Chapter 4: Five Siblings in the Father’s Belly (4)
Poseidon shook his head at Hera, who was raging at Zeus, and turned his gaze to Kronos, who had already regained his composure in the distance.
With Poseidon's sharp senses, he could tell that Kronos had recovered while he was bickering with Hades.
Hades, and likely Hera as well, had probably noticed too.
Hera, however, was too prideful to admit she'd been keeping an eye on their despicable father.
"Hmm, it's my first time seeing Father, but isn't he just too vile? To think he'd lay a trap for his own children the moment they emerge."
Kronos let out a cold sneer, unfazed by Poseidon's taunting words.
"Hmph. You, with the blue hair, must be Poseidon. I know all the names Rhea and Gaia gave you. That black-haired one is Hades, and behind you are your sisters, Hestia and Demeter."
"So what, Father?"
"If I know your names, don't you think I'd know the extent of your powers? You lot haven't even fully awakened your divine names."
"Tch, what a boomer. Go eat shit."
Poseidon raised his middle finger and charged at Kronos.
"I don't know what that means, but it's highly offensive, son."
Kronos, fully recovered and with traps prepared, raised his sickle and lunged at Poseidon.
***
The battle between Poseidon and Kronos shook the heavens and rattled the earth, far unlike Zeus' earlier skirmish.
Kronos, the mightiest god who had castrated his father Uranus, the supreme sky god, and subdued all the Titans, faced Poseidon, a brother said to rival Zeus, the god symbolizing the sky and cosmos in myth.
As Kronos swung his sickle, Poseidon countered with his fists.
Forged through endless training in Kronos' belly, Poseidon's fists clashed with the adamantine sickle, producing a deafening roar.
Boom!
The sound was unbelievable—a mere god's fist colliding with a sickle made of adamantine, a metal said to cut even the mightiest gods.
Boom, boom, boom!
"You're my son, but you're insane. A mere god's body, and yet you think you can withstand the hardest metal Gaia created without a scratch?"
"Hahaha! That's because gods are too weak. A trained body surpasses even steel!"
The clashes between Kronos and Poseidon grew increasingly intense.
As Kronos began to wield his divine power in earnest, the sickle's might started to leave scratches on Poseidon's body, despite his ability to withstand adamantine bare-handed.
This was the power of Kronos' divine name as the god of agriculture—the power of harvest.
While he couldn't manipulate the world's time, he could control time for anything he intended to harvest, and the stronger and more resistant his target, the better.
Harvesting was an act that applied to all things, and the stronger the target, the greater his power became.
'Hmm… Kronos is stronger than I expected. The more I fight him, the stronger he seems to get.'
Poseidon, still unable to fully wield his divine name, was gradually pushed back.
No matter how much he had trained, he hadn't yet fully realized his divine name, though he'd already earned some recognition.
"Hera, I think it's time to help out. You ready?"
So, Poseidon called for backup, like a Power Ranger summoning his team.
After all, what's a hero without a bit of cunning?
Look at that—Kronos' face, flustered by his words, was a sight to behold.
'Since when did I say I'd fight fair and square, huh?'
"Haa, Poseidon, acting all high and mighty like you'd fight alone."
"Hera, come on, I'm still better than that sneaky bastard Hades, right?"
Ugh!
Hades, who had been lurking for an opportunity, struck at Kronos.
"Shut up. You're the sneakiest one here."
Now Hades joined Poseidon's fight.
Hades' fighting style was the epitome of unfairness—hiding and striking from the shadows.
"Hah, Hades, this isn't me being sneaky. The real problem is a father fighting seriously against a kid whose powers aren't even fully developed. Plus, this is a war."
"Oh my, Poseidon, speaking some sense for once? This is a fight between kids and an adult—what's fair about that?"
"Right, Poseidon's got a point. This fight was never fair to begin with."
"Heh, even Hestia's joining the fray. But looking at it, it's just a bunch of trained gods ganging up on one guy."
Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia—the five siblings' combined power was formidable.
While Poseidon alone could barely hold his own against Kronos, with the addition of his four siblings, Kronos began to falter.
Even with his divine name, Kronos couldn't withstand the five siblings, each wielding immense power.
Demeter, always smiling, channeled the earth's vibrations into Kronos' body.
Hestia, who always nurtured her siblings, countered Kronos' time manipulation with her unquenchable flames.
Hera, with the strongest of Rhea's blood, wielded her magic freely, setting traps and launching spells around Kronos.
Unable to withstand the onslaught of the five siblings, Kronos spat out a curse and fled.
"You fools, don't think this is the end! I'll gather my strength and return!!!"
With Kronos' cowardly and swift escape, the battle came to a close.
The palace where they fought was half-destroyed, the ground split, and the sky's clouds vanished, leaving it bare and desolate.
Hades and Poseidon, who had fought at the forefront, bore scars from the sickle's cuts across their bodies.
***
Zeus and Metis, watching the battle, were too stunned to even blink.
Even Rhea, their mother, was left speechless by her children's unimaginable strength.
Regardless, the five siblings had secured victory.
In the original myth, Zeus would have led the charge to defeat Kronos, but thanks to Poseidon's knowledge of the myth, the others had grown far too powerful.
"Uh… um, my brothers and sisters, with such strength, I, Zeus, feel reassured. Now, let us unite and prepare for the war against Father."
Zeus, flustered by the siblings' strength, pressed forward with his and Metis' plan to prepare for war.
Naturally, he intended to assume the role of leader in the process.
This was something both his mother, Rhea, and Metis had agreed upon, and they would lend him their support.
He believed that even with their impressive strength, his siblings would easily accept his leadership.
"Huh? There's someone ruder than Poseidon here. Blondie, whoever you are, why should we follow your orders to prepare for war?"
