Hypnos.
Thanatos.
While the Twin Gods were busy with their respective tasks, elsewhere, within the hell created by Aether, all the deities of the Underworld had gathered.
"Father God!"
"Mother God!"
Each god of the Underworld bowed their heads and greeted softly.
Erebus.
Nyx.
The primordial godly couple had arrived.
"Hmm..."
Nyx, her gaze filled with warmth, smiled softly and said, "My dear children!"
"Mother," Hemera, the eldest daughter, stepped forward and gently took her mother's arm. Her voice was soft as she asked, "Mother, why have you and Father come here personally?"
Nyx replied gently, "Of course, we had to come personally. This is a major event for Aether. As his mother, how could I not be here to witness it?"
"Indeed," Erebus said with a faint smile, his gaze brimming with emotion.
Without even realizing it!
Their children had grown to this level?
Ker, Kharon, Moirai, and Eris—these four were now bona fide God-Kings.
And their other children?
Each had risen to the pinnacle of Chief Gods, all standing at the very summit of divine power.
Moreover!
Hemera, Charon, and Aether were far from ordinary God-Kings. Hypnos and Thanatos, in particular, represented the heavens and the earth in the Underworld, their status irreplaceable.
It could be said…
Much like when Erebus and Nyx had entrusted themselves fully to Hades, they had chosen to put their trust in him and had not been disappointed. Hades had not only cared deeply for them but had also provided immense guidance and protection for their children.
Hypnos and Thanatos, the Twin Gods, held unparalleled authority in the Underworld. Anyone with a functioning mind knew that their status was second only to Hades himself.
Hades had placed absolute trust in the Twin Gods.
This was beyond dispute.
Eris, meanwhile, was the trusted confidant of Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, often responsible for handling important matters.
"Father God!"
"Mother God!"
"Hemera!"
At that moment, Eris arrived in the depths of the Underworld. A faint smile played at the corners of her mouth as she surveyed the gathered siblings one by one.
"Eris," Nyx said warmly as she looked at her youngest daughter.
Her children had grown to be truly remarkable.
If Nyx felt pride in any of her children, it was undoubtedly Eris.
Eris had achieved her position as a God-King entirely through her cunning and planning. Did her abilities even need to be questioned? Her ascension to God-King was proof enough of her extraordinary talents.
Nyx smiled and asked, "Eris, how are things progressing recently?"
Eris nodded and replied, "Mother, rest assured, everything is under control. All preparations have been made."
"The arrangements have all been completed."
Eris naturally understood what her mother was asking about.
As for the development of the Japanese Pantheon's Mythical World…
Well.
It had essentially reached a stable state. Everything was ready, and all that remained was to wait patiently for the right moment to proceed.
The main issue was that the Underworld's young princess, the Yama Princess, was still too young, and Hades had yet to grant permission for her to journey to that Mythical World.
But.
There was no rush. Ever since the problem of the new era had been discovered, the urgency had diminished entirely.
After all.
Those Absolute Gods, Evil Gods, and Transcendents would remain fixed in place. With that in mind, there was nothing to worry about. It was just a matter of waiting for the right time.
"Hmm…"
"That's good to hear," Nyx said with a smile and a nod. Everything was going smoothly, so naturally, there was no cause for concern.
"Aside from that..."
Erebus seemed to have more questions to ask.
However!
Nyx interrupted him, saying, "Erebus, that's enough for now. We can discuss these things after this is over. For now, our task is to wait quietly for Aether."
"Alright," Erebus said with a chuckle and a shake of his head.
You're the one who started asking questions, and now I'm not allowed to?
Even so.
Erebus didn't mind. If his wife had spoken, what could he say?
Clearly!
Erebus understood one thing very well: there was no point in arguing with his wife. She was his wife, after all. Pampering her was all that mattered!
That's why…
Erebus and Nyx were among the most unique deities in the entire Greek Pantheon's Mythical World.
This primordial godly couple held an extraordinary regard for their relationship, an almost incomprehensible level of affection, especially in a world like the Greek Pantheon where such sentiments were rare.
In any case.
For now, the topic was left at that. For this godly couple, they were here to witness their child's moment of brilliance.
Yes!
This was brilliance. For Aether, if he succeeded today, it would mark a moment of unparalleled glory.
"Aether…"
Eris murmured her elder brother's name softly. Shaking her head, she asked gently, "Hemera, how is Aether doing?"
"He's almost at the final step!"
"However!"
Hemera described the situation quietly but then shook her head, saying, "That's exactly why it's worrisome. No one can predict what will happen in the end."
"I'm not afraid of failure."
Hemera sighed with a trace of helplessness. "Even if he fails, we have a clear direction now. With a second or third attempt, success would eventually come."
"But…"
Hemera looked toward the depths of the Underworld, her eyes filled with deep concern.
Her greatest fear was that Aether's mindset would collapse under the weight of failure.
Exactly!
For Hemera, that was the most worrying possibility.
