After a sparring session, which Lucifer lost to Tiriara again, the two sat down in Eden, a garden in Ainu full of beautiful flowers and lush green trees, with a small stream running through it. Tiriara had created this garden because she loved flowers above all else. For her, they were not only blessings of nature, but much more- their own language. Each individual flower stood for a different meaning.

They sat in the pretty pavilion near a pond that was overgrown with ivy. "So, if I'm being honest..." Lucifer looked out over the vast flowerbeds. "...Of the two of us, you should be the new god, not me. Your fighting skills are really something else. Heh... Titania.",
"Nonsense." She shook her head. "What I have in fighting skills, you have in magic prowess. You control time and space itself. If you used all your power in our sparring sessions, you'd have me on my knees in no time."

"..." Lucifer watched as Maeril, an angel with auburn hair, glanced at them. That look was filled with venomous arrows, which she shot in Lucifer's direction silently before strolling away like a proud peacock. He sighed. "Is it just me, or can Maeril not stand me?",
"It's not just you." Tiriara shook her head again. "I've noticed that behavior of hers as well. If looks could kill...",
"...I wonder what her problem is. I didn't do anything to her, so... why does she hate me... I've tried to talk to her about it, but she either keeps actively avoiding me, or speaking to me with hostility in her words.",
"... She is... a bit peculiar," Tiriara said, putting her hands in her lap. "I think it's because of your destiny. Crypto treats you... differently from the others. You're supposed to be her successor, you're her favorite.... I think that's a thorn in her side.",
"So she's jealous.",
"Exactly."

"..." He shook his head. "She's welcome to take on that burden and carry it on her shoulders... if that's what she wants. I'm not good enough for it.",
"Lucifer. Please." Tiriara smiled and hugged her brother from behind. "Believe me, if anyone can do it... it's you. You were made for this role. It's literally in your name, 'light bearer'. You are the morning star that points towards a new day full of hope.",
"I never asked for it, though." He closed his ocean blue eyes. "When I was a kid, I worked hard, but now.... Now it feels like the pressure of the responsibility coming at me is crushing me. I can't do this, Tiriara... It is as if my whole life is dedicated to this one goal. I could never really... live. Don't get me wrong, Crypto trusting me with this is a great honor, but... it feels like my whole childhood was stolen from me. I never asked to be special... or to be treated as such. Especially not if it attracts the displeasure of others."

"Oh, ignore her." Tiriara rested her chin on his shoulder. "She's not worth it.",
"But I am serious... The other angels are already treating me like a god, and honestly, it feels strange to me. I really don't feel comfortable in my own skin. I want to be normal, like everyone else... Be able to have fun or go out. I can barely sleep at night knowing what my future holds... I don't even know why Crypto chose me for this task. Why not the saints? Aren't they her most loyal companions?"

"They are..." Tiriara nodded. "But they stand equal. And so it shall remain. She won't put any of the three in a higher position. There can be only one god, Lucifer. You know what she saw in the past", "..." He nodded. "When there are multiple gods, they begin to rival with each other until their greed for power drives them so mad that they fight each other to the death.",
"Yes... According to her, there were a multitude of gods in the past, and they all went insane for power as their natures dictated, so she had to slay them all.",
"It's for the best, I suppose... the flames of war have ravaged the land for too long back then. Still... Every time a blood moon rose over the years, it was Saint Kilian who wielded her powers against the death gods, was it not? He would be much more suitable for the role of god than me. What happens if I fall?",
"You have wings.",
"But what if they break?",
"...Then I'll be there to help you fly." Tiriara let go of him and took his hand. "Come on... Dance with me.",
"...What?",
"Let's get that mind of yours off those thoughts. And what better way to do that than to have a little fun?"

"..." He looked at her hand, then stood up and smiled. "You're right... I'm sorry you had to put up with my talking. Guide me, dearest sister.",
"With pleasure." She led him into a field of flowers and put a hand on his shoulder. Together, they began to dance among the flowers. She led him in her dance, and he followed. It was moments like these that he appreciated the most. The wind blew around them as if it wanted to help them fly away into the sky, and it carried leaves and petals that joined their dance. In the end, he pulled her towards himself and hugged her tightly. "...I'm lucky to have you, Tiriara.... Whatever happens, never leave me alone... I know that I have to grow up to what is expected of me, and I'm certain I will be able to do so with you there.",
"Okay... I promise... I will stand by your side, brother... If that is what my future god asks of me." She returned his embrace with a smile.

