Chapter 5: Titanomachy (1)
While things calmed down a bit on our side after Prometheus left, the situation with Hera and Hades was escalating into a full-blown problem.
"Look, Poseidon!" Demeter pointed excitedly. "Hera and Hades are really getting into it now!"
Following her gesture, Poseidon saw Hera, Hades, and Zeus radiating their divine powers at each other.
The goddess standing beside Zeus, confronting Hera and Hades, was likely Metis, while Rhea, their mother, was anxiously stomping her feet nearby.
The other Titans and Zeus' allies, meanwhile, were gleefully watching the spectacle unfold.
Poseidon shook his head at the sight but had no intention of getting involved.
After all, they did need to decide on a leader before the war.
Personally, he thought Zeus taking the lead might be fine… but it was obvious that Hades and Hera would never accept it.
To anyone watching, Hera and Hades were clearly stronger than Zeus at the moment.
Of course, excluding the older Titans, Poseidon himself was likely the strongest in a one-on-one fight, but that wasn't particularly relevant.
Rhea was the one who had gathered everyone here, and she had chosen Zeus as the leader.
As Poseidon predicted, Rhea indeed saw Zeus as the next king.
Prophecies from Prometheus, the daughters of Oceanus, and Gaia had all pointed to Zeus as the one to defeat Kronos.
The only thing they hadn't foreseen was Poseidon's existence, which had caused Hades, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia to become far stronger than expected.
***
'Our prophecy was wrong. No, the prophecy was correct—it's just that my child Poseidon is the variable.'
Rhea realized the moment she saw Poseidon that one of her children was deeply loved by the sea—more so than even Oceanus, the primordial god who ruled the ancient waters.
He was practically the embodiment of the sea itself.
'With a child like that, it's no wonder our prophecy went awry. The sea of Oceanus is ever-changing and unpredictable. Even Prometheus noticed and tried to get close to him.'
Rhea's worries deepened.
As a mother, she couldn't take sides among her children—Zeus, Hades, and Hera.
But if things continued like this, it was clear the group would fall apart.
'What should I do? If only Gaia could offer some guidance now…'
While Rhea fretted, the confrontation between the three gods escalated beyond a mere power struggle. Their voices grew louder, teetering on the edge of physical blows, and the other Titans gleefully widened the circle around them.
As Rhea agonized over how to stop her children, Gaia's voice whispered in her ear.
- "My daughter Rhea, don't worry too much. Convince your son Poseidon, and everything will be resolved. Even I cannot control a child so loved by the sea, so our victory will depend on his choice."
"Oh! I understand, Lady Gaia."
Inspired by Gaia's sudden voice, Rhea approached Poseidon.
It was her first time seeing him up close, but her son exuded the fresh scent of the sea—an intensity she hadn't even sensed from Oceanus.
'This child will become the master of all the seas.'
Burying her awe in her heart, Rhea spoke calmly as a mother.
"Poseidon, my son. I know it may feel presumptuous for a mother who hasn't done anything for you to ask this. But I beg you—stop your siblings' fighting. You know this conflict is meaningless. With the war against Kronos looming, we must unite our strength."
Poseidon had a hunch about what Rhea would say when she approached him, and her request was exactly as he'd expected.
'I get it, but getting involved in that mess is such a hassle…'
He'd have to deal with Hera's nagging, Hades' sneaky attacks, and, though he wasn't sure about this Zeus, possibly the pettiness of the Zeus from the original myth.
His reluctance was plain on his face, which only made Rhea more anxious.
Hestia, watching Rhea's distress with pity, chimed in to support her.
Though Hestia had been ready to backstab Zeus, she wasn't cold-hearted enough to ignore their mother's heartfelt plea.
"Poseidon, Mother's not entirely wrong. If it comes to it, I'll handle Hera for you."
With Hestia stepping in, Demeter, who had been standing with her arms crossed, added her voice.
"If Hestia's stepping up, I'll take care of Hades. You know I can handle him easily. And if push comes to shove, we can just knock out both Hades and Zeus. Though I'd need to negotiate with Hera first."
Poseidon sighed at Demeter's words, especially as Rhea looked horrified.
"Ugh, don't worry. I'm not planning to do anything like that."
"…Huh? You're not?"
Poseidon sighed again, seeing Demeter and Hestia—who had been secretly conjuring flames—look surprised. He'd been prepared to act ever since Rhea asked for help.
While he didn't feel any loyalty to Zeus, it seemed Demeter and Hestia were at least inclined to humor Rhea's request.
'They're so enthusiastic, it might just be because they think following Rhea's plan sounds fun…'
"Fine, but I have one condition. I can tell Zeus is going to be a petty jerk. Beating him up would be easy, but guys like that get obsessive and annoying. Mother, you've got to keep him in check."
