The King of the Underworld is Tired Chapter 5 (5/82)
The Story of the Gigantes - (2)
Hastily heading towards Mount Olympus, I saw countless Gigantes already swarming the cloud-covered divine palace. I tried to join Zeus, but a burst of intense light and a deafening roar sent some of the Gigantes, who had been swarming like ants, flying.
Rumble! Boom!
"Kwaaah!"
"Is this the lightning Mother spoke of?"
The attack that just sent dozens of Gigantes flying was Zeus's lightning, Astrapê. And the massive brazier-like shape that toppled from above, spewing scorching heat, must be the power of Hestia. The grass and trees growing rapidly to bind the Gigantes, much like a technique from a ninja manga I saw in my past life, must be the power of Demeter.
"Kukukuku! Quite a struggle!"
"Show me more!"
While individually our power is overwhelming, the battle seems to be at a stalemate. The sheer number of Gigantes and the fact that each one is a deity is part of the reason, but there's something else.
It's not just the individual Gigantes, but the 'flow' affecting the Gigantes as a collective. This is why, despite our overwhelming power, the gods can't easily decide the battle.
I conveyed my thoughts to Zeus, the golden-haired god who was frowning and preparing lightning on the clouds. Zeus... you're using informal speech with your big brother now, but you were polite before.
Yeah, you rule the sky, right?
Stopping my thoughts about the annoying younger brother, I quickly surveyed the battlefield. Focusing on using the power of death to slow the Gigantes' recovery and disrupt their formation, the battle lines soon crumbled.
"There's something here! Cough!"
"An assassin that can't be sensed, the Underworld god Hades, as Mother said!"
"Have all our brothers who went to the Underworld been defeated?!"
As Gigantes began to suffer injuries from unseen attacks, they recognized me. To demoralize them, I deliberately removed my helmet and smiled coldly, and they reacted like overzealous fans who had just met their favorite celebrity.
"Hades! I'll kill you!"
"Rat!"
In response to the enthusiastic cheers from the Gigantes, who were sending me heated support, I raised one hand in acknowledgment and then put on my helmet again. As soon as I hid and moved, a burning oak tree was driven into the ground where I had been.
"He's gone again!"
"Come out, you coward! Kuaaah!"
The Gigantes, though lacking in patience and simple-minded, are strong in regeneration and power. The reason we haven't won yet is likely due to fate. In Greek mythology, when strange things happen, it's usually because of fate. I'll have to talk to Zeus about this after the battle.
These Gigantes, unlike those I fought in the Underworld, don't die easily. I considered using my power to sweep them away in large numbers, but since this isn't the underworld, the power won't be as effective.
"Kwaaah!"
In the end, I had to cut them down one by one. Leaving the bleeding Gigantes behind, I set my sights on the next target. I thrust my sword through the chest of another Gigantes as I turned around.
For a while, I swung my sword wildly. The Gigantes swung burning oak trees and threw massive boulders, but they weren't enough to hit me. I cut off snake legs, stabbed arms holding rocks, and evaded attacks from Gigantes trying to pinpoint my location.
Just as I was getting bored, a new development occurred on the battlefield.
"What...? The ground is shaking!"
"Is Mother Gaia angry?"
Rumble... Crack.
A small crack that started at the edge of the battlefield gradually grew larger. The Gigantes, engrossed in the battle, finally sensed something was wrong. The ground shook more violently, and it began to uproot everything on its surface.
"Kukukuku! I'm here, Zeus!"
"Poseidon! You came at just the right time!"
This level of earthquake could only be Poseidon's trident. The sea god had defeated the Gigantes who had invaded his domain and come to help Olympus. Poseidon's hearty laughter echoed across Mount Olympus, and the Gigantes began to panic.
"Kuaaah!"
"Our bodies are being sucked into the ground! Let's retreat!"
"Damn it, Zeus. We'll see!"
