Lies are addictive. Once you fell into them, escaping is extremely hard. As such I am less scared of a liar than someone who can survive without lying. Those who don't lie have truly mastered the way of words. And I am one of those.

-Loki

***

"Now, son of Kronos. What did you think of my story? Do you want to become allies to defeat the one who tried to kill you and your siblings before you ever were able to live your life?"

Hades' eyes were wide open. The story was both interesting as well as terrifying, for it spoke of a power Hades could barely imagine.

A power that could shape the world.

Yet it did not snuff out hope or kindle impatience within Hades.

He knew very well that time was needed to defeat Kronos.

"Free you?" Hades' visage seemed more pensive than usual. His pale blue eyes transfixed Typhon's, as though trying to see what was veiled.

"Why should I trust you? Once free you could very well just kill me."

Typhon laughed, finding Hades' concerns funny. His voice provoked earthquakes which brought Hades no solace.

"Why would I kill the one who freed me from this hell?" a proud smile made its way to his face. "You don't trust me? Then trust my honor as a King!"

Yet once again, Hades remained doubtful. He had grown. His previous naive self would have surely already freed Typhon.

The King of Monsters' gaze fell in deep contemplation. He thought about how he could make Hades believe him.

A silence lingered before Typhon sighed. "...Because I need your help to defeat Kronos Titaneus." He seemed to suffer while uttering those words. His pride was being shattered, but he knew that this pride would only be an obstacle to his goal.

This was what Hades awaited.

A valid reason.

He took a few steps toward Typhon before raising his hand skyward.

As if influenced by the realm itself, a searing heat materialized above his hand. It was in a liquid form, which gently ebbed in the air. However, no matter which form it took, it could not become solid due to the heat.

Taking matters into its own hands, darkness arose. It was cold. So cold that even in this hellish atmosphere, it was able to freeze magma.

Now it finally possessed a form.

An eerie aura fluttered around it, displaying the character of both elements used in hewing it.

It had a perfectly straight blade of a length slightly longer than his arm. And like the rest of the weapon, the hilt was simple, made with no useless decorations of any sort. It was of a uniform jet-black color. The only variations being the magmaish veins spreading throughout the sword as if a plague.

A sword was the first thing that came through his mind. While it wasn't something he would wield, its design was simple enough, even though not the most efficient for what he was aiming for.

'Good enough'

Hades clenched his fists, replicating the previous process.

Soon, a dozen swords hovered in the air.

'Go' he thought, ordering the swords to shatter the chains imprisoning Typhon.

It took time for each link to crumble.

Hades, however, found it satisfactory considering the realm he was in.

Those chains were bound to be strong.

"Finally," uttered Typhon, breaking with the sheer might of his hands the last chain. His voice reverberated throughout the realm akin to an eerie announcement.

The chains which bore a rusty hue were beyond simple restrictions.

They confined his aura.

Now that he was free, it came crashing down akin to a tsunami.

It was monstrous.

Well deserving of his title of The King of Monsters.

His aura surged forth with a crimson color and obsidian-like hues. It pulsed like a heart. Each beat carried a different feeling as if switching between every monster under Typhon's rule. Each throb contained an even greater dread, with whispers gnawing at the air.

'Strong'

It was at this moment that Hades realized the gap between him and Typhon.

He had no doubts that The King of Monsters could easily squash him.

It was terrifying, especially since Typhon was no match for Kronos.

Hades had a long way before him.

Yet, a yelp interrupted his train of thought.

It unexpectedly came from Typhon.

The strewn and shattered chains reconstituted, ensnaring Typhon once more and pinning him against the eerie pillar.

'What?' thought Hades bewildered.

Following his surprise, a crimson tide surged forth and washed him anew.

The wave was hot, extremely hot.

His instincts were screaming at him to close his eyes.

And that he did.

When he reopened them, a figure stood a few meters away from him.

He possessed blood-red hair, cascading akin to a flame. His eyes were of an equally red color, yet the pupil was white and formed a vertical slit. He seemed to have many small but very thick lashes that almost completely encircled his eyes. With his mouth slightly opened, Hades could see that on each side of his mouth, the being had one tooth longer than the other, as if a vampire. And finally, his skin was almost as white as his teeth if not for the ashen cinders that masked his face.

"Are you the one who freed him?" asked the being, his voice seemingly interchanging between tones akin to a discordant symphony. His voice came from nowhere, crashing upon Hades with an inescapable aura.

Yet he could not feel the being's presence.

Frozen in the hands of terror, Hades stammered, his words struggling to escape his lips. The voice was too overwhelming, making his control over his body, almost non-existent. His eyes trembled while sweat trickled down, soon evaporating from the heat.

"N-No" he fibbed, fear guiding his response. It was a reflex. He wanted to survive and his body seemed to think that lying was the way.

It wasn't.

He instantly regretted it, yet it was already too late.

The blood-haired entity before him only fixed him with his predatory eyes, however, it was enough.

The realm shook under his irk.

The dystopian world revealed an even grimmer picture.

A shape so alien, mortal minds would shatter at the mere sight of it.

A crimson blanket and two enormous globes glared at Hades.

"Was it you?" repeated the being.

"Yes" answered Hades, his eyes petrified. He wanted to look at the ground in shame, yet it was impossible to look away from the entity in front of him.

"How disappointing"

***

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