Chapter 192: Side Story – The Underworld’s Rebellion (6)
Ssshhh- Thwack!
“Gah-aaaargh!!!”
The Bident struck true, piercing Zeus’s groin with precision.
Golden ichor gushed forth, spilling across the battlefield as Olympus quaked with the thunderous scream of the King of the Gods.
Buildings toppled, and the winds howled violently.
At that moment, the gods of the Underworld surged into Olympus.
“Thanatos, Hypnos, Moros, and Keres—damn it!”
“And the missing Prometheus and Epimetheus… Could it be?”
“Argh! An attack from the Underworld?!”
“Out of the way, you whelps!”
“Artemis… let’s talk for a moment…”
“Lord of the Underworld! Why are you doing this?!”
In the blink of an eye, Olympus descended into chaos, with divine powers clashing and swords and spears slicing through the air.
Artemis unleashed a storm of arrows powered by moonlight and madness, while Apollo radiated brilliant sunlight to fend off the Underworld gods.
Swaaash—Fwoosh!
Hephaestus’s flames combined with the allure of the Goddess of Beauty to counter the Styx’s overwhelming flow.
The essence of death and the pull of slumber spread faintly across Olympus.
It was nothing short of the end of Olympus—a scene of utter pandemonium.
Amidst the chaos, only Hestia sighed deeply, standing alone to guard her hearth.
But I had only one target: Zeus.
The opening blow that shattered his groin had set the tone, and now I focused entirely on preventing him from summoning his lightning.
Yet, Zeus was still formidable, fiercely resisting now that he had realized the attack was mine.
“Ugh… Hades! Not Poseidon, but you dare rebel?!”
Zeus roared and thrashed wildly, but I stayed silent, concentrating on neutralizing him.
After all, it wasn’t often I donned the Kynee and engaged in combat—I had to make full use of its invisibility.
Lightning crackled from his hands, and storm winds howled.
But that wasn’t Astraphe, only Zeus’s inherent power.
To truly injure me, he’d need to either wield Astraphe or strike me directly with his full might.
“Ugh… Ares! My son! Bring me Astraphe!”
“Yes, Father!”
Zeus, bleeding ichor from his wounds, called out to Ares in desperation.
If Ares brought Astraphe, it could be dangerous, but…
“Where do you think you’re going? You’ll play with me a little longer.”
“Tch. Thanatos!”
“Do you know how much trouble your constant wars cause me?!”
“What? That’s your job to—”
“You insolent brat! Why don’t you become the god of death and see how hard it is?!”
Thanatos, long enraged by the wars Ares perpetuated, grabbed hold of him.
Though this wasn’t the Underworld, their battle would likely remain unresolved for now.
Good. Atlas was arriving.
Boom!
“…Atlas!”
“Well, Zeus! Time for you to take up the celestial sphere!”
Atlas smashed through the tumult of divine battles and struck Zeus with a devastating blow.
The impact sent Zeus crashing into a pillar of the meeting hall, shattering it.
Though the King of the Gods emerged from the rubble, his path was blocked—by me, still concealed by the Kynee.
Thwack.
“…Guh!”
I drove the Bident into his right shoulder.
Zeus, however, seized the weapon and unleashed a burst of lightning directly at me.
Crackling energy surged, causing my body to convulse in pain.
Damn. That hurt more than I expected. The Kynee was no longer useful in this battle.
“Submit, Zeus. Poseidon is absent, and three of Iapetos’s descendants stand with me.”
“Hah… Did you covet the throne of the gods so much, Hades?!”
“Of course. It’s a position where I can rein in gods who behave like thunderous brats.”
“What?!”
“You’re exiled. Take up the celestial sphere that Atlas carried.”
As I removed the Kynee, Zeus let out a booming laugh and shouted.
“Hahaha! If you want the throne of the gods, then take it by force!”
“If that’s what you want, I’ll oblige.”
Atlas, Epimetheus—who had just overpowered Artemis—and I approached Zeus.
The rebellion against Olympus was nearing its conclusion.
* * *
The battle for Olympus didn’t last much longer.
In the end, everyone witnessed Zeus fall to me.
