Ten years later.
The otherworldly Golden Apple and World Crystal finally sparked a new war of the gods.
Achilles gained the protection of Gaia, the Earth Goddess. He was invincible in the mortal world and gathered many crystal fragments, roughly one-tenth of the total.
The God of the Underworld and the God of the Sea each gathered one-seventh.
Zeus forced the gods to hand over their fragments. Even those they had swallowed had to be coughed back up. He claimed half the total share.
The remaining fragments were scattered among the various deities.
Zeus ordered Apollo, the Sun God, to kill Achilles and seize the fragments.
Yet Apollo, who excelled at archery, was instead killed by Achilles.
A powerful chief god of Olympus had fallen just like that. Perhaps he could be resurrected later.
But no matter what, it meant that a mortal Hero had defeated a chief god.
Just like Hercules would later.
That was enough to prove how formidable those crystals were.
Zeus prepared to act personally, but Achilles entered the underworld first and challenged Hades.
No one knew why Achilles had suddenly become so wise, nor why Gaia, the Earth Goddess, had chosen to protect him.
After making up for his lack of wisdom, Achilles, proficient in both civil and military arts, was terrifying.
Hades was beaten into hell by him.
The crystals Hades had already swallowed were taken from him.
Only then did the gods realize that even if they swallowed the crystals, the crystals would vanish if they lost.
The crystals' power obeyed only the strong.
Zeus went mad. He killed and devoured his own children, his own Sister, and his subordinates.
Just as he had once devoured one of his wives, fearing that the child she bore would overthrow him.
Only Athena and Hermes