Note: The content in this fic is possible to offend religious people. If by chance you are a very religious person, then I suggest you do not read this story, because it features a lot of Biblical alteration and my own interpretation. If you do proceed to read this story and are offended by it in any manner, then I sincerely apologize, for it was never my intention of doing so when writing this. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 1: The son that sinned
Was it all supposed to be like this? There was blood everywhere. Corpses piled as far as the eye could see. Even the sky itself was died in the red color. The landscape- ruins and desolate fields, devoid of life. The only thing that thrived was death.
A huge blast of light resonated for what was perhaps the billionth time and even more corpses fell from the sky. Landing on the ground, lifeless, the bodies all had discerning features. Some had bat-like wings, others feathery ones, whose color differed from pure white to sickening black, among other varying species. They had all fallen in this battle, holding to their perspective faction's beliefs.
This was a war unlike no other. All of creation was fighting in what would later come to be known as the Great War. Even the almighty God himself had taken to the bloody fields. There were three opposing sides in this war. God and his sons, the Angels of Heaven. Azazel and all of his followers, the Fallen Angels. And the final faction, the devils, led by the four Great Satans themselves.
And yet, this war was brought on only because of one. He, whose desire could never be clenched. He, who aimed higher that the great Father that created him. It was his ambition and pride that led to this literal hell. His unforgiving spite towards those that denied him what he deemed was rightfully his.
He had been banished, disgraced and rejected from his home. His own Father, brothers and sisters, claiming him mistaken and delusional. He, who was the first born and closest to their Father, refuted. That had been a turning point, which he himself had never actually sought. Humiliated and disowned, he was hurled to the lowest depths of the underworld.
Even so, his ambition never wavered and his anger and hatred only grew. He conquered all of the 72 pillars and was branded The Satan of the underworld. The devils recognized him for his rightfulness to the high summits he reached for and followed after him. They became followers, comrades and some even friends, to him.
Despite this, in his heart he had room for only one, himself. Not even his wife or son held any sway over him. That was what was believed by all of existence. His pride held no limits, boundless, perhaps even further than the reaches of space itself. He had declared that everything would be his, for he had not only the birthright, but also the power to make it so.
And so he did. It was he, who ignited the flames of war, challenging the throne of his Father and the claims of his siblings, who also rose to the challenge. The Great War was at its end now, the final battle to decide the fate of the world reaching its conclusion.
There were only two left in the skies, everyone else either killed or wounded. Two, who continued to relentlessly maim at each other. Another blast of light engulfed everything. Both of them were at their wits' ends, their power and energy exhausted from the battle that had been going without stop from the very start of the war.
It was clear that the instigator of the war was equal to his opponent, but the undeniable truth was that he was slowly losing. His 12 bat-like wings, dark as the void, glittered with a majestic golden aura, which coated his entire body and hair. Even his black and gold armor, torn from the long and grueling battle, shone with his unmistakable once holy aura, while his purple and black skirt flailed from the wind, or what was left of it. His pure silver hair, which had two crimson red horns in sprouting upwards from his head, was blown by the strong wind, created from the clash of energies, but his sapphire blue eyes still held their glowing pride and fiery anger.
Sensing that he wouldn't be able to go on for any longer, he let out one final battle cry and charged at his opponent with his spear of dark light. A resounding stab was heard, signalizing the end of the long war. However, the white haired devil's eyes were wide with shock and confusion.
"Why?!" He asked, not understanding what was going on. "Why did you let me kill you, Father?!" He yelled out, as he gazed in utter shock.
His opponent, the biblical God himself, stood in front of him, with spear of light stabbed through his heart. The elderly man could only let out a sigh, regardless of his wound, his presence was unlike no other, emitting an almost unreal aura of majesty. "Lucifer, my son." God spoke in a tired voice, which had lost its usual almighty tone, sounding more like an average old man.
"Do not call me that!" Lucifer raged. "It was you, who banished me from heaven! It was you, who made everyone turn against me, when all I did was ask for what was mine!" The former angel now devil hissed venomously.
God let out a sigh once more. He then looked at Lucifer, making the devil freeze in place. God's eyes held no anger, no malice for him, only sadness. "I know better than anyone that you deserve what you want. You are my first son and the only one I ever allowed to stand next to me." God spoke, confusing the devil, whose face was growing confused.
"Lies!" Lucifer yelled out, though not of anger, but sadness. "If this is what you truly thought, then why didn't you say anything?! Why did you reject my claim?!" The devil asked, remembering the pain. His Father's first ever refusal to him had severely hurt him. "I always strived to be perfect, to be like you! I always supported you, even when you started to love humans more than us!" Lucifer yelled at God. "But it was never enough! Nothing I did was ever enough! I had to stand and watch, as you slowly stopped caring about us and began to be fascinated with the humans! I had to witness how the others stopped revering me and turning to me for help!" The devil cried out, laying out all of his pent up anger and frustration.
"I know." God's calm words silenced Lucifer, who stared curiously and patiently at him. "I know that it was my negligence that led to your insecurity, which also began to spread through your brothers and sisters." God said, knowing full well, why some of the angels fell from grace. "When you came to me, declaring your claim, I realized that I had made a mistake, which was too late to correct." He said, the two of the landing down on the ground, with Lucifer not letting go of his spear, though his hand shook. "I saw the ambition you began to harbor and I became afraid of what you could achieve."
Lucifer was stunned silent. His Father, God, afraid? He would've never believed such a claim and completely destroying the one, who dared to voice it. But, hearing it from his Father's mouth, he couldn't help but be shocked. In the next instant, his eyes widened, as he felt God's own spear of pure light that shone like no other stab through him, just like his did his Father.
"I am sorry, my son." God said solemnly, with a hurt expression, as Lucifer slowly shook in surprise at the realization. "I am sorry that it had to be like this. Please, find it in yourself to forgive this old man." God spoke with a small smile, as both spears disappeared, their energy sparkling into nothingness.
Lucifer gazed in utter shock at his Father, who even at his dying moment stood majestically, his presence glowing with brilliance, just like he always remembered. The devil felt his blood pouring down his body from the hole in his chest and how it slowly crept up his throat. In this moment, he understood, that everything was over. His ambition, his pride, his spite, everything. And yet, he couldn't help but gaze forward at the old man, who smiled warmly at him with hands spread out, gesturing him to come closer.
