At this very moment, on the main battlefield.
The great scribe of Crete, who had earlier been gravely wounded by Nereus and plunged into the deep sea, seemed to sense something and burst from the waves, eyes splitting with rage as he glared at the old sea god, roaring in grief and fury.
"What have you all done!
You butchers!"
"I didn't, I swear, it has nothing to do with me..."
Utterly bewildered, Nereus hastily parried, desperately trying to defend his side.
Clearly, when Sea King Majesty forced him to rally ocean gods for joint battle, he had promised to treat surrendering Minoans kindly.
Why did it turn out like this?
Yet hearing the defense, Lorne's expression grew even more grief-stricken.
His bronze longsword slashed viciously at the old sea god, severing several strands of beard.
"I've already sensed that ocean divinity, you still want to deny it?"
Nereus opened his mouth, intending to clarify again.
But recalling the Sicily agreement last time, he fell speechless, only dodging in shame, inwardly cursing the son-in-law who roasted him over flames.
Once wasn't enough...now a second time?
His most cherished reputation was nearly treated like used toilet paper by that bastard.
He relied on this old face to make a living in Oceanus sea.
How could he show his face henceforth?
Instantly, Nereus deeply regretted not heeding daughter Thetis's advice to seal his home immediately.
He spat thick phlegm toward the distant inner sea sea king.
Poseidon, you shameless guy!
At this moment, the enraged great scribe of Crete had no mood for Nereus's grievances.
Joining the arriving Athena, who came to check, they stood back-to-back, gnashing teeth in roars, charging first at the maritime gods.
"Sea bastards—fight to the death!"
Unlike guilt-ridden, somewhat principled Nereus, passing ocean gods and victorious Atlanteans showed no mercy.
Gazing at these overreaching moths to flame, they grinned ferociously, raising weapons, chanting curses.
Atop Atlantean fleet, prism towers activated one by one, with focused light rings glowing layer by layer.
Preparing to obey Sea King Majesty's will and utterly extinguish Crete's seeds.
Seeing this, already pale-faced Athena gritted silver teeth, raising Aegis to shield Lorne, ready for desperate struggle against encircling foes and distant culprit Poseidon.
"Boom!"
Yet just as bloody divine slaughter was about to unfold, darkened skies blazed daylight-bright and forked lightning bolts crashed down, it's unmatched divine might separating combatants.
"Enough!"
Next moment, furious roar thundered skies and countless thunderbolts roamed clouds, forming a massive face.
"Poseidon, you dared defy Earth Mother's decree, leading golden era remnants to slaughter Minoans on Crete, wantonly trampling life, igniting divine war—utterly detestable!"
"I didn't, I swear, Zeus, you slander me!"
Upon hearing this, Poseidon's expression changed drastically, and he immediately denied it.
"The facts are right before your eyes, yet you still try to deny it!"
Massive sky face raged more.
Surging thunder built God-King Majesty's body. Lightning-flashing arm, with cold declaration, smashed sea.
"Since so, by King of Gods' name—
I pronounce judgment on you and accomplices!"
In flash, countless spear-like thunderbolts tore skies, plunging sea and thousands of black warships and countless Atlanteans were instantly reduced to ash.
"Zeus—!"
Poseidon watched his life's work and kin turn to dust and his eyes split in roar, his trident hurling skyward.
Simultaneously, the surviving Atlanteans on the sea, obeying the will of their god, fueled by vengeful rage and bitter resentment, fired arrows and spears at the monster that had annihilated their tribe.
"Obstinate!"
Thunder giant in sky coldly huffed, casually catching hurled trident, sneering at Atlantean counter.
But lightning in eyes grew more chillingly grim.
"Mere old era remnants dare tread earth, covet sky...then Atlanteans,
I consign you to eternal abyss!"
With stern sentence, three massive meteors fell from sky, long flaming tails, crashing primitive ocean depths.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
In moments, three fire pillars soared.
Three giants—with 50 heads, 100 arms—rose from ashes, roaring as they hurled stones, shattering twelve prism towers around sea god temple one by one.
