Chapter 3: Five Siblings in the Father’s Belly (3)
While Zeus and Kronos were locked in a fierce battle, inside Kronos' belly, Poseidon and his siblings were pounding on the walls.
"Hey, Hades, aren't we supposed to hit at the same time?"
"You focus on your own part, you blockhead. Just match my timing!"
"Crazy bastard."
"Hey, you guys! Stop fighting and get back to hitting the wall. Can't you see how hard it is for us girls?"
"Hah! You're stronger than me, and you call yourself a girl? Hera, I think you should be swinging your fists right here next to me."
"What did you say?!"
"Ugh, Hades, stop provoking Hera and get to work. This might be our last chance to get out. And Hera, calm down a bit."
Demeter's calm words brought Hades and Hera back to focus. Their bickering wasn't serious, and they both knew the task at hand was more important than their feelings.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.
Meanwhile, outside…
"Mother, this is…"
"Yes, it seems my children are exerting their power inside Kronos' belly."
Rhea wiped away a tear at the booming sounds, then fixed a cold gaze on Kronos as she began to weave a magical circle.
"Metis, help me. Let's amplify the impact from within."
"Yes."
Meanwhile, Kronos, who had been pouring all his strength into subduing Zeus, was thrown off balance when the drum-like sounds echoed from his belly.
The fact that his children could cause such an impact despite him stopping time inside his body was proof they were far stronger than he'd anticipated.
The Zeus prancing about in front of him was insignificant, but facing the children inside his belly as well might put even him in a precarious position.
"Damn it."
Kronos diverted even more power to his belly.
This, in turn, gave Zeus a bit more room to maneuver. He still couldn't land a solid hit on Kronos, but the situation had slightly improved.
"Hahaha, looks like my brothers and sisters are causing quite a stir in there, Father."
Huff. Zeus discarded the broken hilt of his sword and swung his shield.
"Foolish child, what can you accomplish with that? You're nothing."
Swish.
Kronos' sickle remained a deadly threat, and though Zeus had gained a slight edge, the situation hadn't fundamentally changed. Every time he tried to exploit an opening as Kronos swung, his body slowed down.
The only silver lining was that the sickle's recovery speed had slowed slightly.
Still, Zeus could barely dodge it.
Kronos, distracted by Zeus' resilience and the commotion in his belly, failed to notice the magic being woven by Rhea and Metis.
"Father, I'm not alone. Unlike you, I have many who support me."
"What?!"
By the time Kronos sensed the magic, it was too late.
The spell was complete, spreading across the entire domain of the palace, unavoidable even with Kronos' time manipulation.
"Rheaaaaa!!!"
Rhea and Metis' magic engulfed Kronos, reactivating the pharmakon's effect, which his time control had previously suppressed.
Urghhh!!!
The intense interaction between the magic and the drug overwhelmed Kronos, who could no longer hold out.
With a violent retch, he expelled Hades, Hera, Demeter, Hestia, and finally Poseidon, who emerged holding the stone Kronos had swallowed.
"Hahaha, so this is the air of the outside world!"
"Poseidon, you're being too dramatic. And why are you carrying that useless rock?"
"Hera, don't talk about Wilson like that. He's been through a lot with us!"
"Tch, such undignified behavior for a god. As I always say, you're too frivolous."
"Hades, that's rich coming from someone with your shitty way of talking."
"You little—!"
"Are you guys seriously doing this right now, right after getting out? Can't you see what's going on?"
"Demeter, don't get so mad. They're full of energy, which is a good thing."
"Hestia, you're too soft on Poseidon."
The five siblings burst onto the scene with an overwhelming presence.
Zeus, panting and bloodied but with a slight reprieve.
Kronos, writhing in pain from the vomiting and the drug.
Rhea and Metis, exhausted from casting a grand spell powerful enough to affect the king of the gods.
Even they were dumbfounded by the siblings' chaotic arrival.
Anyone would think the same, seeing these vibrant young gods with their colorful hair, acting so carefree in a situation that didn't call for it.
'The timing suggests Zeus, with Rhea's help, administered the drug. But why is that golden-haired guy—probably Zeus—covered in blood?'
Despite his playful demeanor, Poseidon grasped the situation faster than anyone.
He took in Zeus, panting and bloodied, and Kronos, still vomiting what looked like gastric juices.
One of the two weary women nearby was likely their mother, Rhea.
As Poseidon assessed the scene, Zeus called out.
"Oh, my brothers and sisters, I am Zeus, your youngest sibling! Help me drive out this wicked father who oppressed and tried to kill us!"
Zeus, while pleading for help, felt a twinge of nervousness.
His siblings seemed far stronger than he'd vaguely imagined.
He had been the one training and learning his destined role outside, yet somehow, he felt overshadowed by them.
"Damn, what's with that shitty way of talking? Is there another Hades now?"
