"What is the meaning of this?"
Hades asked, his expression straight as he stared at the two objects that dropped before Illian.
'He's trying to hide his emotions. I saw that face he made.'
Illian thought, recalling the wide eyes and jumpy nature which Hades revealed upon seeing the items.
Illian then turned his gaze to the ground, smiling.
On one side was a golden bident, tall with two sharp prongs extending at the top.
On the other end was a glass sphere with a gentle blue hue.
'The third and last thing Demeter told me of the Underworld.'
Illian thought, leaning forward as he grabbed the blue sphere with his tail.
"I'm surprised you haven't figured it out by now. Or maybe you have and you don't expect me to be capable of what we're both thinking."
Illian grabbed Ruyi with his shaky hands, putting it between his teeth.
'Maybe that's a good thing…he could stop me with a wave of his hand. Better get this over with.'
Illian pulled back his head, his eyes never leaving the Bident.
It was then that Hades' widened his eyes, his heart skipping a beat as he slowly rose to his feet.
"No…NO! You don't know what you're doing!" Hades yelled, but it was too late.
Illian neared the Bident and as he did, he recalled Demeter's words.
"Each of the three Gods split an equal amount of Kronos' soul amongst them, and they each trapped the souls in an item they handpicked. For Hades…"
Illian grinned widely with Ruyi in his mouth, inches away from the Bident.
"...It was the Bident."
-CLANG!!!
-BOOOM!!!
-SHATTER!!!
Illian was launched backwards, barely catching himself as Grimnar hid behind a pillar.
Heavy winds erupted from where the Bident once was as if they were suddenly summoned in the eye of a whirlwind.
Lightning crackled as Illian watched with wide eyes despite the strong winds, the grin never leaving his face.
Meanwhile, Hades stared at this scene with an uncomfortable expression painted across his face.
-VUAM
And it only worsened as he witnessed three bright orbs of pure light rising from where the Bident was.
A few feet away from the orbs was an old man, looking as if he were pushing his frail body to force himself past the heavy winds and approaching the orbs.
Stretching out his hand, Kronos wore an expression Illian found familiar.
It was the same eyes while he fought the Hydra.
Eyes of greed seeing an invaluable opportunity.
'I can still stop him!'
Hades thought, darkness rising from his throne, coiling around him and clinging onto each of his shoulders.
-ZIP!!!
Like a firefly, Hades dashed toward Kronos, the darkness that formed a cape behind him flapping like wings, boosting his speed as he shot through the air, his arm outstretched.
But this didn't bother Illian as he continued to grin.
This was because he could see it was too late.
-VUAMM!!!
As Kronos' hands made contact with the orbs, a blinding light flashed that enveloped the entire throne room in complete light.
Not that this affected Illian. No, he could still see.
He could see Hades finally approach Kronos, his fingers an inch away from the old man as the orbs disappeared within the latter.
And finally…
-ZMMMM
The blinding light slowly disappeared, as well as the heavy winds until the scene had returned to its usual tranquil bluish hue.
Because of this, Grimnar was finally able to take his forearm off his face, his feet touching the ground as he blinked a few times, looking up.
But as he did, he raised an eyebrow as he witnessed a tall man with bulging muscles in places Grimnar didn't even know had muscles.
From his convulsing calves and thighs to his basketball-like pectoral muscles.
Whether it was his perfect 8-pack or his arms that almost seemed inhuman, the man seemed as though he was sculpted by the gods themselves.
Additionally, other than the ragged hood over his head that didn't go further than his chest and the poor rag around his waist, the man was completely naked.
However, he didn't seem to care as he raised his head, slightly turning back to see Hades' behind him.
Grimnar froze, witnessing the man's large grin as he pulled down his hood, revealing a head full of white hair, as well as a long white beard.
But that wasn't what Grimnar had first noticed.
'It can't be…'
He thought, seeing the man's icy gold eyes, almost like that of a savage Lion deprived of food for days.
"This power…oh, I've missed it."
Kronos spoke; Hades looked back, his face contorted as he grits his teeth.
"Hades…you should have split me into a million pieces."
Kronos faced his son, an uncomfortable aura that Hades remembered all too well oozing out from him.
"You…I hope you know the severity of what you've just done."
Despite looking at him, Hades wasn't speaking to Kronos and the latter knew this.
No, instead he spoke to the boy rising to his feet, not too far away from them, grinning as his tail wrapped around his staff.
"Probably not as much as you do, but what I do understand is the three big gods each hold three fragments of Kronos."
"With the three you held returned, your father should be 40% of his full self, am I right?"
Illian revealed, but before Hades could answer, Kronos moved his lips.
"This prophecy…it's an interesting thing. Because I have learnt from my youngest son, Zeus, that no matter what you do, they can never be changed. Making them either a blessing or curse."
"So you can imagine how surprised I was when I had the prophecy that showed me a human child who would shock the world and turn the Underworld upside down."
As Kronos said this, he raised his hand, his middle finger and thumb coming into contact.
"But you see, that wasn't all I witnessed from the prophecy."
