The Last Gift I Give
“The… the Titans have begun their advance?”
“Th-that’s right, Lord Hades!”
“It’s the largest force in history—Cronus himself has joined the fray! Those bastards mean business this time!”
The nymphs delivered the news in frantic voices. The faces of the Olympian gods drained of all color.
“Th-those insolent… Grrraaahhhh!!!!!”
Zeus tried to force himself upright, but the skull-splitting agony sent him crashing back down. Hestia’s fire kept him clinging to consciousness by a thread, yet moving was utterly impossible.
“This is way faster than I expected! Did we really keep the secret that tight?”
“Poseidon, this is hardly the time to quibble over that.”
As if they had been waiting for this exact moment, the main Titan host marched straight toward Olympus. Olympus still possessed considerable strength, but with Zeus and Hera out of commission the limits were painfully clear.
“If they truly throw everything they have at us, we have no way to stop them as we stand now.”
“Mmm…”
“Is this… really how it ends? Are we going to kneel before Father all over again…?”
The monstrous sire who had swallowed them the instant they were born. They had clawed their way out of his belly and cast him down—only to find themselves once more on the verge of bowing before him. Despair settled thick over Demeter and the rest of the gods.
Then—
“…At this point… there’s only one way left.”
Hades spoke in a heavy voice. He looked at his trembling brothers and sisters and laid out the sole solution remaining to them.
And so—
—Thud.
In that moment Hades dropped to one knee before the figure standing in front of him.
“G-Great-uncle!”
“…What is the meaning of this?”
Ares’s face filled with bewilderment. Beside him stood the master of Lemnos Island—Hephaestus.
Looking up at him, Hades spoke in that same grave tone.
“I beg you. Save Olympus.”
“What do you mean?”
Hephaestus’s voice was flat and hard. Hades already knew exactly who this man was. Ever since Keres had revealed that Ares’s runaway hideout was Lemnos, Hades had investigated thoroughly.
The one who had defeated Tartarus. Oceanus’s closest confidant and leader of the third power. A blacksmith god capable of forging every manner of weapon and divine artifact. And the son of Eurynome, who shared a bitter history with Hera.
From those facts Hades had easily pieced the rest together. The Golden Throne that bound Hera had been crafted by none other than this man. Which meant only he could free her—and only he possessed the power to turn the present crisis around.
“I am well aware of Hera’s crimes, but the situation is far too urgent to keep pressing those charges. With Zeus himself immobilized, we desperately need a helping hand. If things continue like this, Olympus will truly fall.”
Hades’s voice was thick with urgency. When the two before him remained silent, he bowed his head once more.
“I beg you. For Ares’s sake and for Eurynome’s, I will make certain Hera offers a full apology and take personal measures so that nothing like this ever happens again. Show mercy to Hera… no—to all of Olympus.”
“…Haaah.”
Hephaestus let out a heavy sigh.
Then—
“…Ares?”
The young god of war stepped forward from Hephaestus’s side and dropped to his knees beside Hades.
“B-Big brother… I’m asking you too. Please help Olympus. Those people are all my precious family. I still resent Mother, but I can’t just stand by and watch Father and the others fall into danger because of it.”
“…”
Ares’s plea was earnest. Hephaestus appeared to weigh the request for a moment.
And then—
“…There will be no mercy.”
“!...”
“Th-that…”
Hephaestus’s declaration was absolute. Deep disappointment and despair flooded the faces of Hades and Ares.
Then—
“Only a transaction.”
“A… transaction?”
Hades looked puzzled. Meeting his gaze, Hephaestus spoke with deliberate gravity.
“Hera’s matter I can resolve at once. Since I only helped because Ares asked, I have no right to object.”
He would respect the wishes of the parties involved in family affairs. But on the next point his tone turned stern.
“Saving Olympus, however, is not something I can do for a few pretty words. We would be taking on the enormous risk of open hostility with the Titans. Naturally, there must be a price.”
“Name it. Whatever you want—if it is within my power, I will grant it all.”
When the entire house was about to be swept away, sacrificing a few foundation pillars was a small price to pay. Hesitation now would only make everything worse. Hades spoke without a shred of reluctance.
Looking at him, Hephaestus finally gave his answer with firm resolve.
“Very well.”
Cronus’s army had advanced to the very gates of Olympus. An innumerable host of Titans, lesser gods, and fairies poured forward with the force of a flood that would swallow the world.
“Advance!”
“Leave not a single cornerstone of Olympus standing!”
Titans smashed walls and gates like paper with raw strength. Through the breaches poured lesser gods and fairies, unleashing indiscriminate destruction.
“Crush everything!”
“For the glory of Cronus!”
Then—
—KRA-KOOM!!
“Kyaaaaah!!!”
“Guhhk!”
A colossal whirlpool suddenly roared into existence. Those who had just broken through the walls were swept away in an instant. The swarm that had flooded in like ants was scoured clean as if by a broom.
In the gap of the shattered wall appeared a god standing upon a chariot drawn by white horses, a massive bronze trident in hand.
Recognition dawned on the Titans’ faces, followed by shock.
“Y-you’re…”
“Po… Poseidon!”
“Come if you dare! I’ll take you on myself!”
Poseidon roared boldly at the head of his own force. The Titans’ relentless momentum faltered for a heartbeat. The war still favored them overall, yet none of them were eager to spill blood against an opponent they could never hope to defeat.
Then—
“At last you show yourself, Poseidon.”
“…Atlas.”
A presence far larger than any other Titan stepped forward. Poseidon felt a cold sweat bead on his brow and thought quietly:
Hades… just how long are you going to take?
A space wrapped in pitch-black darkness. Narrow, scorching, filled every moment with terrible screams. Within it, two beings poured every ounce of their strength into their task.
“It’s no use, Mother. No matter how hard I swing the spear, it doesn’t even budge.”
“You mustn’t stop, my child.”
The small one spoke in a voice thick with despair. The one she called Mother drew her gently into an embrace and answered with tender warmth.
“No matter how hopeless things seem, if you keep thrashing and struggling, a path will open someday. Just as your father did. You can do it too.”
“…But… that father… he…”
“Shhhh…”
Mother laid a gentle finger against the little one’s lips before she could finish. The warm touch soothed her once more. Mother continued in a calm voice.
“In life, injustice can strike at any time. The question is how you face it. Whether you rise above it and press forward, or collapse while doing nothing but complain—that choice belongs entirely to you.”
She released the small figure from her arms and asked quietly,
“So, my daughter—what will you do? Will you keep sitting here forever? Or will you throw everything you have into moving forward?”
“…Haha.”
A soft laugh escaped as the little one rose again. She gripped the spear her mother had made for her and swung it with all her might—hard enough to shatter this cramped world.
Watching her, a cool smile curved Mother’s lips. It was not mere maternal affection. Entwined within it was the pure thrill of vengeance.
Savor the last gift I give you… Zeus.