Screams, explosions and the pungent smell of smoke and blood ripped the sky apart. Screams of rage. Screams of pain. Screams of madness. Weapons flashing in the refracted light of the evening sun, which bathed the world in a golden-orange glow- a sight worthy of the pure hell that was unfolding before her. She watched from a distance, tears burning in her deep purple eyes that were widened in shock and horror. Rough wind tore at her emerald green hair. 'There's no end to this fighting... They've all gone mad, one after the other.... The weak have fallen long ago, only the worst of them are left...' In her trembling hand was an elaborate spear, one worthy only of a true warrior. She watched in dismay as her mother, her emerald hair already stained with blood, rammed her sword through Ares' chest with a loud cry. The god of war went down on his knees, staring at her with hatred. "Your blood will soak the ground soon enough, Zistia!" The goddess of strength pulled her sword from his body. "Don't talk to me, you piece of filth! I am the strongest goddess, I WILL WIN!!! I WILL RULE OVER ALL OF YOU WEAK SCUM!!" She killed him, and shortly after was attacked by another god, whom she also struck down immediately and without hesitation.

'No... she is no longer herself...' Tear after tear moistened the ground, joining the pool of blood on the ground. Her hands tightened around her spear. 'This must come to an end... It's too cruel... They are all slaughtering each other like wild animals.... I'm sorry, mother...' She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth before taking a deep breath and walking down the path from which there was no return. She pierced Zistia from behind with her spear, which had begun to glow brightly. The maddened goddess froze as she stared at the tip of the weapon sticking out of her. Slowly, she turned her head towards her daughter. "...Cr.... Crypto... Why... How can you... dare to betray your own mother...?", "I can't do this anymore... I don't want this anymore!", "Then, you are... weak... There is no place for... the weak... You will burn... like... them all... You will BURN... ALL MUST BURN!"

Shortly after, her dead body fell to the ground. Into the blood of all the gods she had slaughtered. Crypto's hand trembled, still clutching the spear from which her own mother's blood now dripped. She gritted her teeth... and wiped the tears from her face. "Power... Dominance... It's always the same thing they want... Their delusions of grandeur, their sickening indifference towards the lives they consider worth less than their own, and their insatiable lust for more has driven the gods into insanity.... They can't coexist... that means there is only one solution..." She closed her eyes. "...Total annihilation." She would put an end to them all. And then, there would be no more war. She released her power, the one she had inherited from her mother. "I will kill each and every one of them until I am the last one left standing.... to shatter this ever-turning wheel of the strong trampling the weak once and for all! The era of the gods will end tonight!!! Shattering Light: Sacred Blades!"

With almost dance-like movement, she released one attack after the other. Blades of the brightest light burst from the tip of her spear and cut into the mortal flesh of the gods as they slaughtered each other. She would now become one of them - but only for a short time. It would not last. New life would awaken from the blood of the gods that stained the earth and swallow the horrible truth that had transpired here. Nature would conquer the barren fields on which the war had raged and turn them into something beautiful once more.

One by one, the gods fell victim to her great conquest. Until the last one standing in her way was Hel. The goddess of death. She smiled in the face of Crypto's campaign. "Well, well, well. ...I don't know you. But you seem to have some power in you, sweetie.... Who are you?",
"I am Crypto, daughter of Zistia!",
"The goddess of strength, mh. I must say, you've impressed me. You destroyed them all! Bravo! That means my victory is within reach! You made it easy for me! I may be the goddess of death, but... I didn't even have to lift a finger and the others died like flies! Ahahaha... Amusing, really!Well, sweetie... did you really think you were going to win this war? Did you really think you could become the strongest of us?",
"No." She pointed her weapon at Hel. "Coming to power means nothing to me.",
"Ah? Well, I didn't expect that.",
"I will end the era of you murderous, insane gods!",
"Oh, don't kid yourself, sweetie, you're deicidal yourself! Just look around you! So many corpses, and... they all came from your hands! Ooooh, I see now. Are you the goddess of hypocrites, by any chance?",
"Don't mock me, Hel.",
"Ahahaha... You're so boring! Well then..." Her eyes started glowing as she summoned her powers. "Time to decide the final ruler of this sorry planet!",
"Bring it on." Crypto narrowed her eyes.

