Sorry about the late update, guys. I had some trouble with my computer a week ago. Turns out some Windows updates just don't work with the computer, but I was able to get help and have it all fixed in a few days. Now that I'm back on track, here are the next few chapters.
Chapter 32
Lord of the Dead
Hades stepped onto the rocky path that arched over the Acheron, the river casting a sickly green glow in the air around him. Spirits swirled through the water, each one resembling an emaciated, dried-out corpse. The overseer of the afterlife, who did not care much for his job, had not cared enough to process the spirits into more suitable post-death arrangements, and as such they simply gathered and cluttered into the vast depths.
Hades walked across the path, passing over the River of Souls, where many spirits glared up at him in contempt. He dragged a mortally-wounded pig behind him. When he reached the top, he snapped his fingers and a set of doors opened. He climbed the stairs, still dragging the bloodied swine. He entered into a circular room made of black stone carved with haunting designs that brought to mind demonic imagery.
He approached a round window on the opposite side from the door and whistled with his fingers. An enormous black dog, with three fearsome heads, three pairs of blood-red eyes and three sets of razor-sharp teeth each as long as a human arm, approached the window, sniffing the air and snarling.
"Here. Got something for you," Hades said, throwing the pig out to his pet, Cerberus. The right head grabbed the pig by the leg, and the other heads immediately began fighting over the meal, disregarding the fact that they all shared the same stomach and it did not matter which head chewed and swallowed the meal.
Hades walked over to his throne and sat down, slouching while Cerberus ran off with the meat. He pointed at a screen mounted on the opposite side of the room, and the screen lit up with a live video of the latest tournament in his own personal battle arena, the Underdrome. When the Coliseum was rebuilt following the destruction that he arranged at the same time as his plan to trick Sora into reopening the Underdrome for him, Hades realized that he would lose most of his competitors and living audience, so he repurposed the arena to let deceased warriors fight, and he also had a Jumbotron installed so the souls in the Acheron could have some entertainment. As it turns out, and as Hades began to understand, floating about in a pool of your own essence for eternity was pretty boring. He had also had to tone the violence down so that Zeus would not lock it up again.
Hades watched three centurions fight against two Vikings and a gorilla. However, he could not bring himself to be interested. The fights among the dead were not nearly as spirited, entertaining, or diverse as the ones that would be up in the Coliseum.
And I just gave them another strong warrior, on top of making an enemy out of him. As if a god didn't have enough headaches, he thought. He yawned as the gorilla tore one of the centurions in half.
"Pity. I had hoped that the gorilla would have made things interesting," Hades heard a new voice say sarcastically. The dour deity glanced to the right, where he saw Kuja watching the show, eating from a bowl of popcorn.
Hades groaned. "What are you doing here, Pretty Boy?" he asked.
"Observing your methods," Kuja answered. "Clearly, the Keyblade master is too much of a benevolent influence for your deception of impressionable warriors to earn any long-term victories. Or short-term, even, particularly if you recall the failed guardian who simply rejected your offer. And yet you command the vast armies and powers of the dead. Why don't you simply unleash all of your monsters and demons to overwhelm and destroy your enemies?"
Hades turned to scowl at him. "For starters, if I let the dogs out to destroy everything in their path, Zeus and the other gods will take notice. I was only able to gather monsters and enact my plan to free and control the Titans because Zeus thought I was a loving brother who wouldn't dream of betraying him. Now that I'm exposed, the only thing I can do to stay off his radar is to sign fiends and Heartless up in the Coliseum and hope an 'accident' happens to Herc the Jerk," he explained.
Kuja nodded in understanding. "I see. I prefer the theatrics, anyway, but I would rather have them be effective."
"You have something to say, Pretty Boy?"
"If your breed of monsters and trickery fail, then how about we try one of mine?" Kuja suggested. He raised a finger, and the air in front of Hades shimmered. Four enormous, red, clawed fingers reached out of the fold in space, startling Hades before they receded back where they came from.
"What was that?" Hades blurted in shock.
Kuja chuckled. "A little something I conjured out of the Mist between planes of existence," he answered. "I have been experimenting with these phantoms. They do not 'live' by the same definition as the rest of us, and they do not follow the same laws of magic as the Heartless or your monsters. I would be quite interested to find out how they stand against the wielders of the Keyblade."
Hades stroked his chin, considering the offer. He wanted to get any edge on his enemies that he could get. He shrugged. "Eh, why not? Let's give it a try."
Kuja smirked. "Do try to show some enthusiasm. We have no reason to despair."