Old stories summarize in one sentence, this world is a huge love brain.
Hecate, instead of being the God of Gods, fell in true love with Hades, sincerely and passionately, and wanted to have a grand romance with him.
In fact, at that time, Hecate could have given her power, presented her true form immediately, and demanded that the gods of Mount Olympus worship her, treat her like a god, or simply reveal that she was the Great King of Numinous Power in the Tongtian River, and exchange Hades for their power; Zeus would have been able to tie Hades to her bed even by force.
But Hecate did not choose that path; she chose to join the Greek God System and focus on her relationship with Hades.
There's a saying, when you use lies to verify lies, all you get are lies.
When they were deeply in love, Hecate was trapped and betrayed due to a conspiracy, and Hades was unfaithful. Hecate saw Hades as an ungrateful scoundrel who had feet in two boats, but since she had never been in control from the beginning, all she could do was seethe in powerless rage, driving herself insane.
In the end, love brains kill people.
To say that the gods of Mount Olympus were entirely innocent would also be impossible; after Hecate gave them power, she wandered the Earth and naturally attracted the attention of many in the Deity System. They did not know she was the goddess who had bestowed them with power, but they sensed that she might be powerful, so they sent many gods to pursue her.
Zeus and the Greek God System he led were not so powerful back then; to gain further strength, he pushed Hades forward, who indeed won Hecate's heart.
As a result, Hecate was trapped by a conspiracy within an Array, and Zeus, the old climber, seeing the high cost of her rescue, persuaded Hades to give up on Hecate and marry another, showing a typical betrayal.
Hecate did something bizarre after being trapped; the first thing she did was pray to the Greek God System and her fiancé Hades, disclosing her predicament completely without leaving any room for negotiation. After being abandoned, she became so enraged that the situation worsened.
In short, one bad, one foolish, this old rotten account is not simple, and the two chief players tried their best to cook it up.
But now, there indeed was no chance for reconciliation. Hecate hated Hades to death, and to revive Hecate and preserve the barrier, Hades must be sacrificed.
Dick figured this out, then asked, "What about Ares, what's going on with Ares?"
"He was killed by accident." Zeus appeared to be concealing something, but Dick understood that what Zeus was hesitant to mention must be his mysterious eldest son; Ares's death made him realize the eldest son had escaped.
"What I mean is, why did Poseidon and Ares go to the Human World?" Dick continued.
But Zeus changed his previously straightforward speech and began to talk evasively.
This made Dick and Jason realize that Zeus might have discerned the trail of the behind-the-scenes manipulator; he knew why the manipulator was controlling Ares and Poseidon, which might be an essential part of the plan, a matter of success or failure, life or death, hence he dared not reveal it lightly.
Knowing that Zeus would say no more, Dick and Jason did not continue to ask; they realized that Zeus had acquiesced to the sacrifices of Poseidon and Ares. His cold and heartless attitude certainly would not be approved by everyone; at least if Apollo knew the truth, he would not agree with his father.
And the gods would investigate much faster than a few humans.
After leaving the Zeus Temple, they rushed back to Apollo's temple without stopping. Dick, in the most concise language, told Apollo what had happened during this period and shared his speculation.
Zeus might have noticed there was something wrong with the barrier and, to protect himself, reluctantly consented to Hecate's revival, even secretly helping her to facilitate her plan, subsequently sacrificing the Underworld God, the Queen of the Underworld, the War God, and the Sea God...
Apollo's face grew darker, but he did not speak against it, clearly understanding Zeus better than Dick and others, knowing what the King of Gods was capable of.
After Dick finished, Apollo pursed his lips and said, "I don't usually return to Mount Olympus, so I'm not quite clear on any anomalies in the Pantheon before the incident. I'll call Hermes for you; he should know something."
Hermes was a robust young man with a bronze complexion, not as handsome as Apollo, but he looked vigorous and full of life.
Upon hearing Dick's request, Hermes recalled a bit and then said, "I am the messenger of the gods, frequently traveling between Mount Olympus and various dimensions. Occasionally, I also take on the role of guiding the gods back to Mount Olympus; gods outside just need to call my name, and I will take them back."
Dick immediately focused on the key point and said, "During that period, were there any suspicious persons who returned to Mount Olympus?"
"How could I possibly bring back suspicious characters?"
"What I mean is, was there anyone who usually doesn't come back but suddenly did, or someone who usually stays on Mount Olympus but suddenly had to go out?" Jason looked at Hermes and asked.
