The God of Underworld

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

Nyx's words made everyone grow silent. They stared at each other with stern expressions, as if contemplating whether to agree with her or not.

Finally, Odin was the first to break the silence.

"Very well," he said, his single eye narrowing. "If this alliance is to happen, we should be clear—what exactly are we fighting for, and what are we willing to put on the table?"

Just then...

Before anyone could say more, the space flickered and a figure appeared out of nowhere.

"Apologies. Something came up. Those blasted angels of Yahweh went to cause trouble with my domain once again."

It was Ra, the God King of Egypt Pantheon.

His immediately landed on Hades. His brows furrowed at the stranger, before it widened upon realising he couldn't feel anything from him.

That's when he remembered that Nyx was bringing in a transcendent with her to discuss thr alliance.

"You're just in time." Shiva turned towards him and motioned for him to sit, "Take a seat. We were just about to discuss the possible alliance. Is Quetzalcoatl not with you?"

Ra quickly went to sit down on his throne. "No. I heard that they are currently partying with the Mayans and couldn't come."

Shiva nodded. "But we can't start unless all of us are here."

Under everyone's gaze, Shiva grabbed into empty space, and pulled.

Instantly, two large feathered serpents crashed, causing the ever distant realm to shake.

With a puff of smoke, the two feathered serpent transformed into humanoid figures.

One of them is Quetzalcoatl, and the other is a man with similar appearances but has long emerald green hair.

"W-What? Where am I?" The newcomer questioned, before his eyes landed on Shiva who towered over him, "L-L-Lord Shiva!?"

"This is..." Quetzalcoatl frowned, "It appears we have been brought here against our will."

"We are about to discuss about oir possible alliance. Take your seat." Said Shiva, before his gaze landed on the other god, "You too, Kukulkan."

"Y-Yes!"

Kukulkan saluted.

He is the Creator God of Mayan Pantheon, considered as the strongest god of the Mayans.

Shiva hummed as he tapped his fingers on the table, "With that, everyone's here. Let us discuss our alliance."

There was a silence for a brief moment, before one goddess decided it was time to speak.

Nuwa's delicate fingers tapped the polished surface of the table. "If these outer horrors truly intend to feed on all universes, then my priority is the protection of my own. I will lend resources, but I will not commit my highest deities to fight unless the threat directly approaches my realm."

"That's not an alliance," Lugh cut in sharply, his voice like a blade. "That's charity with conditions. If you're not willing to commit to the battlefield, then you're just here to watch the rest of us bleed."

Nuwa's serene smile didn't falter. "Better to have survivors than a glorious, mutual extinction."

Ra, who had been silent until now, finally spoke, "Egypt will join, on the condition that all knowledge and methods of defending against such beings be shared freely among members. No hoarding, no holding back artifacts because they 'belong to your pantheon'."

Amaterasu nodded. "Agreed. We've all kept secrets from each other for too long, and that secrecy will kill us faster than the horrors will."

Anu of Mesopotamia raised a hand, his deep voice resonating like ancient stone. "Then we must establish a pact of trust… but to enforce it, there should be oaths. Break them, and your realm is exiled from the pact, and fair game for the rest."

The air grew heavier at his words.

Shiva, who had remained silent, finally spoke. "Oaths are meaningless without the will to honor them. But…"

His eyes drifted to Hades. "If this one joins the pact, then perhaps he can serve as arbiter, someone beyond our reach, who can enforce the rules without bias."

Nyx's smirk deepened, but she said nothing, letting the idea sink in.

Lugh scoffed. "And what's in it for him? I don't recall transcendents having much stake in our petty squabbles."

All eyes turned to Hades. His expression was unreadable, but when he spoke, his voice was calm, almost bored.

"If the outer horrors consume this universe, they will eventually move on to others. I don't care about your politics, but I do care about removing a threat before it grows strong enough to challenge me."

That silenced the table.

