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Chapter 10 - Titanomachy IV

Neoth walks into the laboratory. He moves past his experiments and projects and into another room, which holds six people-sized glass tanks. He looks at them and uses his psychic prowess to check their current state. Neoth created these glass containers to replicate a Bacta Tank from Star Wars, but added his immense knowledge of the Age of Technology. He created the containers by combining the Sage Force through them and having it flow in an anti-helix pattern, which contained both the structure and prevented the powers of the individuals from getting out of control. 

His armies are ready, and he only needs a few additions to further his plans. The Endless who came to 'visit' him were clear. Destiny wanted the Book of Souls to function correctly again and therefore had given it to Neoth. Dream wanted his future beloved back, while Death... well, it wasn't clear what Death wanted. Neoth knows that it is not possible to kill Greek Gods as easily as they did, not completely, at least, which is why he had their 'essences', their ichors, collected and then went to work. 

Using his growing psychic power, he controlled their 'respawn rate' and more or less cultivated them in the glass containers. Similar to creating a clone, if you will. His siblings floated in the fluid with their eyes closed, but now it was time for some of them to wake up. 

Neoth looks over to some helpers who wait for his command and nods. They press a few buttons, and a moment later, the fluid starts to drain from three of them. 

*TSCHHHHH*

The containers open, revealing three naked people: two females and one male. They open their eyes and look up. As they see his form, they see a radiant golden giant, with blinding light for eyes, like looking directly at the sun. His presence makes them stagger. They remember what happened when they died, but they aren't mad about it, surprisingly. The powerful psychic light has cleansed their essences while they were being remade. 

"Welcome back, Hestia, Demeter and Hades."

"What is going on? What did you do?" Hades asks. 

"I have sped up the process of your return," Neoth says. 

"What for? Why would you do that to us?" Hestia asks. "We are your siblings."

"I offered you all a chance to follow me when we first met. None of you wanted to take me up on my offer. I made my way out of Kronus' stomach and am free. If you hadn't attacked the Custodes, you wouldn't have been killed. I brought you back because among the Olympians, you three are the most useful and the most grounded. But now, you have rested enough, it is time for the final fight."

"Fight? Against whom?" Demeter asks. 

"Against Kronus, of course. The Titanomachy is about to be written, and I offer you a chance to write your own chapter."

Neoth's presence weighs on the three siblings. One might think that they should be of equal power, but they're not. Not even close. Neoth was born a Greek God, like the rest of them, but he also possessed the abilities of the Emperor of Mankind. And finally, he had connected to the Sage Force, utilising its limitless energy and combining it with his own. 

"I... I don't think I can do that," Hestia says. 

"You will. A family is only as good as its members. Your father consumed you out of fear and greed. Don't think that he will hesitate to kill you. You shall stand up and fight, because that's what you must do. It's what all of you must do," Neoth says. 

"Get dressed. The fighting has already begun."

After saying that, Neoth disappears from the laboratory and teleports to the battlefield, where the final battles of the Titanomachy were in full swing. The entire battlefield was divided into four parts. 

Part one was the IVth Custodes Legion, which Primarch Custodes Antonius leads. They attack from the north-west and march towards Mount Othrys. 

The second part is the IXth Custodes Legion under the leadership of Primarch Custodes Hasturias. They approach Mount Othrys from the north. 

The third part is the Xth Custodes Legion under Primarch Custodes Tybalus. They move in from the north-east. 

From the south, the IInd Custodes Legion have arrived with their Sword Class Frigates and attacks the seaside. 

Between all of this, the 1st Brotherhood of the Grey Knights under Grand Master Ignatius is making their way forward, and killing anything that stands in their way. The aerial battle starts to get heated as the first of the Titans arrives to confront the enemy. Helios, son of Hyperion, has arrived. The Titan of the sun shoots through the sky and crashes into the first Sword Class Frigate, causing the entire thing to explode. But the impact was not without injury for the young Titan. The technology was created using the Sage Force and is supported by the Custodes' belief in their Emperor. 

A salvo of attacks hits the young Titan as he tries to shake the grogginess from his head. The explosions surprise him once more, but his anger at the one who is behind all of this wins. His eyes start to shine as he pumps his divinity through his body and takes control over the power of the sun, at least to the degree that he can. The heat increases, and a large beam of energy shoots from the sun to the planet, melting several Sword Class Frigates in the process. 

The Kataphraktoi — Jetbikers arrive, supporting the IInd Custodes Legion and taking Helios' attention off the attack. 

.

Seeing the destruction, the Titans launch their counterattack. Kronus sits on his throne and looks down on the battlefield. He feels the strength this army has, which has been attacking his. He grows envious and angry. He knows that despite all that has happened, he will have to get involved himself. He did all he could to prevent the prophecy from coming to fruition, but it only resulted in the prophecy fulfilling itself. But he is not dead yet. 

For a second, he thought that the prophecy had been wrong when the Olympians had disappeared from the battlefield. He felt their presence had disappeared. But now, something else has taken their place, something that shines brighter than Hyperion or Helios ever could. His son, whom he never gave a name to, has taken to the battlefield. 