The devil slowly reached forward, his hand trembling and losing its golden glow along with the rest of his body. He tried to stiffen the words that were cramping his throat along with all the blood, but he couldn't take it. He was dying and so was the one being he had ever looked up to. He took a few uncertain steps forward, becoming surprised when God's arms wrapped around him tenderly, bringing him into an embrace.
"Father…" Lucifer muttered out, trying to stiffen the approaching sobs and tears, which filled his eyes. In this very moment, being in the holy Father's gentle embrace, he wanted to forget everything. The anger, the hatred, the curses and insults.
"Even when you were banished and your hatred for me grew, you still called me your father." God said, a happy smile on his face, as he embraced his first son for the last time. "I held no greater joy than that, despite everything, you never forsake me." The dying old man started sobbing, as he knew that is end approached. "Everything you have ever done or said, I forgive."
Lucifer's composure finally broke, unable to take anymore and his eyes were flooded with tears. Truly, the Father's kindness and love knew no bounds. "Father!" The devil cried out and sobbed, burying his head in the old man's wounded chest. "I am sorry, Father!" He continued to cry in God's embrace.
"I know." God reassured him with a tender smile and voice.
"I only ever wanted your love, Father!" Lucifer continued to bawl in his dying moments. He didn't care how pathetic he was being or undeserving of the title of Satan. All that mattered was this single moment. "I wanted you to be proud of me, to show you that I was capable!"
"I know, my son." God spoke once more. "I was proud of you the moment I created you, just like how proud I am of everything in the world." The elderly man spoke, relishing in this final time of consolation with the son he had hurt.
They stayed like that in each other's embrace for a few seconds, surrounded by the vast fields of death and destruction. This was interrupted, when a worried cry echoed out in the distance.
"Father!" Michael cried out in horror, as he and Azazel rushed over to the two. The Archseraph, whose 12 golden wings glittered weakly, was covered in wounds from the battle he had fought mere moments ago. His long gold blond hair did nothing to hide the worry placed on the angel's face, his green eyes filled with distress. His companion, Azazel, was in no better shape to boot, as the two had been having their fight until they had sensed the disappearance of God and Lucifer's energies. The leader of the Fallen Angels was a tall man, measuring at the same height as Lucifer, while Michael was slightly shorter, with black hair and golden bangs accented by a pair of violet eyes. His 12 pure black feathery wings flapped in the air, their appearance could easily be mistaken for the night's sky.
The two Angels flew down next to God and the Devil, their faces becoming filled with shock upon the sight. From both blood and tears flowed. For the first time in what had been a long while, Azazel was actually speechless.
"Father!" Michael exclaimed in worry, wishing to not worry about the devil, but rather God's state. "Quick, we have to-"
"Michael." God spoke his son's name, which made the archangel fall silent, knowing that his Father's voice was above all. God let go of Lucifer, whose sad gaze darted between him and his two former brothers. "Azazel." God turned to the fallen angel, who stiffened from his Father's voice, knowing that he would most likely be addressed as well. God let out a tired sigh, as he sat down on the ground. "My sons, come closer." He told the three.
"Father?" Azazel voiced his confusion, as the three leaders did just that. The leader of the Grigori could plainly see the huge wounds on God and Lucifer's chests. This and his elder brother's tear stained eyes could only mean one thing.
"My sons, I truly wish for you to forgive this old fool, who allowed all of this despicable chaos." God said weakly with a small smile, gaining looks of shock from the three. All of them remained silent, knowing that this would most likely be the last time they were addressed by their father. "It is time for all of this to end. Please, would you make this old man a favor and stop this senseless war?" At his words, Azazel frowned, while Lucifer clenched his fists and bit his bloodied lip. Michael gazed patiently towards God, contemplating their Father's words.
Azazel was the first to break the silence with a loud sigh. "It's too late for that, old man." He said, running a hand through his hair and gazing absently towards the hills of corpses. "The damage has been dealt to all factions. Things will never be what they used to." He said, remembering his own vendetta against his Father for banishing him for having sex with a human woman. However, the Fallen Angel found his grudge dwindling in the face of the current situation.
"No, my sons." God shook his head lightly with an amused smile, gaining curious looks from the three. "I do not want you to make things as they were, no. I wish for you to make the world better with my passing." God could see the clear worry in Michael's eyes, but he spoke before the archangel could. "Worry not, for I know that this world will become even more beautiful when I'm gone." He said and Michael cast his gaze downward, accepting his Father's dying wish, knowing just how an impossible feat it was.
God let out another tired sigh, knowing that he was running out of time, but death could wait until he was done. "Azazel." He said, gaining the darkened angel's attention. "I did not banish you and the rest because I grew to despise you when you turned to sin." He said, gaining a shocked look from the black and gold haired angel. "My intentions were to only make you see that you were starting to go on a path that slowly leads to one's downfall, but it would seem that my methods of doing so were mistaken." God said, shaking his head with a sad smile. "I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me."
"Father…" Azazel began to tear up, but composed himself, not wishing to disgrace all of his fallen friends and comrades.
"Michael." God turned to his most faithful son. Michael had been the one to always follow everything with sheer loyalty and determination. He never questioned why God had ordered so. When he heard his name, the Archangel raised his head. "I want you to be the one who looks over heaven in my place."
"But, Father, I could never possibly do such a thing!" Michael exclaimed, feeling somewhat proud that God chose him as his successor, but still knew that he wasn't the one supposed to sit in that position. In his eyes, it was a role meant for God and God alone.
God let out another sigh. "You always were trusting in me, to the point that you fail to see how capable you are yourself." He said, gaining a surprised look from the Archangel. "You are more than capable of taking over my position and taking care of heaven. If any of the others question this, let them know that I have deemed it so." He said, after which he smiled contently at Michael. "I know it is a lot to ask from you, but I trust that you will be able to handle this challenge."
"Thank you, Father." Michael said, tearing up, as he cast his head down once more, unable to bear any of this. He started to sob, knowing that this would be the final guidance he would receive from God. He would make sure to prove him right in choosing him. He wouldn't disappoint his Father, making him regret his decision.
