Times Have Changed!
11: Chapter 11: Old Antique!
Times Have Changed!
After Poseidon’s proposal was accepted, a week passed quietly.
Just as many of the gods had predicted, the first tally of influence still placed Zeus firmly in the lead.
The aura of prophecy surrounding him, the unwavering support of his mother Rhea, the meticulous guidance of the Goddess of Wisdom, Metis, and his increasingly dazzling reputation on the battlefield all combined to weave an almost unbreakable web of support.
Following closely behind, however, was not Hades or Poseidon—whom most gods had expected to rank highest as either the eldest or the strongest in combat— —but the fiery, radiant, and hot-tempered goddess, Hera.
That result surprised many at first.
Yet, upon closer thought, it made perfect sense.
The overwhelming majority of Hera’s supporters were goddesses.
Iris, the goddess of rainbows and divine messengers, had already become Hera’s most trusted confidante and spokesperson, serving almost as an extension of her wings and voice.
In the original course of fate, Iris would eventually become Hera’s loyal messenger.
Their current closeness merely fulfilled that destined relationship ahead of schedule.
With Demeter and Hestia also standing beside her—two goddesses whose strength and status could never be underestimated—the pressure on Zeus’s camp grew even greater.
Demeter’s authority over abundance ensured a stable rear line and an endless supply of provisions.
Hestia’s Eternal Sacred Fire symbolized order, unity, and the very heart of civilization.
Together, the three sisters not only matched Zeus’s camp in top-tier combat strength but also established a foundation of stability and order that Zeus found difficult to rival.
Among the Titans, where strength and achievement were revered above all else, it was often the goddesses who possessed wisdom, charisma, and overwhelming power who constrained—or even overshadowed—the authority of the male gods.
What Hera displayed now was precisely that overwhelming potential.
Like the flames dancing through her crimson hair… …her influence continued to grow at an astonishing pace.
Next came Hades.
Much like his naturally gloomy temperament and his association with authority itself, those drawn to his banner were mostly gods whose mere presence made ordinary deities uneasy.
Thanatos, the God of Death, whose cold aura embodied eternal tranquility… And Eris, the Goddess of Discord, whose subtle divine power incited conflict and chaos… Both resonated strongly with the darkness, death, and hidden wealth represented by Hades.
Although Thanatos and Eris, as children of the primordial Night Goddess Nyx, could hardly be considered true subordinates of Hades… A bond between kindred spirits had already begun to take shape, forming the prototype of a formidable alliance.
Finally… There was Poseidon’s “faction.” Calling it a faction was generous.
It was more like a conspicuously empty space.
Poseidon had made almost no effort to recruit followers.
Partly because of his carefree personality.
To him, building cliques and managing subordinates sounded like nothing but trouble.
But there was another reason.
Ever since awakening as the God of the Sea, an indescribable realization had been engraved upon the depths of his soul.
When he could sense every current flowing across the world… Every river.
Every lake.
Every sea.
Even the moisture flowing through the veins of all living creatures.
When he could feel the pulse of the earth itself and hear its silent response to his call… When everything obeyed his still-maturing yet already boundless divine authority… Gathering insignificant subordinate gods and maintaining a political faction suddenly seemed utterly meaningless.
Water had no fixed form.
Nor did it follow a single course.
The endless ocean itself was already his greatest territory… …and his greatest source of strength.
Still, if one insisted on naming gods closely associated with Poseidon, the list would include Styx, Goddess of the River of Oaths, and her daughter Nike, the Goddess of Victory.
Meanwhile, Metis—the Goddess of Wisdom, daughter of Oceanus, and publicly acknowledged partner and adviser of Zeus—seemed to be quietly plotting something of her own.
Her attitude had also begun to subtly lean toward Poseidon.
At the very least… One foot was already standing on his side.
As time passed, these intricate relationships gradually revealed their influence upon the war that followed.
⸻ Thus, under Zeus’s nominal command, the great war that would determine the ownership of the new era officially began.
Yet the conflict soon descended into a grueling stalemate.
Gods did not die.
It was one of the world’s fundamental laws.
Even if their divine power was scattered… Their divine bodies shattered… Or their souls temporarily sealed… So long as their divine names and divine authorities remained intact, they would one day return.
The war therefore became one of endless attrition, repeating itself again and again.
On the scale of divine history, ten years passed in the blink of an eye.
Yet those same ten years transformed the once-fertile world into a land scarred beyond recognition.
“For Zeus!
Charge!” “Protect His Majesty Kronos’s glory!” “Crush these rebel gods!” Across the battlefield, battle cries, explosions of divine power, the screams of the wounded, and the roars of hatred merged into an endless symphony of war.
Among all the battlefields… The fiercest fighting naturally centered upon Zeus, Hera, Hades… …and Kronos himself.
After so many years of fighting one another, their powers had become increasingly balanced.
As a result, a battlefield belonging exclusively to them gradually emerged amid the vast war.
Violent thunder.
World-burning flames.
The shadows of death’s scythe.
The sinister currents of the underworld.
And the eerie ripples of time itself… All collided violently within that single region.
Bang!
Bang!
BOOM!
“Hmph.” Kronos swung his massive scythe aside, deflecting Zeus’s blazing spear of lightning.
As ripples of time spread outward, the lightning inexplicably slowed at the very last moment, allowing Kronos to evade it with ease.
“You brats have become considerably tougher than when you first crawled out of my stomach.” “That’s because you’re getting old, you old antique!” Hades’s figure suddenly burst from Kronos’s shadow.
A jet-black dagger condensed from the authority of death pierced forward with soul-freezing coldness, stabbing straight toward Kronos.
“The times have changed!” “It’s time for you to step down from your throne and disappear into the dust of history!” “You unfilial son, Hades!” Startled and furious, Kronos spun around, his scythe crashing into the black dagger with a deafening clang that sent black smoke billowing into the air.
“Hades.” Hera’s voice descended from the sea of flames above.
“You’ve started using those ridiculous phrases you learned from Poseidon again.” “You really have no elegance whatsoever when you fight.” With a graceful wave of her hands, dozens of overlapping explosive magic circles instantly appeared around Kronos.
BOOM!!
“Hahaha!” “‘Old antique’ really does have a nice ring to it!” “Hera, you’re just jealous of my natural talent with words!” From another part of the battlefield, Poseidon’s carefree laughter occasionally drifted across the sky.
Although he rarely joined this highest level of combat directly… It was obvious he had been keeping a close eye on everything happening there.
Unlike the overwhelming battle at the beginning of the war… The struggle against Kronos had now become remarkably even.