In the Underworld, the Eighth Hell, within the castle of Radamandis, Aaron quietly studied the true fragment in his hands. Various mysterious colors flickered across his eyes.
Chu Zhen—it was not metal, and no one truly knew its composition.
Originally, this artifact was bestowed by Gaea, the Mother Goddess of Earth, to the Titans as a weapon. Each piece could destroy worlds and also serve as an impenetrable defensive artifact.
Its hardness even surpassed the Golden Cloth of a Gold Saint.
Moreover, wearing Chu Zhen enhanced the regenerative power of Titan God blood. It was both offensive and defensive, far surpassing conventional Golden Cloths.
Unlike other divine or human battle suits, each Chu Zhen did not take humanoid form or resemble a creature—it was a weapon.
Each piece had its own unique configuration; even the recognized owner could not wear it incorrectly. This fragment in Aaron's hand was just that—a fragment of Chu Zhen. Its origin, even to Aaron, remained unclear.
The great battle of ancient times had been catastrophic. Zeus, wielding his 687 ultimate powers, Poseidon, and Aaron's father, Cloros, led a group of newly awakened gods to overthrow the Titans, who ruled the entire universe. From a distance, Aaron had glimpsed Chu Zhen in the hands of the Titans.
Gaea had granted twelve pieces in total:
The Great Scythe of Cloros, capable of slicing through the body and severing the small universe within. Even without an attack, the scythe inflicted harm on anything it struck. Its sealed state concealed the blade, which only appeared as the seal was removed.
The Great Sword of Hyperion, engraved with mystical runes and inlaid with a burning black Fixed Star upon restoration of divine power.
The Koos Spike Sword, famed for its speed.
The Pipe of Lios, known for its defensive power.
The Oceanus Dagger, water-attributed, capable of conjuring infinite torrents and manipulating all flows.
The Scissors of Iapetus, capable of cutting anything.
The Sword of Phoebe.
The Great Axe of Mnemosyne, which could divide Chaos and unlock universal power.
The Hammer of Thetis.
The Spear of Themis.
The Fist Blade of Rhea.
The Crossbow of Theia.
Aaron studied the fragment in his hand, still unable to fully comprehend it. Chu Zhen was useless to anyone other than its owner—not even a god could wield it without recognition.
He then retrieved the Reality Gem, one of the Infinity Gems.
"Zeus, Poseidon… I want to see what truly happened in that battle."
Though gods could manipulate reality, their power had no effect on Aaron. He would use the Reality Gem to recreate the ancient sealing of Cloros. The gem could materialize anything the user envisioned.
Aaron's spirit slowly left his body, entering the spiritual realm.
In that ancient battle, Cloros, the second-generation God King, had been defeated by Zeus. His body destroyed, his soul was sealed onto his weapon, Chu Zhen, by Zeus' lightning. Eventually, Chu Zhen was locked away in Hell. Tens of millions of years passed in quiet. But after Zeus' disappearance, Hell had grown unstable.
In the star-filled void, Aaron saw two familiar figures:
Zeus, King of Gods, his own brother.
Cloros, second-generation God King, his father.
"Hades! Come forth!"
Hearing Zeus' voice, Aaron realized he was wearing the familiar divine garments of a god—a privilege reserved for the Twelve Main Gods since the Age of Mythology. Pluto's divine clothing complemented Pluto's sword, a product derived from the vanished Zeus' godly attire.
The stage was set for the gods' battle. Behind Zeus were Poseidon, Hera, Demeter, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, and Hermes—the Twelve Main Gods, all present.
Cloros, meanwhile, commanded twelve Titans across the starry sky.
"My children… you dare to challenge me for the throne!"
Standing before him, Aaron recognized the colossal presence of the God King—his own father, Cloros, leader of the Titan Protoss and sole ruler of the universe.
"Cloros, you have already betrayed the original purpose of the Titans' rule. How are you any different from the tyrannical Uranus?"
"To save Earth, to save the gods and beings of the sky, sea, and Hell… I, Zeus, declare war on you!"
A surge of divine power erupted: Zeus' physical might, Poseidon's oceanic divinity, and…
Aaron looked at himself. He had returned to his peak form, the mightiest he had ever been since the Age of Gods.
Now…
I am Hades.
I am the true self of Hades.
End of Chapter)
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