The grand hall fills with deities from every corner of the world. The Sky Realm and Ocean Realm are well-represented, their numbers buzzing with conversation.
In stark contrast, the Underworld's presence is small and formidable: only Hades, Hecate, and the feline Nixi stand together. They are joined by their sisters and Rhea.
Prometheus enters, carrying three glass containers, each sealed with a massive golden orb. The names Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus shimmer upon them in gold leaf.
Poseidon and Zeus tense, their eyes narrowing, ready to protest the inclusion of a third candidate. But before a word can leave their lips, Hades speaks, his voice calm and clear, cutting through the murmurs. "Prometheus. I forfeit my candidacy in this election."
A wave of astonished whispers ripples through the hall. Prometheus's brows rise slightly. "Forgive me, Lord Hades, but the announcement has been made across all realms. To forfeit now would disrespect the tradition and the ritual itself." He pauses, considering. "However, you may formally decline the title after the results are in, should your name be called."
Hades turns his head, his gaze sweeping over Zeus and Poseidon. "Now, do you have a problem?"
The two brothers exchange a fleeting, calculating glance. Their faces are impassive masks, but a new wariness enters their eyes. "No problem," Zeus replies, his voice carefully neutral. "Just be solid on your words."
A faint smile touches Hades's lips. "I will."
Prometheus gives a curt nod and begins the ceremony. He places a heavy golden ring around his neck, which begins to glow, amplifying his voice as he addresses the crowd.
"I am Prometheus, chancellor of the former King Cronus. Today, I preside over the selection of the next Celestial King." As he speaks, the golden ring pulses, and his voice echoes not just through the hall, but across every realm. From the highest peaks of the sky to the deepest trenches of the ocean, in every divine court and sacred grove, his words ring clear. "The candidates are Hades, King of the Underworld; Poseidon, King of the Ocean Realm; and Zeus, King of the Sky Realm." He turns a massive hourglass. "From this moment, you have one hour. Every divine being shall choose its king by pricking a finger and letting a single drop of blood fall into the vessel of your choice. Remember, you may vote for only one."
He then approaches Hades's group. "This will take some time. I suggest you distribute the royal treasury among yourselves, as is your right."
Rhea nods. "Hmm." She leads them from the hall to a secluded corner of the new island.
"§∆¶ΩμΠ×°æåç"
Whispering an ancient incantation, she gestures, and a shimmering portal tears open in the air. "In my time, the treasury was stored in a secure dimension. Its location and key are known only to the king and queen."
As per their agreement, Hades and Hecate enter first.
The treasury is a ocean of wealths, mountains of gold and silver, rivers of diamonds, shelves of rare minerals, swirling essences, and racks of legendary weapons and artifacts.
They walk through the aisles, observing everything, but few items catch their interest. Hecate tugs on Hades's long coat. "Hades," she requests, "use your secret divinity to find the most unique items here."
"As you wish, my queen," Hades says, bowing with theatrical obedience. His eyes flash with a deep amethyst light, scanning the vast hoard in minutes. He soon gathers a small collection: a crown, a chest, a gold coin, and several artifacts.
"These possess unique qualities," he explains, pulling a specific chest from the pile. "This contains the Seed of Life Jewel, from the Giant Chasm. No one knows what it does or how it grows, as none have dared try. But I know. So, I will take it."
Hecate continues her own search, gasping when she opens a chest to find three Sky Pearls. "Hades! Look! Sky Pearls!"
Hades doesn't even need to look. "The two on the sides are clever forgeries. The one in the middle is cursed. I advise you to leave it."
"Cursed or not, shouldn't we take it? If Zeus absorbs its power—"
"He has already absorbed twenty," Hades interrupts calmly. "He possesses twenty more. Losing these ten will be no significant loss to him. Once a god absorbs more than fifty, the power gain from each additional pearl diminishes drastically. I conducted my own experiments. I even used one in the construction of the Labyrinth."
Hecate closes the chest and tosses it back into the pile. Just then, Nixi paws insistently at a different chest.
"Meow!"
Hecate opens it to find a giant egg covered in black, shimmering scales. "This is the egg of an ancient dragon," Hades explains. "In a forgotten age, it absorbed a fragment of a Primordial's essence. It has remained in this dormant state ever since."
Nixi purrs loudly, pushing the chest toward Hecate with her head. Hecate smiles and lifts the chest. "If my little guardian insists, then I will take this."
Their time up, they exit the portal.
Poseidon and Zeus enter and return shortly after. Zeus emerges with the chest of three Sky Pearls, a triumphant glint in his eye. Poseidon has followed his instincts, choosing a Tidal Ring that can manipulate tidal gates and open them anywhere, at any time.
Next, it is the sisters' turn. Hera, Demeter, and Metis enter the portal, but Hestia remains behind.
"What is wrong? Why do you not go?" Rhea asks.
Hestia smiles serenely. "Mother, I already have everything I need." A simple basket and a warm, glowing lamp appear in her hands. "You and Father have already given me these. What more could I want?"
Rhea's breath catches. She looks at her eldest daughter. A profound wave of love and pride washes over Rhea's face, making her eyes glisten. She steps forward and takes Hestia's hands in her own, her voice thick with genuine emotion. "You… you are truly the most virtuous of my children. Your heart is purer than any treasure in that vault." She turns, her voice ringing with formal declaration yet full of maternal warmth. "From this moment, I decree that all mine and Cronus's treasure belongs solely to Hestia."
For a heartbeat, there is absolute silence. Zeus and Poseidon stare, bewildered. Hestia's mind goes blank, struggling to process the magnitude of the gift.
