Chapter 1: The Tale of Hades

I thought I had died back on 21st-century Earth, but when I opened my eyes again, I found myself in a strange new world filled with hopes and dreams.

Well, in reality, I was lying naked on the ground, rolling around aimlessly. I didn’t have time to make sense of the situation when someone suddenly shouted at us.

"Brothers, sisters! Quickly grab your weapons and fight! Before that mad father of ours swallows us again!"

A man with golden hair clutched a sharp sword, yelling at the people around him. On the ground lay spears and swords that he had scattered. The naked perverts around me hurriedly grabbed the weapons.

"Thanks, Youngest! We almost ended up trapped inside Father’s stomach forever!"

"Swallowing your own children the moment they’re born—what kind of father does that?!"

One of the perverts, a man in his twenties with blue hair, swung his sword toward their so-called father. Attempting to kill his own father without hesitation was beyond rebellious, yet the others seemed to agree.

"This time, we won’t be eaten so easily!"

"Hah!"

Staggering like someone in a drunken stupor, Father glared at us fiercely. But how could someone be perfectly fine even after getting slashed by a sword?

Watching their fight, I felt something was definitely wrong. The ground was already a mess from their superhuman speed, and the clash of weapons rang out in deafening bursts, but that wasn’t even the strangest part.

"Kugh! How dare you rebel against me, Kronos! And Metis! How could you betray me?!"

The fight... I could see every movement. A normal human wouldn’t be able to follow such a battle with their eyes.

In fact, I should’ve already been dead, pierced by the explosive shards flying everywhere.

"Brother in the back, we need your help fast! We’re being pushed back!"

"Aargh!"

Clang! Clang!

Whether I had been reborn as a superhuman or a monster, one thing was clear: that 'father' wasn’t going to leave me alone. As soon as I realized that, I grabbed a spear from the ground and threw it with all my might.

Swooosh—Thunk!

"Gah! You wretched...!"

"Nice! It hit Father’s arm squarely!"

I’m sorry, Father. But you were going to attack me, too...

Father hurriedly yanked the spear from his arm and mumbled something under his breath.

"Time!"

"Ugh... My body..."

"Do you really think we’ll give up now?!"

My whole body stiffened. The invisible power radiating from Father twisted the world at will.

But only for a moment. All of us resisted with all our strength, and soon, the strange flow of time returned to normal. As I felt my body move freely again, we continued our rebellion. 

Unable to withstand our onslaught, Father flew off into the sky, fleeing.

"Phew... Is it over?"

"If it weren’t for you, youngest, we would’ve been done for."

"It’s all thanks to Mother. She gave him a rock to swallow instead of me."

"Is that what happened? When that stone hit his stomach, I thought Father had gone mad."

With the battle over, the exhausted group collapsed onto the ground, panting.

The blond young man spoke up.

"I’m the last son born of Mother, Zeus. May I ask your names, brothers and sisters?"

"Hmm. I’ve been called Poseidon."

"I am Hera. Thanks to you, we’re all safe. Thank you."

The man with blue hair introduced himself as Poseidon, and the woman as Hera. Could this be...? Then does that make my father Kronos?

"Call me Hestia."

"...I am Demeter."

With their introductions finished, they all looked at me. That’s when I realized what I had to say.

One of Zeus’s six siblings, and the ruler of the Underworld in Greek mythology...

"Hades."

That was my name.

* * *

Leaving out only the details of my past life, I roughly tailored my story to fit the situation.

"So, what happened next? Tell me the story of how Lord Zeus became the king of gods and founded Olympus!"

The goddess of spring and seeds, Persephone, shouted excitedly as she stared at me with eager eyes. But don’t you plan on going back? Demeter’s probably worried about you.

"Hmph, not for a while! Mother’s always overprotective."

The goddess of spring, with her radiant beauty and pure divine aura, was utterly out of place in the underworld. The sight of my adorable niece playing around in this gloomy realm made my head spin with cognitive dissonance.

It’d be best to send her back soon before Demeter loses her temper...

