Raiden's eyelids fluttered, his vision blurry. Through the haze, he saw a towering figure standing over him. The figure was cloaked in a storm of clouds and lightning, his face stern but filled with an ancient authority. Raiden's heart pounded as he realized he was looking at Zeus, King of the Greek gods.
"You've proven yourself worthy, Raiden. Your spirit will not be broken." Zeus spoke, his deep voice resonating through Raiden's very soul. "Take my hand. You will be saved, and you will be chosen."
Raiden, barely conscious, reached out weakly toward Zeus, feeling a surge of power stirring within him.
On the other side, Kaito's world was no less overwhelming. His blurred vision slowly cleared, revealing a figure surrounded by the roaring tides, his armor shimmering like the sea itself. It was Neptune, the Roman god of the ocean, towering over Kaito with the strength of a thousand storms.
"Kaito," Neptune's voice echoed, low and commanding. "You've fought bravely and with honor. Your spirit has endured much pain, but it will not falter." He extended a hand toward Kaito. "Rise, Chosen One. The power of the seas shall be yours."
Kaito, breath ragged, could feel the energy of the ocean coursing through his veins as he reached out, Neptune's presence both calming and invigorating.
Meanwhile, Zohar lay motionless, pain seeping through every inch of his body, but he too felt the world shift.
As his vision cleared, two imposing figures stood before him. One, holding a hammer that crackled with thunder, was Thor, god of thunder and lightning, his fierce gaze meeting Zohar's.
Beside him stood Odin, the Allfather, his one eye filled with both wisdom and sorrow, as though he had seen every battle and every loss the world had ever known.
"Zohar," Odin's voice was softer but carried the weight of ages. "You've shown the fury of a true warrior. Your resolve is strong, unbreakable. Take our hands, for you will be chosen."
Thor smiled grimly, extending his hand toward Zohar. "The power of the storm is yours, warrior. Rise, and claim your place among the gods."
Zohar, his body trembling, felt strength surge back into his limbs as he reached out for Thor's and Odin's hands. Thunder roared above them, the skies splitting open with a flash of light.
As Raiden, Kaito, and Zohar reached for the gods, a rush of divine power enveloped them. Their bodies lifted slightly off the ground as an intense light radiated from each of them. The weight of their wounds began to fade, and a new energy, ancient and formidable, filled their very beings.
"You are now our chosen," Zeus, Neptune, Thor, and Odin declared in unison, their voices merging with the thunder and crashing waves.
Time began to move again, the sounds of chaos returning as Lucifer, oblivious to the gods' intervention, stood arrogantly over the fallen soldiers and civilians. His red eyes glowed with malevolence, his wings stretching as if preparing for another strike.
But this time, Raiden, Kaito, and Zohar did not remain on the ground.
The three of them rose slowly, their eyes now glowing with the divine energy of the gods who had chosen them.
Raiden's hands crackled with electricity, lightning surging through his veins, while Kaito's skin shimmered with the deep blue of the ocean, waves of power coursing through him. Zohar's fists were wreathed in the fury of thunder and lightning, his connection to Thor and Odin radiating through every fiber of his being.
Lucifer paused, sensing the shift in power, his crimson eyes narrowing in suspicion.
Raiden clenched his fists, his voice steady and filled with newfound strength. "You're not the only one with power now."
Lucifer's grin faded slightly as he surveyed the three young warriors before him, now empowered by the gods. For the first time in centuries, he felt a flicker of uncertainty.
Kaito stepped forward, his voice calm but determined. "We're not just mortals anymore. We're the chosen ones."
Zohar's grip tightened around his newly acquired power, and he stepped beside his friends, his eyes locked onto Lucifer's. "And we will stop you."
Lucifer let out a low growl, his wings flaring out. "We'll see about that."
The battle was far from over. But now, Raiden, Kaito, and Zohar had the gods themselves on their side.
Raiden, Kaito, and Zohar now stood empowered by the gods themselves, their bodies surging with new abilities, untested but raw with potential.