Hestia flusters, "No, Mother! No! I—"
Hades gently interjects, "Sister, do not refuse. Mother is not just giving you treasure. She is declaring you the most worthy of all of us to hold our family's legacy."
"But—" Hestia tries again.
Rhea's face becomes stern, but the love in her eyes is undimmed. "Hestia, that is my final order."
Hestia bows her head, accepting. "Yes, Mother." Rhea's expression softens, and she gently pats her daughter's head.
The other goddesses return: Metis with a Chrono Potion that shows the user a glimpse of their future death, Hera with a dress that holds a powerful alluring charm, and Demeter with a Cornucopia that provides an endless supply of food and drink.
Prometheus approaches and bows. "Your Highness, only three minutes remain."
Rhea nods, and they all return to the tense atmosphere of the hall.
---
The hall is a cacophony of debate, split into two clear factions for Zeus and Poseidon. As Rhea and her children enter, a hush falls. All eyes go to the containers. Zeus and Poseidon are in a dead heat, their vessels nearly full and identical. Hades's container is only a quarter full.
Prometheus bows. "Your Highness, please cast your vote."
Rhea walks forward, pricks her finger, and lets a single drop of her blood fall into Hades's container. Hades, Hecate, and Hestia watch with an air of detached calm, but for others, the tension is unbearable.
Metis grits her teeth, sweat beading on her temple. Zeus's jaw is clenched, his prosthetic fist tight. Poseidon stands like a statue, his gaze locked on the vessels. Then, two drops fall in quick succession into Poseidon's container. A smile breaks through his stoic expression, echoed by his supporters.
Zeus's eyes narrow to slits. Then Hestia steps forward and votes for Hades. Hera follows, placing her vote for Zeus, making his shoulders slump in relief. Demeter votes next, for Zeus, putting him ahead. But another drop immediately lands in Poseidon's, tying them once more.
The atmosphere is thick enough to choke on. Prometheus himself steps forward and, to the surprise of everyone, especially for Hades and Hecate as they not expect that he casts his vote for Hades.
Zeus's glare promises future retribution. 'A dog that bites its master can never be trusted.'
Finally, Metis steps forward. She pricks her finger, her eyes meeting Zeus's before flicking to where Orcanon is hidden in the crowd. A subtle, determined smile touches her lips. 'Forgive me, Father, but my dreams outweigh your ambitions.' She lets her blood fall into Zeus's container, putting him ahead by one.
Prometheus's eyes are fixed on the hourglass. The golden ring around his neck glows brighter as he counts down, his voice now echoing across the world once more. "Twelve seconds remain! Ten! Nine!..." The countdown echoes in the silent hall and in every corner of creation. "...Three! Two! One!"
As the last grain of sand falls, a final, solitary drop of blood materializes and splashes into Zeus's container.
"Voting is ended!" Prometheus's amplified voice booms across the realms. "By a single vote, Lord Zeus is victorious!"
"YEEEAAAHHH!" A thunderous roar of triumph erupts. Zeus throws his head back and shouts, thrusting his fists to the sky. Across the hall, Poseidon's face darkens into a stormy grimace, his supporters groaning in despair.
The golden orb from Zeus's container rises and shoots into his chest. His body swells with power, veins glowing with trapped lightning. A corona of raw divine energy erupts from him, so intense the pillars of the hall seem to bend toward him. When the light fades, he stands radiating the unmistakable aura of a Mid-Level God King, his posture now one of inherent majesty.
At once, the entire assembly kneels except Hades, Hecate, and Rhea, who watch from their corner, unmoved.
Zeus stomps his foot. But instead of destruction, the hall answers with creation. It expands, the walls shifting, the ceiling soaring higher, until a true throne room has formed around them. From golden dust, a colossal throne assembles itself at the far end.
Zeus strides to it and sits, the very air crackling with his authority. The golden ring on Prometheus's neck glows, ready to carry his words. "I," his voice thunders, echoing through the hall and across the world, "am Zeus, the Celestial King." The world itself seems to acknowledge the claim. "From this moment, Metis shall be the Celestial Queen!"
A golden wisp spirals up from the floor, weaving around Metis before sinking into her being. She surges with new power, the divinities of Motherhood and Royal Authority settling upon her. She moves to stand beside his throne, a queen in fact as well as name.
His voice rings out once more, broadcast to all. "From now on, this mountain shall be known as Olympus!" His smirk is triumphant as his gaze sweeps over the kneeling Poseidon. But his mood sours as a voice cuts through his glory.
"Don't forget our promise, Zeus." Hades's calm tone is a splash of cold water. All heads turn to where he leans casually against a pillar, Hecate at his side.
Zeus grits his teeth, his jaw tightening. "I haven't." The words are forced out. He turns to a goddess with a stern, just face. "Themis! Inscribe this upon a divine stele: From this day, no god of the Upper Realms can command any being native to the Underworld."
"As you wish, Your Majesty," Themis bows, producing a stone tablet and beginning to write with a pen of pure light.
Metis places a soothing hand on Zeus's shoulder, whispering, "Do not let this sour your victory. We have won the battle and achieved our main objective. The Underworld and its king... can be dealt with in due time."
Zeus nods, the tension easing from his shoulders. He raises his voice one last time, the golden ring ensuring his invitation reaches every divine ear. "Tonight, a grand celebration will be held upon Olympus! All are invited to this feast." His eyes lock with Hades's across the hall. "...Even those from the Underworld."
Hades and Hecate respond with identical, knowing smiles.
Nixi raises a paw into the air. "Meow!"