The Tale of Sisyphus and Thanatos

Chapter 2

The Underworld in Chaos

Lately, the goddess Styx has been avoiding me. It seems it’s because of the embarrassing incident last time.

Even while she helps with the tasks of the underworld, if the conversation goes on too long...

"Well, I’ll just go check on the river now!"

"Oh..."

Her ears, neck, and face gradually turn red as she slips away. I’ve tried to stop her, of course.

"Goddess Styx, could we talk for a moment?"

"Eek!"

"Oh..."

She ran away as if fleeing from Zeus, and there was nothing I could do.

And that’s not the end of it. If I feel a gaze and look to a nearby corner, I often see the goddess Lethe staring at me with dead eyes.

"Hades..."

Recently, her vacant eyes have never seemed so terrifying. It feels like she’s silently blaming me, making my skin prickle.

As I was blankly staring at a parchment, contemplating the recent strained relationships, a soul approached me with a worried expression.

"Lord Hades!"

"...?"

"Souls have not been coming to the underworld for several days!"

Of course, it was too much to expect peace in this damned underworld.

I hurriedly convened a meeting of the underworld. The other gods, having also received reports of the disappearance of souls, arrived quickly.

"Suddenly, a few days ago, souls stopped coming to the underworld!"

"Lord Thanatos has completely disappeared!"

Thanatos, the personification of death, was responsible for bringing souls to the underworld. But I had sent him to Olympus at Zeus's request, to capture a grave sinner and bring his soul to the underworld for judgment. Yet he hadn’t returned.

The gods of the underworld, sensing something was wrong, wore serious expressions. Even goddesses Lethe and Styx, usually indifferent, looked grave.

"Did he encounter a Gigantes while capturing the sinner?"

"To disrupt the cycle of life and death, capturing Lord Thanatos would be the quickest method."

"Could it be the work of a monster like Typhon?"

There were rumors of Gigantes near Thebes, and Gaia could have created a new monster to attack Thanatos. Though a powerful deity, Thanatos was not invincible. It was possible for him to be defeated or captured by monsters.

"First, let’s contact Olympus and manage the situation on Earth."

Without Thanatos to oversee death, other gods had to work harder. The mortal realm was in chaos.

"Ahhh! The dead chicken is moving!"

"I cut off the cow's head, but its body is still alive!"

"Damn it! Why won't you die, you bastard!"

"And you, you’re still alive with a knife in your head!"

Gods like Moros and Ceres were busy collecting souls, while Hypnos tried to put those who should have died into a deep sleep to buy time. Meanwhile, they contacted Olympus to inquire about Thanatos's whereabouts.

"Damn it! We’re suffering because of Thanatos!"

"Do you think he's slacking off somewhere because the work was too hard?"

"Impossible! Have you ever seen Thanatos rest for even a day?"

"Never, not even once!"

* * *

On Olympus

Olympus was in turmoil, just like the underworld. With no one dying on Earth, many gods were accusing Zeus.

"Father! People are not dying in the war!"

"This disrupts the cycle of life in nature..."

"Lord Hades has strongly protested and is asking about the whereabouts of Lord Thanatos."

"Thanatos was supposed to capture a demigod..."

Zeus, too, was puzzled by the situation. Athena, who often provided counsel, was absent, leaving Zeus unsure.

"How could a mere mortal defeat Thanatos?!"

To Zeus, Sisyphus seemed clever but not particularly powerful. Pan, the god of nature, provided a plausible explanation.

"Zeus, could it be that a monster like Typhon or a Gigantes ambushed him...?"

"That makes sense. He must have been attacked while capturing Sisyphus!"

Zeus, finding the suggestion reasonable, called upon Ares, the god of war. If anyone could handle a monster, it would be Ares.

"Ares! It's time to show the same bravery you did when you wielded your sword to save me!"

"Oh! You've heard of my exploits, Father!"

"Thanatos must have been ambushed by a monster on his way to capture that insolent mortal. Go rescue Thanatos and bring death to that mortal!"

"Understood! Leave it to me!"

Ares, brimming with fighting spirit, donned his armor and wielded the magnificent sword Hephaestus had forged for him after the last rebellion. The monster that ambushed Thanatos would fall to the god of war.

* * *

Ares Arrives in Corinth

Ares drove his chariot to Corinth, eager to investigate where Thanatos's trail ended. But there were no signs of a monster attack.

Feeling something was amiss, Ares entered Sisyphus’s palace, intending to interrogate him and find out if he had seen the god of death. As the king, Sisyphus might also have seen any monster that appeared nearby.

"Intruder! Attack with spears!"

"Who dares enter the palace!"

Ares glanced at the Corinthian soldiers surrounding him. None were particularly well-armed. No gods or heroes. No monsters that could threaten him.

No need to worry.

Ignoring everything, Ares strode towards the inner palace. The soldiers tried to stop him with spears and swords, but a mere mortal couldn't harm an Olympian god.

"Aaah! Stop him!"

"No way! Our spears are breaking!"

"Swords don't work! Run away!"

Ignoring the panicked humans, Ares searched for Sisyphus. Deep in the palace, he sensed something unusual. Descending further, he found a man with a crown and a club, ready to attack.

"You were sent by Zeus to kill me! But this oak club..."

But Ares felt something strange in the depths of the palace. Ignoring the club, he expanded his divine senses. From below, he sensed the unmistakable aura of death.

Crack. Crunch.

"What... I hit his head, but the club broke?"

Sisyphus, guilty as he was, no longer mattered. If Thanatos was in the basement, Sisyphus would soon be taken to the underworld. Ares hurried to the basement door. Why was Thanatos's power emanating from below? Had he been injured by a monster?

Snore—Snore—

Descending, Ares saw Thanatos, the old god with black wings, lying down and snoring. He had broken his bonds easily and was sleeping comfortably. Rubbing his belly and snoring, Thanatos woke up and locked eyes with the astonished Ares.

* * *

Ares's Realization

Ares was often seen as violent and simple-minded, but he was not stupid. His seemingly gullible nature was often due to being tricked by Athena, the goddess of wisdom.

Recalling how Athena had tricked him during the great flood, Ares realized what had happened.

"Damn! Why are these souls so..."

"Huff... Ares?! Help organize these souls!"

"My wing feathers are falling out again... Is this alopecia, no, alar alopecia?"

Thanatos had sent countless minions to the mortal realm, working tirelessly day and night. No god seemed busier than Thanatos, who never rested.

Thanatos had been working without rest. If Ares were in his position, he would desperately want a break too.

The evidence began to add up:

1. Thanatos had broken free and was snoring.
2. It wasn’t Hypnos’s power; he was simply resting.
3. There were no traces of a monster capable of defeating Thanatos.
4. Thanatos’s power was intact; he showed no signs of being weakened.

Thanatos, noticing Ares's scrutinizing gaze, spoke in a groggy voice.

"Ares! You came to rescue me from being ambushed by a mortal!"

"Sigh..."

At least wipe the drool from your mouth and try to lie better, Thanatos.

Ares quietly rubbed his forehead.