The Sky God Uranus

The constellation Aquila lies beyond the heavens, in the distant night sky, far above where the Sun and Moon traverse.

That same night sky, cloaked in darkness, fueled my drive to fight the Titans. And there, in that expanse, Uranus is secluded…

"Understood. I wish you success, for the sake of Olympus." "...Should the power of the sky strike me, tell them not to intervene."

If he harbors hostility towards me, any help from Zeus might only provoke him further. I might have to brace myself for a few blows if things go awry.

After the goddess of persuasion departed, I prepared to take my helm, the Kunee, but paused. I intended to be cautious, but would Kunee work on Uranus? During the Titanomachy, Kronos hadn’t detected my use of the helm to remain hidden. However, it likely wouldn’t work on primordial beings like Nyx or Gaia—and possibly not on Uranus, even if he is weakened...

Thunk.

I set down the Kunee, as well as the Styx Sword from my side. If anything happens, I can summon my bident, so there’s no need to carry other weapons.

To reach the distant realms beyond the night sky, I’ll need to ride Pegasus from Elysium.

Flutter, flutter!

Exiting the gates of the Underworld, I mounted the winged horse Pegasus and ascended into the sky. My destination: the constellation Aquila shining brightly above.

Whizzing through the air—

The white clouds below gradually faded from view as I soared higher. I could see the landscapes below, and in the distance, the palaces of Olympus came into view.

Ah. I caught Zeus looking in my direction. It seems he was watching out of concern.

While he might have wanted to approach Uranus himself, his position as king of the gods restrained him. Hera stood beside him, arms crossed, also watching me.

Whizzing—

Now near the constellation, I turned my gaze away from Olympus. There lay the Orion constellation, which I had requested to place in the sky; Poseidon's dolphin, which had assisted him in courting Amphitrite; and the constellations of Perseus’ rescue, Andromeda, and the Great and Little Bear...

As I ascended, I could feel Zeus’s power wane here. While Demeter governs the earth, Gaia still holds priority over the land, similar to how the celestial sphere remains under Uranus' domain.

I turned toward a presence that was observing me.

A deity appeared—a young girl with white hair, seated on the vast black sky, looking down at me. She seemed like a newly born goddess on the surface...

"Are you a child of Kronos?"

The moment I met her expressionless blue eyes, I felt as though I was being flung into the distant expanse of the sky. Compared to the Kronos I had battled in the Titanomachy, there was an overwhelming difference. She seemed only slightly weaker than Nyx...

Estimating her power by sight alone was challenging. As expected of a Protogenoi.

"Yes. I am Hades, Your Majesty of the Sky."

The god of the sky, Uranus, was before me.

I thought I had made a good first impression, but what Uranus said next was unexpected.

"Yes. I figured as much. But thinking of you as that wretch's child makes me sick."

"...!"

Whoosh—

A sudden surge of divine power blew in at her gesture. A massive wind flowed between the stars—if one could even call it wind.

Uranus is the god of the sky, representing the order and harmony of the cosmos. The power of a Protogenoi who influences the cycle of the world is indeed formidable.

The very space I stood upon, the sky itself, turned against me. There was no way I could back down now.

This is clearly Uranus’ test. I mustn’t show weakness here. I am the ruler of the Underworld, one of the Three Kings of Wealth and Justice.

I summoned my familiar weapon, the bident, into my right hand and gripped it tightly. As the black substance that covered the whole world approached in waves, I thrust my weapon forward with all my might.

■■■■■—!!!

A shockwave erupted before me, beyond description. My hand, clutching the bident, trembled. Even under the protection of the Underworld’s divine power, my beastly instincts quivered with fear.

As the gust of force, or rather the mass of power, was nullified and scattered, glimmering fragments of light filled my vision. If this clash had happened on the earth below, it would have brought unimaginable disaster upon mortals.

Huuuu—

Lowering my bident, I took a steady breath, relieved that I hadn’t sent another god. I felt the sky god’s gaze bore into me as I caught my breath.

