Verethragna — POV
Several days had passed since our birth.
Most of that time had been spent training.
Divine energy was fascinating. The more I studied it, the more I realized how different each god's power felt. Every divine presence had its own signature.
Because of my unusually sharp senses, I could already read my siblings like open books.
If they fought each other right now…
Apollo would probably win.
Barely.
Apollo had slightly greater raw divinity—his energy burned brighter and carried more natural power.
But Artemis had superior control.
Her precision was impressive. She wasted almost no divine energy when she moved or attacked.
If the fight dragged on long enough, she might even turn the tables.
It would be an interesting battle.
I was pulled from my thoughts when a sudden flash of color appeared nearby.
A rainbow.
From the rainbow stepped a tall woman with shimmering eyes and flowing robes of prismatic light.
I immediately recognized her.
Iris.
She looked at the three of us with a polite smile.
"Children of Zeus," she said, her voice soft but clear. "Your father summons you to Mount Olympus."
Apollo tilted his head.
"Olympus?"
Artemis frowned slightly.
"The home of the gods," Iris explained.
She paused before continuing.
"The Olympian Council wishes to place the three of you among their ranks."
I blinked.
So that was happening already.
Apollo immediately started asking questions.
"What's Olympus like?" he asked. "Is it huge? Do we get palaces?"
Artemis rolled her eyes.
I remained silent.
From what I knew, the council currently had only nine members.
My father, Zeus.
My aunt, Hera.
My uncle, Poseidon.
Then there were the others: Hephaestus, Demeter, Aphrodite, and Hestia.
Adding the three of us would bring the number closer to a proper council.
I had already planned to leave Delos eventually to grow stronger.
So this worked perfectly.
Iris raised her hand.
The rainbow brightened.
"Come," she said.
And the world disappeared.
When my vision returned, we were standing at the gates of Mount Olympus.
Even I had to admit…
It was impressive.
Golden halls stretched endlessly across the mountaintop.
Massive pillars made of marble and gold supported towering ceilings. Divine energy filled the air like a gentle storm.
Apollo, meanwhile, was already distracted.
Several nymphs passed by as we walked through the halls.
Apollo immediately smiled.
"Hello there," he said shamelessly.
The nymphs giggled.
Artemis sighed.
I ignored him.
Eventually we reached the council chamber.
Inside were massive thrones arranged in a circle.
Most of them were already occupied.
But three remained empty.
The moment we stepped inside, every god turned to look at us.
Naturally, I studied them carefully.
Zeus sat at the central throne.
Lightning crackled faintly around him.
Next to him sat Poseidon, whose aura felt like an endless ocean.
Their power levels were… interesting.
Very close.
But if I had to guess—
Zeus was slightly stronger.
Which made sense.
The king of the gods would not accept anything less.
Zeus looked at us with something resembling pride.
Then he spoke.
"Let us begin."
His voice echoed across the chamber like thunder.
For a brief moment, my battle instincts stirred.
I wanted to fight him.
To measure the strength of the king of the gods.
But that was stupid.
At my current level, I would lose.
And I hated losing.
After all…
Victory was supposed to be my domain.
Technically, I hadn't awakened that divinity yet.
Still, the instinct was there.
The council discussion that followed was… painfully slow.
The gods debated.
Argued.
Voted.
It took far longer than necessary.
Eventually, however, the decision was reached.
The three of us would become Olympians.
Zeus rose from his throne.
"There is another matter," he said.
His gaze shifted toward Apollo.
"The serpent that hunted your mother must be slain."
I already knew the creature he meant.
Python.
Apollo grinned.
"Gladly."
Zeus nodded.
"But first, your domains must be declared."
He looked toward Artemis.
"You shall be the Goddess of the Hunt, Childbirth, and the Moon."
Artemis nodded calmly.
Then Zeus turned toward Apollo.
"You shall be the God of the Sun and Light, Music, Prophecy, and Healing."
Apollo looked delighted.
He now had more domains than either of us.
But I didn't care.
After all, once I awakened my Avatars…
I would literally be able to use some of those powers myself.
Including the sun.
Finally Zeus turned toward me.
The room grew quiet.
"You," he said, "shall be the God of War and Victory."
Interesting.
That fit perfectly with my future abilities.
Apollo had inherited the sun from the fading titan Helios.
And Artemis likely inherited the moon from Selene.
I made a mental note.
Now that I lived in this world…
I should probably brush up on Greek history.
After all, it wasn't mythology anymore.
It was reality.
And in this reality…
I intended to become the strongest god of them all.