"Stop that..." He silently scolded her. "I will never be your god. I am and always will be your twin brother. You will never have to bow before me." Lucifer tried everything to grow towards the task he was destined for. But as time passed, peace was never permanent, for there would always be those who walked in the shadows. Despite the guidance that the saints tried to give to people, there were those whose prayers remained unheard. Those whose hearts were tormented by pain, with no one who saw it. And in the end... it is pain that changes people.

It happened during a stormy, cold night; a night that already announced the approaching disaster. That night... was the darkest among the previous nights, the clouds obscured the stars and the wind drowned out the telltale silence that hung in the air. It was in this very night that Saint Daydara was murdered. The growing restlessness that the wind carried to them blew a sense of uncertainty into the hearts of the other saints. The saint of starlight sought out his creator; his mother; the only kami remaining in this mortal world; to once more seek for her guidance. "Mother", he said as he stood before her throne and bowed his head in reverence. "Don't you feel it, too?" His face, pale with worry, was framed by the celestial beauty of his silver hair. "Something is happening out there, yet I am unable to see it. Please... tell me what to do. The darkness, the uncertainty... My heart can no longer bear it."

"I feel it too", she answered as she rose from her throne and closed her serene, purple eyes. "Something is stirring in the shadows, unseen. Hidden from our gaze.",
"What should I do? I am afraid of this darkness... it seems to consume the light itself.",
"Orion... What do the stars say to you?",
"I can barely see them", he replied with his voice threatening to break. "Their light is eluding me. Perhaps, they, too, are losing faith in me...",
"Oh, dearest..." She took his hands in hers and stroked them. Her touch was gentle, yet it sent warmth into his cold fingers. "Don't waver. You are exceptional and immaculate the way you are. You just need to embrace it and trust yourself more. Find those small, faint sparks of hope inside your heart and fan them into flames of courage. A bird sitting on a branch is never afraid of the branch breaking, because its trust rests not within the branch, but its own wings."He looked down upon his open palms that still rested inside her hands. "What a disappointment I must be in your eyes..."

"Disappointment? Of course not, dearest... There's no shame in seeking help when you can't trust your own judgment. Everyone has a light that shines within them, but only a few are blessed with the power to make that light shine so brightly that the whole world can see it. If you need proof of this, look to heaven. For it carries your light and lets it illuminate every corner of our world. Don't allow your doubts to fade that light.",
"...I shall do my best", he replied, but his voice was quiet, as he still couldn't shake off the feeling that something was up. Even Kilian could sense it, the air of darkness that accompanied the forsaken winds. As Orion left the palace of the goddess, he looked up to the sky where a few stars were peeking through holes in the blanket of clouds. Would the constellations reveal to him what was dwelling in the shadows?

Daydara left his church, and was pursued and observed by hungry eyes. By her. Her voice was sharp as a knife blade and vile as the hiss of a snake. "Only a fool thinks of himself as wise. What is a god... to a non-believer?" The voice crept into his ears like the most corrosive poison, drenched in contempt and pure hatred. "To a non-believer...?" The saint repeated with a solemn voice. "Nothing, perhaps. Who is asking?"

"Someone who kept calling out to you", the same voice said, yet it sounded from a different direction. "Someone who you have chosen to ignore. You have shared your words of wisdom with the world, yet they have never reached me... Am I not part of this world? It took me too long to understand that not even the goddess herself cares about the likes of me. About the little, weak and helpless ones. Those who are too afraid to step into the light because they are pushed away by those who dwell in it. After all, she is the goddess of strength, and a speck of light can only shine on so many people. Those are the ones who are seen... while the rest are driven into the shadows and forgotten there.",
"I cannot seem to decipher who you are. Show yourself.",
"You dare barking orders at me?",
"It seems as though I have hurt you in the past", the saint answered calmly. "This is not me ordering you anything. I would like to see who it was I failed to recognize. Whom I've hurt."Laughter followed his words and echoed from the surroundings. "The bridges are long burnt, my dear Saint Daydara. I have waited, and your gaze fell into my direction, yet you failed to see me. I am sick of waiting. Oh, but do you wish me to stir your memory?"

Her voice seemed very close now the moment she whispered: "'Oh, why is everyone just walking by, averting their eyes from me? Am I that obnoxious? That repulsive? I feel scared and alone and I miss mom and dad... why did they leave me alone? Why did everyone leave me alone? I am hungry... Why doesn't anyone help me?' Do you remember now?" Chuckles followed. "I even went to that church that is so dear to you, and asked the people there for their mercy. Something to drink or eat, whatever they could spare. But they looked upon me with scorn in their eyes, and chased me away. They have called me all sorts of ugly things. Who could blame them? When a lonely, starving and dirty girl appears, whose parents have died of a horrible disease, disgust is an appropriate response... isn't it?"

