In Eden, a group of nuns and knights stood in awe.
They had been debating whether to return by sea, as they came, or in a grand manner befitting the Church's stature. But their revered Highness spoke, opening a golden, misty gate and ushering them inside.
Only then did they realize this was the Eden of scripture—the mythical birthplace of humanity, the homeland of their ancestors!
They stood spellbound, scarcely believing their privilege to step into this sacred origin. Only Violet maintained her decorum, perhaps seeing it as a knight of God's rightful honor.
"This journey will not be smooth. You may need to remain here," Elaviel's detached voice rang out.
"Your Highness, do you mean the Abyss's demons will learn of your presence and come to intercept us?" Violet's tone was grim, considering the possibility.
"Indeed. My mistaken descent left me without the anchor of faith, rendering me incomplete. The demon lords of the Abyss will stand in our path, and this journey carries risks."
"Your Highness, allow me to walk with you, to shield you with my life," Violet said, kneeling, her resolute face radiating unyielding faith. Her perfect virtue and devotion had brought her here, and for her sworn lady, she'd sacrifice her life without hesitation.
The nuns and knights followed, kneeling in unison. "Your Highness, to die for you is our honor."
Elaviel nodded slightly. The path to the holy city would be fraught with peril—a necessary trial for any great deed. Perhaps this was the Lord's true intent?
She bid them rise, accepting their loyalty.
Before departing, Violet voiced a question that had long gnawed at her. "Your Highness, may I ask why you descended in this foreign land, lingering in that house?"
Despite her upbringing as the perfect knight and her proven deeds, Violet harbored doubts about her worthiness to bear such responsibility.
Was she as loyal, brave, and sacrificial as in her dreams, where she served the angelic vision before her?
Elaviel's response was unforgettable. For the first time, the serene angel showed confusion. She pondered, then shook her head with a sigh. "I don't know why I appeared here. Perhaps it's the Lord's design—or merely an error."
Turning, Elaviel left Eden, closing its gate and returning to reality.
With a sweep of her wings, she soared skyward, departing the land like a dove bound for home.
The time spent in Eden was far from grueling. A few hours in, the younger nuns, emboldened, began exploring the dreamlike realm, their faces alight with smiles as they whispered excitedly, already planning to boast about this once back in the holy city.
Only Violet remained composed, her expression disciplined and resolute, acutely aware that danger loomed.
On the sea, waves churned violently. The once-clear blue ocean now loomed dark as hell itself, with waves rising like mountains and crashing like collapsing peaks. To mortals, this was a cataclysm, but to mythical beings, nature held no threat. No matter the chasms, they tread as if on flat ground.
Yet now, a pristine white figure halted her blindingly swift flight across the ocean, hovering barefoot above the raging waves, as if awaiting something.
A low hum filled the air.
Time stretched on, Elaviel standing like a crystal of ice, her golden hair swaying as if countless hands plucked at strings, sensing the currents from all directions.
Finally, movement stirred on the sea—first restless waves, then erratic winds, and at last, a voice carried on the breeze.
"A proud little canary, crossing the ocean, returning to its cage to sing a bloody hymn…"
The voice was sultry, seductive, like an ancient poem or the bewitching song of a siren, elusive and intangible.
"Those who fancy themselves spiders weaving traps often end up swept away."
Elaviel's tone was icy. Though she'd never met this foe, the aura of blasphemy and sin revealed her identity—the world's greatest evil, the one she was destined to judge.
She wasn't surprised by the ambush. It would've been stranger if it hadn't come.
This was her most vulnerable moment: newly descended, unmoored from the holy city's faith, still unfamiliar with the world. If the enemy didn't strike now, she'd grow far harder to defeat.
As Elaviel spoke, the demon appeared. Clad in a sheer black bodysuit, Senia's perfect, provocative figure swayed—ample breasts, lush hips—her dominion of lust and corruption unmistakable.
