OVA
Description
Hakurei de Altar is a prominent character in the narrative, recognized as the Silver Saint of the Altar Cloth and the venerable master of Jamir, a region in the Himalayas known for the repair of the sacred Cloths. He is the elder twin brother of Sage, the Pope and Gold Saint of Cancer who serves Athena during the 18th century Holy War. Having survived a previous Holy War against Hades alongside his brother, Hakurei is already over 250 years old by the time the main story takes place, though his appearance is that of a physically fit man with long, silver-white hair tied in a ponytail and the distinctive short eyebrows of the Jamir people.
Hakurei possesses a complex and multifaceted personality. He is a deeply faithful servant of the goddess Athena, willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to defeat evil. However, he also exhibits a rebellious streak, often disregarding the orders of the Sanctuary's Pope to follow his own judgment and methods. He is known for being cheerful and easygoing in daily life, appearing satisfied with his rank as a Silver Saint and famously refusing the burden of high office on multiple occasions, such as when he ceded the position of Pope and the Gold Cloth of Cancer to his younger brother. Despite his casual demeanor, he is fiercely committed to his disciples, feeling genuine pain when they stray from the path of a Saint, and he carries a powerful, centuries-old grudge against the Twin Gods Hypnos and Thanatos for slaughtering his comrades in the previous war.
His motivations are rooted in both duty and personal vengeance. As the master of Jamir, he is dedicated to maintaining the Saints’ armors and training future warriors, including Shion, Yuzuriha, Tokusa, and his own son, Atla. A primary driving force is his desire to avenge his fallen friends from the previous Holy War. This desire culminates in a long-term plan developed with his brother to use the Altar Cloth, charged with their combined cosmos for two centuries, as a vessel to trap the soul of a god. Following the death of his brother Sage, Hakurei assumes the role of the Pope in secret, hiding his brother’s demise and donning his vestments to maintain the morale of the Saints and lead the Sanctuary’s forces against Hades.
Hakurei’s key relationships are central to his character. His bond with his twin brother, Sage, is one of profound respect and self-sacrifice. As a youth, when both were candidates for the Cancer Cloth and the position of Pope, Hakurei deliberately lost the deciding match so that Sage could have the honor, believing his brother was more suited for leadership. He serves as a strict but caring mentor to his students, particularly Shion, the future Aries Saint, and Yuzuriha, the Crane Saint. His disappointment over a rebellious former student, Avido, who became the leader of the Black Saints, is a testament to how deeply he cares for those he trains. His interactions with Tenma of Pegasus and Yato of Unicorn are also significant, as he guides and enables their forays into the Underworld.
Throughout the story, Hakurei demonstrates considerable development, transitioning from a background figure who repairs armor and trains disciples to a central leader in the war. After initially refusing the honor of becoming Pope twice—once in his youth from his predecessor and again after the previous Holy War—he is finally forced to accept the burden in disguise following his brother’s death, showing his willingness to set aside his personal preferences for the greater good. His final act is a desperate, solo mission into Hades’ territory to break a seal that weakens the Saints. There, he faces the god Hypnos. To defeat the deity, he unleashes his ultimate technique, the Sekishiki Tenryōha, summoning the souls of his fallen comrades from the previous war to overwhelm the god, and then sacrifices his own living soul to seal Hypnos away. Although he succeeds in imprisoning the god, Hakurei is slain immediately after by the advancing Alone, the mortal host of Hades.
Hakurei is an exceptionally powerful Saint, whose abilities rival or even surpass those of a Gold Saint. Because he originally trained to be the Cancer Saint, he is proficient in that lineage’s techniques. His signature attacks include the Sekishiki Meikai Ha, which sends an enemy’s soul to the entrance of the Underworld, and the far more powerful Sekishiki Tenryōha, which allows him to manipulate the souls of the dead as an immense, destructive energy wave. Beyond combat, his primary role involves the restoration of the Cloths, a unique and vital skill. For over two centuries, he and his brother infused the Altar Cloth with their cosmos, transforming it into a tool capable of temporarily containing the soul of a god, a feat he successfully used to trap Hypnos. He is also able to detach his own soul from his body and survive extreme physical trauma, further demonstrating his mastery over life and death.
