Chapter 10: Pontus and Poseidon (3)
Like Nereus and Keto, the children of Pontus and Gaia were divided, fighting against each other.
Nereus was reluctantly drawn into the conflict to protect his daughters and siblings, but not all of Pontus' children shared his motives.
Keto and Eurybia, fearing and despising their tyrannical father, sided with Poseidon to overthrow him. Meanwhile, Thaumas and Phorcys fought to gain Pontus' favor and secure their own positions.
As a result, the exploits of Pontus' children stood out on the battlefield.
As offspring of Pontus and Gaia, they were powerful sea gods, unmatched by most except a few.
Thus, only their own siblings and children could stand against them, creating yet another tragedy in the sea.
The battles involving children like Echidna and the Gorgons, who followed their mother or father, were particularly bloody.
Echidna, destined to birth monsters feared even by gods, was immensely powerful.
The Gorgons, led by Medusa, wielded a curse so potent it could turn gods to stone, leaving even their parents unable to show mercy.
Meanwhile, as Pontus' corruption spread, the tide of the war grew increasingly unfavorable for Poseidon's side.
The chaos of the gods' battles incited the sea's mystical creatures to rampage, further muddling the battlefield.
"Poseidon, we're losing ground! Pontus' corruption is too strong!" Eurynome shouted, clashing fiercely with Pontus.
"Hahaha, it seems that defeated goddess isn't much help to you, Poseidon. All bark and no bite!" Pontus mocked, taunting Poseidon as he parried his attacks.
"Back then, that goddess' ability to purify my corruption was such a nuisance. So I tore out her divine essence to create this sea. Look—no matter how much you struggle, this is my sea. In the end, all who follow you will become mere droplets again."
Poseidon silently swung his trident, enduring Pontus' taunts.
As the mockery intensified, Poseidon remained unfazed.
'So, from all his blabbering, Eurynome is his natural counter?'
As he'd noticed in the previous war, these gods were like villains who couldn't resist spilling their secrets.
'No wonder the Titans lost to us.'
Sighing at Pontus' smugness, Poseidon spoke as if advising a child.
"Look, next time, don't run your mouth so much. That's why you're losing."
"What?"
Poseidon hurled his trident toward Eurynome.
Whoosh!
His action stunned every god on the battlefield, causing a momentary lull in the fighting—even Pontus, locked in combat with Poseidon, was caught off guard.
"What's this? Have you lost your mind?"
"Hardly. I'm just using the information you so kindly provided."
"What?"
"You told me yourself. If Eurynome regains her full power, your corruption is useless, isn't it?"
Poseidon's voice wasn't loud, but it echoed clearly across the battlefield.
"You're handing your most powerful weapon to someone else?"
"By Gaia, Mother Keto, we're doomed! We've been following a madman!"
"Calm down, child. The enemy is still before us."
"Calm down, my foot! Look at that lunatic! What's he going to do against Pontus without his trident?"
Echidna, Keto's daughter and goddess of sea and serpents, wailed in despair, a sentiment shared by every god on the battlefield.
The rumor that the three brothers' victory in the Titanomachy was due to their powerful weapons was well-known.
Eurynome, now holding the trident, felt it most keenly.
The moment she grasped it, she knew—no god in this sea could stand against her.
The trident resonated with her divine name, amplifying her awe-inspiring power.
"Hahahahaha! Poseidon, the god everyone fears, is such a fool! This is why you can't trust rumors. You think you can stop me, Pontus, by giving up your weapon? And you think Eurynome can stop me?"
As Pontus' laughter echoed through the sea and he pointed out Poseidon's folly, the morale of Poseidon's forces wavered.
But two goddesses and their two followers wore awkward smiles.
"Mother, we shouldn't laugh now, right?"
"Hold it in, Kratos. Be quiet," Bia replied.
"Yeah, Brother, hold it in. Though Pontus' misunderstanding is pretty funny," another said.
"What a fool. Didn't he hear that even the adamantine scythe couldn't pierce his body?"
Poseidon's six siblings and Gaia, secretly observing the war, couldn't suppress their chuckles, sneers, and sighs.
"If all Protogenoi were such idiots, we'd have no trouble ruling the world," Zeus remarked.
"Zeus, Pontus has been in the sea all this time. He might not know," Hestia said.
"Why defend him, Hestia? That guy's our enemy," Demeter retorted.
"She's right, Demeter. He's not someone we can align with. I hope Poseidon deals with him soon," Hera added.
Hades, watching from the underworld, also smirked.
Snicker.
"Looking at that fool, I'm starting to worry I might disrespect Lord Tartarus and Lady Nyx too," Hades said.
"Don't mock him too much, Hades. Poseidon's strong, but Pontus hasn't unleashed his full power yet," Thanatos cautioned.
Hades shook his head at Thanatos' warning, speaking with certainty.
"Geras, Moros, Thanatos, watch closely. You'll see why I haven't disciplined that arrogant little brother of mine yet."
Gaia, observing her son and husband, sighed in lament.
"Foolish Pontus. Ruling the vast sea has blinded you."
