Chapter 36: Chaotic Tales of the Underworld - (1)

And so Dionysus quietly descended to Naxos Island...

Zeus and I began to observe the situation below the clouds.

"Is this Naxos Island?! Artemis~!"

"I don't see anything?"

Naxos Island is an uninhabited island where humans don't live.

That's why the Gigantes might have set a trap here.

The humans who worship us can be considered our eyes, after all.

"Gigantes, come out quickly!"

"We'll strike you down in one blow, hahaha!"

Crack. Smash.

The two giant brothers, towering over everything on the island, shout as they smash trees.

They look confident, as if there are no monsters that can match them anywhere.

But the Gigantes are monsters created by our grandmother Gaia to overthrow Olympus.

They'll surely be sufficiently cautious of us who defeated Typhon.

"I don't see Artemis anywhere?!"

"Monsters! We, the Aloadae brothers, have arrived!!!"

They certainly won't be as careless as those fools.

They're probably lying in ambush somewhere or preparing to activate a trap with their powers...

At that moment, Naxos Island shook.

Rumble rumble-

"Is that the trap prepared by the Gigantes?"

"Earth powers far surpassing Demeter's.. It seems Lady Gaia made this herself."

A thunderous roar echoes throughout Naxos Island and the ground splits.

Like when Poseidon's trident strikes the earth, all the island's terrain and features are completely destroyed.

Boom! Crash!

"Ugh! What's this now! Is this the work of those Gigantes?!"

"Aaargh! You cowards!"

The giant brothers who call themselves the Aloadae lose their balance and fall.

Ephialtes, whose ankle I stabbed, rolls on the ground, clutching his head.

Even if it's Lady Gaia's trap, such powerful giants shouldn't be helpless against it.

There must be something more.

"Ugh! Blech. What is this..."

"A trap?! Could it be that Lord Zeus lied to us!"

From what we can see here, it's a combination of deadly poison, hallucinations, and the earth's power directly rejecting them.

Lady Gaia really went all out in setting this trap.

"Oh... I'm glad we didn't send Hermes to investigate."

Zeus looks down at Naxos Island with a serious face.

The giant brothers are unable to regain their senses in this trap that seems to be targeting the 12 Olympian gods.

As the island is devastated by the massive earthquake, Gigantes start popping up from underground like bamboo shoots.

Hideous monsters, half-snake and half-human, rush at the giants through the widely split earth.

But one particularly large Gigantes shouts first.

Have the Gigantes... developed a commanding individual?

"Hahaha! Just as Mother said, we've caught a big fish! I am Agrios, under King Eurymedon!"

"Die, dogs of Olympus!!!"

"Attack!!"

"...You bastards!"

"Cowardly monsters who took Artemis!!"

King Eurymedon? Does this mean their forces have grown strong enough to claim a king?

And this commander-level individual is a face I've never seen before.

Zeus next to me also hardens his expression as soon as he hears the word 'king'.

The human hero mentioned in the prophecy hasn't been born yet, so it would be right to avoid an all-out war, but...

Soon we could see Naxos Island being shattered by the bloody battle between giants and monsters.

The Gigantes throw rocks and swing trees.

"What gods are you?! Ares? Apollo?!"

"Gah!"

"You worm-like monsters! Give Artemis back!"

Boom! Crash!

Against them, the giant brothers swing their muscular bodies wildly, sending Gigantes flying.

Gigantes caught in their brutish hands burst apart, but wounds also gradually appear on the brothers' bodies.

"Urgh!"

"Ephialtes! Let's retreat for now... Guh!"

"Otos!"

First, they were made to lose balance by the earthquake, then weakened by poison and earth's power.

Then hundreds of Gigantes ambushed from underground all at once.

Even if they're top-tier powerhouses among the 12 Olympian gods, they can't defeat such a group of Gigantes alone.

The biggest problem is Lady Gaia's power, the earth itself is rejecting them.

The Gigantes who introduced himself as Agrios under Eurymedon jumps on Otos's back and chokes him.

Otos struggles but finally collapses, and Ephialtes wails.

"So they can indeed kill giants. Gigantes are closer to monsters than divine beings."

Zeus stands up for a moment and quietly brings his Astrape.

Intense power and destructive force emanate from the blue lightning in his hand, but...

This is considered weak among the thunderbolts he possesses.

