Author Notes: So, I see that a lot of people are finding the origin of the Mist a bit confusing, so I will say this straight away. The Mist is ruled by Hecate. She has absolute control over it. But she did not create it. It was always there and could be used by the Titans before the rise of the Olympians. It's just that Hecate took it as her official domain after the fall of the Titans. This is what the source material implied, and while it is still disputed even now by fans, this is what I am going with for now. Now, onwards with the chapter.
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Upon the glorious peak of Mount Othrys, Atlas, the son of Iapetus, the Titan of Mortality, and Clymene, one of the many, many daughters of Oceanus and Tethys, kneeled in front of his king, not daring to look upon the Crooked One's visage lest he earn the Titan King's ire.
After all, it was no secret in the realms that the King had waned significantly in the past ten years.
He, who once shone with vitality and strength to physically move the very Ourea themselves, now looked like a decrepit, decaying corpse.
His eyes still held power and his hand still held firm upon the ancient scythe fashioned from the very bedrock of the primordial earth and ancient Adamantine.
Yet, that was all he had left.
His ancient, primal power that could once be felt from across the realms, now a mere whisper of its former strength.
His perfectly chiseled form that once made many a Nymph, Oceanid, and Titaness swoon, now a shriveled up, hunched over and visually weak. Nothing more than skin and bones.
His regal presence that once filled many a titan with pride and awe for having fought by his side against the ancient Ouranos, now completely missing.
Yet, no titan, not even Atlas, dared cross this supposedly weakened King.
For the absence of his physical perfection and divine presence, something else had grown with leaps and bounds.
Evil. Pure, unfiltered Evil.
That was what shone through his crimson irises that now stared down at everyone and everything with clear paranoia and distrust.
Evil so suffocating that none but the most bloodthirsty, or the most foolish, of the Titans dared stand in the King's presence and not flinch in fear.
And Atlas, the Titan of Strength and Endurance, was precisely one such Titan.
"My King. I am here as you commanded."
Cronos did not even acknowledge the titan's words as his crimson eyes flashed with unmatched power even in his decrepit form. His ancient knowledge and power, inherited from his mother and father, allowing him to manipulate the very laws of the world to do his bidding.
It was through this power that he unashamedly looked into Atlas's mind, searching for a threat that was not there.
A fact that Atlas knew, yet did not hide, for he truly had nothing to hide. And even if he did, he was not foolish enough to make an enemy out of the king for something so trivial as privacy.
Only when the King was satisfied with what he saw did his expression ease and raised a goblet, indicating his Royal Cupbearer to fill it with Nectar.
"Come, nephew. Tell me what you and the rest of your cousins have been upto these days."
Atlas felt confused at those words, knowing that the King probably knew more about the question he asked than Atlas did. For the king commands the very skies, the seas and even the underworld itself. His ears listening to everything that the living and the dead would speak, his eyes seeing everything that touches the land, the sea and the skies.
Yet, he did not dare say what he thought, only recounting the carefree life that he and his kin had been living to this day, not missing the chance to praise the king here and there to please him.
And please him it did as Cronos rewarded Atlas before sending him away.
Soon, the King grew tired and decided to rest for a bit.
Yet, the moment he relaxed even a little bit, unfathomable pain shot through his very essence, making him groan with a mix of agony and unfathomable hatred.
His mind already knowing who was responsible for this absolute annihilation of his divine flesh and the harvesting of his divine essence from within. Yet, even with all his power, there was nothing the King could do to those that he forever trapped within his very flesh.
As the Royal Cupbearer tried to pour more Nectar and bring in more Ambrosia for the king, Cronos waved his hand dismissively.
"Leave me be, Zeus. I wish to rest."
The cupbearer simply nodded and retreated from the throne room.
Watching the Cupbearer leave with no thoughts in his mind, a fact that the kind did not know to be a trick of the Mist, Cronos felt even more appreciative of this young titan who had joined his court more than a year ago.
And with his arrival came the return of many of his siblings, nieces and nephews who now returned to his court every so often, if only to indulge in the young Zeus's singing, dancing, and his jokes.
He was loyal, attentive, and most importantly for the king who did not know of the trickery afoot, harbored no thoughts aside from serving his king to the best of his abilities.
Finally, the cupbearer disappeared behind a corner, letting the king close his eyes and focus inwards. Strengthening his inner flesh to reinforce the prison that contained the threats to his future.
Yet, unknown to the king, the moment Zeus left the throne room and was sure the king was no longer watching him, his expressions of reverence and servitude changed completely, showing an expression of disgust and glee on his handsome face framed with long black hair, beard, and electric blue eyes.
'I knew mother was worrying too much about my siblings' helplessness. No brother or sister of mine could be so weak that they would not retaliate from within. And clearly, their retaliation is working if that creature's decrepit form is anything to go by.'
'Still. It is better to get this over with as soon as possible to avoid any complications. I need to see how far Metis has progressed with her potion.'
