Some things, perhaps, require no further explanation.
After all, as of today, everything is nearing its inevitable conclusion. All that remains is to wait quietly.
Hades himself had no desire to intervene or change the situation. To him, these events were inconsequential. Since they warranted no attention, there was no need for action.
Poseidon.
Athena.
Boros.
All had prepared themselves for what was to come.
Meanwhile, the end of the Heroic Era also awakened a power Hades had long planted and hidden within human history at his command—the Evil of Humanity.
Humanity—
An undeniable species of boundless potential. The power birthed by such potential could become unimaginably terrifying.
Yet equally—
Humanity harbored an endless darkness.
This darkness stemmed from the malice embedded deep within human souls. Such malice was unchangeable, no matter the era.
Why?
Because it was human nature. Humanity itself is a balance of good and evil. Only when these elements merge does a complete human being exist.
This is an unchanging truth, the essence of humanity.
And so—
Hades relied on this inherent malice, embedding within humanity's history the power known as the Evil of Humanity, guiding its release.
This evil would be unleashed completely.
And in doing so—
It would become a power unique to the Underworld.
Of course—
Would it succeed?
Truthfully, Hades was unsure. This was merely an experiment, a gamble. If it succeeded, all the better. If it failed? That, too, would matter little.
Hades did not particularly care.
But with the Heroic Era now ending, Hades knew he had succeeded.
This much was undeniable.
"Success," Hades suddenly murmured.
"Success?" Persephone froze momentarily before understanding, her voice carrying excitement: "My lord, has the Evil of Humanity fully emerged?"
"It has."
Hades nodded calmly.
"The Evil of Humanity…" Hestia clicked her tongue in wonder. "Unlike the Seven Deadly Sins, this is humanity's unique malice. But… it is indeed perfectly suited to the Underworld."
"To think…"
"You've truly succeeded, little brother?" Hestia, too, was clearly elated.
The Evil of Humanity!
The concept sounded simple, but how could such a force, rooted in the human condition, be guided and unleashed?
That was the crux of the matter.
After all—
The birth of the Evil of Humanity required a collapse of human order. In other words, only when humanity's structures utterly disintegrated could this infinite malice be fully drawn out.
In theory—
This was almost impossible.
Just as—
While humans may possess limitless power and incredible potential, such things typically remain theoretical.
In practice?
Achieving such limitless power was nearly impossible, barring highly specific or extraordinary circumstances.
This was a fundamental issue, an inherent limitation.
The same principle applied to the Evil of Humanity. Though humans contained boundless malice, extracting that malice was an extraordinarily difficult task. Nearly impossible.
But—
Through his careful planning and preparation, Hades had succeeded. By embedding the Evil of Humanity in their history and gradually manipulating events, he had guided its emergence.
The end of the Heroic Era unleashed the suppressed malice within countless human hearts, fully manifesting the Evil of Humanity.
How vast was humanity's evil?
Unknown.
In truth—
Every trace of wickedness and darkness within humanity could be considered part of this malice. This was indisputable.
Yet—
Hades had distilled humanity's malice into its most terrifying form: Desire.
Desire encompassed not only lust but also greed and madness. Combined, these elements birthed an unparalleled terror.
This was the Evil of Humanity.
And now—
Its emergence was imminent.
"All we need is to wait quietly."
"The surface world."
"It will soon undergo great upheaval."
"But."
Hades' deep gaze flickered as he murmured, "When that child is born, the Underworld must act decisively to bring them into our fold. Otherwise, the mythological world will not tolerate their existence."
Undeniably—
The mythological world's power had weakened considerably.
While the world itself suppressed the strength of its gods, should that child fully manifest without adequate preparation, the mythological world would still rally its remaining Ancient Gods to annihilate them.
After all—
The child's birth symbolized the essence of humanity's evil. If left unchecked, it would severely destabilize the mythological world.
It could even threaten humanity's status as the dominant species, something the mythological world would never permit.
"Understood."
"I understand." Persephone nodded firmly, instinctively gripping her scepter.
She knew this journey to the mythological world would be a battle. Success would bring immense growth to the Underworld.
Failure, however…
That…
Would lead to dire consequences.
"Pandora."
Hades spoke softly.
Buzz…
The gates of the Underworld opened, and Pandora emerged, bowing slightly. "Greetings, my lord. Greetings, queen. Greetings, princess."
Hades said calmly, "Pandora, inform Sparta to evacuate all citizens from the far north of the mythological world to the Underworld. It's time they returned home."
"As you command."
Pandora bowed deeply and withdrew without question.
Why?
The Underworld and the mythological world had long since severed most ties. Beyond overseeing the cycle of life and death, the Underworld rarely intervened in worldly affairs.
Yet now, by recalling Sparta's citizens—its last foothold in the mythological world—the Underworld was abandoning even this.
To observers, this seemed to mark the complete severance of the Underworld from the mythological world.
Still—
Pandora did not question. Her duty was to fulfill her lord's commands. The reasons behind them were irrelevant.
"All that remains is to wait," Hades murmured, his gaze piercing the Underworld's veil to observe the mythological world's unfolding chaos.
...
### The Surface World
"It's over…"
"With Prometheus' actions, humanity's Heroic Era has come to an end."
"Undeniably."
"Yet…"
"What is the Underworld doing?"
The gods exchanged glances, their emotions a mixture of nostalgia and unease as the Heroic Era ended. Memories of the wars between races still felt fresh.
But—
The Underworld's actions left them baffled.
Why?
Everyone knew Sparta's position as the Underworld's foothold in the mythological world. Its citizens were descendants of the Golden Age of humanity, now all but extinct.
Through countless cataclysms, Sparta had endured.
Yet now—
The Underworld sought to recall Sparta's people, removing them entirely from the surface world and the mythological realm.
Why?
What was the Underworld planning?
No one knew.
But no god dared question them.
As time passed, Sparta vanished without a trace, leaving the far north of the mythological world eerily silent.
It was as though the Underworld had severed its last ties to the mythological realm.
Had they truly become independent?
In truth—
The Underworld had already distanced itself, but now it was unmistakable.
Still—
Why had they done this?
Even if they sought independence, the mythological world's resources remained valuable. Why abandon them?
The gods could only speculate.
"Is this…"
Gaia quietly observed, her deep connection to the earth allowing her to sense every change upon its surface. Yet even she seemed puzzled.
"What could Hades be planning?"
She murmured softly, her thoughts clouded with uncertainty.
Moments later, she returned to silent contemplation.
Though she did not understand, Gaia knew one thing: Hades was no fool. If he acted, it was with purpose.
"Is this…"
"A collapse of human order?"
She gasped, her realization dawning as humanity's history erupted with chaos.
Unleashed by its malice, human society teetered on the brink of collapse.
If this spiral continued unchecked, the foundation of human civilization could crumble entirely.
"What…"
Gaia's eyes widened in shock as she murmured, "Could this, too, be Hades' doing? But… why?"
Indeed, the entire mythological world had plunged into chaos, its gods unable to quell the storm unleashed by humanity's Evil.
------------------
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