It was 480 BCE, Sparta was enthralled within a gruesome battle against Xerxes I during the Greco-Persian Wars. Sparta was known as one of the more battle-ready nations in Ancient Greece. Despite the preparations its men went through for this moment, Persia was relentless during its onslaught. Spartan soldiers called upon the god of thunder, Zeus, who sent one of his most powerful leaders to assist the mortal army. Ares was known by the gods as a master of warfare, one who concealed his face in the heat of a ferocious battle. Under his command, Sparta stood high on the battlefield of Thermopylae.
One by one, bodies have fallen. The battle cry of the opposing military did little to intimidate the almighty god of war. The color of blood and the rolling of heads were only encouragement for the defenders of Sparta. Upon the Persians' surrender, Ares only turned to face his loyal soldiers. "Take no prisoners, let their execution be a reminder for those who oppose the gods!" Spartan soldiers raised their arms, crying out in victory as their remaining enemies were impaled underneath the heat of the sun. Ruthless was not the only word describing Ares at that moment. He was pensive. "Not even Zeus demonstrated his power in such a display... The rage of war has given even mortals the potential to conquer our foes! I was a fool to pledge my allegiance to a joke of a ruler!"
In the aftermath, Ares spoke to his army that their conquest had not yet been completed. After sharing his thoughts, he spoke of his plans to invade Athens and overthrow Zeus on Olympus. While the majority of his army roared in approval, one did not find value in their new leader's revelation. Drakos, one of Sparta's most skilled swordsmen, traveled on horseback to Olympus to warn Zeus of Ares's betrayal. He was accompanied by his closest friend, Kallisto.
Upon the defeat of Athena, the protector of Athens, Ares was warned by his men that Drakos fled the battle. Aware of his intentions, he sent five of his immortal acolytes to intercept him. Fortunately, Drakos was faster as Zeus already prepared his forces for the incoming invasion. His return came with a price, however, as Kallisto found Drakos's wife killed upon trying to escort her out of the village with her children. It was no doubt that the five hunters have killed her after losing the race to Olympus. While saddened, Drakos thanked his friend for being able to rescue his two sons.
While Kallisto took the twins to safety, Drakos traveled back to Olympus to witness Ares's siege against Zeus. Though Ares and his military triumphed against two opposing armies, hubris was his greatest weakness. With the strike of a bolt, his entire army was smitten. The traitorous mortals have been sent to the depths of the underworld while their physical bodies were charred by the blast. As for Ares, he was taken to Hades to be trapped for eternity within a dark seal under the watch of the Underworld's ruler, Hades. Although Ares was defeated, Zeus felt that his imprisonment had not quelled the dark forces as his remaining acolytes have summoned supernatural creatures to attack both the mortal and immortal realms.
While danger was looming, Zeus felt that he and the gods should not come to the aid of humanity after Sparta's alliance with Ares. But since he saw the good in Drakos, he presented to him the Sovereign Blade, a weapon made specifically to combat against the dark horde. Upon leaving Olympus, Drakos and Kallistos have parted ways to protect themselves after betraying Ares. They both knew that his acolytes would come for them after they warned Zeus. Since that day, Drakos left with his sons, Chrestos and Acacius, to the island of Aegina. Upon residing within its village, he trained his two sons for battle against any potential threats sent by Ares's legion.
Drakos knew that he was growing weak as age caught up with him, which is why he would choose one of his sons to obtain the Sovereign Blade. Acacius seemed to surpass Chrestos when it came to training, but it took more for his father to make his final decision. While greater in combat, his pride was the main flaw. While outside of training, Drakos noticed his older son boasting about his success in front of Chrestos. That same pride distanced him from his younger brother, where he used it to instead obtain money and women. Acacius saw himself as not only the ideal hunter, but the ideal male. This did little to win Drakos's favor, as he handed the blade to Chrestos at the age of 17.
Acacius pleaded with his father to change his mind, that he overpowered Chrestos in training and even earned the favor of the townspeople. Drakos refused, however, mentioning that it was hubris that led to the fall of Ares. He ended the conversation by mentioning he would be no better than him in battle. Drakos saw the modesty and selflessness in Chrestos. He spent his childhood studying various techniques in battle each time he lost. He built off of his mistakes to improve himself so that he may fight for his family's protection. He did not let pride, greed, and lust overtake him like Acacius did. It was that ultimate decision that led Acacius to grow envious of his younger brother, only fighting to prove his father wrong.
The story now begins two years later with a hunt for a suspect of a recent murder. The town's scholar was found dead in his sanctuary with one of his tomes missing. Upon hearing this, Drakos sent Chrestos and Acacius to pursue the nymph, Eleni, as witnesses described the being to change appearance upon fleeing the scene. Despite being told to refrain from killing the woman upon sight, Acacius sought to show his power so that he can take the Sovereign Blade from Chrestos. The youngest son chose to keep his father's promise, however, as he knew that Drakos had connections with the nymph. He too knew that something far worse was responsible for this murder, plotting to bring a new darkness to the mortal realm...