She no longer attacked, simply watching me from above with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

"You managed well enough, protecting that beast you rode upon."

So, it was indeed a test.

"You stand before the heavens, worthy. You must have something to say, to seek me out like this."

I sent Pegasus, who had fainted from the impact, back to the earth on a gust of wind. Then, I slowly pulled out the feather from my chest. I held out the black feather that Lady Nyx had given me, making sure it was visible.

"We are currently in conflict with Gaia, who once had your son rise in rebellion. In response, I sought the aid of Lady Nyx, who has agreed to help us if I can secure a token from you!"

"Nyx's feather?"

The feather, as if carried by an unseen force, floated toward Uranus. Examining it briefly, she spoke again.

"It is indeed Nyx's feather. You managed to draw her out."

"All thanks to her compassion for our plight."

"You did well to drive out that patricidal wretch, Kronos. For a scoundrel who’d reduce his father to such a state, Tartarus is the only fitting place."

Long ago, the sky god Uranus was ambushed by his son Kronos and lost his manhood, leaving behind a prophecy: "You, too, shall be overthrown by your children." And so it came to pass.

However, his severed manhood never healed, and his inability to recover led to a transformation in his identity. As he lost his masculinity and stepped down from his throne, he ultimately...

"When I was reduced to this form, I was consumed with a burning desire for revenge, but over time, I realized it was impossible."

...He had become a goddess.

The one who once held the world now gazed upon me with a slightly softened tone and expression. Perhaps she was willing to cooperate with us?

"It’s a shame that I must now rely on youths like you. But this is the only way to disgrace Gaia."

Pluck.

She plucked a strand of her hair, or rather, it was no longer a part of her physical body but rather a glowing filament, akin to a constellation in the sky.

The silver strand, which emanated a soft glow, floated over to me. I gently took it with both hands and tucked it into my chest.

She wasn’t testing me any further, was she? This felt almost anticlimactic. As if sensing my thoughts, Uranus gave a faint smile.

"If Nyx hadn’t intervened, Gaia would be the only one rejoicing. I have no reason to help Gaia."

"...Thank you."

"Now, leave. I’ve had enough of the children searching for me, pestering me with their footsteps."

It seems she was aware of the gods searching for her presence. Perhaps she revealed herself on purpose...?

"Thank you, Lady Uranus."

Before returning to the Underworld, I stopped briefly by Olympus to relay the news that I had secured Uranus’ token.

"So, can we finally receive Lady Nyx’s aid?" "Of course, she won’t directly fight for us. But if Gaia refuses to recognize us even after we defeat the Gigantes…" "Ah, so you’ve prepared for that possibility." "Exactly. Hermes, even if we kill all the Gigantes, if Gaia opposes us, we’ll have no choice but to seek Lady Nyx’s help."

Nodding in understanding, Hermes stepped aside as Zeus approached, placing a hand on my shoulder. His hand flickered with lightning—likely a sign of the internal debate he had about whether to assist me against Uranus.

"...Olympus owes you a great debt, Brother."

A debt? Come on, now. But first, get your hand off me.

"Ha. I’m part of Olympus, after all. What are you going on about, Zeus?" "Hm? Right. Just a thought since you’re always in the Underworld. Haha!"

With the conversation proceeding, I heard sighs of relief from various directions. It seemed quite a few had been anxiously watching my interaction with the Protogenoi. Even Hera was among them.

The queen of the gods, catching my eye, spoke in a low, steady tone.

"Now that we have Lady Nyx’s aid, it doesn’t matter which hero we take into battle against the Gigantes, does it? Cadmus, perhaps..." "Hmm… Dear." "Zeus, hush. Hades, you wouldn’t stop me from assigning him a task, would you?"

Now that Lady Nyx’s support was secured, the need for a hero was less pressing. Hera might still be considering killing Heracles, though.

"...Fine. As long as it’s a task fitting for one who aspires to be a god."