Rhea's face lit up at Poseidon's words.
She and Metis could easily handle Zeus, and he'd understand once it was explained to him.
Seeing Rhea nod enthusiastically, Poseidon ran a hand through his blue hair and slowly walked toward the brewing fight.
***
"Hey, how about we call it quits? We're not some street thugs—do we really need to fight like this to decide a leader?"
"What's that supposed to mean, barging in like that, you dimwit?"
"I don't know what 'street thug' means, but are you joining this fight too, Poseidon?"
To Hades and Hera's sharp retorts, Poseidon waved his hand dismissively, as if the whole thing was a hassle.
"Have you ever seen me get involved in stuff like this? I like my freedom. Stiff, formal stuff like this is more your thing, Hades, or Hera's."
"True, you've been like that since Kronos' belly, Poseidon. Always acting free-spirited while stabbing us in the back."
"Just stay quiet. Your big sister will take care of everything."
"Hera, you're smart enough to get it. Even if you win this fight, it's obvious that blondie, our little brother, will just build his own faction. From the start, Mother's been backing him, and that redhead helping him doesn't seem ordinary either."
"Poseidon… are you seriously telling me, Hera, to serve under that pathetic, fish-brained idiot?!"
Hera had already sensed the truth hidden in Poseidon's words.
But her towering pride refused to accept such a situation.
After all, she was born to be the queen of the gods.
She might see her siblings as equals in strength and ability, but not that blond Zeus.
As if resonating with Hera's fury, Hades unleashed his divine power, this time directing it sharply at Poseidon.
Poseidon brushed off their intensity and continued.
"Listen to a god's words till the end. You two are always so impatient—worse than me. What I'm saying is, let's have everyone here, the Titans and the gods outside, form their own factions. Each of us builds our own force, and the strongest one leads us. How's that?"
Hera and Hades paused to consider Poseidon's proposal.
Even they couldn't deny that, without being unreasonable, Poseidon's idea was the best way to project their strength.
Sure, Zeus had a clear advantage, but that wouldn't change even if they defeated him in a fight.
After all, the gods gathered here had rallied around Rhea and Zeus.
As Hera and Hades nodded at Poseidon's reasonable suggestion, Zeus was thrown into confusion.
This setup gave him no advantage.
This fight was supposed to be his to dominate, but his siblings' interference had turned it into this.
"This is…"
As Zeus tried to object, Metis quickly stopped him.
"Metis, what are you doing? This is just my siblings openly trying to keep me in check. It's unfair!"
Metis hugged the fuming Zeus tightly, patting his back to calm him, then turned to Poseidon.
"Brother-in-law, does this mean all of Zeus' siblings, including you, will compete?"
"Hmm… probably. It's a hassle, but yeah."
"Then we're in favor."
"What?! Metis!!!"
"Shh, Zeus. This is a fight that works in our favor. In fact, your brother Poseidon is giving us an opportunity."
***
Metis bowed to Poseidon and dragged the still-confused Zeus out.
Once they reached their tent, she calmed him down in her embrace and explained.
"Zeus, don't get mad—think calmly. Your brothers and sisters are not beneath you in strength. You saw that yourself."
"That's true."
"Right. So, no matter how much Mother Rhea and the Titans rallied around you, their faith would waver. Titans worship strength. Your father Kronos earned their respect by overpowering the mighty Uranus with force. But can you decisively defeat your siblings in a fight?"
Zeus' pride was stung, but he had to admit the truth. His siblings, true to their bloodline, were all extraordinarily powerful.
"No, I probably couldn't dominate them."
"Exactly. If you push forward, the group's unity will falter, and their trust in you will waver. But if we follow Poseidon's suggestion and turn this into a contest of winning the gods' loyalty, you can reasonably unite your siblings and the Titans under your leadership."
Zeus had no choice but to nod at Metis' words.
In the end, he would be the one to build the largest faction. And if he did, he would naturally become the leader of the gods here.
He had seen firsthand how powerful his siblings were in their fight against Kronos.
Gods that strong wouldn't follow just anyone, so Poseidon's proposal was indeed an opportunity for him.
"You're right, Metis. This is actually to my advantage. And Hades and Hera, who are so openly checking me, will have no choice but to accept it."
"See? Now you're thinking straight, Zeus."
"Metis, my head's always been clear!"
With his mind cleared, Zeus threw Metis onto the bed and pounced on her, as he always did when stressed.
"Kyaa!"
That night, in a tent with just the two of them, there was only one thing young lovers would do—especially after a day filled with stress, given Zeus' nature.
The sounds of their passion echoed through the tent all night long.