Gigantomachia - Part 4
"Atlas has sided with Gaia!"
The gods of Olympus were in shock at the sight of Atlas, now infused with the ichor and malice of countless Gigantes. Even in his usual state, bearing the heavens on his shoulders, Atlas was a force that rivaled the Three Brothers.
"You heard what Hades said! Brace yourselves for the shockwave!"
"Why would Lord Atlas...?"
"It must be Gaia’s doing—there’s no other explanation!"
BOOM—CRAAAAASH!!!
The plains of Phlegra disintegrated under the clash. Gods scrambled to shield themselves, their divine powers warding off the devastating shockwaves that rippled outward. But it wasn’t over.
KRRRKKKK! RUMBLE!
Gigantes and gods alike fled in terror. Even immortals, revered by mortals, now appeared desperate and disheveled as they scattered. No one could withstand the onslaught of spatial tears, deathly force, lightning storms, and tidal waves tearing through the battlefield.
"Hurry, Hephaestus, come with me! Leave this chaos to them—let’s chase the fleeing Gigantes!"
"Understood, Mother!"
"Damn it! How many mortals will perish from this? I’ll have to create new ones again..."
"How many Gigantes have managed to escape?"
Hera, Demeter, and Hestia—veteran gods who had fought in the Titanomachy—gritted their teeth and moved swiftly. War god Ares stormed over to the hearth goddess, his frustration boiling over.
"Hestia! How did we defeat Atlas back then?"
"He wasn’t nearly this strong. Gaia... she must have summoned him and bolstered his power."
"That kind of strength won’t last forever," Athena interjected, her wisdom cutting through the tension. Even she bore signs of exhaustion, golden ichor trickling from wounds across her body.
The gods snapped out of their initial shock and began working in tandem. Athena dispatched divine oracles to the mortal world, Hecate’s spells absorbed shockwaves, and others hunted down fleeing Gigantes. Each did their part as chaos reigned.
"Lord Dionysus!"
"Ugh... what, Heracles? Speak quickly—I’m exhausted."
"How is Atlas here? He was supposed to be punished!"
"It’s exactly what it looks like. Gaia brought him back, and he’s joined her side!"
Heracles had some knowledge of Atlas, gleaned after his ascension to godhood. He understood the strength of the titan now battling his father, Zeus. But understanding wasn’t the same as hesitation.
"Heracles...? What are you thinking?"
"Wait. Don’t tell me you’re planning—"
Without a word, Heracles began walking toward the heart of the destruction, where the battle raged most fiercely.
"Heracles! Where do you think you’re going?!"
"There’s an enemy. I must fight."
To Heracles, battle was a trial, and trials were meant to be overcome.
"Hades! You’re there!"
SHEEEWW—BOOM!!!
Atlas’s colossal fist narrowly missed me, the shockwave slicing through the air and obliterating a distant mountain. I countered with my bident, slashing at his impenetrable body, but the blow barely made him flinch.
WHAM!
His counterattack sent me skidding across the battlefield. Damn, that body of his had always been a nightmare to deal with, and now it was even tougher.
Atlas wasn’t just a mindless brute; his strength bordered on a divine domain of its own. If not for Heracles claiming the mantle of the god of strength, Atlas might well have held that title.
"This damned fight should have ended long ago!" Poseidon roared, his trident crashing down on Atlas’s arm. The sea god’s frustration was palpable, and his attacks reflected it.
"I don’t feel a thing unless it’s Uranus’s scythe," Atlas sneered.
"How fitting for Gaia’s favorite to receive such blessings," I muttered.
"Don’t worry, I’ll carve through you soon enough," Poseidon growled.
Even Zeus’s thunderbolts seemed to glance off Atlas’s reinforced body. Now the king of gods was relying on the scythe—the weapon that had once severed Uranus’s essence. It was the only thing that could cut deep enough to make Atlas falter.
Drip...
Sweat trickled down my brow as I fought. The prolonged use of my helm, Kunee, was taking its toll. This battle would inevitably swing in our favor—the power Gaia granted Atlas couldn’t last forever. But every moment we spent locked here was a moment our forces couldn’t spare.
The earth rumbled once more. Gaia’s power continued to coalesce, even as the battlefield lay in ruins. Fleeing Gigantes scattered across the mortal world. If left unchecked, they could wipe out half of humanity.
Were Styx, Lethe, and Persephone safe? I hadn’t had a moment to check amidst the chaos.
"Heh... seems it’s almost time to pass this weight onto someone else," Atlas chuckled.
"Ha!"
I couldn’t ignore Atlas, nor could I leave him to escape. With only two of us holding him here, he could break free and slaughter gods and mortals alike.
Killing him wasn’t an option. As an immortal Titan, he wouldn’t die, but dismembering him could buy us the time we needed.
Someone was approaching.
I had commanded all nonessential gods to retreat, so who would dare?
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CLANG!
It was Heracles, wielding his massive iron club. Charging into the fray, he struck Atlas from behind. The titan staggered—not from pain but from surprise.
"Heracles! What are you doing here?!"
"You need help, don’t you?"
The power of Heracles’s blow created a brief opening. Zeus capitalized on it, severing Atlas’s leg with the scythe.
"RAAAAH!"
Seizing the moment, I thrust my bident into Atlas’s eyes, blinding him temporarily, while Poseidon’s trident drove into his stomach. Golden ichor gushed from his wounds as the titan collapsed.
THUD!
"Finally," I muttered, catching my breath. The battle seemed to be over.
The gods regrouped, tending to their wounds and preparing to hunt down the remaining Gigantes. Atlas, broken and bleeding, was bound for Tartarus once more.
I plunged my bident into the ground, channeling the power of the Underworld to quell the earth’s restless energy. Gaia’s influence was fading.
Or so I thought.
The ground trembled violently. A massive form rose from the earth, its body composed entirely of soil and stone.
RUMBLE...
It was a titan of earth itself. The pressure it exuded was akin to what I’d felt when meeting Nyx, the primordial goddess of night. The gods froze as its overwhelming presence consumed the battlefield.
"You dared challenge me," came a voice from the colossus. "I will never acknowledge you!"
Gaia had intervened directly.
This was beyond us. There was only one option left. Looking skyward, I reached out with my divine will.
Suddenly, the heavens darkened. Night descended, enveloping the battlefield in shadow. The stars above shimmered like countless eyes, and the primordial essence of Nyx filled the air.
The earth colossus halted.
Two primordial deities faced each other in the shattered remnants of the plains. Silence fell, broken only by the soft hum of celestial power.
Nyx’s voice echoed through the darkness.
"Gaia, isn’t this enough?"