#1071 Old and New Deities Reuniting  

Behold, it is Zeus, returned to the mortal realm after a long absence.

Yet before me stands an opponent I had not expected.

Cronus...!

The Titan King Cronus?!

He is mine own father, the leader of the Titan gods who ruled the world ere our time.

Long ago, I did join forces with mine brethren and sisters to battle him and achieved a great victory!

Thus did we Olympian gods ascend to the pinnacle of the world, and I became the king of the gods!

And Cronus, along with his Titan followers, was imprisoned deep within Tartarus!

Why is such a Cronus now out and about?!

Hath the seal been broken? Impossible!

“Compare me not to thee. I, Cronus, King of the Titans, would not disgrace myself by loosening the seal and crawling out like a cockroach through its cracks.”

Whaaaat?!

Hold on; that maketh me, who hath just crawled out through the cracks in the seal, seem like a cockroach!

Ah, so that is thy sarcasm!

“I have emerged openly from Tartarus, officially released. The Mother of All, Goddess Gaia, hath judged that enough time hath passed to dissolve old grudges. In short, mine own term is ended.”

What?! How unfair!

Then I too should be released from mine imprisonment!

It is wrong that the defeated leader of the Titans should be so treated, yet I, the reigning lord of Olympus in its prime, am not favored.

“Nay, ‘tis but just. The crimes thou and Father committed, and the terms of thine confinement, differ vastly.”

“Art thou aware that thou didst nearly destroy the world?”

Thus spake Poseidon and Hades, watching from the side.

Ye art the ones being too relaxed!

Father Cronus is the arch-enemy of us all!

Even now, the terror of mighty Cronus, whom we siblings joined forces to oppose, cometh back vividly when I recall it...!

We Olympian siblings united our strength yet could not stand against him; only by enlisting the aid of the forbidden subterranean demons, Cyclops and Hecatoncheires, did we gain the advantage.

Unable to defeat him directly, Hades, made invisible by the Helm of Darkness, stole his weapon. Unarmed, Poseidon impaled him with his trident, and when his movement ceased, I unleashed eighteen thunderbolts in one second to finally defeat him.

Truly, that was our utmost combined effort—a one-two-three!

And now that such a formidable foe is released and free, can ye afford to be so nonchalant?!

Think ye not that there may be reprisals?!

...Wait.

On second thought, is this not a chance for a reversal?

Cronus, terrifying and strong, hath appeared before us.

I hate to admit it, but his divine power is far superior to ours; neither I nor Hades nor Poseidon can possibly match him individually.

As in the Titanomachy of old, he is an opponent we can defeat only by uniting the power of us three supreme gods!

Surely, Hades and Poseidon know this full well!

Therefore, to oppose Cronus, mine aid is essential!

Surely, they will set aside our past grudges and unite their strength with mine.

Verily, this is the stirring tale where former enemies join hands to face a greater foe!

And after we defeat Cronus, we shall be bound by warm friendship, and I shall be officially released and return as the king of the heavens!

A perfect plan!!!

All right! Mine own dear brothers!

Now that I, the king of the heavens, the mightiest god of Olympus, Zeus, have arrived, ye can rest easy!

Let us unite our powers and banish the ghosts of the past.

“Very well, behold the Underworld King’s Soaring Fist!”

Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!

What art thou doing, Hades?!

How canst thou unleash such an overpowered technique against thine brother?!

“Thou didst say to banish the ghosts of the past, so I thought to do just that.”

No! That’s not what I meant!!!

The one we should be striking down is Cronus over there!

Moreover, how can ye be so calm with the enemy god who tormented us so during the war standing right before us?!

We should be on high alert! Have ye become complacent in peace?!

“Oh? We thought ourselves to be sufficiently prepared.”

“Since our detestable foe is before us.”

Ah, so ye do understand.

...Hm? Then wherefore art both of ye focusing thy gaze upon me?

A-Anyway!

Now, all three of us brother gods art conveniently gathered here!

Let us unite as we did in the divine war of old and defeat Cronus!