"Nooo! I don’t want to go!"

Niece, please. A goddess should maintain her dignity. Especially one in charge of a season, no less.

Of course, I knew she only acted this way because I was her uncle and one of the three major gods. She’d probably curse any mortal who saw her like this without hesitation...

I spoiled her too much when she was young. What kind of education did Demeter give her? 

Alright, alright.

"Hehe. Thank you, Uncle Hades!"

I’m sure she’ll get bored and leave if I tell her enough stories.

* * *

Unbelievably, we were gods. Not just in a metaphorical sense, but the actual deities from myth. The children of Kronos, the god of time and agriculture, and Rhea, the earth goddess.

I bent my knees slightly and jumped into the sky. I felt like a superhero, soaring higher and higher. The clear, open sky greeted me, and the wind rushed past.

A little higher, and I could see the clouds. I carefully settled on top of them.

Am I out of breath? How can I sit on clouds? All thanks to divine power, of course. The supernatural strength Mother, Rhea, taught me about in this life.

The overwhelming force inside me moved as smoothly as if I’d controlled it all my life. Since I’m not human, it’s only natural, I suppose.

"Hades, have you found anything up there? Perhaps one of Father’s spies?"

Poseidon’s voice echoed from below. As I didn’t find anything, I gave him a vague answer while enjoying the view, gazing around.

Fluffy white clouds floated in clusters around me. Beneath them, an expansive forest and rivers stretched out like a grand painting.

I was overwhelmed by a sense of omnipotence, looking down from such a high place. For a moment, I felt as if the whole world was mine. Then I looked up.

Far above, countless stars sparkled between the Milky Way, asserting their presence. Expanding my vision further, the black velvet of the universe filled my eyes, and I couldn’t help but sigh in awe.

Ah... This world... It’s unbearably beautiful. 

* * *

Before this, I hadn’t really felt like we needed to fight the Titans to the death, but after seeing the sky, desire stirred within me. I wanted to live, to enjoy this world, and breathe its air for a long time.

To that end, the Titans became obstacles in my way. I imagined the other gods felt the same.

"Wow... Sometimes, when I look up from Olympus, it’s breathtaking too..."

And so, we fought Father. I didn’t want to lose this world that felt as though it was already in my grasp.

I didn’t remember everything about Greek mythology, but there were parts I did recall. Like how the Hecatoncheires, the giants with a hundred arms, would fight on our side.

When the war dragged on, Zeus brought the three Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires to help us, and I wasn’t surprised. Though I did marvel at the helmet, the Kynee, that made me invisible, which no other god could see through.

Anyway, wearing the Kynee, I stole all the Titans' weapons.

"The weapons! The weapons are gone! Impossible! Who dared infiltrate Mount Othrys?!"

Zeus, wielding his lightning bolt, which he named Astraphe, blinded the Titans with flashes of intense light,

"Close your eyes, Hera!"

"Ugh! Why are you grabbing my waist while saying that?!"

Boom! Flash!

Poseidon swung his trident, Triaina, causing an earthquake with a magnitude of 10.0.

"Aaaagh!"

"We... we can’t stand up!"

And so, while the disarmed and blinded Titans were helpless, we struck them down mercilessly, securing victory in the war. That should’ve ushered in an era of peace and glory...

"Hades! The god of death, Thanatos, has gone missing, and no one is arriving in the underworld!"

"One who creates heavenly music like Apollo is demanding to meet you..."

"A human, no, a demigod with bulging muscles, has beaten up the ferryman Charon and is on his way here!"

"Demeter has sent a letter demanding the return of Persephone. She threatens to dry up the lands if you don’t comply!"

I never expected to become the manager of a complaint department dealing with all sorts of lunatics.

Hearing the commotion from outside, Persephone quietly got up from her seat. 

Yes, you’re probably planning to escape before your mother arrives.

"Uh... well... Uncle Hades, you seem busy, so I’ll just... head out... Hehe..."

Off you go, and don’t be late in returning to the living realm next time.