CHAPTER 153: CHAPTER 52

The space between reality.

The space beyond concepts where the divine council takes place.

Colors that didn’t belong to any spectrum swirled in slow, infinite motion.

Shapes almost like stars shimmered, then folded into themselves, as if the laws of existence struggled to remain coherent here.

A round table floated at the center, stable and immutable, as though it alone was immune to the chaos around it.

Several beings sat there, silently, as if waiting for something, or someone.

When Hades first stepped onto this impossible floor, the weight of presence struck him instantly.

Even without words, he could feel the vastness of the beings gathered. Each aura was distinct—some burned like suns, others coiled like storms, others radiated ancient patience.

But all paled before one.

Seated on the largest throne, his figure relaxed yet utterly unshakable, was a man whose mere existence seemed to eclipse everything else in the room.

His aura didn’t just radiate power, it oppressed even the most superior one, a standard against which all others seemed lesser.

The pressure was so absolute that even Nyx’s dark, endless presence seemed a shade smaller in comparison.

Before his ascension, Hades wasn’t even sure if he could have lasted a breath against this god.

Nyx moved with calm familiarity, her dark robe flowing like a living shadow as she took her seat among the thrones.

"You’ve all been informed of his coming," she said, her voice carrying effortlessly in the void. "This is Hades. He was the first Transcendent being in my universe, and the one who dared to steal the eye of the outer one."

Hades inclined his head in a polite nod, saying nothing. His gaze swept over the assembly, observing each and everyone of them.

Nyx gestured with a graceful hand toward each figure in turn.

"This is Lugh of the Celtic Pantheon." A golden-haired warrior, radiant and sharp-eyed, simply glared at him but remained silent.

Hades doesn’t know how he offended him, but didn’t bother asking why he looked so angry.

"Amaterasu of the Shinto Pantheon." A woman whose light was warm yet absolute offered a calm, unreadable expression.

"Nuwa of the Chinese Pantheon." Noble elegance, calm and collected expression, as if no chaos can break her composure.

"Odin of the Norse Pantheon." The one-eyed god’s stare was like a spear, assessing Hades as if already planning how to counter him in battle.

"Anu of the Mesopotamia." A presence like the night sky itself, vast and remote, barely giving the impression of a physical body.

"And lastly... Shiva of the Hindus."

Hades’ eyes returned to the man on the largest throne. His hair flowed over his shoulders, his eyes calm yet infinite, as though each glance carried the weight of countless destructions and rebirths.

’So that’s Shiva...’

The god Nyx had once told him even she could not defeat.

As expected, he’s every bit as impressive as he thought him to be.

"There are others," she said with mild disinterest. "But they are occupied... or perhaps hesitant."

A faint ripple passed through the void, like the space itself reacting to the unspoken tension between the thrones.

"Well then, if everyone has any questions, you can ask them."

For a long moment, Shiva simply regarded Hades in silence, his posture relaxed, his chin resting lightly against the back of one hand.

The myriad colors in the void seemed to slow, as if they too waited for his words.

Then, he spoke—his tone calm, but each syllable carrying a weight that pressed into the bones of everyone present.

"So... you are the one who dared take an eye from that thing."

The words were not praise, nor accusation. They were an appraisal, like a master swordsman inspecting a new blade to see if it would shatter under pressure.

Hades met his gaze evenly. "And you are supposedly the strongest here, the one even Nyx feared."

A faint smile touched Shiva’s lips, though it was unclear if it was amusement or challenge. "She said that to you? You two must be close. But forget about me first, let’s talk about you. Not many survive grasping at something beyond the root of creation."

Lugh clicked his tongue, "You mean no one sane would even think of it. Nyx and her usurped domain, tch. Just like their ’mother’, they all have screw loose."

Hades raised an eyebrow at the ’usurped throne’. He turned towards Nyx, as if asking her. The Primordial Goddess simply waved her hand, as if saying that she will tell him later.

Odin leaned forward slightly, one hand stroking his beard. "Rather bold of him. But it seems that ’screw loose’ that you said is what made it possible for him to go further beyond."

Shiva’s eyes never left Hades. "Tell me, Lord of the Dead... when you struck at it, did you do so to protect your realm... or to prove to yourself that you could?"

The round table was silent again, but the weight of the question was immense. Even Nyx tilted her head slightly, curious to hear his answer.

Hades’ answer came without hesitation.

"Both," he said, his voice carrying evenly across the strange, color-shifting void. "I protect what is mine... but I will not deny that I wished to test my limits. Even before this, I wanted to know how far I could go. And if I could surpass the boundaries set for me."

