In the heavens, as Hades and Poseidon returned to the surface world, Zeus was engaged in a battle in the heavenly realm. Hades had already dealt with Hyperion, and Poseidon had secured the ocean realm, defeating Oceanus and Tethys and bringing the 3000 river gods and 3000 ocean goddesses under his control.
However, the situation in the heavens was entirely different. Zeus found himself struggling against the celestial defenses. The last time he visited, Zeus had not anticipated the difficulty, but now, faced with the war, he was exasperated. The heavenly realm resembled a massive war fortress, fortified with countless barriers, seals, mechanisms, and divine artifacts, which had effectively stalled Zeus, the God-King, and kept him at bay.
Accompanied by his subordinate gods and celestial warriors, Zeus launched multiple assaults, but the seemingly impregnable fortress remained unbreached. It was a stalemate, with neither side able to decisively overcome the other.
Continuing the siege, Zeus was confident of eventual victory, as the ongoing wars in the surface world also leaned in his favor. However, Zeus desired an unequivocal victory, achieved through overwhelming force, rather than a drawn-out siege, which he found humiliating. Especially since Hades and Poseidon had already concluded their campaigns and returned to the surface world, waiting patiently.
The thought of being viewed as weaker than his brothers irritated Zeus, fueling his determination to break the stalemate.
"Lord Zeus!"
"Lord Zeus!"
"Please..." Prometheus, observing Zeus's growing anger, attempted to calm him. The Sky Temple, guarded by Crius and Mnemosyne, was indeed a formidable obstacle, but not invincible—it merely required time to breach. The Titans, despite their long dominance, had prepared for such eventualities. The defenses of the Underworld, ocean realm, and heavens were left by Cronus as measures against divine assaults. These were designed to withstand even attacks from God-Kings, at least for a considerable time.
In the Underworld, Hades bypassed these preparations entirely. In the ocean realm, Poseidon was so well-prepared that the defenses were overwhelmed before they could be activated. But in the heavens, a direct confrontation was inevitable. Under the leadership of Crius and Mnemosyne, the Sky Temple had effectively delayed Zeus's advance.
The full potential of the Sky Temple's divine power wasn't even fully unleashed. If six or more of the twelve Titan deities were present, the temple's defenses could potentially kill Zeus, even with the help of god-slaying lightning.
"Call Mnemosyne to action," Zeus instructed, keeping his anger in check. He knew that yielding to rage would only complicate the situation. He needed to remain clear-headed and focused on the task at hand.
Prometheus understood Zeus's intent and agreed, "Yes, Lord Zeus. It seems we must use that tactic now; otherwise, further delay will not be beneficial."
Metis, standing nearby, nodded and began the process of delivering Zeus's orders.
...
In the Sky Temple, Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory, was assisting Crius in maximizing the temple's divine power. Suddenly, she paused, understanding the new development.
"Crius, we need to hold out a bit longer," Crius began, but before he could finish, Mnemosyne unexpectedly disabled the barrier she was managing.
Instantly, the Sky Temple, bathed in endless lightning, was thrown into chaos. The speed of the events left no time for reaction. Zeus's voice, cold and resolute, echoed in Crius's ears, "Crius, the game of defense is over."
With those words, a torrent of divine lightning, imbued with god-slaying power, descended and obliterated Crius. This demonstrated the vast difference in power between a God-King and a Titan deity.
Mnemosyne, kneeling respectfully, addressed Zeus, "Greetings, Lord Zeus!"
Crius's final thought was of betrayal, as Mnemosyne, a supposed ally, had turned against their cause.
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