The numerous Gigantes, who had shown remarkable regenerative and combat endurance on the ground, temporarily retreated as the earthquake made it difficult to fight.
* * *
After the intense battle with the Gigantes, I approached Zeus, who was catching his breath and wiping the sweat from his forehead. I asked him about what Mother Gaia had created to drive us away and if he knew anything more about the situation.
"Actually, there was a prophecy, big brother."
"A prophecy... from the three Fates?"
The three Fates, the Moirai, daughters of the night goddess Nyx: Clotho, who spins the thread of life; Lachesis, who measures its length; and Atropos, who cuts it. The destinies determined by these three old women are absolute, and no god can defy them.
"Clot... Lachesis measures the length of life and spins the thread, and Atropos cuts it, ending life."
"The prophecy said that we gods need the power of a great human hero to win the war."
"Human...? Is there such a race?"
"If there's no human race, we can create one. We should have Prometheus, who surrendered to us, create humans in our image."
"Maybe that's why the ones who came to the sea were so confident... it was influenced by the prophecy."
"And these Gigantes are the offspring of Grandmother, conceived from the blood of Uranus when Cronus castrated him."
"They can't be immortal, but they wield divine power. We need to be cautious."
"Hmph... but they can't match us Olympian gods."
We all decided to gather in the Olympian palace to discuss detailed strategies. There were suggestions to visit the three Fates and ask them to slightly alter the prophecy, and to go to Grandmother Gaia to persuade her.
"Let's create the humans first and think about it."
"Maybe we should also consider creating other life forms."
"The number of gods is too small. We'll lose if we continue like this."
"We don't know when they'll invade next, but they'll surely come in even greater numbers."
Was this the point where the seemingly rational Zeus began to transform into a mad rapist?
The prophecy of the human hero, the need for reinforcements due to the war... but please, no incestuous rape.
As the meeting dragged on, I was about to leave for the underworld when someone grabbed me.
"Hades, wait a moment."
Following the small hand that pulled my collar, I turned my head to see a petite goddess. Hestia, the goddess of the hearth and home, with her short, light brown hair.
She was stirring the logs in the hearth with a poker, watching me. She usually sat in a corner during the gods' meetings without offering much opinion. What was she up to?
I looked around cautiously and sat down next to her.
"Could we create a hearth in the Underworld?"
A hearth in the Underworld, a truly mismatched combination.
Regardless of personal preferences, this would be an encroachment on another god's domain. Hestia, whom I had observed, is not a thoughtless or rude deity.
To place her symbol of the hearth in the Underworld, what could she be thinking?
Looking at me curiously, she said shyly,
"Well... we talked about creating other life forms besides us gods, right?"
Yes, we need a human hero to win the war, and we'll likely create many other life forms to sustain human survival.
"Zeus dislikes his authority being challenged, so the new life forms will likely be mortal, not immortal."
Of course, as the king of the gods who rules the sky, Zeus is our leader. I don't care much about power, but Poseidon seems to have a lot of pent-up frustration.
The new life forms will likely be mortals, not immortal, to avoid threatening Zeus's authority. This is how it was in the original myths, so it's probably the same here.
"Since your people will increase, I want to comfort the poor souls in the Underworld who tremble in fear."
We don't experience death. Greek gods are not perfect absolutes, but they are eternal. However, she is a benevolent and gentle deity, closer to compassion than punishment, and to empathy rather than indifference.
Hestia, who felt sympathy for the trees uprooted by Poseidon's earthquake, seems to have thought about the concept of death.
"Could we at least create a hearth at the entrance? Even though they lose all memories in the River Lethe, the fear of the Underworld must be etched in their souls."
Seeing my thoughtful expression, the benevolent goddess clasped her hands in a plea. Well, if it's just at the entrance of the Underworld, it should be fine.
Slowly nodding, I saw her face light up with a bright smile.
"Thank you for listening to my request. I'll visit the Underworld myself next time to create the hearth."
The Underworld might not be as gloomy as I thought.