The King of the Underworld is Tired

Chapter 156: Gigantomachia – (4)

Atlas has sided with Gaia!

When Atlas, who had absorbed the blood and resentment of countless Gigantes, appeared, the Olympian gods were shocked.

Even in his usual state, carrying the celestial sphere, he was a formidable being comparable to the Three Great Gods...

"You must have heard what Lord Hades said! Everyone, brace yourselves!"

"Why on earth would Lord Atlas...?"

"It’s obvious. Lady Gaia must have instigated him!"

Flash! Boom!

The Phlegraean Plains were obliterated by the collision.

Fortunately, the gods had retreated beyond the plains and were able to block the shockwaves with their divine powers or authority, but it wasn’t over yet.

Rumble! Crash!

Both the Gigantes and the Olympian gods were taken aback and fled.

If caught in that chaos, not even the immortal gods would come out unscathed.

The gods, revered by mortals, were now scattering in disgrace, fleeing in all directions.

And for good reason—who would dare to step into that space, where the air itself was being torn apart, and deathly energy, lightning, and tsunamis raged uncontrollably?

“Hephaestus, follow me for now. Leave this area to them, and let’s chase the fleeing Gigantes…”

“Yes, Mother!”

“Damn it. Are many mortals going to die again? If that happens, I’ll have to recreate humanity…”

“How many Gigantes have escaped?”

Even the old gods who had experienced the Titanomachy—Hera, Demeter, and Hestia—frowned as they moved.

The god of war, Ares, clenched his teeth and strode over to the goddess of the hearth.

“Lady Hestia! How did you defeat Atlas back then?”

“He wasn’t this strong originally. Lady Gaia… summoned him here from his punishment of carrying the celestial sphere and…”

“...infused him with power, no doubt. But he won’t be able to maintain that state for long.”

The goddess of war and wisdom, Athena, continued the explanation.

She, too, had a fatigued expression, with ichor flowing from wounds all over her body.

Although shaken at first, the gods quickly began to respond.

Athena delivered prophecies to the mortal world, some gods pursued the fleeing Gigantes, and Hecate, the goddess of magic, worked to neutralize the spreading shockwaves.

Each was doing what they could.

Meanwhile...

“Lord Dionysus.”

“Huff... What is it, Heracles? Huff… I’m exhausted, so make it quick.”

“You’re telling me that the new enemy is Atlas? What does that even mean?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. The Titan Atlas, punished to carry the celestial sphere, has joined Gaia’s side!”

Heracles knew a little about Atlas.

Since becoming a god, he had learned a bit about the history of the gods.

He also knew that Atlas, who was fiercely battling the Three Great Gods over there, was powerful enough to be compared to his father, Zeus.

But that wasn’t a reason for him to back down.

“…?”

“Heracles?”

After a brief moment of contemplation, the god of strength and combat began walking toward the heart of the chaotic battleground.

Into that terrifying zone of destruction that even the Twelve Olympians were avoiding in terror.

“Heracles! Where are you going?”

“There’s an enemy to fight, isn’t there? I’ll help!”

Combat is about overcoming and surpassing limits.

* * *

“Hah! So this is where you are, Hades!”

Shiiing—! Boom!

Atlas’s fist narrowly missed me again.

The shockwave sent warm liquid trickling down my face, and I could feel an entire mountain behind me being blown away.

Taking the full brunt of the force, I swung my bident, but this giant took it on his shoulder and counterattacked.

Damn it. His tough body, which had been annoyingly durable in the past, is now even sturdier.

Whoosh—!

He seems like a brute who only knows raw strength.

Atlas has no divine authority or domain, but if he had one, it would undoubtedly be strength.

If Heracles weren’t around, it wouldn’t be strange for Atlas to hold the mantle of the god of strength.

“This damned fight should have ended ages ago!”

Clang! Slash!

Poseidon struck Atlas’s arm with his trident as he spoke.

His voice was filled with frustration rather than resolve. Understandable, given that Atlas’s already resilient body…

“Well, as long as it’s not the scythe that cut off Grandfather Uranus’s genitals, it doesn’t hurt much, does it?”

“Typical of the Mother Goddess, granting such an annoyingly potent blessing.”

“No need to rush—I’ll cut you down soon enough.”

Thanks to the power bestowed by Gaia, even being struck by my bident or Poseidon’s trident only left scratches on him.

He even withstood Zeus’s lightning bolts. It’s no surprise.

This is why Zeus abandoned his lightning bolts and has been trying to subdue him using just scythe.

The Titans, like us, are immortal. However, severing their limbs or inflicting severe wounds would prevent them from recovering quickly.

“Huff…”

Wearing the Helm of Darkness for so long, sweat was trickling down my face under the helmet.

Atlas, empowered by Gaia, cannot maintain this state for long. This prolonged battle will eventually tilt in our favor.

But... the fact that we are tied down here is the real problem.

I can feel the earth gathering strength once more.

The Phlegraean Plains have long since been destroyed, yet Gaia continues to draw power.

