24.75, The Gigantes' Gloom(?) – A Group Sinks into Shock and Horror at Heracles, Gaia, Adamantia, and Echidna's Hard-Won Legitimate Marriage
At the very moment Heracles, Gaia, Adamantia, and Echidna finally tied the knot in a proper marriage after all sorts of twists and turns(?), one particular group plunged into shock and terror.
"Is that really true, Alcyoneus? Our mother actually married Heracles?"
"Yes, Lord Eurymedon. Gaia married Heracles. And..."
"And what?"
"Lady Adamantia also married that guy, and Lady Echidna is his wife too."
"All three of them are Heracles' wives?!"
That group was none other than the Gigantes—the soon-to-be adversaries in the upcoming Gigantomachia (the plural form of Gigas). Born between the earth mother Gaia and the blood of Uranus, the Gigantes were especially massive monsters among the countless giants of Achaia, with serpentine lower bodies and human upper torsos.
They were supposed to be Gaia's elite soldiers, her beloved children who would originally sweep Olympus clean and drive out Zeus. But now that Heracles—the one born with the fate to slay the Gigantes—and Gaia had married, unrest was spreading among them.
The king of the Gigantes, Eurymedon, had been wearing a thunderous scowl since morning. To him, one of the greatest Gigantes, Ephialtes, cried out in a near-scream.
"Wh-what if big sis brings out that huge scythe?!"
"Oh, Ephialtes, please don't mention that scythe. Just thinking about it terrifies me."
"B-but didn't big sis marry that Heracles she's supposed to devour?"
"That's right, Lord Eurymedon!!! We're all gonna die by big sis's hand now!"
The huge scythe they shuddered over was the one Adamantia had forged from adamant for Tartarus, the womb of Gaia. It was the very scythe that Cronus had used to castrate Uranus. After Cronus lost his throne and fell, the scythe had returned to its maker, Adamantia.
Born from the severed wounds of Uranus, the Gigantes instinctively feared that scythe.
Another Gigante warrior, Pallas, was on the verge of tears.
"Even without that scythe, it's a problem. That big sis of ours. The merciless Adamantia who has no blood or tears."
......Yeah, you're right. Just thinking about it is horrifying.
Many Gigantes nodded in agreement to Pallas's whimpering words.
The subject herself, Adamantia, would be heartbroken and dejected by her cute little brothers' reactions, but she was Gaia's eldest daughter, older even than Thalassa. And the Gigantes, born from Uranus's blood, had been secretly raised by Gaia without Cronus or Zeus knowing.
In such circumstances, it was only natural they feared their much older big sister Adamantia. To the Gigantes, big sis was more terrifying than Thanatos himself.
"Shouldn't we give up on the war against Olympus right now?"
"You fool, Alcyoneus! How can our leader talk surrender already? We've prepared for this war for so long."
"Then do you, Lord Eurymedon, have confidence you can beat that ruthless big sis?"
"Ugh, that's a tough one."
"No Gigante doesn't cringe at the mention of big sis, Lord Eurymedon."
The greatest and fiercest Gigante, the leader Alcyoneus—a giant with power rivaling Hades and commander of this war—was no exception. He genuinely thought it better to take Zeus's lightning bolt than fight that savage, fearsome Adamantia.
King Eurymedon felt the same, especially since Adamantia had been particularly harsh on them.
Enceladus, who until recently had boldly declared he'd make Goddess Athena his wife, was trembling.
"We're that woman's little brothers, yet the only sister in the world who clubs her siblings with an iron hammer is her. I still can't forget the bone-rattling pain of that hammer."
"If it's true that Adamantia big sis and Mother really married that Heracles bastard, we're done for."
"Alcyoneus, no need to emphasize it..."
The news of Gaia, Adamantia, and Echidna's marriages to Heracles hit the Gigantes like a bolt from the blue. With a grueling war already looming, their strongest ally had overnight become the enemy—any fighting spirit they had vanished in an instant.
If even the mighty warriors among the Gigantes were like this, the rest went without saying.
King Eurymedon had no clever ploy to reverse the demoralized mood, not even a blunt one.
Then, Polybotes—a belligerent Gigante who longed to test his strength against Poseidon—spoke up. This time, it was something intriguing.
"But, does marrying Heracles necessarily mean they're turning against us?"
"What do you mean, Polybotes? That there's some other intent behind this marriage?"
"Think about it. That Heracles punk was born with the fate to kill us—specifically, he's the only way Zeus can win the Gigantomachia."
"......You're right. If we pull Heracles to our side, victory is the Gigantes'. Lord Eurymedon."
"Hearing it that way, yeah! Alcyoneus, Polybotes!"
"Marriage doesn't have to mean Mother is siding with Zeus!"
Polybotes' hopeful take flipped the mood entirely. The whole affair could be interpreted in wildly different ways, determining their fate.
If it meant Gaia was helping Zeus, every last Gigante was doomed. But if it meant recruiting Heracles as an ally, victory would be easier than swimming on dry land.
Just like that, the atmosphere swung wildly depending on who spoke, until all eyes turned to their king, Eurymedon, blinking expectantly.
......
King Eurymedon found the stares intensely uncomfortable. The Gigantes still had no idea what Mother's true intentions were. They all avoided Adamantia's island of Sicily like the plague, and Gaia had been holed up there for over a year even before the rumors spread.
The Gigantes couldn't fathom what possessed Gaia to marry. As a last resort—not a decision, but a proposal—Eurymedon tried.
"Instead of this, why not send someone to Sicily to ask Mother's will?"
......
The moment he mentioned going to big sis's island, the valiant Gigante warriors turned into mute honey-eaters. Not one met Eurymedon's fierce glare; it was a desperate refusal to set foot there.
Even as king, Eurymedon had been thrashed by Adamantia growing up, so forcing anyone felt queasy. But if no one went, all decisions fell to him.
Pitying their king, Alcyoneus tried to buck him up.
"Lord Eurymedon, make a clean decision here! War or surrender!"
"Let's go to Sicily first?"
"Then Your Majesty can go, as our king."
"How can a sovereign just up and leave so easily? Ahem, that's for you warriors."
......
Visiting Sicily was the most logical move, but no one volunteered—not even King Eurymedon, who dreaded facing his fearsome big sis more than death. He feared another hammer beating.
Better to shoulder the responsibility as king, he thought. In the end, Eurymedon's solemnly uttered words were a masterpiece.
"Very well. Since no one wants to go to Sicily, you can't complain about my decision."
Of course not, Your Majesty! The battlefield's better anyway!
"......Very well. In my view, Mother won't forgive Zeus."
Everyone nodded. Gaia wouldn't easily pardon the Zeus who betrayed her.
"I side with Polybotes over Alcyoneus and the others' worries. Any objections?"
......
The response was a silence heavy with assent. Eurymedon nodded and bellowed with unprecedented bravery.
"Assemble the army!"
Woooaaahhhh!!!
Eurymedon's call to arms unleashed thunderous cheers. Gone were the tearful wails over potential beatings from Adamantia. Their target was Zeus. In the end, trusting their mother's wisdom, they raised their spears toward Olympus.