The saint was dismayed upon hearing this. "Those who follow me and seek my wisdom have betrayed you?",
"Every last one of them. You never opposed it. You let it happen.",
"I knew nothing about it.",
"Does it justify that?" Her voice sounded mocking. "Now listen to what I have to say to you, Saint Daydara: The world you believe in will never exist, for even those who bathe in your light rarely know the meaning of kindness. It is full of hypocrites and traitors. Not even you can see how their selfishness eats away at some people like rust eats away at iron. Can someone who lacks the foresight and who cannot tame this foulness really be called a saint? For my part, I doubt it. You and your people, you have betrayed me. And now... you will pay for it. Who I am, you ask? Well... call me Lilith. Call me your final reckoning."

Suddenly, something jumped down at him from above and sharp claws struck at him. Daydara heard her movement in the wind and dodged the attack. She jumped back and he could finally see her - or rather, what she had become. Her long, black hair fell into her face. Red, hateful eyes stared back at him and horns had grown out of her head. Her red fingernails were long like claws and she bared her fangs in his direction. She had the figure of a young girl whose age could be estimated at perhaps thirteen or fourteen. A child no less. What darkness did it take to consume a human soul so much that it would become a ghost of that very darkness? One that was so dark that it devoured all light. Daydara was able to sense that this soul was void of redemption. It was too far gone. "You actually managed to dodge that... impressive. And here I thought I mislead you enough."

"Why did you direct your prayers towards me?" Daydara wanted to know, he himself seemed unimpressed by the attack itself. "Someone like you would rather strive for strength or seek kindness, is it not so? I do not have what you seek.",
"I had the impression your... wise words would be able to help me figure out what to do from now on. To survive, you know? Very basic things.",
"You have lost your way, Lilith, and I agree that I have played some part in that. This is why I ask for your forgiveness... and offer my guidance to you.",
"Hm..." She started circling around him like a predator waiting for its prey to expose weakness. "What wise words do you have to spare for me then, Saint Daydara?",
"Do not condemn this world after witnessing one single mistake. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses."

"Oh, I do not condemn this world", she replied with a twisted smile. "Because first of all... I condemn you!" Pure darkness gathered around her, ready to destroy whatever would stand in its way. It was the pure power of destruction. She laughed as she attacked the saint again. He called forth the winds and drew his blade. "Cease this, Lilith. Your hatred will not get you what you desire. I do not mind your fury towards me, but if you seek to harm those I have sworn to protect, I will have to intercept you.",
"My hatred... belongs to the world itself! I will destroy you and your dear church, Saint Daydara. And there is not a thing you can do about it! Because you do not realize... that you and your people are weak." She unleashed her full power against the saint of wisdom.

"...!!" Orion's breath suddenly stopped as a sharp, stabbing pain shot directly into his chest. His eyes widened in shock. It was a pain he had never felt before. A pain that would haunt him forever. "What... what was that...?"

Kilian, who was talking to other angels, felt it too and backed away with a low growl. He held his chest and gasped. "Ngh...!!!"Crypto perceived it as well, even harder than the two saints. It was as if someone had drilled a blade right into her heart. "Ah...!!!",
"Lady Crypto...!" Orion looked up at her with his eyes clouded by pain. "What... what... is happening... here...?"
Crypto's breath raced and she seemed to have completely lost her composure. "It's... it's Daydara...!"

Lilith towered over the wounded saint, her eyes glowing like sinister embers. She laughed as she saw Saint Daydara holding on to the last thread of his life. His breath trembled, a pool of blood formed around him. "... What... have you... done...",
"This... is my vengeance. You see? You light dwellers are powerless in the face of absolute darkness. Your shine will eventually be swallowed by it!",
"... There is not... enough... darkness... to put out... the light of even one... candle...",
"Even while facing your very own demise, you are not at a loss for wise words, it seems..." Lilith scoffed and leaned down. "Then, I'll just beat them out of you... so you have no more of them left to speak."

She killed him... slowly. Painfully slowly. It was almost like pure torture, and the other two saints suffered with him. They were almost paralyzed by the pain. As his last breath slipped from his lips, Lilith grinned smugly and knelt beside him. "Your friends will be here soon... But they will only find a corpse. It is time to let you know what true pain feels like. Let the darkness... rise." She stole from him and stood up again. She took one last look back.... before she disappeared. "Daydara!!!" The other saints landed beside him, and Orion felt sick as his boots were instantly smeared with scarlet liquid. Daydara was lying in a pool of his own blood, dead and humiliated. Crypto landed next to them and her eyes widened when she saw him. "Daydara...!" She dropped to her knees beside him and touched his beautiful face. "Dearest, no... Why...!" Orion was too stunned to say something, anything. His throat felt like it had been tied up. He felt his strength leave him as he sank to his knees as well. His shaky hand landed on Daydara's chest. "No.... No, no, no...!"

