Baldr, the Man Chosen by God (Barudoru! Kami ni Erabareshi Otoko, バルドル！神に選ばれし男) is the eighth episode of the Saint Seiya: Soul of Gold series. It was released on July 18, 2015.
Summary[]
Virgo Shaka faces Hræsvelgr Baldr, a man said to be immortal who has questionable reasons how he uses his divine abilities.
Meanwhile, Cancer Deathmask seeks revenge against Níðhöggr Fafner.
Plot[]
Arriving in Alfheim, Shaka finds Baldr waiting for him. Right away seeing that Baldr will not easily backdown, Shaka prepares to attack while criticizing how Baldr views their difference in power. Using his Transmigration attack, Shaka sends Baldr through the six realms where the souls of people go after their death.
To Shaka's surprise, Baldr breaks free from the visions and reveals he knows of Shaka's legacy as the saint said to be closest to God but boasts how the Virgo saint will not be able to harm him. Shaka right away attempts to disprove Baldr's claim and attacks with Celestial Punishment only for it to be countered by Baldr's Yr Ansur. The counter causes Shaka to suspect that Baldr may be endowed with divine abilities.
In Helheim, Lyfia commands the dead Asgardian warriors to attack Dohko. The Libra saint easily overpowers the dead warriors and then turns his attention to Lyfia. It only takes a few seconds for him to realize that the young woman is in a trance and may not be aware of her actions at the moment. His attention on her is ceased when he has to block Utgardar's sword. Forcing Dohko to stay behind, Utgardar tells Lyfia to continue to the next step of the plan. Lyfia walks away to do so while not paying attention to Dohko's shouts for her to stay.
In Svartalfheim, Mu is struggling against Fafner as the mad scientist is utilizing the power of the Odin Sapphire to overwhelm the Aries Saint. Fafner then proudly brags how he had a hand in perfecting the gem and that he had to use several human specimens in the process. The admission of Fafner using numerous people to sacrifice in order to feed his own power naturally angers Mu, but he is stopped from attacking by Deathmask. Although Fafner is surprised to see Deathmask, he eagerly accepts fighting them both.
Deathmask ends his excitement by transporting Fafner to Yomotsu Hirasaka with himself following. The Cancer Saint calls out to Mu back in Svartalfheim and tells him to go on ahead as Deathmask promises to punish Fafner and destroy the statue. Mu reluctantly agrees and leaves.
In the battle between Shaka and Baldr, the Asgardian Warrior sees that Shaka appears to finally realize that Baldr has true divine abilities. He uses these powers to show Shaka his difficult childhood where he was born into a very poor village and had to take on much of the labor in solitude as villagers were getting too sick to help. Even with how much he wanted to help, Baldr himself was not very healthy and the work began to wear him down further. He pleaded before a statue of Odin to have a stronger body so he can continue to help his fellow villagers. During his prayer, the statue of Odin began speaking to him. Acknowledging Baldr is a kind and pure hearted boy, the divine being grants Baldr a strong body that cannot be harmed. He tells Shaka that since receiving Odin's blessing, his body has never been so much as scared and tells Shaka that he stands no chance against him.
Shaka finds it impossible for a human to become a deity, but Baldr claims otherwise. When he tries to demonstrate the powers he has, Shaka instead why Baldr is fighting instead of helping others like he originally wanted. Baldr replies that being divine is above helping those who are suffering. He further details his childhood by revealing that, after getting the blessing, he turned his back on the village and his loyal dog in order to become a warrior. Because he could not be harmed, Baldy quickly became the greatest warrior and had been offered his God Cloth by Andreas after he became the new representative of Odin.
Shaka remains unconvinces and again tells Baldr that he is not a God. Although he admits that Baldr has immense power, he points out how the Asgardian is lacking something. Returning them to the moment Baldr had been blessed, Shaka points out that something had been taken from Baldr in the process. Although Baldr struggles to accept the truth, he questions what Odin took from him. Shaka corrects Baldr by answering that the divinity that gave him his power was not Odin. Having gotten only a single answer from Athena when he sought her guidance, Shaka received the true answer as to who is really behind the events currently taking place in Asgard.
At Yomotsu Hirasaka, Deathmask warns Fafner that he will not show any mercy onto him. Unfortunately, Fafner points to a path and Deathmask is shocked to see Helena's four siblings among the souls. Although the children are there, Fafner reveals that they are not actually dead as they had been on value similar to their sister in his experiments. Fafner further angers Deathmask by revealing that if he is killed then the children will be as well. Knowing Deathmask will not risk their lives, Fafner proceeds to attack.
In Alfheim, Baldr refuses to believe what Shaka is telling him and continues to claim that it was Odin who blessed him and made him a God. Shaka continues to ridicule Baldr and claims that he needs to be freed from the spell he is under. As he raises his cosmos, Shaka vows that the Gold Saints will save Asgard.
Deathmask repeatedly takes attacks from Fafner without retaliating. In a moment of pause, he feels the souls of the dead are giving Fafner his boost in power. After another attack, Fafner demands Deathmask return him to Earth if he wants to save the kids. Uncertain of what to do, Deathmask suddenly hears the four kids tell him to fight back and not worry about them. With their sister having made him realize he can care about others, Deathmask burns his cosmos with the determination not to let them die.
Shaka and Deathmask achieve their God Cloths.
Baldr continues to fight Shaka's truth about his divine abilities, but Shaka overpowers him while destroying the Alfheim statue at the same time.
Using his Dark World Shackle, Deathmask destroys Fafner's cloth, and the Asgardian is trapped in the ground of the pathway with the departed souls walking on his face, a punishment Deathmask states he will suffer for all eternity. With Fafner defeated but still alive, the kids' souls are returned to their bodies.
As the Alfheim statue crumbles, Baldr asks Shaka was he was missing. Shaka answers that he lost the compassion to feel for other's pain and to lament their suffering. As he finally accepts he was fooled, the blessing is removed, and Baldr's body feels all of the pain he previously had not felt over the years. Shaka bestows a kindness onto him by using Primary Sensory Termination to remove Baldr's sense of touch so he would not have to suffer in his final moments. Baldr tearfully gives Shaka his gratitude before passing.
The Svartalfheim chamber begins to fall apart with the statue broken. Deathmask gives Mu an apology for not being able to join him like he had promised and passes away from exhaustion.
In the post-credit scene, Sigmund sees Saga entering his chamber.
Characters[]
- Andreas Lise
- Hræsvelgr Baldr
- Virgo Shaka
- Aries Mu
- Grani Sigmund (cameo)
- Gemini Saga (cameo)
- Cancer Deathmask
- Níðhöggr Fafner
- Garmr Útgarðar