As Raiden and Lucifer plummeted through the air, the world around them a blur of wind and light, Lucifer's mind began to race. His body still twitched from the residual electricity, his wings struggling to regain control and stabilize their fall. But beyond the physical pain, something far more unsettling was gnawing at him—something he hadn't felt in centuries.
"Such power... from such a little human,"
Lucifer thought, his glowing crimson eyes narrowing as he looked down at Raiden, who still held a faint glow of Zeus' lightning in his hands, his face a mask of defiance even as they fell. "How much power did the gods give him?"
Lucifer had battled gods before. He had felt their wrath, their divine fury, and had come out victorious countless times. But this... this was different. This wasn't just a divine gift of power handed down like a trinket. There was something else, something primal in Raiden's eyes, in the way he fought—something that was stirring a long-buried concern in Lucifer's mind.
As the ground raced closer, Lucifer's thoughts turned to Zohar and Kaito, both of whom had shown unexpected strength before they had even been touched by the gods. Zohar, with his speed and precision, had landed a clean blow on Lucifer—"That kid hit me," Lucifer recalled, his brow furrowing in confusion and anger. "Before he was even chosen by Thor and Odin."
The memory of Zohar's kick, swift and brutal, replayed in his mind. For a moment, Lucifer had been taken off guard, truly surprised by the sheer audacity and force behind the attack. No ordinary human should have been able to land a blow like that on the Prince of Darkness. It wasn't just luck, it wasn't just strength—it was something deeper.
"There's something about these humans," Lucifer realized, his mind now a storm of thoughts. "They're not like the others. They don't just rely on the power of the gods... They have something else driving them."
As they continued to fall, Lucifer's wings snapped open, catching the wind with a sudden force that jerked their descent. He was slowing their fall now, but his eyes were locked on Raiden, who had passed out, still crackling faintly with Zeus' power. For a brief moment, Lucifer considered finishing him off right then and there. A flick of his claws, a twist of his wrist—he could end it.
But something held him back.
"I need to know," Lucifer thought, his lips curling into a dark grin. "I need to see what they truly are. What the gods see in them."
He began to slow their descent even more, flapping his wings powerfully until they were hovering just above the ruined streets below. Lucifer lowered Raiden gently, almost mockingly, onto the ground, his eyes still burning with curiosity. This human, this boy, had power—power beyond anything Lucifer had seen in mortals for centuries.
"I'll break you," Lucifer whispered, looking down at Raiden. "And when I do, I'll uncover the truth of why the gods chose you... and why they fear you."
He let go of Raiden, standing tall and surveying the destruction around them. Kaito and Zohar were still unconscious, scattered across the battlefield, but they too would rise. Lucifer could feel it. There was more to them than met the eye. The gods had given them strength, yes—but something deeper was brewing within them.
Something Lucifer intended to exploit.
Lucifer's dark chuckle echoed through the smoke and devastation. His wings, sleek and black as night, flared open once more. "I'll be watching you," he sneered, his crimson eyes flickering with amusement as he glanced toward Kirashi's unconscious form.
"Hope I didn't hurt your lady friend too badly."
With that, he launched into the sky, his wings beating powerfully as he soared upward. A ripple in the air followed his ascent, and with a sudden twist of dark energy, a portal opened above him. Lucifer flew through it, disappearing into the void.
The ground trembled as the portal expanded, but this time it wasn't demonic energy. Instead, a brilliant light filled the battlefield, pouring from the sky as another rift opened. Figures began to emerge from the blinding glow—gods and archangels, their presence overwhelming and majestic.
Zeus stepped forward first, his lightning-charged aura crackling around him as he surveyed the wreckage, eyes narrowing at the destruction Lucifer had left in his wake.
Behind Zeus came Odin, Thor, Neptune, and the remaining archangels, each one bearing their weapons of war, ready for the coming battle. Gabriel may have fallen, but they were far from defeated.
Zeus wasted no time. His voice boomed like thunder as he issued his orders. "Angels, take these three." He pointed to Raiden, Kaito, and Zohar, still unconscious from the fight. "Bring them into the portal. They have proven themselves worthy, and we must protect them if we are to stand any chance against Lucifer."
As the angels moved swiftly, gathering the three teenagers, Zeus turned to the gods standing beside him. "Ares, Heimdal, Athena—stay behind. Search for anything that might help us locate Lucifer. He can't be far, not after revealing himself so openly."