I can sense the surviving Gigantes scattering in all directions after the earlier collision.

The gods rushed to pursue them, but if they reached the mortal world, more than half of humanity could perish.

The goddess Styx, to whom I promised marriage... Lethe… Persephone… 

Are they all safe? With the fierce battle raging on, I hadn’t been able to properly check on their well-being.  

“Heh… The time to finally pass on the burden of the heavens is approaching.”  

“Ha!”  

Even so, I couldn’t just ignore Atlas and focus elsewhere.  

If only two of the Three Great Gods remained here, Atlas could easily break free using his Titan strength and go on a rampage, massacring other gods or humans.  

In the end, we had to either subdue or defeat him here, but that was far easier said than done.  

Should I disrupt the balance of the world and pull the Underworld to this place, dropping him to the depths below? No matter how many lives are lost...  

It seemed Poseidon was grappling with similar thoughts. His expression was unusually grim.  

If he used the same methods as during the Great Flood, submerging the land completely in water, not even Atlas could endure it.  

Hm? I sensed someone approaching...  

I had clearly ordered everyone to withdraw, as getting caught in the attacks would be catastrophic.  

Only a handful of gods would be capable of breaking through the divine energy waves and the shockwaves exploding in all directions.

At most, it could be Hecate, the goddess of magic; the three Fates; or—  

“Take this!!!”  

—Heracles, gritting his teeth and swinging his iron club.  

KA-ANG!

Heracles emerged from behind Atlas and struck him fiercely. The Titan’s head briefly turned from the impact.  

It seemed Atlas had underestimated the attack since it wasn’t from one of the Great Gods. But Heracles was the god of strength.  

Apart from the Three Great Gods, few could rival his immense divine power.  

His iron club was a special creation forged by Hephaestus himself.  

His divine domain: strength.  

When the god of strength swung his weapon with full force, imbued with his very essence—  

“Hm?!”  

—he succeeded in momentarily turning Atlas’s head.  

Although the Titan’s body suffered no real damage and Heracles was struck down and sent flying in the subsequent counterattack, the brief opening he created was enough.  

Swick—

“ARGH!”  

Zeus seized the moment, swinging his scythe to sever one of Atlas’s legs.  

* * *

I rushed in, stabbing Atlas in the eye, and Poseidon’s trident struck him violently in the stomach.  

The Titan, now sprawled out and bleeding fountains of golden ichor, was paying the price for his poor choices.  

“Grr…!”  

“Well done, Heracles!”  n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“Your son is probably unconscious on that mountain by now and can’t hear you.”  

“Hah…”  

I caught my breath as I looked down at the writhing Atlas, still groaning on the ground.  

Was it finally over? Was this dreadful war truly at its end?  

All that remained was to hunt down the remnants of the fleeing Gigantes and throw Atlas into Tartarus.  

After this, the long, grueling Great War would finally draw its curtain.  

Now that the situation seemed under control, it was time to disperse the energy that had been accumulating in the earth.  

Thunk.

I drove my bident deep into the ground and focused the power of the Underworld.  

I began to erode and suppress the condensed energy beneath the surface…  

Sssshhh—

“Zeus has severed Atlas’s leg!”  

“Have we won?”  

“This is no time for celebration. We need to hunt down the fleeing Gigantes first…”  

“Apollo! Where is Apollo?!”  

From afar, I could hear the gods’ voices as they recognized the battle was over and began rushing toward us.  

Hearing the Olympians’ joyful cheers, I felt a sense of relief.  

Ah, the goddess Styx, Lethe, and… Persephone.  

All of them were safe.  

Though their exhaustion and injuries were evident, no one had suffered any critical wounds.  

Truly. Thank goodness...

But then—  

A voice rose from the earth.  

At the same time, the ground began to gather itself, rising into a colossal form.  

Rumble, rumble... 

It was a titan-like giant composed entirely of earth.  

The oppressive aura it radiated was reminiscent of when I had encountered Nyx, the primordial goddess of night.  

I saw Zeus frown and mutter something under his breath.  

Poseidon and the other gods wore similar expressions. Some shook their heads in frustration and despair.  

“So, you force me to step in after all! I can never acknowledge you!”  

I had considered the possibility of this outcome, but still…  

Typhon, the Gigantes, Atlas—we had defeated them all, yet this still wasn’t over?  

Is it even allowed for a Protogenoi to intervene in a conflict among gods?  

If that’s how it’s going to be, I had no choice.  

I had to rely on the protection of Lady Nyx, the goddess of night, as I had persuaded her in advance.  

Rustle—

As I looked up at the sky, night suddenly descended onto the mortal world.  

It was as though the night sky itself had enveloped the earth.  

Even with divine sight, all I could see was endless darkness.  

The earthen giant, composed of Gaia’s power, halted its movements as it faced a form made of the starlit night sky.  

In the mortal world, now transformed into a starry world, the two Protogenoi stood face-to-face.

A chilling silence lingered for a moment... until the night spoke first.

"Gaia. Isn’t this enough?"