King of Underworld

A creature with the lower body of a giant snake and the upper body of a beautiful human woman, but the entity within is the god of time and agriculture, Kronos.

"Why, did you not expect me to return to the mortal world?" "More precisely, it's surprising that Gaia... Gaia was the one to summon you." "Ha ha ha! Mother must be quite desperate to have called upon me!"

With Kronos's laughter, time around us starts to flow erratically. The divine power of the first-generation Titan distorts the surroundings chaotically.

Damn Gaia. Was it Kronos you intended to summon by sacrificing dozens of humans? Are you so distraught over your children, the Titans, being imprisoned in Tartarus?

At least, it's fortunate that I could detect Gaia’s hidden dagger before it struck.

If I had ignored the ritual and killed Echidna, Olympus might have faced Kronos again somewhere, having regained strength in the distant future.

"Gaia intends for you to fight us, only to be cast back into Tartarus. Is that your plan, to be used and then discarded?" "Simply being able to breathe the air of the mortal world is reward enough. Ha ha!"

Even if weakened by his long imprisonment in Tartarus, Kronos is still the god of time and a Titan. He once held dominion over the world and remains a threat to us.

But the conditions to draw his divine form from Tartarus into the mortal world were:

Dozens of human sacrifices, Gaia’s immense divine power, a body to possess, and a bizarre ritual circle. These are not conditions that can be met multiple times without the gods noticing.

"Take a good look at the mortal world one last time. You won’t have another chance after this." "Have you not realized yet? I am gradually adapting to this body."

Kronos's presence strengthens as he draws upon his divine power within the monster’s body. Even Encelados, who had been watching me warily while clutching his club, smirked confidently.

However...

"You weren’t the only one buying time." "What?!"

If you raise your aura that much,

Won’t the sun above notice?

BOOOOOOOM!

A powerful beam of light pierced through the entire mountain and struck them. Yet, the force of the attack halted precisely before reaching me.

Clatter. Thud.

The dark cave vanished completely, revealing the brilliant sunlight illuminating everyone. A mighty attack wiped out part of the mountain, accurately targeting Kronos's power as it was being unleashed.

Above the clouds, Apollo, holding his radiant golden bow, gazed down at us. As he spoke, his majestic voice echoed all around.

"Mortals, close your eyes and do not look upon the sky. Seeing my true form will incinerate you!"

If a mortal gazes directly at the true form of a fully revealed god, they perish. Dionysus’s mother, Semele, serves as an example of those who died upon witnessing Zeus’s form.

An intense heat and brilliance radiated from him, and the mortals bowed their heads in terror.

But those present were gods, Titans, and monsters opposing the gods. All stared directly at Apollo’s true form.

The Gigantes rising and Kronos, who had blocked Apollo’s attack, frowned.

"Whew~! Nice to meet you, Grandfather!" "You’re late, Apollo."

"A sun god... reminds me of Helios. Are you Zeus’s son?" "Lord Kronos! That’s the sun god, Apollo!"

Apollo descended to the mortal world, unleashing his full might, as seen in his battle with Typhon. The sun’s bright rays further illuminated the half-demolished mountain, amplifying his presence.

"I rushed here upon receiving the message from Goddess Styx! Uncle—no, should I call you Aunt now? Ha ha!" "Save the nonsense for later."

The sun god, upon seeing the bodies of the humans lying on the ground, made a jovial quip, but his eyes remained cold, reflecting his other role as the god of reason.

With a cynical smile, Apollo once again drew back his bowstring, charging it with the sun's light, while Hades conjured a spear made of dark shadows and charged at Kronos.

"Hades! How dare you attack your father again, you unfilial child!" "You, of all people, who devoured your own children, have no right to speak!"@@novelbin@@

When Kronos, possessing the monster with the snake’s lower body, waved his hand, time slowed. Hades’s advance faltered, and sparks flew from the clash of divine powers.

Crackle! Sizzle!

The lord of the underworld and the master of time, their clash hastened the collapse of the already half-destroyed mountain. Nearby trees, fish, and other life forms aged rapidly or succumbed to the black energy, dying instantly.

"Are you daring to challenge me without Kunee?" "Do you think I’ll lose to an obsolete relic rotting away in Tartarus?"

