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As they crossed the open field, Zeus walked at the front, leading the charge alongside his two brothers, Hades and Poseidon.
A cocky, confident smile rested on his face, as though thunder and lightning themselves radiated from him.
His thoughts drifted to the attack—and to the place they were about to strike.
It was a settlement belonging to one of the subordinates of The King of The Cosmos himself, Kronos.
Loyal to Kronos's side, it served as both an outer settlement of his dominion and a vanguard camp—meant to warn, observe, and repel any rebels who dared approach their territory.
After all, the land was believed to belong to them entirely.
The place had a name.
The Ashen Bastion.
Yet in Zeus's mind, there was only one thought.
'When I show my might, women—and even men—will love me!'
Stars seemed to sparkle in his eyes as lightning flickered faintly within them.
He was excited—excited to show his power, excited to prove his worth.
He craved the spotlight, the attention of others… and their bodies of course.
He always had.
But then, a flicker of unease crossed his thoughts when he had such thoughts.
Even among his brothers, there was one who inspired a different kind of feeling—fear.
Aetherion was something else entirely.
A terrifying man, especially to Zeus, who had grown up under his watch alongside their mother.
He had been strict… and the punishments had been far worse.
'Removing once lust…. That cruel fucker!!'
A shiver ran down Zeus's spine at the memory.
The very thought of it was enough to strip desire from his mind entirely.
He quickly shook his head, forcing the memory away as he continued forward.
Glancing behind him, he caught sight of Selene and Eos.
A perverse smile threatened to creep onto his face, but he quickly turned away, not wanting them to notice.
They were beautiful—some of the most beautiful divine women in all the world, he thought.
There were few such women om the island where they liv.
Among them where his sisters Demeter and Hestia… while his mother and Hera where slightly above.
'Focus,'
he told himself sharply, shaking his head again.
'This was not the time to be distracted—not before battle.'
A voice sounded beside him, snapping him back to the present.
"We've arrived,"
Poseidon said.
And indeed, they had.
Before them stood a vast structure of stone and divine metal, fortified by towering walls that encircled the settlement.
Yet the defenses seemed almost careless, as if the inhabitants believed no one would ever dare attack them.
Within the walls were distinct districts, each aligned with the preferences and domains of different deities.
Zeus could sense the power there—mostly minor gods, though numerous lesser gods too.
"We should attack immediately,"
Poseidon said.
"No need to rush," Zeus replied confidently. "We have time."
Glancing back once more, Zeus saw Selene invoking the power of the moon, casting an illusion over their forces to conceal them completely from prying senses.
'She learned that from Aetherion,'
Zeus thought.
Now that he reflected on it, they had learned many things from him.
Strange ideas, unconventional methods—who would have thought the moon and illusion could be so deeply connected?
'A weird one,'
Zeus mused, a faint grin returning to his face.
But an effective one.
Next to him, Zeus heard a voice.
"We should wait for our men to settle into position—to prepare ourselves and observe the enemy."
It was Hades who spoke, his expression serious as he held a spear in his hand, already poised for battle.
Zeus nodded.
"Yes… we should."
And he meant it.
He couldn't allow his thoughts to wander now.
He had to take on the role of a leader and show what they were truly capable of.
This was their first battle, and Zeus could feel the weight of it.
Fear and nervousness were not allowed—not now.
He needed to give everything he had.
For the first time since they began walking, Zeus's expression turned serious.
He looked back at the army behind him—small, but still an army.
Thanks to Selene's illusion, the enemy couldn't hear or sense them at all, and the thought made him smile faintly.
"All of you," Zeus said quietly, his voice firm but restrained, "get ready. The attack will begin soon. Be prepared within the next few minutes."
"Yes, sir!"
the Minor gods replied at once.
Poseidon clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed.
"I was going to say that, you prick."
"Hahaha—too late, brother,"
Zeus laughed, not taking it seriously.
Poseidon scoffed, irritation clear on his face.
"Can you two stop?" Hades said flatly, shaking his head. "A battle is ahead, and you're acting like children."
Both brothers bristled slightly at that.
Zeus turned toward Hades, about to retort—
"Can you all stop acting like children?"
A calm but piercing voice cut through them.
They turned and saw Selene standing there, her expression serious and frustrated, as if cold ice radiated from her presence.
"Prepare yourselves and attack," she said firmly. "Before you start fighting each other instead."
Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades exchanged glances.
Poseidon looked annoyed.
Zeus hesitated, unsure what to say.
Hades, however, had already turned his attention back toward the battlefield, uninterested in the exchange.
"There's no need to worry about us, Selene," Zeus said casually. "We were just about to attack anyway."
Selene didn't seem to care.
"You brat," she snapped. "This is your first battle. Do you even know how to properly throw a spear, or wield a weapon, or lead an army at all?"
Her tone was dismissive, though she knew all three of them were more than strong enough to deal with minor gods.
Still, their casual attitude toward war clearly irritated her.
Such an attitude is only for the strong.
Zeus let out a nervous laugh and turned away, choosing not to argue with someone as strong as Selene—a major god, and one of the more powerful ones at that.
Looking forward again, he raised his voice.
"All right. It's time to attack. Everyone ready?!"
"Yes, sir!"
came the immediate response.
"Tch… he did it again,"
Poseidon muttered under his breath.
Zeus ignored it, his focus sharpening as he prepared himself for battle.
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