The Divine War! This wasn't the first time; it was the second. The first Sky War occurred when the mythological world hadn't yet reached its current level of development. Many gods who had not been born at that time had no idea how brutal the Sky War was. But those who had experienced it knew well how terrifying the conflict between Cronus and Uranus, the father and son gods, had been.
And now, the second Divine War was upon them. The Titan War. There was no denying its dread, especially for those gods who had witnessed the first war. Unfortunately, there was no time for these elder gods to lament their experiences. With the three God-Kings—Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus—announcing the start of the Titan War, chaos erupted.
Instantly, countless new gods surged forth like a swarm of madmen, attacking any god they encountered without fear of death. These new gods were creations of Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus, meant to be mere cannon fodder.
Titans, new gods, and those hidden gods unwilling to submit to Cronus were all dragged into the fray. In such a terrifying war, there was no escape for anyone.
The war quickly grew more intense, igniting the entire mythological world within less than a year. Every god was forced into the conflict.
"What a terrifying battlefield..." Aether, one of the most powerful gods of the underworld, was naturally involved in the war. The twin gods followed Hades closely, and Mephistopheles usually didn't need to take action.
Mephistopheles, as the demon of contracts, preferred to remain hidden, exerting his influence from the shadows. Thus, the task of commanding fell to Aether and Hemera, the siblings born to the primordial gods Erebus and Nyx. These two were highly capable in every respect—divine power, laws, abilities, status.
During the year, Aether witnessed the horror of the divine war. The ground was stained dark purple with divine blood, and the sky was perpetually covered with dark clouds, raining blood.
"Aether," Hemera approached and said calmly, "Don't waste time here. We have many tasks ahead."
"I understand," Aether replied, merely expressing a brief sentiment. He couldn't afford to be sentimental as a god of the underworld.
Hemera continued, "Lord Hades instructed that the fallen gods, except for those forcibly created, be sent to the underworld." Hades's intention was clear: the bodies of these gods, nurtured by divine power and laws over the years, still held value. Sending them to the underworld to be absorbed by the River Styx might turn it into a place where gods would be severely weakened.
Hades hoped that with enough godly corpses, the River Styx would become a deadly trap for any deity. Whether this plan would succeed didn't matter much to Hades. After the Titan War, another war would soon follow. If this attempt failed, they could try again next time.
However, Aether and Hemera were unaware of this grand plan. To them, this was the first task given by Lord Hades. Failing it would be disgraceful.
"Let's begin," Aether estimated, "By now, the war should have engulfed the entire mythological world. All gods must be involved."
"Indeed," Hemera agreed. "It's time for us to act."
With Aether and Hemera taking action, other gods of the underworld followed suit, joining the divine war. As gods of the underworld, they didn't fear death. They could always open the gates of the underworld and return home. If worse came to worst, they could even self-destruct, knowing their divine bodies could regenerate over time with the help of the World Tree's nurturing.
The gods of the underworld, therefore, were essentially immortal, only losing some divine power temporarily. This resilience made them a terrifying force. They fought recklessly, with no fear of death.
This made other gods reluctant to engage them. The other gods wanted to survive the war, not engage in suicidal battles with the underworld gods. Consequently, the underworld gods often found themselves without worthy opponents.
Every underworld god knew their role well: kill the gods or handle the dead gods by sending their bodies to the River Styx in the underworld.
Moreover, all the underworld warriors, each having a human host, engaged in battles while preserving their true forms. They fought with the help of human hosts, ensuring their continued growth and avoiding unnecessary risks.
Thus, the chaos of the divine war unfolded, with the underworld gods playing a significant role. The second divine war, the Titan War, was a maelstrom of chaos, drawing all gods into its violent embrace.
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