Episode 22: The King of the Underworld is Tired

Episode 22: The Story of the Rebellion

The divine palace atop the clouds of Olympus.

A palace revered by mortals who look up to the gods.

This place, which was once half-destroyed by Typhon, was now facing yet another crisis.

Is it because of an external enemy as powerful as Typhon?

Is it due to the invasion of Cronus, the Gigantes, or the Titans?

"Damn it... What do you think you’re doing, Uncle?!"

It was none of those.

"Can't you see for yourself, nephew? Zeus is finished."

"Brother Apollo! Why are you on their side?"

"My dear sister, I can no longer tolerate a father who chases after mortal women rather than our mother or Lady Hera..."

It was due to a civil war over the throne of the king of the gods.

While Zeus slept, his thunderbolt was stolen, and his muscular body was bound with tough leather straps.

Although Zeus awoke in shock, the tide had already turned.

Poseidon, Apollo, and Hera imprisoned Zeus in a building on Olympus and summoned the other gods.

This was to dethrone Zeus and proclaim a new king of the gods.

"Don't be ridiculous! I oppose this!"

"Ares, your opposition won’t change anything."

"Mother!"

"Brother Apollo, please, think this through carefully."

"Hermes, I’ve already thought long and hard before acting."

"Aren’t you the god of reason? Is this really..."

"Must we do this among ourselves? Poseidon? We still face the threat of the Gigantes..."

"Zeus, who lost to Typhon despite possessing the sky’s divinity, has no right to stand above me. Hestia."

The great gods of Olympus were divided into two.

One side sought to enthrone Poseidon as the new king, while the other aimed to somehow rescue Zeus, who was trapped in the building.

"What are you all doing?! We have to fight and rescue Father!"

Ares, the god of war, was on the verge of charging in, filled with rage.

The other gods, too, tensed up, channeling their divine power and reaching for their weapons.

Athena’s spear gleamed, and Hermes, having made up his mind, infused his caduceus with power.

But...

"Hmm. That sounds good. Instead of just talking, show your resolve with force. I’ll take you on with this trident."

"Damn it..."

"Uncle! Are you really going through with this?!"

"Damn it, how are we supposed to defeat Lord Poseidon..."

As Poseidon nonchalantly brandished his trident, everyone hesitated.

Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades.

These three great gods were vastly more powerful than the other gods.

So much so that they could defeat all the other gods combined, except for the other two among the three great gods.

"Ugh! We won’t know until we try!!"

Ares, surveying the gods on Zeus’s side, shouted in frustration.

As intense red divine power surged from his body, he drew his sword and charged at Poseidon...

Clang! Boom!

"Tch...!"

"You're insolent before the new king of Olympus, nephew."

Poseidon swung his trident at an invisible speed.

His blue divine power swept over the challenger like a wave, striking him down completely.

Ares’s treasured sword was instantly shattered by the sharp trident, revealing the overwhelming gap in their power.

In the end, the god of war had no choice but to retreat in the face of this crushing defeat.

"Is there anyone else who opposes me becoming the master of that throne?!"

Poseidon raised his trident and pointed it at the golden throne, his voice booming.

The throne he pointed to was the upper seat among the 12 thrones, the one where Zeus usually sat.

Only the king of Olympus could sit there.

Zeus's supporters fell into a miserable silence, and a suffocating stillness enveloped Olympus.

Satisfied with the now-quiet gods, Poseidon stroked his beard and declared:

"Then, let us now banish Zeus..."

"I oppose this."

* * *

"I oppose this."

"What..? No way..."

"I didn’t sense any presence!"

"Even the wind whispered nothing..."

All the gods of Olympus were shaken by the sudden voice.

It came from an empty space where no presence was felt.

"So, you intend to interfere after all..."

But the seasoned gods who had fought in the wars against the Gigantes and the Titans recognized the voice's identity.

This stealth, completely undetectable by divine senses, was allowed only to one god...

"This is the Helm of Darkness..! The lord of the Underworld!"

"You promised not to leave me out..."

"Uncle Hades!"

A dark-haired, dark-eyed god, holding an old helmet and a bident, appeared.

The god, who appeared unadorned and shabby, had a gloomy and weary expression, but no one could ignore him.

"Hades! Even now, come to our side, and I’ll grant you dominion over the seas, in addition to the skies!"

"I don’t need any of that, so stop the rebellion."

He was Hades, one of the three great gods, equal to Poseidon.

* * *

'Just in the nick of time, I arrived.'

It was fortunate that I hurried up to Olympus after hearing Thetis' words.

If I had been any later, Zeus might have been exiled before I could intervene.

Where is Zeus?

"Hades, sir!"

"...Uncle Hades! Uncle Poseidon has gone mad!"

"Phew... Did you rush here all the way from the Underworld?"

