The Tale of Typhon - (1)
Morpheus spoke of how he ascended to the mortal realm to share dreams with the beings of this world, only to find a fallen phoenix covered in blood on the ground.
As he witnessed the bloodied phoenix collapse, he felt a strange sensation, and in that moment, the phoenix transformed into the god Hermes.
"Morpheus... I must see Hades at once..."
"What is this...?! Hermes?"
Thus, Morpheus hurriedly took him to the underworld, where he was said to be receiving treatment...
"Something urgent must have occurred in Olympus!"
Hermes is the messenger of the gods, delivering the commands of Zeus.
He is the son of Maia, daughter of Atlas, and one of the twelve Olympian gods.
As is typical of messengers, Hermes is incredibly fast.
If one were to compare, Iris, who travels through rainbows to cross vast distances like between the underworld and Olympus, is indeed faster.
However, it would not be an exaggeration to say that there are very few gods who could catch Hermes when he is fleeing at full speed.
How could a god known for such speed be found bloodied and collapsed at the entrance of the underworld?
Moreover, the twelve Olympian gods are of such high status that few would dare to challenge them.
I steadied my confused heart and entered the room where Hermes lay.
"Hades..."
"... What has happened, Hermes?"
The young god, who always infused Olympus with vitality through his lively smile and witty actions, was now in a pitiful state.
His once handsome face was smeared with blood, and there was not a single part of his body that was uninjured.
Despite the attendants diligently changing his bandages and lesser gods infusing him with divine energy to restore his strength, blood continued to flow from his wounds.
With one eye, not covered by bandages, Hermes glanced at me, tears welling in his eyes.
"There was a monster... a monster..."
"Speak in detail. Does Zeus know of this?"
Even an ordinary human, or a nymph or lesser god of nature, would be unable to utter a word in the face of such severe injuries.
It was only because he was one of the twelve gods granted the golden throne of Olympus that he could speak.
"... During a regular banquet held in Olympus, a monster that called itself Typhon... struck Zeus with a single blow..."
To summarize his stammering words, it went like this.
While the gods of Olympus were holding a banquet as usual, a gigantic hand descended upon the banquet hall...
Caught off guard, Zeus was gravely injured and threw a lightning bolt, but the monster merely flinched.
The monster, introducing itself as Typhon, had a form resembling a giant, with a human upper body and a serpent lower body, and from its eyes flowed a heat comparable to Hephaestus's fire, while storms raged around its entire being.
The other gods were either struck down in an instant or fled in terror, while Zeus remained until the end, wielding his scythe in resistance, but ultimately...
"Was it necessary to use the scythe?"
"Yes... Poseidon's trident and my father's scythe could not inflict any wounds..."
The scythe.
It is the sickle made of adamant that my father Cronus used to castrate Uranus.
To have to use a weapon crafted by Gaia, the earth goddess, to even scratch its skin is alarming.
But Typhon...
Typhon, that name feels familiar.
I am certain I knew this name from somewhere, perhaps from the faint memories of a past life...
"Father... Zeus commanded me to go to the underworld and seek help while he was trapped in the monster's grasp..."
"Continue."
"The monster laughed and struck my leg... Cough... Please help Olympus, Uncle!"
Hermes, the swiftest of Olympus, attempted to flee at that moment, but he was caught in the storm that surrounded the monster.
Typhon, having allowed the other gods to flee, mocked Hermes and struck his leg.
With that single attack, the messenger god's leg was horrifically twisted.
And in an effort to escape, he transformed into a small phoenix to evade the monster's gaze...
With those last words, Hermes briefly lost consciousness.
It was only natural, as he had been forcing himself to stay conscious to relay the situation in Olympus to me.
"Hades... will you go to help Olympus?"
The goddess of the Styx looked at me with a face full of worry.
Unlike when the Gigantes invaded the underworld, this time the battle was taking place in Olympus.
Poseidon in the sea and I in the underworld are truly invincible.
But what of Zeus in the heavens?
"There is a monster that has defeated Olympus alone; this time it is truly dangerous..."
The answer lies in the absolute 'god' that governs the world itself.
In the heavens, even if all twelve gods of Olympus gathered, they could not contend with Zeus.
Yet, the king of the gods and the chief deity of Olympus fought in his domain, the heavens, wielding the most powerful weapon, the scythe, and was defeated.
If one cannot recognize the strength of the monster named Typhon after hearing this, then they are surely a fool.
"If we can rescue Zeus, there is a chance of victory."
"Still..."
"Even if it is dangerous, I can extract myself, so do not worry too much."
Zeus is an immortal god, so the monster must have subdued him and imprisoned him somewhere.
Then my task is clear.