Let the battle commence!

“Behold my 300-fold Sea King’s Wave!”

Aaaaarghhhhhh!!!

Why art thou attacking me?!

The one we should defeat is our father!

“Thou... Dost thou not grasp the situation at all, foolish Zeus?”

What?

“We have long since reconciled with Father Cronus. Else, he would not have been released from Tartarus. Indeed, we waged a fierce war eons ago, but that is past. Through repeated discussions, we have let bygones be bygones and become close.”

“Now we art so close we even play games together!”

“When I was struck by a red shell mid-air, I nearly considered rekindling the Titanomachy.”

Hades, Cronus, Poseidon.

The three gods clasp shoulders, displaying their camaraderie.

What is with these fellows?!

Do they not feel ashamed to be so chummy with the enemy they once defeated?!

“Father, allow me to massage thy shoulders!”

“Father, might I have a gift?”

Enough! Stop it, ‘tis disgusting!

Ye old gods, with sons and great-grandsons of your own, do not act spoiled toward thine parent!

But wait...

At this rate, only Hades and Poseidon will have reconciled with Cronus, leaving me alone opposing him?

That means it will inevitably be a one-on-one between me and him?!

This is bad! If that happens, I’ll lose!

I’ll surely lose!

“Well then, Zeus. ‘Tis our first meeting since the war. Hast thou been well?”

Cronus asks as if it’s nothing.

His voice is frighteningly calm.

“Doth not misunderstand; I bear no grudge over the past war. Victory and defeat art part of battle, and to lose is due to insufficient luck and effort. To ignore that and resent the victor would be utterly unreasonable.”

Oh, I see...!

That’s right; otherwise, Hades and Poseidon couldn’t be so friendly with Cronus.

“However, Zeus. It appears that thy conduct after winning was most unseemly, was it not?”

Huh?

“Is it the arrogance of the victor? Thou didst neglect the brothers and comrades who aided in thy victory, usurped the title of King of the Gods, and even sent forces to seize the Earth that was to be Hades’s portion. Moreover, thou didst pursue women, goddesses and mortals alike, inflaming Hera’s jealousy and causing frequent collateral damage. Thou didst as thou pleased, didst thou not?”

Thou art... well-informed?

About events during thine own imprisonment...!

“Many gods told me in their complaints. Among them wert quite a few who claimed to be children born between thee and thy paramours. Not being esteemed even by thine own offspring shows a lack of virtue, my foolish son.”

W-W-Well, that’s true!

Like thou canst talk, Cronus, who was overthrown by thine own sons!!!

“...Never did I think that, after the changing of the guard, I would feel shame over my son’s misconduct. Setting aside my personal grudges, thy conduct is unworthy of the chief god who holds the world. I did not expect to feel the weight of parental responsibility so keenly.”

Stop it!

Do not speak so earnestly! Seeing thee with such a pained expression makes me feel pathetic!

“Indeed, thou art pitiful.”

Silence, Hades!

“As a father, not as the former King of the Gods, I have realized it is my duty to discipline thee sternly. My divine weapon, the Adamantine Scythe, once severed the manhood of my father Uranus. Dost thou not find it ironic that I shall use it similarly upon thee, Zeus?”

Gyaaaaaah!

This cursed old man intends to castrate me?!

“Since eight-tenths of thy misdeeds arise from there, it is truly an act of nipping evil in the bud. This time, Hades will not take mine own weapon from me.”

“Yes! Even if asked, I shall not take it!”

Don’t answer so cheerfully, Hades!

Wait, who’s nipping whose bud?! It is much grander than that!

This is no time for jokes!

At this rate, my mighty tree will be felled!!!

In that case, better to flee! I shan’t be caught until I’ve taken three hundred million new loverssss!

...Huh?

What?! My body won’t move?!

Why can’t I move a single finger?!

To seal the movements of me, a great god, what kind of grand magic is this?

Wait, I sense something behind me...!

Unable to move my body at all, I cannot even turn my head, but from behind I hear Cronus’ voice.

“...I hath stopped time.”