God nodded contently and turned to Lucifer, who was doing his best to stand tall, despite all the blood he had lost. "Lucifer, my son. Even to this very moment you push yourself beyond your limits." God said with a worried look. "Do not fight the inevitable. Do not worry about how anyone sees you." The elderly man said, resulting in Lucifer dropping down on his knees, his whole body growing weak. The two angels turned to their once brother with surprised looks as they saw the solemn expression that graced his majestic face.
"It's no use, Father." Lucifer said, as he felt his body growing numb from the loss of blood. "With my death, the underworld will be without the leadership of the four Great Satans and will fall into chaos." He said looking pleadingly at God. "Even if Michael and Azazel were able to convince the others, no one is left to stop my followers."
"My son, it is here that you are mistaken." God said, gaining a curious look from the three. "You believe that devil kin as nothing but savages that can't be reasoned with, but you know from experience that is not the truth. True, some were intimidated by you and followed out of fear, while others grew to trust and admire you." God spoke, smiling at his first son. "Is that not true for all of the comrades that rushed to your side willingly in this battle? Those who laid their lives for you and those that still live because of their bond with you?"
Lucifer fell silent, realizing what God was telling him. He knew that his words were true. While all of demon kin worshipped him, some of the pillars befriended him and grew closer with him. He could say the same for his three most trusted companions. Leviathan, Asmodeus and Beelzebub were the closest thing he had to best friends. It still brought a smile to his face remembering how he first encountered Leviathan when he fell to the underworld. The expression on the serpentine devil's face had been priceless.
"I know that things will become for the better." God said with an assured smile. "It may not be anytime soon, but I assure you that the time will come, when all beings will be able to sit together at a table peacefully having fun." He smiled and with that, he thumped down on his back, the loss of blood finally doing him, as he felt death's gentle embrace and closed his eyes.
"Father!" The three brothers exclaimed, as they went over to God, seeing his peaceful smile and closed eyes. Michael and Azazel's gazes turned to Lucifer, who dropped down next to God, his own death approaching fast. The two angels could tell that their elder brother had changed. He wasn't the anger driven devil that had started the Great War anymore. In this moment, in their eyes, he was Lucifer, the first son of God and the brother they once looked up to and respected. The two angels would honor their Father's dying wish and end this war.
That day, Lucifer, the first son of God, fell, realizing with his dying breath that this wasn't how he had wished it to be. He wanted to change this fate, damn it! He wanted to see to that the beauty of his Father's world would be restored and hopefully he would get to rediscover himself and overcome his faults. He wanted to get back to his wife, Lilith, and son, Rizevim, and show them how much he truly appreciated them. Sadly, it was simply not meant to be.
With his last glimpses of sight, he could see his two brothers, Azazel and Michael standing over the two corpses with mournful gazes and tearful eyes. Lucifer tilted his head slightly, taking all of the effort he could muster, to simply gaze at his Father's now cold and lifeless body. His tired and closing eyes began to water, as with his last remaining strength he reached out towards the old man, who lay peacefully with a content smile on his face. "Fa… ther…" Lucifer was able to utter, before the darkness consumed him.
Darkness soon vanished from opening eyes, which gazed at light for what felt like a long slumber. Lucifer's blue eyes looked around him, as he stood up from his laying position. The first thing he noticed was the clear blue sky, with not even a cloud to be seen. The next was that he was in the middle of a forest. The last was that he was naked, not that it really mattered to him.
He brought up his arms looking curiously at them and inspecting his body. The devil clearly remembered dying next to his Father. And yet, here he was, with the light of the sky shining down on him. Was this a sign? He gazed up in confusion. There was no doubt about it, he felt alive as alive can be, but there was something off.
He felt weaker than usual. Subconsciously, he raised his hand to scratch his pure white hair, only to be surprised by the lack of horns on his head. Immediately, he felt up his head with both arms, wanting to prove that he wasn't under an illusion of some sort. Unsatisfied with merely a touch, he stood up and went over to a small pond he saw in the distance. Looking into the water, he saw his reflection, which almost startled him. Lucifer looked exactly like he had when he was yet to be banished from heaven. He looked visibly younger than he last remembered, in human aging he would perhaps be in his early twenties if he so recalled. There were no horns on his head and his body glittered gold brighter than he could remember.
There was only one test left, to prove the current reality to himself. The devil spread out his 12 wings expecting to see the bat-like shape he had grown accustomed to, only to be shocked at the sight of his wings from the time when he was an angel. They were the purest of silver and shone brightly in gold, their light far greater than the one from his brother Michael's. The wings he had torn off himself in a show off rebellion to God, in the place of which grew the large devil wings. And yet, there was no halo over his head. Lucifer quickly dismissed the thought of returning to his angel form, as he felt both holy and devil energy inside himself.
The first son of God wasn't sure what was going on for the first few moments, but the realization dawned on him sooner than he would've expected. He gazed upward, towards the clear sky with a small smile on his perfect lips. Lucifer did not know how God was capable of pulling this off, but he didn't doubt the current reality even for a second. "Thank you for giving me a second chance, Father." Lucifer whispered contently. "I promise to make you proud, Amen." He said and then to his surprise, a sudden sharp headache hit him. "Argh!" He hissed, clutching his head, feeling as if he was stabbed with needles.
It soon dispersed and Lucifer was left in a sour mood, rubbing his head curiously. Maybe praying wasn't a good idea, he was the devil after all. Letting out a sigh, Lucifer resolved himself to the current circumstances and stood up, folding back his wings, as a single feather landed in his palm before it disappeared.
"I guess it would be best to start off by understanding where I am." Lucifer noted absentmindedly to himself, which he did only when he was alone, figuring that he was somewhere in the human world by his surroundings. He would never allow a living being to see the great Lucifer take on such a laid back attitude in such a situation. His pride wouldn't have allowed it. But that was then and this was now. He was the father of sin, after all, so maybe it wasn't that farfetched for him to have a bit of sloth in him. Asmodeus would have had a field day laughing if he could hear his thoughts now.