"You, Poseidon, I told you to stop with that crude, incomprehensible swearing!"
"If you can't understand it, how is it swearing, you idiot?"
"You bastard—!"
Poseidon was appalled to hear Zeus speak in a tone so similar to Hades'.
He understood the situation, but the way these young gods, barely in the form of youths, tried to act like authoritative adults was painfully awkward.
Look at Hades—when he got angry, he reverted to a tone more fitting for his age.
These guys were either suffering from a severe case of chuunibyou or were born obsessed with projecting authority.
Well, considering their grandfather Uranus and father Kronos, whose antics in mythology were nothing short of outrageous, it wasn't surprising.
"Tch, tch, tch. As expected, it's because you're uneducated. With our father being Kronos over there…"
Zeus was dumbfounded by Poseidon's sudden outburst.
Up until now, his serious tone had worked everywhere, but…
Now, not only his brothers but even his sisters were either unimpressed or frowning at him.
They seemed more focused on stopping the sudden bickering between their brothers.
"Uh… we need to deal with Father first…"
Zeus' voice grew quieter.
He knew they had to attack their father, who was still reeling from Gaia's magical drug, but being ignored for the first time made him lose confidence.
The nymphs, fairies, and even Metis had treated him as a savior and respected him from the start, but now…
Unable to stand Zeus' dazed expression and the chaotic situation, Rhea and Metis stepped in.
"You all, this isn't the time for this! We need to take down Kronos now. The Titans will come rushing in soon. Hurry and help Zeus attack Kronos!"
Metis, patting the disheartened Zeus, spoke forcefully to his siblings.
Her words came out a bit aggressively, as she was irritated that they'd dismissed her beloved Zeus.
"Who are you to butt into our family's business so arrogantly?"
Metis' words rubbed Hera the wrong way.
Hera, who had been glaring disdainfully at Poseidon and Hades' squabble, began to channel her magical power toward Metis.
As the goddess who inherited the strongest of Rhea's blood and was destined to be the queen of the gods, Hera's magic was far beyond what Metis, the goddess of wisdom, could handle.
Moreover, since Hera's powers were honed primarily to discipline Poseidon, they were calibrated to his level—a monstrous being who, unlike the original myth, rivaled the strength of Atlas, the mightiest Titan who bore the punishment of holding up the sky.
And secondarily, her powers were tuned to match Hades, who had grown stronger thanks to Poseidon's influence.
The other siblings, who had been contending with Poseidon in Kronos' belly, had naturally grown stronger as well.
As Hera's magic surged, Metis froze in panic.
Even her 'wisdom' couldn't account for their overwhelming power. She hadn't expected to face a life-threatening situation due to a misjudgment in a place like this.
Just then, Rhea stepped in to block Hera's magical force.
Boom!
"Phew. My daughter is something else. It's not even proper magic yet, but to think she can wield this much raw power."
Though exhausted, Rhea easily deflected Hera's attack, which was stronger than in the original myth, and apologized on Metis' behalf.
(As the queen who ruled the Titans alongside Kronos, Rhea was still far beyond Hera's level.)
"I apologize on behalf of this child for interfering in your affairs. She meant no harm. She only desperately wants to bring down Kronos."
Hera looked at Rhea with an displeased expression.
She, Demeter, Hestia, that annoying brother Poseidon, and the gloomy, irritating Hades had all agreed to live without acknowledging their mother or father.
So, hearing their mother now urge them to help their youngest sibling defeat Kronos, their father, left her unmoved.
Especially since this was coming from a mother she was meeting for the first time.
At that moment, an arm casually draped over Hera's shoulder.
It was Poseidon, the jovial, blue-haired young man.
"Hera, what's with that brooding look? It's the same face you make when you're about to do something nasty."
"Poseidon, done fighting already?"
"Nah, hahaha. I just came over because my sister was frowning."
"Hmph! You always know what to say."
"Hera, you think too much. For now, let's beat the crap out of the father who swallowed us. And if any other gods get in our way, we'll take them down too. Simple, right?"
"Tch. That's just you being too carefree. But fine, my thoughts are clear now."
Hera felt her mind settle at Poseidon's words. After all, all the training she'd done with him had been for this very revenge.
Without responding to Rhea, Hera turned to her youngest sibling.
He looked like a total playboy—exactly the type she despised—but she figured she could give him some credit for getting them out.
"Hey, you, blondie."
"Huh? Me?"
"Yeah, you idiot. Get up. We're about to take revenge on our father, who's starting to pull himself together. Since you're our little brother and helped get us out, we'll let you join us as a special favor."
Zeus nodded blankly at Hera's words, then a thought struck him.
If that's the case, why didn't they just attack while Kronos was still incapacitated?
When Zeus voiced this thought, Hera erupted in fury once again.
"How dare you suggest that I, Hera, and our siblings do something so despicable?!"