Mü Thanatos's gaze was lost in the void, frozen in a cold silence.
Around her, a deathly silence had fallen over the assembly of gods.
No one dared to move.
No one dared to speak.
For all, in their immortal flesh, felt a dull anxiety:
that of what might come after this silence.
Then, breaking this unbearable tension, a laugh shook the atmosphere like a knife tearing a fragile veil.
Ares.
He sneered mockingly, making even the bravest gods jump.
A shiver ran down their spines-not because of Ares, but because he dared to defy that silent presence that was Mü Thanatos.
- Boo, Mü Thanatos, sneered Ares, are you going to cry over your black angel's disappearance?
No response.
Mü Thanatos remained there, her dead gaze fixed on a elsewhere no one could reach.
Ignored, Ares felt his blood boil.
His wounded pride screamed inside him.
With a brutal cry, he exploded:
- Hey, deaf one! I'M TALKING TO YOU!
But even his scream, saturated with anger, did not seem to touch Mü Thanatos's surface.
Her silence was a wall, an unfathomable abyss.
Ares growled, his fists clenched white at the joints.
He raised his arm and made terrifying lightning crackle in his palm, born from Zeus's very essence.
The invisible sky of the Void rumbled deeply, and the air soaked with electric terror.
- You want to join your black angel? It's going to happen right now! he bellowed.
The lightning grew monstrous, devouring space with hungry sparks.
- Lightning, thunder, Zeus's bolts... They are not just destruction, he continued.
They are embodied laws.
They can forge new Commandments, rewrite the world's rules!
Ares's mad gaze swept around him.
The other gods, frozen witnesses, watched silently.
- This Void... declared Ares, his voice vibrating, this world reflects the state of existence of secondary gods.
It is above life, above death.
Here, even tertiary and quaternary gods should never have existed.
But thanks to Zeus's lightning... thanks to his authority... I transcended their limits.
I raised them to a threshold you will never reach!
He raised his arm high, unleashing a torrent of pure power.
- Mü Thanatos, you will not escape this attack.
It is inevitable.
Inescapable.
It is the threshold of absolute Command!
As he was about to strike the lightning down on her, Mü Thanatos slowly lifted her head.
Her gaze, of unfathomable cold, anchored in Ares's.
- To your eyes... am I just an enemy to be slain? she murmured.
A shiver ran through the present deities.
Ares remained petrified for a moment, unable to understand why this calm voice disarmed him so much.
- You scramble the gods' Commandments just to destroy me? she added, her voice vibrating with strange gravity.
With clenched jaw, Ares shouted:
- SHUT UP! YOU ARE AN ANOMALY! A DANGER TO BE ELIMINATED BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!
Mü Thanatos squinted slightly.
A cold sorrow emanated from her, almost imperceptible.
- Always... you have despised me, without cause, without reason.
Today, your relentlessness... your rage... all this is only proof that you fear me, isn't it?
Ares, eyes bulging, screamed with insane rage:
- SHUT UP!!!
And in a furious gesture, he hurled all the accumulated lightning toward Mü Thanatos.
A cataclysmic bolt split the Void, irradiating everything with devastating white light.
But then...
Without effort.
Without even paying attention.
Mü Thanatos lazily raised a hand, as one would shoo away a noisy fly.
A simple movement.
A careless breath.
And Zeus's attack-the ultimate weapon forged by the king of the skies-exploded into a myriad of luminous ashes, annihilated before it could even graze her.
A petrified silence fell.
Their wide eyes saw the impossible: Zeus's lightning pulverized... swept away effortlessly.
The laws, the Commandments... all shattered like fragile glass.
A spasm convulsed Ares's face.
He stammered, unable to believe it:
- No... No... No...
It's not possible...
All the authority Zeus entrusted to me... how could it... have been destroyed like this...?
The world spun in his head.
His mind drowned in a torrent of incoherent thoughts.
She had crushed not only matter but the very essence of existence.
She pierced resistances even the void feared, immunities even the nothingness barely touched.
She tore down invisible ramparts protecting those who existed without history, without thread, without law.
Boundaries, absolutes, invulnerabilities written in non-being itself... swept away, denied by a single indifferent glance.
She dominated what was no longer supposed to be tamed.
She trampled the citadels built in spheres transcending stories, causes, and consequences.
And all this... without hatred, without rage, without triumph.
Just emptiness.
A void more terrifying than any anger.
And in this inner storm, Ares felt something he had never felt before.
Not hatred.
Not rage.
Not shame.
No.
Fear.
Pure fear.
Mü Thanatos, her empty eyes fixed on him, then murmured:
- I have a question, Ares...
Zeus... Did he send you?
Ares, staggering, placed both hands on his head, stumbling like a disjointed puppet.
The Void seemed to close in on him.
And Mü Thanatos, impassive, advanced-not like a warrior, but like an inevitable sentence.
---
Mü Thanatos approached slowly.
Facing her, Ares stumbled backward awkwardly, one hand clenched on his head as if losing reason. When he met Mü Thanatos's gaze, his eyes widened in horror, terrified, lost in the incomprehensible.
