I Am Hades, The supreme GOD of the Underworld!

"..."

Silence.

In the face of Mephistopheles' taunt, Typhon fell into a moment of silence. 

The truth was that Mephistopheles' words were viciously accurate.

Typhon had indeed been conserving his strength, waiting to intervene at the crucial moment to secure victory. But the problem was that his sudden appearance had the unmistakable look of opportunism, aiming to take the spoils of others' efforts.

So, was Mephistopheles' insult offensive? Yes. Was it true? Also yes.

After a short pause, Typhon spoke coldly: "Mephistopheles, your power pales in comparison to your useless talk."

"Who's to say…" Mephistopheles replied with a sly smile, watching Typhon with amusement.

Typhon sneered. "If Hades himself were here, I might concede defeat. But you? Clearly, you're not worthy." 

It was undeniable—Typhon had been born at the peak of god-kings, his power immense and fearsome beyond doubt. But he was also fully aware that Hades couldn't easily leave the Underworld.

His mother, the supreme Earth Goddess, was similarly bound. In fact, all the Ancient Gods were restricted, unable to freely traverse the mythological world, as the entire cosmos had become hostile to them. The race war had stirred up such turmoil that the mythological world itself was boiling with anger.

Thus, although Hades had achieved the rank of Ancient God, he too was confined to the Underworld. This restriction was a stroke of luck for Typhon. 

Though arrogant, Typhon was no fool. He knew that even at the height of his power as a god-king, he was no match for Hades. The power of a god-king, no matter how great, could not compare to that of a true Ancient God.

The Titanomachy, the ancient war against the Titans, was not a relevant comparison. That battle had relied on a series of fortunate circumstances. Any deviation from that convergence of events, and victory would have been impossible.

Typhon knew that, even at his peak, he was nothing against a true Ancient God.

So, his defeat? Perhaps it was inevitable.

But with Hades confined to the Underworld, Typhon was currently the strongest being in the mythological world. Mephistopheles? Though a god-king, Mephistopheles couldn't rival Typhon's strength.

"Hehehe…" Mephistopheles chuckled. "Such confidence, Typhon. Just as you said, His Majesty cannot leave the Underworld. But likewise, the Earth Goddess cannot leave the Core of the Earth. So, tell me, who do you believe will claim victory in this war?"

Mephistopheles eyed Typhon with interest.

Yes—Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind, the four elements. In the Underworld, they already possessed the Earth, Water, and Fire Beasts, refined to their elemental essences. Only the Wind Beast remained—the one standing before him: Typhon, the King of Giants and Father of Monsters.

"Well then," Typhon said icily. "Our conversation ends here." 

His gaze grew cold and filled with killing intent. He had no desire to provoke Hades or the Underworld; doing so would interfere with his own plans. But Mephistopheles had brought the fight to him.

"Hehehe…"

"Indeed. It ends here."

The air around them darkened as figures began to emerge from the shadows—Underworld gods, all at the level of god-king.

Mephistopheles, Aether, Carl, Ceres, Eris, Moira, Sparta, Europa. Eight in total, surrounding Typhon on all sides.

The combined divine power of these eight god-kings was so intense that the mortal realm fell silent, overcome by their terrifying presence.

This was a power unlike anything seen before. The Underworld's might was fully displayed, and it was only now that the gods truly understood just how frightening the Underworld was.

When Hades had achieved the rank of Ancient God within the Underworld, every god had felt his rise. But now, the true might of the Underworld was laid bare.

And so, the gods grew silent, aware that this divine battle could not simply be brushed aside. Eight god-kings against Typhon? This wasn't just a show of respect for Typhon; it was a show of overwhelming force, a challenge to his status as the strongest god-king.

The gods who watched from afar shuddered. 

"So this is the power of the Underworld?" 

Even those who had previously doubted the Underworld's strength now realized how wrong they'd been. Eight god-kings and more, with untold forces behind them.

Many gods were left wondering why the Underworld was so powerful. Poseidon, Hades, and Zeus each represented the sea, the Underworld, and the sky. But in terms of displayed strength, they were worlds apart.

The Underworld's strength, with these eight god-kings alone, revealed it all.

It appeared that, indeed, the Underworld had treated the so-called "Holy War" as nothing more than a passing entertainment, a trivial game to amuse themselves with.

For the Underworld, it seemed this conflict could continue only if they wished. They could overturn the game board at any moment, and no one could do anything about it.

Thus, the question now was not just who would win but whether the Underworld would even continue to participate in the war. Since Hades had reached the Ancient God rank, the Underworld had disengaged from most external affairs, save for supporting humans as agreed and monitoring the Far North.

The Underworld was simply waiting for everything to conclude, at which point it would likely detach from the mythological world.

After all, Hades had fused his realm with the World Tree, forging a unique path beyond the reach of the other gods. While he couldn't yet reach the level of the Absolute God, he was steadily approaching a state that transcended the mythological world.

With his Underworld effectively a miniature version of the mythological world itself, Hades was capable of whatever the mythological world was.

Now, the final step for the Underworld was clear—defeating Typhon.

"Hmph!" Typhon sneered. "Just the eight of you? Hardly enough to challenge me!" His eyes burned with arrogant confidence.

Indeed, as a god-king standing at the peak, Typhon was entitled to his arrogance. He was only a half-step away from Hades' previous strength before ascending to the rank of Ancient God.

"Hehehe…" Mephistopheles replied with a smile. "Indeed, we are well aware that even together, we might not defeat you. The gap between god-kings can be as vast as heaven and earth."

Mephistopheles knew the power difference was real, and he had no reason to deny it. Typhon at his current level could easily defeat the combined might of eight god-kings.

"But," Mephistopheles continued, "we didn't come here to fight you alone. We came because none of us can fully unleash the power of this sword on our own."

Suddenly, the entire world seemed to darken. Emerging from the abyss was a dazzling, terrifying sword—the Underworld King's Sword.

"Typhon," Mephistopheles said calmly, "if you can withstand this strike, we'll reconsider our next steps."

All eight Underworld god-kings poured their divine power into the sword, summoning a force that seemed to shake the fabric of the world itself. This wasn't just an illusion—the entire mortal realm was trembling.

The sword descended.

Typhon knew there was no escaping it; he would have to meet it head-on. 

In that moment, he unleashed his full power, as if he could swallow the world whole. Yet, against the might of the Underworld King's Sword, it was as futile as cutting through water—it shattered instantly.

Everything ended in a single, overwhelming blow.

It was so simple, too simple, even giving the gods the feeling that it might all be some kind of strange illusion.

Suddenly, dark purple chains materialized, binding Typhon completely. Even at his peak, these chains would have restrained him easily. Now, wounded, he was utterly helpless.

And so, this battle that had been awaited by all ended in such a theatrical and unexpected manner.

The gods were left stunned, feeling as though the entire affair was oddly surreal.

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