Suppressing his energy, removing the majestic glow from his body in order to not stick out that much, Lucifer casted a simple magic spell to give himself some type of clothing. Since he wasn't quite sure as to what the local populace of humans would wear, he chose to garb himself in an all-black business suit, complete with dark formal pants, boots, gloves and tie. Usually, his pride wouldn't have let him to dress in something so boring, requiring him to dress in the fanciest and flashiest clothes possible, but he knew that as a son of God, he was perfection incarnate, so everything would look good on him. He saw himself in the pond once more and noted that he looked his best, like always.
With a snap of his fingers, the devil teleported with a magic circle to the largest density of humans he could sense near him, exiting out of the portal in what seemed to be a back alley of sorts. To say that he was surprised at his surroundings was putting it lightly. The devil was taken aback by the modern culture of humans. From the large skyscrapers and passing by cars, to the humans themselves and all of the gadgets, he called them, he saw some carrying around. The human world was almost unrecognizable to him, as he kept his composure.
He scolded himself inwardly for what he was about to do, as he stopped a bypassing woman dressed in an outfit similar to his. "Excuse me." Lucifer said, using magic to make sure that the woman understood him. "Could I ask you a few questions?" The devil asking a human girl for directions. He reprimanded himself inwardly. How the mighty have fallen.
One look at him and the woman grew redder than a tomato, becoming infatuated with his perfect appearance. "Of course, ask away!" She encouraged eagerly. It wasn't everyday she met such a handsome, no, beautiful man.
Using magic, he was able to effortlessly break down the lingual barrier, able to perfectly understand what the woman was saying. Knowing full well that the human female could not resist his charms and was like an open book to him, much like he had done countless times before, Lucifer decided to get down to business. "To start off, what year is it?" The devil asked.
"2017." The woman replied enthusiastically, failing to notice the calculative gaze of the man in front of her.
Great, just great. He was far off into the future with no real information on events that have transpired in the supernatural world since the Great War. Lucifer's day was quickly beginning to worsen. Perhaps, God had intended it to be so, to remind him that he was the Devil, representing sin, and he needed to suffer. He surely wouldn't have imagined suffering quite like this. His Father sure had a broad imagination for these things.
"Then on to the second question. Where am I?" Lucifer asked, his tone sour and displeased, feeling like he should brace himself for the next news.
"That's easy, silly." The woman giggled, entranced. "We are in Kuoh city, Japan."
The devil felt his right eyebrow twitch in annoyance. Why Japan of all places, he didn't even want to imagine. God surely had a reason to reincarnate him here, he wished to believe so with his whole being, unless his Father had done so simply to mess with him. Composing himself, he figured that that was enough for the moment.
"You're free to go." He spoke, his voice full of authority and majesty, as he used magic to get the woman on her way and erase her memories of their encounter. As the woman walked away, Lucifer let out a sigh, brushing a hand through his silver hair. There was a long list of things to do ahead of him and he hated mundane tasks.
As he walked through the streets, Lucifer got to reevaluate humans in his mind. He had hated them for taking God's attention from him, but just like him, they were children of the Lord and he felt that it was his place not to destroy them, but rather lead and guide them in the teachings of God. However, that had been his ambition of the past. Whether it was still a goal of his was unquestionable. He would rule over all, but not with the iron fist he had once envisioned. He would be the wise ruler that the world needed now that God was gone. The devil put these thoughts aside, knowing that he would have ample time for plotting once he got himself a nice residence and a few new books. The latter had always been something which fascinated him about humans. They always made such interesting stories.
The Devil's following actions consisted of him using simple persuasion magic on the humans around him, reserving for himself an apartment on the top floor of one of the most luxurious buildings in the city. He was the king of Devils, Lucifer, there was no one more deserving of luxury, so surely no one would bat an eye on the methods he used to get what was rightfully his.
Lucifer entered his luxurious apartment and placed down the ton of books he had taken from the local library, transporting through magic circles. As prince of Hell, he would never allow himself to do manual labor, even now in this strange reincarnation of his. The apartment was everything he had wanted. It was large and spacious, equipped with all the new technology that humans had created. Lucifer made a mental note to start inspecting how these machines worked. The suite had a very expensive feel to it, with white and grey walls, coupled with black and white furniture.
However, the devil king's attention was currently taken by the large TV in his living room. After minutes of inspection, he was pleasantly surprised to see that this device provided different visual feedback to all types of sources. It was almost like simultaneous long distance observing spells activated at once. This would surely prove a suitable source of entertainment in his free time. Lucifer was surprised at just how good humans could live. His opinion of them slowly rose, as he appreciated all of the inventions around him.
The Devil sat down on his soft couch, relaxing and taking time to sort through everything he had learned. Snapping his fingers, in his hand appeared the smartphone he had taken from a store. The device was just another to add to the list of curiosities that intrigued him. Figuring that he had fooled around enough, Lucifer put down the phone on the table, placing it next to the books, and leaned back in his couch.
The Devil closed his eyes and concentrated. He could sense supernatural energies in the city all day and now he had to discern to whom they belonged to. He had felt that quite a few Sacred Gear users were in the city, which would naturally attract attention. As his senses sharpened, he started to feel all the different beings living in the city. He was pleasantly surprised to locate the signature of quite a big populace of devils, but also sensed a small number of Fallen Angels creeping around. Not a good sign.
The prince of hell held no worry of being discovered. For one, he was supposed to be dead, so no one would be out looking for him. Second, he was able to perfectly mask his energy so there was no possible way to locate him. Thirdly, he was Lucifer, the king of Devils. Even in his current weakened state, no Fallen Angel or Devil that dared to pick a fight with him would live to regret their decision.
Making contact was essential. He needed to learn what had transpired during his absence. No doubt the devils would be shocked at the revelation of meeting him, which spurred him to wonder who was the current ruler of the Underworld. What had become of his son and wife? What about the other factions? He wondered what had become of Michael and Azazel. Lucifer understood that he needed to keep a low profile for now. His sudden reemergence would cause complete chaos no doubt. He would have to bide his time and gather information for the time being.
Lucifer let out a loud sigh. He was feeling exhausted by these chores already. He wished that he could simply pass off the work to one of his maids at his castle in the underworld. Speaking of his castle, the couch he relaxing in proved to be quite comfortable. The prince of Hell was pleased.
