[After finally killing Zeus, Kratos stares out over the destruction and chaos caused by the gods' deaths]Athena: You have done well, Kratos. Freed from the bondage of Olympus and cleansed in chaos, mankind is now ready to hear my message.Kratos: Look around you, Athena! The world stands in ruin! What good is your message?Athena: Go if you must. But first, I insist you give me the power from inside the Box.Kratos: The Box was empty.Athena: That can't be true. I can see it in your eyes. You used my power to kill Zeus. You still have it as we speak! Don't you understand? When Zeus gathered all the evils and placed them in the Box, I dreaded what would happen if it was opened again. And so, I summoned the most powerful weapon in the world, and I placed it in the Box.Kratos: I told you! It was empty. [sorrowfully] Pandora was sacrificed in vain. She died, because of my need for vengeance.Athena: You must be mistaken. You used my power to kill Zeus. I saw you do it... unless... Of course! When you opened the Box, you released the evils to the gods. Infected them. Changed them. Zeus himself fell prey to the dark evils. This is why he became so enraged and obsessed with your death. He was consumed by the evil Fear. I thought the power I placed in the Box was never released. All these years, I assumed you drew from the evils inside to destroy Ares. But I was wrong. The power you took from the Box is mine. From it, you gained the strength that Zeus could never destroy. A strength great enough to overcome Fear. Locked deep inside of you, Kratos... is Hope.[Kratos observes his hand glowing with energy, like it did when he killed Zeus]Athena: It has remained buried, trapped by your guilt and the failures of your past. When you killed Zeus, you must have allowed something to awaken it. What was it, Kratos?Pandora: [in Kratos' memories] Hope is what makes us strong! It is why we are here! It is what we fight with when all else is lost!Athena: [as Kratos stands silently] What was it, Kratos?Kratos: All I remember is what I have lost.Athena: That is why you should give me the power. I understand its true meaning and where it belongs. I trust you to do the right thing, Kratos.Kratos: You shouldn't. [kneels down by the Blade of Olympus]Athena: [angrily] You owe me this, Spartan!Kratos: [grabbing the Blade and turning on her] I owe you nothing!Athena: I made you a god! I sheltered you from the wrath of Olympus! I delivered your revenge on Zeus!Kratos: It is over, Athena.Athena: You would dare strike me down?! Again?!Kratos: [with grim finality] My vengeance... ends now. [raises the Blade]Athena: You can't!![Kratos swings the Blade, but instead of striking Athena, he turns it towards himself and plunges it through his own body]Athena: [horrified] You fool! What have you done?! NO!![The power of Hope bursts free from Kratos and into the world]Athena: That was meant for me! They will not know what to do with it! [approaches Kratos and pulls his head up] You disappoint me, Spartan.[Kratos gives one last defiant grunt; Athena pulls the Blade out of him and leaves him and the Blade lying in a pool of blood][After the credits, the Blade of Olympus still lies there, but Kratos has vanished, a trail of blood leading away from Olympus and into the chaos]