After the departure of Lord Hades, a subtle, accumulated sense of discontent began to permeate among the surviving Titans and the gods who had participated in the war.
The focus of this discontent was not directed at Hades, who had refused the heavenly throne and achieved victory through his great military exploits, but at the two younger brothers who had just gained great power—Zeus and Poseidon.
Hyperion, the radiant Titan, slightly dimmed from his wounds and exhaustion, was the first to break the silence, his voice carrying a chill that could not be hidden:
"Truly... a 'magnificent coronation'."
His gaze swept over the thunderbolt in Zeus's hand, shining with the majesty of the sky, and then glanced at Poseidon's trident, growing ever bluer with the authority of the Sea King.
"When Hades sealed the God-King with chains, and when the giants' fists shook the foundations of Olympus, I wonder, how much decisive force did our new God-King and Sea King contribute, aside from the final strike that followed the general trend? Was it perhaps the 'charm' that still tirelessly spread across the battlefield, or the 'courage' that was nearly shattered by the divine power of Eros?"
These words were like a barbed whip, lashing across the faces of Zeus and Poseidon.
Zeus's face instantly darkened, and the aura of the God-King, which had just stabilized around him, fluctuated, lightning appearing in his palm.
"Hyperion!" Zeus roared, trying to suppress him with the majesty of the new God-King.
"If not for my thunderbolt breaking through his defense, and Poseidon's great waves shaking his foundation, the outcome would have been unknown! Do you doubt the decision of Mother Gaia?"
"Doubt?" Koios laughed bitterly. He had lost much of his power but gained nothing, and was now frustrated.
"How dare we doubt the Mother Goddess? It's just... looking back at the fierce battle just now, some beings were more eager to preserve their strength and did not 'reap' the fruits of victory until the very last moment. Compared to the planning and responsibility of some beings from beginning to end, well..."
He said no more, but that 'well' was more ironic than any direct accusation.
Poseidon irritably swung his trident, and the phantom of a tsunami swept behind him: "Arrogant! If not for me and Zeus confronting him head-on, how could Hades have so easily succeeded? What qualifications do you, who hide behind, have to judge us?!"
"Head-on confrontation?" Theia, seriously wounded and not yet healed, sneered weakly while supported by Hyperion.
"What I saw was Zeus, almost... enchanted and sunk by the madman's power of Eros; it was Poseidon, recklessly attacking again and again, nearly getting entangled in the storm of time and space. If not for Hades's chains, if not for the power of Hades's giants, your so-called 'confrontation' would have turned into consumable food!"
Theia's words were like a sharp blade, cutting through the bloody reality.
Zeus's face flushed and paled, and he could not refute Theia's words, especially recalling the moment he had been nearly influenced by the pink divine power.
This embarrassment and shame instantly ignited the anger of the new God-King, but for a while, he did not know upon whom to vent it.
The scene became extremely awkward and tense for a time.
The authority of the new God-King and Sea King seemed to be crumbling under the open doubt and contempt of the gods.
They had acquired supreme power, but had not earned the undisputed prestige that should accompany it.
Gaia watched this tense scene and tiredly rubbed her brow.
The doubt and gunpowder in the air further exhausted her already weary mind, tasked with stabilizing the world.
"Enough!"
A deep shout, containing the coercion of the earth's origin, like the suppression of mountains, instantly silenced all quarrels and mockery.
The gods only felt their divine thoughts sink, involuntarily falling silent, gazing at the Mother Goddess's tired yet still majestic face.
Gaia's gaze swept over Zeus and Poseidon, full of grievance, and then over the Titans with their own thoughts in their eyes. An inexpressible irritability rose in her heart.
How could she not know that Zeus and Poseidon had performed poorly in this battle, far inferior to Hades's calm and crucial contribution?
Letting them become God-King and Sea King was merely to let Hades stand aside... some historical issues...
"The old king is defeated, the new order is just established, and the priority is to stabilize the foundation, not to fight in vain!"
Gaia's voice, with undeniable resolve, deliberately ignored the gods' doubts about the abilities of Zeus and Poseidon.
"Zeus governs the sky, Poseidon the seas, and Hades the Underworld—this is an established fact and necessary to maintain the balance of the world. Past merits and demerits are set aside for now!"
Her words carried a powerful will, forcibly suppressing the gods' discontent.
Hyperion snorted coldly and fell silent, but the sarcasm in his eyes did not disappear.
Koios lowered his head, hiding the calculation in his eyes.
Gaia struck while the iron was hot and quickly promoted the distribution of the major god positions, trying to divert attention and further consolidate the structure of the new pantheon.
Oceanus, Koios, Hyperion, Themis, Theia, Tethys, the goddess of space Aether, and the goddess of daylight Hemera received the status of major gods.
She quickly distributed the eight major god positions, aside from the four seats of the Underworld, mostly based on the importance of their power or future potential, and to some extent, to balance the power just acquired by Zeus, adding several divine choices that might not be Zeus's confidants.
After all this, Gaia seemed to have exhausted her last strength, and her embodiment appeared even more illusory.
"Discuss the specific details among yourselves. The new pantheon must take Mount Olympus as its center, each fulfilling their rights and duties, maintaining the functioning of the world."
Finally, she took a deep look at the gods, especially glancing for a moment in the direction where Zeus, Poseidon, and the Underworld lay, her eyes full of weariness, warning, and an indescribable meaning.
In an instant, giving the gods no chance to object, her figure slowly disappeared on the spot, as if dissolving into the earth, leaving the gods atop the chaotic Olympus to face this forcibly laid out, yet inherently flawed, new pattern.
Gaia's departure lifted the coercion that had forcibly maintained order, but the contempt and discontent towards Zeus and Poseidon in the air did not disappear, only temporarily lurking, waiting for an opportunity to resurface.
Zeus tightly gripped the thunderbolt, feeling the vague scrutiny around him, his heart full of humiliation and anxiety to prove his worth.
He knew that his position as God-King was not secure.