"Well," Lucifer said nonchalantly, as he picked up the smartphone and started tinkering with it. "I guess that Heaven and Hell can wait for me a bit longer until I figure out all of this curious stuff." He spoke to no one in particular, as his eyes lit up along with the screen of the phone. "How truly fascinating."
After a few hours of satisfying his curiosity, the prince of Hell found himself in hunger. Surely there was an establishment somewhere in this city which could sate his refined taste. Although, no restaurant food could ever replicate Lilith's homemade cooking. Remembering his wife's cooking only made Lucifer hungrier, as he placed down the book he was reading and snapped his fingers, teleporting in a magic circle to the base floor of the skyscraper, still dressed in his black outfit.
Going out into the busy streets, Lucifer deliberately went in the direction of the devil and fallen angel signatures on his route to a restaurant. What better than to scratch off two chores at once. As the prince of hell walked through the world of humans, ignoring the fawning of women over him which he had long been used to, the silver haired devil stopped himself in front of a men's clothes store. Figuring that no better opportunity than the present could present itself, the king of Devils entered the store to get his hands on a wardrobe.
After half an hour, Lucifer exited out of the store dressed in a dark purple long coat, beneath which he wore a black formal shirt and grey gloves. He had taken a pair of black jeans with leather straps and black formal shoes. The Devil was pleasantly surprised when he got his hands on the new accessories that graced his head. Over his perfect face he wore a pair of stylish black shades and dark purple fedora resting over his silver hair. Now this was a suitable look for the prince of hell. He had also taken the liberty of getting more clothes that suited his fancy, which now lay inside the wardrobe of his apartment, courtesy of teleportation circles. Humans had developed astonishingly while he was gone, apparently.
On the landscape of the average dressed humans around him, Lucifer stuck out like a flower among grass. He had intended to keep a low profile, but he was the Devil, nothing could hold back his flashy presence. Besides, it wasn't like someone would recognize him, now that he was dressed like this.
As he walked with a bored expression on his face, keeping a lookout for a possible restaurant, Lucifer's thoughts wondered on a few curiosities that still bugged him. Why did he not sense any Youkai here, in their homeland? Had something happened to the Shinto faction? Not that he really cared. Those cretins were never worth the prince of hell's time and effort.
Soon enough, Lucifer's sapphire eyes landed on an establishment which seemed to be worthy of serving him. After enjoying a good western styled beef steak and an exquisite salad, the devil king was satisfied, to the point in which he felt the human chefs deserved a reward, as with magic he procured a generous wealthy tip for his waiter, who had also been very pleasing.
Leaving in a pleasant mood, the king of Devils spent a brief moment to consider what he wanted to do. So far, he was rather enjoying the human world. In the time he had been gone, it surely was able to develop into quite the attraction. No doubt his fellow devils felt the same, as he was sure that the underworld was no doubt full of humanity's inventions, especially the washing machine. A construction that cleaned one's clothes with no effort put into it, blasphemous! But then again, devils were all about blasphemy. Lucifer's thoughts put an amused smirk on his unholy lips.
His other choice was to begin his investigation at once and contact the devils residing in this city. No doubt they could fill him in on much needed information. Introducing himself would prove to be another matter though. He couldn't possibly reveal himself this early on, not until he knew what was the status quo. Shrugging, Lucifer figured that he would come up with a fake identity on his way to his current estate.
Walking back, the prince of hell's boredom resurfaced, as there was nothing to entertain him. Amusing as the world around him was, the wow new things reaction was getting old and fast at that. Lucifer's sapphire eyes narrowed in annoyance, as most of all he despised being bored. The books at his residence suddenly seemed very appealing and the devil was about to snap his fingers and return to his current home, until the sky darkened to a familiar shade and his senses caught onto familiar energy. Fallen Angels.
Letting out a sigh and shrugging, the prince of hell figured that this was better than no entertainment at all. He didn't feel any signatures close to him, so he most likely wasn't discovered. What he did feel was a sacred gear user in close proximity to the fallen. Lucifer smirked, amused by the fact that he was so bored that he would waste time on a simple fallen angel and a nobody sacred gear user.
With a simple snap of his fingers, Lucifer was teleported by his silver magic circle to the source of the current change of scenery. The prince of hell teleported to a small fountain, where the corpse of a brunette boy lay in a pool of blood, his wound providing evidence that he was struck by a spear of light. Lucifer clicked his tongue in annoyance. The Fallen Angel had killed the boy and left rather quickly. It would seem that he had arrived just after the fallen had left, if evident by the black feathers which fell down to the ground. Annoyed, the prince of hell looked at the pile of raven feathers and incinerated them with fire magic, which he activated at will. There was no magic that he could not tap into, except for the full power of holy magic, which he was no longer able to completely access.
"Here I am, the prince of hell, concerning myself with some lowlifes." Lucifer sighed in disappointment. "Still," His gaze turned to the corpse of the brunette teen. There was a very powerful energy dwelling within him. An energy the devil king was quite familiar with. "I did not imagine to run into a user of one of the Divine Dragons so soon, albeit dying. Oh well." The king of devils shrugged, figuring that getting his hands on the great Welsh was a good start if anything else, as he raised his hand, which began to glow with silver energy, preparing to extract the sacred gear from the corpse.
However, as Lucifer was about to proceed, he noticed the boy's limbs twitching, barely. It would seem that he was still alive, albeit not for much longer. The prince of hell contemplated for a second if perhaps the boy could be useful while alive, as he walked over to the human.
Lucifer stood over the dying boy, hanging over him like an anchor of death. The boy's eyes barely moved in recognition to his presence, which the devil knew he felt, as there was no being that would not notice his majestic presence.
"It seems that you were dealt a rather cruel hand of fate, child." Lucifer spoke, not expecting an answer from the dying human. "What do you think, child? Are you to live or are you to die? It's all the same to me." He said nonchalantly, but then saw something glowing in the boy's pocket. "Hmm?" His sapphire eyes quickly discerned the glowing familiar symbol from behind his shades. He could recognize the crimson sigil anywhere. "The Mark of Gremory, huh?" Lucifer mused, as he wordlessly cast an invisibility spell on himself and took a few steps away from the boy.
