Gigantomachia -3- The Imperfect Triumph
In the end, the state of the Gigantomachia tilted toward a perfect Olympian victory.
The hero Heracles, freshly ascended to godhood, was smashing the Gigantes' skulls with his warhammer like he was collecting them, while his big sister Adamantia swung her massive scythe with terrifying momentum, turning the giants into eunuchs left and right.
Mount Olympus, which had seemed on the verge of collapse surrounded by thousands of Gigantes, instantly became a slaughterhouse for the giants.
But Zeus, king of the gods, couldn't shake his unease.
"Hmmm..."
"What's the problem now, Zeus?"
"Too many survived."
"Pardon?"
"There are too many Gigantes left alive."
"Ah... yeah, you're right."
Originally, Zeus had planned to annihilate the Gigantes without mercy once he seized the momentum, even accounting for their numerical superiority. Otherwise, the horde would recover their strength, multiply again, and come gunning for Olympus—that was his firm belief, and no other god disputed it.
The Gigantes were giants with incomplete immortality, and their only path to godhood was to drive out the gods and claim lordship over Olympus.
"Adamantia's presence is probably the biggest factor."
"Seems like it. I'm grateful for the help, but I wish she'd do a proper job of it."
"She is doing a proper job. The Gigantes' numbers have already halved, thanks to her and Heracles."
"Urgh."
It was true. Zeus fretted that too many Gigantes had survived, but even the mighty Olympian gods would struggle to kill every last one of the thousands-strong horde. Apollo and Poseidon could hurl mountains and islands with their superhuman strength, but so could the Gigantes. The gods wouldn't die under a landslide, but they still tired and took wounds all the same.
In that sense, Adamantia's role in driving off the Gigantes was invaluable, yet the ever-greedy Zeus couldn't dispel his anxiety.
"Even so, with the tide turning in our favor, it'd be even better if she'd start killing them off now."
"Heracles is handling that part just fine. He's probably already taken out at least a hundred."
"True, but something still feels off. If she's brought that monstrous scythe, why not make better use of it?"
"What are you even saying?"
"I'm just thinking it would've been something if Heracles were the one swinging that scythe instead."
"..."
Hera was stunned by her husband's cruelty. The war was grueling enough as it was. Olympus had only twelve major gods, and countless heroes excluding Heracles had fallen or been gravely injured. Without Adamantia and Heracles, the battle could crumble at any moment.
Yet here he was spouting this nonsense. Hera was appalled by her husband's greed and ruthlessness.
In the heat of war, she couldn't hold back her anger.
"Listen up, Zeus. Enough with the greed."
"What?"
"Drop the greed. We can kill the Gigantes after the war's over. If you keep pushing to wipe them out now, the tide could turn against us."
"Are you done talking? Didn't you agree to the extermination of the Gigantes too?"
"Of course I did, but not like this. Everyone will turn against you if you keep it up, Zeus."
"..."
Zeus's face flushed red then pale with rage. His wife had humiliated him in a way he never expected, filling him with profound shame. Naturally, he'd slain the most Gigantes with his lightning bolts, followed by Heracles with his hammer. Instead of praising her husband's efforts, she was challenging his decisions—what kind of wife did that?
Stung, Zeus issued a reckless order.
"The enemy's momentum is broken! Charge now and sweep the Gigantes away!"
『ROOOAAARRR!』
At the king of gods' solemn command, gods and heroes roared and charged forward.
Mountain-sized Gigantes fell to Hades' sword, were impaled by Poseidon's trident, and began to give ground. Though still outnumbered, half the Gigantes had already fled in terror from the fearsome big sister's relentless castration spree, making the charge devastatingly effective.
Zeus planned to hunt down Eurymedon and sever his head.
But then.
"Father's ordering the charge sooner than I expected."
"This is bad. There are still too many Gigantes. Less than half have fled."
"He might think we should ride the momentum since half have run."
"Even so, it's too soon."
The most startled were Adamantia and Heracles at the vanguard. Her divinely inspired blade dance had crushed the Gigantes' morale, but half remained—thousands strong. The allied army of Achaean heroes and Olympians was formidable, but badly outnumbered. Now wasn't the time for a charge.
Adamantia clicked her tongue.
"This feels off. I have a bad premonition."
"Yeah? What can I do?"
"You're doing great. But..."
Gaia's eldest daughter rarely showed it, but like her mother, she was born with profound wisdom. Thinking his wife's unease a form of foresight, her ever-attentive husband asked at once.
Heracles' habit of heeding her words brought a smile to Adamantia's face. But this was the battlefield—time for chit-chat was always short.
"It feels off. Head back to the palace right now. Something might happen there."
"Got it. You okay on your own?"
"Don't worry. These kids are all little ones to me."
"Alright, I'll be back!"
Trusting his wife, Heracles bolted toward the palace at blinding speed.
Adamantia smiled wryly at his retreating figure. What a reliable husband.
And then... she drew a warhammer from her belt—identical to Heracles' own.
The one she'd forged, inspired by his.
Now she gripped a brutal hammer in one hand and the scythe in the other.
"Thanks for giving me time for a happy chat with my husband, kids."
『...』
The Gigantes felt a chill down their spines. First the deadly scythe, now a massive hammer. They'd all seen Heracles pulverize countless kin with it. Their faces were the picture of misery.
Adamantia spoke as if soothing whiny little brothers, her voice calm and warm.
"You naughty little brothers made your big sis come out, didn't you?"
『...』
"If you retreat quietly, I won't hurt you. Go to the island of Sicily. Mom's waiting there, right?"
"T-Talk of living on Sicily? W-We won't live with you, sis!"
Whenever she met the Gigantes, Adamantia would thrash them for troubling their mother. She handled the harsh discipline and beatings their mother couldn't bring herself to give. She'd always bashed them mercilessly with clubs or hammers when problems arose.
But it was all tough love from the eldest daughter in her mother's stead.
Her dear brothers, however, never trusted her sincerity. Their strong sister's punishments were nightmarish.
"Go back to a life of just getting beaten by sis? No way!"
"You're all grown up now. No more beatings, I promise."
"How can we trust a sis with no mercy? You thrashed us even in front of Mom!"
『Right! Exactly!』
The beaten are always the aggrieved ones. Scarred by their harsh sister's wrath, the Gigantes let old traumas outweigh her offer.
It stung Adamantia, but this was war. She couldn't indulge family sentiment long.
"You really won't go to Sicily?"
"Never!"
"Not even with Thalassa waiting there?"
"Of course not! We wouldn't trust your words even if you said olives squeeze oil."
"Then no choice. Time for punishment."
Adamantia crouched into a fighting stance. It pained her that her loving brothers doubted her, but they'd ignored her plea. Now she'd discipline them until they listened.
Soon, the battlefield would echo with blood and the Gigantes' piteous screams—enough to satisfy even the doubting Zeus.