To rescue Zeus and confront the monster known as Typhon.
Though the powerful scythe could only inflict pain and not wounds, it is still possible to distract the monster until Zeus can strike its neck with the scythe.
"But... it would be better to take the forces of the underworld with you..."
"That would be a meaningless sacrifice."
If Hermes could be swept up in the storm that enveloped Typhon, then pushing through with an army would be futile.
Even if I brought the forces of the underworld, Typhon would not even spare a glance.
I forced myself to turn away from the goddess of the Styx, who had tears welling in her eyes, and left the room.
I returned to the fortress of the underworld.
More precisely, I returned to the audience chamber where my throne is located and took my seat.
Why do such troublesome matters keep arising?
There is always busy work waiting for me, and just when the underworld seems a bit calm, problems arise elsewhere.
With a sigh, I reached out beside my throne.
A seemingly ordinary, worn helmet caught my finger.
Kynee.
Until now, no living being has been able to see through me while wearing Kynee, but I wonder if it will work against that monster.
I have no choice but to trust the helmet made by Argus, one of the three Cyclopes.
Gripping Kynee tightly, I donned my weapons and armor.
At my waist, I strapped the sword of Styx, and my body was enveloped in the black armor forged from the rivers of the underworld.
Once I was sufficiently armed, Thanatos entered the audience chamber, his black wings fluttering.
He spoke in a serious tone.
"Hades, I have heard that Olympus is in peril."
"Thanatos."
"The monster named Typhon possesses immortality. My powers do not affect him like they do with our gods."
Had Thanatos come after seeing Typhon?
He sends his avatars day and night to roam the mortal realm, so it would not be surprising if he had encountered Typhon.
"I only observed that enormous creature from a distance. When I attempted to use my powers to extract its soul, it turned its head toward me. Fortunately, it was focused on something else, so it did not pursue me..."
If Typhon possesses immortality like us, he is likely of divine blood.
Perhaps a descendant of the Titan gods... or given his resemblance to the Gigantes, he may have been sent by Gaia.
Did she send him to finish us off after we repelled the first assault of the Gigantes?
"Tch. You seem eager to go. Be careful."
I passed by Thanatos and exited the fortress.
Fully armed for the first time in a while, I crossed the river of the underworld and set foot in the mortal realm.
Thud.
The clear and pure air of the surface, not the murky atmosphere of the underworld, welcomed me.
The touch of the land blessed by Demeter felt pleasant, but I was not here to sightsee.
The current time in the world was night.
With my transcendent vision as a god, I could see the moon goddess Selene riding her silver chariot across the sky.
A black horse and a white horse were pulling the moon, galloping busily.
However, they usually do not fly that high, trembling as if afraid of something on the ground.
Could it be the influence of Typhon? I wore Kynee and headed toward Mount Olympus.
The towering Mount Olympus was... in ruins.
The divine palace among the clouds was transformed into a heap of debris, as if a gigantic being had trampled it.
I sensed no presence of the gods, but I did see a monster resembling a Gigantes.
From the body of the enormous creature, fierce gusts of wind erupted.
Whoooosh...
Its shoulders touched the sky, and its head brushed against the stars as it roared in fury.
Every time it became enraged, the snakes in its hair spewed forth lightning and venom.
Boom! Crash...
When it struck Mount Olympus with its fist, an entire peak crumbled to the ground.
"Raaah! Moirai! Do you dare deceive me?!"
The Moirai are the three goddesses of fate; what could they have done?
"Typhon! What have they done to you?"
"Delphyne! I was deceived by those old Moirai on that little mountain!"
A creature with the lower body of a dragon and the upper body of a human spoke to Typhon.
It must be one of Typhon's monstrous subordinates.
"The fruit they gave me, claiming it would grant me great power, has made me weak!"
"Those creatures...?"
The three goddesses of fate from Mount Nysa have aided us.
However, in this weakened state, it seems there is no chance of victory in a direct confrontation, so I must find Zeus first.
"Ugh... it doesn't matter! The only one who poses a danger to me is Zeus, who is already trapped in a cave!"
From the way he blabbed about the information, thinking no one was around, it was clear that he was a monster newly born.
Such behavior would never be exhibited by seasoned gods or Titans who have experienced war...
I suspected that this monster was recently birthed by Gaia, the grandmother who created the Gigantes.
Does he not know about my Kynee?
Or does he think I will not aid Olympus?
As I set out to find the cave where Zeus was imprisoned, I spotted a strange creature.
A creature I had never seen before, with the upper body of a goat and the lower body of a fish, trembled in fear, hiding in the bushes.
I sighed as I passed by, certain that it was one of the gods transformed.