Hermes thought carefully and said, "The movements of the people on Mount Olympus are all very normal, I haven't seen anyone suspicious. If I really have to mention someone who suddenly came back, it should be Wonder Woman Diana."
Dick's eyes widened in shock as he looked at Hermes and said, "What? Diana came back to Mount Olympus recently?"
"Yes, roughly a few weeks or a month ago," Hermes scratched his head and said, "But it wasn't me who guided her back; she came through a Teleportation Portal. At the time, I found it odd because she loves calling me to pick her up…"
Dick and Jason exchanged a glance, sensing something was wrong.
"Where did she go after coming back?"
"I really don't know about that," Hermes shook his head and said, "But other than Hera, Diana has a good relationship with the other main gods. It's not strange wherever she goes."
Dick muttered to himself, "This is bad…"
Aisha, of course, realized what the implications of Hermes' words were; since Diana had a good relationship with several other main gods, she could go anywhere and would not be rejected. She definitely had the opportunity to contact the War God and the Sea God.
Dick suddenly stood up and said, "We need to find Hera."
Pegasus once again took them to Hera's palace, this noble and majestic Heavenly Queen, contrary to her usual demeanor, appeared anxious, with a sort of great sadness hiding beneath her calm exterior.
Dick, of course, knew why; Ares was her child, but the person who chose to sacrifice Ares was her husband.
In Greek mythology, Hera is always portrayed as a jealous woman, either dealing with mistresses or on her way to do so. However, in truth, she is the protector goddess of marriage and family. Dealing with mistresses is essentially her job.
Moreover, if she were truly harsh-hearted, then not every child would find their way to Mount Olympus; Zeus's children with other goddesses were one thing, but she could easily kill those half-god children he had with mortals.
For instance, when Apollo was born, Hera opposed it repeatedly, only promulgating that the Earth Goddess was not allowed to provide a place for Apollo's mother to give birth. The way to break this decree was to give birth on Sky Island; once the feet were off the ground, the decree was voided, which was almost like a playful act.
Dick and the others did not have a negative feeling towards Hera; they found her more likable than Zeus. Dick did not waste time and immediately expressed his suspicion. As the Queen of Gods, Hera obviously had a stronger grasp over the gods than others.
"After Diana came back, I didn't specifically pay attention to her whereabouts," Hera's voice was lower than expected. This dignified and solemn goddess matched anyone's fantasy of a good wife and mother. When speaking about Diana, she did not exhibit any negative emotions but evaluated everything objectively.
"However, I know she did meet Ares and Poseidon. Ares had taught her for a while, I saw them head to the practice grounds together from my window that day. Later, Diana also visited the Sea God's palace."
The hearts of everyone sank further, they never expected the solution to be written on the face of the problem, and the issue appeared at the beginning.
"Do you think Hecate controlled Diana?" Hera asked.
Dick nodded, but Hera said, "It might not be that simple. Diana is a strong goddess, her willpower is commendable, and she would not be easily manipulated."
Hera began pacing in front of her throne, her low voice echoing through the palace.
"The younger generation of gods has never dealt with Hecate, so they do not understand her well. But I know, though Hecate wields witchcraft and the night, her most fearsome ability is that she has three faces."
"What do you mean?" Jason stepped forward and asked.
"A maiden, a mother, and a crone, these are her three forms, each incredibly powerful. The maiden governs the night, able to dominate death and summon Ghosts; the crone possesses strong Magic Power, controlling all magic and Spells in the world, and all magic is ineffective against her."
"What about the mother?"
"This is what I wanted to say," Hera's tone grew even heavier. She said, "The mother births all things; everything in the world is her child, and she can reshape them at will."
Despite Hera's use of a divine perspective, the words she spoke were ambiguous, bearing strong mystical implications, yet Jason understood.
"The mother can manipulate others, right?"
"Not manipulate, reshape," Hera emphasized, stepping down from the steps of her throne, standing in front of Dick and the others, looking them in the eyes and saying, "Turn you into another you, or not even you at all."
"Reshape a person's personality? How is that possible?!" Jason exclaimed, "She can swap Souls between two bodies, but she can't reshape a Soul; that is a power only God possesses!"
"She can," Hera sighed lightly. "And it's not just simple reshaping but re-birthing. She places your Soul in her womb, reshapes your spirit, gives birth again, until she gets a completely new you."
"At that time, you won't feel you've been molded or manipulated, you'll just feel this is you, and sincerely thank the mother who birthed you, ready to do anything for her."
Hera closed her eyes in pain.
"… Including sacrificing your life."