Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

Shaking his head slightly, those were matters to be considered after seizing the throne; Zeus refrained from dwelling on them any further. Now, just one step away from victory, he certainly didn’t want to make a mistake at the last moment.

“It’s about time.”

He gave a slight nod to a few crucial deities within his camp, and Zeus then strode forth. He stood before the assembly of gods, in the high sky in front of Mount of the Gods, under the gaze of all deities of heaven and earth at this moment.

He could feel the eyes of all the gods watching him, watching the being foretold by fate. This sensation of altering the world with every word and deed intoxicated Zeus profoundly.

Although not all those who gazed upon him were convinced of his right to rule, that no longer mattered. Today, he would end the reign of the monarch of the previous era right here.

‘The next era will be mine, and I will do better,’ he thought to himself as Zeus smiled. Composing his expression, he looked at the tightly shut doors of the Divine Palace and delivered the judgment he had long prepared:

“Cronus, my father, I address you this way for the last time.”

With growing intensity, Zeus’s words carried great force. He was already anticipating the look on his Father God’s face.

“You have been faithless to your Mother Goddess, unrighteous to your own brothers, and heartless to your offspring. Cronus, ultimately, all things have responded to this, and they have sent me here to end your brutal reign.”

“Stand forth, like a king and not a coward. I shall render unto you a just verdict as the sovereign of the Olympian godly order.”

Zeus’s voice echoed between the sky and the earth. He noticed a tiny figure at the foot of the mount seeming to look up in this direction. Since earthly matters were insufficient to capture his interest, he withdrew his gaze and focused on the Divine Palace before him.

As time ticked by, no one responded to him. Gradually, a low murmuring began among the gods, and Zeus grew impatient. Just as he could barely hold back from taking action, the great doors finally opened.

Creak—

A godly palace should not have produced such a sound, but indeed, it happened. The tall bronze doors swung slowly open, and a figure was faintly visible, retracting the hands that had pushed the gates.

His spirits lifted, Zeus felt the impatience in his heart dissipate completely. As long as the outcome was as he envisioned, he didn’t mind the wait.

He looked ahead expectantly, as did the rest of the gods, all curious about what expression would be on the face of the once haughty and domineering second-generation Divine King.

Despair, regret, or madness?

In any case, it was unlikely to be abject submission; that was not the Cronus they knew.

In the past, he had imposed so much pressure on them; now, they could derive as much pleasure from his predicament. Thus, under the scrunity of the gods, the figure took steps forward, emerging from the palace.

Step, step—

Initially obscured by shadows, but soon, the figure was exposed to the eye of all gods. The familiar silhouette appeared under the sunlight, but unexpectedly, though it was unclear why he was alone, Cronus did not show any hint of panic.

He just stood there, at the summit of Mount of the Gods, below the assembly of gods. Looking down from the sky at his father, for a moment, Zeus felt as though he was the one standing beneath.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, he wasn’t sure why, but his instincts told him that something was off with the deity before him.

“You’ve finally come forth, Cronus. Are you ready to face my judgment?”

Zeus felt unease but couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong, so he resorted to masking it with voice and power. Clenching the divine artifact in his hand, the sacred item filled with Thunder and ‘destruction’ powers, the surging energy, however, failed to soothe the inexplicable unrest.

He looked towards the Divine King, hoping to see fear, anxiety, panic, or rage in his adversary, as this would give Zeus the sensation of impending victory. But there was none. Atop Mount of the Gods, the slender figure didn’t even afford Zeus the courtesy of a fleeting glance.

He stood there, as if the master of all, surveying the gods far and wide.

Or perhaps, he was indeed the master of this world.

Some gods met his gaze, others averted theirs, and some even wore a mocking smile, but Cronus appeared utterly unfazed. He seemed relaxed, not like someone on the battlefield but more like strolling in his own backyard, observing plants intended for others’ pleasure.

And he, the gardener tending to them.

“Quite the gathering.”

After a short while, just when Zeus was about to lose his patience, Cronus spoke.

His deep, magnetic voice carried out. Not loud, but surprisingly, it reached the ears of every deity present.

The other deities showed no reaction; this was merely the Divine King’s swan song, after all, and they were keen to hear what he had to say. Only the Ocean Deity Sovereign’s expression grew increasingly solemn.

As a True God at the peak of powerful deities, he was the only presence, aside from Zeus, to sense that something was amiss. Pity, however, that he too could not identify the source of wrongness.

Divine Authority, the power of space and time, it all pointed to the Cronus he knew. If so, where did the problem lie?

He began to guard against the surrounding area, thinking perhaps the threat came from some other entity.