"You sound confident for someone who's facing the goddess of death... I am literally unkillable! Hahahah... I like your boldness, but that won't save your life! A shame, I would've accepted you as my eternal servant! You've already wasted a good portion of your strength striking down all your foes... I wonder how much longer you can hold on." Crypto gritted her teeth as her taunting words struck true- for she could already feel exhaustion threatening to roll over her. Her strength was beginning to fade. She felt the sharp claws of approaching weakness reaching out to her. No... she could not give in now... so close to her goal...

Hel laughed as she perceived the flaring fear in the goddess' eyes. Horns grew from her head and the sky turned red as a scarlet moon rose to adorn the night, as if reflecting the blood that had been shed upon this world. Her hands became long, black claws as Hel showed her true face to that very same world. The face of a beautiful woman, with the features of a murderous monstrosity. A dark, bone-chilling smirk crept into her expression as long, deformed wings looking like the branches of a lifeless tree grew from her back. The hands of death were readying themselves to strike. "Gate of Niflheim... Open."

Several gaps opened in the sky and night-black weapons slowly emerged from them. The red light of the moon illuminated them in such a way that it seemed as if blood was already on them. Hel laughed out as she raised her hand. "Take what is yours. Rain of Demolition!" Fast as arrows, the deadly torrent rained down on her. Crypto raised her hand and a barrier formed above her. The tips of dozens of lances and swords crashed against it and sparks flew in all directions upon collision. The air vibrated from the sheer power behind this one attack alone. Cracks were already forming in the barrier; it was about to shatter. Crypto narrowed her eyes in concentration. 'Ngh...! She's so powerful... I can barely focus my powers...! I cannot allow her to overpower me...!'

Hel was amused, seeing her struggle like that already. She laughed, insane with her thirst for blood, and sent another barrage of weapons at her enemy. Crypto's eyes widened upon realizing that, and she knew immediately that her shield would instantly break apart if this wave hit. She raised her spear and decided to take the direct way.

As her shield burst and the flashing blades were ready to pierce her, she fended them off with precise slashes and spins of her trusted weapon, which had begun to glow brightly once again, brimming with her power. As she did so, she focused on directing her powers outward; on unleashing them. She knew this would limit her even more, forcing her to sacrifice part of her remaining strength. But the choice wasn't hers to make anymore. "Divine Radiance!" A massive wave of energy erupted from her, instantly vanquishing the remaining weapons. She gasped as she almost fell to her knees, struggling to even stay on her feet.

Hel grinned maliciously. "Oh dear... You're almost done! And I didn't even get started yet! Let's see how you can handle... this!!" She summoned another weapon and attacked the faltering goddess directly. Crypto refused to give in and met her in a fierce fight. Weapon clashed against weapon, with the vicious clanking sound of them colliding tearing the air apart. It became clear very fast that Hel was an experienced warrior on this field. Her defenses were almost unbreakable. She was fierce and relentless and knew exactly how to corner her adversary. Her movements were elegant and controlled, looking like they were first nature to her. The small wounds Crypto was able to inflict on her would heal straight away, disappearing without a trace. It wasn't before long the goddess of death had her on the ground, her long blade pointing at her neck. "You are very wasteful with your power. Such a pity. Well... Time to make you join the rest. For I am death, the destroyer of worlds!" She raised her weapon to deal the final blow to her. Crypto closed her eyes and felt emptiness creep over her.