Ares, with his gleaming armor and blood-red spear, nodded. "We'll find him." His voice was calm, controlled, but his eyes burned with the thrill of battle. Heimdal, his watchful gaze always vigilant, scanned the surroundings with his massive sword in hand. "He won't escape my sight again," the guardian of the Bifrost said, his senses already stretching across the planes, searching for any hint of Lucifer's presence.
Meanwhile, Athena, goddess of wisdom and war, noticed movement in the corner of her eye. Kirashi, barely conscious, was stirring, her body battered and bruised from the earlier assault. Athena immediately knelt beside her, her golden armor gleaming in the dim light. "Easy now," she said softly, placing a hand on Kirashi's shoulder. "You've taken quite the blow, but you're strong. Let me help you."
Kirashi blinked groggily, her vision slowly coming into focus as she saw the tall, armored woman above her. "Who... who are you?" she asked weakly, her voice hoarse from the pain.
"I am Athena," the goddess replied, her voice both soothing and authoritative. "You are safe now. We're here to stop Lucifer." With gentle care, Athena helped Kirashi sit up, offering her some water from a small flask she carried.
"My brother..." Kirashi mumbled, her eyes searching for Shigenori.
Athena's eyes softened. "He's alive. But you all need rest and healing. You'll be reunited soon. For now, let us take care of this."
As the angels carried Raiden, Kaito, and Zohar through the portal, Zeus gave one last look to the gods who remained. "Find anything useful," he ordered, before disappearing into the light himself.
Back on the battlefield, Ares and Heimdal moved with purpose, inspecting the bodies of fallen soldiers, looking for any signs of where Lucifer may have gone. They began to form a plan, while Athena stayed with Kirashi, offering her aid and ensuring she was stable enough to move.
The war was far from over, and the gods were now fully engaged. Lucifer had made his move, but so had the divine—this was only the beginning of the New Age War.
Ares leapt up to the rooftops with the grace of a battle-hardened warrior, his eyes scanning the devastation for any sign of survivors. His armor shimmered faintly in the dim light, and as he moved, his spear gleamed with divine energy. When he reached the top, he saw Shigenori lying broken and gasping for air, his body twisted from Lucifer's brutal assault.
Ares knelt beside him, the god's expression firm but laced with concern. "You're still alive," he muttered, impressed by Shigenori's resilience. He gently lifted him into his arms, cradling the human as though he were far more fragile than the warrior he had once been. "I am Ares, god of war," he said, his voice steady. "You've been through hell—quite literally. Lucifer attacked, but you fought. You survived."
Shigenori barely managed to open his eyes, his breath ragged as he clung to life. He tried to speak, but only a wheezing gasp escaped his lips.
Ares carried him effortlessly off the rooftop, landing smoothly beside Heimdal, who was watching vigilantly. The Norse guardian's gaze immediately locked onto Shigenori's neck, where the faint glow of dark magic pulsed beneath the skin. "Ares, look," Heimdal said, his voice grave. He pointed to the jagged claw marks running down Shigenori's throat—marks left by Lucifer's wicked claws.
The lines were not ordinary injuries. They writhed and shifted under Shigenori's skin like living entities.
As Heimdal leaned closer, he noticed a sickly black substance spreading from the wounds, veins turning dark, like ink being spilled into water. "Hell poison," Heimdal muttered, his tone grim. "This is no ordinary wound. Lucifer's claws carry a venom born from the rifts of Hell itself."
Ares narrowed his eyes, his grip on Shigenori tightening slightly. "Hell poison?"
Heimdal nodded, his eyes sharp. "It's a vile poison that corrupts whatever it touches. It spreads through the blood, turning gods and humans alike into demons. The stronger the being it affects, the more powerful the demon they become."
Ares's jaw clenched as he looked down at the barely conscious Shigenori. "If this poison takes him... he'll turn into something far worse than any ordinary demon."
Shigenori's eyes fluttered open for a brief moment, his voice weak as he gasped, "Help... me..."
Ares, feeling the weight of his words, knew they didn't have much time. "We need to get him to the gods. There has to be something they can do to stop this. We can't let Lucifer turn him." The god of war glanced at Heimdal, who nodded in agreement.
"We must act quickly," Heimdal said, his voice unwavering. "Athena will know what to do. She has knowledge of ancient poisons and cures that might help slow this down."