I see the relieved expressions on the faces of the gods on Zeus's side, looking at me as if they’ve been saved.

Ares, why are you covered in dust, and why is your sword shattered... You charged at Poseidon and got smacked down, didn’t you?

On the other hand, Hera and Apollo, who are on Poseidon's side, look distressed.

What, did you think I wouldn't intervene so quickly?

"Hmm..."

"Poseidon, do you want to try fighting me too?"

When I pointed my bident at him, Poseidon let out a heavy sigh.

If he could just take me down, the throne of the king of the gods would be within his grasp.

But Poseidon isn’t so foolish.

A battle between me and Poseidon, neither in the sea nor in the Underworld, would drag on endlessly.

Even if I could gain a slight advantage with my Helm of Darkness, he is still one of the three great gods.

However, Hera and Apollo wouldn’t be able to defeat all these gods.

It’s clear that Poseidon is at a disadvantage in terms of numbers.

While I take on Poseidon, the other gods can subdue Hera and Apollo and free Zeus, ending the rebellion.

"It seems Zeus is trapped in that building behind us."

"How did you get here from the Underworld...?"

"Thetis informed me."

Hera, is there any reason I shouldn’t come to Olympus?

"No... Uncle Hades."

"What?"

Apollo, wipe that expression off your face—the one you had before Typhon’s severed head was cast into Tartarus.

The overwhelming momentum of Poseidon, like a raging storm, gradually subsides.

His trident slowly lowers toward the ground.

"Damn... Fine. I’ll withdraw."

"Poseidon!"

"What else can we do, Hera? Since we couldn’t exile Zeus before Hades intervened, we’ve lost."

Poseidon steps back, looking as if he’s just bitten into a stone while drinking nectar.

From the looks of it, the place where Zeus is imprisoned must be in that building.

When I enter, I indeed find Zeus bound tightly by a tough leather strap reinforced with divine power.

When he sees me, his face brightens.

"Brother Hades, have you come to rescue me?"

"I’m exhausted because of you."

"If not for the ambush while I was sleeping..."

The leather straps were cut by my bident, and Zeus reclaimed his lightning.

Thus, the rebellion on Olympus was quelled.

* * *

"Poseidon’s always been ambitious, but how could you, Hera, do such a thing! Apollo, you too!"

"I’m sorry, Father..."

"Silence! You will descend to the mortal world for one year and serve as a slave under a human king! Poseidon too!"

Apollo and Poseidon left Olympus with darkened expressions.

Zeus's eagle will keep a close watch to ensure they properly fulfill their slave duties.

"And... Hera, you will be shackled for one year, with an anvil on your ankles and cuffs on your wrists!"

"...Do as you wish."

Zeus was furious that the rebellion against him had almost succeeded.

As a result, thunder rumbled continuously in the sky.

Mortals will likely tremble in fear, thinking, "Zeus is angry with us again..."

But the truth is, the god of rape is merely throwing a tantrum because his authority was threatened.

After a while, as Zeus calmed down from his anger, he turned to me.

"Ah... I must thank you again, Brother Hades."

"Well, if you hadn’t been so unfaithful, Hera wouldn’t have done this."

"Regardless, I can never forgive those who challenge my position."

Isn’t this just a case of getting what you deserve?

It’s true that Zeus is a better fit as king of the gods than Poseidon, but still...

"If even your son rebelled, perhaps you should reflect on your behavior..."

"Ahem! I never expected that even Apollo would go that far..."

As I talked with Zeus, other gods gradually gathered around.

It seems they’ve finished cleaning up the mess left by the rebellion.

"Uncle Hades! We’re truly grateful this time."

"We didn’t expect you to appear on Olympus and help Zeus."

"If the lord of the Underworld hadn’t intervened, things could have been dangerous."

Countless gods gazed at me with bright eyes, like chicks looking at a mother hen.

Finally, the gods have rid themselves of their aversion to the Underworld.

Now is the time to fulfill Hephaestus' request.

With great satisfaction, I summoned my bident and showed it to them.

"Oh... Is that the weapon you were holding when you appeared without your Helm of Darkness earlier?"

"I’ve never seen a weapon like it, but it feels extraordinary."

"Hades, did the three Cyclopes create that for you?"

They’re curious about the origin of my powerful weapon, as expected.

Then let me tell everyone about it.

Unfortunately, Hephaestus isn’t here, but...

"This is a bident crafted for me by Hephaestus, the greatest blacksmith in the world, who far surpasses the three Cyclopes, and one of the twelve Olympians. It has a very convenient feature where it can be summoned to my hand from afar at any time. Unlike Ares' sword that shattered in an instant, it’s in no way inferior to Poseidon’s trident, and after testing it several times against my proud Helm of Darkness..."

Seeing Zeus and everyone else staring blankly at my mouth...!

I guess they’re all quite envious of my bident. 

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