From the surprise attack that shattered his groin, to his failure to wield Astraphe, and the combined efforts of myself, Atlas, and Epimetheus—a Titan of great renown—it was inevitable.
Though I bore injuries, my condition was far better than Zeus’s.
“Lord Zeus… defeated like this…!”
“It’s over! Father has fallen!”
“Lord Hades…”
“Lay down your weapons. I am now the King of the Gods.”
As the gods of the Underworld quickly subdued the battlefield, Hera finally arrived at the ruined Olympus.
She hadn’t come late but had been delayed, likely persuaded by Iris after emerging from the Underworld.
Loyalty to Zeus, resentment from years of infidelity, and the betrayal of her closest confidant, Iris—Hera’s thoughts must have been a tangled mess.
After all, she had once conspired with Poseidon to rebel.
“Hera.”
“Hades, to think you would lead a rebellion…”
“I made a promise to Iris. I won’t touch you. Remain the goddess of marriage. And be more compassionate to those who bear children unwillingly.”
Hera’s expression was complicated, but I passed her by and headed toward Hestia.
She had sat quietly by her hearth throughout the chaos, guarding it with a somber expression.
“Hestia.”
“Hah… Hades. I did wish you’d visit Olympus more often…”
“Just not like this?”
“…I don’t think you started this rebellion out of greed for the throne.”
“I couldn’t stand idly by in the Underworld anymore. Thank you for staying out of the fight.”
Hestia, with her warm nature and her domain of the hearth, was a goddess of incredible strength.
Though she was no match for Hera, her power during the Titanomachy had been significant.
If she had sided with Zeus, things would have been more difficult.
It was sheer fortune that neither Hera nor Poseidon was present during the assault. Truly, the Fates had smiled upon me.
* * *
After the rebellion, I claimed the throne of the gods.
Poseidon arrived late, shocked to find that Olympus’s power had already shifted to me.
Crack!
With Zeus’s Astraphe and Olympus’s strongest weapon, the Scythe, now in my possession, Poseidon couldn’t defy me.
Of course, this victory was only possible with the support of Titans like Atlas and Prometheus.
Holding the scepter, I sat on the golden throne and declared:
“Zeus will now bear the celestial sphere in Atlas’s stead. Epimetheus’s family will be granted immortality as promised. From now on, the Hecatoncheires guarding Tartarus will regularly receive news of the world. Additionally, all Olympian gods will take turns assisting with Underworld duties…”
It was time to correct everything that had gone wrong.
This was work Zeus should have done, but he had abandoned his responsibilities for his lustful pursuits.
“And I hereby ban all acts of cruelty against mortals. Gods who curse, kill, or torment mortals without just cause will be sentenced to labor in the Underworld. Punishments will only be administered for legitimate reasons, and any unjust harm to humans will be judged by Mnemosyne and Dike. Appeals will be handled by me directly…”
“Hmmm…”
“…Ahem.”
The Olympians’ expressions were peculiar.
Why, did they find it strange that I, the new King of the Gods, made such proclamations?
“Half-blood descendants must also be well-monitored. Should there be misconduct among the gods, I will intervene. As for Aphrodite’s recent scandal… She will reflect in the Underworld, and Ares will guard Tartarus for five years in the Hecatoncheires’ stead…”
When power shifts, cleaning up the aftermath is always the hardest part.
Political retribution or grudges were inevitable, but for now, I’d leave it at that, sparing the other gods aside from Zeus.
Placing the scepter down slightly, I eased the tension in the air.
“Today’s events may have left you shocked, but know this: my actions were not out of personal ambition, but for the betterment of the world. Your past sins will not be punished, but I urge you to conduct yourselves with dignity and fulfill your divine duties responsibly.”
Clap, clap, clap!
As my speech ended, the gods began to applaud.
Some did so reluctantly, their faces uneasy, while others seemed genuinely hopeful that I would be a better ruler than Zeus.
Of course, there might still be gods like Poseidon harboring dangerous thoughts.
But with my overwhelming legitimacy, power, and support, none would dare rebel against me.
From this day forth, I, Hades, shall rule the world as the sovereign of Olympus.