King of Underworld

Chapter 153: Gigantomachia – Part 1

The halls of Olympus.

The palace of the gods, perched above the clouds, was heavy with the tension of war.

Armored gods moved hastily, and divine beasts roamed near the gates, their presence foreboding.

Zeus’s eagle darted between clouds, delivering messages. Dionysus’s leopard paced restlessly on the celestial mist, its irritation visible.

Other lesser gods and attendants were no less affected.

Their faces were stiff, and not one dared to meet my gaze as I entered.

“Welcome, Lord Hades. Lord Zeus is in the inner chamber…”

“Very well. Carry on.”

Guided by an attendant, I entered the council chamber, where many gods discussed the impending battle with the Gigantes.

The sea gods, including Poseidon, were present, though not all the gods had arrived yet.

“What news from the Phlegraean Plains?”

“Zephyros, god of the west wind, just returned from scouting. The Gigantes have begun to reveal themselves.”

“Then we must assume the ambush has failed.”

“Even so, a direct confrontation doesn’t mean defeat. We have the prophetic hero, nearly equal to the Twelve Olympians, and the Lord of the Underworld has even secured Lady Nyx’s cooperation…”

“Has Eros arrived yet? And where is Lord Poseidon?”

“Heracles, your presence is reassuring.”

“I’m honored, Lord Hephaestus.”

“Ha! You are the key to the prophecy, so no need to be so modest.”

As I searched for a place to sit before the meeting began, a goddess radiating warmth approached.

It was Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, one of the siblings who had fought alongside me against the Titans in ages past.

Hestia was clad in armor, as she had been during those ancient battles.

A soft glow emanated from her, filling the room with a comforting warmth.

“Hestia.”

“Hades. The time has come to face the Gigantes! Though I notice some gods are absent…”

“Thanatos and Charon? It couldn’t be helped. If they cease their duties for even two days, the balance of the mortal world becomes unstable.”

More precisely, the balance of the underworld would be jeopardized.

“And your armor and weapons… did Hephaestus make them?”

“Ah, yes! Zeus commanded Hephaestus to forge them in advance. I heard he toiled for months without rest.”

She unsheathed her sword briefly before returning it to her side, smiling.

Poor Hephaestus. His talent made him indispensable, and Zeus certainly wouldn’t have let him rest.

Though mass-produced, weapons crafted by a god were guaranteed to be of exceptional quality.

—

*Rustle.*

Our conversation was interrupted by commotion in one corner of Olympus.

A surge of powerful divine energy signaled the arrival of Poseidon and the other sea gods.

It was time for the war council to begin.

Both Hestia and I turned to see Zeus, fiddling with bolts of lightning as he spoke with Athena.

The King of the Gods stood and addressed the gathered deities with a deep, resonant voice.

“Poseidon is here. Let us now discuss our plan to annihilate the Phlegraean Plains.”

—

“…We could drown the plains with the sea or have Hades summon…”

“But that would devastate the mortal world.”

“I agree. Even if we win the war, leaving only ruins would be unwise.”

Despite Zeus’s imposing presence, the discussion was surprisingly balanced for a meeting on Olympus.

Zeus soon ceded the floor to Athena while he conferred with the Moirai, the three Fates.

He was likely inquiring about the war’s trajectory and possible outcomes.

Still, the gods present were seasoned in war, not just young deities but also elder ones like Hecate, goddess of magic.

With war gods like Athena and Ares leading the discussion, the strategy was taking shape.

“Perhaps we should deploy only gods, excluding mortal heroes and divine beasts?”

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

“No matter how strong mortal heroes have become, they are ill-suited for a battle of this scale.”

“However, we should still issue oracles to warn mortals of the coming conflict.”

“Minimizing collateral damage is crucial. The Phlegraean Plains are too narrow for us to fight effectively.”

“Hades, you’ve faced the Gigantes’ commanders before at Mount Etna. How strong were they?”

“They were nearly on par with the Twelve Olympians, though not as powerful as Zeus or myself.”

“Lady Hecate, could you prevent the Gigantes’ forces from spilling beyond the plains?”

“Blocking such power entirely is difficult, but I’ll try my best.”