"Get on the battlefield, Atlas. Destroy those arrogant pieces of flesh. Show them why it was wrong for them to attack us. And tell Oceanus to launch his attack as well. This is the final offensive. If we win this, we will have won the war."

"Yes, Lord Kronus."

Atlas moves to the edge of the mountain and jumps down. He falls through the air and crashes on the ground below. His arrival sends shockwaves through the earth and alerts everyone to his presence. However, Atlas, the god of strength, is not the only warrior of the Titans who has arrived. A second later, Iapetus, the god of mortal life, arrives unannounced and starts to spread his divinity and affect all things. Whatever believes itself to be immortal starts to grow weaker under his influence. 

Both of them walk towards Neoth, who stands tall amidst his forces. He looks at them without a change in his expression. He has already seen this moment happen and knows the outcome. 

"You shine bright, little godling. But this is as far as you go. You will pay for the insolence you showed to Lord Kronus," Atlas says. 

"No."

"No? Hehe, do you hear that, uncle? He doesn't want to," Atlas laughs. 

"You have no choice in the matter, nephew. You will die, no matter how you believe otherwise," Iapetus says. 

"I will not die, not by yours or anyone's hand," Neoth says. 

"Poor thing. You see, immortality is a fallacy I have proven wrong."

"You will not be fighting me, you will be fighting them," Neoth says. 

"Who?"

Next to Neoth, Hades and Demeter appear. Both of them are dressed in armour and hold a weapon. A sense of dread spreads from Hades and his helmet, while Demeter is holding a sickle in both her hands. 

"Allow us to take over, brother," Hades says. 

"Yes, we'll show them!" Demeter agrees. 

"Have at them."

Hades suddenly disappears and then appears behind Atlas again, slashing his sword at the god of strength. Demeter attacks Iapetus and summons weeds from the ground, entangling the Titan and trying to absorb all of his energy. However, the female Olympian is inexperienced in fighting and will require significantly more practice. Iapetus's presence causes the plants to die off and release him. He rushes forward and punches forward, aiming to kill his niece in one blow. As his fist approaches her face, though, a sword cuts through the air and cuts off Iapetus' hand, before the Titan can pull his arm back. 

"ARGH!" he roars in pain and looks at the new addition to his fight. 

Primarch Custodes of the IVth Legion, Antonius, has arrived in support of Demeter. He holds an Adrathic Destructor on his Adrathic Spear, ready to unravel the Titan before him. Demeter has terrible flashbacks seeing one of them. The Olympians have all developed PTSD after they were killed, and the Primarch Custodes are in a league of their own. But Antonius doesn't bother with Demeter and simply attacks. 

The same thing happens on Hades' side. IXth C-Legion Primarch Hasturias is helping him out and attacking the Titan of strength relentlessly. 

.

Finally, Hestia arrives at Neoth's side and looks at the ongoing fights. She doesn't like to fight, and since they are essentially fighting against their family members, she doesn't like it even more. But she is different now, Neoth influenced all of the Olympians while they regenerated. Hestia is a good goddess at heart and should be more prominent in their pantheon. He has given her and the others a chance to prove themselves and show everyone what they are capable of. 

"Is there anyone left?" she asks, seeing the massive carnage on the battlefield. 

"There is always someone to fight," Neoth says and points to the sky. 

The moon starts to flicker for a second, despite it being the middle of the day and from the light, a woman appears before the two. Hestia looks at Neoth, and he nods. 

"You! My name is Selene. You killed my father! I will-"

*BOOOOOM*

Hestia launches a bright flame towards Selene. The daughter of Hyperion seems rather angry at Neoth for killing her father. But she's not the only one there. Helios would have probably supported the Olympians, but after Neoth killed Hyperion and absorbed his power, turning it into his own, he swore vengeance, and the entire family has agreed on that. Even Theia, the wife of Hyperion. 

"So it was you... You killed my beloved."

Neoth looks at Theia, standing in front of him and motions for the Hetaeron Guard to step back. The personal guard of the Emperor has naturally followed him to the battlefield and is making sure to protect him from all sides. Neoth looks at Theia, seeing her pain and the tears rolling down her cheeks. And yet, he feels nothing for her. 

"I did."

"You almost sound proud of yourself," she says. 

"Hyperion died because he stood against me and was weak," Neoth says. 

Neoth is not trying to talk down on Hyperion or Theia. He is stating a fact. He doesn't feel pleasure at having killed Hyperion; it was just the right thing for him to do. But Theia was right, he was a proud individual. 

"And who gave you the right to take his life? It was Kronus who wronged you and not my husband. So who gave you the right?" she cries. 

"I have. I am the one who will stand at the pinnacle of all pantheons. I am the God Emperor Neoth."

Neoth's presence is unleashed, and his psychic and divine power manifests, hurting all those who stand against him and his forces. Theia feels it as well and uses her own divine energy, along with her divinity of sight and the aether, to boost herself. She tries to see where Neoth has a weakness, but can't. His sheer psychic might blinds her, rendering her unable to act or see anything... except darkness.

*SWING*

The flaming sword slashes through the air and plunges into Theia's body, lifting her into the air. Just like her husband before her, a powerful psychic flame envelops her, and her divinity and vitality are drained, turning the woman to dust, killing her. 

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