From his hiding spot, the devil watched curiously at what happened next. He didn't know why he was surprised when he saw the crimson haired young woman appear out of the red magic circle. The devil king had half expected his former comrade Gremory, who had fallen in the Great War, 's son, Zeoticus. He remembered the energetic young devil and his father fondly. Gremory and his household had always been among his favorite.
Lucifer found himself greatly intrigued by this apparent heir to the house of Gremory. If she was the one in charge of the devils in this city, then that worked well to his advantage. Seeing the descendant of an old friend actually made him relax a bit, though he knew that if Gremory could see this young devil in front of him, he would be having nosebleeds redder than his trademark hair and making perverted remarks about the girl. The prince of hell let out a sigh. Such a shame that so many of his comrades had fallen along with him. At least their legacy lived on. This only spurred his curiosity about the underworld's current state further.
The Devil King watched silently, as the female devil enacted her pact with the dying human. "Live for my sake." She said with a pleasant smile and a pair of devil wings spread out, as Lucifer gazed curiously as she procured a set of strangely colored chess pieces and implanted eight pawns within the boy. Surely an odd thing to do. Did the devils of today have some new tool at their disposal?
Lucifer shrugged, growing bored by the current status quo and decided to ditch the two, as he teleported back to his residence, where he removed the invisibility spell. This first day of his reincarnated life sure had taken off into an interesting start. The prince of hell decided to relax, as he prepared the bath tub.
He snapped his fingers, removing the clothing from himself, revealing the devil's perfect natural body. Lucifer entered into the bath tub and plunged himself into the hot waters, letting out a content moan when he fully submerged his body into the bath. As he slowly relaxed into the hot tub, his holy energies barely seeped out, enough to coat his body and hair in a shimmering golden layer. This surely had to be the humans' version of heaven. Such luxury was indeed worthy of the first son of God.
As he enjoyed his relaxing bath, Lucifer slowly spread out his 12 silver feathery wings and dipped them into the hot water, their golden glitter shining through the water, letting out another pleasant mode, as he felt he might melt into the pleasure his body was experiencing. If only he had a woman with him, it would be perfect. He certainly couldn't deny the image of Gremory's heir in his head. She was indeed a beauty to behold and would no doubt make for a fine spouse with those attractive curves and enticing face. However, the king of devils quickly banished the thought, as he felt a chill run down his spine, remembering the last time Lilith had caught him with other women in his bed chambers. His wife had publicly humiliated the women who slept with him and had made sure to give him a lesson he would never forgive behind closed doors. Lucifer shuddered just by remembering that nightmare and how furious his wife had been, with that hauntingly eerie smile of hers stuck in his head.
"Damn woman." Lucifer grumbled with a smirk on his face. "Troublesome to no ends." He chuckled, as he relaxed into the hot water. "But that's what I love about her." The prince of hell smirked. Love. The thought stuck oddly inside his head. Had he really loved Lilith? Was it not simply his own unending lusting over her? It was hard for him to tell with how he had been in the past. From what he remembered, his wife surely loved him, no, adored his very existence. But would she love this new self he had started building on. Sure, he was still Lucifer, the King of all Devils, but he wasn't the enraged tyrant from before. He couldn't help but wonder if she had loved him because of his burning ambition and battle crazed nature. Lucifer let out a sigh. "I'll deal with that when it comes to it." He resigned himself, as he proceeded to washing his feathery wings. It was very nostalgic to see his angelic wings once again after he had furiously ripped them off himself in front of the whole underworld. To say that he appreciated these more than his devil wings was a blunt truth. These were the wings with which his Father birthed him onto the world. He would never want to lose them again.
The dawn of the next day came and Lucifer opened his blue eyes, as he woke up from his peaceful slumber. He stood up from his bed, standing up and allowing the bed sheets to fall off him, revealing his naked body, which glittered in gold, though quickly dimmed down, as the devil did not want unwelcome guests this early in the morning.
The devil snapped his fingers and a loose white shirt, coupled with black pants found themselves gracing his majestic body. Using the telekinetic magic he had picked up from Halphas and his household, the devil effortlessly made breakfast and morning tea for himself. Enjoying his morning to the sound of the news on the TV and the taste of the freshly prepared black tea, the devil king looked refined as refined one could be, when they held the title prince of hell.
Finishing with his breakfast, the devil secluded himself to his favorite hobby, reading. He was yet to go through all of the books he had taken yesterday and decided that this would occupy most of his day. His current reads were of all varying types. There was a book about world history, a few on modern day technology, some adventure and comedy stories. He would have to get books on all the other genres as well, for there was entertainment to choose from.
The hours passed, as the prince of hell finished book after book, reading at a speed a human could never muster. Usually he liked to take his time and savor a book, but there was simply so much material waiting to grace his eyes that his patience was growing thin by the anticipation of what treasures he may discover.
When he finally finished with his last book, closing it with a loud thud, a satisfied smile plastered on his lips, the devil understood that it was already afternoon, which was indicated by clock on the wall and the positioning of the sun. Letting out a sigh, Lucifer snapped his fingers and changed into his purple garbs. In his stretched out left hand, his dark purple fedora appeared, which he then flamboyantly placed on his head, as he set out to get something to eat and new reading material.
It was from the return from this trek that the prince of hell's mood seriously took a turn for the worst. His eyes narrowed dangerously and his fists clenched in anger. He could feel it from this far. That repulsive energy. A stray devil. How dared that insect make its nesting ground here in his presence. There would be severe punishment for this.
With a healthy dose of anger, Lucifer snapped his fingers and was teleported to the location of the vermin. An old abandoned warehouse it seemed. How typical. "A useless home for a useless reject." The devil spat becoming increasingly annoyed at the stray's presence, as he walked into the building.
Everything was dark inside, but it was nothing to the vision of the king of devils. He could clearly see just like he did in the light of day. His senses picked up the stray beginning to stir, no doubt having felt his presence.
"Oooh." He heard the sickening laughter. "I smell something oh so incredibly delicious!" The thing squealed in joy, no doubt having a huff of the very bare minimum amount of power which the devil king emitted.
"You have a lot of nerve to dare persist in my presence, ant." Lucifer said venomously, his eyes dangerously narrowed.