Without wasting another moment, Ares hoisted Shigenori carefully, moving with urgency back toward where Athena was tending to Kirashi. The poison was spreading faster than either god had anticipated—Shigenori's skin was paling, and dark tendrils of hellish corruption were slowly creeping across his body.
As they reached Athena, her eyes immediately fell upon the spreading poison, and she drew in a sharp breath. "This is worse than I feared," she muttered. "We have little time. We need to stop the spread before it consumes him entirely."
She placed her hands over the wound, a soft glow of golden light emanating from her palms as she began to mutter incantations in an ancient tongue. "I can hold it back, but not for long. We'll need something stronger to cleanse this fully. The poison's connection to Hell is too deep."
Kirashi, barely conscious but aware of the danger, whispered, "Please... save him."
Athena nodded firmly. "I will do everything in my power."
Ares looked at Athena, his expression stoic but determined. "We need to find a way to cure this before it's too late. If Lucifer's poison takes him... we'll have another demon on our hands. A powerful one."
Athena's face was set with determination. "I will find the cure. But we may need something beyond even the gods. This poison is connected to Hell's rifts... and we may have to venture there to stop it at its source."
As the gods began their frantic efforts to save Shigenori, the war against Lucifer was now not only about stopping him but about saving those who had been touched by his darkness. The battle for Shigenori's soul had just begun.
Athena, kneeling beside Shigenori and Kirashi, looked up at Ares and Heimdall with a firm resolve in her eyes. "I'll stay here," she said, her voice steady as she continued channeling golden energy to hold back the hell poison creeping through Shigenori's body. "I'll take care of him and Kirashi. But you two, go. Check the surrounding areas—the school, hospitals—anywhere humans have gathered. Lucifer's too cunning to reveal himself just to infect one person. This is a strategy. There are others."
Heimdall, standing a few feet away with his arms crossed, furrowed his brow. "Zeus told us to search for Lucifer, not babysit humans," he interjected, his tone sharp. "You're wasting time. If Lucifer's infection takes hold, the boy will become a demon. You might as well kill him now before that happens."
Athena's eyes narrowed, her gaze locking with Heimdall's. "You don't understand the gravity of this situation, Heimdall. If we can save him, we must. I'm not letting Lucifer take one more soul than he already has."
Heimdall scoffed, his sharp eyes cold. "You and your sentimentality. Always too close to the mortals. It's going to cost us dearly in the end. We're at war, Athena. We can't save everyone. You'd better be ready to do what's necessary when he turns."
Before Athena could respond, Ares stepped between them, his tone low but commanding. "Heimdall." The Norse god of vigilance turned his head toward Ares, who stared at him with a steady gaze. "Calm down. Zeus knew Athena cares too much for humans to stand by and watch them die. She won't leave them behind. And she won't let this poison take him without a fight."
Ares placed a hand on Heimdall's shoulder, his voice becoming more measured. "We'll do our part. We've been ordered to find Lucifer, and that's what we'll do. But let's not waste energy arguing over this. We search the school, the hospitals, anywhere Lucifer might've left his mark. Maybe we'll even get a little action out of it." A small grin tugged at the corner of his lips, the excitement of battle never far from his mind.
Heimdall's eyes flicked from Ares to Athena, the tension still evident in his posture. But after a moment, he gave a curt nod, his voice gruff. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you when that boy turns."
Athena didn't respond, her attention returning to Shigenori, whose breathing had slowed as she worked to keep the poison at bay. "He won't turn," she muttered to herself, more as a promise than a hope. "Not if I can help it."
Ares and Heimdall turned, their forms disappearing into the distance as they set off to investigate the nearby hotspots. Athena, now alone with Shigenori and Kirashi, continued her work, a sense of urgency weighing heavy on her. Lucifer's reach was growing, and she knew they had little time before the true extent of his plan became clear.
Back on the battlefield, Ares led the way, his sharp eyes scanning the ruins of the city as they made their way toward the school. "You know, Heimdall, there's more to this than just finding Lucifer," Ares said as they walked. "We're not just here to clean up the mess. We're here to stop him before it's too late."
Heimdall glanced at Ares, his face unreadable. "And if it's already too late?"
Ares chuckled darkly. "Then we fight. And we make sure Lucifer knows what happens when he messes with the gods."