Yet, this clash of divine powers was not confined to just here.

"Crush! Apollo! I am Encelados!"

Encelados, having moved to a slightly distant spot to avoid interfering with Kronos, expanded his size. His already massive frame grew even larger, increasing in ferocity as he roared.

Soon, moving with the snake's lower body, he charged at Apollo. The force of his attack was a monster’s blow that even the gods would have to take seriously.

Swish—Hiss!

Apollo's response was to meet it head-on. As the god of archery, the sun’s arrows shot from his bow in quick succession, striking the monster.

"No mere monster can challenge the majesty of a god. Know your place and kneel."

Several arrows lodged into the Gigantes’ arm, the stench of burning flesh wafting through the air. But only for a moment, as the rapidly regenerating monster charged again, swinging his powerful fist at the god.

Boom! Crash!

The battle involving Titans, gods, and monsters caused the mountain to crumble, affecting the nearby city of Thebes.

Rumble... Boom!

Humans living peacefully in Thebes felt the ground shake and heard the deafening roar, trembling in fear. The city shook as if from an earthquake, and buildings collapsed in a dreadful scene.

The killing intent riding the air. The terror of knowing gods were descending and fighting nearby. Panic spreading swiftly among the people.

"The ground is shaking!" "Didn’t you hear Apollo descending earlier? Keep your head down and get inside!" "Dionysus, please help us!"

However, the appearance of leopards, the sacred beasts of Dionysus, spread throughout Thebes to help the faithful and others ensured the situation did not escalate into total chaos.

"The leopard... Dionysus is watching over us!" "I must offer sacrifices at the temple later." "Zeus..."

The people retreated into temples dedicated to their gods or their homes, praying fervently for the deities above the clouds to withhold their wrath.

Whirl—

Damn, my father, Kronos, is powerful. During the Titanomachy, even with many Titans on our side,

"Shouldn't you return to the underworld and fetch Kunee?" "And you seem powerless without Scythe."

Without the aid of the three divine relics crafted by the Cyclopes and the support of the Hecatoncheires, we couldn’t win against him. Even then, it took several of us combining our efforts to repel him.

The heavy blow flying toward me now must be a mere fragment of that power. The power to manipulate time, a power that shook the battlefield during the war.

Tap. Tap.

The sound of sand falling in an hourglass echoed as time unraveled uncontrollably. Kronos's derisive laughter slowly resonated through the slowed-down world...

My son

You still

Cannot defeat

Me...

In the slowed time, I saw Echidna's claws, possessed by Kronos, flying toward me. Kronos, wearing a triumphant grin, swung his hand through the monster’s mouth.

Sharp, hideous claws approached my face...

Twang.

I moved my hand, covered in inky black divine power, to grab the wrist. The space shattered, and the flow of time returned to normal.

"What...!"

Both Kronos and I were in an incomplete state, unable to fully exert our power. But he had rested for far too long in Tartarus.

The penalty for a god breaking an oath on the River Styx is a year of lethargy and nine years barred from council meetings. To an immortal, it is but a fleeting moment, yet the fear of this penalty is simple.

Even a mere ten years without overseeing one’s domain can result in great loss.

Every divine authority grows stronger the more crucial its domain is. It is no coincidence that the Big Three rule the underworld, the sea, and the sky.

Currently, the Olympian gods hold dominion over the world, weakening the Titans significantly. Even though they are both sun gods, Apollo is stronger than Helios.

Thus, how strong could Kronos be, as a defeated Titan who has languished in Tartarus for so long?

Thud!

"Urgh!"

The answer is: significantly weakened.

The domain of time is an immensely important and essential element of the world. However, from the moment of his defeat, Kronos’s power diminished drastically.

Of course, even weakened, he rivals the twelve Olympian gods...

"I am the king of the underworld. I will not lose to some relic." "You... you wretch...!"

I could break through the twisted flow of time surrounding me with my power. As I taunted him while piercing his chest with my hand, Kronos glared at me, bloodshot eyes full of rage.

"The walk ends here. Return to Tartarus." "If not for... this wretched body...!"

The light in his eyes, filled with the erratic movement of time, faded away.

The Titan of time, who descended to the mortal world,

was banished to Tartarus by the lord of the underworld.