The situation was hopeless... Hel had been using her all along. Had watched Crypto do all the work for her, only to finally cut her down. It's been her game of life and death, with only one winner to remain at last. Death was not waiting for the living... it would come for them whenever it wanted, and it would get what it asked for... it was but a cruel, cold truth. But was that already her end? Would her light really seize to shine here? It was at this moment that it felt like time had stopped. Here, on the border between the world of the living and the dead, her memories seemed to call out to her.

"When gods die, they leave a legacy", she heard her mother's voice say. A voice from the past that was not yet soaked in madness and delusions of grandeur. "Their bodies will turn to dust, just like those of any other mortal creature. But to the end, they will be filled with the power that once rested within them. It will become one with the wind that carries it away. The wind of time. As the goddess of strength, I have granted strength so the creatures dwelling this planet, and so, it is up to me not to let these powers simply fade away... Someday, their strength again will come to me and become one with mine." Crypto felt the strength of the fallen gods still filling the air. Even though their lives had long since left them, the remnants of their former grace were still clearly perceptible... "Someday their strength again will come to me and become one with mine."

Crypto rolled to the side once reality managed to get through to her again and Hel's blade pierced through the ground. The goddess of death looked surprised. "You still have the strength to move? Why don't you just give up, you piece of filth? There's no hope for you, not here! Never! No one will escape the sharp claws of death once it has set its sights on a prey!" Crypto was able to rise back up. She staggered, but her feet braced firmly and resolutely against the ground. "...I'm not done yet.",
"You're really annoying... Fine, then I'll make you kiss the ground again! And this time, you will be buried beneath it!!!" She summoned more weapons, which she hurled at Crypto. The daughter of the goddess of strength rammed the spike of her spear into the earth and created another barrier which would be capable of holding these instruments of death off just long enough...

She closed her eyes tightly and guided the strength of the fallen gods to her. She began to absorb it, just as her mother had always done. Her power returned and grew with every drop of divine force that filled her. Time, the earth and the sky... everything opened up to her. Hel noticed the veil of pale silver mist gathering and swirling around Crypto. "What are you doing?!" she screeched, but seemed to already realize herself what was happening here. The Goddess of Strength was taking what was hers, exactly what Hel had intended to do herself. She had wanted to claim what was hers- the world of the living. Hel became enraged and her claws crew longer. "I am TIRED OF YOU!!!"

Crypto opened her eyes again, which were now glowing brightly. Her wings of light had shown themselves, illuminating the scarlet night. She grabbed her spear and leapt high into the air as Hel shattered her protective barrier. The silver mist condensed around her and finally disappeared entirely within her. She spread her arms and gigantic ice spears formed in the air around her. "Sub Zero Art: White Beak!!!" With a wave of her hand, she fired the ice spears towards the ground. Hel growled and destroyed them with her claws. She formed a massive sword in her hand and took up pursuit. She struck at Crypto with a force that would have been enough to split her cleanly in half. Crypto dodged the blows and lifted herself over her opponent. "Shattering Light: Sky Drill!" She raced down on Hel with her spear in hand like an arrow plummeting from the sky. "Hnrgh!" Hel managed to dodge and swung her huge sword, but Crypto fended it off with one hand. It was as if Hel had a completely different person against her. A blink of an eye later, Crypto was behind her, as if she had stopped time. "Look behind you."

"...!" Hel whirled around as Crypto's spear went clean through her stomach. She groaned and let go of her sword, which disintegrated. Then, she grabbed the spear with her hand, breaking it in two and pulling the piece that was inside of her out. Her wound healed instantly and she threw the tip of the weapon back at Crypto. The latter dodged to the side with a beautiful and elegant spin. Hel instantly chased after her, trying to kill her with her super sharp claws. Crypto dodged her blows with ease. She was faster now. Stronger. She stopped time again and swung herself higher into the air. "Shattering Blast!" A huge arrow of light crashed into Hel, sending her flying to the ground. "Ugh-!" The air was forced from Hel's lungs on impact. Crypto stretched out her hand. "Seismic Rupture!" The ground around Hel cracked open and magma erupted from them, ready to burn her alive. Hel got up and growled. "Dark Surge!" Dark energy gathered around her on the ground and erupted in shockwaves. The magma was hurled away from her. She raised her eyes and stared up at Crypto before rising back into the air. Black holes formed around her. "...Eclipse Rage!" Dark lightning bolts shot toward Crypto. She crossed her arms in front of her and exchanged positions with Hel through a distortion of space. Hel was hit by her own attack and cried out. "It's over, Hel!"