In flash, light extinguished; darkness descended.
This fog-shrouded continent fractured four ways, sinking black seabed.
With shockwaves spreading from primitive ocean to inner Oceanus and seas, surviving Atlanteans, as if bound by terrifying force, devolved to human-torso fish-tail forms, pulled toward Atlantis's sinking dark domain.
Maritime gods witnessing three towering shadows and ferocious might emanating shuddered in fear.
Hundred-Handed Ones—in Theogony* called "Ouranides" (commonly "Hecatoncheires").
According to records, the Hundred-Handed Ones were children of Earth Mother Gaia—three in total: Briareos, Cottus, and Gyes.
They were monstrously huge and ferocious, even larger than Titans and Cyclopes.
So powerful that Uranus and the twelve Titans feared them.
In the Titanomachy, Zeus, to gain aid—released these three infinitely strong Hundred-Handed Ones from Tartarus, making them willingly serve under him.
In battle, each hurled 100 mountain-sized stones, overwhelming Titans.
Ultimately, with the help of the Hundred-Handed Giants, Zeus was able to establish a new order on Olympus.
The three became famed close attendants to the god-king, defending his throne, blocking all external challenges.
Now, the Olympus god-king, in rage, deployed these three monsters to sea, directly annihilating Atlantis.
So what about them...
The thunder giant in sky glanced at cowering maritime gods, then at the three Hundred-Handed Ones standing on the sea, and solemnly commanded.
"From this day, guard Oceanus sea—prohibit all transgression!"
"Yes, my king!"
Instantly, the three Hundred-Handed Ones roared like muffled thunder, bodies sinking deep sea.
Permanent station here?
Maritime gods hearing this inwardly wailed bitterly.
Anyone seeing these three hulks blocking the door would sleep uneasily.
But they were at fault first, and God-King Majesty not cleaning them like Atlanteans was already fortune.
Other ocean gods with handles grasped dared not question, only silently swallowing bitter fruit, accepting the fact that their sea godhood had been suppressed and restricted.
However, not everyone was willing to bow their heads.
"Zeus!!!"
On the sea, Poseidon, having suffered repeated blows, roared at the thunder giant in the sky, his long hair disheveled. His voice, too high-pitched, became shrill and piercing.
At this moment, even if dumbest, this sea king majesty understood: that "tolerance" and "acquiescence" was his wishful thinking.
From beginning to end, his beloved younger brother had never intended to let go of this trump card he had painstakingly accumulated.
Zeus not only borrowed his hand to lesson mother-worshipping Minoans, but used life-trampling pretext to clean his Atlantean army.
"Unconvinced?"
The thunder giant in the sky looked down at the sea's overlord, his gaze indifferent.
"Seven days hence, I convene authority conference in Olympus grand temple. Poseidon, if dissatisfied with my judgment, appeal freely!"
Then, giant turned to grief-stricken, pale daughter on sea—face instantly softening, voice easing yet firm.
"Athena, come too. Fear not—I will surely uphold justice for you and your people!"
"Father god..."
Hearing that solemn guarantee, the goddess of wisdom, who had suffered such a great misfortune, was speechless with grievance and could only look at her benevolent father in the sky with her bright eyes filled with tears, nodding vigorously.
At this moment, as an observer, Lorne felt a pang of nausea watching this scene of fatherly love and filial piety.
But before nauseated long, Zeus, who was briefly comforting daughter, let the giant arm wrap first criminal Poseidon back to Olympus, leaving time for aftermath.
The oppressive aura dissipated, and the sea gods, as if granted a pardon, transformed into light and shadow, fleeing from this place of trouble and heading back to their homes.
Now that things had escalated, even His Majesty the King of the Gods had personally intervened to arbitrate, and there were two living examples of Crete and Atlantis before them.
For the sake of safety, it was best not to get involved in Olympian domestic affairs.
The sea gods and their divine bloodlines, having reached a consensus, scattered like birds and beasts in no time.
