After thinking deeply about the plan—about the methods Metis had proposed—the more Aetherion followed it through in his mind, the more he liked it.
In war, all warfare is based on deception.
In this situation, that principle rang especially true.
If he committed to this deception strategy, he believed he might actually be able to take down one of the Twelve Great Titans without Kronos appearing.
True, their forces were underwhelming compared to Kronos', but that made this tactic all the more necessary.
Still, they needed more opinion's behind the plan.
His gaze drifted to the far side of the room, settling on one of the seated Titans—Prometheus.
"Prometheus," Aetherion called out, his tone steady but curious. "What are your thoughts on this plan? Do you have anything to add?"
He wasn't entirely sure why, but Prometheus had always seemed slightly… off to him.
From the moment they'd met, Aetherion had sensed a strange emotion—something buried deeper than Prometheus let on.
Thanks to his evolving connection with the Life Domain and his perceptive eyes, Aetherion could now understand emotions more clearly.
And what he felt from Prometheus was fear.
Not terror, perhaps, but a quiet, calculated fear.
It confused him.
He had never harmed Prometheus.
Had never even met him before that day.
And yet, this unease lingered on him the moment they meet.
Still, Aetherion didn't take it as a negative.
Fear, too, could be a useful tool.
It made people more cautious—and less likely to betray you.
Prometheus stepped forward slowly, a sly smile curving his lips.
He raised one hand to his chin and tilted his head back, thinking aloud.
"Hmm… pretty good plan. Pretty good indeed," he said thoughtfully. "It's risky, yes—but a plan without risk doesn't exist."
Then he looked around the room and smiled wider.
"I believe this could work in our favor. And if we succeed, we'll be much closer to our goal."
The room seemed to settle a bit.
His words carried weight.
Though Prometheus was no longer one of Kronos' Great Titans, he had once stood among them—and had been a seer.
A prophet.
His foresight had shaped the past.
So when he spoke, many listened.
Another voice rang out in support.
"Yes… this could work. It's dangerous, but that's what makes it worth doing."
The voice belonged to Styx.
Her words carried their own kind of power, and others began to murmur in agreement.
"But how exactly should we proceed with the attack?" Styx asked. "Who does what, and when? Metis said you were to capture one of the Titans, Aetherion—but who's going with you?"
Aetherion looked around the room.
For a moment, silence reigned.
Then, slowly, multiple hands rose.
Zeus.
Poseidon.
Both raised their hands immediately.
Hades did not.
Among his sisters, only Hera raised hers.
Styx did not.
Hecate remained still.
But interestingly, all four of Styx's children—Nike, Kratos, Zelus, and Bia—raised their hands in unison.
Aetherion smiled faintly, though he knew he couldn't take all of them.
After a moment of thought, he said,
"I believe I should take Nike and Kratos with me. Nike's domain over Victory could turn the tide at a critical moment, and Kratos' raw strength will be invaluable."
He paused and glanced around again, his eyes settling on Hera.
"And as for the last spot…" he smiled slightly, "I believe someone here deserves a chance to show the result of their training. Someone with wishes to prove themselves."
He turned to Hera.
"Hera—you will join me."
Her eyes lit up immediately, and a proud, confident smile crossed her face.
"Do not fret, Aetherion," she said with pride swelling in her voice. "I will show you who the future mightiest of women truly is."
She lifted her chin, her chest rising with pride, exuding the same commanding presence she always carried—but now, with sharpened purpose.
Aetherion simply nodded at that, a small smile forming on his face, before turning his head toward Thanatos.
"Thanatos," he said, "do you believe you can handle one of the Twelve?"
Thanatos returned the look with a faint smile.
"Do not worry. Such a thing I can handle," he replied calmly. "After all, even immortals need peace sometimes."
Hearing that, Aetherion noticed a chill ripple through the room. At least among the younger ones. Not him, not Themis, nor Styx—but still, no one truly wanted to experience death firsthand.
Even if they knew resurrection was possible, fear lingered.
Death always left its mark.
"Sure, buddy," Aetherion said in a half-joking tone. "Then try to capture one yourself."
Thanatos paused, adopting a thoughtful pose.
"Hm. Why not?" he said. "I will capture one as well."
A crooked, confident smile spread across his face.
Those who overheard this casual talk of capturing a Great Titans stared in disbelief.
Are these people insane?
They were talking about the Twelve Great Titans as if they were prey.
Can they be a bit more serious, okay!?
Especially Aetherion's siblings—none of them were fully used to his way of thinking yet.
"Hey! I want in too!" a loud voice rang out. "I'll capture one of the Great Titans!"
It was Helios, his voice booming with enthusiasm, as if sunlight itself had filled the room.
"Yeah, right," Aetherion said with a smug smile. "You'd probably lose alone. You need your sisters' help."
"And don't you need your sister too, you idiot bastard?"
Helios snapped back.
"They're just handling the small fry," Aetherion replied coolly. "The big one is mine."
"Sigh, will you two stop?" Thanatos said sharply. "This is war, not a playground."
Before things could escalate further, Rhea spoke up.
"Alright. I believe this meeting is over. We'll proceed with the plan as discussed."
She clearly had no interest in listening to more bickering—especially not from her own son and the others.
"No," Aetherion disagreed. "The meeting is not over."
The people except Metis looked at him in confusion.
Have they not discussed everything and come up with a plan?
What more were there for them to talk about?
But Aetherion ignored the looks and continued speaking.
"My brothers will serve as the decoy—the first to attack," he said. "But the rest of us don't know our targets yet. Metis can you explained everything clearly and or targets."
Hearing what Aetherion said, everyone—except for Metis—looked away in slight embarrassment.
It was clear they all wanted the meeting to end quickly.
Most of them seemed tired, eager to leave and return to their own duties or do as they pleased.
They hadn't really been paying full attention, and that realization left a lingering awkwardness in the air.
The room was soon filled with silent nods and murmured agreement, all acknowledging the truth in Aetherion's words.
Zeus and Poseidon grumbled quietly, while Hades nodded with understanding, though frustration lingered in his eyes.
"Oh, and one more thing," Aetherion added. "For healing, Demeter—please stay close to Themis. Just in case."
He knew Themis was among the strongest present—possibly even his equal.
And if Kronos were to strike personally, she would be a prime target.
Demeter smiled brightly and raised her fist.
"Don't worry, brother. I've got this."
Aetherion nodded, proud.
"As for Hestia," he continued, "it's best if you accompany Mother and support her attack."
Hestia returned his words with a warm smile.
"Of course, brother. It shall be done."
Finally, Aetherion turned his head toward Metis.
"Now, Metis, can you explain who our target is and how we are going to proceed?"
Metis looked at him, a faint smile forming on her lips.
"Of course. Alright, everyone—here is the plan, and our targets."
With that, Metis began to explain everything, detailing both their objective and how they would carry out the attack.
***
After several hours of Metis explaining the plan, everything finally came to an end.
One by one, they offered their input, suggesting small adjustments to what could be improved.
In the end, everyone was satisfied.
Aetherion believed the plan would succeed.
No… he would make sure it did.
He would capture his target.
Now that he knew exactly who it was.
Before anyone could leave, Metis spoke again.
"One last thing," she said. "Before you depart to battle, I will provide each of you with an artifact. It will help ensure your escape."
"An artifact?"
Aetherion asked, confused.
"Yes,"
Metis replied simply, offering no further explanation.
At that point, everyone seemed exhausted and simply nodded at her words.
One by one, they began to leave the meeting room, eager to prepare—or simply to rest.
Aetherion himself felt the same.
He wanted some time alone before everything began.
With a final glance around the room, he teleported away.
——
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