"Quite a tough guy, aren't we?" The creature cackled. "It's ok, I looove strong men." It said, as it finally showed its grotesque appearance. The top half was that of a voluptuous woman, but the lower was that of a chimera, with claws and teeth at the ready to devour its pray. "Tell me your name little one." The stray cackled, as it prepared its claws. "It will make eating you that much more ecstatic!"
"As if a worm is worthy of hearing my name." Lucifer scoffed, as he then snapped his fingers before the stray could even reach him with its claws. In a fraction of a second, light began to illuminate the dark building, coming from the thousands of golden swords of light that were stabbed into the stray's body. The disgusting creature began to writhe in agony, as the light burned it away and drained at its power.
"Damn you!" The stray cursed as it twisted in pain, unable to move from the burning light devouring its very being. "Who are you?!" It screamed out.
"You have been punished for daring to ruin the devil king, Lucifer's mood." The prince of hell stated, as to which the creature turned a ghostly white upon the recognition of his name. "Disappear from my sight." Lucifer waved his hand nonchalantly, activating the Abaddon household's famed black hole magic, which sucked up the creature, leaving not even a speck of its existence behind.
The devil let out a sigh, still sour at how his day had taken a turn for the worse. It was then that he decided. Tomorrow it would be. Tomorrow would be the day when he contacted the devils living in this town. If they failed to meet his standards, he would simply swat them away like flies, though he doubted that being the case, with an heir of Gremory present. An impatient snap of fingers signaled the prince of hell's departure from the old warehouse.
Lucifer reappeared out of his silver magic circle and dropped down on his comfortable couch. The devil waved his hand and through another magic circle appeared the new books he had taken for himself, along with a strange device called a gaming console. The name itself had piqued the devil's interest. The prince of hell proceeded to follow the instructions labeled on the packaging and after a few minutes was able to successfully link the console to his TV.
Turning on the console and putting in the disc that came with the package, the devil sat back down and picked up the device called controller. "Astonishing." Lucifer muttered to no one in particular, impressed by the advanced technology, as he selected the start option of the game and began his first ever expedition through the world of video games.
What the devil hadn't expected was to actually get hooked on this activity. Hours after hours and the prince of hell was still playing the game, not going to be satisfied unless he beat it to the full. His sapphire eyes were glued to the screen and a burning ambition blazed in them. The king of devils would not rest until he had conquered this marvelous creation of humans.
When the moment of true victory came, the rush of excitement overflew from the devil, as he erupted into prideful laughter, which echoed through the apartment. "Hahaha! Excellent! Truly amusing!" Lucifer gloated, more than satisfied by his achievement. He would have to get more of these so called video games and possibly make them a practice in the underworld when he returned.
However, his mirth was quickly halted by the sight of the night sky and the clock which showed that it was 2 am. Lucifer's gaze shifted warily back to the gaming console. "What a fierce construct. It completely nullifies down one's sense of time." The devil noted, figuring that perhaps he shouldn't spend so much time on the console.
Despite this, his train of thought was quickly altered, when his eyes landed on the second disc that had come with the console's package. Throwing consideration and tasks that awaited him out of the way, the devil quickly changed the disc of the beaten game with the new one and sat down, ready for his next conquest. Who cared about some Fallen Angels and group of Devils? Why waste time with them, when he could be spending it enjoying himself like never before. Besides, he was Lucifer, surely it was expected of him to be selfish, so he had to live up to those expectations that just so happened to suit his desires. This surely beat the satisfaction he had gotten from humiliating and tormenting his enemies back in underworld. Surely God wouldn't mind him leaving things in the others' hands for a little longer.
Morning came sooner than he had expected, but at least he was able to beat the challenge in front of him. Thoroughly satisfied with himself, the devil turned off the console and TV. He made a few stretches to shake off the tiredness from his body standing still for hours on ends. He contemplated going to sleep, but that would mean that he would miss out on a whole day of exploring. Letting out a sigh, Lucifer snapped his fingers and was dressed in his dark purple garbs once more.
Walking through the streets of the Japanese city, the devil decided to take a new direction this time, as he strolled at a leisurely pace with his hands in the pockets of his coat. Soon he realized why he hadn't really taken to this direction before. Gazing forward, up on a hill, there was a church which seemed to be on the outskirts of the town. He could feel the small tingling sensation at the back of his head, warning him that it was potentially dangerous to go there, but he shrugged it off. He wasn't your ordinary devil, he was the devil. No church or holy object had the power to scare him. Not even the holy swords themselves.
As his steps slowly brought him towards the direction of the church his senses perked up and his gaze shifted to the source of the energy he detected. His sapphire eyes landed on a small and frail girl with long blond hair and green eyes. She appeared to be dressed in a dark blue and white nun's outfit, a cross hanged around her neck, and carried a briefcase with herself. There was no doubt in his mind. This little one was a sacred gear user.
Figuring that he had nothing better to do, he walked over to the nervously pacing young girl, curious as to what she was doing here. She didn't seem to feel his presence nor notice his cold and calculating gaze aimed at her as he approached.
"Why is a little girl like you walking around alone, child?" Lucifer asked, his voice deep and smooth, as the girl's attention turned to him. To say that the girl was unsettled from being approached by this no doubt strangely dressed man was rather plain. He saw her quiver slightly when he stood next to and gazed down at her. The devil sighed, figuring that this child would pass out from fear just about now. He raised his hand forward and saw the girl flinching in fear and closing her eyes, shuddering.
What the blond girl found surprising, however, was the hand resting on the top of her head, gently caressing her. She opened her eyes to look at the man in front of her. When she laid her eyes on his face, the girl felt like she was in the presence of an angel.
"Here, let me help you with that." Lucifer said, as he took the girl's briefcase and hanged it over his shoulder, noticing that it was rather light.
"Um," the girl stuttered for a few seconds embarrassed. "thank you for your kindness." She said, giving him the brightest smile he had ever seen. "I apologize for being scared. It is just that I'm new to this city."
"Hmm? Are you on a vacation?" The devil asked plainly, though he didn't need to hear her answer to know why she was here. No doubt she was to be transferred to that small church at the outskirts of the city.
