Reborn as the God of the Underworld
I thought I had died on 21st-century Earth. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in another world overflowing with dreams and hope. Or rather, to be precise, I was completely naked, tumbling across the dirt like a discarded rag doll.
While I was still reeling from this sudden disaster, someone shouted at all of us.
A golden-haired man gripped a sharp blade and yelled at the people around him. Scattered across the ground were the spears and swords he had thrown. The naked perverts nearby hurriedly snatched up the weapons.
A blue-haired man in his twenties swung his blade fiercely at that so-called 'Father.' He was trying to kill his own dad without hesitation—an utterly unfilial act. Yet the other perverts around him nodded in agreement.
The staggering 'Father' glared at us with murderous eyes, as if he couldn't shake off a terrible hangover. But how could a person remain completely unharmed after being slashed by a sword? Watching their fight, I clearly sensed something was off.
They were all moving at incredible speeds, turning the ground into a chaotic mess. The deafening clash of weapons was one thing, but...
I could see every movement in that battle clearly. Normal human dynamic vision couldn't possibly track such superhuman combat. Those flying debris exploding outward like shrapnel should have killed me instantly.
Clang! Clang!
Whether I had reincarnated as a superhuman or some kind of monster, it was obvious that 'Father' had no intention of leaving me alone. The moment that thought crossed my mind, I grabbed a spear lying on the ground and hurled it with all my strength.
Shuuuuk— Thunk!
Sorry about that, Father. But you were about to attack me too, so...
'Father' hastily yanked the spear from his arm and muttered something under his breath.
"Ugh... My body..."
My entire body began to stiffen. An intangible energy radiating from Father twisted the world at will. But it only lasted a moment. When all of us resisted with everything we had, the strangely distorted flow of time returned to normal. Feeling my body move properly again, we continued our unfilial assault until Father, unable to endure any longer, took to the skies and fled.
After the battle, the exhausted group collapsed onto the ground. As we all caught our breath on the dirt, the golden-haired youth spoke up.
The blue-haired man who introduced himself as Poseidon. The woman who called herself Hera. Could this possibly be... Greek and Roman mythology? Then that 'Father' earlier—was he Cronus?
After the introductions, everyone turned their eyes to me. And in that moment, I realized exactly what I had to say. In Greek and Roman mythology, one of Zeus's six siblings—the one who rules the underworld...
That was my name.
I roughly summarized my past life, leaving out the more personal details and embellishing the rest to finish the story.
The Goddess of Spring and Seeds, Persephone, looked at me with sparkling eyes and cried out adorably. But don't you need to go back? Your mother Demeter must be worried sick.
The Goddess of Spring and Seeds possessed a radiant beauty and pure divine power that clashed horribly with the gloomy Underworld. Seeing such a cute niece playing around in this dark and dreary place caused a serious case of cognitive dissonance in my brain. I really should send her back before Demeter gets angry...
My dear niece. Please maintain some dignity as a goddess. You're one of the deities who governs the seasons, you know. Of course, I understood why she acted this way in front of me—her uncle and one of the Three Great Gods. If she showed this side to humans, they would probably get cursed on the spot without question or mercy. Just what kind of education has Demeter been giving her?
Fine. Fine, I get it.
If I just kept telling stories until she got tired of them, she would eventually wear herself out and go back on her own.
Surprisingly, we were gods. Not as a figure of speech, but literal gods from the age of myths. We were the children of Cronus, the god of agriculture and time who once ruled the world, and the earth mother goddess Rhea.
I lightly tensed the muscles in my legs and leaped into the sky. The sensation of becoming a superhero like Superman washed over me as my body shot upward at tremendous speed. The clear, open sky welcomed me while the surrounding air rushed aside in a hurry. Climbing a little higher, I saw clouds and carefully sat down on one of them.
Out of breath? How can I sit on a cloud? It was all thanks to divine power. The supernatural strength that my mother in this life—Rhea—had taught me. The immense power surging endlessly within me moved as smoothly as if I had wielded it my entire life. It was only natural, since my very species wasn't human to begin with.
Poseidon's voice called up from below. I hadn't found anything, but I wanted to enjoy the view a little longer, so I gave a vague reply and looked around.
Fluffy white clouds drifted around me in clusters. Below the sky, vast forests and rivers stretched out like a single breathtaking landscape painting, captivating my eyes. The overwhelming sense of omnipotence that came from looking down at the mortal world from such heights. For a brief moment I was lost in the illusion that the entire world belonged to me. Then I lifted my gaze higher.
Even higher up, countless stars asserted their presence among the Milky Way. As I widened my field of vision, the densely layered black silk of the night sky filled my pupils completely, and a sigh of wonder naturally escaped my lips.
Ah... This world.
It is unbearably beautiful.
Up until then, I hadn't really felt any particular desire to fight the Titan gods to the death. But after looking at the sky, greed stirred within me. I simply wanted to live in this world for a long time, to enjoy it, to savor its air. And for that to happen, the Titan gods were obstacles in my path. The other gods at the time probably felt the same way I did.
So we fought our father. Because I didn't want to lose this world that felt like it had fallen into my hands. There were many parts of Greek and Roman mythology I didn't remember, but I did recall some things. For example, the fact that the hundred-handed Hecatoncheires would join our side. Thanks to that, I wasn't surprised when Zeus brought the three Cyclops brothers and the Hecatoncheires as the war dragged on. I was quite fascinated, however, when I received the Kynee—the helmet of invisibility that could hide the wearer from any god.
Anyway, while I wore the Kynee and stole all the Titan gods' weapons—
Zeus swung the lightning bolt he had named Astraphe, giving the Titans a blinding flash of divine retribution.
Kwarurung! Flash!
Poseidon swung his three-pronged spear, the Triaina, and unleashed an earthquake measuring 10.0 on the Richter scale.
In that way, we mercilessly beat down the unarmed, visually impaired foes who had fallen over and won the war. It should have ushered in an era of peace and glory, but...
Lord Hades! The God of Death, Thanatos, has gone missing. No more souls are arriving in the Underworld!
Someone who creates heavenly melodies comparable to Lord Apollo says he must meet with Lord Hades...
A muscular human—no, a demigod—is beating up the ferryman Charon and heading this way!
Lady Demeter has sent a letter demanding the return of Lady Persephone. If she is not returned, she will wither the earth...
I never imagined I would end up as the administrator of a complaint center overrun with every kind of lunatic causing chaos.
Hearing the commotion outside, Persephone quietly rose from her seat. I see. You're planning to slip away quietly before your mother arrives.
Hurry along, and from now on, make sure you return to the surface before it gets too late.