Let's just say that Hera's words weren't her smartest choice. And the silence of the gods as they stared at the two boys as if they were judges deciding their life and death wasn't encouraging either...
Ignoring the pain he felt in his chest upon seeing Artemis's gaze toward him—silent and apathetic, as if she didn't care about what the gods would decide.
Ikki's expression turned cold and entirely devoid of emotion. He activated the [Monarch's Domain], focusing on the gods, who instantly felt an overwhelming danger in the depths of their minds. While doing this, he spoke coldly:
"Stupid goddess, you talk as if Percy's life is in your hands. But you are sorely mistaken about that..."
A terrifyingly dark blue aura began to envelop his body, accompanied by a black miasma that coiled around him, condensing into a dragon-like figure with red eyes. A pressure unrelated to gravity affected all the gods. It was as if space-time itself had been compressed into the small mortal standing before them, immobilizing their bodies as though a black hole had incarnated within Ikki.
Ikki looked at Hera, his eyes glowing once more as he unleashed his illusion and presence abilities to their fullest extent. The eyes, which originally served to gather visual information, now transmitted supernatural effects into the goddess's very concept, interfering with reality through mere sight.
Hera, the queen of the gods, envisioned Olympus being destroyed by Ikki's hands because of her actions. She saw herself living a normal human life, made into a plaything by countless men, fragile and dependent in a hospital bed. All this and more was sent into her essence. All she could see were horrifying fates awaiting her if she opposed Ikki Phoenix...
Meanwhile, his aura grew even heavier, to the point where the gods couldn't breathe. Space itself froze—not metaphorically but literally. Concepts like oxygen, time, force, or speed were rendered useless before Ikki's gaze.
The temperature plummeted drastically.
Percy started struggling to stand and breathe. Even though he wasn't the target of his friend's aura, it felt as though he had been thrown into the vacuum of space or transformed into a mortal and sunk to the ocean's deepest depths.
"I may not destroy the Greek pantheon, but some of you, I will erase from existence. So think very carefully before making me your enemy." Every word Ikki spoke was icy cold, and golden lightning flickered in his hand.
His words snapped the gods out of their stupor. The only thing running through their frenzied minds was: Who was this boy, after all?!
Except for Hera, who was in a catatonic state, the other gods were terrified...
Even though they were gods, their emotions and thoughts bore similarities to humans. While their perception of the world differed, the fact remained that everyone fears the unknown because they are uncertain if they can handle unprecedented situations.
The unknown involves risks, effort, and demands significant energy.
In light of this, an individual often feeds irrational fears and unconsciously remains trapped in their comfort zone, where dangers are known and largely controlled.
On the other hand, refusing to explore the new imposes limitations.
Perhaps he was so strong that even they couldn't defeat him.
Perhaps they truly could be killed by those flames.
Some gods, paralyzed and shivering, were consumed by such thoughts.
After saying all this, Ikki sighed and restrained his furious power. He then looked calmly at the gods.
Percy took a deep breath and collapsed onto the floor in sheer terror.
"Father, I think we should let things remain as they are. We tried to control the prophecy once, and it didn't work. If you kill either of them now to try controlling it, I believe our fate will be far worse than we imagine," Athena said, being the first to regain her reasoning. She quickly sought her father's help to stop her stepmother from bringing about Olympus's destruction.
This boy wasn't joking and was far too powerful to have as an enemy. Worse still, they had no understanding of his powers. In addition to possessing physical attributes as powerful as a god's, the powers he inherited from his father, and the strange aura surrounding him—likely magic—they had no idea the extent of his capabilities.
"I hate to agree with my niece, but she's right. I will not condemn my son to death. If any of you want to fight my nephew, go ahead, but don't expect me to help you," Poseidon calmly stated.
"I'll sit this one out too, Dad. I value my life," Apollo added, trying to persuade his father that such a course of action would be a monumental mistake.
"I agree with Apollo, and neither of them did anything wrong. Ikki killed Hercules in self-defense. Let's not forget that Hercules assumed a divine form to fight a mortal, which is explicitly forbidden! What happened to him was more than deserved," another god chimed in, siding with Apollo.
This god, appearing as a middle-aged man with an athletic build, graying hair like that of a runner, and in his original form possessing a muscular physique, curly black hair, blue eyes, elfin features, and a mischievous smile, was Hermes, the messenger of Olympus.