“Perhaps with the aid of other gods who govern barriers, enchantments, or magic…”

“What if we begin the battle at dawn and aim to finish before nightfall?”

“Are you suggesting driving Helios’s sun chariot over the battlefield to finish them off?”

“But wouldn’t that cause excessive damage to mortals? Still, as a last resort…”

“With Lady Nyx on our side, we may not need to go that far.”

—

The meeting stretched on for hours.

Given the battle would commence the next day, rest would have been the logical choice.

But the gods assembled here were far from ordinary. Fatigue was a negligible concern for them.

—

“It might be wise for the higher-ranking gods to lure their strongest opponents away and engage them elsewhere.”

“An excellent suggestion, Athena. I support it.”

“The Gigantes are said to have a king… Eurymedon, wasn’t it?”

The memory of the giants’ previous assault on Olympus resurfaced.

Back then, the commander Agrios had declared his allegiance to King Eurymedon.

“I am Agrios, under the command of King Eurymedon!”

If Agrios was on par with the Twelve Olympians, Eurymedon must be even stronger. Perhaps comparable to Zeus, Poseidon, or myself.

“Leave that so-called king to me,” Zeus declared as he returned from his conversation with the Moirai.

That freed Poseidon and me to focus on eliminating the Gigantes’ commanders.

“Father, with you leading, Eurymedon’s days are numbered.”

“Don’t underestimate him, Zeus,” I warned.

“If you wield the Scythe, only beings like Primordials or Typhon could pose a threat,” Poseidon added.

Zeus smirked, nodding. The Scythe, his ultimate weapon used against Typhon, was ready for battle.

—

The war council concluded, and Zeus stood.

The surge of emotions ignited a storm of power radiating from him.

His blue eyes crackled with lightning as he addressed the gods.

“Tomorrow, we will annihilate everything in the Phlegraean Plains!”

His declaration of war reverberated through Olympus, bolstered by the divine energy of countless gods.

—

The next day, every god was armed and ready. Together, they flew toward the Phlegraean Plains.

Riding the clouds and carried by the winds, their faces were filled with determination and tension.

—

*Whoosh.*

As I glanced back, I saw Lethe, her expression calm yet subtly cold. Behind her were Persephone and Demeter.

“Be careful, Kore. I didn’t want to bring you…”

“I’ve told you, I can fight. You’re still doing this?”

Before I could hear more of their conversation, my focus shifted forward.

Ahead, Zeus and the other gods had stopped.

—

*Rumble.*

The Phlegraean Plains.

The scorched fields were swarming with Gigantes,

Each one a monstrous being born of Gaia, capable of rivaling gods.

Their numbers were countless, and the malevolent energy they emitted filled the battlefield.

Even now, more Gigantes were emerging from the ground, truly worthy adversaries for the gods.

Among them, dozens of commanders stood equal to the Twelve Olympians.

And there, towering above the rest, was the king himself.

“Zeus! At last, you’ve come. I am King Eurymedon!”

His power was palpable, far surpassing the other Gigantes. Even as the lord of the underworld, I sensed I might fall if I faced him on the mortal plane.

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

Zeus gripped his Scythe tightly, his expression a mix of derision and provocation.

“So, you’re the king of these vermin? Not exactly a pleasure to meet you.”

“What did you say?”

“Ah, perhaps ‘king’ is too grand. Let’s call you the head cockroach instead.”

“You dare! To speak without the slightest respect in a matter of global dominion…”

“You, a mere pawn of Gaia, are unworthy of dialogue with me!!!”

*Flash! BOOM!*

Zeus’s thunderous roar echoed as lightning crackled around him.

Enraged, Eurymedon raised his massive weapon, a torch fashioned from an oak trunk.

“Very well! If you wish to fall so soon, I shall grant you that wish!”

The two leaders’ voices signaled the start of war.

“Crush those who call themselves gods! Brothers, attack!”

“Compared to the

Titans or Typhon, they’re nothing! We’ll destroy them all by nightfall and hold a grand feast on Olympus!”

—

Flashes of light, the brilliance of divine power, and Zeus’s thunderbolts filled the sky.

I donned the invisible Kynee and whispered to myself.

“Today is going to be a very long day.”

Gigantomachia begins.