In the past, the succession of Divine Kings was guided by destiny, and each exchange had the power to affect the world's structure, with even the laws of this age adjusting accordingly... But now, quite a few deities present felt they were about to witness history.
The Divine King, who had only occupied the throne for a few hundred years, might become the butt of a joke that Chaos would tell for eternity in the future.
"Gaia, it seems my great grandmother has awakened..."
Seated in the main seat of the hall, Zeus had also sensed this, but unlike what the other gods had thought, the Divine King had long been looking forward to this moment.
"Since she's awake, let's go see her. But I hope she doesn't look too old this time, hahahaha..."
He laughed fearlessly, and under the gazes of other gods, which likened him to a madman, Zeus flew out of the palace.
Next to the Divine King's throne, Hera, adorned with a golden crown, had forgotten her anger and her questions for Athena, only clenching her fists before quickly following. Hestia sighed, unsure of what to say, but she too flew out of the palace, heading towards where the presence of Mother Earth was emanating from.
They were all aware of Crius's imprisonment, and regardless of what Zeus had done, the Goddess of Hearthfire felt she had a role in it as well.
One after another, the goddesses departed, and the atmosphere in the hall grew even denser. Apollo, who had just joined the Divine Court, stood up. He didn't know if today's events were related to him, but the young deity didn't plan on hiding. So, he gave a friendly smile to the goddess, who he wasn't sure if he should call sister or half-sister, and then he turned into light and disappeared.
The remaining gods exchanged looks and followed suit, determined to witness the event, whether they were involved or not.
Soon, only Athena was left alone in the now-empty hall. She pondered the direction in which the gods had departed, pursed her lips, and then turned towards a different direction.
New to this world, everything felt unfamiliar to her. However, the goddess at least had no intention of opposing the Divine King or battling Mother Earth, nor did she think she had the power to do so at the moment. And like the other deities, Athena did not wish to spectate this fight, for she deemed it meaningless.
Even though it hadn't yet arrived, the terrifying presence of Mother Earth was palpably clear. The struggle between the Divine King and Mother Earth was not for the other gods to decide. Since she couldn't determine the outcome, Athena preferred to do something else rather than watch the battle.
For instance... go to a place she felt a connection to, a place that might have once been inhabited by the Mother Goddess she had never met. She didn't know if it was normally visited, but now, she assumed no one would stop her.
...
Stepping out of the palace with Thunder in hand, Zeus watched the earthen light approach in the distance.
Hera soon appeared behind him, and the other gods gradually arrived, keeping their distance from the Divine King rather than approaching.
Such abnormal strength, such arrogant demeanor... The other party was not at all surprised by her arrival but was instead well-prepared.
It seems this was the reasoning and confidence behind all of Zeus's actions, the conjecture in her heart solidified into certainty, and in this moment, Gaia's last doubt was dispelled.
It was him, this shameless junior. He had stolen her treasure and then had the audacity to look down on her, saying it was 'not her affair'!
"Zeus, you despicable thief! Hand over the Golden Apple and return my Divine Artifact, or else no matter the cost, I will never let you off easy!"
The innate power of a primordial deity comes from instinct and can fluctuate wildly with emotions. Undoubtedly, under the sky at this moment, Gaia's fury was comparable to the end of the first epoch.
The shaking of the earth grew more violent, and even the sea connected to the land began to surge with great waves. Yet, across from Mother Earth, Zeus was somewhat baffled.
"...Golden Apple, Divine Artifact, what are you talking about?"
Originally, his heart was surging with the will to battle, but facing the sudden accusation from Mother Earth, Zeus didn't just hesitate; he had no idea what the other party was talking about.
What Golden Apple Tree? The only thing he could relate to this was Hera's planting of a Golden Apple Tree branch, which, with Demeter's help, had taken root and sprouted, and had now been sent out to sea as part of an oath. As for the true Divine Tree, wasn't that still by the side of Mother Earth?
Without time to think it through, but guided by past experience, Zeus almost instantaneously sensed that something was wrong. He was prepared to ask more questions when Mother Earth in front of him lost all interest in conversation.
In Gaia's eyes, Zeus's response at this moment was completely another form of mockery. Since the Divine King had made such an unabashed act at Delphi before, who was he performing for now?
"Very well, Zeus, very well, you humiliate me, the mother of all gods."
Word by word, the once flowing divine power seemed to ignite, reflecting off Gaia's ashen complexion. Under the gaze of all gods in heaven and earth, Mother Earth finally abandoned the last of her hopes.
"Since this is the case, Zeus... no matter what power you've relied on, today, no one will have an easy time!"
Without further words, supreme divine power enveloped her. Facing Zeus, who still seemed to want to say something, Gaia lunged forward.
Her target was no longer Zeus himself, because facing the greatly empowered Divine King, she might not easily be victorious. Perhaps it was a reversal of fortune, but at that moment, Gaia seemed to regain some tactical wisdom; she understood immediately how to weaken her opponent.
The earth was her home turf, but Olympus was not. This was the ancestral Mountain transformed from the Divine Body, also the pillar that supported the sky in the East; here, her advantage was cut off, while the Divine King's would increase. With that in mind...
Then she would do as 'Cronus' once did and bring this Mount of the Gods crashing down.