Megrez Delta Alberich
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Megrez Delta Alberich is an anime character from the Asgard chapter of Saint Seiya, the classic hit series by Masami Kurumada. He is one of the seven God Warriors of Asgard, and serves under Polaris Hilda.
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[edit] Statistics
- Star: Megrez Delta
- God Robe: Amethyst Crystals, taking the shape of a skeleton
- Techniques: "Amethyst Shield", "Nature Unity"
- Seiyuu (1987-1988): Nakahara Shigeru (中原 茂, なかはら しげる)
[edit] Intelligence Over Brawn
Alberich is the latest descendant of a wise family who have served Asgard loyally throughout the generations. As noble as this might sound, Alberich's ambition comes before his loyalty. Alberich's extreme methods and suggestions were constantly questioned or rejected by Hilda, the pure guardian of Asgard. This eventually lead to Alberich's desire to dispose of her, so that he could rule the lands under his name and in his ways. In battles, his skills and mastery of the cosmos is fairly average -- perhaps on par with some of Athena's silver saints, but below the standards set by his god warrior peers. However, what Alberich lacks in strength, he makes up with intelligence. Before becoming a god warrior, he was praised by Hilda herself as a man with a great tactical mind -- his intelligence was only limited by his ugly ambitions.
Alberich uses his gift quite well during battles, more often out of necessity than not. He will resort to underhanded tactics to gain an advantage -- from throwing putrid liquid in an opponent's face, to taunting the opponent with their comrade's critical condition in order to distract them. As proudly stated by Alberich himself, there is nothing that he would not resort to if it woud help him secure a victory.
[edit] Amethyst Ambitions
Unlike the rest of the god warriors, Alberich was not clueless about Hilda's radical change of personality -- in fact, he was on site the very moment the valkyrie was put under the spell of the Nibelung ring, and understood what had taken place. Alberich chose to kept quiet about the event, as he realized he would need the power of the god warriors to fulfill his ambitions. His master plan was simple: he would collect an Odin Sapphire from each of the seven god warriors, then use the collection to summon the majestic Balmung Sword. With the power of the legendary sword, he would be unstoppable -- not even Hilda could stand in his way.
Once he realized that Athena and her bronze saints were battling god warriors and collecting their Odin Sapphires, Alberich could not help but smile -- the invaders were doing his work for him, and all he had to do was wait until they've finished the job, then pluck the sapphires out of their worn, fatigued hands. It was all too easy -- almost as if fate itself was lending him a hand.
[edit] Naturally United
Along with various tricks and deceptive tactics, Alberich has two special techniques at his disposal: "Amethyst Shield" and "Nature Unity". "Amethyst Shield" is a somewhat defensive attack. The opponent is first knocked into the air and into position. Alberich then extends his arms and summons shards of amethyst crystals that builds onto the opponent's body, covering them until they are completely encased inside a life-sized crystal. While in this crystal, the opponent could not move, and their life force is slowly drained by the crystal until death. There were several amethyst crystals of opponents defeated by Alberich (becoming skeletons encased in crystals) in the forest.
"Nature Unity" is an elemental move that allows Alberich to manipulate his environment as he pleases. As his battles with the saints mostly took place in the forest, Alberich was able to use the surrounding trees to do his bidding. He also manipulated other elements of nature, such as splitting the ground or manipulating water. Alberich is also able to summon spiritual creatures to hound and distract the opponent, giving him an opening when he needs it. This move is noted as one that was passed down throughout his family, starting with its creator, Alberich the 13th. Alberich the 13th was said to have challenged one of Athena's Saints 200 years agos, but his opponent defeated him after realizing how to counter Nature Unity: by spiritually becoming one with nature, he would not be harmed by this attack. That Saint was Shiryu's master, Libra Dohko (Roshi).
"Flaming Sword" is a pale crystal sword covered in flames. It can cut and burn the opponent's flesh once contact is made with it. It was able to resist Cygnus Hyoga's Diamond Dust technique, as well as cut the Cygnus cloth in two separate instances.
[edit] Only Victory Matters
[edit] Setting a Trap
After hearing news of fellow god warrior Mime falling to the Saints of Athena, Alberich took it upon himself to challenge the invaders and fulfill what his comrads before him could not do. The god warrior was determined to show the world of his prowess -- if not through his physical abilities, then through his tactical mind. On his way out of the palace, he discovered that there was one more intruder from Sanctuary, and immediately gave chase. Alberich managed to lead the mysterious figure into the dark forest where he resided, and the intruder revealed herself to be none other than silver saint Marin of Aquila -- the mentor and motherly/sisterly figure to Pegasus Seiya, one of the invading saints in Asgard. Alberich confronted Marin and a battle ensued -- surprisingly, Marin was able to land several good hits on the god warrior, sending him down to his knees. As Marin took a moment to collect herself, Alberich suddenly jumped back into stance and threw a rancid green liquid at the silver saint's mask. With Marin blinded temporarily, Alberich took advantage of this opportunity and unleashed the Amethyst Shield technique. The Aquila was encased in a life-sized crystal, imprisoned for eternity and displayed for all to see. As Alberich admired his trophy, he revealed that the crystal will continue to drain her life energy away until she is reduced to a mere skeleton.