Absolute fear.
Naked vulnerability.
Ares screamed to the other Gods, in unprecedented panic:
- Don't... Don't let her come near me! No! She must not get close!!!
But the other Gods remained silent, dark, motionless. They watched the scene, powerless, as if frozen by a superior force.
With trembling voice, Ares saw Mü Thanatos continue advancing.
Panicked, he fell heavily to the ground, whining:
- No... no... mercy... don't come near me!
Mü Thanatos's gaze reflected in Ares's very soul, like an irrevocable sentence.
Devoured by dread, Ares screamed even louder, his throat torn:
- NO!!! Damn... WHO ARE YOU?!!
The other Gods, petrified, exchanged uncertain looks:
- Ares?!
- I don't believe it... He looks like he's going mad!
- Impossible! murmured one. The very concept of emotions, madness, has been transcended by our divine nature! How could Ares fall like this?
Ares desperately crawled on the Void's ground, paralyzed by fear, unable to use his legs. His mouth drooled, his eyes bloodshot, as he whispered in a desperate groan:
- I must escape... I must escape... I must escape...
Mü Thanatos stopped, extending her hand toward him:
- Why do you play deaf? I'm talking to you.
A light burst in her palm.
Ares screamed, and the other Gods, panicked, tried to flee-in vain.
A blue force field exploded around them, imprisoning them all in place.
Mü Thanatos, relentless, withdrew her light.
Beside her, space seemed to split, revealing two silhouettes: Zeus and Ñout, standing proudly by her side.
Zeus declared in a thundering voice:
- I'm sorry, but no one will leave this place without my permission.
Ñout watched the scene amusedly:
- Such commotion... it seems we have arrived just in time.
Zeus turned to Mü Thanatos:
- Mü Thanatos...
The goddess slightly bowed her head, dignified:
- I'm sorry.
Zeus smiled:
- Don't worry. And so you understand... I never sent Ares to attack you. He asked me for a fragment of my authority in my castle, claiming an "important mission"... Who would have thought he intended to target Wamy and you?
Mü Thanatos, in a cold voice:
- Hm. Ares never held me in his heart. It didn't really affect me. But I never imagined he would dare go so far.
Ares, defeated, sat heavily on the ground, head bowed, as if pondering Zeus's words.
Ñout approached Mü Thanatos and explained gently:
- Ares, the god of war, was stripped of his primordial god status by Zeus. He had acted badly, and instead of being reduced to a mere mortal, he retained a secondary divine existence... He was given a chance to change. But you see...
Mü Thanatos frowned:
- Oh really? I wasn't aware of that story.
Ñout smiled mysteriously:
- There are so many things you still ignore about the ancient conflicts... At that time, you did not exist.
Zeus chuckled:
- "Exist" might be a strong word. According to some revelations... you are actually far older than believed. It's simply the Father God who "reconfigured" you this way. Why? I don't know. He has always acted inscrutably... but the future will tell.
Fixing Ares with an unyielding gaze, Zeus resumed:
- Ares... You fear Mü Thanatos because you don't know what she truly is. Let me enlighten you: Mü Thanatos belongs to a category of gods even more extreme than the primordial gods...
The surrounding Gods widened their eyes, speechless with astonishment.
Zeus continued, relentless:
- They are called the Original Gods. They are literally of the same order as the Absolute God. To face such an entity, you, poor secondary god... was suicide.
Ares, in a broken voice:
- I don't believe you...
Ñout, Zeus, and Mü Thanatos frowned.
Ares spat with rage:
- You invented this category to give her prestige! Why would a superior god sincerely obey Zeus?
Zeus burst out cold laughter:
- Technically, I am not a true primordial god. The real leader of the Primordials... is Apollo.
Ares, stunned:
- What?!
Zeus explained calmly:
- Don't you remember? I suddenly appeared among the Primordials. I am a unique being, a link between the Original Gods, the Primordials, and all others.
In my lightning, in my thunder, flows the direct Authority of the Father God himself. That's why Mü Thanatos respects and obeys me.
Mü Thanatos, softly:
- Zeus...
He turned to her. She smiled.
Zeus sighed:
- Truthfully... When I look at Ares now, I think about what I could have become if I had reacted badly upon discovering your true nature. Not long ago, I thought about making you disappear, sealing you... Even I was afraid.
All the Gods stared at Zeus in astonishment.
Mü Thanatos replied with a calm smile:
- I already knew. Don't worry.
Zeus and Ñout exchanged surprised looks.
- What?! they exclaimed in unison.
Mü Thanatos, with strange serenity:
- Everything now appears so clear to me... I don't know how to explain it. Nothing escapes me, as if... as if I see through everything.
---
Zeus felt a shiver engulf him internally.
(The After-Seeing Realm... invisible to the Gods' perceptions... Even those transcending absolute time cannot perceive it without invitation. This Realm knows all, even the futures of the gods themselves. A secret of the Father God, where he himself allows all this to be seen... No one is supposed to pierce it... And yet, Mü Thanatos... she sees it.)
He chuckled softly:
- It seems you are fully awakening your Original Goddess skills. I'll have to get used to it.