Odin finally leaned back. "Then it's settled. We form the alliance, share knowledge and resources, and coordinate defenses. Hades will serve as our enforcer."

Shiva's gaze swept the room. "We each have demands, so speak now. I will not have this council collapse later because of petty grievances."

And so they began.

Nuwa wanted the right to hide her realm if needed.

Ra demanded joint research into weapons that could affect beings beyond the gods.

Odin requested free passage between realms for military movement.

Amaterasu insisted on cultural sovereignty—no interference in each other's pantheons.

Lugh, still glaring at Nyx, demanded a clause to prevent members from absorbing or conquering other pantheons within the alliance.

Anu wanted a shared council armory, containing artifacts from all members.

Quetzalcoatl and Kukulkan demanded they also protect the alliance also extend their help to the Mesoamerican and Southern American Alliance.

It is an alliance formed by various weaker and lesser known pantheons which are being protected by the Mayans and Aztecs.

Each demand sparked murmurs, arguments, and compromises.

The table became a battlefield of words, as centuries-old grudges mixed with desperate practicality.

The discussion had gone in circles for nearly an hour, each pantheon trying to edge the terms in their favor.

Lugh was arguing heatedly with Ra about artifact ownership, Odin and Amaterasu were locked in a low but tense debate about realm passage, and Nuwa had begun withdrawing from the conversation entirely, folding her arms and leaning back as if she had already decided to disengage.

Nyx sat in her throne, watching with thinly veiled irritation.

She knew this was exactly how every council meeting had gone in the past—too much pride, too much distrust, and not enough willingness to act.

This time, however, something was different.

A quiet tap echoed through the space.

It was Hades, his finger rhythmically striking the table's surface.

It was so soft that it shouldn't have been noticeable in the heated arguments, yet somehow, every god present fell silent.

Even Shiva tilted his head slightly, watching.

Hades' eyes, black and bottomless, swept across the table. "I believe you are all discussing about forming an alliance, but the way you negotiate, you'd end up as food before you can find a middle ground. You don't have enough time. You will not have decades. You may not even have years."

Odin's brow furrowed. "You speak as if you know the timeline."

"I don't." Hades admitted, "But the feeding has begun. The moment it finishes with the last universe it touched, it will seek the next closest. Every wasted moment here makes your worlds more vulnerable."

He leaned back slightly, his voice taking on an edge of cold finality. "So here is what will happen. You will speak your demands once, without interruption. I will judge if they are reasonable in the context of survival. If they are, they stay. If they are not, they're discarded. You will accept this, or you will leave this table and face the horrors alone."

Lugh's jaw tightened. "And if we don't agree to let you decide?"

Hades' gaze locked on him. "Then I will not be here to enforce your oaths. And when one of you breaks them—and you will—the alliance will collapse before the first battle is fought. If that's the road you want, take it. I will protect my own realm and leave yours to its fate."

The silence that followed was absolute. Even Lugh didn't reply, though his eyes still burned with hostility.

Shiva's lips curled in the faintest smile. "Efficient. I like it. Speak your demands again, one at a time."

No one argued further. One by one, the gods voiced their needs, this time without barbs or theatrics.

When it was over, Hades made his judgments.

Nuwa's right to hide her realm stayed, but only if she provided real-time intelligence while in hiding.

Ra's demand for joint research was accepted, with the stipulation that results were shared immediately.

Odin's request for free passage was granted, but restricted to military operations against the horrors.

Amaterasu's cultural sovereignty was upheld.

Lugh's non-aggression clause was agreed to, but it applied to all members equally.

Anu's shared armory was approved, but access required unanimous consent from the council.

Quetzalcoatl and Kukulkan's demand were also approved, but only if the Mesoamerican and the Southern American Pantheons were to provide any help.

By the time the last decision was made, the council felt… different.

They are more focused and dedicated than before.

For the first time since its creation, it actually resembled a functional alliance.