Return and New Faces
A pang of guilt lanced through me. Hestia was right. Blinded by the thrill of my newfound abilities, I hadn't stopped to listen, hadn't bothered to understand the bigger picture. Shamefaced, I mumbled an apology.
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[Hades POV]
A satisfied rumble escaped my chest. "Finally," I muttered, the triumph echoing in my voice. This desolate wasteland could rot for all I cared. Time to find my siblings. They'll need to prepare themselves. This realm will crumble under my might. With a flourish, I ripped a hole in reality, a swirling vortex of inky darkness punctuated by a few defiant sparks of gold, and stepped through, the wasteland dissolving behind me like a nightmare.
In the blink of an eye, I arrived in our home domain only to find Hestia and Demeter struggling to maintain their composure. A young woman with red hair lay unconscious on the ground. A young man with a muscular build, blonde hair, and ocean-blue eyes, now glowing red, strained under the pressure. It dawned on me – this was due to the aftershock of my true form leaking power. I greeted everyone and apologized for the momentary release of my full power.
My gaze met Poseidon's. He gulped audibly before introducing himself. "I am Poseidon," he declared, "god of the sea, storms, and earthquakes."
I nodded and approached him, offering my support to help him regain his composure. Simultaneously, I channeled my power to heal the damage caused by his stubborn resistance to the earlier pressure release. With a hand outstretched, I introduced myself. "Hades, god of the dead and riches," I said. "Your willpower is commendable, Poseidon."
My expression then hardened, and everyone grew alert, their gazes snapping towards me. I led them to a more suitable place for conversation. Recognizing the gravity in my face, they simply nodded and followed. Hera's unconscious form on the ground seemed momentarily forgotten. Once everyone was comfortable, I announced, "We may be receiving a visit from our father, or his followers, due to the commotion I caused." A collective tension filled the room at this.
"However," I continued, "worry not about retaliation. Your safety is paramount. I plans to free us from this realm by destroying it. While I'm confident in my ability to demolish it, protecting you all during the process is less certain. The destruction will trigger a terrifying spatial storm, potentially fatal if you're unprepared. Train your physical bodies to their limits before I begin. I too require preparations for this plan to succeed..."
With a swirl of dark energy, I ripped open a portal and stepped through, my voice echoing back, "Prepare yourselves."
[Hera' POV]
As usual, I was enjoying my beauty sleep when the constant bickering between Demeter and Poseidon shattered the peace. "Would you two kindly take your argument elsewhere?" I inquired in an elegant tone. "You're disrupting my beauty sleep!" Poseidon, however, wasn't fazed. "Shut up, Hera!" he boomed. "We're trying to have a conversation here."
How dare he speak to me in such a barbaric manner! A rogue indeed! Just as I was about to retort, a deafening roar erupted, splitting my ears. An immense pressure followed, causing me to lose consciousness immediately.
(Scene Change)
My consciousness slowly returned, and I groggily opened my eyes to find myself sprawled on the ground. Disgust and anger bubbled within me. How dare they leave me lying there!
With a flick of my power, I cleansed myself. Storming off to find my siblings, I intended to vent my frustration. They were all serious, but I ignored their demeanor, determined to scold them. Poseidon, however, cut me off. "Just shut up, Hera," he growled. "I'm in no mood for your crap." He stormed off in a huff.
Demeter simply huffed at me. "Seems your beauty sleep was a rousing success," she said sarcastically, then walked away. Furious, I forced myself to calm down and turned to Hestia with a questioning look. She sighed wearily and explained everything that had transpired. My anger intensified at the news. Hades, the brother I'd never met, had not only ascended to this "second stage" Hestia mentioned, but had also returned and informed them of something crucial. And yet, he hadn't even bothered to wake me or offer assistance.
[Hades POV]
After warning my siblings of a potential visit from our father or his followers and outlining my plan to liberate us by shattering this realm entirely, I teleported away. Urgent tasks demanded my focus. First, I needed to extend the duration I could sustain my true form. Currently, its raw power took a heavy toll on both my mind and body. Training would allow me to activate it quickly and maintain it for longer stretches.
Secondly, I needed to prevent another incident like the one that just occurred. The leak of my true form's power had left everyone reeling. To this end, I reinforced my surroundings with even stronger barriers, to contain the immense energy released from my true form.
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Author's Message: Let me know how was this chapter and Hades will finally have a confrontation with Cronus in the next chapter.