You may be the only one the Father God has given such a role...
As all this unfolded, Zeus observed Mü Thanatos. An elusive gleam passed in his gaze, a shadow of deep dissatisfaction.
Could it be that she truly wanted to destroy Ares, not only out of duty but also because of the loss of her dear Wamy? Or did she simply want to eliminate the troublemaker to restore order?
Zeus approached her and asked softly:
- Does your black angel's death affect you, Mü Thanatos?
Mü Thanatos turned her gaze away, lost in the void, her thoughts too heavy to share.
Zeus continued:
- Did you want to avenge him by killing Ares?
Mü Thanatos's voice, heavy as lead, finally answered:
- Not necessarily... I just wanted to make Ares pay for trampling the Commandments with your authority. But... it's true that, in a way, I also wanted him to understand the gravity of his acts. However, I never intended to destroy him.
Hearing these words, Ñout lowered her head, a compassionate smile lighting her face.
She replied softly but firmly:
- Making gods pay or punishing those who toy with the Commandments is our role, the primordial gods'. Not yours.
Though I understand your need to act, remember: gods are not allowed to fight among themselves. Any form of divine violence is forbidden. Only we, the Primordials, have the right to strike or punish our peers when necessary... for that is our duty.
Mü Thanatos timidly nodded, lowering her eyes.
Ñout then stepped forward, stopping before Ares. Her gaze filled with icy contempt.
Ares shuddered, sensing that judgment time had come.
Ñout declared, relentless:
- You know you won't get away with this. You killed a black angel. You defied a goddess. You wanted to start a forbidden battle among gods. What do you have to say in your defense?
Her icy gaze then swept over the assembly of other gods. They, seized by fear, lowered their heads, trembling.
Ñout continued:
- Don't think only Ares will be punished. His fate will be yours too!
The gods collapsed to their knees, begging for mercy and forgiveness. But Ñout and Zeus's silence was total. Their decision was made, irrevocable.
Ares stammered, his voice trembling:
- It was... fear that led me to act this way. I regret so much... but I can't go back.
He turned to Mü Thanatos, bowing his forehead to the Void's ground.
- Goddess Mü Thanatos... I beg your forgiveness.
I know I was never friendly to you. I always belittled and rejected you... and because of me, your black angel is dead.
I don't know if I will ever be worthy of your pardon, but know that my apologies are sincere...
Mü Thanatos looked at him, silent, a mute witness to his repentance.
Ares then raised his eyes to Zeus and Ñout.
- I also apologize to you... and to all the gods present. They were dragged into my madness...
Now... I am ready for my sentence.
Ñout raised her hand.
A spear of pure light appeared in her fist, radiating through the Void.
The gods present trembled with fear.
Ares, strangely calm, resigned.
Ñout pronounced the sentence:
- You will be cursed.
Your only salvation will come from a creature born from the worlds created by Mü Thanatos. This creature must recognize you, understand you... and forgive you.
But until that day, you will live in hell.
Ares shuddered but said nothing.
Ñout continued:
- You will become an immortal creature among mortals.
You will lose your power, your divine appearance.
You will be hideous, repulsive, bearer of disease.
Your gaze will spread pandemics, your smell will cause disgust.
No one will want to approach you. All will want to kill you.
You will be alone, condemned to weep day and night. Your tears will be a song of terror, driving humans to relentlessly hunt you.
- You will wish to die, Ares, but you will not be able to.
Ñout lowered her voice slightly, relentless:
- If, by miracle, you find mercy... you will regain your true title: no longer a secondary god, but a Primordial God, as before.
But if you fail...
You will remain forever this repugnant creature.
And the creature who tried to save you will die from your failure, their suffering and your state multiplied by a million.
She raised her spear:
- Farewell, Ares!
With a swift gesture, Ñout pierced Ares.
A surge of divine energy struck him down. He screamed:
- Aaaahhh! Help!!!
His body twisted, deformed, withered.
He became a greenish creature, hunched back, monstrous nose, pustulous, foul-smelling skin.
The Void opened beneath his feet.
Ares fell...
and found himself alone, lost in a gloomy forest.
Ñout then turned to the other terrified gods.
Her voice was that of Fate itself:
- As for you...
You will become eternal flies.
You will endlessly hover around Ares.
You will share his immortality and his hell.
- If you try to move away from him, you will lose your immortality and be reborn, again and again, as more miserable flies.
Ares will hate you, chase you, devour you... but you will never truly die. You will be crushed, digested, soiled... and brought back to life to suffer again.
Ñout raised her spear.
Lightning struck the gods.
They disappeared, plunged into their punishment.
**After the Sentence**
Ñout vanished her spear and sighed deeply.
Zeus smiled, slightly relieved:
- Finally finished...
Ñout replied gravely:
- I never enjoyed doing that.
Mü Thanatos, in a soft voice, murmured:
- You can really become very cold... when you want.
Zeus burst out a brief, bitter laugh:
- That's normal.
A god must know how to do it.
Silence fell again over the skies of the Void, heavy, sacred.
The Judgment of the Gods was accomplished.