Senia unfurled her black bat wings, standing opposite the radiant angel, her melodic voice laced with chill. "You think yourself a messiah to save the world? You're just a pitiful executioner. Look at the so-called holy war those zealots wage—how many vibrant souls have they buried in my Abyss? If I could, I'd rather not repeat the past with a charming girl like you."
"Perhaps it'd be etched in history, but so what? Souls finally free, no longer ignorant symbols—why must we slaughter each other?"
Senia's soft words echoed, both a warning and a threat.
She clearly knew of Elaviel's current weakness.
"Against demons, I'd rather be an executioner."
Elaviel remained unshaken. Though incomplete, she feared no foe, especially wielding the divine artifacts manifested with her.
One was the original Gospel Book, the other a towering Crucifix of Suffering.
She struck without hesitation.
Holding the ancient Gospel, its yellowed pages flipped open, each line of faint golden text radiating holy power, capable of absolving souls or slaying demons.
"God said, 'Let there be light!'"
Elaviel's lips parted, and a pure beam tore through the misty sea, shattering the fog.
As it cleared, her elegant, holy form stood revealed. She raised the massive crucifix and swung it downward, splitting the entire sea in two.
A miracle akin to parting the seas of legend!
Yet it fell short. The Sin Demon of Lust, a fellow mythical being, moved with astonishing speed, stepping across vast distances to evade the strike.
Elaviel wasn't surprised. She continued flipping through the ancient Gospel, chanting softly, "Thunder and rain, all are gifts of God."
On the ocean, a storm linking sky and sea roared to life, carrying divine wrath.
Amid thunder and gales, Senia laughed brazenly. As a Sin Demon, she was an origin point of occult arts, her essence woven into the structure of all magic. In this domain, she was an fearless sovereign.
She opened her mouth, uttering something soundless—blasphemous words erased by the world, antithetical to the archangel's holy truths.
Yet their effect was undeniable. A chasm-like maelstrom erupted on the boundless sea, a devil's eye from hell, ravenous to consume all.
The battle raged on, visible from thousands of miles away as a tempest churned in the Pacific's depths.
Each clash evaporated vast swathes of ocean, strikes that could shatter mountains or fill rivers on land. This was power beyond mortal imagination, a surge of white and black weaving frames worthy of oil paintings or epic tales.
As the sun rose over the horizon, the battle ended.
Elaviel cleaved through storm and maelstrom alike. As Gospel pages fluttered, she struck like lightning from the clouds, driving the holy crucifix into Senia's abdomen. Sacred light burst forth, her blood blooming into a gory rose, signaling victory.
"The Lord's flame will burn away your sins."
Elaviel lowered her eyes, her breath uneven, delicate lashes veiling her pupils. Even she, after a life-or-death struggle, felt fatigue.
Centuries of holy war seemed to end in perfect triumph.
But fate favors the prepared. From Senia's scorched wound, her spilled blood coalesced into a ghostly figure—someone hidden within the Sin Demon's essence.
"Hm?"
It was Lilith, the vampire progenitor, now a mythical being herself!
Her aura surged, terrifying and supreme, standing at the world's pinnacle. Senia's presence waned, as if the crucifix might cleave her in two.
But Lilith wouldn't allow it. After a mythical clash, both archangel and Sin Demon were near exhaustion. Elaviel couldn't counter this sudden shift.
Lilith snapped the crucifix with her bare hands, her fingertips oozing blood that formed a blade, piercing the angel's abdomen.
Grievously wounded, Elaviel let out a muffled groan, her majestic face twisting. She beat her wings fiercely, retreating from the pair.
"Not bad for the Creator's arbiter—tough as nails. But still just a newborn, one step short," Senia said, her face pale but smirking coldly as she plucked out the crucifix shards.
"Heh heh heh! Bet you didn't see this coming! Senia and I are the Abyss's darlings, twin-born, sharing a mythical rank. The brass throne's got my name too! Hit by my blood poison and Senia's curse, let's see how you handle it, stinky angel!" Lilith crowed, hands on hips, sticking out her tongue like a child seeking praise, carefree despite her newfound supremacy.