Hades, who always craved to be above others, saw through Zeus' intentions faster than anyone.
While he couldn't dominate his siblings, he was determined to achieve that status outside.
"Ugh, here we go again, picking on me. But he's not wrong. We do need to prepare for war."
"Yeah, that runaway will probably come back with other gods soon."
"But that girl and Mother over there seem to want the youngest to be the leader."
"Tch, so, Hestia, are you just going to go along with that?"
At Hades' final question, Hestia gave a faint smile and remained silent.
Demeter and Hera were no different.
Well, Hera seemed to be holding back her anger, likely because she was in front of their mother for the first time.
The magic Rhea had displayed earlier probably played a part too.
Given Hera's personality, it was a miracle she hadn't flipped out already.
Hades seemed to be in a similar mood.
As for me, Poseidon, maybe because of my past-life memories, I didn't care much about this like Hestia and Demeter did.
Sensing the tense atmosphere, our mother Rhea stepped in, addressing Hera and Hades first.
"Hmm, seeing you all grown and safe fills this mother's heart with joy. But before we indulge in this reunion, how about we move to a safer place? Kronos' soldiers will likely storm this place soon."
Like a seasoned elder, Rhea deftly diffused the stiffening mood and suggested relocating.
She likely realized that if an argument broke out between Zeus, Hera, and Hades, it wouldn't end easily.
Plus, moving to a stronghold they had prepared would give Zeus an advantage, aligning with her desire to support him.
***
Shortly after, Rhea's magic transported us to a massive tent.
This was the headquarters where Rhea and Zeus had gathered their anti-Kronos forces.
Among them were familiar names from mythology:
The famous goddess Styx, who presided over the oath of the river Styx, along with her sons Kratos and Bia.
The renowned seer Prometheus and his foolish brother Epimetheus.
The sun god Helios and the moon goddess Selene, among others.
"Come in. This is our command center," Rhea said.
We exchanged handshakes and greetings with those inside the tent.
Normally, we'd have thrown a feast with drinks, but with the looming war against the Titans, there was no time for that.
Zeus, now in a space he controlled, seemed to regain his confidence. Unlike before, he looked us straight in the eye and spoke.
"I, Zeus, am the leader here. My brothers and sisters, fresh from Father's belly, may not know this, but the Titans who have chosen to stand against Father Kronos' tyranny, along with the great and sacred Mother Gaia, have acknowledged my right to lead."
Hmm. I get that Zeus is excited to be in his element, but if he thinks his siblings will just roll over and accept his leadership, he's sorely mistaken.
Especially with Hades and Hera's personalities—they'd never back down quietly…
Demeter and Hestia seemed to share my thoughts, whispering to me.
"Poseidon, no matter how I look at it, our youngest brother seems like a bit of an idiot. To say that after seeing how they act?"
"Hmm, Demeter, calling him an idiot is a bit harsh."
"Poseidon, what's the plan? If a fight breaks out, let's take our little brother down first, like you always do with Hades."
"Whoa, Hestia, don't be so eager to fight. And Hestia, you're the one always sneaking up on Hades—I've never done that."
Poseidon was taken aback by Demeter and Hestia's belligerence.
Unlike him, who was just going with the flow of this mythological situation, his siblings were all plotting to take Zeus down.
Normally, Demeter and Hestia would be the ones holding him back, but now the roles were reversed, and Poseidon found himself trying to rein them in.
As the three of them whispered while watching the power struggle between Zeus, Hades, and Hera, the brothers Prometheus and Epimetheus approached.
"We greet the true and rightful god who rules the seas, the earth, and the cycle of life."
"Nice to meet you! I'm Epimetheus, and this is my brother Prometheus."
Prometheus carried an enigmatic air, like a sage who could see through the future, while Epimetheus had the innocent vibe of a child focused only on the present.
Poseidon nodded and returned their greetings, acknowledging their contrasting styles.
"Yeah, nice to meet you. I'm Poseidon, this is Demeter, and this is Hestia."
"Yes, greetings to the rightful goddess of the earth and grain, and the goddess of the hearth who illuminates both gods and mortals."
Poseidon understood what Prometheus meant by his greeting.
But Demeter and Hestia, clearly displeased, wore sullen expressions.
"Uh… I don't get what you're talking about."
"Same here. And 'hearth'? My flames burn the world."
Prometheus chuckled at their reactions, his face brimming with mischief as he addressed them.
"Hahaha, it seems the goddesses have been influenced too much by the sea, turning them into such spirited warriors."
""?!$%""
Poseidon, seeing Prometheus blatantly teasing his sisters, hurriedly gestured to change the subject.
His sisters hated being called unladylike more than anything.
Poseidon himself had once made the mistake of saying something similar and, despite being a god, spent a week recovering.
If this went wrong, Prometheus might end up beaten to a pulp right here.
"So, why are you guys here? Shouldn't you be joining that mess over there?"
Prometheus glanced at Zeus, Hera, and Hades, then grabbed his brother Epimetheus tightly and answered.
"I merely wished to forge a connection with the god of the sea. The tempestuous sea is something even I cannot predict. But if you have the time, I'd ask you to look after my brother Epimetheus."
With that, Prometheus made Epimetheus bow politely, as if he'd only come to show his face, and returned to his original spot.
If Poseidon hadn't known the myths from his future perspective, he'd have wondered what that guy was up to.
'He's probably talking about Pandora. And maybe even foreseeing that he'll recklessly give fire to humans.'
Even Demeter and Hestia, not understanding what he meant, were tilting their heads instead of getting angry.
Poseidon glanced at Prometheus but quickly dismissed him from his mind.
Worrying about things he didn't fully understand wasn't his style.
That was more for Zeus, Hera, or Hades.
'Well, the future me will figure it out somehow.'