Quiet laughter came from her opponent. "Are you sure about that?" Even though she was already covered in deep wounds and burns, she grinned mischievously. She said only one word: "Trade." Crypto felt a hot sensation rattle and burn across her skin. She cried out in surprise and was horrified to realize that Hel had traded her own injuries with her. "Surprise. Hehehe... You didn't expect that, did you?" The goddess of death produced a new sword in her hand and swung it fiercely. "Arcane Air Slash!" Invisible blades crashed against the surprised Crypto and she felt them sever her limbs. Hel's laughter grew louder and more malicious as she saw the blood pouring down. "Now that's how I love to see you! It's over indeed, but for you!" She infused her sword with fire. No ordinary fire... no. It was blue fire. Fire only hell could raise. Flames of pure torment. "Burn, Lady Crypto! Crashing Phoenix Flare!" She swung her sword and unleashed an enormous flame shaped like a bird. It hit its target and an explosion followed, smoke and dust obscuring the sky.

When the air cleared, a cocoon of a shimmering glow that had completely tanked the attack had formed around Crypto. Soft light emanated as she regenerated her body. She opened her eyes and looked Hel directly into hers. "I acknowledge your strength, Hel. But it will not be you who wins this war." She raised her hand towards the sky, in which glistening, brightly shining cracks were now forming. The light became stronger and brighter, engulfing the world in its reverent shine. "The laws of spacetime shall be ordered to scatter, the chains confining apocalypse all shatter... All order revoked, restraining movement... Be unleashed at once... LAST JUDGMENT!"

Meteors fell down from the sky. Hel looked up and emitted an eardrum-torturing hiss. She tried to fight back at them and escape the final apocalypse. Yet another big sword appeared in her hands and she swung it to crush the meteors. "I will bring you to your knees", Crypto said calmly. "Descension of Falling Stars!" She sent several glaring beams of light at Hel, hitting her and hurling her to the ground with force. Crypto watched as her final attack, crashing to the earth like a rain of the end, swallowed the Goddess of Death.

When the attack was over, the battlefield was in ruins. Hel laid on the ground, unable to move. The goddess of death had lost this battle, and now her power turned against her. A thin thread of life held her above the chasm of death. Crypto landed next to her, gazing down upon her last enemy. "Now, you yourself are falling into the abyss into which you wanted to drag everything..." She formed a spear of ice and pointed its tip at her. "This is my mercy. You are a warrior of a different caliber, and could have won this battle... if only you had not been so blind and power-hungry. The era of the gods has come to an end. I am the last of our kind standing before you, and I will bring peace to the world you have destroyed in your madness. It shall be free now. Free from the grip of terror you ruling gods have put on it. Any last words?"

Hel growled. "Be... cursed, Crypto... No one... escapes death... It will come for you... no matter how... many times it has to try... And in its face... even you will be powerless.... Every night when the blood moon shines... it will come and get you, Crypto... It will be your fate..." Crypto buried the spear of ice in Hel's cold heart and cut the thread of life she had been clinging to. "And thus... ends the reign of the gods. The world shall now be handed to the humans... and I will be their guide." She folded her hands in front of her as if in prayer and particles of light spread across the land. "Be restored to how you've once been... Pulse of Creation." The barren and destroyed fields became covered in lush green forests and meadows. Now... nothing bore any more witness of the cruel battle that had been fought here. New life had risen from the blood of the gods.