"No." The girl shook her head lightly. "I am a nun and I was transferred to this town's church." She said, though the devil was easily capable of discerning the sad tone in her voice. "Honestly," The girl said, blushing innocently. "It is a blessing to encounter such kind people here in Japan."
Lucifer kept his expression friendly. Playing along with this girl was a piece of cake. He had manipulated humans countless times before through his charisma, cunning mind and ability to offer humans what they sought most. The little nun was no different in his eyes. "Is that so?" He said nonchalantly, as they began to walk side by side. "Then where were you headed to, young nun?"
"I am headed towards the church." She said smiling. "I was able to run into a very kind boy, who showed me the way to the church." She spoke, her voice meek and innocent.
The devil looked at the girl impartially. He didn't even want to think how many innocent humans like her he was able to persuade to do his bidding. How many church loyalists he held control over, Michael would have a headache if he started digging them up. From what he could discern from the girl, she was an extremely kind person, to a fault, actually. But then again, he liked seeing people like this putting their faith in God. It made him feel better about humans, for not all of them were so easy to bend and break.
"Ah, how rude of me." The girl scolded herself and turned towards him with her innocent smile. "I am Asia Argento. What is your name, mister?"
Lucifer's brows unnoticeably narrowed. He didn't spend as much time as he would have liked on thinking of a fake name. "Mao." He said nonchalantly. "Mao Rushifa." This was the best he was able to come up. His own name, simply spoken in Japanese, to give off the impression that he was a local, even though his appearance screamed otherwise.
"Mao-san, thank you for accompanying me." Asia smiled at the man. "You are a really kind person."
Kind, he? How foolish. He wondered just how much her heart would break if she learned that right now she was walking right next to the devil himself, the enemy of God. However, something caught his eye about the girl. His gaze shot towards her hands, recognizing the familiar rings on her fingers. Twilight Healing. Now it made sense. It would surely be beneficial to the resident church to have the user of this exact Sacred Gear.
"I think you are exaggerating a bit." Lucifer told the girl, who looked at him curiously. "Do not be so quick to pass judgement on to others so easily." He said and turned to the young nun, his expression unreadable. "You never know, you might end making a deal with the devil with such carelessness."
"I understand." Asia said, sounding solemn and lowering her head down in acceptance of the man's words. "God teaches us to show love and compassion to all." She muttered sadly, which Lucifer clearly heard. "Are you a religious person, Mao-san?" She asked turning to him.
"Hmm…" Lucifer wondered on an answer to her question. He could just outright decline, but he wanted a more believable answer. "My relationship with the church is… complicated, to say the least." He told a half-truth, noticing the nun's slight tilting of her head in curiosity. "I'd say that it simply isn't my cup of tea anymore." He said, figuring that that would prove to satisfy the human's wonder.
"Oh, something happened which made you to stop believing in God?" Asia said saddened, lowering her head once more. "I understand." She spoke solemnly, gaining a raised eyebrow from the devil. "Life isn't always as good as we wish it to be."
Silence remained between them until they reached the church. It was rather far away from the city and into the forest. Lucifer passed a quick glance around, noting that there was nothing around, though he could sense that something was off. It would seem that more bugs wanted to pester him. How annoying. It's not like he had come with any ill intent too.
Stopping before the entrance of the church, Lucifer figured that he didn't want to antagonize Michael and the others at heaven just yet. Sure, he would get to have his entertainment with them, but that was for later. He turned to the girl and spoke nonchalantly. "Well then, young miss. It would seem we have reached our stop." He said, as he handed her back her luggage, which she accepted with a grateful smile.
"Once again, thank you very much for accompanying me here, Mao-san." Asia gave a light bow the older man. She smiled at him, gesturing to the door. "Would you perhaps like to enter? I know that it is sometimes hard to accept, but God loves and forgives all, I believe."
The devil would have rolled his eyes at the stupidity of the invitation, if he hadn't spent some time with the girl already. Knowing that such a thing was a big no at the moment, he decided to bid the small nun farewell. "I don't believe that I'm up for it today. Maybe another time." He said, as he turned around and started to leave. "Goodbye, Miss Argento. May your faith in the holy Father never waver." He said with an empty expression.
"Goodbye, Mao-san!" Asia waved to the leaving man cheerfully. "May God watch over and bless you." Lucifer was sure that she had that same innocent smile on her face, but that didn't matter.
He, the devil, blessed by God? Could there really be such a thing? As he walked towards the city, his mind was flooded by thoughts of his final moments with God. He had been forgiven, but, the damage he had caused was evident. There was no repairing the past. The prince of hell raised his hands and looked at them. Perhaps this second chance really was a blessing from the Lord.
He raised his head up towards the sky, gazing at its clear blue color and the light emanating from it. "You're watching, aren't you, Father?" Lucifer said, as a small smile made its way to his lips and a single tear fell down from his left eye. God was gone, that was the hidden truth of this world that no doubt humanity and a huge part of the Supernatural world didn't know. And yet, the world moved on, with or without God.
Lucifer let out a sigh. He could not change who he was, nor he wanted to. "Well then," The king of devils said, as he recomposed himself, his eyes narrowing dangerously, determination shining in them. "Let's meet some children." He snapped his fingers and teleported into the silver magic circle to the location at which he sensed the devils.
I did not expect to write my own Highschool DxD fic at all, but I've been a fan of the series for a long while now, so I figured I'd give it a shot. For those of you that may be curious, Lucifer's appearance is mostly the same as in Shingeki no Bahamut. I don't know, it's simply something about that fabulous character design that got to me, plus he looked like he could pass off as Vali's great grandfather, so that's that. Pertaining to how strong he is, well, he is THE Devil, so naturally, he will be one of the strongest characters in the story. Right now, his power is enough to rival the Four Great Satans, but as the story progresses, his power will slowly return to its maximum, at which point, he will at least be capable of holding his own against beings like Great Red, Ophis and Trihexa, but he won't be stronger than them. As for the heavenly dragons, well, it will be safe to say that he is stronger than them. Incidentally, this fic will feature a lot of the characters from the Light Novels, so there will be some stuff that the anime viewers may not be familiar with. Anyway, enough of my long rant. Hope you enjoyed, leave a review on your thoughts and I wish you an awesome day!