Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction / Saint Seiya Fan Fiction ❯ The Intense Clash of the Gods ❯ Tale 6 ( Chapter 6 )

Sometimes things don't go,
Just the way you want.
You slip up, someone lies,
Something you just wish never was.

But that's not how it is,
So just dust yourself off.
Never back down, when you can stand!
Fight for the will to live!

Who is this man...
Refusing to just lay down and die?
Who'll fight against all odds,
Just for that second chance?

GO! Golden heart!
Shine through the dark.
Bare your fangs, and take your
Shot for all it's worth!

GO! Golden heart!
Led by Alioth Epsilon!
You're not alone, so stand your ground.
And fight for all it's worth!

'Hades' just looked at all four of them for a moment before he realized he would need a little more proof. He walked back twenty feet, pointing to a giant statue portraying the Greek god of the Underworld. He snapped his fingers, the statue suddenly springing into action, shrinking and assembling itself on him as armor in the blink of an eye, although he held his helmet.

"Proof enough?" he asked in all honesty. Slowly, Charybdis, Isaac, Fenrir, and Cecil all nodded. "Thank you. If you would not mind, I'd like to get down to business."

"Then throw them in the iciest reaches of Cocytus," Charybdis said as she pointed to Fenrir and Cecil, referring to the eighth and final prison of the Underworld for sinners, designated only for those that raised their hands against the gods and died in the process.

Hades shook his head, leading them into a small study after his Surplice, or armor of the Underworld, snapped off on its own and reassembled the statue. "I won't do that."

"Why not?" Isaac asked as he eyed the two, "They certainly deserve it."

Hades seemed disinterested in their demands as he walked over to a bookshelf and took out a small folder, flipping it open. "Isaac Krylov... Kraken Mariner of the Arctic... originally trained alongside a particular 'Hyoga Camus' to become a Saint of Athena... disaster struck one day when your friend was visiting his departed mother in a sunken ship. You swam in to save him, did so, but lost your eye when you accidentally swam into a glacier underwater. The spirit of Poseidon, my brother, saved you and you served him loyally ever since, choosing to represent the Kraken due to your childhood obsession with the creature."

"The Kraken strikes down evil," Isaac said, "As I did before I died."

Hades smiled, "You still have a chance, as do all of you. Lessee... ah! Charybdis Tiamet, nicknamed 'Chary' (pronounced like 'Kerry') by her little sister when you where young... the Sea Dragon Mariner of the North Atlantic... trained upon arrival to Atlantis at the age of 12 and you are empowered by Poseidon to use the technique 'One World' provided your Scale is in pristine condition. Then we have Cecil Bodu, the illegitimate child of a Mitsumasa Asamiya and Frigga Bodu... abandoned at birth to cover up that fact. Given a single golden dagger for hunting purposes, received the second when you encountered your brother Syd Bodu at the age of four... although Syd didn't know you had the original. Became a God Warrior when confronted by Phecda Gamma Thor and became the Alcor Zeta God Warrior."

"Mizar Zeta." When Hades looked at him, Cecil repeated himself. "I was the Mizar Zeta God Warrior."

"That's what you think," Hades answered as he finally read off the last name. "Fenrir Volsung... God Warrior of Alioth Epsilon, abandoned in the forests of Asgard at a young age although you already know all of this, I'm certain... was defeated but not killed by Dubhe Alpha Siegfried... just how neither Charybdis, Isaac, or Cecil here are dead either."

"What?!?" Chary said. "How can those two not deserve death for what happened!"

"Thetis and the others died because of them!" Isaac added, staring at Cecil who returned the glare.

"Because," Hades answered as his voice took on a harsh tone for the first time they had spoken with him, "Because they're victims of this as much as you two were!"

"I find that hard to believe," Isaac muttered.

Hades sighed as he pulled up a seat and sat down, motioning that the others could do the same. "Are you aware, any of you, of an Odin Sapphire?"

"I recall hearing them from somewhere..." Fenrir said as he tried to recall where, shooting dirty looks at Chary whenever he got the chance.