Patiently, Alberich sat back and waited for the bronze saints -- the true invaders -- to walk into his forest. Seiya, having felt Marin's cosmos nearby, ran directly ahead into the forest. He was greeted by the god warrior, who quickly attempted to trap him with the Amethyst Shield. The Pegasus soared away, and retaliated with his patented Pegasus Ryu Sei Ken and Pegasus Rolling Crush. Alberich was damaged, but still alive. As Seiya prepared the next blow, Alberich quickly diverted the saint's attention to the new life-sized crystal of Marin to his left.
Alberich quickly offered his opponent two choices: either fight the god warrior to the death and allow Marin to suffer slowly within the amethyst crystal, or give up the Odin Sapphire he received from Thor. Seiya struggled with the decision as Marin's life hung on the life -- should he abandon his duty to Athena and save his mentor, or abandon his mentor and continue on with his mission? Ultimately, the Pegasus Saint chose the latter -- as much as he would like to save Marin, he knew that she wouldn't have wanted him to forsaken their goddess. Alberich, irritated at the bronze saint's decision, withdrew his signature Flaming Sword and attacked.
Once again, Alberich was no match for Seiya. The Pegasus was able to score a good number of hits with his Ryu Sei Ken, and eventually managed to knock away Alberich's Flaming Sword. As Seiya prepared to land the final blow, Alberich began to taunt his opponent with the fact that his mentor was literally dying inside her confinement. Seiya was distracted, and Alberich knew the timing couldn't be more perfect -- he unleashed the Amethyst Shield technique on the bronze saint once again, and this time, he was successful. Along with Marin, Seiya, too, was encased within a transparent crystal. The Odin Sapphire from Thor flew out of Seiya's grasp, and Alberich smirked as he become one step closer towards fulfilling his ambitions.
[edit] Elements United
The next saint to wander into the forest was Cygnus Hyoga, who was horrified to find Seiya and Marin trapped within giant crystals. Like Seiya, Hyoga was tired and damaged from his previous battle with Merak Beta Hagen, and Alberich understood this. Retrieving the Flaming Sword, the god warrior advanced towards the Cygnus and attacked, knowing that the sword gave him the elemental advantage over Hyoga's ice nature. The Cygnus was able to presevere, and at one point managed to freeze Alberich with his "Aurora Thunder Attack". Alberich escaped moments later with the Flaming Sword. As both men became weary of each other, Alberich decided to offer Hyoga the same deal he had attempted with Seiya -- give up his Odin Sapphire and save Seiya and Marin, or suffer their fates. Hyoga was enraged by this, and quickly burned his cosmos to the 7th sense. Alberich asked him if he was going to abandon his friends, and the Cygnus responded with his master's Aurora Execution technique. Unfortunately, Hyoga hesitated at the last moment -- Alberich had taunted him with the fact that if he died, then there would be no one else capable of undoing the Amethyst Shield -- thus, the attack failed to be as effective as it could have been. Thd god warrior then lured the bronze saint into a forest in preparation for his Nature Unity technique.
Alberich immediately went for round 2 as he revealed his most powerful attack, passed down from his ancestor, Alberich the 13th. The Nature Unity technique manipulated the trees all around Hyoga with cosmos energy, forcing them to release hundreds of pieces of bark and branch at Hyoga. Fatigue catching up to him, the bronze saint was knocked around by scattering wood. Alberich continued with his attack, this time summoning the spirits of the forest to do his bidding. The landscape split into two, and entire trees advanced towards Hyoga. Soon enough, the saint found himself captured by living tree branches.
By now, Dragon Shiryu, with spiritual help from his master, Libra Dohko, had safely returned from the cliff he had fallen into during the aftermath of his battle with Alioth Epsilon Fenrir. Shiryu, upon hearing the screams of Hyoga, quickly rushed into the forest where the battle took place. Using the last bits of his cosmos, Hyoga was able to escape the entanglement, but received multiple whippings from the forest spirits. Smirking, Alberich approached the saint and challenged him to stand up once more. Hyoga complied, and the god warrior instantly took the opportunity to use his Amethyst Shield. Tired and damaged, the Cygnus could no longer resist the technique. Luckily, before he was subjected to the crystals, Shiryu arrived on the scene and blocked the shards with his Dragon shield. Hyoga then transferred the task of rescuing Seiya and Marin over to his comrade, and fainted moments later.
[edit] Predestined Battle
Robbed of another victory, Alberich felt annoyed and demanded the name of this new intruder. Shiryu introduced himself, and Alberich realized that he was face-to-face with the pupil of Libra Dohko -- a man that his ancestor, Alberich the 13th, had once fought and subsequently lost to over 200 years ago. Understanding that fate had again asserted its foot into his destiny, Alberich prepared to return the shame Libra Dohko dealt his ancestor two centuries ago. Before any fighting could commence, the god warrior inquired if Shiryu, too, had his own Odin Sapphire. The Dragon confirmed so, and Alberich declared that he shall have four sapphires (Thor's, Hagen's, Fenrir's, and his own) after this match. Not only that, but he'll also be put into the family records as the man who singlehandedly defeated four of Athena's saints.