Without Poseidon as their leader, and fearing retaliation, Prince Triton and Queen Amphitrite, along with the receding tide, quietly retreated back into the primordial ocean with the rest of the army.
~~
Once the chaos had subsided, Athena immediately restrained the grief that had briefly darkened her expression.
Her gaze swept past Crete, now swallowed by the roiling waves, and turned back to Lorne, speaking in a low voice.
"What shall we do next?"
"The three Hecatoncheires remain stationed in the Oceanus Sea, keeping watch over the restless sea deities. That leaves our God-King's side unguarded, doesn't it? That's far too unsafe…"
Lorne's lips curved into a half-smile, his eyes gleaming with unspoken meaning.
Hearing his words, Athena's heart skipped a beat and her cold, calculating gaze drifted toward Olympus, hidden among the stars.
Her grip tightened around her spear and shield, a stirring of anticipation rising within her.
"You mean… we are to—"
Lorren shook his head with a chuckle, eyes flickering with quiet amusement.
"No, no. Such a golden opportunity, of course, must be left for His Majesty, the Sea King!"
"..."
The corner of her mouth twitched, as the goddess of wisdom shot him a deep, piercing look.
"And us? Are we just standing there?"
Lorren's smile widened, bright and innocent as he tossed a bronze emblem high into the air, caught it, and tilted his face with the utmost sincerity.
"Of course, we're on the winning side."
"..."
The goddess of wisdom gazing over the seas stared at the seemingly innocent grin for a long, long while.
Finally, after a full fifteen minutes, the tension in Athena's face softened, replaced by a mirrored expression of faint, reluctant amusement.
"In seven days, you'll accompany me to Olympus."
"Uh… I serve Lady Hestia…"
Lorne reminded her with genuine concern, clearly not eager to wade into whatever storm awaited him on Olympus.
However, Athena turned her head, her own expression equally innocent and sincere.
"That's right. From now on, you will represent your aunt at the Divine Council. I've already informed her."
"…!"
Instantly, Lorne's smile froze stiffly and he took a few instinctive steps backward.
But before he could react further, Athena, smiling warmly, grabbed him with one hand.
"No rush. Let's finish our business first; going to Olympus can wait."
Without further words, the goddess summoned her golden chariot, tossing Lorne into it without ceremony and whipped the reins, riding Pegasus, cutting through the waves and vanishing into the horizon.
In the confusion, the bronze emblem slipped from Lorn's hand, sinking steadily into the sea.
Around him, Minotaur guards of divine blood lay scattered, unyielding even in death..with King Minos himself among them.
This was their battlefield, and their tomb.
"Buzz!"
The bronze emblem struck the seabed with a soft chime, a faint glimmer tracing along its surface.
"Bzzzzz!"
Simultaneously, hundreds of resonances echoed, forming a dense field of starlight deep beneath the waves.
As tattered clothing was swept aside by the currents, identical bronze emblems were seen affixed to the chests of each fallen warrior, pressed over their eyes by the movement of the water.
—In ancient Greek myth, there is a dark river between the living world and the abyss, the River Styx, ferried by Charon.
Every soul seeking passage must bribe him with a coin; only then will he carry them safely across.
Otherwise, their souls are cast into the river, suffering endlessly before drifting to the Underworld.
—Charon, like Thanatos, the god of death, and Hypnos, the god of sleep, is a child of Nyx, the goddess of night.
—Fragments from Bacchylides indicate that Nyx had another daughter, Hecate.
She was one of the most revered goddesses of Zeus, son of Cronus.
Zeus gifted Hecate with dominion over the earth and the barren seas.
She was honored in the star-studded heavens, greatly respected among the immortal gods.
Zeus never harmed her, nor took anything from what she had inherited from the elder Titans.
Just as initially apportioned, she retained her share of the earth, sky, and sea.
She was the godmother of Persephone, queen of the Underworld, guiding the souls of the departed through the night.
—Thus, some say she is the incarnation of Nyx herself, the true queen of the Underworld.