Hades nodded, "Probably. As one might guess if you look into Asgard nobility, God Warriors usually consisted of members of high ranking houses, although which families and which God Robes they recieved would differ. However, each God Robe comes with an Odin Sapphire, save for one, but I'll get into that later. The importance is that an Odin Sapphire enables the summoning of the Odin Robe."

"But that's crazy," Cecil remarked. "The representatives of Odin have always been the Polaris family."

"Correct, but Odin himself, in case Asgard would ever need him, installed Odin Sapphires into the God Robes of Dubhe Alpha, Merak Beta, Phecda Gamma, Megrez Delta, Alioth Epsilon, Mizar Zeta, and Benetnash Eta. These seven, when united together at the top of Valhalla's towers, summons forth the Odin Robe."

"But what's the point of all of this?" Charybdis asked, becoming more and more irritated with all this talk of Asgard. It wouldn't bring Calypso or any of the others back, right?

Hades sighed, "Odin never physically embodies himself because he inadvertently brings for instability in his wake. Not many gods or goddesses suffer from that, but Odin and Ambrosia are two of them. Odin's Robe serves as a replacement, empowering one with the power of Odin himself... the power of the greatest god of the Asgard pantheon. Now what would happen if someone decided to use that as a weapon?"

Charybdis and Isaac took on looks of horror, and even Cecil and Fenrir realized what Hades was saying. "You mean... Hilda has all seven now?"

"Unfortunately," Hades answered. "Due to my pact with Zeus and Poseidon, I myself am not permitted to interfere with the flow of life outside the Underworld unless a god or goddess directly disrupts the balance... the Odin Robe exploits this loophole. Understand first of all that this is no ambition of mine, I'm perfectly content here, and I and my Judges determine the dead's fate properly."

"Then..." Isaac started to say. Hades smiled.

"I assure you, all the Mariners that died went straight to Elysium. One of them is even slated for reincarnation... Calypso was too young and she'll have work to do in the near future."

Charybdis was relieved, but she didn't forget the business at hand. "Yet there still remains the fact that we're stuck here and you can't get involved."

"True," Hades answered, "But thankfully, you four were only left for dead, not actually killed. When you return, you will unfortunately will be without Scales and God Robes, but you should be able to re-earn them by settling the score with Hilda's men."

"But how do we get back?" Fenrir asked.

Hades led them through another door, showing them a gigantic wheel. "The Trial of 108 Fates... because you were only left for dead and not truly killed, you're technically still alive and can make instantaneous and full recoveries provided to pass the test."

"What is it?" Cecil asked.

Hades pointed down to one symbol, that of a Pharaoh. "You four will each spin the wheel, and it will determine which of my 105 Specters you will fight. Those of you that win will then take another roll and see which Judge you will fight again. Provided you win that round, you'll wake up in your bodies, good as new, right away."

Charybdis and Isaac were overjoyed, but Cecil and Fenrir were hesitant.

"To do what?" Cecil asked.

"What?" Hades repeated, completely confused. "To stop Hilda Polaris! Poseidon has not even awoken in his reincarnated form yet, neither has Athena, so there was no 'great evil scheme' against Asgard. Plus, possessing Odin's Robe would empower a woman that already destroyed all of Atlantis to go after the world, seven God Warriors on her side, considering she's already replaced you two."

"Any proof?" Fenrir asked.

Hades chuckled. "For some kid that was raised by wolves, you're pretty smart. And no, I have no proof, but as I said before, I'm content here. I'm not supposed to get involved, and you were left for dead and deliberately attacked. What do you say, set your differences aside for this and see where it goes. The power of Asgard and Atlantis united... you may be able to pull this off."

Left for dead and attacked by their fellow God Warriors... Fenrir and Cecil did not remember that fondly. Looking over to Charybdis and Isaac, Fenrir and Cecil reached out their hands.

"Truce?" Fenrir asked.

Chary grabbed his hand, glaring at him.

"Truce," she snarled.