Dionysus simply glanced at the two and remained silent, preferring not to take sides.
"I'm not risking my life over stupidity!" Aphrodite calmly declared with a frown.
"I am not so cruel as to kill my son either, so this vote is concluded..." Zeus finally said after a moment of silence. Pride was evident in his tone, much to everyone's surprise, clearly revealing his favoritism. He then added, "I must personally purify this Master Bolt in the waters of Lemnos to remove the human taint from its metal. Until then, this meeting is adjourned."
"Before you go, Father..." Ikki called out before Zeus vanished. "Shouldn't you reward us for bringing back your Master Bolt, your weapon? Do you have any idea what we went through to return it to you?"
Zeus frowned but, feeling the gazes of all the gods on him and wanting to maintain his image of justice, responded: "You may ask one thing of me. Just one, and it depends on what it is. But state your request, and I will consider fulfilling it."
Ikki took a deep breath, turning to the gods. He asked: "My request is simple..."
At the end of his words, he looked at the Goddess in the form of a child sitting by the hearth, who had been watching the entire discussion with her heart in her hands. He could feel her concern for him, for Percy, and for every god in this place whom she considered her family.
Sensing his gaze, the Goddess showed a slight hint of nervousness and a faint blush.
"I want two cabins to be built, one for Uncle Hades and another for Lady Hestia."
All the gods were surprised by Ikki's request, some more than others. They hadn't imagined he would ask for something like that.
Even Percy was a bit confused.
At the end of his words, he looked at Hestia, who, upon hearing his words, looked at him, stunned. Meeting her eyes, he asked gently,
"Lady Hestia, since you are the Goddess of the Hearth and the Home, would you mind if the children of minor gods or any other unclaimed demigods could go to your future cabin?"
The eldest Olympian seemed surprised by his words but smiled softly and genuinely as she replied, "Of course, I would allow it!"
In her heart, Hestia was glad she hadn't misjudged the boy. He had a heart of gold that cared deeply for his family. Her eyes glowed with a warmth reminiscent of a cozy home in the middle of winter.
Hearing the response of his favorite goddess, Ikki couldn't help but give a soft nod. She truly was the gentle deity described in the history books—someone he came to see as the only goddess worthy of a little respect.
Her smile left Hestia blank. But it wasn't just her; all the gods were utterly mesmerized, unable to take their eyes off Ikki. They had almost forgotten his otherworldly appearance! Except for Zeus, who seemed almost on the verge of smiling, feeling proud of his son.
Poseidon was the first to snap out of the stupor and looked around for something interesting, trying to avoid looking at his nephew.
Once she recovered from her daze, Hestia tried to suppress the blush on her cheeks. Curious, she asked, "But tell me, why would you go so far for me?"
The cabin wasn't just a way to help the demigods; it would place her on the same level of importance as the Olympians who had cabins in the camp, making her feel a bit unworthy of such a position.
She hadn't done anything truly significant, right? She only maintained the hearth and tried her best to keep her family united to this day. She didn't deserve this position.
That's what she felt.
But Ikki thought differently. He explained, "I think you deserve a cabin in the demigod camp even more than anyone else. I guarantee it's because of you that everyone who arrives comes to love that place as a home. They begin to see everyone as family."
"If it weren't for you, perhaps all the half-bloods would have even more difficulty accepting an unfamiliar place as home, knowing that if they left, they might die at any moment."
"And I believe there's no more space for any more demigods in Hermes' cabin; that place is overcrowded..."
Hermes gave a shy laugh and looked at him with gratitude.
Hearing his words, Hestia smiled beautifully, her heart full of happiness. Though she felt shy about being praised like that, Ikki couldn't help but think she was adorable when she smiled.
The other gods and Percy watched the exchange of words between the two, each with different reactions. Poseidon's son finally understood his friend's desire. He was happy and couldn't help but think it was just like Ikki to do something like that.
"Alright, I'll make sure the two cabins are there when you return, son," Zeus said in an even tone.
After saying this, he quickly disappeared in a thunderclap that shook the palace.
