[Why don't you join us? We will become the Gods of the gods,] the fifth proposed a deal.
[Join you… like you want us to overthrow the higher heavens with you?] the twelfth asked.
[Indeed. We have spent more than 500,000 years together. And I want all of you to be with me.] After a brief pause, he continued, [We can conquer without dividing.]
The gods and the goddesses pondered for a while, and then the first asked, [Do you think this will go unnoticed by the higher gods?]
SIGH!
The fifth sighed and asked, [Who are the lowest of races?]
[Petty humans?] the sixth said with a soft scoff.
[Not that low. I am talking about the heavens.]
[Angels?] the eleventh asked.
[Exactly. They are the same as us. They won't have free will, and they do the same thing every day. They fulfill the task they are created for. And guess what?] the fifth laughed out loud and said, [They want a freewill too. Sure, it was me who proposed the idea. But they agreed to start a revolution.]
The first's eyes widened as he realized what the fifth had done.
[You… bribed the angels of the higher realm?] the first asked with a baffled look on his face.
The fifth shrugged his shoulders and said, [It wasn't hard, to be honest. I just sent my loyal angel to do the devil's whispers to the other angels. They took the bait. I mean, how else do you think I managed to get my hands on these weapons?]
[You all will be obliterated once the higher gods learn about this. Fifth… it's not too late to retaliate. If you give us our powers back, we will forget everything that happened today, and no one will ever talk about it.]
[First, do you truly think you are allowed to have your say in your current position.? I have been planning and waiting for this day for over 100,00 years! Even before I decided to get Aria and Erza exiled.]
The fifth glared at everyone and said, [Do you truly think I would retaliate after coming this far?!]
[What will we get if we join you?] the eleventh asked.
[Hah?! You don't have any power to demand anything! But if you join us, we will give you half of your powers back. And once we have usurped the throne of the higher gods, we will give your powers back.]
[So you are saying you are simply borrowing our powers and using them against the one who created us?] the twelfth asked with a disappointed look on her face.
[Not quite the same. If you don't join us, then we will kill you with the power of the higher gods. So if you want to live long enough to see the destruction of heaven and your fellow gods, join us. If not, then you will see yourself with the rest of them.]
[Do we get to keep our free will if we decide to join?] the tenth asked with a curious look on her face.
[With or without free will, we can't do anything to you in this state. We can't force you to vote for something if you don't truly mean it from your heart. The heavens won't register that as a vote. So what 'free will' are you talking about?]
[We never had such a thing, to begin with!] the second added.
[I am not talking about that free will. Will we get freedom from you? Or do we have to live as your underlings?] the eleventh asked.
[That depends on your loyalty. I won't ask you to do something you don't want to. And besides, what can you possibly help me with? Soon, I will be stronger than you. You serve no importance for me. I Just don't want to see my fellow brothers and sisters die because of their foolishness.]
[I want to join you!] the sixth said out loud.
The fifth turned to the sixth and looked at him with a judging look on his face.
[Are you telling the truth?] he asked.
[You know gods never lie,] the sixth answered.
[Well, I did.] The fifth grabbed the weapon that was holding the sixth's power and ate it half. Then, he gave it to the sixth and said, [Here. Eat it, and you will regain half of your power.]
The sixth ate the weapon, and all the cracks from his body disappeared. His body started shining again, and he no longer looked like a human.
They then looked at the rest of the gods and goddesses and asked, [Anyone else want to join us?]
A few seconds later, the tenth goddess raised her hand and said, [I would like to join you. I don't care about humans anyway.]
[Good. I expected you to join.] The second ate the weapon in half and then gave it to the tenth.
[Anyone else? I am running out of patience.]
Out of nowhere, another goddess raised her hand, and none of the gods expected her to do that.
[Third…?] the fist stuttered on his words. [It can't be…]
[Heh!] the fifth sneered and uttered, [You know, I had thought that all of you would join, but the first and the third would never join. But I guess everyone is afraid of dying.]
The eighth ate half of the weapon and gave it to the third.
[Welcome, third. You have made a wise choice.]
[…] The eleventh watched the third with his face full of shock. He couldn't believe his eyes. 'Third… what are you planning?'
'I was going to join them and convince the third to join me, but I guess I underestimated the third. She can save herself too,' the eleventh uttered inwardly.
The third stood with the fifth, second, fourth, sixth, eighth, and tenth and looked upon the rest of the gods.
Out of all the 12 gods and the goddesses, the first was the first and the oldest god, and the third was the oldest goddess.
They knew Aria and Erza better than anyone else, and they had spent more time with them than the other gods and the goddess who later came into existence.
===
Author's Note- The gods take the first step into the revolution!