Meanwhile, Olympus, the Celestial Throne.
"Zeus, look at what that bastard has done!"
A furious bellow ripped through the hall as a raging Ether storm smashed through the outer Barrier and the gates. Hera, face twisted with wrath, strode up the steps in long, fierce strides. She yanked open one side of her robe, exposing part of her breast to the God King.
The left side, once flawless and pale, was now marred by a faint golden-black crack that ruined its beauty. Each movement sent sharp pain stabbing through her chest.
"Heracles?"
Zeus frowned slightly at the sight of his wife, hair disheveled and stripped of her usual poise.
"Yes! I'm going to kill that bastard child. Execute him. Now!"
Hera was beyond enraged. Veins bulged across her once elegant face, and her clenched teeth ground out a fury that seemed ready to tear someone apart.
"You provoked him first, didn't you?"
Zeus cast her a sideways glance, voice calm.
"So what if I did? He actually dared to injure my flawless body. Unforgivable. Absolutely unforgivable!"
Her husband's indifference only made her angrier.
"We agreed on this. You can test him indirectly, temper his body and mind, but you were never to use that as an excuse to personally go after my son…"
"Zeus! So you are siding with that bastard. Fine. If you won't act, I'll deal with him myself!"
"Enough."
Zeus slammed the Thunderbolt onto the floor. The temple shook as storm clouds filled the dome overhead. Silver lightning split and spread like branching roots, covering the whole Olympus sky in an instant.
The God King rose from his throne, his towering figure casting a long shadow. His eyes shone with a terrifying silver radiance, and the pressure pouring off him made Hera tremble. Her fury vanished as if drenched in ice water.
"Have you forgotten who rules Olympus, my dear sister?"
Zeus fixed her with a cold, heavy stare.
"My apologies, Your Majesty. I lost my composure…"
Snapped back to reality, Hera lowered her proud head, teeth clenched but obedient.
For countless years, her God King had been the one who mediated disputes among the gods, balanced countless contradictions, and solved problems with cunning and strategy.
But when Typhon invaded Olympus and the gods were forced into desperate retreat, powerless and shaken, it was this wise God King who stepped forward and defeated the raging demon ancestor.
And beneath that deep wisdom, his power had always been even greater. Yet she had forgotten all of it.
"You shall not lay a hand on Heracles again. The trials are to be carried out by Eurystheus. His glory concerns the future of Olympus."
"...Understood..."
Hera clenched her silver teeth. At last, under the increasingly sharp and solemn rumble of thunder, she lowered her head and answered sullenly.
Zeus gave his wife a long, deep look. Disappointment flickered in his eyes before he dismissed her with a cold, dispassionate order.
"Leave."
"As you command, my King..."
Hera slowly withdrew. Only when she reached the courtyard did she notice her son Ares, awkwardly squeezed into a corner, his eyes darting nervously between her and Zeus. Clearly, father and son had been discussing something before she arrived.
"Boom!"
The Thunderbolt struck once more. The heavy echo made Hera's heart tighten. She immediately assumed a respectful posture and stepped out of the Sky God's court.
But the moment she returned to her own temple and sealed the barrier, the reverence on her face vanished, replaced by a gloomy and twisted expression.
In the next instant, the milky-white divine power that once governed marriage and childbirth erupted uncontrollably, sweeping through the chamber. Crashes and shattering sounds rang out one after another.
For half an hour, the once elegant and magnificent temple turned into chaos, littered with fragments of exquisite artifacts. Even the lifelike, marble-carved life-size statue was broken cleanly in half, toppled across the floor.
Zeus! How dare you treat me like this! You will regret it!
The Queen of Heaven roared internally, her heart full of fury and grievance.
She sat on her bed, fuming for a moment. Then the proud, white-armed goddess narrowed her eyes, a cold glint flashing within them. She rose, turned into a streak of light, and sped silently toward the Oceanus.
...
Meanwhile, in the celestial court, Zeus cast an amused glance at Ares below.
"I hear you lost to Athena in your last attempt to claim Athens?"
"Father, I..."
Ares flushed with embarrassment, his past defeat exposed so casually.
Zeus offered a reassuring smile, though his tone carried deeper meaning.
"In truth, it matters little. To seize that jewel, you need not act personally. In wars among gods, mortals can fight in your stead.
By the way, I hear the Sparta you protect are fierce warriors. How do they compare to Athens?"
Ares instantly understood the implication. His face brightened, then twisted into an awkward grimace as he reminded Zeus, flustered.
"Ahem... Father, those wretched Sparta worship Apollo. They won't listen to my commands at all."
In reality, because the Olympus god of frenzied warfare often symbolized unjust conflict—sometimes even slaughtering indiscriminately, friend and foe alike—most Greek city-states kept him at arm's length.
Even the martial Sparta, after receiving Ares' blessing, still chose to devote themselves to Apollo. Most of their festivals honored Apollo, the guardian of their city-state.
To even lose that territory—utter uselessness!
Zeus's breath caught, his expression darkening like a soot-covered cauldron.
Sensing the faint lightning beginning to rise around his father, Ares quickly spoke.
"Father, my daughters—the Amazon warriors—carry my will. They can serve you!"
Zeus's anger eased slightly. With a halfhearted wave, he dismissed him.
"Then let them do it. Have them win you broad lands and greater faith."
"Yes, Father! I'll make those Athens people pay!"
Ares struck his chest with solemn pride, nodding excitedly. His voice carried not only enthusiasm but a trace of boastful affection for his daughters.
Once the hotheaded god had rushed out to carry out the task, Zeus sagged into his throne, exhausted. He pressed a hand to his aching temples.
"You intend to harm our daughter?!"
Before the God King could even catch his breath, a shrill, splitting hum exploded in his mind.
"No, Metis, my dear, listen to me! The pattern the Fates should have woven has been disrupted again and again. Athens has gathered too many unstable elements. I must keep these within a controllable range!"
But his explanation did nothing to soothe Metis. The stabbing pain in his mind continued unabated.
"I swear I won't harm Athena! Everything I'm doing is to suppress humanity, to prevent them from amassing strength too early and challenging the gods! Athena has already bound herself to them. Do you want to see me and our daughter drawn into conflict?!"
Zeus pounded his head while shouting back.
"Besides, how long can that fool Ares even delay Athens? Do you truly think our daughter inferior to that brute?"
At last, the goddess he "loved" to madness relented.
The exhausted Zeus leaned against his throne, catching his breath. Just as he gathered his strength and prepared to remind Ares to restrain himself, he suddenly caught sight of a sneaky figure slipping out of the Sky God's court and heading straight into the bedchamber of Aphrodite.
The wise God King was left speechless, his heart roaring with frustration.
What kind of damn mess is this?!
...
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