Ikki simply looked at his father's throne and sighed, his eyes briefly landing on Hera, who was silently terrified, though no one seemed to notice. She also disappeared quietly at that moment. Then, he glanced at the other gods who still remained silent. His gaze briefly met a pair of silver eyes, cold as winter, before he left the throne room, his hair casting a shadow over his own eyes.
"I think you have something to talk about with your father, Percy. I'll wait for you outside..." he said to his friend as he walked away, leaving Percy still sitting on the ground, his legs like jelly, paralyzed by what had just happened.
His body simply wouldn't obey his commands.
Hearing his friend's words, Percy looked at his father, who gestured for the other gods to leave him and his son alone. The request was quickly fulfilled, as the magnetic pull that had held them in the room was now gone.
Once everyone had left, Poseidon shifted into his human form and stood before Percy, helping him up—a gesture his son accepted hesitantly, unsure of how to handle his father's presence.
"Your friend is truly terrifying. My brother must certainly be proud of his birth," Poseidon suddenly said, breaking the silence between them.
"Sir, what do you think was in the abyss from my dream?" Percy asked his father about what had been troubling him. The gods seemed to be ignoring this important matter.
Poseidon looked intently at him and asked, "Haven't you guessed?"
"Cronos," Percy said with absolute certainty. "The King of the Titans."
Even in the throne room of Olympus, far from Tartarus, the name Cronos darkened the atmosphere, making the fire in the braziers feel less warm on Percy's back.
Poseidon gripped his trident.
"In the First Great War, Percy, Zeus cut our father Cronos into a thousand pieces, just as Cronos had done to his own father, Uranus. Zeus cast Cronos's remains into the deepest abyss of Tartarus. The Titan army was scattered, their fortress on Mount Etna destroyed, and their monstrous allies banished to the farthest corners of the Earth."
"And yet, Titans cannot die, no more than we gods can. What remains of Cronos still lives, in some ghastly way, still conscious in his eternal torment, still hungry for power."
"He's healing," Percy said, certain and fearful. "He's going to come back."
Poseidon shook his head.
"From time to time, over the ages, Cronos stirs. He invades the dreams of men and breathes evil thoughts into them. He awakens restless monsters from the depths. But suggesting he might rise from the abyss is something else entirely."
"That's what he intends, father. That's what he said..."
Poseidon was silent for a long time.
"There's no point in just discussing this, and we don't even know if it will happen. You've completed your mission, child. That's all you need to do."
"But..." Percy stopped himself. Arguing wouldn't help. Most likely, it would irritate the one god on his side. "As... as you wish, father."
A slight smile played on his father's lips as he said, "Obedience doesn't come naturally to you, does it?"
"No... sir."
"I suppose I bear some responsibility for that, I imagine. The sea does not like to be contained," Poseidon said with a slight smile. "You should go, child. Thank your friend for returning your mother home safely on my behalf."
"You... you're going to..." Percy began, wanting to ask his father if he would come with him to see her but then realized how ridiculous that was. Imagine taking the God of the Sea in a taxi to the Upper East Side.
If he had wanted to see her all these years, he would have done so. And then there was Smelly Gabe to consider.
Poseidon's eyes grew a little sad.
"When you return home, Percy, you'll have to make an important choice. You'll find a package waiting for you in your room."
"A package?"
"You'll understand when you see it. No one can choose your path, Percy. You'll have to decide."
Percy nodded in agreement, though he didn't understand what his father meant.
"Your mother is a queen among women," Poseidon said wistfully. "I haven't met a mortal woman like her in a thousand years. Still... I regret that you were born, child. I brought you a hero's fate, and a hero's fate is never happy. It is always a tragic fate."
Percy tried not to feel hurt. There was his own father, saying he regretted his birth.
"I don't mind, father," he said uncertainly.
"Not yet, perhaps," Poseidon said with guilt. "Not yet. But it was an unforgivable mistake on my part."
"I'll leave you, then," Percy said, feeling overwhelmed and rejected. He clumsily bowed and said, "I won't... I won't bother you again."
He was five steps away when his father called, "Perseus..."
Percy turned and saw a different light in his father's eyes—a kind of blazing pride.
"You've done well, Perseus. Don't misunderstand me. Whatever you do next, know that you are mine. You are a true son of the God of the Sea."
With those words, the God of the Sea became a cool breeze that swept through the gods' throne room.
Percy continued his walk toward where his friend was waiting.