War of the Gods (2): The Eternal Clash
War. War never truly ends... Hmm, maybe that's not the right line for now. It just conjures up images of a world doomed by nuclear apocalypse. But whether it's wars between humans or gods, the core patterns never change... so yeah, it still fits.
I was gazing down at the plains of the Pantheon with my kids, right in the thick of the raging war. The clash between the Ennead and Olympus—the first and last war among the gods. Was this what the battles of superhumans in games or movies looked like? From a spectator's view, it was thrilling as hell.
"Overall, the Ennead has the upper hand."
"Obviously. Those guys are my elite of elites, trained by charging at me day in and day out. The scorching desert heat couldn't touch them. No way Olympus's half-assed bunch can take them down."
Ifrit lavishly praised the Ennead, with whom he'd been close. It made sense—they'd originated near his desert home.
"Yeah, individually, the Ennead's power is clearly superior."
The Ennead gods charged with faith-fueled sandstorms. Leading them was Amun, their chief. He looked just like Baal might have as an adult, three centuries from now. Without hesitation, Amun rushed the Olympians, wielding a pair of uniquely curved S-shaped swords—one in each hand—like a berserk warrior rather than a faction leader. Olympus threw everything at him to block his rampage, but lesser gods crumpled without even parrying a single strike. He was like a wolf tearing through a flock of sheep.
"They can't just let Amun run wild like that. It'll take Athena or Ares to slow him down..."
Sylphid peered at the battlefield, worry creasing her voice. Fair point—stopping that frenzy would take more than average gods. Only Olympus's top tiers could manage it.
"Oh. Athena's stepping up."
Sylphid pointed to Athena charging in her chariot. Pulled by two snow-white horses forged from divine power, she plowed through Ennead gods toward Amun, hurling her long spear's blade at him. It was a strike that would've shattered any ordinary god. But Amun crossed his swords to block it. He couldn't fully absorb the force—pushed back a bit—but he held.
"Whoa. Amun getting pushed back? They said Olympus has two war gods. That goddess must be one."
Ifrit marveled at Athena.
"Amun's no slouch either, tanking her charge like that. Deserves the title King of the Ennead."
An odd spectator moment, praising both sides. Not even fighters ourselves. Like cheering for buddies we kinda like.
Anyway, Athena and Amun traded blows. Amun relentlessly pressed with his dual blades; Athena swung her spear from the chariot and blocked with her wrist shield. It looked even at first, but momentum shifted toward Amun.
"Even divine horses have their limits against a chief god."
Sylphid's cool assessment. The chariot swept lesser foes, but against Amun, it was dead weight—draining Athena's stamina just protecting the horses. Better if Zeus or someone handled Amun while Athena rampaged freely.
"Ugh... If only Ares were here... He's a beast in chaotic melees..."
Ares. The idiot who'd stormed the Deep Forest to drag off the sage. Unfortunately—or fortunately—I'd crushed him, stripped his faith, and left him a hollow shell.
"Olympus's edge came from Zeus's power, sure, but also Athena and Ares's raw destruction. Mom took one out of commission..."
"He barged in threatening to burn the forest if the sage didn't show. Couldn't just let that slide."
If it'd been a casual meetup, maybe we could've used the simpleton. But torching the forest? No dice.
"Thanks to that, the war's tilting Ennead's way."
Zeus hurled lightning, and Olympians unleashed their powers, felling foes. But the Ennead weren't pushovers. At this rate, Olympus would lose.
But then.
"Hm? What's that...?"
In one corner of the field, a new group of gods charged in. Neither Ennead nor Olympian. Weaker individually, but numerous—they slammed straight into the Ennead lines.
"Those gods...?"
"Olympus allies, probably."
Pantheon gods weren't truly independent; alliances were natural. Some were tight-knit, others feuded. Plenty had reasons to join this war—backing friends, protecting trade partners, chasing gains. Even unaffiliated gods got dragged in.
At least it wasn't spilling over to humans. I'd made damn sure of that with my threats.
"Now the situation's unpredictable..."
"Nah, Olympus isn't the only one with reinforcements."
Ifrit eyed another group charging the Olympians.
"Ennead backups too...!"
"That's over half the Pantheon's gods, right? From big names to nobodies."
Excluding barrier-blocked locals like mountain, river, or land spirits... and no Aesir or Lokapala either. Pretty much everyone else was in the fray, swinging weapons.
"If only a chunk of them died off..."
"Won't happen. Though if it did, Mom wouldn't need to step in."
I gave a wry smile at Shamash's words. The influx plunged the field back into chaos, but the tide didn't shift. Reinforcements evened numbers, yet Ennead's advantage held.
Hmm. Was one war god's absence that crippling? Would Olympus really fall like this?
Amun overpowered Athena. She tumbled from her chariot after losing the horses, resisting with spear and shield—but defeat loomed.
Zeus struck from afar with bolts, dropping many, but not enough to turn it.
Did he think debasing himself in the melee would tarnish his "king" title? Or Baal's stolen authority? Did he not get that unearned crowns were worthless? True authority demanded leading the charge.
Olympians fell one by one. Athena's shield splintered under Amun's blades. Poseidon's trident shattered; Hestia's flame-spitting hearth crumpled. Hermes lost his swift legs; Aphrodite's face melted under potent venom.
Olympus crumbled. Then Zeus hardened his resolve, lightning erupting from his body. Finally stepping up? Too late?
Coiled in thunder, he soared into the Ennead's midst, unleashing havoc. But his timing sucked. He should've fought before Athena tangled with Amun—or taken her place. The chariot charge would've been unstoppable against lesser foes, shifting momentum.
By clinging to his dignity, Zeus doomed them.
As Zeus rampaged amid the Ennead swarm—
"That...?"
Yet another band of gods entered the field.