Then, she noticed something. Condensed life energy emanating from Hel's body. "Mhm..." She raised her hand and used her power to force it to take shape. Kneeling next to Hel's body was a figure. Long white hair fell down their back and something shimmered beside them. A scythe. Crypto recognized the dark energy radiating from it. The scythe of Orkus. The bringer of death. "Hel has left her servant here... the Grim Reaper.... Him who harvests the souls of sinners. Did she really think she could hide him from me?"
The figure raised his head and piercing green eyes drilled into the goddess. His pale hand reached for the scythe and picked it up, ready to finish what his master had started, but Crypto raised her hand and a band of white light wrapped around the Reaper's neck and tightened. He gasped for air. "You can't defeat me.... Don't even try. I have overcome death. I am the new mistress of death."

So, she began to create her own realm of Ainu, in which she wished to watch over the new world like a guardian. But as time progressed, she grew lonely in her own paradise, so she used her own blood to create forms of life in her abode. Beings that carried parts of her powers within them. Angels. In human form, with faces more beautiful than the normal human could ever have imagined. They were the purest beings in this world, gentle and peaceful in nature and empathetic to every form of pain. Among them were the three saints, the Seraphim, Orion, Kilian and Daydara, whose purpose it was to comfort the lost and the desperate souls; to guide them to where they could see the light in all the darkness around them. Orion was the saint of starlight, the one who had brought the light of the stars into the night sky. He was the kindest of the three; his compassion was deep, yet he himself was often plagued by doubts. Kilian was the saint of golden flames, the youngest of the three, yet, without a doubt, the boldest one of them. His pure flames were the forging fire for the weapons wielded by the angels. The metal they produced was black like raven feathers, which is why it was called Nigrivium. He valued strength and courage above all else, and was therefore very focused on giving people the strength they needed to deal with their struggles. Because if one had the weakness to fall, one also had the strength to rise. Daydara was the saint of dancing wind; his voice of wisdom often wandered off into the far distance. He was the oldest of the three, and somewhat of a mentor to the others. They looked up to him.

Over time, each of them founded a church where their followers could always go when they needed help. They were sanctuaries for those who got lost in the labyrinth of trials that was the wide world. Save havens for all the people who could not find a way out on their own or who needed a shoulder to cry on. After all, peace could never be maintained by force, but achieved by compassion. The saints were her closest and most dedicated servants. However, Crypto knew that the world could never stay the way it was forever; that ambitions and dreams would drive everything forward. Thus, she also knew that, with time, even she would have to let go and make space for a new guardian to rise.

With her divine blood, she then created the twins, Lucifer and Tiriara, both powerful warriors who could defend the peace that had finally come upon the world that had been lost in suffering for so long. They were like day and night, they complemented each other perfectly. She was the light that illuminated the world, he was the shadow that stood behind her. No one could withstand their united power. Tiriara's sword was unstoppable, she dominated everyone else in direct combat. That is why she was called "Titania", the queen of angels. Lucifer's trident was just as mighty, yet he excelled more in the skillful use of his time and space magic, with which he had an easy time defying all odds. He was capable of destroying an entire legion of enemies in a matter of seconds. He was the ultimate opponent of every root of evil that tried to find nourishment in this world, which is why he was called "Diavolo". His hair was of a golden blond color like pure sunrays casting long shadows. His sister, on the other hand, had white hair, radiant and lucid like the coolest light of the moon. Despite her bright future, she, however had been born deaf. She could not hear anything, she lived in a world of colors but it was filled with emptiness. So, Crypto had given her a device that magically simulated sounds in her head for her. With it, she could still perceive the world around her the way she should have been able to... She could hear her own voice and that of the others now, even if it was unreal. But she didn't care. For her, it was already a great blessing to hear the wind... and the voice of her brother. Yes, together they were powerful. Even mightier than the three saints. They would be the future of their world when the time came...