Shiryu charged towards Alberich, and the god warrior attacked first with the Amethyst Shield, followed by a slash with the Flaming Sword. Both were completely ineffective against Shiryu and his mighty shield. With the technique still fresh in his mind, Alberich once again summoned forest spirits with his Nature Unity technique. The attack turned the tides somewhat, and Shiryu found himself in trouble -- but, soon enough, Shiryu's sensei stepped in telepathically to dispense some valuable advice for the Dragon Saint -- if he is to overcome the Nature Unity, he must concentrate and become one with the forest. Only then, would the spirits be rendered harmless and he himself immune to its attacks. Of course, with someone such as Alberich being the opponent, who was constantly distracting and attacking him, it was incredibly difficult for Shiryu to focus on the meditatation. After a lengthy struggle, Shiryu decided that his cloth was hindering his ability to defeat the god warrior, and removed it. With the Cloth of the Dragon -- and, subsequently, its shield -- no longer an obstacle, Alberich attempted his Amethyst Shield attack once more. Fortunately, by that point, Shiryu's focus of his cosmos was so sharp that it alone was able to overcome Alberich's prisonic technique. Using his patented Rozan Sho Ryu Ha, Shiryu finally defeated the God Warrior once and for all.
The god warrior was shocked at his defeat. Shiryu explained that Alberich had abused the Amethyst Shield to the point where the bronze saint was able figure out a counter to it. The Dragon revealed that he removed his cloth solely to lure Alberich to drop the Nature Unity technique and attack with the Amethyst Shield. With his last breath, Alberich commented that he had been outsmarted by the Dragon Saint.
[edit] Notes & Trivia
- Megrez Delta Alberich is considered a non-canon character, as the series creator Masami Kurumada had no part of creating the Asgard saga.
- His name is based on Alberich, the king of the dwarfs and guardian of the Nibelung treasure in Nibelungenlied.
- While he is probably the weakest of the god warriors, Megrez Delta Alberich is credited with defeating three of the four saints that he encountered. They are Aquila Marin, Pegasus Seiya, and Cygnus Hyoga. However, Dragon Shiryu was the one to stop Alberich once and for all.
- Megrez Delta Alberich is shown to be disliked even by his peers. Hilda, before falling under the spell of the Nibelung ring, disapproved of Alberich's ambitions. Alcor Zeta Bud and Dubhe Alpha Siegfried both displayed displeasure when Alberich vowed that he would out-perform them and the god warriors who had fallen before the Saints of Athena. Siegfried, at one point, even silently prayed that Alberich would fail.
- Lymnades Casa, a Marine Sea Shogun, was similar to Alberich in certain ways. Both were not known to be powerful fighters, but managed to defeat both Seiya and Hyoga due to their cunning tactics, and both were seen by the bronze saints as "the most treacherous opponent."
| Saint Seiya characters | |
|---|---|
| Bronze Saints | |
|
Pegasus Seiya | Cygnus Hyoga | Dragon Shiryu | Andromeda Shun | Phoenix Ikki Unicorn Jabu | Lionet Ban | Wolf Nachi | Bear Geki | Hydra Ichi |
|
| Silver Saints | |
|
Lizard Misty | Centaurus Babel | Auriga Capella | Kerberos Dante | Crow Jamian | Hound Asterion | Whale Moses ("Kaitos Moses" in the anime) | Cepheus Daidalos | Perseus Algol | Musca Dio | Canis Major Sirius | Hercules Algethi | Eagle Marin | Ophiuchus Shaina | Lyra Orphée | Sagitta Tramy Tarantula Arachne | Lotus Agora | Pavo Shiva |
|
| Gold Saints | |
|
Aries Mu | Aries Shion | Taurus Aldebaran | Gemini Saga | Gemini Kanon | Cancer Deathmask | Leo Aiolia | Virgo Shaka | Libra Dohko | Scorpion Milo | Sagittarius Aiolos | Capricorn Shura | Aquarius Camus | Pisces Aphrodite |
|
| Asgard God Warriors | |
|
Phecda Gamma Thor | Alioth Epsilon Fenrir | Benetnasch Eta Mime | Megrez Delta Alberich | Merak Beta Hagen | Mizar Zeta Syd | Alcor Zeta Bud | Dubhe Alpha Siegfried |
|
| Poseidon's Marinas | |
|
Sea Horse Baian | Scylla Io | Chrysaor Krishna | Lymnades Casa | Kraken Isaac | Siren Sorento | Sea Dragon Kanon Mermaid Tetis |
|
| Hades' Specters | |
|
Wyvern Rhadamanthys | Griffin Minos | Garuda Aiacos Papillon Myu | Deep Niobe | Worm Raimi Acheron Charon | Balron Lune | Sphinx Pharaoh | Lycaon Phlegyas | Basilisk Sylphid | Harpy Valentine |
