BUDDHA
1414 Words
UNDERWORLD ARC
Chapter 14: Buddha
Six years earlier...
The Human Realm.
Morning sunlight filtered gently through endless forests as birds sang from the towering trees.
A twelve-year-old Hades walked beside Atlas with both hands tucked behind his head, lazily kicking pebbles along the dirt road.
He yawned.
"Uncle Atlas..."
"I thought today was combat training."
"So why are we in the Human Realm?"
Atlas chuckled.
"You've trained your body."
"You've strengthened your instincts."
"You've sharpened your senses."
"But a true warrior isn't defined by muscles alone."
He smiled.
"A warrior also needs wisdom."
"Without wisdom..."
"Power eventually becomes meaningless."
Hades scratched his head.
"So..."
"Who are we meeting?"
Atlas looked toward the distant mountains.
"A man."
"A human."
"But one respected by every realm."
"His name..."
"...is Buddha."
Hades blinked.
"A human?"
Atlas nodded.
"One unlike any other."
As they continued walking, Atlas began explaining.
"Buddha was once known as Siddhartha Gautama."
"A prince born into unimaginable luxury."
"He knew neither pain nor hardship."
"But one day..."
"He witnessed old age."
"Sickness."
"Death."
"And finally..."
"A wandering monk who had found peace despite possessing nothing."
"Those sights changed his life forever."
"So he abandoned his throne."
"His wealth."
"His comforts."
"He spent years searching for truth."
"He first embraced extreme hardship..."
"...only to realize that suffering alone wasn't the answer."
"So he discovered what he called..."
"...the Middle Way."
Hades tilted his head.
"The Middle Way?"
Atlas nodded.
"A life without excess."
"A life without unnecessary attachment."
"Balance."
"He eventually attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi Tree."
"From that day onward..."
"He became known simply as..."
"...the Buddha."
"The Awakened One."
Hades whistled.
"Sounds impressive."
Atlas smiled.
"His teachings revolve around two foundations."
"The Four Noble Truths."
"And the Noble Eightfold Path."
Hades folded his arms.
"Sounds complicated."
Atlas laughed.
"It isn't."
He raised one finger.
"The First Noble Truth."
"Life contains suffering."
"Pain."
"Loss."
"Impermanence."
"The Second."
"Suffering is born from attachment."
"Desire."
"Greed."
"Ignorance."
"The Third."
"Suffering can end."
"If one lets go."
"And finally..."
"The Fourth."
"There exists a path leading toward that freedom."
"The Noble Eightfold Path."
Hades listened surprisingly attentively.
Atlas continued.
"Right Understanding."
"Right Intention."
"Right Speech."
"Right Action."
"Right Livelihood."
"Right Effort."
"Right Mindfulness."
"And..."
"Right Concentration."
"They guide one's body..."
"...mind..."
"...and soul."
Hades rubbed his chin.
"So..."
"He's basically really wise."
Atlas laughed.
"That's one way of putting it."
Several minutes later...
They arrived at a peaceful shrine hidden deep within the forest.
Unlike the magnificent palaces of Olympus...
The shrine was incredibly simple.
A single Bodhi Tree stood proudly at its center.
Beneath it sat a lone man.
His eyes remained closed.
His expression was completely serene.
He possessed long earlobes.
A rounded topknot rested upon his head.
A faint mark adorned his forehead.
His gentle smile radiated unimaginable peace.
He sat motionless in the lotus position.
Even the wind seemed reluctant to disturb him.
Atlas bowed respectfully.
"Buddha."
"I've brought him."
Without opening his eyes...
Buddha smiled.
"I know."
His calm voice carried throughout the shrine.
Atlas placed a hand on Hades' shoulder.
"I'll leave him in your care."
Then...
He quietly departed.
Hades awkwardly sat opposite Buddha.
Neither spoke.
Five minutes passed.
Then ten.
Finally...
Hades groaned.
"Are we... meditating?"
Buddha slowly opened his eyes.
Golden irises seemed to shine with endless wisdom.
He smiled warmly.
"Hades."
"I hear you've become quite talented in combat."
Hades grinned proudly.
"I'm getting there."
Buddha nodded.
"Then allow me to ask."
"What does it mean..."
"...to become truly strong?"
Hades answered instantly.
"Simple."
"Punch harder."
"Move faster."
Buddha chuckled softly.
"A reasonable answer."
"But incomplete."
He gently tapped his own chest.
"The greatest opponent..."
"...you will ever face..."
"...is yourself."
Hades frowned.
"...Myself?"
Buddha nodded.
"The Supreme Creator blessed me with Divine Enlightenment."
"Through these eyes..."
"I perceive countless futures."
"Countless possibilities."
"I see far beyond ordinary vision."
"But even with such a gift..."
"I learned something."
He closed his eyes once more.
"Power alone..."
"...never wins every battle."
Hades leaned forward.
"Then what does?"
Buddha smiled.
"The mind."
He picked up a fallen leaf.
"When warriors fight..."
"Their minds never stop moving."
"What technique should I use?"
"Should I attack?"
"Should I defend?"
"What will my opponent do next?"
Every thought...
"...creates delay."
Hades blinked.
"It does?"
Buddha nodded.