Zohar felt the rush of his newfound speed, the energy of Thor coursing through his veins like a storm ready to break. His vision sharpened to an almost god-like clarity, thanks to Odin, every detail crisp, every movement of Lucifer painfully clear.
Without hesitation, Zohar shot forward, lightning crackling beneath his feet, creating a thunderous shockwave that shattered the glass of nearby shops and sent debris flying through the air. In a blur, he reached Lucifer and delivered a swift kick to his side, catching him off guard. Lucifer staggered, his wings flaring, but Zohar was already following up with a quick, brutal uppercut to his chin.
Lucifer hissed, his glowing crimson eyes narrowing in anger. With a swift motion, he brought his sharp, burning claws across Zohar's chest, leaving deep, smoldering gashes. Zohar stumbled back, his chest heaving from the pain, but the power of the gods kept him standing.
Raiden took his chance. He charged at Lucifer, his arm brimming with the strength and lightning of Zeus, electricity arcing wildly from his body. As he leaped into the air, the power lines around them sparked and flickered, his energy so immense it caused nearby electrical systems to overload.
His hoodie sleeve burned away as his arm became a weapon of pure electricity. Raiden slammed his fist down onto Lucifer with a deafening crack, lightning exploding from the point of impact, sending shockwaves through the air.
Lucifer grunted, using his wings to shield himself as best as he could, but even he couldn't deny the power behind Raiden's attack. As the demon lord staggered, Kaito moved into action. He focused, his hands outstretched, calling upon the power of Neptune.
With a sudden force, water exploded from the nearby fire hydrants, twisting and coiling through the air with incredible speed. Kaito directed the torrents toward Lucifer, hitting him with immense pressure, like a thousand crashing waves.
Lucifer grinned through the assault, his wings expanding, blocking the force of the water. His black, shiny wings shuddered from the impact, but they held strong. Then, in a burst of speed, Lucifer shot forward, piercing through the water like a missile. He grabbed Kaito by his shirt and, with a roar, hurled him through the air.
Kaito's body crashed into Raiden, and in the chaos, Raiden's electricity surged through Kaito's body. The water on Kaito's skin acted as a conduit, amplifying the effect. His body convulsed as the shock knocked him unconscious, his form slumping to the ground. Raiden's eyes widened in horror as he realized what had happened, but before he could react, Lucifer was already upon him.
Lucifer's massive, clawed hand clamped around Raiden's throat, lifting him effortlessly into the air. With a powerful flap of his wings, Lucifer shot into the sky, dragging Raiden with him. The ground grew distant as they rose higher and higher, the wind howling around them.
Lucifer's voice was a dark, mocking growl as he tightened his grip around Raiden's neck. "You people think you understand power. You think you know what the gods are? Why humans even exist? Your precious gods have lied to you, little one."
Raiden struggled, the air thinning, his vision blurring as the pressure on his throat increased.
"This war won't just end the gods," Lucifer continued, his eyes burning with a malevolent glow. "It will end everything. The end of gods, the end of humans, the end of this pathetic cycle of life. You don't even know the true history—why humans were created in the first place."
Raiden tried to speak, but only a strangled gasp escaped his lips as Lucifer tightened his hold, suffocating him. He felt the electric energy flicker weakly around him as his strength faded.
"This world has no place for gods anymore, or their weak creations. I will reshape it into what it was always meant to be," Lucifer sneered, his wings casting a dark shadow across the sky as he ascended higher, the earth below seeming so far away now.
But even through the haze of near-unconsciousness, Raiden's spirit burned with defiance. His hands, though weak, still crackled with the lingering power of Zeus. He wasn't going to let Lucifer have the last word.
"You... you won't... win..." Raiden choked out, his voice barely a whisper. His hands began to glow brighter, lightning gathering in his palms.
Lucifer's grip slackened slightly, just enough for Raiden to summon the last bit of strength he had. "The gods... won't let you... have this world."
In one last act of defiance, Raiden sent a surge of electricity coursing through his own body and into Lucifer's, sending a blinding arc of lightning through the sky. Lucifer howled in pain as the bolt struck him, his body twitching and convulsing from the shock.
The two figures plummeted toward the earth, locked in a deadly freefall.