Finally, the uneasy peace was shattered by Zeus.
"Hades, Poseidon, I have two ideas about the opening of the Titan War, and I want to discuss them," Zeus announced.
Hades and Poseidon exchanged quiet glances. Each time this happened, they felt a twinge of annoyance; it seemed Zeus always looked to them for input while doing all the talking himself.
"Hehehe"
But Zeus was nothing if not persistent. With a slight chuckle, he continued, "Father God will never allow our coexistence. To ensure our survival, we must defeat him and all the Titan Gods."
Hades absentmindedly stroked Cerberus, while Poseidon swirled the fine wine brewed by sea nymphs.
"So, the battle of the Titans is inevitable," Zeus asserted. "To weaken Father God, we must systematically defeat all twelve Titan Gods. Only by removing their divine power can we truly diminish his strength. However, I believe it will not be easy to take down the Twelve Titans."
Hades and Poseidon understood the implications. They were content to let Zeus take the lead, preferring to let him devise the strategy while they enjoyed the benefits of his efforts.
Zeus was keenly aware of their reluctance. The truth was, they had every reason to be skeptical after all, Metis, the goddess of wisdom, was Zeus's wife, and Prometheus, the great prophet, was under his command. Asking Hades and Poseidon to brainstorm ideas felt almost ludicrous.
"So…" Zeus sighed, knowing he needed to push through. "Among the twelve main gods, Koios has already fallen at Hades's hands. As for…"
Hades interjected calmly, "The Twelve Titans cannot be truly destroyed."
Both Poseidon and Zeus frowned, surprised by this revelation. Hades then produced a soul crystal and remnants from Koios's demise, explaining, "After the death of a Titan, a pure soul crystal is left behind. This cannot be destroyed, only sealed. They remain linked to the Earth Goddess. Unless she is killed, the Titans cannot be vanquished."
"Similarly," he continued, "the remnants also cannot be used or destroyed due to the same connection."
Zeus furrowed his brow, contemplating the implications. After all, who had ever successfully killed a Titan? Koios's death was unprecedented, and the reality of sealing rather than eliminating them shifted their strategy significantly.
Prometheus chimed in softly, "It matters less whether they can be destroyed. As long as we seal them and keep watch, they pose no threat."
Hades tossed the remnants toward Zeus. "Since that's the case, I leave it to you to manage."
Zeus pocketed the items, responding, "In that case, I will handle the twelve Titans who have fallen in battle. But! No matter the outcome, we must address the others. Hades, now that you have ascended to God King, do you believe you can confront Hyperion, the strongest Titan?"
"Um?!"
The revelation stunned everyone. Hades had broken through to God King? Poseidon and Zeus were taken aback; it seemed incredible given the short span of Hades's existence, barely a million years since his birth.
"How did he achieve this?" they wondered. Hades's rapid ascent left them puzzled; had he developed his domain, gained followers, and mastered the laws all within such a limited time-frame?
"Yes," Hades replied nonchalantly. Confronting Hyperion was a task he welcomed, especially as he sought more seeds of ultimate power to further enhance his own abilities.
Poseidon pondered this. "Is Hades capable of extracting the seeds of ultimate power?"
Realization dawned on him; Poseidon himself possessed a fraction of these seeds and had hoped to trade with Hades for more. If Hades could extract them, his own plans needed urgency.
"In that case!"
"Hades!"
"Poseidon!"
Zeus stood, a fierce glint in his eyes. "The battle of the Titans officially begins! I hope we will emerge victorious."
Hades and Poseidon rose as well. As an ocean nymph served wine, the three gods raised their cups in unison, signaling the true start of the Titan War!