He had come so far.
If…
If Aether truly failed now, could he bear it?
That…
Was not an easy question to answer.
"…"
Hearing Hemera's words, everyone fell silent.
It was undeniable.
Every sibling deeply respected their eldest brother. And it was precisely because of that respect that they felt anxious. None of them wanted to see Aether fail.
This was beyond question.
Because of this!
What would happen in the future?
That…
No one could say.
As Hemera had pointed out, even if this attempt failed, what about the next one? Or the one after that?
Frankly speaking.
Once they had the experience of a first attempt, succeeding in subsequent attempts would be significantly easier.
But!
For Aether, could he accept failure this time? That was the critical issue. Everyone feared that if Aether failed now, it might break him emotionally.
And then what?
For all the deities of the Underworld, this was the biggest concern. None of them wanted to see failure, let alone the aftermath of one.
"…"
Everyone exchanged glances, saying nothing.
All they could do was wait.
"Alright!"
"Alright!"
Nyx smiled gently and said, "You children! Don't you think you should have more faith in Aether? Your elder brother has come this far. Isn't success the most natural outcome?"
"Mother…"
Eris replied with a hint of helplessness, "We believe in our brother's success. But! That's what we're afraid of. If he fails, what then?"
"Failure itself isn't the issue."
"What worries us is that he might not recover from it."
Eris sighed. She understood Hemera's concerns all too well. In truth, it wasn't just Hemera—it was everyone's fear.
None of them wanted Aether to fail.
"Let's just wait quietly," Erebus said at this moment. "Anything more is meaningless. All we can do now is wait patiently. After all, everything else has already been done."
"From here on..."
"Aether must walk this final stretch alone."
"Mm!"
"Father!"
Everyone nodded, agreeing to wait in silence.
At that moment!
Two bursts of divine energy swept into the area. Hypnos and Thanatos, the Twin Gods, arrived in the depths of the Underworld.
"Father?"
"Mother?"
Thanatos hesitated before hurrying over to Hemera, asking anxiously, "Hemera, has it come to that point? How is Aether doing?"
Hemera shook her head and replied, "It's the final step. The most critical moment. Everything else is meaningless now. All we can do is wait quietly."
"I understand."
Thanatos nodded solemnly.
At this point.
Charon spoke calmly, "That's enough. Don't let your anxiety create unnecessary pressure for Aether. For now, all we need to do is wait quietly."
"Aether will succeed."
"Mm!"
Everyone nodded, waiting patiently. It wouldn't take long—three to five hundred years at most. The outcome would soon be clear.
Now!
For Aether, it was down to this final step.
Of course.
Every sibling, as well as their parents, firmly believed that no matter what, Aether would succeed.
As the eldest son of Erebus and Nyx and the eldest sibling of the Underworld…
Could Aether possibly fail at this stage?
Impossible!
Everyone held unwavering faith that Aether would succeed. Failure simply wasn't an option.
…
In the Pure Land of Bliss, on the divine thrones, Hades and Persephone sat quietly.
Meanwhile.
Hestia occupied another throne nearby
.
As for the young Yama Princess?
She was currently in Yomi, the land of the dead.
"Husband," Persephone said softly, feeling the weight of everything happening. "Do you think Aether can succeed?"
Even Persephone wasn't entirely sure.
To be honest!
She knew about what Aether and Baal were working on. It was precisely because she understood that she doubted the outcome.
It was too difficult. At its core, this task was no less challenging than ascending to become a God-King through sheer effort.
For most gods, it was an almost impossible feat.
"Though…"
"Aether is at the final step."
"Still…"
"The closer he gets, the more nerve-wracking it becomes."
"Hypnos, Thanatos, Eris, Hemera—they aren't worried without reason."
"The closer he gets…"
"The more anxious it makes everyone."
"This is really giving me a headache."
Hestia massaged her temples, sharing the sentiment. So much about this was uncertain. Who could say for sure if everything would go smoothly?
What if something went wrong?
What if he failed?
In truth!
Hestia's concerns mirrored everyone else's. Failure itself wasn't frightening. With the experience gained, success in future attempts was almost guaranteed.
But the real problem was here.
If Aether failed…
Then…
What would happen to him?
If Aether faltered emotionally, it would create an entirely new set of issues.
"All we can do is wait," Hades said calmly. "Aether will succeed. He has come this far, and there's no reason for him to fail now."
Hades' voice was calm, no longer the emotionless tone of the past. There was a faint trace of feeling in it now.
Of course.
It wasn't particularly noticeable, but it was there.
After all!
This was just how Hades was.
"Mm."
Persephone and Hestia nodded silently upon hearing Hades' words.
If their husband—or younger brother—had said so…
Then!
Aether would surely succeed. It was true! Having come this far, would Aether really fail now? Impossible! At this stage, failure would be utterly disgraceful.
Elsewhere!
On the path to forming his divine pantheon, Aether was finally at the last step—completely, unequivocally, the final step!
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