The King of the Underworld is Tired

Chapter 153: Gigantomachia – (1)

Olympus, the Palace of the Gods

Tension filled the palace of the gods, resting high above the clouds.  

Armed gods moved busily about, and the divine beasts that accompanied them could be seen even at the entrance. Zeus' symbol and sacred beast, the eagle, flew between the clouds, delivering messages. Dionysus’ leopard, clearly unsettled, leapt across the sky in irritation.

The minor gods and attendants were no different. Everyone’s faces were hardened, and none dared to meet my gaze.  

“Welcome, Lord Hades. Lord Zeus is waiting inside.”  

“Understood. Thank you.”  

Following the attendant’s guidance, I entered, seeing numerous gods gathered to discuss the coming war against the Gigantes.  

Among them were some sea gods, but many others, including Poseidon, had yet to arrive.

“How is the situation on the Phlegraean plains?”  

“Zephyrus, the West Wind, surveyed it earlier. The Gigantes are beginning to reveal themselves.”  

“So, the element of surprise has failed?”  

“Even so, we have no reason to lose in an all-out war, do we? We have the prophesied hero who is almost on par with the Twelve Olympians, and last time, the lord Hades convinced Lady Nyx to side with us…”

“Eros hasn’t arrived yet? And Poseidon is still absent as well.”  

“Heracles, it’s reassuring to have you with us.”

“It’s an honor, Lord Hephaestus.”

“Oh, come now. You’re the key to the prophecy; there’s no need to be so humble.”

As I looked around, trying to find a place to settle before the meeting began, I noticed a warm aura approaching.

It was one of my earliest companions, the goddess of the hearth, Hestia, who had fought alongside me in the first war against the Titans.  

Clad in armor reminiscent of that era, Hestia exuded a subtle energy that warmed her surroundings.  

“Hestia.”  

“Hades. The time has finally come to face the Gigantes! But I notice some gods are missing…”  

“Thanatos and Charon? It couldn’t be helped. If they take even two days off, it becomes impossible to maintain balance in the world.”  

More accurately, it would destabilize the balance of the Underworld.  n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“By the way, your armor and weapons… Were they crafted by Hephaestus?”  

“Hm? Oh, yes, they were. Zeus ordered Hephaestus to prepare them in advance. I heard he worked tirelessly for months to complete them.”  

Hestia smiled, drawing and sheathing her sword as if in jest.  

Poor Hephaestus. Then again, with his abilities, it’s no surprise he’s worked to exhaustion. Zeus would never allow a smith of such skill to rest.  

No matter how mass-produced, divine equipment crafted by Hephaestus guaranteed quality.  

Murmur. Murmur.

A commotion arose in one corner of Olympus, accompanied by a surge of powerful divine energy.  

It seemed Poseidon and the other sea deities had arrived.  

The time for the war council was near.  

Both Hestia and I turned to look at Zeus, who was speaking with Athena while toying with a bolt of lightning. Slowly, the king of the gods rose and spoke in a deep, resonant tone.  

“Now that Poseidon is here, let us discuss the plan to sweep the Phlegraean plains.”  

* * *

“…If I summon the sea to wash them away or Hades unleashes the Underworld…”  

“That would cause problems for humanity.”  

“I agree. Even if we win the war, what good is it if only ruins remain?”  

Despite Zeus’ authority, the council proceeded with surprising equality, a rarity on Olympus.  

This was because the king of the gods, Zeus, after leading the discussion for a while, temporarily handed over the proceedings to Athena and stepped aside to speak with the three goddesses of fate, the Moirai.

He was likely asking the goddesses of fate about the course and outcome of the upcoming war.

Still, with both seasoned gods and war-experienced elders like Hecate present, the discussion progressed smoothly.  

“The idea of deploying divine beasts, servants, or mortal heroes should be excluded. How about attacking with only the gods?”  

“I agree. Even the weakest Gigantes rival river gods in power.”  

“No matter how strong mortals have become, they aren’t suited for this scale of battle.”  

“However, issuing oracles to warn of danger is necessary…”  

“We must also minimize collateral damage. Phlegraean plains are too confined for such a battle.”  

“Hades, about the commanding Gigantes you fought at Mount Etna, how strong were they?”  

“They weren’t on par with us or Zeus, but they seemed to rival the Twelve Olympians,” I replied to Poseidon.  

“Lady Hecate, could you prevent their power from spilling beyond the plains?”  

“Containing power beyond a certain limit will be difficult. But I’ll do my best.”  

“With the help of gods skilled in barriers, spells, and magic, it might be possible…”  

“Should we aim to start the battle at dawn and finish before nightfall?”  

“Would that involve driving the Sun Chariot lower to sweep them away?”  

“But that would harm mortals. Although, if considering worst-case scenarios…”  

“Lady Nyx is on our side. That may not be necessary…”  

The council continued for some time.  

