Hades got up from the table and said, "These gifts were forged in repayment to Zeus. The debt is settled. My place is not in the clouds or the sea... but in the shadow beneath it all. If you fall, I'll guide your souls. If you win, I expect peace. But I will not fight for a crown that is not mine." Darkness crept from the shadows as the portal to the underworld opened. Gaia followed behind him unbothered with the rest of the Olympians, he left with some final words: "If you need a place to retreat, pray to me and I will allow you to reside in the underworld once."
{Earth}
"What the fuck just happened?" Zeus muttered as he was still in disbelief at what his brother had just announced, but as his words finally clicked in his brain. A burning anger filled his heart as he then just said, "That bastard abandoned us."
"He didn't abandon anyone, Zeus. He already has a world, and if you don't know underworld and the sky are opposites to each other. He can't take the world of sky even if he wanted to thus, he is not a threat to Cronus' rule, so Cronus wouldn't attack him anymore. He doesn't have a reason to fight." Hera said, 'This move was the best thing to do as the king of the underworld, which had been neglected for ages. Underworld is currently the strongest when it comes to population, and all but the sea and heaven have better equipment and infrastructure.' She thought.
"What about family? Isn't that good enough reason for him to fight for" Poseidon said equally angry, he was just met with looks of amazement and disappointment from the others at the table. Hestia said
"That's rich coming from you, who attacked him the first time he showed up."
"Also, brother said we could retreat into the underworld whenever we wanted, right?" Demeter added, 'I hope I don't have to go there, although brother Hades is nice, but his domains are iky!'
Rhea just sighed as she said, "We got a significant boost anyway, our chance just improved by a lot." She got up from her seat. Meanwhile, Zeus and Poseidon were overpowered by the support Hades had also just signed.
"I make sure to punish him if I get the heavens." Zeus muttered, 'Hades, you may not know, but I sure keep my grudges, and one day you will pay for this.' He thought. Meanwhile, Poseidon, unpredictable as always, forgot about the entire ordeal in a couple of days; only Zeus was sulking over it for the next few days they had to spend planning to take Cronus' rule.
{Titian stronghold}
"So, my eldest son has abandoned the war and chosen to rule over the underworld?" Cronus asked, and the titan who is currently kneeling in front of him said
"Yes, my lord."
"My lord, this is the perfect chance. Let's go and attack the underworld, my lord. Not only is the underworld weak, but Hades also doesn't have the protection of the earth. It is the weakest link, we can kill him to reduce the chance of prophecy coming true, my lord." Coeus said as he bowed before Cronus, smiling in a wise smile.
"No," Cronus immediately rejects the idea and says, "We will not touch the underworld, at least not now. Now find me a way inside that dame barrier." This shocked the Titans as Cronus left his throne, Naturally, murmurs followed. Some say that he doesn't want to attack Hades because there is no way he could threaten his throne, since the underworld is the opposite of the heavens. Others think that he is afraid that this might be a trap by the gods. While Cronus himself is walking down the magnificent hallways, eyes glowing green, a symbol that he is looking into the future.
'This is the 9th time I looked into the future. Yet, I can only see him. Each time I look into his future, he looks back at me like he knows that I am there, and his eyes are red, his figure draped in black. I am ashamed to admit it, but Hades scares me more than the prophecy.' He thought as he looked into the world below the heavens, the mortal world, where everything is so peaceful.
{Olympians}
Zeus was seen now, in a war room with Hera, Poseidon, and Metis. "How is the logistics going?" Zeus asked, looking at Hera, who replied
"It's going well, we were able to nearly double our forces while also optimizing our production with little to no waste. All the women with a battle-oriented domain are assimilated into the army, although not the battalion with men in it, since they expressed displeasure and even some rebellious action when they got involved, so they are put under another battalion. More so, more divine sprites and elementals joined our cause due to this action."
"That's great. Whose idea was this?" Metis asked, confused at who was the one that made such a great idea. Zeus frowned as he thought 'Should I tell her the truth or claim I…No, I am not a thief.'
"It was Hades' idea." Zeus, admitted as metis, hearing this, she frowned at his name. She didn't like him after he abandoned them in this war. She quickly diverted the conversation.
"We need to start the war, I believe we have enough army and arial with all the wind elementals and divine sprite Zeus gathered. As for an army, we have plenty of that with our recent addition of women into our forces. What we need is a navy? Except for Poseidon, we have no one to defend our sea lines, this is a danger when we basically a island." Metis said, pointing the most glaring weakness to them. Zeus, immediately fell into thought and said
"I remember you teaching me that Oceanus let lose the might beast of the sea righ?"
"Yes, the day is coming close anyways–wait, you don't mean" Metis said then widen her eyes when she relize what zeus was implying.
"Poesidon, catch those sea monster and bring them under our control" Zeus said, as he looked at Poesidon who exsuded a level of confidence that could easily mistaken for arrogance.