"Otos! Guh!"

"Just kill this one!"

"Crush him with your bodies!"

After the fierce battle, the Gigantes, now reduced to dozens, throw rocks at Ephialtes.

They mount him, crushing with their bodies, and strike his ankles to bring him down.

"No... way.."

"Hahaha!"

And so, the Aloadae brothers who challenged Olympus met their death.

Although they defeated hundreds of Gigantes, it was a futile end compared to their power.

***

As the battle on Naxos Island ends, Zeus stands up with his thunderbolt.

He intends to annihilate the Gigantes exhausted from fighting the giant brothers.

"Now that it's over, shall we clean up?"

"Throw it gently, to minimize the impact on the sea."

Crackle- Rumble!

Lightning sparks from Zeus's eyes and entire body.

The King of Gods who rules the sky briefly raises his arm, and then...

Flash- Boom!!

A single thunderbolt struck Naxos Island.

But with that one strike, the entire island sank and the Gigantes were massacred.

The island was completely torn apart, so there must be many dead creatures.

I'm not the god of prophecy, but I can clearly see a future where Thanatos complains to me again.

"Zeus, then I'll return to the Underworld now."

"Come visit Olympus again sometime, hahaha!"

"I hope it won't be for something like today next time."

I see Aphrodite over there, drinking nectar and chatting with goddesses.

I should take her back to the Underworld.

"Hades!"

As the banquet was winding down, my eyes met with Aphrodite's, who was watching me from a corner.

Is she smiling at the thought of working in the Underworld?

She walks over and naturally stands in front of me.

"Let's go quickly. We have a place to go, right?"

"That's right."

Aphrodite, with eyes full of expectation, follows me.

But the murmuring around us doesn't sound good.

"Gasp! Lord Hades again.."

"During the Great Flood... I worked in the Underworld.."

"Poor Goddess Aphrodite..."

...I remember assigning easy work to that goddess who's shuddering about working in the Underworld.

***

"Hmm~ Hmhmm~"

As I enter the entrance of the Underworld with Aphrodite humming a tune, I see Thanatos's avatar.

Judging by the two giant souls bound with ropes...

"To think we were defeated by mere monsters! Untie this!"

"Gasp! L-Lord Hades?!"

It seems Otos and Ephialtes, who were killed by the Gigantes earlier, have come to the Underworld.

I should tell Minos to use them for labor.

They recognize me with Aphrodite and struggle.

"Untie this, Lord Hades!"

"Send us back to the world of the living!"

But it's futile.

It might have been possible when they were alive and protected by the prophecy...

Do they think they can escape Thanatos's grasp when they're already dead and become souls?

Thanatos's avatar roughly throws the two giant souls, and they roll on the ground.

Yet they still spout nonsense about giving back Artemis or sending them back to the living world.

This will interfere with Charon the ferryman's work.

"Aphrodite, can you daze those guys?"

"That's easy~"

The goddess of beauty and love says with a slight smile.

Soon, the goddess's gaze, filled with carnal desire, turns towards the giant souls.

"Quickly let us out of here... Ah..."

"Cowardly Zeus! Surely Artemis and... Oh..."

It's not the first time souls dragged to the Underworld have caused trouble,

But if the goddess of beauty and love controls the dead, everyone's work will surely improve.

Where should I assign this goddess?

The icy cold Cocytus River where souls hesitate?

Or the banks of the Acheron River where many troublemakers like just now gather?

The Phlegethon River where souls hesitate to cross due to memories from the living world?

As I look at the goddess who puts her hand on her waist and raises her nose, Charon speaks to me.

The always-tired ferryman of the Underworld grumbles.

"Hah. These guys don't even have coins, do I have to ferry them?"

"They're serious criminals who need to be judged. I'll pay the drachma for them."

"Tch... Fine. Get on quickly, you lot!"

The dazed souls of the two giants board Charon's ferry in turn.

First, Otos's soul gets on..

Splash- Tilt.

Huh? Was Charon's ferry that weak?

I'm sure it was made to stay steady no matter how many souls boarded.

"Hmm? Why is it so heavy? Hey, you get on that side!"

Charon seems to have the same thought as me,

He tried to balance the boat by placing them on both ends.

Next, as Ephialtes's soul boards the ferry...

Crack- Snap!

Oh...?