Though the battle was imminent, rest seemed secondary to the gods present here, as their divine stamina made a single night’s exertion trivial.  

“Assigning high-ranking deities to face corresponding opponents and drawing them away to separate locations is also a viable tactic.”  

“Well said, Athena. That’s a solid plan.”  

“They mentioned the Gigantes have a king, didn’t they? Eurymedon, was it?”  

The memory of the words spoken by commanding Gigantes during the attack on Olympus by Otus and Ephialtes at Naxos Island flashed through my mind.

“I am Agrios under King Eurymedon!”  

That guy’s at the level of the Twelve Olympians. Naturally, the king must be above that.  

Someone on par with me, Poseidon, or perhaps even Zeus. Though he wouldn’t be a monster like Typhon.  

“I’ll take care of that so-called king. Let him taste the sting of my thunderbolt.”  

Zeus, having finished his discussion with the Moirai, approached and spoke.  

That would allow Poseidon and me to focus on reducing the Gigantes’ command units as much as possible.  

“If Father takes care of him, it’s as good as done.”  

“Don’t let your guard down, Zeus.”  

“You’re planning to use the Scythe, aren’t you? Unless it’s someone like a Protogenoi or Typhon, no one stands a chance against it.”

First, Ares spoke, followed by me, then Poseidon. Zeus gave a slight nod.  

The Scythe, the strongest weapon used to kill Typhon.  

He’s clearly planning to bring it out again.  

“It seems the strategy is coming together. Brother Hades, what about Lady Nyx?”  

“Of course, I received her confirmation again before coming here.”  

“Good… I also have my son Heracles. The realms of the living and the dead are connected.”  

The King of the Gods, nodding his head, rose from his seat.  

With his emotions stirred, torrents of power surged naturally from his body.  

His thunderbolt-filled blue eyes swept over the Olympian gods.  

“Tomorrow! We will annihilate everything on the Phlegraean plains!”  

With his declaration of departure, overwhelming divine power radiated from countless gods, enveloping Olympus.  

* * *

The next day, all the gods gathered on Olympus, fully armed, and flew toward the Phlegraean plains.  

Stepping on clouds and riding the winds, tension and determination filled their faces.  

Whoosh—!

Glancing back, I saw the face of the goddess Lethe directly behind me.  

Though she looked much the same as usual, there was a faintly chilling glint in her eyes. Persephone and Demeter followed behind her…  

“Kore, be careful. I didn’t want to bring you here in the first place…”  

“Oh, come on! I can fight too. You’re still like this.”  

Without listening further, I turned my gaze forward again.  

Because Zeus and the gods flying ahead of me had all stopped.  

Rumble…

The Phlegraean plains.  

This plain in the Thrace region, meaning "burning field," was teeming with countless Gigantes staring our way.  

Each one was a powerful monster comparable to the gods, offspring of Gaia, the Earth Mother.  

Their numbers were uncountable… The land was filled with the ominous aura emanating from the Gigantes.  

Even now, more were emerging from the ground—truly a foe worthy of the gods.  

Dozens of command units, each on par with the Twelve Olympians, were visible.  

And over there… is that one, at least ten times larger than the other Gigantes, must be their king?

“Zeus! You’ve finally come. I am King Eurymedon.”  

The moment I saw him, I knew at a glance.  

An overwhelming aura far beyond the other Gigantes. Even I, ruler of the Underworld, felt I would lose to him if we fought on the surface.  

The king of the Gigantes, Eurymedon, was a lesser version of Typhon.  

Zeus gripped the Scythe in his right hand tightly, glaring at him.  

A sneer and taunting tone leaked from the King of the Gods’ lips.  

“So, you’re the king of these maggots. I can’t say it’s a pleasure to meet you.”  

“What?!”  

“Oh, right. Calling you a king is too much. The Head maggot seems more fitting.”  

“You insolent…! At this decisive moment for the world, you show no respect…”  

“A mere tool of Gaia like you has no right to speak with me!”  

Flash—BOOM!

Zeus’ thunderous roar echoed, followed by the sound of his signature thunderbolt.  

Eurymedon, also enraged, raised his weapon—a massive torch fashioned from an oak trunk—and shouted.  

“Fine! If you’re so eager to fall, I’ll grant your wish!”  

And with that, the voices signaling the start of the war rang out.  

“Strike down those who dare call themselves gods! Brothers!”  

“These creatures pale in comparison to the Titans or Typhon! Wipe them out today, and we’ll hold a grand feast on Olympus!”  

Fwoosh—BOOM! CRASH!

The two sides charged at each other, divine powers radiating light, Zeus’ thunderbolts crashing down from the sky.  

Watching it all unfold, I silently donned my Helm of Darkness, the Cap of Invisibility.  

“Today’s going to be a long day.”  

Thus began the Gigantomachia.