A faint ripple passed through the void, as if his words had touched something deeper in this place.

Shiva’s faint smile widened, just enough to reveal the barest edge of approval. "Honesty. That, I respect. Too many gods here wrap their intentions in silk and call it diplomacy."

Anu leaned back. "How rare, someone who admits they fight for the thrill as much as the duty."

He stared at Odin, knowing full well that despite this old god always going on about duties and responsibilities, he was someone who enjoyed fighting and dominance.

Norse has one of the largest domains amongst all gods because Odin enjoyed conquering various domains.

Yet despite this, Odin would always proclaim himself as a righteous god enforcing order in ’chaotic universe’, and that his invasion and conquest was merely to being order.

Odin’s single eye gleamed like polished steel. "A god who would disregard his safety just to test his limits is very dangerous. But the dangerous ones are often the most useful... if they can be aimed in the right direction."

Nuwa, who had been silent until now, finally spoke, her voice smooth as flowing water. "And the wrong direction will bring ruin on all of us."

Nyx smirked faintly. "Which is why I brought him here. Hades is not a weapon... he is a deterrent. One even the things beyond creation will think twice about touching."

Shiva leaned back in his massive throne, his aura contracting slightly, though the pressure in the space between realities never truly faded. "Then let us see if this deterrent will be a great ally. The council has... unfinished business. And perhaps, for the first time in eons, a reason to set aside our pride."

Shiva’s gaze lingered on Hades for a long moment, his expression unreadable.

"Nyx speaks highly of you," he said at last. "But words are wind. If you’ve truly transcended, we must confirm it."

Anu chuckled. "I agree. For all we know, you’re just exceptionally good at hiding your aura. Impressive, yes... but not transcendence."

Odin tapped the arm of his throne with a single finger. "The difference between concealment and ascension is not something easily proven. Not without... demonstration."

Hades smiled, "Well then. Let’s fight. Why don’t you see whether my transcendence is real or fake."

Shiva’s smile was calm, yet carried a dangerous weight. "I like the way you think."

The myriad-colored space between realities seemed to darken at his words, as if the void itself anticipated the clash.

"There is no need for a fight." Shiva stood up, "One attack. That’s all I need to know whether you have transcended or not."

Nyx leaned back in her throne, her lips curling in amusement.

Many years, Shiva has always oppressed her with his powers. Now, she can finally see him getting embarrassed.

Hades slowly from his seat, the motion unhurried, but in that moment, every god present felt the strange dissonance—his presence was still absent, yet their instincts screamed that something was standing before them that should not exist.

Shiva nodded at that, his divinity flickered for a brief moment, causing the void to shudder as his true form’s pressure began to seep through the cracks of reality itself.

"Shall we begin?" Shiva asked.

Shiva’s eyes glowed faintly, and in the stillness between heartbeats, he moved.

It wasn’t a flashy strike—no grand display of cosmic fire, no endless waves of destruction.

It was a perfect blow, the kind that cut through all illusions and defenses, striking directly at the very concept of a being’s existence.

A strike refined over eons, capable of unmaking gods with a thought.

The void trembled. Light fractured. Entire layers of reality peeled away from the impact.

And yet...

Hades didn’t even blink.

There was no barrier, no counterforce, he just stood there.

The attack simply could not touch him, like a shadow trying to wound the sun, or a 2-dimensional painting trying to stab something in the 3-dimensional world.

Shiva’s hand lowered slowly. His expression did not change, but the faint gleam in his eyes spoke volumes.

The other gods sat in silence, each understanding without needing words.

That single exchange, that one failed strike, had told them more than any prolonged duel could.

Odin exhaled through his nose. "That attack is enough to erase an entire galaxy cluster. To think it couldn’t even touch him. So that is the power of a transcendent."

Lugh stared at Hades with complex look. "Never thought I’d see the day Shiva’s hand would pass through someone like they weren’t even there."

Amaterasu’s gaze lingered on Hades, a mixture of curiosity and wariness in her golden eyes.

Nuwa folded her arms. "No concealment could fake that. He’s truly crossed the threshold."

Shiva stepped back and sat down on his throne once more, still smiling faintly. "I see. My apologies, Nyx—your claims were not exaggerated. He is... untouchable, in the truest sense."

Nyx’s lips curved into a victorious smirk. "I did say the alliance would be easier with him here."

Hades simply returned to his seat, as if nothing had happened.

Nyx stood up, smiling mischievously.

"Well then, ladies and gentlemen. Why don’t we discuss our alliance?"