"Then come emotions."
"Fear."
"Anger."
"Pride."
"Hatred."
"Desperation."
"Excitement."
"Even determination."
"They cloud judgment."
"They interfere with instinct."
"They reveal your intentions."
He gently released the leaf.
It drifted effortlessly upon the breeze.
"When your heart trembles..."
"...your body hesitates."
"When your emotions speak..."
"...your enemy listens."
Hades slowly became serious.
"So..."
"How do you stop that?"
Buddha smiled.
"It is incredibly difficult."
"Perhaps impossible..."
"...for most."
He closed his eyes again.
"You empty everything."
"No anger."
"No joy."
"No hatred."
"No fear."
"No expectations."
"No thoughts."
"Nothing."
"You separate your mind from your body."
"You allow the body itself..."
"...to perceive."
"...to react."
"...to decide."
"No conscious thought."
"No unnecessary movement."
"Only perfect instinct."
Hades stared silently.
Buddha continued.
"When you reach that state..."
"Speed increases."
"Accuracy improves."
"Power becomes absolute."
"Your instincts transcend prediction itself."
"You become impossible to read..."
"...because you emit no emotional intent."
"You simply..."
"...exist."
Hades whispered,
"...What do you call that state?"
Buddha's gentle smile widened.
"Pure Mind."
Silence filled the shrine.
The words echoed within Hades.
"Pure..."
"...Mind."
Buddha looked directly into his eyes.
"You may spend decades attempting to achieve it."
"You may never succeed."
"But should you one day grasp even a fragment of it..."
"...very few warriors in existence will be capable of defeating you."
The memory faded.
---
Present Day.
Lucifer's ruined fortress.
Hades struggled to remain standing.
Blood dripped from dozens of wounds.
His breathing was ragged.
Across from him...
Aza.
Zxe.
Zel.
All three prepared another coordinated assault.
"This ends now."
Aza lifted his staff.
Lightning gathered.
Zxe cracked his fists.
"Hehehe..."
"Let's finish him!"
Zel slowly raised his katana.
"...Forgive me."
All three exploded forward simultaneously.
Persephone gasped.
"No!"
Beelzebub clenched his fists.
"Hades!"
Hades slowly closed his eyes.
His breathing became calm.
Steady.
Everything disappeared.
The pain.
The battlefield.
The fear.
The excitement.
His playful personality.
His confidence.
Even his thoughts.
Nothing remained.
Only silence.
His heartbeat slowed.
Then...
His body moved.
Without opening his eyes...
He tilted his head.
Zxe's punch missed.
His right foot shifted.
Zel's blade sliced harmlessly through empty air.
His Bident rose naturally.
Aza's lightning struck the vibrating shield and dispersed harmlessly.
The trio attacked relentlessly.
Punches.
Slashes.
Lightning.
A storm capable of destroying kingdoms.
Yet Hades remained rooted to the same spot.
Eyes closed.
Moving only when necessary.
Not a single wasted motion.
Beelzebub stared in disbelief.
"...What..."
"...is he doing?"
"He isn't even looking!"
Persephone whispered,
"...Hades..."
The trio retreated.
Aza frowned.
"...Impossible."
Zxe growled.
"Hit him!"
"JUST HIT HIM!"
All three combined their power.
Lightning.
Ice.
Demonic energy.
Their attacks fused into one enormous sphere.
Aza roared,
"DARK TRINITY HOLLOW MASS!!"
A colossal beam swallowed Hades whole.
The world exploded.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The blast tore through the Underworld.
Mountains cracked.
Rivers burst apart.
Shockwaves reached even Beelzebub's position.
Everyone shielded their eyes.
Silence followed.
Persephone dropped to her knees.
Tears streamed down her face.
"No..."
"He promised..."
"He promised he would come back..."
"He won't lose..."
"He'll never lose..."
The trio smiled.
Zxe laughed maniacally.
"We won!"
Aza slowly lowered his staff.
"...It's over."
Then...
He froze.
"...Wait."
Within the smoke...
A silhouette appeared.
Walking calmly.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Beelzebub narrowed his eyes.
"...There's someone..."
The smoke slowly parted.
The first thing everyone saw...
...was the Divine Bident.
Balanced effortlessly between its twin blades...
...was the gigantic Dark Trinity Hollow Mass itself.
Caught.
Stopped.
Contained.
No one breathed.
Hades finally emerged.
Not a single expression crossed his face.
His eyes...
Had changed.
His gray irises now contained intricate golden gear-like patterns that slowly rotated.
There was no arrogance.
No sarcasm.
No playfulness.
Only absolute tranquility.
The enormous energy sphere quietly dispersed into harmless particles.
Zxe's grin vanished.
For the first time...
He began sweating.
Zel's five eyes trembled.
"...I..."
"...can't feel anything."
"If I closed my eyes..."
"I would swear no one was standing there..."
Even Aza remained speechless.
Hades finally spoke.
His voice was calm.
Gentle.
Almost like a completely different person.
"...Looks like..."
"...the writer isn't ready to kill his protagonist."
He slowly raised the Divine Bident.
"This time..."
"...Round Two begins."
"The real battle..."
"...starts now."
End of Chapter 14
- Writer
