King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 192

The King of the Underworld is Tired (192/193)

Side Story – The Rebellion of the Underworld (6)

Whoosh- Thwack!

“H-Ughhhh!!!!”

The Bident plunged straight into Zeus’s groin.

Golden divine blood (ichor) erupted, staining the surroundings. The scream of a god, none other than the king of the gods, shattered the Olympian palace and stirred up fierce winds.

In that instant, the gods surging from the Underworld flooded into Olympus.

“Thanatos [God of Death], Hypnos [God of Sleep], Moros [God of Doom], and the Keres [Female death-spirits]… Damn it!”

“No. Prometheus and Epimetheus, who have been missing! Could it be!”

“Kugh! An attack from the Underworld!”

“Get out of the way, you little ones!”

“Artemis… you and I need a moment…”

“Ruler of the Underworld! Why are you doing this!”

In an instant, the Olympian palace transformed into a scene of chaos, divine powers clashing and blades flashing.

Artemis, drawing on the power of moonlight and madness, unleashed a barrage of arrows, while Apollo, the sun god, countered with bursts of light against the gods of the Underworld.

Screech- Whoosh!

The flames of Hephaestus and the allure of the goddess of beauty combined to confront the River Styx [the boundary between the world of the living and the Underworld]. A sleepiness akin to death subtly spread through Olympus.

In this pandemonium that seemed like the end of Olympus, only the goddess Hestia quietly sighed, guarding the hearth she tended.

Of course, in this battle, I was solely focused on Zeus. Starting with the groin-bursting preemptive strike, I continued to prevent him from seizing his thunderbolt, but Zeus was strong nonetheless.

Zeus realized the unheralded attack was mine and fiercely resisted.

“Kuh-ugh. Hades! You, not Poseidon, have started a rebellion!”

Zeus roared and thrashed, but I remained silent, concentrating on neutralizing him.

I had to fully exploit the capabilities of the Helm of Darkness, especially since it had been a while since I last used the Kynee [another name for the Helm of Darkness].

Thunder arose from his hands, and winds swirled. But that wasn’t Astrape [Zeus’s thunderbolt]; it was merely Zeus’s divine power.

To inflict a proper wound on me, he would need to bring out Astrape or directly strike me with his full power.

“Ugh. Kugh. Ares! My son! Bring Astrape to me!”

“Yes, Father!”

Zeus, pierced in various places with golden ichor seeping out, realized he couldn’t continue like this and called for Ares.

Of course, it would be dangerous if Astrape fell into his hands, but…

“Where do you think you’re going? Let’s play a little longer.”

“Tch. Thanatos!”

“Do you know how much trouble I go through because you always start wars?!”

“What? No, that’s originally your job…”

“You little brat! Try being the god of death! See how hard it is!”

Thanatos, always enraged whenever wars broke out in the mortal realm, grabbed Ares.

Since this wasn’t the Underworld, their battle would likely be inconclusive. In the meantime… Good, Atlas is coming.

Thwaaang!

“…Atlas!”

“Yo, Zeus! You’ll have to hold up the celestial sphere for a while now!”

Atlas, breaking through the clash of gods, struck Zeus. The immense impact sent Zeus crashing through the pillars of the palace.

The king of the gods rose again from the rubble, but I, wearing the Kynee, stood before him.

Thwack.

“…Kugh!”

I pierced his right shoulder. But Zeus grabbed the Bident and unleashed a thunderbolt, and with a crackling sound, I felt an immense voltage throughout my body.

Damn it. This hurts quite a bit. The Kynee is useless now.

“Surrender peacefully, Zeus. Poseidon is not here, and three of Iapetos’s children are on my side.”

“Heh heh… You coveted the throne of the gods that much? Hades!”

“Of course, I covet it. Isn’t it a position to restrain gods who run wild like thunderbolts?”

“What?”

“You are banished. Hold up the celestial sphere that Atlas was holding.”

Zeus laughed loudly at my words as I removed the Kynee.

“Hahaha! If you covet the throne of the gods, then try to seize it by force!”

“If that’s what you want, I’ll do just that.”

Atlas and I, along with Epimetheus, who had defeated Artemis, approached Zeus.

To complete the rebellion against Olympus.

* * *

The battle in the Olympian palace soon ended.

Because everyone saw Zeus subdued by my hand.

The surprise attack that started with bursting his groin, Zeus’s failure to seize Astrape until the end, and the combined assault of myself, one of the three chief gods, and the great Titan gods Atlas and Epimetheus.

Naturally, such a result was bound to occur. Of course, I was injured as well, but my condition was far better than Zeus’s.