***
Poseidon sensed the plummeting morale of his army.
He knew his actions might seem reckless to those unaware, but the drop in morale was more severe than he'd expected, leaving him slightly flustered.
'Seriously? Didn't I make a decent name for myself during the Titanomachy?'
Contrary to Poseidon's thoughts, tales of him fighting barehanded hadn't spread far. Most gods dismissed such stories as too absurd to believe.
"Ugh, guess I'll have to show them again," Poseidon muttered.
With that, he faced Pontus, who stood smugly with his weapons, arms crossed, clearly underestimating him.
Pontus' demeanor suggested he'd linger and watch no matter what Poseidon did.
'And people say comics are contrived? Look at this guy—a real-life idiot right here.'
Poseidon braced his legs, pulling his fist back as far as possible, relaxing his body.
His physique was stronger than adamantine metal, and now it compressed like a tightly coiled spring.
Then, with a light flick, he focused all his power into a single point and threw a punch.
Whoosh!
At first, gentle ripples spread, then they surged like a rushing river, and finally, a tsunami crashed toward Pontus.
BOOM!
"Guh!"
A volcanic explosion echoed, and Pontus, unable to resist, let out a scream as his body bent into an L-shape and was hurled backward.
"Hmm, no name for the technique, but it's pretty cool, right?" Poseidon remarked.
The overwhelming spectacle silenced everyone on the battlefield.
Crash.
Pontus, flung far away, crashed into the distance.
Seeing this, Poseidon's soldiers, shaking off their earlier despair, roared with renewed vigor.
"Waaaaah!!!"
"For Poseidon!!!!"
Their morale skyrocketed, and they charged at the green-tinted zombie-like horde with newfound ferocity.
***
Meanwhile, Pontus, caught off guard and struck hard by Poseidon, let out a hollow laugh as he examined the deep, gaping wound from the punch.
"Hah… I was the one who let my guard down. Have I been in the sea too long…?"
Clatter.
Brushing off the rubble and pebbles covering his body, Pontus healed his wound and strode forward calmly.
His composure demonstrated why he was a feared Protogenos among the sea's gods and creatures.
Tap, tap, tap.
"I'll give you credit, kid. I underestimated you. That won't happen again."
Pontus picked up his clubs, twirling them, and spoke with confidence.
Now fully committed, he wrapped his clubs in storm energy and donned armor of dark green, rippling waves.
The sight contrasted sharply with Poseidon, bare-chested in only pants, clenching his fists, reinforcing that he and Pontus could never coexist in the same sea.
Pontus extended and retracted his clubs, attacking Poseidon with full force.
Bang! Bang!
Poseidon met the blows with his fists, then asked, almost amused, "What, did you get reincarnated too? Been watching Power Rangers or something? Or are you a boss mob with a Phase 2?"
"Your nonsense is getting tiresome," Pontus snapped.
With that, Poseidon's punches and kicks clashed with Pontus' bombardment-like club strikes.
***
Meanwhile, the tide of the battle began to shift.
Eurynome, wielding Poseidon's trident, was gradually reclaiming her original power, unleashing abilities befitting her divine name.
As the goddess of vast order, her power restored balance, countering Pontus' corruption.
"Huh? Where am I?"
"Aaagh, my arm!"
One by one, those under Pontus' influence began to regain their senses, increasing defections from his side.
However, gods directly affected by Pontus' power, like Thetis, remained enthralled.
Holding Pontus' divine artifact, Thetis tightened her grip on those breaking free, casting a spell instilled in her by Pontus.
"Mahaken DA Pepeldomoon!"
With the power of Pontus' necklace and her incantation, Thetis re-enslaved her sisters and brothers trying to regain their minds, turning them back into zombies.
This caused a clash between Eurynome's purifying power and Pontus' corrupting force, creating a chaotic tug-of-war.
The battle grew increasingly disordered, with those crying out in pain, those still fighting, and those disillusioned with the war all mixed together.
The once-blue sea was now stained golden with the blood of gods and nymphs.
In later times, this area would become known as the Bermuda Triangle in human urban legends, a place infused with the gods' pain and curses, making it dangerously unstable.
Meanwhile, Eurynome, having regained much of her lost divinity and divine name through Poseidon's trident, realized further purification was difficult after clashing with Metis.
'Beyond this, direct action will be more effective.'
Each swing of her trident unleashed whirlwinds that shattered nymphs and monsters, while gods bled from the blows.
Surveying the battlefield, Eurynome spotted Nereus and Doris, fighting defensively to protect their siblings and children.
"Nereus, Doris, what will you do about your daughters? Don't you both oppose this war?" she called, riding Sleipnir with trident in hand.
"But Lady Eurynome, we're powerless against this. If the war ends like this, what will happen to Thetis and my daughters…?" Nereus replied.
"Tch, so you'd rather let all your daughters be thrown into Tartarus?"
Nereus and Doris fell silent at Eurynome's words.
They lacked the power to break Pontus' hold, as did every god present, leaving them with no one to rely on.
Moreover, they couldn't abandon their children and siblings, who had been mere sacrifices to Pontus' ambitions.