Hakurei possesses a complex and multifaceted personality. He is a deeply faithful servant of the goddess Athena, willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to defeat evil. However, he also exhibits a rebellious streak, often disregarding the orders of the Sanctuary's Pope to follow his own judgment and methods. He is known for being cheerful and easygoing in daily life, appearing satisfied with his rank as a Silver Saint and famously refusing the burden of high office on multiple occasions, such as when he ceded the position of Pope and the Gold Cloth of Cancer to his younger brother. Despite his casual demeanor, he is fiercely committed to his disciples, feeling genuine pain when they stray from the path of a Saint, and he carries a powerful, centuries-old grudge against the Twin Gods Hypnos and Thanatos for slaughtering his comrades in the previous war.
His motivations are rooted in both duty and personal vengeance. As the master of Jamir, he is dedicated to maintaining the Saints’ armors and training future warriors, including Shion, Yuzuriha, Tokusa, and his own son, Atla. A primary driving force is his desire to avenge his fallen friends from the previous Holy War. This desire culminates in a long-term plan developed with his brother to use the Altar Cloth, charged with their combined cosmos for two centuries, as a vessel to trap the soul of a god. Following the death of his brother Sage, Hakurei assumes the role of the Pope in secret, hiding his brother’s demise and donning his vestments to maintain the morale of the Saints and lead the Sanctuary’s forces against Hades.
Hakurei’s key relationships are central to his character. His bond with his twin brother, Sage, is one of profound respect and self-sacrifice. As a youth, when both were candidates for the Cancer Cloth and the position of Pope, Hakurei deliberately lost the deciding match so that Sage could have the honor, believing his brother was more suited for leadership. He serves as a strict but caring mentor to his students, particularly Shion, the future Aries Saint, and Yuzuriha, the Crane Saint. His disappointment over a rebellious former student, Avido, who became the leader of the Black Saints, is a testament to how deeply he cares for those he trains. His interactions with Tenma of Pegasus and Yato of Unicorn are also significant, as he guides and enables their forays into the Underworld.
Throughout the story, Hakurei demonstrates considerable development, transitioning from a background figure who repairs armor and trains disciples to a central leader in the war. After initially refusing the honor of becoming Pope twice—once in his youth from his predecessor and again after the previous Holy War—he is finally forced to accept the burden in disguise following his brother’s death, showing his willingness to set aside his personal preferences for the greater good. His final act is a desperate, solo mission into Hades’ territory to break a seal that weakens the Saints. There, he faces the god Hypnos. To defeat the deity, he unleashes his ultimate technique, the Sekishiki Tenryōha, summoning the souls of his fallen comrades from the previous war to overwhelm the god, and then sacrifices his own living soul to seal Hypnos away. Although he succeeds in imprisoning the god, Hakurei is slain immediately after by the advancing Alone, the mortal host of Hades.
Hakurei is an exceptionally powerful Saint, whose abilities rival or even surpass those of a Gold Saint. Because he originally trained to be the Cancer Saint, he is proficient in that lineage’s techniques. His signature attacks include the Sekishiki Meikai Ha, which sends an enemy’s soul to the entrance of the Underworld, and the far more powerful Sekishiki Tenryōha, which allows him to manipulate the souls of the dead as an immense, destructive energy wave. Beyond combat, his primary role involves the restoration of the Cloths, a unique and vital skill. For over two centuries, he and his brother infused the Altar Cloth with their cosmos, transforming it into a tool capable of temporarily containing the soul of a god, a feat he successfully used to trap Hypnos. He is also able to detach his own soul from his body and survive extreme physical trauma, further demonstrating his mastery over life and death.