The cupbearer's face held a determined look as he retreated into his own quarters, his mind completely fixed on the task yet to come.
'I will have only one chance to make this work. So I cannot be hasty about this. I will need to wait for the most opportune moment. A moment where he is so complacent that he does not even think of checking the Nectar with his divine senses.'
'Maybe even ask for Hypnos's help? Or maybe the Oneiroi? They would be far preferable to Hypnos, who has a reputation for his laziness.'
The god in disguise thought amusedly as time ticked by and the hands of the Moirai worked hard to weave a story into the tapestry of the universe, one that they could no longer control as they pleased as they could from their very birth, but could still guide to some extent.
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Poseidon roared and punched forward with speeds that would have put many of the members of Kakarot's warriors to shame.
His form perfect and his divine power tightly controlled to maximize its destructiveness. A stark contrast to the times when he would simply lash out with his power recklessly and quickly exhaust all his power.
I blocked his fist with my forearm, retaliating with a punch of my own that make the very air compress in front of it. A testament to the growth in my power and technique.
In response, Poseidon ducked under the blow and moved into my guard. His arms closed in front of his chest in the guard position that I taught him and Hades. His eyes already locking onto the opening I deliberately left.
However, this is where his play fell apart as the opening is a bait.
The moment he lashed out with a knee strike, I intercepted it with my own thigh and retaliated with a leg sweep, toppling him over.
However, instead of falling to the floor, Poseidon grinned as his heavily suppressed divinity swelled.
Moisture condensed beneath his feet, forming a thin layer of water which he used as a platform and launched himself at me. His fist once again aimed at my face.
The moment his fist approached within a few inches of my face, I finally started to use my Ki in an external fashion.
I used my Ki-derived telekinesis, a trick I learned from some of the more powerful Oni in Earth's Hell, and deflected his punch away.
Simultaneously, I pulled in his body, maintaining his momentum, towards my extended arm, clothslining him.
As his body crashed into the fleshy floor, I was on him with my fist a mere inch away from his face.
Yet, he did not sport a frustrated expression.
Instead, it was a grin of excitement and bloodlust. One that I too sported as my Saiyan instincts demanded more.
"You lost, brother."
"I did. But next time, I won't."
I grinned and stretched out my arm to him, one that he took and stood back up on his feet.
"Too much wasted movements, Poseidon. And your attention span needs work. Brolios left that opening deliberatly and you were too blind to see it."
Poseidon sneered at Hades's observation.
"You are one to talk. I lasted an hour against him. How long did you last again? Oh, right. Five minutes."
Shadows surged around Hades at that insult as his crimson eyes glared at his younger brother. And Poseidon did not remain silent either as the noise of rushing water filled our ears followed by the bile around us rising and falling under Poseidon's control.
While we could not form our domains properly here as Cronos's stomach cuts us off from the world's very essence, there was no denying the affinities that my brothers and sisters were already showing.
I suspect, the moment we get out of here, their affinities will instantly solidify into domains.
I silently watched as the two glared at each other with their divine essence clashing in a duel of wills.
Yet, despite this threatening display, I knew that neither of my brothers was serious. To us, this was playful banter more than a serious challenge.
Because that is just how we warriors are.
Unfortunately for my brothers, my sisters don't understand this kind of fun.
That is why Poseidon and Hades were forced to stop when Hestia, Demeter, and Hera stepped between the two with glares on their faces.
Hestia's disappointed look was enough to cull both of my brothers while Demeter and Hera started their usual speeches on violence and other such things.
Things that we had gotten used to in the past ten years we were stuck here.
Ten years where I figured out how to quell my hunger as well as strengthen myself and my siblings by harvesting the very body of our warden.
Ten years where I slowly, painfully, bled Cronos dry of his divine essence with my rapidly advancing mastery of Hakai.
Ten years where I forcefully harvested his power and fed it to my siblings to strengthen their own flickering and weakening essence, bolstering and empowering them over the years.
Ten years of torturing the Titan who took away my freedom and reduced me to a prisoner again.
Ten long years of waiting for freedom that is now only a short time away.
Freedom that was promised to all of us nearly ten years ago, when a stone fell into our prison instead of another babe. Proof that Mother has finally decided to rebel against the monster that she calls a husband.
Proof that she is now working towards finding a way to free us all.
Proof that our freedom was not far away.
A proof that my siblings and I could never mistake, for the divine imprint carried on the rock contained her own conviction and thoughts. One that only we could pick up due to our bond of mother and children.
And this rescue is just in time as far as I can tell.
Because it was only recently that my body finally matured completely under the power of my Zenkai boost and divinity.
Finally, I managed to regain the peak of my power and probably even surpassed it.
Finally, it would be time to avenge my mother's anguish and my own imprisonment.
Finally, I will have true freedom.
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Author Notes: Read 5 chapters ahead on Patreon
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