The sorrow struck deep. Their fellow saint, the one they had both viewed as their mentor, had just been murdered. And Orion knew... if he hadn't occupied Crypto with his insecurities and worries, she would have sensed the approaching doom of their kin sooner and could have prevented it. He knew it was his fault. 'My fault... mine... mine... I am to blame...!'

Crypto's expression of shock twisted into rage. She got up and a shadow fell over her face. "A dark aura lingers here... the aura of that foul and vile demon that took his life... I will kill it... and even if there are more of them... I will kill them all... for this sin!! You are all damned, with no hope of salvation! For the sin of insurgency, you shall be consigned to hell!!",
"Please, stand down." Kilian turned to her, hardly able to contain his own burning fury. "I shall handle this.",
"No, Kilian." She shook her head and clenched her hands to fists. "I will take this matter into my own hands... This creature dared to kill my child... I shall punish it myself! I cannot permit it to live any longer!! This is the fate it has chosen... to die upon my spear as it plunges into its chest! That crime will never be erased, even if it burns in the eternal flames and spills all of its blood into the soil of this world!" That was the moment when Crypto changed. The moment when her grief and anger consumed her so much that her rational thinking was overwritten by delusion. Yes, that was the moment when Crypto herself fell into madness. She turned towards the two saints that were left. "Inform everyone to rise and join the hunt! Slay every demon that you find. This world shall be cleansed from those wretched creatures! They must burn!!"

Orion's hands were trembling as his dark tears joined the blood on the ground. His world was starting to fall apart. His heart was crushed by the guilt he felt and he could hardly breathe. Crypto turned to him as his despair reached her. She knelt down to him and pulled him into an embrace. "Worry not, sweetheart... our grief shall be avenged...",
"It's my fault... I pestered you with my worthless worries... and averted my eyes from the uprising darkness...",
"It is not your fault, Orion. It is mine. And I will make sure this filthy monster will pay its penance."

Kilian returned to Ainu and told the other angels what had transpired. Tiriara held a hand over her mouth. "How horrible... Such a vicious thing exists in this world? What would drive someone to murder Daydara...?",
"It doesn't matter..." Lucifer gritted his teeth and clenched his hand tightly around his black trident. "She must pay for what she has done.... before there are any more victims.",
"Kill every single demon you see..." Kilian raised his sword, his voice quivering with grief and suppressed hatred. "Every last one of them. Not one of them shall be left alive. Lady Crypto has made her judgment, and we will execute it.",
"But where did she come from?" Lucifer asked. "Why now? There must be a reason for her appearance, right?"

Kilian gave him a look and shook his head. "I can't answer that, and if I'm being honest, I don't really care. I don't care where that insect crawled from, I want it crushed for what it did...",
"..." Lucifer did not answer. Something about this whole thing just felt off to him.
"What's wrong?" Tiriara noticed the change in his behavior and put a hand onto his shoulder.
"I don't know... If this demon has just appeared now, why? Where does it come from? If we cannot understand this matter, who says that it will be the last one?",
"No one. But that's exactly why we have to act. So that no more such horrible things happen!",
"... Absolute annihilation. Is this the way we choose to go?",
"Is there another way?"

"... No." He shook his head. "I guess not... You can't talk to the lost ones. If not even the saint of wisdom was able to do that... then words are wasted on it. We fight for the right..." He raised his head and braced his weapon against the ground. "We will do what she asks. Drive the shadows back into the void from whence they came.",
"You're better off setting a good example, successor god." Kilian eyed the young angel coldly. Lucifer bit his lip as these words struck him were it hurt. Yet, he tried in vain to stay calm and collected "...I understand. I will do my utmost."

Tiriara side-eyed her brother with worry in her eyes as he turned around and left. "Lucifer..." Then, she glanced up at the saint. "There was no need to put him under pressure like this, Kilian. That was uncalled for.",
"Oh, Titania... drowning yourself in doubt won't get you anywhere in life." There was some degree of reproach towards Orion audible in his voice. "Stand up for what you fight for, or don't and die a coward. When your dedication towards your goal is weak, you might as well just give up on it altogether. Your brother has to rise up to be a leader now, or he will end up burning out like a flame without air.",
"..." Tiriara crossed her arms. She was apalled by Kilian's words, but she decided not to talk back to him. She wasn't looking for a fight, after all. At least not with a guy like him, whose aura was brimming with absolute authority and resolution. Instead, she sighed and went after her brother.