his fist were stopped by a black rose Albafica was holding. The Saint wondered what it was Niobe said he was going to do to his face.

Niobe wondered in disbelief what the black rose was for something, to which the Pisces Saint said it had the ability to destroy anything it touches. He used this as an opening and launched his Pirahna Rose technique at Niobe. The Specter did his best to dodge the flying rose, but lost a part of his shoulder pad before running behind a column for cover. The column was however shattered by the roses and Albafica told him it was useless because nothing could stand against the black rose. He congratulated him for surviving this long in the garden of roses but that the next rose would be his last. But Niobe had other plans and said that the roses were useless now as he performed his Deep Fragrance technique. The poisonous mist spread over the field of roses and made them all wilt. The Specter bragged that his fragrance was far more powerful then that of Albafica's roses and that it enters the skin and after paralysing the enemy it kills him. But to Niobe's surprise, the Gold Saint was drawing the mist into his own body. The Deep asked if he was crazy absorbing all of the aroma mist, yet as he got no response he went up and punched the Saint. Furiously he asked if he was doing something with the roses scent or his Surplice, but as he was about to hit him again he sensed an awkward sensation and backed away by instinct. Suddenly a red mist had formed around them which surprised the Specter who wondered where it came from. The Saint explained that it was the scent of his own poison. Niobe thought Albafica had purified his fragrance and questioned him how. Yet the Pisces Saint replied that poison has no effect on him since he has been with the roses for a very long time. He said the poison was running through his blood and launched his Crimson Thorn attack which took Niobe by surprise. The mist formed by Albafica's poisonous blood turned into several needles which shoot straight through Niobe, killing him. As Niobe fell to the ground, Albafica explained that since the Specter used his fragrance to fight of the poison of the roses he had to directly receive his blood.

Plot (Hades Arc)
As Hades had yet again been reborn, and a new Holy War was coming. The Specter Wyvern Rhadamanthys dispatched 17 Specters to keep tabs on the revived Gold Saints, that were to take the head of Athena. As the first guardian Aries Mu was paralyzed for a moment, three of the revived Gold Saints could go further into Athena's Sanctuary with the Specters following them. As they reached the Temple of Taurus which Taurus Aldebaran guarded, Niobe stepped forward and defeated Aldebaran with his Deep Fragrance but not before Aldebaran had used his "Great Horn" technique on him. Since he had defeated the saint in such a manner he decided to stay awhile. Aries Mu had then made his way to the Taurus Temple and found Aldebaran just standing there in his "Great Horn" technique position.

The true reason behind Aldebaran's defeat is that he was taken by surprise, because he was unable to detect Niobe in time, because he was deaf, after destroying his own eardrums in his battle against Siren Sorrento, in the Poseidon arc, in the Kurumada's manga.

The Real Specters
Suddenly the Gold Cloth disembled and in its place stood Niobe, boasting that it was he who had killed him. He was now the first real Specter that had revealed himself, and he wanted to defeat another Saint. He utilised his "Deep Fragrance" (ディープフレグランス, Dīpufureguransu) yet again, this time on Mu. Who unprepared for it staggered some bit, but suddenly disappeared in the smoke of the attack. Niobe, thinking the Gold Saints were a joke approached the Saint's location. Suddenly he found a wall of what he called ice in the room, and as the Mu's appearance became noted, the wall exploded which made Niobe fall backwards. The Aries Saint then turned around and continued to run out of the temple, leaving the confused Niobe behind. He asked were he was going, to which Mu replied that there was no point in fighting a man that was already dead. The Specter was confused, but then Mu said that before Niobe had killed Aldebaran he had used Great Horn which had shattered his body to pieces. Niobe couldn't believe what he was hearing, but suddenly his body was split to pieces.

Surplice, Star & Name

 * Deep Surplice: The Deep surplice is based on the Deep Ones, creatures in the Cthulhu Mythos of H. P. Lovecraft.
 * Terrestrial Darkness Star: The Darkness star originally comes from the character Yang Lin, from the Water Margin story.
 * Niobe: The name Niobe comes from the Greek myth about a Theban queen who had 14 children. Furious that people did not worship her, she boasted that she was better than the Titaness Leto because she was more beautiful, had more children and was married to a son of Zeus. Hearing this, Apollo and Artemis, Leto's twin children, shot Niobe's children down to avenge their mother's honor. Learning of the children's deaths, Niobe's husband, Amphion, committed suicide and Niobe herself, weeping, was turned to stone by the gods.