-CLICK
Illian watched the raised hand as the powerful click rang out, his grin fading.
'What the hell…'
It wasn't the click itself that made him act this way, nor was it Kronos' words.
No, instead it was the fact he suddenly felt as though he was plunged in syrup, his limbs heavy and unmoving.
"Though the prophecy did show that much, it also showed the dooming fate that was to come to the boy."
Kronos turned his back to Hades, walking toward Illian as he circled the frozen boy.
"You see, the boy soon became drunk off his achievements, cocky as time went on."
"And it was because of this that he bit off more than he could chew."
"He slipped up and was killed by the very Titan his plan relied on. The Titan that would take back this world."
Kronos stood before the frozen Illian, their two gazes meeting as Kronos once again raised his hand, tightening it into a fist.
"Now, tell me, boy. Have you ever witnessed the strength of a Titan?"
-BANG!!!
-CRACK!!!
Kronos swung a heavy back fist into Illian's ribs, the latter coughing a mouthful of blood as loud CRACKS echoed in the throne room.
-CRASH
-BOOM
-CRASH
Illian was sent shooting through the air like a bullet, crashing through dozens of pillars as they did little to decelerate him.
But Kronos wasn't done.
-ZMMM
Raising his hand, he rotated it while staring at the boy and in the next second, he watched Illian slow midair, soon coming to a stop.
But that wasn't all.
Defying all physics, it was as if the scene had become one out of a television as they all watched Illian seemingly "Rewind", shooting back in the same way he went, the pillars being rebuilt at the same time.
It wasn't long until Illian returned to his previous position, right after Kronos had hit him, the blood frozen before his lips in the air, same as him.
With this, Kronos grinned, pulling back his opposite hand, putting his entire weight behind it this time until…
-BOOM!!!
-CRACK!!!
-CRASH
In a faster and more chaotic way than before, Illian shot through the air, his figure blurring as the pillars crumbled at his touch.
-CRACKLE
Kronos straightened his body once again, waving his hand as three orbs of pure lightning, seeming as though they were a trapped storm, appeared before him, shooting forward with the Titan's command.
-ZMM!!!
-CRACKLE!!!
-RUMBLE!!!
The orbs exploded, assaulting the boy midair as he was sent flailing through the air, seizing as scorch marks appeared on his skin, his clothes being burned.
Finally, Illian crashed into one more pillar, this one finally stopping him as his lifeless body dropped to the ground with a THUD, soon buried by said pillar, boulders crushing him in a mountain of rubble.
-THUD
"W-Wha…"
Grimnar stammered as he watched all this, dropping onto his buttocks, his legs unable to keep him up.
Countless emotions ran through him. He wasn't going to start crying after seeing the boy die.
No, had it been any other scenario, he'd have laughed.
Because he always knew the boy wouldn't achieve the crazy scheme he had planned.
Yet, he stared in disbelief.
After knowing Illian in their short time, the boy always had everything planned, always prepared and always had something up his sleeve.
But he died so underwhelmingly.
-CLANK
Grimnar slowly looked down, staring at the blue sphere that rolled to his feet.
Instinctively, he reached out for it, grabbing it.
But he once again froze as he slowly looked up, feeling something loomed over him as his eyes met with Golden ones.
Unfortunately, they didn't belong to whom he hoped they did.
"I think you have something I want." Kronos smiled in a way that seemed innocent but had a wicked feeling to it.
Grimnar stared with eyes still stunned from what had happened before with Illian.
He looked down, glancing at the orb.
And in the next second, he lowered his head, raising the orb and placing it obediently atop Kronos' large palm.
"As I thought, you're an obedient dog. Luckily for you, I won't kill you."
"I need you to help me locate a few Titans I'll be needing for future plans."
Kronos turned his head, staring at the sphere from all angles.
"You were right, green man. What was that term you used? The second type of people?"
"That is what you are. Insignificant. So don't believe for a second the nonsense that idiot was spouting."
Kronos' face straightened as his eyes sharpened while glaring at Grimnar, the latter feeling a heavy bloodlust wash over him.
Grimnar stayed quiet; his head lowered as he sweated, his traumatised eyes never leaving his face as his eyes slowly started to tear and his lips quivered.
"But don't worry, owners usually take good care of their pets…"
Kronos looked away as he continued, looking back shortly after only to see Grimnar was nowhere to be seen.
"I'll find him." Kronos chuckled inwardly, his eyes turning back to the only other person left.
"Who were you speaking to?" Kronos asked, seeing Hades meet his gaze after turning his head for a second.
Despite asking this, he knew.
He was calling backup from the individual who held Kronos captive all this time.
-VUAA
Hades ignored Kronos, his cape of darkness expanding and shooting forward.
As if it were a living animal, it leapt onto Kronos, dividing into dozens of threads, wrapping around each of his limbs like snakes.
However…
-SWOOSH
With a simple wave from his arm, the shadows around him dissipated, scurrying back to Hades.
"Is that all, my son?" Kronos chuckled, Hades trying his best to keep a straight face upon hearing those words.
"Please, entertain me!"