“T-This. Lord Zeus…!”

“Agh! It’s all over! Father has fallen in the end!”

“Hmm. Lord Hades…”

“Everyone, drop your weapons. I am now the king of the gods.”

As the gods belonging to the Underworld quickly cleared the battlefield, Hera appeared belatedly in the completely ruined Olympus.

It wasn’t that she arrived late. She had been briefly persuaded by Iris, who had come out of the Underworld late.

Loyalty to Zeus, resentment for the philandering god, and the betrayal of Iris, her most cherished confidante.

Hera’s mind must be very complicated as well. She was the one who had joined forces with Poseidon to start a rebellion in the past.

“Hera.”

“Hades, you’ve started a rebellion…”

“I had a promise with Iris. I won’t touch you. Continue to remain as the goddess of the household. And show some leniency to those who have children unwillingly.”

I passed by Hera, who wore a strange expression, and headed towards Hestia, who was guarding the hearth with a sullen expression on one side of Olympus.

The goddess, who hadn’t participated at all in the fierce battle of Olympus and had merely guarded the hearth, pouted as she looked at me approaching.

“Hestia.”

“Haaa… Hades. I did hope you would come to Olympus more often, but…”

“Not in this way?”

“…I don’t think you started this because you coveted the throne of the gods.”

“I simply couldn’t stand by and watch from the Underworld. I thank you for not joining the battle.”

The goddess Hestia is a powerful goddess, different from her gentle nature and the hearth she oversees.

Although not as much as Hera, I had experienced her power many times during the Titanomachy War [the war between the Titans and the Olympian gods].

If she had sided with Zeus, it would have been much more difficult.

It was also fortunate that Hera and Poseidon were absent during the attack. Truly, the goddesses of fate were supporting me.

* * *

After the rebellion against Olympus, I sat on the throne of the gods.

Poseidon, who arrived late, was horrified, but the power of Olympus had already passed to me.

Crackle!

Zeus’s Astrape and Scythe, the strongest weapon of Olympus, were in my hands… He wouldn’t be able to rebel against me either.

Of course, this was possible because of the support of the Titans such as Atlas and Prometheus.

Holding the royal scepter, I sat on the golden throne and issued commands.

“Zeus is sentenced to bear the celestial sphere that Atlas was holding. And Epimetheus’s family will be made immortal as promised, and from now on, they must periodically convey news of the world to the Hecatoncheires [giants with 100 hands and 50 heads] guarding Tartarus [the deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering]. Furthermore, all Olympian gods must take turns helping with the affairs of the Underworld…”

The time had come to change everything I thought was wrong.

It was originally Zeus’s job, but because that bastard neglected his duties and indulged in women…

“And I will prohibit any acts of cruelty against mortals. Those who cast curses, kill, rape, or harass mortals for trivial matters will all be sentenced to forced labor in the Underworld. I will not prevent them from punishing them for legitimate reasons, but if they harass humans for unjust reasons, they will pay the price. This will be judged by Mnemosyne [the goddess of memory], and Dike [the goddess of justice], and if they appeal unfairly, I will decide through trial myself…”

“Ummm…”

“…Ahem.”

The expressions of the Olympian gods are very strange.

Why, is it strange that I, who ousted Zeus and sat on the throne of the gods, am making such declarations?

“Of course, it is the same for properly managing the demigod children who have inherited divine blood, and I will intervene at any time if unfair acts occur even among the gods. And there was a lot of talk about Aphrodite this time… Aphrodite, who committed adultery while leaving her husband, should go to the Underworld and deeply reflect. Ares is sentenced to guard the entrance to Tartarus for five years in place of the Hecatoncheires…”

When power changes hands, the aftermath is always the biggest problem.

Sometimes, it’s about political retaliation or settling grudges that have been built up until now, but… For now, I’ll stop here with the other gods except for Zeus.

I subtly lowered the scepter in my hand and eased the atmosphere.

“I think everyone is bewildered and has many thoughts because of the situation that occurred in Olympus today. But I hope you will understand that this was not my own desire for power, but a decision for the sake of the world. I will not hold you accountable for your past sins, so all gods should be careful in their future words and actions, and I hope you will become responsible gods who fulfill their divine duties.”

Clap clap clap!!!

The gods applauded as I finished speaking.

Some reluctantly responded with sullen faces, while others seemed to have genuine expectations that I would be better than Zeus.

Of course, there may be gods who have dangerous thoughts like Poseidon.

But I have the justification, the support of the gods, and overwhelming power. It’s safe to say that no one would dare to rebel against me.

From now on, I, Hades, will rule the world as the lord of Olympus.